30th December 2006

Stroud Green party members, David Michael and John Allbar appear on 'Costing the Earth: Solo Living' discussing the Stroud Co-housing project.

Photo: Stroud's co-housing

Listen again on:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/costingtheearth.shtml

Researchers are claiming that people living alone are living selfishly and costing the planet. Their lifestyles mean they not only have more household goods and use more energy but they also occupy more land, create more waste and emit more carbon dioxide per head than people who share. However rising numbers of us are living alone. In twenty years’ time it’s estimated around 38% of the population will be living by themselves. Household numbers are expected to rise by more than 200 thousand a year in England alone – around three quarters of those will be people living by themselves.

Dr Jo Williams from University College London explains how not only are 'solo-livers' on the increase but a new breed is after a place of their own, who could be even more consumptive.  The programme goes onto challenge the Government's approach to house-building.