Meet Peterborough's green goddesses
Peterborough is making a well-publicised bid to become the Environment Capital of the UK. But none of this good work would be possible without help from many professionals across the city, in particular a group of dynamic women, all in their 20s, who are trying to change the city for good.
Peterborough is making a well-publicised bid to become the Environment Capital of the UK. But none of this good work would be possible without help from many professionals across the city, in particular a group of dynamic women, all in their 20s, who are trying to change the city for good.Charlotte Palmer (28) Climate change team manager, Peterborough City Council:
How are you green in your personal life?
I have to admit that I drive to work. I now live about 20 miles out of Peterborough, in a rural village with no suitable public transport links – but, to compensate, I drive a Smart car.
I do however recycle as much as possible, I have an allotment that I share with my mother in law – I am particularly good at the harvesting element.
What anti-green behaviour in others annoys you the most?
It upsets me when people dismiss environmental issues as somebody else's problem without really looking in to them – it's easy to think that, as an individual, you can't have an impact. That's what our "Your Footprint Counts" campaign is all about – simple lifestyle changes really can make a big difference.
What's your top green tip?
Doing one thing for the environment can save you money too – who couldn't do with a little extra cash?
What one small thing do you think everyone should do to be green?
I don't mind what people do – just do something.
If you could be granted one 'green wish' for the city, what would it be?
For every resident in the city to change one small aspect of their life to reduce their impact on the environment, whether it be to insulate your home, install a solar panel, or reduce food waste. All of these things collectively will make a difference.
Jenny Line (25) Project manager in the waste infrastructure team at PCC:
How are you green in your personal life?
I try to do lots of small things to be green in my personal life like growing fruit and veg at the allotment with my friends, not eating much meat, using cotton shopping bags and cycling to work some of the time.
I don't always manage to make the green choice though, I quite often end up driving to work, especially when it's really wet or windy.
That's somewhere where I want to try to make more of an effort.
The big thing I'm trying to do at the moment is not flying – last year I went on holiday to Austria and took the train, which turned out to be really good fun, much more of an adventure than just hopping on a plane. I'd definitely recommend it.Cooking things like pasta and rice with the hob on too high is a little bugbear of mine – water turns to steam at 100 degrees, so once it has started boiling turning the heat up doesn't make the food cook any quicker, it just makes the water boil off faster and uses more gas or electricity.
I'm always turning pans down in my house – my housemates probably think I'm a bit strange for that.
What's your top green tip?
Keeping down the amount of food you waste is a great tip for reducing your impact on the environment and saving money at the same time.
Not all food waste can be avoided, but it's so easy to cook too much rice and end up chucking it away or forget about that bit of cheese sitting at the back of the fridge and find it weeks later going green.
I've found it helps if I go shopping for smaller amounts more frequently so that I always remember what I've got in the fridge at any one time.
When we are able to recycle food waste in Peterborough the green electricity generated will make the overall impact much smaller, but it's even better to avoid throwing away as much as we can in the first place. Home composting your fruit and veg scraps helps too if you can.
If you could be granted one 'green wish' for the city, what would it be?
My green wish for the city is that I'd love to see more locally-produced food in the shops. The city markets are great for local food but I don't work in the city centre so it's difficult to get to them and I usually end up shopping at a supermarket.
We're in a big food-producing region here so it would be great to see food miles cut and local farmers supported more.
Nicola Francis (26) Travelchoice team manager:
How are you green in your personal life?
I recycle everything I can, and have been known to take home empty bottles from weekends away to make sure they're recycled.
I cycle or walk to work every day and only use my car when I need to.
I'm a vegetarian, and have been for 11 years. I drive everyone else mad with my compulsion to switch everything off, maybe I'm being green or it might be OCD, who knows? I have a compost heap in my garden for kitchen scraps and grow a few herbs and vegetables in my garden, some more successfully than others.
What anti-green behaviour in others annoys you the most?
Laziness – it really doesn't take much effort to do your bit.
What's your top green tip?
Big changes are great but if a lot did a little, the effect would be enormous.
If you could be granted one 'green wish' for the city, what would it be?
The cycle infrastructure and pro-cycling culture of Holland. They've really got it sussed.Nyree Ambarchian (25) Marketing and funding officer for Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT):
How are you green in your personal life?
I try to tread lightly on the planet in my day to day life. What anti-green behaviour in others annoys you the most? My favourite green things to do are things that have an environmental benefit but that also add to your quality of life.
For example I like eating fresh, local food which reduces food miles (the distance food travels to reach you and the amount of CO2 emitted) but also tastes really good and is better for you.
I also prefer getting the bus to work because I can sit back, read a book and enjoy the ride, avoiding just sitting in boring traffic jams getting frustrated.
I'm not a vegetarian but I don't eat a lot of meat and I make sure when I do it's free-range. I try not to buy things I don't need and get second hand stuff from charity shops when possible.
What anti-green behaviour in others annoys you the most?
It's very specific – people who buy one or two items for lunch from Marks and Spencer and take one of their small plastic carrier bags – they probably use it for five minutes before it goes straight in the bin. I always pull faces at people who do that (so they can't see me of course – very passive aggressive, I know.)
Oh and people who say 'why should I be green? China isn't.' Could you imagine a child that swears getting off the hook because they say 'it's ok, Tom over the road does it.'?
What's your top green tip?
My top green tip is to just do something. Pick one thing you want to focus on and stick to it. Whether it's bussing or cycling to work, taking reusable bags to the shops with you, turning the heating down or setting up a water butt in your garden – just pick your one thing and make sure you keep it up. Once you've got the one under your belt it will just become habit and so effort-free that you can pick something else to focus on.
If you could be granted one 'green wish' for the city, what would it be?
A fantastic caf/restaurant that served affordable, locally-produced food, organic and fair-trade items, and local ales. It would be right in the city centre and would open late into the evenings and have entertainment like up-and-coming bands, comedians, and art displays mixed with more serious stuff like green/ethical speakers.
There would be an amazing garden for the summer where fresh herbs would be grown for use in the restaurant.
In the day there would be lunchtime workshops on how to cook the perfect veggies, clothes and book swaps, junk band performances – it would be a hub of cool greenness!Jenna Hiley (25) Climate change officer for Peterborough City Council:
How are you are green in your personal life?
I am not perfectly sustainable but do try to be environmentally-aware regarding my day-to-day actions. I walk to work every day, I have an allotment which really helps my shopping bills, as I am a vegetarian, and I have become much more energy conscious around my home.
What anti-green behaviour in others annoys you the most?
When people get caught up in the scientific debate regarding climate change and miss the key messages such as the impending energy crisis, which is undisputed. It is very presumptuous that we can and should rely on endless energy especially when we know that fossil fuels are not infinite and at this time we could not rely on renewable energy alone.
What's your top green tip?
Have a look at where you are currently inefficient regarding energy or water and try and make at least one behavioural change that will make you more efficient with the resources you do use. In most cases it will save you money.
If you could be granted one 'green wish' for the city, what would it be?
That we will no longer require eco/green champions such as us as everyone understands the need to do their bit environmentally, big or small.
Sophie Antonelli (26) Project manager of the Green Backyard:
How are you green in your personal life?
I cycle pretty much everywhere and I love it.
It keeps me fit, gives me time to think and keeps one more car off our roads. I've also been veggie for about 14 years and try to minimise the amount of packaging I throw away by choosing the items I buy more carefully.
What anti-green behaviour in others annoys you the most?
Definitely anything that is careless or unnecessary. I can't stand lights being left on or the heating being on in the summer. It's so often the easiest things to change that are overlooked and it drives me crazy.
What's your top green tip?
Try and have a car free day every week.
What one small thing do you think everyone should do to be green?
I think that everyone should be more conscious of how what we spend our money on affects the environment. Just take a second before buying anything to consider where it has come from, I find this helps put into perspective whether I really want it or not.
If you could be granted one 'green wish' for the city, what would it be?
I would love to see Peterborough making use of all our unused green spaces and producing more of our own food right here in the city.
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Thursday 29 July 2010
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