As a rural community, the ways that we can reduce our impact on the Climate are very different than for those who live in towns or cities. Many of us do not live within reasonable walking distance of a bus route so struggle to use public transport. Similarly, we are fortunate not to live in a densely populated area that suffer with high NO2 pollution caused by traffic – as is the case in many urban areas. However, the key principle still applies whether we live in a rural or urban area – we need to reduce our carbon emissions as it makes up just under a quarter of the carbon emissions in our local area.
The BBC recently produced an article called “Climate change: Should you fly, drive or take the train?”. Some of the results were quite surprising. Take a look at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49349566.
Let’s take a look at what we could do in each area of travel :
Bus
Weston under Penyard is served by the number 33 bus service that goes from Gloucester to
Hereford. Currently, the maximum cost of a single ticket is limited to £3. According to the
BBC article mentioned in the introduction to the Travel section of this website, you will
reduce your carbon footprint by using the bus rather than taking a car if you are the only
person in the car. For 2 or more people travelling to the same location, using the car is
technically greener. However, if you take the view that the bus will be running anyway, then
you will be adding virtually no additional carbon by taking the bus. So, the bus could be an
option for you even if two or more are travelling together. It is surprisingly quick. For
example, Weston to Gloucester takes 49 minutes, which is not too much difference to the
time to drive in a car when you consider the time needed to find a parking space.
If you do live near the bus route and want to use this option, and you have a smartphone, then consider downloading the Stagecoach App. Not only can you buy your ticket on your phone, you will also be able to see the current location of the bus – so you don’t have to walk out to the bus stop until it almost there.
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/stagecoachbusapp#
If you are receiving the State Pension, you should also consider applying to Herefordshire Council for a Bus Pass. Currently this will provide you with free bus travel between 9:30am and 11pm on weekdays and at any time at the weekend or on a Bank Holiday. This is the link to obtain more information and where you can find out how to apply :
https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/public-transport-1/free-bus-passes/2
Car
Many people will know that the national government has already said that it will ban the sale of petrol and diesel powered cars by 2035. There are many interesting options to consider instead – but currently, the only viable option for most people is an electric or hybrid car. So should we all switch to an electric or hybrid car now in order to save the planet ? The answer, even if we all had the available budget (which a significant proportion of our residents don’t), is “possibly not”. Why ?
The technology of electric cars is improving all the time. Their ranges are increasing – as are the efficiency of the batteries. The supply chains of the car manufacturers are also developing – so we won’t have to transport heavy batteries around the world but will be able to build them more locally. Therefore the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process and the running of the cars should reduce each year. Currently, it is said to take between around 6 tonnes of CO2 to manufacture a small petrol car (such as a Citroen C1) but up to 35 tonnes for a top of the range car (such as a Land Rover Discovery). The manufacture of an electric or hybrid car uses even more – mainly due to the battery. According to the Impact Tool provided by Centre for Sustainable Energy, the average household in Weston under Penyard Parish has a carbon footprint of 22.5 tonnes. So buying a new car has a huge impact on your household’s footprint.
On the flip side, if you have an electricity tariff that is based on the use of 100% renewables, then the carbon impact of fuelling an electric car is almost zero – if you always charge at home. Conversely, if you have a petrol or diesel car that has an average fuel consumption of 40mpg, then over 12,000 miles (the average mileage for a UK car), then it will generate around 3.2 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Someone has to buy a new car if used cars to be available in future – as all cars have a finite life even with good maintenance. What car you buy is a very personal decision and some people will want to buy a new car – and for those people, it would make sense to consider the electric/hybrid option. However, you can still have a positive effect on Climate Change if you can hold onto your current car for longer (and so reduce the demand for new cars) and reduce your mileage (so reduce the demand for fossil fuel).
If you have a regular commute, then one way to reduce your mileage is to car share. There are new Apps coming out to help you find people that may be making a similar commute to you. These include Liftshare (https://liftshare.com/uk), BlaBlaCar (https://www.blablacar.co.uk) and Splittrip (https://www.splittrip.co.uk/#:~:text=Splittrip%20gives%20a%20marketplace%20where,including%20the%20accommodation%20and%20fuel.). So take a look at these to see whether they may help you to reduce your carbon footprint and save money at the same time.
Flying
When talking about Climate Change, the subject of flying can be very contentious. When you read the BBC article mentioned in the introduction to this travel section, it seems clear that taking a flight is probably the worst form of travel from a climate viewpoint. However, for some people, taking a flight is the only viable option for a planned trip (be it business or pleasure). In that case, what should you consider ?
The class of seat makes a big difference – as a flight from A to B will use a set amount of fuel, so the more people on that flight, the less carbon footprint per person. A business class seat takes up far more space that economy – so is more polluting. So if you are flying and are fortunate enough to be able to travel in a seat other than economy, consider whether you can use economy for half of the trip.
A direct flight uses less fuel than one where you have a connection – as more fuel is used during take-off and landing than when cruising. The age of the airline’s fleet is also a factor – as newer planes tend to be more efficient. You can check this out using the link https://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/fleet-age-search.htm
Carbon Offset
Some airlines offer you the option to offset the carbon emissions of your flight – at a cost. Are these schemes effective or is it just “green washing”? Whether the passenger pays for this or not, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, or CORSIA, aims to stabilise CO2 emissions at 2020 levels by requiring airlines to offset the growth of their emissions after 2020. A quick internet search shows that the effectiveness of carbon offsetting is widely disputed. Friends of the Earth claim that there was a report showing that only 2% of offsetting projects had a “high likelihood” of being classed as “additional”. An EU study put that number at nearer to 25%. Even when the offset scheme is good, the results sometimes do not appear. For example, the California State Government had a tree planting scheme to offset emissions – but those trees were burnt down by a wildfire. So the general consensus seems to be, if you buy a carbon offset, treat it as a donation towards tree planting or other projects – but don’t think that you are buying credits to cover your emissions.
Overall, the same principle should apply to booking flights as it does to any other decision that we make regarding carbon emissions – I must reduce my carbon emissions to protect the world for future generations. For some people, taking a flight to see family in another country may be a priority – but they may choose to focus their reduction efforts on installing Solar Panels or switching to an electric car or reducing the miles that they drive in their petrol car….. Only you, as an individual, know what your priorities should be.