WHAT CAN I DO
Concerned about the Climate and Ecological emergency but don’t know what to do?
There’s lots of information on the web but here’s some ideas to get you started …..
Transport
• Reduce the number of flights you take – holiday in the UK or do those meetings by skype instead
• Leave the car on the drive – consider taking the train or doing a ‘lift share’; when closer to home, cycle or walk instead
Home
• Insulate, Insulate, Insulate – your loft, your walls, your letter box opening & seal any gaps in your windows (we can borrow a thermal camera for you to see where best to focus your efforts)
• Sustainable Electricity – Change to 100% renewable energy, it's often cheaper now !
Food
• Meat – reduce your intake, especially beef and lamb, opt for vegetarian options instead, see Gina’s Facebook recipe posts
• Buy local & in season – avoid the items which have been flown in or grown in hot houses (e.g. out of season tomatoes which have a surprisingly large Carbon footprint !)
• Food waste – Resist those 3 for 2 offers and only buy what you need rather than ending up throwing things away which have gone off
Water
• Showers instead of baths – and limit your shower time
• Minimise use of the garden hose – use an eco washing up liquid and water the plants with your left over washing up water instead. Install a water butt
Consumption
• Fast fashion – buy less, buy second hand, buy sustainably – if it’s cheap, it's probably got modern slavery somewhere in its supply chain!
• Buy less stuff - its simple
Rethink
Refuse • Reduce • Reuse • Recycle • Repair • Regift • Recover
RELATED WEBSITES
The UK government has signed up to this. Deadline 2030
Green eco tips for a sustainable lifestyle
Huge resource bank for living sustainably and re-skilling for career change. 230+ topics. Constantly updated information, books, magazines, articles, videos, courses, products & services, links to useful websites and specialists to answer queries.
WEAll is a collaboration of organisations, alliances, movements and individuals working towards a wellbeing economy, delivering human and ecological wellbeing.
PLASTIC FREE
SURFERS AGAINST SEWAGE
UK's first plastic free LUSH STORE in Manchester, there is also a regular Lush store in Cambridge that sells many plastic free ethically made alternatives for your bathroom
CLOTHING
PEOPLE TREE Sustainable and Fair Trade fashion
A pioneer in sustainable Fair Trade fashion, our story started in 1991. The core mission has stayed the same over the past three decades since award-winning social entrepreneur Safia Minney founded the company. Every product is made to the highest ethical and environmental standards from start to finish. Contemporary, versatile designs and playful, exclusive prints inspired by the V&A archives create stylish, innovative and affordable fashion while respecting people and the planet. Collections featuring organic cotton, TENCEL™ Lyocell and responsible wool, are made using traditional artisan skills such as hand weaving, hand knitting, hand embroidery and hand block printing.
We launched our first fashion range to meet the Global Organic Textile Standard certified by the Soil Association and were the first fashion company to be awarded the World Fair Trade Organisation product label. These certifications guarantee People Tree’s dedication and compliance to the principles of fair trade, covering fair wages, good working conditions, transparency, environmental best practice and gender equality.
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Opening doors to low energy refurbishment SUPERHOMES
Eco pioneers introduce the energy saving improvements which helped transform their old homes into SuperHomes. These whistle stop eco house video tours are full of useful ideas for making your own house more eco-friendly.
THERMAL CAMERA
You can borrow a thermal imaging camera from a SCDC scheme to find out where to improve your houses insulation (and Transition Town Letchworth) Probably best to undertake the training to allow correct operation, interpretation and understanding of the images created
VENTLON INHALERS
For many people with lung disease, inhalers are a lifeline; allowing you to take control of breathing problems and open up your airways. So it can come as a shock to learn that some inhalers come with a large carbon footprint. The most commonly used inhaler in the UK for instance, Ventolin Evohaler™, has a carbon footprint equivalent to 28kg of CO2. Many patients are now seeking ways to reduce the greenhouse gas released from their inhalers. For some, switching inhalers could save as much greenhouse gas as becoming vegetarian.
The propellant in the inhaler accounts for 10% of the NHS carbon footprint