Recently in Chris's Forester column Category

I know it might be a bad time in the middle of one of the coldest early winters I remember to remind readers  that this country is signed up to reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 to prevent catastrophic global warming. In August 2009 a national campaign was launched by film maker Franny Alexander to encourage Britain to reduce carbon emissions by 10% in 2010. It was called simply, the 10:10 campaign. This newspaper backed the campaign and Transition Newent went all out at the September 2009 Onion Fair to gather pledges from visitors to our stand.

Figures published recently by the Global Carbon Project indicate a world-wide drop in emissions of 1.3%. This is the second highest carbon emission in history just below 2008's all-time high. Analysts put the small fall down to the current economic crisis and predict temperature rises of 4°C by 2100 if emissions continue to rise at the present rate. A rise of this nature poses extremely bleak prospects for much of our planet. (...read more.....)

This month marked the completion of Gloucestershire County Council's latest local transport plan consultation exercise. Transition Newent's response to the Council's plan can be read and downloaded in full on our website (details below).

We stress the importance of the 'Smarter Choices' programme - walking, cycling, public transport and car-sharing - as solutions to carbon reduction and the greenest and most cost-effective travel in a world of expensive and limited oil supplies. 'Smarter Choices' are also policies that the population deemed most desirable in previous consultations. It is a great pity, then, that under the current austere budget constraints these choices are the most likely to be cut. We do hope not and will continue to advocate these solutions. (...read more...)

Bike Stall Success at Newent Onion Fair

When a group like Transition has ideas to get across, there's nothing quite like attending a boisterous public event to have those ideas challenged. So it was that a couple of Saturdays ago, Transition Newent set up its stall at the annual Newent Onion Fair. Our main theme this year was bikes: as a sustainable means of transport and a stark reminder of expensive and dwindling oil stocks in the near future.

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Lloyd's Insurance has recently issued a stark warning to businesses. It warns that failure to prepare for a world of increasing oil scarcity and a lower carbon economy can lead to 'catastrophic consequences'. The report accuses the oil industry based group, International Energy Agency, of underestimating the threats and predicts a global oil supply crunch with crude oil prices above $200 a barrel by 2013. Lloyd's chief executive explains that failure of the Copenhagen climate change talks last December has lulled business leaders into a false sense of security.  (... read more)

Like many of you, I guess, disappointment quickly follows the purchase of supermarket sourced summer fruit picked too early for flavour to have developed. Imported peaches and apricots are often a big let down after promising much; before the inside is properly ripe, rot rapidly sets in on the surface and texture and taste leave much to be desired. But have you tried the Newent apricot yet? (...continue reading ...)

Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle

Recycling has become an important part of central and local governments' response to halting climate change and reducing our carbon footprints. The new coalition government has suggested that to raise the UK's recycling rate (currently about 34% compared with, for example, Germany's 64%) they will be adopting a 'carrot' rather than 'stick' approach. Instead of penalising households who throw too much away, we could be persuaded to improve our recycling rates with the inducement of M&S vouchers, the bigger our recycling boxes, the more vouchers we would get. Notwithstanding the assumption that we might all like M&S vouchers, I have serious misgivings about an approach which seems to encourage yet more consumption and more waste, so I spoke to Roger Garbett, Environmental Services Manager at the District Council for his reaction.  (...read more)

A Cultural Transition Too

 Culture is, among other things, what people do to make sense of their lives, so in a world of confusion and uncertainty, our cultural lives must be vital to our personal and communal wellbeing. So often though, 'culture' has become a consumerist process - something we have to buy into and enjoy in a largely passive way.

Naturally, the Transition movement considers the long-term effects of climate change and peak oil and sees a sustainable future in more localized, participative communities. These views also inform how people will be entertained and how they will shape their own cultural identities.  (...read more ...)

Flight Ban Gave Us an Insight

Air travel is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases so the recent quiet skies brought about by Iceland's volcanic eruption is an opportunity to reflect on how air travel has become an accepted part of many people's lives. The vast numbers of stranded passengers and exotic lists of holiday destinations were indications of the scale of the industry and its passengers' carbon footprints.  (...read more...)

'The Heat is On!' by Chris Wooldridge of Transition Town Newent

Global Warming Threat Can Scare

'The Heat is On!' by Chris Wooldridge of Transition Town Newent

Changing Climate No Conspiracy

I wish I could report that climate change science is bunkum. The recent uproar concerning the University of East Anglia's emails and the IPCC's data has clearly damaged public perception of climate change so I think it's important to stress the overwhelming evidence for man-made climate change. It is continually reaffirmed by independent researchers throughout the world including the British Antarctic Survey, NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who for eight of the past nine years were funded by Bush's sceptical Republican administration.  (read more .....)