Press Release

Become a Golden Supporter

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, 30th March 2005

Photo Opportunity: Monday 4th April 2005, 7.30pm, the Warehouse Café, 54-57 Allison Street, Digbeth, Birmingham. Local people gather for the West Midlands launch of 'Save Cash & Save the Planet'. Author Nicola Baird gives a presentation based on her book.

Green author helps Brummies save cash - and the planet

The author of the new book on environmentally sustainable living will be in Birmingham for the launch of the book in the West Midlands on Monday 4th April. Members of the public will hear from co-author Nicola Baird how small changes to our lifestyles can help the environment while at the same time saving money and reducing waste.

'Save Cash & Save the Planet', by Andrea Smith and Nicola Baird and published by Friends of the Earth and Collins, will be launched by Birmingham Friends of the Earth at their Allison Street premises.

Birmingham Friends of the Earth campaigner Kate Nancarrow said:

"'Save Cash & Save the Planet' is a great new guide for green living and Monday's event is a must for anyone interested in greening their lifestyle. The evening will show that green living and saving money really can go hand-in-hand.

We're delighted that Nicola Baird is presenting the book from Birmingham Friends of the Earth's Warehouse as the building embodies many of the book's top tips - solar hot water heating, green electricity and energy-saving light bulbs to name a few. There are also second-hand books in the building's library, re-conditioned computers in the office, and locally sourced and organic food in the Café.

This talk comes at a very relevant time as more and more people want to make a difference but feel that small actions won't help. The tips will show that even small changes can make a difference and the evening will give people the know-how and impetus to make those changes."

Nicola Baird said:

"It's great to be launching the book in Birmingham, the city where I first tried out a cyber cafe, near New Street station. Now I find the internet is a brilliant way to save cash and save the planet. Instead of buying everything new I use it to buy good quality second-hand items for my family on eBay, exchange good reads at www.mybookyourbook.co.uk, and try swapping items I no longer need - you can even do it locally at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/birmingham_freecycle/. The West Midlands is also home to hundreds of charity shops allowing us all to reuse as well as helping our chosen good causes."

Editor's Notes

1. Individuals can do their bit to bring down emissions by taking action to save energy across all areas of their life. Friends of the Earth's top tips include:

• Invest in energy saving light bulbs for your home; they last around two times longer than normal bulbs and use 75 per cent less electricity, saving you around £65 over the life span of the bulb. Recent figures show that domestic energy use accounts for 27 per cent of the UK's emissions of carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases human emissions of which are thought to be causing global warming. Source: UK carbon dioxide emissions by end user 1990-2020, published in Climate change: the UK programme (DETR, 2000).
• Insulate your home to save energy and reduce your bills. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that each year UK houses lose enough heat through windows and walls to heat 3 million homes for a year. Energy-saving measures within the home can cut energy bills for a typical family in a three-bedroom semi-detached property by £200 a year as well as cut household greenhouse gas emissions.
• Insulating your loft can save £180 a year. You may also be able to get an energy saving grants to help with the cost.
• If you normally add cold water to your washing up, try turning down the thermostat on your boiler to 60 degrees centigrade and save up to £10 a year.
• Switch off electrical appliances when not in use and save up to £11 a year. TVs, videos, stereos and computers left on standby can use between 40 and 70 per cent of the energy they use when switched on.
• Turn your central heating thermostat down by one degree centigrade and save up to £30 a year on your heating bill.
• Try leaving the car at home for one journey a week, cutting pollution and reducing your emissions of carbon dioxide. Try cycling or walking and get fit at the same time. Walk your children to school. A fifth of cars on the road in the morning peak period are parents driving their children to school.
• Be a greener driver and opt for a fuel efficient car. Tests show it would costs around £1,250 in petrol for a six-litre Bentley to cover 6,000 miles, compared to just £280 for a Citroen C3 with a diesel 1.4 litre engine.
• Recycle your rubbish and, if you have a garden, start a compost heap. We throw away our own weight in rubbish every month, but bottles, cans, paper, card, plastic and aluminium can all be recycled which saves energy, while fruit and vegetable peelings make good compost for your garden.
• Buy locally produced organic food - supporting local farmers and avoiding the transport emissions which contribute to climate change.

More tips and advice at Friends of the Earth's new website www.savecashsaveplanet.org

2. 'Save Cash & Save the Planet' was launched nationally on 7th March 2005. The book is printed on paper made from 100 per cent post consumer waste. Copies available at good bookshops and from Friends of the Earth, priced £12.99, on 0207 490 1555 or online at www.savecashsaveplanet.org. Review copies available from Vickie Boff at Collins 020 8307 4405.