To offset or not to offset…that’s a good question!

Offsetting is the process by which people and companies buy carbon credits to offset parts of their footprints. For example you might offset the emissions from a flight (very high emissions) by buying credits from one of the offsetting companies. You pay money that is invested in a “clean energy” scheme, usually in another country. There is already a formal system of offsetting at an international level called the Emissions Trading Scheme.

We don’t like these schemes because they do not encourage behaviour change in the UK (added to the fact that many of them are of dubious providence).

We would prefer that you start making some small changes in your life. There are some ideas below.

In time coupled with the changes in technology and legislation that prompt people to make bigger changes this can make the difference.

If you are making voluntary changes but still want to offset the odd holiday flight or car journey then why not spend the offset charge on switching to a green electricity tariff or energy efficient lightbulbs or a solar powered charger for your gadgets.

Finally if you have done all of the above and are still desperate to spend some offsets then as a last resort you can contact PCAN and make a donation to our expenses. However we would have to be comfortable that you are making some lifestyle changes or that there are fundamental reasons why you can’t at this stage. We really would prefer that you just make changes.

So how about some actions you can take

Basically there are lots of things you can do and you may already have some ideas having measured your footprint. Below is a list of suggestions to get you started. The simple things really do make a difference.

At home – minimal cost actions

• Turning down your thermostat by 1ºC could cut heating bills by 10% per year, saving up to £40. Remember jumpers?
• Turn lights off when out of the room
• Only boil as much water as you need in the kettle – but make sure to cover the heating elements.
• Open curtains and blinds as much as possible to let in natural light and close curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
• Do not leave appliances on standby.
• When charging batteries or mobile phones, unplug the charger when finished. Don’t just switch it off.
• Unplug appliances not used often or when going on holiday; they may still be using energy.
• When not using your computer, turn off the monitor. The monitor alone uses 60% of the energy needed for your computer.
• Ensure you’re washing a full load in the washing machine, or, use the half-load or economy setting.
• Using just a rinse cycle does not need warm water, using cold is just as effective.
• Tumble dryers are not necessary, a clothes horse inside or a clothes line outside in the summer will do the job – saving you up to £40 per year.
• Using a dishwasher, make sure it’s a full load and use a low temperature.  Do not pre-rinse dishes, just scrape off food and put them in the dishwasher.
• Avoid putting warm food straight in the fridge, instead let it cool down first to save energy.
• An overfull fridge blocks air circulation and is less effective; conversely, a full freezer performs better than an empty one.
• A dripping hot water tap wastes 95 litres of water per month, costing 7kWh in one month.
• Defrost your freezer regularly to keep it running efficiently.
• Turn down the thermostat at night or when away; it isn’t required during those times.
• Using a shower rather than a bath can save two-thirds the energy and water (provided it doesn’t have loads of fancy jets and stuff)

At home – invest to save

• Purchase ‘Energy Saving’ appliances – from lightbulbs to dishwashers to loft insulation and draught proofing.
• Uninsulated homes lose 26% energy through the roof; insulating the roof can save up to £160 and 1 tonne of CO2 per year.
• Insulating wall cavities can save up to £120 and 1 tonne of CO2 per year.
• A condensing boiler will save around a third on your heating bill.
• Speak to your energy provider about their 'green tariff' - they may be able to match your energy consumption with an equivalent amount of energy from renewable energy resources. Better still switch to a 100% green tariff {possible link to an affiliation with Good Energy}.
• In future buy a laptop instead of a desktop computer, they run off a lower wattage and so save more energy.

You can read more about the energy rating of domestic appliances at the website of the National Energy Foundation at www.nef.org.uk/energyadvice/erhome.htm

You can read more on home energy saving initiatives at the website of the Energy Saving Trust at www.energysavingtrust.org

On the move – low cost actions

• Drive less - where possible walk, cycle, take public transport or lift share.
• Tune Up - properly inflated tyres can save 3% of your fuel consumption.
• Limit your speed and hard acceleration - fuel consumption goes up rapidly whenever you drive over 60mph and is poor over 80mph. Reducing your motorway cruising speed by 5 mph will make a big difference.

On the move – invest to save

If you have a car and you decide to replace it check the fuel consumption and CO2 ratings of different models. Vehicle Excise Tax (VED) is now based on CO2 emissions so can you save money running a fuel efficient car but it is likely to also incur a lower VED rate – so you save more money. You can find out more on how different cars rate on the national car fuel data website at www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk/

Recycle your lifestyle

Remember the “embedded carbon” in the products that we buy? Why not consider buying a good low emission second hand car built in the last 3 years rather than a new car. This is actually better for the environment overall.

Also why not recycle other people’s goods for free. The Freecycle Network™ is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely non-profit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. A local volunteer moderates each local group and membership is free. However it does generate a lot of emails…

Here’s the weblink www.freecycle.org

The PCC site it has a good range of usefull links - http://www.portsmouthcc.gov.uk/living/301.html

The local FOE website has good recycling links - http://www.portsmouthfoe.org/html/greenportsmouth.htm

Take a look at the PCAN Carbon Emission News articles