How can I really help the Planet in 2005? |
Energy
Being energy wise helps combat climate
change - the biggest environmental threat we face. Everyone can
make a difference - it can even save you money.
See our Climate
Challenge and earn 1, 2 or 3 stars by choosing pledges. Other energy
tips are:
- Replace light bulbs with low energy ones - some of these use
less than a quarter of the electricity of their equivalents - and they
last much longer too.
- Insulating your home will prevent valuable
energy being lost to the outside air - and keeps your home warmer. For
more green DIY tips on energy savings at home, see the Energy
Saving House.
- Energy efficient appliances use less electricity
than their less efficient counterparts. For details - see the Energy
Saving Trust.
- Buying green electricity from suppliers that
support renewable energy sources - like wind power - helps to cut C02
- a dangerous climate changing gas. See our green
electricity guide.
Getting around
Cutting the number of car
journeys you make helps reduce pollution - and it can keep you and
your family healthy too:
- School journeys can be safe and more fun if
made on foot with a Walking Bus
scheme. See Sustrans for advice on school travel plans.
- Leave it behind - can you
make your journey on foot, by bike or using public transport and give
your car a couple of days a week off? Contact TransportDirect
for public transport information or CTC for details of cycle routes in your area.
- Small is beautiful if you have to drive - a small, fuel-efficient car will produce
less polluting emissions - compare models at VCA.
- Are you local? Use local shops rather than going to a supermarket that you have to
drive to. You'll cut down on congestion and also support local businesses.
- Cleaner fuels - some alternative fuels like biofuels don't harm
our climate. These are renewable alternatives to petrol and diesel,
produced from crops like oil seed rape. Many cars can use biofuels with
little or no modification to the engine. Biodieselfillingstation will tell you your nearest supplier. The Energy Savings Trust offers
grants of between £700 and £1500 to help with the purchase of electric
and hybrid cars.
- Car renting and sharing. Smartmoves runs pay as-you-drive car clubs and has a growing list of centres. Liftshare organises car-sharing schemes. For more sensible ideas, see our guide
- Cutting Car Use.
Buying it...
Want to be a green shopper? - being more selective in what you buy can benefit
the environment and smaller or local producers:
- Consult the Good
Shopping Guide which lists the most environmentally-friendly products
and high street brands. For greener alternatives to ordinary household
goods and gifts see Natural
Collection, Greenchoices and the Green Shop.
- Go organic - the Soil
Association and BigBarn will help you find organic and local food suppliers.
- Fair trading means small producers get a fair deal for goods. Friends of the Earth
believes that sustainability - a commitment to people and environmental
limits must underpin the whole trade system. For sources of fair-trade
products, see Natural Collection and the Fairtrade
Foundation.
- Wood - new wood products should have FSC approval or use re-claimed timber. The Good
Wood Guide will help you to find better sources.
- Green investing
- don't support bad business - talk to EIRIS about changing to an ethical bank for your savings, pension or mortgage.
- Holidays nearer home can mean lower emissions of C02 - a dangerous
climate changing gas. For shorter journeys, let the train - rather than
the plane - take the strain. Tourism
Concern has lots of advice on holidaying ethically.
Our new book Save cash and save the
planet has been launched. Greening your lifestyle is not only good for
the environment, but could save you £100s or even £1000s, according
to this new guide from Collins and Friends of the Earth.
It includes
top tips on how to save energy, detox your house and be a smarter shopper,
while helping the environment and your budget too.
Find out more and
place advance orders online at: www.savecashsaveplanet.org
...and chucking it away
Recycling or reusing more of the things you throw away could help improve the UK's terrible recycling record.
This will also help combat climate change since it takes more energy to make products from virgin materials than by using recycled materials:
- Recycle locally - Wastewatch and Wasteconnect will tell you where you can recycle or re-use all sorts of waste in your area. Lobby your local authority to improve its recycling services if you think it's not doing enough.
Press for change
There are lots of easy actions you can take to help with our campaigns.
Recycling and sourcing a few ethical items each week is a good start.
But we can go further and be actively involved in changes that benefit
the planet.
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FAQs - frequently asked questions
We've put together some of your most frequent questions, so if there's something you need to know, chances are someone has already asked it. Have a look through the full list to see if you can find what you're looking for.
Our website has over 6,000 pages of information, covering a wide range of topics from biodiversity to pollution so if you can’t find what your looking for try using:
You could also take a look at our forum - which covers green lifestyle issues, local activism and campaigning.
Last modified
Content: Mar 2005
