10 ways to help stop climate change

John Preece gives us some useful tips on things we can do to help save the planet.

A C-141B Starlifter leaves a contrail over Antarctica A polluting power station in New Mexico A typical traffic jam in London - start cycling!

1: Keep your feet on the ground
A United Nations report noted in 1999 that air travel adds to global warming, destroys the ozone layer and is set to increase rapidly in the coming decades (AirportWatch has a good briefing on the case against aviation). Short-hauls are especially damaging, but you can offset your emissions if a flight is unavoidable.

2: Leave the car in the garage
Love it or loathe it, public transport is the greenest way to travel - but if your journey is short, use a bike or walk for zero-impact commuting. When driving is unavoidable, consider smaller engine sizes, car sharing and dual fuel, hybrid or electric models to cut your emissions as well as your bills.

3: You are what you eat
Intensive meat farming is bad for the environment (cattle produce methane and rainforest is cleared for grazing land), so think about going vegan or vegetarian. Chemical additives, herbicides and pesticides also require energy and resources to make greener alternatives are organic and unprocessed foods.

4: Manage your personal temperature
Nobody likes being uncomfortably cold or hot at home, but the green answer lies in more or less clothing rather than in firing up the central heating or air conditioning. If you own your house, check out insulation, draught proofing and double glazing. If you share, be prepared for some arguments with your housemates.

5: Make the switch
You don't have to install your own wind turbine, ground source heat pumps and solar photovoltaics to reduce your dependence on brown (fossil fuel) electricity. Just sign up for green electricity and you can cut your emissions overnight. While you're at it, fit energy saving light bulbs instead of inefficient ordinary ones.

6: Reduce, reuse and recycle
By reducing how much you consume, you eliminate all the emissions associated with manufacture, packaging and delivery. By reusing (for example, plastic bags), you can consume even less. To complete the cycle, find your local recycling facilities at RecycleNow. For the ultimate in composting and recycling, arrange for a natural burial.

7: Go local
All that out-of-season fruit, exotic wine and Fairtrade coffee has been flown halfway around the globe to get to your destructive supermarket. Try your local farmer's market or box scheme, and get your food home responsibly (or even grow it yourself).

8: Switch things off
Most electrical appliances have a standby function which allows them to use loads of electricity even though they're not actually on. You'll have to weigh up the emissions against the convenience of the digital clock (and maybe the settings). Lights, however, are OK to switch off anytime.

9: Join the rebellion
If you want to get the message out beyond your friends, family and school/university/workplace, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can save you a lot of legwork in terms of research, coordination and lobbying your local council or MP. The major groups campaigning against climate change in the UK are Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam, the WWF and People & Planet.

10: Get back to nature
Tree planting, done properly, is relatively easy and can improve the local environment hugely. For some inspiration, take the train out to your nearest national park with some mates and have a look around. Fix it in your head and remind yourself that it'll all be gone within a few years if we don't sort things out.