Many of us make pledges to spend more time with our family and friends or lose some of the weight we put on over Christmas. This year I am making some resolutions to tackle the great issue of our age – climate change.
My new role as Secretary of
State for Energy and Climate Change has for me brought the issue into sharp focus.
The dangers we all face from climate change are immense, ranging from more extreme and unpredictable weather events to the degradations of our natural environment and a scarcity of natural resources.
While the challenge of reducing green house gases is enormous, Britain
is leading the way by making a legally binding commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. The road to meeting this ambitious target involves collaboration between government, scientists, and business. But there is a lot that individuals can do.
There are five simple household steps that all can take, to reduce their impact on the environment:
- Replace your light bulbs with energy-saving ones. Each one could save you up to £7 a year and they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.
- Recycle more – recycling helps reduce the amount of waste going into landfills, helps reduce the amount of toxic chemicals absorbed into the earth and, in some cases, reduces manufacturing costs and energy consumption.
- Use less hot water and adjust your thermostat – turning your thermostat down by one degree centigrade could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent per year.
- Turn off electronic devices – don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily. Simply turning off electrical appliances such as a television, DVD player, stereo and computer when you're not using them will save a lot of energy.
- Loft insulation and draught exclusion will make your home warmer, saving you energy and money.
If you want help making these sort of changes for the New Year and beyond, you can call the Energy Saving Trust on Freephone 0800 512 012.
I know that the problem of climate change seems daunting to many, but if we all pull together we can all make a big difference.
