Category: Places

  • How You Can Help Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions at Home

    How You Can Help Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions at Home

    With climate change becoming a more pressing issue, you might want to consider ways in which you can reduce your carbon footprint. While no single action will make a big difference, the cumulative impact of many small changes could be quite significant. Here are some simple things shared by local law 97 experts that you can do at home to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions:

    Image via Unsplash

    Advocate for energy efficiency

    • Talk to your utility company. Ask them what they’re doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ask if they have any programs that help lower energy usage and costs, such as rebates on energy-efficient appliances and incentives for solar panels.
    • Talk to your local government officials. Find out whether the city or county has an environmental protection office, which might be able to recommend ways you can help reduce emissions in your neighborhood.
    • Talk about it with friends, family members and coworkers. Get them involved too! It’s easier than ever before to connect with like-minded people in real time from anywhere in the world through social media channels like Facebook groups or Twitter chats—and this is especially true when it comes time for actionable ideas on how you can all work together towards common goals as a community (for example: reducing greenhouse gas emissions). You may also want consider creating an official community group dedicated solely towards encouraging conversations about climate change education; this could include weekly meetings where experts are brought onto campus by various departments within campus administration specifically designed for students who are interested in learning more about these topics but simply don’t know where else they would go outside of class hours due their busy schedules”

    Conserve energy

    You can reduce your home’s carbon footprint by conserving energy. Here are some simple ways to do that:

    • Turn off lights when you leave a room. This is an easy one—just remember to turn off the lights before you leave, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
    • Turn down the thermostat, especially when no one is home or asleep. You’ll save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in one fell swoop!
    • Use energy efficient light bulbs in place of incandescent bulbs wherever possible—they use less electricity and last longer than traditional bulbs (and they’re usually cheaper than their counterparts as well).

    Purchase power from the grid with a clean energy provider like Arcadia Power

    Choosing a clean energy provider is one of the most impactful things you can do to make your home more sustainable. If you’re already a customer with an existing utility company, find out if they have options for clean energy. You can also call them directly and ask if they offer clean electricity.

    Even if you don’t switch from your current utility provider, it’s still worth finding out how much electricity you use per month or year. This information will help determine how much it would cost to switch away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy sources such as solar power or wind turbines in your area.

    If possible, try to get this information from both the electric bill that arrives every month and also by contacting the local utility company directly (a phone call should suffice).

    Reduce your travel carbon footprint

    Traveling to work or school is a major source of carbon emissions. By reducing your travel carbon footprint, you can help reduce the effects of climate change.

    To reduce your travel carbon footprint:

    • Use public transportation whenever possible. If you do not have access to public transportation in your area, consider using shared ride services like carpooling and rideshare programs.
    • Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle (such as hybrid or electric) if possible, and opt for walking or biking whenever possible!

    Choose clean, renewable energy

    There are a number of ways you can reduce your home’s carbon footprint. The first step is to choose a clean energy provider for your electricity, heat and cooling. Look for companies that have been certified by the EPA or the U.S. Energy Association (USEA). At least 70% of all electricity must be generated from fossil fuels in order for it to be considered renewable energy by USEA standards, but it may still qualify as “clean” if there is a low level of emissions associated with its production and distribution compared with non-renewable sources such as coal or natural gas.

    There are also many companies offering carbon offsetting services through which they will invest in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally as part of their mission to help protect against climate change; these investments might include things like wind farms, solar arrays or even rainforests! This can help you feel confident about your contribution being used effectively towards reducing global warming issues at home – especially since many people don’t know how much carbon dioxide they emit on average per month until now!

    You can help save the planet by using electricity efficiently, reducing your travel carbon footprint

    In addition to helping the environment, you can save money on your electricity bill. If you’re not sure how much electricity you’re using in your home, check out the Department of Energy’s calculator. The first step is figuring out how to reduce your energy use and then how to better manage it once it’s reduced.

    Electricity is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide—in fact, electricity generation accounts for around one-fifth of all carbon dioxide emissions in the United States alone. That number has been growing over time because more people are using more devices. As developing countries like China and India get economically stronger, their populations are buying more products that require lots of resources (like electronics) and putting them into their homes—and those products often come with a high price tag. Even if you live in an area where there isn’t much industry nearby (like Montana), your neighbors may still be contributing significantly if they own things like refrigerators or washing machines or other big appliances that run constantly all day long while they’re at work during the weekdays but sit idle over weekends when nobody’s home yet still consume energy 24/7 because they keep running when plugged into outlets even though nobody needs them right now!

    Conclusion

    There are many ways to reduce emissions. The more people do, the better off we will all be.

  • A Scandinavian Midsummer

    A Scandinavian Midsummer

    Last Tuesday we attended the press preview of A Scandinavian Midsummer, a pop-up exhibition and cafe organised by designjunction before their event at London Design Festival in September.

    Running until Sunday 29th June, designjunction have transformed Habitat’s Platform gallery on King’s Road into an impressive Scandinavian midsummer experience, showcasing the latest products from leading Danish, Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian brands.

    If you’re visiting the gallery in June you’ll be able to enjoy great artisan coffee and Scandinavian delicacies provided by Skandel, as well as flower arranging workshops organised by Flor Unikon every Saturday of the month.

    Thanks to our London-based contributor Jess Maddock for attending and documenting the event.

    More information about A Scandinavian Midsummer:

    www.thedesignjunction.co.uk/london/habitat/

  • Edinburgh: Fortitude Coffee Merchant

    Edinburgh: Fortitude Coffee Merchant

    Fortitude is a new specialty coffee merchant and espresso bar serving delicious brew to the people of Edinburgh. They work with London based Workshop coffee who are committed to roasting the sweetest, cleanest and freshest coffee to make the perfect cup.

    Fortitude also stocks coffee beans from some of the best small-batch roasters in the UK and are happy to help anyone choose the right beans for the right brew, as well as supply all the tools and advice to brew at home.

    They are the newest addition to the coffee scene in Edinburgh and definitely worth a visit when you’re in the city. We love their coffee, cool interior, branding and friendly atmosphere.

    www.fortitudecoffee.com

    Fortitude Coffee Merchant

    3C York Place, Edinburgh

  • TOKYOBIKES & ACE HOTEL LONDON BIKE TOURS

    TOKYOBIKES & ACE HOTEL LONDON BIKE TOURS

    On our recent trip to London, we realised that some neighbourhoods are best experienced on two wheels. From the place where we stayed in Wapping, we cycled along the canal to Broadway Market in Hackney for a quick breakfast, then passed some great coffee shops on the way to Angel, from where we cycled up to Camden Town for a quick visit to the food market there.

    One of our favourite London hotels, Ace Hotel, has teamed up with cult bike brand tokyobike and organised a guided tour around the city, highlighting the many fascinating streets of Shoreditch.

    Tours will be led by writer and brand consultant Duncan Riches, who’ll also serve as curator for future ride guides. The Shoreditch tour, on 19th April, will include a visit to Terrece Studios in Dalston to see a light-maker, jewellery-maker and painter at work; a ride down the beautiful Regent’s Canal and a visit to see Denys Lasdun modernist block of flats, Keeling House, in Bethnal Green.

    Easter Saturday Tour

    19th April, 10am-1am

    Meet at Ace Hotel London in the lobby

    www.acehotel.com/london 

  • Travel: Newcastle

    Travel: Newcastle

    Last weekend we decided to leave Edinburgh for a day and travelled south to Newcastle upon Tyne.

    We started our day with a walk around Grainger Market, one of the city’s prominent landmarks. Listed as a Grade I buidling and designed by John Dobson, the market opened its doors in 1835. Although the original use of the market for meat and vegetables have since changed considerably, there are still a number of butchers’ and fish stalls there. The market is also home to world’s smallest branch of Marks & Spencer, a market stall known as Marks and Spencer’s Original Penny Bazaar.

    After our stroll around the city centre and a visit to menswear stores End. and Union, we headed to BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, where paintings by Simon Bill and the work of Sara Barker and Ryder Architecture are currently displayed. We also paid a visit to Side Photographic Gallery where we saw All That Falls exhibition with works by Mark Power, Paul Lowe, Dana Kyndrová and Jindřich Štreit.

    After lunch at Pleased to Meet You, a gin bar located in a Victorian building on High Bridge, just off Grey Street, we visited the up and coming Ouseburn Valley. This neighbourhood is one of the most visually attractive and creatively exciting areas of the city and is home to many design studios and other creative businesses.

    We finished our day in Newcastle with a coffee at The Cycle Hub, a social enterprise that promotes and facilitates cycling. Located beside the river Tyne, we were able to enjoy some moments of sun at their terrace before heading back to Edinburgh.