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Last Updated: Friday, 23 July, 2004, 11:27 GMT 12:27 UK

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Energy efficiency - how do you measure up?

With climate change never far from the news, the pressure is on to reduce energy consumption and emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) - released when fossil fuels are burnt and thought to be one of the main causes of global warming.
You may already use energy efficient light bulbs and make regular trips to the bottle bank, but are you as climate-conscious and eco-friendly as you like to think?

Do our quiz and find out if you are a hero or zero when it comes to energy efficiency.

Question 1

You are in the UK and decide that you want to escape the rat race for a fortnight. Which is the MOST eco-friendly choice of holiday?


	A: A winter sports holiday, skiing in the Alps.


	B: An ayurvedic yoga retreat in India, chilling out thanks to the meditation and simple rustic living.


	C: A driving holiday in the UK, packing up the car for a tour of the delights of the British countryside.

Question 2

You decide that you really want to go to India, but you know the flight will emit some CO2 into the atmosphere and you want to off-set it. How many trees will you have to plant to absorb the gas?


	A: 0.2


	B: 2


	C: 20

Question 3

Your clothes are dirty. Which is the MOST environmentally friendly way to get them clean?


	A: Hand-wash the clothes in hot water.


	B: Take them to the dry cleaners.


	C: Machine wash the clothes in cold water.

Question 4

You are thinking of re-designing your garden. Which choice of planting is the LEAST eco-friendly?


	A: Grass


	B: Shrubs


	C: Trees

Question 5

You have had a baby and along with coping with the sleepless nights you also have to make a decision on what kind of nappies you are going to use. Which of these is the BEST choice for the environment?


	A: Using disposable nappies.


	B: Using a nappy laundering service which picks up the dirty ones and returns them clean.


	C: Washing and drying your baby's nappies yourself.

Question 6

You are out in London and get thirsty, so you duck into a café to grab a takeaway drink. Which is the MOST eco-friendly choice?


	A: A plastic bottle of mineral water bottled at the source in a French town.


	B: A hot tea in a polystyrene cup.

Question 7

You are tidying up your house in the evening, going back and forth between the bedroom, kitchen and living room, spending five to 10 minutes in each as you sort out the clutter. What is the BEST way to make sure your lights aren't needlessly wasting energy?


	A: Keep the lights on as you go from room to room until the job is done.


	B: Turn the lights off every time you leave a room and then on again when you return.

Question 8

After all your cleaning you are hungry and decide that a nice hot jacket potato with baked beans is just what you want. But which is the MOST energy efficient way of cooking the potato?


	A: Put it in an electric oven to cook slowly for an hour.


	B: Quickly zap it in the microwave.

Question 9

How about heating the beans? Which configuration will get them sizzling the quickest and therefore use the LEAST energy?


	A: Hotplate and pan of the same diameter.


	B: Pan of bigger diameter than the hotplate.


	C: Hotplate of bigger diameter than the pan.

Question 10

You want to really make a significant contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions. Which of these would be of the MOST benefit over the course of a year?


	A: Taking the train instead of driving a car.


	B: Hanging your washing out to dry rather than using the tumble dryer.


	C: Working from home one day a week.

Press the button and see how you have done

Information sources: Climate Care; Future Forests; Union of Concerned Scientists; UN Environment Programme; Earth Defense Undo It campaign; Marian Koshland Science Museum.

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CLIMATE CHANGE