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Home: Community full menu: Climate change and the natural environment: Tackling climate change

Why lead a greener lifestyle?

Environment Unit - June 2009
environment.unit@kirklees.gov.uk

Overwhelming evidence shows us that we need to change the way we live, work and travel to reduce carbon emissions, in order to tackle climate change.

The way we live and the products we consume are also putting a strain on the world’s natural resources such as gas, oil, and minerals.  The more we consume, the faster these resources disappear.

Changes to the world’s climate will affect our local area too and we have already seen some of the effects of extreme weather events in the Kirklees area:

  • Severe flooding in the summer of 2007.
  • Drainage problems in the region as a result of increased rainfall.
  • Storm and flooding damage to houses and businesses in parts of Kirklees.
  • Storm damage to historic buildings and heritage sites in Kirklees.
  • Heat waves in Kirklees reaching record highs in the summer of 2003.
  • Higher risk of Moorland fires due to increasing summer temperatures.

Armitage Bridge flooding

Green living = smart living
Many of the actions we take to cut carbon emissions also save us money and reduce waste.  The average household could save hundreds of pounds by being more energy efficient and reducing the amount they spend on items that get thrown away after a short time.  Greener living does not necessarily mean giving up a comfortable lifestyle, it can mean choosing a smarter, more sustainable way of life.

What can I do?

You can start to make a positive impact with one or two simple changes to your lifestyle, which you can then build on. 

Kirklees Council is committed to tackling climate change and has developed a number of projects and initiatives to help local residents and businesses to reduce carbon emissions.

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