Eight disadvantaged schools across the country will receive between 20 and 40 trees, as well as training and education on how to maintain the trees facilitated by Food & Trees for Africa, a greening, climate change action and food security social enterprise. This will enhance and create a nurturing environment for the schools and will provide lasting benefit to generations of children and their communities alike.

“I believe it is every person’s responsibility to adopt low-carbon practices, and businesses are made of people. Raising public awareness and encouraging choices that support ethical companies will result in pressure being felt by other suppliers to follow suit”, said CEO, Ryan Bakos. “I believe the chain reaction is the only thing that might save our wonderful and precious planet!”

Bakos is not only committed to offsetting the company’s monthly carbon emissions, he has also begun implementing a plan to reduce it’s energy consumption which accounts for over 75% of the retailer’s total carbon emissions.  

A carbon footprint and energy report by Global Carbon Exchange (GCX) highlighted how reductions could be achieved so Bakos devised a financially sustainable plan which spread the cost of converting his current lighting system (the most energy intensive component of Bakos Brothers Furniture Retailers operations), to an energy efficient system, over the next two years.  

Total payback for the entire project will also be achieved in the 23rd month of the conversion, but emission reductions and financial savings began with the first lights that were converted and will continue steadily as more energy efficient lighting is fitted. This will also result in less and less offsets being purchased monthly until the new system has been fully installed at all five of the company’s Johannesburg premises.  

Looking at today’s international leaders like Virgin, HSBC, Mark’s and Spenser’s, Google, Ikea and Nike it is clear that the old business model of profiting at the expense of everything and everyone has been replaced by a sustainable model that does not separate responsible environmental and social practices from raising profitability and increasing market share.

Concern over energy consumption has grown greatly in recent years. Gas and electricity prices have been at record highs, hitting homeowners in their pockets. Plus there is a growing realisation amongst the general public that our energy consumption is causing global warming, which is leading to growing problems with our climate. In a recent Henley Centre survey, over 62% of respondents said that climate change is the biggest single problem facing the world today.

We use a great deal of energy in our homes. Our homes account for over a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in northern countries like the UK. However, reducing your home’s energy consumption is in most cases quite easy. It can also be very lucrative: some of the major actions you can take to reduce your home’s energy consumption pay back very quickly, and so you soon start saving a small fortune. There are 4 or 5 simple measures that almost every householder should focus on.

1.Insulate your home. By keeping more of the warmth in your home in winter, you will save a small fortune on your heating bills. The most common types on insulation to install are in the loft and also in the gap between your external walls (called ‘cavity wall insulation’). You can also insulate your floors and walls. Not only will this save you money, but your home will be more comfortable in winter and cooler in summer. Plus in the UK, because the government subsidises insulation, the investment needed will normally payback in under 2 years. Moreover, on average you will be preventing 1 to 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted each year.

2.Upgrade to a super-efficient condensing boiler. Your boiler is the main energy user in the house. Modern condensing boilers are far more efficient than some models made even 5 years ago. They use far less gas, and can save you up to 40% off your heating bills as a result. They last for around 15 years so the savings really add up over time. Plus by doing this you are saving an estimated 1.25 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

3.Replace your light bulbs with low energy bulbs. These use up to 80% less electricity used by traditional incandescent bulbs, and are now indistinguishable in terms of the light they emit. Plus they last up to 10 times longer. So as well as cutting your electricity bills, you don’t have to get the ladder out so often to replace bulbs that have blown. Now that these bulbs have come down in price, they can payback their extra cost in a very short time (only a couple of months) in terms of lower electricity bills.

4.Install energy efficient home appliances. Replacing your old fridge with the most energy efficient models can save you a small fortune on your electricity bills. In fact with the most energy efficient models, the savings can actually add up to cover the entire cost of the new fridge! Plus you can also buy other energy efficient appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers. In the EU all appliances carry an energy efficiency rating, so it is easy to spot the most efficient.

5.Install a solar hot water system. This is the most expensive of the measures mentioned in this article, but still worth doing, even in northern climates. A solar system can provide up to 70% of your hot water needs in a year, saving on your gas bills. Using solar panels mounted on the roof, solar hot water systems can be installed in most houses. This is a tried and tested technology, and you may qualify for a government grant to help with the cost of installation.

By taking these 5 measures, the average householder can save hundreds of pounds a year off their energy bills, and prevent several tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere. Even taking one or two of these steps has a big impact.

Plus for those who want to make an even bigger reduction in their home’s energy use, there are also more advanced measures to be considered such as solar electricity and ground source heat pumps. These generally cost more, but can allow your home to lower even further its impact on Climate Change.

With energy prices set to stay high, and time running out to prevent harmful changes in the earth’s climate, it really does make sense to improve our homes as soon as possible to include these measures. Further information on how to get going is on downwithco2.com.

Uninterruptible Power Supply users – and data centres in particular – have never been under greater pressure to manage and reduce energy consumption. On one hand there are ever-stricter environmental requirements and the need to be seen as a good corporate citizen; on the other, the commercial imperative that balances increasing data centre performance with the balance-sheet-led requirement to cut operational costs.

Increasingly green UPS technology

Throw in a few misconceptions about Uninterruptible Power Supplies and the scene is set for an epic debate – with the integrity and performance of the datacentre (and its green credentials) on the line if the wrong approach to energy efficiency and UPS design is taken. In one corner: a small but vocal minority advocating fresh air cooling, UPS-free data centres and higher ambient temperatures (thereby reducing air-conditioning requirements); in the other, the supporters of increasingly green UPS technology as they embrace the latest energy efficient hardware and celebrate a tradition of close co-operation with a trusted UPS manufacturer.

Four main energy efficiency issues affect UPS selection: the energy needed to power them; the way they draw energy; and their effect on upstream supplies and the management of consumables such battery sets and switchgear. The best of modern UPS design offers tangible improvements in all three areas, along with an ever-improving carbon footprint. It’s just as well, because if data centre operators agree on one thing it is the importance of reducing power consumption.

The downside of non-UPS data centre operations

Those who argue against proven UPS technology claim that repeated AC to DC switching raises power consumption. Another minority advocate only fresh air-cooling (no power-hungry, server-room air-con) and even the conversion of data centres to DC-only in the interests of energy efficiency.

Unfortunately, this view overlooks possible damage, and almost invariably accelerated wear-and-tear, to sensitive datacentre hardware, fans, consumables and battery sets. That’s the likely consequence when equipment is forced to work harder in raised temperature and humidity – or run on a non UPS-unconditioned power supply. How much costly downtime can any business carry? And that’s after the potentially massive costs of installing the unfeasibly large quantities of copper wire a DC-only call centre would require.

Rather than taking these radical steps, the intelligent route forward appears to be that which the majority of enlightened data centre operators already follow. A proven route, whereby hugely experienced UPS manufacturers develop increasingly energy efficient devices such as the latest Riello UPS Multi Plus the specification, design and installation phases to tailor correctly-sized UPS solutions without expensive (and power–greedy) over-specification.

Handling the latest high-density servers

It’s a fact. As well as reducing electricity consumption, thoughtful UPS design (eliminating, for example, the need for over-specification of power-hungry air-conditioning) supports end users’ redefined energy efficiency and environmental objectives. What’s more, the latest energy efficient UPS have improved ability to handle the latest high-density servers required by those ever-more-demanding data centre customers

With the latest zero-impact designs, UPS such as Multi Plus, demonstrate low input current distortion, reducing the need for dramatically oversized supply, such as generators and upstream switching. What’s more, the latest systems give a near Unity power factor sine wave, again leading to less wasted energy. It all adds up to lower carbon and physical footprints (.26sqm at 20kVA for Multi Plus) – the latter allowing more revenue-earning high-density servers to be fitted into floor space that would previously have been required by older UPS.

Utilising a UPS supplier’s energy efficiency consultancy capability

There’s one final aspect of UPS energy efficiency that’s easily overlooked, but that a suitably experienced manufacturer can offer great help with. While it may be tempting to explore esoteric datacentre solutions for tomorrow’s energy efficiency improvements, a more immediate benefit would come from utilising a UPS supplier’s energy efficiency consultancy to improve understanding of current and future requirements. Only then is it truly possible to realize the low carbon footprint, high-density data centre of the future.

Start making your effort to reduce your carbon footprint and save money at the same time. If you’re shopping for a new dishwasher, cooker, fridge freezer or oven, always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. They will cost less to run and help reduce carbon emissions.

Refrigeration – Side by side fridge freezers use more energy than similarly sized models with the freezer on top, even if they both carry the ENERGY STAR on board. The government holds the two categories to different standards, allowing side-by-sides to use 10-30% more energy. Icemakers and through-the-door ice also add to energy consumption.

In cooking, when it comes to choosing the fuel type, gas is usually preferable to electricity as a heating fuel. But because cooking doesn’t make a huge overall impact on your energy bill, this choice has more to do with your own preference. Many people find that gas offers better cooking control; however, it also introduces combustion products into the house that must be vented to the outside. Be sure to purchase an energy-efficient range hood that vents cooking products up from the cooktop and directly outside (avoid down-draft vents).

The EU Energy Rating measures energy efficiency on a seven point scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). The rating covers a variety of household appliances including fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers, washing machines, electric tumble driers, combined washer-driers, lamps, electric ovens and air conditioners. By law, all retailers in the EU must display an energy efficiency rating on these products. A product with an A rating will have passed a rigorous, impartial testing procedure, so you can be sure of its high energy efficiency.

If everyone in the UK upgraded their old refrigeration appliance to an A-rated, energy efficient product, energy wastage would be cut by over two-thirds. Buying an energy efficient fridge freezer to replace your inefficient model could cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 296 kilos a year.

Also, why not consider applying for a grant, availble to many people throughout the UK. The UK Government funds schemes providing up to £2,700 to households on certain benefits (see below for examples of eligibility criteria) to improve their heating and energy efficiency. In England the scheme is known as Warm Front, in Northern Ireland it is Warm Homes, in Scotland it is Warm Deal and the Central Heating Programme and in Wales it is the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme. The eligibility criteria for the schemes differ between countries – with some schemes you need to be in receipt of certain benefits, whilst others are available to anyone over a certain age.

One of the biggest concerns of our time is the prospect of global warming. Everywhere we see, whether it is on television or on the newspaper, people are being made to become aware of their carbon footprint and taking the initiative in reducing their carbon emissions. However, as most people are required to measure their carbon footprint, most businesses and technology industries are also being made to monitor theirs.

In particular data centres are subject of carbon management. These use a lot of electricity and energy to run, as they are in operation for 24 hours a day seven days a week. Data centres alone could consume up to fifty times or more power in a single day, which is detrimental for energy efficiency. So what does it take to run energy efficient data centres, without losing the quality in holding a high number of data information?

Electricity costs are a major factor and issue in running a data centre, because there are a high number of computers networked together running at the same time. It is possible for data centres to run on a relatively low amount of energy, reducing the cost of electricity and becoming more energy efficient. The main point to remember is that obviously in a data centre the IT equipment are the general cause of a high level of power consumption, therefore, improving the energy efficiency the equipment will enable you to reduce the cost of the overall electricity.

Al IT equipment needs a cooling unit which will help in keeping the machine running continuously with little maintenance. Most machines and servers now have power management systems that monitor the amount of energy consumption in day and can automatically reduce the amount in times of reduced computational usage. They will help with reducing costs of energy usage, however, they do not necessarily reduce the amount of power consumption.

For energy efficient data centres to run at its optimum level, they will need to reduce energy consumption in other places. As the machines contain their own cooling unit there leaves little reasoning to install normal fans into the room for keep the rooms cool. Furthermore the lighting in the rooms should be kept on a timer, therefore, they should only be used when needed and turned off when it is not necessary to leave them on. This helps with saving yet more money on the overall utility costs.

Using space saving techniques such compiling the servers in server cabinets will help circulate air and keep space between the machines. Most energy inefficient buildings are related to air conditioners, which instead of cooling the units can often do the opposite and consume a lot of power. If air conditioners are used, then they must be pre-tested and engineered to avoid de-humidifying the air, avoid pumping out warm air and allows the circulation of air in shorter distances therefore reducing the amount of power consumption.

The most cost effective way of making data centres energy efficient is by taking the obligatory steps of reducing the immediate and obvious devices that have a high level of power consumption. In particular using energy efficient computing platforms, will help monitor energy consumptions and keep them managed at all times.

Nowadays we all know about the threat of global warming and want to try to do our bit to prevent it. However, most of us are reluctant to radically change our comfortable lifestyles. There are things you can do to help prevent global warming without having to make any major sacrifices, and the most important of these is to reduce your carbon footprint.

Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide that you produce by burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels like coal, gas and petrol are used to provide transport, electricity, heating and many other essentials of modern life.

To be carbon neutral means to remove as much carbon dioxide as you add to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is released when we burn fossil fuels like gas, petrol, coal and oil. The build up of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is a big cause of climate change.

Carbon offsetting is a way to compensate for our production of carbon emissions. Methods for offsetting carbon emissions can vary greatly, from the planting of trees to supporting renewable sources of energy production like wind and solar power.

While it is virtually impossible to avoid using any fossil fuels, we can all reduce our carbon footprint by changing the way we travel. Walk or cycle instead of driving and you will not just save on carbon emissions, but the regular exercise will also make you healthier. For long journeys, try using public transport such as buses and trains. By reducing the number of vehicles on our roads and cutting out unnecessary car journeys, we can really reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we produce.

Carbon emissions from homes and businesses can be reduced in many ways. Turning down our thermostats means we use less fuel for heating, and by making sure our homes are well insulated, less heat energy can escape. Using the economy setting on our washing machines and dishwashers is another small measure that will help lower our energy consumption and move us closer to being carbon neutral.

You may be surprised at the range of green products on the market. From car insurance agencies offering carbon offsetting packages to large energy providers like British Gas offering carbon neutral, dual fuel tariffs, modern businesses are taking environmental protection seriously. These products offer you an easy way of reducing your carbon footprint without compromising your lifestyle.

To find out more about how to reduce your carbon footprint, look online for advice and environmentally friendly products. Remember that even small changes can make a difference to the environment.