Well, we agreed to try and reduce our footprint by 5%. My ‘good news’ is that I have reduced my CO2 emissions by 10.5% to 3,745.45 kg – however, my ‘bad news’ is that 3,745.45 kg is nowhere near being sustainable for the planet. My big problem has been using a car – this will have to change. My resolution for 2009.

Here are the full details:

CRAGs review: 28th January 2009
Jon Cousins

When calculating, I was unsure of the exact date when the last figures were calculated – so I worked worked with assumption that it is actually greater than 12 months (probably 15 months)

Car: 120,000 miles less 101,601 miles = 18,399 x 0.19 = 3.5 tons (3,495.81 kg) of CO2 in 2007/8

As I shared the car during 5 months of the period: I take full responsibility for 2/3 = 2,330.54 kg of CO2
and ½ responsibility for 1/3 = 582.64 kg of CO2
Car total = 2.91 tons (2,913.18 kg)

Electric:
at ‘No 2′ Ecotricity = 187 units or £118.65 + 13 units or £8.47 (final bill) = 200 units or £127.12
at ‘No 3′ Good Energy = 100% renewables = 0 tons
£127.12 ÷ 11p (ref. Lynas) x 0.43 = 0.5 tons (496.92 kg) of CO2 in 2007/8

As I shared the house at No 2, I take responsibility for ½ total
Electricity total = 0.25 tons (248.46 kg)

Gas:
at ‘No 2′ £48.91 x 13.3 = 650.50 kg.
As I lived with another person in No 2 I will take responsibility for ½ total = 325.25 kg.
at ‘No 3′ £36.44 x 13.3 = 484.65 kg gross
I had someone sharing the house for 2 months during this 12 month period, so I take responsibility for 10 months + ½ of 2 months – on an average basis of 40.39 kg per month
i.e. 11 months net = 444.26 kg

Gas total = 0.77 tons (769.51 kg)

Public Transport: 6 miles x 0.11 = 0.66 kg

Embodied Energy in Goods = 750 kg

Total Kilograms for year

Car 2,913.18 kg
Electric 248.46 kg
Gas 769.51 kg
Pub Tran .66 kg
Goods 750.00 kg

Total 4,681.81 kg (15 months)

2007/8 3,745.45 kg (12 months – average)

2006/7 4,180.32 kg less
2007/8 3,745.45 kg equals
reduction 434.87 kg

a reduction of 10.5%

Well, my big news is that I have put my bin out again (twice actually)!! once in October, and once in December (Christmas bringing an interesting increase of plastic and ’stuff’).

Although not directly part of ‘carbon reduction’, I am very pleased to have cut down on the household waste I produce. In 2008, I have only put my bin out three times – achieved mainly by being mindful about packaging, trying not to buy plastic (which is extremely hard!). Everything else goes into re-cycling.

Well, the next post from the group should be the result of our attempt to reduce our carbon emissions from the past year by at least 5%. I wonder how we will do …

I’m an Msc student wring a dissertation which is looking to improve the accuracy of carbon calculators. As such tools are becoming increasingly used by members of the public who wish to understand what effect they are having on the environment, it is essential that they be as accurate as possible. However I’m having real problems getting people with meter readings for the last year to fill out my survey. Would any of you help me out and follow the link I have provided or let people you know with meter readings of the link?

Regards

Simon

I`ve just been searching through blogs for some of the products that we sell in Eco-St. I noticed that you have mentioned some of them so i thought you might be interested in doing a link exchange? Our website is http://www.syonparkecostreet.co.uk It will be clear from our website, but in short, we are a green retailers with a website, not an online green retailer. There aren’t many stores
around that offer a whole range of environmentally friendly and energy saving technologies all in one place. By being a real rather than virtual store, people can accidently wander in without looking for green products.

It’s been a nightmare explaing to business directories what it is we do! They dont have a section for ‘a broad range of products all of an environmentally sustainable nature’. Anyway, let me know about what you think to a link swap…and if you are in the west london area then drop by at Syon Park and have a look around for yourself. If you, or any of your readers come by then mention this blog
and you can have a 10% discount.

Also, the main reason for having a website is to allow our existing customers, or other who have used the products that we sell, to feedback. Feel free to
add a comment to the relavent sections that you have bought products from.

Regards,
Calvin Jones

p.s if you would like to do a link swap then please use the text ’syon park eco-st’ as the link text.

You probably already know this, but whenever I hear about cavity wall insulation the word ‘formaldehyde’ flashes up before me. It’s ferociously toxic. Incredibly, it’s still legal in this country and some installers use it as the insulating material. Cathy & I had to move out of our house on Hill Head after getting it insulated. They didn’t tell us what they were using till they’d done the job! For most people the symptoms are insidious and not noticed but for a sensitive person like Cathy it’s like having flu whenever she was in the house.

Love, Patrick