starting on my carbon reduction journey
March 2007
Climate Change, and our contribution to it has become increasingly high-profile over the last few years. Politicians of all parties, business leaders, the media and even ‘celebrities’ are talking about issues and asking us all to help with solutions. There are numerous campaign groups, and government sponsored campaigns telling us to do this, and do that, all with the intention of reducing our emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2. But where do you start, and how much impact can we as individuals have?
I know that the decisions that I make about travel, home energy and buying things will all lead to emissions of greenhouse gases, but it is easy to feel that any effort I make will be insignificant on its own. So although I have been fitting low energy bulbs, turning down the heating and turning the TV off at the wall as recommended, I didn’t feel I was making much progress. That’s when I discovered Carbon Reduction Groups (CRAGs). These are groups of people in a community who act together to reduce their own, as well as their collective, carbon footprint, and I found out one was just about to start up in my area.
The way they work is simple. Each person, or household, keeps track of their emissions over a year against an agreed annual target – our ‘carbon ration’. All emissions from home energy and personal travel are included with members exceeding the target facing financial penalties – a real incentive to make a change, and to make ‘smarter carbon choices’. Each year the ‘ration’ we are allowed decreases slightly, in line with the cuts required by all of us by 2050.
We have only just had our first meeting, but it’s already apparent that the mutual support really helps. We can pass on emission-saving tips – I’m hoping to learn from others about cutting energy use through solar water heating for example. We are also accountable to each other by sharing our progress every three months. There is also lots of support from the wider CRAG movement on their website (www.carbonrationing.org.uk), as people all around the country are already doing the things I would like to.
The next step is to start counting, and everyone in the group will read their electricity and gas meters, and check their car mileage on the same day to start our first measured year. I have already thought of a number of changes around the house which will cut my fuel use – and in most cases save me money as well. I also want to explore other peoples experience with alternative energy suppliers, car-clubs, and maybe even generating my own energy. I have also dug out the electricity and gas bills from the last few years (reading them is reason enough to reduce my energy use!) and am determined to get lower figures and therefore emissions in a years time.
By Ian Shergold
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