Donal OHanlon

I don’t often speculate on local environmental policy, but it’s good to wake early on a Saturday morning, and clean the cobwebs from you mind with a bit of free thinking.

Last night I was pretty healthy, by going to the gym after work, then to the theatre (forget the burger for tea because there was no time for anything else!) to see a double-bill of Alan Bennett plays at the Lowry in Salford. It made me realise that free thought can lead to creativity, and creativity can be thought-provoking, as the plays were (they were about Burgess & McLean - spies from the Cambridge spy ring in ’30s England).

So what could we do locally to improve energy conservation? I know the Council has an energy showhouse somewhere, but I’ve never seen it or heard much about it (I was invited once, but couldn’t go because of work commitments).

What about office-businesses appointing “energy watch-person” to identify simple savings in businesses in the Borough? (lights off at night; VDU screens off - not on standby; consider cost-benefit analysis of capturing sun & wind energy etc.?)

Council providing energy conservation officers as a free service to home-owners? Listing all available grants to tenants & residents associations, then moving onto homewatch groups, then individual residents? Presenting at Area Partnerships with ideas & cost-effective solutions?

Countryside Rangers reviewing all their tools (petrol & diesel machines) to check they are serviced to optimum levels, reducing waste?

The Council to set up an energy-watcher in each department, looking at transport arrangements; energy bills; changing to long-life bulbs; low energy requirement equipment; glazing & insulation in all their properties etc?

If we employed or trained staff internally on this, we should be able to reap back the financial (and feel-good) rewards in a short space of time. Even the charging of mobile phones, hand-drying equipment in toilets and curtains/blinds etc. could come into the equation!

I won’t post this mail until I’ve checked with Council Officers (other parties are likely to nick my ideas!) but it sounds like a winner to me!

I drive a lot of miles for my work, and I have an LPG-powered car to do it in. I bought the car and had it converted myself. The benefits are tremendous, and as long as it is well-maintained then it should give me a decent life-span at cost-effective motoring. This, together with ensuring service intervals are maintained, tyres are properly inflated, and using natural ventilation most of the time rather than air-con is part of my contribution to reducing my carbon footprint.

I admit there’s lots more I can do, and given a little time & some impetus I will do them. For now, however, I am reasonably content that I have made a start.

 Donal