From challenge …
DAVID ATTENBOROUGH AND OTHERS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE UNITED NATIONS’ WARNING THAT WE HAVE UNTIL JUST 2030 TO CUT GLOBAL CO2 EMISSIONS. IF WE DON’T DO IT, WE RISK THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE ON THIS BEAUTIFUL PLANET.
CO2 warms the Earth like a blanket; after 2030 there will be so much that we’ll be unable to prevent run-away global warming. A series of climate feedback loops will push Earth towards becoming like the Sahara Desert. David Attenborough has called this “the collapse of human civilisation”.
… to opportunity
SO WHAT CAN WE DO? LEGISLATION PLAYS A PART, BUT THE REAL POWER LIES WITH REDUCING OUR PERSONAL CARBON FOOTPRINT. JUST LIKE VOTING, THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT IS POWERFUL.
If your annual carbon footprint is the UK average of 15 tonnes, a 10% reduction equates to 1.5 tonnes. You’d then aim to save an additional 1.5 tonnes the year after, and so on.
Will I make a difference?
NATIONS DON’T PRODUCE MUCH CO2 IN THEIR OWN RIGHT, NOR DO GOVERNMENTS. ALMOST ALL CO2 EMISSIONS ARE CAUSED BY THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BOUGHT BY US AS INDIVIDUALS.
It differs across the world of course: in China and India, annual CO2 emissions per person are around 5 and 2 tonnes respectively, compared to 15 in the UK and 30 in the US, when taking into account foreign production for our use. We need to reduce this by 80% by 2030.
One step at a time
FIND OUT YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT USING OUR ONLINE CALCULATOR. THEN READ ON TO SEE HOW YOU CAN REDUCE IT BY 10% PER YEAR (IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK!)
Happily, this is not about taking away the pleasures of life; most of the lifestyle changes required to reduce our personal carbon footprint also improve health and wellbeing, as well as saving money in the long run.
The Happiness Factor
MODERN LIFE CAN BE FRANTIC, TIME AND MONEY SEEM TO BE EVER DECREASING RESOURCES.
What would happen if we slowed down, did things a little differently, connected with others in more meaningful ways, enjoyed better quality food and well-made products? These are just a few of the benefits that come with lifestyle choices that reduce our carbon footprint. Now that’s really smart.
What’s in it for me?
CAN YOU REALLY IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND EMIT LESS CO2?
YES, AND WE CAN SHOW YOU HOW….
Most of us want to raise our quality of life but with the busyness of modern life we don’t always get around to making the positive changes we would like to. Climate change can be an added worry and it might seem that doing something about it will take up our precious time and energy.
The good news is that many things which improve our quality of life also contribute to doing our bit for the climate as well as saving money in the long run, so it’s a win-win-win. Whilst happiness is a mood that fluctuates, a high quality of life provides the foundation for greater health and wellbeing which allows us to be happy more of the time.