David Shreeve

Shrinking the Footprint

During a windy, invigorating walk through Kensington Gardens, David Shreeve - advisor to the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England on environmental issues - rhapsodises on the effective use of green space in cities.

"I actually think that the cathedrals of northern Europe - they obviously knew something that we have perhaps forgotten," he says, reflecting on the way cathedrals, in centuries gone by, created labyrinths in their churchyards.

"What was it about a labyrinth - this walking round in a circle?" he asks rhetorically. "It's a way of helping people meditate and maybe pray as well."

As co-founder of the Conservation Foundation, established in the early 80s, David and his team supported some the Church of England's early steps towards environmental responsibility.

"It made me realise that the Church should be involved in environmental issues," he says, acknowledging that although it took some time to mobilise the church in these matters, "people really do see the links now between faith and the environment".

Over the years, the Conservation Foundation has provided a means for people in public, private and not-for-profit sectors to collaborate on environmental causes; its programme has included award schemes, conferences, promotions, special events, field studies, school programmes, media work, seminars and workshops.

For the Church of England, an umbrella project, Shrinking the Footprint, was devised, in response to General Synod's realisation that the Church didn't know the impact of its own environmental 'footprint'.

"Nobody knew," David remembers, "until we did our first stage - which was measuring our 'footprint', which was to try and find the total energy used in 16,000 churches and diocesan offices and bishops' houses."

During this mammoth exercise, the project was augmented, with a helpful website, and the Parish Pump programme of regular information, hints and tips, to point churches towards additional areas of environmental interest, such as biodiversity, car-sharing, and waste.

"So there's a lot of opportunity," David says refocusing his attention to the future, "and we've only really just begun with the Shrinking the Footprint campaign."

When pressed for one energy-saving tip, he swiftly responds: "I think my tip would be for everybody to make sure if they don't have any to go out and buy some clothes pegs - because I think more and more we should use the benefits of the environment and I do think tumble-dryers should be turned off and a lot more clothes put out in the sunshine to dry, and that would save an awful lot of energy."

For more on Shrinking the Footprint visit www.shrinkingthefootprint.cofe.anglican.org

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