Car
Lift sharing
Lift sharing goes by many names including car-sharing and carpooling. It is ultimately the same thing. It is when two or more people share a car to complete a journey that would normally drive alone on that journey.
It has obvious environmental and financial benefits as a practice. If everyone who would normally drive to work on their own for 5 days a week share a lift for one day a week, then the carbon emissions and cost are reduced by 20%. This doesn't even take into account the other benefits such as new friends, less congestion and less time looking for a parking space (to name just a few).
Is it safe?
To ensure safety and privacy of information it is essential to join a reputable lift sharing network such as liftshare or national carshare. Local sites will exist with more information on this topic.
How do I do it?
Register for Loughborough University's Car Share Scheme at lboro.ac.uk/carshare.
Guaranteed Ride Home?
Green car use
- Greener driving - Accelerate carefully and you can use up to 60% less fuel than a fast acceleration. Travelling at between 50-60 miles per hour can lead to 40% lower carbon emissions than travelling at 70mph or above.
- Switch off - If you are stationary in traffic, turn your engine off if you can. If you are not going to use your car straight away, don't turn it on to idle for minutes before hand.
- Share - Car sharing is another great way to reduce your emissions and that of others as well.
- Re-think - If you have a car but you don't use it that much, say less than 5,000 miles per year. It is worth calculating if it is worth owning your car. You may find that it is cheaper to walk, cycle, use public transport, hire a car when necessary or use taxis.
- Fuel - LPG maybe worth considering - up to 50% saving on fuel and produces far fewer emissions. Grants are available for conversion.
- Buying - When you come to buy a new car, consider choosing an eco-friendly electric car or hybrid like the Toyota Prius.
