CLIMATE CHANGE – WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? (Part 1)
“Cut your carbon footprint – cut your costs”
We hear a lot about cutting our carbon emissions, but what is it all about and is it really worth doing? If you’ve read the article on global warming in this issue of the Ileach, then you may already be convinced of the need for action. If you are not, perhaps you would just like to reduce your living costs? It really doesn’t matter what motivates you, the fact is we need to stop wasting the Earth’s resources, and by doing that we will reduce our carbon footprint and save money into the bargain.
Mainly because of our rural location, a high proportion of older housing and the wet and windy climate, our personal contribution to global warming is around twice the national average – an estimated 4 tonnes of, as opposed to 2 tonnes nationally. We have to bear in mind that these factors are beyond our control, so this does not mean we should be consumed with guilt!
The target for Islay Energy Trust’s Carbon Savings Project is to reduce Islay’s and Colonsay’s total carbon emissions by 300 tonnes in each of the next two years. That figure may seem a bit meaningless, but if you think of it as equivalent to the saving made by fully insulating lofts in 100 houses, then it begins to come into perspective. If every household on the two islands was able to reduce its carbon emissions by just 300kg, that would be equivalent to as little as 2% of total CO2 emissions from domestic energy use. For example, simply turning down your water heater thermostat to 60C and your central heating by 1 degree will go a long way towards that. Such a target could be reached very easily – and we would all be a bit better off into the bargain. Over the next few months, we will be distributing Home Energy Survey forms which can be used to give you tailored advice on how to reduce your energy bills, and also how to access grants for loft and cavity wall insulation – help with these is available to all households.
So how do you work out your carbon footprint? There are lots of calculators on the Internet, some of which are more thorough than others, and probably none of which is completely accurate; but they do give a good indication of where you are using more energy than necessary, and advice on how to cut down. You might like to try the one on HYPERLINK "http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk" www.energysavingtrust.org.uk - just click on ‘Carbon Cutter’ and it will take around 10 minutes to work through. Ideally you should have your latest energy bills to hand, (or at least an idea of your monthly spend) and an idea of the number of miles you drive in a year. If you don’t have access to the Internet, or have difficulty using the calculator, feel free to call in at the Islay Energy Trust office, on the middle floor of Custom House, Bowmore, and I will do it for you. Remember this will just give you an idea of your energy use, so you shouldn’t get too hung up on the resulting figure. What’s important is that there are small, easy measures you can take to cut down, and after a while they will become routine. After all, we used to waltz out of the Co-Op with armfuls of carrier bags….!
Lindy MacLellan
Islay Energy Trust Carbon Savings Project Officer
