Claire Forrest Information Officer for the Chilterns Conservation Board explains how small changes to our lives can help save the world.

Fresh air to breath, unlimited clean water from our taps, electricity at the flick of a switch, the ability to drive wherever and whenever we want...these are things which we all take for granted every day. And yet, can we rely on them indefinitely? The answer, which is becoming increasingly clear, is no.

The environment in which we live contains rich resources and people have made greater and greater use of them to support increasingly comfortable lifestyles. These resources are finite though, and at some point we will discover that we can no longer use as much of them as we feel like.

We already know we have to find alternatives to oil if we want to continue driving our cars. Not only are fossil fuels running out, but they have contributed to changes in the atmosphere which are going to have a major impact on our climate in the next decades.

Fresh water is a precious resource, something we know only too well here in the Chilterns as stretches of our chalk streams remain dry. Despite our perceptions of living in a wet country we all have a responsibility to use water carefully, especially if our climate is becoming drier.

All this may seem rather negative but there are lots of positive things going on to help the future of our environment. This Sunday is World Environment Day and the United Nations is encouraging individuals and businesses all over the world to take steps to protect their environment.

The idea is that if lots of people make small changes, it all adds up to make a big difference to our planet.

Why not replace light bulbs with energy-saving ones, or wrap an extra layer of insulation around your hot water tank. You could buy some re-usable shopping bags, or decide to walk to the shops instead of driving.

You can also make small changes at work. Switching off equipment at night or when it's not in use and using recycled paper in printers and photocopiers all makes a difference. Why not share a lift with someone to work? If many of us did that, the roads would be a lot clearer.

The Environment Agency, which is promoting World Environment Day in the UK on June 5, has another idea for how we can all help our environment every day, before we even leave the house. They suggest that by taking a shower instead of a bath in the morning, turning off the tap while you clean your teeth and only filling the kettle with the water you need we could each save 60 litres of water by breakfast.

Not a bad way to start the day.

How does all this relate to my local countryside you may wonder. Well, climate change poses a major threat to our beechwoods since beech trees are susceptible to drought. If we all reduce our consumption of petrol and electricity we may still be able to enjoy our favourite woodland walks in the future.

And if we can all save water, that will have a very direct beneficial effect on our local chalk streams such as the Wye and Hughenden Stream.