ZERO CARBON

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"Zero Carbon" is the new Utopia. It is an ideal aimed at slowing global warming so that our ecological impact is negligible.

Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions by balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal (often through carbon offsetting) or simply eliminating carbon emissions altogether (the transition to a "post-carbon economy"). It is used in the context of carbon dioxide-releasing processes associated with transportation, energy production, agriculture and industrial processes.

Carbon-neutral status can be achieved in two ways:

1. Balancing carbon dioxide emissions with carbon removal beyond natural processes, often through carbon offsetting, or the process of removing or sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make up for emissions elsewhere. Some carbon-neutral fuels work in much the same way by being made from carbon dioxide themselves, either through natural or man-made processes, despite producing carbon emissions as well. Much more extreme forms of carbon dioxide removal may also be used.

2. Simply eliminating carbon emissions altogether (the concept of the "post-carbon economy") through the use of renewable energy that does not produce carbon emissions at all (such as wind and solar power) and making changes to industrial and agricultural processes to reduce carbon production.

Carbon projects and emissions trading are often used to reduce carbon emissions, and carbon dioxide can even sometimes be prevented from entering the atmosphere entirely (such as by carbon scrubbing).

The concept may be extended to include other greenhouse gases (GHGs) measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence. The phrase was the New Oxford American Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2006. The term climate neutral reflects the broader inclusiveness of other greenhouse gases in climate change, even if CO2 is the most abundant. The terms are used interchangeably.

(SUGGESTED) SIX STEPS TOWARD A COOLER PLANET

1. TRANSPORT: Phase out polluting vehicles. Governments aims to end the sale of new petrol, and diesel vehicles by 2040 but have no infrastructure plan to support such ambition as yet. Cars need an infrastructure to equal the convenience of present day filling stations. A service station for buses, cars and trucks is under development and looking for funding calls and collaborative partners. Marine transport can be carbon neutral.

2. RENEWABLES:  Renewable energy should replace carbon-based fuels (coal, oil and gas) in our electricity, heating and transport.

3. HOUSING: On site micro or macro generation is the best option, starting with new build homes.

4. AGRICULTURE: We need trees to absorb carbon emissions from a growing population, flying, and to build new homes. Reducing food waste and promoting less energy intensive eating habits such as no meat Mondays.

5. INDUSTRY: Factories should be aiming for solar heating and onsite renewable energy generation.

6. POLITICS: - National governing bodies need to adopt policies to eliminate administrative wastages, to include scaling down spending on war machines, educating the public and supporting sustainable social policies that mesh with other cultures. Curbing kleptocratic councils and warmongers to foster peaceful objectives that take the sting out of aggrieved nations, so to unite all for the common good.

The importance of this cannot be understated where councils have been enforcing against permitted development, so making property owners build twice and fight legal battles they should not have been forced into - all of which raises the carbon footprint of the country concerned.

The UK has one of the worst records for blatant human rights violations in connection with buildings and planning. Wealden District Council has been the subject of several cases, making them climate criminals, now having declared a climate emergency, it remains to be seen in they can mend their ways, to please Her Majesty's government.

ZERO CARBON BRITAIN

The UN Paris Agreement demands that humanity must reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of this century. This is a big shift, but we have no option other than to succeed if we are to avoid really dangerous climate change.

A Zero Carbon Britain Hub is set to provide a programme of support aimed at increasing the confidence, competency and effectiveness of policymakers, communities and organisations in developing Zero Carbon Action Plans tailored to their needs from 2020. Truly, this is needed immediately, where councils in particular have been allowing the build of old fashioned brick built houses in large numbers in 2019 that are energy gobblers, when they should have been pursuing affordable units that are energy sustainable. The problem being that councils are more interested in generating tax income via properties with higher rate-able values, than using their Community Infrastructure Levies (CIL) to provide a rolling stock of low cost land for self-builds and flatpack eco homes.

By making changes to buildings, transport systems and behaviour, and by investing in a variety of renewable energy generation technologies suited to the UK (without a nuclear component), we can provide a reliable zero carbon energy supply without negatively impacting on quality of life.

Currently transport, largely passenger cars, accounts for 34% of the UK's GHG emissions. A switch to electric cars would dramatically reduce this figure and result in cleaner local air and lower carbon emissions nationwide, hence this is a major target area.

The UK is reliant on ferries to transport goods and passengers to mainland Europe across the English Channel, to Ireland across the Irish Sea, and many other outlying islands.

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