It’s time to peer into the net-carbon zero future. We’re not talking flying cars or living under the sea (although that would be cool), we’re looking into the future of our carbon footprints and more specifically what we can do about them. This month we’ve taken a look at our carbon footprints in our personal lives. What contributes to them, how we offset them and the most important – what on earth are they?
Now it’s time to look forward and see what our future carbon footprints look like
Since the lockdown, there has been a big discussion surrounding a ‘green movement’. Skies are clearer, waters are cleaner, but as we’ve also seen it’s been hotter than any other decade. New 38°C temperatures have spiked in the arctic circle and in the hottest place on earth, Death Valley California, it reached a whopping 54.4°C. The head-start that lockdown has given us by removing cars from the road, litter from the streets and the suspension of burning coal means that it’s the perfect time to tackle climate change once and for all.
The government announced has written into law a net-carbon zero goal to be achieved by 2050 (the only country to do this!). As we all know, small efforts add up, but do things need to speed up? Let’s look at some of the changes already occurring around the nation and whether you could help out too.
Green Home Grants for net-carbon zero
Vouchers of up to £5,000 are available to help the nation transform their homes into green bubbles of goodness. The focus is on the efficiency of your home, more specifically looking at the insulation. If your home has poor insulation, naturally you pump more energy into it (especially during the winter months) in an attempt to keep warm.
Unsure if your home has enough insulation? A clear sign is noticing uneven temperatures throughout your home. If you leave a warm room and enter into a really cold one (and the windows are closed) you might need to take a look at your insulation.
Another great sign to keep an eye out for in the winter months is to look at your roof when the snow falls. If the snow melts, you have poor insulation. Heat rises, so if your roof allows snow to stay for a while, your insulation is working well and keeping warmth inside the home. If you don’t want to wait for the snowfall, check out these great tips. Could your home benefit from some insulation? Or are you fed up with spending crazy money on heating during the winter? Now’s the time to make some changes.
Transport and the removal of diesel cars
Electric cars have been whirring around the streets for a while. Although they used to come with a high price and low mile-range, the accessibility of owning one is improving – especially with those dedicated electric car charging spaces popping up across the country.
A lot of us are aware that diesel and petrol cars aren’t great for the environment, but only 1% of us own an electric option, and 2% use a hybrid. New diesel and petrol cars will not be sold from 2035 onwards, but did you know you can trade-in your old emission-polluting car now for a huge discount?
Some car brands are offering thousands towards a new, more eco-friendly car when trading in the old. Is your car a little past its sell-by date? Maybe you could benefit from getting a new greener mode of transport?
Sustainable energy sources and tariffs
Did you hear the great news? During the lockdown, we stopped burning coal as an energy resource for nearly two months – our longest stint yet! Not only that but after 200 years, one of England’s last coal mines is closing in Durham. It’s great to see positive steps towards a greener future, but the removal of one energy sources means another must increase.
Wind, hydro and solar are some of the renewable energy sources that we’re familiar with and a lot of them power our homes. It’s possible to increase the demand for these renewable sources by switching the tariffs in your home. Another option would be to install solar panels in your home and feed back into the grid.
Did you know the cost of solar energy globally has dropped 90% since 2009? It’s more affordable than ever!
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