The One Tonners launch on Friday 2nd February got off to a flying start with over 60 people attending the main presentation on how to calculate your Carbon Footprint. There was also an impressive presentation given on everything you can do to reduce your footprint around the Home and an incisive critique of the current fad for Carbon Offsetting entitled: 'Carbon Offsetting is a CO2N' ! It was a lively event featuring exhibitions, music videos, a library of books and loads of useful leaflets. The second One Tonners on Friday 2nd March was also a success, despite the pouring rain outside! - with over 20 people attending... the third One Tonners on Monday 2nd April at Bethesda Church again had 20 people attending and was an inspiring event... plus on Thursday 5th April Cathy gave a presentation to the North Cheltenham Rotary Club and got the Rotarians enthused about cutting their carbon...

The next One Tonners event is on Saturday 5th May at the One World Festival @ the University of Gloucestershire, Park Campus, Cheltenham at 3.00 pm. Please tell all your friends and colleagues...

This Is Your Low Carbon Action Plan

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

· Stop flying – flying is now an unsustainable activity;
· Change to a Green Electricity supplier = Green Energy / Good Energy / Ecotricity;
· Fully insulate your home and loft including cavity wall insulation;
· Turn your heating down to 18ºC and only heat occupied rooms;
· Reduce energy consumption, switch off electrical appliances on standby;
· Fit energy saving lightbulbs in the home, lobby your workplace;
· Cut down all unnecessary car trips – walk, cycle, use public transport more: 25% of all car journeys are less than 2 miles; 58% are less than 5 miles.

NEXT STEPS:
· Compost your food waste;
· If your boiler is over 10 years old it could be 25% less efficient than a condensing boiler – replace it with a condensing boiler or Micro-combined heat & power unit;
· When replacing electrical goods buy only the most energy efficient rated ones;
· Recycle everything you possibly can and buy recycled goods in return;
· Save water – take showers not baths / put a brick in your toilet cistern / use a water butt in the garden to collect rainwater for watering the garden.

TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND:
· Stop using supermarkets – get your food from local sources e.g. farmers markets /vegebox schemes / local fruit & veg markets / local butchers;
· Stop shopping for new products in general – buy second-hand instead or recycled;
· Consider doing without a car and car share or join a car club. Consider buying the smallest fuel efficient diesel or hybrid;
· Travel less. Explore the beautiful Cotswolds;
· Grow your own vegetables in your garden or get an allotment;
· Change to an ethical bank and ethical investments
· If you are rich enough consider investing in Microgeneration.

WANT TO DO MORE…?
· Become a Climate Change Campaigner and tell everyone you know about how to live a low carbon lifestyle;
· Write to the Government and your Local Authority so that they know how much you care about the Climate and our future on the planet;
· Write letters to newspapers – local and national – join local groups – join local protests –

make as much noise as you can …

TOGETHER WE CAN BE VERY POWERFUL – JOIN THE CLIMATE MOVEMENT!

To find out what you can do see the web-site links on the top right-hand side of this blog = Campaign against Climate Change web-site / Oxford Students Union Climate Justice web-site / Prophets of Hope & many more...