How To Make Your Daily Commutes Greener

Greening your commute will help lower your carbon footprint – here are some great tips to do so.

1.         Use Public Transport

 Public transport is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to reduce your carbon footprint. According to a report published by the Clean Air Commute, one fully loaded 57-seater bus replaces at least 57 cars on the roads. This is considering most people drive alone to work. Switching to the more efficient subway, a single train replaces a minimum of 1,100 cars on the road. This thus translates to less congestion and cleaner air as well. If everyone were to use public transport, then the air around city centers would be more hygienic. Economically, a single-car transit costs around $0.5 per kilometer per person, while it only costs $0.12 on public transport.

There are times when public transport might not cut it, forcing you to use your car. With this in mind, you can choose to use the car only when you have to, and continue using public means of transport every other day. Planning your daily trips, using the shortest route, or avoiding public transport can also help save on fuel and essentially reduce carbon emissions.

2.         Consider Cycling To Work

Looking to save the environment and keep fit too? Why not try cycling to work? Mid-spring, summer, and a few months into fall make the perfect conditions for one to cycle to work. In addition to helping you keep fit, you never really have to pay anything for your daily commutes. This is especially the case if you live less than 5 kilometers from your place of work. You might, however, want to plan your routes well to avoid hilly roads and/or congestion. There are plenty of route-planning apps out there that you can take advantage of.

3.         Carpooling

As mentioned before, most people drive solo to work. That’s approximately 30 million empty seats per day. If only people came together to share a ride or carpool, these empty seats and energy wouldn’t go to waste. One of the advantages of carpooling is that it is both cheaper and quite affordable to all. Although some employers may provide a form of transport to their workplaces, most don’t. You can, however, come together with friends or co-workers and decide to carpool. Ridesharing is a better option for saving money on commutes and helps lower your carbon footprint.

4.         Ditch The Car

Do you have a car you hardly use or spend hours in traffic commuting to and from work? Ditching the car can be a good option, especially if you live in the city. Take a look at Scrap my Car. A car is one of the biggest investments most people make, accounting for lots of money in the long run. According to research, the average cost of owning a car alone exceeds $10,000, with each of these producing 4-5 tons of carbon emissions per year. Instead of owning a car, why not lease one or even better, go for an electric scooter instead? Renting a car is much cheaper in the long run, a viable option for those who want to continue driving but save on maintenance costs. You’ll thus only be driving the car when you have to. The other advantage of switching to an electric scooter is that it can be recharged from home.

5.         Upgrade To More Efficient Cars

Is the car a necessity in your everyday life and work? Upgrading to a more fuel-efficient model can help reduce your carbon -footprint. Some of the options you can explore include:

a.         An electric or hybrid vehicle:  Hybrid vehicles have a lower carbon footprint compared to gas-powered ones. In addition to this, some hybrids can be switched to use electric power only for short rides, with the engine only kicking in when you demand more power. Electric vehicles, on the other hand, are purely that. They run on batteries, translating to an even lower carbon footprint in the long run.

b.         Switch to more energy-efficient cars:  Some cars are designed for improved mileage per gallon. These cars are tuned to make maximum use of every drop of fuel, delivering more than other fuel ‘guzzlers’. You can thus save lots of money on gas from these cars, as well as keep your carbon footprint small. 

c.         Service and maintain your car properly:  Keeping your car in the best condition possible, especially the engine, can help boost its performance and mileage. A well-maintained car is considerably more fuel-efficient compared to a neglected one. Proper maintenance includes ensuring tires are inflated to the recommended pressure and regular engine checks. Consider switching the car off when in traffic or planning to stop for more than 2 minutes. This will save you money too.

6.         Telecommute

 According to research, working from home eliminates the need to commute to work every day. This means you’d only commute to work when you have to or if requested. Reducing your commutes to work to only once per week can save millions of kilograms in carbon emissions and liters of fuel per year. There will also be less traffic on the roads. Working from home gives you more time to spend with your family and even commune with nature. There are plenty of hobs you can do from home – from doing a finance job to becoming a content creator – the options are endless. You could use this type to start a vegetable garden or even plant more trees.

Thanks: https://redxmagazine.com