Jane
Nower - 22-May-2008 - Visitors to the Surrey
County Show will have the chance to ‘stand
up to climate change’ and nab a trendy designer
bag thanks to the Environment Agency.
The 100 per cent bio-degradable
fold-up eco shopper was designed for the
Environment Agency by Wayne and Geraldine
Hemingway’s HemingwayDesign and created
by supplier Jutexpo. Made from jute, a sustainable
natural fibre, the fabric is processed and
spun by traditional methods to make a bag
that is versatile, durable and strong –
as well as very trendy!
This year The Environment
Agency is supporting World Environment Day
– which falls on the 5 June every year -
with a campaign called “Stand up to climate
change – time for a new routine”, which
was created to encourage people to get ready
for the effects of climate change.
Volunteers at the show
will be asking people to choose one thing
that they’ll do to get ready for climate
change. The activities range from being
prepared for flooding and saving water,
to helping wildlife and biodiversity.
Environment Agency World
Environment Day Campaign Manager, Greg Brina
said: “We want to get people thinking about
how we can prepare for and cope with the
effects of climate change. We hear daily
how our climate is threatened and becoming
more extreme – but there are steps we can
all take to make us more resilient and able
to cope.”
Greg is quick to stress
the Environment Agency’s campaign is not
about simply resigning ourselves to climate
change, saying: “There’s a growing myth
that we have to choose between stabilising
our climate through reducing emissions or,
if we don’t do that, learning to adapt to
the consequences. That’s simply not the
case, we need to be doing both. “
Greg continued, “The
time is right to start making changes so
we can adapt. The summer floods of 2007
and the drought of 2006 are all pointers
to what most scientists agree will be characteristic
of our future climate. There are lots of
things people can do and that’s what we’re
helping to show them.”
For example, these days
you can check whether you’re at risk from
flooding by entering your postcode online.
If you are then you can sign-up to Floodline
Warnings Direct and the Environment Agency
will call you to warn you when there’s a
risk of flooding – giving you precious extra
time to prepare.
To find out more about
how you can Stand up to Climate change visit
the Environment Agency website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wed
+ More
The Environment Agency:
“Proud to be at Pride”
Michelle Dolphin - 20-May-2008
- The Environment Agency is proud to be
joining the Midland's lesbian and gay community
celebrations at Birmingham Pride 2008 festival
on 24 and 25 May, just 11 days before World
Environment Day.
People can win a free
bag for life designed exclusively for us
by Wayne Hemingway of Red or Dead by telling
us the one thing they are going to do to
'stand up to climate change', which is this
year's World Environment Day slogan . There
are five options to choose from:
- be prepared for floods
- save water
- help save wildlife
- stay safe in extreme
weather
- become an asset to
my community.
Regional Director, Mark
Sitton-Kent, says: "I'm really pleased
we are involved in Birmingham Pride. The
festival provides an ideal opportunity to
engage with people and talk about our role,
whilst linking into environmental issues
such as World Environment Day and Climate
Change.
"To be an effective
organisation we need people from many different
backgrounds with many different skills,
outlooks and aptitudes. We want to be an
organisation that is inclusive and relevant
to all our staff, customers and the general
public.
"Together, we can
really make a difference to the environment.
Come and see us on 24 and 25 May to find
out more about World Environment Day and
how we can make the Midlands a better place”.
The World Environment
Day campaign is a United Nations global
celebration that takes place every year
on 5 June. The Environment Agency has been
promoting the campaign since 2004 and last
year thousands of people in the Midlands
took part. More information can be found
at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wed.
