Although the lockdown has paused many of our activities, it has created a growing awareness of human impact on the environment.  Here on the Roseland, we are lucky to enjoy good air quality but there have been a number of dramatic comparison images of air quality in cities around the world.  Hopefully, residents of those cities will now be encouraged to demand cleaner air.

Nationally, the lockdown has caused lower energy use, resulting in a dramatic drop in carbon emissions whilst a sunny and windy April/May has led to a good proportion of our energy coming from renewable sources.  Unfortunately, these energy use reductions will not make a meaningful improvement to the global picture of unprecedentedly high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels:  We need to carry on cleaning up our energy supply and reducing energy consumption.

The lockdown has also encouraged activities which protect the environment in other ways:  A huge growth in gardening and growing vegetables provides a valuable connection to the natural world and reduces the energy involved in storing and transporting food.  Shopping locally also reduces our carbon footprint (as we aren’t driving to town supermarkets) and generally encourages the purchase of locally produced food, further reducing food-miles whilst aiding local economies.

Supporting the above, a number of REACT members recently joined with others on Pendower Beach framed around #NoGoingBack, which aims to encourage us to reject our pre-lockdown energy consumption and environmental maltreatment, by setting new habits which protect the planet and minimises our carbon and environmental footprints.

These habits are already forming!  In a field owned by Veryan Primary School, over one hundred trees have been planted and regular checks show they are growing well; photos of the trees are sent to the school enabling pupils to follow their progress.  A similar initiative is underway at Gerrans School and a number of REACT members are also gathering saplings with a view to extending the Roseland’s woodland coverage, as connecting fragmented woodland areas is beneficial for wildlife; we welcome potential site suggestions so we may undertake suitability investigations.

Please do contact REACT (info@react.org.uk) if you have questions about energy or other environmental initiatives.  We are happy to provide advice or connect you with third-party advisors to explore possibilities like fitting solar panels, swapping your oil boiler for a cleaner heating system or other energy efficiency options.  You can also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RoselandEnvironment.