ZEITGEIST: Bikes, Finance, Local Food and Recycling - Doing Our Bit For the Planet

By Sarah Boothman

Many of us cannot understand the stark warnings made by scientists, environmentalists and geographers on the dangers of global warming. The realities of the phenomenon mean that we are likely to see few changes to the world within our lifetime, and so we do little to slow down the warming process. However, what is becoming more and more obvious is that our children and our grandchildren will be personally affected by global warming, be it financially, geographically or health wise.

If we want to preserve the planet for the next generation and the generation after that, we need to do our bit now. This does not mean a total change in our lifestyle, but there are a few little things that we can do everyday which can slow down the effects of global warming.

Push The Pedals

In the western world, one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions is motor vehicles. Cars, lorries, buses, trains and planes all emit harmful chemicals and gases that are contributing significantly to global warming. If everyone rode to work on a bike just one day of the week, tonnes of CO2 emissions would be reduced. It has never been easier to buy a bike with the great deals on bike finance that retailers are offering at the moment, so there is no excuse for not getting on your bike. If you have children you can encourage them to use greener methods of transport by taking them on bike rides at the weekends and on summer evenings.

Shop Locally

Cookery programmes have always been popular and recently we have seen a shift back to traditional ways of shopping for our food. Chefs and cooks on the television are promoting 'grow your own' and local produce, much as it was in the early twentieth century before the emergence of the massive supermarket chains. The huge impact that food production has on global warming is unbelievable, especially when you think that over half of all the food we eat in Britain has had to be transported here from a foreign country. Shopping at local farms and at your local market will have a big impact on your carbon emissions; you won't even have to drive to the supermarket. You will also be eating much fresher and seasonal food.

Recycle

I know I know, recycling is boring, it is an effort and sometimes it can be a challenge trying to find the right coloured bin for your brown glass bottles, but you really can make a big difference by recycling some of your household waste. You don't have to sift through every item you throw away, but being aware of what is easy to recycle is important. Most households have got a wheelie bin with the sole purpose of collecting your goods for recycling. Paper, metal and plastics should all be recycled.

So, your daily mail, the tins and cans that you use and any plastic or cardboard cartons and containers that you would normally throw away can all go in the blue bin, or whatever colour yours is. You could also think about using less of the items that are bad for the environment, for example, if you drink a lot of water, re-use the plastic bottle instead of buying a new one every day.

These little things do not mean that life will never be the same again, but it will help in the world wide struggle to slow down and hopefully stop all together the process of global warming.

Sarah Boothman is a writer and marketing executive based in Yorkshire, England. She is an avid internet user and likes to share information with the rest of the world. I recently bought a bike using Bike Finance and now cycle wherever I can. Visit http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk today.

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