CLIMATE CHANGE CHAMPIONS
Henri is one of five teenagers from across Wales appointed as a Climate Change Champion by the Welsh Government as part of its ‘11 Actions for 2011’ campaign to help Wales reduce its carbon footprint. Since January, the five Climate Change Champions have been asking the public to commit to three carbon-reducing actions from a list of 11.
The 11 Actions for 2011 are:
1. Do one less clothes washing load a week: avoid half loads.
2. Use a washing up bowl, rather than running the tap.
3. Join a car club, or start car sharing.
4. Walk or cycle for short trips.
5. Use public transport for longer trips.
6. Install double or secondary glazing for my windows.
7. Fit a hot water jacket on my boiler.
8. Turn my thermostat down by 1 degree (18 degrees Celsius is about right).
9. Replace G-rated appliances with A-rated ones.
10. Spend one minute less in the shower (aim for four minutes).
11. Insulate my loft or walls.
To find out more about the 11 actions visit http://www.walescarbonfootprint.gov.uk/myfootprint/11actions/?lang=en p>
Last week he spent the day at Manor House Wildlife Park, talking to people of all ages about actions we can all take.
“I believe the key for reducing our carbon footprint lies in building an environmentally friendly attitude within society," said Henri, "together we will be able to make a difference.
Saying this, I do not believe that everyone should do everything. We should do what applies to us and what is achievable for us individually, so that together, we make a difference. Because not everyone can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
The picture shows Henri and Anna at the park Henri uses to help get his message across.
"It worked really well!" said Anna. "I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I heard that a 'Climate Change Champion' was going to be spending a day with us here at Manor House! Would he be sporting a big silver cup and some medals??? But we've had such fun with Henri - he truly is a champ!
We can learn so much from young people who are committed to a sustainability - especially people of my era. We all need to think about how we can protect the future by acting now. For me, I picked three pledges that I know I can easily achieve just to get me started, they are: - to walk or cycle for short trips - to spend one minute less in the shower (I'm aiming for 4 minutes, which means a lot of rapid scrubbing after being out on poo-patrol!) - and one less clothes wash a week - by avoiding half loads.
And you know, it's easy really - it's the little things that can make such a big difference."
