Carbon Footprint Reduction

Nepal Scotland Association Carbon Project Workshop4 March 2012

Promoting better use of energy to counter climate change

Scotland’s Climate Change Targets?

• Reduce emissions by 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2050

NSA Climate Change Targets?

• Reduce total 54 tonnes of Carbon emissions

• Reduce carbon emissions from energy, travel and food miles and counter climate change through energy efficiency

• Contribute to a low carbon society

Working together as a group to reduce our collective carbon footprint can be a great way for a whole community to start to address issues of climate change and energy use.

Energy Efficiency

• It’s a simple equation, the less energy you use or lose, the smaller the amount of CO2 you’re responsible for releasing – and on a community scale, those sorts of savings soon begin to add up.

Benefits of a low carbon society• Uses less energy and fewer resources

through greater energy efficiency (Sixth fuel)

• Avoids unnecessary waste

• Saves surprising amounts on energy bill and improves safety

• Gives a sense of doing the environmentally correct thing by reducing the levels of greenhouse gases

• Provides opportunities for healthier, more sustainable lifestyles

The Background to Energy Conservation• How much Carbon Dioxide is each person emitting as a

result of the energy they use?

In UK 9 tonnes per annum.

• What does 9 tonnes look like?

i.e. to 2 Hot Air Balloons

• How far does one have to drive to emit the same amount of CO2 as heating an old persons room for 1 hour?

3.2 km

So what can YOU do to stop global warming?

The electricity which we use is mostly made by burning coal or gas in power stations.

And our central heating boilers usually burn gas or oil.

The trouble is, this makes lots of ‘greenhouse’ gases which scientists believe are warming up the Earth and the air around it.

Saving Home Energy

• Upgrade the systems that heat our home- by upgrading to modern A-rated condensing boilers

• Keep the heat in – by ensuring that insulation, draught proofing and double glazing helps reduce the amount of heat loss

• Manage home heating - by turning down heating and hot water thermostats and making sure heating is on only when it needs it to be

• Save electricity – by buying energy efficient appliances, light bulbs, TVs and other products

*reduce emission, consume less energy and reduce bills*

Lighten your Lighting bill• Turn off any lights you don’t use

• Keep your lampshades and bulbs clean

• Fit lower wattage bulbs wherever possible

• Fluorescent tubes give out more light and are the best choice for kitchens

• Think about buying fittings designed for low-energy lights

• In most homes, lighting accounts for around 20% - 25% of the electricity bill –energy can be saved by energy saving light bulbs

You can turn off the lights when you don’t need them!

Suggest that the grown ups who do the shopping buy energy saving light bulbs.

Stay in control your heating

• Turn your heating down by 1o c and save up to 10% on your energy bill

• Use a Programmer to set on/off periods

• Use a thermostat that switches off your heating when your room gets to the right temperature (Set 18o – 20oc)

• Control the temperature of the water in your hot water tank – turn the setting down to 60oc as that’s hot enough to kill harmful bacteria.

Turn the heating down a notch …

and set the clock so that it is on for less time.

Keep the doors and windows shut when the heating is on, to keep the warmth in.

Think about where your house looses heat?

Walls lose 35%

Windows lose 10%

Doors lose 15%

Roof loses 25%

Floors lose 15%

Wear clothes to keep in your body heat.

Find out if your home is insulated to keep the warmth from escaping through the roof.

Cooking tips• Only fill Kettles with as much water as you need

• When cooking vegetables, use just enough water to cover the food and put a lid on

• Always us the right size of pan for your cooking ring

• Cut food into smaller pieces before cooking

• Make toast in a toaster, rather than under a grill

• Use the microwave instead of the oven as much as possible – 1 hour of the oven = 5 minutes in the microwave

Fill the kettle with only with the amount of water that is needed.

That way it will take less energy to bring it to the boil.

Put lids on saucepans to keep the heat in while the food is cooking.

Standby for more savings

• Our homes are full of appliances that use energy all the time.

• TV, DVD and Hi-Fi use energy when not in use – up to 90% in standby mode. (In some households, it’s the equivalent of leaving 1 100W light bulb on all year).

• The power switch on many new appliances does not completely switch off the power. To be absolutely sure, switch it off at the wall or unplug it.

Switch off! Don’t leave it on

standby!

If you can see a light like this when the TV is off, it is using almost as much energy as if it was on!

Do You Have any other Ideas?

Small things = Big Savings• Turn off lights & TVs when not in use

• Turn down heating and hot water thermostats

• Keep heating and air conditioning systems properly maintained and tuned

• Don’t overfill the kettle

• Only use the washing machine for a full load, or use the half load option if you have one

• When buying or replacing products or appliances look for energy efficiency label

• Don’t leave the fridge door open

• Have a shower rather than a bath

Energy Saving: Energy Labelling

Energy Efficient appliances …

• Old appliances could be wasting up to £45 per year

• By replacing any old appliances with A-rated equivalents could save you £45 for a fridge-freezer or £15 for a washing machine

• Look out for the Energy Efficiency Recommended logo.

Greener transport

• Become less reliant on the car - Try walking or cycling for shorter journeys – good for health, low cost and low carbon, public transport and/ or car sharing

• Drive more efficiently – Try using a fuel efficient, hybrid, alternative fuel or electric car can reduce emissions, save fuels and money

• Use alternatives to flying where practical – planes are significant emitters of carbon

Reducing food emissions and food miles

• Food emissions account for a significant proportion of household emissions

• Food waste is estimated to be equivalent to removing one in four cars from the road

• Carbon footprints are also affected by how waste is disposed of and how food is chosen.

Organic and Low-Carbon Diets • Avoid Highly Processed Foods –

as they are “high carbon”.

• Avoid Over-Packaged Foods

• Choose Less Meat - raising animals for meat generally requires more energy, water and land than raising crops.

• Eat a Healthy Diet- high in fruits and vegetables

• Buy Local Produce – local foods can often qualify as low carbon, but not all imported foods use more energy.

• Buy or Grow Organic Food

Waste from the homeIn terms of our consumption, evidence suggests that if everyone lived as we live in western societies, we’d need double the resources the Earth has.

• We need to reduce waste

• Compost kitchen waste

• Recycle packaging – glass, paper, plastic, and cardboard

Spread The Word

• Talk with your family

• Talk with your friends

• Increase awareness in your community

• Tell others about changes you have been able to make, let them know if you have switched to using renewable energy.

Key Web sites:

Energy Saving Trust www.est.org.uk

Carbon Trust www.thecarbontrust.co.uk

National Energy Foundation www.natenergy.org.uk