17 March 2007
1. TRANSPORT
If you are a regular car driver:
Typical driver (8,500 miles a year in petrol car) 3,500kg
High-mileage driver (15,000 miles a year) 6,200kg
Very low-mileage driver (2,000 miles a year) 830kg
If most of your trips are less than three miles, add 25 per cent to the total.
If you drive a 4x4, add another 40 per cent; OR for a small car (a Clio, or new Mini, say), subtract 33 per cent.
Your car score: .....
If you use public transport:
For 150 miles a week by rail or bus 700kg
If you walk two miles a day, or cycle five miles 100kg
If you fly, for each hour you spend in the air each year 350kg
YOUR TOTAL TRANSPORT SCORE .....
2. ENERGY IN YOUR HOME
If you have central heating
You live in a detached house 4,800kg
You live in a semi-detached house 3,200kg
You live in a terraced house 2,200kg
You live in a flat 4,800kg
You only heat the room you're in 800kg
For each degree above 17C at which your thermostat is set, add 10 per cent to your score.
For each degree below, subtract 10 per cent.
If your home is well-insulated, subtract 30 per cent from your score so far. If you have a new condensing-flue boiler, subtract another 20 per cent. If your boiler is more than 15 years old, add 15 per cent.
These figures assume you use gas. For electricity-fired heating, multiply your score by 2.5. For oil, add 40 per cent. For coal, add 80 per cent.
Your heating score .....
Hot water
If you have a bath every day 300kg
If you have a combination boiler and mostly shower 200kg
If you have solar panels, subtract one third. Otherwise, the figures assume you use gas. If you use electricity to heat water, multiply your score by 2.5. If you use oil, add 40 per cent.
Your hot water score .....
Appliances
Start with a score of 1,600kg.
If you use A-rated appliances and efficient light bulbs subtract 400kg
If you conserve electricity (switching off lights etc), subtract 200kg
If your household is a major electricity consumer, add 1,400kg
If you have an oil-fired Aga, or a similar range cooker, add 5,000kg
Your appliances score .....
YOUR TOTAL HOME ENERGY SCORE .....
3. FOOD
For a typical British diet, 38 per cent meat-based 2,000kg
For high-meat diet (50 per cent, say) 2,250kg
For vegetarians 1,400kg
For vegans 1,000kg
If you only eat organically produced food, subtract 50 per cent from this score
If most of your food is processed or imported, add 100kg
If very little of your food is processed and/or imported, subtract 400kg
If you rarely eat away from home, in restaurants or canteens, subtract 100kg
If you eat half your meals in restaurants or canteens, add 100kg
YOUR TOTAL FOOD SCORE .....
4. MATERIALS AND WASTE
If you produce an average one dustbin of waste each week, score 1,400kg
If you produce more or less than this, scale your score accordingly
In addition, if you:
Compost all kitchen and garden waste, subtract 20 per cent of the total
Recycle all paper, glass and metal, subtract 10 per cent
Recycle all plastic apart from bags, subtract 20 per cent
If your home is less than 50 years old, add:
For four-bedroom detached home 1,500kg
For three-bedroom semi 1,000kg
For two-bedroom terraced 750kg
For one-bedroom flat 500kg
For one-room extension or loft conversion 250kg
If you filled a skip with building or DIY waste, add 1,000kg
YOUR TOTAL MATERIALS SCORE .....
5. EVERYTHING ELSE
The items in the previous boxes account for 60 to 65 per cent of most people's emissions. To make a rough estimate of the rest, consider your household spending on goods and services.
How much does your household spend each year, in pounds, on durable items such as clothing, furniture and electrical appliances, and on services such as entertainment, telephone bills and healthcare? Do not include food, travel, home energy, or your mortgage, rent, tax, pension contributions or savings. Divide the total by two to get your emissions in kilograms.
To allow for state activities conducted on your behalf, add 2,400kg.
YOUR TOTAL SCORE FOR EVERYTHING ELSE .....
THE FINAL TOTAL
Add up your score for:
1. Transport .....
2. Energy in your home .....
3. Food .....
4. Materials and waste .....
5. Everything else .....
YOUR TOTAL SCORE .....
http://money.independent.co.uk/personal_finance/invest_save/article2364706.ece
