What You Can Do

Although climate change is one of the biggest environmental threats facing our planet, a recent survey in the UK revealed the general consensus amongst many individuals is that the problem is more of a global issue, and as individuals there is little we can do to make a positive change.

It is important to remember that although tackling climate change may seem like a daunting prospect, everyone in society can and should contribute to making a positive difference.

In our day-to-day lives we all have an impact on our climate through the choices we make. Here are some easy to follow tips, and if we all followed them we could make a real difference. Most changes do not involve any expenditure, and will in fact save you money, so there’s no excuses!

Lights

• Turn off the lights when they are not needed.
• Reduce the need to turn on the lights by opening curtains and letting as much natural light into a room as possible.
• Next time you need to replace a light bulb, replace it with an energy efficient one. They are the same brightness but use only one quarter of the electricity, and last up to 12 times longer than ordinary bulbs. Although they are more expensive to buy, they will save you £10 a year on your bills, and could save you more than £100 over the bulbs lifetime!

Don’t leave appliances on standby

This is a no cost way to save energy and money. Appliances such as the television, stereo, computer etc left on standby are still using 50% of the electricity they use when they’re on, so switch them off!

Heating

If you turn down your central heating thermostat by just 1 degree, you could save 10% from fuel bills.

Only boil the water you need in the kettle

Boiling too much water in the kettle simply wastes time, energy, and money, so just boil the amount of water you need.

Washing machines

When washing your clothes, always try to wash a full load in the washing machine, and use a lower washing temperature. Try to dry your clothes outside rather than using a tumble drier and have one big ironing session rather than lots of little ones.

Use the car less

42% of car journeys made by the British public are less than 2 miles. Walking or cycling instead, will reduce traffic congestion, save you money, and keep you fit and healthy, all at the same time as helping to combat climate change!

For longer distances, think about using public transport or car sharing.

Lancashire has a car-sharing database: www.sharedwheels.co.uk where you can register, share your journey details, and find other people making similar journeys to and from work. The aim of the website is to maximise travel options, whist helping to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in Lancashire.

Travelwise is a national campaign that encourages people to make better use of cars, and promotes the use of public transport, cycling and walking. For information about Travelwise in Lancashire follow:

www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/twise/index.asp

The above suggestions demonstrate how easy it is for everyone to make a positive contribution to limiting climate change.