SMEasure blog

SMEasure energy monitoring for the leisure sector

The sports and leisure sector consumes approximately £700 million of energy per annum, according to the Carbon Trust and just by using 10% less energy, the UK leisure facilities could save up to £70 million each year and reduce carbon emissions by 100,000s of tonnes.

SMEasure believes it can tackle energy wastage in the leisure sector head-on with its free energy monitoring calculator. Energy monitoring is the first place to begin tackling a reduction in business’ emissions, allowing the buildings manger to become familiar with their energy usage, to identify abnormal energy use, apply corrective measures and discover areas in which energy could be saved. Energy monitoring with the equipment and services you already have is the first place to start in ensuring you are energy efficient. With little or no capital investment it is possible to adopt good housekeeping measures that can be put into operation straight away and offer immediate benefits.

Ventilation alone can account for around 30% of heat loss in most commercial buildings for example and the SMEasure research team would like to receive more data to model energy use in the leisure sector and provide advice on how this industry can become more energy efficient.

In times of economical hardship, it is also paramount to businesses’ to cut costs where possible. ‘Energy consumption in hotels can account for between 3% and 6% of total running costs, ‘ says Annah Todman, marketing manager, ‘so there are real saving opportunities with monitoring energy.’

As SMEasure unveil their plans to assist the leisure industry in energy monitoring, they request hotels owners, leisure centres, sports clubs, youth clubs and associations join-up for free energy analysis. Users will be feeding anonymised data back and ultimately help advise on governmental energy policy as SMEasure is part of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford so your business can feel good about what it is giving back to the environment! Further details are available on the leisure page of SMEasure here.

Annah Todman, Marketing Manager Annah@smeasure.org.uk

Muriel Bonjean, Coordinator, muriel.bonjean@ouce.ox.ac.uk

JB’s touring reports & The Ark

Julie’s Bicycle Touring Reports

Last week, Julie’s Bicycle launched the most definitive study on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission impacts of international touring – setting the scene for a change in the way bands, orchestras and theatre tour by putting the environment at the heart of the action.
‘Moving Arts: managing the carbon impacts of our touring: Bands, Orchestras and Theatre’ is a three volume report which measures the impacts of touring and presents practical solutions to help cut touring emissions.

CIAO! Ark

The Children’s International Art Organisation (CIAO)’ s Ark project is a spectacular public art installation that showcases visual and performing arts created by 10 schools across Oxfordshire in response to the question – ‘If you were sailing away on an Ark to a low carbon future, what would you take with you and what would you leave behind?’.

You can read more on these stories by following this  link.

Zero-carbon, University of Oxford & 10:10

Zero-carbon vision sees UK as cleaner, greener and leaner within 20 years

Centre for Alternative Technology launches influential report that shows how Britain could eliminate emissions by 2030.

The University of Oxford is signing-up to 10:10!

Great news for us: the University of Oxford has signed-up to 10:10

You can read more on these stories by following this link.

Islam & the Environment

Islam and the Environment – Lecture by HRH The Prince of Wales, Oxford, 9th of June 2010

I was lucky to get to see HRH The Prince of Wales last week, giving a lecture in Oxford on Islam and the Environment. The lecture was really inspiring, and the Prince of Wales talked about the loss of the deep inner soul, that people in the West no longer believe in. And this is what has caused environmental and financial crises. People have been ‘de-souled’ by consumerism.

Where Are the Opportunities and Risks in Sustainability?”- free webinar from Yale University, Thursday (June 17) from 12:30pm-1:30pm EDT.

A distinguished group of Yale alumni panelists will be offering their insights on new and innovative business opportunities that also address concerns relating to the long-term sustainability of our planet.

You can read more on these stories by following the link.

To eat or not to eat?

To eat or not to eat?
A new carbon footprinting tool suggests that lamb curry ready-made meals eaten in the UK amount to an annual carbon footprint equivalent to 5,500 car trips around the world or 140 million car miles.

Moneyless man reveals how to live a cashless life without starving

Separation between stomachs and the soil means most food comes in plastic packets, but eating for free can be fun, says the Freeconomy Community founder, Mark Boyle.

You can read more on these stories by following the link.

That is all for this week!

Hit the light & Playing God

UK Government signed-up to 10:10 – video

Within 48 hours of getting into office, the UK Government signed up to 10:10. Meaning that all the government departments will have to produce 10% less emissions than last year, adding up to a staggering 600,000 tonnes of C02 not being pumped into the atmosphere – equivalent to taking 200,000 cars off the road.
Watch the video to see Cameron breaking the news here.
Hitting the lights in wasteful offices
Most people instinctively turn off the light as they leave a room at home. But what about the office? Energy saving can seem a mite less vital when we’re not footing the bill. Perhaps technology can help ensure the lights and heating are not left on when the sun is blazing or no one is there to use them. To read this new scientist article, follow this link.
‘Playing God’ with the climate?
Biotech supremo Craig Venter’s latest foray into “synthetic life” is raising all sorts of questions within the domain of medical and scientific ethics. One of the potential uses which he’s looking at for synthetic bacteria – sucking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – potentially also breaks new ground in the ethics of human effects on the natural world.
Read this eye-opening article here.
That is all for this week!

Energy Management
For Home – www.imeasure.org.uk
Find imeasure on twitter: imeasureou
For Work – www.smeasure.org.uk
Find SMEasure on twitter: smeasure_carbon

Your questions and comments are always helpful: http://help.smeasure.org.uk/discussion/new

Waste no more & JB’s Green Theatre Network

New energy source: animal waste
This week two stories covering the potential of animal waste as a new energy source made the headlines. The first one is a Staffordshire farm, which is being held up as a model of sustainable diversification after opening a 3m Pound anaerobic digestion plant on the property. The second one is from the computer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard, whose researchers have announced the findings of work into alternative sources of power for data centres.

Alternative energy – video
Watch this interesting video from the National Geographic on alternative energy.
Julie’s Bicycle London Green Theatre Network Launch, 26th of May, London – event
I will be heading to London next week to present SMeasure at the London Green Theatre Network Launch, organised by Julie’s Bicycle, a not-for-profit company established in 2007 to support the UK music industry in tackling climate change.
So if you are based in London and interested or active in environmental sustainability/carbon reduction in theatre and interested to come along, get in touch with Julie’s bicycle event organisers here.

That is all for this week!

Energy Management
For Home – www.imeasure.org.uk
Find imeasure on twitter: imeasureou
For Work – www.smeasure.org.uk
Find SMEasure on twitter: smeasure_carbon

Your questions and comments are always helpful: http://help.smeasure.org.uk/discussion/new

Sustainable business & Chris Huhne

June Guardian Sustainable Business Quarterly – Free event

The Guardian Sustainable Business Quarterly is a series of thought-provoking evening events for corporate sustainability professionals.
The event is free to attend and will take place on Tuesday 15th June, start-time 17.45, at America Square Conference Centre, One America Square, London EC3N 2LB.
For more details see here.
To register go here.

Incorporating sustainability in small and medium businesses – video

Simone Mann of the Commercial Group is sharing her experience and successes in growing as a sustainable business. Watch the video here.
Another example of a company’s commitment to become more sustainable is Mission Zero, which is Interface’s commitment to eliminate the negative impact the company may have on the environment by 2020.

10 questions for Chris Huhne, the new energy and climate change secretary

From reforms to the UK’s renewable energy strategy to tackling the nuclear question, the new energy and climate change secretary faces a daunting in-tray.
Read the interview here.

That is all for this week!

Energy Management
For Home – www.imeasure.org.uk
Find imeasure on twitter: imeasureou
For Work – www.smeasure.org.uk
Find SMEasure on twitter: smeasure_carbon

Your questions and comments are always helpful: http://help.smeasure.org.uk/discussion/new

SMEasure.org.uk – targets schools to bring awareness of their carbon emissions

As smeasure.org.uk, a website stemming from academic research from the University of Oxford, moves from beta testing to a wider market – SMEasure hopes to support schools in particular.

SMEasure and education are a natural fit as SMEasure can support the schools curriculum, providing graphical data and bringing study to life. SMEasure is also featured in a BBC Teachers TV program, on how the music industry is reducing its carbon footprint.

The schools taking part also support valuable research as the  data recorded in SMEasure  is fed back  to the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford.

The research will be used ultimately to inform governmental energy policy as well as investment and programmes to reduce energy use and carbon emissions.

Annah Todman, marketing manager says ‘Schools are having to become more environmentally aware as the Government would like every school to be a sustainable school by 2020. According to teachernet, English schools contribute an estimated 15 per cent of public-sector emissions annually.’

‘Using SMEasure and the BBC Teachers TV program as educational tools to support curriculum, should also assist contributing schools to reduce their share of the estimated 8.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted from schools each year,’ she continues.
Schools are ideally placed to take a lead within communities to help reduce carbon emissions. Monitoring school energy uses should provide schools with clear insights for saving energy, reducing carbon emissions and cutting bills, as well as educating students about climate change.

Green boost, CO2 fuel &BASELondon

How new Government should boost green economy – video

Peter Young, chairman of influential business and environment lobby the Aldersgate Group, launches the organisation’s new report Accelerating the Transition which sets out priorities for the new Government’s first 100 days in office.
See the report go here.
To watch the video, see here.

Could CO2 be the green fuel powering tomorrow’s cars?
Imagine a green fuel that could power our cars, keep the wheels of industry turning, and wean us off our addiction to oil – a fuel called CO2
See the story here.

BASELondon, 27th of May 2010, London – Event

BASELondon is a one-day event to be held at the brand new Capital Suite at ExCeL, on 27th May 2010. It will be opened by mayor Boris Johnson. It is about all matters relating to sustainability in London and how this affects its competitive position as an attractor to business. It will also be a showcase for what London has achieved and what it aims to achieve in the future.
For more information, see the event website.

Friends of the Earth photo competition 2010 – Photo slideshow

See the slideshow with amazing photos here.

That is all for this week!

Energy Management
For Home – www.imeasure.org.uk
Find imeasure on twitter: imeasureou
For Work – www.smeasure.org.uk
Find SMEasure on twitter: smeasure_carbon

Your questions and comments are always helpful: http://help.smeasure.org.uk/discussion/new