We were very excited to hear one of our marvelous ambassadors, Wendy Machin on ABC radio recently – discussing the negative impacts of gridlock and traffic congestion. Many people were calling in to discuss the issue, yet very few people suggested taking an alternative mode of transportation as a solution.
These driving facts are taken straight from our website.
CAR FACTS – DID YOU KNOW?
• -According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010), Australia’s 22 million people have over 16 million motor vehicles, of which over three-quarters are passenger vehicles. That’s a lot of cars, a lot of driving, a lot of fuel, a lot of pollution and a lot of money.
• -These light vehicles consume nearly 18.5 million litres of fuel each year, at an average of about 11km travelled per litre.
• -The average Australian car travels 15,000km per year, emitting around 4 tonnes of CO2 pollution into the atmosphere.
• -Approximately 8% of Australia’s carbon dioxide emissions are from cars and light commercial vehicles, so our daily transport is a substantial part of the problem.
Our partners at the NRMA have released a survey explaining that gridlock and traffic congestion are costing our small businesses up to 8.8 billion dollars a year. Productivity is down, with employees arriving late or not at all – choosing to call in sick rather than facing Sydney traffic conditions.
Wendy Machin told the ABC Online :
“‘We have peak hours on weekends now because of the number of people working odd hours and the number of sporting events. And that means money. Time means money,’ Ms Machin said.
‘We found a number of businesses have had to change their working hours, (they) work longer because it takes longer to get around the city and their operating costs like fuel costs are increasing’.”
What steps can we take to change things?
Walk or cycle 5km or more a week instead of driving solo and save 52 kg of Co2 a year.
Walking or riding a bicycle are easy ways to cut out car use for short journeys, such as going to the neighbourhood shops or after-work or after-school activities.
They’re also great ways to stay fit while making longer commuting trips, with or without public transport as part of the journey, to help cut back on private car use.
1 Million Women has teamed up with the NRMA to give you the opportunity to win one of two electric bicycles!
Simply click on the picture below to enter.
These bikes are perfect for those of us who have a hilly journey that might have been a deterrent, or for those of us who want to ease our way into a greener transport style.
Keep checking back to find out more awesome ways to travel green!
We are daughters, mothers, sisters and grandmothers getting on with practical climate action to live better for us and the planet. Join the movement at www.1millionwomen.com.au
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