You’ve no doubt heard about the concerns regarding the environment. Sure, the extent of the damage is often exaggerated – we’re not really that close to doomsday because of it – but there’s certainly cause for concern when it comes to the long-term health of our planet.
Some have argued that really improving our situation when it comes to the environment would take something drastic. We’d have to dismantle the meat industry, or ban cars, or replace every electrical source with solar energy – that sort of thing. Of course, these things aren’t exactly plausible, nor are they even widely desired. So what can we do as individuals?
Most of us commute to work several times a week. Transport is one of the biggest contributors to environmental damage, but there are always much more eco-friendly ways to get from A to B. Here are some of the alternative travel methods you should consider when it comes to getting to work.
Walking
Most of us live a bit too far away from our workplace to walk the entire way, so that’s mostly out the window. Still, you could consider using your usual transport method and getting off much earlier on its route, walking the rest of the way!
Cycling
The problem that cities have had with cycling is that there’s often so much danger posed to the budding cyclist. It’s not always the most attractive travel method, especially when you consider how much (unjustified) disdain the average driver seems to have for cyclists. Plus, you’d got to deal with helmet hair.
But if you research your city, you may find that things have changed a lot in the last couple of years. Cycling lanes are expanding and improving all the time. Plus, there are ways to deal with the dreaded helmet hair!
Back to the future
No, I’m not talking about time travel. That’s the wrong kind of travel. What I’m referring to is the sort of travel methods we used to talk about as things that the future would bring us which are now here. There’s the electric car, of course. Electric cars are getting more and more popular all the time, especially with companies like Tesla making extremely stylish models.
Then there are also the likes of hoverboards. While some initially saw these things as gimmicky, they’ve actually become very popular among people who have walking times of about an hour or more between their house and work. They don’t go as fast as the other options, but they’re more eco-friendly than taking a bus.
Carpool
Carpool commuting is something else that’s becoming much more popular (though it’s mostly because of rising travel prices as opposed to environmental concern!). The problem for many, of course, is that they don’t always live that close to their colleagues, nor do many of their colleagues drive themselves.
But there are actually carpool networks you can join that will allow you to connect with locals who need to drive to the same sort of area. It may sound odd getting lifts with strangers, but you’ll get to know them a bit more as you use the service, plus you’ll be doing a lot of good for the environment and very eco-friendly.