Live Ethically: Teach Yourself

by Mac Bride

Published 29 January 2010

Is this the right book for me?

Live Ethically will clear a path through the minefield of information available on green issues and give you everything you need to know in order to make informed choices about the goods, services and products you use on a daily basis. Designed for anyone who wants to live more responsibly without huge effort or cost, it is a realistic guide to understanding the issues surrounding every area of consumer life, from clothing and food to energy saving and environmentally friendly travel.

Each section explains the pros and cons of every choice we make as householders, then shows the practical steps you can take to make changes that will really have an impact.

Live Ethically includes:

Chapter 1: Basic ethics
What is 'ethical living'?
Making ethical choices
Ethical companies
Environmental issues
Lifetime energy costs and savings
How do you measure up?
The cost of ethical living
The good neighbour

Chapter 2: Energy
Energy sources
Energy use in the home
Space heating
Water heating
Lighting
Invest in the future
Cooking

Chapter 3: Electrical appliances
EU energy labels
Washing machines
Tumble dryers
Dishwashers
Fridges and freezers
Electronic equipment
Computers...
...and printers
How much electricity are you using?
Disposal and recycling

Chapter 4: In the home
Water use
Cleaning
Household waste
Paints and varnishes
Furniture
Floors and floor coverings

Chapter 5: Food and drink
Energy and food production
Food miles
How can I reduce my food miles?
Organic food
Food waste
Reducing your food waste
Food packaging
Fairtrade
Bottled water

Chapter 6: Shopping
Clothes
Gadgets
Gifts
Plastic shopping bags
Ethical retailers and shopping guides

Chapter 7: Money
Banking
Mortgages
Ethical investment

Chapter 8: Motoring
Do you really need your car?
Working with what you've got
Total energy costs
Alternative fuels
Electric (battery) cars
Which car?

Chapter 9: Travel and tourism
Air travel
Tourism

Learn effortlessly with an easy-to-read page design and new added features:

Not got much time?
One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.

Author insights

Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience.

Test yourself
Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.

Extend your knowledge
Extra online articles to give you a richer understanding of how to live ethically.

Five things to remember
Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.

Try this
Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.