Are YOU doing enough to help? Becoming eco friendly involves looking at every area of your life and making small changes that could have a huge impact. Find out if you're an eco-warrior by trying our quiz and (right) checking out our top tips to go green.QUESTIONS 1) What do you eat for lunch when you're at work? a) Packed lunch b) Liquid lunch down the pub c) Sandwich and crisps from newsagent newsagent Noun Brit a shopkeeper who sells newspapers and magazines Noun 1. newsagent - someone who sells newspapers newsdealer, newsstand operator, newsvendor 2) Where do you get your herbs? a) Grow your own b) Supermarket c) Local grocer 3) How do you keep your flat/ house warm during the winter? a) Draught excluders, loft insulation and energy efficiency measures b) Turn up the heating c) Switch on the gas fire in the living room 4) How do you clean your kitchen surfaces? a) Lemon juice bicarbonate of soda bicarbonate of soda: see sodium bicarbonate. bicarbonate of soda or sodium bicarbonate or baking soda Inorganic compound, white, crystalline salt of sodium, chemical formula NaHCO3. and vinegar vinegar, sour liquid consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, produced by the action of bacteria on dilute solutions of ethyl alcohol derived from previous yeast fermentation. b) Supermarkets' own brand cleaning products c) Eco-friendly cleaning products 5) How do you freshen fresh·en v. fresh·ened, fresh·en·ing, fresh·ens v.intr. 1. To become fresh, as in vigor or appearance: freshened up after the day's work. 2. the air of your living room a) Open the windows and keep lots of plants b) Spray air freshener air freshener n → ambientador m air freshener air n → désodorisant m air freshener air n → c) Electric air filter 6) How often do you eat meat? a) Every day b) I don't eat meat c) Occasionally 7) What plant would you buy to brighten bright·en tr. & intr.v. bright·ened, bright·en·ing, bright·ens To make or become bright or brighter. bright up your house? a) Something that stays green all-year round b) Fresh cut flowers flowers cut from the stalk, as for making a bouquet. See also: Flower from local florist c) Potted pot·ted adj. 1. a. Placed in a pot. b. Grown in a pot: many potted plants in the study. 2. Preserved in a pot, can, or jar. 3. Slang a. orchid orchid, popular name for members of the Orchidaceae, a family of perennial herbs widely distributed in both hemispheres. The unusually large family (of some 450 genera and an estimated 10,000 to 17,500 species) includes terrestrial, epiphytic (see epiphyte), and 8) Where do you buy birthday cards for your friends and family? a) Local newsagent, Paperchase, WHSmiths etc b) I send e-cards c) I make my own 9) How do you store food such as leftovers? a) In re-used margarine margarine, manufactured substitute for butter. It consists of a blend of vegetable oils or meat fats (or a combination of both) mixed with milk and salt. It was developed in the late 1860s by the French chemist Hippolyte Mège-Mouries in a contest sponsored by or takeaway cartons b) I chuck leftovers c) In dishes covered with silver foil silver foil silver (Brit) n → Alufolie f silver foil (BRIT), silver paper n → carta argentata, (carta) stagnola or clingfi lm 10) Where do you get your clothes? a) Vintage clothes shops, charity shops, Ebay b) High street shops c) Mail order catalogues ANSWERS 1.YOUR LUNCH a) Well done! This can save you pounds 350 per year and making your lunch means you minimise packaging and avoid pesticides in your food especially if you choose organic products or grow your own fruit and veg. b) You could save a huge amount of money if you made your own lunch and avoided the unnecessary packaging of the processed foods most pubs serve. Try a packed lunch at least once a week and see what difference it could make. c) It's good that you're supporting the local economy and possibly reducing your food miles "Food miles" is a term which refers to the distance food travels from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer or end-user. It is one dimension used in assessing the environmental impact of food. but making your own lunch is the best way to save cash. 2. HERBS a) Growing your own herbs must be saving you a packet, and means you can avoid pesticides and other chemicals in your food. It also avoids the unnecessary packaging of shop-bought herbs. b) You can buy organic in the supermarket, but you could save money and avoid a load of packaging by growing your own herbs. Transporting food to the supermarket will also impact on climate change so have a go at sowing Not to be confused with sewing. Sowing is the process of planting seeds. Hand sowing is the process of casting handfuls of seed over prepared ground: broadcasting. Usually, a drag or harrow is employed to incorporate the seed into the soil. your own seeds. c) Buying from the local grocer avoids some of the overpackaging you get in supermarkets, but it's still possible your herbs have been flown in from abroad and treated with chemicals and pesticides. Have you thought about growing your own? Herbs such as rosemary, basil, sage, mint and chives chives alliumschoenoprasm. are easy to grow - try them on your windowsill or in the garden. This will save you money too. 3. HEATING a) You're making the most of the energy you're using rather than adding to climate-changing emissions and probably paying less than your neighbours, by using draft excluders. b) Turning up the heating will keep you warm, but it would be kinder on the planet to use energy more efficiently. Try putting reflective foil behind the radiators to reflect the heat back into rooms. c) Turning on the gas fire in one room is definitely better than turning up the heating in the entire house, but it's much kinder on the planet and your purse to use energy more efficiently by using draught-excluders and insulating your loft. 4. CLEANING a) This is a great way to keep surfaces clean without exposing yourself and your family to some of the risky chemicals in conventional cleaners and it's cheap. b) Supermarkets' own brands probably save a few pennies compared to recognised brands, but using natural cleaning products Natural cleaning products are substances used to clean, deodorize, and/or disinfect which have natural substances as their active ingredients. In some cases, natural cleaning products may be less damaging to the environment and safer for humans and pets than conventional cleaning such as lemon juice and white vinegar avoids risky chemicals. c) This is not a bad choice as eco-friendly brands will give you peace of mind in avoiding risky chemicals, however it's probably a bit better to try using natural cleaning products instead. 5. AIR FRESHENERS a) Well done! Opening the windows doesn't cost a penny, and it won't have any environmental costs. Keeping houseplants will filter pollutants pollutants see environmental pollution. in the air as well. b) Spraying air freshener will give your room an instant freshness, but the spray could be packed with chemicals. A greener and cheaper option is to open windows and keep lots of plants to filter the air naturally. c) An electric air filter may clear the air but they use unnecessary energy which can contribute to climate change. Try opening the windows if it's warm enough, and if you must use the filter find out if your energy supplier uses renewable energy Renewable energy utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, and hydroelectricity to biomass and biofuels for transportation. . This will cut down on your carbon footprint A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product or service. . 6. MEAT a) Eating meat every day has a significant environmental impact and can be expensive. Too much meat isn't great for your health, the long-term sustainability of the planet or animal welfare either. b) Whatever your reasons for not eating meat, this is a good choice environmentally - and saves you cash too! c) When you do have meat try going for quality rather than quantity and buy organic when you do treat yourself. Too much meat isn't great for you, but when you do opt for it, try to get the best you can for the planet and animal welfare. 7. HOUSE PLANTS house plants, varied group of plants grown indoors and requiring no special care. They are usually grown singly in pots, but can also be grouped and planted together in dish gardens and terrariums. a) Buying a house plant brightens the house, and avoids having to buy fresh flowers constantly. As well as saving pennies, it helps to filter and freshen air in the house which means you avoid using air fresheners. b) Fresh cut flowers from the local shop will certainly brighten your house and support your local economy but these are often treated with chemicals to keep them looking good and avoid disease. They can be transported over long distances and so this can contribute to climate change. c) A potted orchid will certainly look beautiful but you could be kinder to the planet and your pocket by buying a less exotic houseplant houseplant Plant adapted for growing indoors, commonly a member of a species that flourishes naturally only in warm climates. Two factors contribute to the success of the huge number of species grown as houseplants: they must be easy to care for, and they must be able to that hasn't been grown in artificially heated greenhouses with pesticides. 8. BIRTHDAY CARDS a) Apart from supporting a local business, the cost of shop-bought cards can add up. Have you considered sending an e-card or making your own? b) Well done! This reduces environmental impacts and will save you money. c) This will save you money and avoid unnecessary environmental costs. Making your own cards is also a nice way to give a personal touch to a greeting card. 9. STORING LEFT-OVERS a) Re-using cartons with lids avoids having to buy silver foil or clingfilm, which saves money and is good for the environment. b) If you don't want to keep leftovers, you could consider composting
c) Saving left-overs to re-heat or for your packed lunch will save a lot of money over time, and avoids waste too, so well done. But you could reduce waste further and save more money by using pots that come with their own lids (margarine tubs or take away cartons) - or simply putting a saucer on top of a dish of leftovers. 10. CLOTHES a) Well done! Choosing quality second-hand and vintage clothes will save you a fortune, and reduces the resources and energy needed to create new clothes. You'll also have a look unlike anyone else. b) Buying from the high street can take its toll on your purse - even if you buy discounted items and are a fan of the sales. Be kinder to the planet and save even more money by checking out charity shops, vintage clothes shops and Ebay. c) Buying from mail order catalogues can take its toll on your purse. Your clothes could well be made in sweatshops too - and be flown miles to arrive at your door, contributing to climate change. Be kinder to the planet - and save even more money - by checking out charity shops. CAPTION(S): KEEPING WARM... loft insulation.; LEFTOVER FOOD... bin it or bag it?; SAVING A PACKET... a herb garden.; GREEN SHOOTS... a pot plant; WORKING LUNCH... eating at your desk.; HIGH STREET SHOPPING... a bad buy? |
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