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Our Forum

In July 2019 Blackburn with Darwen Council declared a climate emergency and set a goal for the borough to be carbon neutral by 2030. The roadmap to achieve this goal is outlined in the Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP)

As part of the Action Plan, the Council created a People’s Jury on the Climate Change Crisis. The Jury brought together 26 residents who could be seen as a mini-population of Blackburn with Darwen, mirroring local demographics in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, ward area and attitude towards climate change.

Our Forum

In July 2019 Blackburn with Darwen Council declared a climate emergency and set a goal for the borough to be carbon neutral by 2030. The roadmap to achieve this goal is outlined in the Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP)

As part of the Action Plan, the Council created a People’s Jury on the Climate Change Crisis. The Jury brought together 26 residents who could be seen as a mini-population of Blackburn with Darwen, mirroring local demographics in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, ward area and attitude towards climate change.

Our Forum

In July 2019 Blackburn with Darwen Council declared a climate emergency and set a goal for the borough to be carbon neutral by 2030. The roadmap to achieve this goal is outlined in the Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP)

As part of the Action Plan, the Council created a People’s Jury on the Climate Change Crisis. The Jury brought together 26 residents who could be seen as a mini-population of Blackburn with Darwen, mirroring local demographics in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, ward area and attitude towards climate change.

Climate tips

The climate crisis is overwhelming, and it's frustrating to feel like climate issues are being ignored. It's true that businesses, local and national governments need to do all they can to actively stop investing money in climate-damaging projects and make it as easy as possible for us as individuals to take action. All of us in Blackburn with Darwen can come together to make small changes to our lives and create a positive impact in our area. Below we've added some climate tips, tricks and facts. If you have a great suggestion you can add it to our community forum here.

Plant trees, flowers and greenery in your garden, home and local space. Plants absorb harmful gases like CO2.
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Eaten a tin of beans? If your recyclable rubbish still has food on it, it cannot be recycled! Give it a quick wash before using the bin.
Make sure you put your litter in the bin and check if it can be recycled. Here's a quick guide on what can be recycled or not.
Organise a neighbourhood clean-up! Clean streets improve our well-being and encourage wildlife back to our local area.
Could you use public transport? Private cars produce 55% of all transport emissions. Public transport reduces congestion and pollution.
Grow fruit and vegetables and either eat them yourself or donate them to a food bank.
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Aim for a quick shower rather than a bath. Even better if you can do the 4-minute shower challenge!
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Create an insect garden. Bees and pollinators need protecting to help food plants grow.
Retrofit or insulate your house to cut carbon emissions and your energy bill.
Host a clothes fixing party and mend your clothes together. Or if you have a big event coming up try renting an outfit.
Solar panels are simple to install and can save you a lot of money in the long run. Find out how to install them here.
Plastic wrappers can be recycled at most supermarkets and toiletries bottles can be recycled for rewards at Boots.
Not wearing something? Why not dye or customise it? Or sell it online on Vinted or eBay.
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Encourage young people to learn more about climate change. Have family conversations about what we can do to help!
Switch your bank to a green bank. Some banks invest in harmful fossil fuel projects, so check and switch on the link above.
Follow local pages on Facebook and share of you have seeds or food to spare.
A clover or moss lawn is more sustainable than grass, hospitable to bees and can withstand more drought and heat!
Could you try a veggie, vegan or even meat-reduced diet challenge? Here's a 7-day meal plan.
Plan out your meals to reduce food waste. Food production requires lots of land, energy and water so only buy what you need!
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Climate facts

Nearly 20% of all global greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans are due to deforestation — more than all the emissions from passenger vehicles on the planet. 
 

WAYS TO REDUCE:
Why not take up some gardening and plant some things in your garden? 
Since 2021, BwD Borough Council have planted
17,000 trees with the help of volunteers and the Ribble Rivers Trust, in schools, parks and various ‘micro-woodlands’ in and around the towns and villages of the borough. You could sign-up to volunteer with the Ribble Rivers Trust here"

In 2021, 653,200 tonnes of greenhouse gases were emitted from Blackburn with Darwen's homes, road transport, industry & commerce - about half of what was emitted in 2005.

WAYS TO REDUCE:
There's already been a big reduction in the greenhouse gases emitted in Blackburn with Darwen, but can we do more? Think about steps yourself or your family could take, such as walking more or taking the bus. We can also put pressure on businesses locally and nationally to encourage them to do their bit. 

Lancashire is home to huge amounts of peatlands, and whilst peatlands only cover 3% of the world’s land area, they contain nearly 30% of all carbon stored on land. The peatlands of England contain more carbon that the forests of Europe.  
 

WAYS TO HELP:
Healthy peatlands are able to absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere, yet as soon as they are damaged or degraded in any way that carbon gets released contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Get involved to restore Lancashire's peatlands here.

Eating a veggie diet means 2.5x less carbon emissions than a meat diet, and by eating vegetarian food for a year you could save the same amount of emissions as a family taking a small car off the road for 6 months.

WAYS TO HELP:
Could you try a veggie, vegan or even meat-reduced challenge? How long can you last? Find delicious vegetarian recipes here.

Also check out Blackburn with Darwen Food Alliance for info on local food and community growing projects.

Further resources

  • Blackburn with Darwen Council -  Take a look at what Blackburn with Darwen Council is doing to reduce the effects of climate change in the area.  
     

  • Climate Glossary - People throw around a lot of confusing words when it comes to talking about climate change. Find out what some of them mean with a useful climate glossary.
     

  • Hubbub - Looking for more climate tips? Check out Hubbub and their page on how to create environmental change.
     

  • The Shuttle - Stay up to date with the latest local environmental news on the Blackburn with Darwen Shuttle page.

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