Nigel Watts
Member
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- 1,779
- Location
- London N7
While watching David Attenborough talking about climate change on the telly this weekend my 11 year old son - an eco warrior in the making - decided that his parents should take some decisive action.
He has declared that he intends to read the gas and electricity meters every week and tick us off if we have been profligate. He has also taken to following us around the house switching off lights and turning down thermostats.
My wife, who was brought up in the tropics, has finally been persuded to wear a jumper indoors, and even she now admits that our new Hungarian goose down duvet is almost uncomfortably warm even with all the heating in the bedroom permanently switched off. The only downside is her grumbling about clothes not drying quickly.
As someone who likes hot baths and the mellow glow of coal fires and energy squandering tungsten light bulbs I have decided I need to make a mature adult response. Why not set a carbon quota for the household? ie "luxury" uses of energy are allowed, but have to be paid for by offsetting periods of hairshirt reductions elsewhere. After lengthy negotiation my son finally agreed.
This raises a few questions:
- how do we compare gas use versus electricity use? Gas is measured on our meter in cubic feet and electricity in kilowatt hours. We need to convert both into the common currency of carbon emitted into the atmosphere.
- if we add the car's petrol consumption and other elements, such as air or train miles, how do we do the conversions?
- finally, once we have have converted all this usgae into a common unit of measure, what target should we set?
Ideas gratefully received
Nigel
He has declared that he intends to read the gas and electricity meters every week and tick us off if we have been profligate. He has also taken to following us around the house switching off lights and turning down thermostats.
My wife, who was brought up in the tropics, has finally been persuded to wear a jumper indoors, and even she now admits that our new Hungarian goose down duvet is almost uncomfortably warm even with all the heating in the bedroom permanently switched off. The only downside is her grumbling about clothes not drying quickly.
As someone who likes hot baths and the mellow glow of coal fires and energy squandering tungsten light bulbs I have decided I need to make a mature adult response. Why not set a carbon quota for the household? ie "luxury" uses of energy are allowed, but have to be paid for by offsetting periods of hairshirt reductions elsewhere. After lengthy negotiation my son finally agreed.
This raises a few questions:
- how do we compare gas use versus electricity use? Gas is measured on our meter in cubic feet and electricity in kilowatt hours. We need to convert both into the common currency of carbon emitted into the atmosphere.
- if we add the car's petrol consumption and other elements, such as air or train miles, how do we do the conversions?
- finally, once we have have converted all this usgae into a common unit of measure, what target should we set?
Ideas gratefully received
Nigel