globalfootprints.org
 

12. Getting to school
I usually walk or cycle to school (-3)
 
I usually come to school by bus or by train (-2)
 
I usually travel school by car even though there are other ways to get to school (3)
 
I travel to school by car because it's too far to walk or cycle and there is no bus or train (0)

Some children travel to school by car because there is no other way to get there. However, if you choose this way to get to school, when there are other ways of getting there, you will do more than leave tyre prints; you will leave behind a giant footprint too! You will add to traffic congestion and pump out pollution into the air. The more cars there are on the streets, the less safe the streets will be and the less pleasant for people walking or cycling. Lots of traffic makes it dangerous for children walking or cycling to school, which are the healthiest and most environmentally friendly ways to travel. It may seem strange, but walking reduces your footprint! Cars, buses and trains produce carbon dioxide, the main gas that is causing global warming. However, buses and trains cause much less carbon dioxide per person because they carry so many more people. Global warming is being blamed for floods, storms and diseases that are causing misery for millions of people around the world.

Do you agree? Add your voice to the debate on this issue

Did You Know?

  • At 8.50am, one car in five on the roads is taking children to school. What a traffic jam!
  • Seven out of every 10 primary school children who travel to school by car live just one or two miles away from their school. These journeys could easily be walked, improving fitness and giving children a chance to meet friends on the way to school
  • In 1952 there were 2 million cars on the road in Britain. Today there are 22 million
  • Car parking spaces in the UK take up an area twice the size of Birmingham

Take Action

  • Encourage your school to set up a walking bus. This is a bus with legs rather than wheels! A walking bus is a line of children, walking in pairs to school along a certain route with an adult driver at the front and 'conductor' at the back. There are bus stops where children are picked up at certain times so like a normal bus you can miss it! Unlike a normal bus, it is free, healthy and totally non-polluting!
  • Nag your parents to walk, cycle or use public transport instead of the car, especially for short journeys
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