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Working with nature to tackle climate change....Pip Richards lives on the beautiful Clowance Estate near Camborne. She’s actively taking steps to prevent climate change. Why they are doing things to help the climate.... Pip loves the natural environment of Cornwall and wants to do her bit to help protect it. She knows that climate change is threatening the natural environment and will impact on all aspects of our lives. To help protect the natural environment and the wildlife it contains she is taking action to reduce her own impact and recognises that if we all take little steps to help tackle climate change, it would all add up to make a big difference. By doing her bit she knows that she is helping to protect the planet for future generations. What they are doing.... Pip has taken steps to reduce the amount As a fuel, wood can be considered as carbon neutral. This is because when trees grow they absorb carbon from the atmosphere and when this wood is burnt the carbon is released. As the only carbon that is emitted is the same amount as was absorbed there is no net increase in the atmosphere and no impact on the climate. Why it’s important….. We all need energy in the home for cooking, heating and hot water. In most homes this comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas, or in the case of electricity, from power stations that also burn them. Every time we burn these we release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and this gas is the main cause of climate change. In just 200 years, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 30%, concentrations of all the greenhouse gases are now higher than at any point in the past 800,000 years. By using wood, Pip is not adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. In fact, because she is using wood instead of fossil fuels for heating, cooking and hot water she is actually saving carbon as her energy doesn’t come from a power station burning fossil fuels. It is not only householders that are making use of wood for heating in Cornwall. There are several larger schemes including:
Wood fuel is not a solution for everyone, but it is cleaner fuel source for open fires or stoves than coal. However, we can all take steps in our home to reduce the carbon emissions associated with heating and hot water. In an average house, around 60% of carbon dioxide emissions come from these activities. There are simple ways to reduce this, some of which do not cost anything to do:
All of these simple and cost effective measures can dramatically reduce the cost of heating your home and hot water. They also lead to significant savings in carbon dioxide. The Energy Saving Trust says that an average household could save around two tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by making their home energy efficient. It is important because every tonne of carbon dioxide we stop reduces the risk of climate change. Further information.... Using wood as a fuel is not only good for the climate, but it also has wider environmental benefits. The Wood Fuel South West Advice Service provides free technical advice, support and grant aid to householders, communities, schools, businesses and the public sector for smaller scale wood heating proposals in the SW region. Find out more here.
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OptionsThis StoryListen again to this story.... Related Stories4. Cornwall Energy Efficiency Advice Centre 12. Low cost energy efficiency 16. Local Shopping Related LinksClimate Change Wood Fuel Advisory Service Get advice, resources and grant aid. Cornwall EEAC Energy Saving Trust 10 Simple Steps
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of carbon her home is responsible for. The main way she is doing this is by using wood as her main source of fuel. She has a Rayburn, which burns wood to provide energy for cooking, heating and hot water. 
The woodland that exists today in the UK does so because it was managed. This included coppicing and clearing to provide fuels and other materials, mainly for local use. Many of these woodlands, especially the smaller ones, are no longer managed because they no longer provide any economic benefit to their owners. Continued neglect is not an option for these woodlands. They are natural systems which require continuing management, if they are to be sustainable. Extracting firewood and other wood from them is one way to ensure that they are managed.