Tumbling towards the Tipping Point?
According to National Statistics, almost 60% of households now own a tumble dryer. That means more than 14m households are using electricity to dry clothes, when they could save that energy by hanging them outside. This energy use is also contributing to climate change.
It turns out that the way we have been calculating the future impacts of climate change up to now has been missing a really important piece of the picture. It seems we are now dangerously close to the tipping point in the world’s climate system; this is the point of no return, after which truly catastrophic changes become inevitable.
The Energy Saving Trust says that across the UK, if everyone with a tumble drier dried outside instead of using their driers during the summer months, it would collectively save around £180million a year, and as much CO2 as would be saved by taking 240,000 cars off Britain’s roads.
Try drying your clothes outside during the summer months. You can save on average £15 a year on your electricity bill and 65kg of CO2 by drying clothes outside on a line instead of using the tumble dryer during the summer months.
The Guardian recommends drying your clothes indoors and outside. If you can’t dry clothes outside, invest in an airer to use inside your house. Ceiling ones work best because warm air rises. But if you don’t have a suitable lofty location, try a floor-standing or wall-mounted one. Most home heating systems run on gas, so it is still better to dry your clothes inside the house in winter than to dry them by machine. You’ll not only save energy and money by ditching the dryer but your clothes will last longer too.
Consumer Issues website Which also advises to Minimise use of your tumble dryer. Make the most of good weather by drying your clothes outside, and leaving the tumble dryer switched off. If you can’t live without your tumble dryer – click here to see which one Which advises but watch this short film first – http://www.wakeupfreakout.org/film/tipping.html