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"But wait", you say, "Some of the things you list burn fossil fuels, how is this fossil fuel free?"
The point of this pledge was not to make you commit to never having actions that would result in fossil fuels being burned somewhere. In our current economy that is way too much to expect from an individual. Instead the point of the pledge was to get people to commit to not purchasing fossil fuel burning equipment for themselves. Therefore, in the below options you will see some modes that do indeed burn fossil fuels (at least as of today), but importantly, do not require you to purchase a fossil fuel burning vehicle.
Getting Around Locally
Walking/Wheelchair
cheapest
good exercise
slower than other options
Public Transportation
Public transporation is the walking accelerator
less expensive than owning a car, but more expensive than walking
service area and service times may be limited
Low Speed vehicle (biking, skateboard, e-bike, e-scooter, e-chair, golf cart, etc)
lower cost to buy and maintain by orders of magnitude vs owning car
faster than walking
can be unsafe in some areas due to car traffic
Incentives
Federal
NA
Vermont
Rebates from Burlington Electric Department
$600 for e-bike
+$250 for LMI
Electric Car
Operates like a gas/diesel car
quieter ride
Charge instead of fill up
Homeowners can charge at home - don't have to go to gas station
Renters may not have charging at home - public charging may or may not be convenient
More expensive than fossil fuel car to buy
less expensive than fossil fuel car to operate/maintain
Incentives
Federal
*up to $7500 tax credit for new EVs
*up to $4000 tax credit for used EVs
Up to $1000 tax credit for EV chargers (exp 6/30/2026)
Vermont
Rebates from Burlington Electric Department
$5000 new, $2000 used EV
+$700 new, +$300 used for LMI
+$1200 new, +$1500 used for high mileage users
up to +$900 for EV charger (+$1000 for LMI)
45% reduced charging rate
Traveling Far Afield
Public Transportation
Myriad of options (bus, train, plane)
Can be the fastest option
You are a passenger, not a driver, and can do other things while traveling (sleep, read, etc)
Can be difficult/inconvenient to figure out all the connections
Service may be infrequent or non-existent in less populated areas
Electric Car
Fast public car charging is now common place along major corridors
Trip time will be longer than it would be for a gas car due to less convenient charging vs gas station infrastructure
Charging times at DC fast chargers is slightly longer than human pit spot needs, but not all DC fast chargers are located in places humans want to be.
A Better Route Planner is google maps for EVs. It tells you which route to take, what chargers to go to, and for how long you should charge there, for the fastest trip.
takes into account car model, starting charge, and ending charge
If you have a road trip you regularly do, it is a good way to compare EVs you are considering
RV sites often have electrical hookups that can be used to charge EVs (unless disallowed by campgrounds)
Barrow/Rent a Car
If you don't own a car or have a car that you don't want to take on a road trip
Rent a car
Barrow a car from family or friends
if you have a car that you don't want to take, you could swap with them.
*Federal IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) incentive that has been repealed by the Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025 or is paused due to uncertainty of federal funding
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