My husband and I are quite conscious of environmental issues these days and we do as much as we can to recycle and save energy. We however find it difficult letting go of our 2 cars. I live in Kent and work in Essex. It is a 20 minute drive across the QE2 bridge for me and I have looked at the journey by train and to get to work using public transport, I would need to go all the way into London (45 minutes by train) then change station and I would need to take another train into Purfleet (35 minutes) then a 30 minute walk So I did give up the idea. My husband is a tiler at the moment and needs to carry all the equipment with him. I never use my car at the week end and we try and walk places or take the bus / train as much as we can. We opted for small engine cars but I am a little worried of what the government will try to implement in the future to discourage people from using their car.
I think that to be honest it is a case of just doing what you can. It does sound as though you are very conscious of environmental issues and that you easily do your bit. However, if the train journeys you and your husband would have to take made getting to work a lot more difficult, it is really worth the stress, the extra money and potentially the extra time out of your day. I suppose the best thing for the environment would be to get a job near enough to home for you to walk there and therefore have no impace on the environment, but lets face it, this isnt a realistic option for most people.
When I was at uni, I'd walk to campus - 45 minutes each way, and when I was in London it was a half hour walk to work. Now I live 15 miles away from where I work, in the middle of the country. There is virtually no public transport, and what services there are do not run at the times I need, and would take me about an hour longer with two changes. I've started coasting as much as I can when I drive, and I am much gentler with my accelerating, and have managed to increase my mpg from mid 40s to low 50s, which does make a difference on fuel cost.
I commuted within and around London for 21 years, by tube, train and occasionally bus or tram, but when I moved out to the sticks I found it impossible to do the same. Even in London, the more interchanges there are on your route, the more susceptible you are to lateness due to things outside of your own control. I used to get so stressed at being made late when I had caught the train before the one I actually needed, to try and be early! I can, in theory drive, but I have become ridiculously anxious about it of late and so I find myself looking for jobs that I can get public transport to, which is rather limiting. I was lucky over the last few years in that I found good career employment within a half hour walk from home. I think when I am able to return to work I am going to try again to get through my CBT and get a scooter. Unfortunately the private car really does seem to be the most realistic option still for most people and unless the government can introduce some really efficient transport, people will have to continue with them because their livelihood depends upon it. Car pools are a nice idea but only work if all the members travel the same routine journey. I think we should send our transport authorities to Switzerland to see how a public transport system should work!
I used to travel from south east to south west and refused to drive because of the cost of the fuel and it took me 15 minutes to walk to train station, 20 minutes up to waterloo on train, 10-20 minutes waiting for the corresponding south west train then 20 minutes for that train to work and then a 10 minute walk to the office. In all I was doing around 1 hr 30 mins to work and another 1 hr 30 mins home from work. But I didn't want to drive it as it was a long way and used a lot of fuel due to stop/start driving on the motorway most days.
Since we got rid of the car and I changed offices it about 1 hour walking or 1 hour by bus (including a 20 minute walk from the bus stop) so at this stage the government bringing in anything to reduce driving won't impact me.
But... my husband really struggled psychologically with losing the car and still does as misses being able to use it when he wants to.
I chose to buy a house close to my workplace (2 miles) so I can cycle to work every day. I do this rain or shine (I have decent waterproofs and I also keep a change of clothes in my desk drawer just in case). With two pannier bags I can carry a fair amount of stuff, more than I need for my sort of work anyway.
I do this for the exercise and the fresh air which sets me up nicely for the day, as well as to save money. Environmental concerns didn't really figure when I start bicycle commuting as it was back in 1990 when these things weren't such a hot topic.
Environment