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PROGRAMME INFO |
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Costing the Earth tells stories which touch all our lives, looking at man's effect on the environment and at how the environment reacts. It questions accepted truths, challenges the people in charge and reports on progress towards improving the world we live in. |
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LISTEN AGAIN 30 min |
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PRESENTER |
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'I really enjoy working on Costing the Earth, because it has the time to get its teeth into a subject and the resources to look at it critically. I hope it manages to say something new about most of the subjects it covers.'
Alex Kirby
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PROGRAMME DETAILS |
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The Zero Emissions Development at Beddington - 'BedZed'. Photograph by Raf Makda, computer rendering by BDA
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Building a Greener Home
Saving the planet starts at home. Our houses use 30% of the total fuel used in this country- producing more pollution than our cars, and contributing significantly to global warming and climate change. We live in older, colder, worse insulated homes than almost anyone else in Western Europe; a factor which contributes to a higher death rate among the elderly during the winter months - simply because they cannot afford to keep warm.
Tighter building regulations introduced at the start of April aim to tackle this problem, but many have stated that the new regulations are simply not strict enough and still leave us a long way short of the rest of Europe.
But, as Costing the Earth proves this week, this situation can be changed quickly, simply and cheaply. The good news is that developers do now seem keen on tackling this waste of energy. All over Britain new housing developments and refurbished terraces are proving that a little thought can mean cheaper energy bills for everyone.
Streets are being powered by waste wood-chip, blocks of flats are recycling their bath water through roof-top reed-beds and suburban ‘semis’ are installing mini power stations in their garages.
One such example is the newly built BedZed - Beddington Zero Energy Development, just outside Sutton in Surrey. Its aim is to be carbon neutral - there will be no net contribution of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. All the heat and power for the homes and offices comes from renewable energy, generated by solar photovoltaic panels and a combined heat and power plant operating on tree surgery waste. With additional features such as charging points for electric cars and a pool car that can be used by residents, BedZed is aiming to make sustainable living easy, and affordable.
But what about the old stock of Victorian housing, that most of us actually live in, that causes most of the problems? Costing The Earth looks at simple measures that can be taken to quickly reduce the pollution caused by your home, and substantially reduce the size of your energy bills.
Next week Costing The Earth looks at the devastating affect that last year's foot and mouth outbreak had on the people, wildlife and landscape of Britain.
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RELATED LINKS
The Energy Saving Trust
BedZed
Sustainable Homes
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