What others have done

YOUR POSTS

Something I have done: I recycle wherever possible, take reusuable bags shopping, holiday in GB, turn off appliances instead of leaving on standby, & I support Durham Wildlife Trust. Something I plan to do: Be more fuel efficient both at home and with my means of transport - Pat Conway

Something I have done: To offset my guilty conscience, I have contributed £25 to Climate Durham projects to cover a return European flight - David Miller

Please respond (on the homepage) on whether you think this is a good way of raising awareness, a practical way of increasing project funding and a reasonable sum to pledge

Something I have done: I buy less stuff. Everything I buy be it clothes, shampoo, food, a CD - takes oil to produce, wrap, deliver and dispose of. So I've decided to just buy less stuff all round. It's nice actually, got a handbag from Cancer Research for 99p - walked to the shop, didn't put it in a carrier, walked home. Something I plan to do: Finish replacing all the bulbs with energy savers, reduce mileage in the car and continue raising awareness of these issues wherever possible - Lisa Remmer

Something I have done: I'm a regular composter, we recycle as much as possible and most of my children's clothes are second hand, thanks to friends passing things on. Something I plan to do: I am talking to my neighbours about lift shares for getting the children to nursery/school - Pam Barmby

Something I have done: Avoided unnecessary energy use and waste, kept using the same perfectly functioning things/clothes rather than needlessly purchasing new ones, attended demonstrations to raise awareness of climate change as a major problem NOW and to combat the continued over-use of fossil fuel. Something I plan to do: Bike or roller blade more all being well. Educate others of the full extent of their own individual contribution to climate change and what they can do to reduce their impact. Build a bender to live in during summer months when usual residence is not entirely necessary - Hugh Jones

Something I have done: Switched to a smaller, more efficient car. Joined the team at Climate Durham Made efforts to car pool at any opportunity. Something I plan to do: Calculate food miles and shop seasonally - Lisa Remmer

Something I have done: I use energy saver bulbs, keep the thermostat under 15 degrees, never throw out food (and never shop until I actually need things), buy unpackaged food, use my own bags, buy secondhand wherever possible and repair rather than throw out my old clothes. Something I plan to do: Start a window ledge salad garden - Alison Dudgeon

Something I have done: I have stopped taking any flights. Instead, I take the train both home and abroad when I wish to travel. Something I plan to do: I will grow more of my own food, starting with vegetables. Even a small patch of land, such as a front lawn or patio, can be used for this! Permaculture will show you how - Elizabeth James

Something I have done: Recycle paper, plastic, glass, card and cans Replaced some lightbulbs with low energy. Buy recycled glass where possible Don't fly anywhere. Something I plan to do: Find a way of recycling kitchen waste in small garden - Ruth Thomas

Something I have done: have contributed some of my County Councillor members money to the University Green Group to promote a 'livers out green guide'. Also never leave lights or standby on TV on. Something I plan to do: walk and cycle more and use the car less - David Freeman

Something I have done: trying to promote sustainable food sourcing via Slow Food Durham and have set up a transition town in my local village. Something I plan to do: a Masters in Leadership for Sustainable Development, Forum for the Future - Celia Cole

Something I have done: I try to 'Walk the Talk' every day in both my private and professional life. Something I plan to do: work closely with Climate Durham to support its work with schools. I wish you all the best with Climate Durham and its plans. - Rich Hurst

Something I have done - I never ask for a bag when I shop, I always carry re-usable bags, or use my hands and balance things when I forget! We re-cycle nearly everything and compost. We have the heating off or low and wear jumpers and huddle together when it gets cold.

Something I plan to do soon - I would like to line behind the radiators, switch off everything that stays on stand-by and make myself and my family more climate aware! - Pippa Bell, Durham

Something I have done - BAG LADY - I try to use the best compostable bags I've ever come across. They are jute bags made by www.jutexpo.com. Organisations like Unicorn Grocery in Manchester, Bradley Burn Farm Shop near Wolsingham in Co Durham and Oxfam buy them in bulk and label them with great logos like 'shop local' and 'make do and mend'. Something I plan to do soon - OFF MY TROLLEY - I sometimes pull a bright orange IKEA shopping trolley to and from the shops and stalls in Durham City Centre instead of driving. I'm going to try to persuade others to overcome their fear of looking like a prat and to do the same. Try www.lakeland.co.uk who do a great range (insulated, funky floral or stipey). They even say in their blurb that 'trolleys are trendy again and they're a lot easier than traipsing home weighed down with heavy bags'. What more can I say - Lucy Szablewska, Durham

Something I have done - Member of Association of North East Councils Task and Finish Group on

Climate Change. When we changed our car we bought a VW Polo Blue Motion (has lowest emissions + zero

road tax!) Went down from 2 cars to 1. Something I plan to do soon - Continue to try to use the

car less and public transport more - Nigel Martin, Durham

Something I have done - I cycle to work each day, rain or shine! Something I plan to do soon - Off-set

all my flight for business (I almost never fly for pleasure) - JR, Durham

Something I have done - I've just registered with liftshare.com. Did you know that there are dozens of people registered with liftshare who travel daily from Durham. It's a free service and seems a great way of cutting down CO2 and fuel costs too. Something I plan to do soon - I plan to buy reflector foil for all radiators on external walls - Janie Bickersteth, Durham

Leading a project on adaptation of the coast to the effects of climate change - IMCORE - Niall Benson, Durham

27/01/09 I have stopped using the small plastic bags for fruit and veg in the supermarkets and never buy the pre-packaged fruit, veg and meat produce - Mary Foy, Birtley

27/01/09 I have decided to drive more carefully, avoiding harsh acceleration and breaking where possible. This has already increased my MPG from 36 to between 38 and 40. My household has also turned its heating down from 22 to 21 degrees C. Both sound small but they are helping and saving money at the same time! - Mark Rogers, Durham

23/01/09 I sprout my own seeds -great for sandwiches and salad. Cycle to work most days (3 miles) and would buy an electric bike if distance was further or when I am not as fit! - Ken Bradshaw, Durham

21/01/09 We have today had an extra 200 mm (8" "in old money") of loft insulation installed using the grant available to us from the City Council which meant that we only had to pay Dysons, the contractors, £99 for the job. We look forward to reduced heating bills (and a cosier house!) - Les and Julie Stobbs, West Rainton

20/01/09 - As a family, we recycle pretty much everything. We are obsessive about turning off all things electrical when not in use. Our wood-burning stove has a catalytic converter fitted. I cycle to work whenever possible, and by mid-February I will be cycling the 15 miles round trip to work most days - Cary, Low Pittington

18/01/09 In the last couple of years, we've changed electricity suppliers to Good Energy, and replaced an old gas boiler with a new condensing one. After completing an online CO2 calculator, and realising what a differnece it could make, we've recently replaced our 20 years old fridge-freezer and washing machine with the most energy efficient that we could find. Our next action is to fit some radiator reflector panels. I'm still struggling to identify good sustainable transport to get to work - Anne Staines, Durham

18/01/09 I'm part of a local workers co-op that grows organic veg for a small box scheme called Abundant Earth. At our smallholding we also run courses on eco-skills such as permaculture, gardening, coppicing, green building methods, solar power etc. I'm also one of the co-ordinators for Transition Durham, part of a nation wide network of local groups raising awareness of peak oil and climate with the intention of building local community resilience. It'll be good to support each other and this is a great website with lots of potential for participation and awareness raising - Wilf Richards, Brancepeth

14/01/09 No more plastic bags for me; I've bought a string bag similar to what my mother used to use 40 years ago. In our office we've started wearing jumpers during the winter - Jeff Curton, Durham

12/01/09 With colleagues, I designed a local public transport system that would be a viable alternative to the private car - Steve Day, Plawsworth

10/01/09 Gave up on plastic bags coming up ten years now and paper bags before that. Most customers are pretty cool with that but there was resistace at first. Overpackaging really gets to me so this year I am refusing goods from companies who I consider to over package stuff, like those little air filled plastic bag pillow type things and particularly polystyrene. I have been recycling all our cardboard for over ten years now and this year some of it will go towards a wormary in our garden at home. Peter Monk, ebgb, Durham

10/01/09 I am moving house so that I can be closer to where I work and not need to commute by car - Jonathan Elmer, Byers Green

10/01/09 Collecting apple cores, orange skins etc and other green waste from colleagues work lunch leftovers to home compost rather than it go in the bin and onto landfill / incinerator - Janice Timmins, Durham

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