Us and the Environment.
As a group of Christians working together at the Christian Adventure Centre, we believe that God created the world in which we live. We believe that we are created as human beings in God’s image and are unique. However, we are also part of that world not separate from it, and have a responsibility to care for it. There are endless references in the Bible as to how we are meant to do this and of what God expects from us in terms of looking after the earth he has given us. Anything less than that in terms of our care of it falls short of his intention for the world and us.
Recycling Policy.
At the Centre we work with our local authority and we are currently able to recycle plastic milk bottles, tin cans, glass and cardboard. All groups that stay with us are encouraged to work with us by recycling as much as possible, and when you leave us hopefully you will feel inspired to check out recycling in your area!
Biodiversity.
(The number and variety of organisms found within a specified geographic region).
We are trying to place various wood piles around the site to encourage biodiversity; giving animals and insects a place to nest and shelter. Groups are asked NOT to remove any dead wood from around the site, but to collect it from within the forest itself. www.jri.org.uk
Lighting.
We have now changed all the outside lights to a dawn to dusk system and have replaced the bulbs with low energy ones. Turning off lights when you are not using them is a really easy way of saving electricity and something all of us can do. We would be grateful if you would make sure your group helps this effort by not leaving lights switched on unnecessarily.
Non toxic cleaning materials.
We have been working hard with our cleaning suppliers www.djb-supplies.co.uk to provide our groups with non toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning supplies.
Plastic bags.
Did you know that it takes over 100 years for one plastic bag to degrade? You can buy plastic bags that biodegrade in around 4 years and we are now using these at the Centre. We are also bringing in a policy that catered lunches will no longer be in bags but laid out buffet style when groups are on-site.
Timber Tents.
Each year we are building a new Timber Tent; so far we have 2! These are being sponsored by groups that use our Centre so if your group is interested in donating money to support this work then please contact us! These tents are eventually going to replace the canvas frame tents that we have been using. They are being built with wood from renewable local sources certified by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) – www.fsc.org
Electricity.
We are just in the process of transferring our electricity suppliers to a company that offers energy from renewable sources. www.ecotricity.co.uk
Climate Change.
As part of our commitment to the environment we are trying to find new and interesting ways of giving some input to all our groups during their visit about what is happening in our world. We try and introduce a bit about the environment in each of our outdoor sessions. Also we are now doing more of an interactive briefing when groups arrive. This way we can ensure that every group that visits us goes away having thought about what they can do to make a difference if they haven’t already!! www.bbc.co.uk/climate
Where we are now.
The earth is dying in front of our eyes and unless we all do ‘our bit’ and take serious steps to rectify this then it will be too late for our world; the damage we are reigning on it with our selfishness, greed and neglect will be beyond repair. Here at Viney Hill we are constantly looking at ways to try and reduce our ‘footprints’ on the earth. As groups that use our Centre we are asking you to help us in this while you are staying with us and using the facilities we provide. We would also encourage you to go away from here and think about your own life and the ‘footprints’ you are leaving on the earth and look for ways to lessen those in your day to day life.
In the UK alone in 2004 we produced 335 million tonnes of waste. This is increasing at a rate of over 3% per year. We only recycle 23% of our waste – but the government have set us targets to increase this every year. We are still one of the worst recycling countries in Europe. DEFRA states “The UK faces major challenges if we are to manage our waste sustainably. This is important, not just as part of our commitment to sustainable production and consumption, but is also a vital part in our battle against dangerous climate change”. Recycling in the UK already saves the equivalent in greenhouse gas emissions of taking 3.5 million cars off our roads. That is because virgin materials that would otherwise be used in production are conserved and the waste recycled is not being sent to landfill. Landfill is the worst environmental option for much of the waste produced in this country. The methane it produces is a potent greenhouse gas – 21 times more potent than CO2. So recycling is not just a “nice idea”, anyone who claims to be serious about climate change should support efforts to increase recycling.”