environment

There are plenty of things we are doing that are not sustainable – poisoning the sea, polluting the air, cutting down the forests and much more. greentomatoenergy believes in a future where we use the world’s resources efficiently and generate our energy from clean and renewable sources.

The science of climate change
Heat-trapping gases in our atmosphere such as carbon dioxide (CO2) give the earth a natural “greenhouse” effect. This effect ensures the planet maintains the right temperature to sustain life. We have been adding to this “greenhouse” effect, mainly by burning fossil fuels (which release CO2) and destroying forests (which soak up CO2).

Even after taking into account naturally occurring causes of warming such as solar activity, cosmic rays and volcanoes, man-made greenhouse gas emissions remain the only explanation for recent warming trends and unusual climate patterns. As we add further greenhouse gases, this warming is likely to continue and may even accelerate due to things called "feedback cycles".

Fossil fuels
But it’s not just about climate change. The world is running out of traditional forms of energy – oil, gas and coal. Many scientists predict that we are about to reach, or have already passed, the age of peak oil – when the amount of oil produced worldwide reaches a peak and from then onwards commences a permanent decline.

In the UK, supplies of fossil fuels have been dwindling for some time and we now rely on other countries to sell their fuel to us, leaving us in a potentially vulnerable position.

So what can we do?
First, and most importantly, we need to reduce the amount of energy we use. This can be done by implementing a series of simple measures – switching things off when you’re not using them, turning the thermostat down by 1°C and re-using things when possible.

But you can also do much more – insulate and draught-proof your home, install a whole range of energy saving measures, and invest in your own renewable energy system.