Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
|Home
Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
This website has been partly paid for from the funds made available to every MP to assist them in communicating with and representing their constituents.
Printed and hosted by Pipex Communications UK Ltd, Humber Buildings, Humber Rd, Beeston, Notts, NG9 2ET. Published and promoted by Norman Baker MP, House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 1AA. The views expressed are those of Norman Baker, not of the service provider.
Commons electricity use could power Newhaven - Lewes MP releases 'green Parliament' report
The House of Commons uses enough electricity every year to supply a town the size of Newhaven - this is one of the key findings released today in a report into environmental practices on the parliamentary estate by Lewes MP and Lib Dem Shadow Environment Secretary Norman Baker. The report, released as MP’s return to Westminster, shows that whilst MPs are urging people to take action to tackle climate change and other environmental concerns, their words are not being backed up with action in their own parliamentary surroundings.
Key findings of the report, How Green Is Your Parliament? show:
- The total amount of electricity used in House of Commons is enough to supply over 5,000 households. This is enough for a town the size of Newhaven
- Water consumption has risen by 58% since 1997.
- Electricity consumption has risen by 45% since 1997.
- Gas consumption has risen by 34% since 1997
- It would take enough trees to fill Green Park twice every year in order to offset the 10,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide produced to power the Commons
- Environmental damage of food purchasing: bottled water purchasing has risen 85% since 2001; 1 in 3 beers and ciders purchased are produced overseas; 1 in 3 fish species purchased are from threatened fish stocks.
- Polluting Transport: MPs continue to drive whilst people are urged to take public transport; parliamentary estate lacks Green Transport Plan whilst businesses are urged to develop them
Commenting on this, Norman says:
"This report highlights the disturbing lack of action by the national parliament itself to clean up its act and lessen the environmental impact of its own activities. On a whole range of issues, from cutting energy use and water consumption to recycling waste and reducing food miles, our parliament is going the wrong way.
"It is all very well for us as MPs to call on the general public to act and take measures to protect the environment, but how can we expect them to listen if we do not do this ourselves? The time has come to back up the many words spoken with real and concerted action so that we can set an example for the rest of the country to follow.
"I hope that this report will help the parliamentary authorities to identify the areas that need rapid improvement in order to lessen the environmental impact of our activities here in parliament. Perhaps then the next time someone asks 'How Green Is Your Parliament?' we do not have to respond 'Not Very.'"