Did you know?

Yes, it is good to talk for the following reasons, we are all trying to reduce our carbon footprint so I would like to address the elephant on the screen so to speak.

Short telephone calls are so low in carbon terms the impact is extremely low, and a lot of sites don’t register them.  However, those that do, point out that any carbon used is in the device used and the network not the call itself.

Emails

The carbon footprint of an email varies from 0.02g for a short email, 0.03g for spam to 50g CO2e for long emails with attachments. The vast number of emails sent daily contributes significantly to global emissions, which are driven by the continuous operation of data centres and the energy used by user devices.  

Ways to reduce the impact:

• Delete unwanted emails: This reduces the energy required to store them in data centres. 

• Unsubscribe from newsletters: Fewer emails in your inbox mean less energy consumption. 

• Send links instead of attachments: Sharing links requires less data than sending large file attachments. 

• Be mindful of email volume: Every email sent contributes to the overall carbon footprint, so it's best to be concise. 

• Target your audience: Don’t copy lots of people in, this increases the carbon footprint it’s like sending more than one email.   

• Set up a ‘Thank you in Advance’ Message: This reduces the need to send thank you emails every time someone responds to you.    

In summary

Speaking to another person on the phone offers benefits like improved emotional well-being, better relationship building, increased clarity, and enhanced problem-solving. The human voice conveys tone, emotion, and nuance that an email alone cannot, which can reduce misunderstandings, lower stress, and build a stronger connection, whether personal or professional. While reducing the impact on your wellbeing and on the planet generally.

The Oxymoron (Elephant)

The increased requirement for electrical energy in the UK is partially for cooling data centres and powering AI, therefore the increased need for renewable energy is also predicated by that requirement.

1.  Power to the Co-Op - RWE is assisting the Co-Op to power the equivalent of 140 stores from Welsh wind power via a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

2.  Fastest Car - BYD Yangwang U9 extreme (All Electric) on 14th September 2025 holds the title as the world’s fastest production car at 308.4mph.

3.  Recycling of Batteries – Battery recycling is on the rise and there are now seven battery recycling companies in the UK, covering Lithium, Li-ion and a range of commercial batteries.

4.  Recycling of Solar Panels – There are now 5 UK companies that recycle old and damaged solar panels.

5.  UK Home Battery Storage – Although still quite expensive, prices are starting to fall with increased competition, and refurbished models becoming available.

6.  UK Renewable Electricity – Last year (2025) The UK managed to produce 54.4% of electrical generation required due to the high levels of sunshine over the summer months.

7.  Catching up – In total, renewable energy production from the world’s top ten, 4 EU countries outperform us, and in terms of renewable electricity supply, 8 European countries in the worlds top ten also do!!

8.  The UK Marine Energy Council formed a Task Force in conjunction with the Crown Estate to develop sites, financing, innovation and supply chain - becoming a world leader could bring £50 billion to the UK economy and 90,000 new industry jobs.

9.  The UK Govt would like more wind power, so as to balance energy production across the grid. A target of 50 GW by 2030 has been set, with most coming from offshore but with a significant increase to onshore wind.

10. The food waste transition is currently underway. Food waste will in future be sent to Anaerobic Digestion plants to produce bio-methane gas for injecting into the national gas grid, to power industry and homes. Please see below links to further information and FAQ’s around food waste collections.

Food Waste - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - East Lindsey District Council

New Food Waste Collections - Boston Borough Council

https://www.sholland.gov.uk/waste-transformation

The estimated carbon footprint of one person travelling from London to Glasgow and back is:

By coach: 40kg CO2e

By train: 64kg CO2e

By small EV car: 148kg CO2e

By small fuel-efficient petrol car: 237kg CO2e

By plane: 368kg CO2e

By large SUV: 1,020kg CO2e

The figures for the cars are based on driver only, so if the driver takes three other people the emissions can be divided by four to give the figure per person, so they become:

By small EV car: 37kg CO2e

By small fuel-efficient petrol car: 59.25kg CO2e

By large SUV: 255kg CO2e

So, four people sharing a car is less carbon intensive per person than going by train (due to several factors included the weight of the train, fuel source, speed, etc.)

Source: Mike Berners-Lee, How Bad Are Bananas?