Climate Week 2015 is set to be a memorable event, held between 2nd– 6th March. There will be plenty of activities available with varying approaches geared towards promoting the reduction of our personal environmental impact. Climate Week aims to tackle numerous issues with regards to the environment such as food waste, carbon emissions and non-sustainable behaviours. Plenty of accessible events will be held, with a variety of engagement styles. The workshops, film showings and cooking demos all hope to encourage your appetite for sustainability. Climate Week 2015 is about making changes on a variety of different levels from the personal to the corporate. If we all strive to make a difference we could potentially influence others- so let’s make a change!
Sustainable travel: Traveling green is an easy way to save money, time, and even keep fit. Buying a bike is one time investment which saves a ton of money in the long run which would otherwise be spent on public transport. Buying a second hand bike is even better, because it avoids landfill. If you are interested in making this investment, The Cycle Hub will be running free try-before-you-buy trials at the Student Forum, Wednesday 4th March. If your current bike needs any minor repairs or even just an MOT, come down on Tuesday 3rd March to the Student Forum for some help from Dr. Bike. There will also be some cheap bike accessories on sale Friday 6th March at the Student Forum, thanks to UniCycles. Alternatively, you can get involved in the new bike hire scheme that will be launched by Recyke Y’Bike on the Wednesday, or, if you are not one to hop on a bike then there is a different set up known as ‘Co-Wheels Car Club’, for which a showcase will be held on the Wednesday.
Food waste: Food waste has become a huge issue worldwide, in the UK, and unfortunately in our own homes. Over-purchasing which leads to food being thrown away is a problem that can be solved, however. ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ will be running some cooking demonstrations throughout the week in order to teach us how to choose the sustainable option, and learn some tasty new recipes too. Together we can stop waste and start saving. Additionally, if you have some surplus food, why not donate it to a food bank? The Trussell Trust works to help those who cannot afford food, with 420 food bank projects currently working across the UK. Check out what they’re doing at: http://www.trusselltrust.org/foodbank-projects.
Films: If what you’re interested in is learning about sustainable issues and perhaps coming up with other ways to help aside from those listed above, come along to the Eco-Disaster film festival which will be held at Northumbria University on Tuesday 3rd March. Knowledge of the problem is often the best way to find a solution!
Clothes: There will be an Allotment swap shop on Monday 2nd March (12-2pm, Northumbria University), and another in collaboration with Oxfam to be confirmed. Make sure to check the attached timetable to see when this will be! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure… so go and get yours.
Furniture: Up-cycling is all the rage! So come and make your old pieces look new at The Wood Pile’s Shabby Chic workshop on Tuesday 3rd March.
Corporate Carbon Action: Come and find out how different corporations aim to reduce their carbon footprint on the Wednesday (2pm, Northumbria University), and perhaps you will be inspired by innovative new ways to reduce your own companies’ carbon footprint.
Katie Silver
The Sustainability Team