6-Jun-2006
- West Yorkshire residents and businesses were
out in force over the weekend to do their bit
for World Environment Day, making 20,000 environmental
promises.
Around 2,500 members of the
public attended the World Environment Day events
at Victoria Gardens, Leeds, and the BBC Springwatch
event at Temple Newsam, which were hosted by the
Environment Agency.
This year, residents and businesses
are being urged to play an active role in World
Environment Day by signing up to make environmentally
friendly promises – and stick to them.
The Environment Agency hopes
that the promises made on the day – all related
to making long-term lifestyle changes – will help
increase environmental awareness and responsibility
both in Leeds and across West Yorkshire.
“The events in Leeds have been
a fantastic opportunity for people and businesses
to make a small yet significant contribution towards
the good of our environment,” says Andrew Wood,
the Environment Agency’s Regional Director.
“We were overwhelmed by the
level of interest in the region and the number
of people promising to do their bit. 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.”
At Victoria Gardens on Monday
June 5, the newly elected Mayor of Leeds, Mohammed
Iqbal attended the event to make his promises
and learn how we can all do our bit to become
environmentally aware.
The people of Leeds made their
promises while enjoying live music from a steel
band. Schoolchildren from Burley St Matthias Primary
School and Sacred Heart Primary School, Burley
took part in an environmental quiz, art display
and snakes and ladders game, to learn the importance
of being environmentally aware.
A replica garden was also on
display to show the effects of climate change
on the average English garden in 50 years time.
At the BBC’s Springwatch event
on Saturday 3 June, over a thousand people turned
out to the World Environment Day from across the
region and even as far as Portsmouth to make their
promises. The Environment Agency fisheries team
was on hand to explain the importance of protecting
and conserving the regions waterways and the benefits
of angling.
Free reusable shopping bags
designed by fashion guru Wayne Hemmingway were
given away at both events, along with limited
edition World Environment Day mugs.
Visitors to the Victoria Gardens
event made their promises by signing a ‘Promise
The Earth’ card. People can continue to make promises
online by visiting www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wed
The event was one of many around
the region held to mark World Environment Day,
which was established by the United Nations in
1972 and is promoted throughout England and Wales
each year by the Environment Agency.
