Reduce the amount of electricity you use
This will cut down on fossil fuels being burned and reduce the greenhouse effect, as well as reducing your fuel bill!

• Turn off the TV at the screen, instead of leaving it on standby.
• Turn off your mobile phone charger when your phone is not charging.
• Make sure computer screens are turned off, not left on standby.
• Insulate your home and turn down the central heating by a degree

Walk and use public transport more
Most pollution from cars results from their use over short distances, about 2 miles. Try cycling or walking or using public transport. This will keep your fitter and cut down on carbon dioxide being released and help stop global warming

Eat organic food and encourage your local shops to stock it
Organic food is produced without as many pesticides and herbicides. This means organic farms are much richer in wildlife, with more species of wild plants and animals on than ordinary farms. Organic food is also GM free.

Buy fair-trade products
Fair trade tea coffee, chocolate and bananas are produced through community initiatives. It means that the people growing the crops get a fair price for them, ensuring a better quality of life for themselves and their children.

Produce less waste
Replace – join loan schemes to cut down the number of products you need to buy and pass on unwanted clothing, furniture, books and toys to charity.
Reduce – only buy products you really need, with the least possible packaging
Re-use – everything you can
Repair – items such as clothes, shoes and many electrical goods can be repaired. If the manufacturer says it is not worth r3eparign, ask why not. Buy goods that are built to last.
Recycle – buy as many recycled products as possible and recycle or compost as much as you can. Recycled products save energy and raw materials.
Refuse – don’t accept excess packaging and refuse plastic bags.

Think about what plants you put in your garden
Try to use native species or non-invasive species to make your garden more wildlife friendly and to prevent the spread of alien species into your local environment.

Support plant conservation organisations
Charities usually rely on donations from their members or the public to keep going in their work.
Link to Botanic Gardens Conservation International membership page.

Become a Conservation Volunteer
Or if you have any free time, want to learn new skills or improve your C.V, you could become a botanic garden volunteer. You might be working with horticulture, in an education programme or helping out with the day to day running of a garden. Click here to find out more
Link to ‘How to volunteer’, under Get Involved

More information

For more information on how you can make a difference and help protect plants, and the planet, check out these websites for more handy hints;

To find out ways to save energy, in your home or workplace, these sites have useful examples of how you can get involved
Alliance to Save Energy www.ase.org
Save Energy www.saveenergy.co.uk/

For more information about organic food and the issues surrounding its increasing popularity, try;
The Soil Association www.soilassociation.org
Organic Consumers Association www.organicconsumers.org

For more information about buying fair-trade products, have a look at one of the websites about its importance, for example:
Fair Trade Federation www.fairtradefederation.com
Fair Trade Foundation www.fairtrade.org.uk
Make Trade Fair www.maketradefair.com

Follow this link for the Friends of the Earth, 50 top tips for reducing waste
www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/waste/news/50_waste_tips.html

Friends of the Earth also have a guide on ‘How to be a friend of the Earth’, available at;
www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/how_to_be_friend_of_earth.pdf

To find out about how you can avoid buying rainforest timber, have a look at the Forest Stewardship Council. They are an international non-profit organization founded to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests.
www.fscoax.org/

To find ethically produced goods, the Natural Collection catalogue contains a range of eclectic, unusual, useful and interesting products carefully chosen to inspire ideas towards a sustainable future
www.naturalcollection.com

Dotguides are a series of informative booklets about what you can do to help protect your environment and are available from the Natural Collection. The series includes titles such as:

Chemicals Guide
Organic Guide
Recycling Guide
Ethical Finance
Hemp Guide
Greener Power
www.naturalcollection.com/dotguides/

If you run out of ideas from these sites, try these books;

Go M.A.D.! (Go Make a Difference 2): Over 500 Daily Ways to Save the Planet!
Jo Bourne (Editor), Emma Jones (Editor) Publisher: Think Publishing ISBN: 0954136322

The Good Shopping Guide: Your Guide to Shopping with a Clear Conscience
Charlotte Mulvey (Editor) Publisher: The Ethical Marketing Group ISBN: 0954252918