Book club in the park | Liz

What things did you enjoy the most about your experience this week?

Book club in the park – luckily the weather was good. And finding out that my carbon footprint so far seems to be 1.5 degrees compatible, though I haven’t yet added energy consumption or cat food.

What were the main challenges you faced during the week?

I was surprised by how much carbon was embodied in the screwdriver I bought to fix my phone. Should have got one second hand…Other than that keeping my daily emissions low was fairly easy as I’m vegan and don’t own a car, and my social life is more centred around meeting outdoors or at friends’ houses than it was pre-pandemic.

What were your main lessons learned of the week?

The first thing I learned, as I filled in my long-term emissions, was how much carbon is embodied in a home. I’d never thought about the footprint of making the washing machine, the freezer, the fridge, the oven, let alone the radios, the TV and clothing. Or about the impact of replacing them when they break rather than repairing them. Though I had tried to get the dishwasher repaired but the spares were no longer in stock as it was 20 years old. I also learned how much carbon is embodied inside clothes. I was glad I decided mainly to buy second-hand a couple of years ago as it cut down my footprint a lot. Even so, the coat and two pairs of waterproof shoes that I did buy new in the last year to get me through outdoor winter socializing during the pandemic added 337 g of carbon, or nearly 5% of the total budget, to my daily usage.

What would have made it easier for you to achieve or surpass your target this week?

Buying the screwdriver second-hand, which would also have been cheaper. Plus eating fewer snacks and sharing cooking with friends.