STEPHEN LEWIS finds out how to save the planet in 52 easy steps.

saving the planet always seems a little daunting to put on one of those lists of things you want to do before you're 50 (or 60, or 70).

We all sometimes do things we know we shouldn't - like driving to work when we could walk; leaving the telly on standby; buying ready-washed salad leaves in little plastic wrappers; and chucking out rubbish we should really be recycling.

But the world can seem so overwhelmingly big, and ourselves such an overwhelmingly small part of it, that it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking nothing we do will have much effect.

According to the authors of a handy new guide to saving the world, however, now is the time to change our way of thinking.

Because if we don't, the kind of catastrophic climatic changes that feature in forthcoming disaster epic The Day After Tomorrow might soon become all too real. Fancy a tidal wave sweeping up the River Ouse and laying waste the whole of York, anyone?

Apocalyptic, maybe. "(But) too many people are living the kind of lives that mean time is running out for the world, unless we change our ways and soon," say Allan Shepherd and Caroline Oakley in the introduction to their engaging little book, 52 Weeks To Change Your World.

You may think you can't make a difference - but that's not true, say Allan and Caroline. "Not everyone can become the leader of a G8 nation, but we can all make a difference. Little changes made by lots of people can add up to a big improvement in environmental conditions."

The principle Allan and Caroline adopt is simple: if a task is so big it seems overwhelming, break it down into bite-sized pieces and it will seem far more possible.

That is exactly what they have done in their book, setting out "weekly suggestions for changes big and small, simple and tricky, that you can make to improve the Earth's balance of payments".

Start small in your first week and work up to something more radical by the end of the year, is the general idea.

The book starts with the simple (change to energy-saving light bulbs) and ends with the ambitious (become President of the United States, sign up to the Kyoto agreement and commit every US citizen to reducing their carbon emissions).

"Bit of a tough week, this one," the authors admit cheekily of their Week 52 task. But, since Americans produce more carbon emissions per person than any other nationality on the planet, if you were to succeed, you really could make a difference.

The whole point, however, is that you don't have to become US president to change things for the better. Allan and Caroline's book, commissioned by Aveda and written with the help of the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), has plenty of practical suggestions you can adopt to make the world a healthier, greener place.

They include:

Week Two - Get out the garden bench. When buying garden furniture (or anything else made of wood) look for eco-labels that guarantee the wood comes from sustainable forests. The best to look for is the fsc (Forestry Stewardship Council) logo - check out the www.fsc-uk.info website if you can't find anything in your local garden centre or DIY store.

Week Four - Set up your own sustainable water supply. A rainwater butt is cheap and easy - and you'll have plenty of water for the garden even during the strictest hosepipe ban.

Week Seven - Plant a plant. We're not talking your own mini Eden Project here, but what about replacing that concrete patio with easy-to-maintain border plants? Plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen - and every little helps. And if you haven't got a garden, what about a Green Roof? CAT has a turf roof tipsheet, see www.ecobooks.co.uk

Week 15 - Join the Woodland Trust (www.woodland-trust.org.uk or 01476 581135) and help protect the UK's remaining woodland.

Week 18 - Launder your cash. Ethical finance is about directing your savings towards companies whose activities have a positive, rather than negative, impact on the environment. Speak to an independent financial advisor approved by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), or check online with the Ethical Investors Group at www.ethicalinvestors.co.uk.

Week 35 - Dump the disposable diaper. Not easy, the authors admit, for busy mums juggling home and work. But while disposables might be time savers, they're not great for the environment. Eight million are thrown into British bins every day.

The good news is, real nappies will save you money, too. for more advice phone the Nappy Line on 01983 401959.

52 Weeks To Change Your World, by Allan Shepherd and Caroline Oakley, is published by the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) on May 29 (the day after the opening of The Day After Tomorrow). You can order your copy now, priced £4.99 plus £1 P&P, from the CAT mail order line, tel 01654 705959.

Updated: 09:23 Thursday, May 20, 2004