Greenprint 2020

Chocolate. There’s no doubt that its one of the most popular things we give up for lent, but most of us probably don’t think about the benefits beyond health and fitness. Those pain staking 40 days and 40 nights without even a drop of the melted treat has a much greater saving than just calories. There’s a huge amount of water and carbon that goes into its production, storage and transportation. 2847 gallons of water goes in to every 454g of chocolate (Treehugger)! I couldn’t help but be amused when I came across this in the Guardian headlines back in 2009, “Cadbury to curb methane emissions from burping dairy cows”, but its true and its important. 60% of chocolates carbon footprint is associated with the production of milk (Cadbury)! Just how often do we think of the wider consequences when biting into our treats?

Fortunately for us the big confectionery companies have been working hard to let us treat ourselves to chocolate without having the environmental guilt on our shoulders, and although we’re not quite there yet, they have made progress. Cadburys have reduced their packaging between 39-68%, saving resources and taking 2,290 lorry’s off the roads! You can read their full report on reducing emissions here.

Right: Cadburys Eco Egg range launched in 2008, saving 68% of packaging by replacing plastic and card with 1 layer of foil.

Here are some tips to help you create your ethical Easter:

• Have an Easter Egg hunt with home made treats.
• Swap normal chocolate for organic or Fair Trade chocolate.
• Scrap the plastic. Choose Easter treats with the least amount of packaging and check that it is either recyclable, or has been made out of recycled materials.
• The Guardian ethical Easter Egg taste test picks the best from a sample of 20 organic and Fair Trade chocolates. Ranging from £5 to a whopping £28.50, we imagine they’ll be for particularly special gifts.
• Write to the companies that are yet to tackle their packaging. A large number of luxury eggs created by Thornton’s, Baileys, Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer, continue to use heavy plastic packaging. Most of this can’t be recycled and often ends up in landfill (2degrees).

Finally, ENJOY!

Greenprint 2020

World Water Day 2012 - Wednesday 22nd March

In the UK and across the developed world most of us take clean safe water for granted, but the fact is that there are still nearly one billion people across the planet without access to clean water. Water is what sustains life. 97% of water is in the oceans, the remaining 3% is the freshwater safe for drinking. Most of this freshwater is locked away in the form of ice caps and as well all know, with climate change already taking its toll, we could all benefit from saving and reducing our consumption of water. 

UN Water’s World Water Day on the 22nd March aims to draw attention to the importance of safe water. This date also marks 1 month till the ‘Sanitation and Water for All’ meeting in Washington DC, where we will see world leaders gathering to discuss what actions are going to be taken to tackle the water and sanitation crisis.

If you want to get involved further, Water Aid are running a Water Works campaign, collecting photos of how you use water every day which will be used at the Sanitation meeting in Washington to highlight the important message of clean water across the globe. You can submit your photos here. You can also tweet a #worldwaterday message highlighting the value of clean water to you. 

For a chance to win a hippo bag and shower timer to help reduce that all important water usage, upload your best water photographs to our Greenprint Facebook page, including a short message about what water means to you. A selection of the best photos will also be included in the Global Action Plan newsletter and blog.

If you’re looking for an event to get involved in, join us for Bust a Flush on Wednesday 28th March! Find out more.

Check out this site on some great water-saving tips! Come along and help spread the message. Save water, save our planet.

Happy World Water Day,

Faye and Suzy, Greenprint Steering Group 2012

See original article.

By Faye Tester, Greenprint Steering Group member

I think Green is amazing… it’s by far my favourite colour (as you can tell if you’ve seen my many green possessions). 

I’d even like to be literally green like Elphaba in Wicked but haven’t quite figured out how to go about it! But it isn’t just the colour I love… it is everything remotely relating to green, this includes Irish Dancing and the environment, a random combination I know. My crazy love of everything green also extends to my favourite day of the year being St Patricks Day…because just for one day a year everyone shares my passion for everything green! 

But green is no longer just a colour, it also encompasses a broad range of environmental terms and achievements from Green building to Green tourism. In this context ‘greenwashing’ can often occur when companies misuse environmental terms to promote an environmentally friendly image, trying to appear more environmentally conscious than their activities would otherwise suggest. Energy companies and airlines are common culprits of greenwashing, using marketing to promote their environmental image whilst doing little to actually change their activities. Other companies just rely on using the colour green in their advertising to promote a positive environmental image, even throwing a few trees and leaves to hint at the environmental theme. I think many of the public are easily influenced by adverts like this as we automatically associate them with environmentally friendly. Don’t be easily persuaded by green adverts and environmental cliché images, it’s the company’s actions that really determine whether they are truly or green or just jumping on the eco bandwagon! 

Fortunately there are many organisations that have developed specific campaigns to target greenwashing and highlight the worst offenders. A few example websites are included here:

• Which? The Greenwashing Files
• StopGreenwash.org
• Futerra.co.uk
• thegreenwashingblog.com

So this year for St Patricks Day, rummage in your wardrobe for some suitable green attire, get jigging and drink some Guinness. But after you’ve done all that, remember to think about the big green planet out there, don’t be fooled by green-washed marketing, make up your own mind, it’s the company’s actions that counts…not those lovely green posters! 

Thanks for reading,

Faye

Suzy Rebisz, Greenprint 2020 Steering Group member

In this week’s Climate Week,  contribute towards a more environmentally aware community at your school, university or work place. Whether it’s a one-off event or a long-term commitment, help yourself and us create a more sustainable future!

Here are some easy steps to contribute:

1. Turn off any unnecessary lights whenever you leave a room. 

2. Put in recycling bins at your work/school place if there aren’t any already. Print off labels with Recycling. If you want to be more specific, create labels for Paper Recycling and Plastics Recycling. Also, make sure the material actually DOES get recycled by checking with the rubbish collectors. If you’re not the activist type, you can always suggest or inquire about it at your place of work or school. 

3. Print double-sided paper instead of the conventional one-sided paper. This reduces the amount of paper used and the total weight of the paper you need to carry! A win-win. It may be a bit tricky to setup at first, but it is worth the time: the option is usually around the page setup or print preferences/properties options. Alternatively, ask the IT guys at your place of learning/work. 

4. For those looking for a challenge: create a Greenprint team to come up with achievable ideas to reduce your impact on the environment (such as the ideas above) and put them all into action!

5. If you want a make an even bigger contribution as part of Climate Week, search for environmental volunteering opportunities in your local area. Join Greenprint 2020 and become a volunteer! For those working, let your company be a sponsor to help young people gain some green skills! 

Find out more here.

6. Lastly, check out the Climate Week website for more exciting events and details!

Happy Climate Week 2012,

Greenprint Steering Group 2012

By Callum Scott, Greenprint 2020 Steering Group member

The Earth’s climate is changing, that is an undisputable fact.  Whose fault it is frankly irrelevant, we need to look at every aspect of how we as a society extract, transport and consume natural resources.  One of the most hotly debated elements of this is to do with the way we generate electricity.  Ever since the industrial revolution we have become increasingly energy hungry in our day to day lives and some would say victims of our own success.  Not only does our infrastructure as whole need to adapt to become more resilient to deal with the extremes of Climate Change, it also has to be capable of generating clean electricity for the masses if we are to move away from being so reliant on the extraction of fossil fuels.

UK 2010 - Shares of net electricity supplied, by fuel input

Data supplied by DECC – DUKES Chapter 5: Electricity

One key thing to note is that every option for generating electricity there are pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses.  For instance, wind farms are a great example of how we can harness the natural environment for our own needs; doing this is not a new idea, however to do it on an industrial scale requires a huge amount of land, and some would argue, destroys the local landscape.  You could of course advocate the use of offshore wind turbines, but at a significant additional cost.  Nuclear on the other hand requires a comparatively small amount of land to generate vast amounts of electricity and isn’t reliant on local weather conditions.  Yet, the debate on how we deal with nuclear waste is a contentious one.  If we were to go down the route of wave power, our national grid needs to be completely redefined from centralised power plants to a network of remote satellites.  There isn’t a one fits all solution, local supply need only meet local demand and that should be met depending on local infrastructure, policy and climate.  

This leads me to perhaps challenge one of the Greenprint 2020 visions which suggests we should look to step up imports of renewable energy from abroad.  What I would challenge is why import, decreasing our energy independence, when we have the means to do it ourselves, creating jobs for a nation that has a tradition of engineering excellence?  Conversely, I would agree (with the 2020 vision) that in order to account for the intermittency of some renewable energies, the grid needs to be smart, whether that is to bring in reserves from energy storage devices such as hydroelectric dams or simply to syphon excess energy from neighbouring generation facilities.  Plenty to think about then.

It is easy to get caught up in the energy crisis and focus on where we are going to secure a clean, reliable source of energy but I would argue that our efforts equally need to be focused on how we consume electricity.  It is all very well designing high-tech, super efficient new-builds but what about our aging housing stock that simply leaks the energy that has undergone such a complex, lengthy and resource intensive process just to be lost through inefficiencies such as a lack of insulation.  That’s why Government incentives such as the ‘Green Deal’ will play such a fundamental role in reducing our dependency on energy consumption (see Paul’s blog), and also links nicely to one of the Greenprint 2020 visions by incentivising energy efficiency.  To win over more people to a more sustainable lifestyle the economic case needs to be as strong as the environmental.  Incentives should only be the ‘kick-start’ needed for the low-carbon industry to boom, even the Oil & Gas industry required enormous financial backing to bring to where it is today.  There are similarities, they just have different drivers.

Cartoon by Joel Pett, Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, Cartoonists and Writers Syndicate, published on December 7, 2009 in USA TODAY

To conclude, I would like to leave you with this video which outlines, in a simplistic manner, our options for dealing with Climate Change.  In essence, the ‘do nothing’ option is not viable, whether fossil fuels run out or not is besides the point, we should be harnessing the very thing we are trying to protect.  Nature provides us with numerous options for tapping into an unlimited supply of energy, we just haven’t found the key (or combination of keys!) to unlock that potential.

Find out how you can take action and save energy today!

Greenprint 2020 and v2424 intern, Julian Andres, shares his vision of a sustainable 2020.

The future is cleaner, greener and brighter. Fossil fuels are history, there are now renewable energies for all aspects of life from the home to the workplace, transportation and public places.

There is less pollution in the air and water so people can breathe cleaner air and drink cleaner water. Health issues that were caused by pollution or gasses and chemicals in the air and water are now a distant memory.

There are environment awareness programmes to teach people how and why to take care of the environment, in addition laws have been made for those people who don’t recycle, are energy efficient or vandalise and damage the environment and public spaces.

Foods are healthier due to people growing their own produce. Food is more organic, healthier and fresher and there are less harmful chemicals. People recycle much more and collect their own water in rain butts.

Due to advancements in technology vehicles are made from sustainable materials that can be recycled and are easier to make. Roads and pavements are made from durable and recyclable materials. Paper is seen much less as most things are now viewed and seen on screens, projectors or personal handhelds so no more trees are being cut.

Airplanes are energy efficient as they run on alternative powers or hybrid energies.

As a result of public awareness of environmental issues there are more greener areas, plants and trees to make the air cleaner and purer, more care is taken for those ‘green spaces’ or  ‘eco zones’ to keep them maintained and protected. The economic climate of the world has improved because of renewable alternative energies. By 2020 the CO2 emissions and earths temperatures are on a steady decrease due to the changes in fuels to alternative energies.

Get in touch and tell us your 2020 vision.

By Faye Tester, 2012 Steering Group member 

Fairtrade Fortnight (27th Feb - 11th March 2012) is the annual nationwide campaign to promote awareness of Fairtrade and encourage people to buy products which carry the FAIRTRADE Mark in order to help farmers in developing countries. Fairtrade Fortnight unites Fairtrade supporters bringing together retailers, manufacturers, producers and consumers. Business Big Swaps so far include:

Daisy Wain is a Global Action Plan intern, studying Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia.

As part of her dissertation Daisy is researching water usage, and wants to hear about your water usage.

With drought warnings already been issued for the coming weeks and months across central and southern England, changes have to be made to deal with these new pressures and these changes are only going to become increasingly important in the coming years because of mounting threat from climate change and growth in population.

So the question remains, which is the most effective method to encourage behaviour change and water consumption reduction. This is where my project comes in, and why your participation is so important.

Take part and water consumption facts and tips will be revealed!.

Name

Joy Schlageter.

Where did you first hear about Greenprint 2020? 

I found out about the EcoTeam workshop on the vInspired website.

What have you been involved with at Global Action Plan? 

Global Action Plan (GAP) was chosen to be the UK delivery partner for Al Gore’s most recent climate change campaign event ’24 Hours of Reality’. As an intern I got to help with the preparation and logistics for this event. Throughout my internship Global Action Plan provided me with a whole range of different opportunities including: involvement with the research and design for a new eco-interactive food game, taking on an ambassador role, learning about evaluation of different GAP projects and planning the future structure of the Greenprint 2020 Steering Group.

What have you been up to since working with us? 

Since I finished my internship in September 2011 I have been working part-time at Edinburgh University’s Energy and Sustainability Department. I am part of the engagement team delivering a new campaign to reduce the carbon footprint of all of the university buildings. We discuss with people who can implement big changes in each building about what actions they can take to significantly reduce the buildings energy consumption, and work to ensure these actions are taken. Also on a part-time basis I design and sew clothes, I draw and I am growing as many of my own vegetables in my garden as possible. I love my job but I also think it is important to spend time learning sustainable skills, so I can practice what I preach!

What do you love about Global Action Plan? 

I find how Global Action Plan tackles behavior change very inspiring. Global Action Plan carries out projects in such a determined, positive and inclusive way, always getting things done where change is needed. I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to intern at GAP. It was really an empowering experience where I learnt several skills that have helped me get to where I am at now.

Top green tip

Try out ‘square foot’ gardening - you will be amazed at how many carbon neutral veggies you can grow in such a small space.

Top tip for young people wanting to join the environmental sector 

Put yourself out there and before you know it you will find yourself with a lot of work experience! Contact environmental organisations that you’re inspired by and interested in, and inquire about internship opportunities (whether they offer them or not).  If you demonstrate that you are keen and interested in them and the work they do, they are more than likely to be interested in you.