People from across Lichfield and Burntwood are being encouraged to “make a pledge” to live a more sustainable life as part of a new campaign in Staffordshire.
The initiative by Staffordshire County Council is aiming to get 5,000 people to step up and show their commitment to the climate change agenda.
The authority has already made a commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through steps such as replacing street lights with LED bulbs and using green renewable energy to power buildings.
Cabinet member for environment, infrastructure and climate change at Staffordshire County Council, Cllr Simon Tagg, said:
“We can all do our bit to make Staffordshire greener and reduce our impact on the environment.
“By thinking differently about how we live our everyday lives, how we travel, heat our homes, how we work, what we buy and how we dispose of our waste, we can make a difference.
“If we can all make small changes, we will breathe cleaner air, create greener communities and make Staffordshire a healthier place to live and work.
“By acting now and working together as a county, we can tackle the impacts that could arise and at the same time benefit from initiatives that save money and protect the environment.”
Cllr Simon Tagg, Staffordshire County Council
Information on how people can get involved is available online.
I think this is one of the biggest and most important challenges any of us now faces.
None of us can say we live a perfect life, there is always something more or something better that we can. The environment is one way we can all make a contribution. It doesn’t matter what you are used to doing, what you have done previously and what you think others want. All that matters is making the right decisions and choices now, for us as individuals, our friends, families and the communities around us. If we all make this type of environmental pledge, forget the past and just look to a better future then we might actually see some light at the end of the tunnel as regards the climate crisis and other problems.
A friend told me this week: “I’ve made mistakes in my life . and I’ve accepted way less than I deserve. But, I’ve learned from my bad choices and even though there are some things I can never get back and people who will never be sorry, I know better next time and I won’t settle for anything less than I deserve. Life does not come with instructions so I just do the best I can.”
What an amazing and inspiring thing to say.
How about a commitment to use cars less, and walk or cycle more? The volume of traffic on the roads now is ridiculous. At a higher level, how about a commitment by government to reductions in greenhouse gases and to renewable energy; a commitment that actually means something rather than continually fudging the issues?
A favourite quote of mine is ‘Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, its not.’- Dr Seuss.
I moved from Birmingham to Staffordshire after I fell in love with the beauty of the area. One of the best peices of advice my fiancee and I were given on moving in day was ‘ Focus on the solution rather than spending all your mental energy rumenating about the problems of the past.’
I hope that we can keep Staffordshire green and healthy for years to come.
You need to see the bigger picture. There are seven and a half billion (750,000,000,000) people living on Earth and growing. One way or another we all pollute the environment. This is a world problem. However well meaning the people of Staffordshire are it is delusional to think they can make any difference whatsoever. Our weather is not home produced it is world generated. I am sorry to be so negative but this is a real problem for future generations. Unless the government’s of the world are prepared to work in union to counter the pollution then the outlook is dire. If you want to help in a meaningful way then stop procreating. The real Elephant in the room is our species outgrowing its environment.
I was expecting outrage regarding my above comments. Even criticism of my poor mathematics. I thought people might think my remarks insensitive of people’s efforts to do something about the terrible fate we have made for ourselves. I wasn’t expecting Pop up Restaurants !
Hi Philip, if you were hoping for a reaction – then okay.
I totally agree with you that overpopulation is a fundamental problem However, I totally disagree with your perspective that people needn’t take any personal responsibility for the environment other than not having children, and that it’s up to an international governmental agreement to fix everything. We’ve already seen that governmental regulations that don’t have public support tend not to work. If people are encouraged to believe that they are not part of the solution, then there will be no chance of a magical international governmental fix.
Hi Asellus, thank you I thought I was the only one who cares. Your analysis of the situation has a parallel that will be put to the test tomorrow. We are all granted freedom to conduct ourselves through personal responsibility. The pandemic is rising rapidly to a third phase. Just how responsible do you think people will be? You have far more faith in people doing the right thing than I have (including climate change). I wish it was different. Hope over experience I suppose.
I do find it somewhat ironic that such a call to action comes from a Conservative council, considering the record of the Tories on the environment. Yes, we all need to do our bit, no government can succeed without the support and action of its citizens, but the government here and governments across the world have failed dismally to address climate change, and certainly not with any sense of urgency. Too many vested interests, too much institutional inertia, have got us to where we now are, with increases in extreme weather and little evidence that any effective action is being taken to address the problem. Progress by 2050? That’s nearly thirty years away. How much more damage will we have done to the world by then? Wake up and smell the coffee guys, we’re all in trouble now. I am all for individual action, it is the responsibility of us all, but it needs to be matched, and led, by those in power across the globe. We could make a start by getting suitable and responsible people into power, instead of the rabble we have now.