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Have you ever thought about how far the contents of your supermarket basket have travelled to get to you, how this impacts on our planet’s systems? It's no secret that climate change is caused by our over-dependence on fossil fuels...so what can we do about it? This is an album with a difference; YOU get the chance to find out how YOUR personal shopping choices are affecting the climate. How addicted to fossil fuels are you? Using the interactive video feature, start off on track 2 and follow the easy instructions at the end of each of the next 12 tracks. You may be surprised! Video tracks 14-17 visit an eco-house with a compostable toilet and a green community in Hockerton. Audio tracks 18-20 explore the microscopic activity inside a compost heap, debate the role of blood sports for pest control, and give tips on how to write about science. This material is from The Open University Course Y161 Introducing environment.
Track 9: Reusable plastic bags
Reusable bags prevent 50,000 plastic bags ending up in landfills.
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Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introducing environment | A short introduction to the album. Play now Introducing environment |
| 2 | Unseen impacts | Find out more about the consequences of the way you shop. Play now Unseen impacts |
| 3 | Shopping by car | Short car journeys are the most environmentally damaging, yet a quarter of journeys are less than 2 miles. Play now Shopping by car |
| 4 | Shopping by bus | The more people replace car journeys with buses, the more eco- friendly buses become. Play now Shopping by bus |
| 5 | Shopping on foot | Choosing to walk, over fossil-fuelled transport, makes a real difference. Play now Shopping on foot |
| 6 | Imported food | Some foods have travelled further in their lifetime than you! Play now Imported food |
| 7 | Local food | Reduce the distance your food travels by buying food from local sources. Play now Local food |
| 8 | Disposable bags | The shocking facts about the ubiquitous plastic carrier bag. Play now Disposable bags |
| 9 | Reusable plastic bags | Reusable bags prevent 50,000 plastic bags ending up in landfills. Play now Reusable plastic bags |
| 10 | Fabric bags | How fabric bags could replace the 8 million plastic bags we manufacture every year. Play now Fabric bags |
| 11 | Your Co2 emissions from shopping: High | High-carbon shopping habits are taking a heavy toll on the environment. Play now Your Co2 emissions from shopping: High |
| 12 | Your Co2 emissions from shopping: Medium | How best intentions are often undermined by the pressures of modern living. Play now Your Co2 emissions from shopping: Medium |
| 13 | Your Co2 emissions from shopping: Low | How to reduce your fossil fuel use; it isn't easy but can be very rewarding. Play now Your Co2 emissions from shopping: Low |
| 14 | Greening social housing | A look at the council's plans to improve the energy efficiency of council homes. Play now Greening social housing |
| 15 | No ordinary house? | A conventional -looking home is a cutting-edge example of self-sufficient living. Play now No ordinary house? |
| 16 | Selling the green dream | Developers can build eco-houses, but who buys them? Play now Selling the green dream |
| 17 | The green pioneers | What it's like to live in the innovative Hockerton settlement. Play now The green pioneers |
| 18 | Garden gold | The exciting microscopic world of the garden compost heap. Play now Garden gold |
| 19 | Tackling writing | A scientist gives his personal tips on writing essays on scientific subjects. Play now Tackling writing |
| 20 | Red grouse debate | Differing views about land management through blood sports. Play now Red grouse debate |
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