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Ethical Consumer Actions


Consumer Actions
Community Actions
Environment Actions
Fairtrade Actions
Just Actions
Peace Actions
Spiritual Actions



  • Switch to energy saving lightbulbs.
  • Why? Because in most homes lighting accounts for 10 to 15 per cent of the electricity bill. UK households use £1.2 billion worth of electricity on lighting every year. Electricity consumption by domestic lights and appliances has nearly doubled since 1970. And it's set to increase by 12 per cent by the end of the decade.

    By buying an energy efficient lightbulb you can cut energy wastage by over 75 per cent. That's around £7 a year on the average energy bill or £65 over the bulb's lifetime.

  • Write on every piece of paper twice.

  • Why? Because every piece of paper has
    two sides! Half the waste and half the
    expense!
  • Eat less meat.
  • Why? Because our diets have a bearing on the sustainability of our planet. Rearing a kilogramme of meat requires about 100,000 litres of water, but producing a kilogramme of wheat takes only 900 litres of water. Moreover, it's been calculated that the length of time the world's petroleum reserves would last (with current technologies) if all human beings ate a meat-centered diet would be just 13 years. They would last 260 years if all human beings ate vegetarian.
  • Fly less often.
  • Why? Because air travel is the most environmentally damaging form of travel, yet the rise of low cost airlines means that more of us are taking advantage of the chance to escape Britain's unpredictable summers, and scoot off to sun-drenched lands! Every flight we take has an impact on climate change that arises from the carbon dioxide emissions of burning jet fuel and other effects in the upper atmosphere. One single shorthaul flight produces roughly the same amount of the global warming gas as 3 months worth of driving a 1.4 litre car. The effect of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is cumulative, so acting now has more impact than acting later. Use a ferry and train instead, or take a holiday in the glorious landscapes of the UK.
  • Buy organic sugar.
  • Why? Because conventional sugar beet
    is the most highly sprayed crop on the
    planet, but organic crops pollute less
    and are better for wildlife.
  • Eat local fruit and vegetables.
  • Why? Because fruit and veg flown in from the other side of the world creates five times its own weight in carbon dioxide emissions to get to the UK, whereas locally produced fruit and veg from your local farmers market or farm shop result in much less pollution.
  • Turn the temperature your water is stored at down to what I really need instead of consistently finding it too hot and adding cold.
  • Why? As well as saving energy and
    money, you will never scald your toes
    again!
  • Use real nappies.
  • Why? Because nearly 3 billion
    disposable nappies are thrown into
    landfill sites every year (this accounts for 4% of the rubbish going to landfill), and they will take centuries to decompose, harming the environment in the process,and they are also harmful to your baby - with the cocktail of chemicals that they contain - whereas you can save £400 in a baby's nappylife by buying cloth ones    .
  • Stop taking disposable carrier bags
    from the supermarket.
  • Why? Because although plastic bags make up only a small percentage of the total litter stream, the impact of these bags is nevertheless significant. Plastic bags create visual pollution problems and can have harmful effects on aquatic and terrestrial animals. Plastic bags are particularly noticeable components of the litter stream due to their size and can take a long time to fully break down. (More info here) On top of which, there is nothing to stop you bringing your own shopping bag or using your old plastic bags again and again in order to reduce the problem.







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