In this day and age we recognize the perils of wasting energy and resources, we realize that we must all join forces to stop the spiral of waste and pollution of the world's resources. The importance of reducing our own carbon footprints by making a change in the way we live our life has been widely published. Even small changes can make a big difference, such as turning down the temperature on our washing machines, turning off our T V's, lights and appliances when not needed. Some choose to make their holiday count and camp or caravan instead of jetting off abroad. The big question is what changes will you be making to do your bit? Big or small every change you make will make a big difference. Just imagine for instance every household turning off the TV for just an extra hour every day what an energy saving that would be! What changes will you make to your lifestyle to make it greener today? Could you cycle or walk to work today? Maybe you could dry your washing on the line in the fresh air instead of using the tumble dryer. Perhaps you could walk to school with the kids or walk down to the shops to fetch your Sunday paper and leave the car at home? (And don't forget to recycle that paper when you've finished with it!) Hey just think how these changes could impact on your own health too, in just a few months of making these lifestyle changes you could be feeling much fitter and healthier too! Keep up the good work and get a greener and much healthier lifestyle.
I hope this has put you in a great mood to change your life, and hopefully make a difference to the lives of others.
How many Olympic Cyclists does it take to power your home?
Watch the following video to see how many laps World and Olympic champion Nicole Cooke needs to do to power up your kettle!
You might be able to work out how much energy your home uses on an average day just by looking at your power bill, but if watts and kilowatts mean nothing to you then it’s hard to really put your energy usage into perspective.
In an effort to show people which appliances use the most energy, Baxi Ecogen have teamed up with Olympic and World Champion Cyclist Nicole Cooke to show how much pedal power it takes to fire up a lightbulb, a kettle, a microwave and lots of other everyday household items.
Watch the following video feature to see how much time on the bike it takes Olympic cycling gold medalist Nicole Cooke to make enough energy to fuel your home.
Myleene Klass on how to reassess your green priorities
Watch our video and learn how to do your bit for a greener Britain
With her second baby on the way, Myleene Klass has decided to make a commitment to making the world a greener place for her children by joining Team Green Britain, an online community which is being engaged about tackling climate change. She’s keen to inspire all of us to follow in her footsteps to ensure a cleaner, greener Britain for future generations.
And what better time to do so, with the world’s attention sure to be on all of us next year when London hosts the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Myleene has joined EDF Energy, the first sustainability partner of London 2012, which has already shown their commitment to the cause by partnering with the London Eye to reduce its carbon footprint in the build up to 2012.
In this video she shows how easy it is for us all to join the cause with these top tips to get us into environmental shape. From kitchen waste to recycling, Myleene explains it all.
The Child In Need Institute (CINI) helps poor mothers and children in India. It works at the grassroots with local community groups and government bodies to bring about sustainable improvements in nutrition, health, education and protection.
Programmes are implemented by local staff and volunteers, making full use of skills available locally and keeping costs low.
CINI shares successful approaches it has developed with other organisations. It is widely recognised as a leading authority on mother and child nutrition and healthcare in India, and has provided training on related issues to staff from major charities such as UNICEF, CARE and CRY, as well as many smaller local NGOs. If you would like further information regarding the work of CINI please contact CINI UK by Email: info@ciniuk.org
CINI's innovative mother and child sponsorship programme means your are helping children from before they are born - by teaming up with a mother - to help ensure she can give her child the best possible start in life.
Maternal malnutrition leads to underweight births. Severely underweight babies are born malnourished, and therefore vulnerable to childhood diseases, permanent disabilities and persistent ill health.
Through CINI UK's sponsor a mother programme, you can help women access the nutrition and healthcare they need during pregnancy. They will also learn key skills such as how to make nutritious meals on a very tight budget, hygiene measures that can prevent their children from getting infections, and how to prepare effective re-hydration treatments for children with diarrhoea. This knowledge can help them break free of the cycle of poverty, malnutrition and ill health.
For £10 a month, you can sponsor a mother and touch not only her life, but also that of her family and neighbours.
To sponsor now, call 020 7793 3714. If you get the answer phone, please leave your full name and phone number and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Alternatively, email your name and number to karenallonby@ciniuk.org and Karen will contact you.
www.goecostore.co.uk Go Eco Store provide a wide range of eco products for your eco home that we have evaluated, selecting only those that give real value for money, when compared with similar items available in the high street. They include energy savers, recycled glasses, eco gifts, organic & natural cleaning products, eco baby products, LED light bulbs, recycled products and all are eco friendly products that will reduce the impact on the environment....
Some useful web sites to help you make your lifestyle greener.
climate challenge Browse through the site and you'll find there are resources you can download to help you tackle climate change. You will find a 2-minute film about climate change, audio downloads, animations and a guide to communicating climate change. Additionally, you will find information on our Climate Champions and fund projects who are helping to spread the word about climate change.
Energy Saving Trust The Energy Saving Trust is one of the UK's leading organisations working to reduce carbon emissions, which are leading to climate change. It aims to cut carbon emissions by promoting the sustainable and efficient use of energy in households, the public sector and the transport sector.
Environment Agency The Environment Agency is the largest organisation protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales. It's our job to look after your environment and make it a better place – for you, and for future generations.
UK Climate Impacts Programme The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) provides scenarios and co-ordinates research on dealing with our future climate. Funded by Defra, UKCIP shares this information free of charge with organisations in the commercial and public sectors to help them plan to adapt.
Act on CO2 Calculator Use the Act on CO2 calculator find out what your carbon footprint is and how you can make some simple changes to help tackle climate change. Additionally, after completing the carbon calculator you will receive an action plan to help you reduce your carbon footprint
British households can clean up their act by switching to a renewable energy supplier or invest in the next best thing – an energy saving meter, says Nigel's Eco Store.
“Because a third of all carbon emissions in the UK come from burning fossil fuels to make electricity, switching to a renewable electricity supply is one of the best ways to reduce a households' carbon footprint. But if this is not possible, getting an energy saving meter can really make a difference,” says Nigel from Nigel's Eco.
“Using a meter in these times of rocketing energy prices can significantly reduce energy bills too - so stop wasting and start saving,” adds Nigel.
For as little as £11.99, the cost of the Ecosaver Energy Meter, households can work out which devices and appliances in their home or office are using most energy and costing them most money.
“Just by plugging an appliance into it and taking readings over a week for each appliance in turn, you can see the pattern of energy use and where you could be saving money and energy,” adds Nigel.
“And for something more sophisticated, I recommend the Efergy energy saving meter, costing just £44.99 – enables the user to monitor and calculate the cost of running a home or an office.
The smart Efergy energy meter, which can be used in conjunction with the Ecosaver Energy meter, shows how much electricity is being used in a whole house or office at any one time.
It can show how much electricty is being used, for example, when an appliance such as a TV is switched on, or left on standby – just this habit alone burns an extra £37 worth of electricity a year – and it can be taken from room to room to see at a glance which device or appliance is devouring the most electricity.
“By monitoring energy consumption, households can make small but significant changes to their lifestyle and start saving money on bills – even if it's just switching lights off when they are not in the room, or boiling only as much water as they need to make a cuppa,” says Nigel.
“For the seriously eco minded, I suggest the ingenious Online Bye Bye Standby Energy Controller that starts at £59.99. Lights, cameras, motion detectors and other devices may be controlled and monitored via the internet or a mobile phone, allowing interactive energy management.”
Clean your Home with Nigel's Eco Store With household bills on the rise, there's never been a better time to think about the small savings you could be making, which will go a long way to helping your wallet and the environment. Nigel's Eco Store (www.nigelsecostore.com), an ethical online retailer, has come up with a selection of environmentally friendly products that will make all the difference to the way you live your life. In fact, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. Clean house, clean conscience Now there's no reason why the whole family can't roll up their sleeves and get involved with the household chores. Our award-winning range of 100% natural, plant based Earth Friendly cleaning products uses essential oils and plant extracts, are highly concentrated (so a little goes a long way), and contain no ammonia, phosphates, petrochemicals, caustic soda, chlorine or formaldehyde. They are also vegan and GM free. Go to www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/Eco_Cleaning_Products.html for more details. Click and save Did you know that leaving your computer monitor switched on overnight can potentially use the same energy as a laser printer producing 800 A4 copies? Well, the good news is that energy saving devices like the ingenious Ecobutton™ are here to help. This great USB device enables you to power down your computer every time you take a break, at the touch of a button – saving you electricity and helping reduce your carbon footprint. Then there's the money saving benefits: a home user running a single computer can save around £50 a year on electricity bills by regularly powering down their PC when it's not in use. Go to www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/Ecobutton.html for more details. Time to ditch the washing powder If everyone switched to EcoBalls, 700,000 fewer tonnes of detergent would go into Britain's waterways every year. If you want a clean, fresh, and sensitive alternative to conventional washing powders, EcoBalls are they way forward. They are reusable for up to 1,000 washes (including the free refills), which is about the same as 50 boxes of washing powder. On average, they cost around 3p per wash (compared to 25-30p for normal washing powder), saving you more money in the long run. Each EcoBall contains mineral salts that produce ionized oxygen, penetrating deep into clothing, getting rid of dirt and grime. Bag one of these British shoppers get through 17 billion carrier bags and an estimated 100,000 tonnes of bags (the equivalent weight of 70,000 cars) are thrown away in the UK every year. There's never been a better time to ditch the plastic bags and carry an Eco Shopping Bag instead. Super stylish and good for the planet. Go to www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/Eco_Carrier_Bags.html for more details. Let it shine Energy Saving light bulbs have always been a bright idea for your pocket and the environment. These energy efficient light bulbs typically save 80% of the electricity, and £40 each or more over their life (including the cost of the bulb). In other words, they can help you save money and energy, all in one wise purchase. And by saving energy, you'll be helping fight climate change too. Go to www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/daylight-bulbs.html for more details.
