Damian Mac Con Uladh

 

THE WORLD’S scientific community has said that in order to keep climate change from rising above two degrees it will be necessary to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent on 1990 levels by the middle of this century. 

 

That’s one tall order, and if it is to be achieved, not only states and large corporations but individual citizens as well will have to make an effort to reduce their carbon footprint.

 

In 2007, the average CO2 emission per head in Greece was just over 10 tonnes, or 10,100kg to be exact. That’s enough to fill six double-decker buses or one hot air balloon measuring 10 metres wide.

 

Households are responsible for 9 percent of Greece’s total contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The lion’s share of Greece’s emissions - around 50 percent - comes from energy production, which environmentalists say is overly dependent on the use of lignite. 

So, how can we go about lessening that carbon footprint?

 

 

Before you can work out how much you should cut, you first need to work out how big that footprint is. 

Emission calculators abound: the UK-based Carbon Footprint organisation hosts one on its website at www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx. Another useful website is www.carbon.to, designed by a team from the Swedish Centre for Sustainable Communications. Using the same principle as a currency converter, the website allows users to instantly see the impact on CO2 emissions of apples, tomatoes, flights or even car trips. Even less intuitive comparisons, for example between kilograms of beef and hours of laptop use, can be made.

 

 

While Greek winters may not be as extreme and long as those in northern Europe, Greeks nevertheless rely on heating - and plenty of it - to keep themselves warm in the darker months. 

During the colder months, of course, you’re going to push up your heating bill if you dress as if it’s summer. Wearing woollens at home permits you to turn down the temperature a few notches. By simply reducing the central heating by one degree you can cut ten percent off a heating bill. A suitable winter room temperature is 20-21oC.

The human body is very adaptable - you will find that cooler temperatures soon become the norm and, consequently, other people’s houses, businesses and public buildings all start to feel uncomfortably hot (then you can complain and ask for the heating to be turned down!).

 

A fifth of Greece’s CO2 emissions come from transport - and in Greece that primarily means driving. With an average car occupancy rate of only 1.4 passengers, car users in Greece can make a big difference in bringing down those emissions.

Before getting into a car, consider whether it is really necessary to drive that car to and from work on traffic-clogged roads and engage in that desperate hunt for a parking space. The public transport system may be able to get you from A to B more easily than you think. 

Rather than drive to a gym and pay someone to do your housework, do your own housework - vacuuming and cleaning the windows will give you a good workout.

Cut back on flying. For most people, flying is the most polluting thing they can do. One passenger generates one tonne of CO2 for every 10 hours they travel on a plane. 

 

 

Of course, if you haven’t done so already, switch to low-energy, compact fluorescent lamps. Now that their manufacture has ceased, soon you won’t be able to find conventional bulbs. Don’t be left in the dark!

The new, energy-efficient bulbs produce less CO2, so decking your house out in them can reduce your electricity use by 10 to 15 percent.

Energy-saving bulbs work in standard fittings and lamps, and are widely available at low prices. You can buy ones that look similar to old-style bulbs and give out the same coloured light, while some are also available for use with dimmer switches.

 

 

Turning things off when you’re not using them is the cheapest and easiest ways of all to save money and reduce your carbon footprint.

It is estimated that if everyone in the UK switched off unused appliances, it would save £800 million a year. Leaving appliances plugged in and switched on at the socket means they’re still using energy - so turning off TVs, games consoles, laptops and mobile phone chargers saves on energy bills.

If you can’t be bothered running around to turn off all your appliances before you go to bed, consider buying some remote-controlled sockets. With such a system, you can switch off all your unnecessary standby appliances using a remote control. 

 

 

Move to organic and locally grown food. It might be more expensive, but good-quality local food is one thing that you can spend money on that can actually reduce carbon emissions. 

Support organic farmers’ markets, a timetable of which can be found here: tinyurl.com/yaspgyy

Try to stick to seasonal food. It’s more likely to be produced in Greece and, as such, has travelled far fewer food miles and is good for the economy. Flying 1kg of Argentinean beef to the UK, for example, produces 6.33kg of CO2.

While waste food should be composted, the ideal should be to limit the amount of waste in the first place. The simple task of planning meals in advance of a weekly shop is a simple way of cutting back on scraps. 

 

 

Tasty, tempting but carbon-generating

Consider cutting down on your consumption of meat, especially beef. Farm animals produce huge amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas twenty times more capable of trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2. 

The UN says livestock is responsible for nearly one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, Nobel peace prize winner and IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri estimates that a person going one day a week meat-free could lead to him or her saving 170kg of CO2 annually. 

Cities around the world have already started meat-free-day actions: Belgian city Ghent promotes a meat-free day on Thursdays, with vegetarian food being promoted in public canteens for civil servants, in all municipal schools and town restaurants.

 

 

Roof insulation, wall insulation, double-glazed windows and frames greatly contribute to the reduction of energy needs in households. Replacing oil-fuelled heating boilers with energy-efficient models also helps, as does using gas systems or systems relying on forms of renewable energy.

The government has already launched a programme allowing homeowners to construct photovoltaic systems on their rooftops and to sell excess energy to the national grid. 

 

The majority of Greek homes has already installed solar water heaters, the benefit of which is a cheap supply of hot water most of the year round. 

 

Energy-efficiency in homes will become an even greater issue come early 2010, when the government plans to introduce the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. This will make it compulsory for a property owner or landlord to have an energy-efficiency audit conducted on a building before it is either sold or rented.

 

 

All European manufacturers and retailers must tell you about the energy efficiency of household electrical fridges, freezers, washing machines, tumble dryers, washer/dryers, dishwashers, air-conditioners, ovens and light bulbs. Products are generally rated from A to G, with A being the most efficient (A+ and A++ for the most efficient fridges and freezers). 

 

Next time you’re out searching for a new fridge or flat-screen TV, also look out for products bearing the EU ecolabel. While the logo may be simple, the environmental criteria behind it are tough, and only the very best products, which are kindest to the environment, are entitled to carry it. 

 

Different makes and models of television vary in their use of power, but a 42” plasma television may use some 822 kilowatt hours a year, compared to 350kWh by an LCD flat screen of the same size. A 32” old-style CRT, the biggest available, would use 322kWh.