Going carbon neutral is everywhere. Advertisers are telling us to switch off lights and turn down washing machine temperatures. Websites are telling us how we can invest in environmental projects to 'pay' for our annual holiday flight. And with bands such as Coldplay, Pink Floyd and Atomic Kitten producing carbon neutral albums by planting enough trees to offset the CO2 generated by making the CDs, we are all much more aware of how to offset our carbon footprint than ever before.
 | | Helping Out. Photo by Sheila Ryder. |
So if you choose to turn down the heating and put a jumper on, or fund a tree planting scheme after a long haul flight, what difference is it actually making? The residents of a Cheshire village are hoping to find out. Determined to do 'their bit' in the fight against global warming, residents of Ashton Hayes are aiming to become the first carbon neutral village in England. Residents are working with the University of Chester as part of a five year project to analyse and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and allow the village to declare itself 'carbon neutral'. With regular surveys and emission measurements, village residents are logging information regarding home energy use, travel and transport and taking steps towards offsetting their carbon footprint. | "The village wants future generations to know that they tried to do their bit to stem global warming" | | Roy Alexander |
Roy Alexander of the University of Chester is actively involved in the carbon neutral project in Ashton Hayes. He says "There are many things people can do to reduce their carbon footprint. From fitting energy saving light bulbs and installing more loft insulation, to looking for the most energy efficient model when replacing items such as washing machines or freezers. The village wants future generations to know that they tried to do their bit to stem
global warming “We have gathered information on the insulation characteristics, energy use and travel patterns of almost half of the houses in the village and from this we have been able to calculate the village’s carbon footprint as just under 5,000 tonnes CO2 per annum. "We have produced every house we surveyed with a tailor-made list of suggested actions that they can take to reduce their emissions and we will repeat the survey for each of the next four years to find out how much the carbon footprint has shrunk”
 | | Planting trees. Photo by Sheila Ryder. |
Pupils at Ashton Hayes Primary School are also getting involved, recently planting 30 British native trees in the school grounds as part of National Tree Week, one of several such initiatives to counteract carbon emissions. Just four months into the project the village saw a 1% reduction of emissions and aims to continue to help people to make the lifestyle changes necessary to become carbon neutral. Roy adds "Almost all residents recycle and many are keen to install solar panels, wind turbines and wood burning stoves. The project has had a good response from most residents who are very supportive of the project in the village". What is your carbon footprint? Calculate your carbon emissions | 
