How to travel fresh

WHILE TAKING THE JUMP: Use public or active transport as your mode of travel, if you can.

• Walk or ride a bicycle. (This includes scooting, roller-blading, or whatever your preferred choice of active transport is). Many of our daily trips are short distances that don’t require a car. In Aotearoa New Zealand, over 30% of car journeys are for less than 2 km. That’s less than a 10-minute bike ride – without breaking a sweat! If your distance is longer or very hilly, consider an e-bike or e-scooter. If you have a lot of things (or small people) to carry, consider a cargo bike or plan for weekly shopping to reduce the number of trips.

• Use public transport. Depending on where you live, taking a bus can be far quicker and cheaper than driving when considering congestion and parking. You can also work, read, or relax on the way and turn up fresh.

• Try ride-sharing. Have you ever been in your car and looked across at all the other single people each driving their own car? Wouldn’t it make more sense to turn three cars into one, reduce the number of cars on the road, and have company on your journey?

If you need a car, keep it for a long time rather than swapping it out for a new model (and when you do swap it, choose electric). Cars can last more than 20 years, and the shell and interior can last even longer if well cared for. If you replace it with a new one every three years, you’re generating five or six times the emissions involved in making these cars over that period. So, consider sharing a car with others in your neighbourhood, to reduce the number of cars per person.

Why travel fresh

WHAT THE SCIENCE SAYS: In the medium to long term we need to stop using private vehicles, except when it’s essential. But right now, let’s aim to use public transport, active travel (walking, cycling), carpooling, and car sharing as much as possible.

Everyone has the right to a fulfilled life, health, and happiness in a flourishing environment. Our current transport modes don’t provide this.

Globally, transport is responsible for about a quarter of overall greenhouse gas emissions, and more than two-thirds of this comes from the engines of road vehicles. The increasing use of private vehicles also causes congestion, noise pollution, and air pollution, which is one of the main global health risks humans face.

While there is a lot of emphasis on the role of electric vehicles (EVs) in tackling climate change, a bigger effort is needed to reduce the number of cars on the road. This is because a significant source of emissions is in the manufacture of vehicles – even EVs. Also, switching to EVs won’t help congestion, and still causes air pollution from tyres and brakes.