Local People, Local Action
4 July 2008
Here is a selection of what appeared at the Action 21 Peace Festival stand last week. The display was entitled 'local people, local action' and it showcased how some of the residents in Leamington Spa are making their own contributions to a greener planet. Unfortunately we don't have enough room to share all of the stories but here is a taster of what was there.
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Paul Gerrard has been resourceful enough to install his own home made solar panel on the roof of his house to help heat his water supply. He says: “A previous one I built and installed at my last home is still working well after ten years and expected to continue to do so. The design is the simplest possible and I was helped by a course at the C.A.T (Centre for Alternative Technology) in Wales. They have good leaflets for DIY stuff. My career was in agriculture so I have a range of basic skills and also a deep appreciation of the whole ecological challenges for us all. Any activity to cut our demands will be a good thing both collectively and as individuals to gain that small amount of control and to save on the ever pricier fuel in the future.” |
| Nicola Small, mother of Jodie Small hasn't let the arrival of her daughter Jodie stop her from leading a greener lifestyle. She says: “I didn’t want the fact that I had a child to be the reason that our weekly waste would double, so from day one I started to use cotton nappies. Now I really can’t see what all the fuss is about – they are cost effective, easy to throw in the machine, dry quickly and are kind on your baby’s wee bottom. Why on earth do people fork out £100’s of pounds on something that won’t biodegrade for 100’s of years? It seems illogical to me. I also toilet trained my daughter in just one week at 21 months old so I could stop using nappies altogether.” |
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Andy Stevenson used to drive 40 miles each way to work at his old job in Northampton, but when he started working in Warwick decided enough was enough. He says: “I had an opportunity to find for myself just what I would experience by not having my own personal car. I now cycle 3 miles to work and use public transport to travel to other destinations. For instance, last summer we took our main holiday in Bournemouth. There is a direct train from Leamington. The kids thought it was an excellent adventure. When public transport is not convenient I hire a car. I was very surprised to see just how affordable it was. I was shocked to see that for my car, the annual running costs were over £5000 per year. I spend less than half of that on public transport. So I am fitter, eco-virtuous and financially better off as a result. Get in!” |
| Bruce Knight works as a part-time musician and also volunteers at Action 21's Recycle Warehouse, about which he has this to say: The Warehouse is a veritable Aladdin's Cave, and sells everything under the sun. Over the last year I've bought bicycles, antique furniture, a high chair and cot, a lawn mower...... all of which was originally bound for land-fill! In fact I have such faith in the Recycle Warehouse's ability to manifest the things I need, that I have started carrying a wish-list of future purchases. If I wait for a week or so, the items magically appear, and I go home satisfied having spent my money wisely, and kept my carbon footprint low. Some of the Warehouse's best customers become volunteers, and this is what happened to me. You can find me down there on Monday mornings, serving customers (and scouting out bargains!). |
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