Increasing numbers of informed individuals are concerned about the likelihood that the continued failure of public policy to effect a drastic reduction in greenhouse gases will inevitably result in the decline of life on Earth. What are the most effective actions that we can take to prevent such an horrendous prospect? At the outset, basic truths must be faced:
- The capacity of the planet’s atmosphere to safely absorb the greenhouse gases is finite. Unlike nearly all other decisions, this is not negotiable and therefore must not be exceeded.
- If this capacity is divided by the world’s current population in an equitable way, each individual will have to be restricted to less than one tonne of carbon dioxide emissions each year from their use of fossil fuels. In the UK, the current average is 10 tonnes!
- Any proposition that this should not be allocated equally across the world’s population would be very difficult to justify on moral grounds and even more difficult to implement in practice.
- Reducing fossil fuel use to this considerable extent by pricing and taxation would become increasingly inequitable. Poorer people would find it ever more difficult to pay for their basic needs directly or indirectly associated with fossil fuel use – for heating, hot water, electricity, travel and food.
Against this background, there is a clear need for everyone to do their utmost to substantially reduce their energy use now. Only a few require major lifestyle changes or financial investment. The following actions can be taken:
At the personal level
- Complete a self-audit of your carbon dioxide emissions. It’s not difficult. Use one of the many websites, such as actonco2.direct.gov.uk. Then compare your annual total with the average of less than one tonne we must all get down to as speedily as possible.
- Set an annual target for reducing the total of your emissions, using the many websites and other sources of information on how to do so in your home and when you travel.
- Audit your progress regularly.
In all likelihood, you can easily:
- save energy used in your heating and hot water system (boiler and controls), in your home appliances (fridge, freezer, washing machine, and so on) and for your lighting
- buy the most efficient and long-life boiler and appliances available on the market – ideally ones that can be easily repaired
- sign up to a green tariff (electricity generated from renewable sources)
- remember that far more energy is used for heating and hot water than for lighting and appliances and that energy consumption is more important than energy efficiency
- cut out air travel – by far the most damaging activity, not least because of the sheer distances travelled on these journeys
- make as many as possible of your journeys on foot, bicycle or bus, and if you have a car use it sparingly
- whenever you move home or change your job, aim to make the journey between them by one of these means
- choose local shops and services whenever you can, and try to combine several purposes in one journey
- remember that, in the end, total distance travelled is the crucial determinant of your carbon dioxide emissions
- buy locally produced food when available, minimise your household waste, recycling rather than disposing of as much as possible of what remains and composting the vegetable and garden part of it if you have a garden
- remember that current greenhouse gas emissions from all stages of the food chain – from 'farm to fork' – account for close to one fifth of total emissions, and that current use of landfill sites for waste products is unsustainable.
Whilst all these actions are highly desirable, not least in reflecting growing concern about the declining state of the planet, there is no denying that any one individual can only make a minute contribution to minimising the overall impact on it. Only government has the power to influence behavioural changes in our lifestyles which will be sufficient to ensure that we all contribute our fair share to achieving the essential reduction in our use of fossil fuels. Its thinking therefore needs to change at a fundamental level. Policy has been formulated on daydreams that economic growth can be sufficiently 'decoupled' from current levels of carbon dioxide emissions so that it can be maintained in perpetuity. Therefore, it must:
- Adopt C&C (Contraction and Convergence) as its international negotiating position, and encourage fellow EU countries and other governments that do not already acknowledge the significance of this framework solution to do the same.
- Introduce carbon rationing as soon as possible to help meet current targets for carbon reduction.
- Set an absolute limit for carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere based on the best scientific evidence – not on what it senses the public will find palatable.
- Start urgent negotiations with all the political parties in the UK in order to achieve a consensus on how to inform the public about the uncomfortable truths of climate change they need to hear and in order to gain support both for C&C and carbon rationing.
- Begin a widespread programme of public education on the links between carbon dioxide emissions and how our current lifestyles lead to them, providing information and raising awareness as a prelude to the adoption of carbon rationing as its strategy for the future.
At the social and political levels
For this reason, the following actions are even more important for you to take than those listed above 'at the personal level':
- Make your views known on the actions that need to be taken to prevent climate change by getting involved in public debate and letter writing.
- Educate your friends, colleagues at work and family about climate change.
- Support an environmental group engaged with this issue and encourage community organisations, religious groups, and so on, to do so as well.
- Make your concerns about climate change known to your MP and the strategy that you would like to see adopted, requesting the urgent adoption of personal carbon allowances.
- Ask what commitment on the subject they are making or will make if elected.