Going Green: 5 Big Ways to Make a Small Difference - 31 Oct 2006
|
1. HAVE YOUR OWN NO-FLY ZONE |
The problem
We are flying more frequently and further than ever before. Uncurbed, air travel is set to become the fastest-growing contributor to climate change. It also necessitates continued airport expansion, which has implications for local environments. There remains no tax on aviation fuel, and more airports are being built all the time. Meanwhile a single flight from Paris to New York uses up one-and-a-half times a person's overall carbon ration (the estimated amount each person can 'safely' produce) for an entire year, according to the transport expert Dr Mayer Hillman. What you can do
According to Noflytravel one in six of us is unhappy about flying and is considering alternative low-carbon travel options - many of which appear on this website. Their spiritual leader should be Radiohead frontman, Thom Yorke (left), who broke a celebrity wall of silence when he said world tours and private jets were inappropriate. The industry rejoinder is that aviation
|
Reader Response (Mon 30th):
Resa Davén from Stockholm comments on this article: "While I agree that flying is pretty bad for the environment, there may be times we need to. As an American living in Sweden I wouldn't want to miss my grandfather's funeral out of concern for the environment. The Carbon Neutral Company lets you calculate how much carbon a flight generates. I also try to take direct flights whenever possible, even if they cost a bit more.
Also, there's now a solar-powered cell phone / ipod charger called the solio. The makers have negated the carbon used for production, making it the most green solar-powered personal device I've seen.
Hope this helps. It would be great to let the 24-7 community know about more ways to 'go green'. I think it's great that this was addressed and that there was the link  at the end about why we should care. Well done for choosing the topic! Resa Davén (Sweden) |
Is it worth it?
Yes. Pledge to limit or stop your flights by signing the pledge here and research train or even boat options at noflytravel. If you really can't avoid flying, avoid night flights and flying during winter - especially long haul: new research shows that both create more carbon dioxide emissions.
Effectiveness rating: 5/5 - we have to wean ourselves off the EasyJet cheap-flight culture.
|
2. BUY A GREEN CAR |
The problem
The global fleet of cars continues to expand while the average vehicle produces its own weight in carbon dixiode every 6,000 miles. Quite a sizeable weight, in fact, given that one in seven new cars bought in London last year was of the hulking, gas-guzzler variety. What you can do
You could join one of the many organisations lobbying against 4x4's. For instance, there is one called The Alliance Against Urban 4x4's based in the UK, which attempts to shame society into avoiding poor vehicle choices (They also sell some pretty cool T-shirts -ed). Hybrid cars - made by Toyota, Honda and Lexus - offer some respite, but aren't the full story. In emissions terms, they are comparable to small, efficient diesels. The biofuels route is an increasingly popular idea, but currently there are very few filling stations. The electric car is the cleanest, scoring the only 'A' rating in the government's league table, but batteries currently only support a 40-mile range.
Is it worth it?
The mistake some drivers can make is ditching their old model in order to run out and buy a new hybrid. This is no panacea. Given that your original car created 15 tonnes of waste and 75m cubic metres of polluted air just in production, you should hang on to it and try to mitigate its effects, by converting to LPG for example. Change your driving style, too: it has a big effect on your emissions. Correct tyre pressure can chop 10 per cent off petrol costs, decreasing your speed from 75mph to 65mph increases fuel economy and don't idle - it increases emissions by 13 per cent (www.eta.co.uk has more). The Eco-log (www.ecodrive.org) is a device that tells you when you are driving to maximum potential. If you are buying a new car, go for a lightweight, fuel-efficient model - every 10 per cent drop in car weight decreases carbon emissions by 5-6 per cent. But do you really need a car? The greenest drivers join a car club. For more details, in North America check out www.carsharing.net and in the UK www.citycarclub.co.uk.
Effectiveness rating: 2/5 - just having a car is a problem, frankly.
|
3. SWITCH OFF |
The problem
Households are horribly energy-inefficient. We have a penchant for tumble dryers (4,000 watts per hour), leaving appliances on standby and using energy intensive incandescent bulbs. The average household uses 10 kWh every day on powering lights and appliances alone, and overall spews out six tonnes of carbon dioxide. Inside the home, average domestic temperatures are up from 13C in the 1970s to 19-21C now. What you can do
Brenda Boardman (left), of the Environmental Research Institute, believes every household could get their electricity usage down to just five kilowatt-hours a day relatively easily. Turn appliances off standby (which consumes 10-60 per cent of an appliance's electricity) and we could save enough electricity to power 2.7 million homes for a year.
Is it worth it?
Yes. Insulating your loft is key - more than 40 per cent of heat is lost through walls and the roof. Turn down your thermostat by one degree and you'll save around 230kg of carbon dioxide a year (Click here for more practical suggestions). Wash your clothes at 30C, then hang them on the line, and unplug your mobile phone charger when not in use. A fridge over 20 years old should be upgraded to an energy-efficient model. Effectiveness rating: 5/5 - it's easy and worth it.
|
4. GO ON A LOW-CARBON DIET |
The problem
Thousands of goods we buy off the shelves are now as well travelled as the average celebrity or cabinet minister. One kiwi fruit flown from New Zealand to the UK, for instance, emits five times its own weight in carbon dioxide emissions and the average shopping basket of food has clocked up the same miles as flying to the moon. Between 25 and 30 per cent of overall carbon dioxide emissions are attributed to food production and transportation. Food miles also tarnish organic food's halo - 70 per cent is imported. What you can do
Start counting carbon calories generated by food miles, rather than the traditional dietary variety, and support calls for food miles to be printed on packaging.
Is it worth it?
Give yourself a 100-mile 'production zone' for food - most farmers' markets source within 50 miles - and join the movement promoting 'local eating for global change' (www.100milediet.org). And remember, food is not the only consumable with a high carbon calorific content. Cut flowers can be imported thousands of miles. Try to buy local flowers.
Effectiveness rating: 3/5 - important, but there are probably better things you can do.
|
5. MAKE YOUR OWN POWER |
The problem
As in-house energy demands increase, so does the pressure on power production. Three-quarters of our electricity comes from coal and gas-fired plants spewing out carbon dioxide: Drax contributed 20.8 million tonnes last year. What you can do
Microgeneration - turning your house into a power-creating hub by adding solar panels and a small wind turbine - is a liberating idea. Industry estimates suggest that, by 2050, microgeneration could provide 30-40 per cent of total electricity needs.
Is it worth it?
Choose your technology carefully: wind turbines are not suitable for every house. Solar thermal is by far the easiest and most cost-effective technology and can produce at least 70 per cent of a family's hot water during summer. Get your own house in order first with insulation and energy reduction targets. If you are itching to embrace renewables, changing your electricity supplier to Good Energy or Ecotricity will speed the revolution quicker than an mini-turbine.
Effectiveness rating: 2/5 - a tricky thing to do on your own, better to reduce your demand.