9:56am Monday 15th January 2007
A green exhibition is set to advise Oxford residents on how to cut their fuel bills and combat climate change.
Community group mPower Oxford is staging the event at the Assembly Room in Oxford Town Hall on Saturday, January 20, from 11am to 4pm, to increase awareness of climate change issues.
The show, which is free, will present art, photos, and videos on climate change, as well as material on the science of climate change and its predicted impacts on the environment.
It is aimed at inspiring people to tackle this issue.
The group is the brainchild of Oxford resident Olly Woodford, who was inspired to tackle the issue after watching Al Gore's eco-documentary An Inconvenient Truth.
The 28-year-old decided that many more people needed to understand climate change before real progress could be made.
Mr Woodford, an engineering student at New College, Oxford, said: "Action on climate change won't happen without widespread support for initiatives such as saving energy in the home.
"We're making more people aware of the issue, in order to create support. The world is slowly starting to heat up and we are already beginning to see the effects of climate change, with frequent flooding in the winter and droughts in the summer.
"A lot of people are not engaging with these issues because they are not prepared to change their lifestyles by catching the bus instead of using their cars or doing more recycling.
"We will be giving out information on how small things can make a difference so that people feel empowered.
"Installing energy efficient lightbulbs, turning down your heating and running your washing machine on a lower temperature can all make a difference."
Mr Woodford added that - at this time of year - when energy prices were rising, people would welcome the offer of free advice on simple ways in which they can save energy in the home, all of which could add up to a 20 per cent reduction in utility bills.
There will also be exhibits from national and local organisations on how people can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save money by cutting energy consumption.
Exhibitors include the Thames Valley Energy Commission, Oxfordshire County Council, Carbon Footprint Ltd and Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute.
Further information on the event is available on the group's website www.mpoweroxford.org.uk.
People can find out about energy-saving measures by contacting Oxford City Council's Sustainable Energy Team on 01865 252564.
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