Make a change for Earth Day says Cambridge cycling campaign Camcycle

Cambridge cycling campaign Camcycle is calling on residents to take action on Earth Day today (Friday, April 22).

The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Independent Commission on Climate highlighted that the region is at high risk from the changing climate, and Camcycle is suggesting five ways residents can make a change by supporting their projects.

They are:

• Switch one car trip per day to cycling or walking: More than 60 per cent of UK journeys between one and two miles are made by car and recent research has shown that if 10 per cent of the UK population were to replace one car trip each day with a journey by cycle, overall transport emissions would decrease by about 10 per cent.
• Share your ideas for sustainable streets: Respond to Camcycle’s survey on the Best Streets in Cambridgeshire at camcycle.org.uk/beststreets. The charity wants to find the streets residents love to help them work on the changes needed to encourage more people choose sustainable transport.

• Support Camcycle’s campaign for Zero Carbon Streets via the Big Give Green Match Fund: The Best Streets survey is part of a campaign to support local communities in creating the ‘zero carbon streets’ of the future. Transport makes up 44 per cent of the region’s CO2 emissions, so it’s a great place to start achieving reductions. With your help, more local groups will be empowered to work for better active travel routes that will help more people walk and cycle for everyday journeys. Donations made between noon on Earth Day and noon on April 29 will be doubled via the Big Give Green Match Fund at camcycle.org.uk/BigGreenGive2022.
• Show election candidates you care about climate: Personal action on climate is important, but pushing for change from decision-makers can make an even bigger difference. Use Camcycle’s annual election survey to see the views of candidates in local district elections on active travel issues near you.
• Speak up for change: The Earth Day theme for 2022 is ‘Invest in Our Planet’. Earth Day organisers says that “as individuals, we have the simple yet effective power to make our voices heard through our choices, our civic actions, and our personal interactions. What each of us does, and how we do it, has a huge ripple effect on our ecosystems, and on the pace of corporate and government action”. Be confident knowing that each action you take makes a difference: for example, a two-mile journey walked instead of driven will save 2,400kg of Antarctic sea ice from melting. Spread the word to help others get involved too.

Earth Day is an annual event to demonstrate support for environmental protection.