Opportunities to reduce emissions

While the debate on the reality of climate change rages, calls for action to curb emissions are being largely ignored. It is understandable that people are fearful of potential new taxes but there is much that can be done at no cost and in fact to the financial advantage of all. What individual or business would would knock back an offer from someone offering to pay 15-20% of their energy costs? For most individuals and businesses this is the general level of energy and emission savings up for grabs. In the case of large businesses this amounts to millions of dollars and in fact the larger the business the greater the potential for inefficiency. I know this to be true because I have helped a number of companies make these kind of savings. And if you don't believe it I challenge you to look closely at your patterns of energy consumption. When you do so you will be astonished at how much unnecessary energy is wasted. Careful tracking of energy use is the first step in identifying improvement opportunity. Managing energy is of course no different to managing the household budget. If you don't track your spending you will have no hope of living within your means. Once you understand your patterns of energy use you can take steps to reduce consumption. If you are consuming a lot of energy in hot water use for example it may be opportune to install a solar water heater, or to have shorter showers, or to install a pressure head on the shower nozzle, or get the kids out of the shower quicker. I am sure you get the idea. And then think about opportunities in design of the house. East west oriented houses with passive heating and cooling and good insulation for example will slash your heating and cooling bills. The point is that eliminating unnecessary waste is good for the environment and good for the budget. I will conclude with a poem which I have titled the Global Warming Rap.

Our heated world is stewin
And we’re on the way to ruin
If we don’t change what we’re doin
And cut the crap we’re spewin

But our Politicians roared
The Kyoto protocol is flawed
And the nation can’t afford
To sign to this accord

We don’t need revolution
When a technical solution
And a bit of resolution
Will cut the worlds pollution

They work on the assumption
Which is a huge presumption
That we have the gumption
To cut down our consumption

We must not give up trying
To stop our planet frying
And our farmland slowly drying
And our coral reefs from dying