Information
For information on the topics below, please click to follow the links, or to download a pdf file of the relevant information leaflet. Printed versions of the Leaflets are available from Jean Crawford, telephone 01425 652404, morfydd.crawford@talktalk.net:
- Climate Change: Resources and Information: books, references and websites where you can find out more (Resources and Information PDF file)
- Calculate your Carbon Footprint: what is your Carbon footprint, what are the major contributors to it – and where can you make some changes? (CarbonFootprintCalculator PDF file)
- Grants for Energy-Saving: wide-ranging information on loft and cavity wall insulation, help for over 70s and those on benefit, as well as LCBP (low carbon building programme), solar hot water – and CIGA (Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency) registered contractors listed in order of distance from Hyde (Grants for Energy Saving PDF file)
- Where to Recycle: a surprising range of locations in the Hyde area and beyond, where you can recycle anything from batteries to mobile ‘phones (Waste and Rubbish: Where to Recycle PDF file)
- Heat Pumps: further information on Ground- and Air-source heat pumps (Heat Pumps PDF file)
RENEWABLE HOME HEATING
At a public meeting in November 2010, Philip Upton, whose company Wessex Ecoheat installs Biomas boilers, gave a very helpful illustrated presentation and answered various questions.
Here are the meanings of some of the words which are now in common usage when discussing Climate Change matters….
Sustainable Living – a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individuals (or a society’s) use of the Earth’s natural resources.
Altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet are ways of reducing one’s Carbon Footprint. This is the total set of Greenhouse gasses which directly and indirectly support human activities usually expressed in equivalent tons of CO2. Your Carbon Footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2 which are induced by your activities in a given time frame (usually 1 year).
Zero Carbon – an activity where absolute carbon emissions are zero. For instance, a Carbon Zero Home puts back into the National Grid via renewables such as wind turbines and solar panels as much or more than it takes out. Renewable Energy comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, geothermal heat or Biomas. This is biological material from living, or recently living, organisms such as wood (including chips and pellets) and it’s industrial waste.
An increasing number of enlightened householders are installing renewable energy systems, be it solar water heating, photovoltaic panels to take advantage of the Feed-In Tariff, Biomass Boilers or Ground and Air Heat Pumps.
TRAINS, OR BOATS, OR PLANES ? Professor John Shepherd FRS – boats are great for freight, but worst by far for people!
In September 2010, Professor John Shepherd gave an illustrated talk on CO2 emissions from the various forms of transport.
Walking and cycling create the lowest emissions, followed by buses, trains, small cars, motor cycles, large cars, SUV’s, aeroplanes and cruise liners (in that order). U.K. road transport caused 22% of total emissions in 2000; cars 13%, other road transport 9%.
Cars: The way we use cars could reduce these figures: vehicle choice, downsizing, driving carefully, lower speeds and car sharing for example. The aim is for a 90% reduction in CO2 per km by 2050. This could be achieved by the use of electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles, novel bio-fuels, reduced and different travelling, e.g. home-working, etc.
Aviation: There are many problems for aviation, such as Kerosene ‘lock-in’ for 30-60 years, and there are no easily available alternative technologies. Aviation activity outpaces economic growth. New aircraft are a long term, approx 30-year, investment and it will take a long time to change the infrastructure.
Trains: CO2 emissions are fairly good for people and freight, especially if they are reasonably full and electric – and if the electricity comes from a low carbon source. But buses or trucks may be as good or better.
Boats: They are great for freight and produce 3 times less carbon per ton-mile than trucks, trains or aircraft. However it is not the same for cruise liners which produce more CO2 per person-mile than all other forms of transport.
Recommendations: Walk or cycle. Use a small car, bus or train. Avoid: SUV’s, planes, cruise ships.
Professor Shepherd recommends a book Sustainable Energy without the Hot Air by David MacKay.