Who says a small group of people can’t accomplish great things? Take the 95 inhabitants of the Isle of Eigg, for example. This beautiful, unspoiled Hebridean Island, off the western coast of Scotland, was for a long time subject to neglect due to absentee landowners who did not invest in the tiny island. However, in 1997 the people of Eigg made use of land reform legislation and set up the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust, raising £1.5 million to take control of their own affairs and allow the small population to progress under their own initiatives and direction.
And progress they did. They advanced into the 21st century, bringing modern conveniences such as all-day electricity to the island for the first time in 2008. But without the toxic emissions. Their renewable energy plan, combining hydro, wind and solar power, impressed the judges in the UK-wide competition The Big Green Challenge, who chose the Isle to be among 10 finalists, picked out of 350 contestants, and who then bestowed £20,000 on them to implement their CO2 reducing scheme, within a year’s time.
The Big Green Challenge is run by NESTA (the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts) and is designed to stimulate and support community-oriented responses to climate change in the UK. Ten finalist communities which reduced their CO2 emissions by as much as possible, and in innovative and community-engaging ways which can be replicated elsewhere, were allowed to compete for the top prizes.
By fitting solar panels in homes and businesses, and adding insulation, as well as encouraging people to travel by bicycle, or car-pool, and by using recycled cooking oil from the local ferry to operate its community vehicles, and running public conveniences by solar power, Eigg was able to decrease emissions by the highest margin, achieving a cut of 32 per cent.
Their achievement secured them a place among three winners of the £1 million prize offered by the Big Green Challenge, with each receiving £300,000. The other winners were Green Valleys, a project located in the Brecon Beacons, and the Household Energy Service, from Ludlow, Shropshire. The runner-up, Low Carbon West Oxford, received £100,000.
To sum up the feelings of those on Eigg, their website invites the public to explore and “discover our island-its people, wildlife and scenery, its history and way of life. We are working towards sustainability and providing good services to visitors whilst retaining our local identity.”
Truly, no man is an island; nor is a group of men and women for that matter. The inhabitants of Eigg have worked hard and been rewarded; their efforts improve the health of the planet we all call home and they stand as an example of sustainability for the rest of the world.
Big Green Footstep Arrival Message via flickr
First Electric Vehicle on Eigg via flickr
Clothes and household items can be swapped at the Eigg swap shop via flickr
Isle of Eigg Solar Panel Installation via flickr
