I watched an item on the news last night where a woman (possibly an mn-er?) was being asked what she and her family would be prepared or able to give up to 'do her bit' for global warming, and the interviewer presented her with a carbon 'cheque' that said basically if you give up your car you will be ?250 a year better off, so do you rip up the cheque and keep the car or do you keep the cheque and get rid of the car etc etc. This is something that I have strong views on because it's 'ordinary' conscientious people like you and me who will end up living close to the breadline because the people who make all the important decisions about the world have decided to make us pay more as a punishment for simply existing.
I live in a modest two bedroom mid-townhouse with ds. We don't have central heating, a tumble dryer or a car. Our house is heated by one storage heater in the living room that set on number 2 (out of 5) that's enough to heat the whole house and it's kept warm by double glazing and keeping the doors shut. I prefer to put on a jumper than turn the thermostat up. We don't eat excessively, preferring to eat 'in season' locally sourced fruit and veg, and we very rarely eat take-aways, including McDonalds etc. I use the washing machine economically, we have energy saving lightbulbs in all the lights and I don't leave lights on when it's not necessary nor do I leave the tv on standby overnight or the microwave or my mobile phone charger plugged in when it?s not being used. The electrical items in my house are minimal; tv, video, fridge freezer (A rated), washing machine (B rated), microwave (not sure) and radio alarm clock. DS has never been on a plane and I last went on one in June 2001. We haven't had a foreign holiday together and when we've been away for a week or so it's been in Britain we've doubled up with other people. We have a recycling bin that is used religiously and a non recyclable bin that is usually half full when the bin men come for it every two weeks. I recycle glass, clothes, shoes and garden rubbish in the relevant recycling banks.
The reason I'm twittering on like this is because I do not consider myself to have an excessive lifestyle and I'm conscious of the impact that my carbon footprint is having on the planet, yet I am facing the prospect of rising electricity bills that I will struggle to pay all because of factors that are way beyond my control. I completely agree that something needs to be done now if our children's children are to see the next century, but how is raising the cost of living by higher gas and electricity prices going to achieve it? We will end up with two classes in society; the people who can afford to live an opulent lifestyle and who will continue to waste resources without a care for anything or anyone, and people like you and me who will have to decide between eating and heating our houses.
Rant over.