Instant resolutions

Get 2009 off to a fresh start with 10 quick ideas to help you go a little greener in the New Year

1. Pull the plug

Switch electrical appliances off at the wall, rather than leave them on standby.

If everbody took this simple step, we'd make an annual saving in carbon dioxide equivalent to 1.4 million long-haul flights.

The Mailing Preference Service will help you cut back on the amount of wasted paper in circulation by removing your name from UK direct mailing lists.

Visit their website to register.  

Join one of our email campaigns pressing for better laws to protect the planet. These take just a couple of minutes to complete and make a real difference.

A quarter of all energy used in domestic cooking goes to heating electric kettles.

Avoid overfilling the kettle and wasting energy. Mark the outside with a felt-tip to show how much you'll need for one, two, three and four cups.  

Support home-grown quality produce and avoid excessive food miles by eating seasonal UK produce. 

Check out Eat the Seasons online to see what's available each month.  

Avoid wasting water by reducing the amount of water your toilet uses.

Fill a plastic bottle with water, seal it, and then place it in your cistern.  

The toilet will still flush effectively but will use much less water.

Conserving water helps to preserve wetland habitats and rivers that are vitally important for wildlife. 

If you haven't already switched to a green electricity tariff, why not make the change today?

You'll be getting your electricity from clean, renewable sources like wind turbines - saving masses of carbon emissions.

Guidelines on green energy tariffs are changing, so visit the Green Electricity website for up-to-date advice. 

Once you've decided which one suits you best, you can switch to green power at the uSwitch website.

According to the UN, the global livestock industry creates more carbon emissions than all forms of transport.

In addition to this, large areas of South American rainforest are being cleared to grow soy for animal feed - making the problem worse.

If you do eat meat, try buying less but better-quality produce from local organic sources.

9. Better by bike

Ditch the car for short-distance journeys and use pedal power.

You'll slash personal carbon emissions, beat traffic and get fitter. What's not to like?

See our transport advice for more info on getting from A to B the green way.

If you haven't already, consider joining a Friends of the Earth local group.

Local groups have been scoring big wins for the environment for years and offer a fun, supportive way to get involved with our work.

Visit our local groups web page to find one in your area.

Or...

If time is limited, make an online donation to fund our work. We couldn't do what we do without your generous support. Thanks. 

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Image © Amelia Collins