The short answer is... plenty! About 70% of global freshwater is used in agriculture - this provides us with our food energy. Hydropower provides some 20% of global electricity.
When you get an approved renewable energy system installed you can now benefit from a Feed-in Tariff (FIT). Your electricity supplier will pay one tariff for the electricity you generate and one for any electricity you export to the grid. For a standard household Solar PV system they'll pay 41.3p per kWh generated and at least 3p per kWh exported.
UK households are throwing away 8.3m tonnes of food a year, most of which is perfectly edible. A typical family with kids bins £680 worth. Equally unsettling is the environmental cost - the wasted water and energy in growing and transporting uneaten food and the methane it produces in landfill. So, how can we do better?
100% grant funded loft and cavity wall insulation is currently available to residents aged 70 years and above. This offer is made irrespective of your income and savings and whether or not you are in receipt of benefits.
If you are getting poor returns on your investments, why not try energy saving?
If you can’t afford to adequately heat your home you are technically living in ‘fuel poverty’. This could make you more vulnerable to cold-related illnesses like asthma, influenza, bronchitis and pneumonia. If are an older person, it could also put you at greater risk of heart attacks, strokes and other circulatory conditions.
The cost of household gas is almost twice what it was in 1999. Energy Saving Trust says the average household could still save around £300 a year on its energy bills. Are you missing a trick?
When sizzling hot weather is forecast, how can you store that early morning cool? Try these tips:
This article takes a look at a range of different insulation materials which are available to the DIY enthusiast or self-build house builder.
If you have little or no insulation in your home, up to 40p in every £1 of heat you pay for could be escaping before you feel warm. Hold this thought.
It is not unusual for the earth’s average temperature to rise or fall over tens of thousands of years. However, climate scientists consider it ‘very likely’ that global warming is now being accelerated by the high volumes of man-made carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere.
Not all information you read about energy saving light bulbs is accurate. The following Q&A should help put you in command of the facts.
Web based Carbon Calculators can help us move from agreement on climate change to action. To use one, simply enter details of your energy use. The calculator will then translate this into estimated carbon dioxide emissions.
Most car drivers could be travelling a lot further on a tank of fuel. No new car is required - just a change to smarter driving. Try these tips:
The scientific evidence is clear. Human CO2 emissions are accelerating climate change. We all need to reduce the emissions for which we are personally responsible by burning less fuel.
Climate change has climbed the agenda. Buildings are now being rated for energy efficiency and CO2 emissions. Some new homes are appearing with renewable energy systems built in.
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