Zero Carbon

Reducing building energy demand and meeting it from zero/low carbon and renewable resources

Carbon Dioxide is the prime contributor to climate change, with each person in the UK responsible for around 12 tonnes of carbon every year. To be zero carbon you need to reduce the energy you use, and supply the remainder with renewables. Find out what your carbon footprint is at www.carbonfootprint.com then try these tips to reduce it:

Try www.est.org.uk/myhome for advice on saving energy in your home and information about grants for insulation and double glazing, and for generating renewables at home. Micro-generation grants are available for photovoltaics, wind turbines, hydro, solar thermal hot water, heat pumps, bio-energy, biomass CHP and fuel cells.

Think about how to save electricity at home, this could mean choosing low energy appliances and light bulbs, or making sure your TV is turned off, not left on stand-by.

Switch to a green electricity supplier to instantly achieve zero-carbon electricity at home. Try Good Energy (pictured below) or Ecotricity. For every individual who switches to Good Energy 100% renewable electricity, the BioRegional charity receives a £20 donation. We promise to spend it developing more solutions for sustainability

Transport and food are major causes of carbon emissions. Read on for advice on how to reduce your impacts in those areas.

Zero Waste

Reducing waste arising, reclaiming, recycling and recovering.

Sustainable Transport

Reducing your need to travel and choose sustainable alternatives to private car use

The transport sector is responsible for 25% of UK carbon emissions. Do your bit by walking and cycling wherever possible, and if that’s not possible use public transport or a car share.

Reduce your need to travel by using local amenities and working closer to home.

Air travel and car travel are the only forms of transport that are on the increase in the UK yet they are the least sustainable options. We need to reverse that trend, so aim to limit car and air travel as much as possible.

Local and Sustainable Materials

Materials chosen for buildings and infrastructure to give high performance in use with minimised impact in manufacture and delivery

Local and Sustainable Food

Consumption of local, seasonal and organic produce, with reduced amount of food waste, animal protein and packaging

Food accounts for around 28% of our eco-footprint1 but it’s easy to reduce it and be healthier too!

Eat less meat and dairy which together account for over 50%2 of the eco-footprint of the food we eat at home. Organic milk and cream uses 70% less energy to produce than non-organic3, and it’s better for you too

Fruit and veg account for over 60% of transport impact of food4, so it’s best to choose an organic box scheme that sources local and seasonal products

We waste 40% of the food we buy5 and before that, supermarkets reject a lot of fruit and veg that doesn’t even make it on to the shelves, so try to only buy what you will use.

Grow your own food in private or community gardens, containers or allotments. We grow less than 5% of the fruit we consume in the UK (and we waste half of this!)6 so make a start by growing some of your own fruit

Sustainable Water

Reduced water demand with rain and waste water managed sustainably

In the UK we use 150 litres of water per person every day, the average for Europe is 100 litres per person and just 9 litres in Mozambique1.

Put a ‘hippo’ or ‘save-a-flush’ bag in the cistern and save over a litre each time you flush the loo. You can get these from your local water authority, or grab one from the bathroom in our show home.

Buy (or make) a water butt to harvest rainwater from your roof. You can get these from garden centres and some councils and water companies offer reduced price versions

Re-use your grey (bath and sink water) in the garden, or even set up your own grey water treatment reed bed in the garden – try The Permaculture Garden by Graham Bell for a simple system you can build in a day.

Showers v baths: A quick shower uses a third of the water of a bath, but power showers can use more water than a bath in less than five minutes.

Try not to leave the tap running – turn it off when brushing your teeth, washing or shaving. Rinse vegetables in a bowl if water rather than under the tap, and keep a jug of water in the fridge rather than running the tap until the water runs cold.You can get more water saving tips from www.environment-agency.gov.uk

Natural Habitats & Wildlife

Existing biodiversity conserved and opportunities taken to increase ecological value

Culture & Heritage

Cultural heritage acknowledged. Sense of place and identity engendered to contribute towards future heritage

Equity & Fair Trade

Create a sense of community.

Food and clothes are cheaper in the UK than they have been for years. But cheap goods and food come at a price, unacceptable working conditions for workers, from child labour in clothing factories, to unfair gang-labour on some UK farms. So it’s important to know the provenance of the goods and food that you buy. This could mean shopping locally and buying food from someone who knows, and can vouch for their suppliers.

Check www.ethicalconsumer.org for reports on a huge range of products and services, and look for the Fairtrade logo.

The BioRegional Charcoal Company produces locally produced BBQ charcoal as an alternative to environmentally damaging imports.

Think about co-operation rather than competition between nations and mutually respectful forms of development.

Think of yourself as a citizen of the planet, as well as of a nation.

Health & Happiness

Increase your HPI score! HPI stands for Happy Planet Index and it’s an idea that the New Economics Foundation and Friends of the Earth came up with to measure a
country’s or an individual’s well being.
Measure yours at: www.happyplanetindex.org