There are many things we can do to reduce the impact we have on the planet.
Here are some areas where you can try and have less of an impact on the environment.

Click to find out more...

Rubbish

Energy

Traffic

Water

"The amount of rubbish that is produced over one year by the people of Canterbury could more than fill its Cathedral!"
(Source: Wastebusting School Pack KCC)

All the rubbish from our homes often ends up in huge landfill sites which quickly fill up. There is not enough space in Britain to keep burying rubbish in landfill sites. Some waste can be burnt in incinerators. Incinerators produce ash which has to be sent to landfill sites and harmful gases which pollute the atmosphere. We can all help to tackle these problems by reducing the amount of rubbish we throw away.

"Packaging materials account for about a third of all our dustbin waste"
(Source: Wastebusting Schools Pack KCC 2001)

We can reduce the quantity of rubbish by buying things without too much packaging. Many items that we buy use a lot of plastic and cardboard to package them. Sometimes this packaging is needed to protect delicate items such as eggs or keep food clean and free of germs. But a lot of the time packaging is unnecessary and is just there to look nice! Next time you are given an Easter egg, notice how much chocolate you get compared to the packaging!

Next time you go to the supermarket find out if the bananas are packaged. Bananas have a very thick skin which is like natural packaging, but sometimes lots of plastic and cardboard are used to package them. Do you think this is really needed?

In school you can reduce the amount of paper thrown away by using paper on both sides, and keeping scrap paper for rough work. Even if your paper is going to be recycled, it is still good to reduce the amount you use as much as possible because even recycling uses up lots of energy.

We can also reduce the amount of rubbish by recycling and reusing materials. You can find out more in other pages on this website.

Production of energy has a big impact on the world. Most energy supply is from fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, which will eventually run out. These fossil fuels are burned to produce energy to power industries and homes. This process releases harmful gases into the atmosphere.

Many scientists believe that gases such as carbon dioxide are creating a greenhouse effect on the planet, making it hotter. This increase in temperature could lead to more droughts in some places on the planet. A slight rise in temperatures could cause the polar ice caps to melt, raising the sea-levels and causing flooding in low-lying countries.

We can do things to stop this happening!

Some energy is renewable, meaning that it will never run out. The sun and wind are examples of renewable energy sources. Using energy from wind and solar power means that we are not wasting the earth's precious resources.

However, most of us cannot make such big changes to our homes. What we can do is reduce the amount of energy we use. This will help to reduce the amount of fossil fuels being burned.

Can you think of ways to save power in your home or at school?
Here are some picture clues...

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Click on the pictures to see if you are right.

By reducing traffic on the roads, we will also be reducing the amount of energy used and

Traffic could be reduced by using cars less often. We can find other ways to travel around.

and are good types of exercise. It would be even more enjoyable and safer if there were less cars to share the road with! Public transport such as and also reduce the amount of cars on the road. If people have to travel by car,

perhaps they could share with others. Which do you think will create less pollution:

four people driving in their own cars,

or four people sharing a car?

Water is very important to all of us. Although there is often flooding in Britain, there are also problems of drought in the dry summer months.

"Our demand for water has grown to the point that the natural water cycle can no longer keep up."
(Source: Wastebusting Schools Pack KCC 2001)

If people waste water, this could lead to river levels getting lower which will be damaging to the wildlife such as plants and that live in rivers.

We often take water for granted because it is so easy for us to use whenever we want it. However, all the water that comes out of your taps at home has to go through a complicated system, to make sure that it is clean and healthy for you to use.

	Imagine a litre drinks bottle full of water. How many bottles do you think would be needed for the following activities? Click to find out!
	Cleaning your teeth with the tap running.
	A five minute shower
	Using a sprinkler in the garden for an hour

There are many ways to reduce the amount of water you use in a day.
Here are just a few examples, can you think of some more?

• Collect rainwater in a water butt to water the garden, rather than using clean tap water.
  
  
• Try not to leave taps dripping and get broken ones fixed.
  
  
• Think before using dishwashers and washing machines, make sure that they are full.

1.) Use energy saving lightbulbs.
One energy saving light bulb will last the same amount of time as...
eight normal light bulbs!
They use less electricity than normal light bulbs. So you will be helping the environment and saving money on your electricity bill!

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2.) Turn off lights when you are not in a room.

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3.) Never leave TVs, videos, computers and other equipment on standby. Standby uses electricity up, so turn them off at the socket on the wall if possible. (Always ask an adult before turning something off on a wall socket.)

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4.) Only use dishwashers and washing machines when they are full.

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5.) Only put the amount of water you need in the kettle before boiling it. The more water there is in the kettle, the longer it will take to boil and therefore more electricity is needed.

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6.) Make sure cold air is not getting in the house.
Cold air can get in through cracks under the doors and around the windows. If there are draughts getting in, more energy will be needed to heat the house. You could design something to stop the cold air getting in!

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7.) On a sunny day dry your clothes outside instead of using a tumble dryer.