The resources available are endless, so of course this list is not exhaustive. I have found these helpful over the years, and as a starting point for your own research. The book links are for info and reference, I don’t have any kickback from them.

Websites

  • Energy Saving Trust – an independent organisation, working to address the climate emergency as a respected and trusted voice on energy efficiency and clean energy solutions.
  • Home Thoughts from a Blog – started in 2018 noting down my own early steps at reducing the plastic waste generated by my household, but expanding into other eco issues. Very ad hoc!
  • The Royal Society – the voice of UK scientific consensus. Lots of information here, on my study list.
  • Skeptical Science – a place to examine and understand the scientific perspective on the arguments from climate change skepticism. Lots of information!
  • Best Ethical Banks – consider where you put your money. The big banks invest in areas you may not want to support.
  • Carbon footprint calculators – I recommend using more than one, because they often measure different things. Two I’ve found useful are: Carbon Calculator – this one is quite thorough, though I am not convinced about ‘carbon offsetting’. You can do the calculation without signing up to their offsetting projects. You can also save your information, and go back and edit it when you make changes to your lifestyle. WWF Carbon Footprint – this one is a bit more simplistic, but includes lifestyle factors and gives a useful pie chart of your results. Also how it compares with the rest of the UK and the world average.
  • Transition towns – this is a charity to support towns that want to transition towards a more sustainable lifestyle and infrastructure, in communities around the world.
  • World Hunger: 10 Myths – a summary of the 2015 book into how ‘the system’ keeps us bound and enthralled to the current inequities of food distribution. Hunger is not caused by simple scarcity – that’s the biggest surprise.
  • Eco-Church – a site from A Rocha with an audit and resources to help churches discover and address their impact on the environment, for people who think Christians should be part of the solution. Supported by the Church of England, Methodists, URC, Christian Aid, and Tear Fund.
  • The Centre for Alternative Technology – established leaders in alternative technology, for decades. They run courses in Wales, and publish a blog.

Books

  • There is No Planet ‘B’ – a thorough look at the various options for reducing carbon output globally, including a sense of relative value and difficulty, and ideas for individual action. Published 2019.
  • Home Ecology – this is quite dated now, but if you’re new to reducing the environmental impact of your home (such as using fewer chemicals and throwing less away) this is a good starting point.
  • Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger – a challenge to share our relative wealth in a proportional way, written when most people in the UK were generally less well off materially than now.
  • Small is Beautiful: Economics as if people mattered – an inspiring and practical classic, I would love to see this re-written with the modern age in mind. First published in the 70s.

Online groups

I’ve had a lot of valuable input about reducing plastic, inspiring and informative. There are dozens of others, I’m sure!

  • Plastic-less Living [Plastic-less Lent] – started for Lent 2018 after the David Attenborough film that has made more people aware of the plastic problem
  • Nuneaton Crips Packet Recycling (and more) – the page for managing the Terracycle recycling point in Nuneaton, with help and information about the bin ‘open days’ (the new Covid-safe approach)