| The build up of greenhouse gases in the | | | | glazing, with virtually no insulation and may be still |
| atmosphere and resulting global warming is the | | | | heated by electricity. |
| result of centuries old habits and ill thought out | | | | While most properties in the UK are of a |
| policies that may do more harm than good. Here | | | | potentially higher standard, in 2005 there were still |
| are listed the ten worst mistakes which have | | | | over nine million homes with uninsulated cavity |
| either led us to the present situation, or appear | | | | walls and 6.3 million lofts that have either no or |
| incapable of solving it. | | | | poor insulation in England alone. These types of |
| 1) Economic growth | | | | property are easy and cheap to retrofit with |
| The New Economics Foundation recently said "We | | | | insulation and this could save a third of the heat |
| urgently need to change our economy to live | | | | lost; yet progress carrying out these measures |
| within its environmental budget since there is no | | | | are still slow. |
| global, environmental central bank to bail us out if | | | | While new homes are designed to conform to |
| we become ecologically bankrupt" | | | | much higher thermal standards, many are still not |
| Economic growth has become a cultural obsession. | | | | built to an adequate quality, with 57% of houses |
| To achieve this, consumer products are designed | | | | and a third of all properties failing a standard |
| with either a physical or psychological | | | | pressure test. These leaks result in air ingress |
| obsolescence to increase sales and profits and | | | | compromising the effectiveness of the insulation. |
| provide the illusion of wealth. This leads to waste, | | | | These low quality standards are thought to be |
| resource depletion, and profligate energy use | | | | partially the result of a lack of building inspectors |
| resulting in widespread environmental damage at | | | | and the privatisation of building controls. |
| both a local and global level. | | | | 6) Food waste and meat |
| It is still widely believed that we can continue to | | | | The UN says that Food production must double |
| expand economically yet reduce carbon emissions | | | | by 2050 to meet the demand of the world's |
| at the same time without a revolutionary | | | | growing population. However, most of the worlds |
| technological fix. This myth has been heavily | | | | farming land is already in use, so increased food |
| marketed through the catchphrase 'sustainable | | | | production will require extending intensive farming |
| growth', but despite almost half of a century of | | | | methods with greater use of pesticides and |
| effort to dissociate growth from increases in | | | | fertilisers leading to the increased release of |
| fossil fuel use these factors are still inextricably | | | | greenhouse gases. |
| linked. | | | | Paradoxically, the UK government policy is |
| The scale of the problem should not be | | | | attempting to deal with both of these problems |
| underestimated. We continue to live in a society | | | | simultaneously with plans to "boost food |
| where extravagance is still envied rather than | | | | production in Britain and reduce its impact on the |
| frowned on. Introducing more sustainable | | | | environment". However, it is estimated that only |
| economic policies will be politically difficult without a | | | | about 45% of the food actually produced at the |
| paradigm change in our values. | | | | farming stage that is used, is really necessary for |
| 2) World population explosion | | | | adequate nutrition, and most of the remaining |
| Whereas the political right wing abhors restricting | | | | 55% of waste is preventable. This amounts to |
| economic growth, many in the left wing are | | | | about 10% of the total UK carbon output, almost |
| crippled with their own ideological dogma; the | | | | as much as its entire transport system! No doubt |
| opposition to population control. Their argument | | | | this situation is repeated elsewhere throughout |
| revolves around tenuous claims that poor | | | | the developed world. |
| developing countries, which generally have the | | | | Much of the food production in the world is also |
| greatest increases in population, contribute little to | | | | used for animal feed to produce meat. Together |
| global warming. However, this doesn't tie with the | | | | with the emissions these animals produce directly, |
| evidence. | | | | meat is responsible for a substantial proportion of |
| NASA recently estimated that black carbon | | | | the world greenhouse gas emissions. The recent |
| emissions (such as smoke) from biomass burning | | | | increase in food prices has been partially driven by |
| is the second greatest contributor to net radiative | | | | higher meat demand due to a more affluent |
| forcing after transport, and significant quantities of | | | | world population, as well as the demand for |
| this originates from cooking and heating in open | | | | biofuels which competes with food for land use |
| wood fires, a common practice in developing | | | | (see item 10). One study found that grain-fed |
| countries. However, more importantly all global | | | | beef is responsible for 13.82g of CO2 equivalent |
| residents will aspire to high living standards | | | | emissions per Kcal of energy, compared with |
| exacerbated through blanket advertising. China's | | | | 1.67g for an intensively reared chicken, and only |
| middle classes already number several hundred | | | | 0.14g for the average vegetable. |
| million people due to the countries earlier | | | | Without more sustainable farming practices and |
| population explosion and more recent economic | | | | the reduction of waste by the affluent, the future |
| success fuelled from high carbon coal. China is | | | | looks bleak for food availability as well as for the |
| now the world highest emitter of greenhouse | | | | environment. |
| gases and Indonesia the third highest highest, | | | | 7) Automotive biofuels |
| although much of this is still driven by industrial | | | | The environmental principles behind the use of |
| exports to developed countries. | | | | biofuels appear simple enough. The carbon |
| It seems therefore that even people with a low | | | | absorbed by the feedstock plant from the |
| carbon lifestyle could store up an environmental | | | | atmosphere during growth is supposed to |
| time bomb for the future. In fact calculations | | | | compensate for carbon emissions of the fuel |
| show that population control is nearly five times | | | | produced from it. However, there are numerous |
| more cost effective in mitigating global warming | | | | other energy inputs required to refine biofuels, |
| emissions than green energy technologies like wind | | | | and this energy is sourced mainly from fossil fuel |
| and solar power. | | | | power stations. Intensive farming of the biomass |
| 3) Non-global carbon trading schemes | | | | feedstock also requires fertilisers that release |
| While emission trading schemes are not inherently | | | | Nitrous oxide, another powerful greenhouse gas. |
| bad, regional ones with arbitrary limits such as the | | | | Worse still, new land allocated for growing biofuels |
| European emissions trading system are a recipe | | | | can release substantial carbon to the environment |
| for disaster. In theory this scheme places a limit | | | | due to the tilling of soils and deforestation. For |
| on the total allowable carbon emitted from the | | | | example, it has been calculated that biofuels |
| major industries within these countries. However, | | | | sourced from food crop-based plants in Brazil, |
| many sectors of the economy and imports are | | | | Southeast Asia, and the United States on land |
| excluded. International transport for example has | | | | that was rainforest, peatlands, savannah, or |
| been difficult to include until now, partly due to the | | | | grassland releases between 17 to 420 times |
| difficulty allocating emissions to specific countries. | | | | more carbon than if fossil fuels were used instead. |
| Of the businesses that are involved, these | | | | Along with cattle farming, the rush to produce |
| subject governments to intense politically lobbying | | | | biofuels is one main reason for deforestation and |
| which then over-subscribe free carbon allowances | | | | associated ecological damage. |
| to them which have led to windfall profits. Worse | | | | Although more expensive, it is possible to produce |
| still, participants are allowed to import goods and | | | | relatively low carbon sources of biofuel from plant |
| outsource labour from non-complaint countries | | | | wastes and 2nd generation biofuel technologies |
| that do not subscribe to carbon limits at all. They | | | | which use the whole plant material, but little is |
| are also allowed to offset their emissions there, | | | | produced at present. The European Union has set |
| effectively paying developing countries to reduce | | | | targets to source 5.75% and 10% of transport |
| emissions so they can increase theirs, but this | | | | fuels from renewable's by 2010 and 2020 |
| sometimes results in payments for projects that | | | | respectively without excluding unsustainable |
| might had happened anyway! The net effect is an | | | | sources. Surely this is an appalling oversight. |
| increase of consumer energy prices within the EU | | | | 8) Public transport using large buses and trains |
| while having virtually no influence on reducing the | | | | It is often claimed that to reduce transport |
| rate of increase in global carbon emissions. | | | | carbon emissions we need to introduce more |
| Other market-based schemes are claimed to be | | | | public transport to entice people out of their cars. |
| superior to the EU trading system. However, any | | | | This may work well in metropolitan areas, |
| scheme is only as effective as the loopholes. Any | | | | especially if the infrastructure is adapted to |
| successful mechanism must be global in scope, | | | | support them. However, outside areas of high |
| with the limits or tax levels dictated by the | | | | population density public transport is used by a |
| environmental objectives free from business | | | | diminishing number of people, and is largely reliant |
| lobbying or political pressure. | | | | on customers who either cannot drive or afford a |
| Unofficial offsetting schemes are a microcosm of | | | | car, which will continue to reduce. This low |
| the same problem. These typically allow smaller | | | | demand for public transport results in either a |
| organisations to offset their carbon emissions | | | | reduced service, or under-utilised vehicles requiring |
| using conservation projects such as reforestation | | | | enormous subsidies from the taxpayer and |
| without having to reduce emissions directly. This | | | | generating high emissions per passenger carried. |
| effectively provides them with environmental | | | | The US Transportation Energy Data Book |
| credentials which they can advertise to customers | | | | estimates that transit buses and commuter trains |
| while continuing with a business as usual approach. | | | | carried only 8.8 and 31.2 passengers on average |
| However, once again it is difficult to be sure that | | | | so these vehicles are operated mostly empty and |
| these projects are truly additional. | | | | spend much of their time carrying mainly their |
| There are many other problems with offsetting, | | | | own weight around. As a consequence, cars use |
| especially with forestry projects. Forestry in high | | | | 17% less energy per passenger than transit buses |
| latitudes are less effective at absorbing carbon | | | | and 17% more energy per passenger than |
| and reducing temperatures than in the more | | | | commuter trains! |
| politically unstable tropical regions, so it is difficult | | | | It is therefore necessary to rethink radically of |
| to guarantee that the forests in these later areas | | | | how to adapt and operate our public transport |
| will be managed well into the future. This is critical | | | | system to meet the needs of a dispersed |
| since that beside preventing illegal logging activities, | | | | modern society, and if possible make it financially |
| the climate may change leading to drought and | | | | self supporting while retaining a low environmental |
| forest fires. Another problem is that preventing | | | | impact. |
| deforestation in one area may also simply drive | | | | 9) Large carr |
| loggers elsewhere, so once again there is | | | | While the improved structural safety of cars has |
| necessary for national and global monitoring. | | | | required some weight increases, there has also |
| 4) Feed in tariffs and micro-generation | | | | been strong consumer marketing to bolster |
| Feed-in tariffs used in several EU countries oblige | | | | demand for larger and higher performance cars. |
| electricity companies to pay private consumers a | | | | These provide greater prestige value for the |
| premium rate for any excess renewable | | | | owner and greater profit margins and turnover |
| micro-energy they produce at home, although this | | | | for the motor industry than much smaller cars |
| payment is gradually reduced over time. To cover | | | | which are inherently more efficient. |
| the up front costs of installing the technology the | | | | While cars have been getting heavier, |
| initial premium has to be extortionately high which | | | | demographic changes are leading to either smaller |
| will be passed on by the electricity companies to | | | | families or single occupant households. As a result, |
| the rest of their customers, as higher bills. | | | | the number of occupants per car is decreasing |
| Feed-in tariffs are supposed to accelerate the | | | | and cars are getting significantly heavier relative |
| development of renewable technologies and | | | | to the people they carry. A typical vehicle in |
| provide producers with enough initial sales to | | | | Europe will need to carry about 20 times the |
| achieve economies of scale and become market | | | | weight and 100 times the volume of the driver it |
| competitive without a subsidy. However the | | | | carries. This is a grossly inefficient way of |
| qualifying projects, which usually consist of | | | | transporting people around. |
| photovoltaic panels, are far less inefficient than if | | | | Due to the limited scope of reducing energy while |
| they were scaled up into energy parks located in | | | | increasing the size of vehicles at the same time, |
| the sunniest regions such as Southern European | | | | manufacturers have considered using exotic |
| and southwest United States. Instead they have | | | | technologies and fuels instead. The biggest white |
| been mostly installed on house roofs in Germany. | | | | elephant of all has been hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, |
| Ten years ago the German government offered | | | | which has diverted attention away from more |
| generous feed-in tariffs costing E1.2bn. Their total | | | | viable technologies. Fuel cells are extortionately |
| contribution to the country's electricity supply was | | | | expensive and generally require low-density |
| 0.4%, however even these meagre savings | | | | hydrogen that is difficult to transport and store. In |
| allowed other industries to raise their emissions by | | | | practice it is not even carbon free, since the most |
| the same amount due to the EU Emissions | | | | economic method of producing hydrogen is by |
| Trading scheme (see item3). Estimates also | | | | steam reforming of natural gas that results in the |
| suggest that Germany's solar programme | | | | release of carbon dioxide. Yet despite all this |
| destroyed more local jobs than it created, and | | | | effort, a recent European trial of fuel cell buses |
| many of the panels installed were manufactured | | | | showed that they emitted more carbon than their |
| abroad in the Far East | | | | Diesel engine equivalents despite costing £1 |
| The UK government is about to repeat the | | | | million each! |
| mistake. It is estimated that feed in tariffs will | | | | 10) Travelling to business meetings |
| cost £8.6bn to save 20m tonnes of CO2 by | | | | Modern telecommunication technologies offer |
| 2030. This means it will cost around £430 to | | | | immense opportunities for reducing air and land |
| save one tonne of carbon dioxide compared with | | | | based travel especially within the business sector, |
| £8 per tonne by building a nuclear power plant, | | | | since there are few of these activities which |
| or a net saving using energy conservation | | | | cannot be performed by teleconferencing and |
| measures. | | | | teleworking. However, there is scant evidence |
| 5) Poor design and build quality of properties | | | | that these simple solutions are being taken |
| Building homes with high levels of insulation and | | | | seriously. While many corporations enthusiastically |
| passive solar heating always seemed like a | | | | embrace high profile projects which present an |
| sensible precaution even before the more recent | | | | environmentally concerned image, they are |
| energy and climate crisis since it helped to | | | | content to let their employees spend valuable |
| prioritise fuel supplies for industry during times of | | | | time travelling to meetings and conferences which |
| war or industrial action. However, residential | | | | could be more efficiently served by |
| planners and house-builders throughout most of | | | | teleconferencing. No doubt they perceive a |
| the last century largely overlooked even these | | | | marketing advantage using direct interpersonal |
| basic measures. As a consequence much of our | | | | communication, or perhaps the allure of the free |
| older housing is grossly energy inefficient, which is | | | | foreign trip is overwhelming and used most by |
| now difficult and expensive to retrofit with | | | | those in executive positions who dictate |
| energy conservation measures. Three million | | | | corporate policy. |
| properties in the UK still fall into the lowest two | | | | Whilst there is no single solution to the problem of |
| categories of energy efficiency, which are often | | | | global warming, it can be mitigated through a |
| occupied by low-income occupants. Many of these | | | | variety of innovative, coordinated and practical |
| buildings are solid-walled, with a pitched roof, single | | | | solutions combined with well thought out policies. |