There is a lot of news and talk about carbon emissions from cars and ways to save the planet. If you want to help reduce your carbon footprint without swapping your car for a bike why not try these few simple tips:

Drive smoothly - charging around like a boy racer and breaking excessively can use up to 60% more fuel, and you look like an idiot too!

Don't rev the engine - you don't need to and you waste fuel too.

Keep to the speed limit - doing 80mph on the motorway will use between 10 and 15 percent more fuel than keeping to the speed limit (and it is illeagal!). Even driving at 70 mph uses 20-30% more fuel than at 50mph.

Check your tires - not only will this save your life and that of others but it will help reduce your fuel consumption.

Don't use the air conditioning, especially when you don't need to. If you drive at speed with your windows open this also increases drag and fuel consumption.

Take off that top box when it's not needed - the extra drag just uses more fuel.

Ditch the car for that short trip to the shop - you'll feel healthier if you walk, jog or cycle and it help the environment too.

If you're buying a new car why not consider a hybrid or one that will take either biofuel or LPG.

Keep your car in good order and get it serviced regularly. A well tuned engine will be more efficient and save you money too.

For more tips on saving pounds as well as the planet why not check out my site at www.ecoready.info. It really doesn't cost much to save the world.

Waste is a hot subject these days with landfill becoming scarce and most councils opting for fortnightly rubbish collections to try and combat the problem. According to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural affairs the UK produced 335 million tonnes of waste in 2004. Much of the waste we produce could be re-used or recycled, it is simply a case of watching what you put in your bin. Reducing the amount of rubbish we produce also helps the amount of CO2 produced, thereby cutting our carbon footprint dramatically. Here are a few choice tips to help combat our growing waste problem:

Don't use plastic carrier bags; invest in some reusable fabric or hessian ones, or even an old fashioned shopping trolley.

When selecting fruit and veg try to avoid putting things into plastic bags; bananas come in their own packaging after all. If you do need to put your groceries into bags try and use the paper ones that are there for the mushrooms - these can then be recycled.

Don't throw out your old clothes, give them to your local charity shop or jumble sale. If they are beyond wearing why not tear them up and use them as cleaning rags.

Old margarine tubs, yogurt pots and egg boxes are excellent for rainy day craft toys for your kids.

Do a car boot sale or put your old items in the local paper or online. Not only will it go to someone who needs it but you'll make yourself a nice little sum from it too.

You can also use www.freecycle.co.uk to get rid of your unwanted items.

For more great tips and advice on becoming eco-friendly why not check out my site at www.ecoready.info. It lists up to date info on going green as well as some choice 'green' shops to help you in you quest to fight climate change.

Get yourself a composter or wormery; if green matter is simply dumped it is put into landfill where, without adequate sunlight to help it decompose, it turns into methane which is 23 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. If used correctly they do not encourage rats or pests and you will have lots of fresh compost for your garden. If you live in a flat see if your local council or even allotment offers composting facilities.

Avoid using kitchen towel and go for cloths which can be washed instead.

If you eat your lunch in the office why not make your own sandwiches and put them in a sandwich box rather than buying ready made ones in packets. Invest in a mug at work too rather than using plastic cups, especially from water fountains.

This well know herb has a whole range of uses and will dramatically reduce the need for chemicals in your house. Here are just a few things you can do with it:

Make your own anti-bac spray. Use 20 drops of essential oil of lavender to one cup of water and put in a spray bottle. Use as required. Lavender has great antisceptic properties and has greater anti-bacterial properties than the main chemical found in most sprays.

A few drops on cotton wool placed in your wardrobe will help prevent moth damage as well as making your clothes smell gorgeous.

Put a couple of drops into a full bath for a relaxing nights sleep.

Make your own baby oil by adding one drop of lavender oil to 10ml base oil (sweet almond, grapeseed or vitamin E are best). Most baby products contain parfum which is a synthetic fragrance as well as using liquid parafin. For the sake of your little ones skin try to keep things as natural as possible.

A couple of drops of lavender oil on a sugar cube can help reduce a headache.

If you're feeling a little blue put lavender onto a hanky and keep it near. It really will lift your spirits.

A few drops of lavender oil (or lemon balm) on your windows will help stop flies and mosquitoes from entering.

There are so many things you can do with lavender. It doesn't cost the earth and even this little bit can help reduce climate change.

Let me know if you have any lavender tips and call back for some more great eco-friendly tips soon.

Climate change and the environment are hot topics at the moment; are we doing enough to help, how can we help or are all the changes to our ecology nothing more than natural eco-shifts? Well, I say if we do nothing we can only blame ourselves. But if each and everyone of us can make an effort to live a little greener, a little cleaner than it can only help, if only to make our beautiful planet a better place to live in.

Here's a few hot (and easy) tips for today.

Change to energy saving lightbulbs; they're just as cheap as ordinary ones, they'll save you money and they last for ages so once they're in you can forget about them!

Cover your saucepans when boiling water; it'll come to the boil quicker and save energy too.

Don't leave things on standby or mobile phone or MP3 chargers plugged in. It's a simple thing to switch them off and it saves so much energy.

Why not walk to the shop today instead of taking the car? You'll feel better for it as well as helping reduce your carbon footprint.

Have a meat free day; more forests are being cut down for meat production than for anything else.

Re-use your carrier bags or invest in some shopping bags - in the UK we get through between ten and fifteen thousand carrier bags a year, each!

Try to buy eco-friendly cleaning products and organic goods.

Visit my site at www.ecoready.info for more top tips to help in the fight against global warming and great advice on how to go green. It doesn't cost a lot and just imagine what you can save!