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 Forest Festival, 2nd September 2006 |
The main theme of this year's Forest Festival, an annual celebration of all things tree-related, was climate change, so it was especially important for Swindon Climate Action Network to be there.
As well as promoting the upcoming Question Time event on 15th September and giving out our local food directory to the few people who don't have one yet, we were encouraging people to make climate change promises. The booklets contained a few pages of ideas for ways in which people can make small (or not-so-small) changes to their lifestyle in order to reduce their contribution to climate change, and on the final page was a form to send to Tony Blair:
Climate change promise Dear Prime Minister, The UK Government must play its part to Stop Climate Chaos. I urge you to:
In return, I promise to (please copy out your pledges below)... |
Although the weather on the day wasn't ideal, attendance at the festival was still quite good, and we collected around eighty completed promise forms, with more handed out with a promise to return them completed later.
The tactic of giving everyone who completed a form a little green sticker worked well; not only did it ensure we didn't badger anyone who'd already completed one, it attracted more people to our stall as curious people asked each other why they were wearing a little green sticker.
Also present on our stall was the energy-efficient dolls house, showing various ways in which homes can be made more energy-efficient.
Such as replacing traditional light bulbs with the low-energy variety, and insulating hot water tanks ...
... having heating and hot water controlled by timers, and not setting the thermostat too high ...
... not leaving the TV on standby ...
... installing low-energy kitchen appliances and joining a local veg box scheme.
Other stalls and attractions at the festival included the Energy Saving Trust with their free low-energy lightbulbs and home efficiency surveys, the Active Swindon project, a Fair Trade stall ...
... Swindon Borough Council's stall and survey on waste and recycling, burgers (both beef and chick-pea) from Purton House farm, Swindon Pulse, live music in the main tent ...
... a stall about European Mobility Week and alternative forms of transport ...
... Jake the Juggler performing some seemingly impossible feats ...
... Thames Water, magnets for reducing limescale in your water pipes and boilers, Shaw Forest ...
... bicycles being used to generate electricity, bird-box making, various traditional wood-crafts, and Naturally Bohemian , selling clothes made from recycled textiles.
Our next outing will be at Coleshill Organics open day, Saturday 9th September.