Skip to main content | Skip to main menu | Skip to website information
Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI)
This section is: SIGBI Work
A group of women gathered round a table discussing Soroptimist projects

Environment

World Environment Day 5th June 2008 - CO2 Kick the habit!

Our challenge is to ‘Kick the Habit’ and de-carbonize economies and lifestyles.

Measures include greater energy efficiency in buildings and appliances and a switch towards greener and renewable forms of electricity generation and transport systems. All countries can benefit environmentally, economically and socially from low-carbon technologies and strategies.
Achim Steiner UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director quoted “What we need is action to slow, stop and then to reverse the growth of global greenhouse gas emissions. A transition to a low-carbon economy is essential to achieving this.”

The focus will also be on the role of forests in countering rises in greenhouses gases. An estimate 20% of emissions contributing to climate change globally are a result of deforestation.

Your Programme Action Chairs at our conference in Harrogate brought up the Soroptimist idea for 2008 at the Federation Programme Action Committee. So the challenge is to:

Reduce Carbon before it is to late and plant a tree in 2008!

This could be a single tree in a garden, a soroptimist woodland or nature reserve, or purchasing woodland of existing trees. The idea is in your country with your climatic circle to plant a tree during the year and advertise what Soroptimists are doing to help combat climate change.

Also to look at your own Carbon Footprint and improve what you do - some ideas below:

Adopt a greener way of life, raise Awareness campaigns
Buy a fuel-efficient car
Calculate your carbon footprint
Debate on environmental issues
Excursions to nature reserves
Find out what your Government message is this year
Guidelines to community-based environmental activities
Help local environment groups with events or stage one yourself
Inform others about World Environment Day
Join an environmental group
Keep your neighbourhood clean – beach, railway station, park etc
Lobby local authorities to adopt sound environmental practices – is your council green?
Media coverage of your event
Never litter
Organise that tree planting event
Plastic bags – avoid them!
Quizzes – for club, school – raise awareness
Reduce, reuse, recycle, renew, redesign, remake, renovate….
Save paper – use both sides, email, and only print what you need to.
Take action – tell others
Use sustainable modes of transport
Visit environmental projects
Waste less
Xchange ideas
Youth- led activities and competitions
Zero admissions – let us hope this is a thing of the future!

I have said before we only have one world and we need to look after it. So do something more this year. A good resolution for the new year should be:

Reduce global warming by planting a tree!!!.

Denise Staplehurst APD Environment

For more information visit the UN website on www.unep.org/wed/2008

World Water Day 2008

This year the theme is Wine Water and Wisdom.

Our new programme focus states: Improve access to clean water, sanitation and essential food resources. By supporting this day you can achieve this.

There are still 1.1 billion people in the world who do not have access to safe water and 2.6 billion without adequate sanitation. 2008 is the UN year of sanitation so on World Water Day 22nd March we are asking all Soroptimists to make a lasting difference.

So far Soroptimists have raised £20,000 for water projects in Nigeria where less that 50% of the population do not have access to safe water and adequate sanitation. It is the women and children who collect the water who are affected most. Children then have access to education and women’s lives change dramatically; not only do they have better health but their involvement in projects helps them to develop skills and participate more equally in community life. They have more time to set up small businesses and with the help of micro finance loans their whole life can be changed.

Clubs can help by holding a cheese and wine event or wine tasting evening to raise funds but the idea this year is to test your knowledge and make others aware about the work of Water Aid by extending their ‘wisdom’. There is a quiz available from Water Aid or maybe you could do a display in the local area. Visit the Water Aid website for more information on www.wateraid.org/SIGBI

Enjoy your fund raising for water with wine and extend your wisdom to others.

Then don’t forget to enter your reports on our new database or take a photograph for our magazine Soroptimist News and get yourself in your local paper.

Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Accessibility | Site Map
© Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland, 127 Wellington Road South, Stockport, Cheshire SK1 3TS UK

APD Profile

Denise Staplehurst

I am delighted to be carrying on as the APD for the Environment for another year. I have been so impressed with the work clubs have undertaken during my term of office especially in raising the profile on World Water Day, 22nd March, and taking up the challenges I have set. (See the other notes for this years challenge on Wine, Water and Wisdom.) I was priviledged to work with Eileen Mitchel of the Federation of South West Pacific at the convention in Glasgow at a workshop on Climate Change and also to run 'Too Hot to Handle' at our conference in Harrogate. I am willing to come to clubs and regions to share these ideas and talk about global warming amd what we can do indvidually, in clubs and regions, and as a worldwide organisation. We only have one planet and we need to look after it. As Ghandi said 'We must be the change we want to see in the world'. As Soroptimismt we need to make a difference through our work and with our new Programme Focus and new Mission Statement I hope we will achieve this through raising awareness, avocacy and taking action. Don't forget to let me know what you are doing by using our new data base together we can continue to made a difference in the world.