There can be no doubt that our climate is changing and that it is having a dramatic, and extremely negative effect on our world. This is affecting and impacting people, nature, animals, birds and every aspect of our planet. Governments discuss and argue over emissions and what they should do and by which decade, but ultimately it is the people of each country who would need to effect changes in their own lives, as no amount of legislation can bring about change on its own.
To this end, and because I am the author of The Green IT Guide (Apress, 2022), I felt it was important to set out my own stance, and my own targets for reducing my personal impact on the planet, and on the climate. See the links at the bottom of this page for where to purchase the book.
TRANSPORTATION
- Throughout my life I have never wanted to own a car or drive, and I have two electric bikes (both Cube Acid hardtail) which I use on my own or with a friend. I live in rural France however and am some distance from local supermarkets and amenities so do need transport. For this in early 2021 I purchased an Aixam eCoupe Premium two-seater 100% electric vehicle. While I do not yet know the carbon footprint of this vehicle, as it is a quadricycle and not a car, it uses fewer and lighter materials than a regular small car.
- Where transport is needed for shopping for larger or bulky items that I cannot transport in the Aixam, I use home delivery, or car-pool with friends when they are going shopping.
- I always use public-transport, especially trains, for travel nationally and when in other countries around the world, this will continue.
- I do fly, sometimes several times a year and this can include transatlantic travel. I pledge to dramatically reduce my air travel, and to stop using air travel completely by 2030.
POWER CONSUMPTION
- I have a lot of electrical and electronic items, though I always purchase A+ or higher rated equipment where available, this will continue.
- I always hold on to hardware, including mobile devices such as smartphones for a long time, usually until they become unusable for one reason or another, and this will continue.
- When I replace hardware that is still good I always recycle them by either passing them on to friends and colleagues who will continue to use them, or by passing them to a dedicated recycling facility.
- I will be fitting solar panels to the new home that I will purchase later this year, and will seek the most efficient available. I aim to add a home battery supply to this by 2025.
- From the time of purchase of my new home I pledge to only use environmentally responsible energy providers.
- I pledge that by 2025 I will have moved all of my website and other work hosting and my online services to responsible carbon neutral, or carbon negative companies, or to companies actively working towards these goals.
FOOD & SUSTAINABILITY
- I am always very careful to avoid food waste. While this isn’t always possible, I do pledge to continue and be conscientious about consumption and waste, and where waste is produced I will dispose of it all in an environmentally responsible way.
- While I cannot in all honesty say that I will switch to an entirely plant-based diet, I do pledge to reduce my consumption of animal products, and replace them with plant-based substitutes where available.
- Where there is packaging waste, such as cardboard and polystyrene, I will always make sure it is taken to appropriate recycling facilities.
- Because I live in a rural area I do burn wood at home to generate heat. I pledge to change this to more sustainable fuel sources by 2025.
I will add to and update this information periodically. I do not contribute to carbon-offsetting schemes as I believe these are little more than a placebo used by people to justify their existing behaviour. As such I would prefer to focus on reducing my own environmental impact.
Mike Halsey
Learn how to make your computer and smartphone use more environmentally friendly and sustainable with Mike Halsey’s book “The Green IT Guide“, now on sale from Apress, Amazon, and all good book sellers.
