Climate change
26 January 2007
Last week’s torrential rain and high winds caused mayhem everywhere. By mid afternoon on Thursday, train services were cancelled and many roads heavily congested due to fallen trees. People having meetings in high rise office blocks had to shout to be heard above the whistling wind and across the country a number of people were killed in accidents due to the bad weather.
This type of extreme and unpredictable weather is a taste of things to come according to climate experts. At a conference last week Prof Hawking, one of our country’s most renowned and respected scientists stated that we stand on the precipice of a period of exceptional climate change which could forever change life on earth. In doing so he added his name to the growing list of ‘important people’ who endorse the view that climate change will have very serious consequences for humanity. That list includes Sir Nicholas Stern, head of the Government Economics Service and more recently David Attenborough, naturalist and Official National Treasure.
But rather than worrying about it, why not take some positive action. One of the most significant things we can all do is use less energy at home. On average our homes produce 6,000kgs of CO2 a year and much of the energy we consume is wasted, so there is lots of room for improvement. Simple things like switching appliances off where you’ve finished with them could save 10% and cost nothing. Other things such as loft and cavity wall insulation may require an investment but will pay for themselves quickly by reducing your energy bills. It could also raise the value of your property, as later this year, all homes will be required to have an energy performance certificate as part of the Home Information Pack, when they are offered for sale or rent.
Independent and impartial advice on how to save energy in your home is available from the Warwickshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (WEEAC). A range of grants are available to help you with the cost of energy efficiency measures. For information, contact WEEAC on 0800 512012 or via e-mail at advice@weeac.org.