Greener By Bus - Try day 2

Broom broom! Most of us get in a car every day – to go to work, to drop the kids off at school, to go shopping, or to go to the gym.

So it’s no wonder that the car is the single biggest source of atmospheric pollution. In fact, your car probably produces around four tonnes of CO2 every year. Not to mention over a thousand other toxic pollutants. Yuck!

So if you want to stop using the car so much, try doing these five simple activities each day:

One portion of your 5-a-day... On yer bike!

Chances are, quite a lot of your car journeys are under 3 miles... The perfect distance for cycling!

Cycling is a convenient way to get in your recommended thirty minutes of daily exercise. Just nipping into town? Buying a newspaper? A quick drink with friends? Try reaching for your padlock instead of your car keys.

Two... Hop on a bus

Dirty, smelly town beasts?

Actually, your car is far dirtier than any bus. Drive a five-mile journey to work, and you’ll be responsible for emitting over 2 kilos of CO2. Take the bus instead, and you’ll only be responsible for 1.5 grams of the stuff.

If you live near a bus route, leave the car and hop on a bus. It’s the single biggest difference you can make to the planet today!

Three... Walkies!

You don’t need a dog to go walking!

For instance, if you drive the kids to school, why not walk them to school instead?

Need to pop out and get some milk? Fresh air and a gentle stroll is much more pleasant than searching for a parking space.

Four... Shut up shop

Ah, the joys of supermarket shopping. Screaming children, trolley-dodgems, endless queues... So why make two trips to Tescos when you can do all your week’s shopping in one visit?

The planet will benefit too. One car trip instead of two will save between 2 and 5 kilos of CO2 pollution every week, depending on how far you have to drive.

Five... Cruise real smooth

Sometimes you’ve simply got to drive. But even when you’re at the wheel, you can still limit the amount of fuel you burn – and the amount of CO2 you emit.

Switch off your air conditioning, wind up your windows at high speeds, don’t over-rev, and switch off your engine when stuck in traffic. These are all things you can do to drive more efficiently.

Join the 253 people doing the 5-a-day carbon diet!