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the test
How green are
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Sustainable London 2There are
constantly warnings that climate change threatens London with flooding. However
residents seem to be reluctant to take action to reduce the production of greenhouse
gases. Every year millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, the main cause
of global warming, are poured into the atmosphere. So what should we be
doing to become environmentally friendly? And how green is your family? The
Murray family's green excursion | Getting Around | |
Walking or cycling to work instead of driving helps to reduce air pollution
and traffic congestion as well as your risk of heart disease and stress. A
10% increase in the number of people cycling regularly would lead to a 4% reduction
in the number of people with heart disease, saving the NHS 拢200 million
a year. If you cycle around London, why not consider joining the which offers members various benefits such as free third
party insurance, bike-shop discounts and free cycle maps of London. Try
to use public transport if walking or cycling is impractical. Ring the
Transport for London Travel Information line to find out the current status of
services ... or speak with a travel advisor to get advice on how best to
reach to your destination on London public transport. Call 0207 222 1234
or email If you travel long distances
and do need to use a car think about car sharing. |
The
Murray family from north London have agreed to go green for three months. Dad
Martin, mum Stella, 16-year-old Tom and eight-year-old Joseph all have to play
their part. We follow their story in his three part diary. Green
transportSamantha Heath is Head of the London Sustainability Exchange
- an organisation set up to help people like the Murrays change their carbon creating
habits. This week Sam challenges the Murrays to cut the use of their carbon
hungry cars by a third. Between them, they clock up more than 25,000 miles
a year - the equivalent of driving once round the equator. Martin tries
a Brompton bike and investigates bio-fuel and Stella and Joseph take the tube
to school. Sam also encourages them to try eco-friendly clothing on for size. Martin's
diary Part two: Getting aroundTwo-car family "I
couldn't really believe it when I found out we clocked up about 25,000 miles a
year with our two cars, so cutting our mileage down will have to be dramatic.
 | | Stella, Joseph and Martin Murray face-up to green transport |
"Stella left extra early with Joseph to catch the tube, I don't
think he was so keen but I'm sure he will enjoy it." Alternative
transport "It seems Joseph and Stella were fine taking
the tube. She said it was a lot easier than she thought it would be. Joseph even
seemed to enjoy going on the tube and they are going to try to do it more often.
"Sam suggested I try bicycling at work. I think it will be difficult
though. At work, I have to visit clients in their homes and so really my car is
like a portable office, it has everything in it.  | | Martin Murray tries a folding Brompton Bike |
"I'm
still keen to try to make as many trips as possible on a bike and the local authority
employers say they will provide me with one. "I was given a Brompton
Bike which folded out of the boot of a car. I used to be a keen cyclist in my
younger days, however after my first ride I couldn't remember how to signal or
anything. However, I am sure I will get the hang of it. Bio-Diesel
"I thought using bio-diesel, produced from recycled chip fat, might be
a good alternative to normal diesel for when I have to use my car. "The
bio-diesel I chose neutralises carbon emissions by 20% . However, it was not as
easy as it seemed. "There are few garages in London offering this
green fuel - it was about the same price of ordinary diesel but I had to search
the Internet to find it."  | | Martin, Joseph and Stella Murray try on eco-friendly
clothing |
Invalidate warranty? "Unfortunately
I checked my warranty and if I poured the chip fat into my car then my warranty
would no longer apply. "Instead I found out I can cut my carbon emissions
by filling up at Tesco as their garages mix their diesel with 5% biofuel."
Eco-friendly apparel "Sam says we
should try eco-friendly, organic clothing instead of normally manufactured clothing
as a lot of mass produced clothing is made in sweatshops with damaging chemicals.
"These are harmful to the environment because of how they are made
and how they were dyed. I could not believe they contribute 2 to 5 kg of carbon
a day! "Sam showed us some clothes that were actually quite nice,
Joseph liked his t-shirts, I quite liked my shirt and Stella really liked the
shoes."  | | Samantha demonstrates a bag made from recycled seatbelts |
Seatbelt cushions "I thought the seatbelt
cushions were great. However I don't think Tom would be too interested in eco-friendly
clothing as he wouldn't think it very cool, and a bit hippy. But Sam's suggestions
of recycled Nike clothing may be a good idea." 'It seems we have done
exceedingly well! We have cut our carbon emissions by more than we expected to
and I think Sam was happy with our results. "We had a 75% reduction
in our carbon emissions so I think using the Tube and the bike a bit more made
a lot of difference." 听 | 
听听Inside
Out - London: Monday September 18, 2006