Hi, I am Tom, I am a mechanical engineer and over the last 6 years I have been working full time on trying to reduce emissions in response to climate change.
I work with individuals, community groups, businesses and non-profit organisations to think through how they might reduce emissions, reduce their environmental impact, and reduce costs at the same time. Supporting them to reduce emissions in their context by turning ambition and hope linked to climate action into real steps that reduce emissions. And alongside that, I try to communicate on issues around climate change and the energy transition, through writing… like here, through public speaking and through making videos on YouTube about all things low carbon.
I am going to be writing regularly with the Northern Eco about low carbon technology, explainers on the benefits of heat pumps, solar panels, batteries, or electric vehicles, myth busters that might be counter to what you see elsewhere, insight into government policy and how that could help us move away from fossil fuels, the damage the status quo is doing and why we need to transition… and much more!
So to begin with let’s set out the problem really simply; if we want to reduce the risk of climate change, we can focus on one thing – we need to burn less fossil fuels.
That might mean switching from old technology to new, a petrol car to an EV, a gas boiler to a heat pump. It could mean turning our homes into a mini power station with solar panels, or supporting the grid by adding a battery. Electrification is key in reducing emissions.
It might mean using fossil powered technology less; leaving a car at home, taking a bus or a train, walking, riding a bike, or insulating a house, improving comfort, reducing costs, reducing emissions.
It might mean supporting changes in policy, or development or renewable technology in your region that means we need less gas to generate electricity.
There is a lot we can do, and simply, using less fossil fuels tomorrow than we do today will point us in the right direction
If you think I might be able to help you think though any of this… please do say hello through my website – sb-energy.co.uk or if you wanted to see the kind of things I talk about, have a look over on Youtube.
Tom Bray
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
