Although there are some people who have chosen to deny it or pretend that the situation isn’t as grim as it actually is, the planet is burning. The issues around climate change are ones that the generations after us are going to be severely impacted by, with long-term changes to the Earth’s climate system being caused largely by human activities, seeing the likes of fossil fuel use, deforestation and industrial practices resulting in carbon dioxide increasing to levels not seen in millions of years. There are many that want to do something about it, which is where Cleaner Air Day comes in.
What It’s All About
That’s a wrap on Cleaner Air Day, Guildford! 🎬
This day helped us hit one of our key priorities as a council – a more sustainable borough. We’re committed to being a more environmentally and socially responsible borough!#GreenerGuildford pic.twitter.com/nc25SRh9cI
— Guildford Borough Council (@GuildfordBC) September 30, 2024
The truth of the matter is that Cleaner Air Day is an event that does what it says on the tin. The residents of Guildford are being encouraged to opt for alternative forms of travel on Sunday the 28th of September, perhaps walking or using a bicycle instead of driving. If there is a need to get somewhere quicker than either of those options would allow for, you could think about using public transport rather than using your own car. The hope is that the more people who opt to do that, the more that the air pollution around Guildford will be reduced and the more that people will think about their own effect on the environment.
There are more than a few new schemes in place in Guildford that some people might not know about, which Cleaner Air Day will look to draw attention to. You could use one of Guildford’s Beryl e-bikes, for example, which are part of a scheme, or you could take advantage of the Surrey Bike Project. There is a free Dr. Bike service in place, helping the residents of Surrey to get their bikes fixed and back on the road, allowing for their long-term use, whilst the use of electric vehicles is positively encouraged. If you have an electric vehicle, making use of it will be a guilt-free experience.
Part of Guildford Town Centre Will Be Closed to Traffic
On Cleaner Air Day, there will be certain parts of the town centre of Guildford that will be shut to traffic. You won’t be able to use Upper or Lower High Street if you’re in a car, thanks to the fact that both areas will be closed to vehicles unless in an emergency. The traffic-free roads will instead be taken over by numerous different stalls, allowing you to buy some food, listen to some music and even take part in an archery event. There will be a MarketZone, an EcoZone and a PlayZone, each offering their own twist on what message it is that Cleaner Air Day is trying to get across.
Here is a look at just some of the organisations that will be making use of a shut-down Guildford for the day:
- Active Surrey
- Beryl Bikes
- Geared Up Cycles
- Zero Carbon Guildford
- ACVR Events Antiques & Brocante Market
- Sparkle Vegan Events Market
- Flying Circus Entertainment
- Guildford Rock Choir
- University of Surrey Global Centre for Clean Air Research
- Greenpeace Health Expo
- Surrey County Council Greener Futures
- Guildford Borough Council Regulatory Services
- Tunsgate Quarter – Meet the Bees
- Shooting Star Hospice
- Surrey Bike Project
- Tesla Guildford
- Surrey Outdoor Learning & Development
Attend Discussions About Air Quality
Any time there is an environmental awareness event taking place in Guildford, you can bet that the University of Surrey Centre for Global Clean Air Research won’t be far away. The team will be using Cleaner Air Day as an opportunity to facilitate a discussion about air quality, as well as the far-reaching implications of poorer air. A wide range of topics will be looked at, including what strategies can be put in place in order to mitigate the various challenges that face us all. They will have a stall up that will be used as a hub in order to raise awareness and encourage taking action.
The organisation’s Heat-Cool Initiative looks to educate young people about how energy works to both heat and cool our planet, what effect that has on the human race and what can be done. There is also a web-based application called HedgeDate, which is a tool that looks to explain the research that is done on green infrastructure in the area, whilst the interactive air pollution display system offers people a quiz that will help to educate you about your daily exposure levels to air pollution. It will make you think twice about some of the decisions that you make in general.
Can You Actually Help?
One of the questions that Guildford residents will no doubt be asking themselves is whether or not they can actually help to make a difference. The truth is, with Cleaner Air Day only taking place between 11am and 4pm on a Sunday towards the end of September, not a huge amount will be changed then alone. The point of the day, though, is about educating people around what they can do in general across their everyday lives in order to have a bigger impact when it comes to the issue of climate change. If everyone makes minor changes, the overall impact could be huge.
This is a day that is as much about thinking about what changes you can make in the long term as it is about the day in and of itself making a difference. You can be educated about the difference that the decisions that you make have on the planet, with the overall hope being that if you can make enough alterations, then you can have a huge impact on the long-term health of the planet that your children, nieces and nephews will be living on. The impending doom of climate change isn’t a foregone conclusion, so we all need to do whatever we can to help make a difference.