The "Ark" a "Not Stupid" Family Camp - a Transition Town event

Dear All,

The "Ark" a "Not Stupid" family camp is being held at Braziers on the weekend of the 14th - 16th August. We are hoping to attract all transitioners/people from Reading / Maidenhead, Oxford and surrounds - many are in transition...

The camp theme is R & R for eco-warriors before the big push to succeed at Copenhagen. The weekend is designed as an informal gathering and a relaxed atmosphere to share some good news to revitalise and motivate us all to continue.

Please forward this to all you may think may be interested.

I look forward to seeing you here...

With love and light
Cyndi at
Braziers Park School for Integrative Social Research




The weekend is designed to provide rest and recuperation for all you Eco-Warriors! It is an informal gathering and sharing and no camper is under any pressure to attend any workshop. Just come and meander through the beautiful Braziers estate, browse the small collection of specially selected stalls in our little village market and soak up the goodness….

FOR THOSE WHO DO WISH TO GET INVOLVED, HERE’S WHATS ON OFFER…

FRIDAY

ARRIVAL FROM 3.00PM ONWARDS ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON

FIND a CAMP SPOT – SET UP AND SETTLE DOWN

CHECK OUT OUR GOOD NEWS BOARD – PIN YOURS UP: bring some good news to add – have you heard a good news story – windturbines going up – eco villages being built – BAA halving their flights – your neighbour has joined the transition team – we all need to know what good is happening…

SCREENING “AGE OF STUPID” – Discussion and informal gathering – campfire stories and songs…

MESSAGE TO COPENHAGEN – what would you say – think about it and bring it along – we are going to record them all and send them on…

SATURDAY

Morning gathering and greeting from Vinnie McCann of Transition Town Maidenhead.

We then have various workshops and open space / global cafe style discussions will be held throughout the day.

Don’t forget the “little village market”

In the early evening we plan to screen “TAKING ROOT : THE VISION OF WANGARI MAATHAI” and a discussion afterwards.

Our Open Mic Session compered by Mike Grenville of Transition Town Forest Row, will include a couple of music acts but mostly is a chance for you to show us all what a talented lot we are so bring your drums, harmonica or guitar.

SUNDAY

After a leisurely start to the day we will hear from our key speaker Naresh Giangrande who is a co-founder of Transition Town Totnes and has recently returned from a tour promoting the transition movement.

We then finish with a grand buffet style feast – everyone to contribute a plate or two before packing up and returning to our lives… revitalised and refreshed…

Our other speakers and facilitators include : Jan Roberts – investigative journalist with news about pesticides with Georgina Downs; Di and Lucy Renshaw – ecorecycle textiles; Cliff Jordan - Transition Town Oxford and COIN; John Hogget and Jenny Nicholson – Council of All Beings; Liz Hodgsen – voice harmonics from around the world; Elena with circus tricks; Victoria with children’s theatre; Aggie with spinning and weaving; Nicky McCann with Children’s discovery walks; and still to be confirmed wild food walks, natural dyes, sustainable gardening, environmental art… and more…
for a booking form, please contact our office on (01491) 680 221 or admin@braziers.org.uk

Prices : Adults £40 - under 16's free accompanied by adult / limited concessions available to our Elders, Students and on application.

- please book early to avoid being disappointed - we do have to limit numbers to ensure covered (dry) space for all...
to download a .pdf file of our ‘Ark’ flyer to distribute via email or print and hand out to your friends, please go to our website at :

http://www.braziers.org.uk/index.php/the-ark-not-stupid-family-camp/ ... Read this ...

How to waste less food - website, and Action Planning on Weds 19th August

As featured in the Observer Magazine today, food waste is a vital topic for reducing carbon footprints, and Emma's talk last Wednesday was fascinating. You can get the gist of what she told us, and much more, on the Love Food Hate Waste website. http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

You will find below, the document we looked at on Wednesday, which will form the starting-point for our discussion on next year's campaign when we meet on Wednesday 19th August at 7.30pm at St Ethelwold's House.

If you can't come that evening and would like to have your say, let Cliff know beforehand.

Have a good summer...

Abingdon Carbon Cutters

How to Make Abingdon Carbon Neutral - May 20^th

Notes based on Group discussions

Suggestions for future action

• Massive push in eco-renovations to lower carbon emissions due to residences and businesses locally

• Requires funding support
• Lobby for subsidy for solar panels
• Lobby for government support of home renewable generation
• Lobby for support for renewable and eco-renovation industry development in this country
• Needs clear, accurate information on what works

• Education about what needs to be achieved through, schools, churches, general public – requires leaflets, newsletters, press releases, public events, presence at local events to promote, encourage and recruit

• Lobby for improved, subsidised local transport to make this financially viable and to provide good public transport links for villages /rail stations etc.
• Find effective ways to reduce car usage – promoting car sharing, lift sharing, set up a local car club scheme
• Promote realistic reduction in agricultural carbon emissions – change of diet, promotion of local organic foods
• Promote community rather than individual existence for a sustainable lifestyle
• Promote and support the development of community food production and sharing
• Transition Town status could provide the impetus for such projects and especially the community-based ethos

Ideas identified for action within such projects

Education

• Seek to overcome scepticism, apathy and ‘head in sand’ attitudes
• Address the environment problem through economic crisis response

• Good economic policies = good environment policies

• reduce travel, reduce consumption
• how do we prioritise?
• Public Relations issues – provide a positive spin on issues, e.g. Make Poverty History campaign. A campaign that makes a lower carbon lifestyle sexy (Carbon Detox suggestions?)
• We need access to information and skills
• We need a Government/local government lead
• Build close links with schools and support staff as they develop the curriculum to include climate change and lower carbon living

Food

• Encourage intensive gardening, e.g. rooftops? (Cuban example)
• Promote Grow local – Buy local (not the big supermarket chains’ version)
• Set up the means for sharing produce
• Provide lessons on how to use everything
• Bring ‘old’ ground into cultivation
• Enable land sharing

• Mini scale – gardens
• Maxi scale Landshare website

• Develop growing skills

• Compost making – Emma, Robert
• Raised bed– sourcing, building, cultivating
• Promoting and publicising skills courses – e.g. Bridget, Robert
• Engaging children – work with schools to provide support and advice for school garden projects (keeping them going through the summer, etc)

• Explore and promote greater local sustainability

• Explore and encourage locally grown food employment opportunities

Transport

• Encourage local employment rather than commuting
• Cut down/out the school run

• Encourage/supervise walking buses
• SRTS (?)
• Smaller local schools?

• Car sharing scheme – local authority run

• Car sharing schemes – need to overcome the desire for individuality/independence
• Lower bus fares
• Share resources / share travel / waste less as a result

Other key issues arising

• The value and importance of working with other similar local groups in the area
• Prioritising effort based on needs/achievability/expertise/resource analysis
• Important to research and quantify carbon footprint of town in order to be able to judge progress towards goal of carbon neutrality – key data to use in ‘campaign’ literature
• Important to use local experts, local responsible council officers/councillors and well-connected people to discern key issues to focus upon in order to have best impact – push at opening doors, have examples ready to show we are ahead of the game (Transition town movement is getting this name)

Cliff Marshall June 2009

Action Planning

What should our priorities be for the coming year?

1.

2.

3.


What could you offer to ACC activities in the coming year?

1.

2.

3.


Please bring this paper and your ideas to the open Strategy Meeting at 7.30pm, Wednesday 19th August at St Ethelwold’s House. If you are unable to come to this meeting, please hand in your responses in advance.
... Read this ...

Transition Network newsletter

If you want to keep up-to-date with what is happening in the Transition Town world, sign up for the newsletter!
Please share this Newsletter 'subscribe' link with your friends:
http://tinyurl.com/transitionnewsletter ... Read this ...

Energy and Climate Change Minister is coming to Oxford

Energy and Climate Change Minister, Ed Miliband MP, is coming to Oxford on Monday 27 July to talk about the his newly unveiled plans for a low carbon Britain. He'll also be taking questions from the audience.

Setting the scene will be Mark Lynas (author of 'Six Degrees'), Oliver Tickell (author of ('Kyoto2'), Ian Leggett (Director of People & Planet) and Dr MA Khalid (Earthwatch).

This is your chance to quiz the Government's main man on climate change ahead of the Copenhagen talks in December.

Where: Oxford Town Hall
When: Monday 27 July, 7.30

More details will be available from http://www.oxfoe.co.uk

A couple of pieces of background reading...
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/publications/lc_trans_plan/lc_trans_plan.aspx

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/change_energy/tackling_clima/copenhagen/copenhagen.aspx ... Read this ...

Upcoming Eco Kitchen workshops plus Open Days help request

Two things have been sent to us from ClimateXchange

1. Eco-kitchen workshops

Sunday 26th July 2009 9.30am to 2.00pm
Saturday 1st August 2009 9.30 am to 2.00pm

If your dream is to have an eco kitchen, then you’ll be fascinated by this exciting eco kitchen workshop, which gives homeowners access to eco experts with years of knowledge and experience.

Developed in partnership between COIN and SEED-Group this Eco-Kitchen workshop is perfect for homeowners undertaking their own kitchen eco-redesign or briefing builders and Architects on a kitchen extension.

Sally Harper, Founder, SEED-Group and workshop presenter commented: "It can be really difficult for the eco aware consumer to get good advice and support, on the design and build of an authentic, sustainable eco kitchen. The spring series of workshop have proved to us, that people want to make more considered, and confident, green living choices in the future and have been delighted to meet eco experts. We have been immensely pleased to hear from so many of our workshop attendees who have felt inspired to make changes and look forward to inspiring and better informing many more people”.


To read more about the workshops and to book a place in advance see more details on www.ecoworkshops.co.uk.

More info on: www.ecoworkshops.co.uk
Tickets: £50 to be booked in advance on www.ecoworkshops.co.uk
or contact: ecoworkshops - 01844 278 464
COIN - 01865 403334


Previous attendees have been kind enough to email the following comments:

“Thank you so much for a most informative and enjoyable workshop yesterday. It was a really illuminating day - and not just about the lighting! Although that was an especially interesting area to me, as was the overall topic of energy usage by different appliances” Doug Miles workshop attendee.

“Thanks again for the workshop - really enjoyed it and certainly came away with lots of ideas and renewed enthusiasm for our project!!!!!”. Sally Mullard workshop attendee.

“Thank you all again for such a good day. It really did spur me on in lots of ways”. Clare Newgass, workshop attendee.

“Thank you for a marvellous workshop”. Matthew Roman workshop attendee.


2. PUBLICITY HELP WANTED FOR ECO-BUILDINGS OPEN DAYS
The Oxfordshire Eco-buildings Open Days will take place from 10-13th September this year - and we'd like your help in publicising them in your local shop, in your workplace, or your local community . Once the details are up on the website we'll send round an email flyer for distribution, but if you are able to help by putting up a poster and/or distributing some leaflets with full details of the participating buildings (notice board), please send an email to jo@climatex.org together with:
your name and address and the number of posters and leaflets you'd like.
Thanks. ... Read this ...

Community Action Groups - July Newsletter

The summer edition of the CAG Newsletter is now available to download


During the past 8 years, the CAG Project has been primarily involved in supporting groups involved in waste issues, specifically reduction and reuse. However, in recognition of the urgency surrounding the global environmental crisis, the CAG Project has taken steps to widen its support to include other related climate change and environmental issues, including waste, carbon and energy reduction, sustainable transport, food and water issues. This should allow more groups to tap into the support network so that the project can more effectively help to work at a local level to effect change and move towards more sustainable communities.
Read more in the latest CAG Newsletter
... Read this ...

Notes from Carbon Cutters meeting 15th July

The meeting this evening started with a very brief AGM. Accounts and report were accepted, and officers re-elected for 2009-10.

The formal business completed, the speaker for the evening, Emma Barnett from WRAP was introduced.

After a brief summary of some of the different projects that WRAP is involved with, Emma spoke about domestic food waste - which she said was the largest single source of food waste in the UK.

She told us that around 6 million tonnes of food is sent to landfill each year. WRAP conducted a significant "bin-study" and the results of the survey are quite shocking. Around 1/3 of all purchased food is disposed of, uneaten, with related carbon emissions equivalent to 20% of the UK's cars.

Emma frightened us with some statistics of wasted food: 5.1 million potatoes daily, 7million slices of bread (daily) and more than half a million unused teabags. This revelation led Emma to explain that the confusion over dates printed on food packaging lead many people to dispose of good food.

Use-by

This is the key date in terms of safety - never eat products after this date and observe storage instructions. Check if the food can be frozen if you need to eat it at a later date. 'Use by' dates are usually found on chilled products such as cooked meats, soft cheeses and dairy-based desserts.

Best before

'Best before' dates are usually on longer shelf life foods such as frozen, tinned or dried goods and refer to quality rather than safety. So, with these things, it's best to use your judgement. It should be safe to eat food after the 'best before' date, but food may no longer be at its best.

One exception is eggs - never eat eggs after the best before date.

Display Until \ Sell by

Date marks such as 'display until' or 'sell by' often appear near or next to the 'best before' or 'use by' date. They are used by some shops to help with stock control and are instructions for shop staff, not shoppers.

This information is from the lovefoodhatewaste.com website, run by WRAP.

The incredible statistics still fresh in our minds, we were encouraged to explore the website more to learn about storing food correctly, using it in time, and preparing the correct amounts.

There was a short quiz, with many people surprised by the wide variety of foodstuffs that can be frozen to prolong their useful life. ... Read this ...

The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan

Today, the government white paper "The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan" was published. It can be downloaded here. The BBC news article is here.
... Read this ...

Carbon Cutters AGM this Weds 15th July, and How to Waste Less Food

Dear Carbon Cutter,
This is just a reminder that our AGM will be held at the start of our meeting this Wednesday, with a prompt start at 7.30pm. At the meeting we will be setting a date in August to plan the coming year's activities. Attached is a poster for Wednesday, and the result of the "brainstorming" we had at our May meeting is below.

Hope to see you on Wednesday!

Abingdon Carbon Cutters

How to Make Abingdon Carbon Neutral - May 20^th

Notes based on Group discussions

Suggestions for future action

• Massive push in eco-renovations to lower carbon emissions due to residences and businesses locally

• Requires funding support
• Lobby for subsidy for solar panels
• Lobby for government support of home renewable generation
• Lobby for support for renewable and eco-renovation industry development in this country
• Needs clear, accurate information on what works

• Education about what needs to be achieved through, schools, churches, general public – requires leaflets, newsletters, press releases, public events, presence at local events to promote, encourage and recruit

• Lobby for improved, subsidised local transport to make this financially viable and to provide good public transport links for villages /rail stations etc.
• Find effective ways to reduce car usage – promoting car sharing, lift sharing, set up a local car club scheme
• Promote realistic reduction in agricultural carbon emissions – change of diet, promotion of local organic foods
• Promote community rather than individual existence for a sustainable lifestyle
• Promote and support the development of community food production and sharing
• Transition Town status could provide the impetus for such projects and especially the community-based ethos

Ideas identified for action within such projects

Education

• Seek to overcome scepticism, apathy and ‘head in sand’ attitudes
• Address the environment problem through economic crisis response

• Good economic policies = good environment policies

• reduce travel, reduce consumption
• how do we prioritise?
• Public Relations issues – provide a positive spin on issues, e.g. Make Poverty History campaign. A campaign that makes a lower carbon lifestyle sexy (Carbon Detox suggestions?)
• We need access to information and skills
• We need a Government/local government lead
• Build close links with schools and support staff as they develop the curriculum to include climate change and lower carbon living

Food

• Encourage intensive gardening, e.g. rooftops? (Cuban example)
• Promote Grow local – Buy local (not the big supermarket chains’ version)
• Set up the means for sharing produce
• Provide lessons on how to use everything
• Bring ‘old’ ground into cultivation
• Enable land sharing

• Mini scale – gardens
• Maxi scale Landshare website

• Develop growing skills

• Compost making – Emma, Robert
• Raised bed– sourcing, building, cultivating
• Promoting and publicising skills courses – e.g. Bridget, Robert
• Engaging children – work with schools to provide support and advice for school garden projects (keeping them going through the summer, etc)

• Explore and promote greater local sustainability

• Explore and encourage locally grown food employment opportunities

Transport

• Encourage local employment rather than commuting
• Cut down/out the school run

• Encourage/supervise walking buses
• SRTS (?)
• Smaller local schools?

• Car sharing scheme – local authority run

• Car sharing schemes – need to overcome the desire for individuality/independence
• Lower bus fares
• Share resources / share travel / waste less as a result

Other key issues arising

• The value and importance of working with other similar local groups in the area
• Prioritising effort based on needs/achievability/expertise/resource analysis
• Important to research and quantify carbon footprint of town in order to be able to judge progress towards goal of carbon neutrality – key data to use in ‘campaign’ literature
• Important to use local experts, local responsible council officers/councillors and well-connected people to discern key issues to focus upon in order to have best impact – push at opening doors, have examples ready to show we are ahead of the game (Transition town movement is getting this name)

Cliff Marshall June 2009

... Read this ...