50 things to do to change the world to a better place!

50 ways to make the world a nicer place; [3 STAR Edition]
RYAN PARRY and WILFRED FROST. The Daily Mirror. London (UK): Oct 1, 2004. pg. 6

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People:
Harvey, Eugenie
Author(s):
RYAN PARRY and WILFRED FROST
Section:
Features
Publication title:
The Daily Mirror. London (UK): Oct 1, 2004. pg. 6
Source type:
Newspaper
ProQuest document ID:
703541241
Text Word Count
1314
Document URL:
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=703541241&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=17206&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Abstract (Document Summary)
6 REFUSE plastic bags wherever possible. Every person in the UK uses up to 134 plastic bags every year, a total of eight billion bags that sit idle in huge land-fill sites.
16 TURN off appliances at the mains. If everyone in the UK turned off their TV overnight it would save enough energy to floodlight 250,000 Premiership football matches.
17 RECYCLE your mobile phone. There are 15 million mobiles replaced in the UK every year which equates to 1,500 tonnes of landfill.

Full Text (1314 words)
(Copyright 2004 MGN LTD)
DO you smile every day, have a bath with your partner or drink from mugs rather than plastic cups?
If so, you are making the world a better place. A new book claims there are at least 50 ways to make the planet a better place - for less than a fiver. And the writer spreading the word on how to improve our lives is Eugenie Harvey.
Eugenie wrote the book after becoming frustrated and unfulfilled in her job as a financial PR.
Here's how you can make a difference:

1 WRITE to someone who inspired you. Praising someone for doing something great will act to encourage them to do it more. Eugenie's provides a postcard to do just that.

2 GIVE your number to five people in your street -- being friendly to your neighbours creates a better atmosphere. Helpfully the book provides five "I'm your neighbour" slips.
3 CHEW less gum. We spend about pounds 150 million a year cleaning chewing gum off
the streets in the UK. A point illustrated in the book with two pages stuck together by gum.
4 PLANT a Christmas tree - they suck in carbon dioxide and pump out oxygen. A shocking 33 foot
ball pitches of trees are cut down every minute worldwide. The book includes a packet of five Scots Pine seeds that will grow you a Christmas tree for 2012.
5 LEARN to be friendly in a foreign language - our schools are home to over 300 languages. Eugenie's book helpfully provides a table listing greetings in several different languages.
6 REFUSE plastic bags wherever possible. Every person in the UK uses up to 134 plastic bags every year, a total of eight billion bags that sit idle in huge land-fill sites.
7 READ a story to a child - remember how your imagination was captivated as a kid. It's your turn to pass on that feeling.
8 FIT at least one energy-saving light bulb. If every British household fitted just three bulbs, enough energy would be saved to supply the entire country's urban lighting.
9 LEARN basic first aid - it can take just four minutes for someone with a blocked airway to die, but eight minutes for an ambulance crew to arrive. You could save a life.
10 SMILE and smile back. It takes half as many muscles to smile as to frown and it makes you and others feel twice as good.
11GO by public transport. A double-decker bus carries the same number of people as 40 cars. And it's going there anyway.
12HAVE a bath with someone you love. An average bath uses 65 litres of water, that's 65 litres saved.
13 IF it says 30mph, DO 30 mph - driving at 35 mph you are TWICE as likely to kill someone you hit as at 30 mph.
14 TURN your thermostat down by one degree. You'll cut an average of pounds 25 a year off your heating bills and do wonders for the environment.
15 GET fitter, feel better. Obesity is a huge problem, try walking more, take the stairs, not the lift.
16 TURN off appliances at the mains. If everyone in the UK turned off their TV overnight it would save enough energy to floodlight 250,000 Premiership football matches.
17 RECYCLE your mobile phone. There are 15 million mobiles replaced in the UK every year which equates to 1,500 tonnes of landfill.
18 SPEND time with someone older - people from a different generation know stuff you don't.
19REGISTER online as an organ donor. Nearly 400 people died Last year while waiting for a transplant. Register now at www.uktransplant.org.uk
20 GIVE your change to charity. If everyone in the UK donated 1p a week millions a year would go to good causes.
21WATCH less TV - only turn on the set when you KNOW what it is that you want to watch.
22 LEARN at least one good joke. Laughing tones your stomach, lowers your blood pressure and makes you healthier.
23 TURN off unnecessary lights. An office lit up all night wastes enough energy to make 1,000 cups of tea.
24 FIND out how your money is invested - your pension could be funding the arms industry.
25 USE your will to good effect. If you don't make one, the government can unduly tax anything your loved ones will get.
26 HAVE more meals together. Research suggests children who have meals
with their parents are less likely to suffer from anxiety or stress.
27 USE a mug not a plastic cup. Every year more than six billion plastic, polystyrene and paper cups are used, few of these are recycled.
28 GIVE blood. Nearly 2.5 million pints of blood are
used in England alone every year and only six per cent of the UK population who are eligible to give blood currently do so.
29 PAY more when you buy at a charity shop.
30 SEIZE the moment. Be inspirational to those around you by setting a good example and encouraging others.
31RECYCLE your computer. When you upgrade, contact www.computer- aid.org and www.tfs.org.uk who will find a home for your old machine in a Third World country.
32 BAKE something for a friend. A gift that has involved your time will mean so much more to them.
33 TURN off the tap while brushing your teeth. Leaving the tap on wastes thousands of litres of water every year.
34 DO something you think you can't do. You don't know if you will be bad at something until you have tried it.
35 RECYCLE your books. Share them or give them away. A used book is just as good as a new one and you'll save some paper.
36 BUY fairly traded products - Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.
37TAKE time to listen - do not try to solve someone's problems, just let them share their troubles with you.
38 LET at least one car in on every journey. Reduce road rage by allowing others to go in front of you.
39 DON'T overfill your kettle. Using only the water you need saves water and electricity.
40 JOIN something. Get together in a group or club with others. A list of clubs can be found in the book.
41 SHOP locally. They need your custom to survive.
42 HUG someone. Loved ones want to be touched and held, so extend this love to more people.
43 RECYCLE your specs - 200 million people around the world need glasses every year, but most can't afford them.
44 GROW something with a child - it will bring the child and you a sense of achievement and take their attention away from the TV and the PlayStation.
45 REPORT dumped rubbish to your council - it is obliged to clear up unwanted rubbish. Visit www.tagish.co.uk to get your local council's number.
46 USE both sides of every piece of paper. Over 350 million trees are cut down every year for the paper used in UK offices alone.
47 PASS this copy of the Daily Mirror on to others - this will allow everyone to do the things we suggest.
48 SEND the author an action - what would you like a million people to do, let her know so she can share your thoughts with others.
49 LEARN more, do more. Spread the ideas you think are worthwhile, both by carrying them out and telling others about them.
50 DO something for nothing. Helping people or organi sations near you in your spare time will give great satisfaction.
CHANGE the World For A Fiver is on sale in bookstores, surprisingly, at pounds 5.