How much has changed?
In four weeks' time, foreign ministers from across the globe will sit down in Copenhagen to try and agree .
Those talks may sound distant and abstract but if a deal is done it will begin a process that will affect all of us, changing how we live our lives.
Why? Because the Copenhagen talks are about how the world will cut greenhouse gas emissions. That will affect us all because almost everything we do involves greenhouse gases one way or another.
Think about it. As soon as you start up your car, put on the kettle, turn up the thermostat a notch or even buy a bag of potatoes you are creating carbon dioxide, the key greenhouse gas.
So those talks aren't abstract. Ultimately they are about everything we do: how we travel, how we heat and power our homes, what we buy, what we eat.
So how might our lives change?
Well, I've got a pretty unique insight into that question because I was involved in a bizarre ´óÏó´«Ã½ experiment.
My family and I were challenged by my editor on to spend a year doing everything we could to cut our greenhouse gas emissions.
To be honest I thought it sounded really dull - a kind of muesli correspondent. I'd pictured myself more as the jet-setting foreign correspondent. But this was my very first day on the programme so I told him what a great idea I thought it was and... well, you can guess what he said next - he wanted me to do it.
And, to be fair, it was actually a very good idea. Take one fairly ordinary family. Then apply the latest thinking on low-carbon lifestyles. Then watch the results!
It was a combination of the utter humiliation of a reality TV challenge with a serious inquiry into the role of individuals in tackling climate change. So you get to see whether lifestyle changes and new technologies really do cut carbon emissions AND get the vicarious pleasure of watching a family suffer as they try and live a more ethical life.
In the run up to the Copenhagen conference, we'll be featuring those films here on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ website.
Here's the first one, where I attempt to get to grips with what the challenge is actually going to mean for me, my wife and our two young children.
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Watching the film again after three-and-a-half years is very odd for me. It's amazing how much the kids have grown but it is also amazing just how much the nature of the debate has changed.
I remember sitting down with Sara, the Ethical Man producer, to discuss whether we needed to explain the idea of a "carbon footprint". It was a new concept back then. Now put the words into a search engine and you get millions of results.
It felt as if we were venturing into new territory. Of course there are lots of people who have been worried about their impact on the environment and have been trying to live low-impact lifestyles. But they tended to be deep greens, the sort of people who would be happy to live in a yurt.
Cutting carbon emissions simply wasn't an issue that preoccupied most people.
Now many newspapers have "ethical" correspondents. Companies will boast about their green credentials. Adverts will tell you how low-impact the foot spa you are about to buy is.
The debate has certainly changed but the fact is most of us have not changed the way we live.
That fact has prompted me to agree to another unreasonable request from the Newsnight editor. I have agreed that he can turn our home into a temporary television studio in the run-up to the Copenhagen conference.
Since what is being discussed at the conference is ultimately about how we all live our lives, then where better to discuss the issues it raises but in a fairly ordinary home?
We'll be inviting world leaders, top scientists, environmental campaigners - in fact anyone else we think is interesting - to join me around my kitchen table. They'll get a mug of tea and then we'll discuss the key issues.
The first of these experiments in broadcasting will be on the programme tonight. My house guests include none other than the climate change secretary himself, .
We'll be discussing what might actually be agreed at Copenhagen and what it will mean for us all. So tune in at the usual time - ´óÏó´«Ã½2 at 2230 GMT.
If you've got any questions for Mr Miliband, please send them to me here.
I'd also be very grateful if you have any tips you might have on interesting or innovative ways we can all cut our carbon footprints.
UPDATE - HERE IS THE FILM FROM MONDAY NIGHT IN WHICH JUSTIN IS JOINED AT HIS HOUSE BY CLIMATE CHANGE SECRETARY ED MILIBAND, ECONOMIST VIJAY JOSHI AND SARAH-JAYNE CLIFTON FROM FRIENDS OF THE EARTH TO DISCUSS THE COPENHAGEN CONFERENCE.
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I'm Justin Rowlatt and I am the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Ethical Man. My family and I spent a year trying to cut our carbon emissions and reporting on the exercise for . Now I’m looking again in this blog at what individuals can do to tackle climate change.
Comment number 1.
At 9th Nov 2009, indignantindegene wrote:Why is the main issue - the unchecked increase in human population - not even given a mention? Is it because it might raise issues of belief and faith?
I will not voluntarily suffer or impose any hardships on my replacement-level family in order to reduce carbon immissions unless this major issue of world human population levels is brought out into the open, the impact evaluated, and hard options discussed globally. (eg link aid-funding to population control measures).
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Comment number 2.
At 9th Nov 2009, brightyangthing wrote:A question for the Rowlatt household and Mr Milliband tonight.
If a means of power generation for the future had to be 'in your back yard', and assuming that without it, you would have no domestic heating or lighting 3 days a week, which box would you tick?
- Wind farm
- Coal fired power station
- Nuclear
- other
and why?
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Comment number 3.
At 9th Nov 2009, Smorgasbord wrote:Question for Mr Milliband.
What is the carbon footprint of the construction of 10 Nuclear Power Stations, and how does it compare to the construction of other "green" technologies?
Also, how many long term jobs are created out of the various green power generating options?
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Comment number 4.
At 9th Nov 2009, peterthebike wrote:Please can the amount of money spent on nuclear energy be also spent on wave power?
There is no waste to worry about and apart from when the tide turns, the energy is always there. Isn't that a win, win situation?
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Comment number 5.
At 9th Nov 2009, studentforever wrote:Now I have a bus pass I use the bus far more, for many short trips the cost of petrol was much less than the fare. If we want more people to use public transport why don't we reduce fares to no more than the cost of petrol?
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Comment number 6.
At 9th Nov 2009, MosslandChris wrote:Question for Ed Miliband
Why is the UK government still allowing peat extraction to occur when each year the industry releases between 4 and 12 million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide(depending on how much is extracted), all so that we can grow flowers? There are plenty of good quality alternatives available for example Kew Gardens has been peat free for the past 28 years! Isn't time the UK government caught up and put a stop to this high carbon industry.
The current 90% reduction targets are not going to be met, and we now import and use more peat than ever. One simple way for any individual to greatly reduce their carbon footprint is to not buy peat based compost, and refuse to buy plants from garden centres grown in peat until the garden centres get the message.
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Comment number 7.
At 9th Nov 2009, MrWaves wrote:Given that so many technologies such as wave, tidal, carbon capture and large scale solar are still in their infancy. How will we grow at least some of these into worthwhile energy sources and how do we plan with so much uncertainty?
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Comment number 8.
At 9th Nov 2009, Doctor Dim wrote:Hi Justin,
Thanks to yourself, family and colleagues for all of your efforts to publicise these issues. I do take issue that it has only been "deep greens" who were interested in carbon footprints. A lot of us have been interested in these ideas for some time including concerned Scientists, environmental campaigners and 'everyday' people. Unfortunately, the reality was that the socio-political dominant powers were not concomitant with the popularisation of such ideas.
I have a number of questions for Mr. Miliband if I may please? I will choose three.
1. What kind of role does Mr. Miliband see the UK assuming in Copenhagen in terms of positioning itself in the discussions?
2. When will we in the UK finally move beyond discussions and lead by taking concrete actions?
3. Does Mr. Miliband see such initiatives as Copenhagen as having more or less value than actions taken by individuals, such as assuming a suitable moral stance (intrinsically motivated) as opposed to one decreed by Governments (extrinsically motivated)?
Thanks again and very best wishes with your next venture.
DD
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Comment number 9.
At 9th Nov 2009, wolfgirl wrote:My question is about offsetting.
Does Mr Miliband offset any of his personal emissions?
If not, why not?
Does he think that offsetting emissions can help us to tackle climate change?
Look forward to hearing his reply!
Thanks Ethical Man.
Wolfgirl
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Comment number 10.
At 9th Nov 2009, kbo234 wrote:Hi Justin,
Ever swallowed a camel?
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Comment number 11.
At 9th Nov 2009, gruffyddd wrote:Has Mr Miliband read 'Sustainable Energy: Without the hot air' (written by his own chief scientist)? aka the Bible on how to get this country off fossil fuels - essential reading for any energy minister!
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Comment number 12.
At 10th Nov 2009, jr4412 wrote:Justin Rowlatt.
"That will affect us all because almost everything we do involves greenhouse gases one way or another.
Think about it. As soon as you start up your car, put on the kettle, turn up the thermostat a notch or even buy a bag of potatoes you are creating carbon dioxide, the key greenhouse gas."
nice, no mention of war!
how much reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would we see if we stopped waging wars here, there and everywhere?
it is easy to find "precise" measures of the reductions for a typical family if they were to replace all their old lightbulbs, but you try and find figures relating to military activities.
well, at least you're fulfilling your blog 'quota'.
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Comment number 13.
At 10th Nov 2009, jr4412 wrote:Justin Rowlatt.
as per your invitation, here is a question for Ed Miliband:
what is the approximate tonnage of CO2 that would be saved by the UK if all UK participation in the Afghan conflict were to stop overnight?
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Comment number 14.
At 10th Nov 2009, Jack Hughes wrote:Justin - I'm just wondering about the results from your family's experiment.
Did you reduce your CO2 output to zero ? Some other number ?
What were the "before" and "after" CO2 outputs of your family lifestyle ?
Don't be shy...
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Comment number 15.
At 10th Nov 2009, JunkkMale wrote:Just watched the chat... 'legally-binding' came up a lot. Lot of eggs in the kitchen?
I just hope that, whatever does get discussed, agreed, and bound up, most people will move beyond the fact that a treaty has been established to what it's actually committing folk to and with what in mind.
With the current level of global boxtickocracy and short-term legacy jockeying, I'll be fascinated whether emissions actually get reduced, or just shunted around a lot more as various interested parties take their cut.
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Comment number 16.
At 11th Nov 2009, jr4412 wrote:JunkkMale #15.
"..I'll be fascinated whether emissions actually get reduced, or just shunted around a lot more as various interested parties take their cut."
the raison d'être for carbon-trading. :-))
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Comment number 17.
At 11th Nov 2009, thisfella wrote:Er - Justin, you may want to read up a little about the contents and disposal of those energy saving light bulbs before placing them in your mouth again!
I believe the backs of the box are a good place to start.
Mercury ingestion anyone?
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