A better world is possible - Global Commons Institute

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Copyright Bruce Nixon 2010. All rights reserved. This electronic copy is provided free for personal, non-commercial use only. www.brucenixon.com Savings of around £500m per year by 2020 are feasible from improved processes in industry, more efficient heat generation and more energy efficient plant designs; this would save almost 6 MtCO2, and further 1 MtCO2 possible through greater use of Combined Heat and Power (CHP). UK Per cent Emissions of CO2 by IPCC source category 2006 Energy industries (public electricity and heating 33.1) 38.9 Road transport (including cars 12.4) 21.7 Manufacturing and construction 14.8 Residential 14.4 Commercial and institutional 3.9 Industrial processes (materials) 2.5 Other transport (including air, rail, national navigation) 1.8 Fugitive emissions from fuels 0.9 Agriculture and forestry 0.8 Military (aircraft and shipping) 0.5 Other (Waste treatment and disposal 0.1 ,land use, land use change and forestry on balance nil) 0.1 Source: AEA Energy and Environment Food, as such is not included in these figures. See Food section, below. A radical rethink is needed. These figures make it clear that our whole way of life and doing business needs a radical rethink. Clearly the first four sources above are top priorities. Our current way of life is unsustainable. It is based on continuous economic growth, an unfair global trading system, pursuing the apparent lowest cost, wherever that can be sourced and at whatever cost to people and planet. Producing energy from renewable sources, reducing emissions from energy production, using less energy and using it economically are the top priorities. We need a new basis for calculating cost and a new approach that taxes the unsustainable at source and incentivises and rewards the sustainable. The New Economics Foundation is amongst many organisations proposing alternatives – see Chapter 9. Of course conclusions are not straightforward because of the complexities of the system and uncertainties in assessing the outcomes of alternative actions. For example the idea of labelling food and goods with their carbon footprint is a practical nightmare. There are confusing differences in figures available from different sources. Figures are changing all the time. But there are general principles we can apply when making choices and the more we understand the better. The Ecologist is perhaps one of the most reliable guides for citizens. Construction, demolition and regeneration These are major sources of CO2 emissions, harmful pollution and use of non-renewable resources. We cannot carry on at the present rate. Environmental impact assessments are essential before deciding on new construction. According to Concrete Thinking - for a sustainable world, 2006, worldwide “cement manufacturing accounts for approximately 5% of CO2 emissions. When all greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activities are considered, the cement industry is responsible for approximately 3% of 40
Copyright Bruce Nixon 2010. All rights reserved. This electronic copy is provided free for personal, non-commercial use only. www.brucenixon.com global emissions. China produces 37% of the world’s cement, followed by India with 6% and the U.S. with 5%. Most facilities in China rely on inefficient and outdated technologies; these plants contribute to 6 to 8% of the CO2 emissions in China. The cement industry has made progress and since 1972 has improved energy efficiencies by 33%. A policy of conservation, upgrading and re-using older buildings is more sustainable from many aspects, including social, cultural and aesthetic. The relative sustainability of different materials, such as wood, steel and concrete, sourcing locally wherever possible, and using local labour, needs to be assessed in every case. Generally, using steel, especially recycled steel, and wood, appears to be far more sustainable than concrete. Food Food accounts for nearly a third of UK’s climate footprint, i.e. CO2 and methane emissions. Meat and dairy are half this problem. The Soil Association say soya fed to pork, poultry and dairy cows in UK has displaced an area of rain forest the size of Devon and Cornwall - see Rainforests below. Clearly our shopping choices are extremely important. Supermarkets contribute 20% of UK CO2 emissions. A substantial part of their contribution, and that of warehouse stores, is their countrywide and worldwide sourcing and distribution systems and the need for customers to travel to out-of-town sites. In many cases people have no alternative now as local shops are driven out of business by the unfair competition created by supermarket and warehouse shopping and other factors described earlier. We need to create a level playing field for small shops. It is another example of the folly of cheap prices and big companies externalising substantial social costs. This whole system needs to be radically rethought. It’s unsustainable. Household greenhouse gas emissions from food account for almost twice those produced by driving. Most, 83% comes from the food production processes, rather than food miles 11% and retail wholesale 6%. Food production 83%, (37% CO2, 20% methane, 26% nitrous oxide) Transport – farm to customer 11% Wholesale/retail (refrigeration and lighting). 6% It also depends very much upon what you choose to eat. Meat Tomatoes Cheese Eggs Milk Salmon fillets Potatoes Apples Onions Carrots 4800g per 300g pack 2800g per 300g punnet 2600g per 300g pack 1650g per half-dozen box 1050g per litre bottle 500g per 250g pack wild caught 240g per 1kg pack 110g per 4 apple pack 60g per 750g 45g per 1kg 41
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A better world is possible - Global Commons Institute

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