Tag: carbon footprint


  • The carbon footprint of trousers

    Which pair of trousers has the lowest carbon footprint? This depends on the material, weight and energy required to look after them. One would expect trousers made from ‘natural’ material such as cotton would have a lower footprint. Is this true? Synthetic fibres versus natural fibres Surprisingly, trousers made from synthetic trousers are better than…

  • The carbon footprint of shoes

    Which type of shoes have a lower carbon footprint? Shoes vary immensely depending on what material they are made from, their weight and how long they last. Shoes and material Research shows that the heavier the shoe and the wider variety of materials they are made from, the higher the carbon footprint. Rubber crocs come…

  • The carbon footprint of fish

    Fish can be part of a healthy, low emissions diet. It is a good substitute for meat with high emissions, such as beef and lamb, and a good source of protein. But there are issues to consider when choosing which fish to eat. The problem of over-fishing affects the population of some species, and some…

  • Should we avoid palm oil?

    You may have heard that palm oil is harmful to the environment. But what is palm oil and what impact is it having on climate change? Palm oil comes from oil palm trees. Up to 85% of palm oil is produced in countries of Indonesia and Malaysia. Palm oil is used in nearly 50% of…

  • Beef: The worst thing you can eat

    It is common knowledge that eating meat is bad for the environment. But there is no meat that produces as high carbon emissions as beef. Why? Beef is the main reason for deforestation and mostly destroys tropical rainforests around the world. Tropical rainforests maintain the global water cycle, absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide and…

  • Treat cheese like a meat

    Eating less meat is a route to reducing your carbon footprint. Cutting it out altogether can reduce your carbon footprint by 1 ton a year. But there is an exception is this argument. A vegetarian meal is not automatically better for the environment if it contains lots of cheese. Cheese contains cow’s milk. Dairy cows…

  • 5 eco-friendly habits that save you money

    Do you need to spend tens of thousands of pounds to reduce your carbon footprint? It is well known that expensive heat pumps and electric cars reduce our carbon footprint. However, what is less well understood is that adopting eco-friendly habits can improve your finances and you don’t need to spend any money or compromise…

  • The best way to wash dishes

    If you want to reduce our carbon footprint from washing dishes, what method should we use? Should we wash the dishes ourselves or use a dishwasher? Research from Professor Bernes-Lee show easy ways to wash our dishes in a more energy efficient way. Should we use the dishwasher or hand wash dishes? Research shows that…

  • Reducing the carbon footprint of having a shower

    When we have a shower, it adds to our carbon emissions we create from our household. But how can you reduce your carbon footprint from having a shower? This depends on the time you spend in the shower and the type of showerhead and boiler you use. It is a very easy way to cut…

  • Everyday actions that make little difference to your carbon footprint

    The task to get to net zero lifestyle is big, but we don’t need to re-examine every action we do to reduce our emissions. The best route to reduce our carbon emissions to do the big things first and not worry about the things that only reduce our emissions by a fraction. There are actions…