Stop wasting time with solar in this country and go all in to crack nuclear fusion. Once we have that cracked nobody will want for fossil fuels like today... I'm fascinated reading about all the developments around fusion, it's becoming similar to the race to the moon between the US and Soviets.. First country to solve the issues still surrounding fusion will reap the rewards massively. We have some of the leading minds in the scientific community in this country and we are well in the race. It will be literally the next stage in the evolution of the human race harnessing fusion as our energy source, opening up even opportunities to have a near limitless source of energy say on the moon or mars..
I don't believe my carbon footprint from renting a one bedroom flat that was owned by someone who subsequently died can be compared to someone who buys a 4 bedroom new build detached house. I'm referring to the carbon used to build it rather than the energy used to 'run' it. I am not and never will be in the market for a new house. They are not being built for me. There are, I believe, many more homes in the UK than families who require them, while many perfectly viable homes are bulldozed to create space for new luxury homes. I am not creating that demand and I don't see how renting my very modest flat can mean I have the same carbon footprint as someone who owns property.
The energy used to run it will be substantially less as well. With us coming back to the UK right now, we're only looking at properties with a number of rooms that we'll definitely need. I can see a lot of people downsizing over the next couple of years for purely financial reasons if current trends continue.
I certainly agree with you about existing properties and new builds and especially how old buildings are razed to help developers put up shonky cheap things that probably won't last very long. I find it staggering that swathes of new builds are all going up that will be to a lower standard that doesn't take into account whats required and still really on what should very soon be considered obsolete forms of technologies. Everything we do though has an effect on the environment. What we eat, how it's packaged, what we do with that packaging, what we buy, where we go, what we support and endorse and more. All of us could improve what we do. My initial question was more a curiosity of how many if any of us were proactively trying to reduce their impact. Irrespective of what base they were starting from.
A lot of what I've listed are choices rather than circumstance. I don't drop litter, I recycle, I use reusable bags, I walk into town to the market and try to buy things without plastic, but I thought you'd be interested in the big things rather than the small ones.
All things. The big things obviously make a bigger immediate difference, but it's probably the little things that may get earlier traction and change habits. A pan scourer. Less damaging washing up liquid than say fairy. They might be the little choices, little changes that once they stack up start to make a tangible diffrence. Changing car, retrofitting a house, installing a heat pump are all big decisions and costly, so I can understand why they may be delayed in the current economic... well, climate. But that doesn't mean we can't all do a little bit more if we're able.
I'm already mulling how long I'm likely to be able to get away without heating. My last monthly gas bill in Russia was under a tenner. I wonder if Ryanair will notice if I try to sneak a canister or three on board when we fly back next week.
They wouldn’t notice if you sneaked on a vial or 2 of polonium so a couple of gas canisters should be fine.
The big problem is no one is taking it seriously. There us no interest in the Tory campaign for leader to sort out any of our power supply / renewable issues. Tax cuts & maybe fracking! China, Russia, India we have no hope with. Biden has passed a new bill. But too little & too late. I'm 57 & starting to think we are nearing the end as a bunch of humans. Depressing, I know. Oh & Barnsley are in the 3rd division...