Environment

District News and Activities

Environmental Awareness

Objectives:

• To promote the improvement and protection of the local environment.
• To develop awareness of environmental issues throughout the world.

Recycle More

For help and advice about recycling at home, at school, and in your workplace. Discover where you can recycle a wide range of goods and items in your locality. Information from recycle-more

Getting Started

Starter Programme

Suggested Activities for Clubs:

•  Appoint an Environmental Officer.
•  Contact your Local Authority and find out what they are doing about Agenda 21. See if your club can become involved.
•  Arrange a debate involving other local groups and opinion formers on environmental issues - local, national or international.
•  Seek to adopt local ecological sites, Local Nature Reserves or beauty spots, promoting "clean up days".
• NEW Starter programme for Rotary Clubs

Making your own impact on the environment......

1. Check all around the house for draughts and seal any that are found. Be careful in rooms that need good ventilation, such as bathrooms or kitchens, where ventilation helps reduce condensation and damp. Take care where there are open fires or open flues these must have adequate ventilation.
2. Check that the attic insulation is a minimum of 27cms (10.6 inches) If everyone in the UK installed 27cm loft insulation, around 520 million would be saved in energy costs and nearly three million tonnes of CO2 reduced every year.
3. Turn your thermostat control down. Reducing your room temperature by 1C (1.8F) could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent and typically save around 55 per year. If you have a programmer, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time.
4. Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60C/140F.
5. Don't leave electrical appliances on standby, or phones on charge too long. Use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" energy use.
6. Install compact fluorescent bulbs in all locations. Using one can save you around 40 over the lifetime of the bulb. Switch lights off after use.
7. Get rid of old energy-intensive fridges and freezers. If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads.
8. Use a drying rack in a warm ventilated location, instead of the tumble dryer.
9. Cut your motoring costs by asking the question Is this journey really necessary?
10. Adopt the general principle to Reduce, Re-use and Recycle.