Fancy making yourself slimmer and fitter? Not your body, for once we'll leave
that alone, but your carbon footprint. In other words, the amount of carbon
dioxide that all the difference aspects of your lifestyle, from the amount
of energy you use in the home to the way you get to work, contribute to the
greenhouse gases that are causing global warming.
Then try *The Low Carbon Diet.
Download and print-out further details with this pdf. of Body&Soul's
monthly planner - the Low
Carbon Diet Masterplan
Look out for the low carbon diet in Times2 on Monday.
Detailed below, how Body&Soul worked out the CO2 savings in the diet
masterplan and where the source of the information to do the sums.
HOME DIET
Insulate your loft: Source: the Energy
Saving Trust
Upgrade to a condensing boiler: source: the Energy
Saving Trust
Install double glazing: Source: the Energy
Saving Trust
Forget the tumble dryer, rediscover the clothes line: Using
Environmental Change Institute figures
for Kwh/cycle for an average tumble drier. Assuming 208 cycles/year and
using DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for electricity.
Turn heating down 1C: Source: the Energy
Saving Trust
Fit a low
flow shower head (family of four)
Replace old fridge freezer with an A+ or A+++ rated model: Source: the
Energy Saving Trust
Switch off idle electronics and appliances left on standby: Using
Energy Saving Trust cost
saving figures (£37/year). Assuming an electricity price of
10.41pence/kwh and using the DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for electricity.
Treat your hot water tank to an insulating jacket: source: The Energy
Saving Trust
Draught-proof windows and doors: source: The Energy
Saving Trust
Unplug idle computers at night and w/ends: Using Energy Saving Trust
cost saving figures (£35/year). Assuming an electricity price of
10.41pence/kwh and using DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for electricity.
Turn hot water down to 60C: Using Energy Saving Trust cost saving
figures (£20/year). Assuming a gas price of 2.617pence/kwh and using DEFRA
CO2 emissions factor for gas.
Seal holes in floors and skirting boards: Source: the Energy
Saving Trust
Halve the number of washes you put on and lower your wash temperature:
Using Environmental Change Institute figures for Kwh/cycle for an average
washing machine. Assuming 4 cycles/week, 208 cycles/year and 2
cycles/week, 104 cycles/year and using DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for
electricity. And assuming going from a 90C to a 40C wash.
Run dishwasher on an Economy setting/run dishwasher on an Economy setting
and halve the number of times you put it on: Using Environmental Change
Institute figures for Kwh/cycle for an average
dishwasher. Assuming 260 cycles/year and 130 cycles/year and using DEFRA
CO2 emissions factor for electricity.
Put foil behind your radiators: Assuming a gas price of 2.617pence/kwh
and using DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for gas.
Don't overfill the kettle. Boil what you need: A 2.5kw kettle taking
2.5 minutes to boil when full and 45 seconds to boil with 1 cup water in.
Kettle is boiled 5 times/day, 7 days/week. Using DEFRA CO2 emissions factor
for electricity.
Turn down your washing machine to 40C rather than 60C/90C: Using
National Energy Foundation figures for kwh/wash for a B
rated washing machine at 90C, 60C and 40C. Assuming 4 washes (or
cycles) per week, 208 cycles/year and DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for
electricity.
Fit one energy saving light bulb: Source: The Energy
Saving Trust
Install a save-a-flush in your loo: Greenhouse gas emissions per litre
of water treated and supplied to customers: 0.00029kg CO2 equivalent (Thames
Water). Installing a save-a-flush saves 2000 litres of water a year.
GARDEN DIET
Compost food and garden waste: for every kilogram of waste you throw
out, you produce 1 kg of CO2. An average household throwing out 1 dustbin's
worth of waste every week emits 1400kg of CO2 a year. You can cut this
figure by 20% if you compost all kitchen and garden waste. Source: Quaker
Green Action, 2006.
Swap the garden hose for a water butt: greenhouse gas emissions per
litre of water treated and supplied to customers: 0.00029kg CO2 equivalent
(Thames Water). Installing a water butt saves on average 1934.5 litres per
year.
TRANSPORT DIET
Cycle to work: CO2 emissions saved by swopping a 6km/4m (12km/8m
roundtrip) commute to work in an average sized petrol car during rush hour
for the same journey by bike (the CO2 emissions factor used are for
commuting by car during peak hours. Taken from Potter, Stephen (2004) (see
below). Commute is made 5 times/week, 20 times/month and 210 times/year
(assuming 6 weeks off per year).
Take the train/bus/tube and not the car (12km/8m commute): Difference
in CO2 emissions between taking an averaged sized petrol car on a 6km/4m
(12km/8m roundtrip) commute to work during rush hour and doing the same
journey by bus, diesel train and tube (the CO2 emissions factors used are
for commuting by car, bus, train and tube during peak hours and assume high
occupancy in buses and trains. Figures are taken from Potter, Stephen
(2004): Transport Energy and Emissions: Urban Public Transport, Chapter 13,
pp 247-262 (Table 5) of Hensher, David and Button, Kenneth (Eds) Handbook of
Transport and the Environment, Volume 4, Pergamon/Elsevier. Commute is made
5 times/week, 20 times/month and 210 times/year (assuming 6 weeks off per
year).
Re-think the school run: Walk/bike rather than drive (4km trip, twice a
day): CO2 emissions saved by biking/walking rather than taking an average
sized petrol car on a 2km (4km roundtrip twice a day = 8km) journey to
school 190 times a year (10 weeks off for school holidays). The CO2
emissions factor used are for commuting by car during peak hours. Taken from
Potter, Stephen (2004).
Or ... walk/bike 3 times a week: CO2 emissions saved by only driving to
school (assumptions as above) twice a week. The CO2 emissions factor used
are for commuting by car during peak hours. Taken from Potter, Stephen
(2004).
Ditch the car for journeys of 2km or less - walk or cycle (five times a
week): CO2 saved as a result of not going on a 2km journey in an
averaged sized petrol car 5 times/week, 20 times/month, 240 times/year
(based on DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for an averaged sized petrol car and
assuming the journey is made during off-peak hours).
Be a smooth driver: avoid sharp braking or acceleration: Source: Warwick
University Climate Footprint Project. Explanation: Smooth driving can
save 30% on fuel consumption, reducing carbon emissions - this means
reducing the amount of sharp braking and sharp accelerating while you drive.
CONSUMER DIET
Buy British - a basket of UK grown food rather than produce flown from
abroad: in British-grown basket: cauliflower from Lincolnshire,
mushrooms from Ireland, brussel sprouts from Lincolnshire, broccoli from
Worcestershire, carrots from Scotland and onions from Shropshire. In
foreign-grown basket: limes from Brazil, pears from Italy, avocados from
Chile, peaches from USA, pineapple from Costa Rica, baby corn from Kenya.
Using DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for long-haul air freight multiplied by a
factor of 2.7 (to reflect the warming effect equivalent of other greenhouse
gases in the upper atmosphere) and DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for a 75%
loaded articulated lorry. Assume an average lorry load of 9.3 tonnes.
Most rubbish comes from food and other packaging. Recycle glass, paper,
cardboard, plastics, cans: for every kilogram of waste you throw out,
you produce 1 kg of CO2. An average household throwing out 1 dustbin's worth
of waste every week emits 1400kg of CO2 a year. You can cut this figure by
30% if you recycle all paper, glass, metal and plastic (apart from plastic
bags). Source: Quaker Green Action, 2006.
Buy 1kg (2lb punnet) of British strawberries rather than Californian:
Using DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for long-haul air freight multiplied by a
factor of 3 and DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for a 75% loaded articulated
lorry. Assume an average lorry load of 9.3 tonnes. Calculated using distance
between San Jose, California and London (8657km) and between Canterbury and
London (99km).
Buy 1kg of British green beans, not Kenyan: using DEFRA CO2 emissions
factor for long-haul air freight multiplied by a factor of 2.7 and DEFRA CO2
emissions factor for a 75% loaded articulated lorry. Assume an average lorry
load of 9.3 tonnes. Calculated using distance between Nairobi and London
(6804km) and between Canterbury and London (99km)
Do one weekly supermarket shop, not three: a 1.5km (3km roundtrip)
journey to the supermarket in an averaged sized petrol car 3 times/week, 12
times/month and 144 times/year; and the same journey done once a week, 4
times/month and 36 times/year. Difference in CO2 emissions between the 2
journey types using DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for an average petrol car and
assuming the journey is made during off-peak hours.
Buy a bottle of French wine instead of a New Zealand vintage: using
DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for large bulk carrier (ship) freight and DEFRA
CO2 emissions factor for a 75% loaded articulated lorry. Assume an average
lorry load of 9.3 tonnes. Calculated using distance between Auckland and
London (18,331km) and between Bordeaux and London (742km).
HOLIDAY DIET
Take 1 rather than 3 short haul (500km) flights a year: CO2 saved as a result
of taking 1 trip of 1000km (500km each way) instead of 3 trips of 1000km
(500km each way). Using DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for air travel multiplied
by a factor of 2.7.
Take the coach for a UK or short overseas trip (350km x 2), not the plane:
CO2 saved as a result of taking a journey of 700km roundtrip by train rather
than by plane, using DEFRA CO2 emissions factor for train and the DEFRA CO2
figure for plane travel multiplied by a factor of 2.7 to reflect the warming
effect equivalent of other greenhouse gases in the upper atmosphere.
Take the train rather than fly London to Edinburgh: using DEFRA CO2
emissions factor for train and the DEFRA CO2 figure for plane travel
multiplied by a factor of 2.7.
Take Eurostar, not the plane, from London to Paris or Brussels: from Eurostar
press release. Eurostar figures quoted on Seat 61 website
* The Low Carbon Diet, by Polly Ghazi and Rachel Lewis (Short Books, £12.99),
is available from Books First at £11.99, free p&p. Phone 0870
1608080, or timesonline.co.uk/booksfirstbuy
