The fight against global warming is hotting up as MP James Arbuthnot backs a new eco-campaign in Sherborne St. John
The village is the first in Basingstoke to launch the new ‘Greening Campaign,’ designed to get the whole community active in reducing energy consumption.
The launch day was held at the Chute Pavilion on July 4 and gave the North East Hampshire MP a chance to meet local residents and hear about the new plans to reduce the village’s carbon footprint.
He then cut the symbolic green ribbon to set the campaign rolling.
The ‘Greening Campaign’ was created by Terena Plowright, a Hampshire resident, and is now being implemented throughout England. The campaign offers the public a fun, structured and visible way of fighting climate change through a number of different methods.
One of the main ideas is the implementation of information cards offering energy-saving tips, which can then be displayed in front windows to show unity and involvement with the community’s climate change battle.
These can be accompanied by films, public meetings and displays in public places. The scheme hopes to inspire spin-off campaigns and new ideas to be created and implemented by the community and businesses.
The campaign has been showing some signs of success with other towns such as Petersfield showing an annual CO2 cut of 23 tons.
After the launch at Sherborne St. John, Mr Arbuthnot said: “It is fantastic to see such a wonderful community based initiative. People’s lives really change for the better when they take a responsibility themselves for their own problems and come together as a community to create a distinctive local voice which isn’t afraid to act. Nowhere is this more needed than in tackling the issue of climate change.
“We need to clean up the environment for our children and in the process boost energy efficiency and reduce waste. But climate change is too big an issue for many people to face and that’s why it needs to be broken down into aims and targets which are local, pragmatic and realistic. And that’s why schemes such as the “Greening Scheme” in Sherborne St. John are so important. They create a powerfully positive, lasting legacy for the village and its residents.”
