You only need to make small changes to help the planet

We all know that we need to play our part in helping the environment. But sadly, saving the planet is far too easy no to do. But you only have to do a few simple things to start to make a big difference.

Now I’m writing this in response to having watched ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ a few weeks ago. Our church had a ‘Green Month’ where we worked to increase the eco-awareness and activism amongst our congregation.

Since watching the film I’ve made a few decisions about my own behaviour to try and help the planet and minimise my impact on the environment.

So here’s what I’ve decided to do, they’re simple and easy so why not get started:

Recycle more: I’ve always been a big fan of recycling and now that Leicester City have changed their household recycling policy to make it even easier to recycle more household waste it’ll mean that we can do more without much extra effort.

Drive differently: Those who know me will know that I’m far from a fast driver. But did you know that you can save fuel and cut carbon emissions without driving like your month-in-law? It’s called ‘hypermiling‘ and it’s simply a way of adjusting the way you drive to increase mileage. See http://www.hypermiler.co.uk/hypermiling/hypermiling-techniques to learn more.

Plant trees: I’ve never been much of a tree hugger but I’ve decided to plant at least one tree every year for the rest of my life. So, at the moment, I’m collecting acorns with the aim of growing oak trees.

Buy more local produce: This sounds like a bit of a no-brainer but some folks try and make it more complex  than it should be. However, for most fruit and veg (and a lot of meat) it’s fairly easy to spot where how far it’s travelled since the supermarkets have to put the country of origin on a lot of packaging.  I’m just waiting for locally grown bananas.

Turn down your household heating by one or two degrees: I promise that you’ll barely notice the difference but you’ll help to cut your fuel bill and cut carbon emissions too.

These are just a few ways and I know that there is much more that we can do to help the planet.

But, as I mentioned at the start, these are some of the things I’m doing and we only need to make a series of small changes to start to make a big difference, especially if we all got involved.

So please feel free to add your own suggestions below and (if you think this information is useful) help to spread the word by sharing this page on your Facebook and Twitter pages.