1. [ intelligenceliving ]
We’re not saying you
should, but you could …
Daisy Dumas shares some wallet and eco-friendly tips
HAVE A GO AT WWOOFING
Don’t be put off by the odd acronym, as World Wide Opportunities
on Organic Farms may change your holiday habits for good. Volun-
teering at a member farm means free or very cheap board and lodg-
ings whilst learning about organic food, sharing and sustainability in
relaxed and often beautiful settings. Europe has thousands of mem-
bers – the UK alone more than 400 – so travel to your holiday doesn’t
need to be carbon-heavy, either. Dig for details at www.wwoof.org.
Put your cash
in the attic
Investing in roof-top solar panels
not only generates clean electric-
ity for your home, but by selling
it back to the grid, you can earn
£1000 a year for 25 years without
moving a muscle. You can even
claim for an additional £2500
grant until April 2010. Visit
www.solarcentury.co.uk for
more information.
SWITCH TO
GREEN POWER
Possibly the quickest way
to boost your green
credentials with Compost leftovers
minimal effort
Collect your biodegradable waste
is to sign up to
(and be shocked into throwing
a renewable energy
less food away) and save it
provider, such as
from landfill by composting at
Good Energy (www.
home. Happily, the government
goodenergy.co.uk). It
SOLARCENTURY.COM (TOP LEFT)
subsidises some home compost-
takes all of five minutes Spread th
ing bins – check whether your Green e word:
and guarantees your hear you would like to
peels, eggshells and teabags are We’ll sha r eco-savv
home will not be re y tips.
eligible for a greener resting place at readers in them with other
reliant on fossil fuels. Email us future is
sues.
www.recyclenow.com. at yo
@kinglio urgreenideas
nmedia.c
om
60 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC GREEN | WINTER 2009-2010

2. [ intelligenceliving ]
Sweeten up
Britons spread, dribble and drip about 30,000 tonnes
of honey a year but only 10% is produced in the UK
and honey prices are soaring. Add to this the desper-
ate plight of the honeybee and home beekeeping
becomes a very sweet option. It’s easier to master the
art of the apiarist than ever before – there’s a buzz
about the new ‘beehaus’, a plastic beehive designed
for any garden, rural or urban, available at www.
omlet.co.uk. Traditionalists wax lyrical about wooden
beehives, available through www.paynesbeefarm.
co.uk. Support bees at www.britishbee.org.uk.
DITCH DISPOSABLES
BUY RECYCLED Nappy changing may seem a
never-ending chore – understand-
We’ve cottoned onto the able, considering a British baby gets
benefits of recycling, but for the through an average 5480 nappies…
industry to flourish, we need Not only are disposable nappies
to buy recycled products, torturous for landfills but it’s
too. If there’s something estimated that they cost about
that you really need, consider £1200 a year compared to
visiting www.recycled £300 for cloth nappies
products.org.uk before set- (which have come a long
tling for a new version. From way since scratchy terry
teepees to top hats, there’s a towel). Buy cloth nappies
vast range of high-qual- and wriggle-friendly
ity, ingenious recycled fasteners at www.thebaby
products out there, like catalogue.com or investigate
this guitar from www. nappy-washing services at
simonleeguitars.com. www.changenappy.co.uk.
Charge on Join a Monitor
the move community energy use
The Solar Gorilla Laptop Charger is garden Less than £50 can save you many
a fold-up solar panel kit. Allow- times the amount in bills and
ing off-grid If a windowsill is as far as your helps build awareness of energy
recharging for garden stretches and you yearn consumption. Simple to install and
DON FARRALL (BEES); BBS UNITED (TOP LEFT); ANNA YU (FLOWER)
your laptop for a home-grown harvest, you use, energy monitors produce
onitors
or phone, could consider branching out instant grati-
the compact into an allotment. You can find fication – try
gadget means out more at www.nsalg.org.uk. switching
that you will Allotments are hard to come by your home’s
be able to power up almost any- in some areas, so it’s also worth lights off and
where and at almost any time investigating garden sharing at watch the screen’s digital
en’s
– making nightfall your only www.homegrownuk.org, where count plunge. Some of the best are
inconvenience. £139.99 from garden lenders allow neighbours to available from www.efergy.com
www.nigelsecostore.com. reap green-fingered rewards. and www.eco-eye.com.
WWW.GREENNATGEO.CO.UK | 61