London’s car pollution no choke

London could cut its carbon emissions by the weight of four Big Ben Towers if one in five drivers in the capital chose a cleaner car.

New research by Honda (UK) shows that if 20 per cent of drivers in London drove low-emissions hybrid cars, around 35,000 tonnes of CO2 would be saved – the same as taking 10,000 cars off the road.

In response, Honda has launched the ‘No Choke’ campaign, which aims to highlight the benefits of environmentally-friendlier vehicles and encourage London’s drivers to change to greener cars.

The campaign began today with the unveiling of an organic mural designed by eco-artist Sally McCaffrey. The graffiti-style artwork, displayed on Old Street in east London, was created using only moss, plants and other organic products.

Sally says: "I’m fed up with wiping dirt off my face and out of my nose after a day in London. And most of that dirt comes from car exhausts. This street art is a plea for drivers to think about the cars they drive and what they are doing to the environment."

The campaign continues later this week, with ‘No Choke’ pit crews greeting cars entering the congestion charge zone and offering them an information pack on greener motoring.

The pack includes a Map of Greener London, which displays environmentally-friendly locations and places of interest across the city, such as recycling centres, parks etc.

John Kingston, Environment Manager for Honda (UK), said: "It’s up to environmentally-friendlier car manufacturers like Honda to promote and educate on cleaner motoring. Most people would like to be more ‘green’, but they don’t necessarily know how. Some aren’t even aware that there are cleaner alternatives out there. Honda’s ‘No Choke’ campaign will show Londoners they can be more eco-friendly right now, without compromising their lifestyles."

The No Choke campaign follows the launch of Honda’s Civic Hybrid earlier this month. The Hybrid is a new petrol-electric car that uses less fuel, emits fewer harmful gasses and receives a 100 per cent discount from the London Congestion Charge. It does all this while delivering 1.6-litre performance (115PS).