We all know what we should do - the recycling, the carbon footprint, the organic foods and so on (see Golden Rules), but being eco-friendly is something that you should preferably keep between yourself and your compost bin.

Proselytising is always unattractive, even when delivered with the fervour of the green-haloed. Farmers' markets, Fairtrade, food miles - too much of this and you'll end up having to recycle more than just your wine bottles as your friends melt away as alarmingly as the ice shelves of Antarctica.

On the other hand, if you're the one being preached at, then lightness of touch is the order of the day. Deflect the self-righteous superiority of your eco-critics by joking self-deprecatingly about your own green deficiencies. After all, unless you're going to get involved in a dirty, energy-intensive debate about the energy required to crush recycled bottles, the received wisdom is of course that your little green friends are in the right…

Golden Rules for Green Living

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