Introduction
FILMS, such as Al Gore’s Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth,and daily news stories of ice flows melting at alarming rates have focussed all our minds on climate change like never before. Facts such as ‘17 of the 20 hottest years ever recorded have occurred since 1980’ sharpen our focus on what damage we are doing to our planet. Closer to home 27% of Britain’s carbon dioxide (CO²) emissions, which add directly to global warming, are from our homes, according to the Carbon Trust. Many of the CO² emissions can be reduced or prevented by the way in which we behave. Turning down the thermostat, switching off the TV and set-top box at night, and boiling only the amount of water you need to make a cup of tea, for example, will all save not only carbon dioxide emissions, but your money too. Yes, green living considerately benefits the planet and your wallet.
The Energy Saving Trust
The Energy Saving Trust estimates you can save £250 and two tonnes (the average UK household uses six) of CO² annually by undertaking such practices. The message is beginning to hit home. The British Government has published the UK’s emissions for 2006. The final figures show that total greenhouse gas emissions were down 0.5 per cent on 2005 levels, while carbon dioxide (CO²), which makes up about 85 per cent of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions, stayed virtually the same (a 0.1 per cent fall). The biggest decrease in CO² emissions was in the residential sector, with a fall of four per cent on 2005 levels. Other sectors increased, including energy supply (up by 1.5 per cent), transport (up by 1.3 per cent), and international aviation emissions, which increased by 1.5 per cent, due to an increased number of flights. Our homes and the way we live are key to reducing our environmental impact. Indeed, the way in which homes and communities are developed often determines our lifestyle decisions and our overall impact on the environment.