Given the scale of the problem that we face, it is all too easy to feel powerless. How, without running for political office, can we as individuals make any difference? Surely, cutting greenhouse emissions to the extent required is the job of our governments, industry and big business. The truth though, is that the real power to tackle climate change lies not with Prime Ministers, Presidents or Chief Executives. It is in the hands of the homeowners and the car drivers, the holidaymakers and the shoppers of the world, that the destiny of our planet’s climate truly rests. Continue reading
Author Archives: Issi
Tackling climate change
Transport
For many of us, our transport emissions are dominated by car-use. Your average 1.3 litre run-around will, in the space of a year, clock up somewhere between 4 and 6 tonnes of greenhouse gas. Drive a gas-guzzling 4-wheel drive though and your emissions can be more than double this. For decades, any advances made in engine efficiency have been undermined by demand for bigger, more powerful cars. Add to this the growth in the number of cars on the road – there are now more cars in the US than people to drive them – and it’s little wonder that cars have come to play such a leading role in human-induced climate change. Continue reading
Climate Change: What is being done?
In 1997, with ever-stronger evidence for an enhanced greenhouse effect driven by human activities, and deepening concern over the impacts the resulting changes in climate might have, over 150 nations came together in Kyoto in Japan to agree the first binding agreement aimed at cutting global greenhouse gas emissions: The Kyoto Protocol. But in 2009 the United Nations Climate Change conference in Copenhagen failed to agree on a binding agreement for all nations on reducing emissions. Continue reading
Climate Change: The impacts
Sea-level rise
A warming planet causes sea-levels to rise for two main reasons. First of all there is increased melting of glaciers and ice sheets, whose melt waters continually add to the total volume of the oceans. Secondly, there is thermal expansion of the oceans: as the water warms up it takes up more space. Continue reading
WWF – “What wood you choose?”
WWF are asking the Green Choices community – What Wood You Choose?
WWF, the world’s leading conservation body, have just launched a study which has found that companies in the UK are selling items such as kitchen worktops, doors and decking that come from places where illegal logging is having a devastating effect on people and wildlife. Continue reading
Standby power
An environmental and economic waste of money
Finding the most energy efficient electrical products is a good start for saving money and energy, but it doesn’t stop there. Most people believe that when they push or switch the POWER switch to the OFF position on an appliance that the appliance is completely switched off. For a majority of appliances this is NOT the case. Continue reading
Fulfilling a dream
I made a New Year’s resolution on January 1st 1994, to buy a field and start planting a native woodland. Unlike many resolutions, this one came true and has brought me a lot of hard work and happiness. I advertised for land, and nearly bought a field elsewhere, and then Julian and Emma Orbach asked me if I’d like to buy one of the fields on their newly acquired farm, Brithdir Mawr – the rest is history. Continue reading
Humidity in the home – controlling condensation
Some Options
In the British climate humidity and condensation are common problems in our homes. A clammy atmosphere feels unpleasant and also encourages the spread of house dust mites causing respiratory problems through allergic reaction. In serious cases mildew can make an appearance too. The traditional solution of throwing open a window, for example after taking a shower, is still a good one but may be wasteful of heating energy if you forget and leave it open too long. Many of us are concerned about security and are reluctant to open windows at all. Continue reading
Get your own back!
and reduce waste by joining the Local Paper for London scheme.
You may have thought about setting up your own office paper recycling system but perhaps time and support were in short supply? Or would like to switch to recycled paper but don’t know where to start?
Ken Livingstone
Help is at hand, BioRegional is providing a sustainable office paper cycle for London and the South East, with free advice and support on how businesses can recycle their white office paper waste at their local paper mill, then buy back the 100% recycled office paper that the mill produces, thereby ‘getting their own back’. The scheme called Local Paper for London, gives measurable results. Offices are saving money, reducing landfill and waste incineration rates, and saving trees too. Appropriately launched by the then Mayor Ken Livingstone in 1999, the initiative is a positive solution to the incineration or dumping of waste office paper in the South East. Devised by local environmental organisation BioRegional, Local Paper for London aims to counter the area’s currently unsustainable office paper use and make it easy for offices to deal with their paper waste effectively. Continue reading
Domestic central heating
Issues and Alternatives
Central heating became a standard feature of British houses with the arrival of cheap North Sea gas. It was more marketable than super-insulated houses like the Waites house at C.A.T. (1973). Over the years building standards have improved but few of us come close to the zero heating houses of Hockerton and BedZED. 
Nevertheless, before shelling out on central heating equipment, be sure that you have copious insulation in the loft, insulated cavity walls, double or triple glazing (no PVC please!) and modern ventilation.
As 50% of the nation’s energy is used in buildings it pays to get heating right. Get a home energy check and use your home energy adviser to guide you through the bewildering choice of systems and controls. Our article on renewables has more information on alternatives to conventional heating systems such as ground source heat pumps.
Gas is still the most popular fuel but as North Sea production declines future supplies will be coming from further afield. Current events (August 2002) imply this might involve military action. As consumers we will need to be responsible, demanding fairly traded fuel, local supplies and of course reducing consumption.
Mains electricity is generally unsuitable for heating because of the pollution generated at power stations generated at power stations (twice the carbon dioxide emissions of gas). Green tariffs are better but electricity is still more appropriate to drive the low powered pumps and controls which underpin the efficiency of a modern boiler. The nation can not be heated exclusively by wind and hydropower because the capacity is not there. However, there are special cases where electricity has a direct role in heating, through heat pumps, dehumidifiers and even the humble electric blanket.
A fresh prospect is domestic combined heat and power (dchp) which actually generates electricity in your home for export to the grid. These systems are just becoming commercial with units on trial in British homes at this moment. This is the most rational way to supply energy in urban environments.
If you can not wait for chp then a gas (or oil) condensing boiler is likely to be your choice. These are 20% more efficient than traditional models. But don’t assume that full central heating is necessary. If you have taken insulation seriously some rooms may not need radiators, saving space, cost and energy. For example upstairs rooms usually benefit from heat rising from the ground floor and even on cold nights an electric blanket may be all you need.
A further 20% improvement in efficiency is claimed for underfloor heating. Instead of using a radiator, hot water is circulated under your feet keeping toes warm and head cool. Users find they can lower thermostat settings by 2 degrees Celcius for the same comfort, thereby saving energy. If you are building new or refurbishing an old house, underfloor will be a real treat.
The sustainable source of domestic fuel will be biomass such as wood. For the enthusiast biomass chp is under development in California but more readily available is the traditional wood burning stove. Good management is required to avoid air pollution and hot firing is preferable to slow smouldering. Ceramic stoves have the cleanest reputation.
Finally passive solar heating already makes a significant contribution to space heating through south facing windows; no extra equipment required. But however good your glazing, insulated window shutters will help to keep that heat in during the night. In summer, solar collectors can supply the majority of domestic hot water needs so that a boiler may be switched off for several months.
Peter Pope
Peter is an Environmental Engineer and Permaculture Advocate living in Cambridge. He works in housing refurbishment, renewable energy and composting.