16 June 2005
CLEAR THE SKIES – WHAT YOU CAN DO TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE
In its climate change special issue, Ethical Consumer magazine urges individuals to realise the important contribution they can make to alleviating the massive environmental problems facing the world today.
The four products areas covered have been specially chosen as representing those where the right choices can most effectively reduce our individual fossil fuel consumption: cars, solar and wind energy, lightbulbs and electricity suppliers.
Ethical Consumer’s latest essential tips for reducing your impact on climate change are:
CARS – GO ELECTRIC!
Best of all, don’t drive one, but failing that...
For around-town driving the Indian-made electric G-Wiz (when charged on renewable electricity) is an environmental Best Buy. It is distributed in the UK by GoinGreen, tel 020 8574 3232. Yours for only £6,999 on the road.
Honda and Toyota both produce petrol/electric hybrid cars which deliver a significant saving in CO2 emissions, particularly at low speeds. Of these models, the Honda Insight has favourable CO2 statistics, with the Toyota Prius coming a close second. For more information contact Honda on 0845 200 8000 or Toyota on 0845 275 5555.
GET KITTED UP WITH SOLAR AND WIND
Over 40,000 solar panels have been installed in the UK to date.[1] With domestic grants of between £400 - £5,000, available from Clear Skies for both solar and wind energy, now is a good time to make the switch. The following companies were all recommended as Best Buys by Ethical Consumer:
Eoltec www.eoltec.com, tel 01856 879 086
Filsol www.filsol.co.uk, tel 01269 860 229
Iskra www.iskrawind.com, tel 0115 841 3283
Proven www.almac.co.uk/proven, tel 01560 485 570
Scoraig www.scoraigwind.com, tel 07713 157 600
Solar Twin www.solartwin.com, tel 0845 1300 137
Solar Century www.solarcentury.co.uk, tel 020 7803 0100
SWITCH TO A GREEN ELECTRICITY SUPPLIER
New EU regulations mean that your electricity company will soon have to disclose the origin of the power it supplies to you. If this falls below 4.9% from renewables (the minimum level required by the government), your supplier will not be creating additional demand for green power. Regardless, if you’ve not done so already,
Ethical Consumer recommends switching to one of the following suppliers:
Ecotricity (10% renewable) www.ecotricity.co.uk, tel 01453 756 111
Good Energy (100% renewable) www.good-energy.co.uk, tel 01249 766 090
Green Energy (10% or 100% renewable, depending upon tariff) www.greenenergyuk.com, tel 0845 456 9550
Eco Energy (100% renewable) (in Northern Ireland) www.nie.co.uk/nieenergy/ecoenergy, tel 0845 745 5455
BUY LOW ENERGY LIGHTBULBS
It is estimated that if every household in the UK were to replace two lightbulbs with low energy compact fluorescent ones, the energy saved could power the UK’s street lighting for a year.[2] Brands recommended as Best Buys by Ethical Consumer were:
Kosnic www.kosnic.com, tel 01635 848 871
Omicron www.omicronlamps.co.uk, tel 01480 869 000
Philex www.philex.com, tel 01234 263 737
For the latest reports and daily updated scores on low energy light bulbs, green electricity suppliers, carbon offsets, low carbon travel and more see our online shopping guide www.ethiscore.org.
Ethical Consumer...
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maintains the most comprehensive database of corporate ethics in the world - tracking over 30,000 companies, compiled over 20 years, updated daily by dedicated researchers
Ethical Consumer's unique ethiscore system rates companies on their social, ethical and environmental performance. Companies are rated in over twenty categories across four main headings - Environment, Human rights, Animal rights, Politics. Products are then rated for their positive ethical and sustainability features.