Rebecca Arnold

background

I live in Taffs Well, Cardiff with my husband Steve. We are both in our mid twenties and are active in reducing our negative impact on the environment and community. We have our own ex-battery chickens in our garden, an allotment which we are hoping will become more productive as we figure out what we are doing with it! I am trying to re-skill myself and am learning how to knit at the moment and have signed up to a sewing class this year :) We have discovered a local salvage yard and are trying to kit out our home with decorated bits from the salvage yard.

CRAG Cymru / Wales

“”I am dedicated to reducing my own carbon footprint. However, by joining a group it shows government that people are already undertaking to reduce their own carbon footprint for the benefit of the environment and their communities. This is without government intervention and through people's own concerns for the world in which they live, regardless of whether there is a recession going on! Whereas my individual actions would go unnoticed (well, my bank balance would notice!) collectively the actions send a strong message that people are and can take measures to reduce their CO2 emissions and it isn't as painful as the mass media suggests and can actually be easy, fun and saves an awful lot of money!

profile

Home: 1.07 tonnes (1.20 heating and 0.05 lighting) Appliances: 0.54 tonnes Travel: 1.62 tones I have managed to reduce my travel emissions by approximately 1.9 tonnes recently by changing jobs so I do not need to commute as far. I will be looking to further decrease my commute by cycling as using public transport to get to work 2 out 5 days per week (I am a fair weather cyclist and it is very cold at the moment to cycle!). Our electricity comes from Ecotricity which means that all money paid goes into building new wind farms. Although I do not know if this necessarily means that all electricity we use is accounted for from renewable sources. We are topping up our roof insulation this year and have added draft excluders to all external doors in our house. We have our own allotment which as we come to terms with how to actually make the things grow, will provides us with much fresh fruit and veg. We are into our second year now, so fingers crossed. Other than that we have our own chickens, seven in total which are ex-battery hens and we purchase most food from the farmer's market or have a veg box delivered.