Energy and Environmental sites

Cars are generally very energy inefficient and travelling by train, bus or bike is much better for the planet. If you can’t manage without a car, changing your driving habits can help reduce its greenhouse emissions. Find out how much your car produces with our car calculator.

Anticipate road conditions and drive smoothly, avoiding sharp acceleration and heavy braking. This saves fuel and reduces accident rates.
Plan your journeys to avoid congestion, road works and getting lost.
Drive away immediately when starting from cold - idling to heat the engine wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear.
Check your revs - change up before 2,500rpm (petrol) and 2,000rpm (diesel).
The most efficient speed depends upon the car in question but is typically around 55 - 65mph. Faster speed will greatly increase your fuel consumption.
Check your tyre pressures regularly - under-inflated tyres are dangerous and can increase fuel consumption by up to 3%.
If you're stuck in a jam, switch the engine off if you expect to be there for more than a minute or two. Cutting the engine will save fuel and reduce emissions.
Use air conditioning sparingly as it significantly increases fuel consumption.
Avoid short journeys - a cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel and catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective. Cycle or walk instead.
Accessories such as roof racks, bike carriers, and roof boxes significantly affect your car's aerodynamics and reduce fuel efficiency, so remember to remove them when not in use.
Get your car serviced regularly to keep it running efficiently.

(more)

Draughts waste a lot of energy by losing heat. One quick and relatively cheap win is to put a brush or seal on your doors to prevent air escaping round the edges. Letterboxes and keyholes also lose heat and can be covered too. Gaps in floorboards and skirting boards also let in draughts; you can fill in these gaps with newspaper, beading or sealant.
Stick aluminium foil or reflective panels behind radiators. This reflects heat back into the room rather than being absorbed into walls.
In winter close your curtains at night to stop heat escaping.
Make sure your loft has loads of insulation. It’s one of the cheapest and easiest ways to save energy and will pay for itself in hardly any time.
Consider insulating your cavity walls.
You can reduce 50% of your heat loss through windows by installing double glazing, which in turn could cut your heating bill up to £90 a year. Make sure they are properly installed though, as gaps around the outside will lose heat. (Visit the Energy Saving Trust for more details)
Turn your thermostat down to 18°C and put on an extra jumper.

(more)

Make sure your hot water tank is insulated with a thick jacket. It will save you lots of money not to mention reducing emissions.
A dripping tap can be not only annoying but if it is a hot tap it can cost you in both water costs and water heating costs. Remember, water also has a carbon footprint associated with it from processing.
Always use the correct size saucepan, and when heating water only use the amount you need.
When making a cup of tea, only boil the amount of water that you need.
Turn off the tap while cleaning your teeth.
If your toilet cistern holds more than 6 litres of water (likely if it was installed before 2001) put a Hippo Water Saving device in it.
Have a shower instead of a bath, which uses far less energy and water.

(more)

The location of your fridge can make a difference in how energy efficient it is. Make sure it is out of direct sunlight and not close to the oven. Keeping it against an outside wall will help the heat it generates escape easily, and always make sure that there is a few inches’ space all around the fridge so that air can circulate.
Make sure you defrost your fridge and freezer on a regular basis.
Only set your fridge to as cold as you need it and avoid keeping the door open for long periods of time as the more cold air that escapes, the harder the fridge has to work. You should check the seal regularly as well, if it is damaged then cold air will be escaping.
You should never put warm or hot food into the fridge as this will make the fridge work extra hard to try and keep it cold; always allow food to cool down first.
Defrost frozen food in the fridge as this helps to keep it cool as it thaws.
Buy locally produced organic food.
Eat less meat; producing 1 calorie of meat requires a lot more land and energy, compared to 1 calorie of vegetables.

(more)

To echo the global theme of WED 2009, and to address the public concern and government initiatives on climate change, “Low Carbon Living” is set as the local theme of WED 2009 for promoting carbon reduction efforts in daily lives.

(more)

Switch to a renewable electricity supplier
Buy A-rated electrical appliances.
Switch to energy saving light bulbs, when your old bulbs break. They last around 10 times longer than ordinary light bulbs; they will save you money and come in loads of different styles.
Items left on standby can use up to 85% of the energy they would use if fully switched on. Turn them off at the wall – it doesn’t take long.
Electric tumble dryers use a huge amount of energy. If it’s a nice day dry your clothes outside or even inside if it’s not so nice.
When using a washing machine ensure there is a full load and turn down the temperature.
If you have lights in your garden use solar powered lights that charge during the day and don’t require electricity.
Take your phone charger out of the wall. It uses energy even when it’s not charging your phone.

(more)

World Environment Day (WED) was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to stimulate global awareness of the environment and enhance political attention to anticipate pollution problems. Commemorated yearly on 5 June with an international exposition, celebrations of WED are held in different countries to highlight the environmental initiatives by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

(more)

Selecting shoes for dating or reception, Christian Louboutin Shoes may be the ideal choice. Women who are very fashion conscious can select Christian Louboutin Shoes. The Christian Louboutin shoe collection available online can complement any outfit.Wearing Christian Louboutin shoes is the just like a butterfly, in the crowd, you will fly in front of others, that is a tantalizing sight. It is the favorite kind of shoes for girls. The material is very perfect for you to keep your feet from the cold, and your feet will be dry and breath freely.Christian Louboutin have exclusive high-heeled shoes is a woman, let us not refer to what the international major suit designer shoes.Humanity design let your foot feel more comfortable.That is the magic which chritian louboutin shoes creat to women’s world.

(more)

Craving iced drinks now that temperatures are rising? You don't have to make a special trip to a restaurant or coffee shop to get popular summertime beverages.

It's easier than you think to make your own Frappuccinos, Slurpees, and Jamba Juice-like smoothies at home. Of course, you won't be able to create exact replicas of these trademarked specialties. But we've found recipes for some pretty satisfying alternatives that taste delicious and are much easier on your wallet.

(more)

PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. – An effort to save thousands of sea turtle hatchlings from dying in the oily Gulf of Mexico will begin in the coming weeks in a desperate attempt to keep an entire generation of threatened species from vanishing.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will coordinate the plan, which calls for collecting about 70,000 turtle eggs in up to 800 nests buried in the sand across Florida Panhandle and Alabama beaches.

It's never been done on such a massive scale. But doing nothing, experts say, could lead to unprecedented deaths. There are fears the turtles would be coated in oil and poisoned by crude-soaked food.

(more)