BSI Education

Sustainability

Challenge 3 – Mass Transit

In 2004, transport accounted for over a third of the UK’s total energy consumption. Between 1990 and 2004 the total traffic on our roads has increased by 21 per cent and this rate of increase shows no sign of slowing in the future1.

Transport is also a major source of carbon dioxide emissions and other types of pollution. A sizeable proportion of this is created by people:

  • using cars for short journeys of just a mile or two
  • travelling alone in a car which could seat four people
  • using a car when they could take public transport

Getting people to give up the convenience of their cars is incredibly difficult. However, if we want to avoid catastrophic global climate change we need to drastically cut carbon dioxide emissions. Reducing the amount we use our cars and using them more efficiently is one way of starting to meet that challenge.

Getting from A to B is something we usually take for granted. We can catch a bus or a train or drive to our destination in our own car. If our destination is in another country we can fly.

Transport currently accounts for more than 30 per cent of the UK’s total annual energy consumption. The volume of traffic on our roads and the number of aircraft using UK airports are both set to increase steeply in coming years and as the volume of traffic increases so does the impact on the environment.

There are a number of ways in which we might be able to reduce the volume of road traffic:

  • Encourage people to make short journeys on foot or by bicycle
  • Encourage people to car share on longer journeys
  • Encourage people to use public transport systems whenever possible

This activity lets you investigate how and why people use their cars in your area and how you might be able to persuade them to use other methods of transport instead.

To take part, just download the Mass Transit Activity Sheet and follow the instructions.

Access the activity sheets, lesson plans and quiz for Challenge 3: Mass Transit by following the links below.

Did you know that BSI helps to create standards that can be used by manufacturers to make them more energy efficient?

For more information visit BSI education

For Example:

BS EN 1986 is a European Standard that helps manufacturers to measure the energy consumption of electric road vehicles.

1Source DEFRA from http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/supp/spkf05.htm accessed 14-01-07

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