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Green Resolutions for a New Year

From buying local to saving water, here are a few ways to make our world greener.

Persuade your boss to take action- When you're at home, you probably already turn off the lights when you leave     the room. But what about at work?

Take the family on an eco-friendly holiday - Not having to fly or drive is the simplest way to cut down your     contribution to global warming.

Buy local, organic, seasonal products.

Say no to plastic bags.

Exchange clothes - Rather than add to the 900,000 tons of shoes and clothes that are thrown away in the UK each year, people are getting together with friends to swap the things they never wear to the items they've always wanted.

Save water

What's your idea about the phrase, "making our world greener"?

Enumerate other ways to make our world greener.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT HOME AND WORK 

> When replacing appliances buy energy efficient ones. 

> Turn off electrical appliances when not in use, don’t use the standby option. 

> Use energy efficient light bulbs and switch off lights when not in use. 

> Similarly, turn down water heating by a few degrees. 

> Fit individual thermostats to radiators and don't heat rooms that aren't used. 

> Insulate walls, lofts, hot water tanks and pipes. 

> Turn your heating and air conditioning down, a small difference will be barely noticeable. 

> Sign up to a green energy supplier, one that produces energy from renewable sources. 

> Turn off heating and air-conditioning when the house or office is unoccupied. 

> Wash full loads of clothes at a lower temperature, modern machines and detergents are just as effective at lower temperatures. 

> Dry your clothes outdoors instead of in a tumble drier. 

> Wash full loads in the dish-washer. 

> Insulate your home and block draughts around doors and windows. In Europe this is free to many people. 

> Consider installing a renewable energy system such as solar panels or a home wind turbine. 

> Use rechargeable batteries; don’t leave rechargers on for longer than is needed (including mobile / cell-phones). 

> Boil only as much water in the kettle as you need. 

> Buy locally produced organic food where possible, there's less transportation and the farming methods are more environmentally friendly. 

> Look where goods were manufactured and avoid buying those that have been flown or shipped long distances. 

> Recycle and reuse as much as possible. Sign up with mail preferential services to stop junk mail. 

> Avoid buying products with excessive packaging. 

> Don’t have your fridge or freezer set lower than need to be, regularly defrost freezers, don’t put hot food into your fridge or freezer. 

> If your fridge or freezer is over 15 years old then consider replacing it (check with local authority regarding disposal of old one). 

> Work from home where possible. 

> Eat less meat and dairy produce, farming produces large quantities of greenhouse gases. 


ENERGY EFFICIENT TRAVELLING 

> For many people a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved by driving a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Each gallon of gasoline burned produces 10kg (20 pounds) of carbon dioxide. 

> Drive a fuel efficient vehicle, if you have more than one vehicle then use the most economical one more often. 

> Consider walking or cycling when going to work or taking the kids to schools, if you have to drive then consider car sharing. 

> Use public transport where possible and consider taking a coach or train instead of using domestic flights. 

> When replacing your vehicle look at diesel and liquid petroleum gas models. 

> Combine multiple journeys into one and do your weekly shopping in a single trip. 

> Stagger journeys where possible to avoid rush hour traffic and hold ups. 


FUEL SAVING TIPS FOR DRIVERS 

> By driving carefully and keeping your vehicle in good condition you can save up to 30% on your fuel bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. Below are some tips for increasing fuel efficiency, there's more information on the Eartheasy Website. 

> Avoid harsh braking, accelerate gently and drive at a steady speed. 

> Keep tyres inflated to the correct pressure. 

> Remove bike and ski racks when not in use, also remove detachable roof racks, luggage boxes etc. 

> Carrying unnecessary weight wastes fuel, declutter your vehicle. 

> Use the correct gear and use cruise control if your vehicle has it. 

> Keep your vehicle regularly services. 

> Turn the engine off when stopped or waiting. 

• On or Off?  Leaving televisions, stereos and computers on standby with the little red light showing still uses up electricity, even though they might look like they're turned off.  To stop this you can turn them off at the wall. Simple!
• Lights out!  Turning lights off when you're not in the room (make sure no-one else is too!) can save a lot of energy.