The Kennebec Commuter is a city girl at heart. We’re accustomed to being surrounded by skyscrapers, thousands of people and downtown traffic.

“Downtown traffic” meaning bumper-to-bumper cars, sitting in traffic for over 30 minutes, people laying on their horns and screaming obscenities at one another. Downtown traffic should be an Olympic sport; the gold medal could go to the person who flips his (or her) lid first.

And this is the kind of traffic we grew up driving in. So let’s just say moving to mostly-rural Maine was a bit of shock.

Like everything else in life, commuting in urban and rural areas is a sharp contrast, and not just because of the physical setting and distances involved. We are, of course, talking about the toll driving takes on the environment, like CO2 emissions and the like.
Now before you bust out the tar and feathers — and bad hippie jokes -— think about this: While urban commuting certainly contributes more than its fair share of emissions into the atmosphere, rural commuting can cause just as much damage because of the longer distances. And it can be more expensive to the driver in terms of gas prices and wear on the vehicle.

We were surfing the Web a few weeks ago when we came across a 2006 report from Environment Maine, a citizen-run advocacy group.

The group reported commuters who drive between 17 and 19 miles one way to work or school will produce over 7,000 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution a year. That’s the same as driving from Richmond or Litchfield to Augusta, which some people must do to get to work.

The average urban commuter who drives only five to six miles one way will produce less than 2,500 pounds of CO2 emissions.

“One of the advantages of living in urban areas is there are more options than driving,” Nick Berning, an employee for Washington D.C.-based Friends of the Earth (and we think the organization’s name is self-explanatory), said.

“People can walk, they can bike, take the subway. That’s why (Friends of the Earth) encourage ‘smart-growth’, keeping people closer to an urban center.”

Yeah, try telling that to a Mainah who has reveled in the quiet country life for 65 years and isn’t about to budge from his ranch. And who could blame him?

After all, the most breathtaking landscapes in our beautiful state are of the ocean, the mountains, the forests — not skyscrapers.

You loyal readers on the Augusta fringes may not have other options to get to work than driving (unless the Germans finally made that sweet hovercraft George Jetson has), but there are ways to cut emissions and save some wear and tear on your vehicle, and it doesn’t include van- and carpooling this time, we promise.

Although a certain political candidate has recently voiced his skepticism about this solution, keeping your vehicle running efficiently will reduce CO2 pollution and keep your baby in the same — or better — condition she was in when you first drove her off the lot.

That means changing your air filter on a regular basis, changing the oil before the amber light flickers on and keeping your tire pressure stable, Berning said.

“This isn’t the total solution,” Berning said, “but it’s the easiest solution and a great start for people who want to cut emissions.”

Follow Meghan Malloy’s commuter blog and track the cheapest gasoline prices in town daily at www.kjonline.com.