Believe it or not, a lot of driving time and gas is involved in finding a parking spot in city centers. Dr. Shoup believes that making parking meters more expensive will ease parking. He has seen this done in a few business areas and he suggests that the money collected from those parking meters be invested in the same area. Activities like steam cleaning sidewalks, removing graffiti, and fixing up other infrastructure all make for a more enjoyable shopping experience in any urban area.
If looking for parking is up to one third of all city driving, there is a lot a gas that can be saved and a lot of pollution that can be prevented. There is also a lot of space being used for parking all over the place. Have you been to the mall in February? Or to an office building on Sunday? Imagine if buildings were built closer together with paid parking instead of deserts of parking lots. It would be a lot of easier to get around if buildings were closer together.
The first chapter of his book is available online.
So what can we do now? Walk a little further in the city instead of looking for the perfect parking space on the block you want. Sounds like a simple way to save gas and I know I could use a couple block walk any day.
You seem to be rather narrow minded when you say that not beliving in global warming is just an excuse not to care for the enviroment.