Claire Rajah

2006-03-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

Get out your car and on your bike
Tomorrow (March 21st) the city of Manchester launches its 'Love your Bike' campaign
The aim of the campaign is to get car drivers commuting into work out of their cars and onto their bicycle. The campaign has been devised and is now managed by Manchester Friends of the Earth, the city council and Creative Concern . As a commiteed cycling commuter I'll be looking forward to seeing more bicycles on the road and less cars, motorbikes, van and lorries running me off the road. If you're in the area and currently drive to work why not switch for a week and you'll start noticing a difference on your wallet and your stomach.

2006-03-16T23:33:00.000-08:00

Climate Change will alter my holiday destinations?
Reading a piece in the Daily Express about climate change restricting holiday travel, I'm glad that someone has finally put fact to the myth that global warming is a good thing for the environment.
Living and working in England's North West, where the report was produced, I've been fortunate enough to get my hands on a preview copy and it makes for 'wake-up and smell the coffee' reading.
Our footpaths in the Lake District, The Peak District's wild and wonderful moorlands, Sefton (in Merseyside for those outside the region) coastal dunes are all under threat from global warming.
If you want to get the facts on why climate change IS NOT A GOOD THING FOR THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, drop me a line.
Just thought I'd give you something to think about as you pack your bags for a weekend break this Friday.

2006-03-10T05:59:00.000-08:00

Calling all eco-bloggers
New to this game, I wondered if the wealth of eco-bloggers out there could direct me to the best sites? Who is the godfather of environmental blogging, especially issues relating to climate change? Which eco-blogs are examples of best practice and are looked upon as the best in the sphere. Which environmental blogs influence and direct? Working for an ethical communcations agency it would be good to know more about eco-blogging. Check out Creative Concern.

2006-02-24T07:20:00.000-08:00

Branches, saplings, roots, twigs, bark, and leaves, let’s start talking trees…
From the deforestation of South America’s woodlands to the climate change chatter about the importance of trees to help us address the consequences of global warming, we’re all talking trees. Yes it’s right and proper we should recognise and encourage the ecological, historical, cultural, social and economic importance of trees, but it’s now time to rediscover their beauty and individuality.
As a young sapling growing up in the Viking city of York, my grandad would take my sister and I to Rowntree’s Park to get away from my mother and grandma preparing a feast of teatime treats. One of our highlights of our ‘trip to the park’ was a visit to the magnificent willow tree, which still sits proud in the park today. My grandad would be blessed with five minutes of peace as Ruth and I would drape ourselves amongst the willow’s branches pretending we had entered a magical world where the trees whispered secret codes to little girls. Innocently we also thought Rowntree Park had named its tree after my grandparent’s cat and not the other way round.
Now as I enter my 33rd year, young in tree lives, I’m looking forward to moving into the new Rajah home in the Peak District, where we’ll be the proud owners of a Norwegian spruce tree, commonly known as a Christmas Tree. As our house and garden can be seen from the local train station, I can’t wait to become the local celebrity for the best dressed Christmas Tree in Chinley.