AN INITIATIVE by Checkers and this newspaper which saw 50p being donated to good causes from every sale of a special jute alternative to plastic shopping bags raised £7,000 and that money was this week being distributed to the four recipients.
Representatives from Checkers and the Guernsey Press took the opportunity to meet the organisers of winners The Little Tree Project and runners-up the Green Legacy Fund, Guernsey Climate Action Network and La Societe Guernesiaise and all came away very impressed by the projects and the enthusiasm and commitment behind them.
This newspaper has a cautious approach towards so-called green taxes, not least because it is too easy for them to become a stealth tax by another name and there is little evidence that scrapping vehicle licensing and putting it on fuel has reduced car use - and that’s despite the big jump in petrol and diesel prices on top.
Neither is there any sign that staff have been saved at the Driver Licensing and Vehicle Registration Division in Bulwer Avenue or of the service it provides improving. But there has been a marked increase in taxi and delivery charges.
Yet the bag project and the wider charging for plastic bags are voluntary and run by the private sector, admittedly supported by government, and are a runaway success.
The other aspect is that comparatively small sums of money can make an enormous difference to committed organisations that want to make a difference in this community largely through the dedication and sense of purpose of their organisers and supporters.
For example, the Green Legacy Fund is run with extraordinary passion and seeks to re-engage children with their natural surroundings, their senses and plants. Because it is also about education, it is well supported by local schools, which regularly take children to the project at Queux Patio Plants Centre and its semi-alfresco ‘classroom’.
It is also clear that the island is warming to the recycle message, certainly compared to Jersey, and jute bag sales here have been proportionately far higher, raising more money for worthwhile causes.
Harnessing the ability and willingness of such organisations to change islanders’ behaviour would significantly help in the greening of Guernsey.
Helping to get greener
AN INITIATIVE by Checkers and this newspaper which saw 50p being donated to good causes from every sale of a special jute alternative to plastic shopping bags raised £7,000 and that money was this week being distributed to the four recipients.
Representatives from Checkers and the Guernsey Press took the opportunity to meet the organisers of winners The Little Tree Project and runners-up the Green Legacy Fund, Guernsey Climate Action Network and La Societe Guernesiaise and all came away very impressed by the projects and the enthusiasm and commitment behind them.
This newspaper has a cautious approach towards so-called green taxes, not least because it is too easy for them to become a stealth tax by another name and there is little evidence that scrapping vehicle licensing and putting it on fuel has reduced car use - and that’s despite the big jump in petrol and diesel prices on top.
Neither is there any sign that staff have been saved at the Driver Licensing and Vehicle Registration Division in Bulwer Avenue or of the service it provides improving. But there has been a marked increase in taxi and delivery charges.
Yet the bag project and the wider charging for plastic bags are voluntary and run by the private sector, admittedly supported by government, and are a runaway success.
The other aspect is that comparatively small sums of money can make an enormous difference to committed organisations that want to make a difference in this community largely through the dedication and sense of purpose of their organisers and supporters.
For example, the Green Legacy Fund is run with extraordinary passion and seeks to re-engage children with their natural surroundings, their senses and plants. Because it is also about education, it is well supported by local schools, which regularly take children to the project at Queux Patio Plants Centre and its semi-alfresco ‘classroom’.
It is also clear that the island is warming to the recycle message, certainly compared to Jersey, and jute bag sales here have been proportionately far higher, raising more money for worthwhile causes.
Harnessing the ability and willingness of such organisations to change islanders’ behaviour would significantly help in the greening of Guernsey.
Article posted on 16th May, 2008 - 11.00am