These days there is a lot of talk in the media about Global Warming, and also a lot of information flying around about what people can do to lessen their contribution to the problem. The worst suggestion of all as to what people can do to lessen their contribution is Carbon Offsetting. This gives people the impression that they can carry on exactly as they are as long as they pay a bit extra, which is quite dangerous thinking when the reality is that people need to change their behaviour for us to have a realistic chance of stopping global warming before its too late. A prime example of this is driving. The message that people are receiving is that “doing your bit” involves buying a more efficient car, rather than not driving at all and catching the bus. I’ve seen an advert recently by the UK Department for Transport telling people how to reduce their C02 emissions, including making sure your car has the correct tyre pressure.

Where I work there is a Kitchen next to the office that has an electric water heater on the wall which broke down a month or so ago. Since then we had been using a normal kettle. Nearly Retired Useless Jobsworth asked if people could please make sure they filled the kettle back to the top when they’d used some of the water so it would be full for the next person. I have been in the habit for a long time of doing the opposite and only filling up as much water as I need so I don’t waste energy, which I continued to do and actually emptied water out of the kettle a few times before boiling it. Last week the water heater was replaced. Bear in mind our office rarely contains more than 3 people (including me) and the heater keeps what must be about 10 litres constantly near-boiling. I turned the heater off on Thurs night when I went home so it wouldn’t be needlessly heating water overnight. Today NRUJ asked if it was me who had done this. I said yes and explained my reason, to which he expressed frustration at the time it takes to heat up from cold, and asked that I not do this again, conceding that it was ok to turn if off over the weekends.