......Going green was once an activity reserved for those scornfully described as ‘tree-huggers’, but it most definitely is no longer.
Going green is essential tied in with energy use because energy generation produces carbon emissions in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, the overproduction of which contributes significantly to global warming and climate change.
Because of the potentially catastrophic consequences of climate change, it is now vital for everyone on the planet to carefully scrutinise their energy use and reduce excesses where possible.
So where do you start?
The simplest answer is by calculating your carbon or ecological footprint. This will give you a good indication of how much carbon dioxide is generated to supply all your energy needs each year; for us in Thailand, among other things, this means cooling your home, running your car, using major appliances, lighting, and manufacturing the goods you buy.

Carbon footprint calculators
By calculating your own carbon footprint, you can estimate how much energy and money can be saved and how much emissions can be reduced by implementing energy-efficiency improvements.
You might well be surprised by how much energy you use, and, by implication, waste. The websites shown below all have carbon footprint calculators which, although largely aimed at the West, will, nevertheless, allow you to place yourself in one of the five category areas:
1 Much less than average;
2 Less than average;
3 Average;
4 More than average;
5 Much more than average.
Armed with the knowledge of your individual ecological impact on the planet and which areas of your lifestyle contribute most to carbon emissions, you are in a position to make radical changes in your life.
The carbon footprint calculator websites won’t necessarily tell you in detail how to make the necessary savings, however. That’s our job, and for the next few issues, we’ll go through exactly how to implement these changes in your lifestyle, so as to save energy in the most cost and usage-efficient way, thus benefitting yourself, your family, your community and, ultimately, the planet.
We’ll start with the two single most important areas of energy consumption and these two factors that constitute the majority of most individuals’ carbon dioxide emissions are: transportation and the energy-efficiency of the structure of your house itself, considered separately from its appliances.

Transportation
When you drive a car, each litre of petrol you burn produces carbon dioxide. Dependent on the fuel efficiency of your vehicle and the kilometres travelled, a petrol-powered car can easily generate its own weight in carbon dioxide each year.
You can help reduce your carbon footprint by driving a more efficient car, converting your vehicle to use one of the forms of natural gas fuel, or driving less. As most baht buses now use NVG, you could use them more, or perhaps even buy a bicycle, instead.
Quite a few of you are regular air travellers. Air travel is costly in terms of its environmental impact and per-mile emissions are significantly affected by the length of the flight because a high percentage of fuel use and emissions are used on take-off.
Air travel is divided into short, medium, long, and extended flights, with averages as follows: 250 miles for a short flight, 800 miles for a medium flight, 2,500 miles for a long flight, and 5,000 miles for an extended flight.
These translate into the following relative emissions:
Short flight: .64 lbs/mile
Medium flight: .45 lbs/mile
Long flight: .39 lbs/mile
Extended flight: .39 lbs/mile
The emissions factors are from the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
If you are a tourist, frequently here on holiday, consider extending your individual stay so you don’t have to take so many trips to Thailand each year. If you fly in connection with your work, fly less, or use alternatives like ships and trains. Local, in-country air trips can be made by train or long-distance bus, instead; more gruelling, granted, but better for the planet.

Reducing your carbon footprint by making your home more energy-efficient
The most crucial consideration in reducing your domestic carbon footprint is to make your home as energy-efficient as possible. This issue will concentrate on the structure of the house, rather than its internal equipment. By far the most important structural factor is what is called the ‘thermal envelope’.
The ‘thermal envelope’
This includes the wall and roof construction, overall insulation, windows, doors, finishes, weather-stripping, and air/vapour retarders.
The safest, most comfortable and energy-efficient homes contain these common features:
l a tightly sealed thermal envelope, which stops drafts, dust, pollen and insects coming into the house;
l an adequate supply of fresh air and recirculation of stale, outgoing air;
l an efficient filtration system to remove dust and pollen from incoming and re-circulating air;
l effective insulation, which can cool a house by up to 10°C;
l controlled humidity levels of between 30-50 per cent;
l an efficient cooling system, including a device to re-absorb the excess heat of air-cons;
l energy-efficient windows, doors and electrical appliances;
Obviously, those with the most financial resources will be able to exercise most control over house design and building in these efficiency measures, but all premises can be retrofitted, that is fitted sometime after construction.
Bear in mind that an environmentally friendly building also has to be people-friendly, meaning it should be designed and built so as to be able to respond to changing demands on its function, layout and technical performance. Buildings designed to be flexible and adaptable, with an obvious and accessible structure and built-in ease of maintenance, are the most loved and cared for, and therefore the most long-lasting.

Maximise coolness
To keep your home as cool as possible, you should make sure that all these design features are built in, or followed:
l shade southern, eastern and western windows with eaves, awnings, or pergolas;
l all north-facing windows can be full length;
l total window coverage should be less than 1/4 of the total floor area of the house;
l plant trees on the southern side of the house to adequately shade the house from the sun; trees also act as a carbon sink, so the more you plant, the better for the planet;
l thoroughly insulate walls and ceilings to reduce the entrance of heat;
l install programmable thermostats.

Building materials
In Thailand, it may be necessary to remind local or native builders about energy-efficient measures,
particularly when it comes to the choice of materials to be used in construction. The cement industry alone produces seven per cent of all global CO2 emissions; therefore, use wood as far as possible, though not protected hardwoods like teak and mahogany, unless they are recycled. The use of recycled and aged hardwoods will prevent warping, that the still ‘wet’ green variety are prone to. Under no circumstances use asbestos, as this causes cancer.

Circulation
The circulation of fresh air is crucial and must be a feature of all ventilation systems, as it cools the house, particularly at night. Most importantly, it stops condensation, which is a major threat to the structural integrity of a house.
As the humid, external air enters the walls and meets cooler wall cavities, it condenses into water, requiring the use of a vapour retarder. This can either be a material, or a structural element, such as filled-cavity walls. You should also reduce the migration of water vapour by using a skillfully designed thermal envelope, allowing any water vapour that does manage to penetrate the walls or attic
to escape.
In addition, electrical equipment such as water heaters, clothes dryers, and bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans will also expel air from the house.

This has been the first in the series of green articles. We will concentrate each issue on one or more ways of increasing your energy-efficiency, helping you to further reduce your carbon footprint and make a personal contribution
to saving the
planet.Ω