March As A Champion
So, it’s two months since I was launched as a Climate Change Champion for Wales and as spring has been arriving with its glorious rays I have been busy spreading green messages and making merry across South Wales. March has been a jam-packed month for me, with interviews with Real Radio and Radio Cardiff, a series of visits with the Minister, as well as a photoshoot for this month’s ‘action’.
Having enjoyed avoiding half washing loads in February, I moved on to promoting car clubs and car sharing this month as part of the sterling 11 actions for 2011 campaign which is still fledging and ready to soar - with your help my fellow sprouters! Sharing lifts is so easy and every car that can be kept parked up and off the road is better for everyone- reduces queues, saves money on petrol and cuts emissions. Car clubs are growing across the country, including here in Cardiff, and they offer pay as you go car hire on demand, with pick up locations dotted about the city. You don’t have to pay car tax, insurance or for servicing and of course you don’t have to buy a car in the first place so heaps of cash can be saved. This action doesn’t affect me that much as a non-driver but think of every time you use a car and consider if you could be sharing lifts or even better, walking, cycling or public-transporting!
The highlight of my month was sitting on, and presenting to, the Climate Change Commission which is an independently chaired body of politicians from all parties, scientists, business leaders and third sector representatives who, in short, meet to inform the government on how thing’s are going in terms of cutting emissions and such. I was able to spend a day in the company of some of the country’s leading minds on the issue and came back feeling extremely inspired, especially after something I brought up in the meeting is now being discussed within government- top secret stuff I’m afraid!
The week of the 21st March was Climate Week and this happened to coincide with a visit to Bassaleg School in Newport whose Eco-group, along with some very dedicated staff, are making the school increasingly eco friendly, with their own wind turbine, allotment and recycling drive. I talked to Year 9 about the work I am doing and how we as teenagers need to be changing to make a difference and was accompanied by the truly great Environment Minister Jane Davidson, who is an asset to Wales and will be sorely missed when she steps down in the next few weeks. Together, we then attended St Martins RC School in Newport to launch the ‘Budget Pack Schools Battery Scheme’ a programme aimed at all schools in Wales to encourage the recycling of batteries. Here’s a fact for you, every year in the UK some 600 million batteries, the equivalent weight of 110 jumbo jets, are unnecessarily sent to landfill. So look out for some battery deposit boxes that should be coming to a school near you soon!
March has been a fulfilling month and I look forward to the role further developing as the year progresses.
If you wish to contact me as a Champion, leave your messages and comment below.
“We must sustain the earth, as it in turn sustains us.”
IMAGE: Stevecadman
2 Comments – Postiwch sylw
SamuelPatterson
Rhoddwyd sylw 62 mis yn ôl - 25th March 2011 - 20:33pm
Hey Hey Tommy! Sounds like great work you're doing. And this top secret stuff sounds fun =P C'mon! You can tell me =)
Tansi
Rhoddwyd sylw 59 mis yn ôl - 29th June 2011 - 22:06pm
Hey this is really good! I enjoyed reading it. Sounds like your doing a lot to help :P