50 ways to save the world
You don’t have to grow a hair coat and travel by horse and cart to make a difference when it comes to combating climate change. Tweak your daily routine here and there and you could shrink your carbon footprint in no time – and save cash in the process. Here’s how:
Food and drink
In the UK, we spend £500 million every year on organic food – but the environmental benefits of organic farming are cancelled out if produce is flown around the world. The energy it takes to fly organic food in from New Zealand is 235 times greater than the amount of energy saved by using organic farming methods.
1. Think before you buy. Demand locally produced food whenever you shop – it’s your right to be choosy!
2. Cook from fresh. Avoiding processed and packaged foods reduces the emissions generated by transporting multiple ingredients and products long distances, and producing packaging. Besides, fresh food is better for your health.
3. Cook clever! Making toast? Use a toaster rather than the grill – it uses much less energy.
4. Buy food that’s in season. Out of season produce is often imported by air, which consumes vast amounts of energy. Find your nearest farmer’s market at www.farmersmarkets.net.
5. Buy organic milk. Producing one litre of non-organic milk uses more than three times the amount of energy it takes to make one a litre of organic milk.
6. Recycle aluminium. The amount of energy saved by recycling one aluminium drinks can is enough to run a TV for three hours.
7. Buy in bulk. It’s cheaper and limits the waste generated through packaging items individually. Don’t need much? Combine orders with a friend or neighbour. Try wholesalers www.suma.co.uk or www.infinityfoods.co.uk.
8. Turn the oven off a few minutes early. If you keep the door closed, it’ll stay warm long enough to cook your food.
At home
Taking a few simple steps could cut the emissions from your home dramatically, saving you plenty of cash in the process. Right now, for example, you could be paying £200 a year more than you need to for gas and electricity.
9. Turn it down! Lower the thermostat by just one degree and you’ll save up to £30 a year on heating bills and make a real dent in your household’s emissions.
10. Set your timer. If you work regular hours, reduce wasted heat by setting your heating to go off 30 minutes before you leave the house, and come on again 30 minutes before you get home.
11. Insulate your loft. You can cut up to 20% from your energy bill by installing quality loft insulation: it prevents heat from escaping, meaning you need less energy to warm your home.
12. Beat draughts. They can be fixed easily with draught-proofing, secondary glazing or double glazing – the UK’s most popular energy saving measure (although you’ll save more money by installing cavity wall insulation, which is cheaper). Specify ‘Low-e’ glazing, which has a special heat-reflective coating that reduces heat loss through the window by nearly half. Find out more at www.nef.org.uk/energyadvice.
13. Dress your hot-water tank appropriately. A British Standard lagging jacket only costs £10 and insulation for the pipe costs around £3 per year. It’s easy to fit and could save you £20 per year.
14. Reflect... Reflective radiator panels can fit perfectly behind radiators. They are cheap to buy, easy to install and reflect back heat that would otherwise drift through the wall. They can be bought from DIY stores (avoid those made from PVC), or you can make your own by wrapping tinfoil around cardboard.
15. Pull yourself together! Drawing your curtains at dusk can stop a huge amount of heat from escaping through your windows.
16. Put a lid on it. Saucepans with lids on heat much quicker, using less energy to cook your food in the process.
17. Use your oven sensibly. Don’t keep opening it to check whether your food is ready – heat escapes and your meal will take longer to cook, using more energy. Switch it off a few minutes before your food is ready and it’ll stay hot enough to finish cooking the food.
18. Don’t buy cut flowers. Every year, the UK spends around £1.35 billion on cut flowers, 80% of which are imports. Such flowers are usually flown in, which gives them a massive carbon footprint because of aviation emissions. Instead, buy potted UK-grown plants or flowers that are UK-grown and in season. Try www.tree2mydoor.com or www.charityflowers.co.uk.
19. Turn lights off! Leaving an empty office lit overnight can waste the same amount of energy it takes to heat water for 1,000 cups of coffee.
20. Buy energy-saving light bulbs. Some use less than a quarter of the electricity of traditional bulbs, and can last up to 12 times longer. Just one energy efficient light bulb can save you £10 a year on your electricity bill.
