With more talk about how our lifestyles are destroying the world, there's no-one affected more than our children. As new book You Can Save The Planet is published, Lisa Salmon speaks to the author about the ways kids can make their homes, schools and neighbourhoods more environmentally friendly.

Climate change and environmental damage will have an increasing effect on us as time goes by - and as children are the adults of tomorrow, they're the ones who'll be affected most.

For that reason, kids need to make being environmentally friendly a way of life, and that means a lot more than just putting recyclable rubbish in a green bin.

As well as recycling household waste, kids need to incorporate a myriad of green measures into their lives if they want to help save the planet - from recycling clothes and toys and looking at energy efficiency in their home, to putting pressure on their parents to go green too.

In fact, there's a world of ways to become an eco-warrior, and a new book is about to be published to help steer youngsters in the right direction.

You Can Save The Planet features 101 fun but practical ways children can make a difference to the environment, and put gentle pressure on their parents to do the same.

The book was written by Jacquie Wines, who says: "Kids can put away the Gameboy for a bit and see how creative and inventive they can be just by reusing things.

"It's practical, easy ways that children can change their way of living, but it's fun at the same time."

Kids are encouraged to do things like copy out Washday Rules, such as washing clothes on a cooler wash if they're not really dirty, and sticking them up for the whole family to see.

Then there's advice on not picking wild plants, setting up a car pool for the school run, and even copying out a letter and sending it to the local supermarket asking it to reduce the number of plastic bags used there by starting a Bag for Life scheme, and charging for bags.

Kids are also encouraged to persuade the family to do things like wear more layers instead of turning the heating up, and asking parents to drive slower to save fuel.

"There is a certain amount of pester power involved, but it's done in a fun way," Wines says.

"The emphasis is on children being positive tyrants."

Also included in the book are less obvious green measures, such as giving deeds instead of bought gifts as presents.

Wines says: "Kids can make a voucher to clean out their gran's cupboards, or something else she'll find useful, for her birthday.

"It not only saves on the packaging a bought gift would have been in, and the energy used to make it, but it saves the child money too.

"New things are nice, but they're not always necessary."

Ultimately, Wines believes families living greener lives is the only way forward, and children should do whatever they can to make a difference.

"If you start in a small way you can understand the bigger issues.

"If it's true that we've only got 10 years before it becomes too late to save the planet from global warming, it's very worrying and I don't think we have a choice but to act now.

"This is our kids' future, and we've got to get the message through to them."

You Can Save the Planet, by Jacquie Wines, is published by Buster Books, priced £7.99.