Greener living

Tackling climate change will be one of the most important things this generation and everyone needs to get involved. Every day, more and more people are taking actions to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle other environmental problems. Here are some ideas about how you can help.

Where to start?

Throughout the environment and greener living section you will find practical ideas to help you make everything a bit greener, from your home to the contents of your shopping basket. But if you’re short on time, here are some ideas to choose from to get you started.

1. Save energy and water at home

Burning fossil fuels to heat our homes or produce electricity releases carbon emissions, which cause climate change. The energy you use at home is likely to be your biggest contribution to climate change. 80 per cent of it goes on heating and hot water, so this is a good place to look for savings.

·         Turn down your thermostat
turning your thermostat down by one degree could reduce carbon emissions and cut your fuel bills by up to 10 per cent.

·         Look for the labels
When buying products that use energy, anything from light bulbs to fridge freezers can help tackle climate change by looking for the Energy Saving Recommended label or European energy label rating of A or higher. The European energy label also tells you how much water appliances use, so you can choose a more efficient model.

·         Improve your insulation
More than half the heat lost in your home escapes through the walls and roof. You could save your money on fuel bills, as well as reducing your carbon footprint.

·         Install water efficient products
Low flush volume toilets, water efficient showerheads and aerating heads on washbasin taps help to reduce your water use significantly. Also, fixing dripping taps and fitting a ‘hippo’ in toilet cisterns are cheap ways of saving water. You can also collect rainwater in water butts and use it for watering your garden instead of a hose.

2. Getting around

Personal travel accounts for around a quarter of all the damage individuals do to the environment, including climate change effects.

·         Choose an efficient car
Individual car travel is responsible for the majority of climate change impacts from travel. If you’re buying a new car, look for the fuel efficiency label to choose a more efficient model. This will cut your carbon emissions and save you money on fuel and Vehicle Tax.

·         Try to reduce your car use
Reduce the number of short trips you make in the car. Walking, cycling, or taking the bus or train will help reduce local air pollution and the climate change effects of getting around.

·         Tackling the environmental impact of flying
Consider the need for a flight and the alternatives to taking a plane. If you do fly, you can offset your CO2. You could consider options for reducing your travel, for example taking fewer, longer breaks if possible instead of several short ones. Maybe you can find what you want closer to home, by taking a holiday in the near tourist attraction or traveling to nearby countries by rail or sea.

3. Eating and Drinking

Producing, transporting and consuming food is responsible for nearly a fifth of our climate change effects. Some foods have a much bigger impact on the environment than others.

·         Look for the labels
Look for the labels to help you choose food that has been produced with the aim of reducing the negative impact on wildlife and the environment.

·         Buy fresh and in season
Buying food and drink when locally in season, and unprocessed or lightly processed food, is likely to mean that less energy has been used in its production. Providing it has been produced and stored under similar conditions, choosing food that has traveled a shorter distance will help to reduce congestion and transport emissions that contribute to climate change.

·         Reduce your food waste
Throwing less food away produces less methane and reduces other harmful environmental impacts from producing, packaging and transporting food. Carbon dioxide in causing climate change.

4. Recycling and cutting waste

Reducing, reusing and recycling waste saves on the raw materials and energy which are needed to make new paper, metal, glass and other items. Saving energy helps tackle climate change.

·         Re-use and repair
Avoiding waste in the first place, by re-using and repairing items, is the most efficient way to reduce waste. For example, buy items that can be re-used rather than disposables, and pass things on when you’ve finished with them.

·         Recycle more
nearly two thirds of all household rubbish can be recycled. Most councils run doorstep recycling collections for paper, glass and plastics, often more. But local civic amenity sites often accept many other things – from wood and shoes, to textiles and TVs.

·         Get composting
Composting food waste reduces climate change effects. Many local councils offer subsidized compost bins or home collection for kitchen and garden waste.

5. Greener shopping

There are now lots of choices you can make when shopping that help take care of the environment.

·         Take a bag
Hang on to your shopping bags and take some with you when you next go to the supermarket.

·         Look for the labels
Use labels to choose products that have a lower impact on the environment. For example, energy efficient appliances and cars, and sustainable fish. Using labels to buy sustainable wood and peat free compost will protect important natural habitats that help balance climate change effects.

·         Buy recycled
Look out for recycled products. Recycled paper, kitchen rolls and toilet tissue are among the products now widely available.

Greener gardens

Gardening can benefit the environment as for example by creating spaces for wildlife or producing food which hasn’t had to travel. However, not everything you do in the garden is good for the environment. Here are a few steps you can take to make your garden greener.

1. Ditch the peat

Help protect environmentally precious peat bogs by choosing peat-free mulches, soil improvers and fertilizers that are just as good as or better than peat.

2. Use pesticides responsibly and only as a last resort

Some pesticides can harm people, wildlife and the environment, so only use them as a last resort work with nature to control pests and weeds instead.

3. Get a water butt

Thousands of liters of water fall on the average rooftop every year. You can easily save on mains water by collecting some of this to use on your garden. Water companies and councils often sell water butts at subsidized prices.

4. Compost garden and kitchen waste

Start a compost heap or get a compost bin and put your kitchen waste to good use in your garden. Alternatively, find out how to dispose of it with your local council so they can compost it.

5. Welcome wildlife

Encourage invertebrates, such as insects, and other animals by creating a variety of places for them to live and providing sources of food when you plan your garden. For example, flowering plants that offer nectar and pollen will attract bees, butterflies and other insects, and trees and shrubs that produce berries will help feed birds.

6. Pull on a pullover

Put on an extra layer when it gets cold outside rather than using an outdoor heater. Heaters are very energy-hungry, producing high levels of carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change.

7. Choose your wood carefully

Look for labels on timber, or wood products like sheds and garden furniture, that show they have been produced sustainable. Common labeling schemes include the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Programmed for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC).

8. Reclaim and recycle

Give old timber, metal and plastic a new lease of life by buying decking, planters and garden ornaments made out of reclaimed materials. Use your imagination and turn old containers of all kinds into unusual plant pots. 

9. Choose your charcoal

Make sure the charcoal you use on your barbecue comes from sustainable managed forests: look for labels from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Programmed for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), or other forest certification schemes.

10. Make a pond

It’s surprisingly easy to do and ponds are a haven for frogs, toads, newts, dragonflies and other insects.

11. Grow your own

Growing just a little bit of your own produce can help reduce the environmental costs of packaging and transporting food.

How to have a greener home?

Energy used at home is responsible for over a quarter of the earth carbon emissions, contributing to climate change, so taking steps to save energy can make a real difference. You can also help at home by saving water, choosing greener appliances, furniture and fittings, and much more.

1. Improve your insulation

Around half the heat lost in your home escapes through the walls and roof. You could save your money on fuel bills, as well as reducing your carbon footprint.

2. Use labels to buy energy and water efficient appliances

The Energy Saving Recommended logo can only be used by the most energy efficient products, usually the top 20 per cent of those available. Many appliances also have a European Energy Label which rates energy efficiency on a scale of A (best) to G (worst), and provides information on water use.

3. Use timers and thermostats

Take control of your heating and you could save energy and money. Reducing the temperature on your thermostat by 1 degree could save up to 10 per cent on heating bills.

4. Switch to energy saving bulbs

Choosing energy saving light bulbs is one of the easiest ways of cutting your energy use. An energy saving light bulb can last up to 10 times longer than a non efficient version. If you fit all the lights in your house with energy saving bulbs, you could save money.

5. Buy sustainable wood

Try to choose furniture and DIY materials made from sustainable produced wood look for labels from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Programmed for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) or other schemes that certify sustainable timber.

6. Wash clothes at 30 degrees, and in full loads

Your washing machine uses energy and water more efficiently when it's full, and washing at lower temperatures saves energy too.

7. Keep the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) low

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are found in paints, finishes and preservatives, can be harmful to humans, wildlife and plants. Most of these products carry a label showing their VOC content, so try choosing the ones with lower VOCs.

8. Turn off appliances instead of leaving them on standby

Electrical appliances left on standby waste six to ten per cent of all energy used in the average home. Switch TVs, stereos, mobile phone chargers and other gadgets off at the switch or the plug when you're not using them.

9. Install water-saving products

Low-flush-volume toilet cisterns, water efficient shower heads and aerating heads on washbasin taps help reduce your water use significantly.

10. Fix dripping taps

A dripping tap can waste up to 15 liters of water a day, or almost 5,200 liters per year. Fitting a new washer is a cheap way of saving water and takes only a few minutes.

Greener travel

Personal travel accounts for up to a quarter of all the damage individuals do to the environment across Universe, including climate change effects. You can reduce the climate change impact of your travel in a number of ways:

1. Consider traveling less

Can you get what you want nearer to home by holiday in the near place using local leisure facilities and shops or without traveling at all?  Reducing your travel will reduce climate change effects and local air pollution.

2. Try different ways to get around

Leaving your car at home and walking, cycling, or taking the bus or train will help reduce the negative impacts of driving. It is also possible to travel longer distances by other modes of transport, not just air.

3. Drive to reduce your fuel consumption

Making some simple changes to the way you drive can reduce fuel consumption and reduce climate change effects. For example, driving smoothly, sticking to the speed limits, and keeping tires properly inflated.

4. Buy a more efficient car

You don't have to compromise to buy a greener car, just choose a more fuel efficient one. New cars carry a fuel economy label telling you how efficient they are. Choosing a more efficient car can help reduce carbon emissions and local air pollution, and will often save you money on vehicle tax and other charges, as well as on fuel.

5. Maintain your vehicle responsibly

Well maintained vehicles tend to run more efficiently. Waste from car maintenance is often hazardous, like engine oil, other fluids, batteries and tires. Careless discarding of these items can cause pollution but council waste facilities will be able to accept them for safe disposal. 

(Photo by Shanti Venir)