isramart : Green Technology -Environmental Challenge: Reduce 10 Percent of CO2 Emissions by 2010

isramart news:
It is becoming cyclic. Every 60 years or so, Londoners face some air bound crisis. In early December 1952, they were hit by possibly the worst smog levels ever recorded and it killed nearly 12,000 people. Now, 57 years later they realize that something drastic must be done about the carbon dioxide levels. Nobody is dying – yet.

“Today most of London’s electricity comes from coal fired power generating plants,” said Pano Kroko, the chairman of the Environmental Parliament. “One in three children in London suffers from some form of asthma and London has the lowest air quality among European capitals. The first step towards CO2 emission reductions can be among the most difficult – in London however it is very achievable.”

The Environment Parliament reportedly issued a clarion call for ten percent reduction of CO2 emissions in London by the end of 2010, deeming it the 10 x 10 challenge (also called the TEN BY TEN campaign), at the London School of Economics Summit meet.

“The 10X10 campaign seeks a 10 percent reduction in London’s CO2 emissions by the end of 2010,” Kroko said in a statement. “We believe this saving is realistic and will help the city take a giant step towards meeting its goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 60 percent by 2025.”

Official claim that more than 100 scientists specializing in climate change, the environment and ecology attended the Summit. They extended their unstinting support for the cause and expressed willingness to offer real time experience-based suggestions and concrete remedial action plans for solving this massive problem.

“It is a gauntlet to the politicians and the rulers thrown to them by empowered citizens,” Kroko said.

Audience (News - Alert) members concurred that the only way to tackle the 10 x 10 challenge was for a collective, collaborative effort by the public, various governing bodies and guiding agencies such as the Environment Parliament to effect a combination of taxation, public policy and resource management tasks.

”We can make significant progress to the long-term plan by breaking the target down and committing to cycles of 10 per cent reductions,” Kroko said. “It simply takes political will and a commitment to the necessary legislation.”

Besides giving their combined stamp of approval for the 10 x 10 challenge, the members of the Environment Parliament also cited the challenge as a first step in community action which aims to galvanise political response.

“With a robust and changing economy and a growing green industry, we can save an additional 10 per cent every three years and reach the Capital’s goal of a 60 per cent reduction by 2025,” Kroko said.

The Summit saw the launch of the campaign’s dedicated Web space and the Mayor of London pledging to achieve 60 percent CO2 savings, which the Environment Parliament says must be broken down into smaller achievable elements.

“The regeneration of the city’s economy and the creation of green legacy from the 2012 Olympics will see London move into the Gold Medal position of global Environmental leadership,” Kroko said.

Here are some suggestions to reduce the carbon footprint:

Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs use 75 percent less energy than a conventional bulb and last 10 times longer, and an ENERGY STAR (News - Alert), or TCO, certified CFL saves nearly $ 30 during its usage time frame and ends up paying for itself in about 6 months.

Incidentally, CFL’s also help save the environment by emitting less mercury than traditional incandescent light bulbs because coal based electricity generation is the single largest source of anthropogenic mercury emissions and CFLs use at least 70 percent less electricity. Discarding the bulbs, too, is safe because the internal mercury lining stays superficially bonded to the glass even after breakage.

It is strongly recommended to purchase ENERGY STAR, or TCO, compliant applicances when the time comes to change an old computer, fridge or washing machine, and though these new technologies cost more while initially purchasing, they save up to $ 75 per annum in electricity bills and also help save the environment.

Carpooling is a well known sensible way of saving cash and also the carbon footprint. A World Wide Web way of smart carpooling could be to use Mapflow’s Avego Futurefleet by registering free on its carpooling Web link.

It is important to turn off devices that are not in use since these consume power even when on stand-by mode. A spend of $100 per year per household can be saved in this way. The highest stand-by power consumers are televisions, game consoles (WII, PS3, Xbox 360), DSL or cable modems, computers (laptop or pc), printers, microwave ovens, sound systems, cable or satellite receivers, DVD players, VCRs, and routers.

Citizens could examine the way paper is recycled, not to blindly go ahead and “recycle paper.” It is important to find out where the paper is being recycled and understand that plant’s processes before simply dumping in the ‘recycle paper’ bin. The carbon emissions are significantly reduced when recycling facilities have access to exclusive hydro-electric power, as compared with areas that have electricity supplied by a highly polluting mix of power generation. The same review rule applies for paper bags.

Just because food is supplied from a close by local source and therefore reduces carbon emissions by virtue of implied lesser distances for carrier vehicles to travel, does not mean it is an entirely green solution. The method of producing the food needs to be assessed and the source of electricity used requires review.