The Healthful Home
Morris Moses Kafka © 2008

“Craggers” volunteer a plan for the planet

The following comes from material written by Robert Greenall for the BBC News Magazine. In the US we’ve heard a few suggestions here or there, but it is rare for people to talk so seriously about lifestyle change, or join a group to support one another in reducing waste. How can individuals make a difference in saving resources?

A recent poll suggested 28% of Britons thought the idea of setting mandatory limits on individuals' carbon emissions was socially acceptable, even though most feel lifestyle changes rather than simply legislation will be necessary to reduce the impact of climate change. People are willing to make changes; Peter Robinson, and dozens like him around Britain have signed up for voluntary groups whose aim is to substantially reduce the CO2 their members release into the atmosphere.

For example when the Robinson family gets up in the morning they leave the lights off and open the curtains a crack so some light gets in but little heat escapes. This is the world of "carbon rationing". Peter has been an enthusiastic "cragger" since joining his local Carbon Rationing Action Group, in Worcester last year.

“You realize that you do waste a lot of energy, not out of spite or just being lazy or anything, it's just your normal lifestyle," Peter says. "Our lifestyles were very energy-rich, whereas now... there are things you can do in your life that don't stop you having a really nice time... but you can still make really substantial savings. "It's not draconian, you're not leading the life of a monk, it's just stuff that's really easy to do."

Though he, his wife Sarah, and children Jacob and Molly have been actively trying to reduce their carbon footprint for some time, he believes becoming members has helped to focus their minds on the task in hand. "Being involved in the Crag... has really made a difference - monitoring how you produce your carbon... is what really has driven me and enabled us to look at what we do, how we live our lives, make those savings," It is easy to see the Robinsons as driven.

Developing habits is the key, Peter says “….I started going round at home turning [unneeded] lights out." Most of the family's savings have come from using less heat (turning it off altogether from April to October and restricting its use at other times), less light and turning off electronic equipment at the wall. Peter has also pledged not to fly this year. He says they reduced their personal carbon emissions from 12.7 metric tons in 2005 to 10.9 in 2006, well below the national average. He is hoping savings this year will have knocked another 10% off their emissions by December.

While the Robinsons’ local Crag has not offered any reduction targets, in nearby Hereford one of the first groups to be set up recently finished its carbon "accounting" for the year April 2006 to April 2007. It set a limit of 4.5 tons per person. Some Crags have elected to impose financial penalties for those who exceed the limit, but Hereford decided not to. Carpenter Steve Ball, 36, who joined Hereford Crag last year, found a combination of his car use and a flight to Slovenia had pushed him well over the limit to more than seven tons. Although he had never previously calculated his footprint, he believes changes he has made have already cut deeply into his emissions. Like Peter, Steve has taken steps across the board: for instance, converting his car to run on a biodiesel mix and taking fewer trips using a small motorbike for some journeys or insulating his converted loft.

Both Peter and Steve have made massive changes and are prepared to go further. But they both seem wary of the Crags' ultimate aim - to reduce personal carbon emissions by 90% by 2030, which the movement says is necessary to avoid dangerous and potentially runaway climate change. "We would struggle as a family to get 90% cuts," Peter says. "If it's do-able, then great idea," says Steve. "We can strive for it, but whether or not it's realistically possible I don't know."

The Craggers are not focused on lobbying the government, or blaming corporations. Instead they are using existing technology, personal choice and staying informed and focused to affect positive change. With the skyrocketing cost of fuel, the Crag message carries strong economic value as well. Here in the USA, where we consume more energy per person than anywhere else in the world, this is worth learning from. As citizens we don’t have to wait for the government to come up with long term solutions -- we can consciously alter our habits and choices to use what we need but no more and continue to live well while making a positive impact on the environment.