INSULATE INSULATE INSULATE

The cheapest energy is the energy that you don't use. Make sure that you have at least 30cm (12”) of insulation in the attic. See if you can get cavity wall insulation and insulate yourself; with a jumper!

WASH CLOTHES AT LOW TEMPERATURE.

Unless things are really soiled modern liquid detergents work perfectly well at 20 degrees or lower. And it's less damaging to the material so your clothes will shrink less, fade less and last longer.

DRY CLOTHES USING WIND POWER

Even if it's raining they will dry under cover of a veranda or open shed. Tumble driers damage many materials and can be a fire risk.

BUY FROM CHARITY SHOPS

Great deals for you and the cause that you care for. The fashion industry has a huge carbon footprint. Cotton requires vast quantity of water and pesticides and most synthetics are basically oil, so give fast fashion the boot.

WALK OR CYCLE

Many car journeys (and the most polluting ones when the engine is cold) are less than a mile. That's what legs were invented for.

RUN to the gym, then run back again and save the gym membership fee.

FLY ONLY WHEN ESSENTIAL

Is that weekend in Prague really essential? We all need a break sometime, but by booking early you can still get great train deals city to city, without the airport tax, the parking charge and the taxi from some isolated airfield into town. And there are great places nearer to home.

DON'T BE AN IDLER

It is illegal to run a stationary car engine; you could be fined £20 – and you can save money by switching it off. Modern engines do not need to be warmed up and modern children do not need to be fed car fumes at the school gate!

EAT LESS MEAT

Much of it is produced by destroying rainforest to grow soya to feed to cattle, chickens and fish. And they fart methane (except the fish, I think!) which is worse than CO2 in its warming effect. Go vegetarian for a day and switch to good quality locally produced grass-fed meat.

EAT WHAT YOU BUY

30% of food is wasted, contributing to pollution, while much of the world goes hungry.  Use-by dates should be judged by your nose and leftover food makes great soups and stews.

INFORM YOURSELF

Knowledge is power. When you know where your food comes from and how it is produced and what happens to waste materials, then you can make informed choices.

DEMAND CLIMATE EDUCATION

The next generation needs to do things better than the last. Climate change and science needs to be there throughout the curriculum to give young people the knowledge, power and hope.

WRITE TO YOUR COUNCILLOR, SENEDD MEMBER & MP.

Tell them that you want a future and tell them to pull out all the stops to give you that. Demand help for house insulation, public transport, nature recovery.

VOTE

We can't do this alone and the Government won't help unless you tell them. Let's put climate on top of their agenda.

DON'T JUST BLAME CHINA

We started this and we're all in it together. And as Chinese philosopher Lao Tsi said, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”; ...yours.