Who is Mary Scanlon MSP?  
Mary Scanlon lives in Inverness and has been elected to the ScottishParliament in 1999, 2003 and again on the 3rd of May 2007 to representthe Highlands and Islands. Before entering Parliament Mary lectured inEconomics and Business Studies at Inverness College, UHI. Mary has ason, Grant and a daughter, Clare and two grandchildren Annie and Alba.

Why is Mary taking part?  
Iam delighted to be taking part in the Friends of the Earth Scotland'sMSP home energy challenge over the next year. My house in Inverness isabout 12 years old and I think it is quite environmentally friendly asit is well insulated and I have relatively low bills fuel bills, but Iwill find out over the next 12 months. We all have a responsibility toreduce our carbon footprint and if this challenge highlights whatmeasures people can use in their own homes it will be a success.

How is Mary's home at the start?
Mary Scanlon's house in Inverness is 12 years old. Mary'shome currently has the potential to produce 4.2 tonnes of carbondioxide per year, equivalent to 45 kg of carbon dioxide per squaremetre per year.

What challenges will Mary face?
Being fairly new, Mary's house is reasonably energy efficient, but there are still things that can be done to reduce its carbon footprint further. The boiler is more than 10 years old. If it were to be replaced with a newer high efficiency model and the electric shower replaced with one that runs off the boiler, then she could reduce her carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 25%. There is great scope in Mary’s house to install micro-renewables. She could consider solar panels or perhaps a small wind turbine, depending on the local wind speed.

• How are the contestants doing?
• Climate-friendly living: how to cut your own emissions