Fairford Environmental Society's 10:10 Campaign

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How to reduce energy consumption when Travelling

Reduce energy consumption when Travelling

Walk or cycle instead of taking the car.We live in a rural area with rather shoddy public transport and so sometimes using a car is unavoidable. However, there is very rarely any need to use the car for trips around Fairford itself.
Share lifts. Is there someone you work with who makes virtually the same journey as you every day, in a separate car? Ask them if you can go together. Coordinate shopping trips with friends and neighbours. It will be cheaper, greener and you'll have company too.
Smaller cars are better than Chelsea tractors. And no car at all is best! How many cars does your household really need? If choosing a new car take CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency into account. A sports car may be fun, but is it really justifiable given the extra damage done to the environment?
Holiday locally. This doesn't necessarily mean going to Devon every year, but just think: will you really enjoy a trip to the USA or Thailand more than a week in Scotland or even Italy? Taking the train or driving is better than going by plane, but not by as much as you'd think - far better is to simply not travel such vast distances.
Don't use in-car air conditioning. Given that we spend half our lives moaning about how awful the weather is, we should be able to put up with a handful of hot days in summer.
Check your tyre pressures. You'll waste a lot more fuel if you're driving around on tyres that are almost flat.
Drive sensibly. It uses much more fuel if you're accelerating and braking harshly all the time; think ahead and drive smoothly and you'll not only save energy but your passengers will be happier too!