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The UK generates rubbish fast enough to fill London’s Albert Hall every two hours, and landfill sites are filling up fast. As rubbish decays in landfill sites, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas with climate change effects over 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.
The good news is that recycling has doubled over the last four years. Some examples of how waste could be cut further include:
• producing, transporting and consuming food and drink causes a third of greenhouse gas emissions; but large amounts go in the bin – UK households spend an average of £424 a year on food that gets thrown away
• the average household wastes a tenth of their electricity bills by leaving appliances on standby – across the UK this is equivalent to the annual output of two power stations, wasting fossil fuels and causing climate change
• 5bn aluminium cans are sold in the UK every year, and many still go into landfill; although this metal is plentiful, it needs a great deal of electricity to produce – the same energy is needed to produce a new can as is needed to produce 20 cans from recycled materials
• the UK produces 3m tonnes of plastic waste each year, most of which is put in landfill – recycling just one plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a 60W light bulb for six hours
Do your part and start using recycled products in place of your normal wasteful products. Click here for products that can save energy by reducing your electricity usage.
Human activity has led to many natural resources being depleted and created some major environmental problems:
Fossil fuels
Increasing amounts of fossil fuels are burned to produce electricity and for transport – this produces carbon dioxide, which causes climate change:
• the use of coal has risen by more than half over the last 20 years and will continue to go up
• the use of oil is predicted to rise by the same amount by 2030
Water
Food and other products put huge demands on water supplies at home and abroad. For example:
• it takes around 4,000 litres of water to make a cotton T-shirt – some lakes in cotton-producing areas are drying up, causing the collapse of fish stocks
• world populations of freshwater fish have nearly halved since 1970 due to increased demand for water in producing food, fibre and energy
Grazing land
Demand for animal products is rising rapidly. It’s estimated that the impact of grazing has doubled globally over the last 30 years. More land is being converted to grassland, reducing other wildlife habitats, while over-grazing reduces the number of species that can be supported.
Forests
Wood can be a great renewable resource, but the world’s ancient forests are shrinking because of the way people currently use it. The spread of urban development, illegal logging, agriculture and industry are causing trees to be lost at about an average of 36 football fields a minute.
Fish
Over-fishing is a threat to ocean-life and to the food and livelihoods of over a billion people. As many as 90 per cent of all the oceans’ large fish have been fished out. Responsible fisheries management is needed to help protect marine life and conserve habitats for future generations.
Help to reduce and conserve energy by using recyclable products. These not only save you money in the long term but cut out the amount of waste in your bins each week. Click here to browse through useful recycled products which really can make a difference.
From 2011, the poorest households will receive mandatory help with fuel bills.
Outside energy and industry, transport emissions are to be tackled though a combination of better fuel efficiency on the road, electrification of the rail network, the use of sustainable biofuels, infrastructure for recharging electric vehicles in up to six cities, and measures designed to increase cycling.
Farmers will be asked – and encouraged – to cut emissions by changing agricultural practices, paying for the creation of woodland, and support for facilities that use farm waste for energy.
The government believes the changes will usher in a new post-recession era of sustainable green growth.
Ministers also say the plan puts the UK in a leadership role in the months leading up to December’s critically important UN climate summit in Copenhagen.
But while generally welcoming the plan, campaigners suggested it did not go far enough.
“The government’s plans are good news for UK energy security, jobs and progress towards a low carbon economy,” said Christian Aid’s climate policy expert Alison Doig.
“Our fear is that they will not achieve enough to help keep the global temperature rise below 2C (3.6F) and safeguard people in developing countries from dangerous climate change. We also question whether the government has shown enough ambition to inspire courageous commitments by other industrialised countries.”
Save more on your energy bills by installing one of our Energy Saving Packs into your home for peace of mind that your doing your part to save the environment.
http://www.theenergysavingcompany.co.uk/energy-saving-packs.html
Energy used in homes is responsible for over a quarter of all UK emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas causing climate change. Making your home as energy efficient as possible will reduce carbon emissions and could also save you over £300 a year on your fuel bills.
Most of the energy we use in our homes is produced using processes that release CO2 emissions into the air. CO2 emissions are the most significant cause of climate change, so reducing your home energy use is one of the most important things you can do to fight climate change. To find out how to save energy in the home please CLICK HERE.
