A litre of petrol produces about 2.5kg of greenhouse gasses and most air pollution. So let's use less and offset the emissions we "have" to have.

Our cities and society are built around car travel, yet the fuel we currently use is destroying the environment we exist in. As responsible, informed people we must "own" our personal contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and work to address these through reduction and efficiency in our use of fossil fuels. We should also be prepared to offset (reabsorb) as much atmospheric CO2 as possible.

Do it now!

Drive less, walk, ride & use public transport - If you have to drive, plan to do a number of errands in one trip rather than several trips and save both time and fuel (for the first couple of minutes of a car trip the engine is cold and this results in an increase in fuel consumption per kilometre). Also avoid peak-hour traffic whenever possible.

Offset your car's carbon emissions - A quick, effective and popular way to address the many tonnes of green house gases we emit is to pay someone to offset this by planting enough trees to absorb our emitted CO2.

GreenFleet - non-profit - approx $ 9.30 per tonne of CO2 offset

Carbon Neutral - non-profit - approx $13 per tonne of CO2 offset

Elementree - company - approx $ 9.90 per tonne of CO2 offset

A more effective and permanent (yet more expensive) way to offset your emissions is through investments in renewable power generation, which trades your fossil fuel use against reduced fossil fuels use elsewhere.

ClimateFriendly - company - approx $ 21.15 per tonne of CO2 offset.

Conserve fuel & drive economically 

Three basic actions can reduce your fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions by over 25%: tune your car, drive more slowly, and avoid using your air-conditioner. Basic car maintenance can save fuel costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Ensure your car (or bike) is regularly serviced and properly tuned (this can reduce fuel costs & emissions by up to 15%)

• Inflate tyres to the maximum recommended pressure

• Travel light - an extra 50kg increases fuel consumption by 2%

• Remove roof racks to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag

• Drive a smaller, more efficient car

Careful driving habits can conserve fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Avoid hard acceleration and heavy braking

• If driving a manual select the correct gear - driving in a lower gear wastes fuel

• Drive more slowly - at 110km/h your car uses 25% more fuel than it would cruising at 90km/h

• Use the air-conditioning sparingly - air-conditioning increases fuel consumption by up to 10%

• Put the car in neutral (or turn it off) at traffic lights or in gridlocked traffic - this reduces drag on the engine and conserves fuel

Further tips on eco-friendly driving practices are available from the Green Vehicle guide

Why this action

is

important

Reducing the amount of Co2 and other greenhouse gasses entering the atmosphere is critical if we are to address climate change and the environmental havoc it is causing. Reduced car use, increased car efficiency and carbon neutralizing, via offsetting your emissions, can lead to both a carbon- and cost-neutral solution. It also helps us understand the services nature provides in absorbing our waste and our role in facilitating this cycle.