A campaign to persuade everyone in the People’s Republic to do their bit to combat global warming has been launched at a ‘climate-friendly’ lunch in Plymouth.
In Fair Shares, Fair Choice, Sustainability South West reveals just how much carbon each of us can fairly consume to stop us going into the red with climate change.
The charity has discovered that each of us should be ‘budgeting’ for just over 4,200 kilograms of CO2 emissions in 2007, falling to 3,300 kgs by 2016. At present, we all use about 4,750kg per person per year – that’s 550kg over budget.
As a guide, a flight to Europe uses 700 kgs. On average we use 2,700 kgs to heat and power our homes, and roughly the same driving 15 miles to work and back five times a week.
The charity’s target figures of 4,200 kilograms of CO2 emissions in 2007, falling to 3,300 kgs by 2016, represents the share of carbon that we are ‘spending’ as individuals and households, and where we can make choices about what we buy.
The remainder of emissions – about 50 per cent – come from business, agriculture and public services such as the NHS, which are also looking at how to reduce their ‘carbon spending’.
Experts predict that our action during the next 10 years will count most in the battle against runaway climate change.
Visit the Fair Share website for a carbon budget calculator, to sign up as a supporter, to develop your own carbon action plan or to share your experiences of ‘going low carb’.
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