The British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA), which co-ordinates National Science Week, is asking people to visit its website to make an online pledge for a “green” lifestyle change, revealing the estimated carbon dioxide savings if the action is kept up for a week.

The pledges include:

• not to going to school or work by car, saving 4.5kg of CO2
• unplugging phone chargers when not in use, saving 1kg of CO2
• fitting three low energy light bulbs, saving 1.4kg of CO2
• off-setting one return air flight by planting a tree, saving 1 tonne of CO2
• not leaving electrical equipment on stand-by, saving 0.6kg of CO2

Supermarkets were also invited to take part in the campaign, and Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose are reducing the prices of energy-saving light bulbs for the duration of the week.

The Carbon Reduction Programme (CRed), at the University of East Anglia, will evaluate the results of the campaign, and encourage people to continue their “greener” lifestyles.

More than 500,000 people are expected to take part in National Science Week.

“If they all just replaced one ordinary light bulb in their home with an energy saving bulb, then National Science Week would have cut down carbon dioxide emissions by over 240 tonnes,” explained Roland Jackson, chief executive of the BA.

Reference: Reduce emissions for Science Week, BBC, 2006-03-10

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