The Mekonta guide to going Green

Lets start off with some easy first steps towards reducing your environmental impact. Most of us can implement these changes without any noticeable difference in lifestyle or living standards.

Green Energy

The great majority of our electricity comes from coal powered energy stations. Coal is the worst cause of pollution affecting climate change – so move your electricity suppliers to companies whose electricity is supplied from renewable sources. www.goodenergy.co.uk

Food – local, seasonal, free range, organic, fairtrade

If you buy local food, you can cut down the energy required to transport the food, try and buy food that is in season – also less likely to have been flown 10,000 miles to get to you or grown in an artificially heated hot house. Organic produce will fertilizers and pesticides that contain nitrogen and other greenhouse gas emitting pollutants.

Low energy bulbs

These will save you money. Not many about at the moment that you can use on a dimmer switch – but there’s more important things to consider at the moment than mood lighting.

Insulate your house

Also a money saver – more so with the availability of government grants. Fill those cavity walls and minimum 300mm deep in the roof space

Reuse your carrier bags

Buy a decent reusable bag that you like and carry it around with you. Easy

Turn the heating down

Insulating the house will help with this – but get used to the house being a degree or 2 cooler if necessary. There’s nothing wrong with wearing a jumper around the house

Walk or cycle

I think we all know about this one. But it’s too easy to get into the habit of just jumping into the car. Really think about whether using the car is necessary

Cool wash

Modern washing detergents allow you to turn the wash temperature down to 30 degrees without any problems. The hotter the water, the more energy being used. And needless to say – don’t tumble dry! More information.

Don't leave on standby

Save a silly amount of energy through the year by unplugging at the wall. Takes no time and will save you money. Read more at the Big Green Switch.

Don’t waste water

Go on a water meter and stop running the taps. If you’re running a tap waiting for hot water, collect the cold water and use it for watering plants or rinsing off. We use a massive volume of water in the UK and it’s a more valuable commodity than many people realise

Looking to make your lifestyle a bit greener is going to mean making a few changes in lifestyle and living standards. You'll also have to start getting a bit more pro-active in researching purchases to make sure the companies you're buying from match up to your expectations.

Get a smaller car

It’s a contentious issue over whether it’s greener to keep an old car or buy a new car that might be more economical. But seriously look towards the fuel efficiency of your car and remember most of us don’t really need 2 litre engines.

Have your food delivered

Having your food delivered to home keeps car journeys down. Supermarkets are really inefficient buildings: open freezers competing with heating systems and high energy halogen lights. Food delivered to your door can be shipped from energy efficient warehouses. Or go one better and have your shopping delivered from supermarkets specialising in local food.

Use chemical free cleaning products

In the same way organic crops are grown without man-made fertilisers and pesticides – your home cleaning can also go organic and chemicals can be replaced with equally efficient natural products.

Buy recycled products

It’s all very well recycling your rubbish – but put the effort into buying products made from recycled waste. Shoes, clothes, paper, plastics, insulation, reclaimed timber, it’s all used in providing eco friendly recycled products to consumers.

Only wear organic, high quality clothing

Cotton is responsible for a huge percentage of global insecticide and pesticide usage – as well as requiring huge amounts of water to grow. Buy organic cotton to protect farmers growing the crops. Buy good quality clothing so clothes will last longer. Also look for even greener fabrics, wool, bamboo, hemp

Invest in energy efficient appliances

When you go shopping for a new electrical appliance, have a look at it’s energy rating. And put energy efficiency at the top of your requiremenst list. Also be aware of what the energy standards are. A rated appliances have been superceded by A++ (A is the new C!)

Stop flying

This should be easy – but modern life has really embraced aviation. Industry plays down the impact of aviation, but emissions from aviation is 2 – 3 times more harmful than equivalent levels of pollution at ground level, and in the 2 years following the initial emissions from a flight, the pollution is actually over 35 times more harmful than pollution at ground level

Cut back on the meat

The energy required to raise animals is much greater per unit of food produced than the equivalent value in crops.

Compost kitchen waste

A lot of kitchen waste can be composted. This saves it going to landfill, it also recycles the waste into organic compost to use on the garden in place of polluting fertiliser.

Look for ethical banking & investments

Too many businesses are focused on profit. Ethics are not a serious consideration. Don’t give your money to companies whose principles you don’t like. Invest your money in organisations who specialise in environmentally friendly and ethical projects

Now we're on to the points where it really isn't easy being Green.

Understand the science

It will really help you make the right decisions if you understand the science of climate change. Knowing the potential effects of climate change at different stages will likely give you the incentive to make all the possible changes to you life. And knowing about the various technologies being used to reduce your carbon footprint will help you assess which is actually the best technology for you. On closer inspection a lot of supposedly green solutions are actually not so green

Collect and reuse rainwater

Once you’re conserving your water – take the next step and collect rainwater. This can be used unfiltered for watering plants/vegetables, flushing toilets or washing you bike. Or take the next step and filter the water to make it drinkable and become totally water self-sufficient

Grow your own

The next best thing from having your local food delivered to you is to be growing your own food,

Utilise renewable energy

being energy self sufficient isn’t a minor undertaking and perhaps unrealistic to incorporate into an existing home – but if you’re planning major building works – look into how you can use new technologies to heat your home for free

Eco friendly building materials

Cement is hugely polluting, as is aluminium, plastics and most other man made building materials. But eco-cement is available with significantly reduced carbon emissions. Wooden frames can be used rather than steel, aluminium or plastics.

Get active and get involved

There is only so much any individual can do towards reducing climate change – and it is not going to be possible for many of us to utilise some of the latest green technologies when they are not yet easily commercially available or affordable. However this is not an excuse for complacency – but a reason to use your skills and beliefs to campaignfor these technologies to be put into the mainstream and to be made affordable.

Composting toilet

Probably sounds one of the least appealing going green steps. But they’re no more prone to smelling or less hygenic than a regular toilet. Yet they reduce water consuption and waste can then be reused as compost.

Vote green – put ecology before economics

For too long governments have been judged on the economical state of the country. Be prepared to recognise that greater wealth doesn’t necessarily equate to a better quaity of life. Push politicians to consider the environment first and develop an economy around an infrastructure of green technologies and policies. We’ll be richer in the long term.