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MAGAZINELightworker

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JulietDavenport is the founderandchiefexecutiveof the renewableelectricityprovider,GoodEnergy.Herpassionateapproachtoempoweringpeopletotack‐letheseeminglyinsurmountableproblemofclimatechangehaswonastringofawards.

Weallleadbusylives,jugglingspendingtimewithourfamilieswithworkandget‐tingthebillspaidontime.Butnow,morethanever,peopleareacceptingthatasindividualswehavearoletoplayintacklingclimatechange,andthedireconse‐quencesifwefailtoact.

Manyofusarealreadydoingourbitbyrecyclingandreducingourwaste,cuttingdownonflightswherepossible,buyingmoreefficientcarsandgrowingourownvegetables.Othersaregoingfurther,fittingsolarpanelsontheirroofsorwindtur‐binesontheirlandtogeneratetheirownrenewableelectricity.

Noteveryonecandoallthesethings. IsetupGoodEnergynearly10yearsago,becauseIwantedtomakeiteasyforordinarypeopletotakeonesimplestepto‐wardsmakingadifferencetoclimatechange.Withelectricitycontributingaroundathirdoftheaveragehousehold’sC02emissions,switchingto100percentrenew‐ableelectricityissomethinganyonecando.

Thereareseveralso‐called“greentariffs”available,buthereatGoodEnergywe’reuniqueinthatalltheelectricitywesupplyisgeneratedbyclean,renewablesourc‐essuchaswind,waterandsunlight(andevenanimalmanure!).

WehaveourownwindfarminCornwall,butmostofourelectricitycomesfromacommunityof1,200independentrenewablegeneratorsthroughoutthecountry.Fromfarmingcommunitiestofamiliesbasedintownsandcities,wehaveadiversenetworkofenergyentrepreneurs,largeandsmall,whoaremakingadifferenceintacklingclimatechange.Bybuyingelectricityfromus,ourcustomersarehelpingtosupportthem.

It’swhyorganisationssuchasFriendsof theEarth,RiverCottage,SustransandActionAidhavechosenustosupplythemwithrenewableelectricity.

Switchingiseasy‐weoperatebysupplyingelectricitytotheNationalGridlikeanyotherenergysupplier.Thedifferenceisforeveryunitofelectricityourcustomers

MakeaDifferencetoClimateChange:GoodEnergy

use,wesupplyaunitofrenewableelectricitytothegrid,andallthisisindepen‐dentlyverifiedeveryyear.

Butitdoesn’tstopthere.Wealsowanttohelpourcustomersuselessenergyover‐allandsavemoneyontheirbills.Theideaofanelectricitycompanytryingtoselllesspowermaysoundstrange,butitmakessensetous.OurvisionfortheUKistosourceanincreasingpercentageofourenergyfromrenewables–andthelessenergywealluseoverall,theeasierthiswillbe.

Todayweworkwithover26,000customers,notonlyhouseholdsbutalsobusi‐nesses,andweknowthatbyjoiningGoodEnergytheyfeelpartofanoverallefforttomakeadifferencetoabigproblem.Whetheryouchoosetomaketheswitchtoarenewableelectricitysupplier,takestepstomakeyourhomemoreenergyeffi‐cientortryyourhandatgeneratingelectricity,GoodEnergycanhelp.

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TreePlanting:GlobalReLeafInternational

AmericanforestspartnerswithenvironmentalorganisationsworldwidethroughtheirGlobalReLeafInternationalprogram.Eachtree‐plantingprojectadaptstheGlobalReLeafmodeltoacountry’slocalculturalandenvironmentalneeds.Theseprojectsincludeurbanforestry,educationalprograms,grade‐schooleducation,ruralreforestation,andtheestablishmentoftreenurseries.

TherearetwotypesofGlobalReLeafprojects:

1)Inurbanareas,treesareplantedthroughtheGlobalReLeafFund.Theprogramalsoencouragesindividualstoplanttreesaroundtheirhomesandbusinessesorjoincommunitygroupstoplanttreesthatshade,cool,andbeautifytheirneigh‐bourhoods.

2) In less‐developedareas, treesareplanted inecosystemrestorationprojectscalledGlobalReLeafForests.Manyoftheseareashavebeendamagedbynaturalorhumancauses.Thesetreeshelpcleantheairandwater,filterpollutedrunoff,slowglobalwarminganderosion,andprovidehabitatforwildlife.

Examplesofinternationalprojects:

RegenerationofDomCommunityForest

Year:2009TreesPlanted:50,000Location:Cameroon

ThevillageDom,withapopulationof1,500,thatislocatedinoneofthesevendivisionsthatmakeuptheNorthWestRegionofCameroon,willreceive50,000trees intheirdegradedcommunityforest.Theprojectwill improvewater infil‐trationandthus increasethevolumeofwater inthepipesthathassince2002droppedtolessthenhalfits1980size.Itwillalsoreduceerosionminimizingthesiltingupofpipesresultingfromtheflashfloodsthatoccurintherainyseason.Theprojectwilltrain20youthtobenurserycaretakersandalsousecommunitymemberstooutplanttheseedlings.

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ReforestationandSustainableFarming:Quetzaltenango,Guatemala

Year:2009TreesPlanted:40,700Location:Guatemala

TheAlliance for International Reforestationwill grow and plant 50,000 nativetreesinGuatemalain2009toreversetheprocessofdeforestationandslash‐and‐burnfarming.Thesetreeswillbeplantedalongstreambedsandonsteepslopes,withinfields for soil nutrition, andbesidefields toprovidewindbreaksaroundcrops.Thisprojectwillestablishtreenurseriestogrowthetrees,educatefarm‐ersaboutforestrestorationandsustainablefarming,improvetheproductivityofcropsthroughtrees,andpreventsoilerosionandmudslides.Farmersinvolvedintheprojectwillreceiveone‐on‐onetrainingconcerningthestewardshipoflocalforests.

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OrganicFoodHomeDelivery

Organicfarmingisbasedontheideathatahealthyenvironmentsignificantlybenefitscropsandthehealthofthoseconsumingthem.It’saboutrespectingnaturalecologicalbalancesandmaintainingthehealthofthesoilandtheecosystemsinwhichcropsandlivestockareraised.

WhyshouldIgoorganic?• Ittastesgreat• It’sgoodfortheenvironment• Itpreservesthefertilityofthesoil• Itimproveswaterquality• It’sgoodforwildlife• Itpromotesanimalwelfare• It’sgoodforyou• Itdoesn’tuseingredientsthataregeneticallymodified• Itsupportstheruraleconomybecauseitismorelabourintensive• Itisasustainableagriculturalsystemforthe21stcentury

UK‐basedAbel&Coleexplainwhatdifferentiatesorganichomedelivererssuchasthemselvesfromyourlocalsupermarket:• Wecareaboutourproducers,weareflexibleandappreciativewiththem• Weworkwithsmall,independentproducers• Webuyourproduceonthebasisoftaste,notlooks• Ourfruitandvegareseasonal• Everythingwesellisdelicious!• Everythingwesellisnatural‐noadditives• Everythingwesellisethical‐nomoraldilemmasintheaisles!• Aweeklyshoptakesundertenminuteswithus• Wecandeliverregularlysoyourshoppingtakescareofitself• Ourcustomersareproudtobuyfromus!

Tofindyourlocaldeliveryservice,clickhere.

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CuttingCarbonEmissions:TheCarbonTrust

TheCarbonTrustisanot‐for‐profitcompanywiththemissiontoacceleratethemovetoalowcarboneconomy.Theyprovidespecialistsupporttohelpbusinessandthepublicsectorcutcarbonemissions,saveenergyandcommercialiselowcarbontechnologies.Bystimulating lowcarbonaction theycontribute tokeyUKgoalsoflowercarbonemissions,thedevelopmentoflowcarbonbusinesses,increasedenergysecurityandassociatedjobs.

Casestudies

Carbonmanagement:JCBWhenJCBdecidedtomakeenergyefficiencypartofitsstrategicplanningpro‐cess,aCarbonTrustsurveywithinaCarbonManagementservice showedthecompanythewayforward.Inthefirstsixmonthsofimplementation,JCB’sen‐ergycostswerecutby£728,000,whileitsCO2emissionsareexpectedtodropby7,800tonnesoverthecourseoftheyear.Savingsataglance:‐Totalprojectcost:£300,000‐Projectedannualcostsavings:£1,500,000‐ProjectedannualCO2savings:7,800tonnes

Loans:TheFriends’SchoolTheFriends’SchoolinEssexwantedtoreducethe£8,500yearlycostofheatingitsswimmingpool.ApoolcoverpurchasedwithaloanfromTheCarbonTrusthasenabledtheschooltosaveover£2,000peryearinenergybills.

Carbonsurveys:WestburyDairiesWestburyDairies is the largestsingle‐sitedairy in theUK. In2004Westbury’sannualenergybillwasinexcessof£2mandsotheorganisationcontactedtheCarbonTrustforadviceonenergyefficiency.Savingsataglance:‐Reducedtheircarbonemissionsbyalmostasixth‐Costsavingsof£400,000peryear

Emergingtechnologies:NujiraWithaphoneineveryone’spocket,communicationhasneverbeensoeasy–orsopower‐hungry.With3Gbecomingcommonplaceand4Gemerging,theen‐ergyconsumptionofmobilephonesandbasestationsissettoincreasedramati‐cally.ThesameistrueofTVbroadcasttransmissionsasnetworksswitchtodigi‐tal.WithsupportfromtheCarbonTrust,Nujiraisworkingonasolution.

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RethinkingCarUse:Carplus

Carplus is the UK’s national charity promoting responsible car use. Whilstrecognisingthebenefitscarsbringtosociety,Carplusisacutelyawareofthefinan‐cial,environmental,socialandhealthcostsofmotoringtodayandseekstobringaboutarethinkofcardependency.

Resourcesinclude:

carclubs

carsharing

eco‐driving

lowcarbonoptions

cardisposal

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Afewrelevantfactsandfigures

• Over the past 25 years the number of journeysmade by car has in‐creased,whilethosebyfoot,rail,busandcyclehavedecreased.Themajorityofpersonaltravel(93%)andfreightmovement(65%)isnowmadebyroad(10yeartransportplan,DTLR2000).

• RoadtrafficintheUK,at7,800vehiclekilometresforeachmemberofthepopulation, is26%higherthantheOECDEuropeaverage(EnvironmentalPerformanceReviews,Organisation forEconomicCo‐operation andDevelop‐ment).

• Roadtransportaccountsforaround22%ofUKCO2emissionsandairtransportafurther3%.

• Emissionsfromroadtransportarethemaincausesofchronichotspotsforparticulatesandnitrogendioxideinmajorurbanareas.Roadtransportemits44%oftheUK’snitrogenoxidesandupto75%ormoreofnitrogenoxidesincon‐urbations.Similarlyvehiclesaccount for20%ofparticlesnationallybutabouttwicethisinconurbations(TheUrbanEnvironmentinEnglandandWales‐ade‐tailedassessment,EnvironmentAgency2002).

• The costofmotoringhas remainedatorbelow its 1980 level in realterms. In contrast, public transport fareshave risenover the last 20 years; in2001,busandcoachfareswere31%higherandrailfares37%higherthanin1980(TransportTrends2002,DepartmentforTransport).

• Theproportionofhuman‐inducedclimatechangeaccountedforbyavi‐ationisthreetimesgreaterthanthatoftheequivalentamountofgroundlevelemissionofcarbondioxide.Thisisduetotherangeofgreenhousegasesemit‐tedbyaircraftandthealtitudeatwhichtheyareemitted(TheEnvironmentalEffectsofCivilAircraftinFlight,RCEP).

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VirtualOffices

AccordingtoPenelopeTrunk‐‘TheBrazenCareerist’whoprovidescareerman‐agementtoolsfornext‐generationprofessionals‐virtualofficesnotonlyreduceyourenergyconsumptionandcarbonfootprint,butalso“worklifeandhomelifewillbeblendedinawaythatmakeseachmorerewarding.”

Atpresent,themostcommonvirtualofficeusersare:

Home‐basedentrepreneurs

Healers/Therapists

Businessconsultants

Trainers/Instructors

Mobilesalespeople

LeeAnnObringercitestheadvantagesanddisadvantagesas:

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Advantages

Whiletheadvantagesofworkingfromahome/virtualofficemayseemobvioustoyou‐morefreedom,moreflexibility,theopportunitytobeathomewithyourkids‐thereareprobablyevenmorebenefitsthatyouhaven’tthoughtof.Hereareafew.

‐Environmentalbenefitsfromnotdrivingamotorvehicleinslow‐movingtrafficandpollutingtheair‐Reductionintrafficcongestion‐Reductioninstresslevelsfromnothavingtodriveincongestedtraffictoand fromwork‐Timesavednotcommutingtoanoffice‐Monetary benefits from savings in gas,wear and tear on your car, business clothing,andlunchesout‐Benefitsfrombeingabletomanageyourtimemoreeffectively‐Productivitybenefitsfrombeingabletoworkwhenyouaremostproductive‐Healthbenefitsofbeingabletoeatabetterdietthatincludeslessfastfood‐Opportunitiestogetphysicalexercisewhenneededmentally‐Reducedstressbenefits‐Benefitoflivingamorebalancedlife‐Amorerelaxingworkenvironment‐Moreopportunitiestohirepart‐timeorcontractworkers‐Alargerpoolofemployeeapplicantsbecauselocationisn’tasimportant

Disadvantages

‐Lackofface‐to‐facecommunicationincreaseschancesofmiscommunicationsormisunderstandings‐Technicaldifficultieshinderingcommunicationsorworkprogress‐Feelingsofseparationordisassociationamongemployees‐Lesscamaraderieamongworkersmeaningpossibilitiesforlesscohesiveworkteams‐Problemsseparatingyourfreetimefromyourworktimebecauseyourworkisalways“there”‐Lessconvenienttorunerrandsatlunchtime‐Feelingsofisolationifyouarealwayshomealone‐Lackofsupport‐bothadministrativeandmanagerial

Beingfullyinformedallowsyoutomakeacleardecisiononwhatofficeenviron‐mentisbestforyou.

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