GoodLiving Tips

My name is Russell Davis and I live in London with my wife Bevan, our son Ewan and our dog Barney. We are not environmental or ethical experts just people wanting to live without damaging the environment or other people.

The aim of this site is to provide a fresh, uncluttered, easy to navigate source of tried and tested ideas on how to live a more environmentally friendly and ethical life. It is not a shopping site, it is just a site to share tips and inspire people to try new ways of being ethical/environmentally friendly. I have provided some links to sites where the products discussed can be bought but this is to provide more information on the product and provide an idea of where they can be bought and the price.

All the ideas have been tried and tested in our life and some are provided by readers who use them in their own lives. They are all achievable and do not require you to live in a hole in the ground and wear nothing but hemp! (although there is nothing wrong with either of these, my wife would love to live in a hole in the ground!).

People talk about the 3 R's when it comes to being environmentally friendly, I would like to add a 4th to think about being ethical:

Reduce - reduce the amount we use. Use less, buy less. Ask ourselves do we really need it before buying it. Let's reduce the use of materials that are not biodegradable or pollute our land.

Reuse - can we re-use an item instead of throwing it away? Can someone else re-use it? There are plenty of tips on how to do this on the site.

Recycle - instead of throwing something in the bin to end up in landfill can we recycle it through door collection schemes or the local recycling centre?

Respect - this is the one I have added. I think everyone deserves respect and this includes people all around the world who make our goods and grow our food. Let's ensure when we buy things they are getting a fair wage from it.

So why bother living a more environmentally friendly and ethical lifestyle?

It can save you money - reusing instead of buying more. Organic products in my experience cost more but last far longer so are cheaper in the long-run.

I think it makes you happier. I believe we were made to be living in harmony with the earth and each other. We are part of creation and when we are living in harmony with it and not destroying it then if effects us for the better. There is this 'feel good' factor.

Organic food not only is good for the environment but is tastes far far better and is better for you. Do you really want all the chemicals they treat food with in you?

Feedback on the site would be gratefully received as would any other ideas that you have tried and tested. Please contact me using the email link above.