Coinciding with the end of Zero Waste Week and World EV Day, local ecological and environmental groups were at the second Bridgnorth Green Festival to provide information and awareness on sustainability and environmental issues whilst retailers were selling repurposed, reused, or recycled items.
Organised by Sustainable Bridgnorth, supported by ‘Our Green Shop’ and Bridgnorth Town Council, the purpose of the event was to highlight those local organisations working towards creating a greener and more sustainable community, including the opportunity to view electric vehicles and chat to their owners and find out about reducing energy use – saving money as well as carbon.
The event was opened by Bridgnorth Town Mayor, Rachel Connolly. Fun activities and entertainment promoted awareness of the climate and biodiversity crises with live music in the bandstand. One demonstration was by the ‘Planet Medics’ trying to revive a dying Earth on the same day that the Met Office said it was the first time, since records began, that temperatures had exceeded 30c for the sixth day in a row in September.
A poll was run to get visitor’s opinions on the state of the planet. The first question asked was how concerned people were about climate and nature with choices ranging from not worried to terrified. The majority vote was a ‘seriously concerned’, followed by ‘terrified’. Given choices about what concerns they had, most people chose ‘All of the above’. Finally, whether they thought the government was doing enough to help nature answered with a resounding ‘No’.
CAPTION: Photograph courtesy of Andrew Harrison. From left,Kath Norgrove, Chair of Sustainable Bridgnorth and member of the Green Festival Committee;Bridgnorth Town Mayor, Councillor Rachel Connolly;Graeme Christie, member of the Green Festival Committee and representative of Our Green Shop.
