Over the last two hundred and fifty years, since industrialization begun, the delicate balance in the earth’s systems and atmosphere has been disturbed by pollution. One form of pollution is the release of the basket of greenhouse gases that are associated with the consumption of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Unfortunately in the twenty first century these forms of energy now underpin most societies.
Modern life with all its convenience like cheap air travel, centralised electrical power, endless gadgets, cheap inefficient housing, cars and mass production, in its current guise, is high carbon and is not sustainable. As we move into the new century, the reality of climate change is becoming clearer.
It is now beyond doubt that, with amongst other things the publication of the Inter-governmental Panel of Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report, peoples collected activities are responsible for the release of vast amounts of carbon dioxide which are having a very negative impact on the planet that we live on. Moreover there has been a scientific consensus on this fact for over a decade.
The UK government’s own position as outlined in the 2003 Energy White Paper has set a target of a 60 per cent cut on 1990 levels of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and many commentators state that this is ‘too little too late’. If we are to avert runaway climate change by the latter half of the twenty first century, far more drastic action to the tune of around a 90 per cent cut by 2030 is required.
Whatever the target, whatever the timescale, this country; a low carbon country, will have a very different landscape. The Low Carbon Trust exists to promote the ideas and technologies that will enable us to make this transition.
The first step to reducing your own personal carbon emissions is to realise how much carbon dioxide your life and activities maybe causing. Every time we use a car, every time we use the heating in our homes and every time we eat processed food from a supermarket we are using fossil fuel and in turn releasing carbon dioxide.
One small action by one person is a small difference. One small action by everybody is a big difference. Big action by everybody will completely resolve climate change, but a journey begins with a single step.