Featured

Enjoyment

The stresses of flying start with the panicked journey to the airport, but continue right through to the baggage carousel at the other end with check-in, security, delays, tiny flimsy seats, noisy passengers and bland processed food adding to the fun in between. 

It makes a relaxing train ride seem like heaven in comparison, whether you use the time to get stuck into your book, gaze out of the window, chat to your friends, watch a DVD or get on with some work using the on-board Wi-Fi.

10 times

more CO₂ is emitted by travelling from London to Paris or Brussels by plane than by train²

How?

If you make a regular flight within the UK or across the channel, why not stick to the ground and give the train or bus a go for one of your trips?

1. Coach: Check out Mega Bus for the cheap and less-cheerful option of coach travel.
2. Train: Loco2 is the gem of all gems, a one-stop shop for European and UK train travel.

Or if you’re heading further afield for a business meeting, could you not stay put and teleconference it?

For some inspiration on other fun and well grounded trips, check out the Guardians’ rail travel features or Green Traveller.

Want to do this action? Head over to our list of Doers to find someone to pledge for.

Got other tips or great resources to share? Please email them over to us at

1 - Friends of the Earth - aviation Tyndall summary

2 - Global Action Plan - Transport Resources

Money

Running a car is expensive. Public transport isn’t cheap either.  Cycling is as good as free, especially if you can hook yourself up with a cheap bike through The Government’s Cycle to Work Scheme, or if you live in London and can use one of the Boris Bikes.

£1000

could be saved each year by switching to cycling ⁴

 

Congestion

We all hate it. Traffic jams, honking horns, road rage... Enough said. Whizz through it in the early morning sun on your two trusty wheels instead.

 

 

 

How?

If you own a bike, you’re all set. You just need to pick your route.  If you don’t, then your local bike shop is probably the best place to head. Check these guys out first:

• The Cycling Experts – From independent bike shop listings to bike-buying advice, this is a veritable bible of cycling resources.

• Sustrans – A national sustainable transport charity providing maps of national cycle routes and plenty of other great advice on cycling and walking.

• Transport for London Cycling Guides – Maps of the city’s many cycle routes, safety tips, maintenance guides and listings of bike-related events and special offers. A fantastic resource if you’re based in London.

Once you've got your bike, it's time to get geared up. Check out our friends at Torm who specialise in comfortable gear for cyclists. Alternatively, you can try Wiggle who offer some great discounts on quality sports gear, and you're off!

Want to do this action? Head over to our list of Doers and make a pledge. 

Got other tips or great resources to share? Please email them over to us at

 

1 - TUC report
2 - Environmental Protection UK
3 - RAC Eco-Driving guide
4 - ERM

How?

• Check out what’s in season before you shop - Eat Seasonably has great information on this.
• Download this great iPhone app to help you in the shops: The Food Guide
• Give growing a go – the One Pot Pledge and BBC give great tips on growing your own fruit and veg.
• Find your local food producers, using Big Barn's interactive map.

One simple way to always make sure you get your seasonal veggies is to sign up to a veg box. Riverford provide organic veg boxes which can come in a variety of different sizes depending on your household.

 

 

Want to do this action? Head over to our list of Doers to find someone to pledge for.

Got other tips or great resources to share? Please email them over to us at

1 - http://londonremade.com/when-have-all-our-eating-habits-become-so-transp...

2 - Berners-Lee, M (2010) How Bad Are Bananas?

3 - Wholesome nutrition- a suitable diet for the new nutrition science project

Deforestation

More meat eating means more agricultural land needed.  We can’t make land, so we clear it.

The primary cause of tropical deforestation is agriculture.²  Aside from the staggering greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation leads to a whole host of problems. It displaces local communities, causes social unrest and corruption, disturbs rainfall patterns, increases flood risks, contaminates rivers and endangers native species.

Basically, it’s bad news.

How?

You needn’t become a die-hard vegetarian, but going meat-free for a few days isn’t too tough. And on when you do have a meaty treat, why not use the money you’ve saved on buying some free-range or organic meat, or experiment with some less well used cuts? There’s more to life than chicken breast and stewing steak.

Cooking up a good vegetarian meal requires some imagination but a good vegetarian dish can be fantastic, nutritious, bursting with flavours and cheap too. 

• Yotam Ottolenghi’s incredible cooking column in the Guardian, The New Vegetarian, is a tasty source of inspiration.
• There are also some brilliant cookbooks that may help you forget about meat altogether! Click on the images below to check them out.

We also recommend a few cookbooks to help make things interesting as you cook up a vegetarian storm. Our friends at Beetroot Books have also been nice enough to give our users a 15% discount on the following titles. Just type the code 'Beet19' when you get to the checkout:

     

To make the transition that bit easier, why not have your fresh veg delivered to your doorstep? Organic veg box schemes like Riverford, Abel & Cole, and many more provide variety of great vegetables in different amounts depending on your household.

You could even start growing your own, get some great advice from Guardian Life & Style website.

Want to do this action? Head over to our list of Doers to find someone to pledge for.

Got other tips or great resources to share? Please email them over to us at

1 - Livestocks Long Shadow - FAO
2 - NASA Earth Observatory