Chew Magna Cum Laude

Village aims to be the greenest in England

An English town with the wholly delightful name of Chew Magna is in the running for greenest village of them all. With a population of 1,100, it's located in a wider community that's committed itself to achieving zero waste, recycling everything from mobiles (cell phones) to spectacles (glasses). But Chew Magna has gone many steps further: Their Go Zero campaign has produced a local-food guide and a carbon-offset fund. Local energy companies have donated free low-energy light bulbs to residents. Plans are in the works for villagers to be able to ride a biofueled bus to the airport for free. "The consensus was that people wanted to make decisions that would leave a legacy," says Denise Perrin, the Go Zero campaign's events coordinator. Bloody smashing! Tops! Right-o! Jolly good! We could go on.