How big is your carbon footprint?

All this talk of environmental impact earlier in the week has had me scouting the web for info and assessing my own 'size nines' environmentally speaking that is (7's in human shoes ;) ).

I am a designer and as such am beginning to build a source book of environmentally sounds suppliers and products, it's hard (all suggestions welcome).

It is naive to think there will be no impact or that it will always be possible to avoid less sound products. In my first design career (graphics), some moons ago, I did refuse to work on a BAE account for ethical reasons, but is it realistic to imagine I have that luxury now, as a self employed garden designer?

It strikes me that putting my money where my mouth is is a good start and so evaluating my own carbon impact is where I am starting.

The Government has ACTONCO2, a page to help me as an individual lower my contribution to polluting the world. I am already an obsessive light turn-er off-er and the heating is on so little and so low it often might as well not be on ( is this a false economy?) I attempt to grow some of my own veg/fruit, try not to print what I can read online, shred and compost most private papers, compost food waste, recycle with the council scheme, paper, cardboard and plastic, recycle with Tesco glass and clothing. I sell whatever I can or give away what is left. The local dump, sorry recycling center, gets only the items that I simply cannot find a home for. I visit maybe once every two years! Then there is showering not bathing, walking to town because I live close. The car is room for improvement.

But maybe that's not enough?

I could green my business too according to http://smallhomebusiness.suite101.com. Although this is mostly the same as Greening my home

Then of I get into the realms of those who begin to assess natural products - somehow always assumed to be 'better' - with impact of producing all products AND what happens at the end of their life. They call it Eco Design. Not convinced yet, but still investigating....

More to come