Why Bother Lying?

There is only one world which people can live on, and for this reason I try to live a sustainable lifestyle and encourage more people to follow in my footsteps. Many people will say to me live for today and not for the future but what about our children and their children. I will to the best of my abilities aim to recycle and live a greener lifestyle if it will help the future generations.

I don’t believe that wind farms, tidal power and solar energy can supply all our needs in the future but they are the first steps in trying to lead a sustainable life and are good alternative to burning fossil fuels to supply our energy. Without these other options we will eventually use up all the fossil fuels and have no resources for heating, transport or electricity generations.

Considering my age at the moment I would prefer to live in a city centre in a flat with other residents. This would be the case as I want to build up my career and start saving for the future. Being in the city would mean I will have easy access to public transport and local services. In the future when I have children I would prefer to move out of the city centre but on the out skirts, in a house which is near a local school, park and other services.

After leaving university I would eventually like to get a car again but I am in no rush. Since being here I have learnt that not having a car is a lot cheaper than using public transport and gained more understanding of the effects it has on the environment. This is one of the main reasons why I would like to live in a city centre because if I have good connections with public transport, it means I will put off buying a new car for a few more years and do a little bit more in saving this planet. However, if I did decide to buy a new car it would be the new Volkswagen Golf; this car is highly efficient and has low emissions of just 99g/km, meaning that it would be exempt from road tax.

Giving up shopping for a year could be a tricky one, I like to treat myself every now and then with something new, I mean who doesn’t. I think it would be interesting to see if I could achieve this and believe it would be a good eye opener. However, I don’t excessively buy lots of new clothes and still own clothes which I brought 2 years ago but we live in a society where each season has a different trend and clothes ‘go out of fashion’.

If it meant cutting down on shipping transportation, reducing the consumption of oil and minimising the greenhouse gases then I would give up out of season fruit. The problem I have is acknowledging which fruits are in season, this is one of the issues that arise when you want everyone to live a more sustainable life, people are not being educated on the impact their lifestyle has. I would be happy to support my local community and buy local produce

Currently I have a smart phone, which broke not so long ago and I got given a basic replacement phone. I must admit that I missed my phone therefore; I would not be able to give it up. I am constantly on the go and use my phone to read emails and like the option of browsing the internet.

I would like to travel the world and visit each country to experience the different cultures the world has to offer but just like in the UK there should be alternate sustainable options on how to travel from country to country and not just using aeroplanes.

I believe with more education on these topics there is a chance to change the way we live at present. We live in a world that is designed to dump and chuck things out. Trends and new products are always being developed to make people buy the newer version so, how do you expect people to change when the society we live in doesn’t allow people to? People have created it this way therefore, we CAN create something new.

An Inconvenient Truth

Before seeing the film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ I had heard and seen little evidence about climate change and the consequences it was having on the world, despite this I tried in small ways to minimise my carbon footprint, either by recycling, turning of lights and switches or using energy saving appliances.

The film delivers a very powerful, passionate and inspiring message that we need to do something now to stop global warming to protect our world before it is too late. Al Gore exposes the myths and misconceptions surrounding global warming and allows citizens across the world to understand that it is the biggest moral challenge facing us today.

I personally found the film interesting and easy to follow that I searched online for the film and watched the rest of it. Gore explained the scientific terms in a simple but un-patronising way that it allows the viewer to understand climate change and most importantly educates the audience.

The use of graphs, pictures, footage, data and trends allows the viewer to picture the reality we are actually facing today, which people are either trying to pretend is not happening or like myself, did not realise the true extent of the consequences that climate change is having.

Comparing pictures of glaciers or mountains in the past to present are both alarming and shocking that it makes me want to do more to reduce climate change. For this reason I believe that more people need to watch this film as it is engaging, convincing and intent on educating people. The graphs and data are full of evidence, facts and future predictions that it is difficult for anyone to dismiss that climate change is happening and that carbon dioxide is having an effect on the world.

 I believe this film is relevant and informative which makes it very successful in delivering its message and capturing the audience. Since watching this film I feel I have gained more knowledge and understanding of what climate change is and the effects it is having on the world, which will make me research further how I can improve my carbon footprint.

Sustainable Communities

In order for me to compare my hometown with a sustainable community, the definition of what a sustainable community is needs to be considered and why it was introduced by the former government. In 2003, former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was ‘determined to put an end to poor housing and bad landlords, to deliver more affordable housing especially for key workers and young families, and to develop new sustainable communities in regions of high demand.’ (Sustainable communities: building for the future, Pg. 5) The UK needs more and better housing to accommodate the needs of existing citizens and for the future generations.  As well as building better, efficient and economical houses the government believes that a range of other facilities, such as schools, health centres, parks and shops are needed to create a carbon efficient community.

What makes a sustainable community?

• A mixture of different housing types for instance, shape and size that people can afford.
•  Good public transport and links to other regional areas.
•  High quality local public services for example, health care, education, shops and community centres.
• A range of employment opportunities and a good local economy to enable job prospects and wealth for citizens in the community.
• A safe open public environment, such as parks that allow citizens to interact with others whilst feeling secure.
•  Have the right and ability to have a say on how the neighbourhood is run.
• A good effective relationship between the community, local government and businesses.

I recently moved to Northampton from my hometown of Whaplode. My house back home is located within the ward Whaplode and Holbeach St. Johns, which is located in the centre of South Holland. Running through this ward is the A151 going from Spalding to Holbeach. The lower layer super output area for this location is South Holland 004D. This is the area I will be comparing to a sustainable community, such as Upton. 

In my neighbourhood there are a total of 1,457 people, 697 are male and 760 are female. Statistics from the 2001 Census states that 81.8% of this population is Christians, less than 1% is Jewish, Sikh and Buddhist, 11.4% stated no religion and 5.9% did not specify a religion. Many would believe that a community with the majority being Christians would produce a place of identity or sense of belonging however; this does not comply with the government’s plan to create sustainable communities. Professor Peter Latchford said ‘a community is not a category of people with the same racial heritage, religion or sexual orientation.’ (www.urbanliving.org.uk pg. 3) A community that accommodates citizens from various backgrounds and experiences will produce a diverse community meaning that everyone will feel respected, valued and have a sense of belonging to the area.

The houses within this area are mainly bungalows and detached houses suited more towards parents whose children have grown up and left home. In this area 40.5% of the houses are owned outright, 37.6% are owned with a mortgage, 0.5% is shared ownership, 13.1% are social rented and 8.4% are privately rented. (Whaplode and Holbeach St. Johns Ward Profile, Pg. 3)

In my local area you will find two local shops, a park for young children, two pubs, a village hall, two petrol stations, a bicycle shop and a primary school. In relation to the definition of ‘what makes a sustainable community’ I believe that Whaplode meets some of these requirements. The area may not have a doctor’s surgery, a secondary school or leisure facilities but is on a direct bus route. The bus service runs every half hour therefore, makes commuting to other areas easy. The bus service enables citizens of Whaplode access to a leisure centre with a swimming pool, various secondary schools offering different employment opportunities to suit the needs of individuals, several doctor’s surgeries, public libraries, a cinema and other parks. Also, a short walk away from the bus station in Spalding there is a train station, which allows citizens to go to cities such as Lincoln and Peterborough. 

In 2008, a Place Survey was conducted to assess what local residents thought about services and facilities in their neighbourhood and if there was any local issues. The most important issue in the area was the provision of health services and the level of activities for teenagers was seen as the most in need of improvement. 77.6% of residents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their immediate area as a place to live and 62.5% felt they belonged to their immediate neighbourhood. (Whaplode and Holbeach St. Johns Ward Profile, Pg. 2)

Considering all these points I believe that Whaplode has good transport services that everyone can access, good quality education systems and training opportunities within a short distance, good effective relationships with each other and outside groups and a variety of different houses. However, you could argue that although there are a variety of different houses the area does not account to the needs of some individuals for example, families and young people. In relation to local job opportunities the area has very few businesses to offer job prospects within the community. 

References

• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2003) ‘Sustainable communities: building for the future’ (Online) Available from: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/146289.pdf (Accessed 10/11/10)
• Sholland.gov.uk (2010) ‘Whaplode and Holbeach St. Johns Ward Profile’ (Online) Available from: http://www.sholland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B06318F8-D397-415E-A1F4-3314CFC6C6FC/0/WhaplodeandHolbeachStJohnsWardProfile2010.pdf (Accessed on 10/11/10)
• Urban Living (2008) ‘Sustainable communities: An overused buzzword or the key to delivering community cohesion in Birmingham?’ (Online) Available from: http://www.urbanliving.org.uk/downloads/25June08F.pdf (Accessed on 10/11/10)

How sustainable is your lifestyle?

‘Climate change is the most significant environmental threat facing the world today. There is overwhelming scientific evidence the climate is already changing and it is very likely that most of the warming is attributable to human activities.’ (Theccc.org.uk, pg.17)

Individuals now days are living a different lifestyle compared to previous ancestors with an estimated 1.7 trillion tonnes of CO₂ being emitted into the atmosphere since 1990. As a result of creating new technology, changes in land usage and waste disposal the environment has experienced events such as the summer floods in 2007 and the heat wave in 2003. Therefore, urging the former government to implement The Climate Change Act 2008 to help reduce the amount of emission released into the atmosphere.

Climate change has occurred due to the increase in carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Since the 1970s temperature rates have increased on average by 1°c causing more heat waves, rainfalls and raising sea levels. In a recent report published by The Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee of Climate Change it stated that ‘sea levels around the UK have risen by around 1mm per year during the 20^th century.’ (Theccc.org.uk, pg.20) Data found from research such as the above has caused an increased concern in the extinction of the world’s animals. For example, the International Arctic Science Committee believes that ‘polar bears won’t survive if there is a complete loss of the Arctic’s summer sea-ice cover.’ (charityguide.org)

Guidance and solutions created by the government to help minimise the amount of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere to help protect future generations of human beings and animals has influenced me to think about my lifestyle choices. As a result I currently recycle cans, bottles, glass, plastic materials and cardboard to reduce the amount of waste being taken to landfills. ‘By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually’ (www.eastgwillimbury.ca) however, individuals still continue to dispose of domestic waste incorrectly. The Young People’s Trust for the Environment found that ‘almost 90% of domestic waste in the UK goes directly to landfill or dumping sites to be levelled and covered with earth.’ (ypte.org.uk)

After watching television, listening to the radio or using a laptop and other electrical appliances I make sure they are switched off. To further save energy I use florescent light bulbs and make sure I switch lights off after usage, as well as plug sockets. When buying new electrical products I tend to look for products with the energy star label and correctly recycle the old product. Also, when disposing of any product I look for the recycle symbol to see if I can recycle it.

Since moving to Northampton I have recently started to use public transport again or if possible walk to get around. Although this is more efficient then using a car, whilst back home I tried to car share as much as possible for instance, when travelling to work or college I offered lifts to colleagues and friends. Finally, I also try to wash clothes in warm or cold water to reduce the amount of energy produced.

References

·         Charity Guide (2007) ‘Reduce your impact on the greenhouse impact’ (Online) Available: http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/greenhouse-effect.htm (Accessed 14/10/10)

·         Committee on Climate Change (2010) ‘How well prepared is the UK for climate change?’ (Online) Available: http://downloads.theccc.org.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/ASC/CCC_ASC_Report_web_1.pdf (Accessed 14/10/10)

·         East Gwillimbury ’10 ways to reduce greenhouse gases’ (Online) Available: http://www.eastgwillimbury.ca/Environment/10_Ways_to_Reduce_Greenhouse_Gases.htm (Accessed 14/10/10)

·         Informedvote.ca (2009) ‘Climate-change-cause’ (Online) Available: http://trendsupdates.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/climate-change-cause.jpg (Accessed 15/10/10)

·          Northwestern.edu (2009) ‘Green’ (Online) Available: http://www.it.northwestern.edu/ecommunicator/2009_fall/images/green.png (Accessed 15/10/10)

·         Sciencekids.co.nz ‘Recycle’ (Online) Available: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/images/pictures/biology/recycle.jpg (Accessed 15/10/10)

·         Young people’s Trust for the Environment ‘Recycling’ (Online) Available: http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/recycling/93 (Accessed 14/10/10)