Around 22 % of all journeys that people make are less than one mile, and 42 % less than two miles.

If you can, avoid the use of cars, use public transport, walk or cycle.

Walking or biking to work saves money on gas and parking while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.

If your streets are not conducive to biking or walking, lobby your local council to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in decreased traffic and pokkution.

If you are about to purchase a car, buy one that is as energy efficient as you can afford and use it as little as possible.

Also look at cars powered by alternative fuels such as the electric cars or hybrids.

Garages that sell biodiesel can be found at www.biodieselfillingstations.co.uk

If you need to drive, try to drive less.

Think about whether you always need to use your car? Cutting out some of those short journeys could really help in reducing emissions.

According to DEFRA, car use for food shopping costs the UK more than £3.5 billion per year from pokkution, noise, accidents and congestion.

Watch your fuel consumption. Check your fuel consumption, and make sure your car is running as efficiently as possible - www.fueleconomy.gov. If in doubt, get it serviced

Drive slower! It can save lives, but will also save you money. For example, you use 30% more fuel driving at 70mph than 50mph.

Drive smoother! Think ahead - and avoid sharp braking and rapid acceleration. It saves fuel.

Switch off - don't idle! If you've stopped, switch off! If you're idling, while waiting or in a traffic jam, you're getting zero miles to the gallon. So, switch off if you can - and that applies to the air conditioning too.

Check your tyre pressure. If your tyres are at the right pressure, you'll drive more smoothly and save fuel.

Cut down wind resistance. Remove roof racks and other accessories if you're not using them: a fully loaded roof rack increases consumption by 30%!

Use your gears as efficiently as possible. Drive in as high a gear as possible. You'll use a quarter less fuel doing 40mph in fifth than in third!

Travel light! If you don't need it, don't take it.

Choose your fuel wisely - buy ultra low sulphur petrol which produces 45 percent less harmful chemicals (nitrogen oxide) and is lower in benzene (a known cause of leukaemia)

Plan your journey! There's no surer way to waste fuel than to get lost! Be certain that you have planned the best way to your destination, and think about the time you travel - don't travel in the rush hour, if you can avoid it.

Share your trips. Two or more people sharing a car to get from A to B rather than driving alone, will save emissions and share the cost. The benefits are numerous both for yourself, your family, your community and the environment. Look up www.liftshare.org.

If everyone who drives on their own to work every day were to catch a lift with someone just once a week the commuting car journeys would reduce by 25%!

Boycott Esso garages. Esso backed President Bush's decision to tear up the Kyoto Protocol, the only international treaty to combat climate change. See www.stopesso.com