Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Ruby Jones.
Voice 2
And I'm Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special english method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
In February of 2006, the Rowlatt family changed their lives. They did this as an experiment. They wanted to change their effect on the environment. They called it a year of living ethically.
Voice 2
Today's Spotlight is on Justin Rowlatt, the Ethical Man.
Voice 1
Justin Rowlatt is a news writer for the BBC in the UK. It was not his idea to live differently. The BBC had the idea of an experiment. They wanted one reporter to live as ethically as possible for a year.
Voice 2
But one of the first questions Justin asked himself was, "What is an ethical lifestyle?" Ethical has many possible meanings, but people usually think of it as trying to live in the best, most moral way. In this situation, living ethically meant living an environmentally friendly lifestyle. A life that damaged the earth as little as possible.
Voice 1
Justin believed that he and his family already cared for the environment. They already bought food that was grown naturally without chemicals. They recycled and reused many of the containers their food was in. They did not use their car very often. They even took the bus to work.
Voice 2
But then, Justin met Professor Tim Jackson. Professor Jackson is an expert on environmentally friendly living. He would be helping the Rowlatts as they changed their life. And he showed them that there were still many changes that they could make.
Voice 1
There were many large things that Justin could have done to live a more environmentally responsible life. He could power his house with new energy methods. He could move to a smaller house out in the country. But that was not the plan. This experiment was not about big changes. It was about small changes that anyone can make.
Voice 2
The goal of the experiment was to reduce the carbon footprint of the Rowlatt family by 20 percent. A carbon footprint is a way to measure the amount of carbon dioxide a person creates. With every bit of energy a person uses, the larger the carbon footprint is. Living ethically meant living with a smaller footprint. Living ethically meant helping to reduce global climate change.
Voice 1
The Rowlatts were a little worried about what life would be like when they were living ethically. They were not in control of how they used energy, and they were not sure how this would change their life.
Voice 2
The experiment started in March of 2006. Justin put a new electricity meter in his home. He could clearly see how much electricity their house was using at all times. He was surprised by the amount. So he did his best to reduce this amount. He used new light bulbs. These new bulbs use five times less electricity.
Voice 1
In April, Justin and his family stopped using their electric clothes dryer. Instead, they hung their clothes outside to dry. But then some bigger changes happened. The professor took the Rowlatt's car. Their one car was responsible for about 13 percent of their carbon footprint. By getting rid of it, their energy use would greatly change.
Voice 2
The Rowlatts were not used to not having a car. Justin's wife and daughters were even a bit angry about this change. Living ethically did not always mean living easily. But although the Rowlatts made some changes, there were still many more to make. They learned that their home itself was wasteful. Heat was leaking out of many areas of their house. Sadly, these problems were too costly to fix. So Justin tried to make more small changes.
Voice 1
He covered areas where heat was escaping. He tried to remember to close the doors of rooms. The family used less heating in the winter. And when they were planning their family holiday for the summer, they decided not to fly. Instead they took the train. Flying to a far country can create up to five times more carbon than taking a train.
Voice 2
Justin also started to think about the water his family used. He learned about all the water his family used for washing their bodies, for washing clothes, and for watering plants. He learned that using more water means using more electricity. It takes a lot of energy to collect and transport water. Justin wanted to change this. So just like the other areas of his life, Justin decided to do small things to make a change.
Voice 1
He and his family collected rain water to water plants. They placed a special bag into their toilet to save a litre of water with every use. They shut off the water when they were washing their hands or cleaning their teeth.
Voice 2
One of the final tests of the ethical life affected the Rowlatts greatly. In January, Professor Jackson challenged the Rowlatts to reduce their carbon use by changing how they ate. The Rowlatts already tried to eat food that was grown near their home. This reduced the amount of carbon created by transporting the food. But the professor said that eating meat added to their carbon footprint.
Voice 1
Raising animals produces a lot of carbon dioxide gas. In fact, raising animals produces more carbon than all the transportation on the earth, planes, trains, and cars combined. So for the final month of the experiment, the Rowlatts ate no meat or products from animals such as eggs and milk.
Voice 2
The Rowlatt family wondered if all these changes were really making a difference. In February, the experiment was over and the results were in. Professor Jackson visited the family at their home. He showed the family the effect of all the small changes they made. The Rowlatts reduced their carbon footprint by twenty percent. They reached the goal. But the Rowlatts felt a little sad. They felt like they had done more. They expected bigger results.
Voice 1
The Professor explained that they could not control every part of their carbon footprint. All goods and services add to a carbon footprint. Hospitals, schools, and businesses all add something.
Voice 2
But then the Professor showed the family the effect they had on their direct carbon footprint. This was the carbon that they personally made in their home. They reduced their direct carbon footprint by almost half. By reducing their carbon footprint, the family has helped protect the environment. But they also saved money. Their electricity, water and gas bills are much lower than before.
Voice 1
The Rowlatts met their goal of living ethically by making small changes in their own home. If everyone made small changes like this, the effect would be large. By working together this way, the environment could be changed for the better forever.
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