Being a green photographer - can you manage your transport better to reduce your carbon footprint?

by Jon Mitchell

As many of you are probably aware, global warming-induced climatic change is perhaps the biggest challenge humanity faces in this new century. So what can YOU do reduce your "carbon footprint" - the amount of CO2 (carbon dioxide) which your activities produce?

Well, actually, quite a few things if you are a photo-journalist. One is to try and reduce your outings by car. Some jobs can be done by plane or public transport, check before you set out if there is a public transport option and investing in rail cards is often a good idea.

Especially so if working in Europe. Interail passes can save a fortune in petrol and parking. Of course, in other places public transport is difficult or non-existant. In the UK, a rail pass can reduce the amount you need to spend on tickets, making it an easier option to use.

Using a bicycle or even a motorbike can reduce your carbon footprint and if you work on a local newspaper, then a bicycle with an electric motor can be feasible for getting from the newspaper office (and through the traffic) to an assignment a few streets or miles away.

For those who do travel a lot, then a fold-up bicycle is often worth buying as they are light and can get you around to various locations and is a great way of meeting the locals. David Burne, the former lead-singer of Talking Heads, does exactly this when travelling.

In your office (and home), consider (or ask your boss) installing energy saving lightbulbs or lighting systems, LEDs are the best and can make your office a lot nicer to work in.

Planning travel as you can get the most out of it without incurring to many carbon air miles is also intelligent. I flew out here to India in June 2004 and have taken three short flights (to the Everest region and back and to Kathmandu from New Delhi) in almost three years. I live in an area where I do not need to use a car much as well, further reducing my own carbon miles!

So if you are working abroad, try to spend some time in that region if possible, rather than flying in and out of the same region from your home. This can also work in your home country - i.e. working a lot in Scotland and live in London, then why not take one extended trip, rather than waste your time on motorways, planes or trains.

Grouping businesses purchases together in one shopping trip also saves petrol and time. Often we need to visit shopping centres and business retail parks. Plan to go once a month or less.

Recycling is easier if you use digital equipment, though for those using film, empty canisters make good toys for small kids, so donate them to your local primary school.

Switching to digital does help the environment a lot, as there are less ships and vans bringing your film from - usually - a foreign country (cards are a lot lighter!) and you do not pollute your local waterways with silver and other chemicals used to develop film.

Investing in a portable solar panel and rechargeable AA or AAA batteries can offer considerable savings and better performance of your camera on the road.

Backing up on DVD, with amost 4.5GB makes more sense than using CD-R 700MB discs. If you can, send the image through the web, hence avoiding any CO2 emmissions.

Use your head on this and look if there are any other environmentally-friendly things you can do in other areas of your business, you'll find that most of the time, it will help you save money.

Finally, as many photo-journalists work from home, consider your energy consumption and producing your own electricity with Micro Wind Turbines and solar panels. Done properly, you can get a cheque from the electricity company instead of sending them one every month!