17/05/2005 - Amid the
hubbub of modern life, the Environment Agency
with be displaying a Pledge Tree at Serpentine
Green to show shoppers how small everyday
actions they can take will affect our planet.
People will be invited to make pledges to
do simple things such as reusing shopping
bags, turning-off the television and computer
screen at night instead of leaving them on
standby, and only boiling the amount of water
needed in a kettle. Small changes like these
do make a real difference. For example, switching
off the television or computer screen, rather
than leaving it on stand-by, saves 30kg of
carbon dioxide from being emitted into the
air every year – the same as that absorbed
by 10 trees.
Environmental Pledges were used for the first
time last year to mark World Environment Day.
In England and Wales last June, over 12,000
people signed-up to one or more of the Environment
Agency's pledges. In a year they have saved
over 100 million litres of water, reduced
carbon dioxide emissions by one million kg
and cleared half a million plastic bags from
the environment. This year the Environment
Agency hopes to beat these targets and is
urging everyone to take part.
Last year, people from Peterborough alone
pledged to:
- save enough water to fill more than three
olympic sized swimming pools
cut emissions of carbon dioxide, a gas linked
with global warming, by 77,300kg
cut down on plastic carrier bags by over
53,000.
Joanne Hayward, Environment Agency Corporate
Affairs Manager said, "After the great
start last year, we're hoping even more people
in Peterborough will be making pledges this
year, to make even more of a difference to
our environment."
To make a pledge, either visit the Pledge
Tree at Serpentine Green or log-on to the
web site at www.environment-agency.gov.uk.
Full details of the pledges, the difference
they make, and more information on World Environment
Day, are all on the web site.
