The BA is enlightening supermarkets, reveals Sue Hordijenko

The BA is about to launch our thirteenth National Science Week. It will witness the start of our new three-year strategy to focus on climate change through our main programmes.

The government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King, has described climate change as a greater threat than terrorism, and each day we learn more about the toll that it’s taking on the natural world.  The issue seems so huge and so far removed from us on an individual level that it’s hard to know how to respond.  Boil the kettle, turn the heating on, flick the TV off standby and cosy up in front of… head: sand: bury: sand: head: face: bovvered?

In research published earlier this year by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and MORI (See 1 below) a staggering 91 per cent of those polled believe that the world’s climate is changing – and they knew why.  In fact, 62 per cent of this group were definitely bovvered, believing that every possible action should be taken on climate change. A further 32 per cent indicated that some action should be taken.  But how far are we really prepared to go to modify our lifestyles to provoke action on climate change?  Could it all really begin at home?

Individual action
The initial focus of the BA’s climate change programme is aimed at us as individuals and our own personal energy consumption.  Can modifying my own personal habits really lead to stopping the effects of climate change from getting any worse? 

I asked myself this question last year.  Like Anjana Ahuja, I don’t leave the TV on standby, I too recycle and my home doesn’t light up South London like the Blackpool illuminations.  But what do I use to light up my home?  Subsequent research informed me that only about one-third of the UK population uses energy-efficient light bulbs. What did they know that the others (myself included) did not?

Saving money
Last November, we commissioned a quantitative survey (representative of UK adults) into public attitudes to using energy-saving light bulbs. The results told us that there is one overarching message that needs to be conveyed to encourage their use: they save you money.

According to the Energy Saving Trust’s website, ‘Each energy-saving bulb can reduce your electricity bill by up to £7 a year. They also last, on average up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.’  Older people and those in lower socio-economic groups will buy them if they can get them cheaply, and younger people and those in higher social grades will buy them if they see that they provide an environmental benefit.

Involving the supermarkets
Armed with this information, we targeted the places where most of us shop: the high street.  Would the major supermarket chains be prepared to respond to our research and work with us to promote individual action in the face of climate change?  Would they promote low-energy light bulbs in their stores, and would they reduce their cost for the duration of National Science Week?  At the time of going to press, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons had agreed to work with us, and we were in discussion with Waitrose. 

Our challenge to the big five high street supermarkets is only a part of our focus on climate change for National Science Week.  In collaboration with the Economic and Social Research Council we will be also be asking you to ‘Click for the Climate’ and pledge how you will modify your habits and work towards more efficient energy consumption in your daily lives.
UEA and MORI’s research reveals that a large proportion of those surveyed indicated that they believed that energy demand could be managed through behavioural change.  National Science Week will examine just how bovvered we really are.

Reference           

1.  Poortinga W., Pidgeon, N.F. and Lorenzoni, I. (2006) Public Perceptions of Nuclear Power, Climate Change and Energy Options in Britain: Summary Findings of a survey conducted during October and November 2005.  Technical Report (Understanding Risk Working Paper 06-02). Norwich: Centre for Environmental Risk.

Sue Hordijenko is Director of Programmes at the BA and is leading their climate change programme.