24 May 2023
By Carl Dodd

One Planet Living: How to tread lightly on the Earth

Carl Dodd, circular economy, Heatwave, hydroelectricity, low impact, low carbon living, Net Zero Carbon, one planet living, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., recycling, reduce carbon footprint, Retrofit PRL, wind power, wind turbine
Just how low can you go? How can you have a low impact, low carbon lifestyle, without sacrificing comfort or principles? You can make a start by using the WWF Carbon Footprint Calculator.  WWF: "Our world is in crisis - from climate change to the pollution in our oceans and devastation of our forests. It's up to all of us to fix it…" We all know that we need to take steps towards a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle, but how do we go about this? One answer is 'treading lightly', an increasingly popular philosophy for reducing our carbon footprint and…
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05 May 2023
By Carl Dodd

Damp and Mould: Why education and retrofit are key to eradicating the health scourge of bad housing

Carl Dodd, circular economy, damp, housing, mould, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., Retrofit PRL, tenants
Damp and Mould: two of the most common problems in poorly maintained housing The more people who can live a decent life by being kept out of fuel poverty and out of hospital, the better off the entire country is. Take a look at this Headline: Tackling cold homes would save the NHS £540mn per year, new BRE research reveals Here I examine the causes and health impacts of damp and mould and explore how education and retrofitting can help to eradicate these problems, particularly in low-income communities. Causes of damp and mould Damp and mould are caused by excess…
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15 Apr 2023
By Carl Dodd

Turning the tide on pollution: the future of sustainable plastic management

Carl Dodd, circular economy, Net Zero Carbon, plastic, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., recycling, Retrofit PRL
Why it's essential that we turn the tide Plastic pollution has been a pressing issue for decades now, and it's high time we take action to turn the tide on this problem. As we continue to use more plastic products in our daily lives, it's vital that we explore new ways of managing plastics sustainably. In this blog, we'll dive into some promising solutions that are set to revolutionise how we produce, consume and dispose of plastics. The initial problem The problem of plastic pollution is not new, but it has gained increased attention in recent years as the volume…
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09 Mar 2023
By Carl Dodd

In praise of wind power

Carl Dodd, Net Zero Carbon, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., recycling, Retrofit PRL, wind power, wind turbine
A new dawn for supersized wind turbines in the UK? Supersize onshore wind turbines that reach twice the height of Big Ben could be built in England if the de facto ban is lifted. The current tallest wind turbine in England is 126.5m at a site in Essex. Bank Renewables, which developed the wind farm in South Lanarkshire, said it would be looking for sites in England if the ban were revoked. The effective ban was put in place in 2015 by tightening planning restrictions in the National Planning Policy Framework. To end the ban, the relevant planning regulations should be scrapped or clearly…
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01 Feb 2023
By property01carl

How much should I pay for a plastic shopping bag?

Carl Dodd, circular economy, Net Zero Carbon, plastic, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., recycling, Retrofit PRL
It's an inconvenient fact but… everyone should be thinking like this these days (we live in the plastic age, after all). Every plastic bag that's produced for consumers to carry their goods home should have a price attached. Or, every shopper should be responsible for bringing their own bags into the store with them. Did you know that a reinforced, reusable plastic bag has a lower footprint than a paper one? Many shops have now moved to paper bags, which is progress, but also still a waste, because these get thrown away too, often after only one use. Awareness needs to…
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13 Jan 2023
By Carl Dodd

Mr Angry goes zero! (nearly)

Carl Dodd, circular economy, Net Zero Carbon, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., Retrofit PRL
The biggest picture Well, it was bound to happen! Since the shock of the Russian invasion of Ukraine I've been thinking of ways to reduce the use of gas, as a sign of protest. In February we (my wife and I) curtailed our gas usage quite a lot, and it felt good too, at least we made a token gesture. However, I knew that this protest about an unjust war was not the only problem right now. The big (est) picture is the Climate Crisis. The chaos in our country seems to be omnipresent, and it's also a cost-of-living crisis,…
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04 Nov 2022
By Carl Dodd

The Circular Economy: it’s time to rethink plastic use

Carl Dodd, circular economy, Net Zero Carbon, plastic, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., recycling, Retrofit PRL
Re-thinking our plastic usage It is clear to us at PRL that the thinking on plastics needs to radically change. Plastics may be versatile materials, but the way we use them is totally wasteful. Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic, worth billions, ends up being trashed, burned or leaked into the environment. 8 million tonnes of plastic leaks into the ocean every year, and that number is on the up. If we don't rethink, then by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish (by weight). So, is it really possible to rethink the way we…
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02 Oct 2022
By Carl Dodd

The Retrofit solution to climate change

Carl Dodd, Droughts, Floods, Heatwave, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., Retrofit PRL
From record-breaking heatwaves... to biblical flooding The effects of Climate Change are definitely being felt around the world. Think about the floods of biblical proportions, and the annual forest fires that can't be controlled. Each record being broken is a step closer to an environmental collapse. Do you think that 2050 is too distant to care about? It's not, but you would not think that if you listened to the world leaders. Their soundbites are constructed to relay a very optimistic message: '...there is no climate emergency'. The analogy of the Boiling Frog springs to mind here. If searingly hot,…
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04 Sep 2022
By Carl Dodd

There are less than 10,000 days to do… the road to net zero carbon

Carl Dodd, Net Zero Carbon, Property Revolutions Ltd., Retrofit PRL
I recently read an interesting article which stated that if you count the number of days left until the UK has to meet its net zero carbon target, there are now less than 10,000 days to go. For context: 10,000 days ago was March 31st, 1995! What we have achieved since 1995 seems startlingly, woefully inadequate. We are at the halfway point - but we are not really halfway there. Since 1995, the names may have changed, but the problems haven't. The Challenge is even greater now Waiting for the amazing carbon capture revolution, the massive tree planting campaigns and…
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