How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Printed on recycled paper and with vegetable based inks, 'How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint' is filled with hundreds of practical tips to help you combat global warming and minimise your impact on the environment.

Divided into practical sections that cover all areas of your life including heating and cooling, washing and cleaning, shopping, children, work and leisure, some of the ways you can make a difference include:

Resisting the temptation to open the over door to check on progress. Every time you do so, up to 25% of the heat escapes.

Growing your own chamomile or mint for herbal tea rather than always using factory made tea bags

Buying in season and enjoying a constantly changing parade of produce that's locally produced and at its pirme throughout the year. Eating locally and seasonally can cut your carbon footprint by as much as 600-700kg a year and will save you money too.

Registering with a mail preference service, putting a 'no junk mail' signs on your letterbox and always ticking the 'don't pass on my address' box when filling out applications can cut the amount of unsolicited mail you receive by 14kg.

Using cloth or biodegradable nappies. Disposable nappies take up to 500 years to decompose, and it takes a cup of crude oil to produce the plastic for just one nappy - around 8 barrels of oil per child.

Making your next computer a laptop. You'll consume up to 90% less energy thana desktop computer.

Switching your screensaver setting to none or blank screen. Screensavers end up susing mroe energy than not having one.

Slowing down your driving. Faster driving uses more fuel, so try to exert gentle pressure on the accelerator and keep speeds down to maximise you mpg.

Unplugging your mobile phone charge when it's not in use. Even if nothing's attached, many chargers still use energy (if it feels warm, it's using electricty).

Whether you're a savvy environmentalist or a greenie in the making, 'How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint' will inspire you to take real change one simple step at a time.

Simon & Schuster
Author: Joanna Yarrow
ISBN: 9781844835935
RRP: $24.95