1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. LET'S GO GREEN! PART 2

LET'S GO GREEN! PART 2

Created
December 20, 2021
| Updated
December 20, 2021
|
3
min read
By
Better Nature
Better Nature
Better Nature
A look up into a canopy of tall trees.

The wait is over and the time has come for part two of our ‘Let’s go green!’ mini series! In our previous post we focused on how to go green through food and talked about, for instance, the positive impact of adopting a plant-based diet. (Naturally, our organic tempeh products got a mention, too.) Today, we’re tackling the following sexy topics: electricity, banking and browsing. These might not sound like the most riveting subjects but please bear with us - this trio is actually important and can really help you green up your act ;) Without further ado, let’s get down to it.

A view up at a tree.

1. Switch to a renewable energy provider

Don’t worry, you can have green energy without frantically pedalling for power yourself. For instance, bulb provide their customers with 100% renewable electricity from solar, wind and hydro, and their gas is 100% carbon neutral. Of the gas 10% is green gas produced from renewable sources like food or farm waste. According to Bulb, the average Bulb member saves 3.5 t of CO2 from entering the atmosphere annually. That’s equivalent to planting 1,770 trees. Now, that’s green!

An old-fashioned incandescent light bulb.

Ecotricity, the world’s first green energy supplier, is also worth checking out. Their electricity is 100% green - made from the wind and the sun. On their website Ecotricity states that until they can also provide 100% green gas, they’ll be offsetting the residual carbon emissions by investing in carbon reduction schemes. Both bulb and Ecotricity offset the rest of the gas they supply by supporting carbon reduction projects that are verified by Gold Standard, Verified Carbon Standard, or UNFCCC's Clean Development Mechanism.

2. And while you’re at it, switch banks, too.

DYK that high street banks depend on our money to fund investments in environmentally damaging activities like oil and gas mining, as well as e.g. arms trade? Sounds pretty grim, no? An independent, not-for-profit co-operative Ethical Consumer is calling for the big banks to avoid lending to “problem sectors” such as coal and tobacco, and provide full transparency about who they lend to and why.

A curled up £5 note.

Luckily, there are also better banks out there, so there’s no need to start storing your pounds under the mattress! For instance, Triodos Bank is a certified B Corporation and they don’t invest in any business that is involved in e.g. fossil fuel industry, producing or trading in weapons, tobacco, fur, animal testing, inhumane farming methods or environmentally hazardous substances. Instead, Triodos Bank invests in businesses and projects that provide real social, cultural or environmental benefits. Now that’s more like it!

Can’t wait to get your money moved to an ethical bank? Here’s a link to The Current Account Switch Service that makes switching your current account simple and reliable.

3. Just keep searchin’ and searchin’ and searchin’... And help plant trees by browsing the web with Ecosia

Ecosia is a cool and kind search engine that uses the income generated by search ads to plant trees. Trees and forests are awesome for many reasons, one of them being that they mitigate climate change by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide. More trees, please! Additionally, Ecosia’s servers run on 100% renewable energy, and every search request removes 1kg of CO2 from the atmosphere. Time to download Ecosia both to your mobile and laptop!

A woman with headphones on working on a laptop.

Disclaimer: As mentioned in the first post of the series, the list we’ve compiled is by no means exhaustive and we can’t claim to have perfected all the green moves we discuss in this series. However, we hope you find these tips useful and that they help you achieve your green goals!

all the most popular

Where can we send your [Free] Tempeh Cookbook and our "Better Nature Monthly Newsletter"?
You'll discover new naturally delicious recipes, fun tempeh facts and special offers