Promoting sustainable consumption

Last term Reading University People & Planet signed 30 students and staff up to Go Vegan For Lent - a project to encourage reducing high meat and carbon intensive diets. The students and staff that took part were encouraged to do this for a fortnight and supplied with a delicious recipe book compiled by the group.

Can Film Festival and debates

The group also held a Can Film Festival which encouraged more recycling by giving students free entry to film screenings if they brought along cans for recycling. Over 50 people came and watched a range of films like Age of Stupid. The group also held a debate called “Copenhagen : where do we go from here”  - in which local MPs from the Green, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties came to discuss their climate change policies. Over 80 people attended and pledged to hold their MPs to account on their promises.

Go Green Weeks

There have been two Go Green Weeks at Reading University this year: One run by the environmental officer with help from People & Planet members and one run by the People & Planet group themselves. This included a Carbon Speed Dating night at Cafe Mondial with green-themed tips projected onto the walls and left as notes on the tables.

“The event was a lot of fun and encouraged students to consider reducing their carbon footprint but sadly produced no love birds.

Also during Go Green Week 25 people attended a nature trail around the university and the group ran a Fair trade, organic and locally produced bread-making workshop. As a result of all these awareness-raising and engagement activities the group now has an extra 200 people on their email list

The future

Reading People & Planet members have also got involved with street clean up activities with local councillors and been involved with the Student Switch Off campaign which is running well in the university’s Halls of Residence. In the future they look forward to working with other groups outside of the university, as well as continuing to encourage the university to go greener by working with the University’s Environment Officer and Environment Committee. The group will also be running Green Fields in the Summer Term: a one day festival with a fair trade and green focus.