It All Matters - Changes You Can Make

Here are some suggestions and ideas to show you how wide-ranging the scope for changes that you can make is:

Preserve our flasks, glasses and china mugs. It is estimated that the total amount of energy embedded in the use of bottled water can be as high as the equivalent of filling a plastic bottle one quarter full with oil. Drink tap water and use a flask.
Embrace the good life. Composting at home can save global warming gases equivalent to all the CO₂ your kettle produces each year or your washing machine produces in three months. Grow some of your own food, compost what you can and avoid the use of pesticides.

Get flexible with your travel. A personalised travel planning programme run by Sustrans (TravelSmart) was found to consistently decrease car travel by between 460 and 870 miles per household per year. This was largely achieved through provision of information about alternatives to car use and encouraging a more flexible approach to travel. Consider how you can use the car less and car-share more.
Put something green on your drive. Ever-tightening legislation means that car CO₂ emissions have started falling significantly in recent years and this trend is set to continue. Trading up from the average 5-7 year old vehicle to a green 2010 version could reduce your emissions per mile by around 30%. For now, look beyond hybrids to low-CO₂ vehicles with conventional engine layouts. These give a broader range of abilities and better real-world CO₂ emissions than hybrid vehicles currently do. When you replace your car, put CO₂ emissions at the top of your list.

Support a woodland culture. Deforestation is estimated to account for 18% of global anthropogenic carbon emissions:
- Plant native species trees and support organisations who preserve and enhance native woodlands;
- Use sustainably harvested timber products in place of non-timber products.

Cosy up your home. Around two-thirds of the heat loss from the average home is through un-insulated walls and roofs, so you may be warming up the neighbourhood. Grants can provide loft and cavity wall insulation at discounted prices. Get insulated - be warmer, help the environment and save money.
Become an electricity producer. The new feed-in-tariff (FiT) will offer payment per kWh produced each year for micro wind, solar and hydro renewable electricity generation schemes below 5MW. Get a grant to install renewable technology at home.
Switch to a green energy supplier. By switching to a supplier of 100% renewable energy, your home will not be contributing to the emissions made by fossil fuel power stations and you will be supporting the shift towards a decarbonised economy. Visit http://www.greenelectricity.org/ to choose the greenest supplier for your energy needs.
Get burning. Total CO₂ savings to heat an average home using wood rather than gas are estimated at 4.2 tonnes per annum, while wood tends to be cheaper than fossil fuels. Even adding a wood burner and keeping your existing system will allow you to make a big dent in your emissions. Install a wood burner or wood fuel boiler. (Many wood burners meet Clean Air Act 1993 regulations.)

Stretch the lifespan. The average useful life of a mobile handset is around seven years, but users in developed countries replace their phones on average every 18 months. Keep your electrical and other goods for their whole lifespan or find another home for them.
Get green with vegetables. On average, red meat is around 150% more greenhouse gas intensive than chicken or fish. Replacing red meat and dairy with chicken, fish, or eggs for one day per week reduces emissions equivalent to around 760 miles per year of driving. Replacing with vegetables is even better. Eat more vegetables.