In South Africa, we have one great resource that we haven’t even come close to utilising properly and that is our many days of frequent sunshine; and thanks to the temperate climate, it should be easy to reduce your household carbon footprint. Here are some easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint without having to compromise on your comfortable lifestyle. And something to remember if you’re not the altruistic type: reduced carbon footprints often translate into reduced utility bills.
Laundry
There is a secret international race going on; it rivals the space race in the 1960s and the outcome is just as relevant to human development, only very few people know about it. And while solar power steals a lot of the spotlight, it’s small wind power that has the UK and the US in a spin. Many would expect the US, with all its financial backing and high profile green advocates (Al Gore), to have a large lead on the renewable energy market. But the UK is hot on its heels and, with a little more investment and development, could very well overtake the US as the world leader in small wind power technology by 2020.
The clothing and textile industry in the UK has not been very conscious of exactly how environmentally sustainable the fashion business is, and what its social impact on the world is (particularly in the third world). Approximately 90% of clothing sold in the UK is imported, with a large portion rumoured to have often come from sweatshops in China and India. Also, the industry’s carbon footprint has been largely ignored, until now.
According to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the clothing industry’s annual carbon footprint stands at a whopping 3.1 million tonnes, and every year it produces 2 million tonnes of rubbish. These statistics are shocking, which is why the Defra initiated the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAB), which was launched at this year’s fashion show, with many designers coming out with eco chic designs.