alasdair |
Edinburgh Carbon Rationing Action Group (CRAG), minutes for 22nd March 2007
Present: Jacob Butcher, Rachel Howell, M. Hipwell, Alasdair Duke & Fiona May
Apologies: Adele Edgeworth, Dariush Bazazi
[minutes typed by Alasdair. Parts in square brackets were not agreed at the meeting, but included here anyway.]
Constitution
It was agreed that the CRAG can operate without a constitution in 2007.
Action: no action this year
2006 carbon consumption
It was felt that we should note participants’ personal carbon consumption (domestic use and travel) for 2006, to indicate where we are starting from. We agreed to exempt public transport journeys of less than 20 kilometres, because our personal contribution to carbon consumption on these trips is almost negligible.
Action: request participants to submit their estimated ‘carbon footprint’ for 2006. [Presumably to display them anonymously on a spreadsheet?]
It was agreed to use the following calculations for 2006 and 2007, which seem to be widely accepted (taken from Mark Lynas’ 2007 books, ‘Carbon Counter’ (Collins GEM) and ‘Carbon Calculator’ (HarperCollins)- exact same book in small print and large print):
GAS: get a total annual kWh figure from your gas bills. Divide by number of people in the house. Multiply by 0.19 to get a personal figure in carbon kg.
ELECTRICITY get total annual kWh figure from bills, divide by people in house, multiply by 0.43 (or less if you’re using a green electricity package) to get a personal figure in carbon kg.
(for gas and electricity: if it may be significant, an additional figure to account for any holidays, periods spent living as somebody’s guest, or periods spent in hospital can be estimated.)
CAR TRAVEL (all journeys): work out the distance travelled in kilometres, divide by the number of people in the car. Multiply by 0.16 (hatchback), 0.2 (saloon or minicab) or 0.3 (‘performance vehicle’ [or black cab?]), or by the car’s actual ‘kg per km’ figure if you know it, to get a personal figure in carbon kg
PUBLIC TRANSPORT (exempting journeys of less than 20km): distance in km multiplied by either; 0.09 (bus); 0.11 (train); or 0.47 (ferries) to get a personal figure in carbon kg
FLIGHTS (all journeys): total distance travelled in kilometres, multiplied by 0.5 (short haul flights of less than three hours) or 0.32 (long haul flights)
Carbon targets/rations, 2007, 2008, 2018
It was agreed that participants should aim to consume less than 4900kgs carbon (domestic and travel use) in 2007. This is a 9% drop on the 2006 UK average of 5400 kgs.
It was agreed to anticipate a 2008 maximum of 4400kgs carbon per person, but this will be ratified at a meeting early in 2008.
It was agreed that any long-term carbon consumption target must be based upon reliable climate science, and the need to prevent runaway climate change. The figure may need to be reviewed as time goes by, but we noted that climate scientists currently suggest carbon usage decreases to around 1kg carbon per person, by 2015-2030. This may imply 500kgs carbon for domestic use and personal travel, (i.e. around 10% of current consumption in the UK). We therefore felt that, by 2018, our personal carbon consumption may have to be as low as 500kgs, and have adopted this as an interim target figure. It was agreed that, as a group, we must keep abreast of current climate science, and be prepared to alter long-term targets, following climate forecasts.
It was agreed that people whose current personal carbon consumption is high (for example, those with family overseas, or business travellers) are most welcome to join and participate in the CRAG, provided that they can reduce their carbon consumption to a sustainable level in the long term (i.e. by 2018).
Action: Participants to note their carbon use in 2007, using the method detailed above. Aim to consume less than 4900kgs carbon, with a view to further reduction in subsequent years. 2007 carbon consumption estimates to be submitted in early 2008 [presumably to be made anonymous and compiled on a spreadsheet?]
Attracting new participants
It was agreed that we need to have a large number of participants: a small number of people will have little impact, either directly (by reducing our carbon use) or indirectly (by demonstrating what can be achieved). Ideally the CRAG will be diverse and non-homogeneous.
We noted that participating in a CRAG involves little use of time- monitoring, calculating and stating annual carbon use takes little time. Other activities are optional- organising, publicity etc.
Action: word of mouth- to persuade others to count their carbon footprints and participate in the project. Also publicising via media and email lists, discussed below.
Computer matters
Several people voiced their concern that the yahoo email discussion group may result in a large volume of unwanted emails being sent to participants. We agreed, therefore, to conduct discussions via the discussion board that has been set up at http://www.carbonrationing.org.uk/edinburgh
Action: no discussions via the yahoo email list please. Debates etc to be held via the above discussion board, or emailed between interested parties only!!!
We agreed to establish a new CRAG email address- edinburghcrag@hotmail.co.uk. This address is to be the a main point of contact for the wider public.
[This has now been done- log in via hotmail.co.uk. Contact me in person for the password.- Alasdair]
It was felt that the CRAG requires its own web page (rather than the yahoo group page), stating- who we are, what we are trying to do, how to get involved, contact info, and sharing information (discussed below). For the moment, nobody has volunteered to design and maintain a CRAG webpage.
Action: a volunteer is needed to set up and run a CRAG webpage. [interested parties to email edinburghcrag@hotmail.co.uk?]
Publicity
It was agreed that we should publicise the CRAG project via a variety of available routes, in particular local media and known email lists.
Action: Jake to flag up Edinburgh CRAG via appropriate email lists, including People and Planet, and the Young Greens. Alasdair to email round the Edinburgh Green Party and Rising Tide email lists. Alasdair to write a newspaper-type piece and sumbit similar articles to Edinburgh Uni paper, the Scottish Greens newsletter and Morningside/Bruntsfield Gazette. Fiona to submit a version of the article to ‘the Leither’ and Alasdair’s flatmate to submit similar article to Napier uni paper. [note- I hope I got this correct. Please email me if the previous two sentences are inaccurate.- Alasdair]
We noted that there are many other organisations, whose gamut encompasses action to reduce climate change. There is no need to duplicate what they do, but hopefully to help achieve our common goals. We are not aware of any other organisation which is promoting voluntary carbon rationing in Edinburgh.
It was agreed that we should aim to co-operate with the Eco Schools movement, which is a large movement, aiming to develop sustainable schools and educate children in sustainability. There are many accredited ‘eco schools’ in Edinburgh and the Lothians. There is also an ‘eco congregations’ movement of churches. Since they have a similar ethos of ‘the buck stops with us’, we felt that we should explore joint-working with these groups.
Action: all are welcome to look in detail at the Eco Schools and Eco Congregations organisations (they are on the web), and to discuss how we can work with such groups. [A web discussion has been started at carbonrationing.org.uk/edinburgh.]
Sharing information about energy efficiency
It was felt that the CRAG can aim to become a source of reliable, locally relevant information about low-carbon lifestyles, e.g. preferred electricity suppliers, home/work insulation grants, domestic heating systems. It was agreed that people may wish to use the CRAG to access this information. Much information and advice already exists about reducing carbon consumption, not least on the carbonrationing.org.uk website. It was felt that Edinburgh CRAG should aim to collate, and share, any information that arises, and find out who to contact at the local council and housing associations, regarding domestic insulation, new boilers and so on. This sort of information might be displayed on the CRAG website.
Action: we should share our experiences of accessing efficient technology, suppliers, home energy grants, e.g. via carbonrationing.org.uk/edinburgh discussion board. In the longer term, we felt that we should publicise any useful information via the Edinburgh CRAG website, once it’s set up.
Underlying issues
It was agreed that Edinburgh CRAG, and the CRAG movement as a whole, is at an early phase in its development. We noted that there are still some fundamental questions, not yet answered, about what we are hoping to achieve. It was felt that, by taking personal responsibility for our domestic and travel-related carbon consumption, we are promoting a responsible, citizen-led approach to tackling climate change. But it was also agreed that other areas of carbon consumption, including public services, military carbon consumption and local planning, are in the hands of the government and broader societal forces. We noted that ‘food miles’ are difficult to calculate, although they are also a matter of personal responsibility.
It was agreed that the CRAG’s primary role is to promote personal responsibility for carbon consumption in the home and in private travel.
It was agreed that our attempts to limit personal carbon consumption must be justified by mainstream climate science, with a view to preventing runaway climate change.
Alasdair suggested that it would be desirable for those without family overseas to reduce their carbon usage beyond the targets, since they have few ‘love miles’ to travel. No agreement was reached on this point.
Action: Debate, discuss, question, share info. See carbonrationing.org.uk/edinburgh.