Calender encouraging York to go green is launched

9:56am Thursday 29th November 2007

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RESEARCHERS from the University of York have produced a calendar with a difference - giving a month-by-month guide to help people reduce their carbon footprint.

Each month features a handy tip on how an individual can help cut the amount of carbon they put into the atmosphere, and reduce the threat of global warming.

For example, January's tip suggests putting on a sweater and turning the thermostat down by just 1C, which it says can save 135kg of carbon per year.

In July, it suggests going on holiday by train rather than plane. It says: "Emissions at high altitude are three to four times more damaging than those at ground level.

"The difference between travelling to New York by plane and Paris by train is 641kg of carbon."

In September, it suggests taking the bus or train to get to work instead of going by car: "Each person in Yorkshire and the Humber travels about 1,513km per year in their car to work.

"If this distance was converted to train rather than car, you would save 744kg carbon per year. If the distance was converted to bus, you would save 544kg carbon per year."

Tips are branded either "easy", "fairly easy" or "not so easy".

The calendar also features pictures of relevance, such as the River Ouse in flood near Ouse Bridge, climate change protesters at Drax Power Station and an ftr bus in York. Some of the pictures are published courtesy of The Press.

The calendar has been produced by researchers at the university's Stockholm Environment Institute and published by Climate Talk, a year-long project run in conjunction with The Press which aims to raise awareness of climate change issues among the over-50s.

Dr Gary Haq, who is from the institute and the co-ordinator of Climate Talk, said information on how to reduce people's carbon footprint could sometimes seem confusing or overwhelming.

He said: "We can be put off by the level of effort these actions seem to require, and question whether they actually make any difference," he said.

"The free carbon footprint calendar addresses all these problems. It lists a different action each month, indicating how much carbon it can save and what percentage of your carbon footprint it reduces, as well as the level of effort involved.

"In the UK, our carbon footprint is about 12 tonnes per person. More than 40 per cent of this comes directly from the choices we make every day.

"To reduce this, we should start with those that require little effort - such as switching off lights - and work up to the more challenging actions such as reducing air travel and car use."

The free calendar is available by contacting info@climatetalk.org.uk and from public libraries in the York area.