A greener New Year

|PIC1|Friends of the Earth have put together 10 New Year’s resolutions to help people live green in 2009.


1) Pull the plug
If everyone switched off their electrical appliances at the wall instead of leaving them on standby our annual saving in carbon dioxide would be equivalent to 1.4 million long-haul flights.

2) Say no to junk mail
Help reduce the huge amount of wasted paper out there by removing your name from UK direct mailing lists.

The Mailing Preference Service can help make this a little easier: www.mpsonline.org.uk

3) Click for victory
Do your part to advocate for better laws to protect the planet by joining a Friends of the Earth email campaign: www.foe.co.uk/

4) Make your mark
Overfilling your kettle wastes energy. Mark the outside of your kettle with a felt-tip pen to show the amount you need to fill for one, two, three and four cups.

5) Eat locally and seasonally
Cut back on excessive food miles and support the local farming economy by eating seasonal UK produce. Go to www.eattheseasons.co.uk for more help in finding out what’s in season.

6) Friendly flushing
Wetland habitats and rivers are vitally important for wildlife. Help preserve them by cutting back on your toilet uses. Simply fill a plastic bottle with water, seal it, and then place it in your cistern. The toilet will still flush but with much less water.

7) Power without the struggle
Power your home or business with electricity from clean, renewable sources like wind turbines by switching to a green electricity tariff. See what’s on offer at http://www.greenelectricity.org/tariffs.php and then make the switch at http://www.uswitch.com/

8) Eat less meat
According to the UN, the world’s livestock industry creates more carbon emissions than all forms of transport, a problem compounded by the clearance of large areas of rainforest in South America to make way for soy for animal feed. If the prospect of a diet without meat makes your knees knock then try buying less but better quality meat from local organic sources.

9) Better by bike
Get fit, beat traffic and help save the planet all at once by cycling short distances instead of using the car.

10) Local heroes
Help the environment and have fun at the same time by joining a Friends of the Earth local group. Find out if there is a group near you here: www.foe.co.uk/campaigns