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Humans need to break our addiction to fossil fuels - oil, coal and natural gas - as quickly as possible, according to the world's climate scientists.

The journey of "decarbonizing" our global economy will not be easy. For example, generating an adequate supply of electricity for the planet without using fossil fuels will be a huge challenge. On the proverbial tree of decarbonization, it is the high-hanging fruit.

But that tree has plenty of low-hanging fruit too: relatively quick, simple, low cost solutions that can greatly reduce our consumption of fossil fuels. Among them, perhaps there is no lower, juicier fruit, ripe for the picking, than carpooling: a simple action with huge benefits.

Huge potential for savings

Carpooling has the potential to save Canadians millions of dollars in fuel and reduce our national emissions significantly.

Personal vehicles account for 86 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year, or about 12 per cent of Canada's total emissions. A huge portion of those emissions are produced on the commute to and from work. According to Statistics Canada, more than 60 per cent of employed Canadians drive to work solo every weekday.

Carpooling offers big savings. If two persons carpool, each will save 50 per cent on their commuting fuel bill. If four people travel together, each will save 75 per cent. That, plus savings in parking fees, adds up to hundreds of dollars saved per driver every year. Hundreds!

As well, more people carpooling would mean less traffic congestion, less driver stress, less time spent sitting in traffic, less greenhouse gas emissions, better air quality, less space lost to parking lots and lower highway maintenance costs.

Traditional carpooling

The benefits of carpooling have been known for decades. Traditional ride-share programs, where commuters call a toll-free number to find a carpool partner whose commute matches theirs, have long existed in many urban areas. They are often supported by park-and-ride lots.

Such infrastructure is non-existent in most parts of New Brunswick. Very few of us carpool, in spite of its huge benefits. Most of us rationalize that we need to use our own vehicle because we have errands or we might have to stay late. Often, the real reason is personal convenience.

New carpooling options

Ride matching websites are making it easy for commuters to identify others whose trip closely matches theirs. In the Saint John region, www.shareyourride.ca offers a secure, on-line matching service. Users need only enter their origin, destination and days and times of travel, and the site does the matching.

Don't go it alone

When it comes to efficiency and environmental friendliness, public transit is the best commuting option. But in rural and suburban areas where it is not available, carpooling to work is the next best choice. Carpooling also works for travel to school, church, sporting events and just about anywhere else.

So if you drive solo, reach out and grab that low-hanging, juicy fruit: start or join a carpool, and start saving today.

Carl Duivenvoorden www.changeyourcorner.com is a speaker, writer and green consultant living in Upper Kingsclear. His column runs every other Monday.