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We believe that there is a disparity between peoples’ concern about
climate change and what they feel they can do about it. At the heart of
the problem lies a low level of understanding about the personal
contribution we make in terms of carbon emissions - at present 27% from
the domestic sector.
In looking at the issue of connecting people with their carbon
footprint and making it easier for them to reduce it, we have decided
to initiate the Carbon Challenge.
Over 90 people have signed up to the challenge so far. Many have
agreed to share their experiences and feedback online, not only to
inspire others to take up the challenge of saving a tonne (or more) of
carbon, but also to highlight how
cutting personal carbon emissions could be made easier for people,
and whether perhaps clearer and more trustworthy information is needed
in addition to better access to products and services.
Step One
We asked participants to measure their carbon footprint, using the calculator at www.carbonfootprint.com or www.ecologicalfootprint.com
Step Two
An information sheet was sent to participants
with advice on how to reduce personal carbon emissions, for example by
switching to energy efficient lightbulbs or turning the termostat down
by one degree, together with a breakdown of potential financial savings
over the course of one year.
A good site for a simple explanation of climate change is www.whatyoucando.co.uk
which links people to the Carbon Footprint calculator and also to a
Carbon Coach. We emphasised that people should aim to reduce emissions
as much as possible before resorting to carbon offsetting for the 'last
few kg'.
As a guideline for feedback, participants have been asked five questions:
- How easy is it to access information that you can trust?
- How easy is it to drop a tonne of carbon and how difficult would it be to save another?
- What actions made most impact?
- Roughly what is the financial impact and how compelling?
- What would you do to make it easier?
This blog is an open forum for all those taking part in the Carbon Challenge, please post comments on the Feedback Forum.
I have not had a lot of success with the project in terms of energy saving except that I am currently being helped with my emission reduction by way of my radiators ceasing to work and plumbers failing to appear to fix the problem. So I sit in the cold and appreciate that there is an up-side to every disaster.
Meanwhile I have attacked the shopping front. It appears that Waitrose get most brownie points for their green credentials, although they import a lot of fruit from far away which means they dont get a perfect A*. I have tried to follow the golden rules: shop locally, buy seasonal produce, made in UK, re-use own bags, less packaging the better. This is actually not that easy and supermarkets really need to be helping more by reducing packaging - this is more important now that we are all about to be hit with charges for waste due to the directive from Europe that all councils will be fined if they dont meet re-cycling and waste reduction targets. If councils fail to meet targets, the charges will be passed on to us.
Buying fresh fruit and veg from a grocer and meat from butcher rather than pre-packaged means that you get what you want and have a chance to buy say one chicken breast instead of a pack containing two. I still go for the buy one get one free bargains sometimes and give the free pack to a friend rather than seeing it go inevitably to waste, which adds a warm feeling of goodness to the weekly shop. I also take my own bag when I remember and am thinking I might buy a wheely bag trolley, except that it is likely to make me look like my mother.
Farmers markets are a good thing and I would definitely pay more to know where my meat was produced and actually hear the farmer talk about how the animals are raised and fed. Back to basics. It can take more leg-work, but the satisfaction is guaranteed. More anon
Martin Durkin produced a programme for Channel 4 entitled the Great Climate Change Swindle which seemed to offer the 'get out clause' to anyone who did not want to believe that any of us need to worry or do anything about climate change. For all of us who are not scientists, most specifically climatologists or oceanographers this is confusing and I have no doubts that 'the extent to which man's activities are responsible for climate change' will be debated for some time to come - which is good.
However, I have now assured myself that Martin Durkin seems to have been looking for his pay cheque more keenly than looking to report for the good of mankind, and you might also be interested in finding out more via these links....
Carl Wunsch contributed to the programme, but was misled and misrepresented and responds here:
Sir John Houghton (Co-chair of the Scientific Assessment Working Group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Responds as follows:
http://www.jri.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=137&Itemid=83
A background of programme maker Martin Durkin and his previously discredited work can be found here
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2000/03/16/modified-truth/
and here:
http://www.gmwatch.org/profile1.asp?PrId=39
For a summary rebuttal of each of the programme’s scientific arguments see here:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/03/swindled/
Which for me means that, we may still debate whether the lifetime carbon costs of say nuclear power are better or worse for the environment (read also Solar PV cells in our temperate climate, certain models of windturbine etc etc), but we absolutely should be debating this and researching it further. If the predictions of some are true then we don't have time to sit around on our bottoms wondering who is right, we all need to get out and do something. If you also subscribe to this angle you may also be interested in Transition Towns - http://transitiontowns.org/, an interesting initiative which is just kicking off in my local area now.
We're into March and I am thrilled that the solar hot water heating tubes we had installed last summer are starting to power away again as the days become longer and even see some blue sky through the persistent rainclouds. On the 1st March our tubes took the hot water tank from 26 degrees to over 41 by 2pm. If you have space on your roof that is not overshadowed and faces roughly south I strongly recommend them. Make sure you get a good installer though - there are a number of cowboys out there already.
As I hunt out ways to try to reduce our carbon footprint I am struck by just how uninformed we are in general, and how long it takes new technologies and ideas to be come established and widely debated. When I first started researching renewable techonologies seriously around this time last year I found the situation very frustrating. At a 2 day South East Regional Renewables conference I attended last autumn it was a big issue, particularly to the DTI speakers - just where can you find good information on different technologies, costs, viabilities, scales, key points to consider and alternatives to look at etc?
I am also amazed at how anal I get about the temperature of our hot water tank, how interesting I find it (if anyone cares to listen!) and how much easier it gets to 'manage' your system when you really understand how it works...
An example from our household here would be the solar tubes.. they work most effectively when the tank is relatively cold and so the heat differential between the hot water tank and what they can provide is greatest. We are therefore best to use our hot water through the day (washing etc), so the tank is averagely cool during the day and has the chance to reheat from the sun when it has the opportunity, rather than use hot water later in the evenings so that we 'use it up' and then need to use the boiler again so we can have hot water first thing in the morning. Its the same with the water butts - you can subsitute saved water for tap increasingly the more you think about how to use it.
But to the wider issues of carbon reduction we need to find ways to a) get about using less carbon in total (I'm finding this tough living in a very rural area with two children 5 and under), and b) heat and get our electricty from more carbon positive sources.. we buy renewables sourced electricty but I have my misgivings that our particular provider is doing more than send the minimal market signal. I blogged earlier about our wood burner boiler plans, they remain.... but what I would really like to see is a big debate on wind farms in our part of the country (East/ West Sussex borders), to know how much potential turbines have around here, and whether other sources can offer good or better possibilities.. There are plans afoot in my village to instigate a 'Transition town' initiative - which looks like a good way for us to raise our knowledge and community understanding of these issues. Also, my eye keeps alighting on articles about anaerobic digesters and 'anaerobic reactors' (the names are terrifying, the technology fantastic if the current Ecologist's articles are anything to go by).. we live in a rural area... can anyone with practical experience of these technologies tell me briefly what scale you need to look at to make such things viable..?
In 10 years time I'm sure this will all be part of our shared cultural understanding and we will have magazines for renewables or power use the equivalent of 'what car' - that will tell anyone interested the salient facts, costs and trade-offs of different technologies and different models.. but right now it still feels like frontier territory.. the potential to make costly mistakes huge, and the time and effort of finding out still feels harder than should be necessary.
There is a market opportunity here for someone!
Rowena Moore
As secretariat to the Quality of Life climate change group, and coordinator of the Carbon Challenge, it is an unacknowledged but perhaps necessary part of my job description to take part in the challenge to save a tonne or more of carbon. Having spent the past year researching the minutiae of climate change, this is also a natural step for me to take.
Here is how I have fared since starting the challenge in November:
I have made every effort throughout the winter to take the tube in London rather than travel by car or taxi. This has had a noticeable impact on finances and fitness (with a ten minute walk to the tube station) and as such is a great incentive in itself. However... the stress levels rise on a daily basis due to the cattletruck nature of the tube at rush hour. If we are trying to entice more people onto public transport, the system has to be attractive enough for people to ditch the car. This is not the case at the moment, if only because the capacity is not there to move the sheer volume of people around the city. During the summer I will be back on my bicycle and scooter (both of which, particularly the former, provide ample opportunity to arrive at meetings looking somewhat dishevelled).
My thermostat has been turned down from 22 to
20°C, the television is never left on standby, and appliances not in use are switched off and unplugged from the mains. I no longer leave my phone charger plugged in (a former bad habit) or my computer on standby. All washes are done at 30°C, on 'economy', and only when I have a full load. I use the tumble dryer infrequently, instead hanging clothes out to dry. Lights are only ever on in the room I am using, and if I am making myself a cup of tea I fill the mug before pouring the water into the kettle.
I recycle everything the council will take, and end up putting out one small bag of rubbish each week, most of which is food waste and could be composted (nigh on impossible in a flat in London). The remainder is packaging which I would like to see addressed by the relevant companies; I seem to throw out a ridiculous amount of non-recyclable plastic and foil.
Next on my list are the energy efficient lightbulbs, which as one of the easiest ways to reduce emissions I am embarrassed to admit I have not yet bought. I am also hesitant to give up the comparative luxury of baths over showers, although I am sure this will be easier in the summer months when the weather is warmer. That said, baths have been cut to three a week at most with showers at all other times.
In terms of air travel, I left it too late to book a train to the Alps over New Year and ended up flying instead when the rail option would have been available had I planned ahead. Internal flights within the UK have been off the radar for a number of years as I tend to get more work done on the train and prefer this to flying. It does not match the cheap flights on offer to Edinburgh in terms of cost though - for example BMI's 'tiny' fares.
One problem I have is that my flat (which is rented) is always incredibly cold in winter and stiflingly hot in summer. My landlord is under no obligation to improve the insulation or air flow, which last summer left me no choice but to buy an air conditioner to cool one room (the most eco-friendly one I could find, a DeLonghi Pinguino). Extra layers of clothes do work during the winter, but it is not much fun returning to a flat colder than the streets outside! As such I have not given up heating entirely, although I would be interested to know how much difference insulation would make.
In conclusion, the changes I would like to see (so far) are:
- Improvements to public transport infrastructure
- Reduction in non-recyclable packaging
- Obligation for landlords to insulate flats/houses
I am not sure anything can be done about those bike helmet-induced bad hair days though.
Clare
Secretariat to the Quality of Life Climate Change group
February 28
The message from the carbon footprint calculator was very clear. The Hurd footprint is too large because we move around too much. Let’s get the confessional out of the way. Our household of four children, two adults, and a dog appears to have a primary footprint some 50% above the national average. I should make it clear that Mrs Hurd recycles obsessively and I am assured that we are insulated and have a state of the art boiler. What’s more our electricity is “100% clean, renewable energy sourced primarily from North Hoyle, the UKs first major offshore wind farm”.
I would love to hear some good ideas on how I could significantly reduce my gas consumption but the problem is not our house; it is the two cars and a desire to see the world. 60% of our emissions come from transport, and that is where we are going to have to see big change if we are to play our part in losing a tonne, let alone the future savings that are necessary. I have recently changed my car to a model that is 40% more efficient than its predecessor but I cannot see the opportunity to reduce mileage significantly at this stage. So we are forced to look to the skies.
The carbon savings from not flying long haul are staggering. This month I withdrew from a conference in Washington (ironically on Climate Change) to go on holiday with the kids instead. According to the Carbon Neutral calculator, that decision alone saved me the tonne I needed to comply with the Carbon Challenge!
If we take the train on summer holiday this year, rather than fly then we will save 1.62 tonnes (flying six to the South of France amounts to 1.8 tonnes compared to 0.18 by train). The ultimate sacrifice of staying with my mother-in-law this Christmas, rather than fly to Brazil, will save a staggering 12.6 tonnes. Or will it? Won’t the plane be going anyway?
I guess the answer is yes until enough of us start making different choices. Will we do it ourselves or will we need a big shove through the tax system? Do we have enough information about the environmental impact of flying? Should we see carbon emissions per flight on our travel documentation? Should those adverts promoting cheap seats be obliged to communicate something about the cost to the environment? Are you one of those people taking the 32 flights a day from London to Manchester, emitting ten times more CO2 per journey than on the train? Why? What would it take for you to change? Would love to hear from you.
February 14
When I took up the Carbon Challenge I had not realised how difficult it would be. The change to Energy Saver '12 years longlife' lightbulbs has been easy enough and I do rather like the soft light they throw out, however the rest is harder living as I do in a rented maisonette on the top floor of a house in north London. To get the landlord's buy-in to eco lighting in the hallway/staircase was one thing, wind turbines and solar panels are proving more difficult.
I had been finding it awkward to re-cycle everything simply because I do not have the luxury of a garden or outdoor space to store re-cycling boxes. I have now cleared out my broom cupboard and stacked boxes which can take bottles, papers etc etc, however on the night before collection it is quite a challenge to get it all down three steep flights of stairs. Still, using my energy to help save the planet might actually see me improving in fitness at the same time which can't be bad.
As to the electrics and switching off at the wall every night or when not in use, I've always known that this is a good idea but like most people had not bothered to do it. However this message was re-enforced last week when I attended a fire warden's meeting at work - yes I do volunteer for everything! A fireman gave us a presentation which included the information that there were greatly increased numbers of home fires at Christmas because of the number of fairylights people plugged in to already overloaded extention blocks. He said that most people fail to limit the number of plugs in blocks which should not excede 13 amps. At this everyone looked alarmed since naturally enough none of us knew that this was the limit. Having checked, it does say on the base of the blocks in my flat that 13 amps is the maximum that should be plugged in, however I had not noticed and it seems most people at our fire warden's meeting hadn't either. I asked the fireman why in that case were extention blocks made with 8 or more sockets, he said 'because people buy them'. This presumably means that a major fire risk is in most people's homes most of the time. If we were to publicise this fact in a public information broadcast, then maybe we would get people to switch off at the wall both for their personal safety and to reduce emissions at the same time.... maybe.
February 15
When I was trying to calculate my footprint last year I was not
given the option to choose a category of motorbike so I couldnt get an
accurate reading. Then my bike was stolen by some hideous joy-rider who
left it in a sorry state and no longer fit for anything like a purpose.
This cast me back into the bowels of the underground until I could sort
it out which meant that my footprint in terms of travel was now
calculable. It came out as 10.963 which seems enormous. When I looked
at the breakdown the highest culprit was the gas bill, possibly because
the windows of my flat are not double glazed and during the cold
weather the heating has been running full out. I have mentioned this to
my landlord in the hope that he will do the decent thing and at least
install working thermostats. Watch this space to see a response. The
next highest category was a 'recreation and services' category which
must have been estimated I guess. Since I spend any free time comatose
most of the time I do not see how I can emit 1,546 worth of carbon,
however I do not know what any of the categories are based on and
perhaps this could be clarified. Anyway, back to the bike and I have
found a brilliant solution which is an electric scooter. I have found a
really sexy looking bike which is clean and quiet and pays no CCharge
or parking fees or tax.. My only problem is that living on the top
floor on a really busy road it is not going to be easy running a cable
down to charge the battery. Although this is not a frequent requirement
and there are charging facilities in town, so I need to further
investigate if this ultimate green solution is viable.
If I was to go for the option of an electric bicycle however, the
battery would be removable and so the re-charging would not be an
issue. However this would make me a cyclist and that is something I
simply would not entertain. Whilst there are exceptions of course, not
least our noble leader and of course Boris, the majority of cyclists
are pushy, red-light jumping, pavement riding, law-breakers and I would
frankly rather walk to work than be one of them - even for the good of
the Challenge.
I have replaced all the exterior lighting on my house with low energy light bulbs, talked the 2 teenage girls in my household to not leave televisions, hifi and so on, on standby. I have even bought solar powered lights for the steps leading from the house to the garden, though I appreciate until we have some sunlight they my not be functioning at their best. However transport, public of course, does not exist in my area. I live in a village some eight miles away from 2 major towns on the A road linking them. There used to be a bus service indeed the parish council spends a little on the upkeep of the shelters, but this no longer exists. A scheme called "call and go" exists but when I tried to get more information on this service I found that few people, even those running it, know anything about it. Indeed they could tell me where it doesn't go and how much it costs but to say the least had little idea about where it does go and very little idea on running times. I am not going to give up! and I will post further information when I have it.
One of the questions asked by this challenge is ‘how easy is it to save a tonne of carbon?’. On one level it is very easy simply by a few key decisions. I can claim to have already saved more than my tonne by not doing what I had been going to do. 1.3 tonnes to be saved in April 07 according to the calculator by not flying to New York
….and a further 1.7 tonnes by chosing train over air for a family trip to Scotland
Easy to ‘save a tonne’ just by really thinking about whether or not, and how to go.
For a couple of years I have been planning a weekend in New York to visit an old school friend. Last November, realizing it wasn’t going to happen before Christmas ’06 we made a plan to meet up the last weekend in April ’07. Almost as soon as the phone was down I started to feel uneasy. A long way, an unnecessary flight, a lot of upheaval… was it right to go?
When she was home for her annual Christmas visit, I told her. It was the right decision but it was still disappointing to have to say, ‘I’m sorry, I feel it’s wrong to fly out,… I worry about my children’s world and I can’t honestly do this’.
George Monbiot calls them ‘love miles’and we always think traveling to see people is good… but the paradigm shifts with climate change and short breaks like this become a very different proposal.
So, 1.3 tonnes ‘saved’ by not flying to New York return.
Another easy ‘tonne saved’ closer to home is a visit to relations in Scotland for Easter. We rarely fly to Scotland as the train service is good, but it is interesting that the decision to train to Edinburgh from Sussex rather than fly gives a carbon ‘saving’ of 0.57 tonnes (600 kg for the glight versus 32 kg for the train), and as I buy the tickets for myself and two children I make that1.71 tonnes saved by not going by air.
No wonder the environmental movement is focusing the spotlight on budget airlines and ‘easy’ low cost flying… the comparative cost to the environment is huge.
However, this kind of carbon saving is ‘easy’ as it’s somewhat hypothetical. The more I think about this one, the key question is not really, how easy is it to save a tonne, but rather how do you reduce your carbon emissions to the 2.5 tonne level?
Rowena Moore
As a Local Council Leader I thought I would volunteer for the challenge to see just how hard it is to commit to reduce an individuals/households Carbon Footprint. It would be useful before I start to at least let you know the lifestyle situation of this particular Challenge Guinea Pig. I live in a bungalow on the North West Coast of England. I am married with two teenage Daughters and a Cocker Spaniel. We own three cars between us and a 600cc motorcycle. The house is pretty energy efficient already with the usual 10 inches of loft insulation, double glazing, no bath just a shower, (vitally important energy saving tip when your home has two teenage daughters!) We have a home composter, water butt and an excellent 6 stream waste collection service provided by our local Fylde Council. The whole family is dedicated to the re-cycling scheme which takes Green Garden Waste, Glass, Tin, Plastic, Paper and Fabrics. The usual kitchen peelings and un-cooked scraps go straight into the Composter. So that's the quick overview of the Coombe's household and will give you a steer on the challenge ahead.
This week my challenge started with most basic of steps for reducing my households CO2 emissions, replacing 9 light bulbs with energy saving alternatives, and turning down the radiator thermostats by 1 degree. Having sat down and discussed with the family the Challenge we also made a pact to turn off unwanted lights when leaving the room. This we have done all week!
In respect of energy efficiency we have also booked an inspection date for cavity wall insulation, this currently has a grant being offered by Fylde Borough Council for residents living in the Fylde.
I have also committed to using my motorcycle to travel the 15 miles to and from work at least once a week rather than using the car. This week I have used it for three days! A trip to the corner shop always involved jumping in the car to cover the half mile round trip. This week I have walked twice!
Finally I have found my businesses Carbon Footprint, which stands at a massive 28,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. This comes from a fleet of 22 vehicles covering 65,000 miles each per annum. We have already had 7 vehicles converted to run on LPG. The others are modern diesel powered, so we now need to look at how we can use/obtain bio-diesel to help reduce our CO2 emissions. The Carbon offset is a last resort and would require planting of 598 trees per annum. However I am now investigating the feasibility of delivering some of this offset with the help of clients and the local Council. So a busy week all round. I will keep you informed of my progress.
John Coombes
Leader, Fylde Borough Council
Hello! I am the recently selected PPC for Brighton Kemptown. One of the things I have been considering to reduce my carbon impact is changing my car. Although, I often use public transport and walk, I am often required to travel to meetings all over the County (my other hat is County Councillor with responsibility for Economic Regeneration).
My first thoughts were to test drive a Toyota Prius. I was quite impressed with the car but I struggled to achieve near the official mpg even though I drove it like I had a bowl full of water on the dashboard! I also drove a small one litre petrol engined Aygo which had a better mpg and very similar emissions. It was obviously a smaller car (I have six children!) but a massive 10,000 pounds cheaper. Environmentally friendly without shouting about it?
I then had a brainwave. How about biodiesel? I could get it in Brighton and surely this was far more carbon efficient? I did a bit of research and apparently VW will honour their warranties on new cars if it is used. Excited, I emailed my local dealer about a diesel Golf (and mentioned the biodiesel word). No reply! I have emailed them again and still no reply. Perhaps they think I am some sort of crank? I will keep you posted.
Simon Kirby
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