Following on from Monday’s article urging you to get out of the car and get on your bike, as a means of saving money, keeping fit and reducing carbon emissions, we’ve got another suggestion.

We don’t often promote vehicle-based initiatives on Green Pepper because we prefer non-polluting forms of transport but we except that, until all vehicles run on clean and renewable energy, all we can do is try to reduce the amount of CO₂ we produce.

Statistics reveal that a quarter of all lorries and vans travelling on British roads are completely empty. That’s over 112,000 lorries and 450,000 vans, pumping out a staggering 36 million tonnes of CO₂ a year. That’s 7.2% of the UK’s carbon footprint!

Addressing the problem

Now a new service called Shiply is helping to address the problem by matching consumers and businesses with couriers and logistics providers who have capacity to spare.

Since June 2008 Shiply have saved 1,115,442 miles (to date) and over 272,500kg of CO₂ – that’s about the same as flying from London to New York 448 times!

“Our aims are to offer a viable solution to the haulage industry for keeping their lorries full, save consumers money in the face of the credit crunch and contribute towards a greener solution.” Robert Matthams, Managing Director

Shiply enables you to find cheap courier services by matching you up with transport companies already making similar deliveries across the UK and Europe, reducing the number of journeys and saving you up to 75% off the delivery cost.

Utilising empty vehicles

Feedback-rated hauliers, looking to utilise their spare capacity, place competitive bids (like a reverse-auction) to carry out the jobs. By using vehicles that would otherwise be empty, users of the site can expect significant savings and help minimize the number of wasted trips.

Anything that needs to be transported, from boxes to boats or even entire household moves, can be listed on the site – free and with no obligation to accept a bid.

And, to assist Ebay users, Shiply has developed Ebay tools which allow bidders to import items they have won or are currently bidding on into Shiply – ready to receive to bids from transport service providers.

Find out more and list items for delivery on the Shiply website.

Were you caught up in all the holiday weekend traffic? Queues of cars belching exhaust fumes in to the atmosphere as millions of people made a dash for the great outdoors.

Or maybe you’re concerned by last week’s news of the Wilkins Ice Shelf breaking away and suggestions that climate change is likely to exceed expectations.

If so, maybe it’s time to do something about it. As a source of so much CO₂ emissions, cars are a big part of the problem and a major contributor to climate change.

Consider the alternatives

Believe it or not, those of us without cars do actually manage to get about! Being without a car doesn’t mean you’ll be housebound and unable to travel wherever you want.

Most developed countries have an excellent network of public transport connecting you with places, locally and nationally, by bus and train (and ferry and tram in some places).

And if you want to reduce your impact on the environment even more, as well as save money and get fit in the process, get on your bike and consider cycling as a real alternative to the gas-guzzling car.

Better for you, better for the planet

Cycling is not just a great way to get about, it’s a fantastic way to get fit too. Getting out of the driving seat and onto a saddle is a cardiovascular workout and weight-loss program in one!

In addition to saving money and improving your health, getting on your bike will help improve the health of the planet too by reducing your carbon footprint and your impact on the environment.

Cycling is a solution to health and transport issues which we urgently need to address, for our own sake and for the sake of the planet.

Finding cycle routes

Most major towns and cities now have dedicated cycle lanes and routes. In the UK, many disused railway lines have been converted to cycle paths. But sometimes finding a good route, particularly if you’re not familiar with the area, can be a problem.

That’s where sharing information about cycle routes can really help. You’ll find more information and maps of cycle routes online. A great place to start is on the Bikely website.

Bikely is a growing community of cyclists, from all over the world, sharing knowledge about cycle routes.

Find shortcuts and cycle lanes on busy commuter routes as well as off-road cycling away from the traffic. Bikely has maps together with notes from other cyclists to help you plan a journey or just get outdoors and enjoy an area.

The benefits of cycling

We realise cycling may not always be an option – some countries, particularly in Europe, are more bike-friendly than others, making it easier for cyclists to get about – but the benefits make it worthwhile.

Even if you keep the car (and continue pumping CO₂ in to the atmosphere) you might consider cycling for recreation and exercise. It’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors, especially if you can get off-road.

You can also work off stress – and a few pounds – by using a bike to commute to work, take the kids to school or do the shopping.

We hope we’ve convinced you of the benefits of cycling, even if only for some of the journeys you make. By cycling more often you’ll save money, keep fit and reduce your impact on the planet.

As government ministers in the UK were approving plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport, Greenpeace and other environmental campaigners were busy buying up land on the proposed site of the new runway.

The campaign to stop the expansion of Heathrow was, controversially, given a boost by the inclusion of some big names on the deeds including Oscar winning actress Emma Thompson, and wealthy Conservative advisor Zac Goldsmith.

Some people condemned the action as hypocritical, questioning things like “how many air-miles Emma Thompson clocks up”, but there’s no doubt that, together with TV impressionist Alistair McGowan, it raised the profile of the campaign to stop the third runway at Heathrow.

A stroke of genius!

The action really is a stroke of genius, designed to frustrate planners and hinder the planning process, as well as adding to the cost of the project by forcing expensive legal action.

In order to complicate things further, Greenpeace are inviting us all to join the plot and get a piece of the action! So here’s your chance to become part of the landowning classes, with thousands of others, in an effort to stop the expansion of Heathrow airport.

Do we need a third runway?

Do we need a third runway at Heathrow? Short answer, no! The expansion has been opposed every step of the way by residents, politicians, scientists and environmentalists. Businesses and Unions back the plan on economic grounds but opponents argue it will make it impossible to meet our commitment to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050.

“Expanding Heathrow would shatter the government’s international reputation on climate change” Andy Atkins, executive director of Friends of the Earth

There’s no doubt that an increase in capacity at Heathrow, or any other airport, will simply mean an increase in air traffic and the associated carbon emissions – something the planet and future generations definitely don’t need!

Legal challenge

A legal challenge now seems like the only option, and there’s strength in numbers. To voice your opposition to a third runway at Heathrow and get your share of the plot, head on over to the Greenpeace website and register your name.

You don’t have to pay anything, it’s simply to complicate the legal process for the planners and it is, as yet, unclear as too what the implications are. But you can rest assured that lawyers at Greenpeace are working hard to make the action as effective as possible.

There’s a great debate on the sign-up page too. You can show your support or share your views there, or you can have your say right here at Green Pepper by leaving a comment for others to read. Either way, what are you waiting for? Join the plot to stop the Heathrow expansion now!

Like many readers, and other eco-friendly folk, I don’t drive or have a car – I cycle, for both exercise and leisure, and to get to places I need to be.

As those who cycle will probably know though, cycling long distances on busy roads is rarely much of a pleasure or even an option (15 or 20km is about my limit!). That’s when I need to take the train with my bike – to travel further and avoid heavy traffic.

I’m fortunate that my local train operator (Merseyrail) has a ‘bikes go free’ policy and actively encourage cyclists to use the train to transport their bikes. There’s no pre-booking requirements and always plenty of dedicated space for bikes.

Not all operators are so enlightened

That’s great if I’m staying in my local area but not all operators are so enlightened and travelling further afield can prove difficult. Transporting a bike with other local or national rail operators often requires pre-booking, and that’s if they’ll even take a bike!

There is no minimum requirement for train operators to carry bicycles and each operator has a different set of rules and booking procedures.

As there’s no provision to reserve space for a bike when booking train tickets online – and limited information, if any, about available space – it can mean having no idea if you’ll be able to get your bike on certain trains and complete your journey.

The whole thing’s a shambles and does little to encourage more environmentally-friendly travel.

Clearly, a national ‘bike-friendly’ policy is urgently needed, with a fully integrated booking system (also available online through the standard ticket retailers) and incentives or requirements for operators to improve their bike carrying capacity.

Please sign the petition

To that end, a petition has been raised by Timothy Keen – on the Number 10 website – calling on the Prime Minister to “require train operators to provide an integrated system for the carriage of bicycles and ensure there is adequate capacity available”.

The deadline to sign the petition is 10 June 2009. If you’re a cyclist, or simply support the cause, please add your weight to the petition and sign it now!

Share your experiences

I’d be interested to hear about your experiences of taking a bike on trains. Please feel free to leave a comment below for others to read.