Views of Non-Profit Organisations
From Lauraibm
Contents |
Greenpeace
Energy Saving Trust
- Green Power EMC Welcomes New Member (11-Sep-07)
- Gadget addiction heralding new 'ICE age' (4-Jul-07)
- Why WFH isn't always so green (4-Jul-07)
Full article: The Problems and Solutions to Climate Change: Greenpeace UK
The article is a manifesto from Greenpeace outlining the multiple problems we face:
The world is warming up. Already 150,000 people are dying every year because of climate change and, within 50 years, one-third of all land-based species could face extinction. If we carry on the way we are now, by 2100 the planet will likely be hotter than it's been at any point in the past two million years.
But catastrophic climate change isn't inevitable. We know that climate change is caused by burning fossil fuels. The technologies that could dramatically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels – decentralised energy, renewables and efficiency, hybrid cars, efficient buildings – already exist and have been proven to work. If we start cutting our emissions now, using these ready-to-go technologies, then there is still a chance to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.
What we’re lacking is real action. The government needs to put in place meaningful policies to urgently reduce emissions – and to act on them immediately. Under New Labour, carbon emissions have risen. The government is set to miss its own emissions targets. Whether through political cowardice or industry lobbying, the government is failing to put their words into action.
We're the last generation that can stop this global catastrophe, and we need your help.
Why WFH isn't always so green (4-Jul-07)
The electricity used by home PCs doubled between 2000 and 2005, according to the Energy Saving Trust. Consumption is forecast to grow a further 30% between 2006 and 2020 as users install higher-spec (and therefore more energy-intensive) machines. Home-working is often touted as a way of cutting CO2 emissions, but employees should take steps to reduce their power consumption. The difference between an energy-efficient PC with a ‘sleep’ mode and a PC left on 24x7 can be more than £100 per year in electricity. In 2005, 9% of the domestic electricity bill was due to PCs and their peripherals; by 2020, computers and other gadgets will account for 45% of electricity used in the home.
