KICK THE HABIT
THE CYCLE – REDUCE
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Act:
Reduce
Reducing the GHG emissions for which you are responsible should be sat-
isfying but will probably sometimes seem a thankless task. But never forget
that other people will be watching you, and that you wield a lot of influence.
One of the most significant gains from reducing your own climate footprint
is the example you set. A couple of instances are the abandoning of CFC
spray cans after the Montreal Protocol, which sharply reduced ozone-dam-
aging gases, and the banning of polystyrene foam containers by well-known
fast-food restaurants.
One of the strongest arguments for reducing GHG emissions is that it will
often save money. Energy prices across the world are rising, making it hard-
er to afford to travel, heat and light homes and factories, and keep a modern
economy ticking over. So it is both common sense and climate sense to use
energy as sparingly as possible.
When the example comes from people or groups who already enjoy high
public standing, the results can be even more far-reaching. For many peo-
ple today, some of the most influential people are footballers. So when the
British club Ipswich Town chose to do something about climate change by
becoming carbon-neutral, a lot of people were watching. The club worked
out that it produced 3 200 tonnes of CO
2
every season and successfully off-
set this by asking supporters to make specific pledges to save energy. The
incentive was football-based: when the club hit its target of 14 000 pledges,
it was rewarded with a significant sum of money towards transfers by its
main sponsor. The fans were encouraged to reach the target by committing
themselves to take simple steps like using public transport and high-effi-
ciency light bulbs and turning down their boilers, while some of the players
turned to car-pooling. Another club, Manchester City, has begun producing
its own energy, building a wind turbine to provide all the electricity for its
stadium, and selling the additional 20 per cent surplus.
You do not need to be a football club to encourage others. As an individual you
will reach your friends and neighbours, as a small company your clients, as a
multinational your suppliers and customers, as a city of course your inhabit-
ants but also other towns and the same is valid for countries (see CN Net).