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An ambitious project designed to help reduce Gloucestershire’s carbon footprint is launched today. Gloucestershire County Council wants thirty families to become “Carbon Watchers” for a year. They will then be shown how - by saving energy, cutting down on use of water, reducing transport emissions and household waste - they can reduce the amount of harmful carbon dioxide they produce.
More than a third of all of Gloucestershire’s CO2 emissions come from the home, a figure the county council is committed to cutting. Cllr Julie Girling, Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet member for the environment said, “It is generally accepted that there is more CO2 being produced than the world can cope with and we need to get the message across that this is a local issue as well as a global one. “According to figures produced by the Government, our homes account for more than 33% of Gloucestershire’s emissions so hopefully the Carbon Watchers project will show how together we can make a difference if we all make relatively simple changes to how we live”. “The county council is committed to raising awareness of climate change and hopefully this project will achieve that whilst providing simple and straightforward advice that will enable everyone in Gloucestershire to reduce their CO2 emissions in the long run”. Gloucestershire County Council and the Severn Wye Energy Agency (SWEA) are supporting the scheme by providing the families with easy to understand advice and having regular meetings that will help them reduce their carbon footprint over the 12-month period. If the pilot is successful, it will lead to the development of a DIY carbon watchers kit being produced for all householders in Gloucestershire to help them reduce their carbon footprint. The information will include simple tips and advice on how to reduce carbon emissions. In June 2006, Gloucestershire County Council’s Cabinet approved two key recommendations in its response to the ever-increasing evidence of climate change - The Carbon Strategy and Implementation Plan and signing up to the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change. A Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan has been approved by cabinet. And an ongoing internal communication campaign is promoting awareness of the simple steps Gloucestershire County Council staff can take to reduce their carbon footprint and incorporate them into their everyday routine. Gloucestershire County Council is committed to a 10% reduction in our carbon emissions by 2012, 30% in 2020 and 50% minimum in 2050. If you would like an application pack to become a Carbon Watcher, or for any further information on the project, you can:
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Response to a foolish professor (12)
