ABOUT US
Our volunteers are pooling ideas and actions to help tackle climate change. Hope our answers here help you decide how best you can play your part. If not – do please get in touch!
Q: WHO IS INVOLVED WITH CLIMATE ACTION NEWCASTLE? DO YOU HAVE TO BE A RESIDENT?
Órla [Climate Action Newcastle member] answers: Members of Climate Action Newcastle include residents, people who work (or play!) in the area or who have other strong links. You CAN live outside the boundaries!
Q: HOW CAN I BECOME A MEMBER?
Molly [Climate Action Newcastle member] answers: Simply get in touch via the subscribe form on this page. You’ll join our mailing list and receive regular newsletters sharing tips on how to tackle climate change, info on meetings and events, and much else. Your ideas, queries and support will be very welcome. I’ve reduced my carbon footprint through seeing what others have done – the latest steps forward are replacing teabags with Pumphreys tea strainer, and using the refill shop that’s started local oat milk refills.
Q: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO ACCESS INFORMATION FROM CLIMATE ACTION NEWCASTLE?
Chloe [Climate Action Newcastle member] answers: Via our social media channels and website.
We’re volunteers who share what climate activities we’re all involved in across the different channels:
Jacky sends out the regular newsletters via email: Subscribe Here
I co-ordinate the blog content (so let me know if you would like to write a blog post).
Mark maintains the website content
Órla manages our Twitter account
Molly manages our Instagram account
Jacky manages our Facebook group
We’re supported by Friends of the Earth, who help with online links, Zoom meetings and digital infrastructure.
Q: DO YOU HOLD EVENTS WHEN MEMBERS CAN MEET?
Jacky [Climate Action Newcastle member] answers: We got together once a month until Covid rules meant it wasn’t possible – we’ll look into restarting face-to-face gatherings when guidance allows. Our monthly meetings are on Zoom at the moment, and we also hold outdoor events like our Green Litter Pick event, which I helped to organise. You can get the details on our website.
Q: THERE SEEM TO BE SO MANY CLIMATE ORGANISATIONS – HOW DO I DECIDE WHICH ONES TO BE INVOLVED IN?
Mark [Climate Action Newcastle member] answers: It depends on your own specific interests. Our members and our media outlets will help answer your questions and guide you to organisations and info sources that match what you’re looking for. Some are more dedicated to policy issues and achieving change in local and national organisations; others are more focused on individuals and ways we can reduce our personal carbon footprints.
Q: WHY WAS CLIMATE ACTION NEWCASTLE SET UP?
Olwyn [Climate Action Newcastle member] answers: It’s great that there is now so much more awareness of the dangers getting closer and closer – because this is a climate crisis, change is so urgent. But with such a complex issue affecting the whole world, it can feel a bit overwhelming to decide how to react.
Many people think: “But how can I make a difference?
We can feel a bit paralysed by the choices – and the fear we might make things worse rather than better
Our members are people who find it useful – and reassuring – to have the chance to swap info and support one another to take action and be part of the solution, not the problem.
Q: WHAT CLIMATE ACTIONS CAN I TAKE RIGHT NOW?
Mark [Climate Action Newcastle member] answers: There are lots of actions we can all take to help the climate crisis right now: [Tips taken from ‘How to Save Our Planet, The Facts’ by Mark Maslin]
Talk about climate change
Switch to a more vegetable-based diet
Switch to a renewable energy supplier
Make your home energy efficient
Use cars less
Stop flying
Divest your pension from fossil fuels
Divest your investments from fossil fuels
Refuse/reject Excessive consumption
Reduce what you use
Reuse as much as you can
Recycle as much as you can
“As a consumer you have huge power, exercise that power through your choices”
You can get lots more tips like this and everyday hints by joining the mailing list and adding us on social media platforms where we regularly post actions you can take.
Find out more by contacting us.