how to achieve your travel pledges
Walk short journeys of one mile or under
Why pledge?
Walking one mile instead of driving saves 0.4 kg of CO2.
One mile takes the average person less than 20 minutes. Walking is also great exercise and is free!
Top tips
Plan your walk with www.walkit.com - this website also calculates distance, time, calories burnt and CO2 avoided.
Schools can get involved with the 'Walk on Wednesday' and 'Walk to School week' initiatives. Visit the school travel pages or contact the Wandsworth school travel plan co-ordinator Jane Greatholder, phone 020 8871 7984, email jgreatholder@wandsworth.gov.uk
Run my car in a more environmentally friendly way
Why pledge?
'Eco-driving' is the term given to a few simple techniques that can cut your car's CO2 emissions by 8% and your car's fuel bill by £120 per year.
Top tips
Act on CO2's 'smarter driving' tips include:
Pump up to cut down
Under inflated tyres create more resistance when your car is moving, which means your engine has to work harder, so more fuel is used and more CO2 emissions are produced. Simply check and adjust your tyre pressures regularly and also before long journeys. This will also help to increase the life of your tyres. Under inflated tyres increase CO2 but over inflated tyres can be unsafe so check your car manual for the correct tyre pressure. Remember, a car with a heavier load may need different air pressure in the tyres.
Less clutter in your car means less CO2
Clutter in your boot is extra weight your engine has to carry. By removing it, you could reduce your engines workload. This will burn less fuel and cut your CO2 emissions so unload any items you won't need for your journey before you set out.
Driving at an appropriate speed reduces CO2
Staying at or within the speed limit increases driver safety. It also reduces CO2 emissions and saves money on your petrol costs. At 70mph you could be using up to 9% more fuel than at 60mph and up to 15% more fuel than at 50mph.
Less stopping and starting means less CO2
Every time you stop then start again in a traffic queue, the engine uses more fuel and therefore produces more CO2. Keep an eye on the traffic ahead and slow down early by gently lifting your foot off the accelerator while keeping the car in gear. In this way, the traffic may have started moving again by the time you approach the vehicle in front, so you can then change gear and be on your way.
Over revving accelerates emissions
Modern car engines are designed to be efficient from the moment they are switched on, so revving the engine only wastes fuel and increases engine wear.
Using gears
Using your gears wisely by changing up a gear a little earlier can also reduce revs. If you drive a diesel car try changing up a gear when the rev counter reaches 2000rpm. For a petrol car change up at 2500rpm.
Idling is wasting fuel
When the engine is idling you're wasting fuel and adding to CO2 emissions. If you are likely to be at a standstill for more than 3 minutes, simply switch off the engine. Visit www.dft.gov.uk/ActOnCO2 for more information. The website has a calculator to work out how much money you could save if you took action. There are also tips on buying a fuel-efficient car.
Walk or cycle to school or work
Why pledge?
Walking or cycling instead of using your car saves 0.4 Kg of CO2 per mile. Cycling is great exercise – do it on a regular basis and you can expect to be as fit as someone ten years younger!
Top tips
The London Cycle Network provides a 2900 km network of safe, convenient and official cycle routes across London. Guides are available at bike shops or by visiting www.tfl.gov.uk You can also find an online cycle journey planner at www.cyclemaps.net featuring a choice of routes using main and quieter roads.
The London Cycling Campaign also has a wide range of cycling information leaflets available as downloads from www.lcc.org.uk.
Wandsworth Cycling Campaign (WCC) is the local group of the London Cycling Campaign (LCC). They exist for the benefit of everyone who cycles or might cycle in and through Wandsworth. Find out more at www.wandsworthcyclists.org.uk.
You can reduce the risk of cycle theft by always using a good lock. But if you are unlucky enough to have your bike stolen, you'll have a much better chance of getting it back by registering it first on the immobilise register www.immobilise.com. More details are available at www.tfl.gov.uk.
Cycle training courses are available, free of charge, to children and adults who live, work, or go to school or college in Wandsworth. For more information visit our cycle training pages or call 020 8871 6670.
Encourage your employers to implement a cycle strategy that helps people bike to work. The Cycle to Work Scheme allows employers to loan bicycle equipment to employees as a tax- free benefit, visit www.cyclescheme.co.uk for more information. Other initiatives and incentives – like free cycle stands - are available if your business has developed a travel plan. Call 020 8871 6674 for details.
Walk it! Find out how many calories you've burned and how much CO2 emissions you've avoided by logging the start and finishing points of your journey, on foot, into www.walkit.com
Worried about walking or cycling because of air pollution? Register for a free air pollution alert. For more information on the service please email dkennett@wandsworth.gov.uk, call 020 8871 8196 or visit www.airtext.info
Join a car share scheme or car club
Why pledge?
This pledge is a bit of a challenge and takes a little time to organise but deciding to carshare can be a really enjoyable experience, not just for the social benefits but the financial ones too. More than 80% of people who commute to work by car do so on their own – even though most of them live near their colleagues. Two people, each with a car, can alternately leave one or other car at home and get a lift with the other, halving petrol costs and harmful emissions. Congestion is also eased – reducing journey times. The benefits are even greater if three or four people join. If you don't use your car very often how about getting rid of it and using a car club for those odd occasions when you need a car? Car clubs offer self-service cars for rent by the hour, day, week or month. The cars are booked over the internet or phone, and a growing number are available in Wandsworth.
Top tips
Set up your own car share with friends or colleagues at college or work or visit www.londonliftshare.com
Register on local car sharing website www.sharethecar.org.
We have set up a contract with the car club operator Streetcar to develop a network of cars on-street. Why not see if there is a car near you? Phone 0845 644 8475 (open 7am to 10pm, seven days a week), email services@streetcar.co.uk or visit www.mystreetcar.co.uk.
Take a 'no flying holiday this year'
Why pledge?
Here's where you can have the biggest impact! In the UK an average 1,109 Kg of CO2 per person per year arises from flights. To offset the carbon impact of flying to Athens you would have to go without heating, cooking, lighting and all forms of motorised transport for 2 years and 3 months. The next time you're considering taking a break try somewhere closer to home using a more environmentally friendly form of transport. Take the train instead of the plane to Barcelona and your journey will emit 95% less carbon. Similarly a flight from London to Paris or Brussels emits more than 10 times the amount of carbon per passenger than the train.
Top tips
National Rail Enquiries provides information about train timetables and prices within the UK. Call 08457 48 49 50 or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.
www.Seat61.com provides detailed information on how to holiday abroad by train.
Are you concerned about the environmental impact of the planned Heathrow expansion on your community? For more information visit www.2mgroup.org.uk |
