Home insulation and cycling 'can save lives as well as the planet'

As well as reducing meat consumption the Lancet series also recommends home improvements and extra activity as two ways to reduce emissions an premature deaths.

By Kate Devlin, Medical CorrespondentPublished: 4:33PM GMT 25 Nov 2009

Upgrade insulation
Upgrading the insulation within and energy supply to every home in the country could save thousands of lives, the report warns.

However, such improvements do not come cheap.
The researchers estimate the cost of such changes to be in the region of between £3,000 and £30,000 per house.
Improvements including better insulation of walls, windows and floors and reducing the average temperature of homes could save around 5,500 premature deaths a year they estimate.
Although the costs are substantial the experts estimate that they could be offset by significant fuel cost savings.
Walk or cycle more
Walking or cycling instead of driving could save lives as well as the planet, researchers said.
They estimate that up to 7,000 lives a year could be saved in London alone if more people left their cars at home on journeys.
The main benefits were reductions in deaths from heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, colon cancer and depression.
However, the report warned that there could be more accidents and injuries on the roads if tens of thousands of people suddenly took up walking or cycling.
Despite that risk the researchers call on the Government to increase the number of pedestrian spaces and cycle paths and to restrict the rights of heavy goods vehicles in built up areas to protect cyclists.