With the wind the United Kingdom has been having lately my mind turned to my great hero, Ebenezer Scrooge, who invested in heavy curtains to keep out the draughts and the ghosts. Why my mind went there I have no idea, but it did prompt me to look at using curtains to cut down on heat loss through draughty doors and windows.

For years the material used has been made from heavy cottons that are responsible for a third of the worlds use of harmful chemicals and man made fertilisers, bad not only for the environment, the farmers and workers but for the consumer. The cotton, treated with chemicals to whiten the fabric, breaks down over time giving off harmful vapours into our homes and workplaces.

However, there are a number of companies who now produce organic cotton material with stabilised natural colour prints. These really do make a difference from the organic cottons of just five years ago when the shades available were off white or oat meal. Have a look at www.householdandgardenaddresses.co.uk for some ideas or the established designer Emily Todhunter who has branched out into organic hemp for a thicker, soft alternative. www.todhunterearle.com Another lead is the company that produces luxurious fabrics in a non-toxic, ethical and sustainable way by the community businesses they support, Ecotextiles. www.ecotextiles.com

Not wanting to buy new then there are a number of agencies who have a curtain exchange service so you can go on line or visit the shop and pick up good quality, second hand curtains. www.thecurtainexchange.co.uk And for those in search of something different there is also the vintage curtains flooding in from Eastern Europe to be found on ebay (just make sure you know what you are buying so there are no surprises) or www.countryhouseantiquetextiles.co.uk

What ever you choose, by stopping heat loss at dusk through uncovered doors and windows you will bring heating costs down, thus helping reduce your carbon footprint whilst keeping the family cosy too.

I have just come across a web site today telling of a trip through Europe to Timbuktu in a pick up fuelled with chocolate diesel…how cool is that!  I know Valentine is close by but I am off to buy up stock of this wonderful bio-fuel.  Please have a look at the site www.biotruck.co.uk and have a smile at such a great way of supporting the need for bio-fuels made from waste products instead of cutting down forest to grow fuel crops…madness in it self when so many are going hungry in the world.  I know what to buy this Valentine!  Ouch where did that brick come from????

Rather than a box of soaps for your birthday from the family next year, how about a pair of ducks?  They will be great companions, produce rich flavoured eggs for many years and are happy to eat the kitchen scraps.  My troop of ten, reared from chicks save after a road accident, helped me in a walled garden keep slugs at bay and the visitors entertained with their aerial shows.  Have a look at www.omlet.co.uk and www.waterfoul.org.uk for advice on keeping ducks that do not need much space but do need somewhere to sleep at night away from cats and foxes.

Work out your carbon footprint with a visit to www.sust-it.net where easy online calculators show how big your footprint is and, like the BBC web based children’s carbon footprint site, is fun to use.  Just one word of warning…set a period of time you want to spend on the sites, as they are addictive which does not help reduce the carbon footprint!