Environmental issues continued to hit the headlines last year. From raging forest fires in Australia and California to record rainfall and flooding in the UK, the effects of climate change were visible around the world. On the political front, 2009 saw world leaders gather in Copenhagen for a UN summit on climate change. Although an agreement was reached, it set low targets and failed to create legally bind ...

Everyone’s favourite Mr Darcy, actor Colin Firth is all action when it comes to spreading the eco message. Women around the world fell for Colin Firth’s quintessentially English (and wet-shirted) charms when he starred as Mr Darcy in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Similar roles in, among others, the hugely popular Bridget Jones films followed, but Colin is far more than the film ...

What further environmental damage will we see in five, 10, even 50 years' time? Rob Holdway looks ahead In five years Climate change The next five years will be crucial in our battle with climate change. Even with large and early cuts in emissions (3% per year starting in 2010) projections indicate that temperatures are likely to rise by around 2˚C by the end of this century with devastating impact on land ...

Green products and gadgets are becoming increasingly popular. Here we reveal Rob Holdway's favourite picks for the home and office 1) Ecover Product: Non Biological Ecological Washing Powder Green claims: Ecover strives to provide effective, sustainable solutions for people's hygienic needs, Tough on dirt, easy on your clothes, Fast and complete biodegradability, Plant- and mineral-based ingredients, No enz ...

It's very politically correct to buy organic food but is it the right thing to do? Rob Holdway tells us how to go organic the right way Supermarkets have embraced the organic food market in recent years. Most now have separate organic fruit and veg sections, selling produce that looks exactly the same as bog standard fare - but costs more and is apparently better for you. But is it? For many of us, the week ...

Are you doing your bit for the environment at work? Here's how you can make a difference Eco-pressure seems to focus on making householders feel guilty, but what about business? Around 40% of UK greenhouse gas emissions come from businesses and it's these emissions that are responsible for climate change. Every day it becomes more expensive for companies to operate in the UK. Rising energy and water bills a ...

How well are we recycling in the UK and could we do better? A massive seventy percent of every single thing that comes into our home can be recycled. However, we only recycle one-third. The recycling process conserves natural resources and uses less energy than manufacturing brand new products. UK recycling rates in the UK at the moment are equivalent to taking five million cars off the road and only 30% of ...

Rob Holdway explains why we might be too clean for our own good.. It's bad enough having to do the cleaning without feeling horrendously guilty every time you wash bubbles down the sink or wipe a cloth round the bath using chemical-laden toxic products. But you can't leave your home to grow mould and smell like a cat's litter tray, so how can you have a sparkling home and still feel good about it? Rob expla ...

Find out how four people coped with the ultimate challenge: surviving on a man-made dumpsite for three weeks Aimed to highlight the Uk's mountain of waste, Channel 4 show Dumped, presented by Rob Holdway, put 11 people to the test in a three-week challenge to live on a dumpsite. The programme was filmed at the Beddington Farm landfill and recycling site, near Croydon. Ranging in age from their teens to thei ...

Our modern lifestyles can be hard work for the planet and we're often made to feel guilty for everything we do. With eco-pressure on the increase from politicians and the media, even simple tasks like deciding what to feed the family and how to travel to work can feel like a green minefield. This issue of at home will dispel many environmental myths and reveal the truth behind the green headlines. It will a ...