Action Briefing Apr 2005 - May 2005
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

Green strategies for an imperfect world

'Save Cash & Save the Planet', the new guide to greener living published by Collins and Friends of the Earth, had its West Midlands launch on Monday 4th April at Birmingham Friends of the Earth’s Warehouse in Allison Street.

A packed Warehouse Cafe heard guest speaker and co-author of the book, Nicola Baird, explain how small changes to our lifestyles at home and work can help protect the environment and save money at the same time.

According to Nicola and co-author Andrea Smith, the book was written to "dispel the myth that being green is hard work (and expensive!) and to mobilise people to take actions that will make a real difference."

More and more people are aware of environmental problems and are keen to make a difference, but think that their small individual actions aren't enough. It can be hard to know where to start and which strategy to apply, since it's sometimes not very clear which is the most effective way to be greener.

Sacrifices
Lots of people believe that greening their lifestyle demands a lot of their time and money and think they will need to make huge sacrifices to help save the planet. Well, Nicola proved them wrong with a wealth of handy green tips that won’t break the bank and will improve the quality of our lives as well.

Some of her practical tips included boiling just the amount of water we need for one cup of tea, sharing tools and DIY equipment with our neighbours, and keeping the lid on when boiling a saucepan of water to save time and energy. Fitting energy-saving light bulbs, making our own compost and switching to reusable nappies instead of disposable ones are another three of the hundreds of little tips and ideas found in the book.

There were some really interesting tips for Spring cleaning: using home-made cleaning products like lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and bicarbonate of soda is a really efficient and cost-saving way to remove the stains, clean different surfaces, remove limescale marks, polish the furniture and remove fingerprints from stainless steel.

Cradle to grave
'Save Cash & Save the Planet' explores green living from cradle to grave, with chapters on waste, energy, DIY, home and garden, food, work, finance, travel, activism and further resources. Real-life case studies of individuals who have decided to apply greener strategies to their lives show how it can be done.

The book is printed on paper made from 100 per cent post-consumer waste. Copies are available at good bookshops priced £12.99, and from Friends of the Earth - call 0207 490 1555 to order your copy. Alternatively, visit the user-friendly website www.savecashsaveplanet.org where you can subscribe to get a free "Tip of the day" delivered to your inbox Monday to Friday.

Maja Strus

Clean 'n' Green

Home-made green alternatives to common household chemical products (lifted from an old direct action magazine found kicking about in the Birmingham FoE archives).

Furniture Polish Two parts olive or vegetable oil, one part lemon juice.

Floor wax Rub floors with a mixture of one part thick boiled laundry starch with one part liquid soap.

Floor wax stripper Pour soda water on the floor, allow it to soak for several minutes and then scrub.

Air freshener An open box of baking soda; cinnamon and cloves boiled in water. Pot Pourri works well too, as does proper ventilation.

Drain cleaner Try a plunger first. If still clogged, mix one cup of baking soda and one cup of salt. Pour it down the drain along with one cup of white vinegar. Wait 15 minutes, flush drain with boiling water.

Window cleaner Equal parts vinegar and water

Silver cleaner Soak silver for fine to ten minutes in warm water with one teaspoon baking soda, one teaspoon salt, and a small piece of aluminium foil; wipe with soft cloth. You can also use toothpaste with a dry cloth.

Shoe Polish Beeswax.

Oven cleaner Apply a paste of baking soda and water, then loosen grime with a scrubber.

Mothballs Cedar chips, dried lavender, peppercorns.

Karen Leach