Energy Pledge
Your opportunity to help combat climate change and help improve air quality in the region.
What is the pledge?
The pledge involves making a resolution to do something to reduce the amount of global warming gas you produce. This could have an immediate effect by helping to reduce pollution in this area, and, however small your resolution is, it will also help to safeguard the earth for everyone in the future.
How can I help?
It involves taking action. Think of it as going to the doctor's. You know there is something not quite right. You might feel all right in yourself, but the earth, which you are a part of, has been a bit off colour recently: unpredictable and subject to violent mood swings. The good news is you can heal yourself and the earth. To make it easier for you we have divided the treatment into 4 sections:
1. Painless (habits)
2. Just a pin prick and then the pain is gone (a little expense or work)
3. Exploratory procedure - not nice to think about but you know it makes sense (small lifestyle changes)
4. Surgery - it smarts for a few days, but then a whole new life awaits you (more major changes or expense).
What is the pledge?
The pledge involves making a resolution to do something to reduce the amount of global warming gas you produce. This could have an immediate effect by helping to reduce pollution in this area, and, however small your resolution is, it will also help to safeguard the earth for everyone in the future.
How can I help?
It involves taking action. Think of it as going to the doctor's. You know there is something not quite right. You might feel all right in yourself, but the earth, which you are a part of, has been a bit off colour recently: unpredictable and subject to violent mood swings. The good news is you can heal yourself and the earth. To make it easier for you we have divided the treatment into 4 sections:
1. Painless (habits)
2. Just a pin prick and then the pain is gone (a little expense or work)
3. Exploratory procedure - not nice to think about but you know it makes sense (small lifestyle changes)
4. Surgery - it smarts for a few days, but then a whole new life awaits you (more major changes or expense).
Painless
1. Turn your lights off!
This is just remembering to remember. To help you: think of nuclear power stations, or of the cooling towers at Drax, or of acid rain falling on woodland or the historic churches of York and Beverley.
2. Draw your curtains at dusk
and stop heat escaping through your windows. Do you really want everyone looking at you?
3. Turn your heating down by 1 degree.
This could save you up to £30 a year on your gas bill (http://www.britishgasnews.co.uk). Or turn it down even more and develop a taste for lovely jumpers: Shetland, Fair Isle, Aran, Donegal!
4. Switch office equipment off at night.
A photocopier left on overnight uses enough energy to make 1500 copies. I can't think of anything to say about this, only it seems wasteful not to do it, doesn't it?
1. Turn your lights off!
This is just remembering to remember. To help you: think of nuclear power stations, or of the cooling towers at Drax, or of acid rain falling on woodland or the historic churches of York and Beverley.
2. Draw your curtains at dusk
and stop heat escaping through your windows. Do you really want everyone looking at you?
3. Turn your heating down by 1 degree.
This could save you up to £30 a year on your gas bill (http://www.britishgasnews.co.uk). Or turn it down even more and develop a taste for lovely jumpers: Shetland, Fair Isle, Aran, Donegal!
4. Switch office equipment off at night.
A photocopier left on overnight uses enough energy to make 1500 copies. I can't think of anything to say about this, only it seems wasteful not to do it, doesn't it?
Pin Prick
1. Switch off your television, video/DVD player.
Don't just leave it on standby. This is a bit more difficult than turning the lights off. You'll definitely have to stand up to do it.
2. Buy energy saving light bulbs.
Just one bulb could save you £10 a year on your bill, but you don't have to switch them on to save energy. They save more energy when they are off!
3. Insulate your loft.
Did you know the recommended depth is now 11 inches? This could save you up to 20% on your heating bill (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/cash/story0,6903,399565,00.html).
1. Switch off your television, video/DVD player.
Don't just leave it on standby. This is a bit more difficult than turning the lights off. You'll definitely have to stand up to do it.
2. Buy energy saving light bulbs.
Just one bulb could save you £10 a year on your bill, but you don't have to switch them on to save energy. They save more energy when they are off!
3. Insulate your loft.
Did you know the recommended depth is now 11 inches? This could save you up to 20% on your heating bill (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/cash/story0,6903,399565,00.html).
Exploratory Procedure
1. Try buying more produce that is local, seasonal and maybe even organic.
This is a bit like the difference between the characters in Hello! Magazine (supermarket produce) and those in a Shakespearian comedy (local produce). Those vegetables you buy from the supermarket may look beautiful and shiny, but that's largely because they often come wrapped in plastic. They may also contain a fatal flaw - the large amount of energy taken to produce and transport them. Whereas your local vegetables may not at first sight be quite so perfect or expensively packaged (indeed they may come quite naked), on closer acquaintance they might take on their own beauty, representative of the whole of life and our experience. Of course you might think you haven't the time to be visiting all these little shops. Why not try a box scheme and get a range of produce delivered to your door? You won't get mange tout in January. You might get purple sprouting broccoli or celeriac or a variety of squash instead, which should easily make up for any loss.
2. Walk your children to school, or encourage them to walk
Children often like walking: they can meet and talk to their friends that way. If you are concerned about safety, you could try to get together with other parents to set up a walking bus. Your school can contact the safe routes to school officer about this.
3. Walk or bike for short journeys.
If your car engine is cold, it uses more fuel. Walking or biking will avoid the need to pay fees to a gym and cut your petrol bill at the same time. The TPT in Penistone is a great place for making safe, short journeys. Make friends with yellowhammers, bullfinches, cowslips, scabious.
4. Cook food from fresh.
Have you ever looked at where the ingredients in that ready meal came from? EU milk? Transporting ingredients around and processing them requires large amounts of energy.
1. Try buying more produce that is local, seasonal and maybe even organic.
This is a bit like the difference between the characters in Hello! Magazine (supermarket produce) and those in a Shakespearian comedy (local produce). Those vegetables you buy from the supermarket may look beautiful and shiny, but that's largely because they often come wrapped in plastic. They may also contain a fatal flaw - the large amount of energy taken to produce and transport them. Whereas your local vegetables may not at first sight be quite so perfect or expensively packaged (indeed they may come quite naked), on closer acquaintance they might take on their own beauty, representative of the whole of life and our experience. Of course you might think you haven't the time to be visiting all these little shops. Why not try a box scheme and get a range of produce delivered to your door? You won't get mange tout in January. You might get purple sprouting broccoli or celeriac or a variety of squash instead, which should easily make up for any loss.
2. Walk your children to school, or encourage them to walk
Children often like walking: they can meet and talk to their friends that way. If you are concerned about safety, you could try to get together with other parents to set up a walking bus. Your school can contact the safe routes to school officer about this.
3. Walk or bike for short journeys.
If your car engine is cold, it uses more fuel. Walking or biking will avoid the need to pay fees to a gym and cut your petrol bill at the same time. The TPT in Penistone is a great place for making safe, short journeys. Make friends with yellowhammers, bullfinches, cowslips, scabious.
4. Cook food from fresh.
Have you ever looked at where the ingredients in that ready meal came from? EU milk? Transporting ingredients around and processing them requires large amounts of energy.
Surgery
1. Don't fly!
One long-haul return flight can produce more carbon dioxide than the average UK motorist in a year (Netherlands Centre for Energy Conservation & Environmental Technology). Just think of it sitting in the atmosphere with your name on it. Do you remember when you last travelled abroad by coach or train: dipping and rolling and smelling the salty air on the ferry? Or half asleep watched a country and its place names unravel before you? Stepped onto the platform in the early morning sunlight, a little bleary-eyed, to the smell of rosemary? Or why not stay in the UK? Sail to St. Kilda, stay on an organic farm, catch the train to the seaside!
2. Sell your 4x4, and buy a smaller car instead.
Why? Because a 4x4 uses up large amounts of a precious natural resource, i.e. oil. Because it is more dangerous to pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists. Because it doesn't look at all lovely. Because global warming is a much greater threat to your child's future than other traffic.
3. Install your own renewable energy.
Grants are still available to allow you to have hot water heated by the sun, or electricity from sunlight or the wind. You can contact the group if you want to know more about this.
4. Sell your car altogether, and make a friend.
Join a car club or a lift sharing scheme instead. Visit www.liftshare.org to find out more about lift sharing.
1. Don't fly!
One long-haul return flight can produce more carbon dioxide than the average UK motorist in a year (Netherlands Centre for Energy Conservation & Environmental Technology). Just think of it sitting in the atmosphere with your name on it. Do you remember when you last travelled abroad by coach or train: dipping and rolling and smelling the salty air on the ferry? Or half asleep watched a country and its place names unravel before you? Stepped onto the platform in the early morning sunlight, a little bleary-eyed, to the smell of rosemary? Or why not stay in the UK? Sail to St. Kilda, stay on an organic farm, catch the train to the seaside!
2. Sell your 4x4, and buy a smaller car instead.
Why? Because a 4x4 uses up large amounts of a precious natural resource, i.e. oil. Because it is more dangerous to pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists. Because it doesn't look at all lovely. Because global warming is a much greater threat to your child's future than other traffic.
3. Install your own renewable energy.
Grants are still available to allow you to have hot water heated by the sun, or electricity from sunlight or the wind. You can contact the group if you want to know more about this.
4. Sell your car altogether, and make a friend.
Join a car club or a lift sharing scheme instead. Visit www.liftshare.org to find out more about lift sharing.
We are asking people to sign this pledge and get it back to us:
I pledge to (choose one or more items):
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name:
Address:
Can we contact you to find out how you are getting on?
To take part in the pledge, open the file below and fill it in, then attach to an email and send to michaelbowker@talktalk.net
Thank-you!
I pledge to (choose one or more items):
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name:
Address:
Can we contact you to find out how you are getting on?
To take part in the pledge, open the file below and fill it in, then attach to an email and send to michaelbowker@talktalk.net
Thank-you!
