Walk, cycle, use public transport, car-share/hire schemes or scooters

It’s obvious really, but if you walk, cycle, use public transport, car-share, use car hire schemes, drive a scooter or a motorbike you’ll be more environmentally friendly than if you run your own private car or van.  

In 1999, the Finance Act introduced a tax exemption allowing employers to loan cycles and cycling safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit. Companies of any size working in public, private and voluntary sectors can implement a tax exempt loan scheme for employees.  This tax exemption is part of the Department of Transport’s Cycle to Work Scheme (https://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_susttravel/documents/page/dft_susttravel_038228-01.hcsp#P25_1607) 

Sustrans (www.sustrans.org.uk) is the UK's leading sustainable transport charity.  Their website offers a mass of information and contacts for people interested in cycling, car share initiatives and school run schemes.  Their Safe Routes to Schools project (www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk) helps children to walk and cycle to school through a combination of practical and educational measures.   Sustrans also provide a tailor-made information and support service called Travel Smart which enables people to walk, cycle and use public transport more often.  If that wasn’t enough, Sustrans provide downloadable maps showing National Cycle Network routes throughout the UK – just click the ‘Get Cycling’ link on the front of page of the web site!

You’ll find the contacts for some local cycling groups at:

Tynebikes (www.tynebikes.org.uk/) and

Wearside CTC (www.cyclesunderland.org.uk)

CycleCity Guides produce cycle route maps for the Tyne and Wear and Sunderland local authorities.  Newcastle Council stocks them at the Civic Centre.  

www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Touring_Other/CAWTyneWear.pdf is another valuable resource which lists publications on cycling in Tyne and Wear.  Most are free.

If you would like to take to your bike but are a little nervous or rusty, it might be worth your while getting some training on road safety from the UK’s National Cyclists’ Organisation, CTC.  CTC provide courses and bursaries for local authorities, organisations and individuals for their courses (www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3529).  You can also contact Cheryl Ford, School Travel Plans Officer, at Newcastle Council on 211 5963.

Another organisation which offers training in bicycle repair skills and sells reconditioned bikes to people who have mental health problems, have been long term unemployed or are homeless is Recyke y’ bike (www.recyke-y-bike.org). 

For those who prefer their cars, car sharing schemes offer many environmental benefits:

Reduced petrol costs 

Reduced wear and tear on your vehicle 

Reduced mileage and depreciation 

Reduced space needed for car parking in workplaces 

A reduction in traffic congestion in and around offices and work places 

A reduction the high-level of pollution created by rush-hour commuters 

Reduce costs of providing employee parking spaces 

A reduction in morning congestion. Kids being taken to school makes up to 15% of morning road traffic 

Newcastle Council is shortly to launch a car pool system for its employees.  If you’re employed by Newcastle Council and would like to know more, contact Gary MacDonald on: 277 8955 

For the rest of us, Liftshare (www.Liftshare.com), National Carshare (www.nationalcarshare.co.uk) and MyLifts (www.mylifts.com) offer simple solutions to help link up travellers wanting to find walking, cycling or car sharing partners.  

Whizz-Go (www.whizzgo.co.uk) is starting up a ‘car pool’ scheme in Newcastle this year.   For more information, telephone: 0870 446 6000.

Liftshare also provide a car share service for longer journeys (www.hitchhikers.org) so now you really can pack up your bags and go!

School run (www.school-run.org) is a useful web site which links up parents with other parents to share the school run.

Use more eco-friendly cars and fuels

If you must use a car, and don’t want to share it, then the easiest way to cut back on your fuel consumption and save money is to drive in an environmentally friendly way (https://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Easy-to-Implement-Eco-Friendly-Driving-Tips&id=229044) .  

You’ll probably want breakdown cover so you might want to check out the Environmental Transport Association (https://www.eta.co.uk/default.asp) which is the only car breakdown company to actively campaign for a sustainable transport policy which deters car use.   

For your insurance cover you might like to consider a policy with the CIS ( www.ecoinsurance.co.uk) which offers a new eco-insurance scheme which allows eco-conscious drivers to offset some of the damage that their car’s carbon dioxide emissions cause to the environment.

If you’d like to find out how your car performs carbowise, look up the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) website on www.vacarfueldata.cor.uk.

If you are thinking of buying a car, the Green Consumer Guide provides lots of useful information about the most eco-friendly vehicles available.  The Guardian Newspaper has also undertaken a study into the subject and lists the top 10 green cars on their website (https://www.guardian.co.uk/cars/story/0,15383,1357788,00.html).  In addition, Car Plus (www.Carplus.org.uk) offers advice on the choice of vehicles and types of low carbon fuel technology.  

Petrol Prices’ Green Guide (www.petrolprices.com/alternative-transport.html) is another very helpful website that provides further guidance on types of green cars, fuels as well as other  helpful web links. 

Other sites that give information on alternative fuels (bio-diesel, Bio-ethanol, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), straight vegetable oil, liquid petroleum gas) include:

Alternative Fuel systems (www.afs.uk.com)

BioDiesel Filling Stations (www.biodieselfillingstations.co.uk)

Bio-Power (www.bio-power.co.uk)

Low Impact Living Initiative (www.lowimpact.org)

LPG Autogas (www.boostlpg.co.uk)

Veg  Oil Motoring (https://www.vegoilmotoring.com/

Veggiepower (www.veggiepower.org.uk)

Vehicle Certification Agency’s Car Fuel Data (www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk)

UK Biodiesel Suppliers (https://www.biofuels.fsnet.co.uk/biobiz.htm) 

There are many environmental benefits to using bio-diesel and one of the beauties of biodiesel is that you can use  5% (biodiesel marketed as Basic 5) in a biodiese l/diesel mix in your diesel tank immediately without any engine tinkering or affecting your car’s warranty.  However, if you have a pre 1992 vehicle then bio-diesel will not be suitable for your vehicle as the rubber seals of older vehicles can be corroded by bio-diesel.  If you have a newer  vehicle, and you would like to try out bio-diesel then there are a number of local biodiesel companies which supply biodiesel: 

Biofuels, Teesside (www.biofuelscorp.com/contact.html)   

Ethicol Fuels Ltd based in Sunniside, Sunderland.  Tel: 07968 343 9768

Northumbria Bio Diesel (www.northumbriabiodiesel.co.uk), which is based in Ponteland, actually makes and delivers barrels of bio-diesel to your front door!

If you’re really keen, UK Bio Diesel Products (www.biodieselsolutions.co.uk) and Green Fuels (www.greenfuels.co.uk) actually sell kits to make your own bio-diesel and Green Fuels also sell Ethanol production kits.  

A couple of suppliers of veg oil conversion kits for diesel cars are: 

Diesel Veg Home (www.dieselveg.com)

Goat Industries Co Ltd (www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk)

Elsbett (www.elsbett.com/gb/local-partners.html)

Don’t Fly

If you thought you needed to fly to get to certain parts of the world, then think again!  The Man in Seat 61(www.seat61.com) is an amazing web site set up by a railway enthusiast identifying bus, ferry and rail routes all around the world.  However, the site operator, Mark Smith, warns readers to double check the information.  Nevertheless, the site makes for an amazing read!

If you must travel by air then one way to try to off set the environmental damage that your journey will cause is to join Climate Care (www.climatecare.org).  Your payments to this organisation will fund projects that reduce emissions by the same amount as your share that the flight creates, making your flight climate neutral.  Climate Care funds projects such as renewable energy and reforestation which either reduce emissions at source or absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.   Out of interest you might like to check the carbon footprint of the air journey you have taken with Choose Climate (https://chooseclimate.org/flying/). 

Take holidays locally or go eco

Interest in ethical and eco tourism is growing.  There are quite a lot of web sites which now offer advice including:

Earthwatch Institute (www.earthwatch.org)

Eco Tour (https://www.ecotourdirectory.com/) 

Ethical Escape (www.ethicalescape.com

Ethical Traveler (www.ethicaltraveler.org)

The Travel Foundation (www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk)

Tourism Concern (www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk)

Some of the search engines at the start of this Handy Tips section also include lists of ethical and green holidays.