Results tagged “transition” from Transition Newent
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 ...)
No need for Candles, Caves or Hairshirts
In the confusion and disappointment that followed the final hours of the
Copenhagen summit on climate change and with the Christmas season on its tail it might seem that the Transition movement have little to celebrate but this, as I'll go on to explain, would be far from the truth. The world's media will now be full of comment and opinion, blaming certain nations and exonerating its own negotiators. One thing was clear: that a global problem as potentially devastating as climate change taxed the particular and varied interests and structures of the nation state. ........( read more) ........
‘The Heat is On!’ by Chris Wooldridge of
Organic crops are the best
For some years the Food Standards Authority has appeared to undervalue the organic food movement so I was not entirely surprised by its irritating claim that organic food had no nutritional benefits over conventionally produced food. Contrary to their report, previous organic food studies have found evidence of increased levels of proteins, beta-carotenes, trace elements, beneficial omega oils and vitamins. Among other omissions, the FSA report also failed to include the results of a major European Union-funded study which ended in April this year and concluded that: 'Levels of a range of nutritionally desirable compounds were shown to be higher in organic crops [and] ‘Levels of nutritionally undesirable compounds were shown to be lower in organic crops'. Those of you interested in a detailed critique of the FSA report should go to www.soilassociation.org . I’ve been growing food by organic principles for some 40 years and my friends and family don’t need to check the report to know that my fresh, seasonal, produce is the best there is.
Following close on the heels of the FSA report, the government issued a Food Security assessment in early August stressing that climate change and diminishing water and energy supplies – the issues Transition concerns itself with – require a transformation in the way we feed ourselves. Crude oil prices are on the rise again. We are being asked to reduce our energy requirements by 80% by 2050 and the food industry must do likewise with its oil-based footprint. Organic farming can provide real environmentally sustainable solutions. Everyone should have access to organic food and it shouldn’t be seen just as a middle-class lifestyle choice.
For the first time, this year’s Newent in Bloom garden competition has included an Environmental Stewardship category sponsored and judged by Transition Newent. The winners included the
‘The Heat is On!’ by Chris Wooldridge of
It’s Time for a New Attitude to Energy Use
In the fight against climate change, recent events have given me two reasons to be cheerful. Firstly at national level, Secretary of State Ed Milliband, presented a Climate Change white paper last week describing it gratifyingly as a ‘Transition plan for
Laying out a roadmap for future carbon reduction, the paper gives energy-using sectors clear targets. For instance, by 2020 compared to 2008 levels our homes must reduce emissions by 30%. This white paper marks the dawn of a renewable energy era for
Secondly, and much closer to home, the
To these claims, Kempley can now add its Saturday Market and Café. It opened this month and I joined over 150 others in a packed village hall where enticing fresh local produce and delicious home-made cakes and coffee were on sale. The market and café will be held on the second Saturday of each month from
A last thought: Even if we manage to produce perfect low-carbon transport, do we want to continue to endure gridlocked roads, long-distance commuting, crowded airport lounges, and trains with standing room only? Isn’t the trick to rein-in our desire and need to travel? We must adopt greener technologies but also use simple solutions like car-sharing, more cycling and walking and often just enjoying where we are.
‘The Heat is On!’ by Chris Wooldridge of
Ways to cut our Carbon Footprint
June hasn’t turned out quite as hot and sunny as some predicted. Apart from a few glorious days, the month has been generally cloudy with chilly evenings and some heavy storms. But this is just weather, not climate; global temperature trends point upwards and each of us needs to consider how we can reduce our personal carbon footprint.
Current average
Improved insulation, efficient heating systems and renewable energy technologies can yield substantial financial savings and considerably reduce carbon footprints. Of course this can cost money but there is help at hand from many organisations.
Here in the
‘The Heat is On!’ by Chris Wooldridge of
Grab the Chance to Grow Local
In my last column I said I would explore some local issues.
At a recent Transition wood-burning workshop, we saw an impressive demonstration of wood splitting. Here’s the method: Get an old rubber tyre. Fill the inner space with un-split logs standing on their ends. Take a splitting maul – a tool rather like a felling axe but built to split rather than chop wood – and aim it into the stack. Result: fuel that doesn’t fly. Low tech, energy efficient and using recycled material, the essence of Transition.
Last Friday, the Transition Food Group held a ‘Question Time’ style discussion on the future of food and farming. Local farmers and an academic were on the panel. My impression is that most farmers have yet to grasp the implications of peak oil and climate change. Food and farming are utterly reliant on oil for machines, fertilizers, pesticides and distribution, using 10 calories of energy to produce 1 calorie of food. We must find solutions to these unsustainable methods as well as tackle the 30% of our food that goes to waste, the national obesity problem and our generally poor diet rich in fats, sugars and additives. From the audience I detected a more positive note though. A town in the Forest has an allotment waiting list of 50, Community Supported Agriculture is beginning to make headway locally and Newent’s Country Market reports a large increase in sales. These alone won’t feed the world but are the beginning of an explosion in initiatives at local, regional and national levels. Some farmers may well get left behind if they don’t grasp new opportunities.
Finally, on April 29, a great chance to see and hear Rob Hopkins and Shaun Chamberlin, co-founders of the Transition Movement. Transition Newent is hosting the event at
‘The Heat is On!’ by Chris Wooldridge of
We have to make our own cakes
That once vast wilderness, the North Pole ice cap, is melting into the oceans after yielding key evidence that human activity is causing climate change. Deep in the ice layers, are stored the historic records of atmospheric carbon dioxide and drillings have confirmed we are moving into the first human-created climatic age. In truth, unless we radically rethink the way we live, we will lose more than Bewick’s swans from Slimbridge.
Climate change is well publicized, but we face another global challenge, Peak Oil. This is the point at which world oil production peaks and begins to fall. It will be offset by the current global recession but makes little difference to our future. At current consumption, the oil that has enabled our high standards of living will run out before the end of the century.
The Transition movement is very clear about solutions to this double whammy. We believe there is time left in which to curb emissions but the world may have to accommodate some temperature rise. We support and encourage the 3 Rs: recycling, re-using and reducing, but our key message is for communities to localise their economies and to encourage local resilience. Currently we import our cake; sometimes we make the cherry that goes on top. In future we must make the cake.
If this sounds rather frightening, consider how local networks encourage friendship, industry and support. The other day someone said to me, “I’ve got a great social life now. Since I joined Transition I could be out almost every night.”
We still need nation states to sign on to global emission targets and structures to guarantee social justice but it is the local actions of all of us that will count.
In future column I hope to explore these local issues in more detail.
