The Glassey family have changed their daily travel routine to help protect the environment.
When Rolleston family Shane and Suzanne Glassey and their three children decided to cut their fuel consumption and help protect the environment they love, their first step was for Shane to stop taking his car to work.
Shane dusted off his bicycle and started biking the 30 kilometres to work and back. It takes him an hour each way, but Shane says it saves him hundreds of dollars each month.
It is harder for the children who all want to cycle to school but can't because of a state highway in their path. So Jonathan goes to school by bus, and the two youngest still travel by car.
The family runs two cars, and their next step is to buy one hybrid car to replace both. In the meantime, they are more careful about how they run the cars, and keep them regularly serviced to minimise fuel consumption. The tyre pressure is also checked every fortnight, and they only carry essential items in their car boots.
The Glasseys have also cut down their car trips by using the internet to shop as much as possible. They do a weekly food shop, but always combine it with another trip or cycle to the local supermarket and load their bicycles with necessities.
The family has made changes to be more sustainable in other areas too, such as installing a heat pump, low energy light bulbs, and composting their organic waste.
“What we are doing is not unique or green; instead it has become part of our lifestyle," says Shane. “My advice is just to try one thing at a time. When it is up and working, try something else. Lots of little wins add up to something.”
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