Dear Sir,
Many good things come out of the heightened political awareness that accompanies an election – recently:
(1) LITTER-PICKING
First, may I pay my respects to all those many people who are telling me or Facebook that they are going out picking litter. There seems to have been a post-lockdown wave of littering, and we should be hugely grateful to those people whose reaction has been to go out with bags and pick it up.
If you want to do something more than just fill a bin-bag to put in your own wheely bin, and to organise a formal litter-pick, I would advise you to phone the Town Council on 01325 300700, or email litterfreedurham@durham.gov.uk for advice and the special blue bags.
(2) WILDING GARDENS
Thank you to those people who are writing to me telling me that they are rewilding their garden. This is vital as we seek to improve the natural local biodiversity. One way to measure the ecological health of a plot is by judging the size of animal that could pass through it unnoticed, and I would appeal to all gardeners to set aside at least part of their garden where they mow the grass less frequently (once every four or five weeks creates a mini-meadow) on a longer cut.
(3) SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING DECISIONS
Finally, may I commend the lady who wrote to me advocating sustainable purchasing – where consumers make personal purchasing decisions so as to minimise waste and damage to the climate and environment. She said she was moved to write by the sight of the queues at the tip!
DCC has a corporate sustainable procurement strategy but this is a brilliant idea also for willing individuals, which I shall ask to be incorporated into our Climate Plan.
John D Clare
