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Even if you’re a hardcore environmentalist, you may be surprised by some of the answers. Being green these days is a complicated business. It turns out that almost all human activity can be measured in shades of green: from greenest to not even a little bit green.
If we accept the current global scientific consensus, then each person’s individual contribution to greenhouse gases – in particular, carbon dioxide – needs to be reduced by three-quarters. That means reassessing just about every choice we make in our daily lives . . .
BANANAS
The most popular fruit in Britain, with sales worth £750 million a year, racks up plenty of food miles. But at least bananas are delivered by sea, which is 100 times less polluting than going by air.

Greenest: fairtrade organic bananas
Surely all the food miles, refrigeration and artificial ethylene-ripening involved in banana production mean that the greenest solution is to stop eating them altogether? Not exactly. Thanks to various twists and turns of colonial history, several national economies are now completely dependent on the banana trade. If we stopped buying, what would they do instead? Whatever they decided to do next, it could be a lot less green than growing bananas. So supporting best-practice banana-growing may be a sound ecological investment: and organic production, though tricky, eliminates the heavy use of agrochemicals.
Dark green: fairtrade OR organic bananas
No need for hand-wringing if you can’t find bananas that are both fairtrade and organic: either option is good. Fairtrade bananas soak up lower levels of agrochemicals than standard ones, and are unlikely to have been produced on a destructively large scale. Organic bananas, on the other hand, may not have been fairly traded, but their production will be on a scale that’s more likely to benefit small producers directly.
Not even a little bit green: any old banana
After cotton, bananas are the second most sprayed crop in the world. As well as getting regular doses of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, the bunches are often wrapped in pesticide-coated plastic bags while still on the tree.
Five of the chemicals used on bananas are classified as extremely hazardous by the World Health Organisation, and three orga-nophosphate pesticides are applied that are not approved for use in the UK. On large plantations, which are mostly run by the four corporations that manage 80 per cent of world banana trade, more money is spend on agrochemicals than on workers’ wages.
More information: www.bananalink.org.uk
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I do hope the ignoramuses who disbelieve the evidence for climate change own seashore property and dislike a Mediterranean climate . Let's check back in with them in 20 years, when their houses are being lapped by the sea and their oaks have been replaced by olives.
Ralph Woodman, Stoke Newington, England
Jumping in a river and having a go at the nether regions is a great way to spread E-coli bacteria in the environment to sicken the poor bloke down stream whoâs trying his green best to have a hypothermically green wash up himself. I suggest using an organic chicken as a scrub brush and bathing in the deepest pot hole puddle you can find in the middle of your road. That way all your neighbors will turn off their TVâs and have a gander at your sorry green self having a washing up. And you will be a self satisfied prig with a pre-tenderized chicken and neighbors who all know how smart, wise and caring you are about our planet.
James Fox, Bellingham, USA / Washington State
This problem would be so easily solved if we would all just die and quit bespoiling the planet.
Kate Rafferty, Santa Ynez, USA
Oh we could just grow up and admit the the whole problem is caused by our willfully uncontrolled breeding and finally take responsibility and limit the number of babies we have.
Thalia, London,
@ Andy Sherlow, London, Britain, what qualifications do you have?
Are you dependant on fat governmennt grants? Or do you not have the capacity to educate yourself beyond the fevered rantings of a deeply flawed green manifesto who's main goal is to halt 3rd world development?
DannyJ, England, UK
So, Terry you do not accept the global scientific consensus?
Good for you. And keep up the good fight against this so called gravity.
Seriously though, Ignore the facts and evidence established from research and peer evaluation and... and what? What is the alternative to fact and scientific based study?
Irwin Fletcher, London,
Reducing waste and pollution is common sense and should always be encouraged. Anthropogenic global warming, however, is utter nonsense.
Don, Phoenix,
They keep changing the information due to the 'divide and rule' theory of population control. Keep the public talking about the minor details and they won't spend their time picking holes in the whole misguided idea that we can somehow change earths weather. I liken modern 'greens' to the rain dancers of olden days.
Andrew, Belfast,
scientists who 'agree' with the man-made global-warming
scam are making a lot of money off government grants,
AlGore made $100 million off his scamumentary....
Follow the money and you'll see why this is promoted so
heavily!
Jerry, Miami, USA
" "If we accept the current global scientific consensus..."
I don't."
Great to see such stalwart confidence in one's own opinion.
Who needs an overwhelming weight of evidence, in a huge spread of disciplines, from independent scientists around the world, anyway? Trusty old 'Bah, humbug!' attitude is the only reasonable way forward..... right, Ms Korkham?
Reasonable Sceptic, Boston,
Actually, air travel produces less pollution than boats when you work out how much fuel a boat burns per mile, compared to a plane.
Why is it all these eco scare mongers keep changing the facts when it suits there needs?
Gary, Rochester,
Re the comment by Terry Korkham, exactly!
Sceptic, Devon, UK
Re: baths v showers, if you leave the bath full, you can use the bathwater to fill up the toilet cistern rather than wasting it down the drain.
Fuchsia, Leeds, UK
None of the above is relevent unless human population is considered.
wayne, huntingdon, cambs
Ms Korkham says 'If we accept the current global scientific consensus.., I don't.'
Yes - but what qualifications do you have and what evidence have you amassed which is superior to that of the UN's IPCC?
Meanwhile, the UK chugs along on diesel trains while the rest of Europe have all electric train networks.
The UK has 3%-4% renewable energy, Sweden and Austria are on 50% renewable and the EU as a whole, 14%.
Local councils in the UK recycle 35% of waste, and in Scandinavia the figure is over 80%.
So not only is your reader unqualified compared to the IPCC scientists and to policy makers in the rest of the EU, but the UK government, the Civil Service and the UK media owners are also evidently unqualified .
Andy Sherlow, London, Britain
"After cotton, bananas are the second most sprayed crop in the world."
Does that mean they are the third most sprayed crop in the world?
Ellyssa, London,
"If we accept the current global scientific consensus..."
I don't.
Terry Korkham (Ms), Glasgow,