Team Green Britain

Raising interest in a more sustainable lifestyle that drives down carbon soon means you have to focus…. but how? What are the priorities? What are the problems in practice? With these issues in mind Hanover 10:10 have developed a project with our well-used Hanover Community Centre building. 

We have developed the Hanover Centre Carbon RACE (Reduction, Awareness & Community Engagement) to lead an eco-retrofit of the building. This project will focus the local community on a practically useful, educational project. We'll be insulating, making adaptations, considering energy generation, and showing how these are transferable to the local housing.

Olympic adoption of One Planet Living sustainability principles was an impressive challenge, showing that mega sporting events can and should help raise the mainstream profile of sustainability. A path towards sustainability can be mapped out for all of us - if there is a holistic focus on these inspiring principles of healthy living, zero waste, zero carbon energy, enhanced biodiversity and sustainable water use. I just wish that the information boards I saw had mentioned One Planet Living more specifically.

I hope all the Team Green Heroes can join me in widening our sustainability commitments from our specific community projects to a wider focus whenever possible.

The Basketball Stadium is a fantastic example of the use of temporary and lightweight buildings in the architectural design of many of the Olympic Venues. This shows another side of sustainability - the need to consider sustainability at design and construction stages, as an essential foundation for running the Games themselves.

In insulating our flat roof at the Hanover Community Centre we are trying to apply the same principles: making ours an appealing 'green roof' in an urban space, forming a covered walkway into the building, drawing on re-used and recycled materials. Our community educational gardening group are buzzing at the idea, and want to place beehives on the roof too! Widening our aims and ambition can really multiply the appeal, if this is researched, planned and designed carefully. It's all much more inspiring than the easy 'traditional' way of doing things - insulation and roofing felt!

The high visibility recycling facilities for those attending the Games helped everyone to play their part in achieving the zero waste strategy, which included compostable boxes at food outlets. I found out afterwards that contents of the symbolically smaller, black bin for non-recyclables were destined for the on-site energy recovery facility.

On arrival at the Olympic Park yesterday, I was hit by the stunning display of natural wildflowers on the banks around the site. Clearly timed to flower in the Olympic weeks (by cutting back at the right time) these banks form a visually stunning way to liven up the visiting experience. They also aim to enhance the biodiversity of the Park as a whole - a part of the wider sustainability strategy of the Games.

Our Smart Meters for gas, electric and water will allow us to accurately monitor the impact of our work to make the Centre more sustainable.

Our second Volunteer Insulation Event in June 2012 enabled the installation of secondary glazing in the chilly toilet block, and in a small meeting room in the Community Centre. Each of the volunteers took away personal Insulation Packs for their own homes. We also insulated the hot water pipes.

Saving water is not just an issue when there is lack of rain and reservoirs and aquifers are low. Pumping water around our communities uses energy! Lots of it! So saving water not only lowers your household water bill, reducing pressure on limited stocks, but also reduces your carbon footprint.

Summer is a good time to check for draughts, and plug them before the winter. For example, if you have nice polished floorboards why not use the dispenser of that tiny rubber tubing that is pushed into the gap to plug any draughts in your home. Works perfectly and is virtually invisible. 

Raising interest in a more sustainable lifestyle that drives down carbon soon means you have to focus…. but how? What are the priorities? What are the problems in practice? With these issues in mind Hanover 10:10 have developed a project with our well-used Hanover Community Centre building. 

We have developed the Hanover Centre Carbon RACE (Reduction, Awareness & Community Engagement) to lead an eco-retrofit of the building. This project will focus the local community on a practically useful, educational project. We'll be insulating, making adaptations, considering energy generation, and showing how these are transferable to the local housing.

An overwhelming body of science means that as a global community we must reduce carbon wherever we can. I live in a rich developed country, amongst carbon-communities most responsible for climate change. I am aware that the effects will be most harshly felt in developing countries. So our responsibility to act is that much higher - seeking to act personally, in my community, in my workplace and wherever else I can, is what I can do to achieve international justice.