Environment Training - the accrediting bodies

If you are looking to increase your skills and qualifications and seeking training in order to do so, check that your training course is accredited. The following details some of the key accreditation schemes for professionals working in the environmental sector and is accompanied with notes on gaining accreditation and what it means for you.

IEMA
The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) is a not-for-profit membership organisation that promotes best practice standards in environmental management, auditing and assessment. The Institute provides recognition of knowledge and skills through professional qualifications including IEMA Approved Training Courses. IEMA provides its own courses as well as approves and accredits other course providers that have developed courses based upon IEMA syllabus materials. Courses range from Advanced EMS Auditing to Resource Efficiency to REACH to Carbon Footprinting.

IEMA is an industry leader and course accreditation is a widely recognised standard. For further information see www.iema.net/home.

BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method)
For those working in the Construction Industry, there are several training providers overseen by the BRE who manage BREEAM.  BREEAM is the most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de facto measure used to describe a building's environmental performance.. The courses are accredited by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and UKAS certifies for the construction industry. UKAS is the sole national accreditation body recognised by government to assess, against internationally agreed standards, organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services.

The courses range from Code for Sustainable Homes Assessor Training to EcoHomes.

Code for Sustainable Homes

In May 2008 it became mandatory for all new residential homes to have a rating against the Code for Sustainable Homes. The Code is an environmental assessment method with guidance on the construction of high performance homes built with sustainability in mind.

Organisations licensed to train and accredit Code assessors are currently BRE Global Ltd and Stroma Ltd. http://www.bre.co.uk/pagew.jsp?id=1321

EcoHomes

Ecohomes is a version of BREEAM for homes. It provides an authoritative rating for new, converted or renovated homes, and covers houses, flats and apartments

For further information see www.breeam.org

Environmental Management Systems (EMS), IS0 14001 & BS8555
For those looking to undertake an EMS, ISO 14001 and BS8555 are the two most widely used standards. Both offer a series of international standards for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and both are certified by an external certification body and involve continuous external assessment. EMS training is provided by different training bodies such as IEMA.

What does accreditation mean?

Accreditation is a process of recognition, a sign that an institution has met certain quality standards for specific programs and delivers quality training to a high standard, recognised by Industry. It is optional for institutions to apply for accreditation for their courses. Institutions include inter-company training departments, local authorities, educational establishments or private training providers. The training establishment will have a regular approval audit or check, of its training activities by the Accrediting Agency.

What does it mean for me?

Undertaking an accredited course represents a specified level of attainment and assures the student that a course provider has an approved high quality program of study, qualified instructors, and adequate facilities. There are two basic types of accreditation-institutional and specialized. Institutional accreditation is granted by the regional and national accrediting agencies, Specialized accreditation is for professional or occupational programs and is granted by national professional organizations, for instance the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA).

How do I check my course is accredited?

Accreditation is awarded to a specific course, not to the training provider. Only courses that have completed the accreditation process and have received confirmation of their accredited status may include the words such as Accredited Course or Approved Provider on their marketing material. Courses may share similar titles or be run from the same venue that runs other accredited courses. You need to check with the course provider the accreditation status for the specific course in question.

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Reducing Energy, Waste and Water, Saving Money for Businesses

by Alice Doyle

Rising utility costs and environmental legislation are impacting on businesses large and small. Taking the time to look at the use of your raw materials, energy, waste and water, can save you up to 20% off operational costs as well as increase business performance. At a 10% profit margin, a £500 saving on fixed costs would require a £5,000 worth of sales to generate the same amount of profit!

Here are some simple no cost and low actions to help you maximise YOUR profit.

Undertake regular housekeeping walk rounds

Walk round your premises and look at how and where energy and resources are being used. Establish current operating procedures and eliminate any wasteful practises, such as lights being left on. This will provide a good starting point for identifying opportunities for savings.

Monitor your energy, waste and water consumption

Take regular metre readings to determine your actual usage of energy, water and waste which might not be clear from price changes in your bills. By recording the readings on a spreadsheet, you can identify potential areas for improvements and clearly communicate savings to the people making them...your employees! If part of an environmental policy, monitoring will enable you to continuously work towards better resource efficiency and track your achievements easily.

Energy

Heating and hot water can account for up to 60% of a buildings energy use, whilst lighting can represent 50% of office electricity costs. Simple no cost wins such as switching off non essential equipment out of hours can save up to 15% of energy costs.

Heating & Air Conditioning

Heating and air conditioning costs rise by 8% for every 1oC of overheating/cooling so check your thermostats are set correctly.  The more active the workplace the lower the temperature should be. Offices should be set at 19-20oC, warehouses at 16oC, whilst night time thermostats should be set at 10-12oC. Ensure thermostats are set in the right place, such as not in the way of draughts or extreme temperatures and make sure they have tamper proof casings. Install 7 day timers on heating systems to make sure they match occupancy patterns.  Ensure radiators, fans and ducts are not obstructed and regularly service boilers and pipework to ensure optimum efficiency.

Don't overcool, make sure your air conditioning is set at 23oC and ensure you are not running your heating and air conditioning at the same time. Ensure that door and windows shut are when air conditioning is running and consider fitting cut off switches if an external door is left open. 

Check your lighting

Simple maintenance such as cleaning the light diffusers can increase light output. Make sure your windows are clean and unobstructed to maximise the use of natural daylight. Daylight not only cuts down the need for artificial light and the associated energy load but is also proven to increase productivity and overall well being.  Label light switches clearly so that staff only use the lights they need.

Upgrade any standard tungsten bulbs/tubes to energy saving equivalents and save up to 75% off lighting energy use. Fluorescent lamps and their fittings can be purchased from any DIY store or wholesaler  Make sure the tubes have a triphosphor coating for improved light output and longer tube life. Establish a regular maintenance programme as light levels can fall by up to 30% in 2-3 years and regular maintenance can reduce costs by up to 15%.

Fit photocells to external lighting to prevent day time operation and use occupancy sensors to control communal areas such as toilets or meeting rooms. Reduce lighting in areas that don't need bright light such as corridors.

Server Rooms

Server rooms need to be heavily air conditioned. Check your server rooms have the correct temperature by checking the manufacturer's recommendations. A temperature range of 20-23oC is recommended for optimum performance.

Buy energy efficient equipment and benefit from tax breaks

21% of the energy used by businesses across the UK is wasted and this could be avoided by greater awareness and the use of resource efficient products.  The Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme, part of the Government's programme to manage climate change, provides businesses with enhanced tax relief.  Businesses can claim 100% of first year capital allowances on equipment that meets published energy-saving criteria, listed on the schemes website. See www.eca.gov.uk or call 0800 085 2005 for further information on energy and water efficient product lists.

Change your energy supply to a Green Tariff

Switch your energy tariff to one that is supplied from renewable sources and cut down on your C02 emissions. Not only will you be exempt from the climate change levy, you will be encouraging the growth of renewable power. Note that not all tariffs are equally green. See www.greenelectricity.org for further information.

Waste

Waste costs can represent up to 4% of business turnover. Keeps a record of your waste being sent to landfill and the amount being recycled. With Landfill tax currently set at £32 per tonne and annual increases of £8, reducing, reusing and increasing the amount to be recycled will reduce your waste costs of disposal to landfill. See if there are any areas for waste reduction, for instance reusing both sides of paper when printing or reducing packaging.

To keep up to date with waste legislation and to check legal compliance see www.netregs.gov.uk

Water

Monitor your water use and compare metre readings when the premises are not in use. If water is being used, for instance overnight, then there may be a leak. Check taps, one dripping tap can waste 5,000 litres of water per year. Consider installing water saving devices such as water hippos or Save a flush bags for toilet cisterns. For washbasins, install retrofit push taps and /or aerators. Push top taps will give a variable flow and prevent unnecessary water being used when set to run for a required duration. Aerators will reduce the amount of water being used by mixing air with water and will not impair the performance of the water flow. Install passive infra red systems for urinals to ensure they are not flushing when not in use. Overall Industry can save 30% on water. That is a collective saving of £304 million across the UK.

Investigate ways to capture and divert rainwater or grey water for reuse in flushing toilets, gardening,

Create a Staff Awareness campaign

Raise staff awareness and commitment by motivating them to make simple daily changes. Implement a Switch Off Campaign and make sure equipment such as PCs, monitor printers and photocopiers are switched off when not in use. Office equipment can account for 15% of overall energy use. Establish a housekeeping schedule and train staff to operate equipment and controls correctly.

Incentivise staff with a bonus from the money saved or contribute to a local charity and make full use of posters and stickers to keep staff motivated. Communicate and publicise your achievements so the staff feel involved and inspired.

Write an environmental policy

Write an environmental policy to express your intentions for resource efficiency. List your core commitments for the year, such as increasing recycled waste by 20%, along with actions and targets and use these to focus initiatives for the forthcoming year. Prioritise your intended actions and who is responsible for them. Keep the policy clear, concise, realistic and achievable and signed and endorsed by senior management. Review your policy on an annual basis and publicise your achievements.
Having an environmental policy is essential if you are intending to obtain certification to an Environmental Management System such as ISO 14001 or registration under EMAS. It is also important for firms looking to tender for public sector contracts. There is no standard content for an Environmental Policy, although policies normally contain a commitment to continuous improvement ; recognition of compliance with relevant environmental legislation; commitment to the education and training of employees in environmental issues and the monitoring of progress and review of environmental performance on a regular basis (usually annually).
For help on writing an environmental policy see: www.envirowise.gov.uk/
Full url for hyperlink
http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/page.aspx?o=Ref012

Further advice
There are many free service available to help businesses cut back on costs and maximise your profit!

See Business Links interactive tool to help you to assess areas where you can cut costs, based on your business activities. www.businesslink.gov.uk/

Envirowise provides a free helpline, downloadable publications and site visits. www.envirowise.gov.uk | 0800 585794

The Carbon Trust provides a free helpline, downloadable publications and offers site visits and interest free loans of £5,000 to £50,000 for businesses investing in energy saving equipment. The repayment period is up to four years. www.carbontrust.co.uk | 0800 085 2005.
The East Sussex BETRE programme provides free and independent support and advice to small and medium sized businesses on how to cut costs through reducing waste, energy and water use.  www.betre.org.uk | 01273 245654
The Environment Agency provides a free helpline and updates on legislation. www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ | 08708 506 506

The National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) –NISP aims to join businesses where one can have a use for the other's waste. NISP also provides site visits and free workshops.  www.nisp.gov.uk | 0845 094 9501

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Cutting Energy, Reducing Carbon, Saving Money: Quick Wins for Homes

By Alice Doyle

As fuel prices set to rise by 70% and energy efficiency ratings become compulsory for all homes, making your home energy efficient is one of the most significant home improvements you can make, at little or no cost. Not only will you be cutting back on your carbon emissions and significantly reducing your energy bills, the right improvements can add up to 10,000 to the value of your home.  Carbon emissions from our homes make up 27 per cent of the UK total.

Set Smart metered
Install a smart meter to show how much energy ( kWhs) is being used by your household and have the monitor on prominent display. This will help make the connection between the bills received and how you use energy on a daily basis. Contact your energy supplier to see if this service is offered, for instance Southern Electric better plan www.southern-electric.co.uk

Switch off lights and use energy efficient lightbulbs
Remembering to switch off  lights when not in use will cut back on your energy costs. In a typical home, lighting accounts for 20% of electricity consumption.  As your tungsten bulbs blow, switch over to energy efficient bulbs.  Each energy efficient bulb can save you over £30 over the course of its lifetime, if you take into account the low wattage and the fact energy efficient bulbs can last up to 8-12 times longer than the tungsten equivalent. For instance a 60 watt tungsten can be replaced with an 11 watt energy efficient alternative. Also energy efficient bulbs are now available in many different designs and will look no difference and create the same ambiance as their gas guzzling cousins.  See www.bestbulb.co.uk for a wide variety.

Insulation
More than 40 per cent of all heat lost in the average home is through loft space and walls. By putting in adequate loft and/or cavity wall insulation, can save you up to 25% on your energy bill. Most properties built before 1982 will have 4 inches (100mm) or less of loft insulation whilst the recommended amount is 10 inches (250mm). If you want to consider a green insulator then you can purchase insulation derived from renewable natural materials such as Wool. See www.greenspec.co.uk for information on the various insulating materials available.

Most heat from your home is lost through the walls. If your house was built after the 1920s it is likely to have cavity walls and, unless it was built in the last 20 years, it is likely that there isn’t any insulation in the walls. This means that up to a third of the heat you pay for, could be escaping your home and costing you money

Contact your gas/electricity supplier as they may provide a subsidised loft insulation service and the Energy Saving Trust www.energysavingtrust.org.uk to apply for grant aided installation, for cavity wall insulation.

Thermostats
By turning down the thermostat by 1% can save you up to 10% on your fuel costs! So get out the woolies and enjoy getting wrapped up and toasty. Also ensure that the boiler thermostat and timer programmer is set correctly, and that you are only heating rooms at the times you are using them. Also you can make savings by timing your heating to come on a little bit later or stop a little bit earlier, with no noticeable difference to your comfort levels.

Boilers
An 80mm-thick hot water cylinder coat costs about £12 and will save you about £20 per year in heating bills and 160kg a year in emissions. If your boiler needs to be replaced, then make sure it is replaced with a high-efficiency condensing boiler, as this could save a third on your bills and even more if you upgrade to modern controls. Keep your boiler regularly serviced to ensure it is burning at its optimum.

Doors and Windows
Heat lost through windows and doors can represents up to 35 percent of heating bills. Draughts are the most obvious signs of a badly insulated house and can be fixed easily with minimal DIY skills. Check around windows and doors with a candle to determine where drafts are or shake them to see if they rattle. Self-stick foam and rolled rubber weather stripping can be installed easily and cut down on heat loss. To cheaply weatherize windows, attach thin, clear plastic film to the window trim inside of the house using two-sided tape. You can stretch the film taut using heat from a hair dryer to remove wrinkles and creases.

Radiators
Ensure your radiators are working at their optimum by bleeding them to release trapped air. Put tin foil or reflective panels behind any radiators fitted to outside walls. The panels can be found at DIY stores. If you have a radiator beneath a window and long curtains, make sure they are tucked behind the radiator or you will be heating the air right next to the glass.

Buy energy efficient appliances
When replacing appliances, consider their energy efficiency rating. Look for the Energy Efficiency Recommended Logo as a guide.  See the Energy Saving Trust www.energysavingtrust.org.uk for an energy comparison of home appliances.

Switch off standby
A typical UK household could save £37 per year on electricity bills if home appliances were switched off rather than leaving them on standby. A government survey found that an average household has up to 12 gadgets left on standby or charging at any one time, the equivalent of more than £740m of electricity is being wasted.  You can use adapters that will switch the whole house off standby . Try the Energy Saving Trust-endorsed, Standby Buster. www.standbybuster.com/

Chimneys
If you do not use your fireplace, you may want to seal off and insulate the chimney. Check the Chimney Flue for drafts and if there is a draft, either install a top sealing spring loaded chimney damper to close off your chimney or install an inflatable chimney balloon.
 
Wash your laundry at 30C
Washing at 30C rather than higher temperatures means you use 40% less electricity.  Wash on full load. Use a clothes line or outdoor clothes horse to dry clothes as opposed to a tumble dryer.

Further advice
Call the Energy Saving Trust’ advice line (0800 512012) to get free, tailored advice on how to reduce your energy use, a free home energy report, access to grants, and information on energy savings products for your home. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/. It is easy to be green and save YOU money.

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Insulation, insulation, insulation!

Cavity Wall Insulation: Is there an eco refit solution? Lainey's questions answered

by Richard Bradford

Lainey: I'm looking for some advice on cavity wall insulation.

Can you suggest what product I can use that is green friendly and that will not cause more problems in the future such as mold growing.

Also, my electrical wiring is between the cavity and I am concerned that the insulation will react badly with the wiring.

Richard: I’m not speaking from any all-knowing viewpoint, so please bear this in mind. I’m fairly certain that when it comes to retrofitting, ie putting insulation into an existing house, there aren’t any properly green solutions out there.

The two product-types I would usually turn to are Sheep’s Wool and Warmcel (shredded, treated, recycled newpaper). They are used in new build and in loft insulation, but according to the Green Building Store website, there is “no natural alternative at present [for masonry cavity walls]”, and they recommend glass or mineral fibre, polystyrene, polyurethane also mineral fibre and polystyrene blown in after construction (retrofitting). 

From personal experience (we looked into exactly the same issue at home), we ended up putting in polystyrene beads, as this was what the insulation company recommended (the installation was massively subsidised by our energy provider). The beads are blown in with a light coating of pva glue, so that if you do start pulling around wiring, or cutting out holes for new windows, you don’t drain your whole cavity insulation into the front room (this used to happen, before they thought of adding glue – the dark side of me would have loved to see that happen!). There shouldn’t be any more fire risk associated with your electric cables by having insulating material there, but this is another good question to ask a potential fitter. The shredded mineral fibre is another solution, but I reckon that could compress more and get wet if you did have any water penetration (ie could give rise to mould growth), but a good installer will be able to argue that case for you. Both aren’t particularly environmentally friendly as you know – the polystyrene from oil-based technology, and the mineral wool from quite a complex process –though glass fibre comes from an abundant resource at least. I found a website in New Zealand where they blow in a Sheep’s Wool product, but they don’t seem to talk about this with regard to cavity wall insulation, but just lofts. http://www.naturalwoolproducts.co.nz/SITE_Default/SITE_insulate/supa-fill.asp

The argument which justifies not using an eco product for your cavity wall insulation is that you’re going to save so much energy by putting it in, that you’re more than offsetting the embodied CO2 in the product. It’s not a complete argument, of course, but it seems to be the only solution right now.

Lainey: Has your house suffered any mould problems since you had the cavity walls done and would you use the same product again?

Richard: To answer your questions, since we had the cavity wall insulation, we’ve felt both warmer and drier!  We’re quite relaxed with the whole drying clothes in the house, having a shower and letting the steam wander a bit round the place, and all this moisture was condensing on the outside walls, so much so we discovered the walls were getting a bit wet and mildewy – not massively, but the day I reached down for a paper by my desk, and found it was soggy and had stuck to the wallpaper, was the time we know we had to get insulation sorted. Since then, the walls have been dry and warm. It’s made only a positive difference. So yes, we would use it again. The only issue we’ve had is with the sash bay windows – there were clearly holes between the cavity wall and the box sash. Because these little beads go EVERYWHERE, they filled up the bit of the sash where the weight goes up and down – causing the windows to slam when opened. I just had to drill a hole and poke the balls out with a bit of wire. I suppose it does prove that the whole space got filled, but if you do have old sashes, you might just want to be prepared for that one.

Lainey: Did you get a grant to help with your insulation?

Richard: Yes, we got a massive grant, but it was just a local insulation company that had it all worked out. They’d done the research with the energy companies, and in England (at least – not sure for Ireland where I’m thinking you’re based) these same energy companies have an obligation to subsidise this sort of insulation work to get ROCs – renewable obligation certificates – as I understand it, their way of offsetting CO2. So, we just filled forms and ended up paying £250 for cavity wall insulation and 30cm of loft insulation. The true cost was about £1250, so we thought we’d done OK.

It seems that the rules shift endlessly on this though, and the amount of subsidy can change almost overnight.

SHOCK OF BBC YOUTH POLL

Results of the BBC poll released on December 4th 2006 claimed only 5% of 15-17 year olds saw climate change as "the most pressing problem facing the Earth right now" (Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/6203054.stm)

Furthermore, the poll claims that some 17% of young people stated that they hadn't heard of climate change. Then again, a close look shows that 52% of people in Lagos not having heard of it probably skewed the data a little. In New York, only 6% were unaware of the term.

The main fear for young people is unsurprisingly the war in Iraq and its potential repercussions.

The number of young people concerned with climate change in this country was not divulged in reports. One initiative that is really fuelling interest amongst young people in schools is the ECO-SCHOOLS initiative. Click here for more.

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COMPOST CULTURE

If your local council is doing its bit to recycle things like plastic bottles, glass and cardboard, then we reckon you can get your household waste down to one or less bin bags of rubbish per week for a family of 3-4. How? By composting household waste at home.

Given that so often, much of our food has travelled a huge distance to get to us in the first place, it seems a shame for the stuff we don't use to also go great distances once we've thrown it away (using more fossil fuel). It's even wose if it all ends up in landfill afterwards.

Sure, we might well have big holes in the ground where this stuff can be buried, out of sight and mind, but the real issue is that by locking away a jumbled mess of carbon containing stuff, with old bikes, clothes, pots of paint and goodness knows what, there is very little chance of it ever "rotting down", which is the image we often have in our heads.

The fact of the matter is that as soon as organic matter such as plant waste and harmless kitchen scraps are placed near toxic compounds like detergents, paints, cleaning fluids, and all the other things that get thrown away, the naturally occuring organisms such as bacteria which would have been able to digest all this are killed. Furthermore, given the way most sites are filled, the rubbish is compacted to the extent that insufficient oxygen enters into the process, and any "rotting down" is anaerobic, i.e. without air. This, instead of turning our banana skins into compost, as our imagination might want us to believe, is more likely to produce a very toxic, methane producing smelly goo, that, well doesn't help the situation at all.

How much easier then, if all organic, carbon containing waste can be dealt with at home. Sure you need to invest in a compost bin, but in most local council areas, there are schemes available where these can be purchased for £8-£15 instead of the DIY centre prices of maybe £50+. Local councils know the benefit of individuals separating their own rubbish at source, and turning a large proportion of it back into soil-like compost.

What can go in a regular home composter?

Most cardboard packaging, such as cereal packets, vegetable peelings, fruit peelings (not citrus fruits though), paper labels off tins (hopefully the cans can go into recycling), junk mail (the little see-through windows come out the other end and can be discarded easily), tea-bags, grass clippings (though better to combine with layers of scrunched up paper or sawdust or hay if you keep pets), and animal and human hair.

How long does it take to compost?

This varies according to the time of year. The summer tends to go much faster than the winter, and the more worms you have the better. Every time you see worms or snails, or slugs in the garden (or even out in the street after the rain), you can pop them in the compost and they'll all help. We have so many worms in our composter, that it's practically vermiculture we're practising now. It certainly speeds things up.

Don't you need a big garden?

You don't actually need a garden at all. For over a year we had our composter on our roof garden in the middle of Brighton, and when we finally move to a place with a proper garden, we took about 25 bin bags of compost, worms and all, with us to the new place!

For more on composting contact the Centre For Alternative Technology.

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BICARBONATE OF SODA

Bicarbonate of Soda, or Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is a bit of a dream product. Around the house it can replace a host of much more expensive, over-packaged cleaners, disinfectants, scourers and deodorisers. From an environmental point of view, what we should be trying to minimise is the use of fossil fuel bi-products which inevitably add to the greenhouse effect and hence global warming. Plastics used to contain household cleaners and much of the cleaning liquids we use come from fossil fuels. So using simply packaged bicarbonate of soda, available in big packs as an indigestion cure at most pharmacies, helps keep waste water contamination down, saves money AND gets the job done. See the free Baking Soda Book - for many resourceful and ingenious uses of Bicarbonate of Soda.

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GROUND UP vs. TOP DOWN

There are two ways that we're going to save the planet: either by top down activity from governments, to compel us to do the things we ought to be doing, through legislation and taxation, and bottom up by the sum total of individual initiatives.

It's all very well environmentalists ranting on about green issues, but most people don't actually intend to change their lifestyles, which is what seems to be required if the revolution to save the planet is one which takes place from the ground up.

It can be argued that the only way this is going to work is if we can find solutions that enhance or maintain our current lifestyles, whilst all the while, improving the effect we have on the environment around us.

This site, as it grows, will continue to showcase products, technologies, practical approaches and solutions which will keep us living as much as possible in the manner to which we've become accustomed, so that at least when our children ask us, "Were you responsible for global warming?", you can at least explain that you did your bit to help minimise it.

ECO-SPEAK

We've always been a big one for jargon free living. Why would you want to confuse people or intimidate them with stuff? It hardly sells the idea of being green if you don't understand what it's all about.

Alice found this great guide listing everything from Abstraction to Waste Minimization. See Business Link's website for more details. Oh, and if, once you've found what it means, you need to do something about it - check out Netregs, for lots of free online environmental support on legislation: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/

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The attraction of budget airlines is total, and the growth of the industry since their advent has been truly spectacular. Many reports however tell of the likelihood that air travel will soon be the single biggest contributor to CO2 emissions, and therefore global warming.

Are there any practical ways round around using air travel as a way of getting around our planet, and to what extent does carbon offsetting really help the problem?

Send in your comments

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