Since Saving the Environment is a high priority for the Council, Babergh has been marking Climate Change week.
Yesterday officers, supported by the Energy Saving Trust, were running an event at which, among other things, people were able to find out how ecological their driving is by trying a computerised driving simulator. I have to say that, unlike the occasion that I was mad enough to drive a racing car round Brands Hatch (in my far off and generally rather unecological Banking days) I did not shine. I was much too keen on the accelerator, only finding the brake a few minutes into the process. My gear changing was pretty awful too since the simulator was rather quiet and in real life I generally change gear when the engine starts to complain. In fact, overall, my performance was pretty awful. Matters were not helped by the fact that despite the fact that the contraption was completely stationary no sooner than the screen had started to ‘move’ I started to feel terribly sick! A feeling of slight nausea continued all afternoon, and even now I feel a little green.
Rather more satisfactory, from my perspective at least, was the Babergh ‘light bulb library suitcase’. This gives Babergh staff and Members the chance to try low energy lightbulbs before they go out and buy them, a scheme that has proved effective elsewhere. Many people are suspicious that low energy bulbs will be like the old neon lights of old. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. We have gone over to them almost entirely at home and one can barely see any difference.
Pictures from the event are shown above. Babergh officer Jonas Grist and Gillian Hurding of the Energy Saving Trust are showing off the light bulb library and it’s me on the simulator.
