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 My book has a new title. It's gone from Snails In My Handbag to How Green Are My Wellies. What do you think? I like the word wellies, so I'm happy. These ones on the left, by the way, are the much talked about Ilse Jacobsen wellies, officially called 'lace up winter rubber rain boots', which is rather overegging the pudding. I think wellies works just fine.
  Here are the good people at We Are What We Do swapping plastic bags for the cloth variety. They recycled the plastic ones and helped to repack shopping in one of their stylish Plastic Aint My Bags.
 Then order one of these. If you read this, you'll know that not all eco bags are made equal, but this one is a goodie. You don't get any better than an organic, Fairtrade version made by leading organic company Bishopston Trading for the London restaurant St John Bread and Wine that pioneered the "nose to tail" approach to meat consumption. All round a worthwhile purchase. And a good Christmas present for the tricky-to-buy men in your life that like meat, come to think of it.
 As I’ve mentioned before (here), I’m writing a book. About green living. Three days a week, I’m hunched over my laptop on a narrow, absurdly crowded table in my bedroom.* Fortunately, I have a window in front of me, so I can watch birds and garden life.
Until the book project began, I had always imagined that it was only people with proper “home offices” who would get to write books. You know the score: printer, scanner, answer machine, whizzy chair, maybe even a secretary in the corner. Now I know that all you need is a laptop. How my bubble's burst. On the upside, a reluctance to invest in a printer or any proper equipment has had tremendous consequences on my paper and energy use. Clever me, and I thought my poorly equipped desk was just because I couldn't be bothered to battle with the Argos catalogue.
When I was at The Times seven days a week, I couldn’t really read things properly on a computer screen, I’d have to print everything out. Back to the old school method, I’d get my red pen out. But working from home has brought me up-to-date. Now I’m paying for the paper, it’s a different story. In fact, I employ all sorts of energy-saving measures at home. I try to be good with no lights blazing; heating on only when my fingers stop working, and lunches made from leftovers. I feel bad that there's only me at home, using resources, but at least I don’t have to travel to work, or use paper cups, or eat from plastic sandwich boxes. Let me know if you are a green freelancer - and how you stay that way? Is it ok to have the Christmas tree lights on while you work?
* No, these aren't my legs, I've borrowed them from Google image.
 Inspired by cold weather and Kitchen Witch's recipe - sadly non-alcoholic - I set about making hot spiced cider last night.
Turned out truly delicious. In terms of a recipe, you can't go wrong if you heat up cider with cloves, cinammon sticks, brown sugar, a dash of orange juice, perhaps and some brown sugar or honey. I used this one as a base. If you've got any apples lying around, you could add chunks and some slices of lemon or orange or grated rind (thanks for the tip, Kitchen Witch!). I've heard it said that adding ale is a good idea, but I'm not sure. Cider and beer mixed together? Smacks of my teenage years and I'm not sure I can face it.
 I don't like to admit it, but I'm a sucker for animal pictures. This one and another nine (that you can see here) have been selected by National Geographic as the best of the bunch this year.
Thanks to the blog Green Expander
 Times Online has a new environment page. You'll find it here. As well as keeping up with green news, eco living and the latest sites for eco worriers, you can also see a video of last weekend's London protests that aimed to put pressure on ministers meeting in Bali. And you can read about the poor penguins* that are following polar bears to become the next victims of climate change. Let me know what you think of the site.
* Sorry about slighty pointless photo of penguin chick. It's got the kind of coat that I hanker after on frosty days like this.
 There, got your attention. Now I can tell you about my favourite seasonal item, offered by Green Knickers for £15. The perfect Christmas present, they are ethical, Fairtrade and sexy, in an awareness raising sort of way. They also carry a serious green message. Emblazoned on their front is a world map. As they warm up, clever fibres cause the fabric to change colour showing the effects of global warming on sea levels. What better excuse to take them off, should you fall in love over the festive season, than by uttering the plea: I must stop global warming.
 Surely the question on everyone’s lips. Yes, this sartorial debate raises solemn issues. Should you buy something new? Should you revamp old outfits with new sparkles? And where is that sustainably-sourced reindeer jumper when you need it? Obviously there will be no surprises for my family. I’m on the 11th month of my fashion fast.
But if I were allowed out among the coathangers, I'd be all over the gorgeous, ethical dresses in the shops. A sleek empire line number, made from merino wool and designed by Karen Cole, is the top-selling item on ethical fashion website, Adili, which is, incidentally, far and away the best place to find a fetching outfit with impeccable credentials.
Ethically-aware gentlemen can play too. I suggest they visit the new Howies shop on Carnaby Street, in Central London, or try Kuyichi for organic jeans and jumpers.
I’d also be sorely tempted by one of the Wendy Organic Cotton Poplin Dresses, sold by Natural Collection. One pattern is reduced from £165 to £82.50 and I do like a bargain. Not that my Granny would approve: “Cotton! At this time of year? Do young people know nothing about keeping warm without blasting the heating?” If I showed her People Tree’s Safia Knit Dress (£100), she would soften. I, meanwhile, would probably boil. This hand-knitted giant jumper is just the thing. Use it instead of central heating.
 I'm sitting with my friend, drinking hot chocolate (yes, yes, Fairtrade) and she tells me she wants to buy a turkey this Christmas. Hell’s bells, where’s the drama in that, I think, it is December. But she wants one that is ethical and cheap. “Ethical and cheap,” I repeat, spluttering chocolatey foam over my scarf. “Have you learnt nothing over the past few years?” Ethical food production is in; our unhealthy obsession with cheap food is out. The words cheap and ethical are uncomfortable bedfellows. Treating animals well, feeding them properly and giving them space to roam around is not something you can do on a budget. It is cutting corners in meat production that causes problems.
But she has a point. We can't all afford to spend £100 on our festive centrepiece. This year, it is especially hard to find good value but ethically reared birds. Bird flu, bad cereal harvests pushing up the price of feed and the popularity of expensive organic turkeys have all contributed (a report by the British Retail Consortium says the cost of Christmas dinner is set to rise to nearly £16 a head – £2 more than last year).
I tell my friend she is unlikely to find an organic (which automatically means it will be free-range) bird for less than £10 per kilo. A six kilo turkey that would feed 6 people, from Woodlands Farm - the first organic turkey flock in Lincolnshire - will set you back £60 plus £12 for delivery – orders are taken until 14th December.
Then I suggest if her budget is really pushed, that she buy a non-organic turkey from a reputable company with high welfare standards. White feathered turkeys from the Copas family business - that also sells organic birds - are kept in a barn, but roam freely within it; they are fed on quality cereals, with no growth promoting additives (£8.95 per kilo). Of less concern to the birds is that they are hung for a fortnight after they've been plucked, which is good for us as their flavour develops.
Failing that, she should stir things up a bit. Try a hunk of home-cured gammon. It might not be any cheaper – £15.50 per kilo at award-winning Brown Cow Organic - but there’s great potential for leftovers. Tired turkey curry is no way to start the New Year.
Anna Shepard writes the Eco-Worrier
column in Body & Soul. Do you have a green dilemma? E-mail it to Anna Shepard, or use the 'comments' link at the end of the posts (left). Please tell us what you think of the Q&As and send your own advice and eco-solutions. We'd love to hear from you.
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