Eco Paint

“Acid yellow, lime green and Spanish rose? You can’t be serious?” Such were the cries from friends when they heard I was planning to re-paint my living room. I had discovered the fun interactive tool on the website of the organic paint company Ecos, which allows you to paint the different walls and ceiling of a virtual room in the various colours from their range. While admittedly I did tone down the acid yellow a tad, I was thrilled with the results. The yellow paint especially means the downstairs bursts with exuberance when the sun is out.

OK, you may not be convinced about my interior design credentials, but the same friends have all now accepted that their fears were unfounded. Almost without exception they loved the new colour scheme and indeed one from the ranks of these doubters, who lives in a designer minimalist habitat, claims I have invented a new aesthetic that he is rather jealous of.

Still unconvinced? Well, rest assured. Organic paints have come on in leaps and bounds over the past decade, and they also come in more subtle colours. My first experiences with them, over 10 years ago, involved messy mixing of pigment powders and base paint. Some of the external gloss paints were also disappointing as they crumpled into dust within a year. However, the clever souls at Ecos Paints have put an end to all that with hardy long-wearing gloss paints and a wide range of beautiful ready-mixed colour emulsions . They even have the British Allergy Foundation stamp of approval.

I became interested in alternatives to petrochemical-based paints after reading about their health risks. The industry uses a wide range of chemical compounds such as pigments, extenders, binders, solvents and additives. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified painting as an occupationally related cause of cancer, having found numerous scientific studies showing a higher incidence of cancers among professional painters. The British Coating Federation is also concerned about the issues associated with VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds – solvents widely used in paints that evaporate when being used and even when the paint is dry) and laudably developed a labelling system to warn consumers about the VOC contents of the tin of paint they were buying. It varies from “Low” (under 8 per cent) to “Very high” (over 50 per cent). Have a look at the paint tins in your cupboard to see where yours rate.

But even the lowest amount of VOCs seems unnecessary once you’ve used organic paints. A friend who recently switched to organic paints, was so pleased with the lack of chemical fumes that he swore never to use petrochemical paints again.

The mainstream paint industry faces a range of environmental challenges. It is based on non-renewable petrochemicals, creates large waste streams during production, and some VOC’s are greenhouse gases.

A recent visitor said to me, “Donnachadh, you are always banging on about how green your house is, but you never talk about how beautiful it is.” Now there is a visitor who will be asked back again, soon.

* For more information visit www.ecospaints.com

source: Independent

Going Green

Wind to power all our homes

All UK homes could be powered by offshore wind farms by 2020 as part of the fight against climate change, under plans being unveiled by John Hutton.
Up to 7,000 turbines, two per mile of coast, could be installed to boost wind produced energy 60-fold by 2020.

The business secretary admitted it would change Britain’s coastline, and mean higher electricity bills.

Senior Tory Alan Duncan backed the plans, adding: “We’re an island nation. There’s a lot of wind around.”

In an interview with BBC1’s Politics Show, Mr Hutton said there would have to be a switch to low carbon energy production to combat the threat of climate change.
Coastline ‘will change’

“There is the potential, we believe, out there, using the resources that there are around the UK to generate maybe all of the electricity that households need … from offshore wind sources,” he said.

Just 2% of Britain’s power comes from renewable sources, and wind is the source for less than half a gigawatt.

The government hopes that it could provide around 33 gigawatts by 2020, which would mean introducing some 7,000 turbines.

Pressed on whether having a wind installation every half-mile around the coast was acceptable, Mr Hutton said: “It is going to change our coastline, yes for sure.

“There is no way of making the shift to low carbon technology without making a change and that change being visible to people.

“We’ve got a choice as a country whether we rise to the challenge… or stick our head in the sand and hope it (climate change) goes away. It is not going to go away.”
Berlin conference

Asked what would happen if there was no wind for a few days, Mr Hutton said that was why there had to be a mix of energy sources - including nuclear power - to cover for calmer weather periods.

He also said expanding wind power was needed to help ensure the UK becomes self-sufficient in energy: “I do not want in 20 years’ time to find that whether the lights go on in the morning is down to some foreign government or someone else.”

The first tranche of offshore wind farms began in 2001, followed by a second wave two years later in the Thames Estuary, the Greater Wash and the North West.

Some eight gigawatts of capacity could be up and running by 2014, including the one gigawatt London Array, the biggest offshore wind farm in the world.

Mr Hutton will announce the next stage in the expansion of offshore wind power at a conference in Berlin.
Wildlife concerns

He will say this could make a major contribution towards meeting the EU’s target of 20% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.

But Mark Avery, from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, told BBC Breakfast that care needed to be taken to ensure wildlife was not harmed.

“We do know that if wind farms are put in silly places they can kill lots of birds, they scare off whales and dolphins and fish,” he said.

“They obviously impact the shore of the sea - so it’s just a question of putting them in the right places, not the wrong places.”

Shadow business secretary Mr Duncan said the UK should use its offshore capacity for generating electricity “that’s clean and secure”.

“So yes, I think it’s inevitable and a good thing that there will be more offshore wind.”

Economy boost?

Chris Huhne, the Lib Dems’ environment spokesman, said: “This is a welcomed change in tone from the government, but ministers need to pay households to install micro-generators and also invest in big schemes like the Severn Barrage which alone could generate 5% of our electricity needs.”

Friends of the Earth renewable energy campaigner Nick Rau said the potential for wind power was “enormous”.

Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said the plans amounted to a “wind energy revolution” but stressed that premium prices needed to be guaranteed for clean electricity.

Carbon trust chief executive Michael Rea said the plans would “require substantial investment before it can be realised at this scale”.

source: bbc

Going Green

Does smart technology lead the way towards greener homes?

SMART technology has won the heart of the very richest property owners, but such gadgets are not just toys for the boys. The technology also promises to help to save our planet, according to green experts who should know. Forget the installation of a grass roof or an expensive wind turbine: homeowners determined to consume less and cut carbon emissions are being urged to install smart meters and sensors to help them to monitor their energy use.

A report out this week from Green Alliance, an environmental think-tank, details the role that smart features can play in cutting UK carbon emissions – 27 per cent of which result from how we use our homes, according to the Government. Speaking at a launch held at the Royal Society in London, Stephen Hale, director of Green Alliance, urged the Government to promote smart technology. He said: “Smart features have not had much recognition but they can make important contributions to the environmental challenges we face.”

Green Alliance believes that smart meters could – and should – be a standard household feature within a decade. It hopes that further research will confirm that the technology can work in homes of all types and periods.

The devices use data gathered by sensors in the home, along with a profile of its inhabitants, to make the most efficient use of energy to fulfil the household’s needs. If the introduction of smart electricity meters proved successful, smart gas and smart water meters would follow. Intelligent controls for heating, lighting and blinds would then be integrated, keeping the home at the optimum temperature while using the smallest amount of energy possible. The connection of home appliances via a wireless network (see left) would then be the next step for adventurous households.

But how ready are UK householders for even this starter technology? A survey by the insurer More Than revealed that 81 per cent of respondents had never heard of a smart meter. Of those questioned, 43 per cent said that they would be interested in having a smart electricity meter installed, once they had been told how it worked. Yet only a quarter of this group were willing to pay for the installation themselves. The remaining three quarters said – perhaps optimistically – that they thought the responsibility for arranging and paying for such energy efficiency technology should lie with the Government and utility companies.

More research is needed to confirm how productive the technology might be in the UK’s ageing and diverse housing stock, and also how the cost of producing it might be reduced. Howard Porter, a director of the British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers’ Association, says that bringing down the cost of smart appliances, particularly the meters, is a top priority.

Providing such technology on the cheap might not make it a winner with the many who aspire to outdo their peers with unusual gadgets, but it will be welcome news for those who have signed up for the worthy quest to consume just that little bit less. www.green-alliance.org.uk

Going Green smart homes

Going Green - How to reduce your carbon footprint in 10 steps

Whether it’s a tentative step or one giant leap, we all need to start reducing our home’s carbon footprint. How exactly do our day-to-day lives affect the global environment and what can we do to reduce our impact? The amount of electricity we consume and waste we produce all add up to create a carbon footprint and it’s this that we should be looking at reducing. Like charity, being environmentally friendly begins at home.

What is a carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact that we have on the environment in terms of greenhouse gases, typically measured in units of carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is probably the most widely known and is generated through the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and also deforestation. Other greenhouse gases include: methane, generated from landfills and agriculture; Nitrous oxide, produced by industry and the burning of fossil fuels; Tropospheric ozone, created by the reaction between sunlight and pollutants such as those from vehicles; and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)– chemicals used in refrigeration and air conditioning. Most of these gases are naturally occurring, but due to our lifestyles over the last 100 years or so, have increased at worryingly high levels causing global warming. According to research by the Met Office, last year was the warmest since records began and experts are blaming this largely on the increase in these gases.

By measuring your individual or family’s carbon footprint, you can assess your lifestyle and highlight areas that need to be improved. It may simply be a case of washing clothes on a cooler setting or as dramatic as ditching the car and walking to work. Research carried out by the Energy Saving Trust shows that as a nation we waste a huge amount of energy. 71% of us are guilty of leaving appliances on standby and 63% of us forget to turn lights off in unoccupied rooms. So simply by breaking our bad habits we could easily reduce our carbon footprint. Philip ECO FACT: Electricity is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions Selwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust, says, “Unless we curb our energy wasting habits by 2010 we could have wasted around 43m tons of carbon dioxide.” There are plenty of carbon footprint calculators available online, try http://www.carbonneutral.com. There are three main areas that a carbon footprint calculator covers: home energy, waste disposal and travel. The Carbon Trust, a government-funded organisation that works with businesses and the public sector to cut carbon emissions, puts the annual carbon footprint of an average person living in Britain at around 10 tons of CO2 per year. A large proportion of this is generated through space heating in the home and household wastage. It’s soon going to be necessary for us all to reduce our carbon footprints, not just out of guilt for damaging the planet but because of various ECO

FACT:
The government is aiming to make all new homes carbon neutral by 2016 measures introduced by the government. One proposal currently being considered is a carbon ‘credit card’ to ration the amount of carbon each household uses. Allowances would be allocated for travel, energy and food and any surplus could be sold to those who require more. The scheme was unveiled by Environment Secretary, David Miliband, who says, “We all need to curb our carbon output - after all households constitute 44% of the UK’s emissions.” MoI

HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT - A SIMPLE 10-STEP GUIDE
With a few simple lifestyle changes and improvements to our homes it should be possible for us all to reduce our carbon footprint:

1) Insulation Poorly insulated homes can cost up to £200 more per year to heat. Loft insulation should be around 250mm and there are grants to help with the cost of making improvements (get in touch with the Energy Saving Trust - www.est.org.uk or you energy supplier).

2) Windows Where possible opt for double glazing to keep out the draughts. If you can’t replace every window then at least upgrade those in rooms that are heated the most or opt for secondary glazing. ECO FACT: Online holiday company, lastminute.com, offsets carbon emissions for every flight it sells

3) Recycling Visit http://www.recyclenow.com for a list all the recycling centres in your area.

4) Composting Invest in a compost bin and put veggie peelings to good use on the garden. www.rhs.org.uk

5) Get some exercise We all complain about not having time for the gym, so ditch the car for short journeys and walk to the shops.

6) Switch energy supplier From companies who supply renewable energy or those that offset emissions through ‘green’ projects, visit www.uswitch.com.

7) Experiment with renewable energy Many affordable technologies are now available from major DIY chains like B&Q to generate your own electricity via the sun or wind. www.diy.com

Think before you throw Would someone else find a use for your old junk? If so take it to a charity shop or sell it on Ebay. 9) Shop locally Locally produced food and household items cuts down on transportation emissions and helps the local economy. 10) Don’t holiday abroad Planes are the worst culprits in terms of transport emissions so forget short flights to Europe, make the most of what the UK has to offer.

source: Guardian

Facts Going Green

Going Green - Reducing your Carbon Footprint

Whether it’s a tentative step or one giant leap, we all need to start reducing our home’s carbon footprint.

How exactly do our day-to-day lives affect the global environment and what can we do to reduce our impact? The amount of electricity we consume and waste we produce all add up to create a carbon footprint and it’s this that we should be looking at reducing. Like charity, being environmentally friendly begins at home.

What is a carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact that we have on the environment in terms of greenhouse gases, typically measured in units of carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is probably the most widely known and is generated through the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and also deforestation. Other greenhouse gases include: methane, generated from landfills and agriculture; Nitrous oxide, produced by industry and the burning of fossil fuels; Tropospheric ozone, created by the reaction between sunlight and pollutants such as those from vehicles; and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)– chemicals used in refrigeration and air conditioning. Most of these gases are naturally occurring, but due to our lifestyles over the last 100 years or so, have increased at worryingly high levels causing global warming. According to research by the Met Office, last year was the warmest since records began and experts are blaming this largely on the increase in these gases.

By measuring your individual or family’s carbon footprint, you can assess your lifestyle and highlight areas that need to be improved. It may simply be a case of washing clothes on a cooler setting or as dramatic as ditching the car and walking to work. Research carried out by the Energy Saving Trust shows that as a nation we waste a huge amount of energy. 71% of us are guilty of leaving appliances on standby and 63% of us forget to turn lights off in unoccupied rooms. So simply by breaking our bad habits we could easily reduce our carbon footprint. Philip Selwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust, says, “Unless we curb our energy wasting habits by 2010 we could have wasted around 43m tons of carbon dioxide.”

There are plenty of carbon footprint calculators available online, try http://www.carbonneutral.com/.

There are three main areas that a carbon footprint calculator covers: home energy, waste disposal and travel. The Carbon Trust, a government-funded organisation that works with businesses and the public sector to cut carbon emissions, puts the annual carbon footprint of an average person living in Britain at around 10 tons of CO2 per year. A large proportion of this is generated through space heating in the home and household wastage.
It’s soon going to be necessary for us all to reduce our carbon footprints, not just out of guilt for damaging the planet but because of various
measures introduced by the government. One proposal currently being considered is a carbon ‘credit card’ to ration the amount of carbon each household uses. Allowances would be allocated for travel, energy and food and any surplus could be sold to those who require more. The scheme was unveiled by Environment Secretary, David Miliband, who says, “We all need to curb our carbon output - after all households constitute 44% of the UK’s emissions.” MoI

HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT - A SIMPLE 10-STEP GUIDE
With a few simple lifestyle changes and improvements to our homes it should be possible for us all to reduce our carbon footprint:

1) Insulation
Poorly insulated homes can cost up to £200 more per year to heat. Loft insulation should be around 250mm and there are grants to help with the cost of making improvements (get in touch with the Energy Saving Trust - http://www.est.org.uk/ or you energy supplier).

2) Windows
Where possible opt for double glazing to keep out the draughts. If you can’t replace every window then at least upgrade those in rooms that are heated the most or opt for secondary glazing. ECO FACT:
Online holiday company, lastminute.com, offsets carbon emissions for every flight it sells

3) Recycling
Visit http://www.recyclenow.com/ for a list all the recycling centres in your area.

4) Composting
Invest in a compost bin and put veggie peelings to good use on the garden.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/ 5) Get some exercise
We all complain about not having time for the gym, so ditch the car for short journeys and walk to the shops.

6) Switch energy supplier
From companies who supply renewable energy or those that offset emissions through ‘green’ projects, visit http://www.uswitch.com/.

7) Experiment with renewable energy
Many affordable technologies are now available from major DIY chains like B&Q to generate your own electricity via the sun or wind. http://www.diy.com/

Think before you throw
Would someone else find a use for your old junk? If so take it to a charity shop or sell it on Ebay.

9) Shop locally
Locally produced food and household items cuts down on transportation emissions and helps the local economy.

10) Don’t holiday abroad
Planes are the worst culprits in terms of transport emissions so forget short flights to Europe, make the most of what the UK has to offer.

Going Green

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