What actions could you (in theory) undertake that would improve the ‘sustainability’ of your lifestyle?

What might be preventing you from doing these?
I think for me is the realisation of the time, effort and the space that would be involved in achieving the same outcome, which I normally achieve in a shorter length of time such as travel to work and the university, or buying fresh produce from the local store instead of growing my own.
I’ve managed to make more small improvement around the house to conserve energy and resources. I feel I need to devote more time and effort on to other things, which at the moment are not considered by me.
As I gradually make more contribution towards the environment, I feel it will bring a greater appreciation in me, of the things I actually have at my exposal to use and to extend that by using them more efficiently and effectively.
I’ve made a list of thing that I’ve starting making improvements on and these are:
Around the house
· Turning off electrically items when there not in use.
·Electric kettle I’ve been conscious not to over fill it and only using the amount I need for that moment.
· Switching off appliances when I’m not using them.
· Hanging clothes out to dry in good weather.
· Turning the thermostat down a couple of levels.
· Walking over to the local library.
· Being conscious not to buy access food, which end up being thrown away.
· Lowering the dial down on the hot water cylinder.

Gardening
I’ve looked in to growing vegetables and creating a compost heap.
I’ve managed to help out this summer in my brother’s vegetable garden. I was involved in helping him plant, herbs and vegetables such as coriander, mint, chives, onions, potatoes, courgettes, broccoli, a variety of greens and whole host of other things.
It was a wonderful experience for myself as I had an expert at hand to answer any of my questions, it also provided me with the opportunity to spend some quality time with my brother.
I founded it an excellent learning curb for myself, and a realisation of how much time and effort that is actually involved in maintaining the whole process of growing items, for home consumption. Regardless of how much time and effort it had taken me, I found it so rewarding seeing something I’d actually planted finally come into blossom. I’ve now, started of with just growing some herbs in small pots at the moment I would eventually like to grow more in the future.

Recycling
I seem to be pretty good when it comes to recycling clothing, books newspaper. But when it comes to tins, plastic bottles, vegetable peels I don’t do anything towards that at the moment, but eventually I’d like to have a compost heap at the back of my garden.


Transport
Riding my push bike on country routes and pathway is wonderful, in all sorts of weather it’s fun and exhilarating.
But thinking about riding it on a daily basis to work or to the university, where I’d have to consider taking a change of clothing, lunch, lecture notes, books, it sounds so exhausting. The thought of riding one narrow roads when there’s only enough room for one vehicle and then the consumption of carbon monoxide, doesn’t sound so applying. Then there is the other factor of how long it would take me, it now takes me up to 45 minute and if I was to come by bike, it would probably initially take close to 2 hours, I feel it would end up being a very long day, indeed. The only consolation to that would be I’d be contributing to the environment and also physically be gaining in strength and stamina.