1

2
Welcome to Bristol, a Green Capi
tal of the UK, Fairtrade City, Tran
sition Town and Cycling Hotspot!
This guide has been designed and
writtenbystudentsforstudents.
Bristol is a great place to study,
andinthisguidewehopetoshow
you ways to enjoy your time here
whilst highlighting how easy it is
to make a real, positive impact on
your local and global community
atthesametime.

WHATISTHISGUIDEFOR?

Thisguideprovidesaloadofprac
tical ideas to allow you to enjoy
everything Bristol has to offer
whilstpromotingtheprinciplesof
localism,sustainabilityandhuman
rights. The guide also serves as a
directoryforasmanylocalgroups/
campaigns/shops/services as we
could think of, and gives informa
tionandsupportforvolunteering,
campaigning and taking action
towardspositivesocialchange.
Noie specifically, theie aie uiffei
entsectionstotheguidethatmay
serveyouindifferentways.InOut
andAbout, you can finu out about
theStudentRestaurant,orinJobs
and Uni you'll finu ethical caieei
tips and ideas about Open Units
suchasSustainableDevelopment.
Get free wine by changing your
electricity supplier in At Home
anu finu out about school volun
teering projects in Be Involved,
whilst our Shopping guide could
lead you to your new favourite
charityshopinBristol.
MOVINGFORWARD

The next decade has been de

scribed as a crucial turning point
for humanity, and it is going to be
uptoyoungpeopletoensurethat
thischangeisaforceforgood.

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So what can we do? This guide
advocates the maxim think glob
ally,actlocally.Changereallydoes
startathome,andouractionsand
choices can make a huge positive
difference. Getting involved is re
ally rewarding, too. This guide is
packedwithanarsenalofideas,in
formationandcontactstohelpyou
dojustthat.

Whatevertakesyourinterest,from
campaigningtolocalvolunteering,
orsimplywantingtoknowhowto
doyourrecycling,wehopetoshow
youthatitseasytoaccomplish.
Finally,wewanttoemphasisehow
muchfunwevehad.Wewritethis
guide as a group of friends, who
may never have met but for our
involvement in ethical and envi
ronmental projects. We havent
just saved carbon by sharing an
oven, or avoided sweatshops by
organising clothes swaps, but we
also gained some epic memories
ofhugesharedmealsandthebril
liant (and free) fun to be had on
oui uooistep. To finu out moie
come to the Volunteering fair
on the 12th October in the Stu
dents Union from 6pm. Other
wise, wed love to hear from you,
sogetincontact!
DISCLAIMER
Thisguideisintendedforinforma
tion purposes only and does not
necessarilyrepresenttheviewsof
theUniversityofBristolortheUni
versityofBristolUnion.Thisisnot
anendorsementofanyproductsor
companiesfeaturedwithin.
Ifyouwouldlike
tohavethein
formationinthis
guidepresented
inabiggerfont,
pleaseemailubu
community@bris
tol.ac.uk
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CONTENTS

OutandAbout........5
FoodandDrink.....................5
Cinema......................................7
Music.........................................7
DaysOut..................................9
TransportandTravel.......12
Shopping................15
Studying.................................15
Clothing..................................16
Food.........................................18
Banking..................................20
BeautyandCosmetics......20
SanitaryProducts...............21
TheSHOP!Campaign........22

AtHome..................22
WasteandRecycling.........22
CookingandFood..............25
Water.......................................26
Energy.....................................26
Housing..................................28
JobsandUni.............29
Careers....................29
Internships....................30
SocialEnterprise....................30
UniOpportunities....................31
BeInvolved.............33
GetInformed....................33
GetConnected....................35
StudentsUnion....................35
SocietiesTheHub....................37
BristolConnections....................40
Take Action....................40
ThankYouforReading!!
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Bristol is a bustling, vibrant city,
which can cater to every taste.
Whetheryouarehavingamealout,
enjoying a cheeky pint, exploring
the surrounding area or just hav
ing a quiet night at the cinema,
an abundance of different options
is available to you. Thankfully, be
causeBristolissuchadiversecity,
all sorts of considerations can be
accommodated. So, if you want to
knowwhereagoodvegetariancafe
is,orwhetheryourfoodwaslocally
sourced, if the business is inde
pendentandcontributingpositive
lytoitscommunity,oryousimply
wanttobethatbitgreener,Bristol
isthecityforyou.
For this guide we have chosen a
numberofplacesandactivtiesyou
mightbeinterestedin,butdontlet
thislimityouthereisplentytoex
ploreinBristol.Andremember,the
littlethingsyoudohavebigconse
quences,soifyouthinksomething
isimportantthenpursueit!

FOODANDDRINK
To help you decide where to head
on your days, evenings or nights
out,wevemadeupahandykey.
Key:
[ C ] Community: A distinctive
featureofBristolisitscapacityfor
communityspiritwithmanydiffer
ent areas celebrating theirunique
character.
[E]Ethicallyminded:Theseplac
es will range from volunteerrun
cinemas to workers cooperatives
to places who are just plain nice
totheirwholesupplychain.Head
heresoyoucanenjoyyourselfsafe
intheknowledgethatyouarehelp
ingtheworld.
[G]Green:Togetherourindivid
ualactionswillhaveglobalconse
quences.
[I]Independentlyowned:The
shorterthesupplychaintheeasier
itistokeeptrackofhowwellevery
oneinitistreated.
[L]Locallysourced:Nuffsed.
[O]Organic:Sourcingtheirfood
fromfarmsthataremoreenergyef
ficient, use less synthetic pesticiues,
producelesswasteandencourage
uiveise ecosystems, these fine eat
eriesservethebestofthebest.
[V]Veganorvegetarian:Evenif
youstilleatmeat,vegetarianfood
should be enjoyed by all. Cutting
down the poorly sourced meat in
yourdietcanhaveabigimpacton
you,themeatindustryandtheen
vironment.
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TheBetterFoodCompany[L]
[ O ] Supermarket, cafe and deliv
ereroforganicproducts;withone
situatedhalfwayupWhiteladiesits
anirresistiblestoponthelongwalk
betweenhallsandlectures.
BordeauxQuay[E][G][I][O][L]
Awardwinningorganicrestaurant,
deli, bakery and cookery school,
activelypursuingsustainableprac
tices.
BostonTeaParty[G][L][O]With
oneresidingonwhatfeelslikeeve
rystreetcorner,thisWestCountry
chain of comfortable cafes serve
locally sourced and organic food
whenevertheycan.
TheBristolCiderHouse[I][L]
GiveSpoonsamissandheadover
to this gem foi the finest West
Country Cider at only 3 per pint.
HostsaCiderFestivaleverySatur
dayafternoon.
CafKino[C][E][G][I][L]
| 0 j | v j A not-foi-piofit coopeiative
ownedandoperatedbyitsworkers
andruninpartbyvolunteers.Eco
logicallysound,deliciousvegetari
an/veganfoodandamazingbrews.
CafMaitreya[L][O][V]Judged
tobethetopvegetarianrestaurant
intheUK!
TheCanteen[C][E][I][L]Byday
serves delicious healthy food and
bynightapopularbarwithregular
livemusic.
TheCoronationTap[I][L]OrThe
Corrieasitsaffectionatelyknown.
0ne of the fiist houses in Clifton,
thisworldfamousciderhousehas
beenrunningsincethe18thcentu
ryand,withitslethalcombination
ofExhibitionandotherlocalciders,
and regular live music nights, it
showsnosignofslowingdown.
TheDukeofYork[I]Hiddenin
StWerburghs,thispubtrulyhasa
spiritofitsown:coveredinBristols
uefinitive giaffiti, anu housing an
old fashioned skittles alley in the
back,thisisanightatthepubwith
atwist.
Falafel King [ V ] At last, veggie
clubbers can satisfy their endof
nightmunchiesproperly.
FolkHouseCaf[C][I][L][O]An
invitingcafewhereyoucanenjoya
heartylunchwhileyousoakupthe
ethosoftheFolkHouseadultedu
cation centre, promoting learning
forpleasure.
TheGrainBarge[I][L]Mooredin
theBristolharbour,thisconverted
bargeisownedbytheBristolBeer
Factoryandservesawardwinning
real ales, brewed less than a mile
awayinAshton.
TheLido[L]A21stcenturytake
onaVictorianinstitution.Thechef
useslocal,seasonalproduce,some
ofitgrowninTheLidosownkitch
engarden.
MudDockCycleworks&Cafe[I]
Thiscafeservesupfoodinspiredby
theSpanishwithviewsofthehar
boursideandprovidesahandybike
hireservicetocycleitoff.
Take5Caf[I][V]Amazingplates
of cuiiy foi a fivei, with some su
per vegetarian and vegan options.
Portionsarelarge,soyougetyour
moneysworth.
TheThaliCaf[E][G][I][O]
[V]YummyIndianfoodservedat
four venues across Bristol. Their
takeaway option is especially
greenyoucanbuyyourownstain
less steel tiffin box anu fill it, wash it
andreuseit,sonowastefulpack
aging.
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TheTobaccoFactoryCafe/Bar[I]
[L]Aproudbeaconforindepend
entbusinesses,theTFCafe/Baris
not only independent itself but
also works hard to support other
independentlocallymanagedbusi
nessesandshops.
EditorsFavourites:
FairtradeCafe[E][V]Runbythe
FairtradesocietyeveryFridayinthe
MultifaithChaplaincy.Soup,sand
wiches and baked goods available
from12till2.
FoodCycleStudentRestaurant
[E][G][L]Keepyoureyesopen
for news on the popular 3 three
course meal of locally donated,
wouldbewasted food; all pro
ceeds go to charity and other stu
dentledethicalprojects.
CINEMA
Choosingwhichcinematogotois
notnormallysomethingyouthink
aboutintermsofethicsorsustain
ability, but the venue you end up
in does make a difference. Inde
pendent cinemas are less likely to
empty your purse buying a ticket,
letalonebeforeyouvereachedthe
refreshments counter. Independ
ent cinemas also often finu ways to
give back to the local community,
such as scieening films that iaise
awareness and encourage debate,
orstunningsocialeventsandfund
raisers.SonextOrangeWednesday,
eschewtheShowcaseandtheOde
on and give one of these venues a
try!
TheCubeAvolunteerrunmicro
plex which hosts a huge range of
events, fiom films with live scoies to
midnighthorrormovies,withsome
Cubanpartiesthrownintothemix
aswell.Ithasatinybar(wherethey
refusetosellCocaColaorNescafe),
aswellasblanketsinsidethethea
treincaseyougetcold.Addition
ally, they support a host of good
causes, including setting up a free
cinemaforchildrenaffectedbythe
earthquakeinHaiti.Lifetimemem
bershipisonly1!
The Orpheus Cinema Part of
a small chain called Scott Cin
emas originating in Devon, this
2screenedcinemahasmostofthe
biggest films available at a fiaction
ofthepriceofthelargerchains,and
is only a stones throw away from
theStokeBishophalls.
UndertheStarsNotactuallyacin
ema,butacafebaronaboatwhich
hosts iegulai fiee film nights anu
moviemarathonswithinitscosyin
terior.Bringsomepopcorn,graba
beanbagandcuddleup.
TheWatershedShowsawideva
riety of new and old releases and
foieign language films, as well as
awaieness-iaising films anu uocu
mentaries on a range of topics.
Theyalsohostseveralartsfestivals
throughouttheyear.

MUSIC
Music plays a huge part in many
of our lives so it makes sense to
ensurethebusinessisasethicalas
possible.
LiveMusicVenues
Theres nothing more enjoyable
than heading out with a group of
friendsandsoakinguptheincom
parable atmosphere generated by
live music. Bristol has a thriving
musicsceneanditsuniquecharac
terisworthworkingtopreserve.
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music scene and its unique char
acterisworthworkingtopreserve.
Buyingdirectlyfromthevenueora
localticketshopsuchasIdleHands
orBristolTicketShopcansaveyou
a lot of money when compared to
the booking and administrative
fees charged by larger websites,
andalsosendsmoretotheartist.
Below is a short list of venues in
Bristolwhichhostnumerouslocal
(and excellent!) bands and club
nights,aswellashavingtheirown
individualatmosphere:
TheCroft,StokesCroftThebest
oftheStokesCroftmusicscene.
TheFleece,StThomasStreetBris
tolslargestindependentvenue.
TheLanes,NelsonStBowlingal
ley anu fifties uinei by uay, cocktail
bar, disco and live music by night.
Partoftherisingrockabillyscene.
Louisiana,WappingRdAwide
rangeofinternational,nationaland
localliveacts.
MothersRuin,StNicholasStAt
mospheric drinking hole with live
actsinthebasement.
MrWolfs,StStephensStreetLive
music, local acts and cheap en
trance,thisalwaysguaranteesade
centnightout.
StarttheBus,BaldwinStreetQuiz
nights,livemusicandjumblesales
areallhostedwithinakookyinte
rior.
Thekla,TheGroveItsonaboat,
mothertrucker! Hosts live music
andclubnightsonitsdecks.
TheTrinityCentre,OldMarket
Workingtoempowerandconnect
communitiesthroughthearts.
BuyingMusic
One thing you can do to lessen
your impact is to buy only from
independent record shops; their
stock is usually sent straight from
thepromoterorlabel.Moremoney
to the artists, less to the middle
menanditsabrilliantwaytohelp
sustainBristolslocaleconomy.In
dependent record shops act as a
hubforthelocalmusicscene,and
many charity shops have fantas
tic collections. For those aiming
for minimum carbon impact, (le
gally!) downloading songs online
is a good option tracks are often
cheaper, and theres no wasteful
packagingortransport.Remember
thatsomeonlinetradersaremore
ethicalthanothersvisitwww.fair
sharemusic.comformoredetails.
SeethefollowinglistforgreatBris
tolianplacestobuymusic:
Booty,ColstonStreetSecondhand
music.
IdleHands,StokesCroftTherein
carnation of the infamous Rooted
Records, Gloucester Rds former
fiist choice foi all things giime anu
dubstep.Newshop,sameideals.
PaybackRecords,St.NicksMarket,
CornStreetReggae,funkandsoul,
botholdandnew.
PrimeCuts,GloucesterRd
9
(downstairs in RePsycho) Huge
rangeofsecondhandandrarevi
nylandCDs,reasonablypriced.
Rise Music, Whiteladies Rd De
centselectionofnewmusic,espe
ciallyrock/pop/alt.
Festivals
Whether youre looking for huge
namesoratinyfolkfestivaltherell
be one out there for you with
Bristols festival scene bursting
at the seams, chances are youll
finu something on youi uooi
step. Again, local festivals are all
about enhancing the Bristol com
munity,somethingyoumightcon
sider when putting together your
summer itinerary. Heres a by no
meansexhaustivelist:

BrisfestCommunityisacentral
themeofthisfestival;Brisfestaims
tobringtogetherdifferentcultural
communities through the shared
enjoymentofart,music,danceand
food.HeldeverySeptemberinthe
area surrounding the Lloyds am
phitheatre(bytheHarbourside).
Bristol Harbourside Festival
A highlight of Bristols summer
calendar, the Harbour Festival is
spieau iight acioss the city, filling
ittothebrimwithmarkets,dance
shows, live music and everything
elseyoucouldpossiblythinkof.
DottoDot Festival This mu
sicfestivalisunusualinthatitnot
onlyspansthreecities,butalsothe
actsarelocatedinseveraldifferent
localvenues.
Stokes Croft Streetfest Cel
ebrating everything about the vi
brant community of Stokes Croft,
helu foi the fiist time in 2u1u with
over 160 performers and 8000
people attending. Look out for it
infutureyears!
StPaulsCarnivalToreallyen
joythecultureofBristolsAfrican
Caribbean population, head down
toStPaulsonthesecondweekend
of July! Catch the parade during
the day and live music at night,
all the while feasting on delicious
foodfromstreetvendors.
If you are looking for something
fuithei afielu then you might want
to consider that unfortunately
festivals arent often the greenest
of places, but some are far better
than others. Glastonbury is the
largest open air music and arts
festival in the world, with a huge
piopoition of its piofits going to
charity.Somesmallerfestivals,like
Greenman and Latitude, try to
minimisetheircarbonimpactand
promote sustainability, while oth
ers,likeTruckFestivalinOxford,
actively fundraise and donate to
charityaswellassourcingfoodlo
cally(thevicarsicecreamstandat
thisfestivalisamust).
DAYSOUT
Bristol is bursting at the seams
with things to do, whether free
experiences run by local trusts,
areas of natural beauty waiting
to be explored, or interesting his
torical spots. Why not go further
afielu anu exploie what the South
Westhastoofferoutsidethecitys
perimeters? Walking or cycling
around Bristol provides healthy,
carbon neutral and fun ways of
seeing all of the places listed and
more.EIthergrabamap,orgofor
a wander and see what hidden
gemsyoucandiscover.
10
Therearealsoplentyofplacesyou
can visit to discover more about
ethicallivinginBristol.
ArtandCulture
If you see yourself as a bit of an
arts connoisseur (or just want to
look at some pretty colours), im
aginationisrunningriotinBristol.

SomeofthebestartinBristolcan
beseenatthefollowingplaces:
!"#$%&'()*+'+
Bristol City Museum and Art
Gallery
ThePaintworks
RoyalWestofEnglandAcademy
SpikeIsland
Stokes Croft The whole area is
aliving,everevolvinggallery,with
some of Britains best street art
this is the area that created Bank
sy,afterall!

If drama and theatre are more

yourthing,headtoashowat:
The Alma Tavern An intimate
spacenestledupnexttothisClift
onpub.Perfectforintervals.
Bristol Old Vic One of Britains
oldesttheatres.
The Tobacco Factory The con
vertedbuildingnowhousesathe
atre,barandcafe,andrunsregular
eventsaswellastheannualShake
speareseason.
TheWhiteBearThispubonSt.
Michels Hill, a favourite for post
essay pints, recently opened its
cosyWardrobeTheatreupstairs.
If you want to get involved with
student theatre or arts, then Bris
tol Uni has groups catering for all
needs. Below are just some of the
societiesyoucanjoin:
Art Soc For those of you who
want to create, this is the group
foryou.Youcanevenexhibityour
workattheirannualshow.

Bristol Playwrights Collective

For the aspiring playwrights
among you. Even if its something
youneverthoughtof,theirweekly
pubmeetingsareverysupporting
andwelcoming.
DanceSocAllformsofdanceare
included, and they hold regular
shows.
DramSoc The heart of the Uni
versitys active drama scene, they
recently beat Oxford and Cam
bridge at the InterUni Drama
Fest. Not just for actors you can
also get involved with writing, di
recting,producing,backstagetech,
makeup,andmore.
Falstaff The obscurely named
EnglishLiteraturesociety,butany
bookwormcanjoin.Eventsinclude
poetry readings, creative writing
sessions,theatreandmore.
Helicon The Universitys only
creative hub for artists, photogra
phers, writers and poets, Helicon
magazinepublishestermly,aswell
asmaintainingablogkeepingyou
uptodate with the Bristol cul
tural scene (www.heliconbristol.
blogspot.com)
Photography Soc For the cam
erakeen.
ThePlayGroupAgroupofthea
tre critics who review all student
theatre within the University and
publishfortnightly.
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SpotlightsAnotherdramagroup,
but with more focus on new writ
ing.

NatureandtheEnvironment
BristolCityCouncilisdedicatedto
sustainable living, with recogni
tion as a Fairtrade City, a Transi
tion Town anu the 0K's fiist Cy
cling City. Unsurprisingly, there is
noshortageofgreenspacesforthe
natureloversaroundhere:
The Avon Gorge & The Clifton
SuspensionBridge - The magnifi
cent gorge is best admired from
the pedestrian walkway along the
bridge and you get one hell of a
view of Bristol too. Its especially
stunningatnight.
BrandonHillRollinghills,anob
servatory and the odd bit of out
doortheatre.Oolala.
CastleParkTheperfectreststop
forabusydaydowninBroadmead
orCabotCircus.
The Downs Miles of greenery
perfectforruns,gamesoffootball,
BBQs anu snowball fights (uelete as
appropriate).
EastvilleParkGorgeousVictorian
park complete with lake, bowl
ing greens and the 17th century
WickhamCourt,historicalmeeting
placeofCromwellandFairfaxback
in1645.
RoyalFortGardensBeautifulgar
dens,perfectforrelaxing.
The National Arboretum, We
stonbirt One of the largest and
oldesttreecollectionsintheworld
sprawling across 600 glorious
Cotswoldacres,thisparkisunfor
gettableinanyseason.Freeweek
end guided walks, regular events
andworkshops,concertsthrough
out June and July and Festival of
theTreeeveryAugust.
University Botanic Gardens
Plants from around the world.
They run regular walks, talks and
events.
Bristolalsohasitsownzoo,aquar
iumandsciencemuseum@Bristol,
all supported by the local Avon
Wildlife trust, which offers plenty
of volunteering opportunities to
workatconservationorrestoration
piojects to pieseive Biistolian floia
andfauna.TheBristolNaturalHis
tory Consortium (www.bnhc.org.
uk)alsorunstheannualFestivalof
Natureeverysummer,whichisfull
of free events and a great way of
gettinginvolved.

HistoryandHeritage
Bristolhasitsfairshareofhistory,
anditseemsonlyrighttoexploreit.

AshtonCourtHistoricestateand
mansion house, full of woodland
andwildlifewaitingtobeexplored
one sunny day. Just 2 miles out of
Bristol,sowhynottakeapicnic?
BlaiseCastleDramaticparklands,
ahistorichouseandancientmonu
ments:withover5000yearsofhis
tory, this makes the perfect days
escapefromthecity.
Bristol Cathedral and College
GreenIconicBristolarchitecture.
The British Empire & Common
wealthMuseumLearnaboutthe
hoiiific slave tiaue, anu how Biistol
playedapartinit.
ChristmasStepsAsteephistoric
streetinthecitycentre,fulloftwee
shopsandcuriosities.
MShedAnewkindofmuseum,
dedicatedtotellingBristolsstory,
andfullofinteractiveexperiences.
12
SSGreatBritainTheboatwitha
past.Whynottakeoneofthecheap
ferriesfromtheHarboursidealong
therivertoit?
St.MaryRedcliffeChurchGrand
architectureandaneventfulhisto
iy, a visit to this chuich well justifies
hoppingsouthoftheriver.
StokesCroftMuseumLearnabout
theinterestinghistorythatliesbe
hindthiscolourfulculturalquarter,
in the Peoples Republic of Stokes
Croftsownmuseum.
Walking tours A great way to
explore the city for a few quid.
Learn about Bristols maritime
historyonaPirateWalkledbyPi
ratePete,orgetyourghostonwith
theHauntedandHiddentour.Or
guide yourself a pamphlet avail
able in the City Museum gift shop
allows you to trace the footsteps
of Bristols role in the slave trade,
whilst the iPod app Blitzed Bris
tolisaninteractivewaytoexplore
the city, with information and ar
chive footage popping up on your
iPhoneenroute,activatedbyyour
phonesGPS.
EthicalMustSees
CAT The Centre for Alternative
Technology is located in Snowdo
nia, Wales; with displays, organic
gardens and a cafe, it communi
cates a wealth of information on
the challenges we face in the 21st
century,aswellasideasonhowto
livemoresustainably.Seewww.cat.
org.uk.
CREATE Centre A vibrant envi
ronmentalcentre,hometoseveral
organisations specialising in sus
tainability, CREATE hosts a range
ofeventsandexhibitionsaswellas
an Ecohome. It also has meeting
roomsandgalleryspace,whichcan
behiredoutatreasonablerates.
Embercombe - A stunning fifty-
acre site with views over Dart
moor National Park which runs
programmes focusing on Authen
ticLeadershipskillsinthecontext
of this wonderful, turbulent and
transitioning world. Catalyst is
one such piogiamme, specifically
designed for young adults aged
1825 years, aiming to help par
ticipants to understand how they
mightneedtoequipthemselvesto
engage powerfully with the chal
lenges of our times. See www.
catalystcourse.co.ukandwww.em
bercombe.co.uk
Pierian Centre Located in Bris
tol, this conference centre offers
a meeting space and a range of
community events, enabling talks,
classes and performances on any
thing and everything, including a
widerangeofarts,music,hobbies,
education,healthandwellbeingto
namebutafew.Seewww.pierian
centre.com.
TRANSPORTANDTRAVEL
Travelexpressespartofourinnate
desiretointeractwiththeworld
andthewonderfulpeopleinit,
andshouldnotberestrainedkeep
yourcarbonfootprintinmind,and
whoknowswhatwonderfulmeans
of alteinative tiavel you might finu.
Theworldisyouroyster!
13
InandAroundBristol
In the 0K, incieasing tiaffic lev
els have made us the most con
gested country in Europe; all this
has a considerable environmental
impact, with transport currently
being responsible for 53% of ni
trogen oxide emissions, 74% of
carbon monoxide, and 15% of
carbon dioxide emissions. Bristol
itselfisrenownedforbeingatraf
fic nightmaie, so leave the cai at
home, check out www.travelbris
tol.orgformoreinfo,andconsider
theseoptions:
Cycle - As the 0K's fiist Cycling
City,Bristolreceivedover11mil
lion to improve its cycling infra
structure so dont let a few hills
put you off! Check out www.bet
terbybike.info for routes, advice
andmore,andhaveyourbikeser
viced for free at the Universitys
weekly Cycle Surgery. Bristol is
also home to the UK cycling char
itySustrans,whocangiveyouend
lessinformationonroutesleading
outsideofBristol,suchastheRail
way Path to Bath, the Avon Gorge
Loopandeventhetriptothecoast
atPortishead!Annualeventssuch
as Bristols Biggest Bike Ride
andtheslightlymoresaucyNaked
Bike Ride (exactly what it says
onthetin)arealsoamustforany
keencyclist.Onyerbike!
BusFirstmayhaveamonopolyon
the public buses in Bristol, which
are renowned for being unusually
expensive,butthereisanalterna
tive:Freebus.Thiscompletelyfree
bus service is currently operating
aroundthecitycentreandTemple
Meadsatweekends,operatingasa
cooperative. Check out www.free
bus.org.uk for more info. In addi
tion, the University operates a U6
bus service from Stoke Bishop to
the Precinct which forms part of
the Wessex Red U Network, see
www.bristol.ac.uk/universitybus
TrainTravelalongthelocallines
costs just 75p see www.national
rail.co.ukforjourneytimes.
CarIfyourestillpiningforacar,
consider www.liftshare.com the
most efficient way to uiive! 0i
therearetwocarsharesoperating
inBristolCityCarClubandStreet
car,seewww.citycarclub.co.ukand
www.streetcar.co.uk
Walk Bristols a pedestrians
dream. Google map your destina
tion, cast off the heels, and away
yougo!
!&,-#))+'.$/0&1"#&$%*+#)2
When venturing out of Bristol, ei
ther home or abroad, there are
a number of different options to
consider, when trying to reduce
yourcarbonfootprint:
Coaches Cheap coach tickets
can be bought at www.national
express.co.uk, and www.mega
bus.co.uk. You might also want to
consider cheap bus trips (usually
overnight) to European destina
tions, insteau of flying- buses to
Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, Buda
pest and pretty much any holiday
destinationyoucanthinkofcanbe
bought online at www.eurolines.
com.Ittakeslonger,butcostsvery
little, especially when bought in
advance.
Hitchhiking The lost art of us
ing a thumb, a joke or a smile to
get a lift with someone, usually a
stranger. A lot of myths and whis
pers about the potential dangers
14
efficient anu fiienuly way to tiavel.
For those who are unsure, RAGs
Hitch to Morocco and Jailbreak
fundraising activities (www.bris
tolrag.org.uk) can be great ways
to introduce yourself to hitchhik
inginasafeandsecureway.Check
out www.hitchwiki.org for more
safetyadvice,buthereisageneral
roundupoftherules:
- Dontdoitaloneespeciallyif
youreawoman.
- Always let a friend/family
member know your route be
foreyougo.
- Donthitchatnight.
- Getting a lift at petrol stations
isgenerallythebestwaytogo
about it you can suss drivers
out beforehand and then ap
proach them directly, rather
thanputtingyourfaithinwho
everchancestostopforyou.

The enviionmental impact of fly

ing really cannot be overempha
sised: the total carbon emissions
of a flight to Fiance aie about ten
timestheequivalentofgettingthe
train. That said, sometimes you
cannot avoiu flying. If you uo, pei
haps consider carbon offsetting
althoughnotasgoodasnotreleas
ing the caibon in the fiist place,
itsbetterthannothing.Visitwww.
direct.gov.uk/offsetting for more
information.

Holidays
Want to make the world a better
placewhenyoutravel,ratherthan
be just another backpacker?
Herearealistoftravellingalterna
tives that focus on giveandtake,
and genuine interaction with, the
communityyouvisit:
3(04"50&*+'. An international
networkinwhichtravellerscreate
piofiles anu offei up theii couch
es for free in countries across the
woilu. CouchSuifing means that
you can see a place from a locals
viewpoint, and get pointers in
anything from the language and
culture to wheres good for lunch.
A great way to meet interesting
people. See www.couchsuifing.oig
Help XChange Like WWOOFing
(see below), but not just farms
you could help renovate an old
building, paint a new bedroom,
work in a hostel or look after the
goats.Seewww.helpxchange.net
Transitions Abroad Volunteer
listingsworldwide.Somearepret
ty dubious, but others are more
worthwhile, so you might have to
doyourresearch.Seewww.transi
tionsabroad.com
WWOOF World Wide Opportu
nities on Organic Farms. Basically
youstayonafarminacountryof
yourchoiceandhelpoutforafew
hoursa day, in exchange forroom
and board. From small organic
familyfarmstofullonsustainable
communes, the opportunities are
endless. Also a great way to im
prove foreign language skills. See
www.wwoof.org
OtherTravelSources
Lowcarbontravelwww.lo
co2travel.com
GettingaroundUKcitiesand
countrysidewww.transportdi
rect.info
Impactsoftourismwww.tour
ismconcern.org.uk
Informationonworldwide
travelwww.seat61.com
15
Never underestimate consumer
power:whereandwhatyouchoose
tobuycanbegreatforencouraging
ethicalbusiness.Luckily,Bristolhas
ahugevarietyofshopssellinglocal,
organic and sustainably sourced
products.Anotherthingtoconsid
eristhequestionDoIneedit?;a
huge amount of energy and mate
rialsgoesintothemakingofgoods
and by making do with what you
already have, mending, or getting
secondhandgoods,thisenergycan
besaved.
STUDYING
ThroughoutyourUnicareer,youll
be whizzing through pens, note
pads,diariesandelectricaldevices
galoretohelpachieveyourdegree.
However, if we bear in mind that
many products are unsustainably
sourced,madeofunrecyclablema
teriallikeplastic,thisaddsuptoa
heftywasteenergybill.
Fortunately there are many prod
uctrangescleverlymadeofrecycl
edmaterialorthatarerecyclable
themselves. Paperchase, Oxfam
and WHSmiths have original de
signs including notebooks made
from old car tyres; when youre
miles away doodling on it, just
thinkyournotebookhasprobably
travelledjustasfar
Atricktogetcheaprecycledpaper
istouserejectedpaperthathasjust
beenprintedononesidecollect
fromrecyclingbins.Rememberto
recycleanypaperthatyouusetoo.
Everyyearwithoutfailalongcomes
anotherratherlong,slightlyterrify
ingtextbooklist...butdonotfear!
Secondhandversionsarenotonly
alotcheaper(possiblywithafew
handynotesscribbledinthemar
gins!), they save waste and there
arehundredsofstudentsdyingto
cashinbysellingthemtoyou.Just
keep an eye on the notice board
in your faculty common room or
watch out for emails from past
studentsthese books are usually
snapped up fast, so act quickly!
16
Alternatively, check out second
hand bookshops such as Amnesty,
orevenpublicorUnilibraries.Re
membertocheckthatthetextbook
is sufficiently in-uate foi you couise
too! If youre living with a course
mate, consider sharing textbooks
and halving your expense so long
asyoureextracarefultokeepyour
coffee upright around it... Many
textbooksarealsoavailableonline
aseBooksthroughtheLibraryand
computing services pages on the
Uniwebsite.Ifyouvemanagedto
bag yourself a new laptop for the
newterm,youroldonecanbeeas
ilyrecycled,eitherbydonatingitor
byjustaskingtheshopyoubought
itfrom.
CLOTHING
Weve been labelled the Primark
Generation,buttherearemanyal
ternativeshopsaroundwhichmean
you dont have to buy into unsus
tainable or exploitative sources
of clothing. You dont need to be
dressed in hemp from head to toe
toshowawarenessofthese(unless
ofcourse,hempiswhatyoureinto)
but some choices could be recon
sidered.
Materials
Manyhighstreetclothesaremade
frommaterialsthatareunsustain
ablysourced,comefromanex
ploitedmarket,andareoftennot
recyclable.
Cottonproductionliesattheheart
ofagrochemical,GMandFairtrade
debatesduetothefactthatmore
pesticidesandwaterisusedoncot
tonthananyotherglobalcrop.
Aswellasthis,subsidiesintheUS
alsomeanthatfarmstherecansell
cotton below the cost of produc
tion,makingitveryhardforgrow
ersinpoorcountriestocompete.
Silk production often relies on a
workforce made entirely of chil
dren, and the actual processing of
silkcommonlyleavesworkerswith
longterm health problems. You
can ask the store where silk you
purchaseissourced.Itisalsopossi
bletobuyvegetariansilkwherethe
wormisnotharmed.
Leather subsidises the meat in
dustry,howeverthemainproblem
withusingitisthefactitishighly
inefficient in teims of eneigy anu
waste to produce. Chemicals used
cause serious health problems for
those working in tanneries. While
natural substances can be used in
tanning and dying, they are often
donesowithPalmOil,whichposes
problems related to rainforest de
struction.
It is uifficult to avoiu such mateii
alscompletely,butbuyingsecond
hand clothes or accessories from
vintage or charity shops is also a
great way to reduce, reuse and
recycle when it comes to clothing
(andyouwontbecaughtwearing
thesamethingasanyoneelseona
nightout!).
We have provided an online map
to help you finu Biistol's best char
ityshops,foryourowndonations
and even rummaging you may
finu some unique vintage outfits,
orevenabitofcheapfurniturefor
your house! Go to www.bristollo
calliving.co.uk
17
There are clothes available made
from organic materials, or even
from a Fairtrade range. General
advice for clothes buying from
wherever you choose is to in
vest in quality items that will last
rather than constantly replacing
cheaplymadeones.Makesureyou
dontjustthrowunwantedclothes
away; donate them, swap them
with friends, pass onto younger
family members, mend if dam
aged, or customise them to create
anewlook.
Production
Sadly,theissuessurroundingcloth
ing dont stop with the materials.
Clothes and shoes are often made
ininhumaneconditions,infactories
whereemployeesarenotpaidaliv
ing wage, intimidated and threat
ened,orforcedtoworkexcessively
long hours. Labour Behind the La
belisacampaigngroupthatistry
ingtoaddresstheproblemsinthe
garmentindustry.Theyhavegiven
usthisstatement(2010):
In the latest sweatshop scandal
tohitournewspapers,VivaGlobal,
asupplierforretailgiantM&S,has
been accused of death threats,
beatings and the kidnapping of its
workersinBangladesh.
Pretty shocking stuff, and unfor
tunately these stories are far too
common in todays garment in
dustry. Most of us know, to some
extent at least, that some people
making our clothes are poorly
treatedandunderpaid,butwhyis
the industry like this? Firstly we
must look at our patterns as con
sumers:wewantourclothesbang
ontrend,wewantthemnow,and
we want them cheaper than your
average kebab. Meanwhile, the
fashionretailershavefalleninlove
with sky-high piofits. In 2uu9, Pii
markmadeawhopping122mil
lion, up 10% from the previous
year,whiletheirworkersreceived
lessthan5ppergarment.
The clothing industry is whetting
ourappetiteforfastfashion,thereby
forcingfactoriestoproduceclothes
quickerandcheaperthaneverbe
fore.Decreasedcostsandincreased
demandispassedtothebottomof
thechainleavingworkerswithlong
hours,lowwagesandunpaidover
time.Itdoesnthavetobethisway.
Labour Behind the Label supports
garmentworkersaroundtheworld
bydefendingtheirrights.Formore
abouttheirwork,checkoutwww.
labourbehindthelabel.org.Youcan
alsofollowthemonFacebookand
Twitter@labourlabel.
Thebestfoolproofwayofensuring
your clothes have not been made
intheseconditionsistomakethem
yourself!Simplepatternsareeasy
tofollow,orifyouneedsomehelp,
placeslikeCityofBathCollegeand
Filton College run dressmaking
classes.Ifyoudecidetohaveago,
youllneedmaterials.Thebestone
stopshopinBristolisFabriclandon
theedgeofCabotCircus.
18
estimatedtocontribute18%ofthe
worldsgreenhousegasemissions
aswellasbeingadrivingforcebe
hind deforestation (UN). You can
check that meat, dairy products
and eggs are produced to high
environmentalandanimalwelfare
standard using labels or online
searches.
Seewww.eatlessmeat.org
-Avoiu buying enuangeieu fish
species and 607$ *+8"$ 9&(:$ 808
tainable sources; you can ask
fishmongeis oi check tin labels.
See www.msc.oig; www.fishonline.
org/advice/avoid
-Choose Fairtrade for foods and
drinks imported from poorer
countries, this ensures a fairer
dealfordisadvantagedproducers.
Seewww.fairtrade.org.uk
-;'-#81$ +'$ ,$ &#*+)),6)#$ 6(11)#$
rather than buying bottles of wa
ter every time; this minimises
transport and packaging waste.
Seewww.storyofstuff.org/bottled
water
-uet cooking! Rathei than buy
ing readymade or tinned meals,
take the plunge and try making
it yourself. There are loads of
student recipe books to help new
chefs, and shared house meals
with everyone pitching in with
stirringisgreatfun.
Checkoutourfoodshopsdirectory
for places to buy all your ingredi
Theyhaveawiderangeofpatterns,
fabrics, threads and other equpi
ment to get you started. Or if you
live in Cotham or Clifton, Cotham
Hardwarestocksthreadsandfabric
dyes. Sewing kits can be found in
most pharmacies and supermar
kets.
FOOD
Choiceinfoodanddrinkisanarea
where individual changes can
make a big difference we have a
great deal of power by means of
ourshoppinghabits.Theethicalis
sues surrounding the food we eat
are extensive and varied. We feel
foodshould:
Contribute to thriving local econo
mies and sustainable livelihoods
hereandabroad,protectthediver
sityofbothplantsandanimals(and
thewelfareoffarmedandwildspe
cies), and avoid damaging natural
resources and contributing to cli
matechange.
TopTipsforEthicalFoodBuying:
-Swap supeimaiket piouuce foi
local, seasonally available ingre
dients to minimise energy used
in food production, transport and
storage.
Seewww.eattheseasons.co.uk
-Aim to go organic and support
food production that is more en
eigy efficient, uses less synthetic
pesticides, produces less waste
and encourages diverse ecosys
tems.
Seewww.soilassociation.org
-Reduce the amount of foods of
animal origin; livestock farming
is one of the most significant con
tributorstoclimatechange
19
BristolFoodShops
For the latest information on lo
cal food stores have a look at the
directories at: www.bristollocal
food.co.uk and www.ecojam.org
(Ecojam also have loads of other
information on ethical events and
goingsoninBristol).
GloucesterRoadandMontpelier:
BetterFood,SevierStreet[E][L]
[O]Largeorganicsupermarket.
Harvest,11GloucesterRoad[E]
[I][V]Tins,weighyourownsta
ples.
Scoopaway,113GloucesterRoad
[E][I][O][V]Loosepasta,rice,
cereals.
Whiteladies,CothamandRedland:
Earthbound,8AbbotsfordRoad
[E][I][L][O]Smallorganicsu
permarket.
Monikas,17CothamRoad[I]
[O]Organicfood,Indianspeciali
ties.
WildOats,11LowerRedlandRoad
[E][O]Groceries,tins&staples.
Easton:
KebeleCommunityCooperative,14
RobertsonRoad[C][E][V]Ve
gancafeandsocialcentre;alsoof
fersanartroom,library,computers,
eventsroomandaweeklyfreebi
cycleworkshop!www.kebelecoop.
org.uk.
Clifton:
ArchHouseDeli[I][L]Votedthe
best Deli in the SouthWest 2011,
alsohasfreeWiFiandnewspapers
foryourviewingpleasure.
Chandos,6PrincessVictoriaSt.
[I]Localsandwiches,cakes(also
in Cabot Circus and opposite the
CliftonDownsSainsburys).
CliftonStoneground[I][V]Veg,
cheeses,piesandeggs.
FoodMarkets:
University Farmers Market, Tyn
dallsAvenue:Tuesdays,monthly.
St.Nicholas,CornStreet,OldTown:
Wednesdays.
St.Philips,AlbertCrescent,St.Phil
ips:everymorning.
WhiteladiesRoad,1stand3rdSat
urdayofthemonth.
ButchersandCheeseShops:
DavidGilesButcher170Glouces
terRoad.
SheepdroveFarmButcher3Low
erRedlandRd.
BakeriesandGrocers:
There are many scattered around
Bristol;hotspotsfordeliciouscakes
andbakesincludeCothamHilland
Redland.
Vegboxes:
www.alotoforganics.co.uk
www.betterfood.co.uk
www.leighcourtfarm.org.uk
www.riverford.co.uk
Meat & Veg: www.westcountryor
ganics.com
NationalVegbox(forhome):www.
abelandcole.co.uk
SeasonalFood
Foradviceonseasonablefruitand
vegwerecommendlookingatour
calendar and at www.eatseason
ably.co.uk. We also recommend
theBristolUniversitySustainability
Teams(BUST)FoodCoop.Volun
teei-iun, this not-foi-piofit coop
erativesellsorganicandethicalsta
ples(tins,pastas,cerealsetc.)atlow
cost:Wednesdays,Physicsbuilding.
20
FindYourOwn!
Thereareinnumerablewildfoods
for foraging in Bristol, as well as
universityallotmentsandorchards,
especially fruits and herbs. There
aie couises on wheie to finu the
bestplants,nuts,berriesandmush
rooms in Bristol running through
Summer and these can be found
online, or get a guide and take a
trip to Leigh Woods to go picking
forapie.Forafreeguidetoforag
ingseewww.wildfoodschool.co.uk
Want to make even more of a
differencewhilstatUni?
FoouCycle Biistol aie a non-piofit
organisation active at the Univer
sityofBristolthatcollectfooddis
carded by supermarkets to cook
intodeliciousmealsforpeopleaf
fectedbyfoodpoverty.Ifyouwant
to get involved, check out their
website, Biistol Bub website, oi finu
themonFacebook.Seewww.food
cycle.org.uk
BANKING
Asthecountrystillrecoversfroma
iecession biought about by finan
cialindustrymalpractice,whatbet
ter time could there be to discuss
ethical ways of saving and invest
ing your money? For an introduc
tion,considerreadingtheBanking
Guide by Ethical Consumer Maga
zine www.ethicalconsumer.org.
Below, we have highlighted some
of the ethical issues relating to
banking, and present some of the
choiceswehaveasstudents.Lately,
a lot has been saiu about financial
responsibility,withvirtuallyallma
jor banks having been bailed out
by the government to the tune of
billions.
However, this nationalisation has
not leu to a significant change in
the ethics of banking. RBS is the
greatest single investor in fossil
fuels, funding some of the most
damagingindustrialprojectsinthe
world,liketarsandsoilextraction
in Canada. Both RBS and Lloyds
havemassiveholdingsinthearms
industry.Assuch,aportionofany
tax we pay in the UK is effectively
being used to fund ventures that
severelydamageourenvironment
andweaponsmanufacturing.
Therearealternativestothisgrim
picture. For current accounts, the
Cooperativebankscoreswellinthe
Ethical Consumer guide, as does
Nationwide building society, both
ofwhichofferstudentaccounts.For
savings, Ethical Consumer recom
mends two with Bristol branches:
SkiptonandTriodos.BristolCredit
Unionofferscurrentaccounts,sav
ings and loans and functions as a
non-piofit coopeiative. As evei, the
most important thing we want to
highlightisawareness,andhowwe
can use our power as consumers
andbankaccountholderstoaffect
change.
BEAUTYANDCOSMETICS
Beautyandcosmeticproductsim
pactsocietyandtheenvironment.
Thoseonthemarketthatarepro
duced ethically can be tricky to
finu on the high stieet. Theie aie a
numberofissuestoconsiderwhen
purchasing.Sourceofingredients
is one factor to consider. You may
wish to avoid Palm Oil, the pro
duction of which is responsible
forwidespreaddeforestationinSE
Asia.
21
EthicalcompaniessuchasLUSHare
lookingtoabolishit,withrangesof
palmfreeproducts.
Fairtrade products are great, but
bear in mind that some products
with the logo contain only 20%
Fairtrade ingredients. Consider
Green People or Faith in Nature
products. Look out for the BUAV
leaping rabbit symbol to ensure
thatneithertheproductnoritsin
gredientshaveusedanimaltesting.
Seealistofproductsapprovedby
the Humane Cosmetics Standard
onthewebsitewww.gocrueltyfree.
org
Product packaging leaves sub
stantial waste. Consider buying
alternatives with recyclable and
little or no packaging, such as
sold in LUSH stores. Another is
sue foi ieflection is the actions of
thecorporationbehindthebrand.
Forexample,TheBodyShopisre
nowned for its ethical values, in
cluding campaigns against animal
testing. However, its parent com
pany LOreal, has requested that
a ban on cosmetic animal testing
withinEuropebelifted.
ShopsinBristol:
BodyShop,BroadmeadandClifton
Triangle
Earthbound,justoffCothamHill
Harvest,GloucesterRoad
LaRuca,GloucesterRoad
LUSH,Broadmead
ScoopAway,GloucesterRoad
WildOats,LowerRedlandRoad
SANITARYPRODUCTS
Everyday2.5milliontamponsare
flusheu uown the toilet, along with
some 1.4 million sanitary towels
and 700,000 panty liners. Almost
70% of all blockages in the sew
erage system are attributed to
disposable sanitary items; com
mercial brands are not usually
biodegradable. If binned, they are
going to enu up in lanufill anu if
flusheu away, they aie going to enu
up floating next to you whilst you
paddle in the sea, and thats only
theenvironmentalimpact.
Thereisevidenceofpossiblenega
tive health implications of some
productsonthemarket.Thehighly
processednonorganiccottonused
containstoxinscalleddioxinsfrom
the chemicals used in growing,
bleaching and processing it. Diox
ins have been linked to endome
triosis,theconditionwherethelin
ing of the womb grows elsewhere
in the body. Tampons with higher
amounts of synthetic components
have also been linked to Toxic
ShockSyndromethesecasesarea
minoiity but if you want to finu out
more,speaktoyourGP.
Whatsthealternative?
The Mooncup: this is a reusable
menstrualcupmadeoutofsilicone
thatisworninternallytocollectthe
menstiual fluiu. Suipiisingly less
fuss than tampons, most people
wonderwhytheynevertrieditbe
fore!Havealookatformoreinfor
mationwww.mooncup.co.uk.
Ecological brands, which produce
biodegradableorganiccottontam
ponsandtowels,areavailable;look
outforbrandslikeNatracare.
22
Alternatively,tryDIYsanitarytow
els, tampons and menstrual cups:
itisentirelypossibletomakeyour
ownalternativesratherthanbuying
commercial brands. For all things
menstrual, visit www.community.
livejournal.com/menstrual_lib for
information on how to make your
ownpadsetc.
THESHOP!CAMPAIGN
Asastudentyouwillbegettingto
knowWhiteladiesRoadverywell.
As well as connecting up all the
stuuent-filleu paits of the city, it will
be the main route into university
for everyone on the Stoke Bishop
campus.
WhiteladiesRoadisalsothefocus
ofacampaigndefendinginde
pendent stores and local produce.
Withtheconstructionoftwonew
supeimaikets to auu to the five
existing stores on this road alone,
localindependentstoresarestrug
glingtostayopen.
The SHOP! aims to inform stu
dentsabouttheissuessurrounding
supermarkets that have become
too big to fail. It shows students
that shopping local can be just as
cheap,justaseasy,andmuchmore
satisfyingthantrawlingaroundthe
supermarket. So keep an eye out
for the SHOP! campaign around
Whiteladiesandwhenyoucan,try
shoppinglocal.
To learn more about the case
againstsupermarketsTescopolyby
AndrewSimmsisagreatread.
Possibly the best place to start
thinking about living more ethi
callyisrightinourownhomes.Our
household behaviours are at the
root of some of the biggest issues
weface,fromtheamountofenergy
we consume to the level of waste
we produce. However, by making
small changes to our daily habits
we can make a meaningful differ
ence.Weveputtogetherarangeof
ideasfromaroundthehometoget
youstartedgoon,givethemago!
WASTEANDRECYCLING
Didyouknowthatduringathree
year degree you will also produce
about1.5tonnesofrubbish(not
includingyouressays)?Infact,the
UK produces more than 434 mil
liontonnesofwasteeveryyear.
23
This rate of rubbish generation
woulu fill Lonuon's Royal Albeit
Hallinlessthan2hours!
The guiding principle of this sec
tionisperhapsbestsummedupby
the phrase theres no such thing
as away. Everything comes from
somewhere real, ends up some
where equally real, and at every
stepinthisjourneyofstuff,waste
productsareproduced.Whetherin
theformofgases,chemicals,mate
rialsorenergytheseultimatelyend
uppollutingtheglobalcommons
thethingsweallshareanddepend
on,likeoceans,rivers,soilsandthe
atmosphere.
To minimise the amount of waste
weallproduceweneedtotryand
follow the Waste Hierarchy: Re
duce > Reuse and Repair > Re
cycle
Reduce
Itgoeswithoutsayingthatiffewer
things are consumed, fewer re
sources are used and less waste
is produced. So why not try living
onatighterbudgettoreducewhat
you consume (for extra points
make it 1 per day). This doesnt
mean you should starve yourself,
or buy poor quality products, but
rather that we should all ques
tionwhetherwhatwebuyisreally
necessary. When you are buying
things, its important to consider
the packaging that comes with
it. Buying loose fruit and vegeta
bles and opting for larger cartons
to share with friends instead of
buying lots of individual ones can
help reduce the amount that gets
throwninthebin.Ofcoursewher
ever possible we should avoid
throwingthingsaway,reusingand
recyclingaregreatwaystodothis.
Check out The Story of Stuff, a
shoit animateu film available on
line, for a nice overview of the is
suesaroundconsumption.
ReuseandRepair
Thissectionofthehierarchydeals
withourwastegoodsandhelpsto
makebetteruseofourstuff.Many
items can go on to have useful,
happy lives aftei we have finisheu
with them. Some great resources
forthisarewebsitessuchaswww.
videojug.com for howtos on re
pairingandreusing.
TheClothesSwapisaprojectset
up by students across the Bristol
Hub network (see Be Involved)
lastyear.Allyouhavetodoisbring
along an outfit you uon't want any
more,andyoucanwalkawaywith
a different one or three! Keep
youreyespeeledforthesebothon
campusandonFacebook.
Recycle
Manythingsthatarevitaltoevery
daylifeandhumancivilisationare
nonrenewable, including: fossil
fuels,metals,biodiversity,minerals,
and nutrients, possibly even soils.
Right now soils are being eroded
20timesfasterthantheyarenatu
rally made and as many people
willnodoubtbeaware,withinour
lifetimesoilwillbecomescarce.As
RichardHeinbergsPeakEverything
video shows, this is just the tip of
the iceberg (www.youtube.com/
watch?v=ybRz91eimTg).Recycling
is one way to keep these finite ie
sourcesincirculation.
24
RecyclingforStudents:
Halls All halls of residence and
student accommodation sites can
recycle glass, paper, food tins
and drink cans, plastics, card
board,foodwasteandclothing/
shoes.Inyourhalltherearepost
ers explaining when, where and
howtorecycle.
StudentHousesYoucanrecycle
glass,paper,foodtinsanddrink
cans, plastics, cardboard and
food waste. The location of all
recycling points will be shown on
posterslocatedinyourkitchens.
Private Houses Find out your
collection day (containers needs
to be out by 7am on collection
day).Findororderrecyclingcon
tainers aside from a wheelie bin
yourhouseshouldhaveablackre
cycling box & a brown food waste
binandasmallbrownfoodcaddy.
Allthesecanbeorderedfreefrom
thecouncil.
Weblink:www.bristol.gov.uk
Email:recycling@bristol.gov.uk
For full information on recycling
pointsgoto:www.bristol.ac.uk/en
vironment/waste/recycling/accom
modation.html
On Campus On campus you can
recycle paper, newspaper and
magazines, books, tins and cans,
plastics, glass, cardboard and
foodwaste.Lookoutforrecycling
points in all buildings. If you have
any queiies oi finu facilities aie
lacking just email: sustainability
estates@bristol.ac.uk
WhattoRecycleandWhere:
MobilePhonesRecyclingpoints
can be found at the Students Un
ion. Also, all the halls are given
mobile phone freepost envelopes
every few months for the notice
boards.Thesephonesarethendo
natedtoFonesforsafetyadomes
ticviolencecharity.Otherwiseyou
cancheckyourlocalcharityshopor
Sainsburys.
Batteries All Halls have battery
recycling at the porters lodges or
receptionareas.Sodoalluniversi
tysitesincludingTheUnion,Main
LibraryandHawthorns.
Textiles If in good nic take to a
charityshop.Ifnottaketoatextile
bank check the councils site to
see where they are. All halls have
a clothing bank for clothes, shoes
andbricabrac.
Books and CDs Drop them off
at your local charity shop. Oxfam
Park Street, AmnestyGlouces
ter Road (see Shopping section
for more charity shop locations).
Againthesecangointothecharity
binslocatedinsidehalls.
Waste at the End of Tenancy
Every year the University of Bris
tol Sustainability department and
SCArunTheBigGiveforStudent
halls, accommodation sites and
thoseinprivatelets.
Formoreinformation,seetheGet
Involvedsectionandwww.bristol.
ac.uk/environment/waste/reuse/
index_html
UsefulWebLinks:
DEFRAwww.defra.gov.uk
EcojamCheckouttheFreeStuff
section, specific to Biistol City at
www.ecojam.org
Environment Agency www.en
vironmentagency.gov.uk
Gumtreewww.gumtree.com
Freecyclewww.uk.freecycle.org
25
Friends of the Earth Report
www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/
gone_to_waste.pdf
Recycle Now www.recyclenow.
com
Story of Stuff An interesting in
troduction to the issues around
waste, if you want to know more
seewww.thestoryofstuff.com
University of Bristol Sustain
ability www.bristol.ac.uk/envi
ronment/waste
WRAPwww.wrap.org.uk
Zero Waste Future www.zero
wastefuture.com/downloads.aspx
COOKINGANDFOOD
Beforeyousetofftostockupyour
shelves you might like to consult
theShoppingsectionofthisguide
for advice on how to make a big
difference with a small effort in
yourchoiceoffood.Tosavemoney
andminimiseenergywastagein
the kitchen try out the following
tips:
Make good use of your cooker
whynotbakeacakeatthesame
time as youi meal to fill the ie
mainingshelvesinyouroven?
Usea"(6$1",1$*+18$1"#$<,'=and
usealidthissavesupto90%the
energyrequired*anditsquicker!
Defrost your freezer regularly
andkeepyourfridgebetween3C
anu 4C to maximise theii efficien
cy, and avoid placing hot food in
them.
Communaleatingsavesenergy,
ischeaperandisgreatfun.
Cooking food from scratch can
be cheaper, uses far less energy
andisoftenhealthiernottomen
tion the theiapeutic benefits of the
cookingprocess.
*SourceStudentSwitchOff
FoodWaste
We cannot overemphasise the
scaleorimpactofwastingfood.UK
householdswaste,onaverage,25%
of all the food we buy; this could
feed30millionmalnourishedpeo
ple. With 4 million malnourished
peopleintheUK,thisisanissuefor
all the world to face. Food waste
alsocontributes10%ofUKcarbon
emissions*. Here are some useful
tips:
Keep stock of what and when
you are buying, eating and throw
ing away food. Plan when to
buy youi foou; meat anu fish aie
best eaten within days of buying,
whereasreadymeals,fruitandveg
will last. Using a shopping list or
writeafoodwastediary.
Itissafetoeatfoodafteritsbest
before date or sell by date, this
referstoaestheticadvicenotsafe
ty. It is only the use by date that
referstowhenfoodshouldnotbe
eaten.
Keep it cool! Using your fridge
andfreezerappropriatelycansave
alotoffoodandenergywaste.You
canfreezemostfoods:vegetables
do not need to be thawed before
cooking; frozen chicken carcasses
can make chicken stock. It is not
widely known that you can re
freeze cooked meat. First years,
watchoutmanyhallsandhouses
ask you to turn off the freezer in
holiday time, so plan when to eat
itallotherwiseitwillgotowaste.
Be aware of storage; opening
salad bags before putting them
in the fridge and putting veg in
paper bags keeps them fresh for
longer.KeepFreshfoodbagskeep
fruit and veg fresh and reusable
plastic boxes can be used to save
leftovers.
26
Formoreinfoonanyoftheabove
visit:
Love Food Hate Waste www.
lovefoodhatewaste.com
WasteAwarewww.wasteaware
lovefood.org.uk
WRAPwww.wrap.org.uk
*SourceLoveFoodHateWaste
Exciting news The University
beganfoodwastecollectionsfrom
kitchens and cafs on the main
campus on the 1st August 2011.
More information is available at
www.bristol.ac.uk/environment/
waste/composting
WATER
Itiseasytotakewaterforgranted
intheUK.However,increasingde
mandandwastefulusearestretch
ingthecapacityofwhatisactually
a very limited resource. Cutting
wasteandunnecessaryusearego
ingtobeessentialformaintaining
a sustainable supply of water in
thefuture.
Remember that all the water that
entersyourhomeisnotonlycare
fully treated to make it drinkable,
butisalsointensivelytreatedagain
whenyoudisposeofit.Everylitre
of water you use requires energy
tobeabstracted,pumped,treated,
storedanddisposedofsoanywa
ter you save not only reduces the
need for new reservoirs and sew
agetreatmentworksbutalsosaves
energy.Winwin!
- Save watei eveiy time you flush
byputtingadisplacementdevice
inyourtoiletscisternyoucan
getthemforfreeonlinefromyour
water company. Almost a third of
allthewaterweusegoesdownthe
toilet!
Doyourwashingupinabowlor
sink of water rather than under a
running tap; youll use less than
twothirdstheamountofwater.
Use the Eco setting on your
dishwasher and only run it when
full.
Trytoonlyrunyourwashingma
chine with a full load and check
whichsettingsminimisethenum
berofrinsecycles.
A *+-#>:+'01#$ 8"(?#& uses just
a third of the water needed for a
bath. Dont forget you can always
savemorebyminimisingthetime
you spend in the shower chal
lenge yourself to be just a minute
quicker.
Get dripping 1,<8$ *+@#2! Over
timetheycanwastevastamounts
ofwater.Reportthemtoyourland
lordoraccommodationmanager.
Turn the tap off when brushing
your teeth you could even rinse
yourbrushinjustasingleglassof
water!
Keepajugorbottleofcoldwater
inthefridgetosavehavingtorun
thetapcoldfordrinkingwater.
ENERGY
Energy used in heating, lighting
andpoweringourhomesaccounts
for 27% of the UKs CO2 emis
sions with the average UK house
hold creating 6 tonnes of CO2 a
year.Herewehaveprovidedafew
simple changes you could make
to lessen your energy use, saving
bothCO2andmoney!
27
Heat:
AccordingtotheUKgovernment,
loweringyourthermostattemper
ature by AB3$ 4(0)2$ &#204#$ 7(0&$
energy consumption by up to
10%.
Placingaluminiumfoil,shinyside
out, behinu iauiatois will ieflect
heat back into a room, especially
fromexternalwalls.
Bleeding radiators regularly re
movesanytrappedair.
Preventdraftsbyblockingunused
fiieplaces - caie must be taken not
toblockupventsorgrills,asventi
lation is impoitant. 0pen gas fiies,
boileis with open flues oi soliu fuel
heateis must have sufficient venti
lation;otherwisecarbonmonoxide
poisoningisarisk.
Draughts from the bottom of
doorscanbepreventedbydraught
excluders,whichcanbehandmade
fromragsandsparematerial.
Opening curtains during the day
letsthesunin,whileclosingthem
at night insulates and keeps heat
inaroom.Tuckingcurtainsbehind
radiators also prevents heat from
escapingfromaroom.
Temporary double glazing can
be maue by placing cling film ovei
windowglass,butanairgapmust
be left between the film anu the
glassforittobeeffective.
Set your heating to come on
around half an hour before you
comehomeratherthanleaveiton
alldaywhilstnooneisin.
ElectricalAppliances:
Dontjustswitchthingstostand
by!Theystillusebetween10%and
60%asmuchelectricity.
Washingyourclothesat30in
steadof60uses1/3lesspower
and with most modern washing
powderscanbejustasaffective.
Alwayswashafullloadorusethe
halfload/economysetting.
Light:
Its fairly obvious, but turning
lights off when you leave a room
and using natural light when you
can are both key to saving energy
inthehome.
- 0sing "A" iateu eneigy efficient
light bulbs is key as they last 12
times longer and consume about
1/5oftheenergy.
FridgeandFreezer:
Waituntilfoodhascooledbefore
storingitinafridgeorfreezer.
Dontleavethedooropenlonger
thannecessary.
If your fridge or freezer is half
empty, a lot of waim aii can flow in
everytimeyouopenit.So,ifadraw
will be empty for a while, think
about filling it with bubble wiap oi
newspaper.
Defrost food by putting it in the
fridgethenightbeforeyouneedto
useit.Thiswillcoolthefridgeand
reducepowerconsumption.
Keep fridges and freezers well
away from heat sources such as
cookers,radiators,dishwashersand
washingmachinesand,ifyoucan,
put them out of direct sunlight or
theywillusemoreenergytryingto
keepcool.
Keepthemetalgrids(condenser
coils) at the back of fridges and
freezers clean and dust free, and
not jammed up against the wall.
This allows air to circulate more
easily, which impioves efficiency.
28
Choosingyourenergyprovider
If you are living in student halls,
you may not have much influence
over your energy supplier. In a
househowever,youmaybeableto
domore.Ifrenting,checkyourcon
tracttomakesureyouareallowed
to make changes and if not, ask
youi lanuloiu foi peimission fiist.
Traditionally,nationalgridelectric
ityhascomefromarangeofdiffer
entsources.Itisnowlawforyour
energy provider to show where
theyaresourcingyourpowerfrom
onyourbill,allowingyoutochoose
a supplier based on how green
theyare.Anenergysupplythaten
sures100%ofyourelectricityhas
beensourcedfromrenewablesand
othergreentariffsarenowavail
able from a number of different
power companies, although usu
allyataslightlyhigherprice.
However, while green tariffs do
piomise a specific souice of elec
tricity, there is no guarantee that
your money will actually go into
funding the expansion of renew
able energy sources. Ecotricity
(www.ecotricity.com/bust) is the
only energy provider in the UK
who guarantees to invest 100%
ofyourbillintorenewableenergy
and their cheapest tariff matches
that of your local provider. BUST
hasbeenworkinghardtopromote
Ecotricity so quote BUST when
you sign up for the added bonus
ofa50winevoucherfromNaked
Wines.
For 100% renewable energy you
can also try Good Energy (www.
goodenergy.co.uk), offering an in
viteafriend25discount.
HOUSING
Whenyoudecideonaplacetolive,
yougenerallymakeacommitment
tothatlocationforatleastayear,
soitsworththinkinglongandhard
aboutyourchoiceofhousebefore
rushingintosignup.Hereareafew
thingstoconsider:
Insulation: check what insula
tionahousehasbeforeyoudecide
onaproperty;thelandlordshould
know.Ifyourhousewasbuiltpost
1930s check and see if the cavity
walls have been insulated. It only
takesaround3hourstoinstallfor
morethan100/yearsavings.Ifit
hasnt been done, ask your land
lord! Also look for double glazing
andloftinsulationatleast270mm
thick. This coulu save you a signifi
cant amount of money, as it will
reduceheatlossandthereforeen
ergyusage.
Appliances: you should also
checkthatappliancesinthehouse
are not old models, which can be
eneigy inefficient. A washing ma
chine does an average of 274 cy
cles a year; having an A rated
washing machine can reduce
the power required by 30%.
Fridges and freezers are another
big electricity user; an A rated
model can use 60% less power,
cutting your electricity bill by
more than 35. For more info on
energy labels see: www.defra.gov.
uk/environment/consumerprod/
energylabels/energylabel.pdf
Heating system: a propertys
hot water system is another im
portantthingtocheck.Iftheboiler
looksoldthenconsideraskingfor
a new one to be fitteu. Bigh effi
ciencycondensingboilersarenow
standardandwastelessenergy.
29
CAREERS
The transition from education to
a fulltime career can be quite a
daunting one, which sometimes
dissuadesgraduatesfrompursuing
a caieei in the not-foi-piofit, social
orenvironmentalsector.Although
its not the easiest route to take,
there are many opportunities for
workinthesesectorsandyoucould
finu a caieei that allows you to put
whatyoucareaboutattheheartof
whatyoudoeveryday.
Below weve listed some of the
websitesandresourcesthatweve
foundmostuseful,sowhynothave
alookat:
Bristol Hub Careers A great
starting point for ideas and help
ful tips, see www.bristolhub.org/
careers
Ecojam For the latest environ
ment, sustainability and other
greenjobsinBristol,seewww.eco
jam.org
The Ethical Careers Guide An
archive of articles, careers ad
vice, and key contacts to help you
finu the job you'ie looking foi, see
www.ethicalcareers.org
OneWorld Another great site
for ethical jobs and volunteer po
sitions worldwide, see www.one
worldgroup.org/jobs
Scientists for Global Responsi
bilityAnorganisationpromoting
ethical science, design and tech
nology, see www.sgr.org.uk/pro
jects/ethicalcareers
StopDodo A fantastic resource,
withajobssearchengineforenvi
ronmentalcareersworldwide,see
www.stopdodo.com
The Sustainable Careers Hand
book Comprehensive introduc
tion to getting a sustainable, eco
friendlyjobbyAllanShepherdand
FionaRowe
Student Force for Sustainabil
ityAEuropeancharitythatpro
motesstudentrecruitmentinsus
tainability, see www.studentforce.
org.uk
W4MPForjobsworkingforMPs
and in other political organisa
tions,seewww.w4mp.org
Otherwise, when selecting which
business, organisation or social
enterpriseyouwouldliketowork
for,agoodplacetostartistolook
at the impact of their trade and
consider whether this suits your
ethics. Research, or ask the com
panydirectly,abouttheirenviron
mental and investment policies to
see what they suppoit financially.
Therearealsosocialissuesyoumay
liketoconsider.Howdotheytreat
theiremployees?Dotheyhaveset
policiesagainstusingsweatshops?
30
There are many other ways in
which you can influence the woilu
throughyourwork.Youcouldbea
changemakerwithinanexistingor
ganisationorstartyourown.Think
big!Whynotconsiderbecominga
politician, writer, academic, musi
cianetc.Alloftheserolesallowyou
to influence the way othei people
thinkandlive.

INTERNSHIPS
Gainingexperienceinasectorthat
interests you is very important
both for your understanding of
that sector, and for the develop
mentofyourcareerideas.Whether
youwanttoworkforalargeorgani
sationorstartyourownsmallbusi
ness,internshipscanproveinvalu
ableexperiencesandwillcertainly
help with future job applications.
Manycompaniesandcharitiesoffer
internships over the summer, but
there are also positions available
throughouttheyearrangingfrom
afewhoursaweektofulltime.
Alotofcompaniesofferunpaidin
ternships, or only offer to pay the
expensesoftheirinterns.Suchin
ternships,evenethicalones,canbe
quite socially regressive in terms
ofrecruitment.However,ifyoudo
choosetogoforit,youshouldalso
beawareofyourlegalpositionand
make sure that you and your em
ployercommunicateclearlyabout
financial teims anu conuitions. Foi
moreinformationonbothofthese
issuesseewww.internaware.org
In addition to the careers sites
listed above, here are two useful
schemes that can help you finu an
internship:
SocialEnterpriseSocietyWork
experienceatsocialenterprisesin
andaroundBristol.Seewww.bris
tolsocialenterprise.co.uk
Student Hubs Ethical Intern
shipsEasterandsummerplace
ments in charities and social en
terprises for university students.
See www.bristolhub.org/ethical
internships
SOCIALENTERPRISE
If you dont think any of the ethi
cal careers already out there are
foryou,youcouldalwaysdevelop
your own social enterprise or or
ganisation. A social enterprise is
onethatworksfor,orputsitsprof
its into, a social or environmental
objective; it could be anything
from a Fairtrade clothing line to
an ethical travel company. If you
have a business idea, drive and
determinationthenthiscouldwell
be the route for you. For inspira
tionorguidance,havealookatthe
informationbelow:
ConferencesandCourses:
EmergeConferenceAjointven
ture set up by Student Hubs and
the Skoll Centre for Social Entre
preneurship to support budding
social entrepreneurs. See www.
skollemerge.org
Spark Course For Social Entre
preneursThisisanexcitingand
intensive course run by the Uni
versity to train those interested
inbusinessandentrepreneurship.
Seewww.sparkcourse2011.co.uk
Social Enterprise Conference
Keepyoureyespeeledforthisone,
toberunbySocialEnterpriseSo
ciety anu Biistol Bub in fiist teim
201112. Will include a series of
workshops,speakereventsanda
31
DragonsDencompetition.
OtherResources:
BasecampAstudentrunservice
that pioviues tiaining, finance anu
adviceforstudentsseekingtorun
ning enterprises. Seewww.busi
nessbasecamp.co.uk
Bristol Entrepreneurs A stu
dent society whose aim is to edu
cate and to encourage potential
entrepreneurs. See www.bristo
lentrepreneurs.co.uk
SocialEnterpriseSocietyAstu
dentsocietyprovidingworkshops,
mentoring, funding application
assistance and networking for
budding social entrepeneurs. See
www.thesocialenterpriseproject.
org.uk
Social EnterpriseWorksSocial
Enterprise Works have provided
support and guidance to over
1000 social enterprises in Bris
tol since 1993. www.socialenter
priseworks.org;info@socialenter
priseworks.org
StudentHubsFormoreresourc
es, ideas and guidance, see Get
Inspiredatwww.studenthubs.org
UnLtd An organisation provid
ing financial anu othei suppoit to
social entrepreneurs. See www.
unltd.org.uk
Research&EnterpriseDevelop
mentThisuniversitydepartment
canprovidealotofsupportinthis
area and runs an annual New En
terprise Competition for which
you can pitch your business plan
for a prize and feedback on ideas
fromexperts:www.bris.ac.uk/red
Volunteering See Be Involved
forinformationonwhy,whereand
howtovolunteer.
UNIVERSITYOPPORTUNITIES
At university you will be faced
with plenty of opportunities to
engage with ethical, social or en
vironmental issues and gain new
skills at the same time. These
come in many forms including
training, interesting open units,
aswellasgreatopenlecturesand
debates.Belowaresomeoftheop
portunitiestolearnnewskillsand
training, expand your mind and
CV, which are organised by the
University, student societies and
Bristol organisations. For more
information on student groups
andsocietieshavealookattheBe
Involvedsection.
University Training, Skills and
Projects:
Being able to demonstrate your
skillsiscrucialforCVwritingand
interviews.Thereareloadsofways
university societies and depart
mentscanhelp:
Bristol Hub Bristol Hub runs a
numberoftrainingcourses.Inad
ditionlotsofBristolHubmember
societies offei moie specific tiain
ing.Ifyouareinterestedinobtain
ing training in a particular skill,
pleaseemailtraining@bristolhub.
org
BristolPLUS The PLUS Awards
recognise and reward students
who have gaineu significant pio
fessionalandlifeskillsthroughex
tracurricular experiences which
areimportantnowmorethanever
in the current graduate labour
market. See www.bris.ac.uk/ca
reers/plusaward/index.asp
StudentPowerDebatesHosted
byStudentHubs,theStudent
32
Power Debates are a series of
conferences across the UK bring
ing together young people from
leading universities and further
education institutions to explore
student activism and campaign
ing.Thedebatesfocusoncreating
a dialogue spanning political, so
cialjusticeandclimateissues,and
thus attract students and partner
organisations from a broad base
of interests and topics. See www.
studentpowerdebates.org/about.
html
The Students Union The un
ionprovidestrainingforsocieties
twiceayear.Ifyougetinvolvedin
volunteering through the Union
then training is provided for all
projects.Seewww.ubu.org.uk
Sustainability This university
departmentsupportsstudentpro
jectsandrunsitsowntrainingop
portunities for people that want
to finu out moie about caibon, en
ergyandwastemanagement.Visit
www.bris.ac.uk/environment for
specific info on the Carbon and
WasteAuditTraining.
OpenUnits:
Couise uepenuing, fiist anu sec
ondyearshavetheopportunityto
chooseopenunitsattheOpen
Units Fair during introductory
week. If you are interested in
learning more about ethical and
sustainable issues here is a selec
tion of units that may be of inter
est:
Education,SchoolingandDiver
sity
EnvironmentEarth
GlobalisationandDevelopment
GreenPlanet
Housing,EconomyandSociety
IntroductiontoPhilosophyA,B
IntroductiontoWorldPolitics
Journey:DiscoveringtheWorld,
CreatingOurselves
KeySocialThinkers
Law,GenderandSexuality
MahayanaBuddhism
PlanetEarth
Poverty,SocialExclusionandSo
cialPolicy
PrinciplesofEconomics
SocialIdentitiesandDivisions
SocialPolicyandDevelopment
Social Policy and the Environ
ment
Social Policy and the Welfare
State
*SustainableDevelopment(Edi
torsfavourite)
UnderstandingPublicPolicy
WorldinCrisis?
33
Open Lectures, Seminars and
Talks:
There are also plenty of public or
universityledlecturesanddebates
thatyoucanattend.
BRIDGE Events www.bridge.
bris.ac.uk/news
BRITEFuturesInstituteEvents
www.bris.ac.uk/brite
Cabot Institute Events Keep an
eyeoutforthese.
Climate of Change Speaker Se
riesFindonFacebook:Climate
of Change Bristol University
SpeakerSeries
Festival of Ideas www.ideasfes
tival.co.uk
Global Change Group www.
bristol.ac.uk/globalchange
Latin American Conference
www.bris.ac.uk/hispanic
LocalBristolKeepineyeoutfor
thisspeakerseriesrunbytheBris
tolHub
Waterwww.bris.ac.uk/water
Sofarwehavehadanintroduction
to some of the things you can do,
visit, taste, wash with, buy or not
buy...butwecannothopetocover
itall.Livinginawaythatreduces
our impact is a great start, but to
get to the root cause of many of
these issues then there needs to
bechangeintheworldaroundus,
and its up to all of us to make it
happen. This final section iecom
mends three steps to take it fur
ther:
Getinformedabouttheissues
Get connected to already active
groups
Takeaction!
GETINFORMED
Are you looking to learn more
about some of the issues in this
guide? Wondering what is going
onaroundthecitythatyoucanget
involved in? We have listed just a
few places to finu some gieat leain
ingresourcesplusthelatestnews,
exhibitions, activities and events
fromaroundthecity.
However,withsomuchgoingonit
canbeastruggletokeepup.Bring
allofthelatestupdatesfromweb
sitesandblogsstraighttoyouwith
GoogleReader(www.google.com/
reader) and hear the latest news
fiist by following youi favouiite
people/placesonTwitter.
34
Organisations:
Bristol Free Economy You may
have heard of Mark Boyle, The
moneyless man. This is a large
community of free economy folks
andtheyputonfascinatingevents
designed to share practical skills.
See www.justfoitheloveofit.oig
BristolGreenCapitalAimingto
moveBristoltowardsalowcarbon
futuie; finu out what you can uo
andhowyoucangetinvolved.See
www.bristolgreencapital.org
Coexist An initiative based at
Hamilton House, in Stokes Croft,
which aims to facilitate communi
ty projects and events. See www.
coexistuk.org
East Side Roots An inspiring
community permaculture project
that holds events and learning
daysonreclaimedoldrailwayland
nowacommunitygarden.Havea
lookatwww.eastsideroots.org.uk
Ecojam Events, news, directo
ries and more from Bristols local,
greenandethicalscene.Seewww.
ecojam.org
LowCarbonSouthWestAbusi
ness group focussed on environ
mental technologies; useful if you
are thinking of getting involved in
thisindustry.Seewww.lowcarbon
southwest.co.uk
The Schumacher Society Their
annualconference,heldinOctober,
attractsinternationallyrenowned,
inspirational speakers on sustain
abledevelopment.
Seewww.schumacher.org.uk
Transition Bristol Part of the
Transition Towns movement act
ingonpeakoilandclimatechange.
Seewww.transitionbristol.net
Places:
%&'()*+'+ Primarily a contem
porary art gallery but also host to
many engaging talks and music
events. See www.ainolfini.oig.uk
CREATE Centre Exhibitions and
events to explore environmental
issues and discover a more sus
tainable future. See www.create
bristol.org
Kebele Community Cooperative
Social centre for activism, learn
ing, skill shaies, film showings
with a cafe, library and more. See
www.kebelecoop.org.uk
PierianCentreAconferencecen
tre focused on community devel
opment; hosts a variety of events
from documentary screenings to
photographyexhibitions.See
www.pieriancentre.com
WatershedMorethanjustacin
ema; aims to promote creativity,
innovation and talent. See www.
watershed.co.uk
News:
BristolIndyMediaAvolunteer
run, communityled independent
media source, found at bristol.in
dymedia.org
SchnewsNewsonactivismfrom
35
both home and abroad. See www.
schnews.org.uk
Talks,DiscussionsandMore:
Bristol Festival of Ideas A pro
gramme of lectures, debates and
discussionsthroughouttheyearto
stimulate and inspire. See www.
ideasfestival.co.uk
TheDoLecturesFindahandful
of expert speakers in one place to
inspireactiononissues.Seewww.
dolectures.com
The Long Now Foundation An
interesting seminar series avail
able as a podcast. See www.long
now.org
MIT Environment and Energy
Lectures A collection of public
lectures from eminent speakers.
See mitworld.mit.edu/browse/
topic/8
The TED Lectures Inspiring
shorttalksbypassionatespeakers
covering a huge range of issues.
Seewww.ted.com
The Tyndall Centre The UKs
world leading climate change and
sustainabilityresearchcentre.See
www.tyndall.ac.uk
Yale360Featuresopinion,analy
sis,reportinganddebateonglobal
environmental issues. See e360.
yale.edu
GETCONNECTED
Ifyouarelookingtoconnectwith
volunteering organisations then
therearemanyavenuesyoucango
down, both inside and outside of
university.Universitieshavearich
heritageashotbedsfornewideas,
progressive thinking and student
activism and Bristol is no excep
tion. See below for ways you can
connect with the Students Union
andthenetworkofsocial,develop
mental, environmental and volun
tary societies known as the Hub.
Below this are some suggestions
of university projects and groups
withinthecity.
STUDENTSUNION
Bristol Students Union is a multi
headedbeast,butafriendlyone.It
isthelargestandoldestrepresenta
tivestudentbodyattheUniversity
ofBristol.Itorganisesandadmin
istrates on behalf of all student
sports teams, societies and many
volunteering projects and it pro
vides support and advice services
tostudentsonanyproblemrelating
totheirtimeatBristol,fromhous
ingissuestocoursecomplaintsand
personalwelfare.
This yeai's electeu officei team
consist of Josh Alford (Educa
tion), Gus Baker (President), So
phie Bennett (Welfare & Equal
ity),DomOliver(Sport&Health),
Chris Ruff (Activities) and Max
C,D#*+#)2 (Community). As well
as running their own initiatives
some of which are listed below
they were elected with a strong
antispendingcutsmandate,and
in particular will be focussing on
challenging the governments
highereducationreforms.
36
NewthisyearistheUnionsthor
oughly revamped student democ
racy framework, kicking off with
theStudentConference@UBU
on 29th October, and continu
ing through the year with regular
Student Forums (which can be
formed by any student on an is
suetheycareabout),andStudent
Councils to set Union policy. To
finu out moie, anu to get involveu,
head to the democracy section of
ubu.org.uk.
The Unions advice service, Just
Ask, provides independent and
impartial advice and representa
tionforstudentsattheUniversity
of Bristol. The team offers a wide
range of support so get in touch
atubujustask@bristol.ac.ukoron
01173313541theylldotheirvery
besttohelp.
This is what the stuuent officeis will
beuptothisyear,andsomeoftheir
suggestions for the best ways to
getthemostfrombeingastudent
atBristol:
Josh Alford will be represent
ing students on education issues,
getting students views across to
theUniversityandworkingtoen
courageallsortsofpeopletocome
hereandstudyandmakethemost
oftheirtimeatBristol.Ifyouwant
togetinvolvedgivehimashout.
Josh recommends coming up to
theJustAskcentreandsayinghello
wereallfriendlyandwedloveyou
togetinvolvedinwhatwedo.
Contact: ubueducation@bristol.
ac.uk, 01173313508, 4th Floor
0B0, }ust Ask office.
Gus Baker will be making sure
students get the best deal from
theUniversityandthemostoutof
theirtimeherebychallengingthe
0niveisity to iecognise the finan
cial uifficulty many stuuents face,
and supporting all the elected of
ficeis in theii ioles.
Gus recommends getting involved
in union democracy through be
coming a student course rep, a
pait-time officei oi just tuining up
totheStudentConference@UBU
at the end of October. Things are
settochangearoundhere.
Contact: ubupresident@bristol.
ac.uk,01179545864,4thFloorUBU,
}ust Ask office.
SophieBennettisgoingtobeac
tively promoting student welfare,
celebrating diversity and mak
ing sure that the Students Union
campaigns on issues that matter
toyou.Iftheresacampaignyoud
like to run or you just want to
know how to get involved please
giveherashout.
Sophie recommends joining the
BristolFeministssociety,oneofthe
mostexcitingsocietiestocomeout
ofBristolUniinthelastfewyears.
Contact: sophie.bennett@bristol.
ac.uk,01179545864,4thFloorUBU,
Bo It Bub office.
Dom Oliver will be working
to reformat the sports pass to
make sport affordable at Bristol,
amongstotherthings.
Donrecommendsgettinginvolved
with some level of sport, from
weeklyintramuraltoFit&Fab.
Contact: ubusport@bristol.ac.uk
or 01179545874, 4th Floor UBU,
Bo It Bub office.
37
Chris Ruff will be encourag
ing and championing all forms of
studentactivity.Ifyouwanttoget
involvedinthingsapartfromyour
studies,getintouch!Imhappyto
help.
Chrisrecommendsjoiningloadsof
societiesatFreshersFair.Theyre
greatformeetingnewpeopleand
developingnewskills.
Contact: ubuactivities@bristol.
ac.uk or 01179545865, 4th Floor
0B0, Bo It Bub office.
E,@$ C,D#*+#)2 will be starting
to link up undergraduate student
research with community groups
andhelpingredesignandinvigor
ate student democracy, as well as
supporting all manner of student
communityprojects.
Maxrecommendsgettinginvolved
inFoodCycleBristol,BUST(student
sustainabilityteam)ortheBristol
Hub,threeofhisfavouritegroups
atBristol.
Contact: max.wakefielubiistol.
ac.uk, 01173313503, 4th Floor.
0B0, }ust Ask office.
StudentVolunteering
The Student Volunteering Unit
runs a range of volunteering op
portunitiesandtraining,andsup
portsstudentstosetuptheirown
projects. Examples include volun
teering in schools, running resi
dential trips for young carers or
teenagers with learning disabili
ties, volunteering at a homeless
shelter or social groups for older
people. Find out more at www.
ubu.org.uk/volunteer
RaisingandGiving(RAG)RAG
doesexactlywhatitsaysonthetin.
This student organisation raises
money and gives it to charities. If
youwouldliketogetinvolvedyou
can contact them to see how, or
you could offer to host your own
fund raising event if you have a
goodidea:www.bristolrag.org.uk
SOCIETIESTHEHUB
The Bristol Hub is a network of
social, environmental, volun
tary and development societies
at the University of Bristol, link
ingwiththewidercommunityand
connecting students with causes.
Below is a list of the groups that
foim the netwoik; to finu out moie
aboutvolunteeringwithanyofthe
gioups see theii specific website
(iflisted)orvisitwww.bristolhub.
org.
Below are listed some events and
oppoitunities to finu out moie
about some of the groups listed
in this section. To finu out moie
aboutvolunteeringwithanyofthe
Bristol Hub groups come to the
VolunteeringFairattheStudents
Union, or come to any of the Stu
dentRestaurantnights.Formore
informationabouttheBristolHub
and to sign up to the mailing list
see www.bristolhub.org or email
info@bristolhub.org.
38
HumanRights:
AmicusCampaignonlawssur
roundinghumanrights,inpar
ticularthedeathpenalty.
AmnestyInternationalCam
paigns, speakei events anu film
nights.
AntislaverySocietyCampaigns
anddirectprojectstosupport
victims of human tiafficking.
BristolFeministsCampaigns
againstallformsofgenderor
sexualitybasedoppressionand
objectification.
FairtradeSocietyAcampaigns
organiserandcafprojectbased
intheMultifaithChaplaincy.
HowardLeagueforPenal
ReformAwarenesseventsand
fundraisers.
StudentActionforRefugees
(STAR) - Campaigns, specific pio
jects,speakerevents.
Environment&Sustainability:
BristolUniversitySustainability
Team(BUST)Actionprojectson
peakoil,climatechangeandbiodi
versity.
ConservationSocietyConserv
ingwildlifeandtheenvironment.
PeopleandPlanetCampaigns,
directaction.
Development:
EngineersWithoutBorders
Outreachprogrammesandnation
alprojectstoaiddevelopment.
InternationalVolunteeringNet
work(IVN)Anewnetworkthis
year that brings together active
groupswhotravelandsupportde
velopmentabroad.
MedicalStudentsInternational
Network (Medsin) Network
of gioups iaising piofile of glob
al health issues, which includes
the Stop Aids campaign on Aids
awareness and government ac
tion.
OxfamJustliketheinternational
NGO,thisstudentgrouprunscam
paigns,fundraisersandmore.
UN World Food Programme
Awareness events and campaigns
on food security in international
development.
Debate/Discussion:
International Affairs Society
Bigh piofile speakei events.
Model United Nations Discus
sion from a United Nations per
spective.
SocialEnterprise:
AIESEC Organise work, charity
and social enterprise opportuni
tiesnationallyandinternationally.
Social Enterprise Society Net
working events, work experience
opportunities and awareness
events.
39
KeyEvents:
FirstTerm
AuctionofPromisesInthelead
up to Christmas, this collabora
tive project sees different socie
ties pitch their projects to you to
in exchange for donations of time
oi money. Raffle piizes, live mu
sic and mince pies included. See
www.bristolhub.org
Freshers & Volunteering Fair
In the fiist weeks of teim, fiesheis
flock to the 0nion but this is open
toallstudents,staffandanyonein
theUniversityofBristol.Seewww.
ubu.org
SocialEnterpriseConferenceA
conference in November to intro
ducetheideasofsocialenterprise
and tool up budding entrepre
neurs to create effective and im
pactful social change. See www.
bristolhub.org
Secondterm
Ethics and Environment Week
Manyawarenessandintroduction
eventsinlatesecondterm,includ
ingopenmics,markets,stallsand
more.Seewww.ubu.org
TheInternationalDevelopment
ConferenceInMarch,thisbrings
togetherstudentswithacademics,
NGOs, businesses and charities. A
good introduction to some of the
topics and a way to meet others
inteiesteu in this fielu. See www.
bristolidc.org
AllYear
Student Restaurant A social
enterprise set up by the FoodCy
cle project. A cheap and delicious
threecourse meal hosted by a
charity or society to inform and
inspiie new iueas. All piofits go to
charities. See www.groupspaces.
com
Other University of Bristol Op
portunities:
The Big GIVE A project run by
Sustainability and the Students
Union. The project aims to collect
unwanted equipment and cloth
ing from students that live in stu
denthallsandhousesattheendof
term.Theseitemsarethensorted
and distributed to charities. For
more info contact sustainability
estates@bristol.ac.uk.
GreenImpactTheUniversityof
Bristol runs a scheme promoting
positive environmental actions
calledtheGreenImpactAwards.It
offersapracticalwayofhelpingde
partmentsbecomegreener,whilst
celebrating the small steps that
individuals are taking to reduce
theircollectiveenvironmentalim
pacts.GreenImpactchallengesde
partmentstoimplementanumber
of easy practical actions that will
helptheenvironment.Thescheme
was started at the University of
Bristolin2008itisnowrollingout
throughtheNUSto50Universities
aroundthecountry.GreenImpact
alsooperatesatUnionsacrossthe
country and the UBU has a Gold
Awardfromthescheme.Formore
information or to see how to get
involvedvisit:www.bris.ac.uk/en
vironment/green_impact
WasteAuditsSustainabilitywill
be providing training which is
CharteredInstituteofWasteMan
agementaccreditedtostudentsto
help them carry out waste audits
and develop waste action plans
for their halls. More information
available by emailing sustainabil
ityestates@bristol.ac.uk.
40
BRISTOLCONNECTIONS
Someprefertovolunteer,campaign
and connect with groups outside
ofuniversity.Bristolisanamazing
place for volunteering opportuni
ties.Wevelistedsomegoodplaces
tostartbelow,butthislistisbyno
meansextensive.
Directories:
EcojamProvidesalargedirecto
ryofprojectsandorganisationsin
Bristolwhichyoucangetinvolved
with, either through volunteering,
attendingevents,orsimplyadding
ideas to discussion forums: www.
ecojam.org
Global Volunteer Network If
youre looking for volunteering
oppoitunities fuithei afielu then
this is a good place to start: www.
globalvolunteernetwork.org
GreenVolunteersForthosewith
green leans, a directory of volun
teering opportunities is available
at www.greenvolunteersbristol.
co.uk
Kebele Community Cooperative
Cooperative and social centre
supportingvariousactivistgroups.
Seewww.kebelecoop.org
Volunteer Bristol For an exten
sive list of volunteering opportu
nities in the local area as well as
details of organisations seeking
volunteers abroad check this site
regularly: www.volunteerbristol.
org.uk
5<#4+*+4$F<<(&10'+1+#8G
AmnestyInternationalBristol
Part of the international human
rights NGO, see www.bristol.am
nesty.org.uk
BristolRefugeeRightsProvides
aplaceofwelcomeforrefugeesto
meetandbesupported,seewww.
bristolrefugeerights.org
Bristol Stop the War Coalition
Fights for an end to the occu
pations in Iraq, Afghanistan and
Gaza, see www.bristolstopwar.
co.uk
Greenpeace Bristol Bristol
branchoftheenvironmentalNGO,
for more info see www.green
peace.org.uk/groups/bristol
OxfamSouthWestLocalbranch
group with awareness nights,
campaigns and social events, see
www.oxfam.org.uk
Rising Tide Bristol Umbrella
gioup fighting foi inteinational
climate justice, see www.rising
tide.org.uk/bristol
TAKEACTION
If there is one thing to take away
fromthisguide,itisnotanewcafe
todrinkatoranewgrouptocam
paign with, but simply the notion
thattoworkforsomethingwebe
lieveinisworthit.
Thesmallthingsthatwedoinour
everydaylivestotrytochangethe
world, whether they be to lower
ourcarbonfootprintortoprotect
animal welfare, may not seem to
make much of a difference. But
wheneverybodydoessmallthings
41
collectivelytaketheviewthatour
actions uo count then they uefi
nitelywill.
If making a small change is not
enough, then you can do more.
Through making connections,
campaigning and protesting, dra
matic changes can be made, even
withonlylimitedresourcesandfew
people. Two years ago, for exam
ple, People & Planet managed to
winbackthejobsof1800Hondu
ranworkerswithfullunionrights
after they had been dismissed for
establishingatradeunionthrough
aninternationalboycott.Thisisone
example of small groups of grass
rootscampaignershavingamajor
positiveeffect.
So, finally, we have listeu a few ie
sourcesthatmayhelpyouasanin
dividualoraspartofagroupwith
taking action. In the unusual case
thatthereisntanactivegroupon
theissuesthatconcernyou,these
resources will help you set one
up. And, because we couldnt re
sist,hereisaquotefromMahatma
Ghandi:
Youmustbethechangeyouwish
toseeinthisworld.
BristolHubAsanetwork,many
people will have skills that are
worthsharing!
BristolHubrunsaskillsharecon
ferenceinthesecondtermaswell
astrainingopportunitiesandeve
nings to share resources. Email
training@bristolhub.org for more
info.
Further information can be found
atthefollowingwebsites:
ActivistsLegalProjectForsup
port and advice with regards to
the legal issues around forms of
direct action see www.activistsle
galproject.org.uk
DirectAction:AhandbookFol
low links for this guide online at
www.bristollocalliving.co.uk
Schnews DIY guide Provides
usefultoolsforsettingupandrun
ning a campaign. See www.sch
news.org.uk/diyguide
Seeds for Change Runs train
ing workshops and have online
resources for taking action, see
www.seedsforchange.org.uk
DISCLAIMER
The University of Bristol and the
groups involved in this guide do
not condone any illegal actions.
Theopinionsofthesewebsitesare
notthoseoftheUniversityofBris
tol.
42
ValidonlyforthemonthofOctober2011.Onevoucherpertransaction,
redeemableonlywiththisprintedvoucher,nophotocopiesaccepted.
AtScoopaway,wespecialiseinNaturalWholesomeFoodsandRemedies
forthewholefamily.IncludingnaturalFoodSupplementsandnatural
BodyCarefromheadtotoe.OrganicandFairtradeTeasandCoffee,
HerbsandSpicesandChilledandFrozenConveniencefoods.Wealso
caterforspecialitydietssuchasVegetarian,VeganandCoeliac.
Westrivetominimiseourpackagingandfoodwastebymakingourbest
sellinglinesavailableloose,enablingthecustomertoscoopasmuch
oraslittleastheyneed.
www.scoopawayhealthfoods.co.uk
info@scoopawayhealthfoods.co.uk
Tel:01179872199
43
Thankyou.
Thisguidewasdesigned,written,editedbystudentsinvolvedwiththe
groupsbelow,kindlysupportedbytheSustainabilityDepartment.
Amnesty
BristolHub
BristolStudentsUnion
BristolUniversitySustainabilityTeam
FairtradeSociety
PeopleandPlanet
Bristol University
Sustainability Team
(BUST)
Ifyouwouldliketogetinvolvedinnextyearsguidepleasevisitwww.
bristollocalliving.co.ukoremailubucommunity@bristol.ac.uk
44