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Calculators
Carbon footprint calculatorCarbon budget calculator by country Carbon budget calculations for the average country Carbon budget calculations for the UK
Reasons to be very concerned
Key points on the climate emergencyHuman activity has changed the climate
The climate has changed: The physics Mankind has changed the climateMortality from climate change
Mortality and other costs of climate changeTime is running out
The UK's share of the global carbon budget runs out in 2 years The global carbon budget runs out in 7 yearsSystem failures
UN Secretary-General: "Government leaders are lying" The UK Net Zero 2050 strategy would take three times the UK's share of the global carbon budgetPleas from those most affected
Young people are pleading for action: 10 key messages Greta Thunberg's "blah blah blah" speech, Milan 2021 Pleas from the world's poorestAction needed
UN Secretary-General: "A grassroots movement that cannot be ignored"Actions needed
Climate emergency ten-point action plan1. Overall aim and priority
International commitments given Why 1.5°C? Why climate action is an overriding priority2. Global strategy: Limit further emissions to 400 billion tonnes CO2
Global strategy: Limit further emissions to 400 billion tonnes CO23. Allocation of the global CO2 budget between countries
Allocation of the global CO2 budget between countriesThe maths of staying within the UK's carbon budget: Halve emissions every 3 years Why count consumption rather than territorial CO2 emissions Double digit percentage annual emission cuts "Zero carbon sooner" CO2 budget report from CUSP
4. Reviewing progress against the CO2 budget
Global emissions are still rising5. Identifying reasons for lack of progress on climate change
Why progress has been so poor: Summary What should have happened? The UK's Seven Principles of Public Life Decision making has not followed the science All sections of society are failing It is a system failure rather than a failure of individuals Cognitive biases, flawed reasoning, fallacies and denial dominate opinions and decision making Climate denial: literal, interpretive and implicatory Climate urgency denial Checklist for auditing consistency with the IPCC Auditing consistency with the IPCC: Summary for selected groups5a. Governments
UK Climate Change Committee: Not consistent with the IPCC UK Government fallacy: overclaiming the reduction in UK CO2 emissions5b. Media deficiencies
The BBC: Climate denial The Guardian: Climate denial The British Medical Journal: Climate denial5c. Campaigning deficiencies
Ineffective campaigning Friends of the Earth: Climate denial 1: Court case 2022 Friends of the Earth: Climate denial 2: Response to CCC annual report 2023 Fridays for Future: Consistent with the IPCC Climate Uncensored: Consistent with the IPCC Campaign against Climate Change: Consistent with the IPCC Ethical Consumer Magazine: Climate denial Climate Emergency UK: Climate denial Client Earth: Climate denial Sustrans: Climate denial6. Improving decision making
Reliable (safe system) decision making and policy making7. Actions by sector
Specific actions needed: Summary National governments Local governmentFalse solutions to be avoided
'Offsetting' Planting trees Tree planting claims by Zurich scientists were withdrawn Electric vehicles: not an immediate solution8. Individuals
Individuals Reduce your carbon footprint: at least 10% per year9. Ensuring good decision making
Challenging fallacies
Common climate fallaciesUK Government
The 'Net Zero 2050' UK Government fallaciesEthical Consumer: Inconsistency with the IPCC in the Climate Gap reports
Critique of report methodology Correspondence with Ethical ConsumerCivil disobedience
Civil disobedience in a democracy: Q and ATechnicalities
UK average GHG emissions International comparisonsEmissions by sector
Home energy "Green electricity" Cars Food Health, education, etc emissions Bus travel Train travel AviationCalculator version information
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About usPosts in 2022:
Consistency with the IPCC
Climate urgency fallaciesAction needed
Passivhaus home standardsChallenge fallacies and malpractice
Challenge fallacies, incompetence and malpracticeEnsuring good decision making
Assessing performance on the climate emergency Climate Urgency Realism or Denial score Climate urgency denial in UK Government scientistsAbout
Why trust this website?Posts in 2020-2021:
Action needed
'Hydrogen power' is not the answerEnsuring good decision making
Civil disobedience and the law Extinction RebellionTechnicalities by sector
Basic UK energy and greenhouse gas statistics ReferencesPosts in 2019:
The climate crisis and what to do about it
Climate change: the basics Simple solutions for the climate crisis, which should have been implemented alreadyAction needed
Local government: Make walking safe OrganisationsAwareness raising
Leaflets, videoReasons for optimism
Decline in UK domestic aviation Decline of domestic aviation in SwedenStandards of administration in a democracy
Effective planningPerformance assessments
BEIS is not telling the truth on carbon emissions Transport for the North: Failing on the climate crisis Steve Rotheram: failing on the climate crisis Wirral Council's emission reduction trajectory
Passivhaus home standards
Passivhaus is a collection of standards, originating in Germany, for home insulation, draughtproofing and so on. These collectively result in very little energy being needed to keep homes warm enough to be habitable.
The key components are
- Excellent insulation with elimination of all thermal bridges
- Extreme draughtproofing
- Blown air ventilation and (occasionally) heating
- Heat recovery from the air that is being expelled to warm incoming air.
Example social housing scheme
Norwich Council has built 100 homes to Passivhaus standards - see https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/jul/16/norwich-goldsmith-street-social-housing-green-design.
Further reading:
The Passivhaus Trust: http://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/
Last updated: 13 Nov 2019