Turns out there are dozens of calculators out there that all factor in different things. Here's a few:
- http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/actonco2/home.html
- http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/Pages/Default.aspx
- http://noco2.rtrk.com.au/?scid=9009&kw=4000833
- http://goneutral.org.au/carbonCalc.html
- http://www.1degree.com.au/carbon_calculator
- http://www.abc.net.au/tv/carboncops/calculator.htm
Anyhow - that's less important. More so, is to realise that just screwing in a couple of high efficiency light bulbs is going to make only a minor difference. Adjusting your water use will make a far bigger impact, as a staggering amount of energy is used to clean and pump the scheme water around the place, and the more water you use, the more energy will be needed to process and pump it.
Think about your air conditioning (or heating) costs. Not in dollars to you (although that will become important as prices go up on energy) but in terms of how much energy it consumes, how much carbon and pollution it will generate along with the energy. Could you insulate to make your place more efficient? There are government rebates in Australia to make the process easier on your pocket. Could you add a few square meters of roof to shade a critical area? A dark wall to soak up heat in winter?
Those sorts of changes will cost you money. Not making those sorts of changes will also cost you money - the price of energy is set to skyrocket. The difference is that making the changes will save you money in the long term and save the planet, while not making the changes will hasten global warming even more.
The point is that it has to be you that makes the changes. Become an activist, if you rent, lobby the landlord to make the changes or let you make them in return for a lease guarantee of a year or whatever. If you don't, then who will?
3 comments:
Too right or we'll end up with nuclear power stations all over the country to cope with the massive power use.
There's so much than can be done even if it is industry that creates most of the problem.Even ther much can be done by boycotting products etc.
Too true! But the business of climate change isn't what we need. It's still a business, and all ANY business cares about is how to get their hands on money. Our money.
As a simple rule, you can say that if it's corporate and it promises to make you green on the cheap, it won't, and it won't be cheap.
As a corollary to the rule, if it's corporate and it's expensive and it promises to make you green, it won't, and it won't be cheap.
As soon as any company attaches a dollar value to "green" it becomes "greenwash" and useless.
Change the things you eat, where you buy them. Change what you drive, how often and how far you drive it, and what it uses to power it. Change the things you do for recreation. Change the things you do for unwinding, for cleaning in the home.
Give money ever so sparingly to companies with their hand out claiming they are the solution to the problem. Especially if you do some research and find they are the problem in the first place...
Or not at all!Plenty of greenwash around and so many are being hoodwinked.
Don't you love the people writing books on frugality etc who fly round promoting their books!
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