Is an environmentally-friendly radio station possible? Can a radio station, especially an internet-based one, work towards reducing its carbon footprint? Can it even reach a point where it’s planting trees to offset any damage caused by human activity? This is what we’re exploring with Harrogate Community Radio.
Harrogate Community Radio has taken a stand, promising to work towards becoming carbon-neutral, more than just a fancy slogan, it’s a serious commitment.
But how eco-friendly is Harrogate Community Radio really?
Starting from our website and the practices of our hosts, which we’ll cover in detail in future posts, we have a long history of environmental activism, research, and campaigning.
So, can a radio station truly be carbon-neutral? As a part of our community, Harrogate Community Radio is not an isolated entity but carries environmental responsibilities. We aim to pave the way in delivering environmentally-aware media to Harrogate. As green technology improves, we are right there keeping up, ready to adopt new ways to decrease our impact.
Is our website carbon-neutral?
First, our website is hosted by a company that cares about the environment, Eco Web Hosting. They prioritize quality and customer service over short-term profits. Their team of industry veterans brings more than seven years of experience from some of the biggest names in web hosting.
Additionally, we’re working with a company to offset the carbon footprint of our website, HarrogateCommunityRadio.online. They use innovative technology to simplify tree planting. Since they started in 2006, over 130,000 users and more than 2,200 companies have planted 5 million trees with them. Tree-Nation, the nonprofit we’ve partnered with, currently supports over 50 reforestation projects.
Maxime Renaudin founded Tree-Nation in 2006. Since then, the team has grown, attracting dedicated and talented individuals all sharing the same goal – to protect our planet and contribute to halting climate change. It’s a thrilling project to be a part of!
We offer a system to make our site carbon-neutral through tree planting. Plus, every purchase from our online shop sponsors a tree planting. In fact, you can view our virtual forest of real trees planted as part of our carbon offsetting efforts [HERE].
How is Harrogate Community Radio’s daily operation carbon-neutral?
Our founders and administrators are dedicated to environmental sustainability. They’ve been involved in environmental advocacy since the 80s and 90s.
Complementing this, most of our hosts are environmentally conscious. We encourage them to record their shows at home to avoid the need for long commutes to a studio. As we don’t have a physical studio, we also don’t have extra energy demands for power and heating.
Our personal and business practices are designed to maintain a low carbon footprint. When you make a purchase in our online shop, we offer to plant a tree on your behalf. All our technical equipment is powered through renewable energy, with some of us even having our own solar panels.
Harrogate Community Radio is operated remotely. There’s no central studio that would require people to travel or need extra heating. The shows you listen to are all produced by the presenter at their own home, reducing travel costs and eliminating the carbon footprint of maintaining a studio.
Updated Summer Solstice ’23.
