Dartmoor & Exmoor Low Carbon Festival 2010

Dartmoor and Exmoor Low Carbon Festival 2010, 06 – 10 October – Exmoor, 09 – 10 October – Dartmoor, Family fun days, a food festival, an eco-fashion event, a variety of guided walks and tours plus a series offree community events are on offer at this year’s Low Carbon Festival on Exmoor and Dartmoor. The Festival follows on from the success of the inaugural Dartmoor and Exmoor Low Carbon Festival in 2009. A series of free events and guided tours across both National Parks will highlight what measures are being taken to reduce carbon emissions and how we can adapt to the ever growing pressures on our resources.

10:10:10 – A global day of doing

10:10:10 – A global day of doing. 10 October 2010.

The Sky is Falling

“The Sky is Falling!”
Henny Penny calls. An acorn has just landed on her head and, panicking, she hurries of to warn all her friends of the impending doom. The beginning of this well known children’s story has passed into the English language as indicating a hysterical or mistaken belief that disaster is imminent. There are some that believe the news of recent years about global warming and climate change and how it will effect peoples around the world is just one such mistaken belief. They deny it is happening and even if it is, we had nothing to do with it and couldn’t change things even if we wanted to.

Change your world from Sustrans

Take a walk. Get on your bike. Choose the bus or train. Pledge a journey and let’s see how many times we can get around the world by 4 July. Join in Change Your World. Make a journey by foot, bike or public transport and help us clock up enough miles to complete our virtual trip around the world. Show your support by pledging one of your journeys – then tell Government they must act too.

A law for the Earth

Two distinguished British barristers are campaigning for changes to the global legal system, which would see greater environmental protection and justice for those affected by climate change. Positive News.

International climate change action (? or spin)

The first formal United Nations climate change talks since Copenhagen have concluded in Bonn, Germany last week. Detailed discussion progressed between over 180 countries on key climate issues such as mitigation, finance and governance. Meanwhile, the European Union ambition on the move to 30% has received a boost, with Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne stating ‘a move to 30% is achievable, right for the climate and right for our economies’.

World Environment Day 2010 – Sat 5 June

Westden endorses the United Nations’ World Environment Day (WED) 2010 which is aimed to be the biggest, most widely celebrated, global day for positive, environmental action.

Chagford Energy Fair – Sat 12 June 2010

Save money, get grants, earn income through the new tariffs and avoid cowboys in the fast changing world of renewable energy. Read more about the Chagford Energy Fair….

Where do the words ‘sustainability’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘environment’ appear in the Coalition’s Programme for Government?

Our in-house politico [sic], Maxim, has been probing further into The Coalition’s Programme for Government. He wondered how many times key words showed up. Words like ‘sustainability’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘environment’. Well here are the results…

Volunteers dig in to help the environment

Volunteers and gardeners gathered together as environmental charity Westden held a volunteer afternoon at Tavistock Community Primary School as part of their latest major project called the School Community Landscape Network (CLaN).

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers…

Max and Sue were overjoyed to see 15 pupils and 17 volunteers turn out for our first day working on the ground at Tavistock Community Primary School for the Community Landscape Network (CLaN). The rain held off and we managed to acheive so much in just a little time.

Christian Green Gathering Tavistock

Green Christian Gathering – Tavistock 20th March
Devon Churches Green Action is holding a day conference at Tavistock Methodist Church, (Chapel St PL19 8DX) on Saturday 20th March. The keynote speakers are Tim Gorringe of Exeter University, and Clare Bryden, of the “Shrinking the Footprint” campaign. Local groups will share stories of change and hope. Programmes will be sent to those booking in advance (see overleaf). The provisional running order includes Clare speaking at 11am, Tim at 1pm, a bring and share lunch at 12.30, and a choice of workshops (eg farming, energy, food, theology) at 2.30. Anyone with an interest in how community groups, including faith groups, can support transition to a more sustainable way of living will find the day of interest. Entry is free – donations towards costs welcome.

New contracts to bring benefits for residents

New contracts for refuse and recycling collections and the cleaning of streets and public toilets have been awarded by West Devon Borough Council and will begin on April 1, 2010.

‘Mend & Make New’ courses for Spring 2010

New ‘Mend & Make New’ courses at the Duchy Square Centre for Creativity. Run by Lucie Ponsford, there will be three courses in February and March.

Growth isn’t possible…

Four years on from nef’s Growth isn’t Working, this new report goes one step further and tests that thesis in detail in the context of climate change and energy. It argues that indefinite global economic growth is unsustainable. Just as the laws of thermodynamics constrain the maximum efficiency of a heat engine, economic growth is constrained by the finite nature of our planet’s natural resources (biocapacity).

Climate Change update talk at the Wharf, Tavistock

At 7pm on Sunday, 28 March 2010, The Friends of the Wharf are hosting Professor Philip Chris Reid, Professor of Oceanography at the University of Plymouth to give a review of the current status of Climate Change as presented to UNESCO in Paris, 2009.

Global Warming Time Bomb

A cut down version of James Hansen’s recent book Global Warming Time Bomb is available from Columbia University.

The Earth Charter Initiative

“The Earth Charter Initiative” is an extraordinarily diverse, global network of people, organizations, and institutions that participate in promoting and implementing the values and principles of the Earth Charter. The Initiative is a broad-based, voluntary, civil society effort. Participants include leading international institutions, national governments and their agencies, university associations, non-government organizations and community-based groups, city governments, faith groups, schools and businesses – as well as thousands of individuals.

13 million people sign up to Avaaz petition – why don’t you?

The Copenhagen climate summit ended up in failure: an unambitious, non-binding accord that leaders themselves admit won’t come close to tackling climate change. Sign the petition.

Watch ‘The Age of Stupid’ on BBC iPlayer now

Watch ‘The Age of Stupid’, Franny Armstrong’s latest project starring Pete Postlethwaite on BBC Iplayer. Climate change has devastated the world – why did we do nothing?