Climate Friendly Living Tips - Friends of the Earth Scotland

Climate Friendly Living Tips

It might sometimes feel hard to know where to start to do your bit to tackle climate change. To help you on your way, we’ve produced a list of suggestions that will make your lifestyle more climate-friendly. We’ve given each action a star rating – some actions are simple and quick, others take a bit more work.

See how many stars you can earn. And remember - everything you do will make a difference. Your journey to a climate-friendly life starts here…

Why? So we can

	Energy	Star rating
	Energy saving light bulbs last up to twelve times longer than standard ones. Change one light bulb in your home to an energy saving light bulb andsave £9 and around 40 kg of carbon dioxide per year
	Across the UK, boilers make up 60% of emissions of carbon dioxide from homes. You can significantly cut this, and the cost of your bills, by installing a high efficiency condensing boiler with heating controls.
	Keep pre-heating time for the oven to a minimum and don’t open the door during cooking as a lot of heat will escape this way.
	Keep the oven as clean as possible. This will help to keep it working more efficiently and so save energy.
	Don’t overfill the kettle. This might sound like not worth bothering with,but for every cup of water boiled in a kettle, the equivalent of 25 cups of carbon dioxide are released
	Ensure that you have room and radiator thermostats to help make your boiler work more efficiently.
	Alwayswash a full load in your washing machine. Ninety percent of theelectricity used by a washing machine is in heating the water, with the motor using only 10%. Washing at 65 degrees celsius uses twice as much energy as washing at 40 degrees. Modern detergents are designed to work well at lower temperatures and without a pre-wash.
	Tumbledriers are big consumers of electricity. Always hang your clothes up to dry if you can, not only is it more climate friendly but it’s free!
	Therecommended depth for loft insulation is 270mm. You can reduce energy loss from you attic by 25% by insulating it correctly. This should also save around £200 in heating costs/year?, for an average sized house, and almost 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
	Fridgeand freezer sizes increased 15% between 1995 and 2001 and arecontinuing to increase, so make sure that you use yours efficiently and that the coils on the back are clean and that air can circulate around them. Check the seals around the doors and defrost your freezer regularly to keep in performing as efficiently as possible.
	Arounda third of heat lost from uninsulated homes is lost through the walls. If you get your walls insulated it will make your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer. It should pay for itself through lower heating bills and will save between 1 – 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year depending on whether your walls have a cavity or are solid.
	Whenyou buy an appliance look for the energy efficiency rating and choose the most efficient one you can afford. A tumble drier, with an energy efficiency rating of ‘G’ will use twice as much electricity as one rated ‘A’
	Checkthat the water pipes and water tank are well insulated. If you fit an insulation jacket 80mm thick around your water tank it will reduce heat loss from the tank by 75% and save you about £20 and 150kg of carbon dioxide per year. Insulating the hot water pipes will save a further£10 and 60kg of carbon dioxide every year.
	Reducingdrafts is low-tech, simple and cheap. You could save around £20 and 140kg of carbon dioxide a year by draft proofing your windows and doors at home.
	Youcan reduce heat loss through windows by half if you install double glazing. If you can replace all your windows with double glazed units you could save £100 per year on heating bills and almost 700kg of carbon dioxide. If you can’t afford to replace all your windows, it is still worthwhile replacing one or two in the rooms that you use the most.
	Beingcareful not to waste hot or cold water will save energy too. Always put the plug in when washing dishes, hands and face and when cleaning your teeth.
	Take a shower rather than a bath. There are special attachments available for showers which save water while still allowing you to enjoy getting clean!
	Whynot switch to a ‘green energy’ provider for your electricity? There are several websites that give more information about this. We would recommend you sign up to a company that sources energy directly from renewable sources.
	Appliancesleft on standby use around 10% of the electricity consumed at home; a PC monitor left on standby over-night wastes enough energy to microwave six meals. Put all your PC equipment onto one power strip and then you only have one switch to remember to turn off after use.
	Micropoweris becoming more and more popular as people realise that they can generate clean, green heat and electricity themselves in their own homes. Installing a solar hot water heater, solar pv panel, biomass boiler or other form of micropower generation will make your home more climate-friendly as you’ll rely less on power from fossil fuel power stations.

	Transport	Star rating
	Road transport accounts for around 20% of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK and emissions from carshave been steadily rising over recent times .Around a quarter of all car trips in 2002/03 in Britain were under 2 miles. Get out of your car for at least one out of three journeys of less than two miles.
	The average school trip is three miles. That would take less than half an hour by bike. A survey found that more than 30% of children would like to cycle to school but only 1% actually do. If you have children, ask them if they would rather cycle to school and if they say yes – do it!
	Cycling is great exercise and the only fuel you need is food and drink! Get a bike for yourself and aim to use it at least once a month.
	The National Cycle Network has more than 10,000 miles of walking and cycle routes.
	69%of working people commute to work in a car or van. The health benefits of walking are clear and so are the environmental benefits. Every time you walk instead of using your car, you are helping to slow climate change. If you can, walk to work at least once a fortnight. If it’s too far to walk all the way, park the car at least half a mile fromwork and walk from there.
	Overthe past ten years carbon dioxide emissions from rail have almost halved in the UK due largely to modern and refurbished rolling stock. Travelling by bus and train is far more environmentally friendly than by plane or car. If you travel from Edinburgh to Glasgow by train your carbon dioxide emissions will be 4.6kg, butif you drive your car willemit 16.6kg. Always opt for the train if you can.
	Ifyou have a local bus service, then getting the bus is much more climate friendly than getting in your car. Next time you’re making a journey of more that two miles, take the bus instead.
	Air travel is the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide. Ifyou fly from Edinburgh to London and back you will be responsible for almost 700kg of carbon dioxide being released. If you are travelling long distances within the UK, always avoid flying.

	Food	Star rating
	In the UK, we import about one third of all our food supplies. Half of all vegetables and 95% of fruit consumed in the UK is from overseas. Buy fruit and vegetables in season that have been grown in the UK.
	Foodthat is flown into the UK accounts for only 1% of food imports but produces 11% of carbon dioxide emissions. Air freighting of food is growing faster than shipping. Some shops now label food that has been air freighted. Avoid all food that has been flown to the UK.
	Chilled and frozen foods require more energy for storage than fresh food. Frozen foods also tend to be stored for longer and so will have accumulated a higher carbon footprint by the time you eat them. Buy fresh food whenever possible.
	Organic food tends to have produced less carbon dioxide during its production than conventionally farmed food,. The biggest reductions are on milk, cheese and potatoes. Switch to organic sources of milk, cheese and potatoes (sourced as locally as possible of course!)
	A farmers’ market is a great place to go for fresh food, in season, that hasn’t been transported too far. Aim to visit a farmers market at least once in the next six months.
	In many parts of Scotland, it is possible to get fresh fruit and vegetables direct from growers, delivered to you each week through a ‘box scheme’. Contact the Soil Association Scotland to find out details of schemes in your area.

Meat production, especially lamb and beef, is responsible for massive amounts of climate changing emissions. Cut down the meat in your diet a bit - it's healthier and better for the environment.

	Waste	Star rating
	Reduce the waste you send to landfill by 50% by using a compost bin for fruit and vegetable leftovers, garden waste, paper and cardboard scraps.
	Use rechargeable batteries. It costs slightly more initially but will save you money in the long-term.
	Avoid buying over-packaged items such as fruit and vegetables; buy them loose or even better grow some yourself.
	Nearly eight million disposable nappies are thrown away in the UK every day. All these end up festering in landfill. Use cloth nappies for yourbaby or toddler, it is not only better for the environment but will save you a lot of money.

0 – 10 The journey to a climate friendly life starts with a single step. Congratulations on taking your first steps – now you’re on your way you and you can see that living a climate friendly lifestyle doesn’t mean living in a cave! Onwards and upwards!

10 – 20 You’re really starting to make a difference now! You’ve obviously got to grips with some of the necessary changes needed to live a climate friendly life. Keep it up!

20+ You’re a climate friendly champion! You’re really ahead of the pack when it comes to living in a climate friendly way and clearly have it sussed. Be sure to blow your own trumpet and let other people know how they can be more climate friendly too!

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