Would you be willing to give up one car journey a week to save the planet? Sustrans thinks you would and the sustainable transport charity is going to give people across Britain the chance to reduce their carbon footprint and make a real difference in the fight against climate change through its new Change Your World campaign which starts today..
The charity hopes that thousands will visit www.changeyourworld.org.uk and promise to swap just one car journey between 29 June and 4 July in favour of walking, cycling, taking public transport, car-sharing or simply not making the trip at all!
Based on Department for Transport data Sustrans says that if everyone in Britain made one less car journey every week it would reduce car travel by at least ten per cent, which would mean an annual saving of almost 7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
This would be a significant step towards achieving Britain’s target to reduce emissions to at least 34 per cent below 1990 emissions by 2018-22, set by the Chancellor in April as part of the World’s first carbon budget.
Malcolm Shepherd, Sustrans’ Chief Executive, said:
‘One person changing just one journey may seem like a small step. But when that person is among thousands of others, all making their own pledge to leave their cars at home, then the potential impact is huge.
‘Individually, we can all take positive action to tackle climate change, reduce traffic congestion, and increase our activity levels. Collectively, it will make a difference.’
As well as benefiting the environment, people who swap a journey as part of Change Your World will be improving their health.
A quarter of all car journeys are two miles or less, so walking a two-mile journey instead would burn an average of around 140 calories – the equivalent of a medium glass of wine or a bag of crisps. A steady two-mile cycle journey would burn an average of 80 calories – the equivalent of a chocolate digestive biscuit. [note 2]
Pledgers don’t have to walk or cycle. Using public transport instead of the car will help increase activity through walking to and from stations and stops. It’s also a far more sociable way of travelling – as is car-sharing – and will help cut local traffic congestion.
In 2008, around 8000 people pledged to swap a journey as part of Change Your World. Sustrans is hoping even more people will get involved this year and demonstrate that alternatives to personal car travel are a real option.
For more information, or to make a pledge, visit www.changeyourworld.org.uk or to find out more about Sustrans and how to support its work, visit www.sustrans.org.uk
Sustrans invites you to Change Your World
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As if gravel cycling is defined by racing 🙄. Oh that’s right, gravel racing is the end of the Spirit of Gravel, so gravel has finally arrived in Britain? Is it too late? 😂 Hello.
Another kneejerk anti-cycling brain fade. Unless they ban all lithium battery powered devices on trains, it’s blatant discrimination. Homemade e-bikes should be illegal everywhere anyway. As should dodgy cheap lithium powered anything bought from junk websites. It shouldn’t be a train security issue. It’s a worldwide policing and cheap crap market regulation issue.
We’re giving people real choice in how they travel by making buses, trains and active travel cheaper, more reliable and easier to access – including lowering the bus fare cap to £2, freezing rail fares, and investing £4.5bn in cycling and walking But we're subsidising drivers by abolishing the fuel price escalator, so that drivers can be assured that we're not serious about this 'Active Travel' bollocks and are encouraging people to drive everywhere whenever they like
@Smiley775 The attitude of Guernsey drivers is a worrying example of how bad driving behaviour can get accepted as the norm just because everyone else does it and there’s no control or general thought to stop it Just as well I have no interest in a holiday on the Channel Islands because it would clearly, as regards cycling, be just the same as being at home in Lancashire, except that it's nothing to do with driving on the pavements- it's Panzers and Stagecoach buses. Audi Q7 CD10 WER
@Ramz "take it in my hand luggage when I fly" Unless your e-bike battery is less than 160Wh you're actually forbidden from bringing it onto a plane. And between 100Wh to 160Wh requires approval in advance from the airline.
In visiting Guernsey I've experienced the driving on pavements. It's bad. Drivers don't slow down to do it cautiously - they just carry on using the pavement as a bit of road overrun at full speed. It obviously makes the pavements hazardous in places. The locals say there's no choice due to narrow roads and large cars. But the narrowness is no worse than many places near me on the mainland - but here drivers are (currently) wary of mounting pavements and, if done, are cautious. The attitude of Guernsey drivers is a worrying example of how bad driving behaviour can get accepted as the norm just because everyone else does it and there's no control or general thought to stop it.
@ROOTminus1 apparently they never ever do and if they did it is by definition your fault, for which the post office may pursue prosecutions. At least, those are the rumours I heard.
@chrisonabike Does the "Post Office" approach also have a carte-blanche pass on any Fujitsu products no matter if they are demonstrably defective and having life-altering impacts on hundreds of people?
The world has gone mad, smoke and mirrors here, it's The Emperors new clothes all over again with this tent. £530?! Seriously? For a bit of woven nylon and earths most abundant metal?! I cannot believe this hasn't already drawn more scathing comments. Big Agnes if anyone buys one of these they're an utter mug and you are completing the heist of the epoch. Everybody get real FFS. This is on parr with £400 cycling clogs, ridiculous content. April 1st was a few months back.
The bike ones are bigger - although not necessarily wildly so. Just checked what you can get with the Tern GSD and there are 3-500Wh. Comparing strawberries and apples I was looking at airlines restrictions. Things vary but BA says lithium-ion batteries of 100 - 160Wh are allowed but you have to declare them, greater than that, no. (Unless it's in your wheelchair and stays in it). Perhaps they could take a "Post Office" approach and just ban ones that look "suspect" eg. covered in tape with wires sticking out?