Angie Thorne, Beauregard Daily News. (2021, August 21). Mass transportation: Letting someone else take wheel. Retrieved August 22, 2021, from https://eu.beauregarddailynews.net/story/news/2021/08/21/mass-transportation-letting-someone-else-take-wheel/8186123002/

This article is about a program called the Mass Transportation Benefit Program happening in Fort Polk, Louisiana. The program is for employees of the Department of Defense and entails carpooling groups that take employees to work. There are testimonials from riders on the carpools spouting its benefits to the employees and the environment. They also testify that it is safe from COVID-19 because all riders are required to wear masks while inside of a vehicle.

This article is related to environmental science in that carpooling is a surefire way everyday civilians can reduce their carbon footprint in the absence of good public transportation. The article recognizes that less cars on the road increases air quality and reduces carbon emissions. Although this is on a small scale, it does help decrease the rider’s carbon footprint, especially if they do the program consistently. I found it strange that the Department of Defense pays the members of the program $270 more every month for taking part in the program. That incentive seemed very high from my point of view. I believe that programs like these are a great way that people can make a difference in their own lives, although it is not the most effective solution. This program is in a pretty small town so it is unlikely that they have good, if any, public transportation, so this is a good way to approximate the benefits of it.