Going green
01/04/2006
How YOU can play your part in protecting our grandchildren’s futures. By energy and environmental consultant Phil Neve
Most people realise our western societies have been living beyond our means for some time and if we are to leave our children a reasonable world to live in we have to make some major changes.
Energy consumption from fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) is the core problem, and the main culprits are heating our homes, road transport, generating electricity, plus commerce and industry.
Some people say “my little bit won’t make any difference” or “it is up to the government”, but that is not true. No single all-powerful “someone else” will deliver the solutions, we all need to change and a little bit from everyone adds up to a lot for all of us. We also need to make sure local and national governments do their bit too. If they don’t we should vote them out!
“Going green” can seem a big and daunting idea but it really needn’t be. It is very similar to getting fit and healthy, involves changing some deeply ingrained habits, requires a degree of effort and cannot be achieved over night. Just like losing weight or training to run a marathon you have to gradually work towards the final target.
Change just one of your behaviours at a time, maybe one per week or per month, and make sure that it becomes a new good habit. After a while you will then see you have achieved changes and reduced your “Ecological Footprint”
Here are a few suggestions to start you off.
“Knowledge is power”
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Read up on and learn what climate change, peak oil and all the major environmental problems are about.
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Join a local group who are involved in changing your community.
"Low Energy home”
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Insulate. You can’t hold water in a sieve, or heat in an un-insulated house.
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Invest in a condensing boiler – they save energy and money.
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Turn down the thermostat and put on a sweater.
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Solar water heating works. In Austria about one family in four has it.
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A video on stand-by costs £10-15 per year to run. Turn it off.
"Be part of the solution”
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Buy “Green” electricity.
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Ask your politicians what they are doing to “green” public organisations and buildings.
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Use your local recycling scheme.
“Travel Light”
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Stop using the car to travel very short distances.
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Buy a bike, it’s cheaper than joining a gym… and you actually get somewhere!
“Eat Slow Food”
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Buy local. It is not always dearer, you leave the car at home and it helps keep local shops open. Do we REALLY need New Zealand apples or asparagus from Peru?
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Grow some of your own. Even a few little things will save money energy and it’s rewarding – especially if you can share your hobby with a young family member.
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Eat seasonal foods. Get out of the rut and let nature have a hand in what you eat. You’ll appreciate them far more when they come around.
“Water, water everywhere”
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Storing, cleaning and pumping water makes a big impact upon our environment and uses up energy.
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Install a meter and the less you use, the more money you save.
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Get a water butt for the garden. Big garden? Get two. Or three! The plants actually prefer rainwater.
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Buy a water saver for your toilet cistern – every flush uses two gallons.
If everyone does something to help, together we can make a difference!