Green engage

Another letter in the howtogogreen postbag. This one's from Graham at bynature.co.uk.

A group of key environmental groups have launched an initiative to find out what the public think about the environment and ‘green lifestyles’. The aim is to see if a groundswell of public participation and enthusiasm can reduce pressure on the natural systems of the planet that we rely on, and all too often take for granted. According to these groups, the environment faces a constant squeeze as other things take priority but it provides our life support system in terms of food, air, water and shelter. Keeping the environment healthy is important for people as much as it is for animals and plants.

The Green-Engage initiative is investigating people’s attitudes, opinions and lifestyle choices and assessing how the environmental movement can better provide help and advice for those wishing to ‘go green’. In particular, it hopes to uncover people’s reactions to what environmental organisations have to say. Members of the public of all opinions and views are being surveyed now across the country. The project is supported by By Nature, Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance, grownupgreen, Passion for the Planet, Sustain, Transport 2000 and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Co-ordinator of Green-Engage, Steve Hounsham, said: “This work is not before time. Environmental groups argue that not enough of us have adopted green lifestyles but many people believe a sustainable, ‘environmentally friendly’ life is one of sacrifice, hardship and pessimism. It’s time the green movement showed it could, in fact, be a happier, more attractive and simply nicer way of life. Green experts must learn to communicate with people better and more realistically, not least because there’s literally a whole world at stake.”

Stephen Joseph, Director of Transport 2000, one of the project partners, said: “This is a critically important project. Environmental groups need to find ways of communicating the positive benefits of greener lifestyles. Too often people assume there aren’t any. In terms of car use, for example, it’s perfectly possible to have a fulfilling life without dragging round a tonne of metal everywhere we go.”

If you would like to have your say on the environment and the work of green organisations, please send an e-mail message with the word “Green Engage” in the subject line to graham@bynature.co.uk.

We will forward you a copy of the survey (which only takes 5 or 10 minutes to complete) and will send your response to Green-Engage. Your contact details will not be passed on to anyone else or used for any other purpose. The closing date for the survey is Friday 23 September.

Want to put your views across?

Send your details to graham@bynature.co.uk.

All the best,

caldini