Kitz Forum
Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: guest on October 24, 2007, 05:44:20 PM
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I tried this :
http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
the other day and found I have a footprint of 2.09. I thought I'd do better than that but apparently that IS good for someone living in the UK. I find that rather worrying.
Yes I know bits might be flawed but it does take a different approach to most of these calculators. If you wish to register (I haven't) then apparently you can go into a lot more detail. I disagree very strongly with the weighting they seem to give to "buying energy from a green supplier" as if they are talking electricity then 40% gets lost in the cables which get it to you + there's a bit of a con on ROCs. I am unaware of any windfarms/tidal barrages or solar plants anywhere near Leicester but am quite willing to be corrected ;)
So post your footprints peeps :)
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Came out with 2.74.
The problem with 'button questionaires' is that they do not ask questions with suitable answers to be able to tick the exact one.
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2.44 here :'(
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I got 2.65
Too much time spent travelling I think, but I can't save the planet by myself. Just think of the Grand Prix racing and I'm a total innocent
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2.51 here.
Feared it would be worse with company car to get my BIK'sworth out of. Luckily I don't fly anywhere for personal use.
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I got 2.54 - I suppose that's a "could do better" eh
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Mine was 2.37.
Like previously mentioned I think some of the questions were a bit wooly.. and Im still trying to figure out how much you spent on vets bills etc had to do with it?
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I got 2.26... and this is someone who doesn't own a motorised vehicle, rarely travels by bus or train, and never flies. I was wondering about the vets thing too.
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You really can't take the scores seriously in a simplistic quiz like this. Carbon footprints are far too complex to deal with this way. Its only real purpose is to make people think a bit more about the issues, and it has a value in that respect.
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2.28 here,lts only a rough estimate.What about the US,China and India?Do they have these questionaires to fill in ?
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As I said - apparently if you register you can go into much more detail. There are lots of other calculators - the govt runs one - but do you really want to be telling govt/energy companies exactly how much electricity you use, gas, petrol, diesel, where you last went on hols, when you last went on hols etc etc ;)
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As I said - apparently if you register you can go into much more detail. There are lots of other calculators - the govt runs one - but do you really want to be telling govt/energy companies exactly how much electricity you use, gas, petrol, diesel, where you last went on hols, when you last went on hols etc etc ;)
I think they already know, don't they. If they can track where you are at any given time via your mobile phone, not much left secret is there?
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There are still a few dinosaurs like me who don't use a mobile phone. :)
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I make a point of turning mine off most of the time. People I actually know in real life know how to get hold of me anyway :)
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:o 3.31 But I suppose it must be the long haul flights for holidays as I seem to be pretty good on most other things. Now I must admit to being a little selfish, but if I and many others in a similar situation to mine, were to cut down on these flights it would make sod all difference to the world wide 'problem'.
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Sorry to disillusion you but it is really the only change a UK consumer can make which WILL make a difference. Everything else (bar getting rid of your car) really does make no appreciable difference - eg 40% of electricity power is lost in transmission - way before it ever reaches the consumer so energy efficiency at your end shouldn't really be the priority.
Stop flying.
Stop driving.
Yes I know stopping driving is virtually impossible outside London. Flying is a choice - nobody NEEDS to do it, they choose to.
Anything else then don't feel guilty about it for any changes you make will matter not a jot. Some of the changes will save you cash so do it on that basis - doing it to save the planet? How long do you think it'll take to recover the "carbon cost" of making a thermostatic radiator valve eh? Solar panels? You will never recover the "carbon cost" of domestic solar panels. The monetary cost perhaps...
We need to view the whole matter differently I reckon. Eg - lets cut down trees but build HOUSES from them. That locks the carbon in the tree up for 100 years or so if done right. Then plant some more trees, rinse and repeat.
Me? I suspect the tipping point in climate change has already happened. We just haven't discovered it yet. I'm a cynic however.
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Thing is though if I decide to be green and don't fly, that plane will still go on it's scheduled journey so with that in mind I might as well be on it.
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I'm not getting at you Ralph, but that's a bit of a false argument. Flight schedules, like nearly everything else, are driven by demand. If the demand falls, then fewer flights will be scheduled.
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Yes I know it is an iffy reason but it was the best I could think of at the time. May come up with another later after some refreshment.. ;)
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Oh hell. I'm not getting at ANYONE.
It may sound like it but I'm not. The reality is that nothing anyone (individual or business) does in the UK will make the slightest difference to climate change. China is playing catch-up in an incredible way and India now beggars belief as to how fast the economy is growing. Either India or China on their own make the total UK emissions seem like a puff of smoke.
All I'm trying to point out is that there is really only two things UK consumers can do to make an appreciable difference to their own "carbon footprint". Everything else is smoke and mirrors - ESPECIALLY "green energy" suppliers.
:)
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I wasn't taking it personally Rizla, I never do on this forum, we are all too sensible for that, I hope!!!
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Yes I know stopping driving is virtually impossible outside London.
I beg to differ. I don't drive and I don't live in London. Admittedly I do live in a city, and fairly close to the centre of it. All the amenities I need to live a decent lifestyle (including place of employment) are within 20 minutes walk from here. For the occasions when I venture further away we have adequate bus and rail links. Never have owned a car (nor had a driving license for that matter), so if I did own a car I wouldn't have any use for it.
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ralphw : Good - its hard to tell :)
Floydoid : good for you, wish I could say the same - here in the world's first "Environment City" (yes really it is Leicester) it is cheaper to take a taxi than the bus - assuming 2 adults and one child. There is NO "public" transport outside London - it is all private. Interesting how Maggie deregulated EVERY bus service in the UK outside London eh?
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Don't get me started on the topic of Maggie.
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btw wth is all this "carbon friendly insurance" that I keep seeing the ads on TV all on about anyhow.
Surely its up to the driver/milage and the car/parts that makes the most difference - not the insurance!
ecoinsurance is the UK's first car insurance policy to help offset some of the damage your car's CO2 emissions cause to the environment. We all know that vehicle emissions are bad for the environment - but until there's a practical alternative to owning a car, there's ecoinsurance.
So in other words they just donate a percentage of your policy for reforestation.
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Do a whois at nominet on the mob running the ads kitz. Then go to companieshouse.co.uk and put in the company name (edit - number rather than name). Now look at what they used to be called.
Now rearrange :
the bandwagon on jumping ;)
Smoke & mirrors.
Edit - for those who have no idea how to do this :
Output from whois query :
10/26/07 12:25:41 whois ibuyeco.co.uk
.uk is a domain of United Kingdom
(international dialing code 44)
Searches for .uk can be run at http://www.britain.eu.net/naming-co/whois-form.html
whois -h whois.nic.uk ibuyeco.co.uk ...
Domain name:
ibuyeco.co.uk
Registrant:
Ben Meadows
Registrant type:
UK Limited Company, (Company number: 3231094)
Registrant's address:
Pegasus House
Bakewell Road Orton Southgate
Peterborough
Cambs
PE2 6YS
GB
Registrar:
Pipex Communications UK Ltd t/a 123-Reg.co.uk [Tag = 123-REG]
URL: http://www.123-reg.co.uk
Relevant dates:
Registered on: 15-Mar-2007
Renewal date: 15-Mar-2009
Last updated: 25-Apr-2007
Registration status:
Registered until renewal date.
Name servers:
ns.123-reg.co.uk
ns2.123-reg.co.uk
WHOIS lookup made at 12:25:36 26-Oct-2007
--
This WHOIS information is provided for free by Nominet UK the central registry
for .uk domain names. This information and the .uk WHOIS are:
Copyright Nominet UK 1996 - 2007.
You may not access the .uk WHOIS or use any data from it except as permitted
by the terms of use available in full at http://www.nominet.org.uk/whois, which
includes restrictions on: (A) use of the data for advertising, or its
repackaging, recompilation, redistribution or reuse (B) obscuring, removing
or hiding any or all of this notice and (C) exceeding query rate or volume
limits. The data is provided on an 'as-is' basis and may lag behind the
register. Access may be withdrawn or restricted at any time. [/i]
Companies House says its a company called BISL Ltd who used to be called Budget Insurance Services Ltd and prior to that PacketChange Ltd
Offsetting is, in the majority of cases I have looked at, totally unregulated and open to abuse. Googling Ben Meadows suggests they are a US forestry supplier. Hmmm do I want to be giving money to them? I think not.
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Domain name:
ecoinsurance.co.uk
Registrant:
Co-operative Financial Services
Registrant type:
Unknown
>> the bandwagon on jumping
>> Smoke & mirrors.
Yes I suspected that - but thought it was just me that was being a cynic.
As an aside is it just me that cant get their CO2 calculator (http://www.ecoinsurance.co.uk/calc.php)to work in either IE, FF or Opera?
lmao - just checked the source code - theres no select options coded in the form.
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Ah I thought you were on about the "I buy Eco" ads :)
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>> Ah I thought you were on about the "I buy Eco" ads
Yeah I think I was -
your edit and my above post crossed - I was obviously looking at the wrong company.
I'd seen the ads but couldnt remember the name - now you mention it - it was I buy eco.
Id done a seach on ecoinsurance.
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It rather looks to me that "I buy Eco" car insurance "offsets" with the company that owns them. See the smoke & mirrors involved in offsetting? >:(
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Hmmm there does seem to be a bit of smoke in more ways than one :D
The company is owned by the BISL Group who also would appear to own other companies such as
Budgetinsurance.com, dialdirect.co.uk, bennetts.co.uk, bglgroup.co.uk and many more...
One of the things I find strange is one of their companies is also "Rev for a reason" whose motto appears to be "make a Noise - Make a difference".
Now I know its about safety.. but this sort of thing is hardly eco friendly is it?
http://www.revforareason.net/gallery.php?a=play&v=29&p=1
http://www.revforareason.net/gallery.php?a=play&v=28&p=2
etc
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I re-iterate what I said earlier on in the thread.
Stop driving
Stop flying
Nothing else a UK consumer does will make any meaningful difference to their carbon footprint. Anything else you do is for monetary cost savings - nothing else.
I do encourage people to go discover this for themselves. Justin Rowlatt's "Ethical Man" blog is probably the best practical reference for people in the UK. Just go to the Newsnight site on the BBC and read.
There quite simply aren't enough "green" energy sources in the UK to supply even the people who think they are on a renewable "supply" now.
Smoke and mirrors.
Offsetting is nonsense - pure and simple. Yes we can fund projects which stop people in the third world burning wood/producing charcoal when solar alternatives (nobody should be deploying solar power unless you have 200+ days of sun/year) are available. No it DOESN'T do anything other than salve the conscience of those of us in the "first world" (perjorative term or what?). These projects were being funded before - via ordinary people contributing. Now we have farces like Sky claiming to be "carbon neutral". In beancounter terms maybe - applying common sense and what do you think?
Smoke and mirrors.
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Guys
I need to travel UK to Italy job and pleasure - just one journey - me and my wife.
So which is best - carbon-wise? fly or drive via tunnel/ferry - there are no other reasonable alternatives. I need to know the carbon output of a car that exists anyway - it is the burning of petrol and wear'n'tear
compared with
a flight which might fly with empty seats if I don't fly but my purchase will encourage the flight to be put on in the future
Thanks, John
(no - you shouldn't do it at all - I have to come to terms with that by reducing my other carbon emissions)
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Hi John, and welcome.
To be honest, I don't think it's possible to make a proper assessment. There are just too many interdependent issues. If it's just a one-off then you should simply do what's most suitable for you.
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I agree with Eric.
If its likely to become a regular trip then I'd say take the train and just rent a car at the other end. Personally I can't stand driving a right-hand drive car on the continent so I'd be inclined to rent a car anyway.