Thursday 16 November 2006

Share The Love, Part 2

In our last post, we talked about a quick and easy way to cut your personal carbon footprint: more people in a car means lower emissions per person. After all, that's why buses and trains full of passengers are more eco-friendly than driving. But when the bus or train isn't convenient, you're back in your car.

What can you do if your next door neighbour doesn't need to go where you're driving? Simple: just find someone who does. That's where Freewheelers come in.

Freewheelers' website has a neat summary of their goal: "The aim of Freewheelers is to reduce pollution by reducing car usage. By linking drivers and passengers to share the cost of travel it also saves you money."

Here's how it works. First, signup - it only takes 30 seconds. Then click on the name of the town you're in or your destination. A list will appear of all the vehicles with a matching itinerary and space for passengers. For example, you may find someone who does the same daily commute as you from Bath to Oxford. Get in contact via the site, make sure you're happy with the person with whom you're travelling, and you're off!

I did ridesharing like this when I lived in California and found it a great way to save time and motoring expenses. It's also a good way to reduce your personal CO2 emissions.

(Carbon Clear Homepage)