Cars have revolutionised the way we live, increasing our freedom and widening our horizons. But the way we use cars has implications for our health and for the environment.

Transport is responsible for 25% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions (see section on Climate Change and Energy for more information on the global effects caused by this). Air pollution causes between 12,000 and 24,000 early deaths every year, as small particles emitted by petrol or diesel vehicles are linked to asthma and nitrogen oxides causes respiratory diseases. Vast tracts of our land is covered with tarmac roads and car parks. This all before the added problems of noise, petrol fumes, traffic jams, road works and stress.

Further to car use, demand for air travel is expected to increase threefold by 2030. Airliners burn huge quantities of fossil fuel and are now the fastest-growing contributor to global warming. As well as emitting far more CO2, airliners emit the CO2 directly into the upper atmosphere, where it does twice (in fact, 2.7 times) the damage of CO2 emitted at ground level.

On the Trail...

Sustrans is the UK's leading transport charity promoting alternatives to the car. SUSTRANS vision is a future in which people choose to travel in ways that benefit their health and the environment. The charity is behind practical and innovative solutions to some of the UK's biggest transport challenges, including the award-winning National Cycle Network, Bike It, Safe Routes to Schools, Active Travel and TravelSmart.

Also see section on Food and Shopping to learn how we can reduce energy used in transporting goods by buying local produce.

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