Energy and Climate Change
Energy and Climate Change| Introduction | Energy efficiency at home | Energy-efficient travel | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | B |  |
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| Why have a group? | Cheap and
simple steps
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Transport and Travel | UK CO2 Emissions |
Climate change and energy seem to be in the news almost every day now. What with the rising price of energy and worries about more extreme weather events, people are coming to realise that energy is too important a topic to be ignored.
We all have a part to play in contributing to the energy consumption of the country. It can be argued that large and significant changes to the country's, or the world's, energy consumption can only be made by politicians, governments and international agreements. However, there is still a very strong case to be made for each individual, and each family, to make their own efforts to take responsibility for their own behaviour and their use of energy. The total amount of energy used is made up of small increments from millions of people. We in Britain can take a lead and, by our example, demonstrate that individuals can make a difference.
The Environment Forum feels strongly that we need a new Working Group within the borough, at which interested people can get together and work to get more public awareness locally about the issues and the possible solutions. There is currently no such group and little seems to be done locally to address the problems of energy use.
We will be holding our first meeting of the Energy and Climate Change group in April 2006, at the Town Hall.
If you would like to attend - you will be very welcome. You don't need to be an expert - anyone interested in the issue of climate change, and energy can come along. We will then be able to assess the future direction of the group, and form a plan of future actions. Please email us for further details.
In the past century or so, since people began to burn fossil fuels in large amounts, the global average temperature has probably risen by 0.6 degrees C. This may not seem much, but it conceals much larger rises in some places.
If we continue to burn fossil fuels at the rate we do now, it is likely that the average global temperature will rise much further. Scientists think this might be between 2 and 5 degrees C by the end of this century, i.e. by the year 2100. However, the science is difficult, and nobody really knows how large the rise might be. It might be even more than 5 degrees.
The British Government made a commitment to cut our national carbon dioxide emissions by 20% below the 1990 level by 2010, and 60% below it by 2050. This is higher than our Kyoto target, of 12.5% by 2012.
At present, we are not on course for these reductions.
Britain is only a small player in the world picture - our emissions are perhaps 2% of the global whole, while those of America are around 25%. However, it is important that Britain - still a world leader in terms of influence - should take a lead, and demonstrate to the rest of the world that we are serious, and that developed and affluent nations like us can reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, without economic grief.
Governments act in the short term, because they want to get re-elected four years ahead. It is therefore difficult to get strong commitments from politicians, if they fear policies could alienate the electorate.
We cannot wait for politicians to be forced into taking stronger action. We, as individual citizens, can make a difference, and we can start to do it now. We can try and influence our political leaders, and we can - even more significantly - demonstrate in our own lifestyles that we are serious about this.
Of the UK's energy use, domestic heating, lighting, hot water and electricity use amounts to perhaps 26% of the total for the country.
Our car use accounts for perhaps 22% of the total national energy use.
Aviation is the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide emissions. Cheap flights, no taxes on aviation fuel and no VAT have contributed to this.
There is a lot we can all do to reduce our own personal contribution to the national carbon dioxide emissions.
Perhaps we owe it to our children, and future generations - let alone to the rest of the world's people and the natural world - to "do our bit" on energy. And to start doing it now.
1. Cut home heating bills. How?
2. Reduce water heating bills. How?
3. Cut car mileage and fuel use. How?
4. Reduce your air travel. How?