The Natural Trust has set itself a reduction target of fifty percent, on its fossil fuel energy usage.
Instead of a costly dependence on oil, electricity and LPG, the Trust will instead turn to traditionally sustainable sources such as wood: solar, thermo heat exchange, hydro will also assist reach its target of 50% reduction - the governments benchmark is 34%.
This is a great initiative...it's got to be welcomed. With over 300 historic buildings and many more buildings to heat, the National Trust spends over £6 million each year.
The National Trust have plans to install 50 wood burning boilers with the wood being grown on Trust land or sourced from local merchants.
One things that bothers me...and it this is becoming a public relations fiasco. Why do these organisations have to constantly jump on the climate bandwagon? In this case, the National Trust make a big issue about their carbon emissions.
Our reduction in the use of mains electricity, gas, oil and LPG will be equivalent to removing 4,500 family cars from the road.
Good...great; but wouldn't it have been a better story for the National Trust to have said that they had reviewed their energy policy and created a new route-map dictated by 'best practise'. I see a far more valuable story in the respect of the National Trust re-introducing firewood: the spin-off from an ecological and sustainability view point are immeasurable.
Buying wood encourages woodland management and sustainability which in-turn creates rural employment adding to rural income and driving rural investment - this is all good.
Let's forget climate change and and start thinking 'best practise'...in everything we do.
Read the National Trust press release: National Trust to cut fossil fuel use by 50 per cent by 2020.
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