I got this through in a newsletter I am subscribed too - thought it may be of interest: -
In the midst of very changeable weather where we are, and affected by so much dismal news about global warming, we thought it might be useful to highlight the work of The Energy Saving Trust, a UK-based non-profit organisation that promotes energy saving, plugging away since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
EST's two main goals are to promote the sustainable use of energy and to help us all cut carbon dioxide emissions - one of the key contributors to climate change. To get an idea of your own impact and find out how to reduce your climate change contribution and save money in the process, try their eco-obesity quiz at: [link= http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/whatcan/quiz/ ] http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/whatcan/quiz/ [/link]
[link= http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/whatcan/quiz/ ]
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If you would like to subscribe to the Kevala newsletter go to [link= http://www.kevala.co.uk ]www.kevala.co.uk[/link] you will receive four free ebooks when you subscribe and they also run a wide range of courses. Each week in the newsletter there is interesting articles about the health of the planet and living a more natural and healthy life!
RE: Are you eco-obese?
i did pretty well... i'm an "energy nibbler"!!
cheers
jess
RE: Are you eco-obese?
its a tough call being enviromental. We need to do something fast, but i cant be the only one that hates buses and has no intrest in cycling in the cold and snow?
RE: Are you eco-obese?
Useful website. I would like to post some ways that I save on energy that people may not have thought of:
-as I live on my own, I only need to boil a cup of water, so will fill the kettle to the minimum level - less to heat but also saves on water
-i stop the kettle boiling until it switches itself off - when it's bubbling, that's when it's at 100C as the water is turning into steam already. Besides, how many of you drink it immediately? Do you wait for it to cool? If so, then why not stop it heating so much. You could also stop the kettle before it's 100C because coffee tastes better when it isn't boiled. As for tea, does it really have to taste 100% perfect (by using boiling water)?
-I exercise vigorously for an hour from 7pm after work - the central heating is off in winter but I feel really hot for an hour after this and just as I start to feel the cold, the heating comes on at 9. I'd also have made a hot drink before exercising and cooking dinner will start about 8.15pm. Well-timed and saves heating.
Just a couple of ideas that you could adjust to suit your own lifestyles - I appreciate it would be different if I had kids but I'd have a think and try to minimise heat usage anyway - I'm sure it's possible.
Hope it's of use, anyway. What do you guys do that people don't tell us to do in terms of energy saving?
RE: Are you eco-obese?
I dont drive, I always use public transport, I have energy saving light bulbs, one in each room and have had for 10 years. I recycle card, paper, glass, tins and cans. I shower at my local gym 6 days out of 7. I use eco friendly washing up liquid and soapods for my washing.
I use binbags and toilet roll made from recycled paper and my cats litter is also made from recycled paper. My electricity is also from a renewable source.
However, where I find it hard is clothes, there are still few outlets where I live that sell ethical clothes, I am aware that the chain New Look are bringing out eco friendly clothes soon.
The cost of buying organic, is also something that I can rarely afford, I dont eat much meat but even organic fruit and veg is expensive.
I think it is all very well being asked to buy local and organic produce but I live in a town, I buy my fruit from the local fruit shop but thats as much as I can do.
I have bought stuff from ethical websites, all my Xmas presents came from one such site but day to day its hard.
I work with young people who have very little income and I can fully understand why people on low incomes may not be able to afford much fresh fruit and veg.
Eco awareness bothers me but so do issues such as poverty in the Third World and I think really we should count ourselves lucky for being able to make choices, some people dont have that luxury.