Live Life Better: a handbook for sustainable living
Do you want to start living more sustainably but don’t know where to begin? Live Life Better is your answer! Twenty easy-to-follow chapters on everything from plastic to food waste in a full-colour treasure trove of tips.
‘A handbook for a greener life…’
Lucy Siegle, TV presenter and campaigner
The Thames Ditton and Weston Green Nature & Climate Festival was set up in 2022 to help solve that perennial dilemma - everyone talks about ‘making a difference’ but what does it actually mean?
Now Festival founder Gill Coates has collected the best advice, tips and tricks from three Festivals and compiled it into a single easy-to-follow handbook explaining the simple changes we can all introduce to help mitigate the impacts of climate change.
With chapters on energy, water, fashion, plastics, food, electric vehicles, technology, travel, gardening, sustainable investing, carbon offsetting, eco-schools, biodiversity, recycling, a healthy home and even woodland bathing, there is bound to be something for everyone. So you can dip into the topics that mater most to you and learn how you can save money, improve your wellbeing and live your best life for the planet.
Printed in full colour throughout with photographs and illustrations by local Thames Ditton artist Lisa Tolley, Live Life Better includes advice from Festival contributors, simple How to…guides, Recipes, poetry and song lyrics, ‘Top Tips’ and useful local addresses.
Live Life Better has an introduction by Festival co-founder Lucy Siegle (environmental campaigner, author, journalist and TV presenter) who says:
“We are in an age of great nature loss. Along with the impacts of climate change, these changes are impacting our health, wealth and happiness at increasing pace. But let’s not forget - the rewards of building greener resilience are also amazing…..This book is an everyday resource I can dip into any time I need a boost. I hope that you get as much inspiration from it as I do.”
What people are saying about Live Life Better
Here’s a selection of some of the other lovely comments I’ve received about Live Life Better since its launch
Julie Royce
Thames Ditton Today Magazine
Its tone is about making impact where you live – and tells us why even small steps matter…..It’s colourful, it’s engaging, it contains new information and it’s FREE online!
Will Ward
Epsom & Ewell Climate Action Network
So much good stuff……so well produced!
Anna Hughes
Flight Free UK and
contributor to Live Life Better
It looks wonderful….I hope it inspires many people to action!
Anna Clifton
Surrey Climate
Commission
It’s an excellent and practical resource, and I’ve already shared a few of your ideas in conversations
Some more testimonials
It really is a one-stop-shop resource for how to live more sustainably.
Diana Thornton
Take the Jump Ambassador and contributor to Live Life Better
... brings together hundreds of useful hints and tips for living more sustainably.
The Elmbridge Magazine
December 2025
Such a lovely book.
Anna Turns
Author of Go Toxic Free and contributor to Live Life Better
Photos from the launch at the Thames Ditton & Weston Green Nature & Climate Festival 2025
Live Life Better was launched at the fourth Thames Ditton & Weston Green Nature & Climate Festival, which Gill co-founded
