Traffic is bad for the environment and your health

Nobody likes traffic, and we all know that cars stacked up on the freeway pollute the air we breath (not to mention, all those cars take up space!).

But now we learn that traffic is hurting America's economy and it's bad for our mental health. Doesn't that make you want to seek alternative transportation?

Yahoo! Health writer Anne Kreamer points out several recent studies on the high cost of cars. She found that each of us is spending 38 hours a year stuck in traffic -- that's nearly two wasted days. The U.S. economy is losing about $78 billion per year in time and fuel -- money that could be a big help for education, healthcare, and plenty of other more relevant causes than traffic jams.

The stress of sitting in traffic is linked to increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and anxiety. All of that leads to poor health, bad moods, and lower work performance.

Thanks to cars, we're a nation short on time and money, and we're going to die early from stress! But most people can fix it quick. Just change your weekday commuting habits.

Find a carpool in your area to ease your commute. Discover public transit in your town. I've been carpooling or taking the train and bus all my working life, and I like to think the reduced stress is adding mellow years to my retirement.

Don't forget to ask your boss or human resources department about discounts for transit passes and special perks for carpoolers. Larger companies are getting on the ball and rewarding employees for being green -- especially since more communities are helping businesses with eco-friendly transit programs.

Many of us keep to a regular weekly work schedule, so creating a carpool is easy. Exceptions are just that, exceptions; you can adjust your carpool or public transit plans to accommodate an occasional doctor's appointment or after-work errand.

The overall time and stress saved will be worth it.