23rd October 2006

 
As Energy Efficiency Week 2006 begins today (i), with the revelation that Britain wastes more energy than any other EU country (ii), the Green party urge people in the County to ‘Switch off’!

Even though the UK has only 1% of the world’s population we are responsible for 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and our wasteful actions in the home, such as leaving electrical items on standby, contribute to more than a quarter of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions.

Gloucestershire Green party spokesperson, Cllr Philip Booth urged all in the County to ‘Switch Off’ and make a real difference to the climate change challenge. He said: “Energy Efficiency week really highlights all the small changes we can make to reduce climate change - and for that matter save money. For example switching to energy efficient light bulbs and not leaving the TV on standby are easy but effective steps to make a difference.”

Philip Booth, who is a Stroud District councillor, however warned that these changes will not alone be enough to make the required impact on climate change. He said:  “We have heard the action plans and suggested lifestyle changes that can be used to reduce the effects of climate change but what we need to see now is real, positive action on the ground from the UK Government to put these into practice. One key factor, for example, that concerns us now is the preparation for future generations. Britain’s workforce lacks the skills to meet the demands of evolving technologies and ideas – without it our progression will be extremely limited. There is not currently a coherent strategy for the training of our workforce yet it is vital that we implement a green strategy to meet environmental goals.

Philip Booth added: “Training is all too often aimed at placing people in jobs and ignores the potential to improve the environment. We must look to the future to ensure that the next generation do not face the climate change crisis we see before us now.”

Notes:

(i) For more re Energy Efficiency Week see:
http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/energysavingweek/

(ii) British people waste more energy than the inhabitants of any other major western European nation, hastening climate change and adding £2.5bn to annual fuel bills, according to research. A poll of 5,000 Europeans by the Energy Saving Trust found the average Briton admitted to 32 bad habits such as leaving lights on in empty rooms, more than twice as many as the most energy conscious nation. In interviews last month released for the start of Energy Efficiency Week today, Germans admitted to having 14 energy wasting habits, the Spanish 16, the French 19 and the Italians 25. By contrast, the UK was revealed to be a nation of "standby junkies", with 71 per cent rarely if ever switching off televisions, DVD players, computers and other electrical appliances. Two-thirds of people boiled surplus water in kettles, and 65 per cent left mobile phone and other chargers needlessly plugged in to the mains. Two-thirds left lights on in empty rooms. Householders could save £11bn in fuel bills by 2010 by eliminating the waste as well as prevent the release into the atmosphere of 43 million ton of carbon dioxide, estimated the EST. It calculated the unnecessary carbon dioxide was equivalent to the annual emissions of 7 million homes.