GPP Blog - Nick Goodman, Environment Capital Officer

Well hello there, and welcome to the GPP blog! I have been given the unenviable task of kicking us off on this exciting adventure and over the coming months a number of our partners from the city will pick up the proverbial baton of blogging and write about their experiences. For those of you who don`t know me, I am Nick Goodman, Environment Capital Officer at the Greater Peterborough Partnership. My main duties are co-ordinating, facilitating, networking, developing links and championing our march towards being recognised as the UK’s Environment Capital. For those that do know me, yes I still have a rather luxuriant beard.

The problem with starting something like this is knowing what to write. Well, having looked out of the window and listened to the news over the last few days it does seem pertinent to start with the weather....a truly British topic of conversation! It never ceases to amaze me just how vulnerable we are too extreme weather, particularly in Britain. The effects of snow, wind, rain or prolonged heat always bring the natural environment sharply into focus. People suddenly realise just how reliant we are on the status quo afforded us by our temperate climate and when dear momma nature gets mad, all hell breaks loose. I think in more general terms it is symptomatic of a disconnect with the natural environment; from food production to wildlife and natural resources to energy. The challenge then is to reconnect all those elements to day to day life.....how can access to nature be improved, how can the natural environment be better incorporated into formal, non formal and informal education, how do we dispose of our waste and understand the implications of excessive consumption and production, how can we eat better and with less impact on the environment......all important questions (and the list goes on).

The challenge for us as a city, particularly in such difficult economic times and with a backdrop of our planned growth, is to recognise the key issues, ask the important questions and come up with the right answers. Often those right answers are the most difficult to accept, as in the short term they might not make economic sense (and is reliant on a values system rather than simple financial year based economics) and of course there is always resistance to change. What is needed then is a strong commitment and solid leadership all at levels, it is not just about turning our heads towards Town Hall to see what city council are doing or simply blaming our local supermarket for over packaging the kiwi fruit. It is about shifting our gaze to each other and most importantly to ourselves. Ask not what your environment can do for you but what you can do for your environment.

Over the coming month I will be outlining how, as a city, we are focussing our attention on the most important question of all.....what can we do for our environment?