An unexpected offshoot benefit stemming from the global credit crisis has been an almost forced reduction in the carbon footprint of individuals. Cost cutting measures undertaken by homeowners has had the effect of reducing energy usage, product consumption and generally, a search for ways to reduce expenses.
A survey by one British banking corporation has revealed that 72% of respondents have said they are trying to reduce their energy bills by turning off electrical items. Energy efficient light bulbs have been used by an increasing number of people and warmer clothes are being warm instead of turning up the heating.
Money saving is at the forefront of many people's mind and cutting the energy bill turns out to be one of the more immediately and, consequently most gratifying, methods of saving money. The Carbon footprint is shrinking and although it is not primarily due to an overt desire to save the planet, it is still of benefit just the same.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Carbon Offset Network Has Been Launched
The Carbon Advice Group launches the world's first multi-level affiliate carbon offset network today at CarbonAdviceGroup.com. London-based Carbon Advice group PLC has created a unique web-based service that enables individuals and businesses to take an active role in combating climate change. The site enables users to directly calculate their carbon footprint and immediately purchase offsets.
The Carbon Advice Group allows anyone to get involved and take an active role in the emerging green economy. The site also offers motivated social entrepreneurs a short process to set up their own micro-site to promote and sell carbon offsets as part of the Carbon Advice Group's network.
"We want to motivate the average person in the street to get online, build their own site and get the message across to everyone they know," says serial Social Entrepreneur and Carbon Advice Group founder Matthew Sullivan.
The Carbon Advice Group's mission is to create a worldwide network of social entrepreneurs by giving them the necessary tools, understanding and motivation for them to bring carbon emission reduction and offsetting into the mainstream and make it a vital part of everyday life. Allowing individuals to promote, purchase or provide carbon offsets, the group offers a compelling answer to the "What can I do?" response to global climate change issues.
Carbon offsetting enables individuals and businesses to compensate for unavoidable emissions by purchasing equivalent greenhouse gas savings. With the Carbon Advice Group, these savings can come from wind power, biomass power, or a renewable energy charitable contribution.
Available carbon credits meet international standards and goals outlined in the Kyoto Agreement. Users who purchase carbon offsets will receive certificates and luggage tags to display in vehicles, businesses or on vacation.
"Everyday we see, hear and read about the catastrophic effects of global climate change. We all know we need to do something, and we need to do it now. We believe we have solved the "What's in it for me" problem," says Sullivan.
Find out more at Carbon Advice Group
The Carbon Advice Group allows anyone to get involved and take an active role in the emerging green economy. The site also offers motivated social entrepreneurs a short process to set up their own micro-site to promote and sell carbon offsets as part of the Carbon Advice Group's network.
"We want to motivate the average person in the street to get online, build their own site and get the message across to everyone they know," says serial Social Entrepreneur and Carbon Advice Group founder Matthew Sullivan.
The Carbon Advice Group's mission is to create a worldwide network of social entrepreneurs by giving them the necessary tools, understanding and motivation for them to bring carbon emission reduction and offsetting into the mainstream and make it a vital part of everyday life. Allowing individuals to promote, purchase or provide carbon offsets, the group offers a compelling answer to the "What can I do?" response to global climate change issues.
Carbon offsetting enables individuals and businesses to compensate for unavoidable emissions by purchasing equivalent greenhouse gas savings. With the Carbon Advice Group, these savings can come from wind power, biomass power, or a renewable energy charitable contribution.
Available carbon credits meet international standards and goals outlined in the Kyoto Agreement. Users who purchase carbon offsets will receive certificates and luggage tags to display in vehicles, businesses or on vacation.
"Everyday we see, hear and read about the catastrophic effects of global climate change. We all know we need to do something, and we need to do it now. We believe we have solved the "What's in it for me" problem," says Sullivan.
Find out more at Carbon Advice Group
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Mobile Phone Footprint to be Reduced by Release of 'GreenPhone'
MobiMonster2.0, a company based in New Delhi, has developed a Mobile phone application that can reduce a mobile phone’s global carbon footprint.
A Mobile software by MobiMonster that can reduce the carbon footprint of your Mobile Device.
The application called, GreenPhone can monitor several power hungry features in the phone and can inform the user when these resources are consuming battery but are not required to be switched on.
GreenPhone has also been recognized by Nokia, and has been awarded as the most innovative application in its Eco-Friendly category and has been selected from Asia Pacific as a finalist for the GSM World Congress to be held in February, 2009.
GreenPhone is a first of it’s kind application for Series 60 devices, infact no other Eco-Friendly application exists for Mobile Devices which monitors power and resources on the phone. The application has a basic version available for sale, but is currently being re-vamped for a worldwide presentation. GreenPhone can switch off the backlight of the phone when it is not required, notify the user when the Bluetooth and WLAN is switch on but not being used and also notify the user when the charger is not required to be connected on the phone. All these features can significantly reduce the power consumption of your phone, thus reducing the time you need to charge the phone, which results in significant saving of electricity inturn reducing the carbon foot print of a mobile device.
This innovation is a purely indigenous effort by MobiMonster, which marks a striking change in the strategy of Indian Software companies that are now shifting focus from services to becoming a product companies.
MobiMonster has a range of other products for Mobile Devices which they are pushing in partnership with Nokia, British Telecom (INMO) and network operators such Vodafone (UK), T-Mobile (Germany), O2 and several other players. MobiMonster is also working with Nokia for SMSTimer product which is included in several Nokia phones and is working to provide a range of next generation applications on Nokia India handsets.
A Mobile software by MobiMonster that can reduce the carbon footprint of your Mobile Device.
The application called, GreenPhone can monitor several power hungry features in the phone and can inform the user when these resources are consuming battery but are not required to be switched on.
GreenPhone has also been recognized by Nokia, and has been awarded as the most innovative application in its Eco-Friendly category and has been selected from Asia Pacific as a finalist for the GSM World Congress to be held in February, 2009.
GreenPhone is a first of it’s kind application for Series 60 devices, infact no other Eco-Friendly application exists for Mobile Devices which monitors power and resources on the phone. The application has a basic version available for sale, but is currently being re-vamped for a worldwide presentation. GreenPhone can switch off the backlight of the phone when it is not required, notify the user when the Bluetooth and WLAN is switch on but not being used and also notify the user when the charger is not required to be connected on the phone. All these features can significantly reduce the power consumption of your phone, thus reducing the time you need to charge the phone, which results in significant saving of electricity inturn reducing the carbon foot print of a mobile device.
This innovation is a purely indigenous effort by MobiMonster, which marks a striking change in the strategy of Indian Software companies that are now shifting focus from services to becoming a product companies.
MobiMonster has a range of other products for Mobile Devices which they are pushing in partnership with Nokia, British Telecom (INMO) and network operators such Vodafone (UK), T-Mobile (Germany), O2 and several other players. MobiMonster is also working with Nokia for SMSTimer product which is included in several Nokia phones and is working to provide a range of next generation applications on Nokia India handsets.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Compact Fluorescents - Yet To Make A Difference
One of the most important energy saving innovations of recent times has been compact fluorescents. They have tremendous scope for reducing electricity consumption and there is an increasing number of houses that have at least one compact fluorescent light bulb in their house. Unfortunately, it seems that any reduction in energy use from compact fluorescent light bulbs is being outweighed by an increase in the number of other light bulbs in the house as well as the wattage of the bulbs.
Energy-efficient light bulbs are gaining market share around the world, but if you take the UK market as an example, around 9 million compact fluorescents are sold each year compared to around 180 million ordinary incandescent bulbs. The good news is that compact fluorescent light bulbs last 10 times longer and so, as they are being fitted into bulb sockets, the demand to replace them will take 10 times as long to arise. The creep to CFLs over ordinary bulbs is crawling.
To put things into a little bit of perspective, a typical incandescent light bulb lasts for around 1000 hours which roughly equates to 3 years of use if used for 1 hour every day. No evidence has been found that when an incandescent bulb burns out it is being replaced by a compact fluorescent.
And it’s this point where the public needs to be reminded about the importance of using the compact fluorescents over the traditional incandescent.
It is estimated that only 20 per cent of the light in UK homes comes from compact fluorescents which is pretty low considering they have been promoted for almost 10 years.
If electricity use for lighting is going to drop, and it is yet to show signs of falling as yet, there has to be a greater take up rate of compact fluorescents.
Energy-efficient light bulbs are gaining market share around the world, but if you take the UK market as an example, around 9 million compact fluorescents are sold each year compared to around 180 million ordinary incandescent bulbs. The good news is that compact fluorescent light bulbs last 10 times longer and so, as they are being fitted into bulb sockets, the demand to replace them will take 10 times as long to arise. The creep to CFLs over ordinary bulbs is crawling.
To put things into a little bit of perspective, a typical incandescent light bulb lasts for around 1000 hours which roughly equates to 3 years of use if used for 1 hour every day. No evidence has been found that when an incandescent bulb burns out it is being replaced by a compact fluorescent.
And it’s this point where the public needs to be reminded about the importance of using the compact fluorescents over the traditional incandescent.
It is estimated that only 20 per cent of the light in UK homes comes from compact fluorescents which is pretty low considering they have been promoted for almost 10 years.
If electricity use for lighting is going to drop, and it is yet to show signs of falling as yet, there has to be a greater take up rate of compact fluorescents.
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