by Jocelyn Fitzgerald, AILO Florence and Environment Team Co-Chair
“Think Globally – Act Locally”
This is the motto adopted by many Green Teams in FAWCO Clubs around the world. It all comes down to what we can do to reduce the negative impact of global warming in our area. We want to leave a better, safer, healthier world for our children, grandchildren and everyone who follows us on this beautiful planet.
Why have a Green Team in your club anyway?
FAWCO Member Clubs enjoy their Green Teams! We are sociable people, and it gives us the opportunity to share a common interest, makes us feel less helpless when we talk about the environment and allows us to investigate ways in which we can act together to make a difference in our local communities.
What can we do?
We can explore the ways the local government treats our carefully selected garbage. Most towns have different recipients for organic waste, paper, glass, plastic and “non recyclable” waste. What actually happens afterwards? Many towns have recycling centers which are open to visitors to inspect the process. A Green Team might very well take a trip to have a look. In Florence, we have a special “Eco-Furgone,” which collects specific non-recyclable materials like old batteries, light bulbs and used cooking oil to dispose of in a correct manner. There are very convenient pickups all over the city, so there is no excuse to throw out potentially dangerous rubbish carelessly.
Make plans to do a clean-up day of our local parks and cities. Some clubs hold “trekking and plogging” excursions, which include friends and families. It also gets us outdoors in our hiking boots for a healthy walk in the surrounding areas, picking up discarded rubbish along the way. It is always more enjoyable to do these clean-ups together, chatting and laughing while ridding the world of unwanted garbage.
The Edinburgh club had a wonderful idea after holding one of their “clean the beaches” days. Members were invited to make an artistic object out of a piece of garbage they picked up. The Trash Art was then organized into a show in a reputable art gallery in Edinburgh. This is quite a challenge, and one I think many of our Green Teams would like to follow. Calling all arty, crafty members of the groups who can let their talents and imagination run wild!
I recently held a Green Tea Party at our clubhouse, using green tea and green icing on the cake. A lively discussion followed, talking about the environment, our city, and how we can make a positive impact locally. Every one of us can do something, and if everyone does something, then the impact multiplies and we reinforce the intention to really concentrate our efforts to combat climate change. We came away feeling encouraged and refreshed.
Plant trees and keep our gardens flourishing with native plants and plenty of flowers and vegetation to encourage bees, birds and wildlife. Avoid chemical pesticides. Composting is easy, and it becomes a habit to feed our soil.
Aldo Leopold, the American ecologist, said “Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets, but humble folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how. To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god nor poet, one need only own a shovel. By virtue of this curious loophole in the rules, any clodhopper may say: Let there be a tree – and there will be one.”
Most of our cities have efficient public transport, so it is easy to leave the car at home and take the bus, tram or use the many cycle lanes to bike around town. Florence is a relatively small city and also has a low cost bike sharing system where we can pick up a bike and leave it when we no longer need it. Using a small electric car where possible is also a good idea. Fortunately, we have an abundance of electric recharging points, and I foresee that these will be implemented even more in the future as fossil fuel cars are gradually phased out, at least in Europe.
Buy local produce from a farmers’ market. Not a big ask. This ensures that our smaller farmers survive and we gain in quality and taste. It also eliminates the plastic packaging that is so omnipresent in supermarkets.
Last year we had the hottest summer ever; wildfires abounded and destroyed precious trees and vegetation, crops were depleted, olive oil and wine yields were significantly down on the previous year. It seemed like the whole world was on fire. Why do we have to get to this desperate state to make a change in our ways?
Just over 70 years ago, in December 1952, London suffered an environmental disaster, The Great Smog of London, when the smoke and fog (smog) from industrial pollution and the coal fires used to heat homes was trapped in the city by high-pressure weather conditions. London came to a standstill; visibility was nil and thousands died due to the cloying, filthy air. London was no stranger to smog: the fog and poor quality air had been present for centuries and deteriorated even more with the Industrial Revolution. The “pea soup” fogs could last for a week, and are also mentioned in the works of Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle. Despite this, nothing was done until The Great Smog of 1952; the severity of the damage done became undeniable and resulted in the Clean Air Act four years later. This restricted the use of coal and established smoke-free areas in London. It is an important act in the history of environmentalism, but it is scary to learn that we had to reach such a dangerous situation before action was considered necessary.
The members of our FAWCO Green Teams share a common goal: to raise awareness of the present state of global warming, act where we can, do what we can, set an example, and keep on insisting that industrial companies pay attention. We are the consumers; this is where their income comes from. If they want to continue to make a profit, then they will have to listen. It is up to us to make our voices heard before the SMOG chokes us.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Smog-of-London
https://navigator.health.org.uk/theme/clean-air-act-1956
All photos by the author.
