Top Tips

13/03/2008 Buy organic milk

A litre of milk takes over three times as much energy to produce than a litre of organic milk. Much of this extra energy is used in the production of fertiliser. So next time you're at the shops, opt for organic.

Supplied by Friends of the Earth

 

01/03/2008 Mukti's Low Carbon Tips #4

A weekly 20-mile drive to the supermarket (40-mile round trip) mounts up to 600kg of CO2 emitted in a year. Buying in bulk could save enough CO2 over the year for a train ride to Barcelona.
1) Buy in bulk every other week. Save up to 300kg CO2 & £240 a year.
2) Alternate trips with your neighbour. Save up to 300kg CO2 & £240 a year.
3) Go by bus. Save up to 400kg CO2 a year.
4) Cycle to nearby shops. Save up to 586kg CO2 & £480 a year.

Guide to Low Carbon Lifestyles

 

27/02/2008 Energy Saving Day
Energy Saving Day (E-Day) will be happening between 6pm on Wednesday 27 February and 6pm on Thursday 28 February. E-Day aims to show how even small energy-saving measures can be made to add up, and play a part in tackling climate change. Find out what you can do at http://e-day.org.uk

Supplied by Friends of the Earth

 

26/02/2008 Fairtrade Fortnight - get involved
Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 25th February until 9th March - and there's plenty you can do to get involved, aside from buying Fairtrade tea and coffee. There's a whole range of goods available. How about buying Fairtrade presents, like wine, chocolate, jewellery or organic cotton products? Get your workplace to buy Fairtrade and mum's will surely prefer Fairtrade presents this Mothers' Day. Bank with ethical banks like the Co-operative and Triodos which support Fairtrade. Find out more about what you can do at http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

Supplied by Friends of the Earth

 

14/02/2008 Donate your unwanted furniture
The Furniture Re-use Network coordinates 400 organisations in the UK which collect a wide range of furniture and appliances to donate to people in need. Find out where you can donate your unwanted items to at http://www.frn.org.uk  Supplied by Friends of the Earth

 

12/02/2008 No such thing as a . . .
Making your own lunch instead of buying from a sandwich shop saves on packaging, and could also save you approx £4 a day or £1,000 per year.
Supplied by Friends of the Earth

 

05/02/2008 Cut when you sup
Next time you get a four-pack of beer, remember to cut up the plastic ring holder. These pose a danger to wildlife if they get into the environment, as animals can get their heads caught in them, birds can get their wings trapped and large aquatic birds can get them caught around their bills when they dive for food. Supplied by Friends of the Earth

 

31/01/2008 Mukti's Low Carbon Tip #3

For each mile in a car, you can travel about 3 miles by bus, 8 miles by
train and 45 miles by bicycle. You could only travel 1/3 mile by airplane.
Transport emits around 25% of the CO2 from a typical lifestyle. A few
simple decisions can cut this by 60%. Guide to Low Carbon Lifestyles

 

25/01/2008 A fishy problem

The idea that there are plenty more fish in the sea simply isn't the case. Decades of plundering the sea's resources have left stocks of many fish species dangerously low. Check out the Marine Conservation Society's online guide to fish that should be avoided and fish that you can eat with a clearer conscience at http://www.fishonline.org/advice/eat
Supplied by Friends of the Earth

 

23/01/2008 Old boilers

Replacing an old, inefficient boiler with an energy-efficient condensing model could significantly cut CO2 emissions from your home and save you between £100 and £240 per year (based on an average 3-bed semi). Find out more from http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/efficientproducts/boilers/ including details of grants and offers that you may be entitled to. Also see http://www.boilers.org.uk
Supplied by Friends of the Earth

21/01/2008 Go native

With spring on the way, now is the time to start thinking about whether to buy new plants for your garden or balcony so find out which species are local. These will encourage local wildlife, and will be better suited to local conditions, so will need less maintenance than exotic species. Visit http://www.nhm.ac.uk/fff/
Supplied by Friends of the Earth

 

18/01/2008 Mukti's Low Carbon Tip #2

If you bath every day, consider bathing once a week and showering
on other days. The CO2 saving for one person reducing their
number of baths from seven times a week to once a week would
be around 470kg CO2 and £130 a year. Guide to Low Carbon Lifestyles

 

17/01/2008 Switch over and save
As each lightbulb in your home burns out, switch to energy-saving lightbulbs to save cash and energy. They generally use one fifth of the energy and can last up to 12 times longer. Each replaced bulb will save 38kg of CO2 per year.
Supplied by Friends of the Earth

 

16/01/2008 Driven?

The Environmental Transport Association aims to raise awareness about the impact of excessive car use and help individuals and organisations to make positive changes in their travel habits. If you can't avoid the occasional car journey, read their Green Tips to help you reduce your impact  - see http://www.eta.co.uk/greentips/

 

15/01/2008 M&S Vouchers from Oxfam

 As part of the M&S and Oxfam Clothes Exchange, customers making a donation of M&S clothes to Oxfam from 28th January will receive a voucher worth £5, valid for one month, to use with their next purchase of £35 or more on clothing, homeware or beauty products at M&S.

 

The Exchange will be trialled for six months and reviewed on an ongoing basis, and from 28th January vouchers will be given out in exchange for M&S clothes in Oxfam's 790 stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

 

11/01/2008 Mukti's Low Carbon Tip #1
Low Carbon Lifestyles should be fun, so use the tv, computer, hi-fi and radio as much as you like, as they use little power. In a typical house baths cost £150 a year, showers £90, a bar fire £90, and the washing machine £90. It also mounts up when you leave on a low-energy appliance for a long time. Ten appliances left on standby for a year cost £50. Guide to Low Carbon Lifestyles

 

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