so what now?
finding help...
certification
So now you need to actually reduce energy, become
more sustainable and reduce your Carbon Footprint...!!
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk offers advice on how to
reduce carbon emissions, use water more sustainably
and save money on energy bills in the home
One days participation results in the award of a Carbon
Literacy Certificate. Each certificate will be uniquely
numbered and participant details will be held on a secure
database by the co-ordinating organisation to allow later
verification by employers or other external bodies.
We asked you to produce a diary over a month to record
how you’re achieving this. You need to include around 5
changes you’ve made with at least one involving other
people. You also need to explain one thing you’ve done
to communicate Climate Change to somebody else.
Try and make a few BIG changes and estimate the CO2e
savings you’ve made together with these other benefits...
• cost savings
• health benefits
• happiness & well-being
www.carbon.coop is a group of Greater Manchester
residents who’ve begun to carry out changes in their own
houses and communities
www.afsl.org.uk is a Manchester-based charity working
to engage, enthuse and support people take action on
environmental sustainability
my.1010uk.org has great ideas to help us to cut our
carbon by 10% in a year
www.manchesterclimate.com explains an action plan for
the city titled “Manchester: A Certain Future”
www.architecture.com includes the RIBA’s toolkit for
Climate Change
www.dosustainability.com is a sustainability publisher for
professionals
inspiring talks...
www.ted.com has so many great talks but this link will
take you to Alex Laskey’s: How behavioural science can
lower your energy bill
www.storyofstuff.com has plenty of great environmental
movies including the “Story of Stuff”
environmental expert Mike Berners-Lee’s talk provides
useful information we need to make more carbonconscious purchases and lifestyle decisions
other great stuff...
Please note that you have up to 3 months from the time
of taking the workshop to submit the diary and qualify as
being certified Carbon Literate.
http://talkingclimate.org is a gateway to research on
climate change communication
the Eden Projects online tool will help you to see how your
everyday choices affect your personal carbon footprint
To obtain certification please complete and return a
Participation Form that can be downloaded here and
email a PDF copy of your diary with photos (A4).
Before attending the workshop, you were asked to
calculate your carbon footprint using one of the two
calculators here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk
http://carboncalculator.direct.gov.uk
Please now re-estimate your carbon footprint and let
us know the difference. For every one tonne of carbon
you save as a result of being more carbon literate, you
can add a “carbon ball” to our Carbon-meter outside the
Centre (coming soon).
So, you need to email us (carbonliteracy@dwelle.co.uk)
the following:
1. your A4 PDF diary with photos;
2. a completed Participation Form; and
3. your original and new annual carbon footprint.
further information
Carbon Literacy: www.carbonliteracy.com
or telephone us on 0161 225 4000
supported by
ideas on how to reduce energy & carbon...
REDUCE, reuse, recycle...
switch lights off, at home and at work
eat less meat - recipe ideas on Jamie Oliver’s website
use pan lids when cooking food - save half the energy!
close your curtains on winter evenings - they will help to
insulate your home and reduce your heating bill
shorten showers to only 3 or 4 minutes, and buy a simple
timer
take the stairs instead of the lift or escalators... it saves
energy and keeps you fit
turn down your thermostat at home a few degrees and
wear warmer clothes - a one degree reduction can save
around £65 and 260kg carbon dioxide a year. More
advice on the Energy Saving Trust website
boil only the water you need in the kettle, and when buying
a new one get an eco-version with different temperatures
use Skype instead of travelling to meet people?
buy “How Bad are Bananas” to help understand the
carbon footprint of many day-to-day items
buy other books that can help you become more
sustainable... we like “The World We Made” by Phaidon;
it’s available electronically, so it saves paper too!
reduce your water consumption - use this excellent Water
Energy Calculator to see your usage and how you can
save water
buy a water saver for your toilet cistern - Hippo are good
buy seasonal vegetables - take a look at this excellent
calendar and website: http://eatseasonably.co.uk/whatto-eat-now/calendar
change your electricity and gas supplier to one that only
uses 100% renewable energy - it takes only 5 minutes we use Good Energy
switch off electronics at the wall and avoid the standby
button - more helpful information can be found on the
Energy Saving Trust website
plan your meals so you don’t waste food, and then learn
what to do with leftovers - Jamie Oliver has some great
advice on his website and in his book
do a simple travel energy check - there’s a very simple tool
on the Energy Saving Trust website that can save you up
to £350 year!
take fewer holiday or trips abroad - and if you do go away,
taking the train, ferry or driving with a full car may keep
your carbon footprint to a minimum - see comparisons
with this excellent Journey Emissions Calculator
replace inefficient lamps at home with energy efficient
types (compact fluorescent) or ideally, good quality
LEDs... Philips do a good range at John Lewis
buy an energy monitor to keep an eye on your consumption
and see how it compare to other similar households... we
use Loop, which really very simple to install
look for the logo... when purchasing new appliances,
always look for the Energy Saving Trust Recommended
logo or the Energy Rating
compost and use a Bokashi composter too
startcycling, it’s low cost, healthy, and very environmentally
friendly... the SkyRide website gives some great advice
for beginners...
grow your own veg - it can be really simple, and incredibly
satisfying - you don’t need much space either... Mike’s
blog is inspiring
do the school run on foot or by bike... the average primary
school journey is just 1.5 miles, and yet one in five cars
on the road during the morning peak are doing the school
run - check this website
use refillable products - we use Splosh for soaps and
detergents who post concentrates straight to your
letterbox (use the promo code “DWELLE” for a discount)
buy local. Totally Locally helps you to open your eyes
to the great independent shops and businesses in your
town
buy good quality ethically sourced clothing - we like Howies
that use organic cotton
encourage your kids to play outdoors more as opposed to
just staying in and consuming lots of electricity - check
out the Project Wild Thing website
fit a hot water tank insulation jacket - you can save as
much as £45 and 170kg CO2 a year
draught-proof your home - plenty of advice on the Energy
Saving Trust website
install solar panels to supply renewable electricity for your
house and potential take advantage of a Feed-in Tariff.
keep chickens - they’ll need a little daily attention but
they are great pets that will provide you with more than
enough eggs
replace your windows with double or triple glazed - they
can save you as much as £170 a year - see the Energy
Saving Trust website for more impartial advice
keep bees - collecting your own honey is fun and
rewarding - the BBKA website is a good starting place to
find out more...
switch to a high-efficiency boiler - if your boiler is over 15
years old it’s probably time to replace it - a high-efficiency
boiler can help you save up to a quarter on your heating
bills and even more if you upgrade to modern controls
as well
can you work closer to home? when you’re looking for a
new job or somewhere to live, check on the transport
links and see whether you can shorten the distance you
travel between the two...
buy an electric or hybrid car - they’re so much better than
you think!
insulate your loft - heat rises, and in an uninsulated home
a quarter of your heat is lost through the roof... the
Energy Saving Trust website provides potential savings
and solutions, even if you’re renting
please let us know if you encounter any problems with the links or
suggestions above, or if you can recommend anything better!