Posted on February 06, 2010 by Dave W

Climate change is really happening and the experts say it is humans that are almost certainly responsible.

The earth has warmed 0.74 degrees c in the last 100 years and 0.4degrees c since the 1970’s.

Sea levels have risen and glaciers and sea ice have melted.

Floods and drought and heat waves are on the increase.

The government in the UK are trying to raise awareness and are giving the general public information to help reduce our carbon footprint and reduce our levels of carbon dioxide.

What can you do to help?

On the government website there are a number of recommendations for around the home, travelling and in the community.

There has been a lot of publicity recently about leaving the car at home and walking or cycling instead.

Reducing the number of car journeys will in turn reduce the co2 emissions that contribute to climate change.

We are told that nearly a quarter of all car trips are under two miles and many under a mile.

So, trips under a mile can be walked and any up to two miles cycled in under 15 minutes.

But is it that simple?

I am all for encouraging people to cycle more. That is the reason I started this blog. It is the method I found which really improved my fitness levels without pounding my joints on the treadmill.

  But, and it is a big BUT. How many of those car journeys fewer than two miles could be reasonably done on a bike or on foot?

I fight my way through and sometimes contribute to that frustrating part of the day which is the ‘school run’.

How many of those lovely ladies in their gas guzzling 4x4s who double park and block the road to other users could leave the car at home and either walk or cycle?

Come to think of it, why do so many young mums feel it necessary to have such huge vehicles to transport one or two children to school?

There we have the answer to global warming. Ban all vehicles over 1400cc from doing the school run!

Seriously though, how many short journeys do the government think can be done without the car? Have they really thought this through?

Have they just thrown a few figures together and put the onus on us yet again?

Can the school run be done on foot or on a bike?

I know of some who only live 500 yards from school but still take the car. So yes, that journey could be done on foot, but what about longer journeys a mile or more?

 The thought of trying to get the kids ready one hour earlier than usual would be enough to put some mums off straight away.

Then you have the journey itself. One or two or more whinging children to contend with and your stress levels would be off the scale.

You could cycle to school with the children and leave their bikes at school until the return journey.

Probably a better idea than walking but I doubt one which will catch on.

It is far easier to let them lie in bed until 15 minutes before school starts, drive them there and drive back to your busy schedule.

Another time you might be taking a short journey is when you go shopping.

Unless you are just nipping out to the local grocery store for a loaf of bread it is not really feasible to walk or cycle.

Getting there is one thing, returning fully laden another.

So, in conclusion, there are times when we can leave the car at home, but not as many as we are led to believe.

Encouraging people to cycle is good not only for the environment but also for the individual and it is a bit like that saying ‘how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time’

Every little helps and rather than bury our heads in the sand, we need to take action, now.

Take a look at the website and see what YOU can do! Act On CO2

What are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint?

Keep Moving

Dave W

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