Write to local councillors, MP’s, NHS Trust, Police, Firebrigade etc. and ask them what they’re doing to reduce Carbon. For a sustainable future we should be using 2 tonnes of CO2 a year. In UK each person’s share of carbon from services provided on our behalf (from the people listed above and others) is 5 tonnes. Many people in UK are producing 8 to 10 tonnes themselves so it’s still worth doing your bit but you can make more of a difference if you also talk to policy makers etc. They do say we get the politicians we deserve!

‘Nobody made a greater mistake than he(or she) who did nothing because he (or she) could only do a little’ Edmund Burke

Nice article - like it

H

Good suggestions. You’ve inspired me to write some green-geek tips of my own.

More generic reducing-footprint things to add to your list though: composting and washing clothes.

You’re right in saying a lot of waste can be recycled - exactly what depends on the facilities offered by your local council - but not many councils currently offer recycling of green waste, either from the garden or from around the house. Many people think composting is only for keen gardeners with acres of land but you don’t need a lot of space for a compost bin or a wormery (there are kitchen top wormeries for those with no outside space at all). You can compost loads of stuff from around the home - not just veg scraps. If you produce more compost than you need, you can offer it to friends/neighbours/local allotmenters etc - anything is better than it just going to a dump.

And (machine) washing clothes. Unless they’re heavily soiled, most clothes don’t need to be washed any hotter than 40degrees - if they are really heavily soiled (muddy or whatnot), take them in the shower with you and stamp out the excess mud before putting them through the washing machine. Also, while I’m not advocating excess stinkiness, the more clothes are washed, the quicker they wear out since washing them is usually quite a rough experience - so only wash them when necessary to avoid wasting water/electricity and to preserve your clothes for longer. Cutting down on detergents is also obviously good too - investigate soap nuts which are a natural alternative to powders.

-louisa