Fossil-fuel based commute is one of the world’s largest polluters, which is why those who want to make the change might want to start from making their commute a tad greener. First of all, this is an ethical thing to do, since making the pollution problem worse than it is, is something that not only affects us but our descendants, as well. Second, the greener the commute, the more frugal it is. This means that in your attempts to save the planet, you might also save your household budget along the way. With that in mind and without further ado, here are the top five easy ways to green your commute.
Use public transportation
The first tip that you can receive about greening your commute is the use of public transportation. First of all, it’s a method that definitely reduces your carbon footprint, which automatically makes it a lot greener than what you’ve been doing up until now. Second, it boosts the local economy, seeing as how the money goes towards the improvement of public transportation. Third, it saves you quite a bit of money, seeing as how a public transport ticket is a lot less costly than its equivalent in gas (if you were to drive to work on your own). If you save all your tickets, you might be able to redeem them as a travel expense.
Compared to some other methods that we’ll discuss later on (like cycling and walking to work), it saves time and helps you avoid physical exhaustion. Not to mention that it helps you get to your target location a lot faster. One last thing that you need to keep in mind is the fact that you’re also doing a good deed by not adding to the traffic congestion. Either way, consider it as a win-win scenario.
Carpool
While driving to work might be the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to a non-eco-friendly method of commute, this really depends on the number of people that are in the car. By having your car full (four, five or six people), you can easily turn this type of commute into something quite eco-friendly. First of all, it’s cheaper than public transportation (when the cost of gas is divided into four or five over the course of the month). Second, it’s a lot more fun, seeing as how it’s partially a team-building activity or a social event. Lastly, you get all the convenience of driving or getting driven to work.
Use a smaller personal vehicle
The big problem that a lot of people have with the above-listed methods lies in the fact that you’re too reliant on others. Public transportation can be late. It could be delayed for no reason or filed with people who can spill their morning coffee all over your suit. Depending on your colleagues also isn’t something that always goes in your favor.
Therefore, what you should probably do is get yourself a smaller personal vehicle, like a scooter, and use it to drive yourself to work. This way you manage to lower the carbon footprint of your commute while still maintaining the full control of your transportation. Scooters consume a lot fewer resources than cars, which makes them eco-friendlier. Furthermore, their maintenance is also fairly simple. All you need is a supplier of scooter parts and a brief YouTube tutorial in order to perform the bulk of repairs on your own.
Cycle to work
For those who are interested in the ultimate eco-friendly method of commute, without causing any pollution and picking up a couple of health benefits along the way, cycling might just be the way to go. Other than this, there are many other reasons for you to consider cycling. First of all, it’s an incredibly fun activity that appeals to a lot of people. Second, it saves you quite a bit of money. You make an initial investment in the bicycle and some basic cycling gear and you’re set and ready to go. The downside of this method, however, lies in the fact that it’s not simple, or even safe, to use it all-year-round.
Walk to work
Finally, walking to work is a simple, safe, healthy and inexpensive method of making your commute somewhat greener. The biggest problem with walking to work lies in the potential distance between your home and the workplace. Still, by driving or cycling the portion of the way and then walking for the last 20 minutes is still a lot greener than walking all the way. Overall, this approach is definitely something worth considering.
In conclusion
The very last thing you need to keep in mind is the fact that you don’t really have to opt for a single method if you’re determined to make your commute greener. You can cycle to work during the spring and summer and then carpool or use public transportation when the weather occurrences don’t allow you to do so. Also, you can switch between these methods as you get bored with them, just in order to keep things interesting. All in all, where there’s a will, there’s always a way.
Written by Neil White
About the Author
Neil is a student of web design who enjoys writing a great content. His home is the whole world because he travels a lot. While you are reading this he is probably somewhere other than where he was yesterday.
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