Elisabeth Wilson with Susan Kramer MP and other Lib Dem activists at "The Wave"
Elisabeth was a founder member and is a continuing supporter of Treesponsibility, which plants trees in the Calderdale area and campaigns against climate change. She has personally planted 100s of trees. Children from Mount Pellon and Beech primary schools in Halifax have been involved in planting trees and forest activities with Treesponsibility.
Elisabeth was delighted when Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems introduced a debate on 21st October 2009 in parliament, demanding government support for the 10:10 campaign. This asks individuals and organizations to commit to reducing their carbon footprint by 10% in 2010.
Elisabeth has signed up to 10:10.
On 5 December 2009 she was one of many 1000s of activists who went to demonstrate in “The Wave” outside Parliament, just before the talks on climate change started in Copenhagen.
So what has Elisabeth done since?
Things that have saved me money or cost nothing
- I have turned down my thermostat
- I shut the door to one room, and turned off the heating altogether
- I use the train or bus as much as possible
- I’m eating vegan food three days a week
- I take my own bags shopping
- Had an “eco” driving lesson to learn how to drive economically
Things that have cost me money – but will save it in the long run
- I’ve had my bedroom ceilings lowered and insulated
- There’s an extra door on the stairs from my basement kitchen so that the heat doesn’t escape upstairs
- I’ve changed my car to one with much lower emissions
- I bought thermal curtain linings
- I bought a bike
Things that I think are the right thing to do:
- My electricity supply from Good Energy is 100% from renewable sources
- I use the Phone Coop, which is ethical and green
- I put food waste in a wormery [it’s not collected where I live]
- I went on holiday to Switzerland by train
- I’m on the waiting list for an allotment
- I am a member of Friends of the Earth, the Ramblers, and the National Trust
Elisabeth has also been a member of a rail action group for 5 years.