Energy Saving Tip #3: Heating

Oil and natural gas prices continue to rise year after year. It's inevitable because demand continues to rise and hydrocarbon resources are limited, getting more expensive to extract, and are set to run out within a few decades. So, if you've got gas or oil fueled heating, you're looking at bigger and bigger bills. There are a number of ways to reduce the pain though.

• Turn your thermostat down. Just 1 centigrade reduction can save up to 10% of your heating bill.

• Loft insulation. 25% of the heat lost from your house is through the roof. Insulating your loft up to a depth of 270mm will pay for itself within a year and save you a packet from then on. You can even get grants to help pay for this simple but effective measure.

• Cavity wall insulation. About 35% of heat loss is through the walls. So cavity wall insulation is good idea if possible. [Note: Solid wall insulation is too expensive to consider].

• Double Glazing. Windows account for 10% of heat loss. Double glazing is an expensive way to save but may add to the value of your home.

• Draught Proofing. Loses 15% of heat. Draft proofing is usually very cheap and pays for itself very quickly.
  

Warmest January on Record

Climate monitoring satellites have just recorded the warmest January on the records (Which began 30+ years ago). Even though some of us are experiencing a very cold Winter.

Despite what the sceptics say, satellite measurements DO back up what ground-based stations are saying, which is: Global temperatures are rising inexorably. There may be the odd fall, but the overall trend is upwards.

Climate sceptics and OJ Simpson

For a very insightful look at the global warming 'war' that's raging at the moment in the media, on the Web, and in the halls of power, look here. It's a long piece but well worth the read.

Energy Saving Tip #2: Cars

With the price of fuel rising inexorably, many of us could do with some savings on filling up the car. I'm paying 27% more per litre than this time last year!

Here are some ways you can save money:

• Don't drive around with a car rack and/or roof box unnecessarily. They create drag and therefore waste fuel.

• Keep your tyres at the right pressure. These tyre pressures are calculated to maximise your car's efficiency.

• The more gently you accelerate, the less petrol you use. Ever wondered why the official fuel consumption figures for your car don't match your own? It's because they are based on extremely gentle acceleration. I doubt anyone could match these figures and stay sane but if you're heavy on the gas, you might save some money by easing back on the pedal.
  

• Change up through the gears as soon as possible. Over-revving the engine wastes petrol.

• Sit at junctions with your handbrake on rather than slipping your clutch. Riding your clutch wastes petrol unnecessarily.
  

• Get your car serviced regularly. Spark plug settings etc. can have a noticeable effect on your fuel consumption.

• Consider 'down-sizing' your car. Smaller cars use considerably less fuel. Ask yourself if you really need a larger car. If you're a 2 or more car family, would just 1 family car plus a smaller car do instead (That's one I'm working on at the moment)? If you do need a larger car, consider a hybrid as your next purchase.

• Walk, cycle, or use public transport wherever possible or maybe do it once or twice a week.

• Car share if possible. My wife and I work within half a mile of each other. We leave the house at the same time most days but have very different return times. So I'm working on car sharing with her some mornings and cycling back in the afternoons using a folding bike I can just chuck in the back of the car. Saving fuel AND getting fit. I like it!
  

Climate scepticism on the rise?

According to a recent poll, there's been a noticeable rise in climate scepticism in the UK.

Might be a statistical blip or we've taken a single bad winter as evidence that global warming isn't happening afterall.

Individual weather events should never be mistaken for proof of anything climatically-speaking. Just as a single hot summer or more than the average hurricanes one year are no indication that global warming is upon us (as some media reports would have it), one harsh winter doesn't overturn the global warming science. The fact is, we're likely to have more winters like this before things turn really bad.

It's the general trend that matters, the fact that temperatures are rising over the long term. That's what we all need to keep in mind.

Energy Saving Tips #1: Stand-by

Up to 10% of your electric bill could be down to various devices around your home being on 'stand-by' most of the day e.g. Your TV, DVD player, and music system.

If at all possible, switch them off rather than hit the stand-by button.

A little extra effort could reduce those bills (and your carbon footprint).

See here for information on what stand-by is and how much it could be costing you.

War of Words

During the course of researching global warming, I have discovered a little war playing out on the Web....

In the wake of the U.N.'s report stating that climate change is happening and was very likely caused by Man, you'd expect the fossil fuel companies to come out fighting. Afterall, it's not like they've got much choice: If they just accept the findings, which are backed by hundreds of scientists and checked by thousands more, they'll be as good as saying goodbye to their industry overnight.

Hell, in this day and age, they'd probably be sued by their share-holders and employees for dereliction of duty or something!

But, instead of going toe-to-toe with the scientists by debunking their climate change data with their own peer reviewed scientific papers, they've chosen to engage in a kind of whispering campaign 'backed' by oft-repeated, long-since discredited scientific claims.

One such claim is that global warming is merely a result of ground-based thermometers being swallowed up by the 'heat island effect' from expanding cities.

An urban heat island is where towns and cities are significantly warmer than their rural surroundings. So the climate deniers are saying that, as cities expand, they swallow up more and more weather stations, therefore giving the impression that the global temperature is rising.

Numerous studies have concluded that there is no such influence because most of the gauges are sited in parks and open areas within the cities. Besides, the rural thermometers also show very similar rises.

Yet, despite these ideas have been proven wrong, they continue to be repeated by the deniers as if they were still valid!

So beware of any anti-global warming 'science' you find on the Web or hear in the media, it's probably just baseless propoganda.

55 Countries Pledge To Cut Emissions

It was revealed today that 55 countries, representing 78% of the World's global emissions, have pledged greenhouse gas reductions in the wake of the failed Copenhagen conference. This includes most of the major players like the US, Russia, the EU, India, and China.

Although many of the pledges simply repeat what the countries brought to the table before the conference, it's a useful starting point for a worldwide agreement.

Momentum seems to be gaining here. It's possible that climate talks in Bonn, Germany in May could add to it ahead of the Mexico conference in December when everyone will be looking for a global, legally binding agreement (again).

Read more here.