Green Chain Interview

This was posted yesterday, but I removed it when some difficulty arose with contacting green Chain. As the firm have been very prompt and helpful in resolving the issue, Iam very pleased to reinstate it.
Turning the heating down by just one degree in your house saves 240kg of CO2 a year. It would take eight trees to soak up this amount of CO2! Are you currently doing anything to make your home eco-friendly?

We draught-proofed and insulated as far as you can in an old house, and have the thermostat turned down as low as we can bear it.

- Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface, now they only cover 2%. How are you reducing your use of paper?

Working on-line saves paper, though I do wonder about our electricity consumption! In addition we re-use and recycle as much as possible. For instance I shred sensitive documents and add them to the compost heap.

- At PriceMinister we believe that trading second hand items online is a great way to extend the life span of products. Have you ever thought of buying or selling second hand items on or off line?

I buy a lot of second hand books! both on-line and off line. I think ourfirst flat was almost entirely furnished from auctions, but that's not so easy now, as we'd have to travel much further. Apart from books (where I know what I'm getting)I'd be less happy to buy second hand on-line. I like to look things over first.

- One of the biggest environmental challenges we face is Freshwater Shortages. Are you taking measures to reduce your water consumption?

We use a low-consumption shower and toilet, don't have a dishwasher and don't run the washing machine unless it's full. In this area we don't need to water the garden much, but I do plant with an eye to making best use of the rain we get, rather than allowing it to run-off into the drains and create flood risks.
- How do you choose the produce that goes into your shopping basket? (any favorite products?)

In order of priorities, I try to shop fo
fair trade (this includes British goods - farmers' markets give producers a much better deal than supermarkets)
fresh
seasonal
local
organic. Organic is a complicated one, and I'm not consistent. I am aware of many high quality producers who do the work but can't be bothered with the hassle of certification. It's always worth checking out organic suppliers though, as those who care enough to go organic often also care about animal welfare, working conditions and community involvement. I'd recommend farmers'markets, but don't want to single out any one product.

- What is your favourite green space near home? (a photo would be great!)
Apart from my garden - which gets a fair amount of exposure on this blog already - I like this

It looks towards the Ochil Hills. It's always lovely.


- Which charity would you like to support and why?

I'd like to support Trees for Cities. Apart from the environmental benefits of greening up urban areas, it's important to remember that most of us live in cities. Green movements often focus on the countryside, but negative attitudes towards towns will only alienate those who live there. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
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If any bloggers would like to take part in this challenge, and raise money for one of PriceMinister's three designated environmental charities, please let me know, and I'll tag you.








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