Carbon Rationing Action Groups

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How do we start a CRAG?

1. Read the information on this site and the Sample CRAG Rules.

2. Agree on what you want to count. To keep it simple you might want to just focus on heating, electricity, car and plane travel. Some groups are trying to count public transport as well.

3. Calculate or estimate your individual direct carbon footprints for household energy and personal transport over the last year. Feel free to use our carbon calculator or spreadsheet.

4. Agree from when to when your carbon year will run and when first year of your CRAG will commence.

5. Agree on a target for this year. In the UK, most groups seem to be going for 4500 kg (4.5 tonnes) CO2 per person.

6. Agree on the penalty for holding carbon debt at the end of the carbon year. This may be a nominal amount such as 5 cents per kilo ($50 per tonne) or a higher figure.

Alternatively to items 5 and 6 for the first, transitional year while the energy efficiency of houses is improved, the target may be set as a percentage of the previous year's usage, and items 6 does not apply for the first year. For more see 5 Easy Steps to Sustainability below.

7. Agree anything else you think is necessary at this stage e.g. an optional cap to carbon debt.

8. Decide how you are going to keep track of your carbon over the year. Will you email a "carbon accountant" or will you do your sums each time you meet up and if so how often will you meet up?

9. Decide what other actvities you may undertake, such as
• educating the group about energy efficiency and how to reduce emissions
For example, use the Global warming cool it site to learn how to reduce household energy use
• speaking in the community
• encouraging the establishmnet of other CRAGs

10. If you have followed these 9 steps you are already carbon rationing! Good luck! The only other thing your group needs to decide is what to do with any carbon fund that appears at the end of the year.

5 Easy Steps to Sustainability

[Courtesy Mount Alexander Sustainability Group]

In this step-by-step process CRAG member households can make a real contribution to abating climate change, leading to zero net emissions for their domestic gas and electricity use.

1. Collecting gas and electricity bills together in one place and work out how much you spend on each form of energy each year and how many tonnes of CO2e that represents.

2. Using the Global Warming Cool-it Booklet to work out what you are doing now and what you could do to reduce your consumption of gas and electicity and greenhouse emissions by 15-30% on a no-cost, low-cost basis.

3. Once billing information has shown that a 15-30% target has been achieved, 100% Greenpower from solar or wind can be bought to replace your coal-fired electricity and this is paid for with your 15-30% energy savings.  This should reduce emissions significantly.

4. Look again at gas consumption and do all that is possible to reduce or replace gas for your heating and cooking needs

5. Once sure that for now, gas consumption can’t be reduced further, check gas bills to identify how many tonnes of C02e is still being produced by gas use in your household.  Buy grid-connected solar photovoltaic panels or a wind turbine to generate the same amount of energy as is consumed by your gas appliances.