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Even if our local project is one of thousands and collectively we are having a significant impact, it can be hard to see how what we are doing affects global issues such as climate change, environmental justice, world trade, global development and so on. There is no simple and comprehensive answer to this question, but there are a lot of small answers. Much of what we do in our daily lives affects other countries, most notably through what we buy and consume. The UN's Agenda 21 report for the 1992 Earth Summit spelled it out directly: 'the major cause of the continued deterioration of the global environment is the unsustainable pattern of production and consumption, particularly in industrialized countries.' We are the problem, and it's up to us to play what part we can in creating more sustainable ways to live and consume. How we use energy is one place to start. We use huge amounts of oil, causing pollution in its production, transport and final use, but we also waste around a third of the energy we use. To make matters worse, millions of poorer households in the UK are in a state of 'fuel poverty', which means that they spend more than 10% of their income on energy. We can all take steps to cut down on our own energy waste (and thus save some money) and community groups can do a lot more. In Brighton, a network of community groups have looked at how their community centres can become energy-efficient buildings, while all over the UK there are Energy Advice Centres and other local projects underway. However, there's a lot more to be done, especially in terms of helping 'hard-to-reach' households - people who are poor, newly arrived refugees, people who speak little or no English and so on. A project may seek to involve these groups in a conservation task, but could also use the contacts they have made through this work to provide advice on energy saving (and waste recycling). But it's not the poor who are the problem. The people who are using the most energy are the wealthy in larger houses with one or more cars, for whom the electricity bill is just another bill to be paid. Yet if we are to tackle climate change it's consumption patterns like this that need to be tackled and any local organisation can certainly play a part, by making people aware of the issues and providing advice and support for those starting to change how they live. Another good example of how we can change where we live is by examining the food we eat. Fresh food is good for us, and locally-produced fresh food also cuts down on transport costs and pollution. Therefore, why not grow more locally? There are now hundreds of local food-growing projects, along with over 8,000 allotment sites and around 350 'farmers' markets' which sell locally-grown produce. Any project looking to improve a piece of land might want to look at how that land could be used to produce food: there are many underused sites around the UK, much of it close to or in housing estates. Many of the people who said 'it can't be done' are now eating fresh food they've grown themselves. We all do live on the same planet, although its resources are shared very unequally. While we worry about our 'own backyard', we should also remember that there's also a very big front yard - and that all our front doors are open on to it. We may not choose to worry about global problems, but we can certainly act if we choose. Local action may seem to have only limited effects, but if we don't take action, then we shouldn't expect anyone else to. And, if we do take action, then we take a first step towards making the changes we want to see happen. Hopefully this guide has provided you with advice and ideas, not just on taking the first step, but also on going forward to helping create a community in which you are happy to live, and a place that respects and enhances both the local and global environments. All content copyright © 1986-2008 BTCV Ltd. Registered charity No. 261009 |
