4. Ideas for personal changes
There are lots of aspects of our lives where we use energy, hence there are lots of opportunities to make savings. This page offers you a few ideas to get you thinking. As I mentioned in the Get Informed page, there is a mass of information out there, for example:
- If you want to buy a book full of ideas, there are a lot of titles on the Green Books Website
- There are charities out there with ideas, e.g. Global Action Plan
- I've already mentioned this but there is some good stuff in 50 ways to save the planet, which is published by the Environment Agency.
Work on getting rid of any energy-wasting bad habits, then make sure you are finding ways of reducing your carbon footprint in the following areas.
Your home
It is estimated that 40% of your carbon footprint is made up of energy that you use in the home.
- Is your house completely insulated?
- Is it too hot or - if you have air conditioning - is it too cold? Could you put on socks and a jumper, rather than turn the radiator up?
- Choose a green energy electricity tariff - add to consumer demand for renewable energy.
- Loose the tumble drier; only put a full load in the washing machine; and wash at a lower temperature.
What you buy
- Buy local - think about the amount of energy it takes to transport things around the world, for example, I hear that the energy taken to transport 3 apples from New Zealand to England is apparently equivalent to 5kg carbon dioxide emissions, compared to 1kg of emissions for transporting 3000 apples within the UK!
- Buy things that last - a throw-away society is not sustainable
- Grow your own...
- Limit your cosmetics. How about trying baking powder as an antiperspirant and white vinegar on smelly fabrics: something you might want to think about if you are washing at a lower temperature...
Transport
- Do you need to take that journey?
- Can you walk, cycle, take the bus or train?
- Have you got a big 4-by-4, or other gas-guzzling car? Can you really justify it?
- Flying generates lots of carbon dioxide - do you know how much? You might want to check out The man in seat 61 for alternatives to air travel.
Other social and work places
- It's a hard one I know, but can you persuade your friends, work colleagues/bosses, shop owners, your favourite restaurant/pub owners, all to get informed and start making changes too?
- Vote with your feet: choose restaurants that source local produce, choose shops that don't leave their doors open on a freezing day, choose pubs that don't use patio heaters...
Don't forget about adaptation
Even if we manage to completely stop all emissions of greenhouse gases right now, we can't undo the changes we have already made. We have increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 50% over the past 250 years. The way the atmosphere works means that its reactions are likely to be delayed so the changes are only starting to show themselves.
The emissions targets that we are working to will hopefully stabilise carbon dioxide concentrations at 450 to 550 ppm. That is between 60% and nearly 100% more than before the industrial revolution. The climate will change as a consequence so you probably want to think about things that you might need to do to adapt to the changes?
- You definitely must keep yourself informed.
- Do you live near a river or the coast? If you do, note that incidences of flooding are likely to become more extreme and happen more often (if you live in England or Wales check out the flooding pages of the Environment Agency's website).
- Can you cope with heat waves? Do you know any vulnerable neighbours or family members? Could you cope with water shortages (from drought) at the same time?