For those contemplating double glazing their own home, think about the problems posed with a structure like the Empire State Building.

New York’s tallest building is due for a makeover and it’s all part of the Clinton Climate Initiative. The iconic sky-scraper is about to have new windows and energy efficient heating systems. The aim is to cut energy bills by 40%, representing a yearly saving of some $4.5 million on energy.

The green refit, inspired by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, will save around over 100,00 tonnes of carbon dioxide, helping reduce the City’s total emissions.

Mr Clinton said: "In this distressed economic climate, there is a tremendous opportunity for cities and building owners to retrofit existing buildings to save money and save energy."

Both the U.S. and U.K. governments are trying to reduce emissions by around 75% in time for the halfway point in the century: 2050.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

It appears that there’s more hot air spent on talking about energy efficiency, than actually doing it.

Figures just released from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) show that domestic energy rose in 2008, compared to the previous year.

In fact, whereas industry led the way with a 6.1% drop in the use of gas, domestic use of gas went up 4.8%. Furthermore, the domestic use of electricity also rose, but by the lesser figure of 2.7%.

This proves that increased calls for property insulation, double glazing and different fuel types, might be justified afterall. Experts believe that without the majority of homes taking such steps to reduce their energy usage, ambitious governments targets will not be met. Although, on the upside, the same figures from DECC showed that carbon dioxide emissions dropped 2% in the period under review.

And two of the most mooted strategies for getting homes to increase the energy efficiency levels is by using efficient condensing combination boilers (over 90% efficient) and loft insulation.

Another related report highlighted the fact the government might be placing too much reliance on the building regulations and building material suppliers to get households to meet energy efficiency targets. The Commons Public Accounts Committee says that although there are encouraging signs that more is being done to make energy efficiency a mainstream consideration, central government should do more to give the ambitions a boost.

It highlighted the fact that when it comes to building regulations, control officers were not enforcing the energy efficiency parts with as much enthusiasm as others. And furthermore, the report called upon the government to do more to educate households about energy efficiency. Such matters as highly efficient condensing boilers, double glazing and insulation methods should all be promoted.

The government recently announced ambitious plans to try and make all households carbon zero by giving them green makeovers.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Consumer groups are warning that the chancellor’s climate change targets announced in the 2009 budget, could knock nearly two million households into fuel poverty.

They reckon that Alistair Darling’s commitment to introduce carbon capture plants and build offshore wind parks will have to be partly paid for with a levy on the average households’ energy bill of some £30. The effect of this could see 100,000 more households thrust into fuel poverty. Put this new group together with some 1.6 million people who will find the actual cost of increasing electricity prices hurting them, and that makes some 1.7 million who will experience fuel poverty in the future.

These estimates originate from independent advisor The Committee on Climate Change, who warned the government last year that if they increased the share of renewable sources when it comes to generating electricity, then the extra costs, as much as 25%, would be passed onto consumers.

Already there are some five million households in the U.K. who fall in the bracket of being in fuel poverty. The definition is those households with at least one tenth of their income going on fuel bills. And this bracket includes 2.5 million pensioners.

But the budget saw the government stand steadfast when it comes to cutting emissions. Its target for a cut of 22% by the end of 2012 and 34% by 2022 is seen as a minimum by many. The plans that were announced by Darling included four new carbon capture projects. These involve the capture of carbon at the source of generation, mostly the power stations, which is then stored underground. It has been calculated that this will cause a 2% increase in consumer bills by 2020, equating to about £25 extra a year. The offshore wind parks will eventually cost the consumer around £15 a year.

Consumer groups agree that protecting the environment is essential, but that the lowest income households will be a major casualty. And they claim that the government has got its sums wrong when it comes to allocating funds to help those in fuel poverty. For those new 1.7 million about to be hit by fuel poverty, it is reckoned that some £500 million will be needed to be spent on energy efficiency incentives to balance out the effect. Yet Darling only allocated some £200 million in the budget.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Mickey Mouse has committed himself to cutting his greenhouse gases in half over the next four years.

Well, to be precise, its Mickey’s employer, Disney, which has made the commitment to cut their company-wide greenhouse gas emissions. And, furthermore, they plan to reduce their electricity consumption by ten per cent over the next five years.

Disney is a huge entertainment conglomerate, but it’s the theme parks, resorts and cruise ships which are bearing the brunt of the cuts. These three sectors account for around 90% of the Group’s total greenhouse emissions and just over 70% of electrical consumption.

These and other green targets were recently released in a comprehensive “Corporate Responsibility Report”, coming at the same time as the Group’s financial figures which showed that Disney is feeling the effects of the worldwide recession, with sales dropping across all its activities.

This has led a few cynics to suggest that Disney’s commitment to a green agenda might be more the result of a new financial reality, rather than a conversion to the eco cause.

Within the report, it laid bare its green ambitions, including a 2013 target to reduce by 50% the amount of waste destined to go to landfill sites. It also revealed that the Group’s two huge cruise ships were responsible for nearly half of the Group’s total yearly emissions of 566,000 tons a year. Disney’s resorts and theme parks pumped out about a total of 240,000 tons.

And in case you’ve wondered how fast the electricity meter spins at the Disney resorts, they also revealed that to light the parks and power the rides, it takes about 1.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, representing some three-quarters of the Group’s total electricity consumption. That’s some electricity bill every quarter.

Furthermore, the Disney Parks created nearly 300,000 tons of solid waste of which over half was sent to be buried in the earth. The rest was either recycled, re-used, donated to special causes, or composted.

Disney claims it will now be very pro-active in its attempts to be a green company. Such measures include testing hydrogen fueled cars, car pooling amongst its executives and the widespread use of solar panels where possible. And it has gone down the same route as many supermarkets by encouraging shoppers to use disposable bags, rather then relying on plastic bags in the Disney shops.

Also, the Group said it would form a working group that would have as its focus a remit to develop clean-energy strategies and strategies that will reduce the operation’s worldwide carbon footprint.

So, Mickey is turning green, although some might suggest that it’s the downturn that has caused such eco ambitions, it can only be hoped, says the consensus of watchdogs, that more major companies will follow their lead and begin to think hard about their carbon footprints.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Getting individual homes to consider eco-heating measures is bad enough, yet alone a whole village, but one community in Scotland has grasped the nettle by seeking out low carbon heating options.

Fintry has already been dubbed the greenest village in Scotland and they are now considering biomass boilers and heat pumps to heat their 330 properties. The village already owns and operates a wind turbine which produces enough electricity to power 1,800 homes.

The profits from the wind turbine, from selling excess electricity to the national grid, has already allowed many of the residents to afford cavity wall and loft insulation for their houses. This in turn, they estimate, has meant that electricity and heating consumption has dropped to 10,000MWh from 13,000.

The biggest problem for the village, like many rural communities, is that it has no access to mains gas. Consequently, residents have to use expensive heating oil, or Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG).

So, they have tasked the Fintry Development Trust, which administers the wind turbine project, to consider other projects which will keep their carbon footprint light. Amongst other heat generating techniques, they are looking at wood-pellet driven boilers and heat pumps.

Fintry is being held up as a beacon for those communities that wish to help themselves when it comes their own carbon footprint.

Guest Article by Neil Camp