by Naomi Nevill

Created on: June 06, 2008   Last Updated: June 12, 2008

Living green, its all over the news, celebrities setting the example and ministers arguing about the price of fuel, but living green by example doesn't have to be that hard there is loads of easy changes to you're lifestyle that could make a difference.

Transport
CO2 is damaging our plait at an alarming rate, we have become totally dependant on cars, but there is no need to be, we seem to forget that there are alternatives to driving.

For starters walking is one of the best ways to get around, in heavily congested cities like London walking is sometimes quicker than driving. It burns calories and keeps you fit, doing the school run by foot will certainly stop some of the scraps that happen when kids are cooped up in the car, anyway wouldn't you rather be in the fresh air?

Riding a bicycle is another completely carbon free way of traveling, it is a fantastic cardiovascular work out, not to mention helping you get fit. With more and more cycle paths what's stopping you seeing the countryside that your saving. Both of these methods will save you loads of money and you get health benefits from them as well.

If riding or walking are completely impractical, there is no need to buy a seven seat Landover for you and one child, try car pooling , if your children want to go to school with there friends parents and you've arranged it then that will save on fuel bills, especially as fuel prices are rocketing. If you find it hard to car pool then taking the bus is just as good, if not better, this will also save you money.

Home
But carbon dioxide doesn't just come from cars, one quarter of CO2 emissions come from around you're home so starting to save energy around you're home isn't just going to save on you're electricity bills.
Getting double glazing will help to stop heat escaping from you're windows but if you can't afford that thick curtain will help too.
25% of heat escapes from you're roof so insulating that will help enormously.

You can save a lot of energy by doing simple things like, not leaving lights on, mobile phone chargers plugged in or TVs on standby.
Installing a programmable thermostat will automatically lower heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning, they can save you 100 on you're energy bill.
Taking a shower instead of a bath, buying energy saving light bulbs and using the washing line instead of the tumble dryer will all help to reduce you're energy bill.

Shopping
We are fast running out of room to put our rubbish, landfill sights are overflowing when 85% of what we throw away can be recycled.
Buying food with recyclable packaging or little packaging is much more environmentally friendly.
Getting a bag for life is an important step, this has to be one of the easiest ways to reduce the amount of non biodegradable waste.

So whether your buying a more energy saving light bulb or a more fuel efficient car, you are making a difference and if we all make small changes to our lives it will make a big difference to our planet.

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