Adventures in sustainable technology
The Economist wrote in February 2025:
Although middle-aged men might care a bit less about [climate change], they are often much keener on the solution. When it comes to adopting green measures, whether it be installing a heat pump, driving an electric vehicle or running the tumble dryer at 4am, it is middle-aged men who lead the way. The supposed villains of the climate transition are the heroes. The hour of the Net-Zero Dad has come.
This blog tells some of my stories as a Net Zero Dad, from living with a heat pump to making tea at 90C, capturing and using rainwater to planning winter journeys with an EV.
There’s going to be some AI here, lots of repairing and my experience so far as a non-expert, non-engineer, homeowner trying to do their bit while still enjoying life.
- Tool: Which upgrades are worth investing in for your home?
There are lots of variables to take account of when trying to work out estimated running costs and returns from home green technology. I built a rough app to estimate where you are now with what upgrades might cost and what they could deliver. - My variable temperature kettle
We switched to a variable temperature kettle, and heating water for tea to 90C rather than 100C. What’s the impact? - Hello, world!
I wasn’t always green. But an EV, home renovation decisions and an internet full of Facebook groups and AI radicalised me into a NetZeroDad.