Learning with The Open University More than two million people have already chosen to study with The Open University our wide range of courses and qualifications allows you to create a flexible programme of study to meet your needs and inspire you. Find out more To learn more about our courses and qualifications and to find out what it’s like to be an OU student, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk You can start with a single course in an area of interest such as climate change or in a topic that’s relevant to your job, or your future career. Or you may want to begin with a diploma or have a degree in mind. Call our Student Registration and Enquiry Services on 0870 333 4340 Short courses, such as Modelling the climate are for people who may already have study experience, but who don’t want to commit to a full undergraduate course straight away. For further copies of this publication you can contact us using the details above, or if you prefer to write to us, please quote reference OZGTCC Modelling the climate (S199) This short course provides an introduction to the sciences of weather, climate modelling and climate change and has been developed in conjunction with the climateprediction.net experiment. If you want to start a degree these courses may be of interest to you: Discovering science (S103) Introduces a range of topics from global warming to the origin of life and important basic scientific concepts. Working with our environment: technology for a sustainable future (T172) Examines the individual’s impact on the environment, global environment issues, and the role of technology in creating a sustainable future. Introduction to the social sciences: understanding social change (DD100) An Introduction to the social sciences. A quarter of the course explores ‘The Natural and the Social’, including materials that help you understand and evaluate environmental risks. For more advanced study: MA in Environment policy and society (F19) MSc in Environmental decision making (F13) E-mail: general-enquiries@open.ac.uk Write to: The Open University, PO Box 197, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BJ For information about Open University broadcasts and associated learning, visit our website open2.net The Open University has a wide range of learning materials for sale, including self study workbooks, videos and software. For more information visit the website www.ouw.co.uk What can we do about climate change? Published in 2006 by The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, to accompany the BBC’s Climate Chaos Season, in May 2006. BBC Executive Producers: Marc Goodchild and Sacha Baveystock BBC ‘Climate Chaos’ Producers: Jeremy Bristow and Michael Lachmann OU Contribution: Mark Brandon and Joe Smith, The Open University Project Co-ordination: Julia Burrows Photographs: Mike Dodd/Mark Brandon Graphic Designer: Lee Johnson Copyright © The Open University 2006 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the copyright holders. Enquiries regarding extracts or the re-use of any information in this publication should be addressed to the Viewer and Listener Information Officer at The Open University, or email: OU.viewerlistener.service@bbc.co.uk Edited, designed and typeset by The Open University Printed in the United Kingdom by (xxxxxxx Ltd.) SUP 908 018 A short guide to climate change accompanying the ‘Climate Chaos’ season of programmes What can I do about climate change? What do we need to know about climate change? Some of the best scientists on the planet have sifted the evidence for climate change and only a handful now doubt that humans are responsible for Earth’s increased atmospheric temperatures. Scientists see the main culprit as our 150 year use of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas which were formed from the remains of plants and marine organisms that lived millions of years ago. By burning these fuels we release the carbon stored in the fuel back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and so add to the natural ‘greenhouse effect’. Most of the energy we consume comes from fossil fuel burning power stations, heating equipment and vehicles. Unfortunately our fossil fuel habit has accelerated over the last fifty years as more people build their lives around cars, electrical appliances and air travel. But how do we know climate change is happening? The graph below shows average temperature in central England and global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration rising hand in hand since the industrial revolution. �� Elsewhere on the planet it is easier to see. Satellites show the area of ice covered Arctic ocean has shrunk by about a fifth since 1978. ��� �������������� ��� �� ��� ����������� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� � ��� ��� ��� ���� ���� ���� ���� ���� ���� ���������������������������������������� ���� ��� 2005 The image above shows the 2005 summer ice extent, the green line is the average summer ice edge from 1978 – 2005. ���� Graph: Until the last 20 to 30 years, any relation between carbon dioxide levels and temperatures in the UK, or globally, has been masked by the natural variability of our climate. The recent steep rise in temperatures, though, is the sign of things to come. For example a few years ago no-one had seen a patio heater, and now they are common garden furniture. They are bound to increase in number with the introduction of no-smoking areas in cafes and pubs. But they wastefully release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere when we could just wear a jumper. There are simple things we could all do that would reduce our contribution to the UK carbon dioxide emissions. Here are some simple tips and sources of further information that will help you to reduce your carbon emissions and almost certainly save yourself some money. Change light bulbs – save money and reduce your carbon footprint! We all know light bulbs get hot, but this heat wastes over 90% of the energy they use. Wasted energy is wasted money and it unnecessarily adds to our carbon dioxide emissions. There is a simple solution to both problems – switch to energy saving light bulbs which are more efficient. Here is the proof showing how much you can save ��� ��� ����������������� The impact of these rising temperatures can be difficult to see in Britain, after all one minute we have floods, and the next a drought. It’s a mind bending thought that the choices we make every day when we get up in the morning such as turning on the heating, making the tea, washing, eating breakfast, travelling to school or work, can influence the global climate. With the carbon humans have already put in the atmosphere it is certain that temperatures will continue increasing for decades to come. One 60 w light bulb burning 5 hours a day for a year would put just over 47 kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and cost you £10.95 in electricity costs. Energy saving light bulbs are about 4 times more efficient so we only need a 15 Watt bulb for the same amount of light and over the same length of time it will only cost you £2.74 per year, that’s a saving of £8.20 per year on every single bulb! The best bit is you also decrease your carbon dioxide emissions by 35 kg of carbon dioxide as well. People say “energy saving bulbs cost so much and are too big”. They do cost more – typically about £4 each, so in the first year you would save “only” £4.20 per light, and now there are smaller energy saving bulbs available. Typically an energy saving bulb would last up to 10 times longer than a conventional bulb – at five hours use per day this is 5 years or more. Over five years you would save about £37, and reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by about 175 kg for every bulb you change! How many light bulbs are in your house, and do you leave them on when you don’t need them? There are big savings for you and the atmosphere just waiting to be made. For more information and web links try: www.nef.org.uk/energyadvice/lighting.htm www.banthebulb.org/ Insulate your house or flat and about 3.5% of all the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions are due to this food transport. We could reduce this by buying locally produced foods, especially avoiding air freighted fruit and vegetables. Sustain got down to 376 food miles for a similar meal and you could do the same by shopping at farmers’ markets or looking for locally grown produce in your supermarket. If that doesn’t appeal you can get local vegetables delivered to your door with a delivery scheme. Household heating is responsible for about 60% of domestic energy use – that’s more than 140 million tons of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere each year. There must be something we can do. The most obvious is insulating your house or flat. We waste almost half our heating energy through poor insulation and The Energy Savings Trust estimate that if everyone who could installed cavity wall insulation we would save 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions straight away. Reducing emissions saves money so insulating your loft and walls you could save up to £250 each year. The best bit is there are substantial government or council grants and power company grants to help you insulate. To find out more follow the links below: Why wait? For more information and web links try: Air Travel The Energy Savings Trust EST Helpline: The Open University www.est.org.uk/myhome/insulation 0800 915 7722 www.open2.net/environment/energy_house.htm Local Travel Road traffic is one of the fastest growing sources of carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for 22% of the total, and the Department of Transport estimates it will grow by up to a third between 2000 and 2010. Plenty of car journeys are less than 2 miles in length, so you could burn your gym subscription and get healthier and happier by leaving the car at home and walking or cycling. It is also getting easier to plan journeys based around public transport using the web. For more information check out: Sustrans Transport 2000 The Department of Transport National travel information www.sustrans.org.uk www.transport2000.org.uk www.dft.gov.uk www.traveline.org.uk/index.htm Food Miles Have you ever realised how far the food in your shopping basket has travelled? After all, New Zealand apples are available in almost every supermarket. Sustain estimated that the food for a typical meal could easily have travelled 24000 miles, To find out the locations of farmers’ markets www.farmersmarkets.net For general information on local food and a directory www.soilassociation.org For general information about food miles www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/foodmiles.shtml Over the last thirty years UK air travel carbon dioxide emissions have more than tripled to about 38 million tonnes per year. Air travel is continuing to grow and will increase by over 2.5 times by 2030. Because aircraft fly and release carbon dioxide high in the atmosphere they have a greater global warming effect – 1 kg of carbon dioxide released by a jet is equivalent to about 2.7 kg released by your car. This is because aircraft release other waste gases into the upper atmosphere and causes disturbances such as condensation trails. These increase the global warming effect. There are lots of good reasons to travel – work, relaxation, and new experiences, but there are many choices we can make about the most environmentally friendly option. It helps to know how much carbon you are using for travel so you can make better choices: To compare energy and carbon you use for travel: www.chooseclimate.org/flying/index.html For information about different choices visit: www.open2.net/choices/transport/transport.htm Why not look for a holiday closer to home this year? When you do travel by plane you could go less often but arrange to go for longer and have a richer experience. You could also add your voice to demands to make air travel pay full environmental and social costs. What can’t I do about climate change? If this is what a string of world leaders have called one of the greatest threats to humanity why does it feel like we’re doing nothing about it? Many of us feel angry at being asked to ‘do our bit’ about transport or energy use when government or business seem slow to change. Many people look at the fast growing economies of India and China and ask whether there is any point in changing our behaviour. It’s true that as individuals we can’t control the price of energy, invest in new technological breakthroughs or force the pace of international agreements. But we can get better informed, take part in debate, and demand action from our elected representatives. In fact these may prove to be far more effective ways of reducing carbon dioxide emissions than changing your light bulbs. Here are some ways to get better informed, take part in the debate and make your voice heard: Go to openDemocracy for a rich mix of articles by everyone from the Government’s chief scientific advisor Sir David King to novelist Ian McEwan, as well as opportunities to debate the issues with others online: www.opendemocracy.net/climate_change To make contact with a decentralised global network on environment, development and human rights go to Oneworld.net. It has news generated by a global network of NGOs and independent journalists, as well as campaigns and links to advice and forums: www.oneworld.net Much closer to home you can sign up to the BBC’s action network to make contact with others in your local area concerned with issues such as climate change, or to get contact details of your local councillors, MPs and MEPs: www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork If you have contacted your MP and want to see their voting and speeches on climate change you can use the site: www.theyworkforyou.com An alternative way to contact your MP is via the House of Commons switchboard on 020 7219 3000 The government department responsible for leading the UK response on climate change is DEFRA and they have a website that addresses ‘Tomorrow’s Climate – Today’s Challenge’ with information resources and competitions at: www.climatechallenge.gov.uk/index.asp To get the perspective of UK campaigners on the issue a “one-stop shop” is the coalition of groups called Stop Climate Chaos. Everyone from the RSPB and Women’s Institute to Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace are signed up. They offer events information, climate change facts and campaign tips: www.stopclimatechaos.org What are some of the climate change controversies? Acting on climate change is going to take society into some tough debates. This is new and difficult territory. We all need to be better equipped to participate in questions such as: Can we develop renewable energy fast enough to displace fossil fuels? Do we need nuclear power? What about the environmental impact of windfarms? Will science ever accurately predict the implications of climate change? When it comes to economic calculations are the lives of the rich and poor world measured equally? The Open University has developed courses from foundation to masters level that cover the science, technology and policy dimensions of climate change to help answer this need. Tackling Climate Change at Home Have you installed, or seriously considered getting loft insulation or energy saving light bulbs? Perhaps you’ve installed, or at least seriously considered, solar water heating or even a micro wind turbine to generate your own electricity? If so, you can contribute to a major Open University research project (running until end of July 06). Simply go to: http://elsa.open.ac.uk/climatechangePZ.survey Discover more about climate change – visit Open2.net To find out more about the basics of climate prediction, explore the economic impact of climate change and discover the real science behind the statisitcs visit www.open2.net This leaflet has been printed on recycled paper