Nigel's Green New Year Resolutions

According to the Energy Saving Trust, almost half of the UK's carbon emissions come from the energy that we use every day – either at home and when we travel. If we're going to stand any chance of reducing the country's carbon footprint (and our own), we all need to change our habits (one of the hardest things to do?) and live a more sustainable and eco friendly life.

What better place to start than with some green new year resolutions.

In 2007 my new year green resolutions included not to take more than one flight a year, and only to buy eco friendly clothes. I got told off by some that even one flight a year was too much, but I did manage to stick to both of them. (I took a lot of trains, did a lot of walking and didn't buy many new clothes!)

To help to bridge the gap between good intentions and reality I have come up with five green ideas for 2008 that will also either help to keep you fit or save you money, as well as saving the planet.

1. DON'T USE THE CAR, GET FIT AND CUT CAR POLLUTION
A staggering 70 per cent of all car trips are less than five miles - the ideal distance for a quick spin on the bike. So, leave the car at home and start walking or cycling. It's eco friendly, sustainable and cheaper!. To help, we sell a variety of bike accessories including wind up bike lights and the fantastic cycloc bicycle storage system.

2. BUY ORGANIC and LOCAL
Say no to fast food and supermarkets and yes to organic and local produce.
The production of organic food causes much less environmental damage than conventional agriculture and also helps to reduce pollution by cutting down on food miles which contribute to climate change. One third of all household carbon emissions in the UK come from food miles, so cut back on your supermarket trips and keep it local.

3. DON'T FLY AWAY FOR YOUR HOLIDAY THIS YEAR
All those cheap flights abroad might save us money, but they are costing the planet. Why not consider taking a break nearer home. Even the most environmentally friendly people can undo all their efforts by succumbing to cheap breaks abroad, especially long haul flights. The world's 16,000 commercial jet aircrafts produce more than 600 million tonnes of CO2 every year, nearly as much as all the countries of Africa put together. (Source: Friends of the Earth)

4. REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE
New Year usually means out with the old and in with the new - but don't be so hasty. Help stop the planet going to waste by recycling and reusing what you already have - one of the most eco friendly things you can do is look after what you already have.

5. SAVE ENERGY
Here are our top energy saving tips:

Only boil the water you need for one cup of tea or coffee, rather than half a kettle full, and save cash with each cup. An eco friendly kettle can help.

Cook with the lid on your saucepans. This way you'll save energy and money with every meal you make.

Switch to energy-saving light bulbs. They may cost a little more, but can save up to 10 times the price over their lifetime and use at least two-thirds of the energy of standard 'incadescent' bulbs.

Never leave anything on standby. Switch off PCs and TVs when not in use. And unplug your mobile phone charger when you're not using it. Leaving appliances on standby wastes at least 6% of domestic electricity use in the UK.

When your next appliance breaks down, if you cannot get it repaired make sure you buy an energy efficient replacement. Also take a look at your energy supplier – there are some great deals around for switching to a supplier that uses energy from renewable sources. Here at Nigel's Eco Store we stock a variety of energy saving appliances and meters have a look here.

Commit to making your life more eco friendly in 2008. If you have some better green New Year's resolutions, we'd love to hear about them - email us at helpme(at)nigelsecostore.com