Everyone in the borough is being encouraged to “switch it off” to raise awareness of energy saving measures which could make a real difference to the environment and help prevent climate change.
On Friday (3 November), staff at St Edmundsbury will be thinking carefully about the amount of energy they use, both in the home and at work, and will be making an effort to turn off televisions, DVD players and stereos rather than leaving them on stand-by. Council employees are also being encouraged to leave the car at home and cycle or walk to work instead and to turn off lights when they leave a room. It is hoped other local businesses and individuals will also take part and save money from their fuel bills while also helping the environment.
The day has been organised to tie in with a visit from staff at CRed (a community carbon reduction project based in East Anglia). Representatives will be cycling from Norwich to London to raise awareness of green modes of transport and carbon reduction methods, and will pass through Bury St Edmunds on Thursday.
Cllr Jeremy Farthing, Portfolio Holder for Safe, Sustainable Communities and Environment, said:
“One of the council’s key commitments is to safeguard the environment, and the visit of CRed representatives has provided us with the perfect opportunity to honour our pledge while urging everyone in the borough to switch off appliances when they are not in use.
Cllr Farthing continued:
“We would encourage other businesses and individuals to follow this lead and hopefully we can begin making a difference to carbon emissions and tackle climate change.”
Supporting the cyclists from CRed is just one of a number of activities St Edmundsbury has been involved in, both during Energy Saving Week (which ran from 23 to 27 October) and beyond. Tonight, the council will host a special screening of Al Gore’s climate change movie An Inconvenient Truth, while last week staff from St Edmundsbury raised awareness of energy saving measures by handing out nearly 500 free light bulbs to local residents in Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds.
ENDS
ISSUED BY LIZ HEARNSHAW, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Tel 01284 757033. liz.hearnshaw@stedsbc.gov.uk
