Green cars gather in St Andrews

The five greenest cars in the UK will be on show at the University of St Andrews this week (Thursday 13 March) at a special event aimed at highlighting environmental issues.

The display, at the University’s Students’ Association, is thought to be the first time that all cars have gathered together in one place.  The Union will act as a garage forecourt for the day with the environmentally-friendly cars – the VW Polo Bluemotion, SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive, Mini Cooper D, Toyota Prius, and Honda Civic Hybrid – acting as star attraction.  Since all cars are classed as Vehicle Tax Band A, owners do not have to pay road tax.

University Energy Officer David Stutchfield said, “This is a unique opportunity to compare the most environmentally friendly cars on the market, with the cars on display ranging from small to large, and including both hybrid and fuel-efficient diesel cars.”

The car display is part of the University’s Sustainable Living Fair – the highlight of Green Week (10-16 March), a series of events and campaigns aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues and the easy, practical steps that we can all take to take to reduce our carbon footprint.

Organised by the University’s Environment team in collaboration with students, Green Week will feature a host of informative, fun and interactive exhibits on a range of environmentally friendly issues from energy efficiency in the home to wind turbines.  And if you’re looking to buy sustainable goods, everything from refurbished bikes to eco-friendly soaps will be available to buy.

For those more interested in what the University is doing on environmental issues, the event offers an opportunity to meet the Environment Team. Residential and Business Services and the University’s Sports Centre will also be on hand, to explain what they are doing  to reduce their environmental impact, from energy efficiency through to enhanced biodiversity.

Green Week will also link up with National Science & Engineering Week to demonstrate to local school children the links between Science and the Environment.

Susan Horsman, Environment Officer says, “Global Warming is receiving a lot of press coverage these days, but people sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed when it comes to reducing their own carbon footprint. The Sustainable Living Fair aims to demystify all this talk about going green, by highlighting easy, practical steps that everyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint. We hope that this event and the Green Week that sits alongside it will make people’s carbon footprints a little lighter.

“Green Week is about demonstrating how sustainability can be easily incorporated into your everyday life, from what you buy to whether or not you switch your lights off when you leave the room. It might seem like nothing to you, but if everyone does it, it will make a real difference.”

For more up-to-date information, visit www.st-andrews.ac.uk/greenweek

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS:

For further information contact Susan Horsman, tel: 01334 463986, email [email protected]  

Issued by the Press Office, University of St Andrews
Contact Gayle Cook, Press Officer on 01334 467227 / 462529, mobile 07900 050 103, or email [email protected]
Ref:  Green week 100308
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