Reducing your carbon footprint
The Club’s Programme Action Group has produced this leaflet to encourage members and friends to make a contribution to this important issue. Individual pledges have been made and will be followed up at club meetings.
REDUCING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT…………….
You can make a difference
We all have a Carbon Footprint, its just a calculation of the amount of carbon that has been used to produce the energy that we use in all of the things we do.
The majority of scientific experts agree that the climate of our planet is changing and that part of it is because we use so much energy generated by oil, gas and coal.
If we want to help our planet - with all of it’s amazing people, wildlife and landscapes – then we need to use our carbon energy much more efficiently and develop smart new ways of generating non carbon energy.
This leaflet makes it easy for you to identify simple changes in your day to day life that will help to make a difference.
Its all about numbers really, so if we can ALL do something small it will add up to a something BIG.
- If every household in the UK used at least 3 energy efficient light bulbs, we could save the energy of one coal fired power station.
- If you decide not to fly to Australia and back, you could save enough energy to make 176,000 cups of tea – that’s more than most of us will drink in a lifetime.
- If every household in the UK switched the light off when they leave the room for one hour a day it would save enough energy to cook 43.8 million Christmas turkeys.
How to get organised
You can calculate your Carbon Footprint online at actonco2.direct.gov.uk/index.html
You can contact the Kent Energy Centre at www.kentenergycentre.org.uk and freephone on 0800 358 6669 (open Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm) for advice on energy saving ideas. You can also get discounts and grants.
You can contact London Borough of Bromley www.bromley.gov.uk/housing/energy/renewable/ to find out more about your local Environment and Sustainability plans.
You can find out about water efficiency on www.thameswater.co.uk.
You can avoid receiving junkmail by sending an email to optout@royalmail.co.uk saying that you do not want unaddressed mail to be delivered.
WHAT TO DO
STEP 1: Choose your pledges
STEP 2: Tick the boxes and start now
STEP 3: Find out more from the addresses shown overleaf
Keep this list handy to remind you
FROM TODAY I WILL
¨ Turn off lights whenever I leave the room
¨ Start a switch to energy saving light bulbs
¨ Fill the kettle with just enough water for each use
¨ Turn down the heating by 1C
¨ Use a 30C or ‘eco’ wash programme for clothes, and also the half-load setting for small loads
¨ Hang out washing whenever possible rather than tumble dry
¨ Carry a fold-up shopping bag in my handbag or pocket
¨ Carry a spare shopping bag and box in my car boot
¨ Shop locally and choose local produce whenever possible
¨ Go for loose products in preference to pre-packaged
¨ Sort out waste and recycle all I can
¨ Compost raw fruit and vegetable peelings
¨ Keep the freezer full and de-ice it regularly
¨ Switch off TV etc rather than leave on stand-by and unplug chargers not in use
¨ Be an eco-driver, easy on the throttle and brake, and check tyre pressures regularly
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AS NEXT STEPS I WILL
¨ Work out my personal carbon footprint and seek to cut it by at least 10%
¨ Sort out unwanted items for reuse through Ebay, charity shops or www.freecycle.org
¨ Find out about my energy supplier’s green Tariff
¨ Insulate walls, roof and windows up to the latest standards if I have not already done so
¨ Stop draughts while maintaining ventilation
¨ Install timers and thermostats
¨ Have at least one ‘car-free’ day a week
¨ Opt out of junk mail: www.mpsonline.org.uk
¨ Investigate what recycled products are available
¨ Seek carbon friendly gifts and services for birthdays etc, eg. wind up torch, always-carry bag
¨ Repair and revamp whenever possible instead of buying new
¨ Look out for energy rating labels on appliances and go for the best
¨ Investigate what gadgets are available to check how much energy each of my appliances is using
¨ Make the most carbon friendly travel choices I can
¨ Respond to food ‘sell by’, ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ markings in ways which cut my food waste
You can find out more about climate change and energy saving from:
Friends of the Earth www.foe.co.uk
Greenpeace www.greenpeace.org.uk
World Wildlife Fund www.wwf.org.uk
This leaflet has been produced by Soroptimist International Beckenham and District (Including Bromley & Orpington) as an Environmental Action initiative.
As part of an international network of professional women, with 90,000 members worldwide, we act as a global voice for women through Awareness, Advocacy and Action.
Through international goodwill, understanding and friendship we seek:
· advancement of the status of women
· high ethical standards
· human rights for all
· equality, development and peace