31-May-2006
- Leeds residents and businesses are being urged
to play an active role in this year’s annual World
Environment Day (5 June) by signing up to make
an environmentally friendly promise – and sticking
to it.
The call has come from the Environment
Agency, which has organised a special event at
Victoria Gardens in Leeds (situated outside the
City Art Gallery on The Headrow) on 5 June with
the aim of getting as many people as possible
to commit to one or more of the following ten
promises;
1. I promise I will take a shower
instead of a bath
2. I promise I will put a water saving device
in my toilet
3. I promise I will turn the tap off when brushing
my teeth
4. I promise to use rechargeable batteries instead
of disposable ones
5. I promise to use a reusable bag when I shop
rather than plastic carriers
6. I promise to air my washing in public – not
in the tumble dryer
7. I promise I will boil only the water I need,
rather than filling the kettle every time
8. I promise I will share my car journeys to work
with a colleague, cycle or replace those car journeys
with public transport at least once a week
9. I promise that I will pay back the environmental
impact of any air travel I take
10. I promise I will organise or volunteer for
an environmental project in my local community
The Environment Agency hopes
that the promises – all related to making long-term
lifestyle changes – will help increase environmental
awareness and responsibility both in Leeds and
across West Yorkshire.
“This is a fantastic opportunity
for people and businesses in Leeds to make a small
yet significant contribution towards the good
of our environment,” says Andrew Wood, the Environment
Agency’s Regional Director.
“Each one of the promises involve
making relatively straight forward lifestyle changes,
for instance airing your washing rather than putting
it in the tumble dryer or using a reusable bag
when you go shopping. It’s simply of a case of
deciding which promise you want to make, and then
sticking to it.”
Visitors to the free Victoria
Gardens event will be encouraged to make their
promise by signing a ‘Promise The Earth’ card,
available at special ‘Promise Stations’, upon
which they can tick boxes relating to whichever
promise(s) they intend to keep.
In addition, the event will
feature various other environmental attractions
including a replica garden from High Trees Garden
Centre in Horsforth, designed to show the effects
of climate change on the average English garden
in 50 years time, with bark and wood the dominant
features rather than greenery.
Free reusable shopping bags
designed by fashion guru Wayne Hemmingway will
also be given away throughout the day, along with
limited edition World Environment Day mugs. The
event runs from 9am to 4pm.
World Environment Day was established
by the United Nations in 1972 and is promoted
throughout England and Wales each year by the
Environment Agency, the public body responsible
for protecting and enhancing the environment.
“All around the world on 5 June
people will be taking part in a variety of events
and themes aimed at putting a human face on environmental
issues,” adds Andrew. “They include street parties,
parades and green concerts.
“Here in Leeds and across West
Yorkshire, we will be doing our bit by promising
the earth for World Environment Day. We want as
many of us as possible to play their part.”
Ten promises, one aim as World
Environment Day comes to Newcastle
31-May-2006 - The Environment
Agency has teamed up with Newcastle City Council
to organise a series of events to mark World Environment
Day which takes place on Monday 5 June.
Environment Agency staff will
get ready for the big day by attending the Newcastle
Farmers Market at the Monument on Friday 2 June
and the Newcastle Green Festival which takes place
in Leazes Park on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 June.
The big event for the day itself
will be the World Environment Day Green Fair,
opened by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Councillor
Diane Packham, which takes place at Grey’s Monument
between 11am and 5pm on June 5.
More than 20 organisations will
be staffing stands in a large marquee, giving
out free gifts and providing information on a
variety of environmental issues. Other attractions
include a plant sale and public transport promotional
activities from an electric bus. There will also
be a massive 12ft inflatable globe, just to remind
everybody of what the day is all about.
In a bid to improve environmental
awareness and responsibility, the Environment
Agency and Newcastle City Council are asking local
people and businesses to commit themselves to
one or more of the following ten promises to change
their lifestyles:
1. I promise I will take a shower
instead of a bath
2. I promise I will put a water saving device
in my toilet
3. I promise I will turn the tap off when brushing
my teeth
4. I promise to use rechargeable batteries instead
of disposable ones
5. I promise to use a reusable bag when I shop
rather than plastic carriers
6. I promise to air my washing in public – not
in the tumble dryer
7. I promise I will boil only the water I need,
rather than filling the kettle every time
8. I promise I will share my car journeys to work
with a colleague, cycle or replace those car journeys
with public transport at least once a week
9. I promise that I will pay back the environmental
impact of any air travel I take
10. I promise I will organise or volunteer for
an environmental project in my local community
Anyone inspired to take a more
active role in protecting their environment can
come along and help Spring Clean the Ouseburn
on Saturday 10 June. More details on this and
all the other events can be found at www.newcastle.gov.uk/wed2006
“This is a fantastic opportunity
for people and businesses in and around Newcastle
to make a small yet significant contribution towards
our environment,” says Graeme Warren, the Environment
Agency’s Area Manager.
“Each one of the promises involves
making relatively straight-forward lifestyle changes,
for instance airing your washing rather than putting
it in the tumble dryer or using a reusable bag
when you go shopping. It’s simply a case of deciding
which promise you want to make, and then sticking
to it.”
Last year, 25,000 people made
pledges and stopped enough water to fill 181 swimming
pools from being wasted, prevented 191 dustbin
lorries of waste being dumped in landfill sites,
and turned down 3.4 million plastics bags (end
to end, that’s 1000 miles of plastic bags).
Councillor Wendy Taylor, Newcastle
City Council’s Executive Member for Environment
& Sustainability, said “Newcastle City Council
is committed to World Environment Day. As a Council
we are devoted to promoting sustainability through
events such as World Environment Day, the Green
Festival and other community based activities
in and around the City.”
It doesn't cost the earth to
promise the earth
Shoppers will be encouraged
to make promises for World Environment Day when
Environment Agency staff visit Asda; Monks Cross
in York on Monday 5th June.
By making small environmental
promises at the store shoppers will be rewarded
with environmental goodies and the knowledge that
their simple lifestyle changes will be helping
their environment. Amongst the free gifts on offer
is a strong canvas re-useable shopping bag designed
by fashion guru Wayne Hemmingway.
World Environment day focuses
worldwide attention on the environment. It is
about people across the world each doing their
little bit to make a big difference to our planet.
Promises include showering rather
than bathing, using rechargeable batteries and
line drying clothes rather than using the tumble
dryer.
External Relations Officer,
Kathryn Cook said: ¡§There are very
easy lifestyle changes we can all make that will
have a positive impact on our planet. By simply
turning off the tap while brushing your teeth
each person can save a huge amount of water¡¨.
World Environment Day was established
by the United Nations in 1972 and is promoted
throughout England and Wales each year by the
Environment Agency, the public body responsible
for protecting and enhancing the environment.
In 2005 25,000 individuals made
140,000 environmental promises.
Promises made in 2005 resulted
in:
„h 181 swimming pools worth
of water being saved
„h 191 dustbin lorries worth of waste being saved
„h 3,379,168 plastic bags being
saved, which if laid end to end would stretch
1,791 kilometres (1000 miles)
To make a simple but crucial
World Environment Day promises visit the Environment
Agency website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wed
or pop down to Asda on Monday 5th June.
