Community climate champions
All members of the community are called on to promote energy-efficient practices
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Friday, 19, Oct 2007 02:32
Al Gore may have won the Nobel peace prize for his climate change efforts but a new campaign claims people in the local community can have just as much influence.
According to the Energy Saving Trust (EST), if one person in 200 told everybody in their social network about energy-efficient practices then the whole of the UK could be reached.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that the Earth's temperature could rise by 4.5C unless action is taken to prevent global warming.
In response the government has set an aim of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by 23 to 25 per cent by 2010 and has encouraged all sectors of society to contribute.
As part of its community awareness campaign the EST has developed an index to rate Britain's biggest energy-saving influencers.
People are divided into four categories: community changers; armchair advocates; tea-time solvers; and self-contained singles.
The EST is also working with eight community groups to encourage them to raise the profile of climate change locally during energy saving week, including members of the Women's Institute (WI) and religious leaders.
EST chief executive Philip Sellwood said: "The index shows it is not just experts and scientists who can influence us. The head of your local WI, your postie or even your partner could be the 'community changers' in your life."
Earlier this month the Nobel Foundation said action is "necessary now" on climate change "before [it] moves beyond man's control".
"Indications of changes in the earth's future climate must be treated with the utmost seriousness, and with the precautionary principle uppermost in our minds," a statement said.