GOING GREEN AT GUN WHARF

02/06/2005 - The Environment Agency will be encouraging people to improve their environmental behaviour for World Environment Day this Saturday (4 June). Environment Agency representatives will be manning a trailer at Gun Wharf Quays in Portsmouth encouraging people to make their environmental pledges and giving away goodie bags to help people on their way.
The World Environment Day campaign centres on a pledge system where people are asked to pledge to make small changes to their lifestyle to make a big collective difference to the environment. The pledges are:

I will boil only the water I need, rather than filling the kettle every time.
I will replace two light bulbs in my house with energy saving versions
I will turn my biodegradable waste into compost for my garden
I will insulate my loft and hot water tank
I will reuse plastic bags for my shopping
I will share my car journeys to work with a colleague, or replace those car journeys with public transport.
I will switch my television or computer screen, rather than leave it on stand-by.
I will take showers instead of baths.
I will replace one return flight with travel by train.
I will turn the tap of when I brush my teeth.
I will switch my household to energy generated from renewable sources.
I will volunteer for a green project in my local community.
People who are going to start doing something can pledge and those that already do the activities can pledge to continue. At recent events in Hove and Canterbury 500 people made thousands of pledges. Over the next year, this will save thousands of kilograms of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere and thousands of litres of water from being wasted.

Currently only 23 pledges have been made in Portsmouth leaving the city trailing at 198th in a list of all towns and cities in the country. Local rival, Southampton is blazing the trail in 22 position with 168 pledges. Both cities have the opportunity to boost their ranking if more people log on to www.environment-agency.gov.uk/WED and pledge. Everyone who pledges at Gun Wharf Quays on Saturday will be entered into a free prize draw to win a luxury hamper full of goodies.