20 ways to green up your life in 2009: #1-5

Whether or not you go in for new year's resolutions, making changes to help slow the pace of climate change is now a matter of urgency, and one we all need to take more seriously by the year. And however good your green intentions may be, everyone has areas of weakness, so the season of self-denial is a good time to take a look at where you could improve your lifestyle and make it greener.

Between now and the end of January, I'll be compiling a list of ways to be greener, giving tips on how to make the transition as painless as possible in each case. They're all changes that even the laziest among us can make with a bit of practice, and that can make momentous changes to our collective plight when made by enough responsible individuals.

Read on after the jump for resolutions 1 to 5

1. Turn off anything you're not using

...and that means everything. No leaving the light or radio on in a spare room you might happen to wander into in an hour or two (guilty here); no keeping the computer on while you go out for a walk, no leaving the TV on standby overnight (despite the fact that the newer and flashier ones seem to be designed to force you to do this without risk of injury). It all has to go off. If you're the sort of person who gets a geeky thrill out of seeing the numbers go down as you settle into this routine, buy an energy meter - it'll make you so much more aware of how much energy and cash you're wasting through laziness.

2. Wrap up warm at home

I was ill over Christmas, and was encouraged by others to revert to what I saw as a rather slovenly teenaged habit and bed down on the sofa with a duvet. Two weeks later, I'm not ashamed to say I haven't moved said duvet, as it's making nights in a whole lot more energy-efficient as I don't even need the heating on once I'm tucked up. As to what you do once you're swaddled in blankets - that's your call. I've been catching up on episodes of The Wire. More generally, take advantage of those winter woolies that kindly relatives have sent your way and turn down that central heating - even if only by a degree.

3. Buy less crap

I don't know about you, but after the season of good will and Christmas shopping I'm starting to get palpitations every time I hear the beep of a shop till now. There's nothing like Christmas to spell out to us how much stuff we buy that we don't need, so take advantage of that reaction and pledge not to buy anything on impulse for a period of time. You might just get into the habit. This will help slow down the growing mountain of textile waste currently estimated at over 1 million tonnes in the UK (if you're a fashion victim) and the same amount again of e-waste if you're a gadget freak. If you're unsure what constitutes 'crap' and what you actually need, sit down and make a list.

4. Give bottled water the boot

Now is the time to take action on the most wasteful and pointless product ever invented: bottled water! I can't believe that it's still necessary to specify that you want tap water in restaurants following a very strong campaign in the summer, but sadly, it is. Make sure you get the message across loud and clear to waiting staff, and be rude about it if necessary! Depending, of course, on how willing you are to have your drink potentially tainted with saliva...

5. Grow your own

If you've never grown your own fruit and veg before, now may be the time to start. For those without a garden, you might want to look in to finding an allotment in your area, while those lucky enough to have a bit of land can start experimenting soon with broad beans, potatoes and other early sowing veg. January is a great time to start preparing lots of compost for the season ahead, so why not create a worm farm to produce liquid feed?

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