Why not set up your own ecoteam? Learn from Christine’s experiences before you start.

1 The benefits

2 How Christine set up her ecoteam

3 The topics – rubbish and shopping, energy, water, travel

4 What we achieved

5 Feedback

1 The benefits

ecoteams from Global Action Plan is a great way to be inspired and encouraged to reduce your carbon emissions. Through meeting with a small group of like minded people you learn and share experiences, socialise and have fun, develop a sense of community and help the planet.

No previous experience or knowledge of low carbon living is required. Just lots of enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. All the materials you need are available on the excellent ecoteams site – lots of practical advice on how to reduce carbon emissions as well as a guide to running each session and some very good suggested “activities”.

You can set up an ecoteam for your friends, work colleagues or any group of people you choose. What is great is the flexibility you have in deciding how to run the sessions according to what will work for your group. You may wish to consider your approach “the measurements”.

2 How Christine set up her ecoteam

I invited neighbours in all 62 houses in my street to join my ecoteam. I publicised it by leaflet through letterboxes, in the Neighbourhood Watch newsletter and door knocked everyone. At my ecoteams briefing session I heard from an ecoteam leader who had 200 houses in her street and 13 people came regularly to sessions so this gave me an idea of numbers to expect. I was delighted that on average 9 people came to each session. The publicity did take a bit of time but could be less, for example, if you publicise and recruit your team online or put up posters.

3 The topics – rubbish and shopping, energy, water, travel

Each session consisted of an informal discussion (gently facilitated by me) with a couple of activities, for example, people worked in groups of 2 or 3 and then reported back to everyone. It was about everyone participating and encouraging them to think through the issues – it was definitely not me “giving a talk” on how to be green.

I produced handouts from the masses of great advice on reducing carbon emissions on the ecoteams web site. My handouts are here to give you a flavour of what it is all about – rubbish and shopping, energy, water, travel. My team ran in 2010 so do check the ecoteams site for up to date material.

4 What we achieved

We were all fairly “green” before we started but are definitely “even greener” now, see below. But it’s also about “green” becoming an unconscious way of behaviour, things we do automatically or things we take into consideration when making decisions about how we live our lives. Ecoteams has been successful in working at this deeper level too and challenging us to consider our values.

“Green actions” we were doing before we started (June 2010)

Rubbish and shopping – already keen recyclers; composting green waste; choosing goods with little packaging.

Energy – investigated solar panels (unfortunately not allowed on our estate); switched to green power supplier; put in lots of loft insulation; put in draught excluders under doors; installed thermostats on all radiators; installed double glazing; investigated wind power on roof of home (not enough wind to be viable).

Water – collecting rainwater from garden shed.

Travel – hired a “Boris bike” in central London.

“Green actions” we are now doing or doing more of (January 2011)

Rubbish and shopping – being more aware of packaging when shopping; buying more seasonal fruit and vegetables; looking at country of origin when buying goods, aiming to buy local; buying wine bottles made of thinner glass.

Energy – being more meticulous in turning off appliances rather than leaving on stand-by; de-frosting the freezer more regularly.

Water – turning off taps when brushing teeth; having shorter showers; putting the plug in the sink when preparing fruit and vegetables; buying less bottled water, instead taking tap water in a water bottle; asking for tap water in restaurants.

“Green actions” we are going to do in the future

Investigate cavity wall insulation; put in more loft insulation; switch to a renewable energy tariffs.

5 Feedback

“Thank you so much for all your efforts to educate us as green warriors. It was a very positive experience”. “Thought it was a very good session and am inspired to do lots of things on the list.”

Participants said they learnt a huge amount about how to be “more green” and gained a “deeper engagement” with what is involved in living a low carbon lifestyle. It was very useful to find out what others are doing and share ideas. It was enjoyable to meet together and socialise. The celebration supper was very popular and team members were delighted with the “Awards Ceremony” and prizes which highlighted their achievements.

Finally

So why not give it a go? If you have a question for Christine then email info@hernehillcan.org Or contact ecoteams.