Listen to the people

In April 2010 more than 35,000 people from 140 countries gathered in Cochabamba, Bolivia for the People's Summit for Climate Change, and developed the Cochabamba People's Accord, a consensus-based document reflecting solutions to the climate crisis. 

However, at the current climate talks in Bonn, the text on the table for negotiation favours the Copenhagen Accord, which does not even have the consensus of the United Nations. 

Tell the climate negotiators in Bonn to take proper account of the Cochabamba People's Accord...

The Big Switch

A number of energy suppliers now have green tariffs for electricity, which guarantee that the power you use comes from renewables such as wind and hydroelectrics. The best of these are Ecotricity and Good Energy.

For a price comparison and more information, see our online guide to making the Big Switch!

Make your home more energy efficient

One quarter of the UK's overall carbon dioxide emissions come from our homes. To stop heat escaping, insulate your home, use draft excluders and thick curtains in winter. Save energy by using low energy lightbulbs, turning appliances off after use rather than leaving them on standby, and switching off lights when you leave the room.

For more information, call the Energy Efficiency Helpline on 0845 727 7200, or visit the Energy Saving Trust website.

Avoid air travel for short journeys

Over short distances (less than 500 km), air travel on average produces around three times as much carbon dioxide per passenger than rail (or in the case of Eurostar, ten times more!). Aviation generates nearly as much CO2 annually as that from all human activities in Africa.

Green your fridge

Fridges do not need to be kept any colder than 3 degrees Centigrade (any colder just wastes energy). Never dump your old fridge, get it safely recycled. HCFCs and HFCs used in refrigeration equipment make a significant contribution to the greenhouse effect. Greenfreeze fridges are now widely available and run without the use of HCFCs or HFCs.

(Certain actions taken from 'Go MAD!', published by The Ecologist)