Green New Year resolutions
Dec 8 2006 Another year has come and gone and once again it's time to wipe the slate clean. Most of us will probably want to shed those extra pounds piled on over Christmas, get fit and quit bad habits. But when deciding how to better your life, don't forget the planet's. More and more of us are ditching the excesses of previous years to go green - from recycling newspapers to switching to renewable energy. So why not follow Friends of the Earth's eco-friendly resolutions and aim to reduce, reuse and recycle….you're guaranteed to look and feel better for it.
RESOLUTION - GET FIT AND CUT CAR POLLUTION
Ditch the car and start walking or cycling.
Good for you: regular exercise can reduce heart disease and provide protection from strokes, diabetes and cancer. A staggering 70 per cent of all car trips are less than five miles - the ideal distance for a quick spin on the bike. Peddling burns 300 calories an hour and helps to firm up legs, bums and tums. Walking doesn't cost a thing and gets you in touch with the great outdoors. A brisk walk for 45 minutes a day, four times a week on a calorie controlled diet could result in a fat loss of 18lbs over a year. (The Department of Health)
Good for the environment: You'll be helping to cut back on carbon dioxide emissions. Road transport is responsible for around a fifth of UK Co2 emissions.
See: www.loveyourbike.org
RESOLUTION - EAT HEALTHY AND BUY ORGANIC
Say no to fast food and supermarkets and yes to organic and local produce.
Good for you: It tastes better and you'll feel better for it. The production of organic food causes much less environmental damage than conventional agriculture. It comes without those pesky pesticides and the demand for organic food is growing at 40% a year. Grub from farmers markets or grocers helps the local economy and also makes you feel part of the community. It's mad to buy apples that have been flown all the way from New Zealand when we produce fantastic ones here.
Good for the environment: Helps reduce aviation pollution by cutting down on `food miles' which contribute to climate change. The average meal travels 1,000 miles before it reaches your plate.
Website: Shop at the Natural Collection for a wide range of organic and environmentally friendly-gifts. For every purchase you make Friends of the Earth receives a donation.
RESOLUTION - REDUCE STRESS AND PESTICIDES
Take up Gardening
Good for you: Get fit, save money and grow something new from seed. Growing your own fruit, vegetables and plants in the garden is proven to help reduce stress. Digging deep is good exercise and therapeutic at the same time. Get composting. It minimises landfill waste and recycles it back into the earth.
Good for the environment: The garden is the one place where you can make a small but real difference. No pesticides, no wasteful packaging and no food miles.
Website: it would only cost each person around £150 a year to plant the trees needed to absorb their personal CO2.
RESOLUTION - SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND REDUCE AVIATION POLLUTION
Holiday in the UK.
Good for you: Britain is a green and pleasant land - get to know it better. All those cheap flights abroad are costing the planet. So why not consider taking a break nearer home. Even the most environmentally friendly people can undo all their efforts by succumbing to cheap breaks abroad and long haul flights. Just one return flight from London to Miami releases the same amount of CO2 as the average family car does in a year.
Good for environment: It would help cut aviation pollution. The world's 16,000 commercial jet aircrafts produce more than 600 million tonnes of CO2 every year, nearly as much as all the countries of Africa put together;
RESOLUTION - SAVE MONEY AND ENERGY
Switch off the telly and insulate.
Good for you: Small changes in your lifestyle can make a real difference to the health of the planet and your pocket. Energy saving measures just within the home can cut bills for a typical family in a three-bedroom semi by £200 a year. It's easy to do. Insulate your home, fit energy efficient light bulbs, lower your thermostat by 1c, switch to renewable energy and turn off lights and appliances when you're not using them. It's claimed that living an exemplary green lifestyle from cradle to grave could save you up to £80,000 over your lifetime.
Good for the environment: The UK has set a target to reduce Co2 emissions by 20 per cent by 2010. Almost half of the UK's emissions actually come from things we do everyday, such as leaving the TV on standby. So good house-keeping really does help. (Energy Saving Trust)
Website: For budding eco-enthusiasts, `Save Cash and Save the Planet', published by Friends of the Earth and Collins, is packed with ideas on how you can save money and help the planet. www.savecashsaveplanet.co.uk
RESOLUTION - SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE AND RECYCLE
New Year usually means out with the old and in with the new - but don't be so hasty. Recycle and reuse.
Good for you: Getting more than one use out of something not only saves you money but is hugely satisfying. Half of electrical goods left at dumps work or require only very basic repairs, so think before chucking out. Give and buy from charity shops. Victoria Beckham did her bit for recycling when she bought a little black and white dress from Oxfam. Sales soared by 40 per cent. Try flea markets, antique jewellery and vintage clothing shops.
Good for the environment: Help stop the planet going to waste by recycling and reusing what you already have. The average person in the UK throws out their body weight in rubbish every 3 months. Most of this could be reprocessed but instead it's sent to incinerators or landfill.
