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Greener upon Thames - 5 new articles
Where Do You Think It Goes?Plastic: Where do you think it goes?
Please watch our short film (it’ll only take 30 seconds)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoL3v6pqJ9M Greener upon Thames wants YOU to help reduce plastic bag use in the UK. Why? Plastic bags last up to 1,000 years Each person uses on average 20,000 plastic bags in their lifetime Plastic bags do NOT biodegrade They kill wildlife and marine life They act like a sponge absorbing toxins and passing them into the food chain The “Pacific Plastic Stew” - waste accumulating in the Pacific Ocean - is now six times the size of the UK It is EASY to live without them – take a reusable bag with you Back us in getting the new Government to ban or introduce a national levy on single use plastic bags. HOW CAN I HELP? Please watch our 30 second film, sign our petition at http://www.greeneruponthames.org and forward this email on to your contacts. THANKS SO MUCH – together we can do this!     Christmas UpdateChristmas nearly upon us and we want to thank you for your support through the year, whether your signature on our petition or in more substantial form in the fight against plastic bags. We feel a bit like those ducks, floating serenely on the water, but paddling like mad underneath!
Greener upon Thames ends the year on a high.
We joined in the festive cheer at Kew Sparkle and Barnes Christmas Shopping night, making a profit of over £400 for our campaign against single use plastic bags in the Borough. The Krispy Kreme donuts and hot chocolates flew from the stalls. The Eco Dinosaur (made from wood and plastic bags) created by students of Holy Trinity Primary School in Sheen has had a starring role in the window display of the SOSS (Support our Small Shops) pop-up Gallery in Barnes. Andrea Craig of Support SOSS said, "We are absolutely delighted to have raised £500 so far on behalf of Greener Upon Thames. The pop-up shop has been very successful and we have had lots of interest from shoppers, residents and local artists interested in displaying their work. It has been brilliant to be part of and there will be more opening in the coming months". PlasticBagFree Kingston and Ham United Group have joined the other urban villages on the river as members of GreeneruponThames, staging events and campaigning, some of which was fun, and some was cold and windy, but we were all warmed by people’s positive response! Although as the Copenhagen Climate Summit comes to a close, and many other immediate and very important challenges face us, we carry on with what to some may seem like a minor campaign. It isn’t. When President Kennedy talked about aiming for the moon, he said, not because it is easy, but because it is hard. Well, what we are trying to do is easy. Just take your own reusable bag and say no to a plastic bag, and spread the message. This isn’t a moon shot, it’s much closer to home. It’s a small but essential part of looking after our Earth. Greener upon Thames has exciting plans for the New Year. We will be shooting our film, launching our Greener Bag and badges and on 21st January holding an event at the Bingham Hotel in Richmond. Thank you again for your support (and if you can give us more, that would be good – look forward to hearing from you!). With best wishes for an absolutely fabulous plastic bag free 2010! Greener upon Thames www.greeneruponthames.org Re: Plastic bags againAnother update from Carole...
International News
* Ireland has placed a levy on plastic bags. Oh, no, that was in 2002 * The Welsh environment minister proposed that a 15p levy be placed on plastic bags. But that was June 2009. * 9 Jan 2008 ... The Chinese government announces a crackdown on plastic bags, in a bid to cut pollution and save resources. (BBC News) * It looks as though Australia will be banning plastic bags state by state. South Australia has become the first to ban them, on 4 May 2009, but other states are pushing to join. National News Sorry, none. The UK government is still relying on voluntary action to reduce takeup of single use bags. Why? Local news GreeneruponThames supporters are still out there, working on the campaign to get the government to bring in a levy on single use bags. We know it’s not the most important threat to life on this planet – what with climate change, overpopulation, war and disease. It is, in the great scheme of things, maybe quite small. But we can do it, and we should do it. Here are a few words from Karen, who collected pledges from 90 shops in Sheen, to ask customers if they need a plastic bag, and to reuse plastic bags: “The majority of the businesses I spoke to thought this was a good idea …, from the businesses I spoke to, this is a well supported and well considered thing to do.” And also from the manager of Kingston Branch TKMaxx, which has a policy since last year to charge for plastic bags: “You have to explain to some customers why we’re charging, but we have reduced usage by 70%” A personal view As you grow older, you recognise that you won’t be a hero. You won’t climb Everest, or be a famous ballerina or invent the cure for the common cold. You accept that the most you can do is live a decent life, try to bring up your children with a moral compass, give them more than you had and prepare them for a future you can’t envisage. What I really hate is the fact that my most enduring legacy will be the plastic bags I brought home from the supermarket, the yogurt pots and the bread wrappers. That they will be there for centuries after I’m gone, polluting the seas, releasing their toxic chemicals into the food chain and causing harm where I had only hoped to do good. We’re not giving up and neither should you. GreeneruponThames continues to campaign. We welcome your support. 10:10 Campaign goes to parliamentIf you haven't heard of 10:10 yet you should get informed...anyone and everyone is invited to pledge to cut their carbon by 10% in 2010. Carole Reports from the Front LineOnce upon a time, on a blustery autumn day, 4 intrepid warriors of the Greener tribe set out to save the environment . There was M, an experienced fighter, calm and undaunted in the face of adversity; W, enthusiastic, committed and brave; J, engaging, energetic and prepared, and finally C, driven by a mixture of outrage and zealous determination. But smiling with it. More Recent Articles
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