Why a symbolic action?
Many people feel powerless when faced with climate change, a powerlessness that often leeds to apathy. Symbolic actions can help us break that apathy and open for other creative actions.
Symbolic actions are ment for ourselves – they tell us we are not powerless!
Symbolic actions are ment for our decisionmakers – they tell them we want change, and that we dare change!
But driving slower will just slow down our co2-emissions, not stop them…
That is right. Climate Speed is not the solution. We need other fuels, engines, cars, vehicles – and lots of other things too, to fight climate change. Climate Speed is only ment to be a symbolic action while we are waiting for those other solutions to be developed. Climate Speed is a possible first step for many people. Climate Speed is a way for ordinary people to act now, to show we dare change.
(And in the meanwhile we save both emissions and money.)
Is this something political?
No, not really. This is for everyone. If we can show that people from all kinds of political parties, in all kinds of cars, can drive in Climate Speed it will be a wonderful statement.
What happens if I come into a real hurry and sometime need to drive faster than 80 km/h or 50 mph?
No worries, we are not fundamentalists. 🙂 But if you can, please remove any visible stickers from your car during your journey in the “imaginary lightspeed”. Just so you don’t undermine our collective symbolic actions.
And while your at it, time your journey and see how little time you save by driving faster.
Will driving in Climate Speed save fuel for me?
Certainly, it will. How much depends on what car and what engine you have. It also depends on how you have been driving so far. In real life, for me and my Subaru diesel, Climate Speed gives me about 20% lower fuel consumtion. That is from earlier eco-driving and keeping the speed limits. If you have been driving faster than that, your fuel consumtion will most likely be reduced even more.
How much time do I lose by driving in Climate Speed?
We like to think of it as time invested, not time lost. 😉 But the question of course needs to be answered. The short answer is: Probably less than you expect. How much extra time you need for your travel, depends on the amount of higher speed distances on your route. But let me give you two examples from real life.
- When I traveled from my earlier home in Torstuna to VästerÃ¥s I drove 50 km. On that route I had about 30 km of swedish “motorway” with speed limits 120 km/h for 15 km and 110 km/h for 15 km. In spite of that, the journey only took me 5-6 minutes extra in Climate Speed. (Just two more tunes on ones preferred streaming service.)
- When I drove between Torstuna and Norrköping I traveled about 180 km. That journey only took 15 minutes extra in Climate Speed, 2 hours and 25 minutes, instead of 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Why 80 km/h and 50 mph? I have heard that combustion engines run at their maximum effectiveness at 70 km/h?
Climate Speed is not ment to be a perfect solution, it’s a symbolic action and a compromize. We want to go slow, but we don’t want to be a total nuisance – and of course we want to get to our destinations in reasonable time. 80 km/h or 50 mph also gives many engines enough torque to manage normal hills without changing from the highest gear.
Why 80 km/h or 50 mph? Wouldn’t 90 km/h and 55 mph make it easier to adapt to the rythm of the surrounding traffic?
Yes, sometimes at least. But the idea with Climate Speed is to come as close to the most energy efficient speed as possible and still cover ground in a reasonable way. Our experience tells us that 80 km/h (50 mph) is a good compromize.
Should I use the cruise control?
If your car has a cruise control it will be very convenient and relaxed to use it. It will also make it easier for your fellow drivers on the road to relate to your lower speed if you keep it steady.
Wouldn’t it reduce emissions more if we only drove in 80 km/h or 50 mph?
Yes, of course, but please don’t. As we all know, the lower speed limits are there for safety reasons. So we urge our participants to keep the lower speed limits. (Accidents have negative environmental effects as well, besides the unnessecary suffering.) Actually, when you realize how little time you save by going faster, the feeling that you want to break lower speed limits will very likely decrease.
Won’t it make me more stressed to go so slow?
No, on the contrary. It will make you more relaxed – provided, of course, that you leave home some minutes earlier. 😉