7-Jun-2006
- The England flag may be white and red, but the
Environment Agency is urging people in the North
West to have a green World Cup in 2006.
Here are the top tips for an
eco-friendly World Cup – so even if England don’t
lift the FIFA trophy this time, at least the environment
will be a winner.
While we’re cheering on Beckham
and the boys as they take on the rest of the world
in Germany this summer, football fans across England
will be enjoying a few beers… and will get through
20 million glass bottles and 20 million cans per
game. Don’t throw them away! The North West already
produces more household waste per person than
any other region, so do your bit to change that
and recycle your World Cup empties.
Even those of us who wouldn’t
dream of wearing a football shirt at any other
time find themselves donning an England kit during
the World Cup – plus every clothes shop, sports
store and supermarket has t-shirts, baseball caps
and other World Cup 2006 gear on offer. But the
England kit itself is re-designed regularly and
how many of us will still wear our 2006-branded
t-shirts once the World Cup is over?
Once you’ve finished with your
World Cup wardrobe, don’t throw it out. Take it
to a charity shop or a clothing recycling bank
where it will be put to good use rather than taking
up scarce landfill space. Or better still, why
not show your support for England with a genuine
vintage kit from years past instead? Try searching
on the web – who knows, you might even find the
iconic red shirt from ’66.
If you’re one of the lucky ones
with tickets to the England games – congratulations!
But take a moment to think about your flight to
Germany. Emissions from air travel are a major
contributor to climate change. The good news is,
you can offset this impact for less than the price
of a pint.
Websites like www.climatecare.org
will calculate what needs to be done to counteract
the impact of your flight, and show you how to
make an equivalent donation to a project that
will help to tackle climate change. And it doesn’t
cost the earth to save the planet. The cost of
making a return flight from Manchester or Liverpool
to Frankfurt carbon-neutral is less than £1.60
– not likely to break the bank.
Chances are that you and all
your mates will be watching the England games
– so instead of watching them separately on umpteen
different TVs, watch them together.
You’re unlikely to need persuading
to watch the game at the pub – but remember to
leave your car at home. Not only will it be kinder
to the environment, you’ll also be able to enjoy
a drink.
If you’re struggling to find
a babysitter and can’t make it to your local,
invite friends over and watch the game en masse.
Or maybe you could hold World Cup parties and
sleepovers for your children and their friends.
Either way, you’re bound to have a better time
and you’ll reduce your energy consumption to boot…
but remember not to leave the TV on standby afterwards.
Finally, if you’re one of those
people who just can’t see what all the fuss is
about, and would rather watch paint dry than a
penalty shoot-out… get away from football fever
and take up fishing. More people take part in
angling than other sport in England and Wales,
and it’s a great way to get out and enjoy your
environment.
Rod licences cost just £24
per year or, if you want to try your hand at angling
for the first time while the rest of the nation
is glued to the football, a one-day licence is
only £3.25.*
Notes
*Anyone aged 12 or older needs
a rod licence to fish in England and Wales, and
on the Border Esk in Scotland. Licences are available
from Post Offices, online at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/rodlicence
and over the phone on 0870 1 662 662. You can
also pay by Direct Debit. Adult licences (for
anyone over 16) cost £24 for a full licence,
£8.50 for an eight-day licence and £3.25
for a one-day licence.
Full junior licences (aged 12
– 16 inclusive) are £5 each. Children under
12 do not need a rod licence.
