There are two small snags though. The first is that, like most people, I have no idea what my carbon footprint actually is although I suppose I could make a guestimate that would go something like this: “I live alone, therefore I'm probably using relatively little water for laundering, washing up, etc. On the other hand, I like to take a bath, therefore I'm certainly using more than my fair share of water compared with someone who prefers to take a shower,” and so on and so forth.The second snag lies in the underlying logic of the campaign, which smacks to me of a poll tax. Because we're not starting from a level playing field here, now are we? I mean, some of us don't even own cars while others of us are waltzing around the globe in private jets, which must surely mean that their scope for saving 10 percent on their carbon emissions without compromising the quality of their life is considerably greater. Anyway, being of small income and frugal disposition, I suspect that I made all the easy fuel economies a couple of years ago in a struggle to keep the electricity bill under control; by which I mean that I already turn off every light that doesn't need to be burning, boil only as much water in the kettle as is needed, cover the saucepans with lids when cooking, etc., etc.
Still, I want to be a good citizen of the world, so am going into this thing with an open mind, and a hope of identifying economies. But, oh, does it throw up some difficult dilemmas! The most obvious way to reduce the amount of electricity I use for heating, for example, would be to glass in my lower terrace so that less heat drifts out into the ether. The trouble is that to do that would be to alter the external appearance of the house when much of the reason for buying it in the first place was a desire to protect the old village scenery. Alternatively, I could switch to solar heating -- except that that would mean installing unsightly tanks and panels on the roof, thereby diminishing the view of the neighbors immediately behind me.
That only leaves the light bulbs, where surely I can do my citizenly duty and change to low energy and/or long-life versions. The funny thing is that I'm such a cliché of the broadly green, broadly environmentally sensitive lefty that on one occasion the electrician actually showed up to do some work in my house bringing with him a stash of these light bulbs on the assumption that I would be panting to make the changeover. I sent him away with a flea in his ear, claiming that they were too ugly and gave off the wrong color light (i.e., glaring white). Now I'm thinking that I'll have to go crawling back to him with my tail between my legs and beg him to install them after all.
Pat Yale lives in a restored cave-house in Göreme in Cappadocia.
