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Twenty Green Changes That Paid for Themselves

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  Twenty Green Changes That Paid for Themselves “The best environmental improvements don’t just help the planet—they keep saving you money every month.” Going green is often presented as an expensive luxury. People are shown electric cars, large solar installations, new heating systems and costly home renovations. The understandable response is often: “That may be good for the environment, but I cannot afford it.” However, many of the most effective environmental improvements are not simply costs. They are investments. Some require very little money, some repay their cost within a relatively short period, and others continue producing savings for many years. The important question is not just: “How much does this cost?” It is: “How much will this save over its lifetime?” Over the years, we have made many changes to our own home. Some were small, such as replacing light bulbs and stopping draughts. Others were much larger, including solar panels, battery storage and an air-source he...
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One household won’t stop climate change—but thousands of households together certainly can.

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  Can One Family Really Make a Difference? “One household won’t stop climate change—but thousands of households together certainly can.” It is easy to feel powerless when discussing climate change. The problem is global. The figures involved are enormous. Governments argue about targets, industries debate costs, and international conferences produce promises that may take decades to fulfil. Against that background, what difference can one family possibly make? Our solar panels will not close a coal-fired power station. Our heat pump will not transform the national energy system. Recycling a few more bottles or planting flowers for insects will not reverse global biodiversity loss. However, that is not really the point. The question is not whether one household can solve climate change alone. Clearly, it cannot. The important question is what would happen if thousands—or millions—of households began making similar changes. Our own home has gradually become a useful case study. We ha...
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The Best Graphics Card Ever Made Is Still the Human Eye

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  Alternatives to Sitting Playing Computer Games The Best Graphics Card Ever Made Is Still the Human Eye Computer games can be extraordinary. They can tell stories, develop problem-solving skills, encourage teamwork and introduce players to music, coding, design, strategy and imaginary worlds. Some games are genuinely beautiful. Others require considerable patience, coordination and intelligence. The problem is not necessarily gaming itself. The problem begins when gaming becomes the default activity for every spare moment. A child comes home from school and switches on a console. A teenager finishes their homework and reaches for a controller. An adult completes a day in front of a computer and then spends the evening sitting in front of another screen. Hours can disappear remarkably quickly. Meanwhile, outside the window, there is another world offering unlimited resolution, real weather, unpredictable characters and constantly changing scenery. The best graphics card ever made i...
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Do Smart Homes Really Save Energy?

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Do Smart Homes Really Save Energy? Technology Only Saves Energy If It Changes Behaviour Smart homes are often presented as an essential part of a greener future. We are told that connected thermostats, intelligent lighting, occupancy sensors, smart plugs and automated appliances will reduce our energy use almost effortlessly. Install enough technology, the argument goes, and the house will begin saving energy on our behalf. But is that really what happens? A smart device does not automatically make a home efficient. A smart plug left permanently switched on is still consuming electricity. A sophisticated heating system set to an unnecessarily high temperature will still waste energy. An app showing an alarming amount of power consumption achieves very little if nobody changes what they are doing. The real value of smart-home technology is not that it is clever. Its value is that it can help us make better decisions, remove avoidable waste and turn good intentions into reliable routines...
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