Sarah Gaunt Little actions make a big difference…….

I have grown up being very used to using public transport, cycling and walking a lot as my parents made a long term choice to live without a car.  I have never regretted their choice, as although I am now learning to drive and will probably invest in a car sometime in the future, I will not rely on this as the only available form of transport, especially when it comes to shorter more direct journeys and will always enjoy cycling and walking whenever I can!  At the moment I cycle to and from work nearly every day, and as this not only a great form of exercise, it is also a carbon free means of transport and quicker than travelling by car stuck in rush hour traffic!!  Because of this major lifestyle choice and the fact that I don’t use a huge amount of energy at home, I have for a long time felt I live a fairly low carbon lifestyle.

However, I have recently become more aware of the environmental impact I have due to the food and other consumer items I buy.  From excess packaging, to food miles and products that have a high energy consumption, I am beginning to realise that the seemingly small choices I make such as whether to replace items when they break rather then repair them, whether to buy fruit and vegetable that has been flown from the ends of the earth or whether to buy a pack of apples wrapped in 3 layers of packaging.