- The UK produces 30 biullion tonnes of emmissions per year. With a population of around 6 billion, this works out at about 5 tonnes per person per year.
- Add in international travel and importing goods from abroad, makes a total of 11 tonnes of CO2 per person per year.
- UN statistics put UK emissions at 9.4 tonnes per person per year.
- 3 to 4 tonnes is used in the house for heating, washing, cooking, refrigeration and lighting.
- Energy is also used in the growing, processing and packaging of food.
- Private transport - the typical UK car carrying the typical 1 or 2 people emits 0.18kg of CO2 per km travelled. So a daily commute of 20 miles produces 1.4 tonnes of CO2 over a year.
- Public transport - a daily commute by train, coach or bus produces 0.04 tonnes over a year.
- Flying - the emission levels are very high.
A survey of British householders released on November 10 2015 via the Energy Saving Trust revealed just how much energy is wasted by Christmas lighting. Of those surveyed 52% of respondents intended to display decorative Christmas lighting outside the house. With this in mind GoCompare calculated that a display of 100 five-watt bulbs switched on for six hours a day over the festive period will consume 207 Kwh, the equivalent of 22.8 days of the average British household's electricity consumption. If you are lighting up outside, LED lighting is the most efficient.
As reported in The Independent 12 Nov. 2015
