January 2012 Archives

Aston University's Go Green Week, part of the national People and Planet, initiative is to take place from the 6th to the 10th February 2012 at their city centre campus. All events are free of charge and open to the general public, so come along and get involved! Highlights include:

- 'Capitalism or a habitable planet' talk with comedian, author and environmental activist Robert Newman- Friends of Earth, Greenpeace and Digbeth-based walkit.com to feature in Eco-Marketplace
- Second-hand bicycle sale from Birmingham-based social enterprise Cycle Chain
- Aston University Chaplaincy faith and climate change debate, 'Safeguarding the planet'
- The Co-operative's highly acclaimed 'Tarnished Earth' exhibition on campus

For the full programme, check out their webpage: www.aston.ac.uk/go-green-week

You can also keep up to date on twitter and facebook.

Aston University Vice-Chancellor Professor Julia King, who is the UK's Low Carbon Business Ambassador and a member of the Government's Committee on Climate Change, said "We hope that our diverse programme of events and our convenient campus location in central Birmingham will help to make this year's Go Green Week our most successful yet, attracting visitors from the wider community and local businesses as well as increasing awareness of sustainability issues amongst the University's staff and students."

Aston University ranked within the top 10 of People and Planet's award winning Green League for the past two years. As a recognised leader in the field of sustainability, Aston University already has a number of technologies on campus, such as a Combined Heat and Power plant, a wind turbine and green roof on the recently built student residences, and an electric car and charging points, as well as ambitious targets to further reduce carbon emissions by 48% by 2020.

Past Go Green Week events at Aston University have included a World Food Market, a fuel efficient driving simulator and live webcam footage of Kestrels nesting within the main building on campus.

Aston University Environment and Sustainability Assistant Kathy Hopkin said, "Following on from the success of Go Green Weeks 2010 and 2011, we've put together the most varied programme of events yet, designed to appeal to students and staff alike as well as reaching out to the wider community. Visitors can receive advice on reducing energy use and costs in the home, explore alternative travel options or simply learn more about environmental issues."

Listings:

"Green"
6.00pm Monday 6th February 2012
Main Building Room 155, Aston University
The story of a female orang-utan in the Indonesian rainforest, struggling for survival against the devastating impacts of logging and land clearance for palm oil plantations.

Eco-Marketplace
11.30am - 2.30pm Tuesday 7th February 2012
Student's Guild Hall, Aston University
Exhibitors include: Birmingham Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Student Switch Off, The Co-operative, Globally Local, Office Depot, walkit.com, Riverford Organic Veg, Change Agents, Traidcraft, Fair-trade Design and The Body Shop.

"Safeguarding the planet"
6.00pm, Tuesday 7th February 2012
Martin Luther King Multi-Faith Centre, Aston University
Aston University Chaplaincy faith and climate change discussion evening.

Bicycle Sale, managed by Cycle Chain
9.00am to 1.00pm Wednesday 8th February 2012
Main Building Reception, Aston University
Cycle Chain is a social enterprise working in Birmingham and the West Midlands to refurbish unwanted bicycles for re-sale. Cycle Chain works with people with visual impairment and those recovering from mental health problems and gives them training in bicycle maintenance.

RSPB city centre wildlife walk
1.00pm - 2.00pm Friday 10th February 2012
Meeting point: Main Building Reception, Aston University

"Capitalism or a habitable planet"
6.00pm. Friday 10th February 2012Main Building Room G8, Aston University.
Interactive talk from stand-up comedian turned environmental activist Robert Newman.

Further enquiries:
Victoria Johnsen / Kathy Hopkin
Environment and Sustainability Officer / Environment and Sustainability Assistant
E. v.johnsen1@aston.ac.uk / k.hopkin@aston.ac.uk
T. 0121 204 4970 / 0121 204 4961

Over two hundred people attended the Low Carbon Communities Network conference in Oxford on 14 January. The mood of the conference was upbeat despite the cuts in the feed in tariff, showing that the will of ordinary people to move towards a low carbon society is unstoppable.

Opening presentations included Rebecca Willis from Co-operatives UK talking about research she had done into community energy co-operatives - a subject close to our hearts in Birmingham as CORE50 has recently come into being and as Birmingham Churches Green Group look to set up a co-operative to bulk buy energy.

Rebecca said that many energy co-operatives suffer from 'heroic amateurism'. This struck a chord with me because I have long argued that community energy groups can learn from social enterprises in having leadership and management skills on a par with the private sector without compromising on our values. I often think we need to spend at least as much time on honing our learning and management skills as we do discussing the location of bike parking stands. Abraham Lincoln once said that if he had eight hours to cut down a tree, he would spend the first six sharpening his axe. The low carbon movement attracts a lot of people who are younger than I, which is excellent. I learned most of my leadership skills from being an activist, not from a textbook. The low carbon movement needs to become an academy of leadership skills for green leaders. It will make our edge a lot sharper if we can become more professional without losing sight of our values.

It was a busy conference for those of us from SusMo and other organisations in Birmingham such as Localise West Midlands, Balsall Heath is our Planet, Energywise and CORE50, with Kathy Hopkin and myself delivering sessions on Communities and Green Deal, and how Social Enterprises can work with the private sector.
One of the attendees at our workshop on Green Deal suggested that LCCN should play a role nationally in helping low carbon and transition groups to 'meet the buyer' - i.e. to negotiate with Green Deal providers over how we work with them, and at what price. This is an excellent idea. Birmingham Social Enterprise Energy Network has played this role very well in Birmingham and has helped low carbon groups and social enterprises to bid together instead of in competition with each other. This has led to a situation where third sector organisations are the providers of choice in Birmingham City Council's 'Stay Warm, Stay Well in Birmingham' fuel poverty programme, delivering energy and income maximisation advice to vulnerable people whose health is at risk due to cold, damp homes.

The conference ended with Jonathan Porritt, who as always, was provocative and challenged the thinking of everyone present, to remind us that we continually need to question ourselves about whether we are doing the right thing. He also mocked Greg Barker MP, much to the amusement of the audience, and also criticised him politically, which I thought was far preferable. There was a lively debate over working with the private sector, with some delegates thinking that we can have nothing to do with them whatsoever. There is a 'small elite group' mentality among some people in the Transition movement, who given a choice between compromise and irrelevance, would seemingly choose irrelevance.

The conference took place as the results of the DECC LEAF fund were announced. We were delighted to learn that two bids from Birmingham - a south Birmingham consortium bid led by Balsall Heath Is Our Planet, and a Northfield Ecocentre bid - had been successful.

The unusually warm new year means that new year resolutions to lose weight, get fitter and save the planet can begin at once.

Support for new cyclists, and those who have not cycled for many years, is widely available. In Birmingham you can get encouragement and support from the local campaigning group - contact Graham Hankins - secretary@pushbikes.org.uk - for details.

Don't fall into the trap of putting off using a bike for the short journeys that you usually make in the car, or heading out for a longer ride when the sun is shining, because you think
<> "it is too dangerous";
<> "there is no secure cycle parking there";
<> "there are no cycle tracks near my home".

If you wait until other people improve cycle conditions for you, then before this happens
<> global warming may cause irreversible problems;
<> the price of diminishing fossil fuels may make current prices seem unbelievably cheap;
<> you may become too frail to cycle.

Conditions for cycling are not likely to be perfect, but in most places you can find routes that are good enough
1 - to improve your fitness and general wellbeing;
2 - to save you a considerable amount of money;
3 - to help your area to reach the required CO₂ savings;
4 - to conserve the remaining reserves of fossil fuels.

OK your contribution from riding a bike instead of driving a car won't make a significant difference to the last two points, but your enthusiasm about the first two points may change the behaviour of people you know, and their enthusiasm may affect others and eventually a large group of people can make a significant difference in your area.

I have quoted Margaret Mead before: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

In 2012 you can make a difference!

Happy New Year! We at SusMo have been taking a break to enjoy the festivities and see our families, but we are back now and ready to face the challenges of the New Year.

Last year was a big year for us, we completed the Green Streets project which has dominated the majority of our time, but also encouraged new members and made some real CO2 savings. We have also been actively promoting our Imeasure group, hoping to track energy saving across Moseley, and encourage healthy competition. We have been working on our future too, which is something we will be focusing on this next few months.

If you want to speak to us, please do! We are at the Moseley farmers market every month hoping to meet people and get some fresh thoughts and ideas. You can also contact us via email.

We have all been noticing what lovely weather we have been having the last couple of months (as I type I can see the wind blustering outside, perhaps not for much longer!), here are some pictures of the lovely foliage we have been seeing, sent in by John Newson.

Thanks,
Sarah Napier