Chinese New Year that is! The year of the rabbit in case you were wondering. 

Thousands of people across the globe will be celebrating with different events and activities. Here at PECT we have a number of special Greeniversity classes this weekend in honour of this occasion. One of these great classes is Chinese lantern making. 

Lanterns are a tradition for Chinese New Year and are used to celebrate many other occasions too. In recent years they have grown in popularity and are now featured at weddings, birthdays, funerals, and pretty much any other event imaginable!

This isn't a surprise as they are undeniably beautiful and create a very striking image. They are also popular with all ages and relatively inexpensive to buy. However, these lanterns come with hidden environmental consequences. Three main areas of risk have been identified:

• Firstly, the hazard of fire. Once released there is no control over the lantern which means it can come down anywhere (within reason!). They have been indicated as the cause behind a number of building and crop fires. This is especially problematic in summer after it's been consistently dry and crops, grass and thatch are ideal fuel for fire.
  

• Next is animal well-being. The majority of lanterns are made using wire frames which can cause harm to livestock and wild animals if they ingest them, or even from cutting themselves.

• Thirdly, is the litter issue. Apart form being unsightly, litter can be dangerous. The wire frames can easily get caught up in farm machinery and cause serious damage, or be picked up by children who risk injuring themselves. 

There are a number of simple things that can be done to reduce the risks though. To start, bamboo frames can be used instead of metal. These biodegradable options are widely available and vary little in cost from there wire counterparts. For extra safety lanterns can be tethered. A simple piece of string attaching the lantern to a fixed location will vastly reduce the fire risk. This also means that the lanterns can be gathered in at the end and disposed of suitably.

A number of groups are calling for an outright ban, which to me seems a shame. I totally understand why, as these lanterns present a serious risk. However, I hope that by more people becoming aware of the risks and doing something to reduce the damage then sufficient changes will be seen for landowners and lantern releasers to live in harmony.

Just remember, if you're buying lanterns this Chinese New Year (or at any other time) to look for wire free, eco-friendly lanterns. Then try to make sure they can't drift too far!

 

Tags: Do your bit for the environment | Peterborough Greeniversity | Laura Bayliss

It’s that time of year again when the country comes to a stand still because of the cold. Generally when it comes to snow people either love it or hate it. Either way, the cold weather is ‘snow’ reason to forget about your environmental impact and carbon footprint (ho ho ho)!

We’ve compiled our top tips on being environmentally conscious in the snow!

• If you have to drive then make sure you remove ALL the snow off your car before you set off. The blanket of snow means the engine takes longer to warm up and get up to maximum efficiency. Snow also weighs a deceptive amount and this weight also reduces efficiency.

• Use a good old fashioned ice scraper rather than chemical de-icer to remove ice from your car. It’s pollution free! Even better, cover up your car with a sheet or blanket when it’s not in use!

• Using salt/grit can be messy and contaminate the ground. So where possible just shovel snow instead.

• When the weather outside is frightful, turning the heating up seems delightful! But it isn’t. Just one extra degree increases fuel consumption by 8%! Try snuggling up with a cosy blanket first. If a blanket is impractical then it’s ok to wear your hat and scarf inside too.

• Invest in insulation. It has a relatively quick payback period and there are a number of schemes that offer discounts depending on where you live or your income.

• If you can’t afford to take time off work but are going to struggle to get in, the snow gives you the perfect excuse to raise the idea of working from home with your boss!

• Snow day at school/work? Staying inside all day with the lights on and playing video games or watching TV consumes a lot of electricity.  Why not go outside and enjoy the snow! It’s free! But if it’s Free and not Freezing you want, try a board game inside instead.

• If you really don’t fancy going outside, use this time for a good clear out. Old clothes? Bag them up for a charity shop! Last years unwanted Christmas presents still in their box? Donate them to a raffle! Tins in the cupboard that you don’t really fancy? Donate them to Age UK’s charity appeal!

• Soy or beeswax candles are the most environmentally friendly candles to have hanging around in case there are power cuts.

And once you've done all that make a nice Fair Trade Hot Chocolate and put your feet up!

Tags: Energy Efficiency | Healthy Living | Laura Bayliss

I’m pleased to announce the winners of the Energy Saving Week Challenge are The Skip Company from Swan Court in Hampton and File Flatners from Second Drove in Fengate!

The Skip Company made a fantastic 30% reduction in their energy usage by turning off lights in empty rooms, making a tea round instead of individual cups, and leaving blinds open to let in natural light.

For their amazing efforts they won an eco hamper full of Fair Trade, Organic and healthy nibbles and drinks. Oh, and some bubbly!

They said having an Energy Monitor in place was a real eye-opener, enabling them to see how much energy was used by everyday appliances such as the kettle and the microwave.

A bottle of champagne has also been presented to John Munton of File Flatners for inspiring his team to do so much. They tried every conceivable idea to reduce energy consumption including switching off PC’s and turning down the thermostat.

Any business can make savings by becoming more energy aware. With energy prices on the up again it’s definitely the time to be looking at ways of saving. To further assist the businesses involved in the project we’ll be running a workshop in reading and reducing energy bills in January.

Of course there are plenty of other ways businesses can save money and become more environmentally friendly. We’re currently also working on initiatives with waste, water and transport. In December we have two great events coming up:

8th December – Eco-Driving Simulator to help businesses reduce fuel consumption by 15%.

15th December – Paperless Office Day, including a tour and demonstration at the paper digitising company File Flatners.

If you are, or know of, a business based in Hampton or Fengate that would be interested please get in touch.

Don’t forget – many small actions lead to big changes!

Tags: Energy Efficiency | Laura Bayliss

Here at Peterborough Environment City Trust we’ve been helping more than 40 local businesses based in Fengate and Hampton become more aware of their energy consumption.

One way we’ve done this is by providing a number of them with energy monitors on loan from Peterborough City Council. The businesses had the monitors for a fortnight and spent the first week carrying on as normal to gain an average weekly consumption figure.

The following week they were challenged to reduce the amount of energy their business consumed as much as possible by following such simple tips as:

Turn the thermostat down by one degree

Turn off lights when you’re not in a room

Shut down office equipment when it’s not in use

On average the businesses managed to save a fantastic 15% of their energy!

By continuing these brilliant efforts these businesses can continue to save energy and money all year round. This benefits the business and reduces the emissions which contribute to climate change.

A big thanks and well done to all who took part, we’ll be announcing the competition winners in the next few days!

If you know of a business based in either Fengate or Hampton that would like to improve their environmental credentials please contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 

Tags: Energy Efficiency | Laura Bayliss