Green new years resolusions

Make Green Ones This Year

29 December 2006

Article from Pembroke Shire TV (Great Britian).

This Sunday will see us partying in 2007 and making resolutions we will be lucky to keep into the first few weeks of January. Can you honestly say that you kept last year’s resolutions?

Friends of the Earth suggest that this year, as well as resolving to shed those extra pounds piled on over Christmas, get fit and quit bad habits, we should also resolve to improve the planet we live on and make sure that we carry these resolutions on throughout the year.

“More and more of us are ditching the excesses of previous years to go green - from recycling newspapers to switching to renewable energy,” said the group’s Welsh spokesman Gordon James.

So why not follow Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth's six eco-friendly resolutions: Good for you and the planet - you're guaranteed to look and feel better for it.

RESOLUTION - GET FIT AND CUT CAR POLLUTION

Ditch the car and start walking or cycling.

Good for you: regular exercise can reduce heart disease and provide protection from strokes, diabetes and cancer. A staggering 70 per cent of all car trips are less than five miles - the ideal distance for a quick spin on the bike. Cycling burns 300 calories an hour and improves fitness. Walking doesn't cost a thing; a brisk walk for 45 minutes a day, four times a week could result in a fat loss of 18lbs over a year. (The Department of Health)

Good for the environment: You'll be helping to cut back on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Road transport is responsible for around a fifth of these emissions in the UK CO2.

RESOLUTION - EAT HEALTHY AND BUY ORGANIC

Say no to fast food and supermarkets and yes to organic and local Pembrokeshire produce.

Good for you: It tastes better and you'll feel better for it. The production of organic food causes much less environmental damage than conventional agriculture. It comes without pesticides and the demand for organic food is growing at 40% a year. Food from farmers markets or grocers helps the local economy and also makes you feel part of the community. It's mad to buy apples that have been flown all the way from New Zealand when we produce fantastic ones here.

Good for the environment: Helps reduce aviation pollution by cutting down on `food miles' which contribute to climate change. The average meal travels 1,000 miles before it reaches your plate.

RESOLUTION - REDUCE STRESS AND PESTICIDES

Take up Gardening

Good for you: Get fit, save money and grow something new from seed. Growing your own fruit, vegetables and plants in the garden is proven to help reduce stress. Digging deep is good exercise and therapeutic at the same time. Get composting. It minimises landfill waste and recycles it back into the earth.

Good for the environment: The garden is the one place where you can make a small but real difference. No pesticides, no wasteful packaging and no food miles.

RESOLUTION - HOLIDAY IN THE UK

Good for you: Britain is a green and pleasant land - get to know it better. All those cheap flights abroad are costing the planet. So why not consider taking a break nearer home. Just one return flight from London to Miami releases the same amount of CO2 as the average family car does in a year.

Good for environment: It would help cut aviation pollution. 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;

RESOLUTION - SAVE MONEY AND ENERGY

Switch off and insulate.

Good for you: Small changes in your lifestyle can make a real difference to the health of the planet and your pocket. Energy saving measures just within the home can cut bills for a typical family in a three-bedroom semi by £200 a year. It's easy to do. Insulate your home, fit energy efficient light bulbs, switch to a green electricity supply and turn off lights and appliances when you're not using them.

Good for the environment: The UK has set a target to reduce CO2 emissions by 20 per cent by 2010. Almost half of the UK's emissions actually come from things we do everyday, such as leaving the TV on standby. For free energy efficiency advice phone 0800 512012.

RESOLUTION - SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE AND RECYCLE

New Year usually means out with the old and in with the new - but don't be so hasty. Recycle and reuse.

Good for you: Getting more than one use out of something not only saves you money but is hugely satisfying. Half of electrical goods left at dumps work or require only very basic repairs, so think before chucking out. Give and buy from charity shops.

Good for the environment: Help stop the planet going to waste by recycling and reusing what you already have. The average person in the UK throws out their body weight in rubbish every three months. Most of this could be reprocessed but instead it's sent to incinerators or landfill.