# The CA-WN Exchange > CA-WN Exchange is the forum for action on climate in West Northamptonshire. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### ABOUT URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/about/ Last updated: 2026-08-01T17:03:41.000Z ### Local people taking practical climate action in West Northamptonshire **Climate Action-West Northamptonshire \[CA-WN\]** is a welcoming, volunteer-led residents’ group for anyone who wants to help create a greener, healthier and more resilient local community. Whether you are already active on climate and nature, just beginning to explore what you can do, or looking for like-minded people nearby, CA-WN gives you practical ways to learn, connect and make a difference. We focus on action that matters locally: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving biodiversity and building community resilience as the climate changes. CA-WN is affiliated to Friends of the Earth as a Local Climate Group and is non-party-political, bringing people together from across the community around shared practical goals. Behind the scenes, our monthly **Steering Committee** keeps the group moving. Everyone involved is a volunteer, including our Chair and Secretary. CA-WN is formally [constituted](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/CA-WN%20Constitution%202024%20.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) as an **Unincorporated Association**. ## Why get involved? · **Learn** from clear, accessible talks and resources on climate change, biodiversity loss and practical local solutions. · **Meet** supportive people who care about the same issues and want to turn concern into constructive action. · **Add** your voice to local and national conversations by helping us engage elected representatives and decision-makers. · **Take part** in hands-on projects that help households, neighbourhoods and local organisations act with confidence. · **Be part** of a friendly community where your ideas, skills and energy can help shape what happens next. ## What CA-WN is delivering · **Monthly public meetings** with engaging speakers, practical insights and space to ask questions. Recent guests have covered climate science, sustainability, active travel and climate campaigning. Recordings are available on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), with meeting notes published [online](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/meeting-reports/). · **Local events** that make climate action feel tangible, social and achievable, from visits and discussions to community film screenings. · **CA-WN Exchange**, our online forum for climate action in West Northamptonshire, featuring original articles by local people, meeting notes, recommendations and useful ideas you can return to at any time. · **Stronger local connections** through partnerships with groups including the West Northamptonshire Sustainable Food Network and the West Northamptonshire Climate & Nature Partnership – see our [a list](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/local-climate-and-environmental-groups/) of local environmentally focused groups. · **A constructive voice** with West Northamptonshire Council: we support progress, challenge gaps and contribute informed responses to consultations and public meetings. · **Practical projects** such as Building Resilience which is learning from measuring the energy efficiency of our homes and helping householders explore heat losses for themselves with loan equipment. ## Start with CA-WN **Subscribe to CA-WN Exchange.** It is **free,** keeps you up to date with **local news** and **events**, and gives access to a growing archive of **practical, locally relevant climate** and **nature content**. Explore articles about local volunteer groups, **sustainability-minded businesses, farming, food, transport** and everyday action. Visit the[**What’s On page**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/)to find online and in-person events hosted by CA-WN and others. **Meet people face to face**. Join one of our field trips. Come along to one of our **informal socials** in Northampton. They are relaxed, friendly and a great way to meet others who want to act locally. If **you have a topic you care about,** an idea you want to test, or a project you would like to get off the ground, we would [love to hear from you](mailto:secretary@ca-wn.org?subject=I%20have%20an%20idea%20for%20CA-WN). You could write for CA-WN Exchange, speak at a monthly meeting, help with an event or lead a project with our support. ### **Ready to do something practical for climate and nature in West Northamptonshire?** ### **Subscribe to CA-WN Exchange, come to a meeting or social, and take your first step with a friendly local community that is already turning concern into action.** ### EDITORIAL TEAM URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/team/ Last updated: 2024-03-15T18:55:51.000Z RICHARD HOLLINGUM Retired as a university lecturer and has a PhD in cultural history. He now divides his time between being a trustee at Northamptonshire ACRE, writing for Folk Radio UK and dabbling in photography. ALEXINA CASSIDY Alexina is a Sustainability Consultant focussing on informing, advising and enabling companies to improve their ESG credentials, increase their positive impact and achieve B Corp certification. Prior to that she has 6 years’ experience as a Project Manager. Alexina has a Modern Languages degree from Durham University and has enjoyed a varied career in Finance, Fundraising and Teaching. CLARE SLATER Clare is a Parish Councillor and, along with Jane, set up the parish Environmental Working Group. A founding member of CA-WN, Clare also regularly contributes sustainability articles to her village newsletter and is a member of the sustainability committee at the medical communications agency where she works as a medical writer. JANE WOOD Jane retired from a career in financial services, latterly including risk and compliance roles. Jane is Chair of CA-WN, as well as other voluntary roles, including Parish Councillor and School Governor. ### FEATURES URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/features/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:55:37.000Z Climate change affects every part of our lives. Wherever you are, what we eat, how we power our homes, how we run our businesses, in fact how we live our lives, all affected by climate change. CA-WN Exchange **Features** commissions articles to explore how climate change is affecting our lives particularly in West Northamptonshire. Here you will find out about CA-WN’s work on building resilience, follow the route the various transport issues take, learn about how local farming is changing, and much more. If you have something to say that shows how climate change is being tackled in West Northamptonshire, send an email to [jane@ca-wn.org](mailto:jane@ca-wn.org). - [Air](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/air/) - [Bookshelf](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) - [Business as a force for good](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/business/) - [Councils & Councillors](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/council/) - [Food & Farming](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/food-&-farming/) - [Housing](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/housing/) - [Individual impact](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/individual-impact/) - [Local matters](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/local-matters/) - [Meeting reports](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/meeting-reports/) - [Nature](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/nature/) - [Opinion](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/opinion/) - [PodcastShelf](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) - [Recipes](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) - [Transport](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/transport/) - [Water](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/water/) ### WHAT'S ON URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T11:11:09.000Z **Wednesday 14 October** Warmer Winter Workshop ( Market Harborough) **Thursday 15 October** CA-WN 2026 AGM and Monthly Public Meeting (online) **Friday 16 October** People's Emergency Briefing film screening (Long Buckby) **Sunday 18 October** MK Climate Action Connect & AGM 2026 (Milton Keynes) **Tuesday 20 October** People's Emergency Briefing film screening (Kilsby) **Wednesday 28 October** People's Emergency Briefing film screening (Harlestone) **Thursday 12 November** People's Emergency Briefing film screening (Northampton) **Saturday 17 November** CA-WN social get-together (Northampton) **Saturday 21 November** People's Emergency Briefing film screening (Brixworth) ### [Full details of all events below. ](#/share) **Scroll right down to see details of guest speakers at CA-WN public meetings in the next few months.** --- ## People's Emergency Briefing film screenings If you missed the People's Emergency Briefing film showings organised by CA-WN earlier this summer, we are very pleased to share other opportunities to see the film locally. The film lasts around 50 minutes and each event will include an audience discussion. **Friday 16 October 7.00pm - 9.00pm, Long Buckby** **Long Buckby Library NN6 7QB** [Email for further details](mailto:sam.holst@buckbylibraryhub.org?subject=The%20People%E2%80%99s%20Emergency%20Briefing) **Tuesday 20 October 7:30pm, Kilsby Village Hall, Rugby Road, Kilsby, CV23 8XX** Organised by Kilsby Residents Climate and Nature Action group, supported by Kilsby Parish Council. Refreshments available. [https://www.tickettailor.com/events/kilsbyresidentsclimateandnatureactiongroup/2409416](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/kilsbyresidentsclimateandnatureactiongroup/2409416?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Wednesday 28 October 6:45pm - 8:45pm, Harlestone Village Institute, NN74EH** Organised by Harlestone Parish Council [https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2420019](https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2420019?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Thursday 12 November** **7:30pm - Northampton** **Mount Pleasant Church, Kettering Rd, Northampton NN1 4BS** Organised by Northamptonshire Ecumenical Eco Churches. [https://www.tickettailor.com/events/northamptonshireecumenicalecochurchesgroup/2433188](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/northamptonshireecumenicalecochurchesgroup/2433188?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Saturday 21 November 6:45pm - 9:00pm, Brixworth Village Hall, NN6 9BS** [https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2437320](https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2437320?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ## Warmer Winter Workshop **Wednesday 14 October 7:30pm - 9:00pm, Octagonal Hall, Our Lady of Victories, Market Harborough LE16 9QQ** First in a series of 3 workshops hosted by Harborough Community Energy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/10/image.png) ## CA-WN 2026 AGM and Monthly Public Meeting **Thursday 15 October 7:30pm - 9:00pm (online)** This meeting starts **15 minutes earlier than usual**, at 7.30.Approximately the first 15 minutes will be taken up by the **Annual General Meeting** agenda: - Minutes of 2025 AGM - Chair's Report - Treasurer's Report - Election of Officers - Election of Steering Committee members We will then move on to our usual monthly public meeting with **guest speaker Mark Tucker**, Partnership & Value Chain Manager, Yara International. CA-WN's resident farming expert, Rupert Knowles, asked Mark to speak after reading an [article ](https://www.farming.co.uk/news/is-fertiliser-really-to-blame-for-declining-soil-health?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)he wrote for Farming News. A thriving agricultural sector will be vital to future UK health and food security, so we are grateful to Mark for agreeing to shed light on some of the complexities of modern farming around soil fertility and the role of fertilisers. ## MK Climate Action Connect & AGM 2026 **Sunday 18 October 2:00pm - 4:30pm, Church of Christ the Cornerstone, Saxon Gate, Milton Keynes, MK9 2ES** If you are around the Milton Keynes area, why not join our friends at MK Climate Action Network for their AGM, refreshments, speakers and more. Full details on the link below. [MK Climate Action Connect & AGM 2026: Stalls, Stories & Sustainable FutureJoin us in person for Milton Keynes’ Climate Action Connect & AGM 2026 – catch up, chat, and shape the future together!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/favicon-194x194-31dd1a60-f039-4bc2-829e-960dab010a8c.png)Eventbrite![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/image-033baef2-3d21-495f-a4b2-f7cee71bfec5)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mk-climate-action-connect-agm-2026-stalls-stories-sustainable-future-tickets-1996098968749?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ## CA-WN social get-together **Saturday 17 November 2:00pm - 4:00pm, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, 4-6 Guildhall Road, Northampton, NN1 1DP** All welcome for this informal chance to get together in person. We meet downstairs in the museum café, feel free to drop in at any time. --- ## Friends of the Earth training and events CA-WN is affiliated to FoE as a Climate Action Group, which provides benefits including access to their training and events. Details and booking: [https://groups.friendsoftheearth.uk/training/training-and-events](https://groups.friendsoftheearth.uk/training/training-and-events?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ## Regular CA-WN events **3rd Thursday of every month General Meeting (online) 7:45 - 9:00 pm** **Quarterly online Climate Café 8:00 - 9:00 pm** **Quarterly face-to-face get togethers - watch this page for details.** All Climate Cafes and general meetings are free and open to all. Find out more and register for free on Eventbrite [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/climate-action-west-northamptonshire-34423488393](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/climate-action-west-northamptonshire-34423488393?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ****Guest speakers for future CA-WN monthly public meetings** 15 October - Mark Tucker, Yara International 19 November - Aiden Humphries, Nene Rivers Trust December - no meeting ### CAMPAIGNS URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/campaigns/ Last updated: 2025-04-09T08:57:22.000Z ### THE VERY BASICS OF LIFE CA-WN is taking steps to safeguard the very basics of life – the AIR we breathe, the WATER we drink, the FOOD we eat and the SHELTER we call home. Find out more on these campaign pages: **[AIR](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/air/)** **WATER** **FOOD** **SHELTER** ### AIR URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/air/ Last updated: 2022-12-15T21:02:20.000Z **CA-WN'S AIR QUALITY MONITORING PROJECT** Air pollution matters. No one likes bad smells but airborne particles can damage human health so it is important to know what is in the air we breath. For Northamptonshire there is just one official site for measuring air pollution. This project complements official measurements with real-time outdoor, hyper-local readings using miniature air quality monitoring stations equipped with WiFi . Every few minutes the monitoring stations upload air quality data to a [community website](https://maps.sensor.community/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#12/52.1993/-0.8952) that shows estimated real-time air quality. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2022/12/Bugbrooke-Primary.png) *a monitor outside a primary schgool* Each station contains sensors measuring the amount of dust - technically *particulate matter -* in the outdoor air. The concentration of particulate matter \[PM\] is given in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) ie the weight in one millionths of a gram of PM in a cubic metre of air. The weight of two significant PM sizes in the airborne dust are estimated: • PM10 \[particulate matter 10 microns and smaller\] • PM2.5 \[particulate matter 2.5 microns and smaller\] A micron, or micrometre, is one millionth of a metre so these dust sizes are invisible to the naked eye and explains why they need to be measured by electronic sensors. PMs smaller than 2.5 microns can penetrate the lining of the lungs, enter the blood stream and be circulated round vital organs. As these can be the most hazardous to human health they need to be counted. It is important to note that the measurements from these monitoring stations cannot be taken literally because their sensors are not calibrated to laboratory standards, nor are they operating under laboratory conditions. However their sensor components are identical, or broadly similar, to those used in professionally calibrated systems and they do provide an important indication of immediate pollution levels along with an archive of trends over time. ### DISCUSSION URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/discussion/ Last updated: 2025-01-06T10:54:06.000Z **The CA-WN Exchange** is all about **community engagement**. That's you! The comments section on every post is a space for you to chat with other members,share knowledge and experiences, and share what content you enjoy the most. Please do share your thoughts - if you enjoyed an article we'd love to know and if you didn't, constructive comments will help us improve. ✅ ****To help keep the community safe, constructive and fun, here are a few best practices to keep in mind. Thanks for your help & support.** ### RESPECT EACH OTHER This should be a safe and inviting community for everyone, so it's expected that all members be civil and respectful in their interactions. Like any online community, we're a group of people with a range of experiences and beliefs, many of which may differ from your own. Consider this a gift — interesting and challenging perspectives can open doors you didn't even know existed. ### SHARE YOUR REAL NAME AND EXPERTISE When you publish your first comment on this site, you'll be prompted to complete a member profile, with your name and expertise. You can update this at any time. Using your real name and sharing your expertise or lived experience helps give context to valuable discussions. Sharing these extra details alongside your comments shows the perspective from which you are joining the conversation. ### STAY ON TOPIC, AND SHARE YOUR SOURCES A new post might prompt a dozen different types of responses, from a reader sharing a personal story to a newcomer asking for clarification. In every instance, do your best to stay on topic, support your replies with additional context or sources where appropriate, and focus on discussing the ideas presented. ✅ Link to trustworthy articles, reports, and sources to support your arguments. ✅ Only share links to your own content when it directly adds to the conversation. Please don't spam. Nobody likes spam. Nobody. If you've contributed to the conversation and someone else replies to your thread, you'll be notified by email. **You can choose to switch these emails off** in your member account settings, under email preferences. ### KEEP IT CONSTRUCTIVE AND KIND Constructive contributions are the best kind. If you have knowledge that places the topic of the post in a new light, or if you have feedback about the subject matter — it's best shared in a way that helps everyone feel like this is a space where new ideas are respected and valued. With every comment you make, you add to the dialogue. Many people may read your words and use them to shape their ideas and feelings about a topic, event, or person. Employ that influence wisely. Move the collective conversation forward, and invite others to follow your lead. ### FLAG INAPPROPRIATE INTERACTIONS ✅ ****As a member, you can help maintain a safe and inviting space by reporting any behaviour that goes against these guidelines.** If you see someone being rude, negative, hateful, divisive, or combative in the comments section, flag it. All you need to do is click the three dots next to the inappropriate comment, and then click **Report comment**. These reports are taken seriously, and there's a zero tolerance policy for abusive behaviour. ### BE THE YOU ONLINE THAT YOU ARE IN-PERSON Most people are kind and well-intentioned humans. Although it may seem like the opposite is true on the internet at times, the reality is that people tend to follow the majority. You can help keep the tone of this space friendly and fun if you lead the way with insightful, humane language. Let's keep this a space that you want to spend time in. ### That’s it! If you’ve scrolled this far, thank you for being a valued member, see you in the comments and enjoy the discussions! ### CONTACTS URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/contact/ Last updated: 2023-01-06T15:24:20.000Z ### CA-WN 💡 **Climate Action-West Northamptonshire** \[CA-WN\] is a volunteer-run residents’ group aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve biodiversity, and build community resilience to the effects of a changing climate. For any **question** about, or **comment** on, **Climate Action-West Northamptonshire** please contact the [Secretary](mailto:secretary@ca-wn.org). ### The CA-WN Exchange 💡 **The CA-WN Exchange** welcomes articles, discussions and pictures on any aspect of climate change, particularly relating to the impact on West Northamptonshire. If you would like to contribute, please contact [exchange@ca-wn.org](mailto:exchange@ca-wn.org) ### Welcome URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/welcome/ Last updated: 2024-06-13T18:36:51.000Z _This page is for subscribers only._ ### How you can help URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/how-you-can-help/ Last updated: 2023-07-03T11:34:59.000Z CA-WN aims to be a welcoming and inclusive community and there will never be any requirement to do more than you are able to and comfortable with. Equally we want everyone to be able to get involved if they want to. This doesn't need to mean an ongoing or regular commitment. These are some opportunities to support CA-WN in practical ways (email [secretary@ca-wn.org](mailto:secretary@ca-wn.org) if you're interested): **Representing CA-WN at local events** As a local group we are really keen to get out and engage with people face to face. This means going to local events fairly often. If you are able to be part of a small CA-WN team at an event near you, please get in touch. These are some of the events we have attended this year: \- Climate Chaos - Save Our Future, Northampton College \- Greener Byfield Family Fun, Byfield Pocket Park \- Tea & Cake with CA-WN, Towcester Sawpits Centre \- Sustainable Northamptonshire - University of Northampton Full details of forthcoming events on the [What’s On](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/) page. **Presenting a statement at a West Northamptonshire Council meeting** Since WNC came into being 2 years ago, we have presented more than a dozen statements at WNC council meetings. This has a had a real impact in terms of raising our profile and influencing the council’s stance on climate and environmental issues. It genuinely helps to have a range of people representing CA-WN on this very public stage. This isn’t for everyone – it is a bit daunting and does require attending an evening meeting in person. But if you are up for it, we will be there to support you with drafting and delivering your 3-minute statement. **Writing for CA-WN Exchange** We are always happy to receive contributions for CA-WN Exchange – you could: \- Write a short recommendation of a book you’ve read or podcast you love on a climate or environmental topic \- Share your personal actions for the climate as part of our ‘Small Things are Important’ feature \- Recommend a local business with a strong ethical and sustainable approach to cover under ‘Business as a Force for Good’ \- Write about something you are passionate about on a climate or environmental theme **Joining or supporting an existing local environmental group** We've put together a directory of the groups we know about - there are lots around so there should be one near you. If your local group isn't on the list, please let us know! [Local climate and environmental groups (ca-wn.org)](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/local-climate-and-environmental-groups/) ### Local climate and environmental groups URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/local-climate-and-environmental-groups/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T14:43:12.000Z There are so many brilliant groups local to West Northamptonshire and the neighbouring areas - if there's one in your neighbourhood, why not contact them to get involved. And if there isn't perhaps you could start one? Do let us know of any groups missing from this list. ## Groups in West Northants **The Blackcurrent Centre** Eco friendly housing co-op Social Media:[ facebook.com/BlackcurrentCentre](http://m.facebook.com/BlackcurrentCentre?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Website:[ www.blackcurrent.uk/](http://www.blackcurrent.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Boddington Sustainability Group** A village parish council group that advises the parish council and supports local people. Read more about them on CA-WN Exchange in [Local Matters](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/local-matters-boddington/). Website:[ www.boddingtonparish.co.uk/index.php/information/sustainability](http://www.boddingtonparish.co.uk/index.php/information/sustainability?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Braunston CAN (Climate Action Network)** A local village climate action group. Website: [https://www.braunston.org.uk/org.aspx?n=Braunston-CAN-Climate-Action-Network](https://www.braunston.org.uk/org.aspx?n=Braunston-CAN-Climate-Action-Network&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=Free%2C%20confidential%20and%20independent%20energy,National%20Grid's%20Warm%20Homes%20Fund.&text=Free%2C%20independent%20energy%20savings%20advice,and%20low%2Dcarbon%20heating%20options) **Brixworth Climate Action Group** A local village climate action group. They can be contacted via Brixworth Parish Council. Website: [https://www.brixworthparishcouncil.gov.uk/](https://www.brixworthparishcouncil.gov.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Bugbrooke Environmental Working Group** A local village environmental group working on increasing renewable energy, improving options for low carbon travel and biodiversity in Bugbrooke. Social media: Website: [www.bugbrookeparishcouncil.org/bewg](http://www.bugbrookeparishcouncil.org/bewg?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Extinction Rebellion Northampton** A local group under the Extinction Rebellion umbrella based in Northampton. Social Media:[ m.facebook.com/261181181474410/?locale=en\_GB](http://m.facebook.com/261181181474410/?locale=en%5FGB&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Website: [www.rebellion.global/groups/gb-northampton/](http://www.rebellion.global/groups/gb-northampton/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Flore Climate Group** A local village environmental group. Website:[ www.florevillage.co.uk/clubs-groups](http://www.florevillage.co.uk/clubs-groups?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Greener Byfield** A local group working to make Byfield greener. Read more about them on CA-WN Exchange in [Local Matters](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/a-greener-byfield-event-promoting-sustainability-in-a-village-community/) Website: [www.byfield-pc.gov.uk/carbon-neutral-byfield.html](http://www.byfield-pc.gov.uk/carbon-neutral-byfield.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Green Welford** A local community group in the village of Welford they have fortnightly coffee mornings and monthly mending groups as well as events. Social media:[ facebook.com/groups/1625772687624953/](http://facebook.com/groups/1625772687624953/) Website: [www.welfordvillage.org.uk/green-welford1.html](http://www.welfordvillage.org.uk/green-welford1.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Hackleton WEB (Wildlife, Biodiversity and The Environment)** A group set up by Hackleton Parish Council to involve the whole community in delivering on the council'sWildlife & Biodiversity Policy [https://www.hackletonparishcouncil.gov.uk/wildlife-biodiversity-and-the-en](https://www.hackletonparishcouncil.gov.uk/wildlife-biodiversity-and-the-en?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Heyfords Wildlife Association** A community group set up to look after and record wildlife in the parish, which has created a thriving wildlife patch. **Kilsby Residents Climate and Nature Action Group** A residents group helping their community understand what we can all do to help tackle climate change. [https://kilsby-pc.gov.uk/climate-action](https://kilsby-pc.gov.uk/climate-action?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Long Buckby Green Space**s Responsible for management of Cotton End Park and Mill Park Reserve in Long Buckby. [https://longbuckbygreenspaces.com/](https://longbuckbygreenspaces.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Maidwell Being** This group meets on the 2nd Saturday of every month (not July and August) in the Loder Hall, Maidwell. Find out more by emailing Amanda Goddard on cllragoddard@gmail.com. **Northampton Town Climate Change Forum** A group of councillors and members of the public volunteering their time to raise awareness of climate change and air quality. Social Media: [facebook.com/ClimateChangeNN/](https://www.facebook.com/ClimateChangeNN/) Website: [www.northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk/climate-change-forum.html](https://www.northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk/climate-change-forum.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Northamptonshire Biodiversity Records Centre** A not for profit organisation that supports the recording and sharing of verified environmental information. Website: [www.northantsbrc.org.uk/](https://www.northantsbrc.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Northants Litter Wombles** There are 37 Womble groups across Northamptonshire. They organise regular group litter picks; members also pick litter in their own time and post it on their Wombles Facebook group. Social media: [facebook.com/groups/421049525826164/?locale=en\_GB](http://facebook.com/groups/421049525826164/?locale=en%5FGB) Website:[ www.northantslitterwombles.co.uk/groups/](https://www.northantslitterwombles.co.uk/groups/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Northamptonshire Natural History Society** This group is for anyone fascinated by the natural world, they provide talks, walks and visits throughout the year. Website: [www.nnhs.info/](http://www.nnhs.info/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers** A not for profit community group aiming to increase the woodland coverage in Northamptonshire. Website: **RAIN Northants (Resilience and Innovation Northants)** The Resilience And Innovation Northants (RAIN) project has launched to trial and implement innovative flood risk measures in communities located in the Harpers Brook and Wootton Brook catchments. Website: [https://rainnorthants.co.uk/](https://rainnorthants.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **South Court Environmental** Holds regular events and supports wildlife and conservation in 8 sites across Northampton, including managing the historic orchards at Wilson's Orchard and Abington Lodge. Social media: [facebook.com/Southcourtenviromental](http://m.facebook.com/Southcourtenviromental?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Website: [www.uk.coop/directory/south-court-environmental](https://www.uk.coop/directory/south-court-environmental?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Syresham Climate Change & Environment Committee** Set up to look at how the parish can respond to the important issues of global warming and environmental protection. Website: [https://www.syreshamparishcouncil.gov.uk/climate-change-and-environment](https://www.syreshamparishcouncil.gov.uk/climate-change-and-environment?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Transition Town Northampton** A Northampton group, part of the wider [Transition Town](https://transitionnetwork.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) movement, that meets monthly and organises events and campaigns. Social media:[ facebook.com/137911752912339/](http://facebook.com/137911752912339/) Website:[ www.transitiontownnorthampton.org/](http://www.transitiontownnorthampton.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Trees for Welford** A village group hoping to plant hundreds if not thousands of indigenous trees in their local area. Website: [www.welfordvillage.org.uk/trees-for-welford.html](https://www.welfordvillage.org.uk/trees-for-welford.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **The Umbrella Fair Organisation** Based at the Racecourse in Northampton, the UFO runs climate cafes and a wide range if other events and activities. Website:[ www.umbrellafair.org.uk/](http://www.umbrellafair.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Social media:[ facebook.com/UmbrellaFair](http://m.facebook.com/UmbrellaFair?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **West Northamptonshire Climate & Nature Partnership (WNCAN)** WNCAN members are all from the West Northamptonshire area, and believe that a broad based 'umbrella group' could help in the face of the threat to our health, well-being, security and prosperity posed by the inevitable and damaging effects of a warming Earth and nature depletion. Website: [https://wncan.org.uk](https://wncan.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Social media: [https://www.facebook.com/](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578613239846) **West Northamptonshire Sustainable Food Network** Join the Good Food Movement to be part of a vibrant community dedicated to making West Northamptonshire thrive. Together, we’ll grow, cook, and enjoy food that’s better for our health and wellbeing. Website: [https://goodfoodwnorthants.org/](https://goodfoodwnorthants.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants.** There are 4 local Wildlife Trust groups in Northamptonshire - Brackley, Towcester, Desborough & District, and Oundle [www.wildlifebcn.org/our-people-and-partners/our-local-groups](http://www.wildlifebcn.org/our-people-and-partners/our-local-groups?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Yelvertoft Environmental Group** A relaxed local group looking to make a change both as individuals and as a community. Website: [https://yelvertoftenvironmentalgroup.org/](https://yelvertoftenvironmentalgroup.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ## Groups in neighbouring areas **Bozeat Conservation Group St Marys Church Yard** A group of eco-friendly conservationists are improving biodiversity in St Marys Church Yard in the village of Bozeat. Social media:[ facebook.com/groups/2913352092120814/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/2913352092120814) **Harborough Climate Action** Part of the Sustainable Harborough Community, based in Market Harborough. Their purpose is to help local residents, businesses, community groups, public bodies and politicians tackle the Climate Crisis and reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Net Zero. Website: [https://www.sustainableharboroughcommunity.co.uk/hca](https://www.sustainableharboroughcommunity.co.uk/hca?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Harborough Woodland Community Volunteers** Planting over 34,000 mostly free trees in West Northamptonshire and South Leicestershire in schools, farms, and instigating 12 large area natural flood management schemes on the Welland Catchment. Helping set up new tree planting groups. Started Greener Schools Group for teachers from about 30 schools to share good ideas. Members won national awards: River Restoration Champion 2022; and one of 500 winners of Royal Voluntary Service Coronation Champion Awards in the UK. Website: [www.harboroughwoodland.com](http://www.harboroughwoodland.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Email: [info@harboroughwoodland.com](mailto:info@harboroughwoodland.com) Facebook groups: [Harborough Woodland Community Volunteers](https://www.facebook.com/groups/662107704605664); [Natural Flood Management UK](https://www.facebook.com/groups/657389065657045); [Friends of River Welland](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1334834653966463) (includes the River Jordan from near Desborough and important run off from West Northamptonshire) **Kettering eco group** A group of eco-minded individuals who want to promote eco ideas, tips, and tricks in Kettering. Social media:[ https://m.facebook.com/ketteringecogroup](https://m.facebook.com/ketteringecogroup?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Napton Environmental Action Team (NEAT)** A local village environmental group in the village of Napton. Social Media: [www.facebook.com/NaptonEnvironmentalActionTeam/](http://www.facebook.com/NaptonEnvironmentalActionTeam/) Website:[www.warwickshireclimateemergency.org.uk/sustainable-communities-green-economy-2/napton-environmental-action-team](https://www.warwickshireclimateemergency.org.uk/sustainable-communities-green-economy-2/napton-environmental-action-team?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **North Northants Sustainable Food Network** Working towards the eradication of food poverty and promoting sustainable food practices. Website: [www.sustainablefoodplaces.org/members/north-northants/](https://www.sustainablefoodplaces.org/members/north-northants/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Save Our Trees - Wellingborough Walks Action Group** A group campaigning to stop Britain’s longest avenue of trees being cut down in Wellingborough. Website:[ www.saveourtrees.co.uk/#:\~:text=Hello](http://www.saveourtrees.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=Hello) **Wellingborough Eco Group** A local town group, they host various activities including repair cafes, swap shops and litter picking. Social media:[ facebook.com/groups/473100599937079/?locale=en\_GB](http://facebook.com/groups/473100599937079/?locale=en%5FGB) Website: [www.wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk](http://www.wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Claim Back Your Space: Working With Nature URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/claim-back-your-space-2/ Last updated: 2023-10-06T17:41:21.000Z ### These notes for any group interested in a small rewilding project were written for CA-WN by Brian Webster and illustrated by Clare Robertson-Marriott **Before you start** Any space can be rewilded by just standing back and letting nature get on with it, and many of our richest wild places were shaped this way. If the soil is nutrient poor this may be a good idea but all too often what you end up with are nettles, thistles and other nitrogen-loving plants. These are all important to have as they support a huge variety of wildlife. Several of our most colourful butterflies need nettles as food for their caterpillars, and young nettle tops make a delicious soup to warm us up in spring! These suggestions are aimed at a parish-sized area, but can be scaled down even for the average front garden or a strip of roadside verge. **Remember, a humble, gentle approach is key, costs should be minimal, and time, thought and effort the main inputs.** > “The longest journey begins with the first step.” So goes the old Chinese proverb, so let’s get to it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/10/Meadow-Buttercup.png) Meadow buttercup **First steps** Assuming you already have a nucleus of interested folk raring to go, what next? The local authority, usually the Parish Council, will need to know about your ideas. If you are lucky they may have someone with the know-how to start you off. Indeed they may be ready to point you towards suitable areas for a project, and small grants may be available to help with costs. In any event, they need to be kept informed of your plans from an early stage. Small pockets of land, only a few square metres let’s say, may just need a close cut in April and again in September when most wild flowers are over, with the clippings carefully raked off. Mowing and raking is important, the idea being to gradually starve the soil of nutrients. This favours the flowering herbs rather than the grasses. Often there will already be a handful of species like daisies, buttercups, dandelions and so on surviving with a circle of leaves hugging the ground. All they need is freedom from mowing to give them time to flower and set seed. Other kinds will gradually find their own way in, paragliding on the wind or from seeds dropped by a bird or small mammal. Larger areas should first be surveyed to find out what is already there. While it is possible to an extent to do this using the many books and online guides that are available, a word of caution is needed. Many valuable wildlife communities have been damaged or destroyed by well-meaning amateurs blundering in. Like any other worthwhile pursuit it takes many years of patient observation to gain a degree of expertise. What appears to the untrained eye to be just an eyesore may be home to a whole community of rare plants and animals. So it is vital to find someone with the necessary knowledge to spend some time making a list of what is already there. You may be lucky to have such a person within your group or living in the area who can do this. If not, the local Wildlife Trust should be approached. Every county or group of counties has its own Wildlife Trust. In West Northamptonshire this is *The Wildlife Trust BCN*; their contact details are at the end of this post. At an early stage seek to involve the local school. With an enthusiastic teacher on board a whole range of exciting projects opens up. Suggestions include: setting up a mini tree nursery, from gathering the wild seed in autumn to sowing and growing on the seedlings, then planting out on your site(s); children should be encouraged to help on your site from the beginning, it goes without saying always under competent supervision; keeping records of wildlife, etc. Classroom visits to a site can be an invaluable teaching resource. A bonus is that children who have been actively involved in planning and developing the project, and encouraged to think of it as their own, will continue to take pride in and care for the site as they grow up. It cannot be overemphasised that what appear to our eyes derelict sites may harbour important wildlife communities. For example a sheet of corrugated iron turned over on an abandoned industrial site may hide slow worms: that rotting post you plan to burn may have rare lichens or mosses growing on it or small creatures hidden in its crevices. Of course if a site is found to be hazardous to humans in any way action to make it safe will need to be taken. Generally this will need expert guidance and is outside the scope of these notes. So ‘make haste slowly’ should be your maxim. Having thought your project through and prepared plans, only then may you begin any necessary work on the ground. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/10/Dog-Rose-CE.png) Dog rose > ***New plots*** > ***• Start gently*** > ***• Respect what is already there*** > ***• Seek expert advice for larger plots*** > ***• Mow in April and September*, raking off clippings** > ***• Existing wildflowers will flourish with less mowing*** > ***• More species will colonise naturally over time*** **Preparing your plot** It is likely your project will look scruffy, especially in the early stages. Nature is like that, so it is important to keep the general public informed of what you are trying to do. Towards summer’s end grasslands especially look untidy as the foliage begins to die back. This is the time to be patient. Waiting until September to give it the second short back and sides gives the flower seeds time to ripen and fall to the ground. Then move in with the mowers and cut as close to the ground as possible. The most important thing is to rake off as much of the cut material as possible. Vigorous cutting and raking will help shake any seed still in the seed heads free to disperse, to grow and flourish the following season. Aim to cover small segments at a time. Take on too much and things can quickly start to go adrift, and get out of control. More importantly if things start to go astray it is possible to backtrack and start again. Above all be patient. You will be working at nature’s pace and she will not be hurried. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/10/Corncockle-CE.png) Corncockle **Flower-rich grasslands** Any bare ground could just be left to see what grows there but be aware that you may end up with mainly nettles and thistles. These are all valuable to wildlife; nettles are food for many butterfly and moth caterpillars. You may decide to sow bare ground with a wildflower seed mix – there are a host of choices online. But once again local is best. Why not put a paper bag in your pocket and harvest some when you are out and about on your walks? It is easy to snip off a few seed heads or shake some into your bag, always being careful to leave plenty behind. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/10/Yellow-Rattle-CE.png) Hay rattle or yellow rattle One wild flower I would say is a must have and that is hay rattle, also known as yellow rattle. A foot or so high, it has small yellow flowers followed by papery seed cases in which the ripe seeds rattle when shaken. It is what the botanists call a hemi- parasite. Although capable of relying on its own roots for food it loses no chance to invade the roots of nearby grasses. It does this to steal food from them. This weakens the grasses giving other wild flowers the chance to thrive. Again look for supplies online, unless you know somewhere it grows near you. Wild-harvested seed of most kinds benefit from being stratified if they are to germinate well. This involves making sure they are chilled over the winter, mimicking outside conditions. After thoroughly drying your seeds in a warm room, put them in a moisture-tight container and keep them in the salad drawer of your fridge for a few weeks before you sow them. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/10/Red-clover-CE.png) Red clover No need to dig your plot over but do rake it over vigorously to loosen the top inch or so of soil. Remove unwanted seedlings like nettles and docks that have germinated or they will quickly smother the other plants. Best time is early spring when the soil has dried out a bit and the risk of hard frosts has passed. As with any other wilding project your wild flower meadow will improve year by year, and just think of the bees, butterflies and others that will be attracted. You can be proud! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/10/Ragged-Robin-CE.png) Ragged robin **Tree planting and aftercare** However small your area try to find space to plant a few trees and shrubs, or even better a small grove that will grow on to delight future generations. Don’t run away with the idea that woodland is merely a matter of planting a few trees. It takes centuries for a new planting to even approach wildlife-rich maturity, and that’s the whole wondrous point. Done with care and sympathy you can think of your work as being for posterity. There surely can be no greater legacy than that. As already outlined, trees nurtured from seed you have harvested locally should be the aim. This is because such trees should be adapted to local conditions, and as in pretty much anything else environmental, local is best. Buy trees in, if you must, from a reliable supplier like the Woodland Trust. Only if locally sourced trees cannot be obtained should others be sought. Avoid imported trees as they may harbour unwanted diseases.. Think Dutch elm disease and ash dieback. Both of these came in this way. Oak, hawthorn, beech, ash, large-leaved lime, silver birch and rowan are all good in normal soil. In areas that are permanently damp the willows, sallows and alders are suitable. Avoid planting into waterlogged soil. Newly planted trees must be well watered until they are established. A tree guard is necessary where rabbits and other browsing animals are present. Environmentally friendly non-plastic ones are available from the Woodland Trust - see Useful sources of information at the end of this post. Bushes that will thrive include English privet, blackthorn, buckthorn, elder, and dogwood. All may be harvested and grown on in your nursery. Brambles should be encouraged not only for their fruits but also for their nectar-rich flowers. Likewise climbers such as honeysuckle, its nectar being sought after by long-tongued moths. Many of these may be increased by taking cuttings, but too many of these is not a good idea as they will be genetically identical to the parent plant. **Ponds** Even the smallest of ponds will be a magnet for wildlife, so do try to find space for one. Site it where it is not too close to trees, yet benefits from some shade in hot weather. It should be at least two feet deep so that it does not freeze solid in hard winters. Part of it should shelve gently to a shallow end so that birds, hedgehogs and other animals that fall in may find a way to crawl out. A newly built pond may just be left to see what comes in. It is amazing how soon pond skaters fly in, often appearing within hours. But some water plants like purple loosestrife, arrowhead, bur-reed, yellow irises and reeds may be planted around the edges. Again seek them from local sources wherever possible. Water lilies are really suitable only for larger ponds. Likewise fish are not a good idea as many species are predators and could decimate other wildlife. Duckweed with tiny flat leaves lying flat on the surface will almost certainly appear. Don’t be alarmed if it entirely covers your pond, as it provides shade and shelter while letting plenty of light through to the creatures below. Over time these may include water boatmen, dragonfly nymphs, water beetles, and of course frogs, toads and newts. Periodically you will find it necessary to clear your pond as it becomes clogged up with leaves, silt and other debris. This should be a winter task when much of the wildlife is dormant. Leave some of the cleared material close to the edge for a while so that any active creatures may find their way back into the water. All cut material should be removed to the compost heap to rot down. > **We hope these basic notes have been helpful to you and wish you every success with your project. Be assured you will be making a very real contribution towards helping our wounded environment recover from the battering of recent decades. What can be more rewarding than that?** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/10/Scabious-CE.png) Scabious **SEED AND PLANT SUPPLIERS** All these plant suppliers use peat-free compost [**Bee Happy Plants**](https://beehappyplants.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Lakehayes (Organic) Nursery, South Chard, South Somerset TA20 2NZ [**Blisworth Wild Flower Nursery**](https://blisworthwildflowers.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4a Northampton Road, Blisworth, Northamptonshire NN7 3DN [**Emorsgate Seeds**](https://wildseed.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Limes Farm, Tilney All Saints, King's Lynn, Norfolk PE34 4RT [**Rosy Bee**](https://www.rosybee.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Maypole, Monmouth NP25 5QH 07710 096734 [**Swallow Nursery and Plant Centre**](https://www.swallowsnursery.co.ukhttps//www.swallowsnursery.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Evenley Road, Mixbury, Brackley, NN13 5RR **USEFUL SOURCES OF INFORMATION** **[Buglife](https://www.buglife.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)** G06 Allia Business Centre, London Road, Peterborough PE2 8AN [**Butterfly Conservation Trust**](https://www.butterfly-conservation.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5QP [**Plantlife**](https://www.plantlife.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Brewery House, 36 Milford Way, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 2AP 01722 342730 [**Wildlife Trust BCN**](https://www.wildlifebcn.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) \- Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Lings House, Billing Lings, Northampton NN3 8BE 01604 405285 [**Wildlife Trusts** ](https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-trusts?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)(find the Trust for your county) [**Woodland Trust**](https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6LL **READING LIST** **The Garden Jungle: or Gardening to Save the Planet** by Dave Goulson, published by Vintage (2020) **Feral: Rewilding the Land, Sea and Human Life** by George Monbiot published by Penguin (2014) **No Nettles Required: The Reassuring Truth About Wildlife Gardening** by Ken Thompson, published by Eden Project Books (2006) **Wilding** by Isabella Tree, published by Picador (2018) **Woodland Creation Guide** by S. Herbert, A. Hotchkiss, C. Reid and K. Hornigold, published by Woodland Trust (2022), available at ### About our author and illustrator **Brian Webster** is an ecologist who has spent a lifetime working in and sharing his knowledge of the natural world. His varied career has included overseeing initial development of the 245-acre Robinswood Hill Country Park in Gloucestershire as Warden Supervisor, Natural Sciences Officer caring for major geological and natural history collections at Northampton Museums, and Fishing Warden at Pitsford Water. In the educational sphere, he has taught courses on aspects of wildlife conservation, ecology, and environment in a range of settings, and worked with students from infants to A-level to help them learn about their place in nature. **Clare Robertson-Marriott** writes "*It is natural and necessary to develop an affinity with nature. Drawing wild plants and animals requires a close examination. I enjoy the botanical study of the structure of plants and to learn of their character and movement in the field, and the communities in which they grow. The more one looks, the more beautiful they become. Drawing plants brings peace and affinity with them. However, we do need to plant more of them*". ### CA-WN Lending Library URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-library/ Last updated: 2024-04-05T13:03:07.000Z The late Brian Webster, author of our notes for anyone interested in a small rewilding project, generously bequeathed a large number of books that are now available for members to borrow. If you have a climate-relevant book that you would like to donate to our CA-WN library please contact the [secretary@ca-wn.org](mailto:secretary@gca-wn.org?subject=Lending%20Library). These books are in our Lending Library at April 2024: | **Title** | **Author** | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | | Zero Carbon Britain | Allen, Paul | | Inglorious | Avery, Mark | | How Bad are Bananas? | Berners-Lee, Mike | | There is no Planet B | Berners-Lee, Mike | | British Birds | Bewick, Thomas | | Full Planet, Empty Plates | Brown, Lester R | | Plan B 4.0 Mobilising to Save Civilisation | Brown, Lester R | | Silent Spring | Carson, Rachel | | Fair Miles: recharting the food miles map | Chi, Kelly Rae | | Crow Country | Cocker, Mark | | Our Place | Cocker, Mark | | The Worm Forgives the Plough | Collis, John Stewart | | Landfill | Dee, Tim | | Counter Power: Making Change Happen | Gee, Tim | | A Renewable World | Girardet, Herbert | | No-nonsense Guide to Climate Change | Godrej, Dinyar | | How to Live a Low-Carbon Life | Goodall, Chris | | Ten Technologies to Fix Energy and Climate | Goodall, Chris | | The Switch | Goodall, Chris | | What We Need to do Now for a Zero Carbon Future | Goodall, Chris | | Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse | Goulson, Dave | | The Garden Jungle | Goulson, Dave | | Requiem for a Species | Hamilton, Clive | | Low Cost Living | Harrison, John | | The Carbon Fields | Harvey, Graham | | The Book of Trespass | Hayes, Nick | | Green and Prosperous Land | Helm, Dieter | | Net Zero: How We Stop Causing Climate Change | Helm, Dieter | | The Rough Guide to Climate Change | Henson, Robert | | Eradicating Ecocide | Higgins, Polly | | The Power of Just Doing Stuff | Hopkins, Rob | | Green and Pleasant Land | Humphries, Steve | | What Has Nature Ever Done for Us? | Juniper, Tony | | What Nature Does for Britain | Juniper, Tony | | A Species of Eternity | Kastner, Joseph | | Real England | Kingsnorth, Paul | | Doppelganger | Klein, Naomi | | Fences and Windows | Klein, Naomi | | No Logo | Klein, Naomi | | This Changes Everything | Klein, Naomi | | Rooted: How Regenerative Farming Can Change the World | Langford, Sarah | | Rachel Carson Witness for Nature | Lear, Linda | | Homage to Gaia | Lovelock, James | | Beechcombings: The Narratives of Trees | Mabey, Richard | | The Cabaret of Plants | Mabey, Richard | | Rebirding: Restoring Britain's Wildlife | Macdonald, Benedict | | Chasing the Ghost: My Search for all the Wild Flowers of Britain | Marren, Peter | | Rainbow Dust: Three Centuries of Delight in British Butterflies | Marren, Peter | | What Evolution Is | Mayr, Ernst | | Say Goodbye to the Cuckoo | McCarthy, Michael | | The End of Nature | McKibben, Bill | | Bring On the Apocalypse: 6 Arguments for Global Justice | Monbiot, George | | Captive State: the Corporate Takeover of Britain | Monbiot, George | | Feral | Monbiot, George | | Heat: How We can Stop the Planet Burning | Monbiot, George | | How Did we get Into This Mess? | Monbiot, George | | The Age of Consent: A Manifesto for a New World Order | Monbiot, George | | The bird of time: The science and politics of nature conservation | Moore, NW | | The Accidental Countryside | Moss, Stephen | | The New Environmental Age | Nicholson, Max | | Back to Nature: How to love life - and save it | Packham, Chris; McCubbin, Megan | | The Decline of an English Village | Page, Robin | | Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World's Food System | Patel, Raj | | The Climate Files: The Battle for Truth about Global Warming | Pearce, Fred | | The Last Generation | Pearce, Fred | | Slow Food Nation | Petrini, Carlo | | Local Food: How to Make it Happen in Your Community | Pinkerton, Tamzin; Hopkins, Rob | | Net positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More than they Take | Polman, Paul; Winston, Andrew | | The History of the Countryside | Rackham, Oliver | | The Illustrated History of the Countryside | Rackham, Oliver | | Doughnut Economics | Raworth, Kate | | The Countryside Explained | Seymour, John | | Entangled Life: How fungi make our worlds, change our minds, and shape our futures | Sheldrake, Merlin | | The Theft of the Countryside | Shoard, Marion | | This Land is Our Land | Shoard, Marion | | The Last Oil Shock | Strahan, David | | Wilding | Tree, Isabella | | Feeding People is Easy | Tudge, Colin | | Good Food for Everyone Forever | Tudge, Colin | | Last Animals at the Zoo: How Mass Extinction can be Stopped | Tudge, Colin | | Last Animals at the Zoo: How Mass Extinction can be Stopped | Tudge, Colin | | The Engineer in the Garden | Tudge, Colin | | The Food Connection | Tudge, Colin | | The Great Re-think: A 21st Century Renaissance | Tudge, Colin | | The Secret Life of Trees: How They Live and Why They Matter | Tudge, Colin | | The Memory We Could Be | Voskoboynik, Daniel Macmillen | | The Uninhabitable Earth: A Story of the Future | Wallace-Wells, David | | A Natural History of the Hedgerow and ditches, dykes and dry stone walls | Wright, John | | The Naming of the Shrew: A Curious History of Latin Names | Wright, John | ### People's emergency briefing URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/peb/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T09:45:27.000Z ## Community film screening and discussion The ***People’s Emergency Briefing*** film features footage from last November’s [**National Emergency Briefing**](https://www.nebriefing.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) which brought together leading UK experts in climate science, food security, health, economics, national security and nature. The film presents a clear, measured overview of **how the climate and nature crisis is affecting everyday life** in Britain - and what the evidence says about risks and responses. The **purpose of the film is to support informed democratic discussion** and ensure Parliament and the public share a common **understanding of the scale and urgency** of the challenge. Local screenings and discussions have **already been** held in **Towcester, Brackley** and **Northampton**. **Daventry** is your next chance to see the ***People’s Emergency Briefing*** film and take part in the discussion, book here: - **Friday 10 July** 2026 7.00 - 8.30 at the [Icon Innovation Centre **Daventry** NN11 0QB](https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2235127?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The **45-minute structured** discussion on what this means for our community will follow the 45-minute film. This is a **free** event sponsored by CA-WN - **please come along** and bring your friends. **NB** as there's **limited space** at these venues **advance registration is essential**. You can register for each venue using the links above. ### About A URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/about-a/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T06:32:00.000Z _This page is for subscribers only._ ### About B URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/about-b/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T08:21:33.000Z _This page is for subscribers only._ ## Posts ### CA-WN AGM and Public Meeting 15 October 2026 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-agm-and-public-meeting-15-october-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T13:44:15.000Z ## Online meeting 7:30pm - 9:00pm This meeting starts **15 minutes earlier than usual**, at 7.30.Approximately the first 15 minutes will be taken up by the Annual General meeting agenda: - Minutes of 2025 AGM - Chair's Report - Treasurer's Report - Election of Officers - Election of Steering Committee members The full **AGM document** pack is available for [**download here**](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/AGM%202026.zip?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)**.** We will then move on to our usual monthly public meeting with guest speaker Mark Tucker, Partnership & Value Chain Manager, Yara International, speaking on soil fertility and fertilisers. CA-WN's resident farming expert, Rupert Knowles, asked Mark to speak after reading an [article ](https://www.farming.co.uk/news/is-fertiliser-really-to-blame-for-declining-soil-health?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)he wrote for Farming News. A thriving agricultural sector will be vital to future UK health and food security, so we are grateful to Mark for agreeing to shed light on some of the complexities of modern farming. ### Future speakers: **19 November** \- Aiden Humphries, River Restoration Officer at the Nene Rivers Trust, on the work of the Trust and water quality sampling. ***Registration open now*** [https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/r/6b5720c2?m=1cbdff9c-fcf5-4270-8d2b-78e61af254b5) 💡 Check out our [What's On page](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/r/d5b654b8?m=1cbdff9c-fcf5-4270-8d2b-78e61af254b5) for more showings of the People's Emergency Briefing film and other local events. ### From watching to acting: why local conversations matter URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/from-watching-to-acting-why-local-conversations-matter/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T18:42:37.000Z Since June, **CA-WN** has been taking ***The People’s Emergency Briefing*** into communities and arranging screenings across **West Northamptonshire.** Research from audience surveys [now published](https://cast.ac.uk/cast-briefings/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) by **CAST**, the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations, provides powerful evidence that this approach can make a difference. CAST evaluated thousands of people’s experiences of *The People’s Emergency Briefing* UK screenings. Its findings show that bringing people together to watch the film, discuss what they have seen and consider what they can do next can help turn concern about climate change and nature loss into **civic and community action**. ### **People leave informed – and motivated** The results are striking. **89% of attendees said they felt more informed and 87% felt more motivated to act** after seeing the film. This was true even though most attendees were already very concerned about climate change and nature loss. The proportion describing themselves as *extremely worried* about climate change rose from **68% before the film to 83% afterwards**. Concern about nature loss rose from 68% to 80%. The film also helped people understand how climate and nature breakdown could affect everyday life – from **food prices and health to energy bills, jobs, insurance, transport and national security**. ### **But the film is only part of the story** For CA-WN, perhaps the most encouraging finding is the importance of **what happens after the film**. CAST found that people who spent longer engaged with the event were more likely to intend to discuss climate and nature with others, contact a political representative or get involved in local activities. Those intending to get involved in local activities increased from **54% to 65%** among people spending longer at the events. That underlines the value of **bringing people together locally, watching the film collectively and creating time for discussion about what it means for our own communities.** CAST specifically recommends in-person events that allow people to discuss, reflect and decide what they can do next. The researchers suggest that this facilitated discussion may be particularly important in turning environmental concern into **collective, civic and political action**. ### **Why CA-WN is continuing to take the film to our communities** The research also found that places with more screenings tended to have higher levels of political engagement, although CAST rightly stresses that this does not prove that screenings directly caused the action. For CA-WN, the message is nevertheless clear: **local conversations matter**. A national climate and nature emergency can feel overwhelming. But bringing the evidence into our towns and villages gives people the opportunity to understand the issues, share their concerns, meet others and explore what can be done together. But *The People’s Emergency Briefing* is only a starting point. The real opportunity comes when communities start talking and decide to act, making government: • recognise that the Genie is out of the bottle, • break out of business-as-usual, • brief the nation and • launch a bold, ambitious national project Until then do find your local *People’s Emergency Briefing* event, spread the word, join and get more signatures to the [Parliamentary Petition](https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767687?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) before it closes on 20 November 2026. ### Making Community Energy a Reality in West Northamptonshire URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/making-community-energy-a-reality-in-west-northamptonshire/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T18:36:40.000Z *An invitation to get involved from Andrew Stevens, Chair of West Northamptonshire Climate and Nature Partnership (WNCAN).* **WNCAN** are taking the first steps towards setting up a community energy group in West Northamptonshire and are keen to contact other local groups and individuals interested in Community Energy. Community Energy can be: - Solar panels on buildings such as schools - Wind turbines or solar farms - Energy efficiency initiatives - Electric vehicle charging And more....the key is that projects are locally owned, delivering what local people want and keeping profits within the community. Community energy projects enable local people to unlock opportunities to produce their own renewable energy. This keeps the financial benefits of renewable energy local, reducing carbon emissions, lowering energy bills for schools, community centres and homes, and ploughing profits back into communities. Great British Energy, set up by the UK Government, has allocated £1 billion to community energy development. Some of this funding could help small businesses and residents in West Northamptonshire make the shift to renewables. Expert advice is now freely available to community energy groups, including support through the various stages of assessing project viability, fundraising, planning, and managing the project. Organisations offering advice include [Community Energy GO](https://communityenergygo.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and [Community Energy Pathways](https://communityenergypathways.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Anyone can get involved in a community energy group – enthusiasm and some time commitment is key! However, anyone with a relevant professional technical, finance or legal background would be especially useful in establishing a group. Please [email Andrew](mailto:wncanpartnership@gmail.com?subject=Making%20Community%20Energy%20a%20reality%20in%20West%20Northamptonshire) to register your interest in getting involved in making Community Energy a reality in West Northamptonshire. --- ### Find out more about Community Energy. An **introduction to community energy** (Community Energy GO). A very recent 60 min webinar (if time is tight, the section from 5 to 35 mins, is the 2 main speakers describing impressive examples of CE projects around the country). A July 2026 **interview with the head of a community energy group** in the Bath area that has been operating since 2010\. [https://communityenergyengland.org/news/the-evolution-of-community-energy-and-what-toconsider-when-taking-community-energy-into-the-mainstream/](https://communityenergyengland.org/news/the-evolution-of-community-energy-and-what-toconsider-when-taking-community-energy-into-the-mainstream/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### People's Emergency Briefing URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-2/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T13:02:58.000Z ## Community film screenings and discussions The ***People’s Emergency Briefing*** film features footage from last November’s [**National Emergency Briefing**](https://www.nebriefing.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) which brought together leading UK experts in climate science, food security, health, economics, national security and nature. The film presents a clear, measured overview of **how the climate and nature crisis is affecting everyday life** in Britain - and what the evidence says about risks and responses. The **purpose of the film is to support informed democratic discussion** and ensure Parliament and the public share a common **understanding of the scale and urgency** of the challenge. Thousands of screenings have already taken place across the UK, with many more scheduled. CA-WN arranged screenings in Towcester, Brackley, Northampton and Daventry during June and July. Local groups, supported by CA-WN, are hosting more this autumn. Dates and venues on our [What's On](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/) page. Crucially each screening is followed by a discussion among attendees - we found the discussions at the West Northamptonshire screenings lively and interesting, with many attendees sharing local issues and concerns as well as making plans for what to do next. These are all **free** events - **please go along** and take your friends. It's important to **register in advance** as venues have limited space and some are close to selling out. Booking links are also on the [What's On ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/)Page. ### Report of CA-WN 17 September Public Meeting URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-ca-wn-17-september-public-meeting/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T20:28:24.000Z **Ellen Worrell**, co-founder and a key volunteer with [**Green Welford**](https://www.facebook.com/GreenWelford/), talked about her new role driving sustainability initiatives for the Peterborough Diocese Educational Trust, which manages 36 schools across Northamptonshire, Rutland and Peterborough. A recording of her talk is available on [YouTube](https://youtu.be/DOwID9j5pbI?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). **Apologies**: David Garlick, Leonie Beale, Roy Hawkesford **Present**: Caroline Saunders, Hannah Gray, Harry Mellor, Helen Dyson, Hilary Hunt, Jane Wood, John Hunt, Julie Fagan, Mike Longman, Rachel Tighe, Rupert Knowles ### **Background** Ellen is a qualified translator, specialising in animal and nature conservation, renewable energy, and travel and tourism, and has always had an interest in environmental issues. She also has daughters aged 9 and 2; having children focused her mind more on leaving them a healthy planet. She is treasurer of [Green Welford](https://www.facebook.com/GreenWelford), a community sustainability group which hosts bi-weekly community cafes, an annual Kidsfest event, toy and clothing swaps, and is hosting a screening of the [People’s Emergency Briefing](https://www.nebriefing.org/the-film?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) film. Ellen did [Carbon Literacy](https://carbonliteracy.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) training in 2022. ### **Supporting schools** Ellen first became involved as a parent volunteer at Welford primary school, a small school with 95 pupils and 4 staff. 3 years ago, PDET introduced its schools, including Welford, to the [Eco-Schools](https://www.eco-schools.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) programme, [Let’s Go Zero](https://ashden.org/schools-campaign/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) which offers free support to schools with writing their climate action plans, and [Energy Sparks](https://energysparks.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) a platform which helps monitor energy usage. The school’s EYFS teacher and sustainability lead sadly passed away very suddenly in October 2024 but they were determined to carry on and win the Eco-Schools Green Flag in her honour, which they did, creating a community memorial garden at the school. PDET was pushing Eco-Schools but many of its schools, like Welford, are small with limited resources. Ellen approached the CEO of PDET, who took her on as Sustainability Partner. In this role she supports 8 schools with initiatives including: - **Eco-Schools.** This aims to weave sustainability and green education into everyday learning, designed to empower young people seeing extreme heat and drought and sometimes suffering serious eco-anxiety. Schools have Eco Councils consisting of a representative mix of students. - **Carbon literacy** training for staff, combined with looking at safeguarding through a climate lens. Safeguarding information provided to schools doesn't mention climate change or the environment, but there can be significant impacts. For example, students affected by flooding, or toilet restrictions due to water shortages make children anxious about using the toilet and drinking. Schools closed in summer due to the heat but some children are safer at school than at home, and those on free school meals may miss their main meal of the day. - **Carbon Footprinting.** Analysing invoices to calculate electricity usage, looking at how energy is used, staff/student commutes, and measuring food waste. Cutting energy use will also save schools money. - **Writing and revising** **sustainability policies**. This might include ensuring the catering contract has sustainability built in, with a plant-based option every day. - **Facilities planning**: which schools are suitable for air source heat pumps and solar panels. ### Q&A *Tell me more about how the Eco-Schools programme empowers children.* There are 7 steps to becoming an Eco-school and themes including biodiversity & nature, school buildings & grounds, energy, and water. Children select which topics they want to work on and devise an action plan. They will talk to the site supervisor, the headteacher or the administrator to find out if the toilet paper is recycled, what is growing on the school grounds, etc. They might weigh food waste and work out what is being wasted and why e.g. not enough topping on the pizza = wasted crust, or chips served with no ketchup are not eaten; adding ketchup cut wasted food from 7 to 2 kilos. Growing food is great – each class has a planter which they fill with potatoes, leeks, tomatoes, peppers. Then the class makes a soup using the veggies and the school has a ‘soup share’ event where families are invited to try the soup. At Welford the children invited the local MP to see their walking bus – this has resulted in a trip to the Houses of Parliament for Year 6, and a meeting at M&S with a packaging technologist about single use plastic – nine-year-olds can ask some really difficult questions! *How would you suggest introducing the Eco-Schools programme to a school? Does it need a key volunteer to run it or can you get it embedded so it almost runs itself?* It’s free to sign up to the Eco-Schools portal (has to be done from a school email address). Resources and ideas for activities are free, as well as eco education ideas broken down by curriculum. Approach your headteacher or sustainability lead. The programme does need someone to drive it, as well as an eco-council or similar, meeting every 2-3 weeks. At the end of the year £200+VAT is payable on submission of your application, there is a choice of a plaque or flag in recognition of the award. I suggest getting both the first year, as the flag is useful for taking out and about. *I’m a Department for Education Climate Ambassador working with schools in Milton Keynes. What are your thoughts on alignment between Eco-Schools and the DfE programme, which requires schools to have a sustainability lead and climate action plan. I am finding that schools not already in Eco-Schools think they can just do the DfE programme.* *At some schools the DfE climate programme is more of a box-ticking exercise and they are asking me to do things that feel inappropriate such as talking to Year 7 children about green jobs.* The DfE programme is intended for staff and running the school from an adult point of view, whereas the strength of Eco-Schools is that it’s about empowering the children. In secondary schools students can run it themselves, at primary level they need more guidance. Eco-Schools has been around a long time and is being refreshed to align more with the DfE programme. There is plenty of overlap between the two, but in terms of language Eco-Schools is aimed more at children. Green jobs is one of the 4 pillars of the DfE programme and it’s being pushed hard. But who knows what green jobs will look like in 5-7 years when these students are looking for work? I can send some material about climate and safeguarding which is a good way of getting the attention of senior leaders. *Are schools putting in heat pumps as well as solar panels?* The Trust received some funding for air source heat pumps but unfortunately it wasn’t done very well, with pumps being over- or under-sized and in some cases leading to much higher energy bills. There are also planning restrictions in many villages affecting heat pumps and solar panels, and some schools need their roofs renovating before adding solar. The Trust is rolling out solar one school at a time, starting with those that are relatively new, or have had their roofs done already. I look at the data for schools with solar panels every 2 weeks and create a graphic which goes out to parents showing how much electricity the panels have generated. *Were you tracking summertime temperatures in schools?* I was trying to – keeping schools cool enough to be safe is a real problem, for example Silverstone school was built ten years ago with big south-facing glass windows for natural light and gets very hot. Welford has wall-mounted heating/aircon units so they can use those, but other schools don’t have aircon and can’t afford to install it or run it. Aircon has an impact on greenhouse gas emissions too, so we are looking at more affordable solutions such as sails and awnings to provide shade. The climate crisis is widening the gap between haves and have-nots and this is apparent in education, where children from lower-income families are more likely to live in smaller overcrowded homes without access to aircon or even fans. *What age do you start talking to children about carbon?* At primary school I tend to describe greenhouse gases and CO2 as like a duvet over the planet, and talk about how they feel when they’re poorly and their temperature goes up by 1.5 degrees and that is what’s happening to the planet. Carbon is covered in geography and science from year 2 (age 7). *Parents parking outside schools with their engines idling is a big problem – how can you tackle that?* We have done campaigns on engine idling and walking to school and got some good engagement. Children would much rather walk or cycle to school than drive, so the choice is made by the parents, often because they are on their way to work. We try to encourage park and stride, so they park a bit further away and walk from there, which reduces air pollution around the school. We’ll do assemblies about engine idling so the children can tell their parents that exhaust fumes are 3-4 times higher inside the car than outside. ### Date of next meeting **Thursday 15 October,** with guest speaker Mark Tucker, Partnership & Value Chain Manager, Yara International. Our resident farming expert, Rupert Knowles, asked Mark to speak after reading an [article ](https://www.farming.co.uk/news/is-fertiliser-really-to-blame-for-declining-soil-health?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)he wrote for Farming News. A thriving agricultural sector will be vital to future UK health and food security, so we are grateful to Mark for agreeing to shed light on some of the complexities of modern farming. [https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2358081](https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2358081?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Thursday 19 November,** guest speaker Aiden Humphries, River Restoration Officer, [Nene Rivers Trust ](https://neneriverstrust.org/the-team/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), talk about the work of the Nene Rivers Trust and in particular a new riverfly water quality initiative. [https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2358097](https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2358097?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Hackleton WEB Group Prairie-style planting **updated** URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/hackleton-web-group-prairie-style-planting/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T19:58:36.000Z *We are grateful to *Roy Hawkesford* of *Hackleton Wildlife, Environment & Biodiversity* (WEB) for allowing us to reproduce this article, originally published in the parish magazine. This project is a great example of communities working together to improve their neighbourhood for both people and nature.* **\*\*Update \*\*** This article was first published in May 2026\. In September following a very challenging summer Roy Hawkesford reported that the planting survived the heat and drought, as these photos show. Hackleton WEB have planted more perennials in gaps left by the drought, and painted the 45m cement wall at the back. Roy says "We didn’t lose many plants over the summer, which is a tribute to the design as well as the care of the WEB Group members. All it needs now are some hollyhocks at the back and some grass seed along the front strip…" ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/09/IMG_4947.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/09/IMG_4948.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/09/IMG_4949.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/09/IMG_4946.jpeg) --- Hackleton residents may have noticed a group of volunteers, wearing Hackleton Parish Council hi-vis jackets, working on a 38 x 5 metre strip on Main Road. The WEB group has been working on the plot since last autumn, clearing building rubble, stones and roots, and preparing it for planting. A successful grant application was submitted to Veolia for £1,000 for plants, and the plan was supported by the parish council. When the site became available, it was suggested that the WEB Group might be interested in tackling it as a response to WNC’s draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy. This was an opportunity for the group to turn theory into practice, to use their collective skills, and to benefit wildlife and biodiversity while providing an attractive feature in Hackleton. Our hope was that it would encourage the community to be more aware of what could be achieved – how a recovery project could be good for nature as well as good to look at. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/05/Roy-1.png) **Discussing the ‘matrix’ and the plot, October 2025* We discussed various ways of planting and decided that the most suitable one was Prairie Style Planting. You can google this and find out lots more about it online, but, in essence, it is a sustainable, natural looking method of using ornamental grasses as the core, interplanted with nectar rich biennial and perennial flowers, providing colour and an all-year round habitat for biodiversity. Although the aim is for a natural appearance, the design is quite scientific and based on a matrix system in which plants are grouped in a grid according to height, size, colour and when they are in bloom. Grasses are good because they can live in fairly poor soil and are attractive all year. Below is a an example of how one of the five 6 x 2.5 metre beds would be laid out. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/05/Roy-2.png) **A section of the ‘matrix’, early on in the planning stage, showing one bed.* Because it is a long narrow plot, we decided, for maximum impact, beds 1 & 5 would mirror each other with yellow and white plants among the grasses, likewise 2 & 4 with pinks, blues, purples and white, and 3 as the central focal point with the same colour plants as 2 & 4 but containing some of the more spectacular grasses. All of the plants will have single flowers, to make them accessible to pollinators, and will flower at different times of the year to maximise the food available for bees and butterflies. Because we were keen to show the public that work was being carried out and to stimulate awareness and discussion, we took advantage of the offer of 300 daffodil bulbs and planted them at the front of the ‘yellow’ beds (1 & 5). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/05/Roy-3.png) **Before (6* *th* *December 2025) and after (7* *th* *March 2026). We had lots of interest on Facebook as a result of this!* After three months, we were ready to tidy up the plot in preparation for planting. The Parish Council arranged for the first two metres to be grass seeded, to act as border and to protect the plants when in situ. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/05/Roy-4.png) **The grasses, which had been ordered in autumn, arrived on April 8* *th* When the ground was not so wet and the grass had begun to look sufficiently robust, we convened on Friday, April 10th to begin planting not only the 112 grasses but also other plants which had been donated by local people to fit in with the planting scheme. We decided that five sessions would be needed to complete the task, especially as the ground was quite hard. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/05/Roy-5.png) **The first task was to mark out the plot with stakes. We hammered in the stakes – 10 per bed – and tied the garden twine in the pattern shown above. A 600mm path separated each bed. You can just make out the exact measurements!* The purpose of the lozenge shapes is to avoid the appearance of straight lines, basically to ‘mask’ the fact that is heavily designed, and to look more natural after a year or so. To avoid chaos, it was agreed to follow the layout in each matrix, and over the next four sessions, the team of amazing volunteers laid out, then dug, holes for the plants. We were fortunate that a member of the group, who lives opposite the plot, allowed us to fill watering cans in an endless supply chain! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/05/Roy-6.png) **The plants are laid out and planted* Because the plot is on a slope and is south facing, we will continue to water until the plants are reasonably well established, though prairie-style planting is suited to such a plot. One of the main reasons we chose it was that grasses and the plants we decided on are relatively low-maintenance perennials. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/05/Ro-7.png) **Taking a break and chatting to a young member of the public* As with all gardening projects, the job is never ‘done’. The group will continue to maintain and develop it over time, to show what can be achieved by volunteers for the community as a whole and, importantly, for wildlife, the environment and biodiversity. It was gratifying to receive well over a hundred thumbs-up from the photos I put on the Hackleton Parish Community Group Facebook page during the final sessions on the plot. Thank you all for supporting us. All of the members of the WEB group involved in the project deserve a mention: Pauline, Helen H, Hillary, Alan, Barbara, John, Diane, Claude, Helen S, Anton, Katy, Mark and me – as well as Arun and Shyaam (from the French Partridge). I also acknowledge the support of Hackleton Parish Council and Veolia. If you would like more information on the project and/or the other activities and aims of the WEB Group, please contact [royhawkesford@gmail.com](mailto:royhawkesford@gmail.com) ### Yes, you CAN do something about the Climate Crisis URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/yes-you-can-do-something-about-the-climate-crisis/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T13:06:03.000Z [Such an important listen](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4DjTY1vzlTi4Hni0rngLN2?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). A follow-up to the film we have been screening about the National Emergency Briefing - with more screenings to come, see [What's On](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/). **Listen. share** and have everyone add their signature to the [**parliamentary petition**](https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767687?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)**.** So that our government knows that any **inaction on this will be never forgotten**, let's get over **1 million** signatures on the petition in support of its aim to **hold a UK-wide briefing on climate and nature risks**. ### This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/this-changes-everything-by-naomi-klein/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T09:04:02.000Z This book was recommended by Dan Shaw, who was guest speaker at our July 2026 meeting. This is what he said about it: *This Changes Everything* was very impactful on me. I really like Naomi Klein, and this book was just such a great summary of the problem of climate change. It showed the systemic nature of the problem - how it is bound up in our political and economic system, and how much radical change is needed. It showed the failures of traditional NGO-style campaigning, and even the corporate capture of some organisations. It made me angry and motivated to do something more radical and uncompromising. 📖 **This Changes Everything* is available to borrow for free from the CA-WN [Lending Library](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-library/), along with a host of other books on climate, nature and environmental topics. ### Report of Public Meeting 16 July - Entering into civil resistance and the consequences of taking on the British state URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-public-meeting-16-july-entering-into-civil-resistance-and-the-consequences-of-taking-on-the-british-state/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T09:03:15.000Z Our guest speaker for July was **Daniel Shaw**, who was imprisoned for his part in a Zoom call organising a Just Stop Oil protest. This meeting was recorded and is on our [**YouTube channel**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaJTxt%5FXkZ0&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), Dan's presentation [**is available here**](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Dan%5FShaw%5Fslides.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)**.** He started his presentation by remembering the thousands of people who have died because of the June 2026 heatwaves. **Apologies**: Alexina Cassidy, Roy Hawkesford **Present**: Clare Slater, David Garlick, Emma Kendall, Harry Mellor, Ian Bates, James Hadfield, Jane Wood, John Hunt, Karen, Maria Lee, Martin Coombs, Michael Leggett, Mick Lorkins, Mike Longman, Rachel Tighe, Rupert Knowles, Susan Ball, Victoria Lynch-Staunton ### Background and Awakening Dan’s career was as a caseworker in Adult Social Services. He was involved in some environmental campaigning, had a deep attachment to nature and had visited the Amazon. In February 2019 he saw people sunbathing in Abington Park and knew it was wrong. In April 2019 there was a protest to force the government to declare climate emergency, and the BBC screened a David Attenborough documentary, *Climate Change of Facts*. Attenborough stated that 3°C of warming above pre-industrial levels will cause the Amazon to collapse into grassland. Dan decided he had to do more, got involved with the local Green Party and joined Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Then he went to a local Extinction Rebellion (XR) group. ### Becoming more active Dan learned more about the humanitarian consequences of climate change and started studying the history of non-violent protest campaigns and direct action. Disruptive tactics, though unpopular, can be very effective at shifting the dial on public opinion. And where public opinion goes, politicians often follow. This was when he moved away from traditional protest methods to a more radical approach, getting arrested for the first time at XR's October Rebellion in 2019, blocking roads around the Houses of Parliament. Police told them they would be arrested if they entered the road. In fact the police melted away; they didn't have enough manpower to arrest everyone. Institutions that seem powerful can become weak quickly if challenged in the right way. His second arrest was at Barclaycard in Northampton. Barclays are a major investor in fossil fuels. Prior to this XR Northampton were largely ignored by the local media; afterwards they were more widely reported, and any climate-related story required a comment from XR’s Northampton spokesperson. After this Dan was subject to an HR investigation at work. No action was taken, but he decided to stick to actions outside Northampton. ### Disillusion with XR and joining Insulate Britain Then the COVID-19 pandemic made organising large-scale protests very difficult. It also gave Dan time to reflect; he had become disillusioned with XR; he felt there was too much autonomy and not enough strategic focus, the flat hierarchy caused issues with decision making, and rapid expansion led to deradicalisation. He eventually joined Insulate Britain (IB). IB’s aim was for the government to insulate and retrofit all housing in the UK. They planned to block the M25 in the run-up to COP26 in Glasgow. Dan started to prepare for going to prison. He was arrested six times during the COP26 campaign but it became clear the government weren't going to imprison anyone during COP so the campaign ended. It was very effective at generating headlines and creating publicity. After that, Insulate Britain rebranded as Just Stop Oil (JSO), which wanted the government to stop issuing new consents for oil and gas licenses in the UK. Initially JSO targeted fossil fuel infrastructure, blockading oil depots to cause fuel shortages and create pressure on the government to take action on climate. This protest was effective; at one point, most of the petrol pumps in southeast England ran dry. But the national press didn’t cover it – why is not clear, perhaps due to government interference and fear of panic buying. Eventually JSO lacked the numbers to keep the protest going. They then reverted to public disruption and sporting and cultural actions such as throwing soup at the Sunflowers painting. Then a headline in the Chronicle & Echo named Dan among Insulate Britain protesters arrested, which resulted in him being suspended from work on full pay in May 2022\. He had worked for the council for almost 10 years and was well thought of but became a pariah in a matter of moments. He resigned in September 2022\. During this period Dan became a full-time activist involved in the organisation of local meetings and training. ### M25 protests, arrest and imprisonment Later in 2022, Dan helped organise a protest climbing gantries above the M25\. As part of this, he facilitated a Zoom recruitment call which was infiltrated by a Sun journalist, who passed a recording of the call to the police. Dan was arrested in November 2022. So many journalists were attempting to infiltrate groups like JSO that the police didn't have to use undercover officers to do it; an example of different areas of the establishment coordinating to target activists. Note, the Sun is owned by Rupert Murdoch who has been on the board of an oil and gas company and is a known climate change denier. The protest went ahead and 40+ people climbed gantries over the M25\. During the protest Dan was in a police cell and then remanded to custody. Dan spent almost 4 months on remand, moving around different prisons as he had several ongoing court cases. His experience confirmed that most prisons are dilapidated and short on money. Remand prisoners are locked away for about 23 hours per day. The main challenge is dealing with a severely underfunded prison system. Like a lot of British infrastructure prisons weren’t built with climate change in mind, and unventilated cells can get very hot in the summer. After 4 months, Dan was released with an ankle tag, a curfew, and various bail conditions. ### Ramping up of state oppression New legislation, the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023, made JSO’s protest tactics illegal and ramped up sentences. There were limitations placed on what people could say in court, with defences previously open to activists removed. Defendants were no longer allowed to talk about their motives or use a defence that they were acting out of necessity to save human life, arguments which made it more likely a jury would return a not guilty verdict. Policy Exchange, a think tank that has taken money from the fossil fuel industry, was involved in drafting the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts bill. Rishi Sunak went to a garden party hosted by Policy Exchange and thanked them for their work. Again, coordination of elements of the establishment to target protesters and suppress opposition to a government enabling mass death through issuing new oil licenses. ### Trial and imprisonment Dan and his four fellow defendants knew a guilty verdict was virtually guaranteed, so they used their trial to highlight the absurdity and injustice of the court system. The judge ruled out their defences, didn't allow them to use scientific reports as part of their defence and placed strict limits on what they could say about their motivation, on the basis that it was irrelevant to the case. Ignoring the judge’s directions resulted in repeated arrests in the courtroom and being dragged out of the courtroom. They were eventually remanded to prison because of non-cooperation with proceedings and were found guilty. Roger Hallam (founder of XR) was given a sentence of five years in prison and the others four years. At the time, these were described as the longest sentences for peaceful protest in modern British history. The CPS took their side to some extent and agreed to certain facts being submitted as part of the agreed facts of the case: - ***On 17 December 2020, HM Treasury published the Net Zero Interim Report, which states: “Climate change is an existential threat to humanity. Without global action to limit greenhouse gas emissions, the climate will change catastrophically with almost unimaginable consequences for societies across the world.” In recognition of the risks, the UK became, in 2019, the first major economy to implement a legally binding net zero target (for 2050).*** - ***It was agreed there is an established scientific consensus that warming beyond 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels poses “catastrophic” and “irreversible” risks to humanity.*** - ***Over the past five years, the global average temperature rise since pre-industrial times has averaged just under 1.3°C. For the 12 months to June 2024 \[when the trial took place\] it averaged 1.63°C and is estimated to top 1.5°C permanently before 2030.*** - ***In October 2022 the UK government opened the 33rd licensing round to allow oil and gas companies to explore for more fossil fuels in the North Sea.*** The government's response to this existential threat is to make it worse, and people trying to make them do the right thing are sent to prison. Following the trial, there was a lot of press coverage, much of it describing the activists as “eco-fanatics”. But the group were supported by Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur for Environmental Defenders, who spoke out about the harshness of the sentences. Supporters outside the court were also arrested on the orders of the judge. Dan spent seven and a half months in prison as he’d already served time on remand. He was released with a tag under strict license conditions including being banned from seeing his girlfriend as she is a fellow activist. This was overturned on judicial challenge. The conditions also included not doing any campaigning and not associating with certain people or groups. These conditions have now been relaxed, hence Dan is able to do this talk. On first leaving prison, Dan had difficulty finding work and spent about a year working in a warehouse but now has a job in the charitable sector. ### The impact of Just Stop Oil In Dan’s view, protesting was the right thing to do in the face of a government effectively behaving in an evil way. After a year of campaigning, JSO had 92% name recognition and generated the equivalent of £2.1 billion worth of press coverage, with several hundred thousand press mentions. In May 2023, Labour pledged to ban new oil and gas licensing in its manifesto and implemented this when it came to power in July 2024. Since then the narrative has changed. Radical protest has been suppressed, making it difficult for anyone to do anything without being arrested, preventing activists from creating headlines. There's less concern about climate change in the press, and polls show the general public are less worried about the climate than about things like 'stopping the boats'. There is also gathering momentum around repealing Net Zero legislation. This shows how effective these groups are – you don’t need to be popular to be effective and JSO weren’t trying to be popular. Dan ended his talk by sharing details of a talk titled ‘4 Billion Dead’ – this has now happened ([recording ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q93ZE54yaE&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)available on YouTube) but the basis for the title is a [report](https://actuaries.org.uk/media/ni4erlna/planetary-solvency.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in the UK (a professional body for actuaries). The risk matrix in the report included an estimated 4 billion deaths worldwide as a result of climate change under an Extreme scenario which they assess as Highly Likely by 2050 (page 28). ## **Q&A** Did you try using the principle of jury equity in your defence, i.e. that jurors have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to their conscience? *Yes, and supporters outside court were holding signs to that effect as well. Juries vary – some feel more empowered, some are hostile. We weren't trying for a not guilty verdict because the disruption caused by the protest had been significant and the evidence was damning. We tried to make points about jury equity (and others) to the jury but the judge often interrupted. Our tactics in court were disruptive, which somewhat annoyed the jury, but we were trying to highlight the absurdity of the British court system.* *Jury equity is an effective tactic which has been used successfully in other cases.* There were four cases recently of people who rescued beagles from MBR in Huntingdon \[which breeds animals for use in research\]. The defendants in one case were found not guilty, and those in the other three cases guilty, for the same offence, which shows how uneven the judicial system is. *You're much more likely to get acquitted by a jury for offences involving targeted criminal damage, it's a lot harder if you cause disruption to members of the public.* The protest movement have done a brilliant job to batter down the gates. Is there a different strategy that can be added to what you've already done? My approach is to try and educate. Is there room for both of those ways - educating the public on a big scale, along with civil resistance and protests? *Our campaign had some success, but the problem of getting the action that's needed hasn’t been solved. We're still facing a catastrophe and still have governments making things worse. There are unique challenges posed by climate change, because it's something in the future that doesn't seem like an immediate problem to a lot of people. Whatever we try, it's got to communicate with people on a visceral emotional level.* *JSO talked less about science and more about human consequences, because people are more likely to resonate with that. We are running out of time.* Using celebrities is one way of getting to people, for example Chris Packham? *Celebrities have a lot of cultural power and influence, and many people relate to them. I would say some famous people have done a lot of good but perhaps public figures now need to cross the line into front line action.* Everybody here understands the gravity of the climate and nature crisis but we haven't chosen to go down the route that you did. What kept you on that path when at times it must have been very difficult? *The initial gateway was deep love for the natural world. It's quite empowering as well - most people in the climate movement are proud they stood up for their beliefs. I like to think that a lot of people, if they really connected with what was happening, would fight to protect things they truly love.* *I'm quite rational; I’ve done a lot of research and made a calculated decision on a course of action. If the evidence had led somewhere else as the most effective course of action I'd have done that. I spent a lot of time mentally preparing for taking action. It took a few years to get there, with a lot of thinking as well as sorting my life out. For example I knew I probably wasn't going to keep my job so I made sure I had some money in the bank.* To what extent can you work with children? They are the ones that will motivate the parents and the grandparents. *We owe it to children to be honest with them but there could be concerns about scaring them. At what age do you start?* *My gut reaction is that adults need to take responsibility for their behaviour, and I'm not willing to give people a free pass. We're dealing with very tight timescales, and we need to be targeting people in power. It's not entirely clear what the way forward is at the moment, but I think we still need to be doing what we can.* Do you think the Public Emergency Briefing film is effective? *I've heard it's worthwhile though I haven't seen it. I did see some of the National Emergency Briefing talks, and policymakers need to hear this stuff. The problem is that the people in power already know all this and they're choosing not to act.* *It's all about us taking accountability. There are very serious climate scientists now saying we need to do geoengineering to get out of this. We need very dramatic change in a short period of time which requires a revolutionary approach. We know we're facing food shortages globally in the next year or two for various reasons, and that will lead to riots. Some kind of dramatic change is coming, whether we like it or not, and we have to accept that.* **Date of next meeting:** Thursday 17 September, guest speaker tbc. ### What CA-WN means to me URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/what-ca-wn-means-to-me/ Last updated: 2026-07-18T17:56:25.000Z If you’re reading this, you’re visiting the *CA-WN Exchange*, and you too understand that climate change is real and affecting us now – just look out of the window at the third heatwave of the year (or don’t because it’s probably covered to stop the room reaching volcanic heat). Are you scared? Frustrated? Don’t know what to do to help? Then this is your place. CA-WN’s roots were set down not quite a year after the 2019 February heatwave and just before COVID. Back in 2019 Brexit was in every headline and it seemed that no-one was questioning the unseasonably warm February or making the link with greenhouse gas emissions. So when a few of us created this local climate action group that we now call CA-WN, it quickly became a safe space where I could talk frankly about the climate crisis without feeling weird. It also helped my climate anxiety. I’ve since realised that feelings of doom and despair are normal healthy reactions to realising your way of life is under threat, especially when you have children whose futures you struggle to imagine. Normal or not, these feelings are very unpleasant. So having a group like CA-WN to engage with helped me realise how much others also care about the environment and gave me the opportunity to feel I’m doing *something*. Even if that something is just showing up to meetings to reassure others that I get it too. When you’re a parent or have other major commitments, it can be difficult to find the mental space or physical energy to contribute to projects, so you just have to do what you can. So bring to CA-WN what you can and take the comfort that you need. And remember people often don’t advertise their climate worries, so you can pay it forward by letting others know we are here for them too. Hope that’s not too CA-WNy! ### Tipping Points URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tipping-points/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T20:19:52.000Z ### The slippery slope of the climate abyss - Justin Rowlatt discovers how global warming may trigger irreversible changes to our planet. In 2022 Radio 4 broadcast five 15 minute Tipping Points programmes. They give a very clear factual overview of how and why we are at tipping points: [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00180cc/episodes/player](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00180cc/episodes/player?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) This **podcastshelf** suggestion is thanks to **John Hunt** who took part in the discussion following our Daventry screening of the [**People's Emergency Briefing**.](https://www.nebriefing.org/the-film?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### A brief overview of climate dynamics (and how we try to predict changes) URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/a-brief-overview-of-climate-dynamics-and-how-we-try-to-predict-changes/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T08:58:32.000Z ### A general transcript of the 16 April 2026 presentation to CA-WN by Dr Colleen Golja. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ### **Preface by CA-WN** Planet Earth sits in the infinity of space, powered by our sun, a nuclear reactor 150 million kilometres away. Since day one, roughly 4,600,000,000 years ago, geological processes and sun-driven lifeforms began weaving an infinitesimally thin security blanket around Earth, a blanket of atmosphere without which Earth would be as habitable as many other planets. For centuries scientists have been trying to understand how it all works - atmosphere, climate, weather, drought, flood, storm and doldrum - and how records might inform Earth’s future. In April CA-WN was privileged to be given a talk by climate scientist Dr Colleen Golja, a visiting by-fellow at Churchill College Cambridge and independent Research Fellow within the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London. In the following, Dr Golja provides us with the atmosphere basics, an outline of modelling the mechanisms that drive Earth’s climate behaviour, and introduces us to her own research interest in predicting future climates using mathematical and numerical representations of all the physical, chemical, and biological processes involved. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ### **Contents** **1\. Earth’s Atmospheric Structure** **2\. Tropospheric Circulation** **3\. Stratospheric Circulation** **4\. Patterns of Atmospheric Variability** **5\. A primer on Climate Modelling and Prediction** **6\. Future Projections and Change in the UK** \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ## **1\. Earth’s Atmospheric Structure** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-1.png) The left of this diagram shows how pressure changes with altitude, the higher in the atmosphere, the less dense. On the right in the diagram, how temperature changes with altitude. ### **Troposphere** In the troposphere, the temperature gets colder as you go up in altitude until the inflection point between the troposphere and the stratosphere from where it starts to get warmer. \[Note that the temperature at zero in the Kelvin scale is minus 273.15°Celsius, absolute zero\]. ### **Stratosphere** A layer of ozone causes the increase in the stratosphere’s temperature. Ozone particles absorb energy from the sun and vibrate to create local heating and a temperature inversion that ends up being important for describing all of Earth's atmospheric circulation. ### **Mesosphere** Beyond the ozone layer, entering the mesosphere, the temperature decreases again. Of relatively little mass, less is known about the mesosphere but it may have a significant impact on atmospheric science. Less studied, it is an area ripe for future research. ## **2\. Tropospheric Circulation** Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale motion of air which, together with the ocean circulation, is responsible for redistributing thermal energy from the tropics to high latitudes, and ultimately to space. It is, at its root, driven by the uneven heating of Earth’s surface by the sun. Considered as a most basic conceptual energy balance, the Earth is a blob absorbing some amount of the heat from the sun with the rest going into space. Those three things must be in balance - incoming heat must equal outgoing heat plus the amount of temperature adjustment at Earth’s surface. From that very basic perspective, atmospheric circulation can be thought of as a little box model. The motion of air in the atmosphere comes from the uneven heating of Earth's surface that varies seasonally, with much more heating in the tropics and far less at the poles. As a basic concept, a warmer air parcel is less dense and will rise in comparison with a colder denser air parcel. That’s the basics of the circulation in the lower part of Earth's atmosphere; the tropospheric circulation. More of the sun's energy reaches Earth’s surface in the tropics. At the equator, warmed, less dense air rises and as it cools, flows towards higher latitudes, then flows back down to the tropics, then heats again in a convective cycle that creates a kind of convective cell. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-2.png) If the Earth wasn't spinning, things would stay in a straight line. But this one cell model needs expanding to including Earth's spinning effect, the Coriolis effect. As circulating air comes back towards the equator it’s being pushed to the left producing an east to west flowing motion. That's interesting in the context of historical sailing routes that took advantage of these typical wind patterns to travel across the Atlantic Ocean. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-3.png) In reality there isn’t just one cell that is part of this circulation. There are in fact three sets of cells, each related to the total amount of energy received and how far that air parcel travels before it sinks and travels back towards the equator. To maintain the circulating motion in these cells there must be a relatively strong temperature gradient between each end. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-4.png) The first cells, called the Hadley cells, take very warm moist parcels of air from the large tropical oceans. This rising wet air, as can be imagined, is essentially getting freeze dried and falls out as precipitation. The **Intertropical Convergence Zone**, ITCZ, is the region with these strong rainfall bands. On land, this is where there are rainforests, where rising warm moist air parcels lose their moisture before moving away and descending again. The Amazon rainforest is very much impacted by the ITCZ . ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-4a.png) At the other end of the Hadley cells are regions that are on the edge of being wet or dry. Around the globe, the ITCZ has a north-south-north traverse as the seasonal sun strength differs at the equator. The Sahel region across north Africa is the northernmost extent of the ITCZ's traverse. If for some reason that seasonal traverse doesn't reach the Sahel, then the rainfall doesn't reach it. Prolonged changes to the traverse end up causing droughts and that region is particularly susceptible to food insecurity. At the pole is what could be similarly described as a thermally-driven cell, the Polar cell. At roughly 60° north, warmer air rises, cools, and then sinks. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-4b.png) If the Hadley and Polar cells are thermally-driven cells, what is driving the in-between cell? It’s almost as if the air is being pushed like a gear between two other moving gears. And because of that frictional force, and these eddy turbulent forces, a kind of mechanically driven cell is created there. For quite a long time this driving force was not the most well understood piece of the circulation system, and naturally so, because it's not a particularly intuitive explanation. The thermally direct cells - hot air rising, moving, sinking - the Hadley and Polar cells, are directly moving thermal energy into kinetic energy, between which is a thermally indirect cell. This middle cell is the Ferrel cell, also where colder air rises and warmer air sinks in a way that seems quite odd, but is made possible by this eddy turbulent driving force, a mechanical force. This is particularly interesting for us because this tends to steer where the weather in Europe and North America happens. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-4c-1.png) The region where the Polar and Ferrel cells abut each other is where many different kinds of air masses collide to create a region of strong winds, the **Polar Jet Stream**, something that really impacts the UK, sitting above earth at about 9 to 12 km, around 60° north. That's quite far north and in the wintertime, when the equator to pole temperature gradient in the stratosphere is at its strongest, the speeds of this Jet Stream can go up to 300 km/hour. Flying from the UK to North America can take a lot longer than from North America to the UK because of the Jet Stream. In one direction aeroplanes are pushing against the airflow, in the other aircraft are being pushed quite a bit faster. The Jet Stream dictates where regions of rainstorms will happen. In a year when the Jet sits squarely over the UK, that's typically a year of increased storminess. The reason that it moves and is not completely stationary in one spot is because of waves - Rossby waves - that make the Jet Stream wiggle. Think of the atmosphere as an ocean of air with disturbances that cause wave structures just like waves in the ocean. And if a wave ripples like a ribbon, that ribbon will wobble. If it wobbles northwards it will bring warmer tropical air over the UK, and if it wiggles southward it draws cold arctic air down over the UK. In the United States there have been situations where the Polar Jet Stream dips so far south that it brings really cold arctic air in places where typically it wouldn't be expected. A vortex forms a little bit above the Jet, sometimes called a Vortex Outbreak, a cold air outbreak; the polar Jet dipping is the mechanism through which this happens. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-5f.png) There's also a **Subtropical Jet Stream** which sits about 30° between the Hadley cell and Ferrel cells. It's more consistent, less impacted by wave breaking or wave ripples flowing through the atmosphere, and typically influences monsoon systems and cyclone paths. It firmly separates both of those cells aloft, and again, is where airline pilots can predict, or try to predict, its location so they may fly in that region of higher winds. Right now a lot of people are using AI models to try and better predict where pilots can fly the most optimally efficient route through these Jets to take advantage of the wind patterns. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-6.png) This image from the Met office shows the Polar Jet wind and its meandering pattern directly over the UK. Its obvious wobble has cold air sitting northward and is separating a region of much warmer air further south, meaning the UK will probably get quite a bit of rain, windiness, and possibly storms. Now, in the context of climate change, we can begin to understand that the UK is quite impacted by the position of the Polar Jet Also, in the context of climate change, people are using the term *arctic amplification*, meaning that the Arctic areas are warming faster than other parts of the Earth. This means that instead of maintaining a large temperature difference between the tropics and the poles, the poles are warming faster and the temperature gradient is getting less. Diminishing temperature differences between tropic and pole means weakening Polar Jets, and a weaker Polar Jet is more susceptible to wobbles or waves in the system. With more wobble comes a less stable separation of Arctic and more southern tropical air. It’s assumed there will be greater variability in temperatures in the UK because of increased Jet stream wobbles; sudden changes bringing outbreaks of either cold northern air or warmer southern air. What's interesting in the context of climate modelling is that it's very difficult to capture historical observations of the Jet so there’s not the most robust ability to predict future changes. While there's a basic mechanistic understanding of what would happen, quantifying where the Jet might more typically lie or what the wigglier Jet might look like is actually quite difficult. Part of that has to do with other parts of the Earth's system that affect the Jet - which is next. ## **3\. Stratospheric Circulation** The stratosphere has quite a big impact on the strength and wobbliness of the polar Jet, as does the equator to pole temperature change. The tropospheric circulation is Earth’s more turbulent atmospheric region, where all weather happens. It's where we live, and where people have focused on climate change because that's where all the surface impacts occur. It’s only in the past decade or so that has there been recognition of the importance of including the stratosphere in climate modelling to fully capture surface climate behaviour. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-1-1.png) The stratosphere gets warmer as it gets higher. Therefore it doesn't have the same convective overturning dynamical system because the colder, denser air at its lower levels doesn’t want to rise to the warmer air above it. For a long time people assumed that the stratosphere was stationary, that it wouldn't necessarily have a circulation. Extremely low levels of water vapour were being detected. Higher latitudes are much drier, and the stratosphere is extremely dry. There was a question, how is water vapour moving from the tropics to higher latitudes? This prompted the answer, it must be possible to move material in the stratosphere from the tropics towards the poles. But what would be the mechanism? It turns out that the stratosphere is actually a wave-driven circulation. It is in radiative equilibrium and there are waves breaking in the stratosphere that push it away from this equilibrium and move material mechanically from the equator to the pole - which was really quite a cool discovery. In fact, this tropical region is known as the surf zone. It can be imagined as being like an ocean with waves crashing, which in three dimensions is a little bit challenging when we are used to looking at the actual ocean where we see waves crashing on a horizontal plane. When a wave breaks, its momentum pushes material. There is a role for the mesosphere here. It modifies with a different type of breaking wave, gravity wave breaking, and smaller **Rossby** **waves**, sometimes called **Planetary waves**. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-9.png) In the stratosphere, because air isn't necessarily rising as a function of the temperature, there’s a really interesting way that material gets into it. One of the biggest sources of small particles, sulphate aerosols, are put into the stratosphere by volcanic eruptions where the explosive energy of the volcano pushes material up into the stratosphere. Once it's there, wave driven circulation moves it throughout the entire stratosphere. As a single cell system it's quite good at moving material from the tropics to the poles, taking about 2 years. It's relatively slow, but once sulphate aerosols are there they are retained for quite some time. It had been understood that the water vapour in the stratosphere comes from the rising warm moist air from the tropics, decreasing in temperature as it rises before being freeze dried out, with whatever water managing to make it into the stratosphere setting the water vapour budget for the whole stratosphere. Now, within the atmospheric science community, there's an increasingly held concept of ‘convective overshoot’; a really strong thunderstorm with so much energy that the air parcels themselves become so out of balance with the air around them that they'll overshoot into the stratosphere, inject water and then come back down. Researchers are currently trying to quantify how much water vapour might be entering the stratosphere through that pathway. It's quite interesting, and still relatively unknown because it's hard to quantify. There are some historical measurements of the stratosphere, so there’s some idea of the temperatures, and there’s an idea of how much water vapour is there. Once it was discovered that there was an ozone hole there was an obvious interest in understanding the ozone layer, but until then, there was no interest. Therefore, there’s a relatively short observational time series of its constituents. The stratosphere is something that researchers are investing in and now starting to understand. One of the key features of the stratosphere is the stratospheric polar vortex, something like a stratospheric sister to the polar Jet Stream. Areas in the atmosphere are delineated as one mass of air, such as a strong polar vortex, usually a wintertime vortex in polar night sitting above the polar Jet Stream. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-10.png) The image on the left shows a 3D vertical structure and what's quite interesting is that you can get these disruptions to the vortex which are again wave-driven. If there’s a really large disruption that rises into the stratosphere it can break the vortex into two chunks, as the image on the right. It can be visualised by imagining a spinning vortex in a water tank. Shaken enough, it could probably be broken into two spinning bits. Once the vortex is broken it cascades down into the troposphere and can disrupt the Jet Stream too. For example, North America in 2021 suffered a sudden stratospheric warming - so called because when disrupted in this way, there’s a massive temperature change in the stratosphere, which is normally quite cold, but suddenly becomes exceptionally warm before coming back into equilibrium. In 2021 the polar Jet was pushed so far south that it was over Texas, and was called the Texas freeze. It was an insane event; toilets froze in Austin, Texas, and the city was obviously not prepared for this type of weather anomaly. It caused millions of dollars of agricultural damage. These events are really hard for scientists to predict so no one had time to prepare. When we do future predictions, trying to understand how extreme events might change, understanding changes to the stratospheric polar vortex and the polar Jet Stream is a huge area of research. Do we expect there to be more of these disruptions because of changes to the structure? Does that translate to more extreme events at the surface like these freezing events that would impact the UK in the same way? The UK is prepared a little bit in both directions. It can handle a little bit warm and a little bit cold, but maybe not a lot warm or a lot cold. This is something worth considering, worth researching the mechanics of how these things break down. ## **4\. Patterns of Atmospheric Variability** There is the ever-ongoing general circulation pattern, and there’s a relatively reasonable idea of what that should look like as it varies seasonally. Then there are patterns of atmospheric variability, recurring large scale shifts in pressure and circulation. These dictate regional weather and climate for weeks, even decades. Probably the most famous is the **El Niño** southern oscillation, an **oscillo-climate feature,** with its **La Niña** counterpart oscillation. Most relevant to the UK is the ***North Atlantic oscillation*** (NAO) and a very similar pattern in the southern hemisphere, the ***Southern Annular mode***. These modify regional and global temperature precipitation and storm tracks. The North Atlantic oscillation is probably most relevant to the UK. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-11.png) ****North Atlantic oscillation (NAO)** During the negative phase, on the NAO image left side, there is a positive temperature anomaly over northern North America, Canada and Greenland. At the same time there is a negative temperature anomaly over the UK. The right image shows the positive, inverse phase, a cold anomaly over northern North America and a warm anomaly over the UK. From an air mass perspective this can be visualised as if a toilet plunger was placed on the top of the Earth at the North Pole and pushed down. It would push the air mass south. It would flow so there’s less air over the North Pole, and more air south of 30° north. Pulling the plunger up pulls mass back up and over. In this way, air that is sloshing northward then southward changes pressure, and ends up dictating differences in sea level pressure as well as the temperature patterns that we now know are indicative of that particular oscillation pattern. Historically this was measured by meteorological stations on two islands where it had been noticed there was a consistent change to the difference in sea level pressure between them. This is now referred to as the NAO index and it can feel quite arbitrary. The difference in pressure is between two box regions; measure the pressure in each, take the difference, then see if that pressure is higher or lower than average. Does that mean this is a positive or negative NAO phase? In the NAO phase where the pressure is higher there is more air mass sitting over the North Pole, the Jet Stream has shifted north, the air mass has been sucked upward and moves the storm track that comes along with that Jet Stream. Europe then experiences more storminess and precipitation and is typically warmer than average because air from the lower latitudes is being moved up. During the negative phase, when that ‘plunger’ is pushing down, air is pushed down, the Jet Stream and storm tract have a more west to east orientation and there’s decreased storminess, less precipitation and it's a bit colder in Northern Europe. So, for each NAO phase there are colder drier or warmer wetter weather patterns. The MET office may say that over this next six-month period we are in a positive phase so you can expect either colder or drier weather. The NAO wasn't something learned about in school, nor at university. But it has a big impact on everyday weather especially in North America and the UK. ## **5\. A primer on Climate Modelling and Prediction** The climate modelling community has a hierarchy of models that are used in the prediction of future climate change. If it’s said that some amount of climate change would be expected because of an increased amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, that claim needs to be backed up with a mechanism describing why that change would take place. To simplify the processes relevant to that claim, complex models can be coupled with much simpler idealised models. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-12.png) ### **Energy Balance Models** The least complex climate models are the *Energy Balance Models* at the bottom of this pyramid. These are the simplest version of the assumption that the energy from the sun is balanced by the total temperature change at the surface of the earth plus the energy out. As long as energy is balanced, and if the heat capacity of the medium has been understood, then the temperature change can be broadly calculated from how much of that energy has been transferred to the mass and matter in the Earth's system and how much is lost to space. Planetary scientists will use this type of model to roughly estimate what's often called the skin temperature of the Earth, that would be Earth’s temperature if there wasn't an atmosphere. That could be done for other planetary bodies with an unknown atmosphere, or with only a rough guess of what kind of surface it had. ### **Radiative Convective Models** Radiative Convective Models combine the movement of mass and energy through a system. The amount of energy coming from the sun is known, as is how much the surface is heated up. A hypothetical column through the atmosphere might be divided into discrete layers. Outgoing energy must move through these layers. The amount of energy a layer absorbs is dependent upon its composition. A layer of mostly ozone will absorb energy and increase the layer’s temperature. These basic mathematical atmospheric models can give a sense of how the temperature changes through space. Radiative Convective Models can be one or two dimensional. Linearised models replace complex systems of differential equations. Linear approximations of nonlinear systems can solve differential equations more quickly with less computing power but giving up complexity. ### **General Circulation Models** In terms of climate circulation modelling, either the atmosphere or the ocean is fully described, or there are fully descriptive models, typically of a given part of the earth system, **General Circulation Models** (GCMs), An atmosphere/ocean global climate model can represent the full atmosphere and full ocean but may not include sea ice and river runoff. GCMs are fully coupled Earth system models, the most complex versions that represent the full atmosphere and the full ocean. They usually have a vegetation model, a land systems model, river runoff, and sea and land ice. They're incredibly complicated and incredibly expensive to run. So, especially when you're testing new mathematics, the simplest version that can run the test is used before building complexity. Colleen, currently working with the UK Met Office to update some of the mathematical representations of the fully coupled United Kingdom Earth System Model (UKESM) housed at the Met office, outlined one situation: ‘*We changed one small parameterisation that was describing how clouds behave at a particle level. We were saying, "Okay, we actually think that the cloud condensation nuclei might behave slightly differently. Let's update this." And we ended up with a simulated climate that was totally different than we started with. We ended up having to scrap that, go back to this individual atmosphere model, figure out, okay, why did this change our rate of balance so much? Why did this modify how energy is moving through the system so much? Then recalibrate everything and go up through the complexity pyramid back to the top. Instead of being a very short-run project, it was a three-year long project - things can be a little bit more sensitive than expected*’. When they become available, the Met Office integrates new observations into its Earth System Model. As more data become available there has been a move to using machine learning models to compute relationships, statistical models are used instead of calculating certain features from physics equations. However, this approach is being criticised. With CO2 moving into a new regime that has never been represented in historical observations, how is it possible to apply a statistically learned model to such an out-of-sample situation? How to gain computational efficiency without sacrificing predictive capability is currently one of the main discussion points in the climate community. Where can these statistical models fit in and where can they not, where should they be used and how should they be understood, that's the real point of the current discourse right now. Fully coupled GCMs can simulate realistic weather patterns and Jet streams. They discretise the atmosphere into a 3D grid, or sometimes even a hyper-complicated grid of cells, and at each grid cell or across each grid boundary, they solve equations of fluid motion, thermodynamics, and radiative transfer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-13.png) The complaint about GCMS is that sometimes they don't do a very good job. But it can be argued that all models are useful. They do help us learn, though whether or not they are capable of helping us perfectly predict the future is up for debate. But without doubt they are certainly able to tell us that greenhouse gas emissions have driven warming and changes to the climate. However, more work is required to understand exactly how future changes will occur - models need to get more niche with very system-specific regional knowledge. It is incredible that these massive models are being built. In particular, the area of research on parameterisation. Any process that can't be described because it exists on a scale too small, or on a scale much smaller than the grid scale at which the model itself runs, has to be parameterised. This means, at every time step, there's some kind of empirical equation calculating what it is doing and how it feeds into the bigger spatial domain. Researchers are thinking that machine learning or statistical relationships can replace some of these traditional parameterised functions. Parameterisations tend to get too convoluted and require excessive processing power to compute. Instead of representing them all, a choice must be made about which parameterised process is most important to include. If there were a faster way of doing this, then more important processes could be incorporated while maintaining computational tractability. This is particularly important for aerosol cloud interactions. Aerosols are any small particle that stays aloft in the air; dust, sea salt spray, pollen and black carbon. These and other kinds of particulate matter in our atmosphere interact with clouds in very complex ways. Because clouds can reflect incoming radiation, or lead to local warming, they have a massive impact on how sensitive the Earth system is to a change in carbon dioxide radiative forcing. These cloud aerosol interactions are probably the most pressing area of climate research in the modelling community at present. It is quite difficult to incorporate ocean circulation into atmosphere research. Typically models are simplified using what is called a ‘slab ocean’. Instead of fully resolving the circulation of the ocean and its energy uptake, oceans are treated as a heat sink. Oceans take a long time to equilibrate their surface temperatures. The study of small-scale atmospheric processes does not necessarily need oceans to equilibrate; a realistic image of their heat flux serves instead. This is unlike an analysis for an IPCC report which does require an understanding of climate sensitivity. The full ocean must be attached and the model run until it hits equilibrium. ### **Example Earth System Models** The [Community Earth System Model](https://www.cesm.ucar.edu/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (**CESM**) is housed at the **National Center for Atmospheric Research** in the United States in Colorado, one of the world’s most prominent places for climate research. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-14.png) The CESM is community-based and open source, anyone can download it. CESM has community support, a help desk and a help bulletin. Not everyone has the compute capacity to run it but a subset can be downloaded. For example, the CESM atmospheric column model can be downloaded to allow non-scientists to explore it with community support. It is really valuable to have that level of support. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-15..png) The Met Office’s [United Kingdom Earth System Model ](https://www.ceh.ac.uk/our-science/projects/uk-earth-system-model-ukesm?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)(**UKESM**) is also extremely well documented and kept up to date. It has an extraordinary level of detail in its modules that, as the above diagram suggests, provide interactive, two-way feedback with the atmosphere and ocean components of its global climate model. Its atmosphere module, **GLOMAP,** is a state-of-the-art aerosol and chemistry module - many other models sacrifice some atmospheric chemistry because it is so complicated and it requires so much compute power. **UniCiICLES** is the dynamic ice sheet model that simulates the behaviour of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets. There are sea ice, ocean physics and marine biogeochemistry modules, land physics, biogeochemistry and dynamic vegetation modules. The dynamic vegetation module models the behaviour of plant life as increased CO2 modifies rates of respiration and photosynthesis. Modules like this enable downstream impacts assessment. For example, the outcomes for agriculture; researchers take key parameter outputs from models with dynamic vegetation simulation, like UKESM, and feed them into impact assessment models or agricultural models to say that, for example, under these future scenario conditions, soy, corn or maize products will be expected to behave like this. Having all these modules integrated is incredibly useful for evaluating downstream impacts. ## **6\. Future Projections and Change in the UK** Thinking specifically about future projections and changes in the UK, there are different **Representative Concentration Pathways** \- RCP scenarios. Each RCP represents assumptions within a set of possible future climate evolution scenarios, typically a low greenhouse gas emissions scenario, a medium emissions scenario and a high emissions scenario. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/07/Fig-16.png) The diagram from a 2018 Met Office projection shows **RCP 8.5** in solid brown and **SRES A1F1** in dashed brown. These are ‘business-as-usual’ scenarios, where emissions are not cut. These estimated about a 5°Celsius global average surface warming by 2100, which would be catastrophic. The **new IPCC Assessment Report** is being informed by a new kind of background emission scenarios,the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 7, **CMIP7\.** There's one incredibly enthusiastic and optimistic scenario of a slight temperature overshoot, of emissions being cut aggressively before negative emissions by around 2085\. There's a medium scenario, still with emissions cuts, still with a global temperature increase. Then there’s an updated ‘business-as-usual’ scenario driven with updated information about our current emissions. Based upon these three projections, scientists will take the emissions from the RCP scenarios which each feed out CO2 emissions but they also feed out other greenhouse gas emissions such as methane, nitrous oxide and CFCs. The RCP scenarios also dictate aerosol emissions and aerosols are really interesting. Sulphur dioxide, SO2, is one of the big aerosols emitted from burning fossil fuels, specifically coal power plants and smelting processes. SO2 is quickly oxidized to become a reflective particle that has a strange feature when associated with greenhouse gas emissions; it leads to cooling because it reflects sunlight away from Earth. In 2020 the global community saw reduced sulphur in shipping emissions. These reduced SO2 emissions also reduced this reflective layer which led to a slight temperature increase. The resulting temperature profiles, especially the regional climate impacts, are very dependent on the emissions profile fed into a model - and there's a lot of debate around that. The UKCP18 report, from 2018, is a bit outdated but the general findings have remained. Under the high emissions scenario it projects a greater chance for hotter drier summers, warmer wetter winters, and more extreme weather. By 2070, winters could be up to 3.4°C warmer and summers could be up to 5.1°C hotter. What is striking is how much more variable weather could get. A technical paper released since the Los Angeles wildfires talked about climate whiplash, how extreme events on their own are very damaging. If extreme events are back-to-back, like a drought followed by extreme precipitation, then you can get exponentially more damaging outcomes. In a drought for example, because the soil becomes hydrophobic it has less absorption of what becomes catastrophic flooding. With more likely oscillations between extremes, each extreme is made more damaging. This is how many climate scientists are starting to think of assessing extreme events, the assessment not only of the frequency of the extreme, but also how likely it is to be occurring in tandem with another extreme event. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ If Colleen’s talk has inspired you to learn more about climate change you might wish to read MIT’s [*Climate Science, Risk & Solutions*](https://climateprimer.mit.edu/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Report of Public Meeting 18 June URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-public-meeting-18-june/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T18:16:51.000Z Our speaker this month was Dez Dell, who has many strings to his bow but spoke to us about active travel. Dez’s slides will be made available soon, in the meantime a recording of the meeting is on our [YouTube channel](https://youtu.be/fKwNTs3jMUo?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). **Apologies**: Clare Slater, David Garlick, David Reed **Present**: Alison Barlow, Christine Walsh, Emma, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, John Hunt, Leonie Beale, Martin Coombs, Mike Longman, Rachel Tighe, Rupert Frost, Rupert Knowles **Introduction** Dez works for an active travel social enterprise, Brightwayz, and is a director of Stride and Ride CIC, a Kettering-based active travel advocacy and campaigning organisation. He is also a Green Party councillor on North Northamptonshire Council and Kettering Town Council, a campaigner with Save Weekly Hall Wood, a director of Boards of Kettering CIC, who organise the Northants Board Game Convention, a trustee of Kettering Refugee Assistance, and Treasurer of Kettering Repair Cafe. **Active Travel** This covers transport methods from horse riding to mopeds, but mainly means walking, scooting, cycling and wheeling, in a wheelchair, power chair or mobility scooter. **Why is active travel a good thing?** - Less vehicles on the road reduces road casualties - cutting the number of vehicle movements reduces potential for conflict between vehicles and pedestrians. - Reduce congestion and parking issues, such as pavement parking. - Reduce fossil fuel emissions resulting in cleaner air, less pollution and less noise, which links into… - Improved neighbourhoods. More people actively using streets means a stronger community, with less anti-social behaviour. If you’re cycling it’s easy to stop and chat to someone you know, which you can’t do in a car. - Access to jobs and easier recruitment. Many people can’t drive, whether because they are young, on low incomes, or have a condition that prevents them from driving (e.g. epilepsy). These people are hidden because driving a car is the default. - The local economy benefits – people spending more time in their local area also spend more money in shops and cafes. Parking time limits don’t apply to cycles or pedestrians. - Finally, mental and physical health. Traveling actively helps you keep fit physically, and we saw how much access to the outdoors and being outside helped people in the pandemic. **Active travel and climate action** The [North Northamptonshire Local Area Energy Plan](https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/climate/local-area-energy-plan?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), released in March 2026, sets out how to reach net zero by 2050\. Transport is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in North Northamptonshire, accounting for 46% of in scope emissions. The bulk of this is from cars, although HGVs contribute too. Electric vehicles (EVs) are part of the solution, but if every car on the road was an EV, the issues of congestion and parking still exist. And emissions come from tyre and brake wear as well as out of the tailpipe. So, we need to think about how to reduce the number of cars on the roads, whilst acknowledging that some people will always need a vehicle. The Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) for [Kettering](https://www.ketteringtowncouncil.gov.uk/uploads/kettering-lcwip-report-sept-2023-1.pdf?v=1759586111&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) was adopted in 2023; there are also LCWIPs for Corby, Wellingborough and Rushden. These are the plans for making infrastructure improvements - just plans because funding is required to build the routes. Kettering is hoping to get funding in the next couple of years to build one of the LCWIP routes. For connectivity between towns there are plans for Greenways to be built over a ten-year period, providing traffic-free routes between towns and villages throughout the county. These are mainly for leisure use, but could be used to commute by cycle. One from the Brampton Valley Way to Braybrook was part funded by a brewery which has opened a tap room there, so funding can be from various sources. Active Travel England have released their third cycling and walking investment strategy, or [CWIS3](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/developing-the-third-cycling-and-walking-investment-strategy-cwis3/the-third-cycling-and-walking-investment-strategy-cwis3?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). This was reported mainly as aiming for 60% of children to walk or cycle to school by 2035 – a good hook as making travel safer for children is hard to disagree with. The vision is for walking, wheeling, and cycling to be safe, easy, and accessible for everyone, with 55% of all short journeys in towns and cities to be walked or cycled by 2035\. Active travel should be the easy and integrated choice - you can cycle to catch a train for example. It doesn't have to just be about walking or cycling, but about linking transport methods together. To access funding for active travel schemes local councils need good capability ratings – these are Active Travel England’s assessment of how effective authorities are at planning, designing and delivering active travel schemes. The 2025 rating for both North and West Northamptonshire was 1 out of 5. **Local projects** The latest Brightwayz project, funded by the Northamptonshire Community Foundation, is artworks on walking and wheeling routes. In partnership with Kettering Street Art CIC, local artists have painted telecoms boxes around Kettering (with permission). Laugh Out Loud Theatre Company are giving street performances and taking theatre into local schools. An active travel themed mural has been painted on the side of a building and there will be art installations as well. A monthly active travel hub in Kettering town centre, where bikes are fixed and security marked for free. Brightwayz tries to be very visible and active in the town centre, to encourage people to get out cycling. Brightwayz is also a delivery partner for the Big Bike Revival from Cycling UK and is doing 10 or 12 events this summer as part of that. Grant funding is really important for all these projects. **What you can do** When Dez started at Brightways, he did a [Healthy Streets](https://www.healthystreets.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) survey for Kettering town centre. It encourages people to think about various aspects of their street: Do people feel safe? Are there things to do? Is there somewhere to sit down and rest ? Is it easy to cross the road? This gave Dez a good grounding in how streets work and how they should be built for people (but often aren't). For example, people ride their bikes on the pavement because they don't feel safe on the road. Out of this survey came the first accredited town centre travel plan in the country, and the data from it was used in the Kettering Neighbourhood Plan, which is very active travel friendly. **Q&A** Does Brightwayz have any projects planned for West Northamptonshire *Unfortunately, no. Brightwayz works with councils across the country to provide safety products and Play Street packs but only does projects in North Northamptonshire.* The Greenways map you showed included one that led to Northampton. Are North and West Northamptonshire councils working together on that? *Yes. Lucy Hawes at NNC is also trying to link up with Leicestershire and other surrounding counties – paths don’t stop at county borders!* On Church Lane in Northampton, they've just put in a cycle lane which I think is designed to kill pedestrians. Are there standards cycle lanes should be meeting? This is a contraflow cycle lane that comes to a 90-degree corner, where the footpath is just over two feet wide with a road sign in the middle. Anyone walking there, especially with a pram or pushchair, will step out into the cycle lane with their backs to the cycle traffic. *LTN (local transport note)120 gives best practice for building cycle lanes. Street furniture on pavements is a bugbear – Dez is in the process of objecting to a planning application for smart pulse hubs, which are advertising boards but also include defibrillators and free Wi-fi for people, and will take up pavement space.* Comment from an attendee: This is one to raise with Esme Cushing, the Principal Transport Planner for WNC. Preferred way to contact her would be through your WNC ward councillor. Should private e-scooters be legalised? *People are using them anyway. The Voi e-scooter trial has been going on for a long time. It seems e-scooters are here to stay, and at some point the government will legalise them, once they’ve worked out how to make it safe. If there is infrastructure separating e-scooters from people and vehicles, they will be safer. They are a useful form of micromobility, but as always some people misuse them.* What can you do to protect cyclists from thieves? Northampton town centre is a hotspot for cycle theft. Cameras aren’t effective as the thieves wear hoodies and they carry bolt cutters to cut off locks. Heavyweight U-locks are a deterrent, but many people don’t use those. *In terms of bike security, I always take a D-lock and another form of lock, either a chain or a cable lock, and lock in two different places on my bike, locking the most expensive part first.* *For better security, you need hubs to leave bikes. At Kettering train station there's a camera-controlled room with fob access. There’s also a place in the Town Hall to park your bike securely. Councils can rent bike hangers that take up a parking spot and are very secure.* Do you work with [Slowways](https://beta.slowways.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)? This is a national organisation trying to connect the whole UK via walkable paths. *I haven’t heard of Slowways, I’ll look them up.* Is there anything else happening besides the Greenways to put cycle routes along main roads to connect villages? For example we have 7 or 8 villages all feeding into one school and transport is either by bus or car. *We have done cycle training to increase confidence for adults who may not have cycled for a long time. In terms of providing new routes, Greenways are the answer, but it is a long-term project.* I’ve heard of a scheme where parents drop children off a little distance from school to walk the rest of the way. Children who arrive at school on foot are rewarded with a termly class prize, which introduces competition.\\ *This is a* [*park and stride*](https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/walk-to-school/primary-schools/wow-the-walk-to-school-challenge/park-and-stride/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) *scheme. Brightwayz has been involved in a couple of those. It does make a big difference to congestion and parking issues around the school gates. More children are injured on roads outside schools than anywhere else.* *There are also School Streets, where the street outside the school is closed to traffic at school drop-off and pickup times. This spreads school traffic into a wider area and increases active travel because parents feel their children are safer outside the school. Ironically when parents feel the road outside schools is not safe, they choose to drive children to school which of course increases the traffic.* *Trials of School Streets in Northampton and Wellingborough weren't particularly successful because they relied on volunteers to manage traffic. Shrewsbury has got about 8 School Streets that are controlled by ANPR to allow only residents, delivery drivers etc through.* *Brightwayz are working with 15-20 schools doing school travel plans, accredited by an organisation called ModeShift . Schools are asked to do show of hands in assembly for how everyone arrived at school, and then how would they like to get to school? Invariably, most children would prefer to walk, scoot or cycle rather than be dropped off in the car. They then do activities such as walk to school with Santa – there are lots to choose from. Travel plans also review the school’s active travel facilities; e.g. do they have enough cycle racks.* *The most important thing is to find somebody in the school that's passionate and will lead the project.* The cycle/footpath between my village and the next one is in terrible condition. I’ve raised it as an issue to Highways but this has been rejected as not meeting criteria for repair. It’s worrying that existing routes are not being maintained while new active travel plans are being developed. Are there requirements for cycle paths to be maintained to certain standards? This one leads to a secondary school so students could use it if it was in good repair. *Shared cycle and pedestrian paths don’t meet the LTN 120 standard mentioned earlier. In terms of maintenance, it will be a question of lobbying and getting as many people to report it as possible, including the school.* I’ve looked into PM 2.5s - very small particles which go straight into your bloodstream with huge health consequences. 21% of PM 2.5 in the air is caused by road vehicles, with 18% of road vehicle pollution being from brake and tyre wear. With bigger heavier cars like SUVs, including EVs, this problem is only going to get worse. Do any political parties have a policy to increase road tax for SUVs? *I don't know the answer to that, but yes this problem needs to be addressed.* **Date of next meeting** Thursday 16 July at 7:45pm. Guest speaker is Daniel Shaw, Northampton resident and one of the 5 Just Stop Oil activists jailed for their part in organising a blockade of the M25 in November 2022\. Dan joins us to talk about his experience at JSO, from his drive to defend the climate, to protesting and going to prison. [https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2275369](https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2275369?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Please note there is no meeting in August. ### Parents For Future UK URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/parents-for-future-uk/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T20:46:23.000Z *Thank you to Rachel Tighe for this introduction to Parents For Future.* Parents For Future UK (PFF) was formed in 2019 by a group of mums to help engage more adults to join the climate crisis. Our vision is to achieve climate justice, creating a safer, fairer and liveable planet for all children. We are the biggest parent climate group in the UK and have built a supportive, inclusive, thriving community online and offline, with over 30 local groups across the UK. In PFF we join in with national campaigns addressing the climate crisis and its impacts as well as creating some of our own campaigns and actions. Local groups will decide among themselves what actions are relevant for their local area from engaging with schools, to hosting toy swaps or creative workshops to spread ideas and education around protecting our planet. I (Rachel) have always been eco minded and consciously started trying to reduce my impact on the planet more in 2018/19\. When I had my daughter I began to realise how serious the climate crisis was and that action wasn’t happening fast enough and so wanted to join a group where I could take practical action. Being a new parent I knew I would struggle to have much time. PFF seemed to provide a perfect balance, an action group but a supportive environment of parents who are struggling to balance family life with dedicating time to protect our planet. I have joined in with online campaigns, written to my local MP about national bills being debated in parliament, been to 2 peaceful rallies in London and met my MP in the Houses of Parliament. I felt the need to become part of a local group to be able to do some local actions. At present there is not a Northamptonshire local group so I decided to join the Bedford group and have participated in a Toy Swap event with them. We try to meet up monthly for a picnic and a chat to help support each other and make plans about how we can contribute locally. There are plans to hold events in Big Green Week, at the River Festival and hold a People’s Emergency Briefing evening. If there was enough local interest in Northamptonshire then we could think about setting up a Northamptonshire local group. More information about Parents For Future UK can be found at [www.parentsforfuture.org.uk](https://parentsforfuture.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Podcastshelf - ‘Screw This… Let’s Try Something Else’ URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/podcastshelf-screw-this-lets-try-something-else/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T20:45:22.000Z An arresting title for a podcast and it doesn’t disappoint. In this short podcast series the presenters visit places around the country where local people have literally taken matters into their own hands to change their communities for the better. One group raised funds to buy houses and refurbish them so local people have access to good quality, affordable rented housing that they don’t have to worry about being evicted from; another successfully campaigned for a supermarket in a ‘food desert’ and then built the biggest wind turbine in the country. None of them are pretending it’s been easy but it clearly has been worth the effort for all of them – not only providing extra facilities in their area but helping to build relationships and a stronger community. [https://www.antidotelive.studio/podcast](https://www.antidotelive.studio/podcast?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Wanted: volunteer Water Wardens URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/wanted-volunteer-water-wardens/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T19:25:00.000Z CA-WN needs to establish how many volunteers might be prepared to routinely check the quality of the local freshwater that flows into our rivers and canals. This map below illustrates in blue our main watercourses, but it doesn’t show the many smaller streams we might come across when out walking in the countryside. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/05/Watermap.png) Contains information from OpenStreetMap, which is made available at openstreetmap.org under the Open Database License (ODbL) We know too little about the quality of the water in these tributaries and CA-WN is on a mission to map the nitrate, phosphate and acidity levels in our local streams as they vary from month to month, season to season. ### Why does it matter The **Rivers Trust** 2024 ***State of our Rivers Report*1** assessed that **none of England’s river stretches were in good or high overall health.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/05/river-state.png) Source: **State of Our Rivers Report* \- The Rivers Trust 2024 The graph above shows the breakdown of sectors impacting river health in England. The Rivers Trust found some brilliant projects for improving river health on smaller scales, but when they looked at the national picture, little had changed nationally since their 2019 investigations – farms, wastewater, towns and transport still had the biggest impact. Agriculture contributed towards nearly two thirds of river failures, impacting 2,337 river stretches; the water industry impacted more than half; and urban and transport affected a quarter. Monitoring water quality in our generally rural area might reveal a similar pattern; that agricultural and rural land management has the greatest impact upon our local ecology. However, as modern farming techniques are more in tune with nature, that may not be the case. We also know the reputation that water companies have earned from allowing the escape of raw sewage into our watercourses. And as a region known as the logistics *Golden Triangle*, run-off from Motorway and Trunk roads might be expected to pollute our local waterways. If poor water conditions are observed it is important to establish if this had been a one-off event or a regular circumstance. This is why regular monitoring matters. ### Can you help? If you have easy access to a local water course, say from a bridge or a bank where you can be sure not to fall in, [**please do let us know**](mailto:secretary@ca-wn.org??s?su?sub?subj?subje?subjec?subject&subject=Water%20Warden%20enquiry). We are anticipating being able to monitor at least a few of our local streams once a month. A simple test of a water sample takes only a few minutes and full training will be given for this altogether worthwhile, ecologically important initiative. Perhaps engage with others concerned for the future of our natural resources and consider forming a small community team to support your local [Nature and Climate Champion](https://northantscalc.gov.uk/can-champions?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ### Reference 1 [State of Our Rivers Report \- The Rivers Trust 2024](https://theriverstrust.org/rivers-report-2024?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Notes from Public Meeting 21 May 2026 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/notes-from-public-meeting-21-may-2026/ Last updated: 2026-05-25T20:38:14.000Z *Please note one of our occasional socials is coming up at Northampton Museum on *Saturday 13 June from 2pm to 4pm*. We meet downstairs in the café, all welcome, it's very informal so feel free to drop in at any point.* ### Delivering Change Locally Our speaker this month was Stuart Dawks, CEO of PECT, an independent sustainability charity formerly known as Peterborough Environment City Trust, which has delivered over 30 years of practical climate and environmental action. Stuart’s slides are [available here](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/30%5Fyears%5Fof%5FPECT.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). and a recording of the meeting is on our [YouTube channel](https://youtu.be/fKwNTs3jMUo?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Details of [PECT here](https://www.pect.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). **Apologies**: Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater, Peter Nalder, Roy Hawkesford, Teresa Cox **Present**: Alexina Cassidy, Bruce Durham, David Garlick, Harry Mellor, James Hadfield, Jane Rogers, Jane Wood, John Hunt, Kate Nash, Leonie Beale, Martin Coombes, Mick Lorkins, Mike Longman, Rachel Tighe, Rupert Knowles ### Introduction PECT’s vision is to protect and enhance the environment throughout Peterborough and beyond. Their mission is to create sustainable places meaning: - healthy natural environment - communities involved in their areas - health and well-being is improved for all - responsible resource use PECT was founded in 1991, after Peterborough became one of 4 UK environment cities. In the early years, there was a lot of community-focused work, improving neighbourhoods, supporting recycling campaigns, and helping people think differently around the environment. Climate change has become more central, and the challenges more complicated. PECT now does more around energy, fuel poverty, behaviour change, and working with businesses, and has recently been working on large-scale net zero planning and biodiversity programmes. Though the scale has changed, many challenges are still human ones; trust, confidence, affordability, and how to help people make change in real life. About 18 months ago, PECT split into different flagship programs to help communicate more effectively with clients and stakeholders and now has 4 main programme areas, as well as projects still sitting under PECT: - **Investors in the environment** business accreditation scheme, working with businesses across the country to help them save money and reduce environmental impact - **Climate education** \- a membership-based online platform to help educators bring sustainability into their schools - **Aspect Sustainability Consultancy** working with businesses - **Green Energy Switch** delivering a range of energy related services including Void Energy Management service ### Early behaviour change campaigns - **The Green Wheel** \- cycle paths created as a millennium project - **Get a Green Grip** – reusable bags, innovative at the time - **Greeniversity** \- green skills sharing and peer-to-peer learning, supporting people to pass on skills of all kinds from beekeeping to how to fix a bike PECT is about making sustainability visible and practical for people. Conversations around behaviour change used to be about litter, transport or recycling, now they are about carbon emissions, climate resilience and biodiversity collapse, but the principles are still the same - how do you make sustainable behaviour feel normal, positive and achievable? ### Nature Recovery and Landscape Scale Action - **B-lines** \- creating joined up corridors for pollinators and restoring fragmented habitats, part of a national programme run by Buglife. Verges and small areas of grassland can connect landscapes together. - **Forest for Peterborough** \- target to plant 230,000 trees, so far have planted 130,000\. A major challenge is finding places to plant. Right tree, right place and long-term management plan is important. PECT recently signed a lease for 15 years to develop their own tree nursery which will also provide a place to take communities to learn about trees and how to maintain them - **John Clare Countryside -** about heritage, rivers, access, farming, well-being and education, as well as ecology, on which PECT is part of a wider partnership. The plan is to double nature in the project area. PECT has worked with communities to plant hedgerows and trees, create ponds and develop educational resources. The landowners are also putting together a master plan as part of a DEFRA landscape recovery bid. ### Behaviour change programmes Information alone isn't enough, people need support, and solutions need to be affordable and practical. - **Cool Food** \- focuses on food waste (*at this point Stuart showed a short video which is in his presentation slides*). People pledge to reduce food waste and carbon in their diet (e.g. swap soft drinks for water, introduce vegetarian meals, have coffee-free days). The project was so well received PECT was then funded to do Cool Food Pro to work with catering organisations. They work on this with the Soil Association, who are taking it forward on a national scale. - **Blueprint** (circular economy) - aims to make the circular economy practical and community-focused. They use the seven R's: Rethink; Refuse; Reduce; Reuse; Repair; Repurpose; Recycle PECT developed a range of projects including recycling for flat-dwellers, who usually struggle to recycle their waste, and resources for schools about reusing and repurposing materials. They developed Re-Directory for Peterborough, a listing of places to get things repaired, and worked with the Peterborough Repair Cafe. The repair businesses were given stickers to put in the window. ### Domestic Energy Advice A big part of PECT’s role is helping people navigate issues by providing trusted and impartial advice; often relatively small interventions can make a big difference. PECT has an energy van that travels around Lincolnshire, supporting rural communities. They train frontline workers and also have access to some grant funding to help pay debts, as well as pointing people to other grants for home improvement measures. ### Bring It Back A project focused on encouraging people to rethink single-use plastic packaging. The programme worked with 10 locations introducing reusable cups, achieving a 71% return rate and avoiding around 4,000 single-use packaging items. In Oundle all the cafes used the same cup, so you could take the cup back to any shop. At Nene Park in Peterborough, you could buy your coffee or tea, walk around the park, and drop the cup back off to be cleaned and used again. It’s important to make things practical for people as well as telling them about the impact of disposable cups discarded in nature. PECT learned not to make packaging too desirable. A trial in a shared building cafeteria provided nice reusable packaging, unfortunately, 50% of it went missing within the first week because people liked it so much they took it home! ### Investors in the Environment (iiE) PECT’s business arm which supports around 350 organisations in the UK. Sustainability used to be seen as optional, but now businesses are actively seeking out PECT because they need to be sustainable as part of their procurement, regulation has changed, staff are looking for sustainability when they're being recruited, and also for business resilience. Businesses are under growing pressure but many generally want to do the right thing. PECT supports them with training, events, peer-to-peer network and an annual award ceremony. iiE is a membership scheme - the subscriptions cover its costs and support the charity as well. ### Future Now A more systems focused programme looking at city scale decarbonisation across Peterborough; heat networks, retrofit planning, renewable energy and infrastructure. On this project PECT partnered with the City Council, technical partners, and the Energy Saving Trust, developing communications to engage with communities, including online platforms that model a heat network to show cost and return, and how it would be managed and communicated. (*At this point Stuart played a short video showing some of the initiatives happening in Peterborough, which is in his presentation slides*). Net zero isn't just a technical challenge, it's also about governance, funding, public engagement, and long-term coordination. A challenge when delivering long-term programmes is that funding is fragmented and short-term. When the challenges faced are multi-decade, how to keep funding going? People don't connect with technical net zero language, but they do connect with practical things like warmer homes, lower bills, healthier communities, cleaner air, and a better local environment. So the FutureNow branding focused on positivity and the engagement strategy is about listening as well as broadcasting. There are tips and advice on the website, including the Homewise tool leased from the Energy Saving Trust, which recommends actions based on your home’s EPC rating and a few other sources. ### Green social prescribing Environmental work overlapping with health and well-being. PECT delivers nature-based activities for Peterborough residents, particularly those with frailty or long-term health conditions. This includes outdoor well-being sessions, walking groups, walking football, community gardening, Tai Chi in the park. These provide social contact, and also stronger connections with local green spaces and environmental issues. Funding for this is ending soon and difficult to replace because most funders like to fund innovative new projects, rather than ones that already exist. ### Summing up PECT engages with different audiences; schools, businesses, individual groups, all of which require different engagement and a different way of thinking and communicating. One of the biggest lessons is that lasting change takes time. Developing strong partnerships and trust is very important. While national policy is important local delivery really does make a difference. Today PECT held its 13th annual school sustainability showcase, for children who are school green champions. They demonstrate the work they've been doing in their schools, do a range of activities, and pitch to win awards. Their enthusiasm is what gives Stuart the encouragement and energy to continue. Despite the challenges, there are huge opportunities - a growing interest in nature recovery, retrofit, green skills, community energy, healthy places, and a growing understanding that climate action needs to be fair, practical and inclusive. ## Q&A *At the moment you have a Labour council in Peterborough, would there be a material effect if Reform got in with climate sceptic policies?* Yes; in Lincolnshire, where there is a Reform council, PECT had to rebrand one of their net zero programmes for business to focus on energy efficiency. However, council officers do understand what needs to happen. There’s also been something of a funding shift; 2-3 years ago there was a lot of talk about climate change but that has gone quiet. It’s important for PECT that it has diverse income streams including Investors in the Environment. *What you were saying about communicating in different ways to different people is interesting. Sometimes it's got to be about what's in it for people. Building stronger communities is also very important and sometimes those communities need the impetus and structure that someone like PECT can provide.* You sometimes find that great community work is spearheaded by one or two people and if they step away then things can fall off. So building community resilience, as we are doing on the John Clare Countryside project, is key. That covers 21 parishes, some have larger groups than others, so it’s about sharing resources, sharing stories, and giving people the agency to start a group, or contact the right person. *Is PECT’s work all done by volunteers or do you have paid employees? How do you get volunteers and recruit people to help with projects?* PECT has a team of 20 working for the charity, and another 20 working for the subsidiary. We also have volunteers, some are highly skilled, for example a PhD in bee science who helped with the B-Lines project. We also have brilliant ecologists working as volunteers on John Clare Countryside. Some of our partnerships are with organisations who are completely volunteer-led, for example the Repair Café - PECT lends them some admin support. We do struggle sometimes with recruiting volunteers. *I've been involved in a couple of groups, and one of the biggest problems that we face is turning an idea into a project, and then gaining funding to carry it through. Is that the sort of work you can help and advise with?* Yes, PECT has a business development manager who's really good at that. We also have lots of great ideas and sometimes have to put them on the shelf until a suitable funder comes along. Some people are now using AI to help with finding funding and with bid writing. --- ### People's Emergency Briefing film CA-WN is showing the film in Towcester, Brackley, the University of Northampton and Daventry: - **Friday 5 June** 2026 7.00 - 8.30pm at the [Sawpits Centre **Towcester** NN12 6EX](https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2195285?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) - **Friday 19 June** 2026 7.00 - 8.30pm at [Egerton Hall **Brackley** NN13 6GN](https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2195303?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) - **Tuesday 23 June** 2026 7.00 - 8.30pm at the [University of **Northampton** NN15PH](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2193047?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) - A screening in **Daventry** to be confirmed. The purpose of the film is to spread awareness of the issues, but mostly to get communities to come together to discuss how we progress from where we find ourselves today, which is not very far advanced in terms of adapting to the future. We need to encourage government to do a great deal more, and the People's Emergency Briefing is an initiative that’s picking up steam across the country. Rachel asked whether she would be able to display leaflets from a group she is part of called Parents for Future. It was agreed to put an item about the group in CA-WN Exchange and that leaflets at the film showing would be very welcome. Help with stewarding at all showings is needed, Rachel volunteered for Northampton and Jane R and Kate volunteered for Brackley. ### Date of next online public meeting **Thursday 18 June at 7:45pm**. ### A well-adapted UK URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/a-well-adapted-uk/ Last updated: 2026-05-20T19:48:41.000Z The Climate Change Committee’s latest Climate Risk Assessment1 acknowledges that since the Climate Change Act was passed nearly 20 years ago, the UK has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 42%. However, according to this latest assessment, **little progress has been made** on preparing ourselves for life in a changing climate. It argues that a “well-adapted UK” is **only achievable** through **immediate, large-scale, coordinated action** \- adaptation must become a core national priority . The report repeatedly emphasises: - **the UK is already underprepared** - **adaptation is now unavoidable** - **delayed action increases costs and harms** - **adaptation requires coordination across all sectors** - **many solutions already exist** - **government leadership is currently inadequate** Here's what Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS FMedSci - Chair of the Adaptation Committee said: > *The *public is concerned that we are unprepared* for climate change. At the Climate Change Committee, our detailed reports conclude that *they are right to be concerned*. What governments have been doing on adaptation clearly isn’t working. *It is time for change.** ### Support for a “well-adapted UK” Consider joining one of **CA-WN's screenings** of the **People’s Emergency Briefing** film that features footage from last November’s **National Emergency Briefing** when leading **experts** in **climate science, food security, health, economics, national security and nature** presented a clear, measured overview of how the climate and nature crisis is affecting everyday life in Britain. Many local Councillors have already said they'll join one of our screenings and follow-up discussion – show them you care [by coming along too](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/special-community-screenings/). ### Sign the petition A new Parliamentary Petition aims to drive the message home to our elected members. This is what it says: > *The UK faces growing risks from climate and nature breakdown - from extreme weather to economic disruption and national security threats. Yet the public has never been given a clear national briefing on the scale of these risks. Government should hold an emergency briefing from leading experts.* > *These risks could have serious consequences across UK society, with threats to health and food supply - which could become irreversible without urgent action. Many people are unclear how these risks may affect them, and information in the public domain is often misleading.* > *A credible national briefing from independent experts would give people clear, trusted guidance on what these risks mean in practice, and what we can do - both together and individually - to prepare and respond.* If the petition gets 10,000 signatures, then government will respond to it. If it gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament. Can we help drive it to well over 100,000 signatures so that Parliament is o**bliged to do more** than merely consider it? ### [**SIGN THE PETITION**](https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767687/signatures/new?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Reference** 1 [A Well-Adapted UK – the Fourth Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk ](https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/A-Well-Adapted-UK-CCRA4-IA-784y9813-3094039i85t59yhfufoub24f2bipdj1.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### CA-WN field trip to Courteenhall URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-field-trip-to-courteenhall/ Last updated: 2026-05-14T06:54:06.000Z CA-WN was lucky enough to be invited on a tour of Courteenhall farm, which sits between Roade and the southern border of Northampton. We are very grateful to Dr Johnny Wake and his colleague Jack for sharing their time and expertise. There was so much to see and learn about. If you want to visit yourself there’s an ideal opportunity on **Saturday 6 June** when the farm is participating in **Open Farm Sunday**, as well as hosting the **Courteenhall Church Fete**. Courteenhall practices regenerative agriculture – it can be tricky to pin down what this means, but here they raise livestock (cows, sheep, poultry and pigs), grow arable crops, and manage part of the land under government Stewardship schemes. The 60 cattle are Herefords, able to live outside all year round with no supplementary feeding. Their presence (and dung) has enabled the return of dung beetles, who play an unglamorous but vital role in the ecosystem. The Stewardship scheme fields are planted with various seed mixes: legumes to fix nitrogen in the soil, wildflower mix for pollinators, and wild bird seed mix. The legumes improve the soil and suppress black grass which is a problem for wheat crops. After a few years this is replaced with an arable crop, which does mean spraying with glyphosate first. This is not ideal but the farm does aim to minimise inputs, no longer using insecticides and spreading ‘muck’ in preference to artificial fertilisers where possible. The woodlands on the estate are managed with wildlife in mind, with new trees being planted and deadwood left standing or lying to provide crucial habitats for birds and invertebrates. Climate change is presenting some serious challenges, with hotter drier weather not suiting all of the native trees, and lack of truly cold winters allowing pests to thrive year-round. Away from farming, oil-fired heating in the 300-year-old estate cottages is being gradually and successfully replaced with air source heat pumps. The estate also works with local schools and runs the New Leaf charity. The charity supports primary school children to thrive and develop through a range of nature-based activities in a structured programme that also includes personalised support and guided reflection. Find out more and donate to this very worthwhile cause [https://www.newleafl.com/](https://www.newleafl.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Courteenhall’s latest enterprise will be a farm shop and restaurant, opening in summer 2027. This is just a snapshot of what we saw and heard, there is more on the estate’s website [https://www.courteenhall.co.uk/](https://www.courteenhall.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Sir John Major on Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/sir-john-major-on-climate-change/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T20:23:26.000Z **In an interview with BBC Newsnight and BBC Radio 5 Live, Sir John Major, former Conservative Prime Minister, spoke about the growing challenges faced by governments today and why climate change must be treated as a long‑term priority1.** **Why Governing Has Become Harder** Sir John explained that being Prime Minister is more difficult than in the past. Governments now face wider, more complex problems but have less time to deal with them. As a result, serious issues are often delayed, turning into long‑term problems instead of being solved early. One example he raised was the ageing population, which already places strain on public services. He warned that climate change poses an even greater threat if it continues to be ignored. **Climate Change Is Real and Visible** Sir John was clear in rejecting climate change denial. He argued that denying climate change is an excuse to avoid spending money on difficult policies, allowing politicians to focus instead on short‑term, popular decisions. **Passing the Problem to Future Generations** Sir John strongly criticised the idea of delaying action on climate change, arguing that postponing solutions simply shifts the burden onto future generations. By failing to act now, today’s leaders are leaving: - An overstretched economy - A population ageing faster than it can be supported - A worsening climate crisis that could have been addressed earlier He warned that this approach is unfair to today’s children and grandchildren. **The True Role of Government** In Sir John Major’s view, the main responsibility of any government is to improve the world it hands on. He believes this is no longer happening. Young people today are inheriting a harder and less secure future than previous generations, and this trend will continue unless long‑term problems are taken seriously now. **Politics Should Serve the Public** Sir John Major reflected on the purpose of politics, arguing politics should not be treated as entertainment or a platform for personal ambition. Politicians are elected to improve people’s lives, not to please the media or ignore difficult issues. If governments fail to face problems such as climate change honestly and responsibly, he warned, they risk failing the public and weakening democracy itself. **Earlier Warning from another Prime Minister** Sir John Major was not the first Prime Minister to raise concerns about climate change. In a speech to the Royal Society nearly forty years ago, Margaret Thatcher warned about the risks of rising global temperatures. In those days even a 1°C increase had been considered too dangerous2. Almost immediately Prime Minister Thatcher’s concerns were challenged by her Chancellor, Nigel Lawson, who questioned the scientific consensus and focused on economic arguments instead. Lawson’s views continue to influence modern climate change denial3. **The People’s Emergency Briefing** As [CA-WN joins](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/special-community-screenings/) many hundreds of local groups in screening a film version of last November's **National Emergency Briefing** for an invited audience of MPsand senior business representatives it is reassuring to have two inhabitants of 10 Downing Street speak plainly about the role and responsibilities of our elected representatives - *Politicians are elected to improve people’s lives, not to please the media or ignore difficult issues.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/05/PEB-screenings-map.png) [Map of ****People’s Emergency Briefing** screenings](https://www.nebriefing.org/screening-map?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) \- at 8 May 2026 **Links** 1 [Sir John Major’s Interview on BBC’s Newsnight – 1 May 2026](https://johnmajorarchive.org.uk/2026/05/04/sir-john-majors-interview-on-bbcs-newsnight-1-may-2026/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [Margaret Thatcher Speech to the Royal Society on climate change](https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107346?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [The Trouble with Climate Change - Nigel Lawson, The Global Warming Policy](https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2014/05/Lawson-Trouble-with-climate-change.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [ Foundation GWPF Essay 1 2014](https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2014/05/Lawson-Trouble-with-climate-change.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Notes from 16 April CA-WN Public Meeting and a 'field trip'. URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/notes-from-16-april-ca-wn-public-meeting-and-a-field-trip/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T19:00:35.000Z Our April guest speaker was Dr Colleen Golja, Imperial College Research Fellow at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and Environment, Imperial College London. Dr Golja gave an overview of the climate as a dynamical system and how this impacts the UK under past and present climate change. You don't need to be a climate scientist to recognise the severe threat presented by climate change, but there's also a lot of noise and poor information around this topic. CA-WN was privileged to hear the facts from a climate scientist at the forefront of atmospheric research. The recording of the meeting is available to watch on [YouTube](https://youtu.be/xOO4NGmKm28?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and Dr Golja's talk will be summarised in CA-WN Exchange. You can also see her slides [here](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Colleen%5FGolja%5F16-04-2026.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). **Apologies**: Clare Slater, Helen Dyson, Leonie Beale, Peter Nalder, Roy Hawkesford **Present**: Allan Bell, Anissa Beale, Dave Pearson, David Garlick, Harry Mellor, James Hadfield, Jane Wood, Jenny Scully, Maria Lee, Martin Coombes, Mick Lorkins, Mike Longman, Rupert Knowles, **Date of next meeting**: 21 May - Stuart Dawks, CEO of PECT, a charity set up (originally as Peterborough Environment City Trust) to protect and enhance the environment. Stuart will talk about 'Delivering Change Locally: 30+ Years of PECT’s Climate and Environmental Work'. --- ### Upcoming event - book now! Every so often CA-WN is able to arrange a special event to see sustainable practices in action - a field trip if you like. Our next one, coming up on Wednesday 13 May, is a field trip in every sense! We have been offered an opportunity to see how food production and nature can work together within a regenerative farming system at the Courteenhall Estate. Register for free - places are limited. [https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2126775](https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/2126775?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/cowz.png) ### Crisis, what crisis ... [2] URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/crisis-what-crisis-2/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T13:26:56.000Z ### The annual report of the World Meteorological Organization gives details of these key climate indicators for 2025: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/temp25.png) Source: World Meteorological Organization CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/CO225.png) Source: World Meteorological Organization CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/ocean25.png) Source: World Meteorological Organization CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/sea25-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/glacier25.png) Source: World Meteorological Organization CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/seaice25.png) Source: World Meteorological Organization CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/rainfal25.png) Source: World Meteorological Organization CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/xtreme25.png) Source: World Meteorological Organization CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 > **Climate change.** > **It’s real.** > **It’s us.** > **It’s bad.** > **We're sure.** > **And we can fix it.** > **But we need to act now.** **Reference** World Meteorological Organization: [State of the Global Climate 2025 report](https://wmo.int/media/announcement/state-of-global-climate-2025-report?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Great UK WaterBlitz URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/great-uk-waterblitz-2/ Last updated: 2026-04-27T16:16:56.000Z Over a late April weekend citizen scientists around the country set about collecting freshwater samples from their local water courses. **CA-WN took part** to find out what was involved in contributing to FreshWater Watch’s Great UK WaterBlitz1. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/Hoarestone-Brook.png) A CA-WN sample site: Hoarestone Brook near Bugbrooke Twice a year WaterBlitz volunteers sign up to receive a **water quality testing kit** and commit to spending time to collect their water sample, carry out the tests, observe surrounding nature and submit their findings online. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/waterkit.png) There are three clearly labelled tubes in the kit, one for testing the quantity of **nitrate**, one for **phosphate** and one for assessing the water sample’s **pH** level - how alkaline or acidic it is. Who knew that pH stands for *power of Hydrogen*? Each tube contains a chemical that reacts to sampled water by gradually changing colour. A colour chart is used to gauge the result after carefully defined times; pH at 20 seconds, nitrate level at 3 minutes and phosphate at five minutes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/score.png) A **photograph** and visual site survey complements the water sampling with general details being **uploaded online** as tick boxes describing the type of water course (ditch, pond, stream, lake, river or canal), nearby land use, bankside vegetation, any floating matter and water colour (from colourless to yellow, brown, green, grey or milky white). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/Tove-site-April-2026.png) A CA-WN sample site: the River Tove's mill stream alongside West Northamptonshire Council offices in Towcester Below, the extract from the live map **shows that only a few** of West Northamptonshire’s water courses are being sampled. **Autumn WaterBlitz** runs from **18–21 September 2026**. If you know anyone with an interest in the water quality of our drought-prone region do encourage them to [register here](https://earthwatch.org.uk/greatukwaterblitz/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) for further details of how to make a **free** citizen science contribution. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/04/site25.png) Map source: [https://www.freshwaterwatch.org/pages/great-uk-waterblitz-results](https://www.freshwaterwatch.org/pages/great-uk-waterblitz-results?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) If there’s enough of us concerned about the quality of the water in our publicly accessible streams, rivers or canals **it could be worthwhile setting up our own group to routinely monitor and submit reports.** [**Let us know** ](mailto:secretary@ca-wn.org?subject=Water%20quality%20survey)if that sounds like a worthwhile commitment you would be able to make. **REFERENCE** 1 [Great UK WaterBlitz](https://earthwatch.org.uk/greatukwaterblitz/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Green skills training programme URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/green-skills-training-programme/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T17:37:03.000Z ### India Palmer at Warwick University is currently recruiting applicants for a green skills training programme, aimed at **18-30** year olds. The programme is designed for anyone passionate about climate action and wanting to build future-ready green skills while connecting with peers across the UK and India. **Climate change** is one of the defining challenges of our generation — and young people are at the forefront of shaping the solutions. While many aspire to pursue green careers, awareness of green skills and career pathways remains limited. This creates an urgent need to equip youth with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead sustainable transformation. To address this, **The Energy & Resources Institute** (TERI) and the **Warwick** **Manufacturing** **Group** (WMG) at the **University of Warwick** are launching **Innovate4Environment;** a UK–India Youth Skills Partnership Programme, an initiative funded by the **Climate Skills Global Collaboration Grant** from the **British Council**. The programme offers a series of hybrid training workshops for hands-on experience in: **• Climate science** **• Renewable energy** **• Waste and water management** **• Nature-based solutions** **• Sustainable agriculture** **• Circular economy** **• Climate-focused innovation** Each workshop combines expert masterclasses, practical activities, collaborative problem-solving labs, and both online and in-person engagement. The programme will take the form of 6 days fixed commitment plus mentor supported time across a six-month period, to develop a prototype solution to a climate and sustainability challenge. It culminates in a hybrid national camp, where participants will showcase their prototypes to a distinguished jury of policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability experts. Find out more and sign up [here](https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=vc-6Ce9HZUSSZTVG8ur2vFVOMrq73qZAkyE-ZYhaAZhUMlFXWjVUUklSU05YV0FEMFVOR1k2TEpWTS4u&route=shorturl&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ### Crisis, what crisis ... URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/crisis-what-crisis/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T17:51:42.000Z ### … the crisis that our politicians and the populist media prefers not to mention. **CA-WN** doesn’t do capital P Politics but it would be socially irresponsible if we didn’t couple the **climate crisis** to the **elephant in the room**. And **call for action**. **First, the expert briefings on climate change for politicians and business leaders** In November 2025, using factual evidence, subject experts explained how society will be hit by the ever-increasing speed of our changing climate. Here are November's ‘[expert briefings](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6b0HBZ3v-IkuFdfsieHeQVvo2rDWoADE&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)’. A new film based on the event is being shown locally – check out the [People’s Emergency Briefing](https://www.nebriefing.org/screening-map?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) map. **Second, the national security report on risks of global ecosystem collapse** In January 2026 the government published its risk[ assessment ](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e0eae719d837d69afc7de/National%5Fsecurity%5Fassessment%5F-%5Fglobal%5Fbiodiversity%5Floss%5F%5Fecosystem%5Fcollapse%5Fand%5Fnational%5Fsecurity.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)of global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security. Its assessments include a high risk that national security and prosperity will be threatened by global ecosystem degradation and collapse. **Third, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services** In February 2026 the key messages from this [intergovernmental panel ](https://zenodo.org/records/18538597/files/K2601456%5BE%5D%20-%20UNEP-IPBES-12-L.11%20-%20FINAL%20-%2009.02.2026.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)were that ... *biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people underpin the economy, so *all businesses depend*, directly or indirectly, *on biodiversity** and ... *there are *inadequate or perverse* incentives *that perpetuate business-as-usual* ...* **Fourth, the Munich Security Report 2026** The Munich Security Conference (MSC) is an annual world forum where senior political, military and diplomatic figures can personally address **global security challenges**. This February's key themes included the **erosion of international norms** amid heightened **global instability**. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/02/Under_Destruction---Munich_Security_Report_2026.png) Perhaps unsurprisingly the ‘[**Under Destruction**](https://securityconference.org/assets/02%5FDokumente/01%5FPublikationen/2026/MSR2026/Under%5FDestruction%E2%80%93Munich%5FSecurity%5FReport%5F2026.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)’ Munich Security report cover features an elephant. Here’s its opening summary: > *The world has entered a *period of wrecking-ball politics*. *Sweeping destruction* – rather than careful reforms and policy corrections – *is the order of the day*. The most prominent of those who *promise to free their country* from the existing order’s constraints *and rebuild a stronger, more prosperous nation* is the current *US administration*. As a result, more than 80 years after construction began, the US-led post-1945 international order is now under destruction.* **The Elephant in the Room** **Donald Trump**, the 47th **President of the United States of America**, has **repeatedly cast doubt on climate science**. Here’s what he told the 80th Session of the United Nations: > **It's the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world*, in my opinion. *Climate change*, no matter what happens, you're involved in that. No more global warming, no more global cooling. *All of these predictions* made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, *were wrong*. They were *made by stupid people* that have cost their country's fortunes and given those same countries no chance for success.* > **If you don't get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail** *and I'm really good at predicting things. You know, they actually said during the campaign, *they had a hat*, the best-selling hat*, Trump was right about everything*. And I don't say that in a braggadocious way, but *it's true. I've been right about everything*.* > *And I'm telling you, that if you don't get away from *the green energy scam*, your country is going to fail. And *if you don't stop, people that you've never seen before* that *you have nothing in common with*, your country is *going to fail*. I'm the president of the United States, but I worry about Europe. I love Europe.* And there you have it, the **two plain planks** Trump wishes us to walk upon; **denial of a climate crisis** and **scaremongering about immigrants**. **Elephant parade** Trump's camp followers include some of the world’s richest people, Elon Musk, Larry Ellison and Jeff Bezos (together estimated to be worth over a trillion dollars) as well as politicians of significantly less worth. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/02/Trump-Farage.png) Photo credit: Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons **P for Politics** As said at the beginning, CA-WN doesn’t do capital P Politics, but it would be socially irresponsible not to draw attention to local echoes of Trump’s **climate denial** and **patriotic exclusivity.** **Call for action** The crisis is genuine. In the face of **climate scepticism**, of **business-as-usual**, of **divisive politics**, our children’s and grandchildren’s futures are in our hands. There are so many [brilliant climate and nature groups](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/local-climate-and-environmental-groups/) around West Northamptonshire. If you are not already active with your local group, or if you don’t have an active local group, then make 2026 the year for action. What might action look like for the many reading this who are already ethical consumers, committed to conservation and deeply involved in everything around them? For those that can, the answer is straightforward; widen your engagement with others. Find time to attend local events that encourage public participation and strengthen community ties. Wherever possible make friends and family aware of all the positive local initiatives aimed at avoiding climate catastrophe. Above all, as seasons change and new life emerges, celebrate and share nature’s optimism that good things lie ahead. ### Report of CA-WN Public Meeting 19 March 2026 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-ca-wn-public-meeting-19-march-2026/ Last updated: 2026-03-31T10:37:36.000Z Our March guest speaker was Caroline Kuzemko, Professor of Political Economy and Climate Change at Warwick University. Professor Kuzemko's areas of focus include the politics of climate policy, energy transition and the geopolitics of phasing out fossil fuels and bringing in clean energy. Her latest book is "*Climate Politics: Can't Live With It, Can't Mitigate Without It*"1. The meeting was recorded and is available to watch on YouTube2. **Present**: Alan Mawer, Alexina Cassidy, Alison Barlow, Allan Bell, Anissa Beale, Avril Moore, David Garlick, Emma Kendall, Helen Dyson, Hilary Haynes, Jane Wood, Jenny Scully, John Hunt, Leonie Beale, Maria Lee, Martin Coombs, Mick Lorkins, Mike Longman, Paul Slater, Rupert Knowles, Susan Ball **Apologies**: Clare Robertson-Marriott, Teresa Cox ### **Meeting notes** Prof Kuzemko started by summarising the current situation as she sees it: - There is now no consensus on climate among UK political parties, though support for Net Zero remains high among the general population. - Reform are using Net Zero as a wedge issue, with Conservatives following suit for political reasons. Both Conservatives and Reform receive support from international and domestic organisations aligned with fossil fuel interests. - Policy is the key driver of change to emissions - 85% of renewables growth will come from policy. - There has been strong opposition to climate mitigation from the start. Many countries have fossil fuel based economies, and fossil fuels are not just economically or politically embedded but also socially (we all still use fossil fuel). - For fossil fuel exporting countries and oil companies climate mitigation is existential. USA and Russia will face extremely uncertain futures if they can’t generate income to support public spending from somewhere other than fossil fuel. Workers in fossil fuel industries will lose their jobs. - Vested interests can buy big policy teams which communicate very effectively. - The policy environment is now very noisy as actors who stand to lose a great deal face coal being phased out. The IEA predicts peak demand for oil and gas by 2030. - Don’t bury heads in the sand. We need to understand the politics of climate change far better. Scientists have been fundamental to understanding of climate change but science doesn’t tell us much about society, politics or people. - Some groups are starting to experience the effects of climate mitigation and so are receptive to messaging against mitigation. - Positivity is the only way to get through this - better mitigation policies that provide for fairness in the process of transition. There are examples in Spain, where areas heavily reliant on coal realised they needed to phase coal out; by specifically engaging with affected workers (rather than with their employers) local governments were able to phase out fossil fuel and get re-elected. - There are lots of positive health outcomes from climate mitigation, but we don’t hear much about these. We can communicate better with a broader range of people. - The social and economic cost of not mitigating is huge, so avoiding those costs is a positive. - In summary – better policy and better communications needed to take the sting out of Reform. This short talk by Prof Kuzemko was followed by a Q&A session, highlights of which were: - Ask who funded statements such as ‘green policies and phasing out coal are the reason why we are having current problems in the Middle East’. - Effect of the US/Israel/Iran war - our economy is still dependent on fossil fuel. How do we secure supplies and protect low-income households? When gas prices rose due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine short term affordability was maintained and money put into medium- and long-term strategies to give importing countries greater independence. UK government now frames mitigation policy in terms of energy security. - Is there a generational divide on climate change? Generally younger generations understand climate change better; there is also a divide based on level of education. However, Reform are starting to drive a wedge into younger generation on gender lines, appealing much more to young men. - Future role of China. China is slashing the price of solar panels and turbine blades and starting to decarbonise their grid. 80% of their electricity is used for industry – outsourced manufacturing for developed countries. They are also obsessed with energy security and don’t want to import energy. China has a huge impact on the UK’s ability to add renewables at lower cost. Two caveats: in the US, buying renewables is framed as helping international actors, whereas fossil fuels are US produced and patriotic; secondly, working conditions in China are not ideal. - Effect of the fossil fuel lobby on government policy. The current government are largely resisting; they have delivered the Clean Energy Act, Great British Energy and the warm homes initiative, for example. Notably GB Energy HQ has been put in Aberdeen which will be adversely affected by transition away from oil. But we are not hearing about those things so much because of the ‘noise’. - Can individuals have an impact? We need all hands on deck at all times, working both top-down and bottom-up. Sometimes it is convenient to make people feel powerless. We can make better choices on cars and food, for example, and it is important to talk about climate mitigation in a non-confrontational way (there are some good climate comedians). - The Covid pandemic shifted working patterns – do we need disaster to force change? Longer term evidence indicates that there is a tendency to go back to the status quo. ### References 1. [https://youtu.be/0xxFAE6lpFE](https://youtu.be/0xxFAE6lpFE?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2. [https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/climate-politics/FE5D7432C2E2343F0FF17DBA50044362](https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/climate-politics/FE5D7432C2E2343F0FF17DBA50044362?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Farming in crisis: Farming Policy 2026 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/farming-in-crisis-farming-policy-2026/ Last updated: 2026-03-31T09:29:31.000Z 2025 was a dismal year for many farmers: the summer drought reduced yields for cereals and many other crops, the government cut off the Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) without warning, and budget changes to Inheritance Tax threatened many farm businesses. However the weather improved in the autumn. Doing my rounds in the county, I remarked on healthy crops and fields of green. Farmers that I met, agreed. Except for low-lying fields affected by flooding, crop prospects for 2026 look good. But since then, the prices paid to farmers for cereals have fallen and as they are based on world markets, there is little that can be done. Milk prices have also fallen due to a world glut and the only bright spot is livestock, beef and sheep, where the market is buoyant. The Iranian war will lead to increased costs all round. I have been studying three recent reports: - [Farming Profitability Review 2025](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-profitability-review-2025-an-independent-review?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org): an independent review by Baroness Minette Batters, former NFU president and current farmer. - [The 30-50-50 Mission](https://www.scienceforsustainableagriculture.com/georgefreeman6?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). A report published in November 2025 by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture (APPGSTA) chaired by George Freeman MP - [Speech at the 2026 Oxford Farming Conference](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/secretary-of-states-address-to-2026-oxford-farming-conference?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in January by Environment Secretary, Emma Reynolds. These reports act as a wake-up call to the emasculation of English agriculture and the consequences for food security and food prices. # Definitions First, a couple of definitions: **Food security**: exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. **Self-sufficiency**: the ability of a region or country to produce enough food without needing to buy or import additional food. # Self-sufficiency We are unlikely to achieve 100% self-sufficiency, even in items we produce ourselves. At the moment, we are about 62% self-sufficient. Britain was last truly self-sufficient in 1750, but by the Second World War it had slipped to about 40%. By the time of Margaret Thatcher it had recovered to its highest in modern times, nearly 80% in the 1980s. The more our self-sufficiency, the greater our food security. # Growing the Economy Farmers produce the raw ingredients that underpin our food and drink sector, which is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, worth £146 billion. Agriculture employs more than four hundred thousand people directly, but the wider agri-food sector supports over 4 million jobs. It is important to the political objective of growing the economy. But in the report conducted as part of the APPGSTA’s 30:50:50 programme the current situation points to a reduction in agriculture’s contribution. It suggests that the Government targets for housing, nature restoration, renewable energy, tree planting, and infrastructure development may result in the loss of up to 25% of currently farmed land over the next 25 years, including areas of high-quality arable land. Domestic food production in the UK could decline by up to 32% by 2050, or 39% per capita, if current trends continue and no changes are made to farming and land-use policies. # 30:50:50 The report, Feeding Britain Sustainably to 2050, was launched at the Agri-Science Summit in Westminster on 3 November 2025\. It outlines the Group’s proposed 30:50:50 mission: increasing agricultural output by 30% by 2050 while reducing the environmental footprint of farming by 50%. The Group recommends embedding this mission across all food, farming, and land-use policies. This does not mean adding 30% to 60% self-sufficiency to make 90%! Rather it proposes a statutory target of 75% domestic food self-sufficiency by 2050 taking into account population increase, some loss of agricultural land and yield improvements. Where will the 30% increase in output come from? Does it mean more CO2 and methane and nitrous oxide? The public could play its part by eating less meat – see ‘[How a Plant-Based Diet can help the Climate](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/how-a-plant-based-diet-can-help-the-climate/)’ by Martin Coombs in CA-WN Exchange January 2026\. But there are other opportunities to increase production while maintaining the structure of the countryside. Production can be increased without higher inputs. Back in 2013 it was revealed that wheat yields **in trials** were increasing by around 1.0 t/ha per decade, while **on-farm** yields had plateaued. At that meeting, farmers were castigated for neglecting their most important asset, their soil, and this has led to the adoption of ‘regenerative agriculture’. # Soil Quoting AI and an article in Science Direct: > “Soil is an exceptionally important, large-scale carbon sink, storing roughly 1,500 to 2,500 billion tonnes of carbon—more than three times the amount in the atmosphere. As the second-largest active carbon store after oceans, it is critical for mitigating climate change, improving soil fertility, and fostering biodiversity”. Note that it is ranked higher than trees, yet we know very little about it. Amongst the 57 recommendations by Minette Batters was an emphasis on soil health, urging that soil health strategies should support, not hinder, food-producing crops. These strategies include: - Crop rotation to include nitrogen-fixing deep rooting crops, - Improving the structure of the top-soil by reduced tillage (less ploughing etc), - Cover crops to prevent soil erosion, hold on to soluble nutrients and protect rivers from run-off, - Research into soil structure, aeration, drainage, micro-organisms etc The goal is to transition farming toward a model that delivers dual benefits: high-quality food production and significant environmental gains. One aspect is the "SOILSHOT" + Nature taskforce, an initiative to create standards for measuring environmental outcomes, such as carbon, soil health, water quality, and biodiversity. # Land Sharing vs Sparing Two years ago, I wrote about [sharing and sparing](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/land-sparing-vs-land-sharing/) (CA-WN Exchange March 2024). There is no direct mention in Minette Batters’ report although it is hinted. Also it is not mentioned in the Speech at the 2026 Oxford Farming Conference in January by Environment Secretary, Emma Reynolds, nor in her more recent speech at the NFU national conference. However, MPs in the APPGSTA report pointed to “*strong evidence that the UK’s current ‘land-sharing’ farm policies will reduce or displace domestic food production, increasing our dependence on imports at a time of heightened geopolitical instability, and exporting the climate and biodiversity impacts of our food system*”. It is obvious that soil improvements are compatible with land sharing, but many other environmental activities are incompatible: for example, agro-forestry, organic farming, wild flowers (weeds!) and many pests and diseases. Much of what Emma Reynolds is promising is to be applauded. But she is still reluctant to view farming as a serious industry. She quotes a visit to > “*a small mixed farm with native breed sheep, rare breed pigs and an agroforestry approach that weaves trees and hedgerows into productive farmland…….. the hedgerow management gives their livestock shelter and supports wildlife, their grazing system improves soil health, environmental management and productive farming working together on the same land.*” It is a pretty picture shared by many townspeople, but it does not support the drive to 75% self-sufficiency. # Public money for public good The original Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) hardly mentioned farming, but aimed to transfer the EU farm support scheme to ‘public money for public good’. In many ways, farmers prefer this - making the bulk of their income from producing food (or timber, fibre, oil etc) for the market. Providing they do not pollute the environment, treat employees fairly and run their businesses as responsible citizens, the government and the public should be happy. If the public want more, especially in unproductive areas and field margins, the taxpayer should pay. There has been a subtle change in terminology which farmers did not notice. We no longer have ‘environmental land management’: it has been replaced by the ‘Sustainable Farming’ Incentive (SFI). In other words, government (listening to many non-farming lobbies) has decided to incentivise how farmers should farm. The scheme has been a disaster, especially for many smaller farmers who were slow to apply. Some larger farmers realised there was money to be made from abandoning food production and planting wild flowers. The scheme had a finite budget and ran out of money leaving many smaller famers without the promised replacement for the EU grant. # The Land Use Framework for England The now published [Land Use Framework for England](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/land-use-framework?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) aims to balance competing demands on land, including food production, nature recovery, climate targets, and infrastructure. The farming and food industry has woken up to the threats facing it. The government and the public have woken up to the importance of self-sufficiency in an unstable world. We must make sure that decision makers understand farming and forestry and decide with their heads, not their hearts. It is important that we get the right balance between all the competing demands for land. The framework is a critical part of the government's strategy to reach environmental goals while maintaining food security. ### Student housing and climate responsibility in West Northamptonshire URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/student-housing-and-climate-responsibility-in-west-northants/ Last updated: 2026-03-22T19:31:01.000Z *Aashvi Shah - Undergraduate Stage S (Placement Year at WNC). Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology: University of Kent* Students in West Northamptonshire, and across England, are living at the intersection of the cost-of-living crisis and the climate crisis. Cold bedrooms, rising rents and volatile energy costs are symptoms of a housing system that transfers environmental and financial risk onto tenants with the least power. Student housing has a direct role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building community resilience. Homes are where energy is consumed daily, where health is shaped, and where climate policy becomes lived reality. If our housing stock is inefficient, the transition to net zero becomes more expensive and more difficult to achieve. Data from Students Organising for Sustainability ([SOS-UK](https://sos-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/64493e095286f7f2801a2673%5F20230308%5FHFFS%5FREPORT%5F2023.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), 2023) illustrates the scale of the issue in the student rental market: - 49% report poor insulation or draughts - 54% have experienced damp or mould - 59% have felt uncomfortably cold - 70% limit heating to reduce costs - 12% have reached final energy bill reminders Nearly half of those who felt cold reported anxiety or depression as a result. Cold homes compromise sleep, concentration and academic performance. [Climate change intensifies these pressures](https://www.tcpa.org.uk/thermal-comfort-for-all-homes/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). In the UK, warmer and wetter winters increase the frequency of heavy rainfall events, raising the risk of damp and mould in poorly ventilated properties. At the same time, more frequent summer heatwaves, such as [those recorded in 2022 and 2023,](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67845671?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) turn poorly insulated homes into heat traps, increasing overheating risk. Inefficient housing performs badly in both cold and heat extremes. Therefore, this is a public health and educational equity issue tied directly to climate instability. Nationally, around 3.2 million households in England were classified as fuel poor under the [Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) measure in 2023.](https://www.ageuk.org.uk/siteassets/documents/policy-positions/housing-and-homes/age-uk---fuel-poverty-strategy-consultation-response.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Students, particularly those concentrated in older, minimally compliant private rented housing, are disproportionately exposed to low energy performance and high heating demand. Landlords are [legally required](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-private-rented-property-minimum-energy-efficiency-standard-landlord-guidance?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and meet minimum efficiency standards, typically EPC band E. Yet operating at the lowest permissible threshold has become normalised in parts of the student rental sector. “Barely legal” should not be the benchmark for acceptable living standards. Poor insulation, single glazing and ageing heating systems increase both emissions and bills. [Residential buildings account for roughly 17–20%](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61d450eb8fa8f54c14eb14e4/6.7408%5FBEIS%5FClean%5FHeat%5FHeat%5F%5F%5FBuildings%5FStrategy%5FStage%5F2%5Fv5%5FWEB.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) of the UK’s territorial greenhouse gas emissions, largely from space heating. Inefficient homes therefore lock tenants into higher carbon output alongside higher expenditure. No degree of responsible thermostat management can compensate for a property that haemorrhages heat. Where buildings underperform, the issue is infrastructural. Responsibility for systemic inefficiency lies primarily with property owners, regulators, and planning authorities. If West Northamptonshire Council is serious about climate resilience, the private rented sector, including student housing, must be part of the strategy. Energy efficiency improvements deliver multiple co-benefits: - Reduced household expenditure - Lower carbon emissions - Decreased damp and structural deterioration - Improved public health outcomes - Increased long-term asset value Of course, while students can… - Maintain heating within recommended temperature ranges (18 to 20°C) - Use timers rather than continuous heating - Ventilate to prevent condensation and mould - Monitor consumption through smart meters where bills are tenant-managed …it’s important to note that behavioural change cannot compensate for systemic inefficiency. Framing the crisis primarily as a matter of individual consumption obscures the structural determinants of energy waste. Climate action must be proportionate to power. [Those who control building standards and capital investment have far greater capacity to reduce emissions at scale.](https://www.accommodationforstudents.com/student-landlord-guides/4648?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Whether you are a neighbour or a resident concerned about local climate policy, there are practical steps that contribute to change. **Tenants can:** - Request and review EPC ratings - Report damp and insulation issues formally and in writing - Engage with Students’ Union housing campaigns - Respond to local housing consultations - Raise enforcement concerns with councillors **Residents and community members can:** - Support stronger local housing enforcement - Participate in public consultations on housing and planning - Back initiatives that promote retrofit and energy efficiency **Landlords can:** - Invest in reducing heat loss and upgrading heating systems - Seek available retrofit grants or incentives - View energy efficiency as long-term asset protection, not short-term cost Advocating for higher minimum EPC standards, robust enforcement against damp and mould, incentives for landlord retrofitting, and genuinely affordable, energy-efficient student accommodation is climate mitigation embedded in local housing policy. During a cost-of-living crisis, climate action is often portrayed as sacrifice. For students at University of Northampton and across England, it should be understood as fairness: in housing quality, in energy expenditure, and in who carries the burden of transition. Warm homes and lower emissions are aligned objectives. A well-insulated property reduces bills and carbon simultaneously. Sustainable housing means ensuring buildings do not leak heat and cost neither into winter air, nor trap dangerous heat in summer. Students will continue to moderate consumption because the climate crisis demands it, but meaningful resilience requires structural change. Strengthening housing standards is both an environmental AND social priority. ### Local Nature Recovery Strategy URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/local-nature-recovery-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T18:03:19.000Z ***CA-WN submitted a response to the WNC consultation on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy that invited us to get involved, share our ideas, and be part of something amazing for our natural environment. We hope many other local individuals and groups did too. Now we await the outcome of the consultation.*** ### **Context** The global and national biodiversity crises are presented as the context for the **West Northamptonshire** [**Local Nature Recovery Strategy** ](https://cms.westnorthants.gov.uk/media/28290/download?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (LNRS). The LNRS refers to the updated goals set out in law by the Environment Act 2021, which acknowledges the principles of the Lawton Report (2010)1 i.e. to increase the size and improve the diversity of existing sites, create new habitat areas and increase the connectivity and protection of different habitat zones. The strategy has goals to protect species as well as the heritage and cultural aspects of landscapes. The LNRS aims to increase habitat and biodiversity–rich areas from 7% to 30% by 20302 across these landscape types: woodlands, grasslands, farmland, wetlands and urban areas. It aims to increase woodland cover from 5.8% to 21% and to prioritise 57 threatened species of plants and animals across the same landscapes. ### Insight into the landscapes of West Northamptonshire Landscapes form the foundation of our natural world. A natural landscape consists of landforms, such as hills and valleys, drainage features including lakes, streams, marsh and rivers, soils (e.g. silt, sand or clay), and natural vegetation. The topography or shape of the land and drainage is likely to be influenced by underlying geology and surface processes such as weathering, erosion and deposition. The features of landscapes are crucial factors in determining the nature of soils, ecosystems and their associated habitats, fauna and flora. Landscape characteristics will guide the restoration of Nature specific to those areas. Natural England3 has divided England into 159 National Character Areas (NCAs). Each NCA represents an area of distinct and recognisable character at the national scale. Their boundaries follow natural lines in the landscape, not county or district boundaries. The West Northamptonshire landscape has been divided into 3 main National Character Areas: The **Northamptonshire Uplands**, The **Nene Valley** and the **Yardley – Whittlewood Ridge** (as shown in the diagram below): ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/03/LNRS2.png) Image credit: West Northamptonshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy Draft for Consultation There are detailed descriptions of each NCA and associated landscapes, habitats and species and the important features of heritage such as ridge and furrow, ancient woodland, a parkland with significant trees characteristic of stately homes and a RAMSAR3 wetland site – the intergovernmental wetland treaty adopted in **Ramsar,** Iran in 1971 . Understanding the intricacies of any landscape area can inform the habitat and wildlife needs of that area and so provide focus for local groups actioning Nature Recovery. ### Priorities and Measures The priorities in the LNRS define the key intentions or outcomes the strategy aims to achieve, while the measures it sets out are specific actions designed to deliver them. There are 15 priorities: two are strategic and apply across the region of West Northamptonshire. They relate to the Lawton Principles; improved conservation management of existing sites important for habitat and wildlife, the creation of new sites to expand the area dedicated to Nature, and ensuring connectivity between sites to reduce fragmentation of habitats. Other priority aims refer to specific but broad habitat types: farmland (the most extensive and least diverse), woodland, grassland, freshwater and wetland, and urban. There are also species-specific priorities. All **priorities are set out on page 40** of the draft strategy. The following diagram can be found on page 8, which illustrates the overarching regional priorities, the habitat focus and the species-specific priorities and measures required. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/03/LNRS1.png) Image credit: West Northamptonshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy Draft for Consultation Each priority aim will be achieved by a number of measures or actions and set out as in the following example: **Priority 1: Conserve, enhance, and reduce the pressures on existing designated sites.** Two of the six measures for this priority action are shown below. Measure 1 is mapped on the Local Habitat map, highlighting the existing sites for enhancement. There are measures which are species-specific with the symbol **◊**. | 1 | Survey, provide landowner advice, and facilitate habitat improvements on priority potential wildlife sites. ∆ | | - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 2 | Conserve, enhance and restore Local Nature Reserves and Local Wildlife Sites, bringing them into positive and sustainable management. | **PLEASE NOTE:** The LNRS aims to involve a wide range of stakeholders from landowners to businesses, community groups and individuals. However, there are details given of the permissions needed and constraints that may need to be sought and addressed in planning to take action. Please consult the supporting Permits, Consents and Permissions document. ### Local Habitat Map Throughout the draft strategy the Local Habitat Map symbol indicates that the text content can be viewed on the map. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/03/map-symbol.png) The Local Habitat Map can be expanded to allow focus on a particular locality. The legend covers Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity (APIB) – the protected sites, the Areas that Could become Important for Biodiversity (ACB) and then a comprehensive coverage of all priorities and measures and therefore how biodiversity enhancement is possible. Each button refers to a statement. Click on the statement by the button to reveal the area of interest and click a second time to disable that information. The opening button gives the extent of ‘Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity’ (APIB) but further down the statement ‘Areas that Could become Important for Biodiversity (ACB) illustrate both the current sparsity of habitat across the region but also the astonishing potential for Nature enhancement if there is a real urgency of intention to do so. The map key or legend is then set up with all priorities classed as shown in the diagram on page 8 starting with the strategic overall priorities. Buttons against each priority show where the measures can be actioned. With a careful application of each measure, it is easy to see how a habitat can be expanded across the region. The National Character areas can be designated on the map and so a picture of potential habitat extension and creation can be illustrated for each area. This should assist with local planning for action in that habitats and therefore species can be related to the NCA containing the locality. ### General points Any group committed to the enhancement of habitats and species across West Northants will rely on the LNRS as a tool for ideas and actions. > It is worth giving time to its reading > Any actions planned will need commitment, time and probably money. > Achieving any major change requires the same. The Nature and Climate crises are intricately woven: in supporting the recovery of Nature we create the resilience needed to mitigate against the other. To have your say **by 25 March** [complete this online survey](https://forms.westnorthants.gov.uk/xfp/form/964?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) or email the Council at [naturerecovery@westnorthants.gov.uk](mailto:naturerecovery@westnorthants.gov.uk) or write to: Ruth Rolls West Northamptonshire Council One Angel Square, Angel Street (Service Yard) Northampton NN1 1ED **Our nature needs you.** **REFERENCES**: 1 [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-space-for-nature-a-review-of-englands-wildlife-sites-published-today](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-space-for-nature-a-review-of-englands-wildlife-sites-published-today?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [https://www.cbd.int/gbf](https://www.cbd.int/gbf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 RAMSAR CONVENTION 1971 [https://www.ramsar.org/](https://www.ramsar.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Seedy Saturday 2026 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/seedy-saturday-2026/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T09:00:43.000Z *Sienna Mahoney, journalism student at the University of Northampton, attended the annual Seedy Saturday event and sent us this report.* Seedy Saturday hosted their twelfth annual seed swap at the Doddridge Centre on 21st February 2026. The event aims to promote community between local gardeners based in Northamptonshire. Shena Cooper, the organiser of Seedy Saturday, said: > "Growing a community of people because it’s sometimes a bit lonely if you’re just in your garden on your own. > So, this is sort of a community event.” The event also had multiple stalls for people to have a look at. Stalls included small businesses and educational pop-ups. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/02/Burton-Latimer-stand.png) Burton Latimer Eco Team stand One was Burton Latimer Eco Team run by Adrian Watts. He spoke about how to compost and drew people’s attention to smaller insects that people may not realise they are harming. Adrian said: > “Composting could be done by anyone. > “The planet does it naturally so the fact that we find it complicated is a human trait.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/02/Wiggly-worms.png) Neal’s Yard Remedies was one of the small businesses that attended. They sell organic products for inner health and outer health. Shena also ran a raffle, the money raised went towards the hire of the Doddridge Centre and supporting different youth clubs. The event is volunteer run, so anyone is welcome to get involved with setting up the event each year. It’s also free to attend, and everyone is encouraged to go if they have an interest. “We could definitely do with a lot more help, especially from younger people.” said Shena. For more information, visit the Seedy Saturday website or Facebook page ### 50 Families project URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/50-families-project/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T08:59:16.000Z ***CA-WN is proud to be a member of the*** [***West Northamptonshire Sustainable Food Network***](https://goodfoodwnorthants.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)***. We recently received this update from the Network about the 50 Families project, a*** ***great example of agencies working together. Building a sustainable future for our communities is about connecting and building better public health, as well as about renewable energy and planting trees.*** *“It’s helped me plan meals better, waste less food, and feel more confident about putting nutritious meals together for my children.”* \- 50 Families participant Three Northamptonshire charities have joined forces to deliver the 50 Families project. This strategic philanthropic initiative has supported 50 local families in making healthier food and cooking choices, while also aiming to reduce pressures related to the ongoing cost of living. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/02/food4.png) The project has helped people build confidence and skills with healthier food, reduced social isolation, and encouraged families to connect and support each other. Delivered by [**HOME-START NORTHAMPTON**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/home-start-northampton/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), Power of the Mind Networks, and [**The Spring Charity**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/thespringcharity/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), and supported and funded by [**Northamptonshire Community Foundation**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/northamptonshire-community-foundation/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) on behalf of [**Food4Heroes**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/food4heroes/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), the project was evaluated by the [**University of Northampton**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-northampton/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). This year-long initiative has already made a real difference to families’ confidence, wellbeing, and daily life. Unlike short-term interventions such as food banks or school holiday healthy eating initiatives, 50 Families provides lasting skills that families can use in their everyday lives. Key findings from the University of Northampton report include: 🔹52% report increased awareness of healthy eating and lifestyle choices 🔹59% felt “very confident” or “confident” with their cooking at the end of the project 🔹82% of parents rated their health as average or better in the final survey Recommendations for future community cooking collaborations: 🔹Fund beyond short-term pilots to support lasting health outcomes 🔹Invest in fully equipped kitchens so families can cook together 🔹Integrate affordable, family-friendly physical activity alongside food initiatives A toolkit has also been produced, giving practical sessions for families who wish to continue cooking together and fit it into busy lives in diverse homes. It can be found on page 37 of the report. 🥕 Read the full report and find out more about 50 Families here: [**https://lnkd.in/ejtH9au2**](https://lnkd.in/ejtH9au2?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### CA-WN Public Meeting 19 February 2026 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-public-meeting-19-february-2026/ Last updated: 2026-02-23T14:04:38.000Z ### **‘Northampton in 100 Years’ by Mike Longman, Vice Chair of Northamptonshire Natural History Society** **Present:** Allan Bell,Caroline Gooch, Clare Slater, David Garlick, Emily Evans, Faye Spencer, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, Jean Troy, Leonie Beale, Martin Coombes, Peter Nalder, Rupert Knowles, Sandra Lee **Apologies**: Clare Robertson-Marriott, Helen Dyson, Sue Carverhill, Teresa Cox A recording of the meeting is available[ here](https://youtu.be/HgPPPNbajhw?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). **Watch this space** \- Mike's talk will be available to read in CA-WN Exchange at a later date. In summary he said that climate change will have a profound impact on our natural environment. We need to be prepared to adapt because as far as Northampton and the UK are concerned we cannot be sure what is coming, or how fast. All we know is that we can't stop it and there are likely to be surprises. ### **Dates of future meetings** **Thursday 19** **March** \- Caroline Kuzemko, Professor of Political Economy and Climate Change at Warwick University on '*Politics and Climate Change*' **Thursday 16** **April** \- Dr Colleen Golja from Imperial College, London, on the science of climate change and how it is likely to impact the UK. Register for free [https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire](https://buytickets.at/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ### Report: Braunston Retrofit URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-braunston-retrofit/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T17:48:50.000Z At an 21 March event organised by **Braunston Climate Action Network**, talks were given by householders who have made, or are making, the move to **lower carbon homes**. The highly informative presentations covered **heat pumps,** **planning, funding**, the **Passivhaus Standard** and **EnerPHit**, the Passivhaus refurbishment standard (for details see the [Passivhaus Institute](https://passivehouse.com/en/home/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)). An opportunity to ask questions concluded the session. Useful fact sheets can be downloaded from the **Braunston Climate Action Network** page on the [Braunston Village website](https://www.braunston.org.uk/org.aspx?n=Braunston-CAN-Climate-Action-Network&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ### Green Spaces Semilong URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/green-spaces-semilong/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T20:31:14.000Z *By *Sienna Mahoney,* Journalism student, University of Northampton.* “***It’s worth it in the end because it makes people happy***,” said Lou Troy. Lou, one of the volunteers at **Green Spaces Semilong**, helped to rebuild the children’s park and some of the patches around Semilong. One place in particular was the community garden which the team transformed from October 2024\. The garden recently won an **In Bloom Level Four Neighbourhood Award** for all of their efforts. **Green Spaces Semilong** has people aged from as young as two years old to people in their seventies who help out and use the space. They host volunteer days and open days to encourage people to use the space and to help out. Originally, the garden had funds of £700 given to them by West Northamptonshire Council and Northampton Town Council. Since then, they have gained more funds to expand their work, and have had donations from various places to help with the renovations. “***I think this is a place of opportunities***,” said Lou about the space. In the future, the team hopes to tackle other parts of Semilong that need some attention. They hope to also start up a project called “Walls of Change” where they decorate and paint different walls rather than allow them to continue to be graffitied. They have painted sunflowers on some walls in Semilong that have been frequently targeted and are looking to expand their efforts to other areas. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/02/semi3.png) At open days, they invite various people to perform, cater, and to come along to enjoy the space. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/02/semi-1-2.png) Photo credit: ****Sienna Mahoney** \- ****University of Northampton** Journalism student Keep up to date with the group's work on Facebook: ### Valentine's Day Give & Get event URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/valentines-day-give-get-event/ Last updated: 2026-02-15T14:33:37.000Z ### NEED A TREE? HAVE UNWANTED SAPLINGS IN YOUR GARDEN? In answer to those questions **over 60 saplings** were donated for our inaugural Valentine’s Day '**Give and Get**' tree event - with many finding new homes across West Northamptonshire. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/02/giveget2.png) **DONATIONS WELCOME - VALENTINE’S DAY 2027** Take good care of any young tree that’s taken root in the wrong place in your garden. Either now this winter or next, using a long spade carefully dig round any unwanted sapling. Lift as much of its roots as possible. Pot it, label it with its variety, and set it aside. Keep it watered and it will be ready for next year’s Valentine’s Day Give and Get event. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/02/getters.png) Four trees going to their new home **WANT SAPLINGS NOW?** Looking to fill a hole in a hedge, plant a feature tree or simply want to increase the variety of habitats in your garden. The Woodland Trust have packs for sale including [this mix of trees](https://shop.woodlandtrust.org.uk/targeting-tree-disease-pack?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to help restore existing woodland and regenerate the countryside. ### How a Plant-Based Diet can help the climate URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/how-a-plant-based-diet-can-help-the-climate/ Last updated: 2026-01-11T19:15:58.000Z *In the first of two articles *Martin Coombs*, a member of the *CA-WN Steering Group* sets out his case for following a *plant-based diet* *.** There are many reasons to adopt a plant-based diet (PBD): the avoidance of animal exploitation, a reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG), improvement in the environment and biodiversity, improved food security, and better health. In this article I will concentrate on the effect switching to a PBD would have on the climate, and in a further article will discuss the benefits to the environment and biodiversity of such a change. I use the term plant-based rather than vegan diet for a good reason. Veganism is not a dietary choice, but the ethical rejection of animal exploitation. To a vegan, any benefits for the climate or health are merely secondary. Although vegans have a plant-based diet, others may adopt a plant-based diet for any of the reasons mentioned above. First of all, a refresher on the main greenhouse gases. These are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Global Warming Potential (GWP) measures how much energy the emissions of 1 ton of a specific gas will absorb over a given period, relative to 1 ton of carbon dioxide. The most common timeframe used is a 100-year horizon (GWP100). By definition CO2 has a GWP100 of 1\. It also has an atmospheric lifetime of thousands of years. Non-fossil methane has a GWP100 of 27 but has a short lifetime of about 12 years. Over a 20-year period (GWP20) it is therefore significantly more potent (over 80 times). Nitrous oxide has a GWP100 of 273 and a lifetime of 110 to 121 years, making it the worst of the three main greenhouse gases, and currently the primary driver of ozone layer depletion1. In summary: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/01/table-1.png) The main ways in which animal farming contributes to GHG emissions are as follows2: **Enteric fermentation** from ruminants such as cattle and sheep produces methane during the digestive process and is the largest source of livestock emissions. Interestingly, 90% of the methane is from belching. **Manure** from livestock produces both methane and nitrous oxide, proportions depending upon how the waste is managed. **Feed production** involves the manufacture of nitrogen fertilizers which emit carbon dioxide, and fertilizing crops then releases nitrous oxide. Since 77% to 80% of global soy and a significant portion of maize are grown for animal feed, a shift to plant-based proteins reduces the total area of cropland requiring nitrogen intensive fertilization. **Land use change** such as conversion of forest and grassland to pasture and land for growing feed releases stored carbon dioxide from the biomass and soil. **Other energy use** such as heating or cooling barns, and the transport, slaughter and processing of livestock further increases the carbon footprint. Food production in total accounts for 21% to 37% of global GHG emissions3, and of that animal products and their feed are responsible for nearly 60% of food-related emissions. Estimates of the global carbon footprint of livestock varies from about 12 to 20%. Cattle (beef and dairy) are responsible for 65 to 77% of animal emissions, including accounting for 44% of methane emissions and 53% of nitrous oxide emissions globally4. Importantly, because methane is short-lived, even modest reductions in meat and dairy consumption could lead to a "negative warming" or cooling effect as atmospheric concentrations fall rapidly5. A transition to a diet that excludes animal products could reduce the global agricultural land requirement by 76% (approximately 3.1 billion hectares, an area the size of Africa)6. This liberated land could then be utilized for reforestation, afforestation, or the restoration of native grasslands and peatlands, all of which serve as massive natural carbon sinks5. The "Carbon Opportunity Cost" is a metric used to quantify the amount of carbon that could be sequestered if agricultural land were allowed to return to its native vegetation5. Analysis suggests that a global shift to plant-based diets by 2050 could lead to the sequestration of 332 (70% meat reduction) to 547 GtCO2 (full PBD)​ in living biomass, soil, and litter. For context, this represents 99% to 163% of the total CO2​ emissions budget consistent with a 66% chance of limiting global warming to 1.5∘C5. Meat, milk & eggs provide 37% of protein consumed globally and only 18% of the calories 7. In the UK, livestock and their feed utilise about 85% of the total agricultural land, but only provide 32% of calories and 48% of protein consumed8. On average only about 10% of the calories fed to livestock are converted for human consumption, making it an extremely inefficient use of valuable resources. This inefficiency translates into a massive requirement for cropland and pasture, which in turn drives deforestation and biodiversity loss. The following table shows calorie and protein conversion efficiency for some sectors of animal agriculture9. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/01/table-2.png) Importantly, which sectors of the food industry have the highest carbon footprint7? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/01/martipic3-1.png) Ruminants (cows, sheep) have the highest carbon footprint, along with farmed prawns and cheese (i.e. concentrated milk). The next highest emitters are pigs and chickens. Rice is an unexpected GHG emitter, owing to the fact that rice production accounts for 10-12% of total global methane, second only to enteric fermentation from ruminants. The carbon footprint of other plant-based foods is minimal in comparison to emissions from meat, dairy and eggs. In the comparison below GHG emissions for vegans, vegetarians, fish-eaters, low meat-eaters (<50g/day) and medium meat-eaters (50-99g/day) were compared to high meat-eaters (>100g/day). A PBD resulted in 70% lower CO2 emissions, 93.5% lower CH4 emissions, and 73% lower N2O emissions compared to high meat-eaters. Even moving from being a high meat-eater to a low meat-eater resulted in more than a 30% reduction in GHG emissions10. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/01/martyinpic2.png) What actions can you take, therefore, to reduce your food carbon footprint? I would suggest the following: **1\. Stop or reduce eating meat**. In particular avoid meat from the heavy GHG emitters (cows and sheep). **2\. Stop or reduce cheese consumption**. About 10 litres of milk are required to make a kilogram of cheese, hence its high carbon footprint. Limit cheese to special occasions or use soft cheeses, which have a lower global warming potential. **3.** **Stop or reduce fish consumption**. **4\. Limit rice consumption**, because of its high methane emissions. **5\. Switch from cow’s milk to a plant-based alternative**. The following table might be useful in making your decision7. \[N.B. Eutrophication is the process where excessive nutrient runoff—primarily from fertilizers and animal waste—triggers explosive algal growth that depletes oxygen in water bodies, often leading to "dead zones" and the release of potent greenhouse gases\]. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/01/martin-veg-1-1.png) **6\. Switch to a fully plant-based diet**, with the added benefits of reducing animal exploitation, improving the environment and biodiversity, and better health. **7\. Avoid wasting food.** Food waste accounts for 6-10% of global GHG emissions. **In my next article** I will look at the benefits that a plant-based diet can confer on the environment and biodiversity. ### References 1\. IPCC, 2023: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change \[Core Writing Team, H. Lee and J. Romero (eds.)\]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 184 pp., doi: 10.59327/IPCC/AR6-9789291691647 2\. Blaustein-Rejto, D and Gambino, C (2023) Livestock Don’t Contribute 14.5% of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, The Breakthrough Institute 3\. Feeding 10 billion people by 2050 within planetary limits may be achievable, say researchers - Oxford Martin School, [https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/news/201810-springmann-nature](https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/news/201810-springmann-nature?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. FAIRR (2025) Greenhouse Gases From Intensive Animal Agriculture [https://www.fairr.org/resources/knowledge-hub/greenhouse-gases](https://www.fairr.org/resources/knowledge-hub/greenhouse-gases?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. The carbon opportunity cost of animal-sourced food production on land - ResearchGate, [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344194763\_The\_carbon\_opportunity\_cost\_of\_animal-sourced\_food\_production\_on\_land](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344194763%5FThe%5Fcarbon%5Fopportunity%5Fcost%5Fof%5Fanimal-sourced%5Ffood%5Fproduction%5Fon%5Fland?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. Why Environmental Impact Should Influence Your Diet | Earth.Org, [https://earth.org/data\_visualization/why-environmental-impact-should-influence-your-diet](https://earth.org/data%5Fvisualization/why-environmental-impact-should-influence-your-diet?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. Poore, J.; Nemecek, T. Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science 2018, 360, 987–992 8\. Ruiter, H., J. Macdiarmid, R. Matthews, T. Kastner, L. Lynd and Smith, P. (2017) ‘Total global agricultural land footprint associated with UK food supply 1986–2011.’ Global Environment Change, 43, 72-81 9\. Meat conversion efficiencies - Alexander et al. (2016) – processed by Our World in Data. “Energy conversion efficiency (Alexander et al. (2016))” \[dataset\]. Meat conversion efficiencies - Alexander et al. (2016) \[original data\] 10\. Scarborough, P., Clark, M., Cobiac, L. et al. Vegans, vegetarians, fish-eaters and meat-eaters in the UK show discrepant environmental impacts. Nat Food 4, 565–574 (2023). [https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00795-w](https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00795-w?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Report of CA-WN Public Meeting 20 November URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-ca-wn-public-meeting-20-november/ Last updated: 2026-01-14T12:38:00.000Z November's guest speaker was Adrian Jarvis, Chair of Leicestershire CPRE (Council for the Protection of Rural England)1. Prior to semi-retirement, Adrian had a long career in the energy industry and his talk to us on energy and land use encompassed both his enjoyment of the countryside and his experience in the energy sector. The meeting was recorded and is available to watch on YouTube2, and the slides will soon be available to download3. **Present**: Alison Barlow, Andrew Stevens, David Garlick, Geoff Carverhill, Harry Mellor, Helen Dyson, Hilary Hunt, James Hadfield, Jane Wood, Jean Troy, Maria Lee, Martin Coombs, Mike Longman, Rupert Frost, Rupert Knowles, Stewart Manley, Teresa Cox **Apologies**: Eluned Lewis-Nicholl, Jonathan Harris, Leonie Beale **Introduction** Adrian is here in his role as Chair of Leicestershire CPRE, which he has been doing for just over a year, but his background is in the energy sector where he had a 40 year career. He left National Grid in 2018 and now just does some part-time consulting. Adrian’s career included wholesale electricity trading and building critical national infrastructure – so he’s an ex-developer but really cares about the countryside too. He has done business development work connecting the UK to other countries, and internal programmes to make the energy industry more effective and efficient. **Context - NESO (National Energy System Operator)** Adrian ran a project to change how electricity is traded in England & Wales and then in Scotland. This system what has now morphed into NESO. It’s recently been nationalised and is now a company with the sole shareholder being the government, so it has a social obligation as well as its existing responsibility to balance supply and demand. NESO’s Chief Operating Officer is Kayte O’Neill – a recent quote from her: > A once in a generation transformation for energy…The chance to do things differently, together. One of NESO’s programmes is Strategic Energy Planning, focused on national and regional energy planning. Adrian is making proposals to NESO which are at the local end of the energy spectrum. Conversations about energy can get emotive very quickly, Adrian is keen to focus on the more objective side of our energy future – no-one objects to cleaner air delivered by decarbonisation but opinions on how and when to get there differ. **Context - CPRE** CPRE has recently published a paper, Greening the Grid4, advocating principles which are very reasonable from an industry perspective and consistent with what NESO is trying to do. There is an opportunity to find better ways of working. As CPRE Chair, Adrian talks to a lot of people with opinions about energy infrastructure e.g. where solar farms and cables should go. For the purposes of this talk he is attempting to summarise what it seems everyone wants: - Communities want to collaborate and be part of the conversation, rather than be dismissed - Policy makers are concerned about lack of joined-up policy at national, regional and local levels and the difficulty of getting policy to work in the real world - Industry tends to talk about either prosperity or being responsible stewards of the environment as if these are two different things but they’re not, lots of companies create jobs and prosperity in a responsible way. **‘Clean energy and protect the environment’** Land can be classified in line with the matrix below: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-11-29-104901-1.png) More solar on rooftops and on unproductive land is preferred by most people to using productive land, but under the current planning system the latter is cheaper. We should certainly not be putting prime agricultural land permanently out of production to produce clean energy; preference would be to build on unproductive brownfield land first and productive greenfield land last. Transitioning to electric heating and EVs is going to generate a significant increase in demand for power, and this will require more power stations. **What could local involvement in SSEP (Strategic Spatial Energy Plan) look like?** Three steps Adrian is advocating: - Classify local land - Prioritise land use - Incentivise delivery Using a 1 sq. km case study in Leicestershire and focusing on solar power to keep it simple, there is a live pilot for this approach currently being worked on by Adrian and others. Trying to classify and prioritise all the land in the country is a big task. NESO needs to have sufficient detail to balance supply and demand and to signal to the market where power generation is needed, but it doesn’t have resources to get into detailed land planning which could be done at a local level. The pilot area has been chosen because it contains a wide variety of land use types, including agriculture, a railway station, roads, and a recycling plant. The SSEP methodology issued by NESO says: “*The SSEP will be developed in a way that seeks to protect and enhance the environment.*” This very much coincides with the aims of CPRE too. **The future for 70m people?** NESO is working on: - Strategic Spatial Energy Plan – how much energy the country is going to need in future, how many heat pumps and EVS etc therefore how many power stations will be needed - Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP) – how all the power stations will be connected together - Regional Energy Strategic Plan (RESP) – taking planning down to a lower level e.g. Northamptonshire will be in the Central England zone NESO is not doing anything at a more detailed local level, and to cover this Adrian is advocating: - Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) – analysis of land looking at where power stations would ideally be sited - Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) – not to do with energy, looks at different land types, uses and biodiversity - Consent Planning for Regional Energy (CPRE) – how can local people have a say in where power generation will be built. Leicestershire has recently completed a LAEP5 and LNRS6 \[West Northamptonshire’s LNRS7 is due out for consultation in February 2026; as far as CA-WN is aware, there is no work going on to produce a WN LAEP\]. The LAEP contains very rich data about the area - it is a business and policy focused document designed for use by community energy companies and local government. Not easy for a member of the public to use, but there is an opportunity to use it as part of local energy planning. The view in the slide below shows the pilot square in Leicestershire, overlaid with data from the LAEP, which has been filtered to show where solar PV could be located (dark blue). This is rooftop solar on an industrial estate. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-11-29-105630.png) The same area has been mapped for the LNRS showing for example, SSSIs, areas of ancient woodland, and arable land, with the purpose of protecting and enhancing the natural environment. Adrian is talking to the managers of the LAEP and LNRS projects in Leicestershire about how this data can be used to identify where we would want power stations to be built or not built. E.g. Loughborough Station is within the square - it is brownfield productive land (Class 2 on the matrix). Putting solar canopies over the railway station car park would be very positive as it could generate power for the station itself and nearby residents. There would be restrictions to avoid impacting the current uses of the land. Using the objective data from the LAEP and LNRS enables land in the square to be classified by priority use, for example solar on the brownfield productive industrial estate, and biodiversity, ecology and arable in the greenfield productive areas. Some square km areas will be much simpler than this one as they might contain only one type of priority land use. **Incentivising energy generation** The energy industry works on incentives. Parts are competitive e.g. power generating companies compete in a wholesale market. The network companies are regional monopolies which are regulated by Ofgem, with schemes in place to incentivise them to do what society wants and disincentivise what society doesn’t want. Different regulatory models for different sectors – all quite complicated! Adrian is suggesting incentives in the generation sector (i.e. power stations), so that there would be commercial incentives to do what society wants. For example permanently changing the use of prime agricultural land is legal but not desirable to society so would incur a levy, to be used to fund ‘responsible’ energy generation where people are happy to have it (rooftop solar and on brownfield land). If the incentives are effective, companies would find it more profitable to build on brownfield land. This would have the effect of reducing the pot of money from the levy to fund sustainable development so taxpayer funding for this could be required. **Summary – Incentivised Deployment Sequence** Classify and prioritise the land which: - Sends a signal to the community that the model is there to deliver what they want; clean energy, care for the environment. - Policy makers get an enhanced toolkit. - Industry gets a clear signal that they can make money installing rooftop solar and less money by permanently changing the use of agricultural land. While no-one wants green fields to be destroyed, there is the option of Agri PV, which combines solar panels with agricultural use to produce energy without sacrificing food production. This might look like solar canopies over fields, allowing the land to be cultivated or grazed beneath and providing power for the farm. The clear message is to build on brownfield first and greenfield only if no other option. **Local Planning** This is currently all hypothetical, with no official standing – it’s an idea that Adrian has had based on his experience and knowledge. If he were a planning officer looking at a number of projects within that pilot square km, the sequence of approval would be based on the priority level e.g. rooftop solar could be approved very quickly; panels to replace agricultural use, which is less popular, could be approved at a cost to the developer, with the money going to pay for the higher priority projects. A major change is happening over the next 2-3 years – it can either happen **to** communities or **for** them. This requires local people to get engaged in the process of land definition, using objective data. At a practical level, this is how the Local Area Map would be built up and join with higher level plans: 1. Case study 1 sq. km is being used to create a project brief to make the study replicable. 2. Parish (\~20 sq. km) 3. Borough (\~200 sq. km). Adrian is talking to borough and parish councillors about piloting this approach in one borough. 4. Scale up to county level, if agreed (\~2,100 sq. km). 5. Regional plans produced by NESO (East Midlands \~15,000 sq. km) 6. National plans produced by NESO (GB \~210,000 sq. km) This will be complex and difficult, regions will need to work together. This approach of national-regional-local planning has never been done before anywhere so the UK is really leading the way and there is a lot to work out. **Doing nothing is not credible. If we as local people do not participate then decisions will be made for us elsewhere.** **2025** Local Area Energy Plans are at different stages across the country – in many areas not yet started. Local Nature Recovery Strategies are similarly at various stages in different areas. The data these will provide is objective so can be used to inform decisions. NESO is consulting on the regional methodology to roll out in 2026 – once this has been agreed Adrian is intending to use the Loughborough case study to create a really rich picture that local people can use. **2026** NESO is intending to formalise how regions, counties and other local authorities will operate in this process and how they will work together. **2027** The target is to start developing the local and regional plans. NESO is looking at the end of 2027/2028 to agree and deploy the Strategic Energy Plan for the country. **2028** Bring all the plans together to make policy decisions across the country. In theory everyone will get what they want: local involvement; policymakers will have an improved toolkit for making decisions; clear incentives for industry. Adrian’s intention is to use objective data from the LAEP and LNRS, plus local knowledge, to get involved in this process. As a result communities won’t see the process as a problem, but will have been involved, therefore there should be fewer issues during the planning process. **2030** There could be a solar canopy outside Loughborough station, perhaps right across the car park. This would be (relatively) easy to install as it is near an existing substation, and it would save nearby agricultural land for agriculture. This is an opportunity to democratise energy and work with people as part of the process, rather than deal with them as objectors to proposed new power stations. There has been a lot of enthusiasm from local people in response to this. ### **Q&A** *Why do first developers on an estate have to pay for the infrastructure for the whole estate?* If the network is at capacity in an area and someone new comes along wanting to plug in their power station, this will require work to be done to accommodate the extra supply. The incremental cost has to be borne by the new connectee, rather than the existing ones – there’s a debate about whether this is right but that’s how it is currently done. Costs can run into millions. *You didn’t mention domestic use - can I install a ground-mounted solar array in my large south-facing back garden (the roof is full already)? I'd be happy to lose my lawn and surround the panels with a wildflower meadow.* If installation is what’s called ‘behind the meter’ i.e. excess is not exported to the grid but used by your household, the grid is not interested. Authorisation is just about planning consents. Even if a household is exporting to the grid this is tiny in comparison to a solar farm. It is definitely possible to have nature-friendly habitats around solar panels (biodiversity net gain) but keeping agricultural land in production is preferable. *How much "prime agricultural land" has actually been consumed by solar farms?* Agricultural land is classified from 1-5, with 1 and 2 being highest quality. One of the filters on the LAEP is agricultural land classification. *Note provided by a meeting attendee: Lancaster University study April 2025: "show that the amount of land occupied by solar farms is between 15,580 and 17,364 hectares – this is around 0.06% to 0.07% of the total UK land area.”* *The researchers also say that if we continue to deploy solar in the same proportions – the proportion on rooftop in relation to solar farms on the ground - as we have been doing, then a total of between 0.22% to 0.39% of total UK land (or 0.45% to 0.82% of agricultural land) might be needed for solar farms in the future to meet our energy and decarbonisation objectives. This figure includes existing solar farms.* *However, if we deployed all future solar installations to meet our most ambitious solar targets using only ground-mounted installations, rather than a mixture of ground-mount, rooftop and floating, then that could take up 0.72% of total UK land (or 1.5% of agricultural land).* *Does this proposal assume reform in energy market pricing? or rule it out? or is it agnostic?* A big topic in itself! Two relevant government projects underway – REMA (Review of Electricity Market Arrangements) looking at the market pricing model, and Connections Reform, to address the situation that in a country with 75 gigawatts energy demand, we have a queue of power stations wanting to connect a total of 800 gigawatts of supply. Even in a highly electrified future, we would only be looking at c200 gigawatts demand. There is a big issue about how to price in the wholesale markets, and how to prioritise power stations on to the network. New entrants to the market are shocked to find their connection agreement is ten years away. We won’t know what’s going to change in this space until these reviews are completed. *Is ‘prime’ agricultural the only sort that is really protected, with lower classifications less protected? Also if potentially prime land is not actually used for producing food for a while would this reduce the level of protection?* Prime land, classes 1-3 on the scale, is more accurately described as BMV or Best and Most Versatile. The picture shown in the slides this evening has been simplified, in reality there is a continuum with much more nuance. The LAEP does give more protection to higher classifications and land being used for grazing is more likely to get approval for solar vs arable. *Who did the work in Leicestershire and who would do it in other places e.g. West Northamptonshire?* Local authorities are responsible for producing the LNRS and LAEP. In Leicestershire it’s been led by the County Council, but it is a multi-stakeholder process. The LAEP for Leicestershire is an excellent piece of work – no need to reinvent the wheel, other counties should be using the same software populated with their own data. There is an example in Leicestershire of a small village that faces possibly being surrounded by solar farms – local people, the borough council and local MP are keen to fight it but don’t know how. Borough councils are extremely busy so lack time to devote to this. Using the LAEP in conjunction with the bottom-up mapping Adrian is trialling would make it easier. Developing the local map would require some workshops with parishes. The LAEP and LNRS project managers within the county council could work together to combine the data from the two projects for boroughs and parishes to review. A local area map once developed could influence more than energy – housing, roads etc too. Adrian is happy to have another session on this topic covering ‘next steps for Northamptonshire’. He will be talking to Geoff Carverhill, Chair of Northamptonshire CPRE, about this and is very willing to expand the discussion. His proposal is ‘delegated partnerships’ with local communities, which would be much more than a paper consultation to ask for views on a policy that has already been written. *Will the government be investing in and upgrading government buildings - schools, prisons, authorities, police stations?* These are productive brownfield sites so could definitely be used, but the detail of government policy on this is not something Adrian knows about. **Date of Next Meeting:** Thursday 15 January There is also a face-to-face social at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery on Saturday 19 January. --- ### References 1. [https://www.cpreleicestershire.org.uk/](https://www.cpreleicestershire.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2. [https://youtu.be/cTpdRvySIUM](https://youtu.be/cTpdRvySIUM?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3. Adrian’s slides for the meeting will soon be available here. 4. [https://www.cpre.org.uk/greening-the-grid/](https://www.cpre.org.uk/greening-the-grid/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5. [https://greenerfutureleicestershire.co.uk/laep](https://greenerfutureleicestershire.co.uk/laep?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6. [https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/local-nature-recovery-strategy/leicestershire-leicester-and-rutland-local-nature-recovery-strategy](https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/local-nature-recovery-strategy/leicestershire-leicester-and-rutland-local-nature-recovery-strategy?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7. [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/parks-and-green-spaces/local-nature-recovery-strategy](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/parks-and-green-spaces/local-nature-recovery-strategy?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Growing CA-WN URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/growing-ca-wn/ Last updated: 2026-01-11T16:07:47.000Z It’s time to take practical climate action. A new year welcomes us to a world driven at the highest levels by greed and self-interest. As a matter of self-defence it’s time to act collectively in our own interests. The many groups across the county working on the preservation of our natural environment and the creation of truly sustainable communities are coming together for the **Northamptonshire Festival of Nature** in September. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2026/01/NFON-promo.png) Under the aegis of the Northamptonshire Natural History Society, CA-WN is working: • with all who share a concern for improving the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink; • with partnerships actively securing our food supplies; and • with everyone interested in ensuring that we can all afford to keep our homes warm in winter and cool in summer Pulling this together is a huge undertaking yet easily achievable by pooling our resources. At our **15 January monthly online meeting** we will discuss and agree how best to pool our resources – with actions to be followed up at our quarterly gathering in Northampton Museum on **Saturday 24 January**. [WHAT’S ONThursday 15 January CA-WN Monthly Public Meeting (online) Saturday 24 January CA-WN social get-together May 2026 - date to be confirmed CA-WN visit to Courteenhall Farm Full details of all events below. Scroll right down to see details of guest speakers at CA-WN public meetings in the next few months.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/CAWN_logo_BW-34.jpg)The CA-WN ExchangeCA-WN Exchange![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/rainbow-5.png)](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/) ### You can watch the Briefings too URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/you-can-watch-the-briefings-too/ Last updated: 2025-12-14T18:32:55.000Z **On 27 November 2025 hundreds of MPs, Peers, and leaders from business, faith, sport, and culture gathered in Westminster for a National Emergency Briefing -** briefings that described the **rapidly escalating climate and nature crises** that are set to **make the UK increasingly unrecognisable and dangerous**, with **extreme weather** events, the risk of **food shortages**, **price shocks,** **economic instability** and **rising geopolitical risks**. Follow the links below to watch the subject specialists giving their briefing. It could be your most informative couple of hours ever - there's no need to binge watch, none takes more than ten minutes or so. Who knows, you could end up as well informed as your MP - they were there weren't they? And don't forget to sign the letter calling for an [**emergency national broadcast**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/national-emergency-briefing-letter/)\- not everyone reads ***The CA-WN Exchange***. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/packham.png) > That's our home, it's the only one we've got. It’s where all of our species has lived and died, everyone, every single human. It's where we breathe, it's where we eat, we laugh, we cry, we love, we hate and as far as we know, together with all the other wonderful life on Earth we are the only known life forms in the universe and we've got nowhere else to go. > **Chris Packham CBE** – in his opening remarks [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/1-INTRODUCTION.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpLxLp4j07Y&list=PL6b0HBZ3v-IkuFdfsieHeQVvo2rDWoADE&index=1&pp=iAQB&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/2-nature.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1imjeUBTW58&list=PL6b0HBZ3v-IkuFdfsieHeQVvo2rDWoADE&index=2&pp=iAQB&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/3-climate.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI8z6A0c5Q4&list=PL6b0HBZ3v-IkuFdfsieHeQVvo2rDWoADE&index=3&pp=iAQB&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/4-weather.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VUM-crZ4Eg&list=PL6b0HBZ3v-IkuFdfsieHeQVvo2rDWoADE&index=4&pp=iAQB&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/5-TIPPING.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmd6MDiJmQU&list=PL6b0HBZ3v-IkuFdfsieHeQVvo2rDWoADE&index=5&pp=iAQB&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/6-food.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvjJ8Ag0-z0&list=PL6b0HBZ3v-IkuFdfsieHeQVvo2rDWoADE&index=6&pp=iAQB&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/7-health.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaUMKCw6ryw&list=PL6b0HBZ3v-IkuFdfsieHeQVvo2rDWoADE&index=7&pp=iAQB&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/8-security.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3Z8Atre2rE&list=PL6b0HBZ3v-IkuFdfsieHeQVvo2rDWoADE&index=8&pp=iAQB&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/9-economics.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdViu679YBY&list=PL6b0HBZ3v-IkuFdfsieHeQVvo2rDWoADE&index=9&pp=iAQB0gcJCSkKAYcqIYzv&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/12/energy.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=%5FcD1HY5e1H8&list=PL6b0HBZ3v-IkuFdfsieHeQVvo2rDWoADE&index=10&pp=iAQB&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Christmas Mincemeat URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/christmas-mincemeat/ Last updated: 2025-12-09T11:42:01.000Z Home-made mincemeat is, I think, much nicer than shop-bought. Even the “luxury" mincemeat found on the supermarket shelves is not as good as one you can produce with a bit of spare time (it really is relatively quick to make) and with good quality dried fruit. You can also vary which dried fruit you prefer – for me, lovely fat flame raisins and sultanas are preferable to currants, but these things are very much dependent on taste. I find the shop-bought mincemeats are very sweet, and I do like the zing that brandy and citrus zest add to the general enjoyment. However, sugar extends the time for which something can be stored – as does alcohol, and I imagine that the relatively lower cost of prepared jars purchased in shops is only possible if there is not much brandy or rum in it. In the past, minced meat was included in this festive treat, and dried fruit would have been something of a luxury. From the middle of the last century, chopped suet and dried fruit replaced the minced mutton. Suet was made from the layer of hard fat found coating ox kidneys. As a dedicated vegetarian, I cannot say any of this appeals, but now vegetarian suet is easily found in most grocers’ shops and supermarkets. Vegan suet has been harder to track down; unless it’s in blocks for bird feeders, I have only located it via online sites. If it’s difficult to find vegetarian suet, use really hard butter, chopped into fine pieces. Perhaps a vegan hard baking fat might be substituted? **You need:** - 2 small eating apples, washed and chopped finely - no need to peel - 4 oz (113g) veg suet or chopped up fat - 6 oz (170g) raisins - 3 oz (85g) sultanas - 2 oz (57g) chopped dried apricots, or cranberries - 2 oz (57g) currants - 4 oz (113g) chopped mixed peel - 2 oz (57g) chopped whole almonds - 6 oz (170g) soft brown sugar - Grated zest of an orange and a lemon\* - 2 teaspoonfuls of mixed ground spice\*\* - Good pinch of ground cinnamon\*\* - Grated nutmeg\*\* - Copious amounts of brandy or rum\* **\***Use the juice of the citrus fruit if you don’t want to use much brandy. **\*\***Vary the quantities of mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg to suit your own taste**.** **Method:** Prepare all the ingredients by putting them together in a big mixing bowl and stir very thoroughly. Cover the bowl and leave it to soak for about 24 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure the sugar, brandy and juice are thoroughly mixed in. Pack in jars in a cool place and store till you want to make pies, though you can use it as soon as the fruit has soaked up enough of the brandy or rum and juice to be nicely plumped up. ### Merry Christmas to you all! ### National Emergency Briefing letter URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/national-emergency-briefing-letter/ Last updated: 2025-12-08T17:01:40.000Z ### On 27 November 2025 hundreds of MPs, Peers, and leaders from business, faith, sport, and culture gathered in Westminster for a National Emergency Briefing. They were presented with the latest evidence showing that the United Kingdom must urgently prepare for a cascade of serious societal impacts. The rapidly escalating climate and nature crises are set to make the UK increasingly unrecognisable and dangerous, with extreme weather events, the risk of food shortages, price shocks, economic instability and rising geopolitical risks. ### Sign the letter calling for an emergency broadcast Since our 2 December 2025 posting here, **another 10,000** signatures have been added to a letter to **Sir Keir Starmer**, **Tim Davie** (yes, he's still at the BBC), **Carolyn McCall** (ITV), **Jonathan Allan** (Channel 4), **Sarah Rose** (Channel 5), **Geraint Evans** (S4C), and **Dame Melanie Dawes** (Ofcom). Everyone needs to understand the profound risks the climate crisis poses to themselves and their families. Will you add your signature to the text of this letter: > We are deeply alarmed by the scale of fossil fuel–funded disinformation that has flooded Westminster and the media. The lack of public access to accurate, science-based information has created a vacuum which has been filled by polarised headlines designed to deny and delay action. > Under the Communications Act 2003, all public service broadcasters must inform the public on major national and international issues. The UK has so far failed to meet these obligations. The Climate Change Committee has also urged the Government to provide trusted public information. > We ask the Government and all public service broadcasters to hold an urgent televised national emergency briefing for the public, and to run a comprehensive public engagement campaign so that everyone understands the profound risks this crisis poses to themselves and their families. > If delivered urgently and truthfully, with ambition matching the scale of the crisis, this will not only ensure that the public is properly informed but will also offer the protection that knowledge and preparedness bring. Such a campaign will resonate with the public, opening up the political space for the action needed. > We are not safe. This is an emergency. Now is the time for courage and to put trust in the public. The UK has a track record of uniting to face difficult challenges. Now is the time to do this again. [Add your signature here.](https://www.nebriefing.org/open-letter-keir?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### It's Your Neighbourhood URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/its-your-neighbourhood/ Last updated: 2025-11-30T20:26:11.000Z Although I'm writing in November, no one will have forgotten the colourful displays of summer flowers we all enjoy so much each year around Northampton town. The flowers are for Northampton Town Council’s entry to the annual, national **Britain in Bloom** competition, supported by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). The competition aims to encourage gardening in its broadest sense to transform communities and urban areas: from sowing wildflower seeds on verges to growing fruit and vegetables in tubs or on balconies to tree planting. Community groups entering the regional version of Britain in Bloom – East Midlands in Bloom (EMiB), enable the town to be judged as a whole. In July the competition culminated in a bus tour for the RHS judges around the parks and gardens and individual projects. Tour stops included St. Giles Churchyard, Billing Road Cemetery restoration project, Bradlaugh Fields and the gardens developed by the Hindu Welfare Organisation on Booth Lane South. The RHS judges awarded the Town Council a **silver award** for its work in developing green space in the town for its residents. All congratulations to Louise Hanman-Jones, Nicole Haviland and Julie Thornycroft for their hard work which has culminated in this wonderful achievement for Northampton Town Council. As part of EMiB, a more local community-based project, again backed by the RHS is the *‘*It’s Your Neighbourhood*’* project1*.* In this case any individual or group can enter and will be assessed for their own particular achievement and not against any other entry. The three assessment criteria are: degree of local community engagement with the project; the responsibility taken for the wider environment such as litter picking; and the achievement in gardening or horticulture. This summer I had the pleasure and privilege of working as an RHS assessor on a number of It’s Your Neighbourhood projects within Northampton. Despite being a well-established project, its take-up is increasing as communities understand the importance of green space and the benefits of coming together to improve their local environments. Throughout the assessment process, I met some truly inspiring individuals who have become leaders of their project groups and are instrumental in engaging with often unlikely others. I have met teachers dedicated to supporting students with difficulties through gardening and construction, and in so doing have developed their own knowledge of biodiversity as their students have. I have met teams of volunteers who take personal pride in maintaining tidy areas for the public and who repair any damage caused by incidences of vandalism because they believe that a park is for everyone. I have met community groups whose names I had not heard of. Everyone taking part seemed instinctively to understand the importance of working with Nature. There was so much evidence of action that brought learning and the motivation to continue. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/11/Clare.2.png) The community garden in Abington Park. Image credit: Clare Robertson-Marriott ### Inspirational examples A community garden replaced a walled and paved patio area for residents living in a social housing complex. An enterprising woman began planting pots with annuals initially but has since learned of the need for perennial planting for insect pollination. She was supported by neighbours and the patio scheme expanded with donated seating and by building raised beds for perennial planting of flowers, herbs and vegetables. She had contacted Northampton Partnership Homes who supported her use of the patio for the creation of a community garden. It is astonishing how creativity has been applied to the ‘greening’ of even the smallest of spaces. Recycled materials such as pallets and tyres, sometimes painted, have been used to create raised beds, while old fence panels protect young saplings. ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ elevates surprising leadership talent from residents who, with a personal vision, can inspire others. People will donate time and resources, as their understanding grows of the benefits to all of one person’s vision. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/11/Clare.3.png) Image credit: Clare Robertson-Marriott Such projects can elicit the eccentric. I came across a non-conformist visionary who began to build raised beds out of ‘anything’, adding soil, plants and vegetables and providing seats within a white-painted boundary fence. Another group used textile and artwork to illustrate different species of birds as a means of educating visiting children. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/11/Clare.4.png) Image credit: Clare Robertson-Marriott ‘Friends of Park’ groups see the potential of different areas within their park for tree planting or rewilding or enabling the regeneration of old spinneys and the Victorian iron-work of the boundary fences. Our park rangers work really hard to supervise and can be contacted for advice on larger projects within the parks. As a note of caution, it is important to access the proper channels in planning garden schemes of any sort or in identifying suitable green space. Ownership of the land and below-ground infrastructure are important considerations. Local councillors or Northampton Town Council ‘Bloom staff’ can be contacted for permissions and advice. The **‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’** project is very powerful. It not only stimulates community cohesion but also provides a learning framework*; “we care more about what we know”*, and that generally is our neighbourhood. Next year Northampton Town would like to see an even bigger '**It’s Your Neighbourhood’** take up**. Apply in April 2026 for assessment in late June/early July.** **Have a look at the website and get in touch with your Town Council.** 1[https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/its-your-neighbourhood](https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/its-your-neighbourhood?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Preloved URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/preloved/ Last updated: 2025-11-30T20:24:15.000Z ### Mick Lorkins asks "*SO what is preloved and why should you consider buying preloved items*?" If you have ever been to your waste recycling centre and looked at what people throw away you will see lots and lots of items that could have been donated to a charity shop or just given away or perhaps left outside the front of the house for someone to pick up. Tables, chairs, children’s toys, clothes, plants, pots, plates, knives and forks, Christmas decorations to name a few. They all end up going to be chopped up and recycled or burnt. It is a waste of the planet’s limited resources. The time and energy taken to manufacture, pack, ship the item from its place of origin, transport to a warehouse and on to a shop gives each item a large carbon footprint. There are also the items that the buyer rejects as seconds, as well as the ones that did not sell and went to landfill in some other far-off country. The carbon footprint of all this traffic and movement can be avoided by buying preloved items. Adverts constantly sell a certain style of life and suggest your life will not be complete without it. But with preloved or dare I say it, the more common term of ‘second-hand’, you do not necessarily need to compromise. You just need to buy on different websites. Recently I bought a pump to inflate the tyres on my bike. I could have looked for a new one but it is an item I don’t use very frequently and a working second-hand pump can sit in my garden shed just as happily as a new one. It also cost a fraction of the price. Think again before you go on Amazon and just buy that item – ask yourself, could I buy a used item instead? The preloved item might not have been loved for very long by its original owner and might still be in its original box or packaging with the seller saying they bought the wrong thing or it did not fit, so why not give it a try. You can also find refurbished items in original boxes with warranties and returns if not satisfied. Here are a few websites to check out and some tips as to what you might get on each. More detailed descriptions below. [**eBay** ](https://www.ebay.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Best for:** buying almost anything from antiques and household items to lightly used or unboxed electricals or DIY items at a substantial discount on full price; easy secure payment system. Ratings of sellers give a good guide to past selling history. [**Vinted** ](https://www.vinted.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Best for:** buying clothes with secure payment. The biggest problem with Vinted is that it is very addictive and you can end up expanding your wardrobe instead of buying just what you need. [**CEX** ](https://uk.webuy.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Best for:** buying tech with secure payments and a warranty if it does not work, backed up by high street shops. [**Gumtree**](https://www.gumtree.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Best for:** Selling/giving away items locally; your local newspaper ads now on your phone in one app. Collect and pay at the door. Not as dependable for buying as people do not always answer you when you make an enquiry and choice is limited to what is locally listed. [**Facebook Marketplace**](https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/) **Best for:** Facebook’s answer to eBay without the security and guarantees of other sites. Something of a cross between eBay and Gumtree, potentially reaching a wider audience than Gumtree with the same pay at the door system. ### **eBay** https://www.ebay.co.uk/ eBay is one of the better-known websites and sells new as well as used. I am sure there have been books written on buying and selling on eBay but it is worth looking for things that you did not know you could find rather than the same products. The starting point is to ensure you are on the UK eBay page. It ends with *.co.uk.* If not you might find yourself with the perfect item but will need to wait for delivery and pay import tax. Put an accurate description of what you are looking for at the top of the page where there is a little magnifying glass, press search and a list of items for sale will come up. The search works on looking for all of the words in the search bar so if you say put in *Pink Coat with Hood* you will get lots of pink things and other items with hoods. (For me 12,000 items have come up). You will need to then refine your search by using the filter button to say pick out women’s and click the all-important condition button to select ***pre owned***. This has resulted in 1,900 items. I usually also click the sort button to rank starting with cheapest first. The first on this list is selling for £1.13 but is an auction item that ends in 4 days. You could just put in a price and see if someone outbids you but an alternative is to select ‘buy it now’ items on the buying format tab, if you want to ‘buy now’. This has reduced the list to 1,800 items starting with a coat at £1.63 plus £3.35 postage so a total £4.98 will buy you a coat. The one in the picture is however mainly green with a pink trim but there are many more to look at. You can also refine your search by size and brand to narrow it down. I have bought electrical items on eBay but generally go for the refurbished items that come with a box such as a dab radio or bread-maker. Make sure the seller will take returns if spending a larger amount of money. eBay is also good for DIY items. If you are looking for furniture which will need collecting, click the sort button to, *‘nearest to me*’, (you will need to put in a postcode) and it will give you the distance in miles from your postcode. Payment is easy and secure on eBay. I generally pay via PayPal as you do not need to give bank details but eBay have moved to transactions directly from your bank. eBay handles the transaction so the seller will not see your bank details. It is worth checking out who you are buying from before you buy. If the seller has sold 100s of items and has good feedback they are a genuine seller. They trade on their reputation and feedback rankings cannot be easily faked unless they have sold large amounts of goods to their mates who individually feedback 5 star results. The seller’s name, number of sales and feedback is given as a percentage below their name. Only buy if they have a +95% good feedback and have sold a reasonable amount of items, say 50 or more. If they are new to eBay and this is their first item and the item seems too good to be true then it possibly is. If the feedback says did not complete transaction, then they are unreliable and may not send the item on to you. eBay is also good for some of the things you did not know you wanted to get like an antique drawer handle or a lid to a favourite pot that was your mums and is smashed on the floor, or a replacement plate from your dinner set. It can be good for second hand tools too but be aware if they are stolen or not. If an electric hand drill does not come with batteries and a charger and has an industrial plug then maybe it has been stolen from the back of a white van. Books are another good thing to buy on eBay. They are generally very cheap and have not been thumbed more than once. Cookbooks are also good. ***Selling on eBay*** Yes, you can sell items that you no longer love on eBay too. Selling is now free on eBay as they realised earlier this year that they were losing market share to rival platforms. Listing is fairly easy although it can take some time. If you do not have an eBay account you will need to set one up. Yes this is the start of your eBay journey. You can download the eBay app to your phone too. The app has 100 million downloads and 4 million reviews and is rated 4.2 stars. So well used and well reviewed. Once signed up… 1. The starting point is taking some good photos of the item you want to sell. The more photos the more chance of a sale. Take from all sides and include labels. Include the bad points as well as the good, such a scratch or holes, as you want to get good feedback from the person who buys and they want an honest seller and no surprises. 2. Weigh the item and measure so that you know the package size you might pick from the postage section. 3. Click on sell and write the description of the item in the top of the page. The more words you use the more searches your item will appear in. 4. eBay will then list some items and ask “*is your item the same as this*?”. If it is that will be a starting point for eBay to prefill some of the information. 5. Load up your photos by clicking in the blank image boxes. Note the first photo will be the one that is on the front of your listing so make it the best one. And the right way up. 6. Add a detailed description, size, shape, what it is made from, how old it is and perhaps why you are selling. EBay now has a AI bot to help you with the description that adds words like – “this is rare and would be good in anyone’s collection”. 7. You will need to select a category for the item. If you get this wrong, buyers may not find your item - if say you list clothes in *Homeware* rather than *Clothes shoes and accessories* it just won’t come up in searches. Also tick all of the description menu boxes such as size, colour etc so that it will come up when people filter search results. 8. Price and buying format. Generally I list as ‘*buy now*’ rather than auction as you do not know what price you will get with an auction. If only one person finds it in the week the item is out for auction you may just get £1\. Look at similar items and judge what is the general going price. For a quick sale perhaps under price or perhaps over price if yours looks the best and expect to get someone to offer a lower price to then make the sale. Select postage and which courier. You can get the courier to collect if it is big or heavy or you are too far away from the nearest Evri or post office shop. 9. Finally press the ***list*** button and you will see the item come up. Do not expect an instant sale. The good thing about eBay is you can find everything and anything on it. The bad news is your item is one of many and if not unique in some way may not sell. Best time to sell is generally a month or two just before Christmas. ### **Vinted** https://www.vinted.co.uk/ Having given an example of searching for clothes on eBay this is not the best site for buying clothes as historically eBay has its roots in household items. Vinted however was set up primarily to sell clothes and as such trade is brisk with higher turnover of stock and cheaper pricing. Prices are generally lower as the turnover on the market sets a general price for each item. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/11/Mick4.png) Photo credit Mick Lorkins Vinted is orientated around brand and the starting point is therefore not quite the same as eBay. There is perhaps an assumption that you know what you are looking for so putting in ‘*pink coat with hood*’ comes up with 500 items - this can be refined with filters to get you size, brand etc. There are individuals that buy in second hand shops and list on Vinted as a sort of business but there are no commercial shops on Vinted in the same way as on eBay. A big difference is therefore when you filter by condition you can select '*new with tags*', '*new without tags*', ‘*very good*’, ‘*good*’ and ‘*satisfactory*’ and all of these bring up preloved items. If this is your first foray into Vinted I suggest your starting point is to put in the search bar your favourite brand such as M&S, Next, North Face, or even Giorgio Armani, and press enter. On the filter boxes at the top select ‘*new with tags*’ and ‘*new without tags*’. Select your size on the drop down box. Category will give options of men or women. Note filling in your size will to some extent select what you are shown in the search results. If you put in size 6 shoe, it will show results for shoes. As you have selected ‘*new with tag*s’, ‘*new without tags*’ what will come up is new or very nearly new clothes. You may want to check the price of a new one on a separate website to see how much cheaper the item is compared with brand new. If new or nearly new it might be about 50% of the shop price. If you select items that are listed as good or satisfactory they will have some wear but the price is also much lower. A preloved pair of jeans generally costs £5 for a mid-range brand. A few words of warning. Like eBay if someone has no trading history or rating then do not buy from them. Next to the seller’s id are yellow stars and a number. The stars are feedback ranking and number is number of sales. Only buy from someone who has 4.5 to 5 stars. Anything below this suggests they might not send the item or the item might not be as good as described. I would guard against buying anything too expensive on Vinted as you can’t assume the item fits unless you already have one the same, even then some items may be seconds and still be slightly different. When you press ***buy*** you will need to set up an account to pay for the item. The seller has 7 days to post and delivery services such as Evri seem to take an age so expect it to arrive in 2 weeks. If you are buying an outfit for a wedding shop way in advance. ***Selling on Vinted*** Vinted is also a good way to sell your unloved clothes, especially those things that you bought but did not wear because it did not fit or was just not your colour. Listing is simpler than eBay. Good photos will help sell. Look to see if there are similar items on Vinted to gauge the price. The reality is most items go for a fraction of the original sale price so don’t over price as it will not sell. Alternatively give your old clothes to Oxfam, let them make the profit and sell to a Vinter who might relist it on Vinted. One note on buying shoes on Vinted. Different brands appear to have different interpretations of sizes so your size might be one up or one down depending on the make. The best rule on this is to buy only if you know the brand and you have something that already fits. Walking boots can be particularly difficult and are not cheap on Vinted. It is a circular economy but not one that registers in UK GDP figures. Vinted does also sell household items. Bedding in the original packaging that might be a shop return are good and cost about 50% of the same shop bought items. ### **CEX** https://uk.webuy.com/ Do you always buy new tech rather than second hand? If so why? A store/ website such as CEX can provide the latest tech at half the price and will give you a 3 year warranty with the purchase. They will also refund within 48 hours of purchase if you change your mind but this might be for a voucher. Phones take a lot of resources to manufacture, and include rare metals mined from the earth, so why not consider a preloved item. You do not need to compromise on your phone spec you just need to shop on the right website. CEX and alternative sites such as [Backmarket](https://www.backmarket.co.uk/en-gb?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) sell refurbished / preloved tech. Backmarket give a 1 year warranty and a 30 day returns policy. They will also give you a price for your old phone. They are a leading supplier in this market and have made tech more affordable. You can also buy second hand phones etc on Vinted and eBay but I do not recommend this as they do not come with any returns policy and have not been checked over. These may have been stolen or the phone might be locked to a particular network which may cause problems so stick to known companies that give guarantees and accept returns. CEX also have high street stores so you can talk to someone and look at an item before buying. CEX website however sources items from all of its UK shops so if you select a particular phone spec and colour it might only be available in one shop miles away. This is not a problem if you buy online as it will just be sent tracked in the post. If you are looking for a phone, CEX rate the items as A, B and C. A being mint condition with a box, B being without a box and moderate or no wear and C potentially with scratches. They tend not to sell phones with issues such as a cracked screen. A phone rated as ‘A’ is as good as a new phone and is priced as such with about 20% off the shop price. A phone rated as ‘B’ could be as much as 50% off dependent on whether this is the latest model, spec and memory capacity. I generally buy ‘B’ rated phones because they are as good as new but don’t have a box. Black phones are generally cheaper than ones with a coloured body. As most people buy a phone protector as soon as they get a new phone it seems pointless to pay more for something you just won’t see (or perhaps it’s just me). Pricing on these sites is dynamic so if you look on a Monday it might be cheaper than on a Friday or perhaps the web bot knows you are looking and has upped the price by £50\. Generally I expect to pay 50% of the shop price but it might be a little more. It is easy to get carried away with upping the spec and paying more. Samsung support their phones for up to 7 years which is a factor to consider when buying preloved particularly if it is an old phone that you are considering. Other brands are available. CEX do not only sell phones they sell all kinds of tech including bluetooth speakers, laptops, fitbits, and gaming items. OK we have sorted your wardrobe and your tech... ### **Gumtree** https://www.gumtree.com/ Hmm. Well, Gumtree is a little more like your local newspaper advert. It is a place to sell items locally or to just give it away. You list in a similar way to eBay but someone who wants to collect will ask for your address at some point and come around and pick the item up. They will give you the money cash in hand if selling rather than giving away. It is generally a good way of moving bulky items. Gumtree is a good place to give things away. I have had a good day or two digging up plants in the garden that had outgrown their allotted space and were invading other plants. I have listed a mature wisteria and got several calls within 24 hours. People just like the idea of things for free and there is always a mad rush to be the first to collect. The person who collected the Wisteria (still on its trellis) dragged it through their car and put the root on the front seat. I was happy because it went to an enthusiastic new owner (who said he was collecting for a neighbour) and it had a second life (assuming the roots took). Not sure their partner would have appreciated the mud on the front seat though. I have also listed insulation board that a man in a white van came and took away. No landfill and two happy people. I recommend delisting the item as soon as it has been collected as others with still message you over the app and it raises an expectation. Gumtree is not as dependable for buying as people do not always answer you when you make an enquiry and choice is limited to what is locally listed. You could end up with lots of items that were free and might come in handy one day but never did. Another item you may consider on Gumtree is second hand cars. If you generally buy older cars and are confident about knowing what a good or a bad car looks like it might be an option. Autotrader website can give an estimate of the price of a similar car. ### **Facebook Marketplace** https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/ Facebook’s answer to eBay without the security and guarantees of other sites**.** This is something of a cross between eBay and Gumtree. eBay is good because it has a degree of regulation and payment is via eBay and is secure. With Facebook Marketplace you collect from the buyer and pay at the front door. It potentially has a wider audience than Gumtree but has some drawbacks when arranging collection and handing over cash. People do sell tech in this way but it is difficult to know if the item is stolen or not or if selling, if the person will take the item out of your hand at the doorstep and just run off. I don’t buy or sell on Facebook Marketplace but it might suit you. It also lists cars too like Gumtree so can connect to local sellers. If you have a Facebook account and list an item on Facebook Marketplace, Facebook may show all of your Facebook friends what you have listed. You might find this a good thing or you might not. Some degree of anonymity with Vinted and eBay is generally a good thing. You don’t normally get to know where a seller went on holiday or what they had for Sunday lunch (depending on what you chose to post on Facebook). --- I have tried to give something of a tour of the apps you can buy from whilst scrolling on your phone. It is not a comprehensive list but includes some of the market leaders. It is however worth mentioning that preloved items can also be bought locally in a more analogue style, at high street charity shops and car boot sales. Perhaps that is a separate article. Even if you do not want to list items on a website it is still better to donate to your local charity shop than take them to the dump. Having said that [Sixfields Recycling Centre](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/find-household-waste-recycling-centre-hwrc/northampton-sixfields-household-waste-recycling-centre?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) has just opened a Cynthia Spencer shop at the dump so another option. In the past I have found these excellent places to buy large plastic children’s toys like slides and red wheely cars that cost a fortune new. It is also a good place to return them when your children grow up and you want your garden back. ### In Conclusion So there you have it - preloved items should be part of your life. It is not necessarily adding to UK GDP in the conventional way but is part of a wider circular economy with something of a win win for the buyer, seller and the planet. If you do start buying and get addicted to Vinted please do not blame me. Remember Vinted is not just about to run out of items and you do not need to buy items ‘Just in case’ but can wait until you really need them. ### BIOSPHERE: a drama URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/biosphere-a-drama/ Last updated: 2025-11-25T19:41:42.000Z ### Theatre Director Olivia Munk1 invited CA-WN to the Royal & Derngate Theatre for the 21 November 2025 première of Olivia Foan’s2 drama BIOSPHERE. Many of us accepted and these are my personal observations. The inspiration for the drama was a 1991 experiment in self-sufficient living called Biosphere 23. Playwright Olivia Foan dug deep into the experiment’s history and her research informed the play’s framework and its cast of characters. **BIOSPHERE: the background** Self-sufficient living was an important feature of the counterculture movements that flourished in 1960s America. Figureheads with charisma, knowledge and experience helped mould an entire generation’s cultural values, one in particular, Buckminster Fuller. He was a practical engineer who developed, amongst many other things, the geodesic dome. He was also a philosopher with a whole systems approach for making, in his words “the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest time possible.” Buckminster Fuller’s call for a global, cooperative approach to resource management and problem-solving resonated with one of his students who became the leader of a San Francisco collective, the *Theatre of all possibilities*4, a troupe of ultra-high energy individuals. Tiring of the hippy scene and seeking affordable pastures new they decamped to desertified land they’d acquired in New Mexico. Guided by the three principles that they saw as essential for the success of a holistic lifestyle - art, ecology, and enterprise - they built a large geodesic dome and set about transforming the land into an organic farm they called Synergia Ranch. There they established the Institute of Ecotechnics3 and launched enterprises that included a marine research vessel and their model of a more sustainable world that was to become Biosphere 2 – Biosphere 1 being planet earth. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/11/biosphere-2.png) Biosphere 2 image by [João Francisco](https://pixabay.com/users/joaopfrancisco-11578796/?utm%5Fsource=link-attribution&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=image&utm%5Fcontent=4566431) from [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com//?utm%5Fsource=link-attribution&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=image&utm%5Fcontent=4566431) It took five years and the wealth of a Texan billionaire to buy land in the aptly named district of Oracle, Arizona, on which to build an enormous ecological facility for the study and manipulation of mini biospheres. In accordance with their principles the experiment was conceived as a financial enterprise. To capitalise on the current excitement around space travel it was publicised as research into the maintenance of human life in an outer space colony. Such was the hoopla their publicity created that television news carried every detail as the eight *Biospherians* entered the facility for their two-year stay. However, a sceptical scientific community was unimpressed and questioned the validity of the entire commercialised experiment. One *Biospherian* was let out for medical attention leading to allegations that essential supplies accompanied their return through the airlock. When CO2 levels rose to dangerous levels oxygen had to be pumped in. There were crop failures and food shortages, to the residents’ disgust only beetroot thrived. Life in the biosphere became increasingly difficult and inevitably tensions grew. All the while a paying public outside was witnessing everything. Though the eight survived their two-year stay the trivial events picked up by the media damaged the reputation and research credibility of the entire Biosphere 2 experiment. **BIOSPHERE: the drama** Olivia Foan’s four *biospherians*, a medic, a scientist and a farmer, are led by business titan Philip, their CEO who from the outset leaves the others in no doubt that he is their boss. Or is he? Philip is constantly on the phone to mission controllers overseeing the experiment in which the four are locked up in their self-contained glass-walled world, all the while under the gaze of us, their sponsoring supporters. This raises the question if, like some artfully crafted reality TV show, commercial interests are dictating the actions of the four biospherians. It seems that way when Philip severs his finger in the shredding machine and is denied outside medical help lest it could break public trust in their experiment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/11/cast2-1.png) Miriam the scientist, Jack the farmer, Rhea the medic and CEO Philip Photo credit Ophelia Fellhauer American Philip is an instantly recognisable big tech character wrapped up in his own importance yet constantly, insecurely, checking how he’s being seen by the outside world. He enters the biosphere with Rhea, the group’s doctor and his love interest. But Rhea’s ardour fades as instead she falls for the down-to-earth farmer Jack, constantly toiling in the biome garden. Miriam, the project scientist, exhibits her frustration without inhibition and leaves us wondering if her lust for bananas is more than a symptom of hunger for food. Miriam’s obvious availability fails to attract Jack who in due course wraps his arms around a happy to reciprocate Rhea. Philip is apparently oblivious to all these tensions that reflect the realities of cohabiting during months of isolation. In another nod to the realities of life, Jack’s plan to return to working at a community farm is interpreted as him joining a cult, seeding the thought that others may see things differently than us. Perhaps also a comment on the cult-like status afforded to charismatic leaders who attract an adoring and uncritical following? There’s no doubt these four in their locked-in world are high energy. Olivia Munk’s direction makes that clear as Miriam’s scientific testing station and Rhea’s medical kit are briskly wheeled in and out whenever a scene changes within a performance space that’s surrounded on three sides by us voyeurs. We are gently engaged as biospherians regard us through their glass walls, though sometimes they are appalled by an audience member’s exhibitionism. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/11/cqst1.png) The biospherians acknowledge us, their sponsors. Photo credit Ophelia Fellhauer Jack’s garden comes and goes too. Sounds and lighting effects take us through the two-hour performance that includes marking the year’s experimental progression with birthday feasts laced with banana wine. It isn’t just Philip's medical emergency that eventually sours the biosphere’s atmosphere. When oxygen levels fall Miriam gets blamed for miscalculating the rate that CO2 builds up in the biome. Crops fail and hunger sets in. Miriam creates angst by stealing a banana – cementing her fixation with bananas. The drama wraps as the biospherians exit stage right, the last carefully closing the door behind them. **BIOSPHERE: the takeaway** The original Biosphere 2 experiment, and all that preceded it, provides a shocking reminder that climate disaster awareness, and the need for preparedness, reaches far back into the last century. Science-based warnings and mass demonstrations against government and public inaction have signally failed to put a spoke in the wheel of business-as-usual politics and commerce. Today, surrounded as we are by climate change deniers, **BIOSPHERE** shows how drama can put the spotlight on a range of contemporary issues. Half a century ago, art, ecology, and enterprise were enjoined to fund, demonstrate and convey important messages about self-sufficiency and its prerequisites. Today society needs more Olivias Foan and Munk to bring truth-telling performances to the attention of the young of all ages. **BIOSPHERE: acknowledgments** **The stars:** **Sam Landon** as CEO Philip, **Antonia Salib** as Rhea the medic, **Lauren O’Leary** as Miriam the scientist and **Eddie House** as Jack the farmer. **Creatives & Consultants**: **Olivia Foan** – Playwright, **Olivia Munk** – Director, **Rachel Sampley** \- Lighting & Video Designer, **Vyvyan Stewardson** \- Sound Designer, **Christina Fulcher** \- Movement & Intimacy Director, **Ophelia Fellhauer** \- Assistant Director, **Gwenan Bain** \- Stage Manager, **Jessica Bickel-Barlow** \- Audio Describer, **Beth Lilly** \- Vocal Support. **Dr Yusuf Osman** \- Audio Description Consultant, **Dr Colleen Golja** \- Climate Science Consultant. **Funding: Arts Council** **BIOSPHERE: special mentions:** The staff and volunteers at the **Royal & Derngate** whose friendly reception made the evening even more enjoyable. The production was part of **GenFest 2025**, an initiative of the Royal & Derngate theatre's **Generate Artist Development Programme** focussed on connecting artists, audiences, and the local community. The November 2025 week-long festival celebrated artist development and new work by showcasing emerging and established artists from Northamptonshire and the East Midlands. The festival included performances in addition to **BIOSPHERE**, workshops, artist one-to-one advice sessions, and a chance for audiences to give feedback. The **Theatre Green Book4** which provides a shared language for living and working sustainably. Begun as a collective initiative by theatre-makers in the UK it has since grown to involve the performing arts industry across the world. **BIOSPHERE: postscript** Climate Science Consultant **Dr Colleen Golja** provided a reading list on **Part of the Main**, the production company’s website5. All Dr Golja’s book recommendations, except for the too provocatively named *How To Blow Up A Pipeline* by Andreas Malm, are now available to borrow from the CA-WN lending library. **BIOSPHERE: references** 1 [Olivia Munk](https://oliviamunk.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [Olivia Foan](https://oliviafoanwriter.squarespace.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [Institute of Ecotechnics](https://ecotechnics.edu/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 [Theatre of all possibilities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theater%5Fof%5FAll%5FPossibilities?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5 [Theatre Green Book](https://theatregreenbook.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6 [Part of the Main](https://www.partofthemain.com/climate-resources-biosphere?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### The Long Long Grass of Home URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-long-long-grass-of-home/ Last updated: 2025-11-25T18:23:24.000Z > **“Alas, this will kill that*”*** A melancholy phrase uttered by Claude Frollo in Victor Hugo’s *Notre-Dame de Paris*, referring to the fatal impact the printing press would have on gothic architecture. I sense we feel this pain today, inflicted through the consequences of fast-paced technological change, exemplified by the dawn of the internet and what increasingly feels like the impending dusk set upon us by artificial intelligence. Yet some of the murders committed by technological advance have been left to go cold. We seldom dwell on the impact that private car ownership has had on our society, a growing addiction we freely choose to ignore. How quaint, how philosophical an opening paragraph and yet as guilty of making no difference as most of the rhetoric we hear now from populists on both sides of the political debate. Meanwhile, as we toss verbiage at each other, we wait patiently for the economy to right itself so that meaningful action can finally take place. Sadly, it is unlikely to do so. The printing press, after all, could not physically build churches, no matter how hard it tried. Historically it is shown that action must precede recovery, think [Roosevelt’s New Deal post 1929 crash](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1kkNHIys64&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) or the [Attlee Government following the Second World War](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXp0ISX5804&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). No number of words would have lifted stones following those economic shocks. The problem we face is that our shocks are rapidly falling behind us yet no meaningful program of public works has transpired, though it must be said there are murmurings nationally. Locally we have a lot to be excited about because the party in administration is aptly entitled ‘Reform’ - which is exactly what should be on the agenda. I pray that it is and there are some opportunities coming up for the administration to live up to its name - everyone ready yourselves for the budget which [is set to go out for consultation in December. Sharpen your fine-tooth combs.](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/news/council-begins-early-work-tackle-2026-27-budget-gap?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [The LCWIP (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan)](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/planning/northampton-cycling-walking-plan/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) too, is due to go before Cabinet in March 2026 where I have no doubt it will be afforded the level of scrutiny it deserves. I am also certain it will not be tossed into the long grass like [its ill-fated predecessor](https://www.cyclinguk.org/group/post/northampton-local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plan-consultation-2020?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) but that the current administration will see it as an important opportunity to implement infrastructure that could assist people toward avoiding ever-growing insurance premiums and fuel costs. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/11/Rising-Cost-of-Car-Ownership.png) Note that the 2022 peak in fuel prices can be used as a marker point to suggest fuel prices are ‘coming down’, they are not. Fuel prices will only ever rise in the long term. For those who may blame this on government duties, look at the long-term Crude oil price. If you are a patriot who also believes in a future for oil extraction, you should be doing whatever you can do to reduce fuel consumption at home...LCWIP. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/11/statistic_id262858_opec-oil-price-annually-1960-2025--1-.png) The electric vehicle will not solve the problem either as any government that notices the decline in tax receipts from fuel duty will hurriedly implement a pay per mile tax, necessary to support the hungry infrastructure that private car ownership (of any flavour) requires. Fuel duty, by the way, has been frozen for a decade and was even given a not so temporary cut in 2022\. Meanwhile there is a hole in the Government's budget which they have unsuccessfully attempted to fill through cuts to welfare and will now fill with rises in general taxation, side-lining the fact we have been living beyond our means in terms of personal transport for 14 years (at least) – are you reading Mike Reader, Lucy Rigby? I digress; I know that the Reform Council will look at the LCWIP with the future in mind where household and Council expenditure could be deviated from the bottomless pits of car ownership and perpetual road maintenance. I know they will offer it this respect because they are shrewd, forward- thinking economists with their hands on the auditor’s razor. If there be one meaningful cut from this razor, let it be loosed on the metaphorical long grass. **CA-WN** **Readers** – The LCWIP goes before Cabinet in 2026 – [keep an eye on the Forward plans here](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/mgListPlans.aspx?XXR=0&Year=2026&Page=1&RPId=143&RD=0&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Climate & Nature (CAN) Champions Launch Event URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/climate-nature-can-champions-launch-event/ Last updated: 2025-11-22T18:41:02.000Z On the evening of 19 November 2025 I was lucky enough to attend a Zoom call along with over 70 other people from across Northamptonshire, all enthusiastic about working for the climate and nature in their local areas. These people are CAN Champions, part of a scheme created by NCALC (Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils). In July this year, NCALC asked Parish and Town Councils across Northamptonshire to nominate a CAN Champion to act as a point of contact and advocate for environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Less than 6 months later, 118 Champions have already stepped forward. At this first meeting, the attendees asked questions on a range of topics, ranging from how they could help their parish preserve a pond, to stopping developers from tearing out hedgerows, and how to contact Champions in neighbouring parishes to work together. The guest speaker, Ellen Pentland from the Wildlife Trust BCN, explained how the Trust can help get local projects off the ground through its Team Wilder programme. There was also a representative from the Nene Rivers Trust present to offer their support to towns and parishes. At the very end of the meeting the CAN Champion for Harlestone, CA-WN’s very own Farming Correspondent Rupert Knowles, sounded a note of caution – there had been much talk about Nature and far less about Climate. Danny Moody from NCALC assured Rupert that Climate would not be forgotten. With local government at a higher level in Northamptonshire looking the other way when it comes to climate and nature, it is refreshing to be reminded that there are many people in this county who remain focused on taking action in their neighbourhoods. [https://northantscalc.gov.uk/can-champions](https://northantscalc.gov.uk/can-champions?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://www.wildlifebcn.org/take-action/team-wilder](https://www.wildlifebcn.org/take-action/team-wilder?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://neneriverstrust.org/](https://neneriverstrust.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### CA-WN has a new Chair URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-has-a-new-chair/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T20:39:09.000Z ### Jane Wood, CA-WN’s Chair for its founding four years, has handed the reins to Harry Mellor. For a local student’s project both were questioned about being CA-WN’s Chair. Here’s what they said. ### **Q1 What made you want to join CA–WN?** **HARRY MELLOR** "We didn’t join CA-WN. CA-WN joined us. We had both been in a Towcester-based group raising public awareness of the effects of global warming. Rather than being a talking shop, a friends’ discussion group, we were intent on arranging practical actions for reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for the inevitable fall-out from everyone fly-tipping their rubbish into the atmosphere. The breakout of Covid put an end to the group’s face-to-face meetings and generally drew attention to how ill-prepared we all were for something so life changing. Parallels were inevitably drawn between our unreadiness for the impact of the epidemic on everyday life and the lack of public anticipation of the equally catastrophic future effects of climate change. During lockdown we switched to video conferencing. Word-of-mouth spread news of our regular online meetings and people from beyond our local area began joining in. Gradually we became a much larger group. When West Northamptonshire Council took over all the public services previously the responsibility of different councils it was time to formalise ourselves; Climate Action-West Northamptonshire, CA-WN, was constituted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve biodiversity, and build resilience to the effects of a changing climate for all in Northampton, Daventry, Towcester, Brackley and the surrounding villages." **Q2 What is it like being the Chair of CA-WN?** **JANE WOOD** " Very rewarding - during my four years as Chair the group has grown and developed far beyond what we might have expected. It is also hard work, as like most voluntary groups there is always more to do and limited resource to do it! Prior to joining the group that was the forerunner of CA-WN, I'd been worried about climate and the environment for a long time and trying to make changes in my own life to minimise impact on the environment. What I have found in CA-WN is a group of people who feel the same - which is wonderful, partly because I feel like less of an oddball, and also because collectively we can have much more impact than as individuals." **Q3 What do you think locals could do to help in looking after the environment?** **HARRY MELLOR & JANE WOOD** "There are lots of resources online suggesting specific actions that people can take. Some examples – embrace second-hand instead of buying new stuff, leave an untidy corner for wildlife in your garden, plan your meals to avoid wasting food ... Every action counts, no matter how small. It is impossible to live a perfect ‘eco-friendly’ lifestyle, but we can all do a little better. However, individual action is not enough – we also need to put pressure on politicians, corporates and public bodies to do the right thing. To answer the question ‘what can I do?’ directly we cannot do better than paraphrase the respected climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe: - Start a conversation about solutions and what people can do - Join a climate group to boost your impact - Make your money count by choosing your financial institutions carefully - Keep elected officials accountable at every level - Inspire your place of work or school to take action - Ask news outlets and journalists to report on climate - Make personal changes yourself but don’t stop there: share them, to make them contagious See Prof Hayhoe’s comments on this in full on her website [https://katharinehayhoe.com/faqs/#carbon-footprint](https://katharinehayhoe.com/faqs/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#carbon-footprint). To answer the question in a wider and less direct fashion - it is a fact that ‘the environment’ has always looked after itself. The Earth’s ecosystems are complex and finely balanced; humans are part of these ecosystems, not in control of them. Humans arrived only very recently and in a few thousand years have evolved from living in small self-sufficient groups into a species that makes huge demands on the resources of the planet, with individuals dependent on others for every aspect of their lives, including the very basics of life; the food we eat, the water we drink and the places we call home. This makes us very vulnerable to breakdown in the intricate societal and economic systems we depend upon, systems which are looking increasingly fragile in the face of changing weather patterns and depletion of ecosystems (‘nature’). So our answer is also that local people should take stock of their personal situation, assess our preparedness for all eventualities and decide what more we might do to ensure our continued wellbeing." ### Council Watch October 2025 - how are the new brooms doing? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-october-2025-how-are-the-new-brooms-doing/ Last updated: 2025-11-12T09:42:59.000Z Nearly half a year ago a new administration took charge at West Northamptonshire Council. In the days after the May election many people voiced concerns about the new Reform leadership - no local manifesto, lack of experience of local government, potentially reluctant councillors who stood as ‘paper candidates’. A more positive view of the change of leadership might have been that West Northamptonshire Council in its first term had simply picked up the baton from its failed predecessors and was heading towards the same fate, therefore a fresh and energetic approach would shake things up in a good way. CA-WN recognises the critical role WNC plays in all our lives, including to a large extent setting the local agenda on climate and nature issues. It’s always been one of our core principles to be open to collaborating with anyone who shares our objectives, regardless of their political or other affiliations, and we’ve worked hard to build a constructive relationship with the council over the last 4 years. A few weeks after the election, we wrote to **all** 76 WNC councillors congratulating them on their election, introducing CA-WN and inviting them to subscribe to CA-WN Exchange. One councillor subscribed in response – of course they will have had a lot on their plate at that time but still…. The new administration inevitably faces the same financial challenges as the old one, with a £9.6m overspend predicted for the financial year, and a local authority has many competing priorities on its to-do list. Nevertheless, the matters of climate change and nature depletion are not only important but increasingly urgent too. Bearing this in mind, what have we seen from our new council leaders on environmental issues? Most obviously, their decision to do away with the Net Zero targets introduced in 2022\. \[Net Zero meaning adding no new greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere using a combination of cutting the amount of GHGs generated and removing GHGs from the air\]. WNC’s aims had been to achieve Net Zero as a council by 2030 and for West Northamptonshire as a whole by 2045\. These targets were always ambitious. In the world of business, it’s often thought better to slightly undershoot a stretching target than easily meet an undemanding one. Having no targets at all seems irresponsible. The reasons for this decision (from the Cabinet meeting minutes1) were: > 1\. In line with the policy position of the new administration, the decision has been made to no longer retain the 2030 and 2045 net zero targets. > 2\. To enable the Council to focus its limited resources on matters which directly benefit local people and businesses, for example the delivery of the Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme for which the Council has been allocated £2.6m of national grant funding. > 3\. To adopt a position in recognition of the limited ability of the Council to materially affect global warming given the many factors outside of its control and the limited funds it has access to. > 4\. It is considered the Council can achieve better results for local people and for nature by focusing on matters within its control and for which it has significant influence. **Or to put it a different way:** > 1\. It's our policy not to pursue Net Zero so we're not going to pursue Net Zero > 2\. We don't think cutting GHG emissions to deliver Net Zero benefits local people > 3\. We can't fix climate change by ourselves so we're going to leave it to someone else to do something > 4\. We're putting cutting GHGs and Net Zero in the 'too difficult' bucket The UK has set a legally binding target of 2050 as the date to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100% compared to 1990 levels. There is no specific legal requirement on local authorities but of course without them on board, the UK’s ability to meet the national target will be severely compromised. The loss of WNC’s Net Zero targets was tempered by commitments to ‘environmental sustainability’, and to the Investors in the Environment accreditation earned in 2023\. It’s not clear how the council defines environmental sustainability but claiming it without aiming to stop adding more greenhouse gases to the air has limited credibility. At every level, dealing with the causes of the climate and nature crises and protecting ourselves from the consequences has to be a collaborative effort. In this context it’s a shame that WNC’s cross-party Sustainability Working Group hasn’t met since the election. While the group had no formal powers, it was working to influence policy and actions, and its role as a forum for bringing together officers and councillors of all parties shouldn’t be undervalued. On the positive side, some GHG-cutting initiatives commenced under the last administration will continue under this one (e.g. an EV charging contract, targets to reduce energy and water use at some WNC premises). The Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which is a regulatory commitment, represents a real opportunity for change. The draft version has been expected out for consultation for some time, and we'll let you know when it appears. One of the avenues open to CA-WN (and all West Northamptonshire residents) to communicate with the council is to use the public participation element of committee meetings to respond to matters on the meeting agenda. We have done this many times in the past to good effect. If anyone is willing to put themselves forward to attend a council meeting and read out a 3-minute statement on behalf of CA-WN, please get in touch. 1 [https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=143&MId=2728&Ver=4](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=143&MId=2728&Ver=4&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Student Voice on Climate & Politics URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/student-voice-on-climate-politics/ Last updated: 2025-11-12T09:43:57.000Z *Jason Sparkhall writes as a final year student at the University of Northampton studying BA Politics and International Relations. He has an interest in encouraging youth voices in social, climate, and environmental affairs and one day hopes to stand to become a Member of Parliament.* West Northamptonshire Council received a [political shock in last May's local elections](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/mgElectionResults.aspx?ID=9&RPID=6393590&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), when Reform UK achieved a majority after nearly 20 years of Conservative Party rule. An upset some may say was inevitable, especially with the Conservatives being in power when the old Northamptonshire County Council became insolvent and being deemed unrecoverable. Typically a shift in power brings with it an air of revitalisation, regardless of proposed policy, and a sense that something is finally going to change. However, this sense of revitalisation has already died out, and has been replaced by a feeling of uncertainty and, in some cases, shame. ​As of November 4th, it has been 6 months since the new West Northamptonshire Council, led by Reform UK's Mark Arnull, has taken power and in those 6 months there have been many unsavoury headlines in local and even national newspapers: “Over Budget” (BBC), “\[SEND bus to school assistant\] ‘I feel like a slave’” (Northampton Chronicle and Echo), “Council debt rises by £90m” (BBC), “£9.6m overspend” (BBC), “Council tax ‘highly likely’ to go up” (Northampton Chronicle and Echo), “diversity U-turn” (BBC), “Reform UK to give \[...\] Musk-Style Audit” (BBC), but most importantly, in July 2025 [“West Northants Council scraps ‘unaffordable’ net zero targets” (BBC)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly2xy66ee2o?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). The rationale to scrap the net zero targets for West Northamptonshire Council was publicly stated as a decision to focus “limited public resources on initiatives with tangible benefits” and that make a “real difference to people's lives”. This rationale holds little weight when only a few months prior to this announcement a “major incident” was declared across Northamptonshire due to heavy levels of flooding, displacing thousands of residents, causing millions in structural damage, and severely impacting both road and rail traffic for weeks. It is clear that, based on past events, investing in net zero and climate preservation projects would produce ‘tangible benefits’ and make a ‘real difference to people’s lives’, so this begs the question if not for economic and social benefit what is the reason for scrapping these targets? The only remaining answer seems to be the presence of underlying political motivations, a presence which has only become clearer through recent council meetings. ​A severe example of these political motivations comes from the [Place and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g2926/Public%20reports%20pack%2019th-Aug-2025%2019.00%20Place%20and%20Resources%20Overview%20and%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) which occurred on the 19th August 2025, where Reform UK Cllr Kamala Guliyeva stated at 2:41:19 > “This is all based on this net zero um, based on the premises that um the climate change is a man-made. So, if you believe in that and this is exactly sort of between believing and not believing it, it’s like a religion Um then of course it's not fact. It's not fact”. This becomes more alarming knowing that Kamala Guliyeva sits as the Vice-Chair for the Democracy and Standards Committee, a committee concerned with having overall responsibility for decisions in relations to elections, community governance, developing the council’s code of conduct, and setting the overall standards of conduct for council members. Returning to the original statement which you can [listen to on YouTube,](https://www.youtube.com/live/AylHrhgrSnU?si=3tW2Eo48JfMeRzJQ&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) it is concerning and disappointing to hear such a senior councillor making comments based on personal beliefs rather than factual evidence, bringing into question how we can, as a democracy, hope to succeed in creating policies and legislation to combat the climate and nature crisis when we have climate deniers as elected councillors? However, not all is doom and gloom. There is an ongoing collective movement in West Northamptonshire to oppose self-destructive politics, and lobby those in power to trust the facts and act accordingly. Groups such as [1000 Voices](https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [Climate Action West Northamptonshire](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/), [West Northants Green Party](https://northants.greenparty.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), Northamptonshire [PSC](https://palestinecampaign.org/get-involved/branches/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (Palestine Solidarity Campaign), the [University of Northampton Environment and Sustainability Team](https://www.northampton.ac.uk/about-us/governance-and-management/management/sustainability/sustainability-leadership-management-and-governance/environment-and-sustainability-team/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) along with all the local residents who are raising their voices independent of an organisation. There are spaces out there to make change, if you are feeling hopeless or pessimistic about the future, reach out and start a conversation, as a voice is always stronger when in unison with others. ### **POSTSCRIPT** CA-WN Exchange is not a platform for party political views. Jason Sparkhall’s short list of local activist groups can be supplemented by the many others [**listed here**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/local-climate-and-environmental-groups) that offer the opportunity for local collective action**.** ### Indicators of Global Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/indicators-of-global-climate-change/ Last updated: 2025-11-06T20:19:46.000Z ### The latest available data is presented in the following infographic that shows key indicators of the state of the climate system and human influence. The bad news is that every indicator is **moving in the wrong direction**. But scroll through the doom and gloom and **read the good news** \- the authors say that we know how to fix it - **halving CO2 emissions** as quickly as possible, along with rapid, deep and sustained **cuts in other GHG emissions**, would achieve **net zero CO2 in the early 2050s**. That fix would hold heating close to 1.5°C. All GHG emissions should reach net zero roughly two decades later. Taken together this means that our current generation can save the future for our children, **but only if political leaders choose to act on the evidence.** The information in the infographic was drawn from the peer-reviewed paper [*Indicators of Global Climate Change 2024: annual update of key indicators of the state of the climate system and human influence*](https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/17/2641/2025/essd-17-2641-2025-discussion.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/IGCC_Climate_Science_2025.png) ### National Emergency Briefing URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/national-emergency-briefing/ Last updated: 2025-11-06T20:05:48.000Z On Wednesday 27th November at 9am in Westminster Central Hall, the UK's first [National Emergency Briefing](https://www.nebriefing.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) by 9 of the UK's leading experts will share the latest evidence and cascading risks across all dimensions of the climate and nature crisis at a closed-door, invitation-only session. I have sadly not been invited, but I have emailed my MP, [Stuart Andrew](https://members.parliament.uk/member/4032/contact?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [Member for Daventry,](https://members.parliament.uk/member/4032/contact?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to urge him to attend if he possibly can, as he is my representative in Government. I want to ensure that he is fully briefed on the latest expert knowledge of the crisis and what can be done about it, and equipped to make the right decisions. The topics that the experts will be covering include: national security, the economy, food security and health; what is at stake; and the science-based pathways forward. And the experts are incredible leaders in their fields; [Mike Berners-Lee](https://www.nebriefing.org/speakers/mike-berners-lee?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [Lt. General Richard Nugee](https://www.nebriefing.org/speakers/lt-general-richard-nugee?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [Professor Nathalie Seddon](https://www.nebriefing.org/speakers/prof-nathalie-seddon?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [Professor Paul Behrens](https://www.nebriefing.org/speakers/paul-behrens?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [Professor Hayley Fowler](https://www.nebriefing.org/speakers/prof-hayley-fowler?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [Angela Francis](https://www.nebriefing.org/speakers/angela-francis?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [Professor Kevin Anderson](https://www.nebriefing.org/speakers/kevin-anderson?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [Professor Tim Lenton](https://www.nebriefing.org/speakers/prof-tim-lenton?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and [Professor Hugh Montgomery](https://www.nebriefing.org/speakers/professor-hugh-montgomery?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Wow! What a roster of brilliant people. If I had received an invitation to this event, I would cancel everything in my diary to attend. If you are with me on this, you can use this to use this [postcode checker](https://www.nebriefing.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to see if your MP is attending and email them if not to urge them to attend. The National Emergency Briefing team have provided this simple email content for you to use as a starting point. Subject: National Emergency Briefing Body: Hi XXX, I wanted to share something important. The National Emergency Briefing is bringing leading experts together to give politicians and the public the unvarnished truth on the climate and nature crisis — and the solutions. 👉 https://www.nebriefing.org?source=email& This could be a turning point — a high-level, government-style briefing on the greatest challenge of our time. The more of us who sign up and spread the word, the stronger the impact will be. Thanks for taking a look. ### Pumpkin and Ginger Soup URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/pumpkin-and-ginger-soup/ Last updated: 2025-11-04T09:49:27.000Z At this time of year, if friends are dropping in for lunch it’s great to offer a bowl of warming soup with crusty bread. Many of us have pantries groaning under the weight of garden produce, and with Halloween and Guy Fawkes night on the calendar, I opted to make a pumpkin, apple and ginger soup. ### **Pumpkin, Apple and Ginger Soup** **Ingredients:** - 750g pumpkin flesh - 2cm chunk of root ginger - 2 – 3 cooking apples - 2 medium potatoes - 2 medium or 1 large onion - A pinch of chilli flakes - 2 vegetable stock cubes - 1 tsp dried marjoram - A dash of olive or sunflower oil - Salt and pepper to taste **Optional** - Clove of garlic - Squeeze of lemon juice Peeling pumpkins is a challenge none of us relish, and presumably at this time of year hospital A & E departments see something of an increase in the number of vegetable-related injuries. For this recipe, and if wanting to retain the outer shell of the vegetable, cut a circular piece from the top, round the stalk. The flesh of the vegetable is what you are after, so make the hole big enough to get your hand holding a small fruit or steak knife in, so you can scoop out the seeds and cut away enough flesh to make the soup. It is all too easy for the knife to slip whilst attempting to get the top off a pumpkin to make a Halloween Lantern, so please take great care during this stage of the operation. Use a sharp knife with a serrated edge – it is far less likely to slip whilst making the first cuts. Stand the pumpkin on a damp, folded tea towel, to prevent the vegetable slipping. Keep the tip and blade away from your body and also from the hand that is holding the vegetable. Aim the sharp tip downwards into the pumpkin at the point where you want to make the first cut. Once the knife blade is in the vegetable, use a sawing motion to cut a circle out of the top. Scoop away enough flesh for the recipe, and set to one side till you need it. Peel the onions and slice roughly. If you keep the root plate of the onion away from you, and don’t lean over the chopping board you should be able to avoid weeping into the pan when you stir the onions into the olive oil. Set over a low heat and stir frequently to prevent the onions catching. Clean and roughly chop the ginger into small pieces, then add to the onions, together with the chilli flakes. If you are not a fan of chilli, add less, or substitute chipotle flakes. Clean and chop the potatoes roughly and add to the onion mix, then stir thoroughly and add enough water to just cover the mix and bring to boiling point then reduce to a simmer. Next add the pumpkin, and stir well, then add more water so all the pan’s contents are covered. Crumble the stock cubes into the mix and add the dried marjoram. If you like garlic, crush it in at this point. Test the potatoes to check that they have softened, then add the peeled and sliced apples. Allow to simmer until the vegetables and apple are soft, then process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you prefer a slightly sharper flavour, add a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve it piping hot, with a chunk of crusty bread, and a teaspoonful of cream on the top. ### Report of AGM and Public Meeting 16 October 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-agm-and-public-meeting-16-october-2025/ Last updated: 2025-10-23T20:43:24.000Z The notes below cover both the 2025 AGM and the October public meeting, whichconsisted of an open discussion about CA-WN’s current activities and future plans, with attendees invited to suggest new ideas. The meeting was recorded and is available to view on CA-WN’s [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpFhRu3wpqTgqBu44PpjI4A?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). 💡 Check out our [What's On](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/) page for some great local events ## AGM The AGM meeting papers (Chair’s Report, Treasurer’s Report and Financial Report) are available to [download](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/r/43f963d6?m=1cbdff9c-fcf5-4270-8d2b-78e61af254b5). **1\. Apologies for absence** Alexina Cassidy, Dave Musson, Helen Dyson, Patsy Hollingum, Peter Nalder, Richard Hollingum **Present** Alan Mawer, Clare Robertson-Marriott (CRM), Clare Slater, Grace Cosford (GC), Harry Mellor (HM), Hilary Haynes (HH), Jane Wood (JW), Jonathan Harris (JH), Maria Lee (MaL), Martin Coombs (MC), Mick Lorkins (MicL), Mike Longman (MikL), Roy Hawkesford, Teresa Cox (TC), Rupert Knowles (RK) 2\. [**Minutes of last AGM** ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-ca-wn-agm-and-monthly-public-meeting/) Accepted with no alteration. 3\. **Chair’s Report.** Available in full at the link above. JW has enjoyed being Chair for the last 4 years but is not standing this year. She emphasised the value of belonging to CA-WN as a community of like-minded people. This has been a good year with some outstanding guest speakers, however the change in leadership at West Northamptonshire Council has presented some challenges and is likely to continue to do so. Attendees thanked JW for her work as Chair. 4\. **Treasurer’s Report.** Available in full at the link above. CA-WN started the year with funds of £3,931 and ended it with £4,013\. There has been minimal expenditure on essential annual subscriptions and a small amount of income from donations, including a generous donation of £200 from Alice Whitehead of Save Our Street Trees, to be spent on a tree project. Our bank, Metro Bank, are imposing a monthly account fee of £3 from 1 December this year. **5\. Election of Officers** The Constitution allows for 4 Officer roles, currently: **Chair** \- Jane Wood **Treasurer** \- Harry Mellor **Secretary** \- Jane Wood **Vice Chair and Membership Secretary** \- Alexina Cassidy The following Officers were elected for 2024/25: **Chair** – **Harry Mellor**, nominated Jane Wood, seconded Rupert Knowles **Treasurer** – **Harry Mellor**, nominated Jane Wood, seconded Mick Lorkins **Secretary** – **Jane Wood**, nominated Hilary Haynes, seconded Teresa Cox **Membership Secretary** – **Alexina Cassidy**, nominated Rupert Knowles, seconded Jane Wood (JW to contact AC after the meeting to confirm) **Vice Chair** – **vacant**. AC advised she does not want to continue in this role. To be discussed at a future meeting. These appointments were unanimously approved. **6\. Election of Steering Committee members** In addition to the Officers, there are currently 6 Steering Committee members. All were present at the meeting and confirmed they wished to continue in that role. - Clare Robertson-Marriott - Clare Slater - Jonathan Harris - Mick Lorkins - Rupert Knowles - Teresa Cox MC and GC expressed an interest in attending the next Steering Committee meeting with a view to potentially joining the committee. JW to send out an invite and link. ## Public meeting A summary of the main points raised. - [CA-WN Exchange](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/) (CE) is a useful forum for publishing climate and nature related articles. Please share it and if you know anyone with expertise or an interesting story to share, tell them about CE and ask if they might be interested in writing a piece. ### Two big projects for the coming year: - CA-WN is supporting a **Festival of Nature** being organised by the Northamptonshire Natural History Society (NNHS) on 19 September 2026 at Delapre Abbey. MikL, from NNHS Weather & Climate section, is contacting local environmental groups to invite them to participate. - **Building Resilience**. CA-WN paid a consultancy to measure variations in temperature and humidity in ten homes and discovered these vary greatly across homes, as does what different households perceive as comfortable. Therefore generalised assumptions about how our homes are heated and run are of limited use. Currently we’re in a position where expected national guidance on how homes should be heated is yet to be published. Currently the starting point nationally for assessing how energy efficient homes are is the energy performance certificate (EPC), which is very general. Over the coming winter season we want to work on improving the assessment of home efficiency. Without a good assessment there is no way of knowing whether investment in the property is worthwhile. More information to follow in CA-WN Exchange. ### Upcoming events - **Midlands Festival of Nature,** event run by Kettering Wildlife on 30 and 31 May 2026\. More details to be shared when available. - **Park Bioblitz**. NNHS has been contacted by ID Verde, the WNC contractor responsible for maintaining Northampton parks, to ask if they wanted to get involved in an event in the parks - something like a bioblitz in parks including Brackmills/Hardingstone park, Bradlaugh Fields, Staunton Lakes, and Abington Park. This would involve inviting experts in different fields (e.g. ornithology, invertebrates, botany) to carry out surveys on the agreed day. Details and date tbc. - **Tree swap**. The guest speaker at last year’s AGM was from a group in Holland called More Trees Now which specialises in digging up young saplings to hand out for free. MicL set up a group called [Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1121935529063523), which has held several tree harvesting and collection events. This winter we plan to invite people to collect any trees local to them and bring them to a ‘tree swap’ event, to be held early 2026, potentially to coincide with Valentines Day and the Climate Coalition’s annual ‘Show the Love’ event. Many people have unwanted little trees popping up in their garden which could be passed on to someone else. HM already has many potted up that he is taking care of and is also planting some acorns from this year’s ‘mast’ crop. ### Other points - CRM met someone from the Abington Park management committee today about an idea to restore biodiversity in two spinneys in the park. - HH has been a member since the start of CA-WN and in fact suggested the group’s name! She generously offered to make a monthly donation to cover the £3 monthly bank fee, which was gratefully accepted. HM to contact her to set this up. ### Engagement with WNC - MaL is very concerned about air pollution as she lives in the centre of Northampton. She has met with local Labour councillors and asked what an individual can do. It was suggested that she could attend the Place Scrutiny committee, which the public can attend and speak if they have points to make relevant to the meeting agenda1. - We cannot disengage from the council and having CA-WN representatives make statements at council meetings is a good way to engage. MaL is happy to attend and speak as needed – other volunteers would be welcome. - TC recently attended the NCALC (Northants County Association of Local Councils) AGM – WNC Leader Mark Arnull was there. There was much discussion about planning and reassurances were given by Cllr Arnull that WNC are having a big review of the planning department with more jobs and an improved strategy. He was asked if there will be a focus on renewable energy and he agreed that there is a climate emergency. - If councillors are not interested in anything to do with climate change, going down the route of Air Quality (AQ) might be seen as more practical. There are AQ standards but it is difficult and expensive for members of the public to measure these accurately. There is only one proper AQ monitoring station in the WN area (at Spring Park) which never shows pollutants anywhere near the limits. The limits can anyway be seen as inappropriate as it is detrimental to health to breathe in any pollution. - The council maintains a number of other AQ monitors but they are fairly basic. AQ near the Northampton bus interchange is very poor. The Airly app and [online map](https://airly.org/map/en/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) for AQ in Northampton shows everything green but NO2 levels are very much higher than the target levels. There is no AQ reporting in WNC’s quarterly KPIs. - Council contractors will all be signed up to Net Zero or an equivalent. The impact on West Northamptonshire of the council’s position on Net Zero is likely to be that contractors will put older kit here and save the new cleaner equipment for councils that are bought in to delivering Net Zero. - Prior to the 2025 local election JH had been working with others to build a cross party consensus on the council around their responsibility to act on climate. It may not have been moving at pace, but agreement at least existed. This no longer seems to be the case. As a member of WNC’s Cross Party Sustainability Working Group JH felt he had some influence before but this has been lost. - Although the new administration at WNC has done away with the interim Net Zero targets the legal national target of 2050 (as set in the Climate Change Act) still stands. The new administration wants to talk about environmental impact rather than climate. At the last council meeting, it put forward its [delivery plan](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s25213/Item%2008%20-%20Appendix%20A%20-%20WNC%20Delivery%20Plan.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), in which there is no mention of climate and the only environmental issues mentioned were fly-tipping and litter. Nationally, some political parties are now saying they want to review the Climate Change Act. - The Local Plan is one of the only ways we have of making sure we are aiming for the 2050 legal Net Zero target; JH is now focused on this as a way of making sure national targets are adhered to. A [new version of the Local Plan](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/planning-policy/new-local-plan-west-northamptonshire?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) covering the period up to 2043 is being written. - Through CA-WN Exchange we can keep trying to counter misinformation on climate from the mainstream media and through social media. There is a regular Council Watch feature on CA-WN Exchange which helps to keep our audience informed of what WNC are doing. - There is no preparation being done for very hot summers and possibly very cold winters. Planning needs to look at life in 25 years’ time – whereas everything is being done based on today’s world. - The Climate Change Act says councils are responsible for climate adaptation and mitigation. It doesn’t place any specific responsibility on councils to report on scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions, although WNC has been doing this since 2023\. It’s not currently clear if that will continue. - Some public consultations are due from WNC, which we should encourage people to respond to. One of these is the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which has been delayed again. Current consultations are [here](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/consultation%5Ffinder/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). - Lobby your ward councillors to tell them if you’re not happy with the council’s stance on climate. ### CA-WN past and future - [A history of CA-WN’s first 4 years](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/happy-birthday-ca-wn/) is up on CA-WN Exchange. The last year doesn’t seem very active but perhaps that’s because we’ve already done a lot. We are perhaps preaching to an audience of like-minded people – do we need to do more to reach out beyond that? And if so, how? - JH advised that on visits to schools, students are talking about these important issues. Some schools have climate awards – this could be promoted more widely. - TC works for the Open University and they do a lot through their student union, as students have more power to raise issues than OU employees. Can CA-WN do more to work with schools, for example to highlight poor AQ - Eluned Lewis-Nicholl has written lesson plans on AQ for Northamptonshire and has written to the AQ officer at WNC (Joanna Oakes) without getting a reply so far. MaL has asked her councillors to follow up. - Has CA-WN liaised with the 1000 Voices campaign? We have, however people perceived as ‘activists’ tend to be dismissed - some 1000 Voices members have been banned from council meetings. - The level of global heating is at 1.5 degrees now and is on track to be 2 degrees by 2050 or even earlier. Can we have conversations about the issues that this raises, for example water and food security? More very hot summers like the one we have just had are a severe threat to UK food production – this year’s was the [second worst harvest ever](https://www.farminguk.com/news/defra-figures-reveal-england-s-second-worst-harvest-in-history%5F67361.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). 43% of UK food comes from abroad. - A [new report related to food security](https://www.agrifood4netzero.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AFN-ROADMAP.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) came out in the last couple of days. It is good but raises many of the same points as the previous [national food strategy](https://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), which was effectively shelved by government. RK has been working through the two side by side. MC offered to do an AI compare and contrast – HM to share details of the two reports. We can feature something on this in CA-WN Exchange. - Can we find a local very defined issue to campaign on such as a planning issue, getting locals involved can be very effective? JH suggested looking at the Strategic Planning Committee agenda. - The UN has forecast that global GDP will reduce and this will include the UK, yet governments continue to borrow against GDP. - WNC Audit Committee runs a [strategic risk register](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s25193/Strategic%20Risk%20Register%20-%20Appendix%20A.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), which includes a risk around energy, but nothing on water. JH attended an Audit Committee meeting to ask why water is not on the risk register and was told it is not considered a significant risk comparable to energy. Issues like this can be raised by members of the public at or in advance of Audit Committee meetings1. --- ### 1\. Public engagement with WNC. The council’s [constitution](file:///C:/Users/Jane/Downloads/Constitution%20%28final%20accessible%29%2025.09.2025%20CLEAN.pdf) permits members of the public to make statements at council meetings, or to submit written questions in advance to be answered at the meeting. Questions and requests to make statements must be sent to [democraticservices@westnorthants.gov.uk](mailto:democraticservices@westnorthants.gov.uk). The email should include your full name, address and contact phone number as well as your question if appropriate. Statements are strictly limited to 3 minutes (practising timing is recommended!) and must be linked to an item on the meeting agenda. You must register to make a statement at least 24 hours before the start of the meeting. If submitting a question to be answered at the meeting, note ‘*Questions need to be framed so as to elicit information rather than make a* *statement’.* The deadline for submitting questions is 10.00am, three clear working days before the meeting. So for a meeting on Thursday questions will need to be sent in by 10am on the previous Friday. The council meetings timetable and papers are published [on their website](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/mgListCommittees.aspx?bcr=1&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Note meeting agendas and report packs are published 5 days before each meeting. ### Climate Drama: 21 November URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/climate-drama-21-november/ Last updated: 2025-11-21T23:50:51.000Z ### BIOSPHERE is a drama exploring the current storm of the climate crisis, capitalism, and technology. Inspired by the **true story of experimental living** trapped within an enclosed biome intended to provide the essentials for human life, this is a new play about our relationship to nature, technology and the planet we call home. Presented as part of the **Royal & Derngate's Genfest 2025**, a week-long festival celebrating artist development and new work, the performance will be followed by a **conversation** with the playwright, Northampton native **Olivia Foan**, and the drama's climate science consultant, **Dr Colleen Golja**, Postdoctoral Fellow at Imperial College London. At Harvard Dr Golja focussed on **Solar Radiation Management**, the manmade interference with Earth’s atmosphere with the objective of lowering climate risks associated with increasing atmospheric green house gas concentrations. Her postdoctoral research focused on understanding the impact of stratospheric heating on surface climate and at Imperial Colleen is advancing her climate knowledge and how to more effectively predict the impacts of climate change. The venue has a limited seating capacity so be quick if you wish to be part of this interesting and potentially informative evening. It starts at 7.00pm on Friday 21 November. Booking and further [details are here](https://royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/genfest-2025-biosphere/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ### Happy Birthday CA-WN URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/happy-birthday-ca-wn/ Last updated: 2025-10-16T11:11:46.000Z As we celebrate CA-WN’s birthday these are highlights from our first four years. **ROOTS: South Northamptonshire Action on Climate \[SNAC\]** Before CA-WN there was SNAC, formed in 2019 when residents from across the area came together to talk about the climate emergency. Convinced of the urgency to do more to protect neighbourhoods from the effects of global heating it was decided to engage people power in pursuit of carbon emissions reduction, increasing biodiversity and to press for sustainable developments. SNAC’s reach extended beyond the local area when Covid forced regular monthly meetings to be held online. With wider public interest, and a new West Northamptonshire Council, SNAC’s focus shifted, a new name was needed – **CA-WN** was born **July 2021 CA-WN field trip to learn about managing for wildlife:** A guided tour of Compton Verney to hear and see how their extensive area of grassland is managed for wildlife. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/CA-WN-at-Compton-Verney.jpeg) **August 2021:** Graphic designer Tom Low begins work on a new logo, writing “the very first thing that came to mind when I thought about a CA-WN logo was basically a tree trunk off-set to one side with the lettering in the middle”. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/ca-wn-.logo-for-exchange.png) **September 2021 Constitution formally adopted with these aims:** To promote understanding of the climate emergency, and to facilitate action in response to it in West Northamptonshire, by: • bringing together people from diverse backgrounds in communities across West Northamptonshire and fostering understanding of issues relating to Climate Change, • promoting reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the protection of biodiversity, • establishing positive working relationships with local clubs, associations, businesses and councils, • using traditional and social media to share knowledge and experience, • suggesting, and where possible providing, materials to enable the above, • taking whatever other actions are deemed appropriate by the Committee. **February 2022 *Claim Back Your Space: Working With Nature*:** In pursuit of increasing biodiversity, work begins on these specially commissioned notes for any group interested in a small rewilding project. **March 2022 HOP22:** Rupert Knowles, Harlestone Parish Councillor and CA-WN Steering Group member, is the driving force behind a climate-themed event in Harlestone featuring a host of informative stands and well attended by local people. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/image-4.png) **April 2022 Launch of THE CA-WN EXCHANGE:** The first appearance as a PDF newsletter for circulating and printing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/CA-WN_Exchange_1.png) **June 2022 Claim Back Your Space: Working With Nature:** 1,000 copies of booklet printed for distribution to members and at events. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/CBYS.png) **Summer 2022 West Northamptonshire Sustainable Food Network:** CA-WN joins the Network whose aim "*to create a sustainable food network across West Northamptonshire, one that ensures everyone, regardless of income, can access affordable and healthy food*" aligns with CA-WN's core principles. **August 2022 Bank account opened with £8,580 deposit:** An unconditional donation towards the cost of running the CA-WN Building Resilience Project enables CA-WN to open a bank account. **September 2022 Grow Green Together Conference:** Around 60 representatives of unitary, town and parish councils attend a conference co-hosted by CA-WN and Northants ACRE. A series of events preceded the conference, including a tour of a local vertical farm and of the University of Northampton to see how it is supporting sustainability and nature. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/image-3.png) **Winter 2022/23 CA-WN Building Resilience Project begins:** The core objective of the CA-WN Building Resilience Project is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that come from burning gas, oil or solid fuels to keep us comfortable at home in winter. After an initial five-home study of home energy efficiency CA-WN commissioned a detailed ten-home energy audit. The survey results revealed a wide variation in the amount of energy needed to maintain comfort levels in those homes, and very significant differences in the occupiers’ indoor temperature preferences. The overall conclusion was that there are many factors involved in assessing a home’s use of energy and the options for improving its energy efficiency. The Building Resilience Project continues … ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/Latest-WNC-EPC-2024.png) The percentage of West Northamptonshire homes in each of the seven Energy Performance Certificate \[EPC\] bands where ****A** indicates a home with high energy efficiency **January 2023 *The CA-WN Exchange* goes online:** The CA-WN Exchange transforms from a newsletter to an interactive forum for the exchange of regularly updated ideas, research and content on the climate and biodiversity. The home landing page featured images representing the four seasons designed for CA-WN by **Quin**, a Second Year Illustration student at the University of Northampton. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/CA-WN-Exchange1.png) **January 2023 Guest Speakers at CA-WN monthly public meetings:** For the first time a guest speaker features in CA-WN's regular monthly online public meetings. Dr Paul Slater talked about *Sustainability within the NHS*. Since this first talk 24 different guest speakers have introduced topics ranging from flood management and tree planting to climate psychology, sustainable travel and the politics of climate change. Recordings of most monthly online public meetings are available on CA-WN's [YouTube channel.](https://www.youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [Climate Action-West NorthamptonshireThis is the YouTube channel for Climate Action-West Northants, a volunteer residents’ group seeking to inform and promote action on climate and nature in our area. Join us by subscribing for free to our website The CA-WN Exchange https://exchange.ca-wn.org/, to receive regular original writing on environmental matters by local people, plus invites to our monthly online and quarterly in-person meetings.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/favicon_144x144-3.png)YouTube![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/PLoCB2Ebqb-b53jjl7wpTOut9JtBbBCgQvNnRIb0_YjELZHzVECk984QqOkSD2KRR8zcosY1-s900-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj-2)](https://youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784?si=jAV0VY4W0crLW1wf&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **April 2023 The CA-WN Exhibition Stand for public events:** A large professional pop-up stand with wheeled container was a prudent eBay purchase. It supports a donated fire-proof fabric backdrop that can also be used outdoors with borrowed gazebos. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/exstands.png) **September 2023 attends the Shambala Festival at Kelmarsh Hall:** As a Friends of the Earth affiliated local climate group CA-WN shares their stand. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/IMG_0558.jpeg) **January 2024** **More Trees Now:** One of the UK's first tree harvesting events is held in Northampton, organised by Mick Lorkins, CA-WN Steering Group member and founder of **Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers**. **April 2024 Launch of the CA-WN Lending Library:** Brian Webster's most generous bequest of books is being supplemented by further book donations that provide CA-WN members with a rich source of reading about nature, climate and politics. (See the list of [available books here](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-library/)). **Summer 2024 Carbon Literacy Training:** CA-WN Steering Group members Alexina Cassidy and Clare Slater introduce their Carbon Literacy Project accredited training in Carbon Literacy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/carbonliteracy.png) **September 2024 Film screening**: CA-WN and local sustainable business consultancy **ActNow Consulting** Ltd get together to host a showing of *Six Inches of Soil* at the Arc Cinema in Daventry. This documentary feature film follows the inspiring stories of three new farmers through their first year. The showing was attended by around 50 people and included a Q&A with an expert panel. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/six-inches-of-soil.png) **October 2024 West Northamptonshire Climate & Nature Summit:** Delapre Abbey hosted the Summit with an organising committee including representatives of CA-WN, West Northamptonshire Council, Northampton Town Council and others. Following the success of the event attended by over 60 Town and Parish councillors, CA-WN helps to form the **West Northamptonshire Climate and Nature Partnership** (WNCAN) in early 2025. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/Oct-9th-2024-Summit-presenters.jpg) **2024-25 Face to face meetings at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery:** From time to time CA-WN has organised Saturday afternoon get-togethers in the Museum Café to provide an opportunity to spend time with people with a similar worldview. With civil and rational social behaviour being undermined by a dehumanising populist culture it is increasingly important to make connections and forge a community which believes in and demonstrates CA-WN's core values of inclusiveness and tolerance. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/10/IMG_0964.jpeg) ### Reducing the environmental impact of Children’s Parties URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/reducing-the-environmental-impact-of-childrens-parties/ Last updated: 2025-10-10T19:52:43.000Z *This article was written by *Joely Martin*, currently on Maternity Leave from West Northamptonshire Council where she works as a *Sustainability Officer*.* As a parent, it’s an exciting new chapter when your child starts primary school. New skills, new friends and before long, parties almost every weekend. Now imagine there are 30 children in your child’s class and they are all having a party for their 5th birthday. The presents, the party bags, the expense and the waste, quickly adds up. But, a parent-led campaign is looking to change the status quo. The [Kids Party Pact](http://nocrapparties.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) is campaigning to make gifting at kids parties more affordable and sustainable. They’ve recently been granted funding from the National Lottery Community Fund – and have been featured on BBC Newsround, in The Times and Positive News. The aim is to get parents talking – and agreeing to make gifts and party bags more affordable and less wasteful. The idea is to remove the pressure of buying expensive gifts, normalise pre-loved gifting and teaching children that fun doesn’t come from stuff. At its heart, The Kids Party Pact is about making birthdays easier and more enjoyable for everyone. It offers parents a supportive framework for setting clear expectations around gifts and celebrations, while ensuring children still feel special and included. Concepts such as a fiver party or book swaps are becoming increasingly popular with parents who want to reduce the burden and expectations from parties. The campaign is aiming to get 10,000 signatories to support parents in having the confidence to do things differently, knowing that they are part of a growing movement. You can find out more and sign the pact here - [The Kids Party Pact | Sustainable Kid's Parties | No Crap Parties](https://nocrapparties.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#PACT) Linked to the Kids Party Pact, is the concept of a party kit, which is a collection of reusable tableware and decorations that can be borrowed instead of buying single-use items. The [Party Kit Network](https://www.partykitnetwork.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) supports individuals, community groups & businesses in setting up and running a party kit. There was a distinct lack of party kits in Northamptonshire, with just one in Desborough, North Northamptonshire, but this changed this year with Northampton Party Kits starting in February. It offers two different colour kits, providing tableware for up to 50 children, and is affordable, convenient and most importantly, waste free! Northampton Party Kits have recently won a Rising Star award from the annual Party Kit Network awards for the impact the kit has had since it was set up, helping to save 680 single use items from being used at parties. Parents report it to be a convenient service, with washing up included in the party kit hire price. To enquire, get in touch with [northamptonpartykits@gmail.com](mailto:northamptonpartykits@gmail.com) or follow on Instagram and Facebook. ### 2071: The World We’ll Leave Our Grandchildren by Chris Rapley & Duncan Macmillan URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/2071-the-world-well-leave-our-grandchildren-by-chris-rapley-duncan-macmillan/ Last updated: 2025-10-08T18:28:25.000Z This book (originally a play) is a remarkable achievement – it condenses the complex and difficult topic of climate change into 200 easy to follow pages, many of which contain only one paragraph. It was written just before the landmark 2015 COP in Paris but its content remains pertinent to today’s world. If anything the book’s impact is sharpened by our knowledge that the signatories to the Paris Climate Agreement have not delivered on their commitments. *2071: The World We’ll Leave Our Grandchildren* is available from the CA-WN Lending Library, please contact us if you’d like to borrow it. Thank you to Mike Longman from the Northamptonshire Natural History Society for recommending this book. ### What is a Local Nature Recovery Strategy? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/what-is-a-local-nature-recovery-strategy/ Last updated: 2025-09-30T19:43:14.000Z **Local nature recovery strategies are being developed in 48 regions across the UK in response to both the global 30% Nature recovery by 2030 targets as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework**1 **and the UK’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan**2**.** **Local Nature Recovery Strategies are based on the principles of:** ### **The Lawton Report '*Making Space for Nature*' 2010**3 A Local Nature Recovery Strategy is about identifying the best places and actions or measures for nature recovery across a region. The LNRS will provide a framework for the wider region, specific areas such as nature reserves, sites of special scientific interest, wetland RAMSAR4 sites, as well as for smaller scale localities such as parishes, community groups or even individual gardens. The LNRS also provides a framework for more general and wider environmental improvements including public access to the countryside for recreation and well-being. It will be used as a decision-making tool for farmers, landowners and developers to guide Biodiversity Net Gain – a mandatory requirement of 10% uplift resulting from any land-use change. Farmers applying for the Sustainable Finance Incentive scheme will use the LNRS to enable them to understand nature recovery opportunities on their land. Businesses can also consult the LNRS in order to achieve their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) objectives. West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire are two of the forty-eight authorities selected to formulate a LNRS because of the decline in biodiversity. Both areas are among those with the steepest levels of decline. Within both districts the LNRS will identify potential areas for focussed actions with funding opportunities. These will be the best areas for nature recovery with immediate results but will also have wider environmental benefits. Everyone can help nature thrive and encourage wildlife across West Northamptonshire. It is important at a local level that residents are able to foster a sense of ownership, responsibility and appreciation of nature which is vital in creating community cohesion. Nature really can enhance the self-worth of communities and their residents5. The LNRS applies the principles of the Lawton Review, “MAKING A SPACE FOR NATURE” instructed by Hilary Benn in 2010 and led by Professor Sir John Lawton. The Lawton Review cites: > ‘the importance of ecological networks, suites of high-quality wildlife sites containing biological diversity, with connections between them enabling species, or their genes, to move. Establishing a coherent and resilient ecological network will help wildlife cope with change, but will also improve the ability of the natural environment to provide for us.’ To do this, Lawton says, we need to make our network of sites **BIGGER, BETTER, AND MORE JOINED UP.** **This means:** - ***Protecting*** what we have while improving its quality with better management; - ***Increasing*** the size of wildlife sites; - ***Enhancing connection*** by creating new wildlife corridors or stepping stones; - ***Creating*** new sites; - ***Reducing pressure*** on wildlife by improving the wider environment including through buffering\* wildlife sites *\* buffering: protecting an ecosystem or habitat with another or ecotone. An example would be an area of shrub or nettles around a coppice woodland which would deter deer. Shrubs and dense vegetation by a stream protects the stream water against pollution. Ecotones are also habitats.* ### EXPLAINING THE LAWTON PRINCIPLES **BIGGER, BETTER, MORE, JOINED UP, PROTECTED from PRESSURE** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/09/image-5.png) ****This photo was taken in the Northamptonshire Uplands near the source of the river Nene and shows a mosaic or patchwork of habitats: woodland, hedgerows, semi-natural field of wildflowers, stream edge scrub and Nene water channel.** In order to explain how Lawton is used by the LNRS we can use the diagram below. It shows a MOSAIC or patchwork of habitats in any area of countryside rather like the photo. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/09/image-6.png) ****HOW LAWTON AND THE LNRS WORK: each letter indicates a method.** a) Improve the quality of habitat patches b) Make existing sites bigger which can include: c) Create Ecotones (the zone between 2 ecosystems such as grassland and woodland) d) Enhance connectivity through a continuous corridor or e) Create a stepping stone corridor f) Create new sites g) Reduce pressure by establishing buffer zones h) Enhance the wider environment The diagram doesn’t include a stream but streams, rivers and wetlands act as very important connecting corridors as do hedgerows or lines of trees. **IN EXPLAINING LAWTON WE RETURN TO THE DIAGRAM AND CONSIDER THE WOODLAND.** a) Does this habitat need improving for example by introducing more indigenous tree species to encourage birds? – **BETTER** b) Could this habitat be expanded while ensuring its quality, or could it be expanded without interfering with another priority habitat? – **BIGGER** c) What other woodland patches are there? Are there any hedgerows which could be planted to connect patches of woodland or are there lines of trees? – **JOINED UP AS A CORRIDOR** d) Is there a stepping stone corridor such as a hedgerow that has become divided that might be joined up? **MORE JOINED UP/STEPPING STONES** e) Could more woodland be planted? **MORE** f) How could we ease pressure or protect an area of woodland? Is there enough of a buffer zone of shrub or smaller trees around it (a transition zone or ecotone which is another ecosystem)? Does it need to be enclosed because of deer? – **EASING PRESSURE** and **PROTECTION** The same criteria would apply to other habitats in the wider area and the LNRS would indicate potential for nature recovery within surrounding farmland or built-up areas and transport routes. The LNRS will inform planning decisions. --- ### References 1. [https://www.cbd.int/gbf](https://www.cbd.int/gbf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2. [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-national-biodiversity-strategy-and-action-plan](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-national-biodiversity-strategy-and-action-plan?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268279426\_Making\_Space\_for\_Nature\_A\_Review\_of\_England's\_Wildlife\_Sites\_and\_Ecological\_Network#full-text](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268279426%5FMaking%5FSpace%5Ffor%5FNature%5FA%5FReview%5Fof%5FEngland's%5FWildlife%5FSites%5Fand%5FEcological%5FNetwork?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#full-text) 4. A RAMSAR site is an area of wetland of international ecological importance. The RAMSAR convention held in RAMSAR, Iran in 1971 ratified the protection of such wetlands in 1975 and continues to do so. The Nene valley gravel lakes and washlands have the designation. 5. [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/country-parks-parks-and-open-spaces/local-nature-recovery-strategy/how-lnrs-will-be-used](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/country-parks-parks-and-open-spaces/local-nature-recovery-strategy/how-lnrs-will-be-used?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Rethink: should we stop flying?; how can flying be less polluting? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/rethink-should-we-stop-flying-how-can-flying-be-less-polluting/ Last updated: 2025-09-30T19:43:03.000Z Plans for a second runway at Gatwick airport have recently been given the green light. This follows approval of expansion plans for Luton airport, and positive signals from the government about the long-discussed third runway at Heathrow earlier this year. Gatwick expects annual flights to increase from 280,000 to around 389,000 by the late 2030's, while Luton hopes to almost double annual passenger numbers to 32 million by 2043. It is entirely unclear how all these flights will be accommodated within the UK's carbon emissions targets. These two episodes of *Rethink* from BBC Sounds explore the potential ways in which flying could be made compatible with a low carbon world, from taxes on flying to sustainable aviation fuel. It's useful to understand the pros and cons of each, but it may not come as a surprise that there is no silver bullet. [BBC Sounds - Rethink - Available nowAvailable episodes of Rethink![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/p0dvd5xt.jpg)BBC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/p0dvd5xt.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08gt1ry/episodes/player?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Youth speaking truth to power: Speech to WNC Scrutiny Committee, 19 August 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/youth-speaking-truth-to-power-speech-to-wnc-scrutiny-committee-19-august-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-30T19:42:52.000Z *This speech was given to a 'Call-In Hearing' of the council's Place and Resources Overview and Scrutiny committee by Pippa Knowles, aged 17\.* *The purpose of the meeting was to review a decision made by WNC's Cabinet to remove the council's Net Zero targets and revise existing strategies to remove references to 'climate'.* *Speaking on such an occasion is daunting at any age, and we admired Pippa's courage and principles. She has kindly agreed to allow us to reproduce her speech, and we hope it will provide inspiration to all of us.* I am 17\. I cannot yet vote.You propose to take the word climate out of all your documents when it’s one of the greatest problems affecting people my age and younger. As these problems will affect my future more than yours, have you consulted people like me? Not just some online survey that is hidden, but actually spoken to people of my generation and younger, from all backgrounds. This overall lack of engagement is worrying for an elected council that is meant to make decisions on behalf of all of West Northants. The problems of a rapidly changing climate have been taught to me since I started science, and the scientific explanations of how these problems come to be has been compulsory in my education, so when the council that is meant to represent me cannot grasp these concepts, I lose faith. I have heard arguments for this decision being that we in such a small area as West Northants do not create significant emissions in relation to a global issue such as climate change, so any change made is of little effect. This is untrue, the only way for change is to not deny the problem and act locally, all of us in this room have an impact. In fact, we as a country are ignorantly claiming to have greatly reduced emissions, when we’ve only offloaded them to the countries with a high manufacturing base and imported their goods claiming low emissions for ourselves. An example of this is China. Now I do fully understand and have seen for myself that China has its major problems and should not be idolised, but it has often been demonised for its high emissions. I have just returned from visiting my grandmother in Yulin, Guangxi, an insignificant city founded on manufacturing, and despite that, the efforts made to reverse CO2 emissions are obvious. Every car is modern and electric, and for everyday transport, electric mopeds are commonplace and convenient. Bullet trains run in all directions and are very affordable, my fare from the city Nanning to Yulin, a distance of 228km, was £9 and took an hour and a half. Solar panels are commonplace on top of people’s houses and apartment buildings, and when taking the train I could see from the window not only endless farming and countryside but fields of solar panels as well. And when flying into Shanghai, there are rows and rows of wind turbines. And the results of these efforts can be seen in my grandma’s combined utility bills: £5 a month. When I currently do not have the power to evoke change or support the continuation of good causes, how can I trust that this decision is in my generation’s best interest for its future, especially with the lack of due process from this council? And, for the other decisions affecting other areas of my life here, can I expect that they will receive the same lack of care? --- Details of the committee agenda and attendees: [https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=496&MId=2926&Ver=4](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=496&MId=2926&Ver=4&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Recording of the meeting: [https://www.youtube.com/live/AylHrhgrSnU?si=5qgZj0n-ItNHRYfj](https://www.youtube.com/live/AylHrhgrSnU?si=5qgZj0n-ItNHRYfj&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Statements from members of the public are at the start of the meeting, with Pippa's speech about 26 minutes in. ### Net Zero Stocktake 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/net-zero-stocktake-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-24T20:42:14.000Z **The Net Zero Stocktake 2025 assessed progress in setting and strengthening whole-economy net zero targets and evaluated more than 4,000 entities on whether current plans and strategies contain the key components for deep decarbonisation.** The world must reach net zero carbon dioxide emissions in the early 2050s if it is to have a realistic chance of limiting global average temperature increase to near 1.5°C with limited overshoot. Alongside achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions is the need for rapid, deep, and sustained reductions in other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The following notes are taken from the Net Zero Stocktake 20251.. **Key findings:** - Target-setting is still rising, despite political headwinds. As of September 2025, at least 1,935 entities have net zero (or similar) targets — up from 769 in December 2020\. Globally, target-setting is expanding across companies, regions and cities. - Countries: 137 of 198 national governments (including the EU and Taiwan) have net zero targets. Nineteen of the G20 have adopted net zero targets, though overall country-level coverage has dipped compared with 2024 due to the U.S. federal government abandoning its commitment. Encouragingly, 67% of remaining national targets are now enshrined in law or policy, up from 52% last year. - Companies: Almost two-thirds (63%) of the Forbes Global 2000 have net zero targets, covering $36.6 trillion in revenue (70% of total). In the U.S., company commitments grew by 9% in the past year. - Subnational governments: Coverage now extends to 2.55 billion people worldwide, a five-fold increase since 2020\. Still, nearly half of subnational governments and companies still lack any mitigation target. - Integrity of targets remains low. Only 7% of companies, 6.5% of regions, and 4% of cities meet all minimum procedural and substantive integrity requirements (the 'starting line') — though company and city progress has climbed modestly in the past year. - Nature under scrutiny. Around one-third of companies plan to use nature-based carbon removals, but only 4% set dedicated removal targets — raising questions about transparency and the credibility of their intended emission reductions. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/09/NZS_2025_Coverage_Entities.png) Of the 198 countries, 712 regions, 1,186 cities, and 1,987 publicly listed companies tracked, at least **1,935 now have net zero targets:** • 137 countries (up from 124 in 2020) • 216 states and regions (up from 73) • 337 cities (up from 115) • 1,245 companies (up from 417). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/09/NZS_2025_Cover.png) **Buoyancy amidst backlash** Target-setting in Asia is rising steadily — with net zero commitments increasing in China (48 to 60), India (29 to 34), Japan (from 184 to 199), South Korea (41 to 48), Taiwan (26 to 35) and Thailand (11 to 15). U.S. subnational action sustains momentum at home, and abroad: The U.S. federal government’s withdrawal cut global net zero coverage from 93% to 77% of GDP. Yet 19 U.S. states remain committed. Including these state-level targets lifts global coverage back up to 83% of GDP. U.S. corporate net zero ambition remains robust: Net zero commitments by U.S. headquartered companies grew 9% in the last year — from 279 to 304, including new commitments from eBay, Merck & Co and Goodyear. These 304 companies account for $12 trillion in global revenue — 64% of U.S. corporate revenue assessed, the largest absolute share worldwide. **Gaps in planning** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/09/NZS_2025_Plan.png) A pledge without an accompanying plan cannot be considered a credible commitment. Targets alone are not a reliable proxy for climate ambition, as headline announcements are often weakened by caveats or omissions. The 2025 Stocktake found that worldwide, just over two-thirds of Forbes Global 2000 companies with net zero targets (860 out of 1,245) back them up with plans, leaving 385 companies — nearly one in three — without a clear roadmap. Across blocs, G7 and G20 countries show identical planning gaps of 33%, while companies in the rest of the world perform slightly better, with only a quarter lacking plans. **Net zero and nature: The next test of integrity?** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/09/Nature_initiatives.png) Net zero cannot be achieved without investing in, protecting and restoring nature — but some current corporate practice risks turning nature into a loophole. For example, over a quarter of companies plan to use removals, yet only 4% set dedicated targets. A lack of clear, separate targets risks blurring the line between genuine decarbonisation and compensation. Over reliance on land-based removals invites questions of permanence, land-use conflict and credibility. Among the world’s 30 largest food and agriculture firms, short-term targets are fading while reliance on land-based removals grows. > The Stocktake pinpointed **four pressure points** where integrity is under strain: **carbon offsets, biodiversity credits, land-based removals** and **bioenergy.** Handled with care, these can make nature a pillar of net zero; **mishandled, and they could undermine it.** **The path forward** Despite talk of a 'net zero recession', most governments and companies are persisting — and in many cases strengthening — their commitments. T**he US federal retreat is an outlier**; momentum across Asia continues to build, and **no other major emitter has followed Washington's withdrawal**. Several oil, gas and financial firms have weakened or abandoned targets, but **the broader trend is one of resilience.** **Net zero targets have continued to grow in number**, even in 2025 — the most contested year yet — **because they remain tied to prosperity, security and competitiveness**. Low-carbon sectors are booming, fossil fuel demand is nearing structural decline, and clean energy is attracting investment at twice the rate of fossil fuels. By COP30 in Belém, Brazil2, countries should submit new 2035 targets (NDC 3.0) that reflect both rapid clean energy deployment and robust climate–nature integration. With solar capacity doubling in just three years, EV sales surging, and global clean energy investment on track to double that in fossil fuels in 2025, the opportunity for ambitious new commitments is clear. Net zero is not inevitable, but its persistence through the turbulence of 2025 is itself a powerful signal. The challenge now is to ensure that the next generation of targets, plans and policies is resilient enough to survive political turbulence and deliver deep decarbonisation. --- **Net Zero Tracker partners** The Net Zero Tracking is a collaboration between four organisations: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/09/ECIU.png) The [Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit ](https://eciu.net/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)(ECIU) is a non-profit organisation supporting informed debate on energy and climate change issues in the UK. Britain faces important choices on energy and on responding to climate change, and the ECIU believe it is vital that debates on these issues are underpinned by evidence and set in their proper context. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/09/DataDriven.png) The [Data-Driven EnviroLab](https://datadrivenlab.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (DDL) is an interdisciplinary research lab headed by Dr. Angel Hsu and based at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. DDL uses innovative data analytics, AI and machine learning processes, and large-scale and unconventional datasets to develop solutions to contemporary environmental problems and strengthen environmental policymaking across all levels. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/09/NewClimate.png) The [NewClimate Institute ](https://newclimate.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)is a non-profit institute established in 2014\. The NewClimate Institute supports research and implementation of action against climate change around the globe, covering topics including international climate negotiations, tracking climate action, climate and development, climate finance and carbon market mechanisms. The NewClimate Institute aims at connecting up-to-date research with the real-world decision-making processes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/09/Oxford.png) [Oxford Net Zero](https://netzeroclimate.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) is an interdisciplinary research initiative based at the University of Oxford, building on fifteen years of research on climate neutrality. As a network of leading researchers, they provide advice and expertise in the global race to net zero by national governments, global industry leaders and international organisations. --- **References** 1 [Net Zero Stocktake 2025](https://zerotracker.net/analysis/net-zero-stocktake-2025?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [COP30 in Belém, Brazil](https://unfccc.int/cop30?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) – UN Climate Change Conference 11–21 November 2025 ### Public Meeting 18 September 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/public-meeting-18-september-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-22T19:01:50.000Z This meeting was intended to provide an opportunity for an open discussion of CA-WN’s purpose and future focus. With a number of apologies and relatively low attendance, it didn’t quite go to plan! However we did enjoy a wide-ranging and informative conversation. Our next meeting on **Thursday 16 Octobe**r is the **Annual General Meeting** and we hope to have a more in depth look at CA-WN’s role and focus then. **Present**: Leonie Beale, Helen Dyson, Rupert Knowles, Mike Longman, Mick Lorkins, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood **Apologies**: Alexina Cassidy, Teresa Cox, Eluned Nicholls, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater These are a few key points that came out of our discussion – minutes are less comprehensive than usual given the nature of this meeting, and the meeting was not recorded. - Helen is new to CA-WN, but was involved with the Trees for Welford group and is now part of a new umbrella group, Wild Welford, planning to undertake various projects in the village. - Mike has a meeting scheduled with Id Verde (WNC contractor) – they are working with the RSPB to put in place bird monitoring across the area. Mike will shall more information after the meeting. - The [Northamptonshire Natural History Society](https://www.nnhs.info/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) is organising a Festival of Nature on 19 September 2026 at Delapre Abbey. It will carry on into the evening to enable astronomy and a bat walk to be included in the event. Mike is keen to contact local groups who might be interested in participating by having a stand at the event. - Harry mentioned [Britain Talks Climate](https://climateoutreach.org/btc/2025/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), in conjunction with [More in Common](https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), they have looked at what people are interested in hearing about – it isn’t climate! According to their recent [report](https://climateoutreach.org/btc/2025/report/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), the general public are much more interested in nature. Should we think about replacing ‘Climate’ in our name and with ‘Community’? Rupert felt definitely not as climate is so important. Mike suggested ‘Action’ might be more of a stumbling block for people as they perceive it as political. - An issue for CA-WN is the attitude towards climate change of the new administration at WNC. The attention of the general public is focused on issues like flags and conflict instead of climate. - Helen advised that when talking to people about climate in relation to Trees for Welford, there is a generational difference, with younger people more receptive. We need to be telling the story of people who are directly affected by climate change. Some young people are very stressed about climate change. - Mike – climate change is happening all around us. For example species such as Ivy bees in his garden are relatively new migrants enabled to colonise the UK by climate change. - Harry – we need people who don’t think like us to understand the things we understand. This can’t be done by preaching or talking down to people. People have an affinity with nature. Over the last couple of years we’ve been to events, set up stalls, published the [Claim Back Your Space](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/claim-back-your-space-3/) booklet, but have not gained much by way of momentum or membership as a result. We are going to run the important Building Resilience project which may be more successful. - Jane mentioned the [Climate & Nature Champions](https://northantscalc.gov.uk/can-champions?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) scheme being run by Northants CALC; Helen has volunteered to be the Climate & Nature Champion for Welford. ### My View - Who scrutinises the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-who-scrutinises-the-department-for-energy-security-and-net-zero/ Last updated: 2025-09-01T18:38:21.000Z *This article was written by Mike Reader, MP for Northampton South, who will also be the guest speaker at our September 2025 meeting* ### **Scrutinising the department for energy security and net zero** Delivering the Clean Energy Mission and reaching net zero is critical for the UK. At the heart of it sits the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). Its work must be properly held to account, and that’s where the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee plays a vital role. On 13th January 2025, I was invited to join the Select Committee. It’s an honour to be asked to join in a role that is normally contested through elections. But what does a Select Committee do? And how do we keep DESNZ to task? ### **The role of a select committee – committee inquiries** A Select Committee has three core focuses. The primary focus of select committees is to carry out inquiries into topics that relate to the department it scrutinises. In our case, we have a number of ongoing inquiries and two completed ones which are: - Retrofitting homes for net zero (completed) - National planning for energy infrastructure (completed) - The cost of energy - Industrial strategy for clean power - Building the support for energy transition - Workforce planning to deliver clean, secure energy - Revisiting the Nuclear Roadmap - Unlocking community energy at scale - The work of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Each inquiry starts with a problem statement and a set of questions put out to the market. We receive written responses from a range of different organisations from academia to NGOs and charities through to businesses and even individuals. In fact, Climate Action-West Northants are very welcome to submit evidence to any one of our inquiries during the evidence window. Once written responses are received, we select a number of strong submissions from varied voices to give oral evidence to our committee. These evidence sessions typically last two to three hours, are broadcast online and recorded for future watching, and help us to delve deeper into the evidence that people have provided. With oral and written evidence received, the committee agrees a report summarising our findings and recommendations, and then that report is published, and the government must provide a written response to the recommendations in the report. By having a formal inquiry process we're able to provide evidence-based guidance and recommendations to government and guide their work in partnership with the wider sector. We can also call out poor practice or learnings that are needed when things don’t go so well. ### **The role of a select committee – non-inquiry work** The second role of a Select Committee is to carry out non-inquiry work. This typically focuses on short, evidence-gathering sessions around topical issues. Our committee has carried out non-inquiry work in areas including The Work of Ofgem and Back Billing by Energy Companies (a topic which Martin Lewis has campaigned heavily on). These non-inquiry sessions enable us to provide a quick but thorough review of the topics of the moment and ensure that our committee remains up to date and informed on issues that may affect constituents or the work of the department. ### **The role of a select committee – pre-appointment hearings** The third role of security is to provide pre-appointment interview of key government appointments. So far, I've completed one interview. We had a chance to question the now new chair of the Climate Change Committee. It was a fantastic opportunity for me personally to be able to dig deep into the subject matter area of sustainability and climate change with a world expert and have an opportunity to hear his views first hand on how the Climate Change Committee will hold government to account. ### **What does this mean for Northamptonshire, and CA-WN?** For Northamptonshire, this means having a voice at the heart of scrutiny on climate change, energy security and net zero. I see my role not only as a parliamentarian but also as a campaigner for a just transition. I hope all CA-WN members know, that in me, you have a campaigner and activist who will not let our commitment to the world be watered down, locally by West Northants Council, or nationally. ### Becoming a Vegan URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/becoming-a-vegan/ Last updated: 2025-09-01T18:37:36.000Z *Mick Lorkins, CA-WN Steering Group member and founder of Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers, shares his account of going vegan.* I thought I would document my journey on becoming vegan as it is not quite like switching on and off a lightbulb, it is more of an exploration. The starting point is to understand the reasons you may have decided to become vegan and the rules/limits that you might apply to achieve this lifestyle change. My brother-in-law and wife have been vegetarian for many years with the main driving force being to prevent cruelty to animals but have added environmental concerns to their reasoning. An alternative view is for the health benefits of a plant-based diet. A book called How Not to Die by Dr Michael Greger and follow up book How to Live Longer are primarily aimed at a USA audience perhaps to avoid the politics that has entwined the environmental net zero argument. These books and videos that can be found on YouTube advocate that you will live longer on a plant-based diet. Writing here on the Climate Action - West Northants website it will come as no surprise that my main driving force to becoming vegan is for the environment. My journey started a few years ago in 2019 when working and looking for alternatives to eat for lunch. One place was offering a vegan plant-based menu with quite a mix of food on one plate. It was the start of the realisation that Vegan food could be tasty and filling and did not require a portion of meat to be included on the plate. By eating muesli for breakfast and beans on toast for tea I could then boast that I was vegan for one day a week. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/08/Veg3.png) Photo credit: Mick Lorkins My wife and I also started to reduce our meat intake. A dietician suggested that for healthy eating your plate should have ¼ carbohydrates (potatoes, pasta, rice), ¼ meat and ½ vegetables. This sounds easy but putting it into practice is a little more difficult. Generally, meat and carbohydrates are the mainstay of an average UK meal, and vegetables are more of an afterthought – fish and chips, steak and chips, spaghetti Bolognese, ‘would you like peas with it?’ Eating out is also difficult sticking to this 50% vegetables rule but can be easier if cooking at home. You do however need to buy more vegetables and then cook more vegetables and yes eat more vegetables. Once in the routine it is not so difficult. Part of the trick is to serve several types of vegetables and try new ones that might not be on your shopping list such as fennel, mushrooms, courgettes or aubergine. Be slightly more creative on how you achieve this such as air fried Mediterranean vegetables. This is a good starting point to either become vegan or perhaps a smaller step to opt for a healthier lifestyle and moving away from the 50% meat 50% carbohydrates meals. Whilst I was on this eat less meat eat more veg diet I went to an environmental meeting and the group was discussing what they could do for the environment apart from cleaning their plastic bottles and containers for the recycling bin. Even now there appears to be limited knowledge on what an individual can do to reduce their carbon footprint and help reduce global warming. I have taken a direct approach to cut out my gas boiler and replace it with an Air Source Heat Pump (which is covered in a different [discussion paper](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-experience-of-installing-an-air-source-heat-pump/)) but then thought what more can I do. I joined local environment groups and came across a sign in one place on a fridge door saying ‘no meat’. Most people in the group had been vegan for many years and just assumed that if you were going to do your bit for the environment then this was an easy first step that did not need a large up-front financial investment. For me however it felt like a very big and difficult step to take. We had guests to our house at various occasions and it just appeared to be an inconvenience and you ask your guests a series of questions like, so do you eat fish and do you eat eggs or do you take milk in your tea, what about honey? Recently there have been a series of reports around the world reporting Canada is burning, Australia is burning or places you might fly out to around the Mediterranean are flooding or burning. Stories of people coming out of their hotels and ending up sheltering in the sea. As a result I reflected that although we can still point the finger at others to say they need to do more, the western world produces most of the carbon and has more of an obligation to do more. I therefore decided to move from 50% vegetables, 25% carbohydrates, 25% meat on my plate to cut out the 25% meat. I was telling people that I was a vegan and this felt strange. Especially when out and about people would say do you have any particular dietary needs. I wanted to say no. I am a white male of some privilege not classified in any particular group and suddenly I am directed to a separate table at a buffet saying that is the vegan food. I found that not all restaurants cater for your needs or provide just one vegan meal, and the choice is take it or leave it. In one pub I said I was vegan and the person behind the bar described a meal the chef was cooking that clearly the main ingredient was cheese. I thought is this the time to tell them the difference between a vegan and a vegetarian, where vegans don’t eat things produced by animals as well as animal meat. One of the reasons for me becoming vegan is to start an eating revolution. People should be aware of the choices they make when buying things and considering their environmental impact rather than say this is what I have always done and will continue to do. I have also become aware that supermarkets are laid out to cater for meat eaters and perhaps a little less surprising but actively promote unhealthy eating. As you arrive the journey through the shop presents you with: vegetables, meat, cheese, butter, milk, cakes, chocolate, crisps and alcohol. The final aisles are chemicals, dog food and slightly poetically toilet rolls. Whilst I am looking for vegetables, salad, fruit, nuts (not salted), soya, tofu, seeds, vegan sausages, lentils, chickpeas, beans and oat milk. You generally have to search as they are sometimes hidden down different aisles. I feel I have recently moved to a more strict plant-based diet but when first declaring to others I was vegan did stray into eating eggs and cheese. These both have protein but a plant-based diet can give enough protein if researched properly. There is no diet police to tell you off or fine you if you stray from your no meat or no animal products course. However vegan friends may give you alternative labels such as ‘chegan’ (cheating Vegan). There is a footnote to all of this. I have been using the word ‘Vegan’ as it is a familiar label but the aim from a health perspective should perhaps be ‘a plant-based diet’. The distinction can be summed up in Oreos. Oreos are a dark brown biscuit with a white cream filling. They are vegan but highly processed, full of sugar and probably not that good for you. I have also been moving away from a sugar-based diet as many plants will give you the energy you need. Note that not all plants food is good for you. Coconut oil is used in many cakes but is high in saturated fat and should perhaps be avoided. Some plant based fermented drinks made from hops, barley, wheat and grapes are also not good if drunk in large quantities (but that is a different discussion). Supermarkets have realised there is a movement towards plant-based meals and have offered a number of products that look like meat but do not have any meat in them. These can however be described as ultra processed food packed with additives to give flavour, colour, texture and smell to make you want to buy. They are useful to aid a move to a plant-based diet but are probably not very good for you long term. It’s best to read the label to see what is in the product. Google may not give you a straight answer for some of these additives but might say ‘used in the food industry’. If the main ingredient is soya bean why not just eat beans instead such as Edamame beans (which can be bought frozen in most supermarkets) and add your own flavour so that you know what you are eating. A number of good vegan cook books are a must, as is some research into what vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre etc are required for a balanced diet and what food contains what. For snacks you could eat things such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. You will need to adjust your view of your meals to not substitute the meat for something that looks like meat but instead have a plate of food that has variety and flavour and is plant based. I was recently recommended a very good Vegan Cookbook called ‘ The Happy Pear Vegan Cooking for everyone’. This could be your starting point to explore what is possible. I bought my copy on eBay for £3.61 including postage! **Measuring the environmental impact of going vegan** A measure to see what effect an individual has on the environment from everyday living is captured in a book called ‘How Bad are Bananas?’ by Mike Berners-Lee. The book attempts to quantify what carbon release is associated with the everyday choices we make. The book estimates the average UK person currently has an annual carbon footprint of 13,000 tonnes of carbon a year. A return flight from London to Hong Kong is estimated to be 4,500 tonnes. It shows that the average person spends approximately 25% travel, 25% food, 25% home/heating and 25% everything else. The book lists the carbon footprint of various foods measured in kg CO2 equivalent per kg produced, these include:- Imported beef from deforested rainforest 83.3 UK beef 25 UK lamb 21 UK bacon 10 Whole chicken (global average) 8.1 UK chicken 3.8 Eggs 19.1 Cheddar 11.8 Cows milk 1.9 Quorn 4 Peas, lentils, chickpeas and beans 2.1 Oats from Scotland 1.3 UK Kale 0.9 UK Broccoli 0.7 UK Onions 0.5 UK Root veg 0.3 UK Apples 0.3 UK Oat milk 0.2 It can be seen that locally produced, UK, fresh vegetables have a lot lower carbon footprint than locally provided meat. The book gives a lot more detail and goes into air miles if not buying local produce, which has a dramatic effect on increasing carbon foot print. My decision to go vegan was not made on the statistics in the book as my journey actually started before I discovered this evidence but it does help quantify the impact of what we buy and from where. These choices are in our own gift to make when doing something as basic as shopping in a supermarket. One person’s efforts in these things is never going to save the planet and you could take the view that would it matter in the wider scheme of things. I however am the eternal optimist and think of a planet of 9 billion all living off a plant-based diet (and buying their food locally) then wow this would be a very good start. Going vegan shows a level of care for the environment and for others. The more vegans there are the more supermarkets, cafes and restaurants will take note and start providing good plant-based food making it a more obvious choice for all. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/08/Veg2.png) Photo credit: Mick Lorkins ### Bankers’ backlash URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/bankers-backlash/ Last updated: 2025-09-01T18:37:17.000Z The backlash against climate action continues as UBS1 follows other banks in quitting the UN-sponsored Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA)2. The NZBA recognises that banks can play a major role in enabling the transition to a net-zero emissions economy by providing financing solutions. The banks in the Alliance are following the goals of the Paris Agreement, the legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted by 195 countries at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in 2015. Here’s what the UN has to say about the NZBA it convened: > *By supporting businesses and people to cut waste and pollution, to invest in new technologies that drive growth and long-term savings, and to protect their homes and businesses, member banks are taking a responsible and ambitious approach to climate, one of their biggest sources of risk and opportunity.* Those quitting the NZBA are judged to be responding to pressure from fossil-fuel funded politicians. Earlier this year, as wildfires swept across Los Angeles, Brad Lander, New York City's independently elected chief financial officer, commented on the withdrawal of two US banks3: > *BlackRock and JPMorgan are fiddling while Los Angeles burns. Their shortsighted, weak-kneed decisions to exit the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative and Net-Zero Banking Alliance deny the reality – which their leaders know well, and which is tragically right before our eyes – that climate risk is financial risk. The devastating Los Angeles wildfires are just the latest overwhelming evidence that climate change is wreaking havoc on our planet, our portfolios, and the economy.* > *BlackRock and JPMorgan join peers in a stark betrayal of the responsibility that they have in addressing the climate crisis. By absconding from their responsibilities to combat climate change, these financial institutions are yielding to the authoritarian tone set by the incoming Trump Administration. They are, in essence, becoming science and financial reality deniers.* Many West Northamptonshire residents would echo the view that *wildfires are just the latest overwhelming evidence that climate change is wreaking havoc on our planet, our portfolios, and the economy,* and that decisions taken by our new Councillors mean they too are, *in essence, science and financial reality deniers.* **REFERENCES** 1 [UBS withdraws from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance](https://www.ubs.com/global/en/media/display-page-ndp/en-20250807-net-zero.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [The Net-Zero Banking Alliance](https://www.unepfi.org/net-zero-banking/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [Statement from NYC Comptroller Brad Lander](https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/statement-from-nyc-comptroller-brad-lander-condemning-the-withdrawal-of-jpmorgan-and-blackrock-from-the-net-zero-banking-alliance-and-net-zero-asset-managers-initiative-as-los-angeles-is-burning?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### The 89 Percent Project URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-89-percent-project/ Last updated: 2025-09-01T18:35:49.000Z According to recent science as many as 89% of the world’s people want governments to take stronger action on climate, a fact not reflected in the media, which might explain why the 89% don’t know that they are the global majority. ***The 89 Percent Project***, launched in April 2025 with ***CCNow Joint Coverage Week***1, is a year-long global journalistic effort to explore this little-known fact about climate change. As CCNow say, that 89% figure puts a lie to the one-dimensional caricature of people who care about climate change as left-wing or fringe. The sheer size of the climate majority means that it includes almost everyone across political, economic, generational, racial, and other lines. When confronted by **bigotry** and **ignorance** in our streets and local government never forget that these parrots, albeit loud-mouthed, are a **minority** being led by fossil fuelled squillionaires intent only on feathering their own nests. The CA-WN Exchange is monitoring output from the ***89 Percent Project*** and will share locally relevant stories as well as contributing our own. 1 [CCNow Joint Coverage Week](https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/announcing-the-next-phase-of-the-89-percent-project/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Muck spreading season URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/muck-spreading-season/ Last updated: 2025-09-01T18:34:32.000Z ### The ground is being prepared for what is to come, on our fields and in our Council Chambers, and in all our lives. Here’s what was sprayed in a discussion on abandoning the Council’s Net Zero pledges: > *Extremists* > *Communists* > *Anti-capitalists* > *Lunatics* > *Brown rice and sandals brigade* > *Those who plait their armpit hair*1 ### Othering If we are none of the above, then we are different from *them.* This is *othering*, deliberately drawing a distinction between *us* and *them*. *Othering* reveals more about those that *other* than those that are *othered*. Presenting **our** race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or social class as superior to **theirs** is the authoritarian’s tactic. **Othering** starts with ***scapegoating***, blaming others for something that’s not their fault, progresses through ***gaslighting***, deliberately manipulating people's perception of reality, and ends up with ***thuggery*** in our streets. It’s the fascist’s favourite manoeuvre and it’s back in fashion. There's only one cult that would call out communists, anti-capitalists, lunatics, the brown rice and sandals brigade or those who plait their armpit hair. And CA-WN isn't afraid to call out that cult. > Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. John Stuart Mill Inaugural Address at St Andrew's (1867) REFERENCE 1 The words of a Councillor in a statement supporting scrapping the Net Zero 2030 in the [YouTube recording](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwULicM-SN8&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) at 20:50. ### Pesticides and your pet URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/pesticides-and-your-pet/ Last updated: 2025-09-01T18:33:44.000Z *This article was originally produced as a leaflet by Leicester Friends of the Earth, who have kindly allowed CA-WN to reproduce it.* **Do you own a pet?** **Do you use tick, flea, lice and worm treatments?** **Are you worried about your pet getting poisoned?** If so, please read on. ### **Tick, flea, lice and worm treatments** The majority of pet pest treatments rely on five chemicals: - Dinoteguran - Fipronil # - Imidacloprid - Nitenpyram - Permethrin # All are highly toxic to bees, banned or never approved for use in agriculture and those marked with a # are carcinogens and hormone disruptors. Despite all that they are turning up in our rivers from pet urine and from their fur when swimming. If pets are combed and the fur left out for nesting birds, it can have an adverse effect on nesting success rates. Vets often encourage pet owners to treat their pet with pest reduction products all year round, making the problem worse. **What can you do?** - Check the product you are using and try to avoid products containing the chemicals above – ask your vet for an alternative - Don’t leave pet hair out for birds when you have combed your pet - Avoid tick and flea treatments if you think exposure is low e.g., winter ### **Pet poisoning** Incidences of pet poisoning from pesticides, as recorded by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) are increasing. As this relies on voluntary action by vets it is likely to be a large underestimate. **What’s going on?** When out walking your dog, or when your cat is out roaming, contact with pesticides is hard to avoid, as they are used in agriculture, urban areas and even gardens. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, irritation to the skin or eyes, chemical burns, breathing problems, lethargy, disorientation, seizures and even death. **What can you do?** - If you see somebody out spraying, avoid the area and try and get upwind, as spray drift is a big issue – you don’t want to be breathing it in. Bear in mind there are normally no signs to warn people that spraying is, or has been, happening - If you see discoloured patches of grass/plants, keep your dog away from the area and do not let them lie on it, eat grass from that area or drink from puddles nearby - Don’t use pesticides at home - If your pet shows signs of the symptoms above and you think pesticides may be the cause, see your vet and ensure you tell them that you suspect poisoning may be the cause and you want it registering with the VPIS – we need more evidence. **If you aren’t happy with your local council spraying where you walk your dog, please let them know -** [https://www.writetothem.com/](https://www.writetothem.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### The Energy Transition Show - Electric Farming in New Zealand URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-energy-transition-show-electric-farming-in-new-zealand/ Last updated: 2025-09-01T18:33:24.000Z This podcast episode features an interview with Mike Casey, a Kiwi tech entrepreneur turned cherry farmer. He started by gradually converting his farm to run on electricity, much of which is generated on site. In terms of electric machinery he’s a true early adopter, importing New Zealand’s first electric tractor, and insists that once you’ve used an electric tractor or chainsaw there is no going back. But the real inspiration in this story is how Casey has used his own experience as a springboard to advocate for changes to the energy system in New Zealand, primarily to reduce energy costs for the consumer and improve energy security in a country that produces no fossil fuels. Retail electricity prices in NZ are currently rising while the cost of solar generation is falling. Casey points out that meeting increasing demand for power using the existing model will require new ‘poles and wires’ at great expense, in contrast to locally generated solar power and batteries. A compelling listen for anyone interested in what an energy transition could really look like. [https://xenetwork.org/ets/episodes/episode-256-electric-farming-in-new-zealand/](https://xenetwork.org/ets/episodes/episode-256-electric-farming-in-new-zealand/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Disasterology by Dr Samantha Montano URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/disasterology-by-dr-samantha-montano/ Last updated: 2025-09-01T18:32:43.000Z Dr Montano calls herself a Disasterologist to get across what she does better than the traditional title of Emergency Manager. The book details her journey from a naive teenager who set out to help with the recovery of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to an academic who points out that ‘disasters happen by design’. Every decision to build on a flood plain, not to invest in flood defences or emergency planning is a choice which makes disaster more likely at some point in the future. This extract from the book seems pertinent to the current situation in West Northamptonshire: > We are now living in the future scientists have warned us of my entire life. We did not stop climate change and now we have to figure out how to live in our new climate. We need to make a plan for how we will manage the consequences. There is much we can do to minimize the impact, but doing so requires us to simultaneously build the capacity of the emergency management system while dismantling the inequality within it, all while our risk increases. > We need to aggressively hold accountable the people and organisations who are in positions to shape these conversations. If you do not like the way mitigation or recovery is unfolding in your community, you have to be the one to change it…there is no one coming to save you. We have to save ourselves. [Disasterology: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate CrisisPart activist memoir, part climate change primer, DISASTEROLOGY is a passionate and personal analysis of a country in crisis—one woefully unprepared to deal with the disasters of today and those looming in our future, and the big and small steps we must take to make a difference. For Dr. Samantha M![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/favicon-32x32.png)HarperCollins Publishers UKHarlequin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/9780778311034_1200x1200.jpg)](https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/disasterology-dispatches-from-the-frontlines-of-the-climate-crisis-samantha-montano?variant=39424693010510&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Carbon Literacy Training September 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/carbon-literacy-training-september-2025/ Last updated: 2025-08-29T13:44:37.000Z Following the great success of our previous Carbon Literacy training courses, we're looking forward to offering the next 4-week course starting 2nd September 2025\. After completing the equivalent of one day's worth of training and committing to carbon-reducing actions, you will be deemed Carbon Literate and possess a certificate to prove it. Carbon Literacy is defined as: > **‘An awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis.’** The training will help you to better understand how climate change will affect us in different ways, how you can reduce your personal footprint, and will give you the confidence to talk about it. Talking about climate change is one of the most impactful things you can do when it comes to tackling it! This course, accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project1, will be held online on four consecutive Tuesday evenings, 7.00-9.00pm, starting 2nd September 2025\. **Who are the Course Leaders?** Our course is run by Clare Slater and Alexina Cassidy, members of the CA-WN Steering Committee. Both have experience running Carbon Literacy Courses over the last year and are approved Carbon Literacy Project Facilitators. For more info, please see [here](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/team/). We are providing the training on a not-for-profit basis, so the cost will be £10 per person, which is passed straight through to the Carbon Literacy Trust to pay for your certificate. **Testimonials from previous courses.** 'The course was highly interactive and included up-to-date information'' 'The training is an opportunity to receive essential life information in an accessible and digestible way. 'Clare and Alexina were good presenters who interacted well with us zoomers'. 'Very informative and well delivered'. 'Plenty of content with links to other sources, very helpful'. 'Really information and thought-provoking'. You can sign up at TicketTailor here: [www.tickettailor.com/events/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/1787750](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/climateactionwestnorthamptonshire/1787750?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) --- 1. The Project was established and is delivered by a Manchester-based not-for-profit organisation, Cooler Projects. The Project is held in trust for the people of Manchester and beyond and is overseen by The Carbon Literacy Trust. You can find more information here: [https://carbonliteracy.com](https://carbonliteracy.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Great UK WaterBlitz 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/great-uk-waterblitz-2025/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T17:04:21.000Z Last year we wrote a piece1 suggesting you might like to take part in the Great UK WaterBlitz. This is a fantastic initiative that enables us all to do something positive about the shocking condition of many bodies of water in the UK, by using a simple free kit to test the quality of the water in your area. This is the report released by Earthwatch based on last year's citizen science water testing results. [Great UK WaterBlitz finds ‘cocktail of chemicals’ in UK rivers“Alarming” presence of chemicals found in UK rivers during September Great UK WaterBlitz by Earthwatch Europe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/favicon-9.ico)Earthwatch EuropeEarthwatch Europe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/Great-UK-WaterBlitz-September-2024.jpg)](https://earthwatch.org.uk/great-uk-waterblitz-finds-cocktail-of-chemicals-found-in-uk-rivers/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Sign up to take part this September and do your bit to clean up the UK's waterways. [https://earthwatch.org.uk/greatukwaterblitz/](https://earthwatch.org.uk/greatukwaterblitz/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) --- 1. ### Net Zero URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/net-zero/ Last updated: 2025-07-28T17:42:13.000Z ## Net Zero, like its friend ULEZ, has become a rallying cry, a flag up a political flagpole. ### But the noise of it flapping in the wind cannot drown out the fact that Net Zero and ULEZ are our true friends. And if Net Zero and ULEZ are ultimately good for us why all the fuss? And what is the Net Zero and ULEZ connection to the fossil fuel industry and to Donald Trump? Net Zero is shorthand for net-zero emissions, where all greenhouse gases are being removed from Earth's atmosphere at the same rate they are being added. ULEZ is an Ultra Low Emissions Zone, where vehicles with very high nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter emissions must pay for access because their pollutants are blamed for causing premature deaths and stunting the growth of children's lungs. Despite the positive health outcomes of Low Emissions Zones, West Northamptonshire Council has made no attempt to introduce them, Ultra or otherwise. But it had set its own Net Zero targets. As the name suggests, a Net Zero target is something to be aimed at: no target = no aim. Why then did West Northamptonshire's Cabinet vote to cancel our Net Zero targets? The Councillor's arguments for and against scrapping Net Zero targets are all available online1. On the one hand, hear Councillors state their factually supported reasons for maintaining targets. On the other, listen to Councillors sincerely believing that residents' best interests are served by scrapping local targets. On the one hand, Councillors across the political colour chart in favour of keeping Net Zero targets. Against them, Reform Party Councillors, a Party led by a friend of Donald Trump. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/TrumpFarage.png) Photo credit: Shealeah Craighead, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Last March CA-WN Exchange shared2 that Trump's global network of fellow-travellers included a sizeable proportion of prominent people in Britain. It is worthwhile revisiting those connections now that the Reform Party controls our County. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/Farage-Trump-links.png) DeSmog [image](https://www.desmog.com/2025/01/21/mapped-donald-trump-transatlantic-anti-green-network/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) DeSmog's diagram suggests that the private company that is the **Reform** **UK** Party Limited3, and Nigel Farage its founding director, **has strong links to** both the **Fossil Fuel Industry** and **Donald Trump**. Which might explain why so many in Reform choose climate denial - and why West Northamptonshire's Net Zero targets got scrapped. LINKS 1 [WNC Cabinet Meeting 16 July 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwULicM-SN8&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [‘Drill, baby, drill’: a who's who](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/drill-baby-drill-a-whos-who/) 3 [Reform UK Party Limited](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/16260766/officers?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Report of public meeting 17 July 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-public-meeting-17-july-2025/ Last updated: 2025-07-25T17:19:12.000Z July's guest speaker was Ruth Rolls, WNC Nature Recovery Strategy Officer. Ruth gave us an excellent overview of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for West Northamptonshire. The meeting was recorded and is available to watch on YouTube1, and Ruth's slides are available to download2. On Saturday 13 September, we are having an informal social get together downstairs in the café at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, from 2pm. All welcome to drop in. **Apologies**: Eluned Lewis-Nicholl, Maria Lee, Peter Nalder, David Garlick, Clare Slater **Present**: Stephen Austin, Leonie Beale, Annissa Beale, Alexina Cassidy, Peter Conquest, Teresa Cox, Bruce Durham, Caroline Gooch, Jonathan Harris, Roy Hawkesford, Hilary Haynes, Patsy Hollingum, Richard Hollingum, Tom Knott, Rupert Knowles, Mike Longman, Mick Lorkins, Stewart Manley, Harry Mellor, Lynda Moran, Alan Morgan, Orianne Neyroud, Michael Pickles, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Jane Wood **Introduction to Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS)** Why is West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) leading development of a LNRS? Note: leading not writing - it is a collaborative process. Almost 1 in 6 species in the UK are at risk of extinction; this includes 1 in 4 mammals – the Hazel Dormouse, Water Vole and Barbastelle bat for example. Even species that seem to be common are classed as being as at risk of extinction3, because their pace of decline is so fast. We know wildlife is important for our health and wellbeing and we can see for ourselves that insects and other species are in decline. We also now have understanding about the important role nature plays in our life - 'ecosystem services'. ****Ecosystem Services:** ****Provisioning** – products obtained from ecosystems such as food, water, timber ****Regulating** – benefits obtained from natural processes including pollination, cleaning the air and climate regulation ****Cultural** – non-material benefits such as recreation, and health and well-being Supporting these benefits are processes within ecosystems like soil formation and photosynthesis. When thinking about nature we need to consider not just what we can see but those invisible processes within soils and water. Natural capital is the sum of all the elements of ecosystems. **Environment Act 2021** This introduced a set of tools including LNRS, also biodiversity net gain (BNG) and the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS). The goals of the Act were not just about wildlife, which was ground-breaking at the time. ****25-year Environment Plan** **4** **goals:** 1\. Clean air 2\. Clean and plentiful water 3\. Thriving plants and wildlife (this is what Ruth focuses on, although mindful of the other goals too) 4\. A reduced risk of harm from environmental hazards such as flooding and drought 5\. Using resources from nature more sustainably and efficiently 6\. Enhanced beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment Plus managing pressures on the environment by: 7\. Mitigating and adapting to climate change 8\. Minimising waste 9\. Managing exposure to chemicals 10\. Enhancing biosecurity **Species Decline** Butterflies are good indicators of habitat. Ruth used to work for the Butterfly Conservation Trust (and several other conservation organisations). Some butterfly species that are in decline: - Black Hairstreak – our area is a stronghold for these. They rely on old, well-established Blackthorn - Brown Hairstreak – now found in the county for the first time in 100 years. This is a species of hedges and woodland rides, which likes younger Blackthorn - Wood White – a very rare butterfly which has a stronghold in Northants. It likes woodland rides with vetches that are only cut every 3 years or so (quite awkward!) - Grizzled Skipper – relies on open mosaic habitat, and the caterpillar feeds on wild strawberries. Has shrunk from 10 sites in the county 15-20 years ago to just one site now. All butterflies are different and all have their challenges! **What is a Local Nature Recovery Strategy?** WNC is one of 48 responsible authorities across England that are leading development of LNRS. Northamptonshire is the only county that has been divided in 2, but the North and the West have been working closely together during LNRS development. LNRS has a very specific role; it is there to identify the best places and actions for nature recovery that also have wider environmental benefits. It is a document comprised of a Statement of Biodiversity Priorities and a Local Habitat Map. This has been developed using a lot of existing information such as National Character Areas5 – there are 5 of these in WN. There has been extensive engagement on the LNRS. WNC worked with the Nene Rivers Trust throughout 2024 to engage with various audiences, and identify priorities, measures and provisions. This included in-person workshops, online surveys, and questionnaires. Strong themes that came through included: - Protect existing wildlife - Urban areas - Development - Farming for nature - Adequate funding for actions - Concerns over climate change The LNRS takes in a lot of information, including feedback from the public and existing habitats that are managed for nature: ancient woodlands, special protection areas, SSSIs, local wildlife sites and priority habitats. Looking at these showed that we have one of the lowest levels of wildlife in England. WN has a lot of small isolated sites. The government asked for priorities to be drawn up, reflecting local communities and places. **What’s unique about our area?** The Northamptonshire Uplands, which contains the sources of many rivers, including the Avon and the Nene. The Nene Valley and Nene Washlands, formerly important for meadows and grazing, though many are now lost for gravel extraction (which results in creation of a new kind of habitat). Some ancient woodlands, and in the south near Brackley valuable limestone grasslands. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/image-1.png) Illustration of West Northamptonshire from Ruth Rolls presentation The map also needs to include towns, cities, roads and railways to add context. The WN LNRS has been drafted and is with government. Ruth has = a second Defra panel meeting next week. **Where are we now with the LNRS?** The steps of LNRS development are illustrated below. This is now complete and the draft LNRS is being reviewed by Defra. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-20-193943.png) There are: - 14 priorities - 113 measures, of which 26 are mapped - 57 LNRS species chosen The LNRS is due to be published December 2025 (originally due March 2025). It's the first time this exercise has been done, and it's been very complex to draw a lot of information into a few measures and express them in a way that is easy for people to understand. Public consultation is likely to start mid/end August, after which the feedback will be reviewed and the final draft approved by the council. **Priorities and measures** There will be an interactive map to explore the local habitat map. Measures (i.e. actions) are grouped together under 5 habitats: - Farming - Urban - Wetland - Grassland - Woodland The map shows which measures are linked to each habitat. Under Wetland, for example, there is a measure about creating new wetlands, and under Urban, one about increasing tree and shrub cover to improve air quality. Each measure is also linked to a priority within the LNRS. **Priorities - Example: Priority 5 Urban** > Conserve, restore and enhance existing habitats within and on the outskirts of towns and settlements, encouraging the creation of multiple stepping-stones and multifunctional corridors through innovative urban greening, improving biodiversity in gardens, community sites and road verges, and expansion of existing biodiversity sites. Measures will have large and small scale actions, so there should be something everyone can do. Priority 5 measures include (see slides 29 & 30 of Ruth’s presentation for full details): - Improving air quality by planting trees and shrubs (using right tree, right place principles). They will be looking at diversification of species and not relying only on native trees. - Improving connectivity for wildlife by creating and expanding corridors for people and wildlife, linking in to national Green Infrastructure plans. - Support people and businesses to do what they can in their own spaces to encourage wildlife. - Conserving and protecting public green spaces - Sustainable Drainage Systems - Urban Greening – important for those who don’t have access to green spaces **Local Principles** Introduced by Sir John Lawton’s Making Space for Nature Report in 2010 6: ***Lawton Principles** ****Better**. Look at what you’ve got already and how it can be enhanced and safeguarded through management. ****Bigger**. E.g. expand an existing site ****Joined up** – through a corridor or stepping-stones ****More** – create new sites ****Reduce the pressures** e.g. by reducing pollution If looking at how to help nature recovery in your own area or community it is worth using these principles. Ruth is looking at producing a community tool which is likely to take this approach. **How you can help!** - Take part in the public consultation – can be done individually or as a group, and please encourage others to take part too. - There will be FAQs and can add to those if there are new questions - What would help you act to recover nature? Ruth’s role will change from strategy facilitator to enabling and supporting delivery. - How best to share information and stay in touch? Site visits, demonstrations, social media, newsletters, emails? Ruth is keen to look at grassland management, including different machinery and tools. - Record wildlife, on phone apps such as iRecord and iNaturalist. It’s important to record common species as well as rarer ones. Some species like Greenfinch once thought common have now almost disappeared. - Nature Map IT. Need to add to this places where nature is currently found and activities that are already being done. Community gardens, beelines, meadows… - Plans - Opportunities – are there skills that can be shared, places that need surveying - Issues **Q&A** *Do you know if there might be grants to help support the actions that you are hoping for?* Some funding sources exist already e.g. lottery grants. There is ELMS (though that may change). Money can be available from developers, who have a legal obligation to meet 10% biodiversity net gain, this can be through credit schemes which can be used on mapped wildlife sites. Some companies offer grants e.g. Biffa for heritage and environment. Money is always a challenge, there are some green finance initiatives but it’s early days. *It would be good to understand what wildlife is threatened in the local area to know how to increase numbers to help with priorities* Ruth discussed this in her talk at the 2024 Climate & Nature Summit - handout available*7* The LNRS includes species by habitat (e.g. Swifts and Hedgehogs, once common species in urban areas, now in decline) but it’s important to look at the whole ecosystem – looking after plants and insects takes care of species higher up the food chain. The emphasis should be on putting as much dynamics into a space as possible – not just habitats but a mix of conditions i.e. wet/dry, sunny/shady. *I’ve just volunteered for the NCALC (Northants County Association of Local Councils) Climate & Nature Champion Scheme for the Local Parish Council to be a point of contact for the council to promote climate and nature* \[JW\] This is a great scheme – all parish or town councils have been asked to nominate a Climate & Nature Champion. Please consider contacting your council to find out who is the Champion for your parish and what they are doing (or encourage them to nominate one if they haven’t already). *Ruth mentioned Citizen Science? Can she envisage links to the arts (storytelling, poets, artists)... thinking of children, but other ages too.* Yes, that would be great, this is something that came out strongly in the feedback from public engagement. Our landscape is intricately linked to our history. It’s too soon for Ruth to do anything in this space but it would be great to see others taking the initiative. Teresa recommended a free exhibition on at Northampton Museum until 10 August by a recycling artist, Val Hunt, highlighting endangered and extinct animals8. *WNC and town/parish councils do not own/control much land. How do you communicate with farmers and other landowners such as golf courses?* *And what about householders who don't like trees dropping sticky stuff on their cars?* Some audiences are hard to convince! Farmers are really key stakeholders. They were engaged in the LNRS process back in March 2023, were involved in workshops in 2024 via the NFU, CLA, and Young Farmers, and still have a presence at the LNRS partnership meetings. Ruth does have a lot of contact with landowners – the council can’t make them act but will do their best. It is worth bearing in mind that council landholding tends to be in urban areas where there is the most potential for wider benefits. *Are FWAG9 (Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group) active in this area and are you in touch with them?* Yes, they are on Ruth’s radar but she’s not been actively involved with them recently as they are quite a small group and have recently changed their contact person. Re-engagement needed. *Mick Lorkins from Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers: you emailed me a while ago about tree harvesting and replanting at Ravensthorpe, which I still want to do. I’ve had no luck engaging with Salcey Forest about tree harvesting, what’s your experience with Salcey and the Forestry Commission?* There is a dedicated nature recovery person at the Forestry Commission; Ruth will help facilitate contact if she can. The Commission has worked really well locally with the Butterfly Conservation Trust. *Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers harvests trees and then needs to find homes for them - will there be places identified where people can come and plant trees?* There can be damage done if people plant trees in the wrong area, or plant unsuitable trees, so there is a need for care. It’s also about connecting the right people – Ruth is keen to find out what would work for us. *Bruce Durham from Harborough Woodland: we have been planting trees for an agroforestry project in Great Oxendon and have 5 large flood management schemes in WN, working up the Jordan Valley. We use community groups to develop projects as farmers are part of the community and don’t trust government agencies. We’re also working with* *Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers to get more projects going – we have an opportunity on a farm near Clipston but can’t find anyone willing to take it on and don’t have enough capacity ourselves.* Response from Jonathan Harris – please get in touch as Clipston used to be in my ward until recently so might be able to find some volunteers. *Individual gardens are important, but despite town centre regeneration Northampton is still a concrete desert – more needs to be done to connect places like the Racecourse and Becketts Park. Both of these could be more diverse as well as better connected. This needs WNC and their contractors to be on board, which could be a hurdle. There is a target for 30% canopy cover and an increase in biodiversity in urban areas. Once LNRS is published in December what are your plans for working with businesses and other stakeholders to achieve this?* Ruth is looking to form working groups to develop the plan for identifying and making use of opportunities. The council is doing a grounds maintenance review which Ruth has got involved with and is being listened to. The council has a duty to conserve and enhance priority habitats and species; Ruth will make sure that is integrated into parks management plans. *WNC has a number of other strategies including a Parks Strategy which went to Cabinet this week and includes a suggestion for Naseby Country Park. This is quite a long way off but a good opportunity for canopy cover. The Tree Strategy has a specific objective to increase canopy cover. How to make sure all these things stay wired together?* Both of those strategies were introduced ahead of the LNRS, however the LNRS is a legal duty whereas the other strategies are desirable. The Tree strategy is more broad and the canopy target in it is aligned to the LNRS. The proposed canopy outlined on the LNRS map reaches and exceeds the canopy cover target. By the way, WNC has recently appointed a new Tree Strategy Officer, Adam Barrett. LNRS includes creation of new parks as well as expansion of existing ones. The proposed Naseby park is probably more about heritage, what Ruth is really interested in are the ‘linear parks’ such as canals and disused railways; these are key wildlife corridors as well as being great mosaic habitat. **Date of next meeting:** There is no CA-WN public meeting in August, so the next meeting is on Thursday 18 September at 7.45pm, with guest speaker Mike Reader, MP for Northampton South. More details of these and other events on our Whats On page. --- ### References 1\. [https://youtu.be/zBF9rsG4SwY](https://youtu.be/zBF9rsG4SwY?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Local\_Nature\_Recovery\_Strategy.pdf](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Local%5FNature%5FRecovery%5FStrategy.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. In line with the classifications set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) [https://ourworldindata.org/extinction-risk-definition](https://ourworldindata.org/extinction-risk-definition?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/25-year-environment-plan](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/25-year-environment-plan?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. [https://nationalcharacterareas.co.uk/](https://nationalcharacterareas.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. [https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20130402151656/http:/archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/biodiversity/documents/201009space-for-nature.pdf](https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20130402151656/http:/archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/biodiversity/documents/201009space-for-nature.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. Ruth Rolls handout from 2024 Climate Summit [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Ruth\_Rolls\_Handout.pdf](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Ruth%5FRolls%5FHandout.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8\. [https://www.northamptonmuseums.com/directory-record/511/](https://www.northamptonmuseums.com/directory-record/511/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9\. [https://www.fwag.org.uk/about-fwag](https://www.fwag.org.uk/about-fwag?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org); [https://www.fwageast.org.uk/](https://www.fwageast.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Council Watch - 2025 Climate Action Scorecards URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-2025-climate-action-scorecards/ Last updated: 2025-07-21T20:19:43.000Z Council Climate Action Scorecards are produced by Climate Emergency UK – the latest scorecards were released in June based on data from 1 January 2020 up to 31 October 2024 (for most questions). There are 73 questions in total across 7 categories. There’s a careful methodology behind the scorecards, and all councils are given a right of reply to the first round of marking (76% of councils responded). The scorecards were last published in 2023 and since then WNC’s score has improved in 6 of the 7 categories – the exception being Waste Reduction & Food, which was the best-performing category in 2023\. This doesn’t necessarily reflect a drop in performance, as some of the questions have changed this time round, so one or two actions WNC was awarded points for last time no longer count (e.g. reduction of single use plastic in council premises as there is now a regulatory requirement for this). The biggest improvement in performance was in the Biodiversity category – this reflects the Tree Strategy coming into force and changes to the mowing regime. The table below shows WNC’s scores for 2025 and 2023, and a couple of other local councils for comparison. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/image.png) Full details of WNC's 2025 scores here [https://councilclimatescorecards.uk/councils/west-northamptonshire-council/](https://councilclimatescorecards.uk/councils/west-northamptonshire-council/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Strong Message Here: The New Brexit URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/strong-message-here-the-new-brexit/ Last updated: 2025-07-30T19:09:17.000Z Net Zero is getting a lot of attention recently, possibly even becoming that most cliched thing, a political football. This podcast, presented by Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci, explores the ‘use and abuse of language in politics’. It’s both entertaining and insightful, and this particular episode focuses on Net Zero, apparently dubbed ‘the New Brexit’ by Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK. It’s enlightening to hear Lewis and Iannucci discussing why Net Zero has become so controversial. [BBC Radio 4 - Strong Message Here, The New BrexitHelen returns as we discuss the topic described by Farage as ‘The New Brexit’; Net Zero.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/p0l75xg4.jpg)BBC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/p0l75xg4.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002dzy6?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Greener Pastures: How ‘Mechanical Cows’ Are Redefining Rural Energy URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/greener-pastures-how-mechanical-cows-are-redefining-rural-energy/ Last updated: 2025-07-21T17:08:29.000Z VIDA Bioenergy is a wholly owned subsidiary of [VTTI](https://www.vtti.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), a global leader in energy infrastructure, based in the Netherlands. [VIDA bioenergy](https://vidabioenergy.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) was launched in January 2025, with the aim of it becoming one of Europe’s leading biomethane producers, dedicated to transforming biomass into renewable energy. As a new developer, Vida Bioenergy is currently smaller than the giants such as Future Biogas or Biogen but amongst the mid-sized developers like Acorn Bioenergy, Bio Capital and GENeco. Its first UK project is [Glentham Green Energy](https://vidabioenergy.com/locations/glentham-green-energy/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in Lincolnshire, which opened in Q1 2025, and began injecting biomethane into the [National Transmission System (NTS)](https://www.businessenergydeals.co.uk/blog/gas-distribution/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in February 2025\. The NTS is a high-pressure pipeline network that transports gas from various sources (the North Sea, South Wales and South East England and Europe) to the five regional gas distribution grids, gas power stations and some industrial manufacturing facilities, from where it is distributed to homes and businesses. It is the gas equivalent of the National Grid, our electrical power transmission network. Glentham Green Energy processes straw, chicken manure, potato waste, and sequential crops (second crop grown in the same field and same year as a food crop), producing over 60 GWh/year—heating roughly 5,200 homes. Besides biomethane, it generates liquid CO₂ and digestate, an organic fertiliser used locally to replace synthetic alternatives. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/bioenergy-2.png) Wormslade Green Energy AD Plant. Photo Vida Bioenergy Its second UK project is right here in West Northamptonshire, the [Wormslade Green Energy Anaerobic Digestion Plant](https://www.wormsladegreenenergy.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), located between Kelmarsh and Clipston just off the A508 linking Northampton and Market Harborough. The plan is for the Wormslade plant to process over 45,000 tonnes of crops and agricultural residues each year, primarily sourced from local farms. Construction began on January 6 2025 with completion expected by Q4 2025, and full commercial operation targeted for late July 2026\. The site features major community infrastructure upgrades: road widening on Clipston Road, utility enhancements (National Gas, Openreach, Gigaclear), and plans to plant over 4,000 native trees and hedgerow plants to boost local biodiversity. VIDA Bioenergy has other greenfield sites in planning which they hope to start building later in 2025. --- 💡 ****What is anaerobic digestion?** A method for breaking down organic matter (food by-products, sewage sludge and other biodegradable materials) using microbes in an environment with no oxygen. The process produces bio energy and ‘digestates’ or ‘biosolids’ which can be used as a sustainable bio-fertiliser, returning nutrients to the soil and reducing reliance on chemical alternatives. 💡 ****How many Anaerobic Digestion Plants are there in the UK?** There are approximately [720 operational AD plants](https://news.energyjobline.com/renewables/uk-green-gas-capacity-soars/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), including both biogas and biomethane facilities, as of mid-2024/early 2025\. --- **Why Northamptonshire?** To build a successful Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant, you need 4 key things and the Wormslade plant fulfils them all. 1) Proximity to a gas pipeline with ability to take on a new supply of gas. 2) An agricultural area with an abundance of feed stock and residues. 3) Access to land that can make use of the organic residue. 4) Access to land with space and without close neighbours who might object. Building an AD plant is a high risk, with high build costs. Wormslade has been a prospective site for various developers over the last 10 years, with VIDA Bio Energy finally able to bring the project to fruition. **How is this related to my gas bill?** If you are a gas consumer, approximately 6% of your bill is related to [green levies](https://eciu.net/insights/2024/are-green-levies-going-up-in-april-2024?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Part of this goes into a pot of money and is redistributed to qualifying schemes. The [Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS)](https://www.businessenergydeals.co.uk/blog/green-gas-support-scheme/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) is a government environmental scheme that provides financial incentives for new anaerobic digestion biomethane plants to increase the proportion of green gas in the gas grid. Bio energy is a vital component of the global shift toward sustainable and renewable energy sources. Registered participants will receive quarterly payments over a period of 15 years, based on the amount of eligible biomethane injected into the gas grid. The scheme closes for applications on 31/03/28 so the next 9 months will see more applications from developers, such as VIDA Bioenergy, looking to take advantage of the GGSS and needing to enter the planning stages by Q1 2026, as this can take up to two years. It is a competitive process and many developments fail in the planning stages. --- **Areas of controversy surrounding AD plants** 🥬 ****1\. Food vs Fuel** Critics argue that growing crops for energy displaces land that could be used for food production, which is a particularly sensitive area in times of rising food prices and food insecurity. In the UK, maize grown for AD has replaced some traditional food crops. 🌵 ****2\. Environmental Damage** Maize cultivation, especially, is associated with soil erosion due to late harvesting and bare soils over winter, nutrient runoff and water pollution, contributing to algal blooms, poor water quality and loss of biodiversity, especially when energy crops replace diverse grasslands or hedgerows. In 2015, the UK Environment Agency warned that maize-for-AD was causing “significant soil damage” in some areas. 🏠 ****3\. Land Use Pressure** Energy crops require dedicated agricultural land which can lead to increased land rents, pricing out smaller farmers, pressure to convert marginal or conservation land into productive acreage and also creates competition for land with rewilding, housing, and carbon sequestration goals. ⛽ ****4\. Carbon Credibility** While AD is often billed as "carbon neutral", using energy crops can reduce its environmental benefits because growing the crops involves fertilisers, diesel and emissions from land-use change, and the carbon savings may be less than claimed, especially when compared to using genuine waste as feedstock. 👃 ****5\. Disruption on the roads, smells and noise** People fear the roads will be filled with trucks bringing crops and waste to the plant and that the plant will give off ugly odours. In Wormslade’s case, most of the transport will come down from the A14 along the A508 therefore not affecting too many villages, with the vast majority coming from within a 30-mile radius. In terms of the smell, the Wormslade plant will not process food waste, and additionally the digestate lagoon will be covered with odour abatement fitted which was not something that earlier AD plants tended to do. --- **Response to these controversies:** To address these concerns DEFRA and the Environment Agency issued guidance discouraging high-maize content in AD feedstock and the Non-Domestic RHI later capped the proportion of energy crops eligible for subsidy. And the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero produced a [2023 Biomass Strategy](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/biomass-strategy/biomass-strategy-2023-accessible-webpage?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) that requires at least 50% of biomethane energy content to come from waste and residue feedstocks, not crops. As a result, many newer AD plants are now shifting towards waste-based feedstocks (e.g. food waste, slurry, crop residues) and sequential cropping or cover crops that reduce soil erosion and don’t displace food. **Where’s the middle ground?** Some experts suggest that a small proportion of energy crops can be justified to stabilise AD performance and the key is using marginal land, rotation-compatible crops, and strict sustainability criteria. Emphasis should also be placed on life-cycle emissions, local food security, and soil health. **What about local farmers?** They stand to gain significantly from the plant’s presence. Many will supply the organic feedstock used in the digestion process—such as crop residues and manure—providing a new revenue stream and a more sustainable way to manage farm waste. In return, they receive digestate, a natural biofertilizer rich in nutrients that can improve soil health and reduce the need for chemical fertilisers. This creates a closed-loop system where farm inputs and outputs are more efficiently managed. **Working with the local community** The Wormslade plant wants to be a ‘decent neighbour’ says UK General Manager Rob Richards. They want to bring tangible benefits to the local community, both through job creation in the construction of the site and through ongoing operations. Wormslade will employ around 5 people, but will also use local suppliers for support services, engineering, transport etc. Vida has conducted extensive consultations with local residents, parish councils, and community groups throughout the planning and early construction phases. In Feb 25, they held a session in Great Oxendon with about 50/60 people turning up and they held a second session in July in Clipston which was also well-attended and received. They also plan to send out leaflets to surrounding villages and through Parish Councils, local Ward councillors and via Facebook. These sessions have helped and will continue to address local concerns, share plans transparently, and adjust project details - such as transport routes and operating hours - based on feedback. For example, road improvements on Clipston Road were incorporated into the development specifically to address community access and safety concerns. Additionally, the Wormslade site includes plans for the planting of over 4,000 native trees and hedgerow species, a move designed to enhance biodiversity while acting as a visual and environmental buffer for nearby properties. Vida also plans to host educational visits, offering schools and local organisations the chance to learn about renewable energy, sustainable farming and waste reduction first hand. ### Lieutenancy Climate and Sustainability Walk; Saturday 17 May, 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/lieutenancy-climate-and-sustainability-walk-saturday-17-may-2025/ Last updated: 2025-07-20T06:10:11.000Z After a chilly start, it turned into a glorious day with hedges and ditches a froth of white, hawthorn and cow parsley, meadows with jewels, buttercups and campion, and dark woods carpeted in sinister garlic mustard. Although we did not count, some thirty people set off shepherded by guides from Northamptonshire Walks and HM Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire himself, James Saunders Watson Esq. The walk was planned by Deputy Lieutenant, John Brownhill, and David Askew of Northamptonshire Walks, with assistance from Jane Wood of CA-WN and Ruth Rolls, Nature Recovery Strategy Officer for West Northants Council. The aim was to provide an opportunity for climate and environmental groups to get together, get to know one another and exchange ideas. There was a short and a long circular route starting from the Payne's farm shop at Silsworth Lodge, near Crick. After coffee and a brief introduction by James Saunders Watson, we set off on a hike across fields of wheat and oil-seed rape to the wind farm on Watford Lodge Farm. # Wind Turbines The five massive turbines became operational in 2015, the last of the current generation of land-based wind farms. Northamptonshire farmer Jim Beaty was unable to give the scheduled talk at this point, but his son stepped in and gave a really comprehensive review of wind turbines and their place in our fight against climate change. As this is such an important topic, we hope to borrow his notes to write it up separately in CA-WN Exchange. However, at this point I should mention that we were all impressed by the almost silent passage of the giant aerofoil blades slicing through the air. # Pulpit Bridge We continued through the wheat along the so-called ‘Jurassic Way’ to the ‘Pulpit Bridge’ under the Northampton Loop railway. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/Pulpit-bridge.png) Image from http://www.forgottenrelics.org/bits/pulpit-bridge/ David Askew gave us a most interesting talk on the background to this historic bridge built in 1877 to bring the new Northampton Loop railway through the estate of Watford Court. Bisecting the grand North Ride, the line was not that popular with local nimbys. Not only did it cross the Ride, it also interfered with the annual Rogation Sunday service to bless the crops. Local peer, 3rd Baron Anthony Henley, was able to preach from the pulpit to parishioners on the estate. He was also able to catch the train to reach his seat in the House of Lords. You can read much more about this local railway treasure in an article on the website written by David Askew himself. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/LWalkmap.png) Map showing the circular route taken - map © OpenStreetMap contributors # Across the tracks From the railway bridge we followed the Jurassic Way. A majestic avenue of limes led through lovely parkland shared by some fine black and white cattle (very calm!) until we reached the main road in Watford. We were safely marshalled with expertise by the Northamptonshire Walks Guides until we struck off again east across the fields. But the Guides were needed once more when we re-crossed the railway. From the map, you can see that the railway line follows a gentle bend meaning that you cannot see far in either direction. In addition the cutting and embankment were covered in rough coppice and scrub. It is many years since I have crossed a main railway on foot and I was quite nervous. We stopped to let one train thunder through sounding its klaxon but we were not quite so ready for its mate following immediately in the opposite direction. Following field margins, it was interesting to see the varying widths and where herbicides had been used to restrict noxious weeds creeping into the crops. There are so many different treatments for field margins according to whichever ELMS grant scheme the farmer is following. There were no wildflower mixes sown, but the distance to the stream was mostly sufficient to minimise spray drift from the crop. # Nature Recovery We stopped and sat by the stream in a beautiful buttercup and wildflower meadow in view of Vanderplank’s Covert. (Difficult to identify exactly on the map, but where the route veers north again toward Foxhill.) Ruth Rolls – West Northants Nature Recovery Strategy Officer – explained her team’s strategy and has kindly sent us a copy of her rough notes. She also took some great photos. I have copied one below showing hawthorn shading and cooling the water. By the time you read this, Ruth will have delivered a talk on Nature Recovery to CA-WN’s monthly meeting describing her team’s work in general, but if you were on this walk and would like a copy of her notes, I am sure she would not mind me sending them to you. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/WalkStream.png) Stream showing hawthorn shading and cooling (photo by Ruth Rolls) Ruth explained that this walk is in the Northamptonshire Uplands: > *The Northamptonshire Uplands is an area of gently rolling, limestone hills and valleys capped by ironstone-bearing sandstone and clay-lias, with many long, low ridgelines. Rivers flow out from the uplands in all directions, including the headwaters of the Cherwell, Avon, Welland, Tove, Ouse, Nene and Ise. While there are areas of differing character, there are strong unifying landscape features. Most notable features include: the extensive areas of open field systems with ridge and furrow; high, wide, A-shaped hedgerows with frequent mature ash and oak trees; the many country houses and their associated extensive areas of historic designed parkland landscapes; and the small, scattered but prominent broadleaved woods and coverts.* Agriculturally it is varied and moderately productive. Some good arable land for food production and some good pastures for livestock. It is surprisingly short of woodland but many hedgerow trees compensate to some extent. From the point of view of nature, there is a lot of room for improvement on farms and also in gardens and public areas. Very few farms have irrigation and there is virtually no horticulture. Changes could not only benefit wildlife, but also improve flood prevention, water quality, and public reservoirs. There is much to do for Ruth and her team. For woodland, they use the Lawton approach which is summarised as better, bigger, more joined up, pressure. # The Payne’s farm at Silsworth Lodge After walking for four and a half hours, many of us were either knackered or had other engagements and melted away. This was sad as the Payne family had prepared a talk about farming. I returned to meet the Paynes a few days later. Katie was busy shearing sheep. After all the Nature Recovery talk, I was expecting a farmer’s more traditional view: the importance of food production and self-sufficiency. Not at all. Two thirds of the 550 acres are grazed and there are 67 acres of arable. Apart from meat for the small farm shop, the main outputs are wild flowers, either grazed or for hay, and bird food, kale, millet, black-eye beans, sorghum and sunflowers. No insecticides are used. Some income comes from a pest control business. I was a bit confused as to income source and how they manage the various schemes (stewardship and sustainable farming incentive), but the overall impression was the family’s relief and contentment from seeing wildlife return to the farm. Well we shall see! Luckily some farmers are committed to feeding us all. But all farmers would like to see more larks and owls and finches too. Looking at brown fields in mid-July, it is lovely to remember this glorious walk in May. Thanks to all who had a part in organising it and I hope we can repeat next year. ### Take A Break! URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/take-a-break/ Last updated: 2025-07-20T06:08:25.000Z Numerous news and consumer programmes on radio and TV have recently discussed the over-use of mobile phones, and in particular, the impact mobile ownership has on children and teenagers. Schools have banned their use since the first decade of this century, but have been overwhelmed by the impossibility of preventing pupils “needing to keep in touch with my mum”, or more frequently, the parents needing to know where their child is. The words *phone addiction* occur often in these programmes, and of late I have found myself looking at my phone far more often than is strictly needed. This also applies to my partner, who tends to use the iPad more than I do, although his phone is always close to hand. During a recent visit from one of our many grandchildren I was struck by how infrequently she looked at her phone! She is in her early twenties and currently completing a Master’s degree, has a close network of friends and a large extended family. How is it, I wondered, that she is not constantly checking her mobile device to find out what the latest news is, both social and global? I haven’t found an answer to this question, but I considered then the tendency I have to check my phone more frequently than I should, and I decided that it would be interesting to see how my other half and I would fare if we set the phones aside for a day. We designated the next Sunday as our Digital Detox Day, and alerted family members to the need to phone our landline in case of emergency, also reminding them what the number is, as we weren’t sure how many of the younger ones would be aware that we do have an alternative number. At bedtime on Saturday, we duly switched our phones off and I left mine on my bedside table. In the morning, the second phone accompanied us to Northampton and back – in case the car broke down, apparently. My other half was volunteering at an event in the afternoon. As he left the house, no need for the oft-repeated “Text me when you’re coming home”. What purpose would sending such a message serve? Surely it is just a variation of “I’m on the train”? While he was out, I spent time mending clothes whilst listening to a gardening programme on the radio, then read a book. If I’d had my phone in my pocket, no doubt I would have interrupted the mending from time to time, to see if any of the young (or my spouse) had been in touch. And once a job has been interrupted it is too easy to wander away, put the kettle on, decide to water the houseplants, or whatever other distraction comes to hand. In the evening, after we had eaten and cleared away our meal, he played the piano, took up his pen and wrote for a while, then we sat and read our books, looking up occasionally to share an interesting idea or read a passage to each other, before retiring relatively early to bed, where we both read some more before falling asleep. The following day we discussed thoughts and impressions about our screen-free day, and which parts of digital technology we had missed. We had both felt a sense of release, possibly even *relief.* There was no need to check emails or texts. Anything that happened would simply wait till the following day for a response. What had we missed? We agreed we’d missed solving the online crossword puzzle, something of a ritual for us over our mid-day meal. My partner had also missed the wider coverage of news afforded by access to an online newspaper and the BBC online news. I had had an overview of the news via the radio, so had not felt too deprived in that area. He had missed being able to ask Google to play whatever type of music his mood demanded as our access to music is provided by a digital player. We both agree that a screen-free day gave us the opportunity to step back and do things the old-fashioned way – almost as though we had been given permission to do things we’d always enjoyed before the rise of technology: reading, talking, or just sitting and thinking, being at the forefront of those things. Will Screen-free Sunday become part of our lives from now on? We intend to give it a good go. It has made us think more carefully about what is important about modern technology and what is essentially, totally irrelevant. What can we do without, and what is an effective tool in one’s everyday life? No more looking at angry social media rants about poor parking or whose dog has fouled the pavement *again*, but we wouldn’t be without the NHS app or online banking tools! In answer to the five messages from family members, “How did it go?” my answer is a firm “Very well indeed”. ### Simple Salads for Sultry Days URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/simple-salads-for-sultry-days/ Last updated: 2025-07-20T06:08:03.000Z It really has been far too hot to cook recently. We have used up almost all our pre-cooked meals from the freezer, and most of the time we’ve opted for something “quick and simple”. You can make a salad with almost anything, either raw or cooked and cooled – potato salad is one of our favourites, or egg and rice, pasta twirls – the list goes on. Allow your imagination to range free and you will certainly find something tasty which, with a little bit of this and that added, can be intriguing to look at as well. At this time of year we usually have a glut of courgettes, but having concentrated on watering newly-planted trees and a freshly established rose since May, I have neglected the vegetables, with fairly disastrous results, but that is another story. If you have been more assiduous in irrigating your veg plots, and have more courgettes than you can shake a stick at, here is a refreshing and unusual way of serving them. You need to pick them when they are still young, as the tougher ones are less flavoursome as well as too chewy to be enjoyable. You need some young sprigs of mint, a lemon and some really good olive oil, as well as a twist of black pepper and one of rock salt. I found one small to medium courgette provided enough salad to feed two of us. Wash the mint, lemon and courgettes well then pat dry with kitchen paper. Using a mandolin potato peeler, cut fine, long strips of the vegetable directly into the serving bowl, allowing them to concertina loosely into the dish if possible. Scrape some zest from the lemon over the courgette – not too much or it will overwhelm the flavours of the oil, mint, and the courgette itself, which has a truly delicate succulence that it would be a shame to mask. Chop the mint roughly with a very sharp knife. It blackens very quickly, so sprinkle it immediately over the salad, then pour on a liberal slurp of oil, the salt and pepper, and finally the lemon juice. I used about half a teaspoonful which was plenty. Fold the courgettes into the oil and lemon mix so it coats them roughly, and serve as soon as possible. We have had kohl rabi delivered in our last two veg boxes, as well as lovely bunched carrots and spring onions. Any excuse in our house for coleslaw, so that is what I made. Kohl rabi is a member of the cabbage family, though it looks a little like a miniature alien space ship rather than a bog-standard cabbage. It has a flavour somewhere between cabbage and turnip, and we really enjoy it. The carrots were clearly freshly pulled, and I simply scrubbed them lightly. trimmed and then grated them into a dish, using the coarsest face of the grater. Kohl rabi has a tough skin, and needs to be peeled as the first stage in preparation. For this you will need either a very sharp knife or a robust peeler to remove that outer skin. If you are pressed for time, grate the kohl rabi into the same dish as the carrots, but the end result will be more pleasing if you can spend a few more minutes and chop it instead. Cut it into fine slices, then chop it until the pieces look small enough to pick up a forkful when at table. I cheat when I make slaw, because I think the proprietary mayonnaise is perfect, mixed with salad cream, for home-made coleslaw. I like onions, but served raw find them somewhat hard to digest, so I tend not to add them to salads. However, my other half loves spring onions, so I compromise by using the green leaves snipped into the slaw, and serving the rest of the onion directly to him. This is the true beauty of any home-made dish, the ability to add or leave out any ingredient to suit your own palate. It really does pay to experiment, and enjoy making tasty dishes from whatever comes to hand. Bon appétit! ### Reasons to be Cheerful URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/reasons-to-be-cheerful/ Last updated: 2025-07-20T06:05:07.000Z It is easy to get caught up in a web of negativity so with the sun blazing a path for the blue sky this evening, I decided to take a walk to some of the seedlings of progress that have appeared over the last year or so. **The New Junction - Billing Road and Park Avenue South** Not so long ago this was a nightmarish junction for the pedestrian, the pavements narrowed at each corner, there were few (if any) pelican crossings and you would often have to navigate two dangerous roads to be able to go in the direction you wanted to. The narrowing of the pavements was caused mainly by the inclusion of a slim filter lane when turning left from Billing Road onto Park Avenue South, this Google Maps shot illustrates: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/06/Capture.JPG) The work that has been done to this junction has much improved the accessibility for pedestrians, the filter lane has been removed, the paths widened on all sides, clear road markings and brand new pelican crossings, there is even a crossing that allows you to cross the junction diagonally. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/06/CAWN2.jpg) This is where the filter lane has been removed. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/06/CAWN3.jpg) ...and here the diagonal crossing. Now yes, this is a small step but a small step in the right direction, and one that will benefit pedestrians of all ages as they walk to school or the park. There is also a great opportunity to link up cycle lanes on the Rushmere Road to those on Billing Road, equally a step toward improved cycle links to Abington Park. These projects are often met with a large dose of scepticism from Northampton locals so good on the previous council for seeing this junction through. An aside here, any feedback pertaining to an increase in traffic in the area must be taken within the context that overall traffic (measured by annual average daily flow) at the nearest counter point has been steadily increasing year on year to its pre-pandemic level of around 16000 cars. So yes, the perception that traffic is increasing may not be unfounded but this is not necessarily related to a junction adjustment! [Road traffic statistics - Manual count point: 99141![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Manual count point: 99141![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/govuk-opengraph-image.png)](https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/manualcountpoints/99141?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) And a note to the new council, the people in Northampton deserve safe, accessible junctions that accommodate all street users. There are many more examples where the removal of a filter lane could improve pedestrian accessibility, think about the Abington Square/York Road junction, or what about the New South Bridge Road/Cotton End junction? These junction improvements could be a tangible way for a new council to demonstrate that it's not just about flags and 'cutting waste' but is also about making streets safer for people and making the local area something we can all use together. **The All Weather Cycle Track at Delapre Abbey** Officially opened in October 2024 this track is already proving popular with cyclists and walkers, forging a way from the Abbey toward Brackmills. A once potentially muddy walk is now accessible all year round. It provides helpful access also to the Bike Park nearby to Delapre Golf Course, and on toward Hardingstone village for walkers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/CAWN5.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/CAWN4.jpg) It is a lonely addition to cycling links within the town but there is potential here to build, perhaps by linking it up with the other greenways along the canal or by providing further all weather walking routes around Delapre Lake. **The Castle Heritage Park** Formerly an underused car park on Chalk Lane, work has now started to create a heritage park that commemorates the site of Northampton Castle. A project like this could be perceived as 'waste' in times of financial uncertainty, but now that it has started the most wasteful thing to do would be to leave it unfinished. An excellent project that brings space back to local communities with potential to develop greenways to the north of the site. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/IMG_9022.jpg) And just down the road, another project (though perhaps not one of environmental concern) that has been left tantalisingly close to completion. The Old Black Lion is an iconic building in Northampton, it would be great to see it open its doors again. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/07/IMG_9019.jpg) There are several projects aimed toward rejuvenation of our local spaces that need the attention of the new council. A council that, as it stands, holds a unique position in convincing people of its ambitions. If these ambitions be patriotic ones then I would stress that genuine patriotism, difficult patriotism that goes beyond flag waving, finds itself in making our local area a place to be proud of, and that this is not in opposition to the aims of localism and green modes of transport. These ideas support the aims of patriotism. ### Come What May by Lucy Easthope URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/come-what-may-by-lucy-easthope/ Last updated: 2025-07-20T06:02:44.000Z At CA-WN we’ve talked quite a bit recently about ‘adaptation’ to climate change, especially in our discussion on this topic at our April meeting. It’s evident that as a society and individuals we need to do more to prepare ourselves for a world of changed climate. Lucy Easthope has decades of experience in emergency planning and disaster recovery, and her book references crises of all kinds, from personal bereavements and illness to terrorist attacks, floods, shipwrecks and the Covid pandemic. There are even a few pages on climate change. Her advice is practical, wise and humane. She explains why the aftermath to all disasters follows a similar trajectory and that talking about what to do in the event of an emergency is part of the preparation, just as much as putting together a ‘go bag’ of essentials. She also emphasises the importance of giving survivors agency as well as support. Various parts of Northamptonshire saw people unhoused by floods last year, including in my own village. Our parish council is responding by putting together a more robust emergency plan; I hope that lessons I have learned from this book will help me make a useful contribution to that plan. I’d really recommend contacting your parish or town council and asking to see their emergency plan – you might be relying on it one day. [https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/come-what-may-life-changing-lessons-for-coping-with-crisis-lucy-easthope/7812946?ean=9781399736213](https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/come-what-may-life-changing-lessons-for-coping-with-crisis-lucy-easthope/7812946?ean=9781399736213&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Also available from Northamptonshire Libraries. ### Report of public meeting 19 June URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-public-meeting-19-june/ Last updated: 2025-06-23T19:42:13.000Z Our guest speaker this month was Bruce Durham, founder of Harborough Woodland (HW)1. This community group have made a tremendous impact since their beginnings 5 years ago – you can read more about their story here2. They are also running a free training event on Saturday 28 June – details on their Facebook page3, or email [info@harboroughwoodland.com](mailto:info@harboroughwoodland.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/06/image-6.png) This meeting was recorded and is available to watch back on our YouTube channel4. **Present**: Anissa Beale, Leonie Beale, Peter Conquest, David Garlick, Caroline Gooch, James Hadfield, Rupert Knowles, Maria Lee, Harry Mellor, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Jane Wood **Apologies**: Alexina Cassidy, Jonathan Harris, Eluned Lewis-Nicholl, Mick Lorkins, Clare Slater **Introduction** BD is based in Market Harborough (MH) – he has a background as a municipal water engineer. He got involved in Transition Harborough, now Sustainable Harborough Community5 after moving to the town a few years ago. They organised a climate change protest with primary school children, including his grandchildren, shouting outside the school. This was very impactful and they felt the need to take action, which resulted in founding Harborough Woodland. This talk is divided into three sections (How we get started; What we do; The future) with a Q&A after each section. **How we got started** Having decided to act they had to figure out what to do and chose trees mainly because they are non-political. South Leicestershire has 3-4% woodland cover - the lowest in the Midlands, and the lowest in the UK except for Cambridgeshire. The area is desperately short of trees; the county with highest coverage is Surrey at about 25%. West Northamptonshire is c10%. Some councils are targeting tree canopy cover of 30% \[JW note: WN’s Tree & Woods Strategy aims for 20%6\]. The area floods, partly because of lack of tree cover, though also because MH is in a clay basin. HW have given a lot of presentations – about 30 since 2020, to anyone who would listen. That created a lot of work – the group were criticised at one meeting for not being clear about what they were doing so had to stand back and take stock. They identified Woods, Water, Wildlife and Wellness, which is now the strapline on their website1. Around the same time BD saw a presentation given by Satish Kumar7, who made the point that internationally, innovation comes from communities and business – because it’s our risk. It’s not the council’s or the government’s risk, it’s ours and our children's future. HW started on a small scale concentrating on primary and secondary schools, and are now working with about 30 schools. This opened the way into villages and they have done a lot of work putting hedges into pub gardens. Going to schools and enthusing the students means the children talk to their families, some of whom are farmers. HW have now planted about 52k free trees since 2020 in 3 counties – Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire. They were getting far too many enquiries because they are planting trees for free, so have helped set up 6/7 sister groups. HW are running a training course on 28th June for these groups and anyone else who is interested in getting involved3. They plant trees throughout the winter unless the weather is absolutely dreadful. Everyone who comes loves it, even those who are reluctant to start with. HW now has a core committee of 16 people including a senior executive from the Wildlife Trust, a landscape architect, and several teachers. The committee was asked why they do it and the priorities were: their own wellness, the benefit and fun they get from achieving something; education - learning lots of new things; nature and wildlife. If any of those three things had gone people would not have stayed. HW planted 1.5k trees for free at Welland Park School, with students in the rain in January, and the headteacher said he had never seen them so motivated. The head organised a second event, this time bringing in primary school students as well. This is ‘community magic’ - getting a bunch of people together to do something, enjoying it, and providing benefits to them, the landowner, preventing flooding, and more. **Q&A** *What size trees do you plant and what impact do they have/will they have on flood control?* The majority are whips (a few inches tall), with a few standard trees (c 2m tall) at schools. Standards need watering whereas whips don’t so the survival rate is much higher. They do an audit and go back and count them – survival rate typically 95%. Whips are easy to plant - can do about 130 per volunteer per day. The biggest job they have done was 5k in a day with 70-80 volunteers. Whips start tiny but within 6-7 years catch up with the standards. Whips are also very easy to get for free. The Woodland Trust now provides them pot grown rather than bare rooted, so there is an even better survival rate. In terms of benefit for flood prevention – this takes about 8 years. Hedgelink8 did some research which showed that, dependent on soil type, the ground underneath 1 metre of mature hedge can retain up to 3-5 cubic metres of water. Putting in more hedges and trees has a ‘sponge’ effect and reduces the risk of flooding. *Do you use tree guards?* The trees come with tree guards and canes. Most guards (because it’s much cheaper) are either PVC or polypropylene, so HW collect them up afterwards. The polypropylene ones can be recycled, the nearest recycling point to MH is the Allerton Project on Leics/Rutland border9. If the area is completely fenced or there is no evidence of rabbits they have planted without guards but the bark on young trees is like candy to wildlife! **What we do and examples of projects** BD met Sam Village, then working at Leicestershire County Council and now National Tree Warden Scheme Coordinator for the Tree Council, who suggested they get into Natural Flood Management (NFM). Flood prevention is a big driver for planting new trees. Being flooded is devastating – the average UK insurance claim is £60k. There are 2,300 properties at risk of flooding in MH; the town got flooded a lot but no one really knew why. There is no town council, and when HW started there were no tree wardens, flood wardens or river wardens - they now have several of each, all volunteers. They are reducing the flooding in MH which is the second most at risk town in Leicestershire after Loughborough. Most people like trees so it’s a soft target politically. Trees are a big win in lots of ways in addition to flood management: - Wildlife - oaks and willows have the biggest collection of wildlife in them. - Shade; in urban areas there is a 20-degree temperature difference under a tree vs in the sun. - Studies in Japan have shown trees help recovery from illness. - They are very visible - people can drive past, see them and feel proud if they were involved. From a flooding point of view, the biggest risk in MH is flash flooding not river flooding. Combined sewers can’t cope with the volume of rain. After dry weather, a tree is dry and sitting waiting to collect the rainwater. This slows the flow of water into sewers and waterways. Problems come with peak flows - the river level or surface water gradually increases and then there is a sudden peak. That’s where trees can make a difference. Trees need mycorrhizal fungi to survive and in return the trees give the fungi sugar. HW have been working with farmer Angus Clark at Waterloo Cottage Farm10. They have put hedges into the fields where he mob grazes longhorn cattle i.e. moves them on to new grass every day. The hedges provide the grass with sugar so there is a higher growth rate next to a hedge. Something rarely mentioned is the 'sponge' capacity underneath a tree. The root structure of a tree is the same size as the top growth. In summer clay soil shrinks away from the tree roots, creating a conduit for flood water to get deep into the ground. Clay is impermeable – like a sheet of plastic when wet and when dry the cracks fill up but then the water runs off. Trees create gaps and break the clay up, enabling the soil to hold 3-5 tons of water under 1m of hedge. One study found that 50-100 tons of water can be held underneath a mature oak tree. There is a 25% increase in flood risk in the UK and it’s not just houses in low-lying areas - in MH houses on hills flood. **Projects** Work in schools led to opportunities through friends of friends, mostly farmers. HW are totally customer focused. Many charities don’t really understand what a customer is, perhaps their volunteers or members? HW’s work for landowners is highly focused to help them achieve what they want to do. Farmers have been abused for generations by various governments and government agencies, getting mixed messages from departments like the Environment Agency. So HW quietly go and talk to grumpy farmers - some are lovely, some are difficult and have very heavy workloads. In many cases they have started with farmers by filling hedge gaps; when someone drives their car into a hedge, the car is covered by insurance but the hedge isn’t. This is a good way to open the door and start building a relationship – it creates trust. Currently there is almost no trust in government organisations. Start with gap filling hedges, then move on to other things such as planting a copse and opportunities for NFM. They are now looking at potential opportunities for reedbeds to clean outflow from sewage works, which would be paid for by Anglian Water. HW have been involved in creating 2 FWAG (Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group11) ponds paid for by Natural England – these are for Great Crested Newts, are very large and they are free. They have organised for the Hawk and Owl Trust to put up free owl boxes – anything the farmer wants they will try to arrange - wildlife surveys too for some farmers. The key thing is that through building trust and doing the work for nothing, HW are creating a relationship. Building trust with schools builds up trust through the community, and all local farmers tend to know each other so that leads to further introductions. **Q&A** *Who is ‘we’? Where do you get your volunteers from?* Facebook is brilliant, they have 700 members of the HW Facebook group. Word of mouth has attracted lots of people who like what the group are doing. WhatsApp groups are very useful for keeping in touch. There are 16 committee members who do most of the work. Some local companies provide support for events e.g. Anglian Water sent 8 senior execs to support a NFM project which AW mostly funded near Smeeton Westerby. They enlist a lot of children. *Are you the driver of this?* Yes, but less so now. BD used to be chair but had to step back for health reasons. He has handed over the role of chair to his daughter in law Kimberley Durham who is a Doctor of Biology. In one of the presentations BD gives there is a cartoon showing various tsunamis hitting us –the financial crisis, Covid, climate change, with the final one, biodiversity loss, being the biggest of all. A lot of people who understand what is going on are quite angry – why does it take so long for agencies to respond to a proposal? Because they are underfunded and under-resourced; it’s the fault of the system not the individuals. HW are working with national groups to build community capacity. Councils like Leicestershire County Council are broken; communities can do easy things like training people how to report a blocked road drain. *What about insurance if people are working on someone else’s land?* HW is a volunteer group but run like a business. By law volunteers are employees, so you have the same responsibilities. They have Public Liability and Employers Liability insurance through the RHS, which costs about £100 pa. They audit all the jobs they do so they can learn. Because there’s no money involved it’s possible to be more flexible. There’s no need to bid, so no need to manage tendering, quotes, or payment. They have had some donations from landowners; some are very wealthy, and some people say HW shouldn’t be working for them for free. One landowner they have done two projects for is director of a large international bank. When a 54 hectare area of land came up for sale he helped advise them on raising funds and now Harborough District Council are buying it as a public park. This brilliant initiative originated in the community. *Do you manage the trees after they’ve been planted?* Auditing is very important. HW have someone who manages this very diligently. They do some weeding and collect the tree guards. They do a lot of survey work during the summer when they can’t plant trees. The planting season is now really November-February (used to be March) as the weather gets warm so early. They haven’t yet done much knocking up (managing woodland), as the trees they have planted are not old enough yet. They have done some hedge laying too – have 3 hedge-layers. *When digging out FWAG ponds – who provides the machinery?* It’s all part of the project provided by FWAG, and paid for by the Environment Agency and Natural England. Obviously need permission from the landowner and planning permission too (which FWAG organise). These are not flood management ponds, they are for newts, which travel about 2 km so need big ponds in a network. On flooding and the future – HW have learnt from very experienced groups elsewhere in the UK on tree planting and on flooding. There are now local Flood Hubs in MH and surrounding villages – it’s all about self help and learning from others. They have just set up a Midlands Flood Action Group on Facebook12 so communities who may be isolated can share learning and help each other. **The future** Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are currently being rolled out for each county – these set out where we need trees, hedges, ponds etc. Under the Environment Act LNRS has higher priority than planning or environmental land management for farmers so it is a crucial piece of legislation. The Midlands Forest Network13 was launched recently as a joint project between the Midlands Engine, the National Forest Company and the Woodland Trust. This aims to increase woodland cover across the whole area (Welsh border to Lincolnshire) from 7.5% to 19%. HW are part of the forum helping to steer this. It’s early days but it should attract government funding in due course. It’s all about community mapping and identifying priority areas. Their experience over 5 years is that nothing happens unless the community are involved and community landowners say yes. Government and UK law at the moment is there to stop things happening. Lead local flood authorities are focusing on a small number of large jobs as these are easier to justify than a lot of small jobs so local problems in villages get ignored. It can take 3 years to get someone to come and talk to you. When communities own the risk and get involved this makes change happen. The Smeeton Westerby NFM scheme which cost £1.5-£2m, mostly paid for by the Environment Agency and the District Council, was started by HW after a farmer sent them a picture of him standing in the middle of a flooded field. They got the Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency involved and two years later the river has been relandscaped and new ponds created, as well as 2.5k trees planted. It’s called the Smeeton Westerby Nature Project and you can visit it14. 2 landowners were involved across 4.5 hectares of land – this all came from HW creating an opportunity. What Satish Kumar said is that innovation comes from community and businesses because we are the ones with the risk – nothing happens without support from community and community landowners. **Q&A** *The River Nene runs through Northampton, there was a major flood one Easter a few decades ago. How can I make the link to put the risk in front of people in Northampton to get them involved? Billing Aquadrome floods often but tends to get ignored.* BD can supply a presentation. He recommends going out to schools, WIs, gardening groups etc. – this opens the door. People's desire to get involved can be driven by flooding, biodiversity loss, grandchildren’s future… HW are working with the Litter Wombles, who are now reporting or clearing blocked road drains which can make a big difference in the event of flash flooding. There ought to be a Flood Action Group15 in Northampton. Look at the long-term flood risk information from the Environment Agency16. Climate action groups are important. Anyone who will listen to you - Hindu and Muslim action groups in Leicester have been out planting trees with HW. Keep banging on doors! *How do you decide where the rows of trees or the hedge goes? What expertise do you have in this?* HW are not specialists, they started 5 years ago with very little knowledge and just did research, contacted the Tree Council and the Woodland Trust for information. A lot depends on the landowners; farmers mostly know what they want in terms of species and location. Private landowners may be less sure so HW are very lucky to have a landscape architect on board who provides advice on this. She was found through contacts. Volunteers do what they want to do when they can do it, HW has a policy of no ‘bullying’ whatsoever, their culture is that people do what they are motivated to do. HW have been involved in setting up Northamptonshire Community Woodland Volunteers16 who have pioneered a Dutch scheme, MoreTreesNow, in the UK. This involves harvesting self-sown trees that wouldn’t survive and replanting them somewhere else. HW are talking to the Midlands Forest Network about this and getting the scheme rolled out nationally. There’s no cost and no risk of pests and diseases as they are all local trees. *Where can you get free trees?* - Up to 950 from The Conservation Volunteers (TCV)18. - The Woodland Trust19; they have a partnership with Leicestershire County Council, who have given HW about 30k trees. The Woodland Trust have a target of getting 700k trees into the ground. - National Highways – HW get 6k a year from them. - Donations from people who grow their own, and from nurseries who get let down and would otherwise end up burning the trees. It’s all about sharing knowledge and resources across groups. Slow the Flow group in Calderdale have really helped HW and their advice was that the Number 1 priority is social media. Organising yourself so it’s fun is also key. Wherever your community is, it is your local knowledge that’s important, for example, who to talk to at a school. Friends of friends and local knowledge are really powerful tools, which the ‘authorities’ don’t have access to. If you’re motivated, your enthusiasm is contagious and spurs others into action. **DONM** ***Thursday 17 July*** \- Ruth Rolls, WNC Local Nature Recovery Officer, will talk to us about the West Northamptonshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which is due out for consultation soon. No meeting in August Back on **Thursday 18 September** with Mike Reader, MP for Northampton South. 👉 For more on Natural Flood Management, check out our [March meeting with Alan Ryan and Sarah Parr from RAIN](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/20-march-public-meeting-report-2/), delivering NFM projects in Northamptonshire --- ### References 1\. [https://harboroughwoodland.com/](https://harboroughwoodland.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/harborough-woodland](https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/harborough-woodland?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. 4\. [https://youtu.be/14AreokwG\_o](https://youtu.be/14AreokwG%5Fo?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. [https://www.sustainableharboroughcommunity.co.uk/](https://www.sustainableharboroughcommunity.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/tree-and-hedgerow-protection/tree-and-woods-strategy](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/tree-and-hedgerow-protection/tree-and-woods-strategy?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. [https://www.resurgence.org/satish-kumar/](https://www.resurgence.org/satish-kumar/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8\. [https://hedgelink.org.uk/](https://hedgelink.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9\. [https://tubex.com/sustainability/tree-shelter-collection-recycling-programme/](https://tubex.com/sustainability/tree-shelter-collection-recycling-programme/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 10\. [https://waterloocottagefarm.co.uk/](https://waterloocottagefarm.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 11\. [https://www.fwageast.org.uk/](https://www.fwageast.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 12\. 13\. [https://midlandsengine.org/home-green-growth/midlands-forest-network/](https://midlandsengine.org/home-green-growth/midlands-forest-network/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 14\. 15\. [https://thefloodhub.co.uk/community/](https://thefloodhub.co.uk/community/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 16\. [https://www.gov.uk/check-long-term-flood-risk](https://www.gov.uk/check-long-term-flood-risk?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 17\. 18\. [https://www.tcv.org.uk/i-dig-trees-free-trees/](https://www.tcv.org.uk/i-dig-trees-free-trees/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 19\. [https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities/](https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Reform to what? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/reform-to-what/ Last updated: 2025-06-30T20:19:55.000Z I will start with a promise, to myself more than anyone else, that the next thing I write for the CA-WN Exchange will return to the subjects of local transport, pedestrianisation and localism. Subjects that I believe are essential not only to the green cause but to the prosperity of West Northamptonshire. This article will unashamedly not address these subjects but will instead add another voice reflecting upon the election of our new council which now has a Reform majority. I back entirely CA-WN's recent statement which indicates the intention to work constructively with the new administration. I know that some on the left of politics will find this a hard pill to swallow but I back it based on two points: - Progress only ever emerges through compromise. We must be willing to work with those we disagree with. - After a period researching the Reform Councillors, many of them seem to communicate a genuine hunger to improve West Northamptonshire. However, looking closely at some of the statements our new Reform councillors have made, in addition to reading their campaign literature, I have my concerns that they will struggle to form an effective administration. Firstly, more so than any party I have researched in the past they don’t appear to have a consistent plan of action. Each Councillor agrees the town has deteriorated but has a different view on what the future should hold. The threads that do run through are vague at best, I don’t see that ‘cutting waste’ provides enough of a platform for productive governance. What happens once the waste is cut, if indeed there is any? Where will this money be spent and how? Who will they disappoint, because they will inevitably disappoint somebody? These are the decisions that our new Councillors face. They may find soon that the grand structures of populism fail to hold much weight when you cannot maintain your popularity. Secondly, they often refer to issues that are of national significance e.g. immigration and the NHS model but these issues cannot be impacted by a local authority, certainly not in any meaningful way. Any attempt to affect these issues will prove expensive and will extinguish savings that are made. Thirdly, some of the campaign literature refers to increasing ‘scrutiny’ on the council and ‘challenging’ how money is spent: [Reform UK leafletLeaflet uploaded 15 Apr 2025![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon.5f52d3c8b78e.png)ElectionLeaflets.org![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/dandpflyer.png)](https://electionleaflets.org/leaflets/21103/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) This is the rhetoric of opposition but Reform are not the opposition in West Northamptonshire any more, they are the administration. What new Councillors will discover is that they will be the ones under scrutiny; they need to build a cogent plan of action. This is where I think CA-WN can assist, it is a group not set on revolution or protest but one that is interested in legitimate change to secure the health, security and flourishing of future generations. You only need read The CA-WN Exchange to learn about new ideas, for example look at this new tramway initiative in Coventry: [Send our mayors to Coventry: to witness a tram revolutionPeople say Britain can’t build any more. But that’s not true everywhere.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/favicon-8.ico)CapXDavid Milner![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/CapX-Twitter-Post-.-87.png)](https://capx.co/coventrys-tram-building-revolution?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) I would say to new Councillors, move focus away from national topics like immigration, this is work for your MPs. By all means look carefully at the books and cut ‘waste’ if it is found but more importantly, think collectively about what kind of future you want to see in West Northamptonshire. Is it really a tax-free wild west? Or is it one where services work for residents, where the problems with SEND education are addressed, where potholes are filled and where people are proud of their home county? You cannot cut your way to this future. ### Flour Power: How The Good Loaf Changes Lives Daily URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/flour-power-how-the-good-loaf-changes-lives-daily/ Last updated: 2025-06-10T20:06:34.000Z [The Good Loaf](https://thegoodloaf.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) CIC (Community Interest Company) is a Northampton-based social enterprise that is ‘as passionate about giving people a chance as we are about producing delicious artisan bread’. The Good Loaf has been transforming lives since it opened in 2015\. Located in the historic Boot and Shoe Quarter, this artisan bakery and café offers more than just freshly baked bread, it provides hope and opportunity to vulnerable women in the community. **What is a CIC?** It is a special type of business in the UK that exists to benefit the community, not to make big profits for owners or shareholders. CICs are carefully structured and monitored to make sure they prioritise social impact over private profit. Here’s a simple explanation. - **Purpose**: CICs are set up to help people or communities— by providing jobs, training, or services. - **Profits**: They can make money, but most of it must be used to support their mission, not to pay out to investors. This is called an asset lock. - **Regulation**: They are regulated to make sure they are doing what they promised for the public good. Their financial reports are fully available to the public. In short, a CIC is a business that works like a charity in spirit but operates like a regular company. Follow [this link to the Government website](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-the-regulator-of-community-interest-companies?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to find out more. **When was it opened?** The enterprise was awarded £386,487 from the Big Lottery Fund in 2014 to set up and operate its bakery and café, providing training and employment opportunities for female ex-offenders. From the start, The Good Loaf's mission was to break the cycles of poverty, unemployment, and offending by offering structured work placements and accredited training programs. Women participating in these programs gain practical skills, such as food hygiene certification, and valuable work experience in a supportive environment. The enterprise has assisted approximately 100 women annually, many of whom have faced challenges like mental health issues, domestic abuse, or involvement with the criminal justice system. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/06/Coffee25.png) Photo provided by The Good Loaf **A local story** Louisa joined The Good Loaf as one of the bakery’s café assistants. She had been struggling with anxiety and depression and found a lifeline in the bakery's supportive environment. "The Good Loaf has changed my life completely. If I hadn't found the Good Loaf... I couldn't say for certain if I would be here alive," she told [BBC News Northamptonshire](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgeg10dd44o?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com). **National and local recognition** The Good Loaf has received well-deserved recognition for its impactful work; namely a national award called the Howard League Community Award, in the Women category in 2016 which acknowledged the bakery's efforts in providing employment and training opportunities to help women rebuild their lives after involvement with the criminal justice system. It also won Local Food Hero of the Year at the Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards. A year later the Good Loaf won the High Sheriff Initiative Award from the Northamptonshire Community Foundation, recognizing its significant contributions to the community through activities that benefit and support vulnerable groups. **Environmental initiatives** Although a ‘social’ enterprise, The Good Loaf has a big focus on environmental sustainability and is committed to integrating eco-friendly practices into its operations. **Food waste** [Bread is the most wasted food in the UK](https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/news/food-waste-facts-and-statistics?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), with an estimated 900,000 tonnes of bread thrown away every year. Not only is food waste a massive contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, but how can this happen at a time when in 2024, 15% of all UK households are living in [food poverty](https://foodfoundation.org.uk/news/our-reaction-2024-spring-budget?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=In%20January%2C%2015%25%20of%20UK,in%20this%20Budget%20for%20them.)? In collaboration with [Cranfield University's Food Waste Innovations project](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/case-studies/food-waste-innovations-the-good-loaf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), The Good Loaf conducted comprehensive audits of its bakery and café to identify and mitigate food waste. This initiative led to practical changes, such as adjusting portion sizes and offering side dishes like coleslaw or salad as optional add-ons, thereby reducing unnecessary waste. They are also working on their inventory management and demand forecasting with the aim of minimising waste. **Reducing ‘food miles’ and supporting local producers** The Good Loaf is part of the [Real Bread Campaign](https://www.realbreadshop.co.uk/about?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and is committed to reducing the distance between where the grain is grown, the flour milled, the dough baked, and the bread consumed. Suzy, the Chief Executive says, “Collectively, the big bakers that produce the majority of our loaves transport more than 12m of them around the country each day. Diesel-guzzling lorry loads are taken up and down motorways from large plant bakeries to central distribution depots and from there to local distribution hubs and finally on to retailers. The Good Loaf's flour comes from [Heygates](https://www.heygates.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in Bugbrooke and they use [Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rape Seed Oil](https://farrington-oils.co.uk/our-story/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), another Northamptonshire product, in many of their recipes. By integrating these sustainable practices, The Good Loaf exemplifies how social enterprises can positively impact both their communities and the environment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/06/Cafe25.png) Photo provided by The Good Loaf **Feeling hungry?** The café is open from Tuesday to Saturday and they offer a variety of freshly baked artisan breads through their [online shop](https://thegoodloaf.co.uk/shop-online/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), including options like sourdough, malted, white farmhouse, wholemeal, and white round baps. Their bakers use natural ingredients and avoid artificial preservatives and additives. You can also find The Good Loaf on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/goodloafuk), so keep an eye out for tempting goodies! Additionally, their breads are available at select local retailers, such as [‘Philippa’s’ ](https://www.facebook.com/philippas.farmshop/)in Bugbrooke, [Castle Ashby Deli](https://www.castleashbydeli.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [Daily Bread](https://www.dailybread.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOootHvyr9bK0N33NUD5UKqhmi7y95e4WmnS1J74PxVKp9jHmgb3A&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [The Egg Shed](https://www.theeggshed.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in Woolaston, [Towbury Butchery](https://towburycourtfinefoods.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in Towcester and [RE in Flore.](https://coffeeandrefills.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### The Riches of Uncut Grass URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-riches-of-uncut-grass/ Last updated: 2025-06-10T20:05:56.000Z *Eluned Nicholls, Parish Councillor in Kingsthorpe, shares her experience of No Mow May* We are now in the third year of ***No Mow May***1 and Kingsthorpe Village’s verges and greens are showing signs of a remarkable recovery from years of being cut to within inches of life. Take a walk along Lower Leys or along the bank of the school hill in May and you will see the tall stems and umbrella shaped clusters of white flowers of the graceful **Cow Parsley** (*Anthriscus Sylvestris*), one of Monty Don’s favourite plants. Also growing in profusion is **Green Alkanet** (*Pentaglottis sempervirens*). Its blue, nectar rich flowers are visited by hoverflies, bees and butterflies. The flowers are also edible and make an attractive garnish for salads or desserts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/06/Eluned-2.png) Green Alkanet At a lower height you will see the yellow stars of **Herb Bennet** or **Wood Avens** (*Geum Urbanum*), a relative of those popular garden Geums, Lady Stratheden and Mrs Bradshaw. The flowers of Wood Avens are important for pollinators, while its leaves are a source of food for caterpillars such as those of the Grizzled Skipper Butterfly. Growing alongside Herb Bennet is **Herb Robert** (*Geranium robertianum*), an aromatic member of the Geranium family which was used in the past as an antiseptic. The endangered Common Carder, Buff-tailed and White-tailed Bumblebees are just some of the pollinators that visit its delicate pink flowers. Look closely at ground level and you may also see the loose mat of heart shaped leaves and delicate flowers of **Dog Violet** (*Viola Riviniana*). With its soothing, cooling anti-inflammatory properties, Violet was used by the Greeks as a salve for dry or chafed skin, abrasions, insect bites, eczema, varicose veins and haemorrhoids. I know some people like a bowling green lawn, but I hope we will all also learn to appreciate the riches of uncut grass. 1. [https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/](https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Rare Earth Podcast + The Rest Is Politics on Net Zero URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/rare-earth-podcast-the-rest-is-politics-on-net-zero/ Last updated: 2025-06-10T20:05:10.000Z ### Rare Earth - Is Net Zero a toxic brand? It's no secret that not everyone thinks Net Zero is a good idea - those on the climate-sceptic end of the spectrum see it as misguided at best, and even some who understand the harsh reality of climate change don't see Net Zero as a helpful framing of the solution. This podcast offers a detailed discussion of the issues around Net Zero, and how (if?) it can be achieved. Some of the points made are encouraging – the UK has been a genuine leader on climate change and made progress towards our target of Net Zero emissions by 2050\. The uncomfortable truth is that this progress has been made largely by shifting power generation from dirty coal to cleaner gas plus an increasing proportion of renewables. As a country our demand for energy hasn’t diminished and evidence indicates that most people are either unwilling or unable to change how they live in order to cut carbon emissions. This podcast provides a deeper understanding of this issue and looks at how they might be dealt with, but doesn’t offer easy answers. ### The Rest is Politics: Leading - Ed Miliband: Farage, Starmer and The Fight for Net Zero As it happens, another podcast released recently also covers the topic of Net Zero in some detail. *The Rest Is Politics*, hosted by Alistair Campbell and Rory Stewart, has a *Leading* strand consisting of fairly long interviews with leaders from all walks of life. A recent interviewee is the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband – a man so interesting that the interview was released in two parts, the second of which covers Net Zero. As one of the architects of the UK's Climate Change Act which introduced the Net Zero target, Miliband is unsurprisingly and genuinely positive about it. Given how important his role is, it's worth listening to what he has to say, whether you agree with him or not. [The Rest Is Politics | 136\. Ed Miliband: Farage, Starmer and The Fight for Net Zero (Part 2)![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/21677849-e7d7-4529-b242-c92357575153.png)The Rest Is Politics![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/21677849-e7d7-4529-b242-c92357575153.png)](https://therestispolitics.supportingcast.fm/listen/leading/136-ed-miliband-farage-starmer-and-the-fight-for-net-zero-part-2?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [BBC Sounds - Rare Earth - Available EpisodesListen to the latest episodes of Rare Earth on BBC Sounds.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/sounds-apple-touch-icon.ead169771d.png)BBC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/p0h53vpz.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001vbt0?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### And So I Roar by Abi Daré URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/and-so-i-roar-by-abi-dare/ Last updated: 2025-06-10T20:03:42.000Z This book is the first winner of the Climate Fiction Prize1, launched this year. The team behind the prize explained why: > We want to reward and showcase powerful stories that depict the human response to climate change; how it impacts us and how society responds. > For societies to fully grasp the climate change threat and to embrace its solutions, we need better stories. It’s not enough for audiences to know about climate change; they need to see an uncertain future and understand that change is urgent but possible. > Many of us already see tackling climate as important; but we don’t always know how we should respond. Fiction can help us imagine what change can look like. I was made aware of the prize by a podcast we have recommended before – The Climate Question from the BBC World Service2. This novel is set in Nigeria and isn’t actually ‘about’ climate change. It tells the story of two Nigerian women from very different backgrounds, showing how in rural Africa the effects of climate change can make a society already very tough for women and girls even more difficult. The message is woven through a compelling story with strong characters. The book points up the contrast between a middle-class aspirational lifestyle in Lagos and life in a rural village in lots of ways, from the continued practice of child brides to the value placed on 'handmade' items in the city, mysterious to a girl from a home where handmade means hard work. 1\. [https://climatefictionprize.co.uk/2025-prize/](https://climatefictionprize.co.uk/2025-prize/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct701t](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct701t?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### My experience of installing an Air Source Heat Pump URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-experience-of-installing-an-air-source-heat-pump/ Last updated: 2025-08-04T08:33:35.000Z *This article comes from Mick Lorkins, CA-WN Steering Group member and founder of Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers. We think it provides exactly the sort of honest and comprehensive information householders need - if you have an experience of making 'green' home improvements that you would like to share, please get in touch.* I thought I would write this article to share my knowledge and experience of installing an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) in my home, to give some sort of insight if you are thinking of a new heating system. ### Introduction to ASHPs There are many fears when installing a different heating system as it is a fundamental human need. Maslow came up with a [‘Hierarchy of Needs’](https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), where food, water and heat are foundations to life. It is also a big capital investment into your house and if it does not go as planned is a worry. To reassure, it should be noted that ASHP technology is not new technology and is the same system as used in fridges/freezers and Air Conditioning units although applied slightly differently to provide heat rather than cold. In many European countries this has been the main source of heating for many years. Some air to air units (air conditioning units) can blow hot or cold air. In the UK ASHPs are generally used as an air to water system to replace an existing gas boiler. A key element of the technology is that for every unit of energy put into the system (Kilowatts of electricity) it gives an equivalent of 3 to 4 Kw of heat out. It is therefore much more efficient than just using electric heaters or electric radiators that would only give out one to one unit of energy. This is the fundamental reason for using the ASHP technology. The other key point about an ASHP is that it is powered by electricity and so if your electricity supply is all from renewable sources or an electricity provider such as Octopus or EoN with just renewables as an option, then you have a system with zero CO2 emissions. Systems currently come with grants to pay for some of the capital cost. Some research might be needed to see what is on offer at the time. I installed my ASHP system just over 2 years ago when the government paid back part of the capital cost over 7 years. Now incentives from Government include a grant of £7,500 to replace a gas boiler in your home1. ### How was the experience for me? Well strangely I also have the experience of my father replacing his traditional gas boiler with hot water tank for a new gas combi boiler. The experience for both installed was surprisingly similar and the cost to me for the ASHP was half the cost of my father's gas boiler. I had a combi boiler that was over 15 years old and was concerned about my Carbon footprint and keen to reduce this. I also wanted to plan the change at a time that suited me rather than when the old system gave up. An air source heat pump system comes with more kit than a Combi Boiler. If you don’t already know, a gas Combination Boiler (Combi) is one unit on a wall and when you turn on your tap it heats cold water from your incoming cold water supply and feeds it directly to your tap. Similarly a second feed goes on a circular loop to each of your radiators to heat your home. A more traditional gas heating system has a hot water tank that means there is potentially a tank that sits in a cupboard to provide an airing cupboard, and a header tank in the loft to feed the system. For the Air Source Heat Pump system there are three main items to find a location for, these being: 1. An outside ASHP unit with electricity and coolant pipe to feed into the house. This unit is about the size of a double fridge, dependent on the model and make 2. A sealed hot water tank about 5 ft high 3. A control unit (about the size of a combi boiler) 4. I also have a second smaller sealed tank to feed hot water to the radiators that means the ASHP does not need to come on and off so often but taps into this secondary reservoir of heat. I am a project manager and in my job would always get 3 quotes before starting a project but on this occasion only got one as I saw an advert on Facebook with a company that had won awards for their ASHP installations. I would however recommend getting three quotes and research their on-line reviews for installed systems. For me it is also about how many reviews they have as well as the scoring and comments. Just 10 reviews all giving 5/5 from some mates against 2,000 views giving 4.6/5 might give a better understanding of the realistic product and service. ASHPs run at a lower operation temperature of circ. 55oC compared to a gas boiler. The result is that radiators need to be bigger. I have talked to a few people about installing an ASHP and many try to pre-empt the system specification wanting to install larger radiators before talking to an installer. I would advise against this as any heating system would be designed for your building requirements i.e. the size of the room and the ASHP unit specified. When you buy a car you don’t go out and buy a car radiator but leave it to the engineer and an ASHP will be the same. One point to note is that your grant might be predicated on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating and if it is already good you may not get a grant. There is a tendency to do small improvements and keep updating your certificate but it is primarily only required when selling or renting your house so you should consider the order of your house improvements, as well as grants available. It might be better to put in an ASHP, solar panels and batteries all in one go rather than a piecemeal approach, as it could cost you more if you have inadvertently improved the EPC and do not qualify for a grant. You might also want to research ASHP to see which one you might prefer, as you would when buying a car. Some will come with different benefits such as an outside temperature gauge to more closely control your house to the outside, telling the system not to work so hard if it is warmer. You may want a certain look of the outside ASHP unit dependent on how visible it is in your garden or yard. Look at reviews and see what they say about performance. I am pleased to say the people who designed my system got it right. The size of radiators, the thermostats on all radiators, spec for the hot water tank, and secondary radiator tank. A few radiators were retained but generally all of them were replaced. Most of the radiators were old and inefficient so having them replaced was a good thing. At the point in the design when someone comes around to measure up I suggest you need to be there because how big and where they go is important to each room. In our hall a triple radiator was specified for behind the front door i.e. one that is three times thicker than the original radiator. I worked out measuring up the specified radiator that I would not be able to open the front door fully! I asked for it to be relocated onto the adjacent wall. At this design stage you may want to ask for changes just to give some more wriggle room or ensure the furniture, doors, or aesthetics work. The trick is to get this right before the install as it might cost you more if changing during the install. Your engineer should be able to help you with these design changes. It is sometimes better to pay just a little more for a different radiator or for a change in pipe work than live the next 20 years walking around a radiator specified in the wrong place. The install was down to take 4 days. Writing this article I am trying to persuade people that ASHPs are great and everyone should have one however I would be lying to say the install is not stressful as your house is invaded by an army of tradesmen, plumbers, electricians, refrigeration engineers and delivery men etc. I know some people hand over their keys and go away for the week and come back when all is done. Although it avoids the noise and the stress there are always decisions to be made on how high do you want this and what location. I would strongly recommend you be there. I also recommend not inviting guests to stay that week. The disruption to your life will however not start on the day of the install. For me the week before the install a lot of equipment arrived and was all put in my conservatory. This included a stack of radiators, the tanks and control unit. Your engineer may have decided that no floorboards needed to come up and no furniture moved however for me I think I emptied every wardrobe in my house at some stage. It gave me a chance to have a clear out. My fuse box is at the front of the house and the ASHP at the back of the house so this also meant there was also a electrical cable to run from the front to the back of the house. By the end of day 1 my front garden had become a rubbish tip for all of the old radiators. PS: plan to have the system changed in the summer as obviously the heating is off. For some reason when tradespersons (they were all men) arrive the front door is generally left open for the whole time because they are ‘just popping out to the van’. It is just a thing and there are at least two white vans outside for the whole time. Provision of tea and coffee is obligatory and I would suggest copious biscuits as the quality of the job may depend on it. I was working from home so spent my time in between my desk and the sitting room which was stacked up with all that had come out of the cupboards. The floorboards were up for all of the four days. The ASHP arrived on day 2 and was manhandled into the back garden with lots of swearing enroute by the installers, as I only have steps and a single width path. A few plants were trampled on the way. The ASHP does not need foundations but did come with a 100mm plastic slab to put on my soil to create a base. The ASHP also sits on rubber blocks to absorb operational vibrations. You may want to ask your installer about these items if you want the unit to fit in a particular space or say just be level with your fence rather than peek over to next door. The electricians arrived on day 3, and the power kept being switched on and off as did the water. I would recommend microwave dinners as the kitchen was a hub of activity. By day 4 things were calming down. The plumbers did not completely finish on day 4 but to get things in order came back on day 5 to connect some final thing up, flush the system through and turn it on. They ran though the settings, handed me a load of instructions and a control unit to put on a shelf that connected to my Wi-Fi. Yes, you generally need Wi-Fi. My front garden was still covered with old radiators, copper pipe and the old boiler. The plumbers said the company would come back and collect. Strangely the company were not local and never came to collect the rubbish. This however was not a problem as a scrap merchant came around, knocked on our door and said he was taking all of the scrap metal. It was less of a question and more of a statement. I then took all the numerous cardboard boxes down the local council tip. The plumbers ran the install and the system was complete. What the plumbers did not do however was make good the decoration where the new pipes had been poked through, or box in the control unit and new tank. The requirement to box in and fill in holes will be very specific to each house and each system but is a consideration when planning the location of the units and radiators. If you are good at DIY or have a handyman this is perhaps not a problem. The installer, if any good, may do some of this as part of the install, so ask the question when getting the quote. ### How does the new ASHP perform? Performance is directly related to the initial design. A badly designed system will not perform as specified whilst a well considered design will do what you want it to. If the installer did not recalculate the radiator sizes but just used the old system and installed an ASHP in place of your boiler, the chances are that the radiators will not transfer enough heat in the room. The supply of heat from a gas boiler is different because the gas boiler waits for the temperature to drop before heating and potentially switches off a little above the target temperature. This gives a fluctuation in room temperature from a slightly chilly feeling followed by a potential slight overheating. The result sometimes is that people fiddle with the thermostat to give more or less heat which tends to lead to further fluctuation and more overheating. The heat from an ASHP is constant and the radiators don’t necessarily feel hot but the room temperature stays at the constant desired level. I programme my thermostat at 21 degrees during the day and 19 at night and keep my system on all year around. I also have the Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) set low in the bedrooms or lower in rooms not used frequently. I also keep all doors closed. The towel rail in the bathroom is oversized to take account of drying towels, does not have a thermostatic valve fitted and provides slightly more heat. The result is that the living spaces are warm and the draughts kept to a minimum. I realise these are my own personal preferences and are not a recommendation but perhaps demonstrate that setting up the system can give options that are partly based on your specification to the installer. In conclusion we are very happy with the change to an ASHP as the temperature is a constant warm 21 degrees. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/05/ASHPtank-2.png) Left: concealed indoor storage tanks and related units. Right: exposed - photos Mick Lorkins ### Does it cost more ? I recently saw someone on the TV saying they installed an ASHP for environmental reasons but their electricity bills were 50% higher. I have to say why? This is not the case for my new ASHP system. You should be able to work out your expected heating cost before you install the system. For me I would say that the amount of energy required to heat your home will not change just because you change the system. If you look at your energy bill for say December it will show how many kilowatts of energy you have used. There is however a difference in the price of gas compared to electricity. Electricity is generally 3x more expensive than gas per kilowatt unit but as stated at the beginning of this article, for every unit of electricity in supplied to an ASHP you get three times as much heat out. The result is that they should be about the same cost. One observation I would make is that my system also provides hot water and this is an additional power demand. If you do not use this hot water and continue to use your independent electric shower your bills will go up as you are using additional electricity for your shower and not using your tank of hot water. I have also changed my shower to feed from the hot and cold from the bath into a mixer tap making my electric shower with direct feed from the cold water redundant. Note the ASHP hot water supply to the hot taps is pressurised and not gravity fed so is well suited to supply a mixer tap. It is difficult to make direct comparisons using just cost calculations, as units of energy are needed to be accurate for a before and after analysis. My gas boiler was taken out when energy prices were low and so comparisons pre and post energy crisis give a distorted figure. Cost comparisons year on year are also difficult as weather patterns are not consistent. There are additional ways of saving on your energy bills including insulation, double glazing etc. but there are simpler things like installing thick curtains for windows and curtains for stairs to stop heat rising and keep it on the ground floor in the living spaces, plus, as noted earlier, shutting all of the doors to stop warm air loss from each room. I have also installed solar panels and a battery. It is worth noting 2/3 of the energy from the solar panels is generated in the summer months when your heating is dormant. This is because of the obvious observation that daylight hours are longer summer v winter plus the sun does not rise so high in the sky in winter to hit your solar array at the optimum angle. Your ASHP power demand will not be met by the solar panels on your roof. A battery however being set to import electricity at the cheap overnight rate over winter will provide energy to your ASHP to assist with daytime electricity tariffs and is a good addition to the ASHP (depending on your supplier and deals/rates on offer). The payback would need to be calculated as this is an economic rather than a direct green objective. Oh and what about the noise of the system, does it keep me or my neighbour awake at night? The answer is - does your fridge keep you awake at night? It is the same system working in reverse so no it is very quiet. During the day the background noise of the traffic on the road is louder than the ASHP. Check supplier information for each ASHP as they are not all the same and google typical decibel levels for background noise to compare. One thing the outside unit does is blow cold air out the front so location and activity in front of the ASHP unit are considerations. As a foot note: ### New gas boiler My father did not opt for an ASHP but for a gas Combi boiler (why not an ASHP, you will have to ask him, but it is sometimes dependent on what you have read and from where). He was changing from a traditional heating system with hot water tank and header tank. The system had a single supply pipe to each radiator and all radiators were old. The system required a full strip out and renew. He got a local plumber to supply and fit. It took 4 days, floorboards needed to come up, cupboards needed to be emptied. Two vans were outside and the front door was open for most of the day. The heating was off for the 4 days and electricity on and off occasionally as was the water. We decided to eat out most days. My ASHP system cost me ½ the price compared to my dad's although I did get a subsidy and my dad did not. The plumber took away all of the old radiators. I made good of all of the old and new holes throughout the house. He is very happy with the system! He is still trying to find the best place for the thermostat as the house heats up and cools down. 1\. [https://www.gov.uk/browse/housing-local-services/household-energy](https://www.gov.uk/browse/housing-local-services/household-energy?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Considering a heat pump? Quite a few in West Northamptonshire live in areas without mains gas. A heat pump can be very cost effective for homes that have had to rely upon oil or LPG. Whether it's for cost saving or for the climate, anyone considering their own heat pump might the interested in viewing the overall performance achieved by other people's heat pump installation. The Heat Pump Monitor website collects information from homeowners whose system logs all the relevant influences on how much electricity gets used to produce a given amount of heat. Their [**website**](https://heatpumpmonitor.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) shows the Seasonal Performance Factor (SPF ) of over a hundred installations. The SPF reflects a heat pump's efficiency over an entire season. Regardless of pump make or model, the SPF results reveal wide variations, systems where a £1 of electricity delivers anything from £2 to £5 worth of heat. Why such a wide range? Perhaps the most efficient systems are in the homes of technical enthusiasts, keen on getting the most from their investment. Or perhaps the higher achieving systems were carefully designed and expertly installed. CA-WN Exchange will be adding further heat pump experience posts. ### Solar panels trial on polytunnels URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/solar-panels-trial-on-polytunnels/ Last updated: 2025-05-23T14:04:24.000Z CA-WN's Farming Correspondent, Rupert Knowles, shared this article about flexible solar panels on polytunnels being used to power farm equipment, and added some comments of his own on the possibilities of technology for fruit harvesting. [Hugh Lowe Farms trials polytunnel solar panelsElectric Berry project powers farm tools and equipment using flexible solar panels attached to top of its polytunnels, with no extra land required![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/mstile-144x144.png)FruitnetFred Searle![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/139509_panelsovertunnelsfrominsidecopy_954368.jpeg)](https://www.fruitnet.com/fresh-produce-journal/hugh-lowe-farms-trials-polytunnel-solar-panels/266768.article?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) I found this article interesting because: - It is possible to use tunnel roofs for flexible solar panels - Sufficient light penetrates to grow the crop below as well as generating electricity - It will enable a switch from the internal combustion engine in remote locations or the need for trailing wires nearer home - There will be power on hand for irrigation pumps and nutrient injection equipment. Robotic picking trolleys too. - One of the major problems for protected strawberries is powdery mildew. Instead of spraying chemicals, some growers are using a gantry with UV light when pickers or other workers are not in the tunnel. Having electricity on hand will make this much more practicable. A video of the Thorvald UV strawberry ‘sprayer’ is available on the website: [https://sagarobotics.com/crops/strawberries/](https://sagarobotics.com/crops/strawberries/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Politicians are obsessed with reducing foreign labour for harvesting. This is a load of nonsense! Much research money is wasted on robotic harvesting. It is very good for foreign students and other young people to travel abroad and experience other cultures: what better way to support themselves than by harvesting fruit and vegetables. These students are highly motivated and work very fast. Whilst it will be possible to develop a robotic strawberry or raspberry picker, it will not be much faster than a human, and will be very expensive and liable to break down. If alternative labour is not available to fulfil a supermarket contract, the grower will be in real trouble. However, the key to efficient harvesting is to mechanise the ancillary tasks such as supplying empty trays to the picker and removing full ones, weighing and recording for piecework, i.e. to make the best use of manual labour. On site electricity will be very useful for this. Potentially this technology could be useful to growers of other crops in polytunnels or even be adopted on a small scale by allotment holders. ### Report of public meeting 15 May 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-public-meeting-15-may-2025/ Last updated: 2025-05-21T17:46:56.000Z May’s speaker was Natasha Ginks. Natasha is a qualified Retrofit Co-ordinator with considerable practical experience as well as qualifications in the field of home retrofit. Natasha’s presentation was titled "***Where to start with retrofit***" - the slides are available to download1 and a recording of the meeting is on our YouTube channel2. **Apologies**: Alexina Cassidy, Clare Slater, Jonathan Harris, Maria Lee, Peter Nalder **Present**: Sumiya Afrin, Alison Barlow, Leonie Beale, David Garlick, James Hadfield, Hilary Haynes, Patsy Hollingum, Richard Hollingum, Rupert Knowles, Mike Longman, Mick Lorkins, Harry Mellor, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Jane Wood ### **My retrofit journey** Natasha’s career in retrofit started when she studied for an MSc in Climate Change and Sustainability and became very interested in buildings and how to reduce their emissions, making them cheaper to run and healthier to live in. She then moved to Oxfordshire, bought a very old house that needed a lot of work, and decided to focus on sustainability and get the house off fossil fuels. The project took about 6 years, and they now have a lovely old house which is warm, heated by a heat pump, has lots of solar and is a very comfortable living environment. She started the Renovate Green blog in 2013/14 to share her journey and what she was learning. The blog is still on her website3 – she doesn’t write blogs any more but still gets a lot of feedback. Having completed her own project Natasha trained as a retrofit co-ordinator in 2017/18\. This was a new role then, introduced off the back of PAS 20354, a retrofit standard written by architects and surveyors. A retrofit co-ordinator is trained in retrofit, is not necessarily an architect (though some are) but has good knowledge of retrofit and how buildings work. Natasha has gone on to do additional training in traditional buildings and how to retrofit them, which is very different to modern buildings. She set up a consultancy and worked on her own for a few years. When Cosy Homes Oxfordshire (CHO)5 started up with the help of government funding she joined forces with them to roll out retrofit across Oxfordshire. ### **Cosy Homes Oxfordshire (CHO)** CHO is a collaboration between Low Carbon Hub6 (LCH) and RetrofitWorks7 (RW). LCH is a community owned renewable energy co-operative; RW is a not for profit national organisation which focuses on improving energy efficiency in buildings. The objective of CHO is to accelerate the speed and quality of domestic retrofit in Oxfordshire. It primarily works with people who can afford to pay for their own improvements rather than on big social funded projects, though they do work with local authorities. There are several active community and advocacy groups in Oxfordshire, which are very important in helping CHO to reach people. LCH has people with strong links to community groups and they have worked together to develop programmes designed to encourage people to do retrofit. CHO primarily has an advisory role throughout the whole retrofit process, sitting between the householder and the contractor. CHO is completely independent and doesn’t have contractors on its books, but the contractors they recommend have all been vetted by RW. CHO also offers training to contractors on various aspects of retrofit and all are trained to meet PAS 2035 standards. ### **What is retrofit?** Adding ‘something’ to your home that wasn’t there when it was built. This can be to the outside, the interior, also new building services such as heating, ventilation and cooling, insulation, new windows etc. CHO follow a Fabric First approach. The principle behind this is that getting homes off fossil fuels means moving to electricity, for which the only currently viable option is heat pumps. The price of electricity is 3-4 times higher than gas, so to switch to electric heating affordably it’s essential to make sure the heat pump can convert electricity very efficiently into heat and that the heat demand of the house is lower than it is when heated by gas. Otherwise the fuel bills will be crippling. CHO always look to see how the building fabric will be addressed to bring down heat demand first, and installation of renewables/more efficient heating comes afterwards. Plenty of homes are already efficient enough to run a heat pump effectively, but it is important to properly assess this. Where CHO is different to some other organisations is that they are very focused on using sustainable materials (i.e. natural). They do use rockwool (mineral wool) insulation which has quite high embodied carbon but is made from sand and rock, not plastic-based. Most of their work uses materials such as wood fibre, cork insulation, lime plasters. This is partly because there are a lot of traditional buildings in Oxfordshire. ### **Why are people interested in doing retrofit?** In the market CHO work in people are mostly spending their own money with possibly some small grants. The primary reasons for wanting to do retrofit are: - Reduce carbon emissions - Improve EPC rating e.g. ready for selling, as a better EPC can improve the selling price. This wasn’t the case 5 years ago but now the whole concept of retrofit is more widely understood. - Big rental market in Oxfordshire and with increased restrictions on landlords they are keen to make sure properties are up to the required standards. Many are also good landlords who don’t want tenants to be living in cold hard-to-heat properties. - Reduce energy consumption and bills - Want a more comfortable home - Prevent overheating in the summer – many people have loft rooms which might be office space or bedrooms which if not properly insulated overheat badly in summer - Improve indoor air quality. This is top of a lot of lists now especially post Covid and with media coverage which made people aware of the importance of ventilation in preventing damp and mould. ### **Trigger points - when do people decide to do the work?** Retrofit can be really disruptive and expensive, so there is usually a specific reason for doing it: - Moving home or extending. The extension will be built to latest building regulations so will be nice and warm - people want the rest of the house to be the same - New baby - Elderly relative moves in - Old boiler fails, and don’t want to put in a new gas boiler - Neighbours doing it – all the research and much of what CHO do demonstrates that people don’t like doing retrofit as an early adopter. They want to see it tried and tested and if a couple of people on a street have done it, it is much more likely that others will follow as they don’t want to be left behind either. - Government and local authority grants when on offer. ### **The retrofit journey** The process that CHO uses consists of three stages: **Consultancy** - Plan Builder app gives you an idea about what you could do - Call from retrofit co-ordinator to discuss requirements - Send out surveyor to get information about the house, measurements, insulation levels etc. - Information is sent to the retrofit co-ordinator who puts this on a software system from a company called Cotality – this calculates the heat demand of the house, estimates the fuel bills and the emissions and then works out what retrofit measures could be done and what the effect would be. CHO use the software output as the starting point to produce a Whole House Plan, but every house plan is bespoke and they go through it in lots of detail to make sure proposals fit with the house and the aspirations of the householder. **Technical** Some people don’t want to go any further after receiving the plan, but if they do choose to proceed CHO provides a technical specification and cost estimates. The estimates are based on previous work with known contractors so are more accurate than those in the software. **Installs** - The householder asks CHO to get quotes from contractors. - The contract is signed between the householder and the contractor; CHO is just an adviser. - The retrofit co-ordinator or another representative of CHO goes to the property and checks everything has been done correctly. - The work is signed off by the retrofit co-ordinator. ### **Case studies** **1970s 3 storey terrace house in Headington** This home had 3 occupants – they wanted to reduce emissions and improve the ventilation. They already had solar panels and a battery. Their budget was c£20,000. Prior to work starting the house had: - Low pitched roof with 100mm insulation - Cavity walls which had not been filled, plus a lot of windows. - Bathroom extractor which didn’t work well and vented into the loft causing mould and condensation in the loft - Most windows were pre-2002\. This is an important date as lots of developments in window design after that. There were no trickle vents and the vent fans didn’t work, so mould was forming - Not very well insulated hot water tank The software report showed: - High bills - Fairly good energy efficiency rating even though the house performed quite badly in terms of comfort. This was because of the solar panels which tend to push up the EPC rating. Hence solar is popular with landlords as it isn’t disruptive to tenants. - The software produces a graph showing which elements of the property are using the most energy. Highest consumption was hot water and then heating. Boiler inefficiency and heat losses through walls also quite high. > Heat demand = The energy required by the property to heat it divided by the floor area (kWh/m2) Heat demand can be used to compare houses of different sizes. Note all software figures are estimates not based on actual fuel bills, it uses assumptions about the number of people and the temperature they want to live at. If heat demand is calculated to be 90 or below the home will generally work with a heat pump quite efficiently without being too expensive to run. **Retrofit proposal to client** The analysis shows the potential effect on bills and heat demand of each of the measures. ***Phase 1*** - Cavity wall insulation - Increase loft insulation to 300mm - Replace older windows - Add ventilation ***Phase 2*** - External wall insulation ***Phase 3*** - Heat pump with new hot water tank and some upgraded radiators The householder went ahead with all Phase 1 measures but did not go for the external wall insulation as it was expensive, with limited impact on top of the cavity wall insulation. Also as the property is a terraced house it would have looked different to its neighbours. They did go with Phase 3 and put in a heat pump and new hot water tank. **Traditional house case study** Three common retrofit measures that CHO use for older, traditionally-built homes. ***Suspended timber floor insulation*** This is illustrated on the slides with a diagram from Ecological Building Systems8, a company that supplies sustainable retrofit materials but also provides training and free step by step guides. Installation process: - Lift up floor covering to expose floor joists, ensure minimum 150mm between the bottom of the joist and the ground, plus good cross ventilation. - Membrane is placed between and over the joists, secured with battens. - Add insulation, either mineral wool or wood fibre. Natasha doesn’t recommend sheep’s wool – despite being impregnated with Borax, after about 10 years the material is vulnerable to moths. She has personal experience of dealing with this as she has wool insulation in her own loft. There is now a new type of wool insulation which is treated differently but Borax flakes off over time. - A second moisture and airtightness membrane is added - Lay down the floor covering. This is quite an invasive and disruptive process. Usually under floors there is a lot of rubble that has to be dug out, plus sometimes crooked floor joists as well as a lot of pipework and so on that has to be worked around. Generally it requires much more work than you think! The case study house did this and put in underfloor heating too, which is worthwhile if you are pulling the floors up as it works well with a heat pump. ***Triple glazed timber windows*** There are regulations relating to work on buildings that are listed or in conservation areas – Oxford is very strict about applying these so windows have to look the same as the originals. CHO knows a couple of good manufacturers who make new triple glazed windows very similar to the original ones. In order to achieve a really high performing window it must be installed properly. This is the tricky part as there would often have been a traditional sash window with gaps and shafts behind it. A lot of work has to be done to make sure heat does not leak from around the window. There are good expanding tapes on the market, which are airtight, waterproof and windproof. CHO also use air tightness tapes on the inside. It’s extremely important to avoid creating a thermal bridge which will cause a cold spot and therefore mould. ***Room in roof insulation*** Lots of Victorian properties (and also modern ones) have rooms in the roof which can be really cold. People want to make sure these rooms are fully usable so want them properly insulated against cold in winter and overheating in summer. The system illustrated on the slides uses Steico wood fibre insulation. Again this is a fairly invasive process: - Start by stripping off plaster to expose the rafters - Install 50mm of flexible wood fibre between the joists, then a less flexible product in 50mm increments - Then a vapour control membrane. With roof rooms, all the moisture from the house ends up under the roof so it needs to be able to move through the fabric of the building. If you use plastic PIR insulation such as Celotex it is not permeable, so moisture can collect behind the rafters resulting in mould. It’s crucial to have a ventilation gap between the rafters and roofing membranes and a ventilation pathway allowing moisture to be wicked away through natural air movement. ### Retrofit going forward Tricky market currently due to economic uncertainty and governments backing down a little on their net zero commitments. However there is still a lot of interest in retrofit for other reasons. Grants are all around heat pumps rather than insulation which is quite short sighted. Some grants are available in social housing and for people in receipt of benefits, but none currently for people in the ‘able to pay’ market. There are finance options such as green mortgages and loans based on energy efficiency measures but generally research shows that people remain sceptical about taking out finance to pay for retrofit. There is lots of good information available online and several organisations in different areas offering a similar service to CHO. Contractors are skilling up now, this used to be a very weak point 3 years ago but that is changing. The Net Zero Skills Hub in Abingdon9 trains school leavers to do retrofit building works properly. There is driving force coming from local authorities and some town councils too. Oxford City Council have been great at getting funding for retrofit. CHO has launched the House Like Mine project10 with Oxford City Council. It took 12 of the most common house types in Oxford, analysed each one and produced a lot of material about the house demonstrating how to add solar, insulation etc. and what this would mean in terms of energy efficiency. These are free to all householders with a similar property, and are great for those who can’t afford the £300-£500 for a bespoke whole house plan. ### Q&A ***My family members have a mid-terrace Victorian house. They are interested in doing retrofit but worried it will be really expensive.*** Look at House Like Mine for the case studies which include a Victorian terrace. When planning work always try to work in stages and build stages around particular budgets. The Whole House Plan ensures things are done in an order which avoids undoing previous work. Most clients do not have lots of money to spend at once - people might ask ‘what can I do for £6k?’ and CHO can devise a plan. It doesn’t always need to be expensive and it doesn’t all need to be done at the same time. Cavity and loft insulation don’t cost the earth for example; internal insulation can be done room by room and there are some cheaper options for suspended timber floors. ***What’s the cost of getting an assessment completed?*** Based on the size of property - for 2-3 bedrooms it would be £300-£400, for a 5-bed it would be c£600\. The software enables analysis relatively cheaply, albeit with compromises in terms of using estimates and assumptions. With other packages which are more detailed and look at actual data a plan would cost c£3000, which most people aren’t able or prepared to spend. CHO surveyors are also qualified to do EPC assessments so can lodge an EPC certificate as well as doing the detailed survey. Useful if this is one of the motivations for doing the work. ***Floor insulation – is that a suspended ground floor, rather than between floors?*** Yes, but if doing a very deep retrofit where everything is being stripped back, it is quite common also to do intermediary floors to restrict heat losses where joists go into the wall and to provide sound insulation as well. ***Do you advocate cheaper measures too?*** Yes, very much in favour of these. When writing Whole House Plans Natasha always advocates things like thicker curtains and shutters. CHO often do thermal image surveys where the client isn’t sure where their money would be best spent. It’s amazing the difference even quite a thin blind pulled down over a window can make to heat loss. Old fashioned measures such as shutting doors, using draught excluders and putting strips of cork between floorboards in suspended timber floors are very effective. It’s worth going around the house to find draughts and gaps which can be sealed off. These are DIY tasks as not the sort of things contractors want to do unless they are already working on the property. ***Trickle vents on windows – isn’t that making the windows leaky?*** Yes, trickle vents are very hard to explain as it feels intuitively wrong! The latest update to building regulations means that unless you have a properly installed mechanical ventilation system in your house you are required to have trickle vents on all new windows. This is because there are so many problems caused by lack of ventilation. Ventilation works by extracting stale air and then replacing it with fresh air - this is the side of the equation that was not being met in some homes when insulation was improved. Trickle vents are sized so that there is a controlled amount of ventilation coming in - they can be shut off but shouldn’t be. Some now can be programmed to measure the humidity level and will open and close accordingly. Ventilation systems have developed hugely in the last few years. Trickle vents can now talk to extractor fans etc. They are needed; it does feel a bit mad to cut a hole in a well performing window, but the point is that it is controlled. ***Do you fit air to air heat pumps (as opposed to air to water where the water is heated to supply radiators)?*** Sometimes. Natasha is not an expert on these but they can be pretty good in open spaces, less so if the property has lots of smaller rooms. They are being developed and becoming better. Air to air heat pumps don’t qualify for the boiler upgrade grant which may be one reason they are not so common in the UK. They are very much used in other countries including Germany and Sweden. Air to air is good for small flats and much cheaper to install than air to water heat pumps especially if the home already has electric heaters installed. ***Can you tell us a bit more about the structure of CHO and how it is set up?*** Natasha is an independent consultant (by choice) but CHO also has 3 inhouse retrofit co-ordinators; these are employed by RetrofitWorks rather than CHO. The CHO team also includes a project lead and two admin and marketing staff. Low Carbon Hub has a fairly big team too and much of the CHO marketing is done through them. LCH is completely separate, they are a very successful community owned renewables group. CHO sits underneath RW and is closely interlinked with it. CHO is Oxfordshire based – there are similar organisations in other areas (see the final slide of Natasha’s presentation for some examples). Ecofurb and Furbnow are private companies and more national. Local schemes tend to work better as this enables building up relationships with local contractors who understand the local housing and how it is built. It is worth going to your local authority as they may have an account with Cotality already. LAs have to work out emissions for their own buildings and many use Cotality for this. It’s not too hard to learn how to use the software and if you can find good energy assessors who really know how to survey a house properly, you can get some homes surveyed and upload that data to Cotality. There will be independent retrofit co-ordinators in West Northamptonshire that know how to use this software already. Look at the archetype homes mentioned earlier, take a common house type and survey a couple, then see what interest you get. ### **AOB** - CA-WN is running another free Carbon Literacy course starting 2 June - Another chance to hear about retrofit - on Wednesday 21 May, Harborough Climate Action have an event about Family Home Retrofit, with Sarah van der Walt, energy consultant to new house builders. - Saturday 24 May - Festival of Nature in Kettering, put on by Kettering Nature Group. Free, great for families. Details on our What’s On page11 ### **Date of next meeting** Thursday 19 June 7:45pm, with guest speaker Bruce Durham from Harborough Woodland Community Volunteers. --- ### References 1\. [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Presentation\_15\_05\_2025.pdf](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Presentation%5F15%5F05%5F2025.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://youtu.be/ri7vfccCmpg](https://youtu.be/ri7vfccCmpg?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. [https://renovategreen.co.uk/](https://renovategreen.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. [https://www.bsigroup.com/siteassets/pdf/en/insights-and-media/insights/brochures/pas\_2035\_2023.pdf](https://www.bsigroup.com/siteassets/pdf/en/insights-and-media/insights/brochures/pas%5F2035%5F2023.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. [https://cosyhomesoxfordshire.org/](https://cosyhomesoxfordshire.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. [https://www.lowcarbonhub.org/](https://www.lowcarbonhub.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. [https://retrofitworks.co.uk/](https://retrofitworks.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8\. [https://www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com/](https://www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9\. [https://abingdon-witney.ac.uk/part-time/net-zero-skills-hub](https://abingdon-witney.ac.uk/part-time/net-zero-skills-hub?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 10\. [https://cosyhomesoxfordshire.org/a-house-like-mine/](https://cosyhomesoxfordshire.org/a-house-like-mine/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 1. ### Carbon Literacy training Summer 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/carbon-literacy-training-summer-2025/ Last updated: 2025-05-16T09:09:35.000Z Following the great success of our previous Carbon Literacy training courses, we're looking forward to offering the next 4-week course starting in early June. After completing the equivalent of one day's worth of training and committing to carbon-reducing actions, you will be deemed Carbon Literate and possess a certificate to prove it. Carbon Literacy is defined as: > **‘An awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis.’** The training will help you to better understand how climate change will affect us in different ways, how you can reduce your personal footprint, and will give you the confidence to talk about it. Talking about climate change is one of the most impactful things you can do when it comes to tackling it! This course, accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project1, will be held online on four consecutive Tuesday evenings, 7.00-9.00pm, starting 3rd June 2025\. **Who are the Course Leaders?** Our course is run by Clare Slater and Alexina Cassidy, members of the CA-WN Steering Committee. Both have experience running Carbon Literacy Courses over the last year and Alexina is an approved Carbon Literacy Project Facilitator. For more info, please see [here](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/team/). We are providing the training on a not-for-profit basis, so the cost will be £10 per person, which is passed straight through to the Carbon Literacy Trust to pay for your certificate. **Testimonials from previous courses.** 'The course was highly interactive and included up-to-date information'' 'The training is an opportunity to receive essential life information in an accessible and digestible way. 'Clare and Alexina were good presenters who interacted well with us zoomers'. 'Very informative and well delivered'. 'Plenty of content with links to other sources, very helpful'. 'Really information and thought-provoking'. You can sign up at Eventbrite here: [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-carbon-literacy-training-course-tickets-1366298167599?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-carbon-literacy-training-course-tickets-1366298167599?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) --- 1. The Project was established and is delivered by a Manchester-based not-for-profit organisation, Cooler Projects. The Project is held in trust for the people of Manchester and beyond and is overseen by The Carbon Literacy Trust. You can find more information here: [https://carbonliteracy.com](https://carbonliteracy.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### New in CA-WN Exchange for May URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/new-in-ca-wn-exchange-for-may/ Last updated: 2025-05-10T08:32:00.000Z This month's CA-WN Exchange highlights the **sustainability achievements of West Northamptonshire Council** over the past four years1, includes insights from Steering Group member **Mick Lorkin**s2, and features a post about **grasses**3 along with regular **bookshelf**,4 **podcast**5 and **recipe**6 suggestions. And it's **Hedgehog Awareness week**7. **Local Election 1 May 2025** CA-WN thanks voters whose chosen candidates would have aimed for a **sustainable future** for **West Northamptonshire**. CA-WN now commits to **collaborating constructively** with the new **administration** and reporting on their approach to **benefiting residents** and **local businesses.** ### LINKS **1** [**Council Watch May 2025 – End of Term Report**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-may-2025-end-of-term-report) **2** [**Meet the Steering Group - Mick Lorkins**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/meet-the-steering-group-mick-lorkins) **3** [**A Journey Through Grass**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/a-journey-through-grass-2) **4** [**The Bee Sting by Paul Murray**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-bee-sting-by-paul-murray) **5** [**The Happy Heat Pump Podcast**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/happy-heat-pump-podcast) **6**[ **Super Food Salad**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/super-food-salad) **7** [**Hedgehog Awareness Week**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/hedgehog-awareness-week) ### A Journey Through Grass URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/a-journey-through-grass-2/ Last updated: 2025-05-07T12:01:47.000Z Members of CA-WN are involved in a grassland project, which aims to draw attention to the nature recovery potential of areas of grassland from road-side verges to small meadows. As a member of this group I considered it worthwhile to explore the importance of grassland and its relationship to humans. There could be many chapters as we progress from an evolutionary history of grassland to the individual grass species in our lawns: Writing about grass is therefore a journey of many dimensions. ### A JOURNEY THROUGH GRASS ### Palaeontology influences investigations into the evolutionary origins of grasses. Prehistoric grasses are thought to date back to the Cretaceous period - a geological period that began 145 million years ago and ended 66 million years ago. Our planet's continents, once joined together as one supercontinent called Pangea, had begun to drift apart and by the Cretaceous were more or less in their present-day positions. However, the Earth was a lot warmer than it is today and there was little or no ice at the North or South Poles.1 Temperate rainforest grew close to the poles, and included trees such as the Chilean Pine, *Araucaria Araucana,* or as most of us know it: the Monkey Puzzle tree. There is one growing perfectly happily in a neighbour’s garden; astonishing to imagine it providing food and shelter for T. Rex and Pterodactyls in the Cretaceous! Other familiar trees of our parks and gardens with Cretaceous provenance are cycads (tree ferns), redwoods (sequoia species) and gingko species. There are several gingko trees in Abington Park, Northampton. The Cretaceous period saw the evolution of the largest ever dinosaurs, the sauropods in the southern hemisphere1 and while they were reptilian, their grazing behaviour was redolent of modern mammal herds of the expansive savannah or prairie landscapes across our continents. A puzzle for palaeobotanists has been: did dinosaurs eat grass? It was thought that Cretaceous grazing landscapes were dominated by ferns and cycads which the ‘vegesaurs’ ate, but in 2005 a discovery in India of coprolites (fossilised animal dung) from the late Cretaceous period showed stems of grass and moreover a diverse assemblage of grasses (Bristol project 2011)2. A coprolite provides the ‘hard minimum’ – fossilised evidence of the existence of grass in the late Cretaceous, and demonstrates that some dinosaurs did feed on grass. It is acknowledged that the diversity of grasses was poor but other flowering plants were evolving at this time and with them insects. It was a massively productive time evolutionarily, but which ended suddenly with the ‘mass extinction’ of 78% of species on the planet 66 million years ago when a giant asteroid hit the earth somewhere off the east Mexican coast1. Grass species survived along with many plant groups. Plants are better able than animals to survive catastrophe, as they can regrow from rooting systems, buds and other parts. Plants also have the advantage of creating vast quantities of seeds that, in some cases, can survive in the soil for decades until conditions are right for them to begin to grow. Ecological variation within groups also helps in the face of catastrophe. Plant families like the grasses produce a huge variety of types for all soils and climates and have annual and perennial varieties. Grasses like most plants are resilient and adaptive. ### So: What is the grass? What is its biology? Walt Whitman, the American poet, writes in answer to the question posed by a child “What is the grass?”, following a number of musings in his poem ‘*The Leaves of Grass*’: “Or I guess the grass is itself a child. . .the produced babe of the vegetation”. We will see though, that grass, rather than being a forerunner of trees or a ‘babe’ of other vegetation, is very independent and dictates its own ecosystem organisation! Grasses belong to the Grass Family, a group of plants with the scientific name Poaceae or Graminae3. Grasses are the fifth-largest family of angiosperms (flowering plants), existing all over the world and in very different conditions – wet, dry, cold and hot. This family can be divided into 2 groups or clades\*: the BOP clade which contains more cool temperate species, and the PACMAD clade which is warm temperate or tropical. Both terms BOP and PACMAD are mnemonics of their subgroup names3. What is interesting is that both clades have links to early grass evolution and diversification. The BOP clade contains a subgroup with rye grass, wheat and barley, another of bamboo species and another of rice and wild rice. The PACMAD clade includes maize, sorghum, sugar cane and pampas grass. This means that the cereal grasses which are now grown commercially on what would have been natural grassland whether prairie, steppe or savannah, are related genetically to paleo grass species! Imagine sharing a bowl of cornflakes with a Late Cretaceous Triceratops. It is important to note that grasses are angiosperms (flowering plants) but are monocots which means they have one starch store or cotyledon in the seed embryo. A monocot plant grows from a single stem base and the roots grow vertically down from the stem forming a fibrous mass. Monocot leaves are blades growing up from the stem. Grasses are adapted to the effects of wind and heat in open spaces which increases evapotranspiration. The blade leaf shape protects against moisture loss. All grasses are wind pollinated and produce lots of seed to ensure seed dispersal. They also have rhizomes and stolons which enable them to spread vegetatively4. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/04/Creepinginfographic.png) The structure of a single grass stem is important and in association with a myriad of varieties of these monocots, grassland becomes a foundational layer – a protector of the soil. The root depth of individual species varies, so forming a deep mat to protect against temperature and moisture changes and therefore soil erosion. There is a species of American prairie grass, *Sorgastrum nutens*, for example, that reaches 4.6 metres below the surface3. With other deep rooting grasses in association the prairies are responsible for their own survival against intense weather systems such as tornadoes or snowfall and because their growth emanates from a single stem at soil level with the majority of their carbon stored below ground, they are adapted to the fires that can also whip through. They grow back from the same stem. A fire would be the equivalent of a lawn mower cutting a lawn. About 90% of the carbon stored by grasslands is in roots and soil carbon5. This underground storage means that when grasslands burn or are grazed, the carbon they store remains largely intact. Managed burning and grazing can promote grass growth, leading to increased carbon storage. Julia Rosen, an environmental writer and journalist, notes that “grasslands store less carbon per acre than forests, on average, but in a volatile climate, they can often store it longer.”9. As well as the storage of carbon, grasslands exert a strong influence on global climate regulation through atmospheric cooling due to their high surface ‘albedo’ effect which is their ability to reflect light6. ### The human dimension Ten million years ago, grasslands covered one third of the globe. Homo sapiens evolved in and around the savannahs of Africa. Julia Rosen states ‘we are grass people’9. There is evidence of tropical grass species from leaf fossils or phytoliths and micro-fragments of charcoal in the lake sediments of the Turkana Basin in Kenya, where Homo species evolved8. This indicates that early Homo species had to adapt to natural wild fire events as they roamed the grasslands. The expansion of grassland and the migrations of early humans seem to be simultaneous. In her article ‘*Trees are overrated*’9, Rosen suggests there is cultural bias and scientific confusion in researchers’ attitudes to grassland: that European scientists prefer forests and have undervalued grasslands and have assumed that successional processes will always progress to tree cover in any ecosystem that could support trees. Joseph Veldman of Texas University described this as ‘arboreal chauvinism’ (2015), or ‘the tyranny of trees,’ but his research did confirm that grasslands are distinct ecosystems sustained by their own versions of ecosystem processes9. He explained that old-growth grasslands are like ancient forests and take centuries to build up biodiversity and carbon stores. We can recognise how important grasslands are to biodiversity since we all understand that they support life, ranging from megafauna such as lions and elephants to pollinators and wild flowers. A mountain grassland in Argentina holds the record for the most plant species found within a square metre of land: 89. The work of Julia Rosen and Joseph Veldman is worth reading providing many case studies of grassland restoration and nature-based management strategies7. They both question the attention now given to grasslands as providing carbon credit scores for offsetting in the same way that land is bought up by corporations for tree planting as a means of carbon offsetting10. Their work focuses attention to the value of any swathe, verge or field of grass as potential for nature recovery in any locality. However, one challenge is cultural bias in the perceptions we have of what is aesthetically pleasing, whether urban green spaces or rural landscapes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/04/Tufty.png) Grassland valuable for nature may not always be pleasing to human eyes. (photo credit Clare Robertson-Marriott) I attempted some years ago to ‘rewild’ a verge in the village where I live. It was a naïve effort. From April to June the field poppies were stunning – it became a show of annual wild flowers with some clover and people loved it until by July and certainly August, a brown weedy unkempt and ragged collection of decay and death resulted in a meeting in my absence and a decision to mow back and revert to the acceptability of a neat green border to the road! However, in terms of biodiversity and the nature recovery target of 30% improvement by 2030, restoring grasslands of any size or nature is vital. The importance of grass species for climate mitigation and carbon sequestration is better known now and research is ongoing. Our task could be to view those swathes, verges, lawns, gardens, parks and fields as potential projects for nature recovery. We examine what is there, identify the grasses and other plants, consider the insect and other life they support, and plan to expand and improve. Every grassy area can be re-imagined as a potential site for nature recovery. In this way the ‘babe of vegetation’ is the beginning of the journey to nature recovery through grass. *\*A clade is a natural group of organisms with one common ancestor and all descendants from that one (mono) ancestor. A clade can also be called a monophyletic group.* REFERENCES 1\. [https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-cretaceous-period.html](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-cretaceous-period.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/the-bristol-dinosaur-project](https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/the-bristol-dinosaur-project?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. [https://evolution.earthathome.org/grasses/diversity](https://evolution.earthathome.org/grasses/diversity?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. [https://bowls-central.co.uk/how-grass-works/](https://bowls-central.co.uk/how-grass-works/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. Grassland soil carbon sequestration: Current understanding, challenges, and solutions. *Science* **377**, 603–608 (2022) 6\. [https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(21)00889-7](https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2821%2900889-7?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354757004\_Focusing\_on\_individual\_plantsto\_understand\_community\_scale\_biodiversity\_effects\_the\_case\_of\_root\_distributionin\_grasslands](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354757004%5FFocusing%5Fon%5Findividual%5Fplantsto%5Funderstand%5Fcommunity%5Fscale%5Fbiodiversity%5Feffects%5Fthe%5Fcase%5Fof%5Froot%5Fdistributionin%5Fgrasslands?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8\. [https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.568646/full](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.568646/full?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9\. [https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/07/climate-change-tree-planting-preserve-grass-grasslands/670583/](https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/07/climate-change-tree-planting-preserve-grass-grasslands/670583/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 10\. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-61020316](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-61020316?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Council Watch May 2025 – End of Term Report URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-may-2025-end-of-term-report/ Last updated: 2025-05-07T07:42:18.000Z Four years ago, the first West Northamptonshire Council was elected – a unitary authority that replaced four predecessors: Daventry Borough Council, Northampton Borough Council, Northamptonshire County Council and South Northamptonshire District Council. Lots of shoes to fill, and not an easy transition to make. There is now a new group of councillors in charge, but the council as an entity has the same duties and responsibilities to us, the residents of West Northamptonshire. This seemed like a good time to review the story of WNC so far, through a climate lens. ## Some highlights ### 2021 - Declaration of climate emergency by WNC –symbolic but important ### 2022 - WNC joined UK1001, a network of local authorities with ambitious Net Zero plans. WNC’s commitment is to deliver net zero as an authority by 2030, and for the area as a whole by 20452. - Launch of Sustainable West Northants, an initiative linking WNC’s sustainability targets to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, which it is fair to say perhaps didn’t have as much impact as was hoped. - Formation of the cross-party Sustainability Working Group and recruiting WNC’s Sustainability Team have been more enduring positive steps - Northampton Partnership Homes (owned by WNC) commenced a whole house retrofit project which improved over 470 homes ### 2023 - Issue of a Baseline Emissions Report for 2021/222. Potentially a little dry, but essential to establish a benchmark against which to measure future emissions. - WNC joined the Investors in the Environment scheme3 and later achieved a Bronze Award. - Publication of the council’s first Sustainability Report2 \- an important milestone, though it would have been good to see stronger vision and commitments. The report indicated increased emissions of 3.4% vs the baseline report, not ideal but evidence of honest reporting. - Climate Strategies approved for Estate and for Construction & Maintenance4. These were detailed, thorough and set out comprehensive plans for reducing carbon emissions. Bravo. ### 2024 - Second annual Sustainability Report. This included plans to implement a heat network and to decarbonise leisure centres - Climate Change Strategy went out for consultation and was subsequently formally adopted by the WNC Cabinet in March 2025\. A good piece of work, though not backed by funding to support its ambition. - Work commenced on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, due to be finalised in 2025 ## And a few lowlights…. - Active travel – there has really been nothing positive to say about progress in this area during the last four years. Delivery of an Active Travel Strategy seemed endlessly delayed, and whilst LCWIPs (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans) have been issued for the area’s urban centres there’s been little sense of urgency about actually making changes. We must mention here the team at Living Streets Northampton3, whose good work CA-WN has often relied on. - Co-ordinated approach – from outside the council the various strands of work to deliver on WNC’s Net Zero pledges and other environmental targets seemed to some degree fragmented, and we’d have liked to see stronger and more consistent communications on climate and environmental topics too. --- References 1\. [https://www.uk100.org/](https://www.uk100.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/sustainable-west-northants/sustainability-west-northants-council](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/sustainable-west-northants/sustainability-west-northants-council?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. [https://www.iie.uk.com/](https://www.iie.uk.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/business/estates-management](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/business/estates-management?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. [https://livingstreetsnorthampton.org/](https://livingstreetsnorthampton.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Super Food Salad URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/super-food-salad/ Last updated: 2025-05-07T07:37:26.000Z The veggie boxes have reached that point in the year when the main thing on the list is brassica of varying sorts, onions, and, thank goodness, carrots. Whilst we really enjoy carrot salad, and lovely though steamed calabrese and broccoli are served cold in a vinaigrette sauce, it’s good to ring the changes. With the unbelievably hot ten days just gone I was looking for something different that wouldn’t entail too much cooking. When I examined the contents of the fridge and the pantry I realised I had everything I needed to make this salad, and an added bonus were pomegranate seeds, spotted on the shelf in the supermarket. We almost always have cucumber and celery in the fridge, as well as walnuts, cashews and almonds, short grain brown rice and chickpeas in the stock cupboard. This is one of those recipes where it’s impossible to give exact quantities and where, honestly, you can vary the ingredients to suit your personal taste. Here’s a rough guide, anyway. It will serve as a main course for 3 to 4 people with polite appetites, or two hungry people! - 120g dried chickpeas (or a can) - 200g short grain brown rice - 25 – 30g each of cashew nuts, whole almonds and walnuts. Don’t mix these nuts till you have toasted them - 1 medium – large carrot, preferably scrubbed, not peeled - ½ cucumber - ½ head of calabrese broccoli, or several stems of tenderstem or purple sprouting broccoli - 1 – 2 tablespoonfuls each of pumpkin and sunflower seeds - 2 – 3 tablespoonfuls of pomegranate seeds - Vinaigrette sauce made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. You may want to add a couple of cloves of crushed garlic, and could substitute organic rapeseed oil for the olive oil if you prefer it. - Chopped fresh parsley – add marjoram and thyme if you have them. If you’re planning ahead, soak the chickpeas for six hours, then cook in the usual way – place them in a pan and cover with water to a good depth, bring to the boil on the hob, then simmer for about 75 minutes. Remember to reserve the juice when they’re cooked – it’s full of goodness and you can freeze it till needed. If you prefer, substitute a can of ready-to-use chickpeas. Cook the rice – it takes 20 – 25 minutes on a simmer (top up the liquid if it’s in danger of boiling dry). Give it the bite test after 20 mins. When you’ve drained it, rinse it under cold running water till it’s thoroughly cooled and refrigerate at once, till needed. You’ll need approximately 2 large mugfuls of the rice once cooked. (If you have more rice than intended, freeze it till you can use it for something else, cooked rice that’s not properly stored can be an unsuspected vector of a nasty food poisoning bug, bacillus cereus). Place the almonds in one baking tray, the cashews in another, and bake in a medium oven for about ten minutes, then remove the cashews, leaving the almonds for 2 – 3 minutes longer. Don’t walk away and leave them in the oven, they can overbrown quite easily and will be bitter if singed. Once they’ve cooled, add to the walnuts, chop them roughly and set aside. Cut the carrot lengthways into slivers and then chop it roughly, but not too small. Dice the cucumber, leaving the skin on it. Using a mandolin peeler, remove as many of the stringy bits as possible from the celery, then slice into ½ centimetre chunks. Divide the calabrese into florets then steam or blanch them. This should be a quick process; if left to cook for too long the vitamin content is depleted and the florets will quickly become mushy. They should be pleasantly al dente. If using tenderstem or purple sprouting, chop the stems finely and cook for two or three minutes before adding the heads. As soon as they are cooked, rinse under running cold water to stop the cooking process. When all the ingredients are cold, mix them together, leaving the calabrese or broccoli to one side for the moment. Now add to a medium- to-large bowl containing the vinaigrette and mix thoroughly again. If the mixture seems slightly dry, add more olive oil. Now add the chopped broccoli stems and mix lightly again. Finally, add the calabrese or broccoli, don’t stir this in or it will get mashed up. Sprinkle the chopped herbs over the top. Serve in individual bowls, garnishing with cos lettuce leaves. Et bon appetit! ### Meet the Steering Group - Mick Lorkins URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/meet-the-steering-group-mick-lorkins/ Last updated: 2025-05-07T07:37:09.000Z **Q1\. *What is your motivation for being involved with the environmental movement and with CA-WN in particular?*** I retired in 2023 and have always been keen on environmental issues and wanted to do more. Before retirement I would always ensure that, as part of my job as a project manager, environmental issues were part of the wider plans. My last project was a school build in the northwest and that school had Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) for heating and hot water, solar panels, batteries, was super insulated and ventilated. In my own house I have also installed an ASHP, Solar panels and a battery. The desire or need to do more for the environment has led me to join CA-WN and the Umbrella Fair Organisation. As a individual an amount of environmental issues can be addressed but as a group working together much more can be achieved. CA-WN has a group of committed and dedicated people meeting regularly to make a difference. From information, videos and meeting notes on-line I could see CA-WN were saying the same things that I was thinking. The CA-WN website is a fantastic local resource directing people to events and meetings and is packed with information so I felt had to join! **Q2*. What other roles do you have in your life outside of being involved with CA-WN?*** Outside CA-WN I am a father and a husband and I wonder what my generation is going to leave future generations if we just sit back and let business as usual be the way forward. Change is needed. Governments move slowly but local groups can make the difference. **Q3*. If you were given one wish to change something in West Northamptonshire what would it be?*** I used to work for Northampton Borough Council which is part of the recently formed West Northants Council. I wrote the ‘Northampton Economic Regeneration Strategy’. The strategy was directed by elected members but feel to some extent I have had a fair go at changing some things in Northampton. I did suggest to the members to put solar panels on all council houses, in a business plan (about 15 years ago). Perhaps this could be revisited. **Q4\. *What one change have you made for the climate in your own life that you are happiest about and why?*** I have recently set up the Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers to promote the More Trees Now method of relocating sapling trees. In the winter trees are rescued from woodlands where they grow in the shade under the mother tree and will eventually die from lack of water, nutrients and sunlight. These small trees are dug up using volunteers and given away to other tree woodland planting projects to create more woodlands. Last season 2024/25 we rescued 750 trees between knee and shoulder height. They were given away for free and went to 11 local tree planting projects. We plan to do more digging and planting in winter 2025/26. If you are interested please join our Facebook page ref. [ Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers | Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/northamptonshirewoodlandcommunityvolunteers) **Q5\. *Tell us something about yourself that people might find surprising.*** When I was younger I used to work for GEC Alstom Turbine Generators and commission the building of the turbine side of a nuclear power station in China. Nuclear power is one of those subjects that divides the environmental community. In one respect it produces very large amounts of electricity with no carbon emissions (excluding the build) but brings with it a decommissioning legacy. If we were not in a climate emergency other option would be preferable. As a comparison, Hinkley will produce the equivalent of 3,200 wind turbines. The UK currently has 11,500 turbines of which 2,652 are off shore. (Ref Google). PS I still have a strong desire to have my own micro generation wind turbine in my own garden. It is currently a key element of UK micro power production that could be installed on all houses in the UK but is overlooked. ### The Bee Sting by Paul Murray URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-bee-sting-by-paul-murray/ Last updated: 2025-05-07T07:36:53.000Z Paul Murray’s novel, *The Bee Sting*, which won the inaugural [Nero Gold Prize](https://nerobookawards.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and was shortlisted for the [Booker](https://thebookerprizes.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) prize, is a critically acclaimed tragicomic saga about an Irish family. It is also a book that, according to its author, cannot and should not ignore the climate crisis. Murray states that while climate worry wasn't the sole motivation for the book, he sees it as the "unavoidable background for being alive in the 21st century". He feels strongly that authors today have a responsibility to address this subject, expressing concern about new books that bypass it entirely. In fact, Murray finds the guilt associated with climate impact, such as simply turning on a light, to be immense, perhaps even more potent than that inspired by religion1. In *The Bee Sting*, concern about climate change is woven through the narrative. While the book follows the struggles of an Irish family keeping dangerous secrets, the environmental theme is present. One notable element is the character of Willie, who, although a minor character, delivers a stirring political speech about climate change. As an avid consumer of news articles, books and reviews on climate change, this section struck me as perhaps the best explanation of the climate crisis that I have ever read. I have a bookmarked it in the book and revisit it often for inspiration. For readers, *The Bee Sting* offers a compelling example of how the pressing realities of our time can be integrated into popular and literary fiction. It’s a meaty book with a wide array of fascinating characters and a grippingly tense ending. For lovers of fiction, it is one of a number of recent novels that portrays climate worry is an inescapable part of modern life. Excitingly, talks are taking place to make it into a TV series. 1 [Interview with Paul Murray on the Booker Prizes website](https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/paul-murray-interview-the-bee-sting?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ### Happy Heat Pump Podcast URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/happy-heat-pump-podcast/ Last updated: 2025-05-07T07:36:38.000Z Our latest contributor to the Meet the Steering Group feature, Mick Lorkins, mentions in his piece that he has installed an Air Source Heat Pump in his home, along with other eco-friendly improvements. Coincidentally I recently became aware of this podcast specifically dedicated to demystifying heat pumps of all kinds. It's hosted by Evan Davis of BBC fame (though this is emphatically NOT a BBC product) and Bean Beanland from the Heat Pump Federation. It consists of 20 fairly short episodes providing clear and helpful information about all aspects of heat pumps. Sadly it appears it came to an end due to BBC concerns about impartiality. Well worth a watch (it is on YouTube) if you are thinking of installing a heat pump, which I guess an awful lot of us will be at some point. [Happy Heat Pump PodcastEvan Davis & Bean Beanland talk about anything and everything to do with Heat Pumps. It’s a UK objective to replace gas boilers over the coming two decades, with heat pumps being seen as the obvious alternative. It will be a massive project to change the way we heat our homes - we might be installing 25 million of these devices in the next three decades. So what are they? What do they cost? What are the positives and negatives of heat pumps? Always curious about the scale of the transition upon which we are set to embark, Evan & Bean will be looking at heat pumps in a dispassionate way.. hoping to inform you if you’re thinking of buying one, if you work in the industry, or if you are simply interested in the journey to net zero. Please do get in touch with any questions and we will try to answer them in future episodes happyheatpumppod@gmail.com or please leave a happy comment.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/xi6xEiepkrTpN7g6Ec2wjfjBoshxxjct18OMqjNprWWz5QzLez6aMSg9-SzQlqj_LmZKHR8SmG0-s900-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj)](https://www.youtube.com/@happyheatpumppodcast?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Hedgehog Awareness Week URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/hedgehog-awareness-week/ Last updated: 2025-05-02T07:44:53.000Z ### The 2025 national campaign to help hedgehogs runs from 4 –10 May. **Do you have hedgehogs in your neighbourhood?** Hedgehogs play a vital role in controlling insect populations and are an important part of our ecosystem, but they face growing threats from habitat loss and road traffic. **What can we do?** In our garden, we can feed hedgehogs a variety of foods to support them. They primarily eat insects, worms, and other invertebrates, but can also be offered: • Cat or dog food (preferably wet food or high-quality dry food) • Boiled eggs (cut into small pieces) • Fruits like apples, pears, and berries (in moderation) • Vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes (but avoid onions, garlic, and salty foods) It's important **not to feed them milk** as it can cause digestive issues. **Mealworms** are also **not recommended** for hedgehogs, as they cause calcium deficiency. **Water is essential**, so yes, you should leave a shallow bowl of fresh water for them, especially during dry weather. Hedgehogs can become dehydrated, and easy access to water will help them stay healthy. Putting out any food can attract all sorts of animals, not just hedgehogs but pets or foxes too so consider making your own hedgehog feeding station - see below for further sources of advice. **Have you seen them?** People who have been lucky enough to see hedgehogs in Litchborough have marked their sighting on a map. If you have seen them in your area you might consider helping to understand where hedgehogs are in the UK and where they are missing by marking their location on the Big Hedgehog map – see below. **What more can we do to help?** In addition to mapping hedgehog sightings, people in Litchborough are looking to create a ***Hedgehog Highway*** within their village. Carefully designed pathways will enable hedgehogs to find food, mates, and shelter, especially as their natural habitats become fragmented. Gaps in fences, walls, or hedges allow hedgehogs to move freely between gardens or natural spaces. A conveniently placed ***Hedgehog Highway*** sign will explain the purpose of these small holes. To learn more about hedgehogs there are two national charities: [**People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES)**](http://www.ptes.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and the [**British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS)**](http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). who together run [**Hedgehog Street**](https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) where you can [map your hedgehog sighting](https://bighedgehogmap.org/holes-for-hedgehogs-home/map-hedgehog-sighting?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Our thanks to Litchborough Parish Councillor Teresa Cox for alerting us to the plight of hedgehogs and how her Parish is helping them, and to Chris Watts who helped design Litchborough's informative hedgehog leaflet whose words have been incorporated in this post. ### 17 April Public Meeting report URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/17-april-public-meeting-report/ Last updated: 2025-05-05T19:06:43.000Z This month’s meeting was slightly different to the usual format featuring an external guest speaker. Instead CA-WN’s Chair led an open discussion about climate adaptation risk – what are the risks to the residents and environment of our area from climate change and what should we be doing to prepare ourselves. This meeting was recorded and is available on the CA-WN YouTube channel1. **Present**: Alison Barlow, David Garlick, James Hadfield, Jonathan Harris, Rupert Knowles, Mike Longman, Mick Lorkins, Harry Mellor, Dave Pearson, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Emmie Williamson, Jane Wood. **Apologies**: Alexina Cassidy, Roy Hawkesford, Clare Slater, Maria Lee ### **Why Climate Adaptation?** Definition of climate adaptation (from Wikipedia): > **“*the process of adjusting to the effects of climate change, both current and anticipated”*** Adaptation is an important topic which is often overlooked in all the focus on reaching Net Zero and decarbonising our economy. It is now clear to most people that climate change is real and is caused by human beings; furthermore the amount of greenhouse gas emissions already released into the atmosphere mean that we cannot avoid being impacted by the resulting changes in climate. Attendees were asked for their views on climate adaptation – points raised included: - Many people are still in the climate denier camp, including some geologists who argue that similar changes have happened before, overlooking the fact that this time the changes are taking place over decades rather than millennia. - Practical need for adaptation e.g. changes in agricultural productivity vs ‘deep adaptation’ – the psychological aspects of adaptation, which requires deep acceptance and finding community - Inequalities in the ability to adapt – some can afford to install air conditioning for example – those who can’t are more likely to suffer health effects of heatstroke - Building resilient communities requires inequalities to be addressed – this needs political discussion and action by the council, possibly in conjunction with neighbouring regions, to drive action to address inequality at a local level. Training should be provided to ward councillors on the need for resilience and how to protect people - Bio-regionalism – getting to know the geography etc of one’s own area - is very linked to adaptation - Managing the impacts of climate will require a collaborative effort and authorities need to start preparing for that - The Russians seem to be seeing climate change as an opportunity due to the warming up of the Arctic resulting in the northwest passage being open for longer and currently uninhabitable parts of Russia becoming liveable - Expectations of an ever-increasing standard of living are unrealistic and those who have more must learn to share. Migration will be a significant factor driven by land becoming uninhabitable. This needs to be dealt with proactively and collaboratively - The government does not appear to have an adaptation policy – the coastal policy appears to be one of managed retreat, so there should be restrictions on building within a certain distance of the coast where it is vulnerable to erosion ### **Why risk assessment?** Carrying out a formal climate risk assessment in a 75 minute meeting is impractical but it is still useful to think about climate adaptation in a risk context. This provides a framework for identifying and prioritising the risks associated with climate change. Definition of risk from the UK Climate Change Committee: > **“*the process of adjusting to the effects of climate change, both current and anticipated”*** Overview of the risk management process: - Identify risks in a structured way using risk categories - Assess the risks, this is normally done by ranking risks according to likelihood and impact. Obviously the risks you need to focus on first are the high likelihood, high impact ones. The assessment step includes looking at what is already in place to manage the risk - The next step is to take additional actions where needed; these would aim to either reduce the likelihood or the impact. You could for example implement some of the Natural Flood Management measures discussed at our March meeting by Alan Ryan and Sarah Parry from the RAIN project. You can’t cut the chance of having a very heavy downpour, but you can take steps to reduce the level of damage that it causes. - Once actions are in place, the risks must be monitored to track the effect of actions being taken - This is an iterative process, so risk identification is repeated regularly to check for any new risks and review the status of existing ones. What might life be like in our area in 5, 10, 15 years’ time with a changed climate and what can we do to prepare ourselves for that? ### **UK Climate Risk Assessment2** The most recent UK Climate Risk Independent Assessment was published in 2022 (required to be produced every 5 years). It includes an assessment of 61 risks. They are rated according to the level of urgency of action required within the next 5 years – all the risks are considered to be inherently high, but the rating depends on the effectiveness of management actions already in place. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/04/CA-WN-April-2025-Climate-Adaptation-RA_-1.jpg) Alongside the national risk report is issued a toolkit for local authorities3 to carry out a similar assessment of climate risks – if this hasn’t been done for WN it would be worthwhile. The Met Office provide a set of data showing how the climate might be expected to change across the UK under different levels of global warming4. ### **The Basics of Life** To help focus this discussion, the effects of climate change are being considered in terms of the impact on the basics of life – Air, Water, Food and Shelter (or Housing). How will these be affected by climate change and what adaptive actions can we take? ### **Air** - We need to consider natural pollutants such as pollen as well as human-generated ones – there is more pollen and this may be added to by new species moving north. - The warming oceans are affecting the aquatic ecosystems which absorb carbon, and we may also see reduced levels of atmospheric oxygen5 - Air pollution is gradually dropping as older, more polluting vehicles are replaced by cleaner newer models - The levels of atmospheric CO2 are gradually increasing, from 300 ppm (parts per million) 50 years ago outdoors to around 420 ppm today. As a roomful of people breathe normally they increase indoor CO2 levels. Researchers have found that airborne viruses survive longer as CO2 concentrations rise6. Consequently, unventilated indoor spaces present a threat to public health. As atmospheric CO2 levels continue to increase there will be a greater requirement for public buildings to be mechanically ventilated. The drive for airtightness and energy efficiency needs to take into account ventilation. - Blocking weather patterns, when local high pressure stops normal changes in weather, prevent polluted air from being dissipated presenting a danger to vulnerable people. - Hospitals and care homes are not well designed to be comfortable during heatwaves - Dry weather results in a lot of dust in the air - Potential actions include: - Green infrastructure to reduce pollution - Enforce building regs to improve ventilation - Better monitoring of indoor air quality ### **Water** - We are seeing more frequent flooding of properties in West Northamptonshire – there is a risk that householders are unable to obtain insurance at an affordable price as has already happened in parts of the USA and Australia - There were plans in the 1980s to put in place infrastructure to move water around the UK from wetter to drier areas. There is now a project proposed to shift water from north to south using the Grand Union Canal (Grand Union Canal Transfer). - Installation of tanks to collect grey water for reuse should be mandated for new build properties. - Impact on agriculture of both water shortages and excess rainfall during some months making it impossible to plant crops. Possible solutions include agro-forestry – where crops and trees are planted together (though trees take up a lot of water as well as providing shade). Complementary planting such as the Three Sisters method is another solution7. Moulton College are now teaching regenerative agriculture including planting trees and crops alongside each other dependent on the specific locality. - The risk of surface water flooding is now higher, whereas previously the main risk came from rivers bursting their banks - Impact of energy, transport and comms failures on water infrastructure - Higher risk of subsidence causing burst pipes - In the UK it’s a question of storing and distributing water as we don’t have an overall shortage. At a local level this can include water butts even on commercial buildings. - Potential actions include: - Implement Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS). - Natural Flood Management including green infrastructure in urban areas - Consistent indicators of flood risk resilience - Better monitoring and information - Water Resource Management Plans – proposals include desalination and water recycling schemes - Households reduce water consumption - Reduce leakage - Use of porous materials (including grass) instead of paving ### **Food** - Disruption to agriculture and food supply chains has the potential to impact food security. There is official advice that people should keep a supply of non-perishable food and water to use in case of emergency. However, with increased use of food banks, it isn’t realistic for everyone to keep a stock of surplus food, plus this will require effective stock management which would be better done at a larger scale. - Risk of pests, pathogens and invasive species - Climate change overseas could affect UK food security and safety - An increase in people growing their own food would help but not replace the volume of food supplied by supermarkets. - It may be necessary to accept that the choice and abundance of food we currently enjoy isn’t sustainable; that the vision of maintaining current ‘developed world’ lifestyles in a decarbonised world isn’t realistic. People need to learn to adapt to what’s available. - Large retailers no longer maintain significant stocks of food. A recent report on food security8 included in its recommendations moving from a ‘just in time’ to ‘just in case’ food system. No one wants to see more warehouses but if supermarkets were required to hold contingency food supplies, these would need to be stored somewhere. - Shortages in shops are triggered by some people buying more than usual, as the shelves are stocked according to normal patterns of consumption. This type of overbuying needs to be controlled. - Can owners of land in urban areas be supported to make this available for growing food – there is not consistent availability of allotments in all areas. - What we eat is important – a lot of land is used to grow food for cattle for people to then eat the meat. - Potential actions include: - Sustainable soil policy initiatives - Precision farming technology - Integrate adaptation & mitigation strategies and planning - Improved bio-security and monitoring - UK Food Security Index (introduced 2024) - Protect groups vulnerable to food insecurity - Pest resistant varieties and diversification ### **Housing** We did not have time to cover Housing in the discussion, but hope to pick this up at a later date. ### **Conclusions** Local planning function needs to be revised to have much better focus on adapting to the effects of climate change. CA-WN has an important role to play in terms of education and information, as well as challenging those in authority to do better. Perhaps we could organise a climate adaptation event. ### **AOB** - The West Northamptonshire Sustainable Food Network is organising a Food Summit on 3 July – please get in touch if you are interested in attending. - The West Northamptonshire Climate and Nature has an Adaptation workstream – again please get in touch if you’d be interested in joining this. ### **Dates of next meetings** **Thursday May 15** \- Natasha Ginks from [https://www.renovategreen.co.uk/](https://www.renovategreen.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and Cosy Homes Oxfordshire **Thursday June 19** \- Bruce Durham from Harborough Woodland Community Volunteers, on "*Climate Action through Woods, Water, Wildlife and Wellness to reduce flood risk"* --- ### References 1\. [https://youtu.be/Pc4xK2ha7uo](https://youtu.be/Pc4xK2ha7uo?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [ukclimaterisk.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Technical-Report-The-Third-Climate-Change-Risk-Assessment.pdf](https://www.ukclimaterisk.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Technical-Report-The-Third-Climate-Change-Risk-Assessment.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. [https://localpartnerships.gov.uk/resources/climate-adaptation-toolkit/](https://localpartnerships.gov.uk/resources/climate-adaptation-toolkit/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. [https://themetoffice.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/506ff7d53c884badb0d8fd36d6280a91](https://themetoffice.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/506ff7d53c884badb0d8fd36d6280a91?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. [https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-will-future-warming-and-co2-emissions-affect-oxygen-concentrations](https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-will-future-warming-and-co2-emissions-affect-oxygen-concentrations?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. [Scientists discover higher levels of CO2 increase survival of viruses in the air and transmission risk](https://www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/news/2024/virus.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20has%20revealed,therefore%20the%20risk%20of%20infection.) 7\. 8\. [https://foodsecurityaction.org/the-report/](https://foodsecurityaction.org/the-report/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Simnel Traybake URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/simnel-traybake/ Last updated: 2025-04-03T18:25:43.000Z This delicious fruit cake is traditionally made at Easter Tide. It is a little fiddly to produce, as it requires several distinct stages but the end result is a wonderfully moist cake with a subtle spicy flavour and a lovely crunchy topping, so it is well worth the effort. The baking tray recommended for this quantity of cake mix is 20cm x 30cm. My tray is about ¾ of the size – I have a larger one, but it is not deep enough, so I compromise by filling my smaller tray to the required depth, then making buns in paper cases with the remaining mix. Lightly grease the baking tray and line it with baking parchment. The raisin/sultana/dried apricot mix is soaked overnight to fluff up the dried fruits and make them more succulent. You require a 450g block of marzipan for this recipe, but I have given the ingredients in separate sections, as there is marzipan in all three stages. I use a food processor to make the sponge cake element of this cake, the method being as though the finished objective would be a Victoria sponge. ### Ingredients for the body of the cake - **300g mixed dried fruit** – I used sultanas, flame raisins, cranberries, glacé cherries and chopped peel - **100g dried apricots** chopped up - **2 oranges** \- zested and juiced. Add the orange zest and the juice from a single orange to soak the dried fruit and apricots overnight. *Reserve the juice of the second orange for the icing glaze* - **3 large or 4 small eggs \*** - **200g self-raising flour** - **¾ tsp baking powder** - **2 tsp mixed spice** - **1 tsp cinnamon** - **1 tsp ground nutmeg** - **¾ tsp baking powder** - **200g soft light brown sugar** - **200g mix of butter and marge** - **50g ground almonds** - **200g marzipan, cut into small cubes** *Put the remainder of the marzipan in the fridge as you will be grating it in the next stage.* **\***My gauge to quantities is the weight of the eggs as a baseline, then flour, butter and sugar in the same quantities as the eggs. I found that 3 large eggs from our local community shop weighed 203g. If the weight was greater or lesser, I would have increased or decreased the quantities of flour, fats and sugar proportionately. Oven temperature Gas Mark 3, 160o standard oven or 140o fan-assisted. Add the spices and ground almonds to the flour and baking powder. Mix thoroughly with a metal spoon. (Reserve about a tablespoonful to coat the dried fruit). In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. In the food processor, whizz up the sugar and fats until they are soft and very well blended. Next add the beaten egg, a bit at a time, blending thoroughly, adding a spoonful of flour and spices mix, then the rest of the flour in one go, beating thoroughly. Now transfer the blended sponge mix to a large mixing bowl. Shake the saved amount of ground almonds and flour over the dried fruit mix and stir to coat – this helps prevent all the fruit simply sinking to the bottom of the mix during cooking. Add the marzipan and dried fruit to the sponge mix, making sure everything is well combined. Now put the mixture into the baking tray but don’t fill it too full as it will rise well and the crunchy topping is added near the end of the baking time. Smooth the top roughly with a fork. It is now ready to go in the oven, on the middle shelf. Set the timer for 40 mins remembering that if your oven bakes on the hot side, it will take less time. If necessary, you can increase the initial baking time for a few minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and poke with a knife or similar, to check that it is cooked. If it seems a little underdone, it will finish cooking when the crunchy topping is added to it. If your baking tray is not big enough to accommodate the whole mixture, add a tablespoonful of orange juice to the remaining mix to make it slightly less thick, then put spoonfuls of mix into individual paper cups. These will cook much more quickly than the dense mass in the baking tray –15 mins or so will suffice to cook them. Put the bun tray on the top shelf. --- ### Crunchy topping - **50g butter or hard margarine** - **50g soft light brown sugar** - **100g plain flour** - **50g ground almonds** - **50g whole unblanched almonds chopped coarsely** - **150g grated marzipan** - **2 dessertspoons runny honey, warmed so it is very liquid.** If no honey, use golden syrup Put the flour, sugar and ground almonds in a bowl. Grate in the butter or marge and rub it in lightly, so the mix resembles breadcrumbs as if making pastry. Stir in the chopped almonds, then add the grated marzipan, stirring all this together roughly with a fork. Warm the honey – it must be as runny as possible, and stir it quickly through the dried mix – the topping should be as crumbly as possible, avoid ending up with a sticky lump. If it seems too coagulated, add more ground almonds, mixing in with a fork. Sprinkle this crumbly mixture over the top of the tray bake (and buns, if applicable). Return this to the oven for several minutes, keeping an eye on it, so it becomes golden and toasty in appearance. While the crumble topping is cooking, form the remaining marzipan into round balls. Traditionally, there were only 11 marzipan balls, to represent the faithful Apostles. When the baking process is complete, remove the tray and buns and put the marzipan balls on the top of each potential slice, and one on each bun if you have made these as well. Add the marzipan before the cake cools completely, so it sets in place. --- ### For the glaze - **85g – 100g sifted icing sugar** - **2 – 3 tbsp orange juice** Pour over the cake in zigzags. Now, try to resist eating this before Easter Sunday! ### popcawn April 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popcawn-april-2025/ Last updated: 2025-04-03T09:08:22.000Z ### CA-WN is not a political group and The CA-WN Exchange is not a political platform. But CA-WN cannot stay silent at election time. Our elected representatives hold all the levers of power essential for delivering on CA-WN’s mission: the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from West Northamptonshire and preparing for life with changing weather patterns. Over the next four years decisions taken by Councillors and staff at **West Northamptonshire Council** (WNC) will literally cement the district’s future, not least because of development proposals that will come before Planning Committees thanks to its keystone position in the **Oxford-Cambridge Arc**1. But first we suggest that Council Planners need to review their attitude to a logistics sector that at every motorway junction has converted open countryside that contributes no cash to council coffers into commercial, business rates-generating developments. Planning Committees need to look beyond the typical ‘more jobs and money’ arguments that support applications for new distribution developments. In decades past, demand for warehousing in West Northamptonshire had been driven by assumptions that 90% of the UK population were within a four-hour drive. That was before freight operators recognised that delivery service levels were being heavily impacted by traffic congestion on our overloaded and accident-prone road network. Though there are still many schemes in the pipeline, speculative warehouse developers are finding it difficult to sign up tenants when more attractive distribution centres are being brought to market elsewhere. Rather than continuing to encourage the construction of massive sheds, officers' efforts might better focus on attracting development opportunities that bring manufacturing innovation to our area, with its strong tradition of making and selling things. Plan instead for more productive use of employment spaces that provide higher skilled, better paid jobs. Local towns need a workforce able to buy the relatively highly-priced West Northamptonshire homes2. As a Local Planning Authority, WNC has felt powerless to impose conditions on the quality of new homes. That should change with the introduction of new homes and buildings standards. Future housing estates can be required to incorporate renewable energy technologies, use water more efficiently and to prioritise walking and cycling over private car use. A new **Local Plan**3 might even encourage the populist-derided 15 minute communities, where all facilities and transport links are never more than a few minutes walk away. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/03/ParisAir2007--2023.png) **Reductions in nitrogen dioxide levels inside the Boulevard Périphérique, Paris* As the image above shows, there was very little reduction in nitrogen dioxide levels around Paris until Mayor Hidalgo’s green initiatives took effect in 2023\. If there was an equivalent overview of the air across West Northamptonshire it would still be mostly reds and browns. French opposition politicians had used the familiar 'war on motorists' theme to campaign against the introduction of car-free zones and higher parking charges for SUVs in Paris. Proposals to limit speeds on roads were attacked. Despite all that politically-driven clamour, Parisians today have cleaner air and streets enjoyed by cyclists and pedestrians. On many levels of course we cannot compare West Northamptonshire to Paris. But is it wishful thinking to have an election outcome that delivers an equivalent, visionary leadership team of Councillors? Whatever May’s result, CA-WN will continue to work constructively with our new Council. Our best wishes to all candidates who share the views of the very ordinary people who populate CA-WN, who join our public meetings, who come together at our Climate Cafes and who read these pages. ### References 1 [The Oxford-Cambridge Arc](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford%E2%80%93Cambridge%5FArc?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [Housing Prices in West Northamptonshire](https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/housingpriceslocal/E06000062/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [New Local Plan for West Northamptonshire](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/planning-policy/new-local-plan-west-northamptonshire?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Climate risk and energy transition URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/climate-risk-and-energy-transition/ Last updated: 2025-04-03T09:06:27.000Z We usually publish one book and one podcast recommendation each month on CA-WN Exchange. This month instead of a book, I’m going to suggest reading a short article published on LinkedIn\*, and tie that in with two podcasts. The article, ‘***Climate, Risk, Insurance: The Future of Capitalism’*** is by Günther Thallinger, a board member of the insurance company Allianz SE. It’s quite pertinent this month because the theme of the CA-WN Public Meeting on 17 April is climate adaptation risk. Thallinger sets out concisely and clearly the risk climate change presents to the insurance industry and wider financial markets, and why ‘business as usual’ responses to risk (including insurance) won’t work, describing the consequences of climate change as ‘a systemic risk that threatens the very foundation of the financial sector’. Many of us may not have much sympathy for the fate of the financial sector, but of course its failure would have devastating repercussions for us all. Thallinger concludes by saying that we already have the technologies to switch from fossil fuels to renewables, and that the imperative is to speed up and scale up this transition. By coincidence I had just finished listening to an episode of the podcast **Planet: Critical**, which seemed to question whether such a transition is even possible. The episode’s title is ‘*The “Energy Transition” is a Pipe Dream’*, and in it historian Jean-Baptiste Fressoz contends that the track record of the human race is not to transition from one form of energy to another but to increase consumption to absorb the new energy source: coal didn’t replace wood, oil hasn’t replaced coal, and ‘clean energy’ won’t replace fossil fuels. Fressoz argues that what’s required is to reduce energy consumption, something which could be achieved relatively quickly and easily (in comparison to energy transition) if only those of us who live in societies that routinely over-consume were willing to put constraints on our behaviour. Fressoz suggested that one way this could happen is to give more influence to ordinary citizens, who are inclined to be bolder than their political leaders if they truly understand the effects of climate change. Further digging around on the energy transition topic led me to a second podcast, **The Energy Transition Show**, a name which might give a clue about which side of the fence it's on. The episode I listened to is called ‘*Doomers vs Transitionistas’* – it’s a couple of hours long, most of which is an interview with Marco Raugei, a senior researcher from Oxford Brookes University, who has studied and written extensively on aspects of the energy transition. To cut it very short, the gist of the episode was: energy transition is possible for lots of reasons, and necessary to cut emissions and avoid the worst consequences of climate change. It won’t address any other human-caused problems such as pollution, biodiversity loss, and social inequity. Fixing these will require a fundamental cultural and social transformation, which scientists and technology can’t deliver. It seemed to me that these podcasts, while apparently very much at odds, shared a common message – we collectively broke it, we need to collectively fix it. A timely message when we are a month away from voting in a new set of unitary (and town and parish) councillors. \*Credit to Rupert Read of the Climate Majority Project for sharing this. [Climate, Risk, Insurance: The Future of CapitalismCO₂ emissions directly increase the amount of energy trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. This is not a vague or future issue—it is physical reality.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/al2o9zrvru7aqj8e1x2rzsrca)Günther Thallinger![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/linkedin-bug-color.png)](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/climate-risk-insurance-future-capitalism-g%C3%BCnther-thallinger-smw5f/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [The “Energy Transition” is a Pipe Dream | Jean-Baptiste FressozHow a niche phrase in atomic science became policy![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F666d1a75-12b1-4b2b-b0dc-0651ed7177ad-2Fapple-touch-icon-180x180.png)Planet: CriticalRachel Donald![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-video.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fvideo_upload-2Fpost-2F158783507-2Fcf6fa184-498b-4d91-af63-bbba9e16cc0f-2Ftranscoded-1741626164.png)](https://www.planetcritical.com/p/jean-baptiste-fressoz?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [\[Episode #211\] – Doomers vs. Transitionistas | The Energy Transition ShowWhy do some people believe we should accelerate the energy transition, while others claim that it will never work and advocate for things like degrowth policies instead?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/cropped-NRGTransitionShow-horizontal-logodraft-270x270.png)The Energy Transition Show![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/logo-energy-transition.png)](https://xenetwork.org/ets/episodes/episode-211-doomers-vs-transitionistas/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Meet the Steering Group - Harry Mellor URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/meet-the-steering-group-harry-mellor/ Last updated: 2025-04-03T13:22:00.000Z ### *As others in the Steering Group are busy with local election matters it falls to someone with zero personal election interest to introduce themself.* **Q1\. *What is your motivation for being involved with the environmental movement and with CA-WN in particular?*** Simple questions that in my case warrant detailed, lengthy answers. But in short, if CA-WN didn’t exist I’d have had to invent it. There’s only so much that can be achieved single-handedly, effective action on climate needs collective and constructive action. I’m finding it highly nourishing getting things done with CA-WN. That’s motivation enough. To be clear, as politicians are wont to say, it’s not just my or CA-WN’s view that action is essential in the face of climate change. People with power have known it for decades. In her 1988 speech to the Royal Society1 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher enunciated with characteristic clarity ‘*Protecting this balance of nature is therefore one of the great challenges of the late Twentieth Century*’. Regrettably, commercial realities meant that her environmental baby got thrown out with businesses’ bathwater. Wherever one looks in the 21st Century it’s still business-as-usual. Restoring the balance of nature is now an even greater challenge. The CA-WN mission is to reduce West Northamptonshire’s greenhouse gas emissions and prepare us for living with weather extremes. That translates into some very straightforward actions at home. Because everything we do has an environmental consequence, at a household level it would be preferable if we consumed less. That doesn’t mean doing without, rather that we continue to consume what we’ve always consumed, but with greater environmental consideration. Of course, if we spent less, the economy could suffer. But spending wisely can increase local business prosperity. A multinational company’s losses in trade could create profit for a local producer. Our region has always grown food and manufactured our domestic and industrial necessities. With roads that are the backbone of national travel, we’ve always excelled at hospitality. CA-WN is collaborating with others on actions, not just words, that over time could mean that our self-sufficient past can become our greener future. More immediately it’s our homes that deserve improvement. We’ve grown accustomed to living in the comfort of winter warmth. Now, the cost of keeping cosy is fuelling significant change. An energy crisis 50 years ago, again the product of war, led to great progress on making us all more efficient users of energy. Back then everything changed to help us use less, from the speed limits on our roads to the introduction of a new Conservation of Fuel and Power section in the Building Regulations2. In Milton Keynes I’d been tangentially involved in showing how new homes could be heated for less and sell for above market values3. Successive amendments to the Building Regulations, along with the legal obligations of the Paris Agreement4, empowered Local Planning Authorities to require new housing they approved to have high sustainability standards. In a backlash, developers deemed this as entirely unnecessary ‘red tape’. Ministerial statements, like Eric Pickles’s in 20155, were used to challenge any Planning Authority’s right to dictate the terms of their proposed developments. For West Northamptonshire that’s meant a decade or more of housing estate layouts that generally fail to encourage walking and cycling, streets that lack the summer shade of trees and homes built with scant regard to future needs in terms of minimal costs for maintaining indoor comfort levels at all times of the year. Having lived in New Towns and worked alongside architects and urban planners since college days, I know how difficult it can be to procure high quality built environments: difficult, but not impossible. With the latest changes to Building Regulations and planning laws I’m looking forward to CA-WN being able to constructively influence the design and layout of future West Northamptonshire housing estates. For our 240,000+ existing West Northamptonshire homes CA-WN and I have learned a lot since starting our Building Resilience Project6, not least how many of them have been rated as energy inefficient. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/04/WNC-EPC-2024.png) Percentage of West Northamptonshire homes CA-WN estimates to be in EPC Bands A to G The more efficient homes are in Energy Performance Certificate Bands A, B and C. Based on our research there could be over 60,000 homes in our towns and villages in bands D to G that would benefit from an increase in the effectiveness of their existing heating system, or having it replaced entirely. We’ve also discovered the difficulty of obtaining impartial advice on how householders might achieve greater energy efficiency. Put bluntly, if we compare the design and operation of housing to the evolution of the motor car, from the days when chauffeurs were required to literally light the fire in the boilers of steam-driven horseless carriages to today’s automatic everything car, in comparison, our homes are still at the stage of needing a chauffeur. In many practical senses householders are entirely dependent on external experts. It’s not meant as an insult to the building industry to observe that home improvement cost-benefit analysis skills aren’t usually found in the toolboxes of the construction, electrical or plumbing trades. Yet that’s exactly what’s needed when a householder asks if investing in an energy efficiency improvement is worthwhile. It’s more than a question of simple payback, it’s about understanding the risks that might be the result of poorly implemented energy efficiency measures, like mould growth from unexpected moisture accumulation or summertime overheating in a super-insulated home that has lost the cooling benefits of its traditional solid wall construction. In straight payback terms it would take several decades to recover the costs of filling my own home’s cavity walls with insulation, of installing solar water heating and battery-included photovoltaic panels. In our case, if not cost-effective, the work was made financially affordable by spreading it over several years. Each stage entailed thorough research including establishing the worth of received wisdom. Architect friends for example warned us off solar water heating because of their own negative experience. It emerged that most problems were caused by the poor implementation of badly specified equipment. Hindsight meant we could get that right. Our solar thermal system harnesses warmth whatever the outside temperature. We have no need to supplement our solar-heated water. However our solar electricity is a different matter. Very tall trees on our boundary limit wintertime solar gains and our choice of panel wasn’t the best. We’d chosen the highest output performing panels. It would have been better, and cheaper, to opt for panels that made electricity even in low light conditions. Even so, on a sunny winter’s day, our battery is charged sufficient to keep us powered into next day’s early hours. By summer we are pumping loads of surplus power into the grid. Unusually for a rural property we are on the gas main and after thirty-odd years, and three condensing gas boilers, we are reviewing our next source of comfort heating. A heat pump is the answer to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. That would mean recalculating each room’s heat requirement and probably swapping out existing radiators for more efficient convective panels. Having ruled out on capital costs a ground source heat pump there’s a very wide choice of air-to-water heat pump, each with its own operating efficiency attributes and related installer skills and maintenance reputation. Very much work-in-progress. **Q2*. What other roles do you have in your life outside of being involved with CA-WN?*** Interesting! One way or another, CA-WN is turning out to be pretty much a full-time responsibility. **Q3*. If you were given one wish to change something in West Northamptonshire what would it be?*** Though not a West Northamptonshire exclusive, wouldn’t it be so much better if politicians ceased using life’s circumstances to bolster Party political self-interests? For goodness sake, we are all in this together. I’d wish for our politicians to act collectively in the interests of everyone, as other districts have done7. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/04/WNC-Councilold.png) West Northamptonshire Council sitting in antique opposition. Oh for them to be seated in collaboration at a round table. **Q3\. *What one change have you made for the climate in your own life that you are happiest about and why?*** The already discussed home improvements have been a great start in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Being somewhat insulated from the worst effects of rising energy costs makes me happy. I’ll be even happier when home comforts are powered entirely by electricity sourced from renewables. **Q4\. *Tell us something about yourself that people might find surprising.*** I’ve held off writing this for months. Ours is such a judgmental society that I didn’t want to be judged by what is written. Better to be judged by what we do. Plus, I’m relying on the length of this *Meet the Steering Group* to mean it remains substantially unread. > Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. - *John Stuart Mill in an inaugural address at the University of St. Andrews.* ### References 1 [Margaret Thatcher: Speech to the Royal Society (climate change)](https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107346?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [Conservation of fuel and power: Approved Document L](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/conservation-of-fuel-and-power-approved-document-l?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [Milton Keynes Energy World](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy%5FWorld?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 [The Paris Agreement](https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5 [House of Commons: Written Statement (HCWS509)](https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/documents/commons-vote-office/March-2015/26-March/5-DCLG-Housing.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6 [CA-WN’s Building Resilience Project](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wns-building-resilience-project/) 7 [Independents for Frome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independents%5Ffor%5FFrome?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### 20 March Public Meeting report URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/20-march-public-meeting-report-2/ Last updated: 2025-03-23T21:03:58.000Z We were lucky enough to have two speakers this month. Alan Ryan and Sarah Parr from the RAIN Northants project, part of WNC’s Flood and Water Management team, spoke to us about the work the project is doing to make our area more resilient to flooding, and about what individuals and communities can do too. A recording of the meeting is on YouTube1. If you're on social media please do seek out RAIN and follow them. **Apologies**: Alexina Cassidy, Clare Slater, Teresa Cox **Present**: Alison Barlow, Gary Campbell, Stephen Clarke, Julie Cottle, Bruce Durham, David Garlick, James Hadfield, Hillary Haynes, Rupert Knowles, Maria Lee, Mike Longman, Mick Lorkins, Harry Mellor, Orianne Neyroud, Shirley Waterhouse, Jane Wood. **Alan Ryan - Introduction** Alan is the Programme Lead for RAIN (Resilience And Innovation Northants)2, and Sarah is the Project Manager. The RAIN team is building up, they are now a team of 4 and looking to extend further. The RAIN team is employed by WNC but fully dedicated to the RAIN project, which is externally funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programmes (FCRIP), managed by the Environment Agency (EA). The purpose of the programme is to trial new ways of responding to flood risk and flood management. There are misconceptions around flood management, for example about dredging. Dredging is now known not to be a good thing, but many people think it is not being done to save money. Improved understanding of flood management tells us that ‘slowing the flow’ is better. Building walls and barriers can be effective in some situations. Generally this sort of quick win has been done already where appropriate. It isn’t the right solution everywhere but where capital schemes to build new infrastructure stack up this can still be done. The project team have to be willing to take risks, and be open to feedback from residents and other projects. They don’t have all the answers, they have adapted as the project has developed and are still looking at what more they can do. **RAIN project - background** RAIN is working to address flood resilience across two problematic catchments – Harpers Brook in North Northants and Wootton Brook in West Northants. Wootton Brook extends SE of Northampton through a number of villages and rural areas. Surface water is the issue here, rather than watercourses bursting their banks. This because we are getting heavier rainfall. There are no easy wins or quick fixes for this. In the past there have been numerous flood reports in these catchments for which it has not been possible to identify a cause. Reports have concluded simply that too much rainfall in a short time overwhelmed the network. A recent EA report said that the 18 months to February 2024 were the wettest on record3. Surface water risk modelling has recently been updated in the latest National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA)4. This shows a huge increase in properties at risk of surface water flooding; the change is based on better data and understanding rather than an increase in the actual level of risk. It includes future flood risk, going up from 4.6m to 6.1m homes at risk of surface water flooding. With climate change, extending to 2050 means a further 40% increase. This new data and modelling helps to build the business case that climate change is real and having a genuine impact locally as well as nationally. Communicating climate change is a real challenge. Population surveys in Northamptonshire show that 80% of people think climate change is real and severe but only 15% think it will affect them. They also don’t necessarily think they can do anything about it. **RAIN project in practice** The team work with landowners, including farmers and parish councils, on natural flood management (NFM). There are lots of things that can be done to implement NFM including offline storage, wetlands, bunds, swales, leaky dams, and rewiggling of rivers. These measures are all about slowing the flow, keeping the water on flood fields rather than flooding properties, and reducing peaks so that everyone downstream benefits. They also work at community level primarily through parish councils and local community groups to build resilience through education, helping people to understand their flood risk. There is extensive modelling of catchments so people can put in their own postcode to see where the flooding will be. It’s essential to focus on the effect on individuals as that is what hits home for most people. Something parish councils can do is build community flood stores. Education is a big part of community preparedness and resilience. There’s no need to spend a lot of money, it’s just about getting ready. Community emergency plans and personal emergency plans are really important. A personal emergency plan could include: - Having a checklist so when the flooding starts you’ve already thought about what you are going to do. - Deciding what items you want to save. For example, family photographs and mementos that insurance companies can’t replace – these can be stored somewhere higher up or in a waterproof box. - Sign up to flood alerts - Move your car to higher ground. The Be Flood Ready website for Northamptonshire6 has a lot of good advice and information. It has been put together with support from ‘Flood Mary’, a national campaigner for flood victims. This includes information about property flood resilience. Some properties are going to get flooded when certain events happen because of their location so householders need to prepare for that. This could include measures to keep the water out such as flood barriers and flood doors. We also need to think about recoverability, meaning reducing the damage caused if water does get in. Have a puddle pump to pump the water back out as soon as possible, and aim to have flood resilience built in to the design of kitchens etc. Rather than carpets go for vinyl or lino which is more flood resilient. If you do get flooded then the principle is to ‘build back better’. This should also be considered when making home improvements. Build back better7 is supported by Flood Re, the government scheme to help make insurance affordable for people whose property is at high flood risk. This offers a £10k grant to help people build back better. **Q & A** *Most of the buildings in the Wootton Brook catchment area are fairly new (constructed in the last 30 years) – should the flood risks have been thought about before they were built?* That’s a very big topic and a real challenge. You can’t enforce standards beyond legal requirements, and all developers have to follow a set of policies and guidelines. If developers can provide specialist reports to show they are not having an effect worse than greenfield runoff, councils can’t prevent building. It’s a very sensitive area but WNC is looking to see what more they can do. It may be that new buildings can make matters worse but if everyone is following the right process in terms of planning it’s hard to make a case that new developments are an issue. Flood Performance Certificates (similar to EPCs – Energy Performance Certificates) are being developed to provide a flood score, so that if certain measures are implemented it will help to reduce insurance costs. If new developments are planned, there could be a requirement for minimum flood scoring. Northamptonshire is one of 4 counties trialling this nationwide. *On the topic of dredging - is it still true that dredging is inappropriate for places like the Somerset Levels and the Fens as they are only dry due to dredging?* There are always exceptions. Essentially taking away the vegetation from watercourses leads to the banks being eroded and the water going downstream to someone else. Pushing the water through one area more quickly just moves the problem on to someone else. *Do the regulations and checks and balances in place now take account of what the future risks might be, or are they based on here and now?* Primarily based on here and now at the moment. But Anglian Water are looking at their future funding schemes to incorporate modelling and climate change prediction as well. The updated EA surface water modelling includes climate change uplift. Historically we have always worked from data 10-15 years old, we are now moving to a point where we are using up to date information – the next step is to incorporate future modelling. Things are moving in the right direction. *Flood alerts – are they as good as they should be? I live in Bugbrooke which was affected by flooding last November and people have reported not receiving alerts until water was already in their properties.* Flood alerts are being looked at. There is also a relevant point about flood reporting. There was no history of flood reports from Bugbrooke. People tend not to report floods if it hasn’t caused major damage, for various reasons. It’s important for people to report flooding through the proper channels to provide correct data which can help authorities build a case for that area. Reporting to local councillors or putting in a complaint may get a response but doesn’t contribute to formally recorded data8. It’s hard to get alerts just right and avoid either false alerts, which are then ignored, or warning people too late. This happens everywhere, not just in Northamptonshire. There are projects trialling more specific flood alert systems, for example where alerts based on more accurate data and telemetry are issued through WhatsApp. This sits with the EA on a national level but they are aware it isn’t perfect. **Sarah Parr - Introduction** Sarah leads on the nature-based element of the RAIN project. They started by talking to bigger landowners - farmers and large estates, areas where changes would have the biggest impact. The area has been hydraulically modelled to help identify places where a wetland or tree planting would be beneficial for flood management. There is a farmer on the RAIN team which is a real bonus in communicating with the farming community. The project has got a good number of farmers on board. NFM takes a long time to come to fruition. The project has been running for 2 years+ but a wetland talked about at the start is only being implemented this summer. The team are now approaching smallholders and others with large plots of land in the right areas to make a difference in their catchment. This group has been very receptive to the idea of making improvements to their land especially if it will help their community. Also trying to get people in their own gardens to be more aware, and to have ‘rain gardens’. RAIN are giving out planting packs for rain gardens to people in the catchment. There are signs for people to put up to highlight their rain garden, each one will be numbered. There are 4 already and lots of other people interested, including a church in Wootton. Later this year there are plans to launch a ‘front garden forest’ – giving people a small tree to plant in their garden. The idea is to hold a planting day in a neighbourhood and encourage a street party atmosphere. It’s great that the RAIN project is taking a multi-faceted approach. Hoping that when people see the bigger projects happening it will encourage them to make changes in their own gardens. RAIN has done more tree planting than any of the other FCRIPs. Tree planting doesn’t always show on modelling but does have a big effect on flood risk. Planting trees is the only intervention we can do that we can guarantee will be there in 50-100 years. There have been quite a few tree-planting events recently. RAIN has just started working with schools. The Nene Rivers Trust9 have a simulator that shows what natural flood management does. This is installed in a van so it creates a sort of outdoor classroom which is making engagement with schools very easy. The simulator is available to be taken to events as well. **Q&A** *Julie Cottle from Yelvertoft Parish Council – the village has had flood issues for a very long time. They are now coming to the end of a NFM project they have carried out themselves. A large solar farm has recently been built on the outskirts of the village, right on one of the main watercourses. The PC and community worked with the developer, who built swales and water storage areas within their project. This was completed about a year ago, since when Yelvertoft has not been flooded – in the past this used to happen very regularly.* *The PC and the village environmental group also built their own water stores and flood barriers on land owned by the PC.* *Unfortunately although the flood measures seem to be working and no flooding has happened, the village still gets a lot of flood alerts and warnings. This is very distressing for people whose homes have been flooded in the past. The PC has asked the council and EA if the flood map can be remodelled with no success.* Alan can support the village to promote what has been done and communicate to the council more effectively, and also help to work with the EA locally and nationally. Flood alerts are tricky but if there is data showing reduced risk the threshold on the modelling needs to be reduced to avoid excessive alerts and people suffering anxiety unnecessarily. It’s only relatively recently that the EA has been concerned about surface water; rather than remodelling ask if they can recalibrate the level of alerts. The RAIN project is working on a tool to see how they can implement NFM countywide, trialling surface water monitoring equipment on the two catchments as a case study. RAIN funding is currently restricted to the two catchments, but they want to leave a wider legacy. There are private businesses interested in funding environmental projects, both to reduce their own flood risk, but also to improve their environmental credentials. A central portal is being built for people to contribute towards NFM measures. The team are keen to work with councils and communities across the county to help find sources of funding for NFM measures. The work done in Leicestershire by the Harborough Woodland Community Volunteers10 (HWCV) is exactly what’s needed - can something similar be set up in West Northamptonshire? **Bruce Durham (from HWCV):** Most flooding in Harborough comes from flash flooding – it’s a clay catchment with no soakaways. They are working with a wide network to address the issues. Due to long term lack of funding, all the agencies and local flood authorities are extremely short of capacity. HWCV are learning from people across the country e.g. Calderdale about how they have solved their problems, and finding out how the community can take action in partnership with the flood authorities. It’s all about working together and creating opportunities for positive change. The only large NFM scheme on the upper Welling catchment has been instigated by HWCV. There’s a need to bring together the work that has been done in places like Yelvertoft to share knowledge so other communities can learn. 2300 properties in Harborough are at risk of flooding, there is no time to wait. The town has 20 flood wardens now where they had none before. It has always flooded but now they are managing the flood risk – flood wardens check swales, flood systems and flood basins, assets that belong to other organisations but which lack the resources to carry out these checks. They’ve identified serious problems including trash screens that block within 15 minutes to 2 hours, people locally now check these. This works to prevent flooding. Another issue is that debris collects on road drains – they are asking volunteer litter pickers to clear it away while they are removing litter. Simply pushing moss and leaves down into the drain makes a big difference. HWCV have instigated 16 NFM projects – it can take months or even years to get someone out for a survey to get them off the ground. The people working for responsible authorities are not at fault, they are excellent but are spread too thinly. Citizen science such as the work Bruce’s group undertakes is invaluable, for a local authority it can be frustrating to be seen as the root of all problems. Unblocking drains is an example where communication is important – people don’t always see drains being cleared, so think it hasn’t happened. Highways have data on when all drains are cleared and are now creating a dashboard so this information is available to the public. Empowering communities is really important. Everything that RAIN is doing they are looking to leave a legacy not just for the county but nationally. This includes the tool they are developing to give people a way to get NFM projects going. **BD:** In the north of England there is a flood hub network - this needs to be extended to our area, but is currently only funded in the north. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. In Stroud 800 NFM schemes have been rolled out in 6 years. This is possible if you get on and do it. Community-driven work like that done in Yelvertoft is brilliant. There are articles about HWCV11 and RAIN12 on the Carbon Copy website. *Harlestone has a brook through it and several properties were badly flooded last year. There is some expertise in the village so an NFM plan has already been drawn up. The question is whether a flood meadow is better as just grass, or is it better to add some trees?* Because so many flood meadows have been lost, the process that seems to work is looking at what was there before and restoring that – undoing the damage that has been done. One or two trees to increase diversity cannot be a bad thing but maintenance is required as you don’t want a woodland or scrub. *What takes up water better?* Willows take up a lot of water but may damage other assets. Trees do soak up a lot of water and can help stop banks subsiding. To a degree all flood meadows are unique. *I’m trying to do something with a churchyard so would like to take a look at the churchyard rain garden Sarah mentioned.* It hasn’t happened yet but the details will be on their website when it does. Churchyards are great for diversity of flora. The Church of England are the largest landowner in the country so it’s important to work with them. **Conclusion** Big developments are important but every single property is accountable for its influence on flood management. We are all contributing to the increase in hardstanding and built infrastructure. Individuals making a small contribution can make a big difference when combined – a water butt can take 50 litres of water and a rain garden could absorb another 100 litres, if this is repeated 100 or 1000 times the impact is huge. Citizen science impact really is important. **DONM** \- Thursday 17 April 7:45pm. This will feature a climate adaptation risk assessment13. --- ### References 1\. [https://youtu.be/Ftt0hP8AaSo](https://youtu.be/Ftt0hP8AaSo?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://rainnorthants.co.uk/](https://rainnorthants.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-urged-to-prepare-for-floods-after-wettest-18-months-on-record](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-urged-to-prepare-for-floods-after-wettest-18-months-on-record?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/updates-to-national-flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-information](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/updates-to-national-flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-information?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. [https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings](https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. [https://www.befloodready.uk/northants](https://www.befloodready.uk/northants?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. [https://www.floodre.co.uk/buildbackbetter/](https://www.floodre.co.uk/buildbackbetter/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8\. [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/its-emergency/report-flood](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/its-emergency/report-flood?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9\. [https://neneriverstrust.org/](https://neneriverstrust.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 10\. [https://harboroughwoodland.com/](https://harboroughwoodland.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 11\. [https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/harborough-woodland](https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/harborough-woodland?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 1. [https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/resilience-and-innovation-northants-rain](https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/resilience-and-innovation-northants-rain?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 13\. [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1069825239089?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1069825239089?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Trees for Welford URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/trees-for-welford/ Last updated: 2025-03-18T20:27:41.000Z *CA-WN recently received this email from Hilary Hunt of Trees for Welford (TfW), and it's such a great good news story we wanted to share it.* I am pleased to say that we have completed our Feasibility Study project and finalised our Report on the challenge of setting up a sustainable community project to plant trees in the parish in the context of climate change. Here are two links to it: [welfordvillage.org.uk/community/Trees for Welford](https://www.welford-pc.gov.uk/trees-for-welford?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and to download the Report follow this link [https://tinyurl.com/TreesForWelford](https://tinyurl.com/TreesForWelford?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) I must tell you that, although it wasn’t obvious at the time, CA-WN has played a crucial part in the development of our project, and our involvement with the development of a focus on trees in WNC’s policy. It all started way back when you publicised a meeting in Northampton with Save our Street Trees. My TfW colleagues attended, met Russell Horsey, and the rest, as they say, is history. His involvement with WNC meant he was in the area. Our Lottery Fund funding meant that we could pay for his expert services as an important part of our project. Russell was engaged by WNC to steer the development of their Tree Strategy, through periods with and without a WNC Tree Officer. TfW has been able to contribute substantively through the Strategy consultations, thanks to our ongoing cooperation with him and Sarah Shorley. The Tree Strategy launch was scheduled for November 2024 and we are pleased that it finally happened last week. Our hope is that having the strategy finally in place will help us move forward with plans for planting trees in public spaces in Welford. All thanks to your publicising that meeting. Russell Horsey, Chartered Arboriculturalist and Urban Forester, was the guest speaker at our meeting in June 2024\. ### Council Watch April 2025 - new Climate Change and Tree Strategies URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-3/ Last updated: 2025-03-16T19:51:22.000Z *This article has been written by* *Sienna Mahoney, a Journalism student at the University of Northampton.* West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) have published aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions in Northampton. In early 2022, the council committed to deliver net zero as an organisation by 2030 and for the wider area of West Northants by 2045. Cllr Rebecca Breese, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling, and Waste, said: > “We need the support of residents and businesses to achieve our goal of becoming net zero by 2045.” With help from their partners, some of the council's aims include to improve air quality, develop active travel routes, support local food production, and improve energy efficiency in homes. WNC's **Climate Change Strategy** was approved by the council on Tuesday March 4\. The council used the help of stakeholders, residents, and businesses to shape the strategy. They intend to use the help of residents living in Northamptonshire to put the strategy into action by placing people at the heart of the response. --- School children planted trees to help improve flood defences as a part of another environment oriented strategy. West Northamptonshire Council have rolled out a **Tree and Woods Strategy**. The key commitment in this strategy is to increase canopy cover across West Northants from 9% to 20%. This aims to increase biodiversity and wildlife across West Northants. Along with this, more trees in Northampton would help to improve people’s health and wellbeing, help flood management, carbon sequestration, and have a cooling effect of shade within the summer. “Nature”, including trees, means having a healthy ecosystem which humans are a part of, as well as being desirable for its own sake. Those that attended the strategy launch event on Tuesday March 4 also helped plant trees in Wootton Brook to start off the project. The trees used were funded by the Resilience and Innovation Northants (RAIN) project. The RAIN project itself is funded by the Government as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes managed by the Environment Agency. Cllr Rebecca Breese again: > “Tree planting aids biodiversity so it is great news that we’ve been able to plant these trees in Wootton with the help of the important RAIN project, and that a further 700 trees were planted recently in Parklands open space.” ### popcawn - March 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popcawn-march-2025/ Last updated: 2025-03-05T14:46:52.000Z > **Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It’s gone. It’s gone.** So said President Donald J Trump in his 4 March 2025 address to US Congress. Is this the template for leadership that we can expect in West Northamptonshire? Why have words like ***Woke*** or acronyms like ***ULEZ*** been weaponised in speech, print and online? For some people, ***Woke*** is a term of abuse, whereas for those who consider themselves woke, it simply means exhibiting politeness, tolerance and respect towards their fellows. Who will forget how, on the American President's last official visit, he shouldered his way past our Queen during their review of his guard of honour? At their **4 March Cabinet Meeting**1 West Northamptonshire Councillors took turns to deny they’d include a ***ULEZ*** (Ultra Low Emissions Zone) in their promises for May’s Local Elections. Current evidence suggests LEZs can reduce air pollution-related health outcomes, with the most consistent effect on cardiovascular disease.2 Does the anti-ULEZ resolve indicate ignorance of the facts or lack of concern for the ill health of others? In the debate at the same meeting on WNC’s new **Climate Change Strategy**3 one Councillor asked why, when a consultation response suggested there was net zero interest in ***Net Zero***, was a strategy needed. Was it simply fashionable to have a strategy for climate change? It’s worth noting here that 67% of respondents to a pre-engagement exercise for the Strategy considered tackling climate change to be very important, and 18% saw it as important – this echoes national statistics showing 80% have concerns about climate change4. The work put into the Strategy and accompanying documentation by its authors **Martin Wilson** and **Betina Frinault** deserves our respect. This is a vital document that sets out a path for West Northamptonshire to deliver on our climate change responsibilities. We need a council that takes those responsibilities seriously. It seems that a majority in our community understand the threat climate change poses to our way of life. When it comes to responding to Earth’s cry of ‘**Mayday. Mayday**’, and with a local election a few weeks away, we need to make sure that our elected representatives get it too. Perhaps it’s worth remembering that although it took time, the dinosaurs died out. **REFERENCES** 1 [West Northamptonshire Council Cabinet Meeting 4 March 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=%5FnnA3QbxI30&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [Health effects of low emission and congestion charging zones: a systematic review Chamberlain, Rosemary C et al. The Lancet Public Health, Volume 8, Issue 7, e559 - e574](https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2468-2667%2823%2900120-2&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [West Northamptonshire Council Climate Change Strategy March 2025](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s22866/Climate%20Change%20Strategy.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 [https://www.statista.com/statistics/426733/united-kingdom-uk-concern-about-climate-change/](https://www.statista.com/statistics/426733/united-kingdom-uk-concern-about-climate-change/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### See the Light - Leading the Way URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/see-the-light-leading-the-way-2/ Last updated: 2025-03-05T09:53:17.000Z Green Day released the single “See the Light” in 2009, as the closing track on their album ‘21st Century Breakdown’. As a counterpoint to the album’s depressing but omniscient title there is some good news going on in the heart of Corby, Northamptonshire, where [See Limited](https://www.see-limited.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) is showing how businesses can lead by example to make positive changes in their industry. As a group holding company, See Limited oversees its operating businesses, [Performance Panels](https://www.performance-panels.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (based in Halifax), and [Bousfields](https://www.bousfield.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (based in Corby). Both are involved in the supply, distribution and fabrication of wood veneer and decorative laminate panels to both consumers and to building developers across the UK. For CA-WN Exchange readers near Oakham and Corby, they can visit the Huws Gray showrooms where See Limited’s latest addition to their sustainable product portfolio, [BioCarbon Worktops](https://www.biocarbonworktops.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), the UK’s first zero-carbon-driven kitchen worktop, is on show. Their products and solutions are intended to not only meet the aesthetic and functional needs of the built environment but also align with sustainable practices, exemplifying the company's commitment to environmental stewardship. Readers may wonder how a company operating in the built environment industry can be considered ‘green’ as this is an industry historically known for its waste and excessive use of resources. The ‘Built Environment’ industry is reported to contribute to 25% of the UK’s total carbon footprint and worldwide, buildings are responsible for around 50% of energy and process-related CO2 emissions, 50% of all extracted materials, 33% of water consumption and 35% of generated waste. Other environmental impacts include resource depletion, air, water and land pollution and biodiversity loss. [(Source: World Green Building Council).](https://worldgbc.org/what-is-a-sustainable-built-environment/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Looking to the future, by 2050, the global population [will increase 27% to 9.8 billion](https://www.un.org/en/desa/world-population-projected-reach-98-billion-2050-and-112-billion-2100?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=COVID%2D19-,World%20population%20projected%20to%20reach%209.8%20billion%20in%202050%2C%20and,Nations%20report%20being%20launched%20today.), and [by 2060 global building floor area is expected to double](https://architecture2030.org/why-the-building-sector/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), catapulting all of the environmental, social and economic impacts associated with the built environment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/02/image-2.png) Image taken from [UK Green Building Council](https://ukgbc.org/our-work/climate-change-mitigation/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The See in the company’s title stands for ‘Supporting Ethical Enterprise’ and this mantra permeates all aspects of their operations. By investing in sustainable practices, ethical conduct, and community engagement, the company exemplifies how businesses can be a force for good. Their approach encompasses securing long-term sustainable growth, building and maintaining partnerships, and protecting natural resources. At the core of See Limited's mission is a commitment to environmental stewardship. The company has set an ambitious target to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions, reflecting their dedication to addressing the climate crisis. This goal is not merely aspirational; it is underpinned by concrete actions and validated targets. See Limited has committed to reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030, a target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Danielle Redgate, Marketing Director, says of their SBTi commitment; “See Limited was one of the first SMEs in the UK to sign up. We are glad to be on a recommended route and direction, surrounded by big businesses and making that formal and public commitment.” To ensure transparency and accountability, See Limited conducts an annual carbon footprint assessment. This allows the company to identify areas for improvement and implement strategies to reduce their environmental impact continually. All company-owned cars are now electric with charging points available on both sites. They are working towards reducing energy consumption using solar panels and continuing to measure the environmental impact and life cycle of their products through third party approved environmental product declarations (EPDs). See Limited's commitment to sustainability is further evidenced by their environmental initiatives. The company has partnered with [More Trees](https://www.moretrees.eco/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to plant trees for every order of [Pura® NFC](https://pura-uk.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), a weatherproof cladding product for home exteriors offered by Performance Panels. To date, they have planted 1,780 trees and plan to roll out the initiative across other product lines. To further offset and to take responsibility for their emissions, they have invested in Gold Standard carbon credits which supports the use of cook stoves in Ghana amongst other positive environmental and social initiatives. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/02/Pura-NFC_Basingstoke.png) See Limited's Pura® NFC - photo courtesy of See Limited Beyond their environmental initiatives, See Limited places a strong emphasis on community engagement. The company has been an active participant in local events and charitable activities. One example was their participation in the Tough Mudder challenge in July 2024, where a team of 23 employees [raised over £5,000 for Cancer Research UK](https://www.see-limited.com/news-see-limited-tough-mudder-2024?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Furthermore, See Limited has joined the [Northampton Sustainability Accord](https://www.see-limited.com/news-see-limited-have-joined-the-northampton-sustainability-accord?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), reinforcing their commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable practices within the local community. This collaboration with local stakeholders underscores the company's dedication to driving positive change at both the local and global levels. The company's efforts have not gone unnoticed. In a span of a few months in 2024, [See Limited won four awards](https://www.see-limited.com/news-reflecting-on-see-limited-s-incredible-awards-season-in-2024?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), highlighting their commitment to sustainability and excellence. Locally, they won the Green Award at the NNBN Business Awards but perhaps more notably, they secured the National Award for Sustainability at the National Building & Construction Awards. Priorities for this year and beyond include engaging more with the local community and getting more involved with local housing and building projects. See Limited stands as an excellent example of how businesses can leverage their resources and expertise to drive positive environmental and social change. Their commitment to sustainability, innovative environmental initiatives, and active community engagement illustrates the impact a company can have when it embraces its role as a steward of both the environment and the community. Danielle Redgate is aware that not all businesses are at the same stage as See Limited and is keen to emphasize that “we are not experts, but we can share our own sustainable journey at least and encourage others to make small changes to reduce their carbon footprint”. ### The Problem with Methane (CH4) URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-problem-with-methane-ch4/ Last updated: 2025-03-05T09:50:44.000Z Addressing methane is important because it accounts for about one third of all the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. In more detail, methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with over 80 times the 20-year warming power of carbon dioxide. However, in the atmosphere it breaks down to carbon dioxide and water. Its half-life is about 12 years. To arrive at a CO2 equivalent, methane is often given with the figure 20 or 100 in brackets to show whether it is based on a 20 year or 100 year comparison with CO2. Alice Rocha, M.S. from University of California in Davis, employs this analogy in her blog: > *“Imagine you have two bathtubs. Both have faucets that are on, and water is flowing. However, only one of these bathtubs has a drain. The tub with the drain represents methane and the one without represents CO2\. Because the drain is removing water, the tub will not fill up and overflow. That is what happens with methane in the atmosphere. Its short-lived nature means that the gas is actively being removed from the atmosphere and thereby reduces its contribution to warming over long periods of time.”* It is important to keep this in mind when putting a numerical figure on methane, but the fact remains that today, the faucet (tap) is bigger than the drain! Methane is responsible for at least 30% of today’s warming. During 2019, about 60% (360 million tons) of methane released globally was from human activities, while natural sources contributed about 40% (230 million tons). The sources due to human activity are fossil fuel operations (33%), animal agriculture (30%), plant agriculture – biomass, rice etc (18%), landfills (15%) (source: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane%5Femissions?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)). ### Detecting Methane leaks In April 2024 MethaneSAT was launched aboard SpaceX's Transporter 10\. It is a satellite programme that monitors methane emissions around the world with very high resolution cameras. Its data will be available on-line for free. MethaneSAT is an American-New Zealand space mission. In December 2024, photos showing a methane leak in Cheltenham were released. These came from the earlier GHGSat satellite data – part of the European Space Agency’s Third Party Mission Programme. This is the first time methane emissions in the UK have been detected and rectified. You can read more on [https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing\_the\_Earth/UK\_methane\_leak\_spotted\_using\_satellites2](https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing%5Fthe%5FEarth/UK%5Fmethane%5Fleak%5Fspotted%5Fusing%5Fsatellites2?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Russia is responsible for the greatest quantity of leaked methane, but small wells (‘nodding donkeys’) in the US Permian Basin (Texas and New Mexico) are also to blame. Many are privately owned, some are flared, some not, but the owners are only interested in black gold and have no way of collecting and selling gas. It will be interesting to see what satellite initiatives reveal in future. ### Natural Methane Emissions Much is made of natural methane emissions, but these are fairly constant and as long as they remain so, the natural breakdown of methane keeps a healthy balance. What does not seem to be certain is the extent to which global warming will form a loop to increase natural emissions emanating from melting ice-caps and permafrost. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/02/Methaneleak.png) Methane leaking from a faulty pipe in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire - Photo: © ESA ### Anaerobic Respiration in Land-Fill We have heard a lot recently about residents not using their food-waste bins. The Council makes money for us out of biogas from our food waste. But more important, by chucking food waste into the general waste it ends up in land-fill where air is largely excluded. Anaerobic microbes get to work and turn it into methane. Not a good idea! If you see anyone putting waste food into the general waste bin, you need to say something. ### Enteric Fermentation in Ruminants Methane is produced by ruminants belching (with a small amount of flatulence added). Ruminants include cattle, bison, buffaloes, sheep, goats, antelopes, deer, giraffes, and their relatives. They have a unique digestive system that allows them to use energy from fibrous plant material. Unlike monogastrics such as swine and poultry, ruminants have a digestive system with four chambers in the stomach designed to ferment feedstuffs and provide precursors for energy for the animal to use. Cattle typically spend more than one-third of their time grazing, one-third of their time ruminating (cud chewing), and slightly less than one-third of their time idling where they are, neither grazing nor ruminating. A cow can produce 150 L or more of saliva daily! This saliva controls the pH and allows microbes to thrive breaking down tough fibres and releasing lots of gas. Carbon dioxide and methane are produced during the fermentation of carbohydrates. They are either removed through the rumen wall or lost by belching. Methane cannot be used by the cow’s body systems as a source of energy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/02/ruminentsystemsmall.png) Diagram of ruminant digestive system > For anyone interested in the detailed digestive system of ruminants, there is a good description at [http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/understanding-the-ruminant-animal-digestive-system](http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/understanding-the-ruminant-animal-digestive-system?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ### Reducing Methane from Cattle Some people have decided to become vegetarian or vegan as the only way to solve the methane problem, but I don’t think the majority of the public will accept that, nor do I think it is necessary. Also artificial meat is a long way from becoming affordable and main-stream. Without cows and sheep, our traditional English landscape would disappear. Most of the hedges would vanish together with the habitats they provide for wildlife. We cannot eat grass, but our maritime climate and rolling hills produce very good grass. We have enough golf-courses and pony paddocks. Some land could and should produce more timber, but much of that land is not suitable for crops such as cereal, pulses, vegetables, fruit, oilseeds and sugar. Cows and sheep prosper; and we, as omnivores, with meat and milk in our diets, prosper too. How can we keep methane levels at reasonable levels? The way we grow beef cattle in the UK is very different from the US. In America, cattle are normally finished in ‘feed lots’ where the feed is brought to the animals. American farmers claim that because cattle reach the required weight in less time (18 months), their methane output is less per kilo of meat. However, most British consumers would not be happy if our farmers were to adopt a similar system. The peak slaughter age for UK beef cattle is around 22 months. Dairy cows live longer: The natural lifespan of a dairy cow has been reported to be approximately 20 years; however, research has highlighted that it is more like 3.6 lactations (approximately 6 years) in the UK and 2.8 lactations (approximately 5 years) in the USA. ([https://a-z-animals.com/blog/cow-lifespan-how-long-do-cows-live/](https://a-z-animals.com/blog/cow-lifespan-how-long-do-cows-live/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)) Below is a diagram of how we feed our livestock in the UK taken from the recent National Preparedness Report but originating from the WWF. (Cottee J, McCormack C, Hearne E, Sheane R. The future of feed: How low opportunity cost livestock feed could support a more regenerative UK food system: WWF-UK, 2020) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/02/How-we-feed.png) Apart from the age of slaughter, are there other ways of reducing the methane output of cows and sheep? There is no single solution to cutting emissions, but rather a toolbox of strategies. Healthy livestock are more productive and efficient, meaning that fewer emissions are produced per unit of food output. One of the most widely discussed solutions to methane emissions is the use of feed additives such as Bovaer, which has been shown to reduce methane production by up to 30%. These feed additives do need to be fed very regularly - twice per day, and there is a cost associated with them. A Northern Irish farmer, John Gilliland, Professor of Practice at Queen’s University Belfast, has been researching the use of coppiced willow in cattle grazing, and the effect this has had on reductions in methane. He visited Australia to look at work of feeding red seaweed, asparagopsis, to cattle to reduce methane emissions. “What interested me even more was a trial in the neighbouring paddock. Now you have to remember the definition of an Australian paddock. A paddock in Irish terms is about 1 hectare in size. A paddock in Australian times is 100 hectares. In this 100-hectare paddock was a silvopasture of grazing trees which the cattle were allowed to graze.” So Professor Gilliland who already had 30 years of knowledge of willow production, set up a trial. You can read the rest of the story on his blog for the Low Carbon Agriculture Show: [https://www.lowcarbonagricultureshow.co.uk/exhibitor-blog-2025/coppice-willow-cattle-grazing-way-forward-methane-reduction](https://www.lowcarbonagricultureshow.co.uk/exhibitor-blog-2025/coppice-willow-cattle-grazing-way-forward-methane-reduction?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Willow leaves contain high quantities of tannin which disrupts the production of methane in the rumen. This was a pilot project and we must wait to see if results can be replicated. ### Conclusion There is no one magic bullet to reduce methane in the atmosphere. Its effect on climate change cannot be denied. Reducing leaks from oil and gas production and distribution is number one. Secondly, we have to reduce methane emissions from agriculture, in particular from ruminants. As there are more people on earth and they mostly want to eat meat, we each have to eat less meat. I have not mentioned milk and cheese: it may be easier to reduce methane from dairy cattle, especially if they live under cover. Particular attention will be needed to handling of manure and slurry. But there are exciting developments in farming to reduce the output of ruminant methane. Many farmers are harvesting their methane to provide electricity. We will never eliminate methane, but we can reduce it; and personally I shall continue a modest diet including some meat, milk and cheese! ### ‘Drill, baby, drill’: a who's who URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/drill-baby-drill-a-whos-who/ Last updated: 2025-03-05T23:07:45.000Z ### 'Burn, baby, burn', a deliberately incendiary slogan associated with riots in the USA 60 years ago, has been taken up and repurposed. **‘Drill, baby, drill’**, ostensibly aimed at reducing dependence upon foreign energy supplies, is yet another populist appeal in support of a distinct worldview whose cheerleader in chief is the current American president. Future generations devastated by climate collapse may look back and ask ‘how was this allowed to happen. How did Donald Trump persuade the world to "burn, baby, burn"?' One answer is that he’s not a solo act. Trump's global network of fellow-travellers includes a sizeable proportion of prominent people in Britain. **DeSmog**, a news organisation claiming to be 'the world’s number one source for accurate, fact-based information regarding global warming misinformation campaigns', has illustrated the **alliances** between a collective of **UK-based** self-interests and the '**leader of the free world**'. > ... why those with an alternative worldview, when armed with such intelligence, did not see the elephants in the room ... With the benefit of hindsight, future generations might wonder why those with an **alternative worldview**, when armed with such **intelligence**, did not see the **elephants in the room** intent on having things all their own way. As climate hits a point beyond which there’s no recovery, it is pertinent to ask if our politics too is at a tipping point. It must now be time for people with only marginal differences in political beliefs to come together and forge pragmatic alliances. With a populist's focus on **divide and rule**, climate activists must **unite and conquer**. Read DeSmog's detailed view of **Trump's connections**: [Mapped: Donald Trump’s Transatlantic Anti-Green NetworkAs Donald Trump takes his oath of office to become the 47th president of the United States, his second term comes at an ever-more critical time for climate change. Climate scientists have warned that 2024 was the hottest year on record, and without dramatic action to cut greenhouse gas emissions, global pledges to limit warming \[…\]![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/favicon-7.ico)DeSmogAdam Barnett![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2025-01-21-at-12.26.46-1024x692.png)](https://www.desmog.com/2025/01/21/mapped-donald-trump-transatlantic-anti-green-network/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food … and Why Can’t We Stop? By Chris van Tulleken URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ultra-processed-people-why-do-we-all-eat-stuff-that-isnt-food-and-why-cant-we-stop-by-chris-van-tulleken/ Last updated: 2025-03-05T09:43:25.000Z Chris van Tulleken and his identical twin Xand are familiar faces on our TV screens, especially to children and their parents from the CBBC show *Operation Ouch!* I was prompted to read this book after watching a documentary made by Chris van Tulleken on the topic of Ultra-processed Food (UPF)1 \- [Irresistible: Why We Can’t Stop Eating](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0025gqs?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). The book provides a great deal more detail about the research into UPF and its effects and I'd strongly recommend it to anyone interested in climate change or human health. Here are a few quotes that I found particularly compelling in making the case against UPF and the companies that design and market it. > Everything from chicken nuggets to ice cream can be made from the same base liquids and powders. > UPF is “not food. It’s an industrially produced edible substance.” > There is new evidence of links between UPF and cancer, cardiometabolic disease, addiction and, importantly, eating disorders. UPF drives production at huge scale of a few crops (palm oil, soya, sugar, wheat, maize, meat and dairy), often in areas of cleared tropical forest. This is a significant contributor to the causes of climate change. UPF is produced efficiently due to the availability of cheap fossil fuels and other raw materials. Of course, ‘efficiently’ means in a narrow financial sense since the flawed reasoning of today’s dominant economic and business systems excludes the cost of externalities like damage to ecosystems and human suffering. A great deal of UPF has no or very little real nutritional value therefore environmental damage caused in its production cannot be justified on nutritional grounds. In fact UPF causes a staggering level of harm to individual and public health. The reasons for this are complex and the book sets them out with admirable clarity and rigour. As a society we have become dependent on UPF – it’s convenient, cheap, has a long shelf-life and is extremely palatable (a lot of effort goes into making it so). In the UK, we eat more meat in the form of UPF than we do in the form of fresh or minimally processed meat (7% versus 5% of our calorie intake). The food system is constructed to market and deliver UPF, consequently the option to switch to healthier but more expensive and time-consuming ‘real food’ is not readily available to a lot of people. Breaking our addiction to UPF will be very difficult, but as with any addiction, the process starts with understanding the problem. One final extract from this excellent book: > UPF requires the current destructive way of farming and is the only possible output of this system. With agro ecological approaches, we could increase food quality and diversity whilst reducing all those external costs of ill health and climate change. It may be a fantasy to assume it would fix all problems, and it would almost certainly present new challenges, but they would be nothing compared with the consequences of not changing the food system. 1. A word about the definition of UPF. The 'official' definition in the Nova food classification system is very very long. One way of identifying whether something is UPF is the length of a product's ingredients list and the inclusion on that list of things you don't recognise and wouldn't use in your own kitchen. This BBC article is quite helpful. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/what\_is\_ultra-processed\_food](https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/what%5Fis%5Fultra-processed%5Ffood?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Feed: Ultra-processed foods, plastics, transport URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/feed-ultra-processed-foods-plastics-transport/ Last updated: 2025-03-05T09:42:17.000Z Our Bookshelf recommendation this month is Ultra Processed People, about ultra processed food (UPF) and how it is affecting us as consumers, in all senses of the word. The equally important relationship of UPF to climate change might not be immediately apparent, though it does feature in the book. This podcast, consisting of a panel interview with experts on the food industry, plastics and clean transport, shines a harsh light on the global UPF and plastics industry; the two are inextricably interlinked and both are deeply harmful to our health and to the natural world. At the heart of it is this: UPF is the product of industrial processes that consume a huge amount of energy, and of course it always comes to us in shiny colourful plastic wrappers. Processing and packaging accounts for over 40% of the fossil fuels used in our food system. [Feed: a food systems podcast](https://feed.buzzsprout.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Apple and Almond Pie URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/apple-and-almond-pie/ Last updated: 2025-03-05T09:41:36.000Z As the days are getting longer I’m looking through my store cupboard and trying to use up the things I hoarded during the run up to Christmas. Once past the Spring equinox I know I shall spend far less time in the kitchen, so now’s a good opportunity to clear the back of the pantry. It wasn’t a great surprise to find a whole pack of ground almonds keeping a low profile on the top shelf – we love anything with nuts, home-made marzipan being a particular favourite. The following recipe is a variation on Bakewell tart. **Ingredients** - 150g butter - 125g caster sugar - 150g ground almonds - 50g plain flour - Zest of 1 lemon - 1 tbsp brandy, (substitute a tsp lemon juice and a dash of water if preferred) - 3 - 4 drops almond extract - 2 eggs - 1 medium cooking apple - 500g block puff pastry Oven temperature: 220o **What to do** If using frozen puff pastry, allow to warm at room temperature for 30 minutes or so, then cut the block in half. On a floured board, roll out the first half till it’s approximately 3mm thick, then, using a plate or similar round object measuring about 25cm in diameter, place this on the pastry and use a knife with a good point to cut out a circle. Repeat the rolling out process and then cut a second circle, slightly larger than the first. Place each of these pastry circles on a sheet of baking paper and, rolling them loosely (in the manner of a Swiss roll), return them to the fridge for the time it takes to make the filling. Peel and stew the apple with a little sugar. Don’t let it get too mushy, and if there is a lot of liquid, drain it once the apple has cooled down. Now heat the oven to the required temperature, then prepare the almond mix as follows, it is quick and simple to make. Whisk the eggs together and set aside. Melt the butter gently over a low heat. Once melted, turn the heat off. Add the sugar, flour and ground almonds and stir till all are incorporated, adding the brandy and almond essence. Next beat in the whisked eggs, reserving about 1 tbsp to glaze the pie. Allow the mixture to cool to round about blood temperature. Remove the pastry circles from the fridge and place the larger one on a lined baking sheet (you could use the paper you’d wrapped it in to put in the fridge for this). Spread the almond mix in the centre of the circle, leaving about 2.5cm clear around the edge. Spread the apple mix sparingly on the almond filling, taking care not to swamp the pastry. Next, place the second pastry disc on top and carefully fold the lower circle’s edges up over the upper ones. Pinch them together so the pie is well sealed. Brush the top of the pie with the reserved egg, then, using a small, sharp kitchen knife, make some slashes in the top of the pie. In the very centre make a small cross-cut, then fold back the edges of the cut. This is to allow the steam to escape as the pie cooks. Serve warm, with soured cream or yoghurt. Et bon appetit! ### Planetary Boundaries URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/planetary-boundaries/ Last updated: 2025-03-05T10:25:26.000Z I am on the mailing list for the Stockholm Resilience Centre. Back in 2009, The Centre1 and its director, Johan Rockström, coined the expression ‘Planetary Boundaries’. Seven boundaries were described and three of these were considered to be crossed already. Since then, the number of boundaries described has increased to nine with six crossed already. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/03/Planetary-Boundaries-2023.png) ****The 2023 update to the Planetary boundaries.** [Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Credit: "Azote for Stockholm Resilience Centre, based on analysis in Richardson et al 2023" In 2015, I was certificated ‘Champion of the Biosphere’ after completing an on-line course! It coincided with moving to Harlestone, four miles from Northampton. I am not sure I would achieve 90% now with the additional boundaries and their technicalities! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/02/image.png) ### Climate Change and Methane It is scary to note the increased transgression of the boundaries since 2009\. More so to see what a small portion ‘Climate Change’ is of the whole. What a mess the world is in! But we can only work harder to change our little corner. In UK, some of the focus has switched to methane and farmers get a lot of the blame. Is this fair? I shall try to answer this [in another article](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-problem-with-methane-ch4/). I have also been discussing the changeover in the way farmers are funded by the state, Inheritance Tax, ‘agri-voltaics’, land-use strategies and river pollution. It may be that, as one farmer said to me, ‘farming is the solution – not the problem’. 💡 For a more in depth look at Planetary Boundaries, you can hear Johan Rockström on one of our recommended podcasts, The Great Simplification [https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/134-johan-rockstrom](https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/134-johan-rockstrom?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 1. [https://www.stockholmresilience.org/](https://www.stockholmresilience.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Report of public meeting 20 February 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-public-meeting-20-february-2025/ Last updated: 2025-02-25T09:13:33.000Z Our guest speaker for February was Niall Toru, senior lawyer at Friends of the Earth, who spoke to us about ‘Climate in the Courts’. Niall’s slides are available to download1. Apologies but due to a technical problem there is no recording of this month’s meeting. This also means that these notes couldn’t be reviewed against the recording, so may be less detailed than usual. **Present**: Adrian Sherlock, Alexina Cassidy, Andy Wallace, Anthony Arthur, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Dave Pearson, David Garlick, Eva Pennycate, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, Jasmine Cassidy, Jean Troy, Leonie Beale, Maria Lee, Mick Lorkins, Mike Longman, Nici Wilcox, Olivia, Peter Conquest, Rupert Knowles, Russell Hickman, Teresa Cox, Tim Allen **Apologies**: Clare Slater, Emmie Williamson, Hilary Haynes, Stephen Clark **Introduction** Niall is originally from Northampton and went to university here, before moving to London for work and now lives back in the town. He mainly works on climate litigation. Friends of the Earth (FoE) has a team of 4 lawyers and 2 legal interns. They take on a small number of strategic cases, selected on the basis that they will have impacts wider than the facts of the case, such as leading to policy change or getting significant media coverage. **What is Climate litigation?** This can take a number of forms as climate cases can be brought in various ways: - Judicial review. This is a way of ensuring that those who hold political power don’t abuse it – e.g. councils. Has been used quite effectively in climate litigation. Note that judicial review and other legal processes are tools that FoE are using, often quite effectively, however they are not enough to close the gap between where we are and where we want to be. What is really needed is strong policy and legislation. Litigation is good but it can’t do everything. - Consumer protection law. Can be effective against greenwash. - Company law. This enables shareholders to keep their directors honest and anyone can buy shares, become a shareholder, and use that as a launchpad for litigation. This is not easy and hasn’t succeeded so far but the number of cases is growing. - Tort law eg negligence claims. This can be used if you’re injured or your property damaged. This has been used to take on fossil fuel companies, mostly in other countries so far rather than the UK. - Employment law and workers’ rights. It’s inevitable that current laws in this area are going to be really stretched as the impacts of climate change worsen. - Human rights law. This is a very interesting area - the European Convention on Human Rights is about 75 years old and doesn’t mention environment at all. Cases include someone in Turkey who was living next to a rubbish dump and suffering substantially from pollution. The recent case brought by elderly Swiss women against the Swiss state has opened up a new argument including in the UK about new opportunities to bring climate litigation. The UK government’s climate adaptation plan is being legally challenged, relying on the Swiss case. Climate litigation is not all good – there is another side to it. For example: - Damages claims against protest organisations - Backlash against corporate ESG (environmental, social and governance). For example disputes about the principle of investing – where pension funds want to take their funds out of fossil fuel companies on ethical grounds there has been pushback on the basis that profit should be the overriding principle. This has mainly been in the US but may happen over here. - Strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPPs), which means using the courts to silence critics. - Anti protest injunctions. **Cases about fossil fuel projects** It is known that fossil fuels are a fundamental driver for the climate crisis, and that we can’t open new fossil fuel projects if we want to meet climate change goals. This is inconvenient if you are a politician who wants to look good on climate issues but still wants to open new projects for other reasons. To get round this creative accounting is used to make it look as if a new fossil fuel project is within carbon targets i.e. count flaring of gas from the oil rig is counted when calculating the carbon impact of a project, but not emissions from use of the oil being produced. This is a tactic commonly used across industry and government which has been successfully pushed back on through litigation. **Weald Action Group** The Weald is an area in SE England, historically an area of oil production including a site in Surrey called Horse Hill. In 2019 Surrey County Council granted permission to drill for oil at Horse Hill for 20 years, claiming that emissions from the oil produced weren’t relevant. The Weald Action Group, led by Sarah Finch, took legal action and was supported by FoE. The case was rejected in court and this decision upheld by the High Court but the Supreme Court by a majority of 3-2 struck down the planning permission. The fossil fuel industry have fought really hard to ignore the results of their activities and we need to put a stop to that including by giving the public full information about the impact of fossil fuels - “you can only care about what you know about”. **Whitehaven** This was the first proposed new deep coal mine in the UK for 30 years. The intention was that it would produce coal for steelmaking until 2050\. Planning application was made in 2017 and has been fought by local people, including by a fantastic group called ‘the Nanas’ who have also been successfully resisting fracking. FoE opposed the planning application including at a planning enquiry in 2021\. In 2022 Michael Gove, then Communities Secretary, decided to grant planning permission. The legal challenge to this decision succeeded last year. The grounds on which this case was won included the argument about taking account of carbon emissions from the coal produced. Another significant challenge was to a claim often made that because a proposed coal mine is more efficient than another one proposed elsewhere, this one will provide cheaper coal and price the other one out of the market. Therefore, building this coal mine will mean lower emissions than if the other one went ahead instead. Often this is just an assertion with no actual evidence behind it to prove that the investors in the other coal mine won’t just go ahead anyway. The judge in Whitehaven called that out which means in future such assertions will need to be backed by evidence. **Finch fallout** The Weald/Sarah Finch case has had a domino effect, with a number of individual on and off shore projects quashed or withdrawn because they failed to properly measure climate impacts. This doesn’t mean the projects are gone, it means the decisions to consent to them have been struck down. It is possible for the developers to reapply so there may be more battles in the future. The government has advised that in late spring this year there will be new guidance about what the Finch ruling means for assessing climate impact. FoE reviewed and made comments on a draft version, unfortunately it is much too weak. An analogy that has sometimes been used is one of a national 'carbon bucket', arguing that each new proposed project only adds a little to the bucket. This ignores the climate science which is telling us that the bucket is already overflowing with no room for more. The guidance will come from Ed Miliband’s department – so far he has toed the line, e.g. on the Heathrow third runway, but hopefully he will decide to push back at some point. **Cases about national plans** In the UK these are based on the Climate Change Act 2008\. This requires 5-yearly plans for both mitigation (cutting emissions) and adaptation (preparing for impacts). The Act introduced carbon budgets, which are set 12 years in advance, for example the 6th carbon budget covers mid 2030’s. The government then has to publish a plan showing how it’s going to meet the budget. The government has done that for the 6th carbon budget and been successfully sued because the plan was inadequate - it didn’t say how much each policy was expected to cut emissions by. The government then published a carbon budget delivery plan, was sued again and lost again. The new government now has to produce a third plan. FoE really don’t want to have to challenge it again, what they want is for politicians to start pulling the levers available to them to drive down carbon emissions. As mentioned before climate litigation can only get you so far. The next (7th ) carbon budget for the years around 2040 will come out in 2026\. Next Wednesday the UK Climate Change Committee is due to publish advice on how to deliver this budget. This is going to be interesting because the UK government has now taken all the ‘low hanging fruit’ for cutting emissions, such as moving away from coal – this reduced emissions without having much impact on how people live. To achieve further emissions cuts will require changes such as flying less or cutting consumption of meat and dairy. There is now no political consensus on climate change, so there will not be cross party agreement on the 7th carbon budget. **Adaptation** On slide 3 is a photo of Doug Paulley and Kevin Jordan. Doug is disabled and a disabled rights activist; he suffers from overheating and lives in a care home where he has had to buy air conditioning for his room and can’t leave his room in hot weather. Kevin Jordan had a house in Hemsby on the Norfolk coast which had to be demolished around Christmas 2023 because of coastal erosion caused by climate change. This case2 was lost in the High Court but is being taken to the Supreme Court for permission to appeal and could also go to the ECHR if necessary. **Cases about protest** Niall doesn’t do so much of this himself but colleagues at FoE do; FoE as an organisation is very much about nonviolent peaceful protest. 5 members of Just Stop Oil were convicted of conspiracy to cause public nuisance because they held a Zoom call to talk about a potential protest. They received prison sentences of 4 and 5 years. Until recent changes in legislation it was unknown to have any custodial sentence for peaceful protest. These protesters have appealed, supported by FoE. Their appeal was heard in the Court of Appeal in January – it’s worth noting that they are appealing against their sentences, not the verdicts, using Human Rights arguments. The outcome of this is awaited. **Q&A** *Daniel Shaw (one of the JSO 5) has been released from prison on bail this week but is not allowed to have any contact with friends or fellow members of JSO for 4 years – is this usual?* It sounds like these are licence conditions for being released. *Is it possible to take legal action against local authorities in relation to climate change?* The most likely approach would be judicial review. The Climate Change Act doesn’t apply targets at a local level. Any local targets set by councils are not legally binding so it would be difficult to sue. Potentially legal action could be taken if a council issues a plan and there is a legal error. It would all depend on the facts of each case. *Do you know about the Better Business Act? This is a campaign to change company law to require businesses to take legal responsibility for their impact on people and the environment, not just their shareholders3.* Not aware of this specifically but it sounds like a very good idea. The bit of law it’s trying to change is the duty on directors, to expand it beyond just shareholders. Challenges so far in the UK against directors just haven’t worked. Climate Earth have tried and failed, and the response was quite dismissive. This shows the law does need strengthening. Some companies have gone down the route of voluntary ESG commitments but this seems to be going in the wrong direction now with commitments being rolled back. Legislation is needed – FoE is part of the Corporate Justice Coalition campaigning for a Business, Human Rights and Environment Act4. *Do you work with other organisations like Client Earth?* Yes, definitely. FoE have worked with Client Earth and with the Good Law Project, and they meet regularly. The other organisations have a slightly different background so a lot of their lawyers have commercial and corporate law experience which is useful for FoE to tap into. *Legal action is expensive – how does FoE fund litigation?* FoE saves money by having its own legal team but needs to use external barristers and solicitors too. They are lucky in having a network of sympathetic lawyers who work for them at less than the going rate. Costs are met through normal fundraising, though occasionally there may be a specific funding appeal for some cases. The real cost exposure is the opponent’s costs – the general rule is that if you lose you pay the other side’s costs and this can be huge. It is possible to ask the court to limit exposure to the other side’s costs, because of the international Aarhus convention, which says it shouldn’t be too expensive to stop challenges being brought. As a result of this FoE’s exposure to costs is usually only £10,000, otherwise it could be millions. *How about when you’re working with local groups?* FoE legal team can’t act for local groups, partly because they don’t have capacity but mainly because there are professional rules which limit who you can act for. In the Sarah Finch case FoE intervened but didn’t act for her directly. *Would it be possible to use the principles of Natural Justice against a local council?* Natural Justice is a legal principle used mostly in cases of an individual’s civil liberties. For example if someone applied for a taxi licence and was unfairly shut out, that’s quite a strong case under Natural Justice. But it would always depend on the facts of the case and the process. *If a planning committee chose to ignore points made in public – who do you appeal to?* Planning decisions can be appealed to a planning inspector but that’s a different scenario. Complaining about the process would be done through judicial review. But how do you show points have been ignored rather than listened to and disagreed with? This would be a difficult evidential point. Judicial review is also very expensive. *Is FoE looking at how procurement of goods and supply chains can be improved so that companies take more responsibility?* Yes, not by Niall but a colleague at FoE is. This is about better due diligence etc - there is a lot of campaigning to improve the law in this area. *How did you get into law?* A degree in anthropology followed by a conversion course. Niall didn’t always want to do climate law – he qualified in local government and then did planning inspector cases in the High Court before finding a home at FoE. **DONM:** ***Thursday 20th March.*** The speaker will be Alan Ryan, Programme Manager of the Flood and Water Team, WNC Subsequent meetings: ***April 17th*** – Climate Adaptation risk workshop. Something we haven’t done before and would very much like people to attend and contribute to. ***May 15th*** \- Natasha Ginks from [https://www.renovategreen.co.uk/](https://www.renovategreen.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and Cosy Homes Oxfordshire; her company is focused on sustainable retrofit for older houses and she also lectures on retrofit for traditional buildings. --- ### References 1\. [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Climate\_change\_and\_the\_courts-CA-WN\_20.2.2025.pdf](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Climate%5Fchange%5Fand%5Fthe%5Fcourts-CA-WN%5F20.2.2025.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/climate-adaptation-appeal-considered-after-high-court-rejects-legal-challenge-over](https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/climate-adaptation-appeal-considered-after-high-court-rejects-legal-challenge-over?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. [https://betterbusinessact.org/](https://betterbusinessact.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. [https://corporatejusticecoalition.org/our-campaigns/due-diligence-law/](https://corporatejusticecoalition.org/our-campaigns/due-diligence-law/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Hope - popcawn February 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/hope-popcawn-february-2025/ Last updated: 2025-02-05T09:55:23.000Z I’ve been mulling over ‘hope’ for a while now, spurred on by the seemingly endless supply of bad news for the climate over recent months. The results of the US election were a low point for me, with the prospect of the unravelling of global climate action. By Christmas I’d had enough and decided to take a break from the news, social media and any other source of ‘grown up’ information. Stepping off the bad-news treadmill over the holiday period and into January gave me a chance to rest my brain and to reflect on how I want to interact with pressing global issues. Since emerging from my media black-out, I’ve been selective with my news sources: I allow myself to listen to the Radio 4 news bulletins during unavoidable car journeys and I’ve subscribed to email digests from independent ‘slow news’ providers. I also try to keep in mind that we are generally sold bad news and sensational stories; positive stories that may report small or incremental change in the right direction don’t lend themselves as readily as click bait. I've subscribed to Positive News, one of a number of news providers that focus on positive and uplifting stories to try to balance the negativity of mainstream sources. Of course some news is still very bleak: there’s no sugar coating the recent statistics that 2024 was the first year the global average temperature rise went beyond 1.5 degrees and that atmospheric CO2 levels rose faster than predicted last year. I find that the Outrage and Optimism podcast is great for a contextualised and knowledgeable view on climate news and often feel better after listening to that. So have I succeeded in balancing the psychological see-saw of awareness and despair? It’s early days but I feel that by moderating my news consumption I’m able to process distressing facts better than if bathed in a swamp of negativity. This gives me the mental space and energy to keep on working towards my climate action goals (personal ones and within the CA-WN community) – through action that I can control and am responsible for. Climate action isn't all or nothing - we can all help to move the dial by contributing small actions that make it incrementally better. One key way we can do this is by inspiring others into action by setting an example: it doesn’t matter what is going on in the world, just keep doing what you do, live by your values and be the change you want to see. Showing up for others is what keeps me going in the moments when I feel all hope is lost, and seeing what others are doing gives me back my hope. ### Council watch - is the council falling out of love with roads? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-is-the-council-falling-out-of-love-with-roads-2/ Last updated: 2025-02-05T09:53:28.000Z My attention was caught recently by an article in the Chronicle & Echo headlined “***Several major traffic mitigation schemes in West Northamptonshire scrapped from local transport plan***”1. This interested me because I think the council should be spending money on active travel schemes and public transport rather than new roads. The reasons for this may not surprise you: - We need to cut fossil fuel-powered miles to reduce greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere - Petrol and diesel emissions, plus particulates from brakes and tyres (an issue for EVs too) are creating air pollution which is a serious public health issue - Travelling by cycle or on foot, though less comfortable than the car, is not only cleaner but better for our physical and mental health - New roads are only a temporary fix for congestion – there is a well documented phenomenon called ‘induced demand’2, which means that for various reasons a new road can actually result in more road miles travelled and therefore lead to renewed congestion within just a couple of years I had been impressed with the decision of the Welsh Government to freeze road building and use the money saved for sustainable transport3. One of the reasons the Welsh Future Generations Commissioner campaigned for this is the blindingly obvious fact that only people with cars benefit from new roads, therefore road building is a policy that reinforces existing inequalities. Not just because lower income, older or disabled citizens who can’t drive or can’t afford a car don’t get to roll along the new tarmac but also because more roads means more houses near roads. These are more likely to be occupied by the less well off because it’s cheaper. And then they get to breathe in more of that polluted air. I was rather ashamed that as a car owner the inequity of road-building had never occurred to me and I suspect the same is true of some councillors and other decision makers, since they probably also sit on the comfortable side of that divide. So I wondered whether WNC was creeping towards recognition that road building is not such a good thing after all. Sadly, looking into the story more closely I found that the headline had misled me, so my hopes were dashed\*. Reaching for a more hopeful perspective I remembered that the draft new Local Plan which was consulted on last year and the draft Climate Change Strategy both contained encouraging words on sustainable transport, for example, this extract from the Local Plan: > **Policy TR1 – Sustainable transport** > Development proposals should demonstrate and achieve the following sustainable travel principles: i. Prioritise pedestrian, wheeler, cyclist and public transport users ahead of car users; ii. Ensure new development is located close to or along existing strategic transport public transport corridors that can be promoted a strengthened; Is sustainable transport where the council’s heart is? I am inclined to think not but we’ll keep watching and waiting. And of course campaigning and commenting. --- ### Footnote and references **\***The ‘scrapped schemes’ listed were: - Bypasses for the villages of Farthinghoe and Cold Ashby. These were never in the Local Transport Plan (LTP). Calls for bypasses during the LTP consultation were rejected, and proposals for an A422 Farthinghoe traffic mitigation scheme and changes to traffic management in Cold Ashby (under the umbrella of the Town and Village Traffic Calming Programme) stayed in the LTP. - Deferral of the Northampton Northern Orbital. The paragraph in the draft LTP about this included these words: *Northampton Northern Orbital was deferred for later study as it performed poorly in the assessment on strategic alignment and deliverability. Notably the assessment was informed by the evidence that expanded road capacity is likely to lead to increased congestion through induced demand, with no clear indication this project would improve public transport or active travel modes to mitigate negative impacts.* So not scrapped then so much as off the table from the start. Though encouragingly there is recognition of induced demand. - Deferral of junction upgrades at the Great Billing Interchange and the A45 Wootton Interchange. This is accurate. 1\. [https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/politics/several-major-traffic-mitigation-schemes-in-west-northamptonshire-scrapped-from-local-transport-plan-4947159](https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/politics/several-major-traffic-mitigation-schemes-in-west-northamptonshire-scrapped-from-local-transport-plan-4947159?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment\_data/file/762976/latest-evidence-on-induced-travel-demand-an-evidence-review.pdf](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment%5Fdata/file/762976/latest-evidence-on-induced-travel-demand-an-evidence-review.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. [https://www.futuregenerations.wales/impact/transport/](https://www.futuregenerations.wales/impact/transport/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Meet the Steering Group - Jane Wood URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/meet-the-steering-group-jane-wood/ Last updated: 2025-02-05T09:52:52.000Z *Jane is the Chair and Secretary of CA-WN, and joined the group soon after its inception in late 2019\. This is the latest in a series of pieces from CA-WN's Steering Group members.* ***What is your motivation for being involved with the environmental movement and with CA-WN in particular?*** When I started to understand about climate change and all the other ways in which humans are damaging the natural world, it was very hard to reconcile this with people all around me living in a way that paid no regard to the environment. Sometimes I’d wonder if I was deluded because so few people seemed to see the world the way I did. Being a member of CA-WN lets me be part of a group of people who do see the world the same way. Sometimes I don’t want to be a person who is always thinking about the climate and nature crises and I wonder what good I am really doing. But in the end it’s impossible not to try to make a difference. ***What other roles do you have in your life outside of being involved with CA-WN?*** I was very lucky to be able to retire early in 2021\. I was born with a strong volunteering gene, so since becoming ‘economically inactive’ I’ve taken on other voluntary roles including being a parish councillor. More recently I also became a carer when my dad moved in with us. ***If you were given one wish to change something in West Northamptonshire what would it be?*** I’d want to see action on climate change and nature recovery much better co-ordinated and communicated. Since joining CA-WN I’ve seen that there are lots of people doing their own thing in little pockets but not much happening to join it all up. CA-WN tries to address this in a small way but I am seeing signs of others also beginning to fill this gap (e.g. collaboration across the public and charity sectors on the new Local Nature Recovery Strategy). I’m part of a new initiative, the West Northamptonshire Climate and Nature Partnership, or WN CAN, which aims to act as a unifying and enabling force for action so I might get my wish! ***What one change have you made for the climate in your own life that you are happiest about and why?*** ‘Rewilding’ my small garden. I get so much enjoyment out of it and the creatures it attracts – birds, hedgehogs, bees, spiders, grasshoppers, butterflies and moths…. ***Tell us something about yourself that people might find surprising.*** I’m an introvert who really doesn’t like social occasions. ### £110,000 grant unclaimed by West Northamptonshire schools URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/110-000-grant-unclaimed-by-west-northamptonshire-schools/ Last updated: 2025-02-05T09:48:08.000Z ### Eleven local schools have each been offered a £10,000 grant to improve biodiversity within their grounds. CA-WN has been asked to help the nominated schools make the most of this opportunity, which closes in March. The money is being offered as part of the [National Education Nature Parks ](https://www.educationnaturepark.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)initiative, a partnership between the Department for Education, the Natural History Museum, the Royal Horticultural Society and others. Any school can sign up to the Nature Parks programme to access a range of free resources and to map their school and its green spaces. The mapping data is used by the Natural History Museum for research into nature recovery. In addition, schools in areas identified as having limited access to green space are able to apply for a [grant of up to £10,000](https://rhs.flexigrant.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). How the school spends its cash is for them to decide but it would be a shame to miss out on this government-funded scheme to involve children and young people in taking positive action to address climate change and the biodiversity crisis. Eleven schools in our area are eligible for the grant and have not yet applied. Applications need to be in by 27 March and the money has to spent before 5 June (though this could include advance payment for planned work). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/02/pergola-1.png) This school spent its grant on an outdoor space with raised beds for insect-friendly plants. The great thing about the scheme is that up to half the grant can be spent on engaging professional contractors, whether to develop a design to make the most of the opportunity or to help with the manual labour of getting it done. Part of the cash can even be used to build a secure place for storing gardening tools. In the first instance someone connected to each of the schools listed below needs to fill in a simple registration form and use an online map to draw a line round the school’s boundary. Form-filling help is readily available and once the funding has been approved even more help is there to deal with the technical aspects of improving the school’s biodiversity. - Abbeyfield School - Billing Brook Special School - Castle Academy - DSLV E-ACT Academy - Gloucester Nursery School - Lumbertubs Primary School - New Horizons Academy - Northampton Academy - Northampton International Academy - The CE Academy - Thorplands Primary School Even if your school isn’t listed, a national charity called [Learning through Landscapes](https://ltl.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) has loads of advice on how make the most of outdoor spaces and help every child enjoy the benefits of learning and playing outdoors. They can even suggest other potential sources of funding. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2025/02/court.png) This school added planters to create a sensory garden ### On Freedom by Timothy Snyder URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/on-freedom-by-timothy-snyder-2/ Last updated: 2025-02-05T09:46:29.000Z It is laziness on my part that draws me to write a book review for Professor Snyder’s latest book rather than do the necessary research to demonstrate how it relates to specific cases in Northamptonshire’s local politics; there are several themes drawn out within the book that could make articles in themselves. The book explores modern conceptions of freedom and how they have formed, particularly focussing on the rise of populism and the growth of social media over the last decade and a half. Then, with reference to philosophers such as Simone Weil, statesmen like Vaclav Havel and historic events such as the civil rights movement in mid 20th century America, it aims to present a new (or revive an old) concept of freedom, embedded in collective human endeavour. It all seemed so far flung from the English south midlands that I struggled at first. However, a brief passage in the book bore a connection. Snyder relays his experience of train travel in both the USA and in Eastern Europe, and, even with the historic challenges Eastern Europe has faced, Snyder still plumps for the European train experience as being superior. How could it be that the richest country in the world (and one that embraced train travel so openly in the 19th and early 20th centuries) is second best in Snyder’s mind? The answer is set out in his distinction between two kinds of freedom, negative and positive. The former seeks only to remove barriers - you shouldn’t be blocked by road speed limits or traffic filters, be taxed on polluting forms of transport such as air travel, or pay taxes for the upkeep of public infrastructure. The USA is a bastion of free market purism, a mindset that allowed it to become the wealthiest country on earth during the 1980s. There were casualties, however - the railway network being but one. Why, after all, would America bother to upgrade a rail network when cars and air travel are so cheap and convenient? Are we experiencing our own version of the answer to that question in the UK at present, one wonders? And then there are other ways in which neglect of the public sphere could spell disaster, look only to Los Angeles right now and how the network of public fire hydrants is being called into question: [Why hydrants ran dry as firefighters battled California’s deadly firesFirefighters in Pacific Palisades and Altadena have repeatedly been hampered by low water pressure and dry hydrants, revealing limitations in local water systems designed to supply neighborhoods.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon.png)Los Angeles TimesIan James![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/75)](https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-01-09/california-fires-water-supply-problems?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Leave it to climate change to expose the flaws in our political and economic models. We see it locally; it is a rather unedifying form of poetic justice that lack of investment in our public roads and in alternative transport options is the reason we can’t take full advantage of the freedoms private vehicles can offer. What is the solution? Snyder’s second form of freedom speaks of positive action in the world and in markets, of forging a future rather than expecting one to simply materialise. I’m afraid that despite the cries from free market fundamentalists, the solution is taxation and local government reform. I responded to Danielle Stone’s Police survey recently and one of the questions caught my interest, I paraphrase: “Would you be willing to pay more \[than the specified amount\] to fund…”. It is a question that should be asked more frequently. You know, I think I would pay more to get the roads fixed up, to assist with flood prevention, to improve our public transport options. What then of local government reform? There is, I believe, an opportunity coming up for growth in Northamptonshire and it comes in the form of a devolution deal with our neighbours to the south. [Devolution fast track approved by Northants unitariesBut south Mids partners could exclude ‘damaged goods’ Northants at final hour![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2Fb1b9dcb4-643a-4512-9520-44906c0ccb1c-2Fapple-touch-icon-180x180-1.png)NN JournalNN Journal![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F0372939b-88f8-4b5e-95fa-b77d710ae02f_4032x2701-1.jpeg)](https://www.nnjournal.co.uk/p/devolution-fast-track-approved-by?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) However, from this article it seems there is already some reticence from local councillors and from our neighbours. We must see this as a growth opportunity, where the wealth existent in the commuter belt could be joined up to improve the lives of everybody whether they live in a village or a town. It also presents an opportunity to wrestle some power from central government and to make decisions based on what we think the future is for our county. Northamptonshire councillors, on both sides of the political divide, need to show that we are a serious county concerned for the growth of our communities and willing to park petty political differences in this interest. ### In Conservation URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/in-conservation/ Last updated: 2025-02-05T09:46:01.000Z It feels good to recommend a podcast with a local focus. The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (BCN) recently launched their own podcast and a very good one it is too, with high production quality and informative conversations with expert insiders about the state of nature in our patch. The three episodes released so far have ranged geographically and thematically across the three counties, featuring moths in Northamptonshire, wildlife on the fringes of a Cambridge car park, and a visit to the new jewel in the Trust’s crown, Strawberry Hill in Bedfordshire. [https://www.wildlifebcn.org/blog/sophie-baker/episode-one-conservation-our-new-podcast](https://www.wildlifebcn.org/blog/sophie-baker/episode-one-conservation-our-new-podcast?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Baked Mushroom Pâté URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/baked-mushroom-pate/ Last updated: 2025-02-05T09:41:43.000Z This recipe is one I have “tweaked” over the years. It started out, many years ago, as a list of ingredients I took from a packet of mushroom pâté bought in a well-known store; I treated the ingredients as though I was making a baked pâté de compagne. With the advent of the internet, I found various recipes on-line, none of them being quite what I was looking for, and eventually settled on this one, a combination of my original recipe with some tasty additions to create a bit more oomph. **You will need:** - 500g fresh mushrooms – flat field mushrooms are best for flavour, I use whatever’s available - 2 tablespoonfuls of dried mushrooms - 300g cream cheese, such as Philadelphia, or a comparable supermarket variant - 50g crême fraiche or soured cream - 2 – 3 cloves of garlic (adjust quantity to suit your taste) - 1 medium onion, chopped or sliced and sautéed in oil till transparent - 1 bay leaf - 1 tsp herbes de Provence, or a mix of dried thyme and sage - 1 tsp whole mustard seed - One large, or two small eggs - Salt and ground black pepper to taste **What to do:** Before you do anything else, quickly rinse the dried mushrooms in a sieve, under the cold tap. Place them in a bowl and add a good spoonful of red wine, pour about 300ml of boiling water on them and set aside for at least an hour, longer if possible. Next, put them in a pan, warm them slowly, then cook over a very low heat for at least 15 minutes till they have absorbed most of the cooking fluid. Now give them the texture test – i.e. pull out a couple of pieces and bite them. If they’re rubbery, they could do with cooking for longer. You may need to add a little extra cooking fluid if most of it has been absorbed. I’m always surprised that something that smells quite as unappetising as dried mushrooms when they’re rehydrating, can be so tasty at the end of the process, but trust me, they’ll give a delicious flavour to the pâté. Next wash or wipe the mushrooms with damp kitchen paper then tear or cut them ready to cook. Peel and slice the onions and sweat them slowly, in half a tablespoon of either rapeseed or olive oil, together with the crushed garlic, and when they are transparent, add the mushrooms and the bay leaf. Stir thoroughly and add the herbs, then cook gently, stirring from time to time, until all the fluid has evaporated – this helps increase the intensity of the flavour. Now add the dried mushroom mix with any remaining juice, and the mustard seed; continue to cook slowly until all the juice has been absorbed or evaporated. Remove and discard the bay leaf and set the mixture to one side to cool. Once cool, using a stick blender, briefly chop them, taking care not to over-blend, or the texture of the finished mix may be a bit too smooth. Decant the cream cheese, soured cream and eggs into a largish bowl and mix thoroughly, using the blender. Next, take a wooden spoon and add the mushroom mix, stirring thoroughly. Grease and line an oven-proof bowl, soufflé dish or similar, pour the mixture into this and cover the top of the dish with a double layer of tin foil. The next step is to stand the dish in a roasting tin with about two inches of water. Place the roasting tin with the dish in the oven, preheated to 140o \- 150o on the middle shelf. (Remember, all oven temperatures vary quite a bit; unlike if you were baking a sponge cake the temperature of the oven is not critical in this case). Cook for about 90 minutes, topping up the water in the baking tin if it gets too low. Take the foil lid off the dish after this time and leave the dish in the oven for a further 10 mins to allow the top to brown slightly. Remove the roasting tin and dish from the oven and give the pâté the finger-tip test. The top should give slightly under light pressure. Once cooled, chill the dish for several hours in the fridge before decanting. The paper should peel away easily, et voilà! ### Carbon Literacy training Spring 2025 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/carbon-literacy-training-spring-2025/ Last updated: 2025-01-24T20:20:40.000Z Following the great success of our first Carbon Literacy training last autumn (with a 100% pass rate!), we're looking forward to offering the next 4-week course starting in late February. After completing the equivalent of one day's worth of training and committing to carbon-reducing actions, you will be deemed Carbon Literate and possess a certificate to prove it. Further details on the training are in the July 2024 edition of [popcawn](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popcawn-july-2024-do-you-speak-carbon/). This second course will be held online on four consecutive Tuesday evenings, 7.00-9.00pm, starting 25th February 2025\. We are providing the training on a not-for-profit basis, so the cost will be £10 per person, which is passed straight through to the Carbon Literacy Trust to pay for your certificate. You can sign up at Eventbrite here: [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-carbon-literacy-training-tickets-1221445078109?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-carbon-literacy-training-tickets-1221445078109?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Report of 16 January 2025 Public Meeting URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-16-january-2025-public-meeting/ Last updated: 2025-01-22T17:42:00.000Z Our first guest speaker of 2025 is Milly Fyfe, a farmer, social entrepreneur and award-winning communicator based in Yelvertoft. Milly gave us a very insightful overview of food sustainability and security. Milly’s slides can be seen here1, and a recording of the meeting is on YouTube2. There are two events coming up this Saturday – a More Trees Now tree harvest and a talk on composting and food waste in West Hunsbury. For details of these and other events, see our *What's On* page3. **Present:** Alison Barlow, Leonie Beale, Alexina Cassidy, Julie Fagan, David Garlick, Rupert Knowles, Maria Lee, Mick Lorkins, Alan Mawer, Harry Mellor, Jean Troy, Eleanor Watterson, Jane Wood, Jazmine Hiscock **Apologies**: Eluned Nicholls, Clare Slater, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Mick Lorkins, Claudine Howard, Stephen Clarke, Teresa Cox **Introduction** Milly founded a Community Interest Company (CIC), *No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents*4, 2 years ago. This came about during the pandemic as she was sharing recipes and life on the farm – what was in season, digging up vegetables, collecting eggs. On the farm they have Gloucester Old Spot pigs, cows and grow wheat and barley. They produce meat from the pigs and cows, with most of their feed grown on the farm, and the wheat and barley straw used for animal bedding, so it is quite a closed system with low food miles. Their animals go just a few miles to Joseph Morris butchers at South Kilworth and the meat is distributed through their shops and to local pubs and restaurants. Milly is involved with a number of other organisations including the Sustainable Food Networks in West Northants and North Northants as a farmer rep. Prior to getting married and then setting up the CIC she had leadership roles in agriculture including national chair of Young Farmers. Milly has received a few awards locally and nationally – for example the Northants Food & Drink Award for local food hero, and the Small Business Britain entrepreneurship awards as one of the top 100 females in small business in the UK. She is also a volunteer presenter on NLive radio, presenting a food and farming show where she aims to promote food and farming businesses around the area and celebrate what’s going on locally. **Food sustainability** Part 1 – Understanding the problem Part 2 – What are the solutions **Are we Food Vulnerable and what does this mean?** ***Access*** – the ability to physically obtain food, affected by mobility, availability of transport and proximity of shops. Examples: · Rural villages may have no local shop · Elderly and disabled people may not be able to get to shops or markets due to mobility/transport issues · Households in urban food deserts where retail outlets don’t offer fresh produce and are dominated by processed food ***Availability*** – can be affected by climate change related events as well as geo-political issues, meaning there is insufficient supply of some foods on the market. Examples: · Shortage of eggs during the avian flu outbreak in 2022\. Shortages in UK market can result in produce being imported that is of lower welfare standards · Disruptions in food imports due to Brexit or global conflicts · Seasonal challenges like drought affecting harvests ***Affordability*** – families on low incomes may not be able to afford fresh produce, especially if they live in an area where retail choices are limited. Examples: · Rising prices of fresh fruit and veg make it difficult for families on low incomes to afford balanced meals · Budget constraints result in households having to rely on cheap processed food · The growing demand for food banks and food larders reflects that people are not able to afford all the food they need even if it is available **Rural vs Urban food security** There may be additional strains in rural areas due to the higher cost of transport, partly because of having to travel further to get to shops. Funding and resources is frequently focused on cities and towns where there is a high level of deprivation. However, the need still exists in rural areas, with less choice of shops and higher prices. **Effects of climate change on food and prices** Weather extremes such as flooding and drought affect farming, which is a high-risk business with sometimes very short weather windows e.g. for harvesting wheat. Yields are impacted by changes in the weather. Regenerative farming practices such as improving soil quality are now being encouraged. Energy and transport emissions and miles travelled also need to be considered. Seasons are changing - recently we have had huge temperature variations in the course of a few days which can be very challenging to farmers with livestock. Very wet weather last year meant some fields couldn’t be planted. Using imported feedstuffs to make up for lower harvest at home has cost impacts, as well as increasing emissions. **Can we source locally?** There are many benefits to sourcing food locally - supporting local farmers and businesses and eating seasonal produce as well as cutting emissions. It can be a challenge to meet the demands and expectations of consumers now that people can order anything to arrive almost instantly. Food looks different, as people eat a lot more processed food and less whole food. Schemes such as ‘wonky veg’ have had some success as people realise how much is wasted due to not being perfect. It isn’t always easy for farmers to sell direct to consumers – a shop requires paying staff and other expenses. Milly sells eggs and sausages but people have to knock at the door as sausages are in the freezer. They also sell half or whole pigs for the freezer but people don’t have such big freezers or eat a roast dinner as much as they used to. Another option is to sell to pubs who like the local provenance. **Can we eat more sustainably?** This means reducing waste, eating more whole food and eating more seasonally. People have moved away from preparing food from scratch – Milly’s CIC focuses on this and aims to let people know that food doesn’t need to be ‘Instagram perfect’ or fiddly to prepare. Milly has put together a fact sheet1 about peas, which are the ultimate superfood! In comparison to, for example, avocados which are not climate friendly, as they use a huge amount of water and are shipped across the world. The UK is 90% self-sufficient in peas, which are frozen within 90 minutes of harvesting so goodness is retained. Try smashed peas instead of avocado on toast – more climate friendly and more nutritious too, with less saturated fat, more iron, more Vit C and more protein. Using frozen peas means less food waste as you only use what you want each time. How to eat more sustainably – a diet with lots of whole food such as fruit, veg, pulses, nuts and local meat. Milly is a fan of preserving, pickling and freezing to make the most of produce. Food waste at home can also be reduced by not buying more than you need and making meals stretch. **Do we know how to cook anymore?** There has been a decline in cooking skills – partly to do with the increased availability of ready meals and takeaways. There is a gap in cooking skills for younger generations as cooking taught in schools is now more about assembling a meal rather than cooking from scratch. Many studies and surveys have been published about diet related illnesses. Part of the motivation for No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents is that 1 in 6 children now start primary school with obesity, jumping to 1 in 4 at secondary school. **Practical Solutions** Growing your own food is a big part of reducing reliance on ultra processed food (UPF) and being more food secure. Milly grows her own veg, is an ambassador for a Northamptonshire healthy living project, Grow Cook Eat, and works with the local primary school. She has established a seed library in the village so people can share surplus seeds – this consists of a big plastic lunchbox outside their gate where people can drop off and pick up seeds, so it's very simple. A practical way to support British farmers is to buy British sugar. It’s a bugbear to go to meetings and see sachets of Tate & Lyle sugar, made from cane sugar and shipped from central America. The UK has a thriving sugar beet industry under the Silver Spoon brand, made from beet grown within 28 miles of the factory. The by products are all made use of too so there is no waste. Practical solutions are about sharing information to encourage and inspire, rather than blaming people for not knowing. This is the principle behind the CIC - Milly played a video about this6. She interviews producers, shares recipes and provides resources which can be downloaded. **Who We Help** · Parents, with easy-to-follow recipe ideas · Farmers, by promoting British produce. There is a high level of poor mental health in farming so shining a light on the good work in the British farming industry plays a part in improving morale too · Schools and other youth organisations (Scouts, Beavers etc), bringing groups to the farm for education · Corporates, offering employee wellness days. Milly has a smoothie bike with a pedal powered blender – fun way to make a healthy treat. These can be frozen and are great for keeping children hydrated and to use up fruit that might be past its best. Corporate events help to raise money for the CIC. **Countryside Kitchen Classroom** Milly has been fundraising to establish a classroom on the farm, which she is aiming to open this summer. The plan is to offer interactive sessions as part of the Grow Cook Eat project, providing hands on learning about cooking, preserving, food sustainability and making healthier choices. Currently getting the classroom set up to make it accessible and welcoming. She is also establishing a small farmer co-operative so there will be a shop alongside the classroom. The shop will provide an outlet for the items they sell at the gate and for products from other local farmers. They are also planning to have another polytunnel for growing and want to get support with that. If you feel inspired to help get the classroom up and running, Milly is looking for: · Help with fundraising and grant applications · Donations of equipment - there is a list of what is needed1 · Introductions to potential donors and sponsors Also please promote and talk about the project, and look at the website3, try out the recipes, and watch the interviews with local producers – maybe try their produce too. **Call to action** · Buy local · Advocate for sustainable initiatives and instigate new habits such as buying seasonally · Register interest in the Countryside Kitchen Classroom when the website is up and running. CA-WN can arrange an evening outing there. **Q&A** *Can you see any prospect that West Northants can start an Agroforestry project or an Agrivoltaics project?* Not aware of any plans. The main thing would be to consider how this might be funded. Sadly council-owned farms where more innovative solutions like this could have been trialled have mostly been sold off. *Recommendation to watch the Royal Institution Christmas lectures by Dr Chris van Tulleken which talk about food and nutrition in an accessible and entertaining way6.* *From a climate change perspective there is a lot of discussion about the need to reduce emissions from agriculture including use of nitrates and phosphates on farms.* Farming is a long-term business - on the farm they have worked closely with Anglian Water and other water companies. Obviously, it’s not desirable for fertilisers and other expensive inputs to wash away rather than be taken up by the crop. Research is going on into crops that have different resistance to pests and diseases to reduce requirement for pesticides etc. Products are expensive to put on so farmers would rather use less if possible. There is development of agricultural machinery powered by hydrogen or electricity, though the range and need to charge electric vehicles is a potential issue for farmers. Farmers sometimes seem like scapegoats and we all need to bear in mind that there are others with very large carbon footprints such as the ultra-wealthy who fly everywhere. *In relation to waste food, it's important to be aware that whereas the natural process of food breaking down only gives off CO2 which is effectively circular as the plants absorb CO2 when growing, whereas food put in to landfill breaks down in anaerobic conditions and gives off methane.* Milly attended a composting master class today and is looking into hot composting to enable a wider range of food waste to be composted more quickly. *Are you looking at no till methods, cover crops, or agroforestry?* They already do direct drilling which means no ploughing. They also put in cover crops for the winter to improve biodiversity and soil quality, including a trial of chicory which the sheep really enjoyed. No plans to try agroforestry but they do put new trees into the hedgerows and lay hedges. They also have wild flower strips and the Grand Union canal runs through the farm, which also wraps around a woodland managed by the Woodland Trust. Milly interviewed a Welsh farmer on her podcast, and they discussed the controversial 10% target set for tree cover by the Welsh government. *Have you measured the quality of the soil to see if there is a difference from the changes?* No not yet, though have had agronomists come round to test soil PH. **DONM** Thursday 20 February with speaker Niall Toru, Senior Lawyer at Friends of the Earth talking about how they have challenged fossil fuel projects in the UK. --- ### References 1\. Milly’s slides, plus her fact sheet on peas and list of equipment to donate to the Countryside Kitchen, can be downloaded here [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Milly-CA-WN-Presentation.zip](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Milly-CA-WN-Presentation.zip?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://youtu.be/DVAXSiwA8to](https://youtu.be/DVAXSiwA8to?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. 4\. [https://www.nofussmealsforbusyparents.com/](https://www.nofussmealsforbusyparents.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents CIC video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJVqjsLzMB0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJVqjsLzMB0&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b00pmbqq/royal-institution-christmas-lectures](https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b00pmbqq/royal-institution-christmas-lectures?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Things Can Only Get Better URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/things-can-only-get-better/ Last updated: 2025-01-11T10:25:37.000Z ### Wouldn’t it be great if things could only get better. But they won’t if we carry on with ‘Business as usual’. Our headline image is taken from a recent peer-reviewed publication relating air quality (AQ) to public health outcomes1. The left image represents 2019 estimates of PM2.5 across the United Kingdom. Particulate matter 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM2.5) are invisible airborne particles or droplets so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems2. From our own AQ monitoring, and confirmed by the General Hospital’s and Council’s monitored measurements in Northampton3, home heating and road traffic are by far and away the greatest contributors to particulate pollution across our region. PM pollution levels peak during the hours of winter heating and rush-hour traffic. The central image above represents an estimate of the 2030 increase in PM2.5 levels over those in 2019 **if a ‘Business As Usual’ public policy is followed**. It illustrates worsened pollution – meaning increased costs to our health services of AQ-related illnesses, and a higher number of premature deaths. The right-hand image is a 2040 projection of PM2.5 levels contrasting ‘Business As Usual’ with a Balanced Net Zero Pathway (BNZP), described in the paper as a ‘middle ambition’ pathway for the UK to comply with its legally binding 2050 Net Zero commitments. West Northamptonshire Council is responsible for our public health services. To secure avoidable health costs, and deliver on its Net Zero obligations, it needs to act urgently. The steps the Council needs to take will be the subject of further CA-WN Exchange posts – we shall be reviewing the manifestos of the Parties hoping for election next May to assess if indeed they take account of the steps that CA-WN sees as necessary to lessen the financial burden of AQ-related ill health. **References** (with links valid 10 Jan 2025) 1 Climate change policies reduce air pollution and increase physical activity: Benefits, costs, inequalities, and indoor exposures [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024007505](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024007505?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 Ambient (outdoor) air pollution: Key facts [https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-%28outdoor%29-air-quality-and-health?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 Airly Air Quality Sensor map [https://airly.org/map/en/](https://airly.org/map/en/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Transforming Food, Transforming Lives: Join West Northamptonshire’s Sustainable Food Network URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/transforming-food-transforming-lives-join-west-northamptonshires-sustainable-food-network/ Last updated: 2024-12-19T19:51:52.000Z *This introduction to the work of WNSFN comes from the network's Project Manager, Matt Passchier. Matt has a varied background including working in catering, and currently at the Hope Centre in Northampton. Addressing the climate impacts of our food systems is a key component of climate action - to find out more or get involved you can contact Matt on* hello@goodfoodwnorthants.org. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/12/MattP.png) Matt Passchier, WNSFN Project Manager Imagine a future where everyone can enjoy fresh, locally-grown, nutritious food -food that fuels healthier lives, stronger communities, and a thriving planet. This is the mission of the Sustainable Food Network in West Northamptonshire: to create a food system that’s fair, thriving, and sustainable for all. ### A Bold Vision for Change We believe everyone in West Northants should have access to affordable, nutritious food, no matter their income. Our vision isn’t just about putting food on plates - it’s about empowering communities, improving health, and building a sustainable future. The pandemic revealed how critical local food systems are for both well-being and resilience. Now, we’re seizing the opportunity to transform how food is grown, shared, and valued in West Northants. Our network brings together charities, farmers, food-growers, health experts and local businesses, all united by the one belief that good food changes lives. ### Powered by a National Movement As a member of Sustainable Food Places1, a national programme led by Sustain, Food Matters, and the Soil Association, we are taking action to improve food systems from the ground up. Together, we’re making lasting changes that will ripple across generations. In 2025, we’ll unveil a comprehensive Food Plan and host a Food Summit to showcase progress and galvanize more people to join this transformative movement. ### Tackling the Challenges Our work focuses on seven critical areas to rebuild WN’s food system from the soil to the supper table: 1. Food and Eating Well: Making good food a cornerstone of health and well-being. 2. Food Insecurity: Ensuring no one goes hungry, with a focus on preventing food poverty. 3. Community Food and Growing: Helping people grow their own food and create a vibrant, connected food community. 4. Sustainable Food Production: Supporting local farmers and food producers to grow sustainably and thrive. 5. Food Economy and Employment: Building a strong, diverse, and sustainable local food economy. 6. Catering and Procurement: Driving change in food sourcing, making it local and sustainable. 7. Food Waste and Sustainability: Reducing waste, reusing food, and protecting our planet. ### Real Change, Real Impact We’re not just talking about change - we’re making it happen. Together, we’re working to: - Slash food waste in homes, businesses, and shops. - Empower communities to grow their own food and share the harvest. - Give everyone access to fresh, nutritious food. - Inspire people to cook from scratch, embracing healthier habits. - Build awareness about sustainable eating, food-growing, and how small actions create big impacts. ### Join the Movement This is more than a network - it’s a revolution in how we think about food. From farm to fork, we’re reconnecting people with what nourishes them, their families, and their communities. Does this speak to you? Whether you’re a local grower, a passionate advocate for healthy living, or simply someone who believes food should be better for people and the planet, we invite you to join us. Together, we can create a food system that works for everyone. The future starts here. Reach out to learn more and be part of the change! ### WNC Climate Change Strategy Consultation URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/wnc-climate-change-strategy-consultation/ Last updated: 2024-12-19T19:38:02.000Z West Northamptonshire Council is currently consulting on its draft Climate Change Strategy - the consultation ends on 19 January 2025\. CA-WN previously [responded](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-september-2024/) to an earlier consultation on the Strategy. Ours was one of just 101 responses, so every response really does make a difference! CA-WN was also invited to take part in a peer review of the draft Strategy prior to the current consultation, and we're pleased to note that a number of our comments were taken on board. You can read the response we have submitted below - feel free to copy and paste as much of this as you like. Please do take the time to complete the consultation if you can. The draft Strategy is 39 pages long (including contents and references) and is fairly readable. If you don't have time to read the Strategy there is a 3-page summary on offer. The council needs to know that the residents it serves want meaningful action on climate change. [Have your say on West Northamptonshire’s draft Climate Change Strategy - West Northamptonshire Council - Citizen SpaceFind and participate in consultations run by West Northamptonshire Council![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/favicon-3.ico)Citizen Space![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/screenshot-2023-08-09-at-14.24.30-2.png)](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/climate-change/draft%5Fclimate%5Fchange%5Fstrategy/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) --- ### CA-WN Climate Change Strategy Consultation Response **Page 2 The Vision** No comments. **Page 3 The Aims** We selected ‘Agree’ for all the multiple choice options, and made these comments: ***Energy*** “Where new buildings are needed support high energy efficiency standards”. This is a really important aim and the wording is weak. We appreciate local authorities work under constraints of national planning policy, however this could be strengthened, for example by replacing ‘support’ with ‘strongly support and promote’. ***Transport*** • Support the development of active travel infrastructure across West Northamptonshire • Support the provision of accessible public transport across West Northamptonshire • Support delivery of the Local Transport and Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans These three aims are within the responsibility of WNC to deliver, whereas ‘support’ implies they will be delivered primarily by someone else and doesn’t indicate strong commitment. Suggest changing the wording to: • Secure funding for and deliver high quality accessible active travel infrastructure across West Northamptonshire • Secure funding for and deliver accessible public transport across West Northamptonshire • Secure funding for and deliver the Local Transport and Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans ***Waste*** We would like to see the wording amended to refer explicitly to reuse as well as recycling, as reuse is the better, more resource-efficient option. We appreciate this is implicit within the circular economy aim but would like to see this added to the other points e.g.: “reduce residual waste and promote recycling AND REUSE among their customers” “Encourage everyone to reduce waste and maximise recycling AND REUSE” ***Reasons:*** We broadly agree with the aims but feel in some cases the wording could be better. **Page 4 Further comments** Our response: ***Pg 14 People (1st para)*** “The increasing frequency, and also irregularity, of extreme weather events, such as flooding and heatwaves, poses significant challenges to our community.” We request an amendment to the wording to recognise that severity of events is increasing as well as frequency. ‘Increasing irregularity’ doesn’t quite make sense, unsure what it is meant to convey – perhaps that extreme events do not conform to established patterns? Please clarify. ***Pg 21 Locally Delivered Renewable Energy*** We would like to see a reference to supporting community-owned/managed energy generation projects. Enabling community ownership and direct benefit from renewable energy generation is one way to help overcome objections. ***Pg 27 Waste (1st para)*** “ensuring any remaining waste is correctly disposed of, including maximising the opportunity for recycling.” Reuse is a better option where possible. Suggest amending wording to “maximising the opportunity for recycling AND REUSE”. ***Pg 31 Nature*** “Nonetheless, Northamptonshire is currently dominated by arable land and improved grassland, collectively making up >70% of the county” It’s unclear what the purpose of this statement is. It might be helpful to clarify, for example by adding “there is an opportunity to work with farmers and landowners to increase ecosystem services from farmland”. ***Pg 31 Nature - Challenges (1st para)*** Suggest when talking about land use priorities there should be a reference to food production, as this is what 70% of the land area is currently used for and food security is nationally important. ***Pg 35 Governance - Cross-party Sustainability Working Group*** We request that this committee is made a formal WNC sub committee. This would enable local residents to see published papers and minutes and be an important move to demonstrate the council’s commitment to addressing climate change. ### Cait's Festive Christmas Pie URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/caits-festive-christmas-pie/ Last updated: 2024-12-19T19:36:35.000Z The time for Christmas menu choices is suddenly here and, digging around in my memory, I discovered this old family favourite. A friend of mine recommended it when it was my turn to host family Christmas and I needed to feed several vegetarians, myself included. It sounds fiddly to make, but really isn’t, and if it weren’t for the need to produce a gluten-free meal this year, this is what we would be having. Merry Christmas one and all! **Ingredients** 1 large pack of puff pastry 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 large garlic cloves, chopped or crushed 1 tablespoon olive oil 450g carrots, scrubbed and coarsely grated 1 medium parsnip, peeled and grated 400g mushrooms, broken or roughly chopped 360g peeled chestnuts 400g cream cheese 2 – 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 generous pinch of dried mixed herbs 2 tablespoons tomato purée ¼ teaspoonful each: ground coriander seeds fenugreek mace Salt and pepper 1 egg to glaze the pastry **Method** Finely chop the onion and soften with the spices and garlic in a large heavy-based pan over a low heat, stirring frequently so it doesn’t catch. Once the onions are softened add the carrots, parsnip and mushrooms, as well as the dried herbs, stirring thoroughly from time to time. The vegetables will release liquid as they cook. Simmer the mix to reduce the liquid. If the mixture is still a bit sloppy, pour off some of the liquid and retain, setting mixture and juice aside to cool. If the chestnuts are whole, chop them roughly. When the vegetable mix is cool, add the cream cheese, parsley, tomato purée, chestnuts, and salt and fresh ground pepper. Stir thoroughly, using a folding technique, so that everything is well incorporated, but not too mashed up. If it seems a little dry, add some of the reserved juice. **How to make the plaited pie crust** Place a large sheet of greaseproof or baking paper on the worktop, under the pastry block. Next, roll out the pastry to a rectangle approximately 18” x 15”. Spread the cool mixture length ways down the middle third of the pastry. Using a sharp knife, make cuts into the pastry on either side of the mix. The cuts should be at a diagonal from the central mix – at an angle of approximately 15 to 20 degrees. Draw each strip across the mix, towards the middle, along the length of the mix, to create a plaited effect. (If you are unsure how to do this, search on YouTube – look for “braiding puff pastry”) Glaze the top of the plait with the beaten egg, then wrap as follows. Wrap the plait loosely in the greaseproof paper, and finish off wrapping in tin foil. Bake in a preheated oven, at 220o for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and unwrap the parcel, then finish browning for the last 10 minutes. *You can prepare the plait a few days in advance, and freeze it before baking, as long as you have not used frozen puff pastry.* *Defrost the plait for about 90 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge, then bake as above.* ### Patsy's Festive Tipple URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/patsys-festive-tipple/ Last updated: 2024-12-19T19:35:59.000Z Many of us like a warming draught of mulled wine during the Christmas festivities, and this year we have decided to ring the changes and try something slightly different. Rather than reaching for a couple of bottles of red plonk and a sachet of mulled wine spices, adding brown sugar and lacing the finished beverage, once warm, with a generous slug of brandy, I’ve rummaged in the store cupboard to unearth the following ingredients: 1 bottle of pinot grigio ¼ pint of cloudy apple juice a generous tablespoonful of local honey \* ½ a dozen cloves 1 small nutmeg a small stick of cinnamon 1 small eating apple, sliced in rounds across the core 1 small orange, sliced in rounds. The method couldn’t be simpler. Take a medium saucepan and put all the ingredients in together. Warm slowly, over a gentle heat, stirring the mix to ensure the flavours are evenly distributed. When steam starts to rise, taste the concoction to make sure it is sweetened to your liking and switch off the heat. Cover and leave it for 30 minutes to allow the spices to infuse. When the guests arrive, warm it slowly, not allowing it to reach boiling point, strain the spices if you like, and serve in warmed glasses. Merry Christmas everyone! \* Always use local honey rather than a generic jar from the supermarket. Local honey is made from nectar harvested by bees from the flowers in fields and trees near you! The flavour is excellent and the ingredients are pure, which may not be the case when you buy honey imported from other countries. The flavour imparted to the mulled wine by local honey will be – well, nectar to the tastebuds. ### Climate Psychology book recommendations URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/climate-psychology-book-recommendations-2/ Last updated: 2024-12-19T19:35:21.000Z During 2024 we have had two very illuminating talks on Climate Psychology from Dr Emmie Williamson, retired clinical psychologist. (Links to meeting notes and recordings below.) In her latest talk Emmie recommended some further reading on this important topic, which we were keen to add to our Bookshelf. ***Don't Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired To Ignore Climate Change*** by George Marshall. Recommended by Emmie as being very accessible. [https://climateconviction.org/](https://climateconviction.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World** by Iain McGilchrist. This book talks about the nuanced relationship between the 2 hemispheres of the brain and the reciprocal interaction between the brain and culture. [https://channelmcgilchrist.com/master-and-his-emissary/](https://channelmcgilchrist.com/master-and-his-emissary/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ***Psychological Roots of the Climate Crisis*** by Sally Weintraub. A key book on neoliberal exceptionalism and the culture of ‘uncare’. [https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/psychological-roots-of-the-climate-crisis-9781501372865/](https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/psychological-roots-of-the-climate-crisis-9781501372865/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ***Culture, Environment and Ecopolitics*** edited by David A Wragg and Nick Heffernan [https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-4438-3201-4](https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-4438-3201-4?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [Report of 21 November CA-WN public meetingThis month we welcomed back Dr Emmie Williamson for the second in her series of three talks on Climate Psychology. Her previous talk1 was an overview of the topic; this time she gave us a deeper dive into the psychological roots of our response to the climate crisis. Emmie’s![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/CAWN_logo_BW.jpg)The CA-WN ExchangeCA-WN Exchange![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/Calendar-November-24-report.png)](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/21-november-meeting-report/) [CA-WN 21 March Meeting ReportThe subject of this month’s meeting was “Climate psychology”. Climate psychology can help us understand the roots of the climate and ecological crisis, the psychological impacts and defences, and ways in which we can help ourselves and others to cope and take action. Our guest speaker was Emmie Williamson,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/CAWN_logo_BW-1.jpg)The CA-WN ExchangeCA-WN Exchange![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/Calendar-March-24-notes.png)](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-21-march-meeting-report/) 📖[Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations here.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Generation One: The Climate Podcast URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/generation-one-the-climate-podcast/ Last updated: 2024-12-19T19:33:32.000Z This podcast is hosted by leading climate experts from University College London and has covered a range of topics from electric batteries to trees and climate finance. It has an engaging mix of scientific expertise and enthusiasm. The two latest episodes cover biodiversity, with a report on the release of beavers in West London and an update from the biodiversity COP 16 in Columbia, and most recently a panel review of COP 29 in Baku. One of the panel members was a UCL student representing the UK Youth Climate Coalition, and her suggestion for improving COP was: > COP needs to be less comfortable, let's have COP in areas of the world where climate change is very obvious, let's have it in the summer in say, India, when there's heat waves going on, or let's have it when there's floods in the Philippines, just so that people can understand that this is happening right now. Why not? [https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-change/podcasts-videos/ucl-generation-one-climate-podcast](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-change/podcasts-videos/ucl-generation-one-climate-podcast?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Storm Bert URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/storm-bert/ Last updated: 2024-11-29T09:00:54.000Z *This article is by Sienna Mahoney, a Journalism student at the University of Northampton.* Storm Bert recently covered most of the UK in rainfall, with places like Northampton being the most affected. The storm started at low pressure in the mid-Atlantic, making its way to the UK on November 25, 2024\. According to the[ BBC,](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93qe00lw34o?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=Heavy%20rainfall%20and%20strong%20winds,rail%20networks%20faced%20major%20disruption.) Storm Bert took at least five lives through traffic accidents, flooding, and other disasters caused as a result. The [Environment Secretary, Steve Reed](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2024-11-25/debates/AA4E8596-4915-4CC1-A235-E4D3275E90A9/StormBert?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), said: > “Around 28,000 properties have been protected by Environment Agency flood defences. > Unfortunately, an estimated 107 properties have flooded across England, principally from river and surface water flooding.” Some of the environmental impacts that Bert had were, of course, flooding, the erosion of rivers across England and Wales, causing them to burst their banks, and mud slides. The River Nene burst its bank which led to the flooding of Northampton railway station, causing many disruptions for people nationally. The Billing Aquadrome also flooded, causing those that lived there to be evacuated. Steve Reed continued: > “This is the fourth time the aquadrome has been flooded in recent years, and I would like to thank local responders for their swift actions to protect those most at risk." The flooding disrupted local ecosystems that reside within the river and areas surrounding the river. £2.4 billion is being put in place to build and maintain flood defences across England and Wales. > “Climate change will inevitably lead to more severe weather of the kind we have seen this weekend.” said Steve Reed. With the money being put in place, this can help to eliminate some of the consequences has on our environment. ### Buddies of Beckets Park URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/buddies-of-beckets-park/ Last updated: 2024-11-29T08:49:25.000Z *This article is by Sienna Mahoney, a Journalism student at the University of Northampton.* Buddies of Beckets Park (BOB) was started in 2016, since when it’s organised Northampton’s first Mela (Indian festival), mindfulness events, and more. BOB was started by Nick Stephens and Joy Ormond, two people who wanted to see the park maintained after being uncared for previously. They’re a great example of a grassroots organisation that works to benefit both the local community and the environment. The organisation is made up of volunteers, it’s also now reached charity status through the amount of work they’ve put in. Some things that they do to help the environment include planting various flowers and trees, with help of their partners. BOB is also responsible for a small wildflower meadow located within the park. These changes provide pollen and nectar for invertebrates such as bees and butterflies, and enhance the ecosystem in the park which attracts more wildlife. They also maintain Beckets Park with some organised litter picks that they do with their volunteers. This lowers the risk of animals residing in the park from being hurt and prevents litter from ending up in the river and, eventually, the sea. They don’t just maintain the park either, they host a variety of events. “Early on, BOB decided that any event we organised had to be inclusive and community oriented.” said Nick Stephens, one of the founders of BOB. He continued: “As we have increased the profile of the park, other organisations have become interested in using the park. “Recently, we helped the pavilion become a café. This has been our goal since 2017 when the previous leaseholder died.” Nick’s proudest moment of working at BOB was organising Northampton’s first Mela. Their next event is an Elf Door Hunt, aimed at children, taking place December 14, 2024. For anyone interested in volunteering for BOB, please visit their Facebook page for details. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/11/Becckets-Mela-1.png) Russian-speaking dancers at Beckets Park (photo credit Nick Stephens) ### Report of 21 November CA-WN public meeting URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/21-november-meeting-report/ Last updated: 2024-12-11T21:46:20.000Z This month we welcomed back Dr Emmie Williamson for the second in her series of three talks on Climate Psychology. Her previous talk1 was an overview of the topic; this time she gave us a deeper dive into the psychological roots of our response to the climate crisis. Emmie’s slides can be seen here2, and a recording of the meeting is on YouTube3. **Present**: Leonie Beale, Alexina Cassidy, Teresa Cox, David Garlick, Claudine Howard, Mick Lorkins, Lisa Louth, Carrie Lynn, Harry Mellor, Lynda Moran, Dave Pearson, Sue Pearson, Inani Samad, Faye Spencer, Jane Wood. **Apologies**: Christine Ware, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater, David Wragg, Jonathan Harris, Peter Nalder, Rupert Knowles ### **Climate Psychology Part II: A Formulation** **Introduction** The previous talk put together the various aspects of Climate Psychology, which is multi-disciplinary, overlapping with culture studies, political science and other areas of study. In that talk EW covered the psychological roots of the climate crisis, as well as responses, impact and approaches. This psycho-social approach encompasses socio-cultural aspects rather than being primarily about the individual. Today we are focusing on the psychological roots of the climate crisis: why has this happened and how have we got into such a crisis? The final talk in 2025 will cover psychological impacts, responses and interventions. Clinical psychologists carry out clinical super formulation i.e. making sense of complex mental health crises. This requires understanding many factors and how they are interacting, including what has happened to the person. This leads to a narrative that helps to understand what comes next. EW is bringing that approach to this talk, as a mental health crisis has parallels with the planetary crisis or ‘meta crisis’. **How to make sense of something as complex as the planetary crisis or meta crisis?** A psychological formulation is how we make sense of something very complex, and includes biological, psychological and socio-cultural aspects and how they all interact. This requires balancing the individual with the political and cultural context – including all but not giving too much weight to one over another. In some literature this is referred to as a ‘nature-culture continuum’. A formulation model that is often used is the 5 Ps and this is what EW has used today. Be aware that this is EW’s personal take, not completely comprehensive and not the only way of looking at this. **5ps Formulation Model** · Problem · Predisposing factors · Precipitating factors – when the crisis starts to kick in. · Perpetuating factors – what keeps the crisis going · Protective factors – how will we get out of the crisis **The Problem** Outlining the problem is not always straightforward, as there may not be agreement about what the problem is e.g. family/friends see substance use as a problem whereas the individual may feel that this helps them cope. Not everyone agrees on climate change as a problem, but those listening to this talk probably do! We have had 30 years of warnings but in that time emissions have massively increased. The uptick on the graph (slide 4) starts at the Industrial Revolution and an earlier impact can be seen at the start of the agricultural revolution when humans moved to farming lifestyles. However ‘The great escalation’ has happened since the 1980s. ***Climate Silence -*** Mentioning the climate crisis is often met by an awkward silence: people don’t want to talk about it. It’s also the case in the media with catastrophes happening all over the globe which are not very comprehensively reported whereas some quite trivial things are covered in detail. **Predisposing factors** EW recommends a George Marshall book – *Don't Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired To Ignore Climate Change* 4, as very accessible. Predisposing factors for the climate crisis include: · Going back in human evolution, were we destined to explore, exploit and overshoot? Evolution selects for things that favour species expansion and exploitation is what any species does if there are a lot of resources, resulting in ecological overshoot. We are overshooting by far. · The ‘Hope Principle’ or continual desire by humans for a better life. · Risk perception. We seem to have a faulty alarm that doesn’t detect complex, slow moving or distant threats. · The climate crisis can be defined as a ‘Hyperobject’ – something that is too massive and happening too slowly for us to take on mentally. · Cognitive biases such as the bias towards conformity, the bystander effect, and confirmatory bias, where we confirm what we want to believe by selecting evidence which supports this. · Disconnection from nature. This dates back to the agricultural revolution when we began to see nature as something to be used. · Cultural and/or religious beliefs that humans have ‘dominion’, superior to and separate from nature rather than part of a larger ecosystem. · Belief in external gods. Some cultures do still have beliefs in the interbeing and internal ’divine’ that we are all part of, rather than having an external god. An external god means we are worshipping something outside ourselves, instead of a nature which we are part of. · The Enlightenment, when rationalism and empirical science became dominant. This had many positive effects in terms of advancing human civilisation, but the focus on measuring and observing meant a move away from the more expansive aspect of our psyche. · The divided brain. Book by Iain McGilchrist, *The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World5*. This talks about the nuanced relationship between the 2 hemispheres of the brain and the reciprocal interaction between the brain and culture. The right hemisphere is about open attention; whole picture thinking; threat detection and vigilance and can be thought of as the more instinctive and emotional part of the brain. This used to be considered the master and the emissary was the part of the brain that would execute what was needed to be done. Human evolution to focus on categorisation, words and language required very focused attention rather than the open attention of the right brain. The brain is very plastic, meaning it can evolve and change rapidly (epigenetics). The book suggests that the culture of rationalism means the left brain has become the master and inhibits the right brain (both sides are capable of inhibiting each other). **Precipitating factors** In mental health this can be a distinct event such as sudden trauma; in the case of the climate crisis these are: · The discovery of fossil fuels, providing access to huge amounts of energy. · Greed and power seeking. Lots of things have been made possible by fossil fuels but escalation of use has been at least partially driven by greed. · Advertising · Digital media · Neoliberal culture and capitalism. A key book on this is by Sally Weintraub, *Psychological Roots of the Climate Crisis6*, about neoliberal exceptionalism and the culture of ‘uncare’. Neoliberalism has prevailed since the 1980s and the expansion of capitalism and privatisation. This created a demand for profits and the need to consume. · This is connected to exceptionalism and individualism. We can all see ourselves as an exception at times, so exceptionalism is in all of us, when we are inclined to let ourselves off the hook. This is particularly prevalent in some sections of society that are not at all reflective about how they are behaving; a cultural phenomenon of entitlement, narcissism and individualism. · Compulsive consumption and culture of comparison. Everything is designed to be addictive and drive conspicuous consumption, with people made to feel ashamed if they don’t or can’t consume at the same level. · Competition orientation and masculinisation (meaning masculine and feminine traits generally, not men or women). Our culture is becoming full of more masculine traits such as aggression and domination. · The culture of uncare is also growing. Uncare is a key concept behind value systems which mean ‘women’s’ or domestic/care work is seen as valueless whereas financial services and digital services are seen as high value and highly paid. People are disconnecting from others as well as from nature. · Domination-orientated culture, compared with partnership- orientated culture. Goes along with increasing autocracy and masculinisation, not caring about the softer aspects of life. **Perpetuating factors** · Conscious and unconscious psychological defences. There can be absolute denial that the climate crisis is happening or that it is caused by humans, or a softer form of denial. This will be covered in more detail in the next talk. · Devaluing of the humanities, philosophy, critical thinking and certain right brain types of art. These don’t lend themselves obviously to profit and so it is more difficult for universities to make a business case to offer them. Whereas as a society we need the humanities, critical thinking and spirituality. · Algorithms and AI. · Rise of conspiracy theories. There were conspiracy theories being spread that images from the recent Spanish floods were AI generated. Increased polarisation and ‘certainty’; people being very invested in a set of beliefs. Again a very left hemisphere way of thinking. The current move away from X with a lot of people going to Bluesky may mean there will be one platform for leftist thinking and one for more right-wing views. · Increasing levels of trauma in global society, including being traumatised through the media. Trauma affects our sympathetic nervous systems leading to a fight or flight response. Emotional neglect happens at some level due to disconnection of emotions and feelings from the conscious thinking mind. This results in being out of touch with our own and others’ feelings. · Increasing levels of emotional dysregulation. This tends to underpin every crisis. Regulation is being calm; emotional dysregulation means losing that calm and fluctuating between disassociation, therefore not reacting, and hyper arousal/ overreaction. · Reduced mentalising and reflective capacity and empathy. Mentalising is subliminal understanding of how other people’s minds work - when you’re with other people you pick up how they are thinking and anticipate what they might do. This needs calmness to work, otherwise we interpret other people incorrectly, increasing levels of paranoia and reducing empathy. · The Window of Tolerance. The zone in which we can think calmly and wisely is getting squeezed, so we are more likely to be over-active or distressed, or alternatively numb and unmotivated. · Reaction Formation, or going to the opposite extreme. For example the Sycamore Gap tree cut down, and reports of EV chargers having their cables cut. Vandalism is not new but this is increasing. It appears that care, love and good things are eliciting violence, vandalism and very angry ‘anti woke’ reactions. · Discourses of climate delay. The graphic shows how narratives in the media being encouraged or spread by self-interested parties are used in the service of power. Examples are redirection of responsibility (‘whataboutism’); claiming that disruptive change is not necessary or that we don’t need to go too fast; talking about action but not doing anything; emphasising the downsides (‘we’ll go back to the Stone Age’). Surrender and doomism also prevent action by claiming change is impossible. · Discourses concerning what is means to be concerned about climate change – making people feel they are peculiar for being distressed about climate breakdown, or diagnosing it as a mental health problem. · The human brain struggles with the concept of incurring certain short-term loss to mitigate against an uncertain long-term loss: o People don’t want to lose their way of life or status o Don’t want to feel bad about what they are doing o Cognitive dissonance is uncomfortable so we try avoid it by not acknowledging the consequences of our actions o It’s easy to accept the diversion offered by powerful elites to scapegoat elsewhere. Entertainment is another major diversion. There’s a view that we are entitled to be happy and entertained. · The rise of the ‘Strong Man’ in politics exploits all these tendencies · Recommended film – *The Age of Stupid7.* **Protective Factors** Identifying protective factors is vital in thinking about what needs to happen. Sometimes talking about what needs to happen or visions of the future can be met with unhelpful cynicism or doomism. However we need to focus on optimism or deep radical hope: · In catastrophes people ‘pull together’ and have pride in their community. · Localism and de-globalisation trends. Supply chains are beginning to fail. It used to be seen as protectionist for countries to favour local supply chains but now this may be essential. Powers needs to be devolved to local communities and councils – not just rely on top down change · Deep adaption; strategic adaption. A lot of this is psychological – deep acceptance and connecting with others. · Positive social tipping points, where enough people acting in a certain way leads to those behaviours taking off. · ‘Lively entitlement’ – being entitled to a compassionate government, and to quality of life · Protest movements, these are under threat but very much needed. It takes a lot of courage to protest. · Mushrooming of climate action groups (e.g. CA-WN!). This type of community engagement provides support and validation. · Scholarly analysis, including a book, *Culture, Environment and Ecopolitics,* edited by David A Wragg and Nick Heffernan8. Multi-disciplinary approach is growing, with complex critical thinking. · Climate science and climate psychology. · Education, for example Carbon Literacy training, which is being offered locally, including by CA-WN (there will be another course in the first half of 2025) · Methods of communication are being better understood, for example the importance of a positive change narrative (covered in the George Marshall book). Facts are not enough, we need storytelling to engage the emotions, and positivity as well as the message about how serious things are. · Partnership-orientated cultures (vs domination-orientated). This is already happening in Nordic countries which are exemplifying a framework of care. Childcare is valued, and there is acceptance of high taxes and distribution of wealth. We need to measure well-being instead of GDP. · The arts – films like *Avatar*, *Don’t Look Up* and *The Age of Stupid*, eco-fiction, eco-poetry, ‘cli-fi’. All engage the right hemisphere of the brain. · Buddhist philosophy and the power of mindfulness. A philosophy that we are all part of one big divine, with an expanded sense of self. We need more empathy and feeling of connection, which can be helped through practices of mindfulness and meditation. · Gaia theory and ecopsychology showing us ways to reconnect with nature. · Building inner resilience. Rupert Read talks about this9 and about outer resilience and coming together. **DONM** 16 January 2025 with Milly Fyfe, farmer, blogger, entrepreneur, podcaster. Register here [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1027188477387?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1027188477387?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) --- ### References 1\. 2\. Slides [http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Climate\_Psychology\_II\_Roots.pdf](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Climate%5FPsychology%5FII%5FRoots.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. YouTube [https://youtu.be/htlPPrPR5Tw](https://youtu.be/htlPPrPR5Tw?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. [https://climateconviction.org/](https://climateconviction.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. [https://channelmcgilchrist.com/master-and-his-emissary/](https://channelmcgilchrist.com/master-and-his-emissary/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. [https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/psychological-roots-of-the-climate-crisis-9781501372865/](https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/psychological-roots-of-the-climate-crisis-9781501372865/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. The Age of Stupid [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlARhQBGFpQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlARhQBGFpQ&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8\. Culture, Environment and Ecopolitics [https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-4438-3201-4](https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-4438-3201-4?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9\. [https://braveneweurope.com/rupert-read-no-words-on-trumps-triumph](https://braveneweurope.com/rupert-read-no-words-on-trumps-triumph?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Marlec Engineering – The Winds of Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/marlec-engineering-the-winds-of-change/ Last updated: 2024-11-05T19:53:32.000Z It all started in a field in Rutland. Back in the 1970s, a Rutland farmer was struggling to keep the batteries for his electric fences charged up, so he asked John Fawkes, a retired engineer, to come up with a solution. The [Rutland Windcharger](https://www.marlec.co.uk/product/rutland-914i/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) was born – a simple, reliable, quiet, and efficient wind-driven battery charging generator. Since then, over 125,000 wind turbines have been manufactured by the business, now trading as Marlec Engineering, along with a wide variety of other renewable energy products and solutions. John Fawkes went on to be bestowed with a Wind Energy Pioneer Award and family members continued to be associated with Marlec until very recently. Today Marlec Engineering, based in Corby, employs around 30 people locally in the factory where they manufacture many of their products. They have achieved local recognition of their efforts in sustainability, last and this year as Finalists for the Sustainability Award and last year’s winner of The Pinnacle Award at the Northamptonshire Business Awards. They are committed to providing opportunities for employment within the county and purposefully aim to use local manufacturers to supplement their product range. The blades for their small wind turbines are made by a plastics manufacturer based 8 miles away. All their castings are made by a company in Leicester. [NorVolt](https://www.norvoltev.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), based in Northamptonshire, are an approved local installer of Marlec’s Veva EV charger. They are also able to work with local colleges and institutions teaching the fundamentals of renewable energy. Marlec sell a wide range of products and consequently have a wide range of clients, from individuals to central government. **For individuals** The energy price hikes over the past few years have resulted in demand from homeowners wanting to invest in solar panels and VEVA EV chargers to independently power their homes and electric cars. Following the COVID pandemic there has been an increase in staycations and a resulting surge in demand for leisure vehicles, caravans, campervans and boats. Marlec’s windchargers and solar panels enable holiday makers to generate wind and solar power wherever they are, saving on fuel consumption and allowing for greater freedom. **For businesses** Many businesses are keen to take steps not only to reduce their energy consumption and consequently their utility bills but also to reduce their carbon footprint, and consequently make use of Marlec’s renewable power technology. Marlec is involved in [Decode Corby](https://www.marlec.co.uk/news/decode-corby/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) – a project led by Community Interest Company [Electric Places](https://electricplaces.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), and set up to help decarbonise the local manufacturing industry in North Northamptonshire. Marlec’s role is to show how implementing the correct eco measures can dramatically reduce a business’s carbon footprint. Marlec shares its expertise and experience in providing renewable solutions to support the project partners in developing and implementing the decarbonisation plan. Together with one of their sister companies [ISO Solar](https://www.marlec.co.uk/iso-solar-solar-panel-installation-specialists/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), they offer a free site survey and an installation discount to interested businesses. For readers interested in finding out more about Decode Corby and Electric Places, [read CA-WN’s September Monthly Meeting notes](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-12-september-public-meeting/) which featured guest speaker Tim O’Callaghan. Marlec also designs off-grid wind and solar packages for ultimate clients such as Network Rail who need a source of power in far-flung locations up and down the country, providing track lubrication systems across the network. **For local authorities, local utility companies and central government** The same can be said for local authorities and community organisations who may need off-grid renewable energy for street lighting, signage and CCTV. The UK has one of the most substantial legal frameworks and policy framework designed to ensure the UK reaches Net Zero emissions by 2050\. The UK government recently introduced legislation demanding water companies monitor the flow of water, water quality and amount of sewage into rivers. In order to do this the water companies need power in remote locations far from the electricity grid and this is where Marlec come in, building combinations of wind and solar solutions. Operationally within the business itself, Marlec walks the talk. They utilise solar panels to power the factory, offer EV charging in the company car park, all their lighting uses LED technology, and they take care to be sustainable wherever they can, right down to sourcing bamboo toilet roll not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it represents efficient business practice. Marlec boasts a loyal and committed workforce. Their average tenure of employee is 13 years. At the entry level, Marlec is looking to offer an apprenticeship role for a young person based locally. In terms of waste, Marlec send next to nothing to landfill which is impressive for a manufacturing company. They try to enable customers to keep their products well-maintained and long-lasting to avoid them being discarded. Of the 125,000 wind turbines made over the years, most are still in operation with spares at the factory if needed and online support videos for the layperson to fix their own products. Often an entire wind turbine manufactured way back in the early 1990s can be found on the factory floor covered in moss and algae, returned to the factory for repairs. All packaging is fully recyclable, and in the production process, offcuts of metals are recycled wherever possible. From the beginning to today, Marlec has been designing and engineering solutions to cater to a wide range of renewable energy needs. As a leader in innovation and sustainability, manufacturing products for a global client base, Marlec looks set to benefit from the race to net zero, but still retains its humble, local roots. ### Northampton's Market Square Revitalised URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/northamptons-market-square-revitalised/ Last updated: 2024-11-05T19:52:48.000Z Good news, the Market Square has now officially reopened in Northampton town centre, and with it a chance to promote the potential of pedestrianised spaces. There has been criticism as to the progress of this regeneration project, particularly in respect of the temporary relocation of the market stall holders to St Peters Way Car Park. There is an irony that within this view the oft cited weakness of pedestrianised space i.e. the lack of nearby parking, did not apply. Indeed, the fact that the Market’s temporary home was in a car park and not near to the repetition of shopper footfall was the weakness, at one stage it was even supported by a seldom seen [free public transport offer.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/bookmark%20https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/news/convenient-taxi-service-launched-connecting-northampton-bus-station-market) [Convenient taxi service launched connecting Northampton bus station with market | West Northamptonshire CouncilWest Northamptonshire Council is excited to introduce a new free taxi service that will bridge the gap between North Gate Bus Station and the market at its temporary Commercial Street location in Northampton.![](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/favicon/west/apple-touch-icon.png)West Northamptonshire Council![](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/west-share.png)](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/news/convenient-taxi-service-launched-connecting-northampton-bus-station-market?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) With the bus fare cap set to be increased to £3 (not mirrored by an increase in fuel duty - a blow to the green movement) and car access clearly not being a silver bullet, it may be prudent to look more closely at this kind of incentive? Perhaps something like [Medway Council’s free bus service offer last year?](https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/free-christmas-bus-trips-to-support-local-traders-297820/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [Free Christmas bus trips to support local tradersA drive has been launched to support local independent businesses this Christmas – and the council is offering free bus travel.![](https://www.kentonline.co.uk/apple-touch-icon.png)Kent OnlineNicola Jordan![](https://www.kentonline.co.uk/_media/img/CBJG8W6TBWNXEJWUMC5C.jpg)](https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/free-christmas-bus-trips-to-support-local-traders-297820/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Enough of the negative. The new square boasts permanent homes for stall holders, space for additional stalls to pitch up, a fountain, and places to sit. For its official reopening, businesses from around the town set up to capitalise on the attractions offered and one hopes that the businesses located around the square will be incentivised to expand onto it too. Centre stage was exactly that, a stage for local musicians to perform. I was not there long but it all seemed very well patronised. It is not the only example of where the freedom provided by pedestrianisation, or temporary road closure, offers the town a chance to thrive. In recent times we have also had the Tour of Britain cycle race and the Diwali Festival to name but two. We also see businesses utilising outdoor space around the town in the places where they are able, for example along Fish Street and near to St Giles Street. Are local leaders waking up to the business potential of pedestrianised space? With its well-established relationship to a better living environment, I should think that supporters of CA-WN are hopeful. The question becomes, where is the resistance to further pedestrianisation projects? It is my view that it comes, in majority, from two sources: drivers and business owners. The first because of the perception that it restricts freedom. The second because of the perception that without car access, businesses suffer. A book could be written on the various causes of the freedom issue and it is a perception that it must be difficult for local leaders to challenge, though it certainly is challengeable. It is the second issue of the relationship between business success and nearby parking that interests me; in urban centres, the evidence that business is negatively impacted by a lack of parking is almost non-existent. On the contrary, there are studies that show business owners often over-estimate how many of their customers arrive by vehicle, [in this study business owners estimated that 25% of customers arrived by car, it turned out to be only 4%](https://tcat.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Parkdale-Study-Infographics.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). We have missed opportunities in recent times to measure local effects. How much were businesses affected by the closure of the road on Bridge Street for example? And in real terms comparative to when it was open, rather than just through the anecdotes we read in the local newspapers. How much are they affected by events such as the Market reopening, the Tour of Britain race and the Diwali festival? Then how do we use this data to best plan our town in alignment with our other travel objectives as set out in the upcoming [Local Transport Plan?](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-local-transport-plan-2/) Questions worth asking now and when it comes to the local election next year. ### Understanding the Biodiversity Crisis URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/understanding-the-biodiversity-crisis/ Last updated: 2024-11-05T19:51:33.000Z It is increasingly recognised that biodiversity loss or the loss of Nature is as existential a threat as the climate crisis. The relationship between Climate and Nature and the importance of the global biosphere in mitigating climate change impacts was first acknowledged at the Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 in Glasgow in 2021\. In the following year, in Montreal, the COP for Nature declared a Global Biodiversity Framework within which was described a global vision of our world living in harmony with nature by 20501. To achieve this vision the agreed target for all nations was the restoration of biodiversity by 30% everywhere by 2030 and to submit practical plans to achieve that at COP 16 in 2024. On 21st October 2024 COP 16 for Biodiversity or Nature began in Cali, Columbia. The environment minister for the Columbian government, Susana Muhamad, stated in preparation for this COP: > “There is a double movement humanity must make. The first one is to decarbonise and have a just energy transition,” > “The other side of the coin is to restore nature and allow nature to take again its power over planet Earth so that we can really stabilise the climate.”2 ### **Why is there such focus on Biodiversity (Nature) restoration?** The issue is explored in this short film (*Why is biodiversity important*)3. There are many YouTube clips with David Attenborough discussing this question for different audiences. I selected this one because the narration is direct and the animation beautiful. It is worth mentioning that such ‘remote’ viewing is not entertainment and the message is stark. Since the industrial revolution in the 18th Century and particularly since the 1970s a combination of fossil fuel extraction and burning, deforestation, intensification of agriculture especially livestock farming, urbanisation, and pollution, have collectively pushed up global average temperatures to 1.2 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels and caused a 69% decline in species across the world. We know that it is the exploitation and extraction of resources that has been the cause of species decline but the impacts of climate change caused by global heating add to the vulnerability of Nature. CO2 in the atmosphere continues to increase as a result of human activity, causing extreme weather, wildfires, flood, drought, food insecurity and economic uncertainty. ### **Consider these Nature stats** The Biodiversity Intactness Index developed by Natural History Museum scientists is a measure of how much of an ecosystem’s natural biodiversity still remains despite human impacts.4 A healthy global biosphere should have a Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII) of 90%. The average global BII is 77% although there are wide variations. The UK is among the most biodiversity-depleted countries in the world with a Biodiversity Intactness Index of 42% - the lowest in the G7, while Canada achieves more than 90%. In 2015 the weight of wild animals made up just 4% of the global mammal biomass. The remaining 96% came from humans and livestock, while 70% of all birds are poultry.5 Only 1.2 million of 7-8 million species thought to exist have been described and catalogued. We know that extinction is occurring faster than natural rates of extinction and some species will become extinct before they can be found and with that the potential for new foods and medicines.6 The biomass percentages of humans, livestock and poultry in comparison to wildlife are serious indicators of the amount of natural vegetation cleared for intensive food production methods, resulting in habitat loss for millions of species. ### **How can we connect with the problems facing nature?** **The starting point** has to be a consideration of our planet – its oceans, continents and islands; the ice fields, fresh and salt water, soils and minerals; the great air and water currents that circulate heat, moisture and nutrients around the planet, its position in space and the protective layers it provides to enable all life to exist. BUT it is the biosphere – the variety of life that creates the whole – the living and breathing earth as David Attenborough describes it. The biosphere is the living planet – life on earth. We know that biodiversity is the variety of life, from genes to bacteria to the millions of unseen soil microbes; from fungi to plants and animals, including us. Life exists at various scales from the biomes of tropical and temperate forests, mountains, grasslands, deserts and the oceans to the communities in a single forest, a tree or a log. Life exists from under the earth’s crust to high above the atmosphere. There is evidence that microorganisms are involved in the creation of the silts that lubricate the movements of the great tectonic plates that form the earth’s crust.7 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/10/earth-1617121_1280.jpg) *Image by* [*PIRO*](https://pixabay.com/users/piro4d-2707530/?utm%5Fsource=link-attribution&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=image&utm%5Fcontent=1617121) *from* [*Pixabay*](https://pixabay.com//?utm%5Fsource=link-attribution&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=image&utm%5Fcontent=1617121) Biodiversity provides the mechanisms of planetary processes but from a human perspective it also provides food, medicine, energy, textiles. Over half of global GDP is moderately or highly dependent on nature8. **Following from the importance of the global biosphere** we could remind ourselves of school biology and consider the following diagram. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/10/image-3.png) *Image credit:* [*https://www.noble.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/energy-flow-infographic.png*](https://www.noble.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/energy-flow-infographic.png?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Whether we consider the planet as a complete ecosystem, or a forest, an individual tree or the inhabitants of a log, all ecosystems operate in the same way: inputs are processed producing outputs which either feed back into the system, are emitted to the air, water and soil, or transported out of the system. These are natural processes essential in maintaining any ecosystem structure and are in equilibrium with each other. Ecosystems are not static: they are not discrete entities that are closed off – even a remote tropical island will have huge variations in the ecological systems it supports via ocean and air currents. Colonisation of derelict land by plants will connect beyond that derelict land. But all ecosystems operate with the same ingredients the planet provides: the light and heat from the sun, rainfall, air movements, mineral cycling, transpiration, respiration, photosynthesis, death, decomposition and recycling. The circular economy of each ecosystem even as one merges with another is sustainable because as a system it has evolved its own checks and balances to achieve equilibrium. A pristine ecosystem with no interference is 100%. At an intactness index of 90% an ecosystem remains healthy and has inbuilt resilience to regenerate to 100% e.g. after a flood or invasion of a foreign species such as locusts. Once an ecosystem declines below 90% its resilience is compromised. Ecosystems are an expression of how the planet as a whole works – the interconnections of structures and processes that operate at all levels. Understanding that is essential. If any part changes, the system will change for better or worse and if the latter the planet will tip into instability. If the polar ice melts the whole of the planet and of life is affected. Ice melt is at tipping point. The Amazon Rainforest, one of the most diverse ecosystems on our planet, is at tipping point because of deforestation. The balance between the moisture received through intense tropical rain and the layered density of vegetation from the tallest at beyond 30 metres to the moss at soil level is changing. The moisture exchange between the atmosphere and the vegetation is critical to sustain the forest. As trees are cleared the moisture exchange declines to a point where the rainfall is decreasing and the soil is drying out; as a result primary forest cannot be supported. A secondary forest takes its place which is much less diverse for plants and animals, and the ecosystem changes. Climate change continues to exacerbate the problem as it causes shifts in global circulation and warmer air with an increased capacity to hold water vapour rather than releasing it as rainfall. Therefore when rain does fall, the intensity and volume can be catastrophic. **Such examples illustrate the interconnectedness of the problems biodiversity faces but also that those problems face us all.** **The Global Framework for Biodiversity acknowledges the paramount importance of biodiversity restoration for the integrity, health and sustainability of our planetary systems and COP 16 aims to commit national plans to action.** **The target of 30% increase in land managed for Nature by 2030** is being translated into **Local Nature Recovery Strategies.9** Emphasis is on the locality and a consideration of what exists where, and how any habitat can be managed, improved and expanded to full intactness. Any Local Nature Recovery Strategy follows the ‘Living Landscape Approach’ set out by the Wildlife Trust, which aims to use wildlife corridors that connect smaller sites together with larger ones. Wildlife needs natural networks – this enables movement of animals, seed dispersal, pollination and the effective operation of nutrient and water cycling. In the past, conservation has focussed on specific sites such as the National Parks but between such areas, biodiversity has been decimated through urbanisation – hence the UK’s 42% BII. Understanding our ecosystems, the environmental factors such as soil type, local weather, exposure, and drainage is vital and expert assistance may be required. However, a starting point for community leaders and interested volunteers could be to note what habitat potential exists and build on it – the roadside verges, hedgerows, field margins, streams, marshes, rivers, coppices, woodland, the tree canopy, the soils. Even traffic islands have potential, and private gardens are very important. We can then begin to see how the local ecosystems may connect with those further afield. How close are we to a larger area of woodland such as Harlestone Firs or Salcey Forest and do any streams or wetlands connect to the Nene River valley system? BUT we need to have a vision of the environment we want to live in or bring our children up in to. Can we envisage our towns, villages and countryside where Nature is dominant and ensure that everyone wherever they live has access to good quality green space? ### **To conclude:** We must acknowledge that Nature and the Climate are existential threats and the cause lies with all of us. Therefore we all have a part to play in biodiversity restoration and carbon reduction. We need to think of ourselves as part of Nature and not a controller of it. Could we consider that we are of no more importance than the humble worm which aerates the soil or the bumble bee which pollinates our apple blossom? Nature will provide the solutions if we allow it. ‘Peace with Nature', is the message sent from COP 16 in Colombia to the world. The United Nations’ Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, explains that > “making peace with nature requires understanding that we are facing a triple crisis that intertwines climate change, pollution and loss of biodiversity, which, in the end, becomes a suicidal war because without nature, humanity could not exist on the planet.”10 --- ### References 1\. [https://www.cbd.int/gbf/vision](https://www.cbd.int/gbf/vision?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/22/nature-catastrophe-biodiversity-summit-president-carbon-emissions-climate-breakdown-susana-muhamad-aoe](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/22/nature-catastrophe-biodiversity-summit-president-carbon-emissions-climate-breakdown-susana-muhamad-aoe?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlWNuzrqe7U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlWNuzrqe7U&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. [https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/services/data/biodiversity-intactness-index.html](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/services/data/biodiversity-intactness-index.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. [https://ourworldindata.org/wild-mammals-birds-biomass](https://ourworldindata.org/wild-mammals-birds-biomass?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. [https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/extinction-facts-wildlife-attenborough/](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/extinction-facts-wildlife-attenborough/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336502382\_Plate\_tectonics\_drive\_deep\_biosphere\_microbial\_community\_composition](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336502382%5FPlate%5Ftectonics%5Fdrive%5Fdeep%5Fbiosphere%5Fmicrobial%5Fcommunity%5Fcomposition?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8\. [https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/esg/nature-and-biodiversity/managing-nature-risks-from-understanding-to-action.html](https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/esg/nature-and-biodiversity/managing-nature-risks-from-understanding-to-action.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9\. [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-nature-recovery-strategies/local-nature-recovery-strategies](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-nature-recovery-strategies/local-nature-recovery-strategies?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 10\. [https://www.cbd.int/conferences/2024](https://www.cbd.int/conferences/2024?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Plastic Packaging for Fruit and Vegetables URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/plastic-packaging-for-fruit-and-vegetables/ Last updated: 2024-11-05T19:48:26.000Z Recently the organisation WRAP (The Waste and Resources Action Programme) has been calling for the removal of all plastic packaging from fresh fruit and vegetables1. This is not as simple as they make it sound. A short article in the Fresh Produce Journal today (22nd October) by Jack Ward, director of the British Growers Association, says that the future of fresh produce packaging must be considered from more than one perspective2. He agrees with the long-term aim of removing plastic packaging. Most plastics are derived from oil and are adding to the CO2 in the atmosphere or causing pollution when not disposed of properly. ### Hygiene If produce is sold ‘free flow’ (unpackaged) it can be handled by many other customers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/10/image-4.png) Whereas there are strict hygiene measures in any fruit or vegetable packhouse, this control is lost as soon as loose produce is put on display. Customers cannot be forced to use hand sanitiser before handling produce. Customers can be advised to wash fruit before eating, but there is no guarantee that they will. I have seen a pear on display in a supermarket where a customer has taken a bite to test its ripeness! ### Stock Control Packaging allows the shop to show information about many things including ‘display by date’. Without this the vegetables at the bottom of the display could have been there for a very long time. In addition, the bar code gives lots of other information, for example the farm or country of origin. In the event of a complaint or worse, traceability is important. ### Display In my farm shop (in the last century) we often used free flow, but the biggest problem was keeping the display looking attractive. Just as at home, where the family always choose the best looking apple in the fruit bowl leaving the grottiest for mum, so in the shop the worst fruit rises to the top and the display soon looks jaded. We employed someone to look over the display regularly and remove substandard fruit for bagging and selling at half price. ### Shelf-life Many plastics are very clever. By modifying the atmosphere in the package, shelf life and eating quality can be extended both in the store and in the home. This cuts down waste. ### Alternatives to fossil plastic Other materials are available. Recycled, vegetable derived polymers and so on. They will add cost and may not be available in such large and consistent quantities. But they must be part of the future. ### No simple solution So WRAP are right in calling for the end of fossil fuel plastic packaging, but it is not as simple as banning it. Growers, packers and retailers need to get together urgently with WRAP and devise a workable programme to be enshrined in law. The fact that it is difficult should not hide the urgency. And the problem is not just in the UK. We can start by enforcing the same laws on imports as we enact at home. --- ## References 1. [https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/report/removing-packaging-uncut-fresh-produce](https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/report/removing-packaging-uncut-fresh-produce?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2. [https://www.fruitnet.com/fresh-produce-journal/cutting-plastic-packaging-requires-a-multi-dimensional-approach/263159.article](https://www.fruitnet.com/fresh-produce-journal/cutting-plastic-packaging-requires-a-multi-dimensional-approach/263159.article?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### West Northants Council: Local Nature Recovery Strategy URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/west-northants-council-local-nature-recovery-strategy/ Last updated: 2024-11-05T19:46:50.000Z *Roy Hawkesford from Hackleton reports on a Webinar for parish councillors, organised by Ruth Rolls, WNC's Nature Recovery Strategy Officer (Environment, Countryside & Parks, Assets & Environment.* The purpose of the meeting was to outline the **Local Nature Recovery Strategy** (LNRS) which will go out for consultation soon1. Ruth describes the aims of the webinar thus: > This webinar is the final opportunity to collectively learn about the development of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy in West Northamptonshire before the strategy is finalised and goes to public consultation early in 2025\. The strategy is being drafted now. It is built on successful engagement carried out between March and July that has produced the priorities (desired outcomes) and potential measures (suggested actions). > Nene Rivers Trust will also explore how the council and LNRS partners can support, help and enable Parish Councils and community needs in their nature recovery and wildlife goals. They will talk through an existing toolkit currently used in the Rockingham Forest area, called the Parish Nature Recovery Guide. They’ll explore how this toolkit or similar support might be worth working up in West Northamptonshire, and whether it should link to other Parish Council work areas like Neighbourhood Planning. The webinar was recorded for those unable to attend2. The presentation on the **Nene Rivers Trust** (sophie@neneriverstrust.org) was a good introduction to what is possible. It is based in Rockingham Forest. The **Parish Nature Recovery Guide**3 is a really good introduction to what can be achieved – and how. The organisers of the webinar are very keen to engage with PCs to help develop strategies to combat the loss of nature in our area. --- ### References 1. [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/country-parks-parks-and-open-spaces/local-nature-recovery-strategy](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/country-parks-parks-and-open-spaces/local-nature-recovery-strategy?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2. [https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/hWtu71KAhFN8yqGLiPDsxV-AGBJGMwH70VCfr9K74Gcig2WhZ62foLtB-QtzBOl8.rjck\_bXyo-whjoqH](https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/hWtu71KAhFN8yqGLiPDsxV-AGBJGMwH70VCfr9K74Gcig2WhZ62foLtB-QtzBOl8.rjck%5FbXyo-whjoqH?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (Pass code:$TC.472M) 3. [https://www.rockinghamforest.org.uk/pnrp](https://www.rockinghamforest.org.uk/pnrp?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Greta Thunberg speech to COP25 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/greta-thunberg-speech-to-cop25/ Last updated: 2024-11-05T19:45:40.000Z This recommendation (a video rather than a podcast) comes from Teresa Cox, which has recently joined CA-WN's steering group. Teresa says: > I've recently been studying a short course, ***Climate Change: Transforming your organisation for Sustainability***. As part of this there is a link to Greta's speech and listening to this really brings it home how important it is to make change happen. The speech was made in 2019 but remains very relevant as the changes Greta was calling for then have still largely not been made. ### Report of 17 October CA-WN AGM and Monthly Meeting URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-ca-wn-agm-and-monthly-public-meeting/ Last updated: 2024-10-22T07:54:42.000Z October’s meeting started with the CA-WN Annual General Meeting, including election of officers. This was followed by a presentation from Marga Witteman, one of the co-founders of the More Trees Now movement in the Netherlands. Working with a range of organisations, individuals and community groups, this initiative has enabled over 2 million trees to be rescued and replanted since 2020\. Marga’s talk was recorded and is available on the CA-WN YouTube channel1 and her presentation slides are available to download2. **Apologies for absence** Alan Mawer, Briony Askew, Emmie Williamson, Patsy Hollingum, Roy Hawkesford **Present** Alexina Cassidy, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater, David Garlick, Eishar Bassan, Harry Mellor, James Hadfield, Jane Wood (JW), John Hunt, Jonathan Harris, Margo, Maria Lee, Mick Lorkins, Richard and Linda, Richard Hollingum, Rupert Knowles, Sari Sudarsono, Teresa Cox, Ursula McArthur ### **Annual General Meeting Minutes** Papers were circulated in advance of the meeting3. **1.** **Minutes of last AGM** Accepted with no alteration. **2\. Chair’s Report** JW summarised CA-WN’s achievements over the last 12 months and some of our plans for the future. Highlights included: · Steady increase in subscribers to CA-WN Exchange · Interesting and informative guest speakers at monthly meetings · Attendance at local events, including the first West Northants area Climate Summit for town and parish councils. There are plans to follow up the summit with a programme of events and activities, which CA-WN will continue to be involved with. · Launch of the Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers group, led by Mick Lorkins · Thanks to Alexina Cassidy and Clare Slater, CA-WN is now offering Carbon Literacy training to our supporters. Two courses have already been delivered – the aim is to offer training 2-3 times a year. · Next year we plan to offer online home retrofit workshops. **Treasurer’s Report** CA-WN started the year with funds of £5,986 and ended it with £3,931\. There are few transactions to report, with the main expense being a one-off payment of £1,800 for home energy surveys. We also have fixed annual license costs for Zoom to enable us to hold online meetings, and for the Ghost software that supports CA-WN Exchange, totalling around £400\. In previous years these costs have been met by generous individual donations. Small donations towards these costs would be appreciated and can be made directly to CA-WN’s bank account (which incurs no fees), or via Stripe4, which deducts a small percentage from each donation. For direct bank transfer details please email the Treasurer [harry@ca-wn.org](mailto:harry@ca-wn.org). **Election of Officers** The Constitution5 allows for 4 Officer roles, currently: **Chair** \- Jane Wood **Treasurer** \- Harry Mellor **Secretary** \- Jane Wood **Membership Secretary** \- Alexina Cassidy It was proposed to amend the Constitution to introduce a Vice Chair role, to be combined with the Membership Secretary. The following Officers were elected for 2024/25: **Chair** – Jane Wood, nominated Jonathan Harris, seconded Rupert Knowles **Treasurer** – Harry Mellor, nominated Jane Wood, seconded Rupert Knowles **Secretary** – Jane Wood, nominated Jonathan Harris, seconded Rupert Knowles **Vice Chair and Membership Secretary** – Alexina Cassidy, nominated Jonathan Harris, seconded Richard Hollingum These appointments were unanimously approved. **Election of Steering Committee members** In addition to the Officers, there are currently 8 Steering Committee members. Those present at the meeting were asked to confirm whether they wished to continue in that role. Two committee members were not present at the meeting and JW will contact them separately. JW had received notification ahead of the meeting from one committee member, Briony Askew, that she wished to stand down due to other commitments. JW thanked Briony for her valued contribution over the last few years. Steering Committee members present at the meeting and who confirmed their wish to continue: · Clare Robertson-Marriott · Clare Slater · Jonathan Harris · Mick Lorkins · Rupert Knowles Not present at the meeting: · Ella Sage · Orianne Neyroud Standing down · Briony Askew Teresa Cox offered to join the steering committee and agreed to attend the next committee meeting on Monday 28 October. **Date of next AGM:** Thursday 16 October 2025, starting 7:30pm, online. --- ### Public meeting minutes **More Trees Now – background and development** More Trees Now (MTN) was started nearly 5 years ago by 5 people from 3 partner organisations: a progressive farmers’ group; Urgenda, the environmental organisation Marga works for; and a local ecologist who invented the method. MTN have 3 goals: · Stop global warming · Increase biodiversity. The Netherlands has seen around an 85% loss in the last 100 years – one of the worst records in Europe. · Provide opportunities for people to participate in something which helps the environment Mature trees create 100s of saplings each year as part of a natural regenerative process. Many of these die or are routinely destroyed e.g. to clear pathways or preserve other habitat such as peat bogs or meadows. This provides a source of free indigenous saplings providing people are willing to collect them. The initiative has enabled the rescue of over 2 million saplings so far and given them away for free to all sorts of people – farmers, community groups and individuals. Over 3000 tree harvesting events have been held and there are 150 locally run tree hubs where the trees are stored until they are collected for planting. In the winter of 2020 the group started by asking who wanted free trees and found there was lots of demand. They then went to foresters to see who would be able to donate trees that would normally not survive for whatever reason. ***Season 1 2020/21*** MTN rescued 500k trees in the first winter – this included 200k pear trees the group was offered by a grower who couldn’t sell them due to the pandemic. This created lots of media attention. 80% of the transplanted trees survived. Events were arranged by the original 5 people using Excel spreadsheets and email, which was difficult to manage as the numbers of trees and events was more than had been expected. ***Season 2 2021/22*** In the 2nd winter about 400k trees were harvested, these were all rescued saplings. Due to very dry weather only 73% of that season’s saplings survived. MTN started to create a system on which people could communicate directly instead of using the core group as a go-between. This system is called the Tree Planner and enables people to arrange events and how and when to collect rescued trees. ***Season 3 2022/23*** Over 500k saplings and cuttings were harvested. Survival rate, again affected by drought, was 70%. Tree Planner 2.0 was introduced, with some major improvements. A volunteer in Germany decided to try out the method there, as there were large areas of forest dying due to disease and a shortage of trees to replant. Again a sympathetic grower, this time one about to retire, donated around 200k trees. 750k trees in total were saved that winter. ***Season 4 2023/24*** MTN saved their 2 millionth sapling and had 10k participants in the Tree Planner system. Ahead of the 2024/25 season there are already 25k people signed up to the Tree Planner, and pilot projects are being started in the UK and France. Think of it as ‘circular forestry’ - as each rescued sapling will start to produce its own saplings around 10 years after being replanted. Tree hubs are simply a collection or storage point for saplings. A hub is not always necessary if trees are collected to go to the planting location immediately after being harvested. A lot of the hubs in the Netherlands are community gardens as they have vegetable beds which are empty in the winter so can dig temporary trenches for trees in them. Ecology is the solution. The trees are native and don’t need any extra support such as fertilisers and pesticides. They would otherwise die and disappear releasing CO2 which is saved if the tree is replanted. Saplings are often removed for a reason e.g. to restore a peat bog which has a different ecology to a forest. Therefore restoring one ecosystem by removing trees enables development of an ecosystem of a different type by planting trees elsewhere. MTN is a community led movement. It is decentralised so the original core team of 5 hasn’t grown and doesn’t need to. **Tree Planner6** This lists events by country – the event in East Hunsbury on 26 October is currently the only one in England. Anyone can sign up to the Tree Planner to participate in events either as a helper or to collect trees. You can also join to organise events. It’s helpful to include information such as parking, access and what type of trees can be harvested when creating an event. Marga walked through the system, which shows: · Events, both ones you have organised and other events near you. Events can be shared with people not already signed up to the tree planner using a link. · The location of tree hubs · Planting locations of trees, this is where it is recorded how many trees have survived. · There is also a chat function It isn’t easy to keep the software up to date and MTN have needed to change things as they go. The tree harvesting and planting season runs from October to March so they use summer to update the system and test any changes. Alongside the system some best practices have been developed e.g. transporting the saplings in a wet jute bag to prevent the roots drying out. There are manuals and tips available, which have been translated into other languages. **Harvest events** Checklists have been created for organising an event to make sure you have all the required equipment and paperwork. It’s best to harvest saplings that are between knee and shoulder height – those below knee height may get out competed by grass, whereas for those more than shoulder height it is likely that not enough of the root system will be dug up for it to survive. Trees that are too small or too big need a lot of extra care and usually the number of trees being planted means they won’t get that much care. Halfway through the harvest day the group splits in two, and one half starts identifying, bunching and labelling the saplings. All are sorted by species and bundled in 20s or 50s so they are easy to count. Each bundle is labelled; one of the educational benefits is learning how to identify saplings in the winter. The best way is to set aside and label an example sapling for each species to help with sorting. Most people can’t tell species apart without this to guide them, especially as the saplings will have no leaves in the winter. With practice people can learn tens of different species in a season. Then the saplings are transported in a trailer, usually either by the event leader or by the local tree hub. Then the trees are added to the tree planner, saying how many have been rescued, what they are and where they are going. This process provides a form of risk management by tracking the trees from source to planting location. If there is something like a disease present in the harvest area that wasn’t known at the time, the trees harvested can be located. **Q&A** *Question: Has this resulted in communities coming together for other things?* Yes, tree hubs are being used for other purposes now, for example plants are being dropped off to give away. The hub becomes a community gathering point too. Groups have created flower meadows as well as planting woods. People also share tree seeds and acorns. *Question: How did you find the tree hubs?* Started with a network of farmers, who often have a lot of space available especially vegetable farmers in the winter. The latest date for giving away the trees is the end of March which fits with vegetable growing. Community gardens are the best locations because rather than simply space having a core group of volunteers to look after the hub is very important. Hubs vary a lot in size and some are in people’s gardens. A 5 metre trench can fit 500 saplings; they need to be packed as tightly as possible for best survival. *Question: What do you do about tree guards and stakes to protect the trees from rabbits etc?* We give planting and aftercare advice but it is up to the people who take the trees to put guards in place if they need to. MTN also give advice about which trees are suitable for the site soil type and so on. *Question: How easy is it to join locally?* Anyone can sign up for the 26 October event on the Tree Planner - please do that on the More Trees now website6. It’s also worth joining the Facebook group Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers7 to get involved in tree harvesting and planting events more widely. *Question: What have you found are the best ways of finding people who want trees?* This is usually the easiest thing – MTN have found that using the words ‘free trees’ works really well! After 5 years they haven’t run out of people who want trees. A bigger challenge is to get the supply working smoothly and to find a way of giving people advice and knowledge on how to plant trees correctly. MTN have inadvertently created ‘tree traffic jams’ by advertising trees too successfully! There is now a function in the system to automatically cut off the list for collecting trees at a certain point. In Northampton the RAIN project is working to plant trees for flood management so we are expecting them to take some. Mick organised a tree harvesting event in January and from that 7 organisations took trees. The group Harborough Woodland Volunteers support a lot of tree planting projects and will take any extra trees if required. *Question: There must* *be an ecological message in terms of nature recovery, as well as the 'free trees' message? We have a challenge with that in the UK where some people still see trees as a necessary evil and only acceptable as part of a tidy ‘bowling green’ landscape.* *Have you done all of this without any engagement with local authorities? In West Northants the new Tree Strategy includes an ambition to move from 9% to 20% tree canopy cover in the area by 2045.* On the eco message point, it really helped that there was engagement from the start with farmers who wanted to take trees for agroforestry projects. People already busy planting forests were helped by having access to free trees. Having free trees on offer has allowed MTN to draw people in who had very little knowledge of trees and ecology and enable them to learn. People come for the free trees and stay for the story. MTN have engaged a lot with different levels of government. The Ministry of Agriculture and Nature helped with developing the tree planner. There has been a nitrogen crisis in the Netherlands due to intensive agriculture, this provided a bit of crisis momentum enabling MTN to get some support. They have worked with provinces, and with municipalities which have goals of increasing tree cover to address health concerns and climate adaptation concerns. Some have provided financial support to local groups. Engagement has generally been increasing but it does tend to vary depending on the direction of the political winds. *Question: Since leaving the EU UK farmers don’t just get grants for having land, they have to do something in order to get SFIs (Sustainable Farming Initiative). To plant a lot of trees will have to involve farmers. Will these trees qualify for grants?* Farmers can get grants in the Netherlands, not always for the trees as they are free but for hedgerow maintenance etc. Farmers also get grants from the EU for eco measures including hedgerow planting and forestry. *Question: Can we plant trees as part of hedgerows?* Yes, this is included in the advice that is given out to people when they join – what species are suitable for hedgerows etc. Also have advice about hedgerows in combination with animals; some trees are good for cows to eat. They call this a ‘cow apothecary’. **AOB** The next CA-WN informal face to face social event will be on Saturday 9th November downstairs in the café at the Northampton Museum & Art Gallery, from 2:00pm - 4:00pm. All welcome. **DONM** **Thursday 21 November 2024.** The guest speaker will be Emmie Williamson, whose previous talk on Climate Psychology was very popular. She plans to dig a little deeper into how a 'psycho-social' approach can analyse how it is that humans are causing such unimpeded damage to the planet. **References** 1\. [https://youtu.be/GCFrFhEa9JM?si=mtOjWnb17-MZe\_\_G](https://youtu.be/GCFrFhEa9JM?si=mtOjWnb17-MZe%5F%5FG&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/More\_Trees\_Now\_Slideshow.pdf](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/More%5FTrees%5FNow%5FSlideshow.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. AGM meeting papers 4\. To make a donation via Stripe: 5\. CA-WN Constitution 6\. [https://moretreesnow.eco/](https://moretreesnow.eco/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers ### West Northamptonshire Area Climate Summit 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/west-northamptonshire-area-climate-summit-2024/ Last updated: 2024-10-13T18:08:04.000Z On Wednesday 9 October 2024 representatives from West Northamptonshire town and village councils met at Delapré Abbey for the area’s first ever Climate Summit. Over 50 delegates took this first step in a five-year programme intended to develop and support local projects aimed at dealing with, and lessening the effects of, a changed climate. In his opening address the King’s representative, Mr John Brownhill BEM, the Lead for the Northamptonshire Lieutenancy Climate & Sustainability Group, recounted how His Majesty has dedicated much of his life’s work to champion the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. An example to us all. In three subsequent sessions the Summit’s core themes of Communication, Food and Biodiversity were explored in presentations and discussions. In one discussion a delegate asked why West Northamptonshire Council Planning Committees continue to grant permission for developments that contain zero renewable energy components, why for example housing and commercial projects are allowed to be built without solar panels. Though off-topic the question received the general support of those present, a clear indication that parish representatives await an answer from the unitary authority. CA-WN was pleased to have been invited to join West Northamptonshire and Northampton Town Councils in arranging the Climate Summit and looks forward to participating in all subsequent events. **Climate Summit 2024 organising team**: For West Northamptonshire Council - Martin Wilson, Sustainability Manager For Northampton Town Council - Cllr Paul Joyce & Cllr Andrew Stevens For West Hunsbury Parish Council - Cllr Pete Spink For Climate Action-West Northants (CA-WN) - Jane Wood ### Talking action - popcawn October 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/talking-action-popcawn-october-2024/ Last updated: 2024-10-02T17:10:39.000Z Last month’s popcawn was all talk…about why it’s important to talk about climate change and how to do it. One reason talking is good is that it is often a precursor to doing, and it’s vital that we *do* something. Talking alone will not reduce carbon emissions – we need action. Taking action can seem like a difficult next step, but we’re here to help. Here are a few tips to getting started: Making a plan and setting some goals is key to getting things done. Define what is within your control. It may be reducing your personal carbon footprint, making your outdoor space more wildlife friendly, or finding a local group where you can join in some community action. There’s lots of resources available online to support with all these; Friends of the Earth1 is a good starting point and we also have a repository of local groups here on CA-WN Exchange.2 Goals need to be achievable, measurable and ideally time-limited to help keep you motivated. Breaking tasks into lots of little steps is much easier to navigate than one giant leap. Ticking tasks off your to-do list is very satisfying and shows you how much you have achieved so far. Regularly reminding yourself why you are doing something can help prioritise important tasks. It’s easy to feel like we have no time for certain things, but that’s because they aren’t considered important enough to make it to the top of the to-do list. This week I needed look no further than the relentless torrential rain to remind me why I prioritise my environmental voluntary work. Remember ‘progress not perfection’ – it’s my dream to have zero negative impact on the planet, but that’s not realistic any time soon, so I keep on making lifestyle changes, keep on educating myself and keep on nagging local and national policymakers. I can then compare myself to last year’s me to see the progress I’ve made. If you want some further inspiration on getting things done, take a look at this 24-hour climate comic project. A small team of motivated individuals set themselves the task of creating a 24-page comic on what a sustainable future might look like, in just 24 hours! [Our 24-hour climate comic explores what a sustainable future could look like (theconversation.com)](https://theconversation.com/our-24-hour-climate-comic-explores-what-a-sustainable-future-could-look-like-235992?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The 24-hour comic challenge was first set in 1990 and is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of October,3 so watch out for it this weekend. Perhaps not something to attempt for all your tasks but it does show what can be done when we put our minds to it. **References** 1\. [https://friendsoftheearth.uk/take-action](https://friendsoftheearth.uk/take-action?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 1. 2\. [https://www.24hourcomicsday.com/](https://www.24hourcomicsday.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### WNC Local Transport Plan URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-local-transport-plan-2/ Last updated: 2024-10-02T17:09:31.000Z The Local Transport Plan (LTP) is a document that sets out a long-term strategy for transport in West Northamptonshire and is currently open for public consultation. This consultation is ***due to end on the 17th October*** so it is really important to start getting feedback in. [Have your say on the draft West Northamptonshire Local Transport Plan - West Northamptonshire Council - Citizen SpaceFind and participate in consultations run by West Northamptonshire Council![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/favicon-2.ico)Citizen Space![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/screenshot-2023-08-09-at-14.24.30-1.png)](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/planning/draft-west-northamptonshire-local-transport-plan/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The LTP is referring to transport in its broadest sense, so anything that moves people or goods is considered within the plan. As you might expect, it is of significant interest to those of us who are concerned about our environment as the way we travel is inextricably tied to our impact on the environment. The problem is that plan documents are often long, laborious and inaccessible. I am afraid that the Local Transport Plan up for consultation this year can be similarly described. I am no expert when it comes to strategy documents though I try my best to read them and I often console myself that a fresh pair of eyes is better than those that have read it all before. With this in mind, I will try my best to draw out the structure of the document as well as the items worthy of note in the hope that some may find it useful. If nothing else, perhaps it will assist me in making up my own mind! The plan can be split roughly into four parts: **1) The Context** **2) The Vision/Aims/Intentions** **3) The Interventions** **4) The indicators of success** ## The Context This is something we are familiar with but let me quote some lines from the Plan to demonstrate that, at the very least, its author is no stranger to reality: > “The Total resident population in West Northants has increased by 13.5% over 10 years…This is one of the largest increases in the East Midlands and is higher than the average 6.6% increase for England” > “In West Northants 23% of households indicated that one person in their household is disabled” > “West Northants, in 2021, had the second highest levels of greenhouse gases emitted from transport of any local authority area in the UK” > “Transport emissions now account for 47% of all emissions generated in West Northants, up from 36% in 2005” > “72% of households \[In West Northants\] own one or two cars. For the East Midlands this figure is 70% and for England 67%.” > “Between 2011 and 2021 bus travel to work increased slightly from 4% to 5%...the share of people cycling remained at 2%” I have been selective here but I believe the document contains these facts for a very good purpose and, importantly, it has not shied away from them. ## The Vision Set 20 years hence in 2045 the document sees a West Northants which has changed significantly: > “moved rapidly to achieve net zero emissions” > “walking and cycling are the natural first choices for short trips” > “travel by public transport has become increasingly attractive and accessible” > “communities are less dependent on private cars” > “Our transport system is safer and cleaner” ## The Interventions Next come 6 objectives with 16 policies that inform them and, usually the most interesting part of the document, associated interventions (short, medium and long term): **Objective 1** “Improve the accessibility of the public transport, walking and cycling networks, to promote a system that is fair and provides attractive travel alternatives to key destinations” **Objective 2** “Create thriving communities through local investment in a more resilient transport network, services and the public realm in urban and rural towns and villages across West Northants” ***Intervention examples:- available on page 33*** - A43 dualling Northampton to Holcot/Sywell - Bus Priority Corridor Programme - New railway station serving Weedon Bec/Daventry Followed then by policy commitments that the council make over the next 5 year period, these are available on **Page 36 for Policy 1.** I won’t bore you by going through every individual policy and commitment but I will copy the objectives here and if one is of interest then you can find the rest of the information in the pages that follow it: **Objective 3 (Page 44) -** Improving Road Safety and reducing pollution, while expanding active travel networks and supporting infrastructure that facilitates public health outcomes **Objective 4 (Page 44) -** Enhance local environments and further reduce carbon emissions from transport by investing in low carbon and electric modes, without compromising local heritage **Objective 5 (Page 58)–** Reducing inequalities through better transport connections to key employment and education opportunities, to support local socio-economic growth. **Objective 6 (Page 58) –** Maximise the benefits to communities and businesses through use of technology and innovation Next in the document **(Page 58 onward)** are set out routes for potential funding and the importance of having a consistent Local Transport Plan when applying for this funding. Well worth a read if you want to gain a better understanding as to the various pots of money that exist when it comes to local transport. ## Success Indicators Starting from **Page 81** we get the success indicators i.e. what stats are they going to use to inform whether they’ve succeeded or not. For example, on the objective of improving road safety, a decrease in total accidents will help to show if the council are doing something right. These will prove very useful if we want to hold our council to account in the future. Firstly by whether they obtain and publish these metrics. Secondly, and crucially, whether they have stuck to them. ### So what? What it all boils down to is a few simple questions: - *Do you think the context is demonstrative of reality?* - *Do you think the vision/aims are reasonable in the light of the context?* - *Do you think the objectives are consistent with the aims?* - *Do you think the policy commitments assist the objectives?* - *Do you think the interventions are realistic and assist toward the objectives/aims?* - *Do you think the markers of success are fair?* **My view** is that the context couldn’t be clearer and the Plan does not shy away from the challenges we face in West Northamptonshire when it comes to population growth, pollution and deprivation. I think the vision is a good one but I am reminded of so many times in the past where this council has promised the world and delivered very little. What is it about this plan that commits us to this vision? I think the objectives are fair though the language could be more committed toward the vision, could we include success indicators within the objectives, for example? The policy commitments deviate even further from tangible action and, whilst this is a high level document, I just know that without clear courses of action, we are prone in West Northamptonshire to being stalled by the lack of commitment in these kinds of document. On the interventions, I have to resist the urge to be flippant and offer a wager that the ones involving road development will be completed in the next 10 years whilst the Active Travel network, the rail improvements and the bus service ideas will all fall down in the priority list. The council needs to get serious about these interventions. How do we communicate these priorities in a more solid way? The markers of success do seem fair – let’s hold this council to them by including some of them front and centre within the objectives and maybe even within the vision itself. Reduction of road accidents is surely something we could all rally behind as an example. This about sums up my entire view of the Local Transport Plan; it is full of glorious words but is it just another tick box exercise? In truth, I believe it is down to organisations like CA-WN, and its members, to answer that question. Ultimately, consultations are down to you and so please read the document if you have the time and form your own opinion. There is an option to respond to the consultation by email to tell the council what you think its transport priorities should be, as an alternative to reading and critiquing the LTP. ### Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/creamy-fresh-tomato-soup/ Last updated: 2024-10-02T17:08:47.000Z September. Season, we’re told, of mists and mellow fruitfulness. The poet didn’t mention unending torrents of rain. Perhaps an oversight on his part, or perhaps it didn’t scan. Fortunately, my tomato plants are tucked up snugly in our old (but still weatherproof) greenhouse. Unfortunately it is not large enough for me to grow more than five tomato plants throughout the summer which means I never have enough tomatoes for all the lovely tomato based meals I want to make. Happily, this year we’ve been blessed with an amazing crop of cherry-type fruit on three of the plants. They have a fabulous flavour, and have proved wonderfully prolific, despite the shortage of truly summer-like days in the course of the last three months. Yesterday I picked two pounds of small to medium sized fruit, and made the following truly delicious soup. You will need: - A large pan and a stick blender, or a liquidiser - 1lb of tomatoes - Golden oilseed rape oil - 1 teaspoonful of tomato purée - Half a medium onion, finely sliced or diced - 1 or 2 garlic cloves - Fresh garden herbs, or a small pinch of mixed dried herbs - 1 vegetable stock cube - 1 heaped teaspoonful of either arrowroot, potato starch or cornflour - 1 large tablespoonful of mascarpone cheese How to make it: Only you can decide whether to go to the faff of skinning the tomatoes before you add them to the pan. If the answer is yes, use a serrated edged knife to mark a cross on each tomato then put them in a Pyrex bowl, cover the fruit with boiling water and put the bowl in the microwave for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from microwave, use a slotted spoon to take each tomato out and skin it before repeating with the next fruit, and so on. Cut the tomatoes into chunks and set to one side. In a medium to large heavy based saucepan, place the oil over a low heat, with a tiny bit of butter for decadence. Next add the sliced onions and crushed garlic and stir frequently to make sure all the onions are softened but not catching on the base of the pan. Now stir in the tomato purée, continuing to stir until it is well distributed and combined. Once this is done, add the tomatoes. Stir occasionally whilst they cook, and once they are becoming mushy add a litre of vegetable stock with a pinch of mixed herbs and cook for a few more minutes. Whilst the pot is gently simmering, put the arrowroot/cornflour/potato starch in a mixing jug and a wine glass of cold water to slake it. When it is well mixed and without lumps, take a ladleful of the soup mixture and add that to the jug, stir together well then empty the jug into the pan. Cook for one or two minutes longer, then turn off the heat and blend the mix until it is smooth, then add the mascarpone and blend again. If you are using fresh, chopped herbs, add them now. When reheating to serve, take care not to boil the soup as it can spoil the look. Et bon appetit! ### The Great Simplification URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-great-simplification/ Last updated: 2024-10-02T17:07:17.000Z Each episode of *The Great Simplification* consists of an interview by the host Nate Hagens with someone able to provide insight into an aspect of the climate and biodiversity crises (or 'polycrisis'). Most episodes come in at over an hour which allows time to explore the subject matter. I’d especially recommend two recent episodes – Ep 134 with Johann Rockström (joint director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research)on the topic of Planetary Boundaries, and Ep 141 “*Global Heating 101: Rapid-Fire Answers to the Biggest Climate Questions*”, with Stefan Rahmstorf (Co-Head of Research Department on Earth System Analysis of the Potsdam Institute and Professor of Physics of the Oceans at Potsdam University). Both guests are extremely knowledgeable about climate science and are able to communicate the information lucidly and objectively (in English which is their second language!). I will not easily forget Rahmstorf’s comparison of 420 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 300 gallons of p\*\*\* in an Olympic swimming pool (both are 4 parts per 10,000). [The Great Simplification with Nate HagensThe Great Simplification with Nate Hagens explores money, energy, economy, and the environment with world experts and leaders to understand how everything fits together, and where we go from here.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/icon/favicon-1.ico)The Great SimplificationRoman Krznaric: “History for Tomorrow: Uncovering Future Possibilities from Humanity’s Past”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/thumbnail/TGS-Banner.jpg)](https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### English Pastoral: An Inheritance by James Rebanks URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/english-pastoral-an-inheritance-by-james-rebanks/ Last updated: 2024-10-02T16:02:06.000Z Having just seen Six Inches of Soil, a documentary film about regenerative farming1 (which I highly recommend), this book seemed an appropriate one to add to our Bookshelf this month. It is a wonderful book, beautifully written and telling a story that carries a great deal of power coming from an author whose family has farmed the Cumbrian hills for generations. It takes us on a journey from the farming methods of James Rebanks’ grandfather, through the changes that brought a ‘modern’ style of agriculture, to his eventual realisation that these new ways are damaging the land. Like one of the farmers in the film he now raises Belted Galloway cattle alongside his traditional Herdwick sheep. Although the book is in many ways poetic, it is not a dewy-eyed homage to the past. Farmers, even ones who are best-selling authors, still face commercial reality in a world of complex systems of subsidy and procurement. It’s interesting to note that James Rebanks recently turned down a non-executive director role at Defra, on the basis he didn’t want to be ‘window-dressing for decline and failure’2. Let us hope that the government exceeds his expectations. 1 [Read Our Farming Correspondent's assessment of the film ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/six-inches-of-soil-film-report/) and find out where to see it. 2 [https://www.farmersguardian.com/blog/4361780/sheep-farmer-james-rebanks-defra-role-complicit-breaking-promises-farmers-strong-believe-ought-kept](https://www.farmersguardian.com/blog/4361780/sheep-farmer-james-rebanks-defra-role-complicit-breaking-promises-farmers-strong-believe-ought-kept?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Six Inches of Soil film report URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/six-inches-of-soil-film-report/ Last updated: 2024-09-23T14:30:18.000Z *Six Inches of Soil was co-hosted at the Arc Cinema, Daventry on Thursday 19 September by CA-WN and ActNow Consulting Ltd.* This thought-provoking film about three young farmers putting regenerative principles into practice has received wide attention round the country. But there have been no public showings in West Northamptonshire. CA-WN, in collaboration with the lovely ARC Cinema in Daventry, put this right and over forty CA-WN members and the general public came to see it on Thursday. After the film, there was an open discussion between an expert panel and the audience. The film is about the soil seen through the eyes of three novice farmers (and the numerous other famers and experts they met) attempting to do the right thing for the environment, the soil, their livestock and their customers. By telling their stories, the film described the main features of regenerative farming. Consumers may be aware of marks and standards such as Red Tractor, LEAF, or organic. These marks often justify higher prices for the product reflecting the higher cost of growing, but there are no such agreed standards for ‘regenerative farming’. What all three farmers and their mentors agreed on was the importance of their soil. Some ten years ago, I attended a meeting of farmers near Cambridge and one of the speakers castigated the audience for being obsessed by their bank accounts and their magnificent machinery whilst neglecting their most important asset, THE SOIL. Many farmers are now heeding this warning and adopting regenerative practices. I won’t describe regenerative practices in detail. You can read about them on the internet or Wikipedia, or for a general impression and a moving experience, watch this film - [https://sixinchesofsoil.vhx.tv/](https://sixinchesofsoil.vhx.tv/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (there is a small charge). The film is filled with pictures of holes in the ground, worms and micro-organisms, and farmers smelling the earth! On the left of the photo Anna Jackson, a Lincolnshire 11th generation arable and sheep farmer, has the wisdom of her father to draw on. He was not happy with a conventional crop rotation of wheat and rapeseed: he tried and failed to go organic. However he has incorporated livestock to add manure, researched alternative crops, reduced fertiliser and ploughing (min-till) and mostly stopped spraying. We saw Anna handling some impressive machinery. The digital readout from the combine harvester’s cab showed very respectable wheat yields. At the end of the film, Anna admitted that the two trial crops – quinoa and flowers for cosmetics – had made losses, but wheat, rape and rye were profitable. Well done Anna for demonstrating the risks in experimentation! Ben Thomas on the right has a beef herd of Belted Galloway cattle in Cornwall. His land comprising small, steep fields enduring high rainfall is a complete contrast – totally unsuited for cropping but perfect for grass and livestock. He was practicing ‘mob grazing’ – moving his cattle to fresh grass every day. The ‘grass’ was full of wildflowers and the cattle had access to overhanging trees providing a very varied diet and incidentally adding to the flavour of the beef. He also had some coppiced birch woodland where the cattle went for a scratch and a small herd of pigs were rootling in the soil and inadvertently cultivating it. An idyllic scene. But the weight-gain of the cattle in winter was marginal. Nevertheless, Ben was able to find a small abattoir where his animals were carefully butchered and yielded beef much in demand by local customers who were prepared to pay above supermarket prices even for the mince. In the centre is Adrienne Gordon. She is a market gardener growing mostly vegetables which she sells in local markets. A local farmer has given her a small plot for nominal rent on which she has erected a poly-tunnel. She can produce good plug plants in pots but her soil is heavy clay and totally unsuited to intensive vegetables grown in the ground. Although she had some access to water, her land was a very sad sight in the drought of 2022\. She seems to be having less success, resorting to unusual vegetables and spending a lot of time selling her produce at a local market. Given the hard work she puts in, she deserves to make a go of it and she seemed happy. Good luck, Adrienne! Soil is important to the crop, providing support, air to the roots and water and nutrients to the whole plant. Regenerative farming is mostly about mixing and maintaining organic matter in the soil. Although soil is made up of particles of sand, silt and clay in varying proportions, it is the ‘aggregates’ or lumps of soil with space between them that are created by organic components: roots, dead leaves, and the organisms that eat them such as worms, fungi, bacteria and numerous other creepy-crawlies. It is a complex mixture. As well as being important to the crop, good soil has two other very important functions: it holds on to surplus nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to prevent pollution of water courses; and it stores carbon to prevent global warming. The film puts a lot of emphasis on carbon storage. Soil can store huge amounts of carbon. In the top six inches, organic matter can be increased by min-till (or only shallow ploughing as seen in the film), by including livestock in the rotation as per the sheep on Anna’s farm, by deep-rooted cover crops or root crops like Adrienne’s beetroot or by permanent grass with dung-beetles and earthworms at Ben’s. In fact I know from personal experience that wheat can draw up moisture from 90 cm in May and June which means that there must be active roots at that depth. In the short term, soil carbon is more significant than timber for climate. In the long term, we will reach ‘peak carbon’ only when the carbon stored in organic matter added to the soil is balanced by the carbon dioxide emitted by soil microorganisms. Luckily that is a long way off. The film’s message about storage of carbon deep in the soil is very important. On a final note, we discussed how to make the urban public more aware of where their food comes from and how to eat better. The film showed children visiting farms and I would like to see more of that. I took many primary school children round my farm in the 1970s, but government policy gradually cut funding and made this impossible. We also discussed how young people can get into farming. This is important given the high average age of farmers, but young people cannot buy a farm any more than they can buy a factory. One way is not to invest in land but to buy some sheep and rent grazing. Regenerative farmers often want livestock to improve their land but do not want to go down that route themselves. For an enterprising young person out of college with limited capital, this is a good opportunity. Another question was how to get good meat locally. How to find a farmer like Ben? That was not really answered, but to suggest that we are all going to move away from supermarkets and shop locally is unrealistic. I farmed in the era before supermarkets when we sent lorries of apples to wholesale markets round the country every night in the season. Prices went up and down like a yoyo and my poor father was on the phone at 9am deciding whether to try Newcastle or Bolton next night. The film showed two of the farmers spending hours retailing when they should have been farming. It also showed one farmer trying to do the wrong thing on the wrong land. There is no doubt that our current supermarket system is highly efficient and the choice available is phenomenal. The problem is that power in the value chain is so uneven in the supermarkets’ favour. It will require determined legislation to change that and to make it fairer. Not wishing to end on a negative note, I really enjoyed this film, both the human interest and the farming. If you did not make it on Thursday, I urge you to get hold of a copy and share it with your children. Our thanks to the panel for giving up their time to take part in the discussion and to the ARC for screening the film. --- ### Notes **Future screening dates** for Six Inches of Soil now include 28 September at Waterloo Cottage Farm near Market Harborough, and 30 October at Quinton Village Hall. [https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/screeningdates](https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/screeningdates?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Our Q&A panel** - Duncan Farrington, a local regenerative farmer famous for [Mellow Yellow ](https://farrington-oils.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)cold pressed rapeseed oils - Vanessa Rooney from [Garden Organic](https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) - Sammuel Yisrael from [Sol Haven](https://slhavens.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) permaculture **Find out more** - The film's website has lots of links to useful information [https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/farming](https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/farming?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) - Map of regenerative farms in the UK [https://regenerativefarmersofuk.com/](https://regenerativefarmersofuk.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Visit to Nottingham Energy Partnership URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/visit-to-nottingham-energy-partnership/ Last updated: 2024-09-23T14:24:02.000Z Nottingham Energy Partnership (NEP) is a climate change and fuel poverty charity working across Nottinghamshire. They share CA-WN’s aims of reducing carbon emissions, increasing resilience and lessening reliance on fossil fuel. On our visit we were welcomed by their Chief Executive Officer, Miranda Cumberbatch, their former CEO Philip Angus and Darren Barker, NEP’s Home Improvement and Contracts Manager. They very generously gave up an entire afternoon to explain the charity’s history, how their work is being funded and how they are helping both their immediate community and neighbouring authorities. Their approach is generally educational. At local street level they leaflet to make everyone aware of their services - providing advice on how best to future-fit homes, how to make use of renewable energy and how to secure grants and subsidies through available funding streams. At their operational base in Nottingham’s Meadows district, they run workshops on everything from outlining what a home ‘retrofit’ project entails through to hands-on skills training for tradespeople and DIYers; basic plumbing, bricklaying, lime plastering, even how to fit insulation in a full-scale model loft. To support local home improvers there’s a tools library for anyone needing to borrow DIY tools. For the over 60s, and for families with young children, NEP works with local service providers to offer a tool kit of measures designed to improve residents’ health and wellbeing. With partner organisations they supply free and subsidised home insulation, heating upgrades and renewable technologies to make inefficient homes more affordable to run, fit for the future and less impactful on the environment. We were shown round a current house renovation project that’s providing volunteers with really useful, confidence-building practical building experience. Taking a ‘fabric-first’ approach the house has been gutted to its basic shell. The floors have been retained but cut back to reveal the full height inside face of the outer walls so they can be fully insulated before making any other improvements. It’s been estimated that 100,000 households in West Northamptonshire could need some kind of intervention to lessen their wintertime energy use. What we saw in Nottingham was a worked example of a community, under expert guidance, taking steps to cut energy costs, reduce emissions and improve home comforts. That’s something we need to action right here, right now. Do use the comments box below if you know of anyone keen to get involved with retrofit in West Northamptonshire villages or towns. ### If only ... URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/if-only/ Last updated: 2024-09-23T14:22:42.000Z London is about to trial an electric bus that looks like a tram, has a claimed range of over 200 miles and batteries that can be topped up in ten minutes at bus stands fitted with overhead charging points. The ***ieTram***1 is manufactured at a purpose-built plant in Basque Country, northern Spain, by Irizar, the 135 year old bus maker. A video of the factory2 looks too good to be true, like it’s been computer generated. But a quick trip to Spain with Google Street View confirms it’s not imaginary. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/09/Irizar-factory.png) Image credit Google Street View ***If only*** West Northamptonshire had such future-relevant businesses. REFERENCES 1 [Irizar ieTram](https://irizar-emobility.com/en/vehicles/irizar-ie-tram?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [Irizar e-mobility video](https://vimeo.com/388967426?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Report of 12 September public meeting URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-of-12-september-public-meeting/ Last updated: 2024-09-23T18:45:09.000Z Our guest speaker for September was Tim O’Callaghan. Tim is a consultant at Electric Places, a not-for-profit company set up in North Northamptonshire to help public and private sector organisations in the area transition to Net Zero. They have been involved with projects to build EV charging hubs and create low carbon communities among many others. The meeting was recorded and is available on the CA-WN YouTube channel1 and Tim’s presentation slides are available to download2. **Present**: Clare Slater, Claudine Howard, Ella Sage, Emmie Williamson, Harry Mellor, James Hadfield, Jane Wood, Leonie Beale, Maria Lee, Mick Lorkins, Mike Longman, Orianne Neyroud, Rupert Knowles **Apologies**: Clare Robertson-Marriott, David Garlick, Jonathan Harris ### **Electric Places** **Background** Electric Places3 is a CIC (Community Interest Company) originally set up in Corby in 2012 as Electric Corby with the backing of Corby Borough Council. They have a very broad remit but are all about sustainability and helping people to decarbonise. Key areas are buildings, transport and energy systems. They carry out climate mitigation and adaption assessments and also cover biodiversity and just transition. They work on securing grant funding for projects and research too. The company is fully self-funded mostly through R&D and contract work. Electric Places are strategic, but know it is important to take action. We need to adapt! **Strategic studies – NN2NZ** Biggest recent piece of work recently was North Northamptonshire to Net Zero (NN2NZ). They reviewed over 8000 initiatives right across the area, and talked to government and other bodies to produce a cost and risk adjusted road map for NN to get to NZ by 2050. This resulted in creation of a digital twin of North Northamptonshire; a map with many data points including infrastructure, social deprivation, level of EV uptake. This was used to run simulations to work out the impacts of, for example: - Putting solar panels over car parks on emissions - Different proportions of EVs to internal combustion vehicles on emissions, air quality and the transport network - A higher uptake of solar panels in some areas on EPC ratings - Future housing developments What are the big things we can do in North Northants? - Cover carparks with solar PV - Transition to electric vehicles, and to e-fuels for heavy goods - Move to fossil fuel free fertilisers - Insulate homes and get them off gas for heating and hot water **DECODE-Corby** The work on NN2NZ helped to win a grant from Innovate UK for DECODE-Corby, a plan to decarbonise the industrial cluster around the town, and emitters such as data centres and water processing sites. They are partnering with emitters and renewables producers to work out how emitters can electrify their processes – what infrastructure do they need for this and what shared infrastructure can be supported by public money. **Infrastructure** Electric Places are involved in a range of infrastructure level thinking including: - North Northants Council Climate Change strategy. This will set out key actions the council, residents and businesses can take. Just about to go into consultation. - Energy Infrastructure Reviews for 7 new Garden Communities. These are significant developments of 27k new homes in total, which need to be future focused i.e. move away from gas central heating and targeted to meet future building regulations. The Energy Infrastructure Review looks at the limits for developers in terms of access to the grid for houses and EV charging. Interviewed all the developers to understand the issues with grid access which is already a problem and will be worse if homes are electrified. - They also worked on delivery of an EV charging hub with 12 chargers *Question: How does the relationship with developers work, as generally it seems to be very difficult to get them to go over minimum planning requirements?* It’s complicated! We are pushing to go above minimum policy levels. There’s a grey area about how much local authorities can go above national policies and regulations; it’s an ongoing negotiation rather than a one-off conversation. S106 funding can be used creatively to mitigate some of the emissions associated with developments. It’s always good to talk – Tim has interviewed the developers at length several times. On a separate issue, government is only focused on emissions in operation, whereas analysis shows this is only about 5%; most emissions come from embodied carbon. There really needs to be legislation change in this area. **Action - so what are we actually doing about it?** - FlexUnity project with a consortium of EU countries to set up low carbon energy communities in Corby, Spain and Portugal. Homes received EV chargers, battery storage, detailed energy monitoring software and controls to automatically switch devices such as fridges and freezers on and off in response to grid capacity. All without impacting comfort levels for residents (there was some modelling as well as putting things into practice). Project was very successful in understanding generation of energy at local level and maximising use of that energy. - Clear – a project funded by the Energy Redress scheme (fines on energy companies). They created another energy community, this time matching excess solar generation within the community. Residents both with and without solar PV installed are being recruited. Levels of energy generation and consumption will be monitored and excess PV energy matched with consumption across the community. Will lead to residential bill reduction for those exporting energy, and for those receiving it as they will be getting cheaper local energy. It is within current regulations. 30 is the minimum target of homes, but a supplier is on board to work with their existing customer base so hoping to get it moving quite quickly. The supplier is not allowed to gain any benefit during the life of the scheme because it is Energy Redress funded. *Question: Is this just for the summer as PV doesn’t do too well in the winter?* There can still be overspill in the winter eg if houses with PV have no one at home in the daytime; energy is still produced on sunny winter days. *Question: Have you looked at micro wind turbines?* Yes, have installed a vertical access wind turbine as part of another project, to look at harvesting urban gusty wind. It was very challenging due to the then planning guidance about onshore wind, which was a defacto ban, but this appears to be changing now. We think this will form part of the critical mix of renewables for communities. **Northern Powergrid – Community Distribution Operation (CDO)** A flagship project sponsored by Ofgem to trial a CDO framework, working with a community solar PV project in Barnsley. At local sub station level there are many constraints on renewables generation as well as on demand. These limit the roll out of PV etc. The project monitors flow through sub stations and looks at maximising use of power including changing behaviour so people turn off at certain times, rewarded by cash or some form of credits. **Transport** - Electric Places led the roll out of an initial network of 12 EV chargers in Corby in 2012. - Have since worked on helping EV charger manufacturers understand the human and behavioural requirements for EV hubs. - Looking at vehicle to grid (V2G) charging; chargers that allow vehicles to pull from the grid but also to flow back depending on the cost of power at certain times. - Now also vehicle to anything (V2X) charging; chargers can transfer power to the grid, a building, another mode of transport etc. - This innovative charging approach provides a pool of EV batteries that can be used to help balance the grid. **Buildings** - Zero Energy Bill Homes in 2013 - Retrospectively design existing homes to improve their insulation and add low carbon technology such as heat pumps and mechanical ventilation. - Etopia development in 2019 - Designed and marketed 47 homes delivered with modern methods of construction; built out of panels rather like flat pack furniture. All homes have an earth energy bank underneath them so excess energy is stored there and pulled back by a ground source heat pump (GSHP). They have hybrid solar and thermal PV panels which harvest light energy for both electricity and to heat hot water. The homes also have battery storage, mechanical ventilation and devices to control the battery, lights etc through a phone app. *Question: How does the cost compare with conventional building methods?* Some elements were publicly funded such as the GSHP. There have been a lot of learnings, which has led to an offshoot company called Positive Places which provides support with sustainable housing. At this stage public funding helps but we need demonstrator projects to initiate a move towards wider scale take up. And builders need to be trained in different construction methods. **Business & resident support** As a CIC Electric Places are trying to do their bit to help residents and local businesses with decarbonisation and energy efficiency. - Working with SMEs to run workshops on decarbonisation, how can they find funding etc. - Have helped the council launch a green transition grant aimed at SMEs to help with project funding. - Talking to local companies about research and development into low carbon technology. - Help for residents, for example events about saving energy and signposting vulnerable households to help with energy bills. **Q&A** *What software do you use for the digital twin?* Proprietary software developed by a Leeds company called Slingshot Simulations. *Can you please describe the earth energy bank?* Boreholes drilled in the foundations of homes - obviously easier to do with newbuild homes. They store excess heat through water movement, as it’s underground they are relatively well insulated. Caplin Homes and Cardiff University developed the system. It’s an efficient way to have a ground source array (GSHP). *Are you working with any local architects for the homes?* The architects are based in Leicester. *What’s the flammability of the flatpack materials, there have been fire safety concerns about timber framed buildings?* Panels can be timber framed but these are steel framed with something that looks like plasterboard filled with non-flammable insulation. They are flood, fire and rot resistant and structurally strong enough to be built up to 3-4 floors. *Have you looked at rainwater capture?* Not sure about that, will need to check. *How realistic is it for community energy projects to be independent of the grid?* There is an opportunity but might not be ideal in an urban environment especially if you want to integrate businesses and healthcare. There would be a risk of losing power and someone would need to manage the local grid and deal with the implications of any power interruption. There are insurance implications too. The national grid is a good backup but there’s a question of how much we should all pay for the grid back up services. *One of the big problems is getting a community to agree – it’s easier to do your own thing but is there a penalty for this?* The key is to identify what are market acceptable approaches. When and how many people will move to EVs, how will the grid decarbonise? There are many uncertainties. We have all the technologies to deliver net zero but the pieces aren’t necessarily fitted together. There is not the capacity for everyone to get PV or insulation all at once. *If every house had a battery could they equalise the supply?* Batteries are part of the solution – whether fixed at home or mobile. This may not be accessible to all households though. Could less well-off people buy electricity from people who have excess? Anything greater than a domestic scale battery is a real challenge due to grid capacity. ### **Other Business** **CA-WN Exchange (CE)** We sent out an email sharing the latest CE articles last week. We hope you read them - if you like what you read, please think about adding a brief comment and sharing through your social media accounts if you have them. We aim to share all sorts of environmental and climate related events through the What’s On page4 on CE – at present this includes: - Six Inches of Soil film screening at the Arc Cinema in Daventry on Thursday 19 September - CA-WN is helping to organise a Climate Summit for Parish and Town councils at Delapre Abbey on Wednesday 9 October. Details have been sent to all councils. - Umbrella Festival this weekend 21/22 September at the Racecourse - Two local art exhibitions which is something new. **Northamptonshire Woodland Community Volunteers** Mick Lorkins has set up this group to progress with tree harvesting and planting projects. Volunteers are needed to help run the group and organise events as well as to participate in events. Please join the group on Facebook5 if you are interested and if you don’t have Facebook, please email [mick@ca-wn.org](mailto:mick@ca-wn.org). **Date of next meeting** Thursday 17 October, with a slightly earlier start time of 7.30 as this meeting includes our Annual General Meeting. We will cover off the statutory AGM agenda first and then move into the normal meeting with our guest speaker Marga Witteman from More Trees Now in the Netherlands, starting at around 8pm The speaker at our last meeting of 2024 on 14 November will be Emmie Williamson with a deeper dive into some of the climate psychology topics she covered in her very popular talk earlier this year6. ### References 1\. [https://youtu.be/prmr0Daopdg](https://youtu.be/prmr0Daopdg?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/CA-WN\_12\_Sep\_24.pdf](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/CA-WN%5F12%5FSep%5F24.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. [https://electricplaces.co.uk/](https://electricplaces.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. 5\. 6\. [https://youtu.be/j5E0blwo-GM](https://youtu.be/j5E0blwo-GM?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### We need to talk about climate - popcawn September 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/we-need-to-talk-about-climate-popcawn-september-2024/ Last updated: 2024-09-04T06:46:24.000Z Do you feel that people generally don’t talk about climate change? Considering how it will, and already does, affect all our lives, it doesn’t get the airtime it deserves. Why could that be? I think there’s several reasons – it’s big and scary, it’s going to require lifestyle changes, and it’s increasingly politicised. So, it’s no surprise that it rarely makes the shortlist of conversation topics! While others aren’t talking about it, and so don’t seem to be concerned or taking any action, it’s quite easy to put the threat of climate change right to the back of our minds. Worryingly, if we all go about our lives feeling that others care less than we do, we’re less likely to make changes that we need to. But more people are worried about climate change than you think1. So, if we raise the topic of conversation, no matter how briefly, then it shows that you are worried about it and helps others feel like they aren’t alone in their feelings. It helps to normalise it and so it’s one of the most impactful climate actions that you can take. Though as we covered above, it’s easier said than…well…said! Thankfully, we’ve put together a short guide to get you going. We’ve used resources from Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and author who has some great advice on how to talk about climate change2. There’s also a free eBook with some guidance from The Nature Conservancy, where Katharine is Chief Scientist3. Firstly, remember that **you don’t need to be an expert** on climate change – you are talking about it because you are concerned about how it will affect you and your family. You don’t need to know the physics behind how higher temperatures cause more extreme weather. However, having a basic understanding of the causes and impacts of climate change and the solutions to help tackle it, can give you confidence to talk about it. You don’t need to regurgitate facts and figures though, in fact quite the opposite as we’ll come to later on. But learning about it will help give you confidence to start the conversation and also to respond to questions about it. As you may have heard, CA-WN is offering a Carbon Literacy course, on a not-for-profit basis, so look out for details of that. When striking up a conversation with someone look for things you have in common and find a **connection** with shared values or experiences. Telling a story with meaning and emotion will be more impactful than regurgitating facts. Don’t be afraid to show emotion and talk about your feelings – no one can dispute those. Talk about how you feel your family’s future may be affected, or how you feel a gross sense of injustice that the world’s poorest people, who have done the least to cause climate change, are suffering the most. Make it **relatable** – it’s difficult to grasp the urgency of the crisis when we think about what things may be like far off in the future such as 2050 when we need to be net zero. We can talk about what we’re already seeing in terms of record-breaking temperatures. Make it local – what has the weather been like around here? Have flowers bloomed earlier than normal? When talking about the weather it’s helpful to remember that climate change brings changed weather patterns which can include increased rainfall and colder than usual spells. Ask questions to **find out about their opinions** rather than just focussing on your own – and listen actively to the response. Keep in mind the goal of the conversation – depending on who you are talking to, you may not agree on some of the issues. So, remember that a positive outcome is that you’re having a conversation even if you still disagree on lots of issues at the end. We’re all learning and growing from our daily experiences, whether we realise it or not, so if both parties come away with a new perspective to think about then that’s a win. Acknowledge that sustainability is a journey for each of us, and often requires **small steps**. If you have come a long way in your journey others may feel like they aren’t doing enough. However, it’s also important to remember that doing/buying less is a brilliant climate action. Reducing purchases of unneeded items can be an easy win and money saving. Keep in mind the other co-benefits of climate action – cleaner air, better health from active travel and reduced red meat, protection of nature helping with our mental health. Finally, **remain hopeful** – we are still able to reduce carbon emissions sufficiently to avoid the worst effects of climate change – indeed every positive action towards the climate, no matter how small, is a positive effect. If we all feel hopeful and positive about the future, together with a good understanding of the urgency and level of action needed, we will have a much better chance of mitigating dangerous climate change than if we feel all hope is lost. Also remain hopeful if you happen to come across one of the minority of people who dismiss climate change – take heart from the fact that even Katharine Hayhoe doesn’t expect to be able to change their mind either2! --- ### References 1\. Hannah Ritchie (2024) - “More people care about climate change than you think” Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/climate-change-support' \[Online Resource\] 2\. https://www.katharinehayhoe.com/faqs/#faith-questions 3\. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/tackle-climate-change/climate-change-stories/can-we-talk-climate/ ### Council Watch September 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-september-2024/ Last updated: 2024-09-04T06:43:17.000Z ### Climate Change Strategy Consultation It won’t surprise anyone that CA-WN is pleased to see West Northamptonshire Council consulting on a Climate Change Strategy. Obviously we’d have liked to see it sooner but nevertheless it is very welcome. This consultation is intended to influence development of the strategy – there will be a second consultation later this year on the actual draft strategy, which will then be finalised next year. WNC needs to know that lots of people care very much about climate change and think it is important the council has an effective strategy that drives action. We will be voting in local council elections next year, so if there is a time when councillors looking to get re-elected ought to care what we think it is now. The consultation doesn’t involve any reading, it just requires you to give your views in answer to two questions with free text responses and complete one exercise to list priorities in order of importance. CA-WN has submitted a response and it is shared below. Please feel free to use any of this that you want to, the key thing is to put in a response and let the council know that climate change is an important issue for you. And please get your friends and relatives to fill it in too. The consultation closes on 29 September. [Seeking your views on the development of our Climate Change Strategy - West Northamptonshire Council - Citizen SpaceFind and participate in consultations run by West Northamptonshire Council![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/favicon.ico)Citizen Space![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/os-custom-logos/screenshot-2023-08-09-at-14.24.30.png)](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/chief-executive/views-on-climate-change-strategy-development/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Climate Summit More good news….WNC is collaborating with Northampton Town Council and others (including CA-WN) to put on a Climate Summit for Town and Parish Councils. It is on Wednesday 9th October at Delapre Abbey and lunch will be provided. Invites have been sent out to all councils in West Northamptonshire – if you are a town or parish councillor, or a parish clerk, you can sign up for free here. [https://www.northantscalc.com/event/west-northants-area-climate-summit-2024-10-09-1185/register](https://www.northantscalc.com/event/west-northants-area-climate-summit-2024-10-09-1185/register?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) --- ### CA-WN Climate Change Strategy Consultation Response ***How important is the issue of tackling climate change and its impact on West Northamptonshire to you?*** Very important ***Please use the following space to set out why you have answered the above in the way that you have:*** There is overwhelming scientific evidence that climate change is the result of human activity. Global temperatures are continuing to rise, as is use of fossil fuels, one of the primary causes of climate change. Disruption to established weather patterns, more extreme and more damaging weather events, and significant sea level rises as a result of climate change are all now inevitable, and indeed already being experienced. These in turn result in food insecurity, as growing conditions in the UK and elsewhere become more challenging, health impacts from heatwaves and the spread of disease-carrying organisms, and forced migration as large areas of the world become unhabitable. This is not a comprehensive list of the impacts of climate change. Climate change is no longer a future risk but an event that is happening now. We therefore need to act as urgently as possible to limit the severity of climate change, and to make our communities resilient to its effects. Failure to do so will result in severe human suffering and damage to ecosystems on which we depend for survival. It is also important to recognise that often when we address the challenges presented by climate change we simultaneously address other societal issues. For example, health issues related to air quality and lack of active travel infrastructure, energy independence and the cost of living, and the promotion of wellbeing as we seek to improve our living environments. Authorities in the UK, including WNC, should not wait for others to act, but lead the way. There is then a question that asks for priority areas to be ranked from 1 to 6, with 1 being most important. CA-WN ranked them as follows. 1. Energy and buildings 2. Transport 3. Nature 4. Economy 5. Waste 6. Future generations (the reason why this is last is explained in our comment below) **Is there anything you think we have missed, or any other priorities you would like to suggest?** 1\. Under Energy and Buildings, add ‘*Use the planning system to ensure new commercial and residential developments are compatible with delivery of climate and sustainability goals’*. 2\. There needs to be clearer reference to the need for adaptation to the effects of climate change. This could either be included as a separate priority, such as ‘Take action to protect our residents, infrastructure and ecosystems from the effects of climate change’, or incorporated in the existing priorities, for example: - Under Nature – ‘maximise the potential for natural carbon removals *and resilience to climate change’*. This means for example using wetlands for flood management and the cooling effects of trees in urban areas. - Under Economy – ‘Support existing businesses to decarbonise *and adapt to the effects of climate change’* 3\. The Future Generations priority is high level and very broad in comparison to the other 5 priorities. How will delivery and achievement of this be tracked? What actions will be taken to deliver it in addition to the actions required for the other priorities? This priority should either be removed or substantially reframed and clarified. ### My View - Andrew Stevens URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-andrew-stevens/ Last updated: 2024-09-03T19:04:46.000Z I first started reading about climate change perhaps 25 years ago1. At the time I was interested in environmental issues in general as well as politics, specifically inequality and how I thought politicians don't take a lot of notice of evidence on what works to improve the health, well-being and - I'll use that rarely heard word... happiness - of their citizens, but often prefer using ideological clichés to guide their actions. Since then my social and political interests have funnelled into a focus on climate change, and I admit to struggling not to let it become an obsession. Not so easy when my evaluation of climate change is that it is an existential issue for the human race, along with thousands of other Earthly species. But, maybe it won't be that bad? Carbon capture or nuclear fusion – or the excellent increase in renewable energy output in many countries - might make the breakthrough to keep global temperature rise to that 1.5C figure? Perhaps total global emissions will soon start to dip from the record CO2 high in 20232? So, like many folk I guess, my climate prediction thoughts and the associated emotions go up and down, though I have to admit my 'anchor point' is towards the catastrophic end of the continuum. Mind you, a significant proportion of the people who know a lot more than I do about climate change also seem to be located there3. Climate change, what a whopper of a problem, so where are the solutions? As a Northampton Town councillor I'm a politician of sorts, but a minnow in terms of political influence. Also I'm not a scientist or technical advisor to a government department, and I don't own or work for a big organisation that might turn itself to significantly reducing its own emissions or devising and then selling a product that will usefully reduce many other people's. I'm left with the conundrum "what can I personally do about climate change?". The two poles of the continuum of choices then seems to me to range between to tell myself "nothing", to trying to make habitual the thought "whatever I can, in whatever way I can". So as a citizen, I can reduce my own carbon footprint. I walk, cycle and use road or rail public transport unless those modes just seem too tiring, inconvenient, excessively time consuming or expensive. But, on balance, in psychological terms - I was a clinical psychologist for 35 years - I'm now highly operantly conditioned to travel like this due to the improved fitness, mood and smugness quotient4 rewards, and probably a bit classically conditioned to associate getting in a car with feeling guilty – and in a plane, prohibitively guilty. I do other things as well, especially with what I eat, grow to eat, water saving and my use of plastic, but don't worry, I'm not gonna list loads of examples. That would make both of us realise what a tedious pain I can be. As a councillor, I chair the Town Council's Environmental Services Committee and its offspring, the Climate Change Forum (CCF). The Forum has implemented some projects with the help of advice and practical involvement from its six much valued community volunteers and the energetic enthusiasm of my Councillor colleague Paul Joyce. Council officers have helped with some climate change related public engagement activities, leaflet design and printing, providing Living Streets5 Walk to School Week activity packs to some primary schools in our area, and some biodiversity planting initiatives (not that simple as whilst the Council does have 10 allotments and closed churchyards as assets, we have no small green spaces as many even small Parish Councils do). The CCF has also set up a Climate Change Grant scheme6, and has some web pages that undoubtedly need a lot more development7. The Forum's regular meetings are in abeyance at the moment, as we're working on behalf of the Town Council with West Northamptonshire Council, some Northampton area Parish councils and CA-WN on a Climate Summit for October this year plus, we hope, a 5-year climate mitigation and adaptation programme for all the 160+ councils in the West Northants area. The idea is to set up a resources and networking support framework to help councils both with what they are doing now and what options there may be to expand that activity on both climate change and the related crisis in nature. The Summit and extended support framework aim to encourage councils' activities on a number of key environmental issues, including projects involving their electors. I personally hope this programme will also extend to involving the wider public directly. It's sometimes difficult to believe that small actions do anything in the face of still persisting and data-defying climate change denial, the apparent indifference, the 'business as usual' approach, or conspicuous high emissions lifestyles8 that some of our politicians, companies, fellow road travellers or neighbours continue with. The admittedly worst case, but I fear plausible, scenario is of an end to most life on Earth within a few hundred years. I really don't know, given the scientific evidence that suggests this apocalyptical vision is actually possible, why the precautionary principle is not much much more widely adopted by governments, business organisations, and global citizens. But carpe diem, eh? Let’s do "whatever WE can, in whatever way WE can". Keep it going CA-WNers! --- ### References 1\. I recently found in my ‘tatty beige folder’ collection one labelled 'climate change', and inside an article torn from a pre 2000 Sunday newspaper magazine with photos of extreme weather events, and text setting the scene for what could be on the way, though the book that first prompted real unease for me was Mark Lynas's 'Six Degrees' (pub. 2007). 2\. [https://www.iea.org/reports/co2-emissions-in-2023/executive-summary](https://www.iea.org/reports/co2-emissions-in-2023/executive-summary?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). “Global energy-related CO2 emissions grew by 1.1% in 2023, increasing 410 million tonnes (Mt) to reach a new record high of 37.4 billion tonnes (Gt)”; AND “Between 2019 and 2023, total energy-related emissions increased around 900 Mt. Without the growing deployment of five key clean energy technologies since 2019 - solar PV, wind, nuclear, heat pumps, and electric cars - the emissions growth would have been three times larger.” 1. [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/08/world-scientists-climate-failure-survey-global-temperature](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/08/world-scientists-climate-failure-survey-global-temperature?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/09/image.png) 4\. I estimate I've used a bicycle for perhaps 60,000 miles of 'A to B journeys' (that is, not leisure cycling) in the last 50 years. I mention this as the typical car driving metric is mileage covered, so a bit of comparison with plausible active travel mileage is perhaps worth stating? 1. [https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/walk-to-school/primary-schools/walk-to-school-week/](https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/walk-to-school/primary-schools/walk-to-school-week/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. [https://www.northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk/climate-change-forum](https://www.northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk/climate-change-forum?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. [https://www.northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk/climate-change-grants-scheme](https://www.northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk/climate-change-grants-scheme?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8\. [https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/energy-related-co2-emissions-per-capita-by-income-decile-in-selected-countries-and-regions-2021](https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/energy-related-co2-emissions-per-capita-by-income-decile-in-selected-countries-and-regions-2021?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) e.g. in 2021, in the EU, the richest cause 24t CO2 per annum, vs 1.5t CO2 for the poorest, and even mid range incomes are about 8t CO2\. So there is a lot of opportunity for high emitters in your country, city, town, or village to reduce the damage their lifestyle is doing. But, maybe individual choice and freedom to make those choices is OK? ### Meet the Steering Group - Rupert Knowles URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/meet-the-steering-group-rupert-knowles/ Last updated: 2024-09-03T18:58:25.000Z As a child, I remember trotting round our orchard with my father and a large black umbrella. We gave the branches a sharp tap and caught the bugs that fell. We were looking for black-kneed capsids, a predator of red spider mites. Today people are still talking about introducing IPM (Integrated Pest Management) on farms but we were doing it then in the ‘50s! I was teaching the same technique with the umbrella to Afghan fruit growers in 2010. Looking through my computer, I find files on climate change dating to 2009; and in 2015, I attended an on-line course at the Stockholm Resilience Centre on Planetary Boundaries which I followed by reading Kate Raworth’s ‘Doughnut Economics’. So I have always had an interest in the countryside, in farming, in weather and climate change and our beautiful blue planet. I cannot remember how I was introduced to CA-WN, probably through my good friends Jonathan Harris and Christine Ware. It was in summer 2021\. In February 2022, I was organising HOP22 – a joint venture between Harlestone Parish Council (HPC) and CA-WN – our own COP. Why ‘HOP’? This meaningless name was suggested by Sarah Stock, Chair of HPC, and as no one knows what COP stands for, it seemed a good idea! Because of my lifelong career in fruit and farming, I am ‘Farming Correspondent’ for CA-WN. Whilst Biodiversity is an important part of CA-WN’s work, I feel that Climate is by far the biggest issue. Farming has a big part to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, yet still feeding eight billion plus mouths. Our Mother Earth will outlast me at the age of 80, but the future is bleak for my wife, Lana, and for our daughter, Pippa, who is 16\. I do what I can for them. ### Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth by James Lovelock URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/gaia-a-new-look-at-life-on-earth-by-james-lovelock-2/ Last updated: 2024-09-02T11:19:25.000Z This book was first published in 1979\. Even my second-hand 1991 reprint is over 30 years old! The ideas it set out were revolutionary at the time and are still fresh and enlightening today, at least to this reader. The hypothesis at the core of the book is that the Earth's biosphere - Gaia - is '*a self-regulating entity with the capacity to keep our planet healthy by controlling the chemical and physical environment'*. At 150 pages this is not a long book but it's packed with (beautifully described) science. To me, as a non-scientist, just James Lovelock's factual explanation of the air in the Earth's atmosphere as a dynamic mixture kept in balance by continual chemical reactions was a revelation. I don't pretend to have fully grasped everything, but I certainly did gain a better understanding of the many-layered complexity of the ecosystems we live in. ### The Countryside Kitchen meets... URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-countryside-kitchen-meets/ Last updated: 2024-09-02T11:12:46.000Z One of the joys of podcasts is that they really are egalitarian – lots of podcasters are big names backed by well-established production companies, but just as many aren’t, and it is great to be able to recommend a podcast made locally. Milly Fyfe is a businesswoman and food blogger, as well as being a farmer’s wife and mother of two. It’s not surprising then, that her podcast *The Countryside Kitchen meets* focuses on farming and food related matters. The most recent episode, an interview with two Lincolnshire potato farmers, provides a really good insight into the challenges presented to farmers by this year’s unpredictable weather. And into the genuine passion and commitment that farmers have for their product – these two really love their potatoes! In a future where food security issues will mean a lot of focus on home-produced food, we should all aim to get a better understanding of UK farmers and food producers, and this podcast is a great way to do that. [https://www.nofussmealsforbusyparents.com/podcast1](https://www.nofussmealsforbusyparents.com/podcast1?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Milly will be the guest speaker at our January 2025 meeting. ### Syan Farm visit URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/syan-farm-visit/ Last updated: 2024-09-02T09:17:10.000Z ### **What is a Vertical Farm?** As the vertical farmers at Syan Farm themselves say: *"With space and time running out for open field farming, we’re looking up. We grow beautifully nutritious crops on multiple levels – vertical farming. It saves on space, reduces carbon and gives us total control of conditions. So we can produce more nutritious, better tasting food."* During the Covid lockdown three busy professionals got together online to discuss what they might do with the unexpected time on their hands. With a common interest in healthy eating they decided there was room to improve plant-based diets. CA-WN first tasted food created by Syan Farms’ sister company Eat Curious in the summer of 2023 at the University of Northampton’s Sustainability Conference1. A year on we were treated to a personal tour of Syan Farm where it all started. Cofounder Preyesh Patel explained the background. How one of them had land, but not enough to farm conventionally. They needed an alternative method and chose hydroculture, or hydroponics, where plants are grown without soil in an artificial environment nourished by mineral enriched water. It all started in a shipping container, repurposed as a hydroponics laboratory. The container was kitted out with custom-made growing trays lit by multi-coloured LEDs and a nutrient mixing and delivery system. Their original grow-space is still being used for small-scale plant growth trials by resident plant scientist Jaypal Darbar whose PhD in Plant Molecular Biology was gained at Oxford University’s Jarvis Lab where researchers are discovering the core, cell-level plant growth relationships between lighting and nutrients. For anyone interested in the Jarvis Lab’s focus there’s an insightful online explanation2. With the ability to control the composition of plant nutrients and the intensity and colour of his LED lighting Dr Jaypal is continuing his research in a purpose-built, fully automated facility where trays are stacked vertically, each with their own lighting and nutrient supply. Students from universities all over England are being welcomed into this unusual growing environment in which, for well-informed parametric studies, lighting wavelength and nutrient content are tightly controlled. Through enhancing their own educational experience collectively these academics are accelerating the rate of knowledge accumulation on the entire subject of Controlled-Environment Agriculture. Rupert Knowles, our Food and Farming contributor, has linked us to a technical paper for those interested to learn more. Though lettuce-themed it’s highly informative – but not for the scientifically faint-hearted3. There are many reasons why this crop-growth research is important. For one we don’t produce enough home-grown food to feed ourselves. In fact, 14 August 2024 was the day the national larder would be empty if we ate only this year’s UK produced food4. Unpredictable weather is wrecking outdoor farmers’ cropping plans. This summer, even the basic field veg we might be serving up at mealtimes is in short supply. Farmers worldwide are being impacted by climate change. Controlled-Environment Agriculture, such as vertical farming, may not be the universal answer but what’s being learned about improving crop yields at Syan Farms is transferrable to land-based agriculture, like using fertiliser more precisely to cut cost, lessen reliance upon imported chemicals and reduce the risk of damaging runoff into water courses. **What else?** Though originally inspired to improve human edibles Syan Farms are also researching pharmaceutical plant extracts. There’s worldwide interest in the antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-infectious influences of plant extracts. Squeezing goodness from plants for medicinal purposes is nothing new but the supply of a consistent quality of plant extract is an important key to successful research – a supply that plays to Syan Farms’ strength. **Wait - there’s more** Enthralling though we found all this science there was more to come. Moving outside Preyesh outlined how plant-based food is being produced elsewhere on their site. He described how many vegetable-based foods are manufactured by chemically removing plant proteins then retrieving the core ingredient from the resulting slurry. An alternative to such ultra-processing is used by Eat Curious. Their pea and faba bean protein is simply produced by crushing and drying fresh ingredients. Natural fibres are retained and there’s no need for chemicals. Eat Curious dehydrated mince and larger pieces contain nothing but protein from peas and faba beans, and a touch of salt. Ready-flavoured versions use only natural spices such as coriander, paprika, garlic, chilli or black pepper. Hospital, school and other institutional kitchens are using these as ingredients in a variety of recipes to easily create nutritious meals that have a far lower environmental impact than the usual alternatives. **Sun powered too** As we leave, we pass the massive array of solar panels that provide the site with its source of renewable electricity. Such a rewarding visit. **References** 1 [Eat Curious - growing more than plants... an insight into sustainable food production](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/eat-curious/) 2 [Changing plant chloroplasts to improve crop performance](https://youtu.be/A6%5FuAur%5FJJM?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [Research paper: Controlled-Environment Agriculture (CEA)](https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/14/2623?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 [UK self-sufficiency must be upheld amid global instability says NFU](https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/self-sufficiency-day/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Carbon Literacy Training: a personal response URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/carbon-literacy-training-a-personal-response/ Last updated: 2024-09-03T18:37:08.000Z *Clare Robertson-Marriott shares her reflections after completing a Carbon Literacy course with CA-WN.* Concern for all nature and the planet brought me to climate and nature action. Over the last few years, I have organised various public engagement events to introduce the climate and nature crises. Taking part in the training has provided a level of accreditation and therefore further confidence to continue to provide public engagement events. As both a political and climate and nature activist I can bring information gained from the training to underpin policy discussion and campaign action. On a political note, embarking on the Carbon Literacy Training has served as a reminder of how rigid and slow to change are the systems we live by, whether governmental and institutional or the global economy, while the impacts of those systems arise suddenly as all manner of tipping points to shake up our complacency as modern humans. ‘We’ wander through our lives knowing the impacts of a fossil fuel-based energy system, while the steps that can be taken to change things are denied, ignored or slow to arise. The course did hit home the dire straits we are in: ‘It’s bad’ states Professor Kimberley Nicholas of Lund University in Sweden1. Her social media pages are worth a look. Some of the global information cited was shocking, especially the global temperature rises. As individuals or representatives of community groups we should never be complacent about our knowledge. The course continually made reference to current data and on-going research and encouraged participants to do the same: an example being an article published by the Guardian on Wednesday 24 July. It reported that the UK is forecast to hand out a record 72 oil and gas licences this year, which could result in an estimated 101m tonnes of planet-warming pollution, while in the same week Just Stop Oil activists were jailed for a long time for involvement in a plan to obstruct the M25. As activists we must continue to learn and work out what we can do. I believe I live my life with a reasonably low impact on the planet but I do go through ‘if I do this.…. I could do that to make up for…..’ justifications in my head. So, the emphasis on the course of becoming Sustainable-ish (Jen Gale2) allows moral flexibility and therefore comfort but also a means of honest examination of what we as individuals consume and do. It provides a gentle questioning framework for the way we live our lives. The training referred to Mike Berners-Lee’s book ‘*How Bad are Bananas*?’3, which provides a fascinating and enjoyable read for information on “the carbon footprint of everything”, in order to make changes to mundane habits with a carbon footprint to be reduced. It is worth acquiring a copy of the book. More technical references included the Impact Score mobile app4 which monitors the impact of products we buy and encourages contributions to continuing its development. The 5-tonne lifestyle provides a blueprint for families to reduce their carbon footprint5. The course covered an array of actions and organisations committed to making necessary individual or community-based changes. One that really resonated came from a Tunisian student climate activist at a recent Climate Café; the concept ‘Hope is a Muscle’. On further investigation of this concept, I came across the following quote from a paper written about physical rehab after Covid as one of its many applications: > “Hope is a muscle, a practice, a choice that actually propels new realities into being. And it’s a muscle we can strengthen.” —Krista Tippett6 Muscle strength and endurance are improved by repetitive actions. Repeating messages and actions, being strong and determined individually and collectively allows the Hope Muscle to grow and endure. It is so applicable to climate action. ### In summary then: The course consolidated but also greatly enhanced knowledge and understanding of the climate crisis, impacts and what action needs to be taken at all levels. It was constructed safely with some simple but meaningful exercises to encourage and not to criticise. It is inclusive. It offered the means and references to continue individual study. I must also acknowledge the breadth and depth of detail throughout all four sessions and the combined dedication of Clare Slater and Alexina Cassidy in putting together this training. It has been an extremely valuable experience. Thank you to Clare and Alexina 1\. [https://www.kimnicholas.com/](https://www.kimnicholas.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/](https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. 4\. [https://www.impactscore.app/](https://www.impactscore.app/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. [www.ukforgood.com](http://www.ukforgood.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. [https://www.jhrehab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Blanton\_Hope\_is\_a\_Muscle\_Fall\_2021\_PDF.pdf](https://www.jhrehab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Blanton%5FHope%5Fis%5Fa%5FMuscle%5FFall%5F2021%5FPDF.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Think Global. Act Local. URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/think-global-act-local-2/ Last updated: 2024-08-14T22:23:01.000Z *by *Danny Moody*, Chief Executive of the Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils (*[*Northants CALC*](https://www.northantscalc.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)*), a membership organisation representing all the parish and town councils and parish meetings in Northamptonshire.* Climate change is a pressing global issue that requires action at all levels, from international agreements to local initiatives. One of the most impactful ways individuals can contribute to this cause is by taking a leadership role in their local parish or town council. With local elections coming up in May 2025, now is the time to consider standing for election to make a real difference in the fight against climate change. > Standing for your local parish or town council in the upcoming May 2025 elections is a powerful way to lead and take action on climate change. Local councils play a crucial role in implementing sustainable practices and policies within communities. They have the power to introduce recycling programs, promote renewable energy sources, support local conservation efforts, and encourage sustainable transportation options. By becoming a council member, you can be at the forefront of these initiatives, leading by example and inspiring others to take action. Standing for your local council is not just about having a say in environmental policies; it's about being a voice for your community. It's an opportunity to bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the table, especially on how to tackle climate change effectively. You can advocate for green spaces, push for energy-efficient public buildings, or work towards carbon neutrality in your locality. Your passion and commitment can drive meaningful change, making your community a beacon of sustainability. Moreover, local councils often have a direct line of communication with higher levels of local government, which means your actions and proposals can influence broader policy decisions. By demonstrating successful climate action at the local level, you can help shape district, regional and national strategies, amplifying the impact of your efforts. However, the journey to becoming a council member requires dedication and a willingness to engage with the public. You'll need to connect with residents, understand their concerns, and represent their interests. It's about building trust and consensus on the importance of addressing climate change for the well-being of current and future generations. If you're passionate about the environment and want to make a tangible impact, consider standing for election. Your leadership could lead to the implementation of innovative environmental projects, which not only combat climate change but also enhance the quality of life for residents, creating healthier, more vibrant communities. Remember, every action counts in the fight against climate change. By stepping up to be a parish or town councillor, you can take action on a grassroots level, where the effects of climate change are felt most acutely. Your efforts can inspire others to join the cause, creating a ripple effect of positive change across the community and beyond. Standing for your local parish or town council in the upcoming May 2025 elections is a powerful way to lead and take action on climate change. It's a chance to implement sustainable practices, influence policy, and create a legacy of environmental stewardship. Your voice matters, and your leadership can make a difference. So, if you're ready to take on this challenge, contact your local parish or town council (Google will help you find the contact details), and be the change you wish to see in the world. ### popcawn July 2024: Do you speak Carbon? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popcawn-july-2024-do-you-speak-carbon/ Last updated: 2024-07-24T14:00:50.000Z So, you’re worried about climate change: you know it’s going to affect our future, especially for our children and grandchildren, but you’re not sure how their future could look. You know that we need to reduce our carbon emissions and get to ‘Net Zero’, but you’re not sure how that might be done and what it would mean for our lifestyles. You hear people question whether we can do anything to halt climate change or why bother when China is emitting enough carbon for everyone on the planet. You ask yourself, ‘what difference can we make?' This is where CA-WN’s new training can help you! Alexina Cassidy and I have developed a Carbon Literacy® training course, accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project.1 Carbon Literacy is defined as: > **‘An awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis.’** The training will help you to better understand how climate change will affect us in different ways, how you can reduce your personal footprint, and will give you the confidence to talk about it. Talking about climate change is one of the most impactful things you can do when it comes to tackling it! Becoming carbon literate involves completing the equivalent of one day’s worth of training and pledging two actions to reduce your carbon emissions. You will receive a certificate that you can show to your employer, potential employer, friends and family! You’ll join the 96,685 individuals from over 7,573 organisations who are already Carbon Literate. We have already held our first course with members of the CA-WN steering committee, and they had this to say about it: > "Excellent and well-researched course content...I particularly liked that it included both the science of climate change and how to talk about it." > "The extra reading/watching that was shared and clear referencing of sources so we could find out more was really useful." > "The main thing I learned was that the science telling us climate change is real and caused by humans is completely solid, and that we as a species can make the changes needed to halt climate change." > "You’re never too old to learn!" We are providing the course on a not-for-profit basis, so the only cost is £10, which goes straight through to the Carbon Literacy Project for your pledged actions to be assessed and for your certificate to be issued. We’re planning to schedule four 2-hour sessions in September, that will be held online either on a weekday evening or at the weekend. We will offer different dates and times so hopefully there will be one to fit around your other commitments. Look out for more details over the next few weeks! ### Footnotes: 1. The Project was established and is delivered by a Manchester-based not-for-profit organisation, Cooler Projects. The Project is held in trust for the people of Manchester and beyond and is overseen by The Carbon Literacy Trust. You can find more information here: [https://carbonliteracy.com/](https://carbonliteracy.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Council Watch July 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-july-2024/ Last updated: 2024-07-24T07:48:03.000Z Items on the agenda1 for West Northamptonshire Council's July meeting pack included WNC’s Annual Report on how they are performing against their own targets. The ‘Green and Clean’ banner, like all elements of the WNC Corporate Plan, has a set of performance measures. The target shown for some of these measures is ‘Trend’ so to try and understand what this might mean we looked back at last year’s results. We’ve reproduced both tables below. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/07/image-5.png) ### Our notes on the 2023/24 performance measures: - Changing the measures from one year to the next prevents tracking performance trends over time - For a couple of the targets (Fly-tips cleared; Environmental Crime Fixed Penalty Notices) the 2023/24 performance is down on the previous year - The tree-planting measure has disappeared – perhaps to be replaced by something bigger and better once the new Tree Strategy has been finalised? - 3 out of 8 measures are about EV charging points – possibly because they are easy to count rather than because they are that important - Nothing on Active Travel - Nothing on Air Quality - Nothing on greenhouse gas emissions, even though this year the council released a good report detailing its emissions, and managing emissions is central to meeting its target of Net Zero by 2030 as a council. Projects planned or underway such as the funding secured for electric buses and installation of solar PV would be expected to have a positive impact on emissions. ### Other points to note from the report pack: - WNC is “*now working with DEFRA to further enhance the \[air quality action\] plan which will seek to improve air quality across West Northamptonshire and reduce the impact of air pollution on our communities*.” And “*DEFRA have requested some further work be completed to allow WNC to better target its actions towards the source of pollution in the AQMA’s, and this is underway.*” It’s tempting to interpret this last sentence as DEFRA saying the action plan wasn’t good enough. We look forward to seeing the enhanced plan - it would be helpful to have a target delivery date. - Proposals for the Abington Area Active Travel Scheme are being developed, with Phase 1 construction due to start Autumn 2024\. This will “*consider improvements for drivers whilst creating safer routes for pedestrians and cyclists at the junction of the A5095 Park Avenue South / Rushmere Road / Billing Road.*” Does this mean that money for an active travel project is being directed towards making life better for drivers, or are these improvements a happy by-product of the changes designed to benefit cyclists and pedestrians? - A survey on the new Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) will be issued soon – CA-WN will look out for it and let you know when it is live. - There’s a detailed update on the work of the Sustainability team on page 151 of the report. This includes development of a Climate Change Strategy which should shape how the council and the area as a whole move towards meeting those important Net Zero targets (for a more detailed look at the proposed strategy, check out our April meeting with guest speaker Councillor Jonathan Harris2). - There’s quite a lot happening on the flood risk management front – there was a consultation on the proposed Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFRMS) earlier in the year and the Resilience And Innovation Northants (RAIN) project3 is working with communities to implement flood risk measures. ### References 1\. [https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=142&MId=1566&Ver=4](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=142&MId=1566&Ver=4&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. 3\. [https://rainnorthants.co.uk/](https://rainnorthants.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### IKEA - can Big be a Force for Good? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ikea-can-big-be-a-force-for-good-2/ Last updated: 2024-07-23T07:55:36.000Z IKEA is a big beast. Statistics taken from its latest company report show it has 467 stores in 62 markets across the world. It employs 219,000 people. 860 million people visited those 467 stores (many of whom will have travelled in their cars). There are 9,500 products in the IKEA range (with over 1,600 new products launched in FY 2023). It is one of the [world’s biggest buyers of wood](https://www.ft.com/content/03ad23b3-2dee-410c-8347-336c537ad091?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). It sells [more than a billion meatballs](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/30/business/why-ikea-sells-meatballs/index.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in its stores every year. How can such a big beast be covered in CA-WN’s ‘Business as a Force for Good’ features page? Is IKEA not a significant contributor to the problem of excessive consumption? Surely many of us have reached a state of ‘peak stuff’ – when we can’t fit any more products into our houses. At a recent Milton Keynes Chambers of Commerce [Networking and Sustainability Event](https://issuu.com/kemps/docs/in%5Fbiz%5Fapril%5Fmay%5F2024?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), sponsored by IKEA, I learned that the company is well aware of its challenges and its responsibilities. They list their three key sustainability challenges as: unsustainable consumption, climate change and inequality. They concede that responsible forestry management ‘is a very complex topic’. At the centre of IKEA’s aim to balance revenue growth with positive social impact and environmental protection and regeneration, lies their sustainability strategy which they have named ‘People, Planet, Positive’. David Manser, market manager at the MK store, said at the Chambers Event; “Sustainability really ties into our core values at IKEA and it’s at the heart of everything we do. From the way we transport our goods, to the packaging we use, to energy – sustainability and the need to be a good neighbour and friend to the planet is everywhere. We’ve installed photovoltaic panels on our roof, are moving towards electric vehicles for our deliveries and have facilities in-store to give your old, unwanted furniture a new life. We also want to teach people about the importance of a healthier lifestyle, how to avoid food waste and eat better as a result.’ ### **A selection of IKEA's Sustainability Achievements** **Emissions reductions** In its most recent [Annual Summary and Sustainability Report](https://www.ikea.com/global/en/images/IKEA%5FSUSTAINABILITY%5FReport%5FFY%5F23%5F20240125%5F1b190c008f.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) for the year 2022/2023 their Parent company, Ingka Group, revealed that between 2016 and 2023 the company has reduced its climate footprint by 24.3%, whilst at the same time increasing revenue by 31%. The reduction comes primarily from switching to renewable electricity sources, introducing energy efficiency and carbon-saving initiatives and switching to electric fleet vehicles. **Low-carbon steel and bio-based glue breakthrough** IKEA have signed up to [The Climate Group’s SteelZero](https://www.edie.net/the-climate-group-unites-business-giants-in-push-for-net-zero-steel/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) initiative and are working with H2 Green Steel to procure low-carbon steel for use in warehouse racking. Steel is estimated to account for at least 7% of global annual emissions. The first low-carbon steel will be in stores by 2026\. It will be produced at H2 Green Steel’s plant in Boden, Sweden, which is due to start production in 2025\. This plant will use green hydrogen for heating instead of fossil fuels. As for glue, which represents 5% of the total climate footprint within the IKEA supply chain, bio-based glue, recently introduced at their Lithuania factory and due to be rolled out to others, will lead to a significant reduction. **Climate leadership** A report published by [InfluenceMap](https://influencemap.org/briefing/Global-Leaders-Report-23529?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in September 2023 named IKEA, Unilever and Apple as amongst the best in class for businesses lobbying for bold climate action aligned with science. The IKEA business was present at COP28, joining in the call to phase out fossil fuels, halt deforestation, and address the root causes of air pollution. It is a regular signatory to many letters to governments and policy makers across the globe to address the key social and environmental challenges brought on by climate crisis. **Circular strategy** IKEA’s BuyBack and Resell service started 10 years ago in the UK and allows customers to sell unwanted IKEA items back to the retailer to gain credit to use in-store. The Reshop & Reuse service allows customers to buy discontinued products, ex-display and pre-loved items at a fraction of their original price. The Sustainability Report shows that twice as many customers globally used its buyback and resell service in 2023 than in 2022\. This service attracted more than 211,000 customers last year. Additionally, customers purchased repair solutions for 45.1 million products in 2023 compared to 42.6 million in 2022\. A mattress recycling scheme with the [TFR Group](https://www.tfrgroup.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) has been successful. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/07/Recycling.jpg) Photo: Alexina Cassidy **Community work and support** IKEA work with a number of charities and local partners. They are partners of the Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce and David is a Non-Executive Director at Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, which allows IKEA to build relationships with the local business community. In 2023, IKEA Milton Keynes piloted a car boot sale and on the back of that success this was repeated in May this year. Further afield, IKEA launched the [Let’s Go Zero Competition](https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/newsroom/corporate-news/ikea-lets-go-zero-school-competition-2023-pub47b5aca0?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in schools in 2023 and partners with the homeless charity Shelter – donating £1 for every duvet sold. The IKEA Foundation has joined forces with [ClimateWorks Foundation](https://climateworks.org/press-release/new-initiative-centers-community-voices-at-the-heart-of-the-global-south-energy-transition/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in a philanthropic initiative aimed at providing critical support to workers and communities in the Global South impacted by the transition to renewable energy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/07/Community-Wall.jpg) Photo: Alexina Cassidy ### **A selection of IKEA's Sustainability Targets** **Further reductions in emissions** IKEA plans to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, reducing absolute emissions by at least 90%, without using carbon offsets. These targets, aligning with the globally recognised Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi)’s Corporate Net-Zero Standard, include an admirable commitment to reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by at least 50% by 2030 (IKEA works with approximately 1,500 suppliers). The company will report on their progress by the end of this year. **Circular strategy** IKEA also aims to become a fully circular business by 2030 and has partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to achieve this, which it intends to do by using circular design principles - using renewable materials and/or materials with recycled content to build their products. And taking responsibility for their products at the end of their lives through introducing take-back schemes, free-of-charge recycling, and/or refurbishment. **Electric vehicles and plant-based food** IKEA aims to transition all fleet vehicles to EVs by 2025 and ensure that 50% of main meals will be vegetarian by 2025, and 80% of the remaining 50% won’t be red meat. To conclude, I left the event hugely impressed by the work IKEA is doing on sustainability. Whilst not denying their vast environmental footprint, I believe that their climate advocacy, their work to develop and promote products, services and solutions to minimize waste, their efforts to raise awareness amongst their customers of healthier eating and sustainable living, make IKEA a force for good. I hope they reach their ambitious environmental targets and I hope they inspire other businesses in the local community to follow their example. There is a difference between ‘looking good’ and ‘being good’. Not only does IKEA look good in terms of its sustainability targets, but perhaps more importantly, it is working hard to be good and take responsibility for its whole industry. **Best IKEA jokes** **I heard you can get lawyers at IKEA now** They’re very affordable, but you have to build your own case. **The CEO of IKEA was just elected president in Sweden** He should have his cabinet together by the end of the week. **I went for an interview at IKEA** The manager greeted me by saying, “Come in, make a seat.” ### CA-WN 18 July Meeting Report URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-18-july-meeting-report/ Last updated: 2024-07-23T07:46:35.000Z Our guest speaker for July was Dr Declan Ryan, Associate Professor in Physical Activity & Health at the University of Northampton, who gave a presentation about Northampton's Active Quarter. The meeting was recorded and is available on the CA-WN YouTube channel1 and Declan’s presentation slides are available to download2. **Present**: Alexina Cassidy, Clare Robertson-Marriot, Emmie Williamson, Gordon Smallman, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, Jean Troy, Jeremy Wagstaff, Orianne Neyroud, Patsy Hollingum, Richard Hollingum, Roy Hawkesford, Sari Sudersono, Tim Cook **Apologies**: Briony Askew, Clare Slater, Ella Mansfield, Leonie Beale, Maria Lee, Rupert Knowles **Background** Declan joined the sport and exercise science team at the University of Northampton in January 2019\. A lot of their work is to do with physical activity and public health, working with organisations including local authorities, especially their Public Health team to promote health and physical activity among residents. A Public Health England report in 2020 gave a range of recommendations to improve access to green space. It’s important to prioritise access to green space especially in more deprived communities as there is a real disparity in access between deprived and more affluent neighbourhoods. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has done several reports on the importance of green spaces – in particular a report in 20173 made recommendations which helped to shape early partnership working in Northampton, including: - Consider urban green space as part of urban planning, linking in to highways and active travel - When implementing interventions to improve use of public green space, the most effective approach is to utilise both physical and social changes e.g. put in new paths or signs combined with group or volunteering activities to get people involved - There is a sense of public ownership over local green spaces. So it’s important to ensure local communities are involved in designing and planning changes. Parks are one of very few free public spaces. - Urban green spaces are most sustainable when they are supported by a range of stakeholders. **Overview of the Active Quarter (AQ)** The University of Northampton (UoN) is co-located in the town centre. Around that area is a patchwork of green spaces managed by various bodies. Lots of organisations are involved in the Active Quarter partnership including UoN, WNC, Brackmills BID, Delapre Estate, Nene Rivers Trust and Trilogy Leisure. There are plans to include the Wildlife Trust too. Their common goal is promoting health and well-being among local communities. An audit of green spaces in the area identified that 90% is owned by the council, so needed a seal of approval from them for the fairly informal partnership around the AQ. A paper went to WNC Cabinet in 2023, it was approved and the AQ has had good support since from WNC councillors on both sides. The Public Health and WHO guidance gave a clear steer on who to engage with, and the NHS also has an inequality strategy (Core20PLUS5) which requires engagement with the top 20 most deprived communities in the area and also those experiencing additional inequality in relation to access to green spaces. In Northampton that is minority ethnic groups and women and girls. DR showed a map of the AQ overlaid with areas of deprivation (indices of multiple deprivation). There are some high levels of deprivation on the borders of the AQ, particularly towards the centre of Northampton, where there is also a low level of access to private or shared gardens so public space is particularly important. The partnership is also considering physical access; have started to map people within a 15 minute walk of green space in line with Natural England guidance, to see what communities those green spaces are serving. **What has the AQ Partnership done so far?** Declan is talking today about the work with Delapre Abbey and Park as it was the first research and evaluation partnership. Other projects have included work with Brackmills Industrial Estate. The partnership with Delapre first formed in late 2020\. Delapre Park is a very diverse landscape with 550 acres of parkland, woods, an historic battlefield site and a lake. There was then no wayfinding or signage so it could be hard to find your way when surrounded by woodland. Funding was obtained from UoN to undertake a study with the aim of installing signs and creating a linked walking route. The project was a partnership with Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust, WNC and Northants Sport. The theory behind the project (Theory of Change) is that changes in the physical environment such as signs would make people feel safer and more inclined to spend time in the park, resulting in increased well-being, enhanced physical activity and appreciation of the natural environment. Signs are intended to make people feel safer as they can be anxious about where they can or can’t go, or about getting lost if they stray too far away from their car or bus stop. Before putting up signs the team sought community views with an online survey, asking what signs should look like, how acceptable they’d be and what should be on them. There were 266 respondents which was good for a fairly small project. Most people were in favour of signs and the responses reflected some of the expectations of the project team. Overall: - There was a clear appetite for signs, people felt they would add confidence, encouragement and safety. - Not all were in favour – some respondents felt signs spoiled the adventure and sense of exploration of a walk - Signposts should fit the landscape not jar with the natural beauty - Frequent and infrequent visitors have different needs and the park needs to meet both. Perhaps people visit less often because the park doesn’t meet their needs. **How does green space make us feel better?** Attention Restoration Theory – people visit green spaces to restore their brains after a lot of attentional fatigue. This was especially important during lockdowns when people were working at home with less social interaction. The theory suggests 4 key properties to help with the restorative effect: - Extent: scope and variety of the green space. There is a richer experience with flowers and trees than just a grassy space. - Being away from the usual environment - Soft fascination – aspects of the environment that effortlessly capture our attention such as birds and flowers - Compatibility i.e. people want to be there Visitors to parks in Northampton were interviewed. Some of their comments brought out elements of the theory, such as noting the contrast between the park and the nearby urban environment, how visitors could hear the birds and appreciate the beauty of the landscape, and being immersed in the green space. **Designing the signs** Urban street signs would be unfitted to a green space and affect the quality of the experience. The signs installed are on wooden posts and relatively small so not intrusive into the landscape. People were asked about the information they wanted to see on signs. This included direction, total distance of the route, local information, map of the route and emergency contact information. Other projects have found that people didn’t like motivational statements – “well done for getting this far” etc. People are trying to relax rather than challenge themselves. **Monitoring use** Baseline monitoring of footpath usage was done from May-August 2021\. Installed signs September 2021, with the walking route officially opened August 2021\. A range of techniques were employed to track use of the route: - Manual counting and observation of what people were doing by the study team. - Automated observations, with infrared counters monitoring footfall continuously. - Online intercept surveys – people were asked to do a survey after a walk using a QR code. After 12 months the data was analysed. There was no change in footfall. This was not surprising as other research has shown that change is typically only seen after 2-3 years. But there were positive observations showing people were following the signs, and useful comments from the surveys saying that people appreciated having the signs to guide them, especially for infrequent visitors. A lot of the change theory hypotheses were confirmed. Unintended consequences were noted too, so these could be mitigated against. Key learnings: - The need to distinguish between frequent and infrequent visitors as they have different needs. - Displaying the distance of the walk helps people decide if they can complete it. - Providing information about footpath surfaces is important especially for people with limited mobility or with pushchairs. - Co-production with the local community is important. The need for more seats in parks was a recurring theme. Not enough seats discourages people from visiting especially if they have limited mobility or health issues. **Social Prescription** Another piece of work, funded by the Department for Transport, was about walking and cycling as social prescription. A lot of people go to their GP with health and wellbeing concerns that could be treated with social actions such as taking part in groups or using open spaces. The Department for Transport was interested in whether cycling and walking would fit in as an option for social prescribing. The project team created a survey and did some observations within Delapre Park asking people questions, including what they thought of the quality of the footpaths. This highlighted issues with wheelchair access and difficulty pushing buggies, therefore there is a need for solid surfaces. Even people who said the paths were good quality also said wellies and walking boots were needed in the winter. Based on that public engagement research WNC made a successful funding application to Active Travel England for c£650k to install more accessible footpaths and permanent wayfinding, which will replace the project’s temporary signs. There will also be more seating to address that concern. The upgraded footpaths within Delapre Park connect to a number of existing footpaths, helping to connect up multiple green spaces eg Brackmills, the town centre, the mountain bike park. The benefits of the upgraded footpaths are starting to be seen, for example people now using adapted cycles to explore the park. This ties in with the original aims of the project, which identified people with disabilities as being a group less likely to access green space. The project demonstrated the benefits of engaging with communities to capture and record their wants and needs. This information can then be used to make the case for projects and secure funding. The partnership is looking to build on this approach in the county more widely. **Next steps** - Evaluation of the new footpaths in early 2025, with more community engagement asking for feedback on the new paths and monitoring use. - Visiting community events to raise awareness for the AQ partnership and find out more about what people want, need and appreciate from local parks. - WNC Parks Strategy consultation4 has been launched – please engage with that, it’s important that the strategy reflects the voice and values of the community. The consultation may also include some stakeholder workshops. - Continuing to grow the partnership. - Develop monitoring protocols to record visits to green spaces and events within them to see if events bring in new people. - Co-produce a vison for the AQ with local communities. - Share insights with other groups and the council (aiming to align with the recommendations of Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework). **More information** An AQ website5 has recently been launched with lots of information about all the projects. UoN also has an open online repository6 where all reports and datasets are available.DR is happy to be contacted with any questions ([Declan.Ryan@northampton.ac.uk](mailto:Declan.Ryan@northampton.ac.uk)). **Q&A** *What is the surface of the new paths?* DR hasn’t been directly involved with this but it looks like tarmac. It needs to be resilient as there is quite frequent flooding so something like loose stone would just get washed away. *How will you encourage ‘groups’ to use it, e.g. older men - who often don’t socialise in the way that women do?* Worth looking at the Delapre wellbeing hub7\. A group called Space 2 Talk operates from there and hosts group walks and events targeted at men. There are also walks for other groups e.g. Macmillan Cancer walks. The hub worked with local communities to develop its activities to make sure it is offering what people want. *Does the project have any Active Travel aims (as opposed to Leisure aims)?* Yes, the survey for the social prescription project found people travelling in from Far Cotton and Hardingstone for work. As part of the evaluation the project will be looking at whether people are using the paths for active travel purposes as well as for leisure. *The town centre is quite grey and there are some very deprived areas further north in the Mounts and the Eastern district. Looking at the planning they seem quite green but the paths are overgrown so more of a deterrent rather than encouragement to walk. Do you have plans to expand e.g. connecting to the racecourse across the town centre? There are huge opportunities within Northampton e.g. to connect up pocket parks.* *Engaging with people within those deprived areas would be useful to get them to think about active travel.* The draft Parks Strategy includes consideration of the town centre as a park, for example the potential development of the Greyfriars site as a linear park. There’s also an important piece about creating green corridors to connect up different parks which will be an area of focus for the partnership going forward. In addition some of the town parks (Abington Park, The Racecourse) are starting to think about what they can offer in terms of well-being. So yes there are plans to expand and share learning as much as possible. The Northampton LCWIP needs to give consideration to those green corridors as well. Engagement with minority ethnic communities is important to understand what are the barriers for them. Research done nationally has shown that use of green spaces tends to link to societal issues such as structural racism. A project run by Dr Marcella Day (Step Together) has been looking at this issue. *What specifically have you been able to do to encourage women and girls to use active spaces more?* This is something they need to do more work on in the future, it links into multiple strategies for example in relation to policing and violence against women and girls. *Northampton is alleged to have extremely poor air quality. Have you done any air quality measurements in the Active Quarter to inform people hoping to get outdoors to benefit from breathing ‘cleaner’ air?* The partnership hasn’t done that yet (still in early stages!). One of the Air Quality Management areas is on Victoria Promenade right next to Becketts Park – potentially there is an opportunity to look at AQ in the future. *Understandably, the focus is on Northampton, but there are issues in rural areas where footpaths are limited.* Yes – do recognise issues in rural areas e.g. with connectivity and accessibility of public footpaths. Hope that learning and partnership working approach will inspire others who manage parks and spaces in rural communities to undertake their own schemes. **Date of next Meeting** Thursday 12 September, the speaker will be Tim O’Callaghan from Electric Places/Electric Corby, an organisation involved in renewable energy projects in the north of the county, and which also offers kit for people to borrow such as a gadget for the car that simulates how the journey would be in an electric car. **Other events** ***Saturday 20 July*** \- Informal social on Saturday afternoon at the museum from 2 till 4. ***Friday 2 August*** \- We have arranged a tour of Syan Farms and Eat Curious, a vertical farm and vegan food producer based in Horton. Limited tickets (free) bookable through Eventbrite. ***Thursday 19 September*** \- CA-WN is co-hosting a screening of Six Inches of Soil at the Arc Cinema Daventry. This is a film about regenerative farming and will be followed by a Q&A panel with experts including Dr Lucy Michaels from the film production team. ***Wednesday 9 October*** \- Climate summit for parish councillors and clerks at Delapre Abbey. Details of all events including booking where appropriate on the CA-WN Exchange [What’s On](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/) page. ### References 1\. [https://youtu.be/cQ7L1HpVHHA](https://youtu.be/cQ7L1HpVHHA?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/18\_July\_2024\_Declan\_Ryan.pdf](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/18%5FJuly%5F2024%5FDeclan%5FRyan.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. WHO report: Urban green spaces: a brief for action [https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289052498](https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289052498?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. [https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/place/draft-wn-parks-development-strategy/](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/place/draft-wn-parks-development-strategy/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Consultation closes 8 September. 5\. [https://activequarter-nn.co.uk/](https://activequarter-nn.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. [https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/persons/declan-ryan](https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/persons/declan-ryan?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Banging the Drum for Combined Authorities URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/banging-the-drum-for-combined-authorities/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T09:33:52.000Z *Our Transport correspondent asks whether the interests of public transport could be better served by more centralisation.* No matter your political persuasion, it is undeniable that the Labour Party is now in power, having secured a substantial majority in the election on Thursday 4 July 2024\. It is also undeniable that one of the ailments of recent years has been a disconnect between Westminster and local authorities. It is of little wonder that when we come to read election manifestos, we withhold our belief until results manifest themselves in the real world. We read words that we either hope for, or reject, and place our faith in the long-established system of British politics. What then, does Labour’s manifesto mean for us in Northamptonshire, a county that has put 5 Labour MPs into the Commons? And how do we ensure that they represent us in the years to come? Looking through the manifesto I started to think about the following quote: > ***‘The country remains too centralised, with the economic potential of too many regions and communities ignored.’*** Communities have indeed been ignored and Northamptonshire is one that, when it comes to public transport in any case, has suffered. We are often neglected when it comes to funding for our bus services for example. In the case of transport, an overarching view of a network may better inform decisions than a localised one focussed on current boundaries. For example within local authorities the natural centres that people face toward are often neglected. We see this play out in West Northants with folk in the southwest seeing Banbury as more of a centre and folk in the northwest, Rugby. Two places that fall outside of West Northants jurisdiction. This can lead to a continual battle to sustain rural services within the wider framework of the unitary area. So, when Labour considers this next part of the manifesto… > ***‘Labour will give mayors the power to create unified and integrated transport systems, allowing for more seamless journeys, and to promote active travel networks.’*** they may find it more complex when assigning to local authorities as opposed to Mayors who oversee large urban areas. One question they might ask themselves is, contrary to the over-centralised message, are there places that would benefit from further centralisation? I can certainly think of one example that Northamptonshire’s new crop of Labour MPs may take an interest in. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/07/image.png) Looking at the map, Northamptonshire has several urban areas all within a reasonable distance of each other. However, these towns are divided by authority boundaries making the work of forming integrated transport services more difficult. We do not have a Mayor presiding over a combined authority yet we only look down the road to see that Cambridge and Peterborough, two places much further apart geographically, do1. This area of Northamptonshire is already starting to grow. We have begun to see this play out with housing spreading out from locations such as Moulton, on the northeast boundary of Northampton, and heading up the A43 toward Kettering. The potential here for well sustained, commercially viable, public transport services is huge but, at present, we remain divided. As I have pointed out, this isn’t peculiar to this part of Northamptonshire, there will be several other examples where a rethinking of the model in favour of a combined authority may benefit transport decisions. In all the examples however, for them to work there will have to be some brave calls made as to the nature of local authority over an area. It would also require a ‘banging of the drum’ (to borrow a phrase) for Northamptonshire so that Westminster pays attention to this long-standing issue. --- 1\. [https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/](https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Britain's Housing Crisis URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/broken-homes-britains-housing-crisis/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T09:29:49.000Z ### Broken Homes: Britain's Housing Crisis: Faults, Factoids and Fixes by Peter Bill and Jackie Sadek Today’s housing crisis featured in an earlier [Bookshelf](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/our-housing-disaster-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/). I make no apology for another housing-related reading recommendation, this time 200 or so pages of useful historic context, anecdotes and picture-painting stories. Many of us have zero expectation that the new West Northamptonshire Local Plan will deliver housing estates any different than those built in recent decades - unsustainable homes lacking rooftop solar electricity and water heating, arranged in heavily car dependent layouts with, at best, only token local services within walking distance. As in life, we are where we are today. If we are to progress to where we'd wish to be then some practical insight is useful. This easy to read book describes an industry for converting speculative land acquisitions into units of accommodation, where, instead of successful 'place-making', builders focus on superficial 'kerb appeal' to sell their homes. Co-author Peter Bill, former construction surveyor and long-term industry commentator, describes how profit-maximising house-builders control their market and explains why it's their operational model that's created today's housing problem and not 'the planning system' that our new government says it'll be changing. The other author, Jackie Sadek, has spent decades specialising in public-private sector partnerships, was a former Government Specialist Adviser on urban regeneration, runs an urban regeneration consultancy and chairs the UK Innovation Corridor, a partnership of local authorities, universities and innovation and science companies in the London-Stansted-Cambridge sub region. It would be great to think that CA-WN could take an informed stand in advancing the debate on the kind of new development that is best for our region - a copy of Broken Homes has been donated to our [lending library](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-library/). 📖 See our other Bookshelf recommendations ### Meet the Steering Group - Orianne Neyroud URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/meet-the-steering-group-orianne-neyroud/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T09:29:05.000Z *Orianne was one of the founder members of CA-WN in 2019, and has just finished her A Levels.* ***What is your motivation for being involved with the environmental movement and with CA-WN in particular?*** I first got involved with CA-WN because I was fed up with not doing anything and was getting increasingly worried about climate change and social issues. I have since started to really appreciate the local scale of impact we can have through CA-WN and have built up experience of that through a range of other voluntary organisations - this local focus is so gratifying because you can actually see the impact you are making! ***If you were given one wish to change something in West Northamptonshire what would it be?*** If I could change anything about West Northamptonshire, I would just want people around me to care more about political issues. In my experience there is too much apathy, which is really disheartening and gets us nowhere. ***What one change have you made for the climate in your own life that you are happiest about and why?*** The change I am probably most proud of is educating myself better on environmental issues and debates surrounding them. When I first started caring about climate change and being eco-friendly I tried to cut out so much from my life (for example, I became obsessed with avoiding palm oil) and began to disapprove of people who didn’t do the same. However, since actually being better informed about these issues, I feel more comfortable having discussions with people and considering both sides of the argument - often gaining this understanding is a much more effective way of changing people’s minds! ***Tell us something about yourself that people might find surprising.*** Something surprising about me, although not unrelated to my concern about climate change, is that I hate hot temperatures. Up to 20oC is quite enough for me - I’d much rather be curled up in a blanket with a cup of tea than sitting in the garden on a summer’s day! ### Summer Salads and Sauces URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/summer-salads-and-sauces/ Last updated: 2024-07-08T17:40:46.000Z As a child, I thought “salad” was lettuce, cucumber and tomato. You could have different sorts of lettuce – cos, or butterhead, or Webbs wonder. I think the last was really a type of iceberg lettuce, but my dad grew it in the garden, so it was nothing like today’s supermarket plastic-wrapped item. Perhaps I should explain – when I was a child, there were almost no supermarkets in this country. You went into Sainsbury’s and bought butter that was cut off a huge block and was somehow “batted” between two wooden paddles with ridges, then wrapped in greaseproof paper. The price was jotted on the paper – obviously in shillings and pence – and you paid for it at a cash desk. No self-service, no wire baskets, no plastic bags of any description. You get the picture? It was a long, long time ago. Back in the dark ages then, salad dressing came in strange-shaped glass bottles with either Heinz 57 or Crosse and Blackwell on the label. It was challenging getting it out of the bottle, so you didn’t eat very much of it. You could also buy bottles of mayonnaise from the same manufacturers. As far as I recall, the mayonnaise and the salad cream appeared almost indistinguishable one from the other, and tasted very much the same. One day, I had a revelation. You could make mayonnaise! My father, who didn’t cook, called for egg yolks, salt, pepper, lemon juice and oh, strangest of things – olive oil. Panic must have ensued. We lived in a tiny rural village. No chemist shop for miles – how were we to conjure up olive oil? Of course, we had a minute bottle of olive oil in the medicine cupboard – every family did, in case of earache. That was the purpose of olive oil – you poured a teaspoonful into the afflicted ear. It didn’t have much effect on the ailment, but it made you almost totally deaf, which was, at least, a distraction. Somehow, the olive oil was procured and I watched, fascinated, as Father, using a fork, stirred the egg yolks in a bowl with the salt, then, very slowly, a drip at a time, he added the oil. The egg yolks thickened, and a wonderful emulsion was created. A squeeze of lemon juice finished the mixture which we must have eaten with aforementioned lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber, potatoes and cold meat of some description. Though I cannot recall tasting the wonderful creation, the memory of my father making something you could eat – something completely different, has stayed with me ever since. Today, supermarkets sell a variety of mayonnaises, as well as numerous other dressings, some with exotic-sounding names. If you have time, a stick-blender, egg yolks, and of course a decent bottle of oil (doesn’t have to be olive oil, but…) you can easily make your own mayo. However, bought options can be given zing! with the addition of fresh herbs, mustard, garlic, horseradish – the possibilities go as far as the imagination of the creative cook can stretch. Some suggestions will follow. Also, let’s not forget basic French dressing. A fresh green salad is always made extra-good by simply tossing it in a mixture of best olive oil and Balsamic vinegar. This week’s exciting item in our veg box was kohlrabi. In case this is new to you, it’s a large turnip with cabbage-like leaves forming a sort of corona around the top portion of the bulb. A great no-cook way to eat kohlrabi is to peel and grate it to make a salad. Caveat: You need a really sharp, heavy knife and plenty of wellie to cut off the root end, then a normal spud peeler to peel it. Next, I used a coarse grater then spooned in a good dollop of horseradish mayonnaise, salt and ground black pepper and mixed it through carefully. It’s a positively delicious quick version of coleslaw. Horseradish mayonnaise is very simple to knock together from supermarket mayo with a good spoonful of hot horseradish stirred in. You can make a good mustard mayo by following the horseradish recipe and substituting a good Dijon mustard for the horseradish. Make your own aioli by crushing a clove or two of garlic and stirring this into the mayo. Create a delicious herb mayonnaise by fine-chopping marjoram or oregano (which are the same) with thyme leaves – remove the stem by running your fingers down the stalk, from growing tip to base – and some finely chopped lovage leaves or hyssop. Make a delicate dill mayonnaise by the addition of fresh dill leaves, and if the mayonnaise seems a little too thick, thin it down with two or three drops of water. The French serve cucumber, very finely sliced, in a mixture of crème fraiche, salt and Dijon mustard. Go light on the mustard, you don’t want to overwhelm the cucumber. And now for sweet, simple French dressing. My bête noire is cheap olive oil and of course there is no such animal as “cheap” olive oil now. Buy sunflower or golden rapeseed oil, and if you can, the most expensive olive oil your budget runs to. Use Balsamic vinegar, because it will elevate the flavour of the dressing. A compromise solution with expensive olive oil vs cheaper sunflower oil is to use mostly sunflower oil, and just add a few drops of the best olive oil. To make a decent dressing for a green salad, use a bowl large enough to accommodate the lettuce, rocket and salad leaves, or whatever. Start by pouring oil into the bowl, then add salt and black pepper and finally a few drops of Balsamic vinegar – red or white wine vinegar are very acceptable substitutes, by the way. Using an old-fashioned whisk, mix the vinaigrette thoroughly, then add the salad mix and fold it into the dressing. If you’re not going to eat the green salad more or less immediately, best not to stir the dressing through it until just before it will be eaten, or it will go floppy and unappetising. Using up cooked left-over greens in salad provides a good no-waste option, and for this I often make a mustard vinaigrette, using about half a teaspoon of mustard then blending salt and oil through with a whisk, adding more oil as you go, and finish off with a splash of vinegar. It doesn’t matter if the oil and mustard separate, it will still taste lovely. About this time of year the new crop potatoes come in. Spuds that were better mashed, fried or roasted are finished, and firmer, waxy ones are appearing on the shelves. Potato salad is something of a favourite in our household, and can be made using either mayonnaise or French dressing. Add plenty of chopped fresh chives, sliced spring onions or finely chopped shallots and chopped up hard-boiled eggs – it looks good, and will go down very well. Finally, a reminder that whatever vegetables you use and whatever their provenance, they must be washed very thoroughly. The recent outbreak of E.coli has been traced back to a salad supplier. Unfortunately, we should all remember that bacteria may be present on the vegetables we use, and that the best way to avoid contamination is to wash vegetables very carefully indeed. ### Outrage and Optimism revisited and The Way Out Is In URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/outrage-and-optimism-revisited-and-the-way-out-is-in/ Last updated: 2024-07-08T17:40:03.000Z The podcast series ***Outrage and Optimism*** has already been placed on the shelf in May last year but perhaps it needs the dust blowing off and re-engaging with it. That’s certainly what I have done. Well, to tell the truth, I have not visited it very often until now but I will come to that in minute. As Jane Wood pointed out, the presenters' credentials are impeccable and the production quality is very good. A recent podcast ties in with World Refugee Day and really made me think about how climate change is not just about a warming planet, odd weather, and resilient old farts who want to keep oil and coal as a mainstay to the economy. It is about the effects that it has on people whose lives and livelihoods are changed beyond recognition, forcing them to give up their land, their work, even their culture, and move in order to save their family. Listen to how many people have moved within China and Turkey; consider the effects of unprecedented floods, fires, and droughts. Like most, if not all, roots of migration, the need to look after your own is imperative. The safety of your family and yourself is imperative. If you can no longer grow food on the land what do you do? I could go on but I think you get the idea. And, as well as listening to Outrage and Optimism, you could consider voting for them in the British Podcasts Awards - follow the link in their podcast page. Now, I came back to Outrage and Optimism through another podcast, **The Way Out Is In**, subtitled *Zen and the Art of Living*. This is a long running series from Plum Village, France, a Zen Buddhist community set up by the late Vietnamese monk and peace-monger Thich Nhat Hanh. Mining the earlier episodes, I came across number 21 called *Being the Change We Want to See in the World,* a conversation with Christiana Figueres, ex-Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change, co-founder of Global Optimism, and one of the presenters of *Outrage and Optimism*. While focussed mainly on various aspects of Buddhism, there are obviously many editions of *The Way Out Is In* that necessarily touch on various aspects of the world in general. The episode on 16th May 2024, *Happy Farmers Change The World,* talks to two of the people behind the Happy Farm agroecology project at Plum Village, and they discuss a broad range of topics including deep ecology, seasonal planting, producing food AND caring for the earth, and “reclaiming the nobility of the farmer”. And, of course, you should expect to also hear about mindfulness whilst working the land. [World Refugee Day: Migration in a Post-Climate Change WorldWith Gaia Vince![](https://www.outrageandoptimism.org/hubfs/favicon/OutrageOptimism-Favicon-180.png)![](https://www.outrageandoptimism.org/hubfs/layout/OutrageOptimism_OGImage_V2.png)](https://www.outrageandoptimism.org/episodes/world-refugee-day-migration-in-a-post-climate-change-world?hsLang=en&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [Being the Change We Want to See in the World: A Conversation with Christiana Figueres (Episode #21) | Plum VillageWelcome to episode 21 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for…![](https://plumvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/footerlogo.png)Plum VillageAnca Rusu![](https://plumvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-Episode-21-1.png)](https://plumvillage.org/podcast/being-the-change-we-want-to-see-in-the-world-a-conversation-with-christiana-figueres-episode-21?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Food (In)Security Index URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/food-in-security-index/ Last updated: 2024-07-08T17:35:52.000Z A little bit of a rant but mainly questions, questions, questions. Prompted by an article in Private Eye1 about food security, I took a bit of a delve into the Government’s pages on the new Food Security Index (FSI)2. One of the things to note is that the current index statements are by and large based on data from 2021 and 2022\. Although the commentary acknowledges that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a major factor, as are the various recent climate-related catastrophes around the globe, I do feel that I am looking at a view that is already out of date. To many it may come as a shock to learn that the UK is only self-sufficient in sheep and milk, and pretty nearly in poultry. This suggests to me that us vegetarians and those who are vegan are helping keep the export/import market healthy as well as our bodies. The UK produces only 55% of the fresh vegetables it needs or uses. Some of this last figure is explained away by the consumer-led need for out-of-season vegetables all-year-round. Oh, sorry. Did I say ‘consumer-led’? Well, I suppose we do buy them and therefore there is a market. But do we think about where these vegetables come from? How much the grower earned? I think that the consumer has a lot to answer for, but they are not alone in this. Others are equally complicit, if not more so: the retailers, the wholesalers, the shippers…. Still, I digress - albeit a bit. So, the FSI does look at a number of factors but as I walk round the fields where I live I can readily see the effects of the rains this year. Large amounts of fields replanted with ground cover crop where the original crop - often wheat I believe - has been washed away. In 2020 there was a 26% drop due to bad weather. Will 2024 be as bad - or worse? Having a Food Security Index may be a start but what will follow on behind it? Will the farmers see this as an official way of backing them and their lot? Will it lead to consumers/general public understanding where our food comes from? Will this lead to an increase in tension between those lobbying for better food security - we only grow 63% of our own potatoes and 17% of fruit - and those campaigning for more land to be put over to biodiversity projects, re-wilding and diversification? We surely cannot have both without the intensification of farming methods on the land that does produce the food, and the right incentives for the farmer. It is not just Jeremy Clarkson who thinks that the easy way to make land pay is to ‘buy’ into the Government’s Environmental Land Management Scheme. According to the FSI, the Utilised Agricultural Area (UAA) shows that in 2023 57% was permanent grassland and 27% used for both arable and horticultural crops. The horticultural industry, which has been in a long, slow decline, has decreased by 5.2% since 2022\. The commentary gives further detail but ends with suggesting that the decrease may be due to rising costs of labour and fertiliser, weather and yield variability, and final market values. They appear to have missed out the expansion of the housing stock, creeping not even very slowly in some cases, over productive land. One last thing, for the moment at least, nowhere does it seem to suggest that perhaps the consumer might be prepared to pay a bit more for the product, that the supermarket might reduce its cut, that the products reduce the miles travelled, and that we don’t need perfectly shaped vegetables. Lots to read and lots to wait and see what the new Government does. --- 1\. The Agri Brigade, Private Eye 1625 7th June 2024, p17 2\. [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-food-security-index-2024/uk-food-security-index-2024#indicator-1-global-food-supply-for-human-consumption](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-food-security-index-2024/uk-food-security-index-2024?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#indicator-1-global-food-supply-for-human-consumption) ### Great UK WaterBlitz URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/great-uk-waterblitz/ Last updated: 2024-07-08T17:32:22.000Z We’ve all heard about the poor condition of our rivers and streams due to issues with sewage and agricultural pollution. Environment Agency figures on storm overflow spills in 2023 show that spills were up by up 54% compared to 20221. Swimmers and surfers are protesting that rivers and seas are not safe to swim in, and of course the pollution is very damaging to aquatic wildlife. In June I took part in the Great UK WaterBlitz, a citizen science project which provided a free kit to test for nutrient pollution (nitrates and phosphates), which is caused by both agricultural fertilisers and sewage effluent. Carrying out the test was straightforward – I collected a little water from the brook in my village and followed the instructions in the kit. My sample showed evidence of nutrient pollution for both nitrate and phosphate. According to the report2 issued by Earthwatch on the project, this was fairly typical, with 75% of sites measured showing poor water quality. Earthwatch are planning another WaterBlitz in September. This is an easy and effective way to add to the scientific data on water quality in this country. To take part, register at [https://earthwatch.org.uk/greatukwaterblitz/](https://earthwatch.org.uk/greatukwaterblitz/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). If you don’t have a lake or stream near you, South Court Environmental (SCE) have offered use of their sites in Northampton, where there is a mixture of ponds and watercourses. It would be fascinating to test the various bodies of water on the SCE sites and compare the results, as well as providing some good input to the national project. If you are interested in participating in a ‘mini WaterBlitz’ with SCE, please get in touch. 1\. [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/environment-agency-publishes-storm-overflow-spill-data-for-2023](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/environment-agency-publishes-storm-overflow-spill-data-for-2023?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. [https://earthwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Great-UK-WaterBlitz-report\_June-2024\_DIGITAL-SPREADS-1.pdf](https://earthwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Great-UK-WaterBlitz-report%5FJune-2024%5FDIGITAL-SPREADS-1.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### CA-WN 20 June 2024 meeting report URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-20-june-2024-meeting-report/ Last updated: 2024-06-25T19:34:38.000Z 🗳️ On Thursday evening at the Northampton Guildhall our friends at the Umbrella Fair 1000 Voices campaign have organised a hustings to allow local residents to question election candidates, which CA-WN is co-sponsoring. More information here [https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices](https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) or on our What's On listing. This is a great opportunity to find out if our potential future MPs have the right priorities. Our guest speaker for June was Russell Horsey, a Chartered Arboriculturist and Urban Forester. He has many years experience working with trees in the public sector, private sector and with community groups. Recently he has been working as a consultant to West Northants Council on developing their Tree Strategy. The meeting was recorded and is available on the CA-WN YouTube channel1. **Present**: Alexina Cassidy, Ella Sage, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, Leonie Beale, Maria Lee, Mark Thompson, Mick Lorkins, Mike Longman, Patsy Hollingum, Peter Conquest, Philip Ward, Richard Hollingum, Rupert Knowles, Sue Carverhill. **Apologies**: Briony Askew, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater, Emmie Williamson **Background** Russell has been a Chartered Arboriculturist for around 25 years. He is also trained in urban forestry, which is the management of trees in urban areas, including parks, highways, hedgerows etc. He worked in local government in London and Bristol for 20 years, then set up a consultancy2 which works with councils to help them improve their services, and also does a lot of work with communities to get involved in tree planting. He has been working in WN for some years; there has been no Tree Officer for a long time, but one has very recently been appointed (Paul Fountain). The role of Tree Officer has changed over the years - they used to just deal with complaints about trees, but there is now wider appreciation of the benefits trees bring, such as cleaning the air, shade, even slowing down traffic if planted in the right place. A Tree Strategy is a good way to bring all these things together across different council departments. However the wrong type of trees in the wrong place, such as big trees in small spaces, do still present problems so this needs to be managed too. ### **WNC Tree Strategy** Benefits to having a Tree Strategy include planning planting better, reducing trees lost to developments, and helping council teams deliver what they need to do, including improving health and well-being. Trees can cut pollution entering people’s homes from roads, and improve general well-being. Lots of policies and strategies tie in with the Tree Strategy. Locally this includes the Corporate Plan, new Local Plan, and Local Nature Recovery Strategy. At the national level trees come under DEFRA, which may not be the right place as trees tend to come quite low down the priority list compared to farming. The Dept of Health might be a better home, recognising the benefits of trees for health. In recent years significant budget cuts have affected parks and other open spaces. There is an England Trees Action Plan being rolled out3, and the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)4 regulations are relevant to trees, though trees don’t score very highly for BNG. **Approach** There wasn’t much knowledge about existing trees in WN, so the first step was a canopy cover map5. This shows canopy at ward or parish level and also by Lower layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) - each of these has a population of around 1500, so vary a lot in area. This is how other data available e.g. about pollution, health, and inequality, is arranged. As government grants tend to be targeted at certain things e.g. flooding or pollution, aligning to other data helps to identify suitable areas. There was a significant amount of consultation which a lot of people engaged with. As well as an online consultation, there were workshops for town and parish councils, and training for council members. Canopy cover survey provides baseline data on current tree cover before setting a planting area target. 30% is a figure often used as desirable level of canopy cover, as there is research showing that this level of tree cover provides significant health benefits. Some places have simply used that as a target. There is a tendency also to rush to set targets for the number of trees planted but this needs to take into account the amount of land available for planting. Water, hard paved areas, SSSIs and sports pitches all have to be taken out as these won’t be planted. For WN they also chose to remove areas of farmland, as WNC would need to buy this up in order to plant and doesn’t have the funds – however there is an assumption that farmers will choose to plant some trees. This process resulted in 81% of WN land area being identified as unsuitable for planting. The current canopy cover is 9%, there is potential for another 10% to be planted, so the target being recommended is 20% (yet to be approved). This includes an allowance for trees being planted by farmers in existing hedgerows, or as part of agro-forestry schemes. The Tree Strategy team is intended also to tie in with Tree Equity6, which scores areas for social deprivation, heat island effect and health. This only exists in urban areas at present. 100 is a good score but some parts of Northampton only score 50 or 60\. Again this provides the opportunity to identify which areas should be targeted. **Consultation findings** Hundreds of people responded to the consultation and attended workshops. ***Issues identified*** \- Disjointed working; historically trees managed through a number of different contracts \- Inadequate knowledge of existing assets (how many trees does WNC have?) \- Planning and development eg no tree replacement standard to deal with trees lost to development \- Highways don’t want to replace trees but there is public demand for this. The best place to put trees is in highways close to homes. \- It’s believed there are a lot of mature trees on private land. Now we have a baseline this will be looked at again in a few years to see if the level is changing. \- Lack of skills and expertise within the council. This will be addressed now they have appointed a Tree Strategy Officer. More staff may need to be recruited. There aren’t enough resources at present to manage existing trees or plant new ones, but there are opportunities to apply for grants. \- Pests and diseases especially ash dieback are having a significant impact. ***Opportunities*** \- There is cross party support to do something about trees \- Lots of local groups want to do something about trees these just need to be joined up. Parishes and towns are keen to do something but lack expertise. WNC can help to provide this and work in partnership with volunteers. \- Most people responding to the survey like trees – there is increasing public awareness of the benefits of trees, as opposed to the inconvenience of dropping leaves and creating unwanted shade. \- Responses were received from right across WN. A lot of people, both parish councils and local residents, were interested in planting trees and are aware of the benefits in terms of flood management, air quality and shade. ***How many trees is enough?*** Many people think there are already enough trees in their area – why is this when data shows canopy cover is not that high? Looking into this further it might be because there has sometimes been the wrong approach to putting in trees, with poorly designed planting and not enough thought to aftercare. Underneath the Strategy there will be guidance documents – to be produced as part of an action plan in the next few years. Currently there are a number of processes within the council that don’t work very well, so attention needs to be given to fixing these too. ***Parish Council views*** Around 80 town and parish councils engaged in workshops on the strategy. Issues they identified included: \- Lack of expertise within PCs to manage trees. \- Planning. In some cases land was taken on by parishes when the former County Council got into financial trouble, but lack of expertise within parishes means they are at a disadvantage when dealing with developers, which can result in problems for example where parishes take on poorly designed open spaces within new developments. This has been fed back to Planning. Training will be offered to town and parish councils and to other groups where appropriate. \- Current process for Highways to plant and replace trees is not working, and there were concerns about WNC not managing their own trees effectively. This needs to be addressed alongside any plans to plant more trees. **Next steps** The strategy is in draft, some changes to be made with the new tree officer, then it will go through internal council review before going out to consultation in September. There will be a week of workshops in the 2nd week of September, venues tbc. **Q&A on the Tree Strategy** *How do you measure canopy cover – with drones? Does this pick up the age of trees?* Using aerial photography analysed by AI, and LiDAR (light detection and ranging). This picks up anything over 3.5 m tall. Drones could be used in the future but not yet and there are rules about using these in urban areas. *Does it identify species?* Not yet but this is being worked on, initially with the aim of looking for trees that are stressed due to pests and disease. The technology has already improved immensely. *Will you carry on working with the new Tree Officer at WNC?* Yes, as a consultancy we have been working in WN with community groups for a long time so we are very invested in the area. *Can you please clarify the treatment of farmland for canopy cover?* We have treated the top 3 classes of farmland as not suitable for tree planting. *I can see this approach is suitable for arable land but what about livestock grazing, animals need shade. Can more be done with local farmers to encourage them to look for opportunities to plant trees?* We have had to be careful as WNC only has one tree officer at present and they need to prioritise fixing issues within WNC and working with town and parish councils. Other organisations do cover agriculture– government stewardship teams, and the Forestry Commission has teams working with farmers. The strategy talks about the potential benefits but WNC cannot afford to go out and buy farms. This is something that needs to be handled very carefully. As an example the policy for 10% set-aside and 10% canopy cover in Wales has been very badly communicated and has the Welsh government and NFU at loggerheads. We should learn from that experience and tread carefully. We do expect some farmland of all classes to be planted. *Is there a way of demonstrating the potential financial benefit of trees?* We are recommending that the council adopt CAVAT, a replacement valuation system widely used across the UK, which assigns a value to trees based on size in order for developers to compensate appropriately for mature trees lost. Also recommending a better replacement system where trees are lost due to planning. Data on location, type, age of trees can be used for a system called i-Tree, which looks at carbon capture, rainwater interception etc. Assessing the value of carbon capture is difficult as trees don’t really take up lots of carbon. Natural capital is starting to be talked about in the water industry but it is early days. An international certification process (Verra) for offsetting carbon using trees has been found to be seriously flawed. It was thought that BNG might provide finance for tree-planting but in most cases the 10% BNG requirement is being squeezed into developments (e.g. as ponds) rather than going to landowners to plant trees. ### **Community planting** There is a tendency for government and NGOs to want to plant millions of trees but this is a waste of money if they are not properly maintained. In some cases planting less can be better. We can use canopy targets to assess how many trees survive – canopy doesn’t increase if trees die. There have been well publicised examples of tree planting schemes failing as the trees were not cared for. **Case study - Victoria Park, Bristol, 2012.** This park contained a football pitch and some large trees around the edge. The proposal was new avenues of trees designed to be inexpensive to maintain and to avoid creating any hazards. The trees are set 6-7 metres back from the path so they don’t create hiding places when they are bigger, and are planted 15-16 metres apart so they won’t touch and there is no need to remove some of them later. Historically the practice has been to plant trees closer together and 10-15 years later remove some. If this isn’t done due to budget constraints the trees become unhealthy. Another corner of the park has been planted with three field maples to provide shade. All the trees planted were heavily watered for three years and 10 years on we are starting to see the canopy develop. The football pitch has not been affected at all but the new avenue of trees creates much needed shade as the weather gets hotter. **Case study - Far Cotton in Northampton.** A lot of street trees were planted in this area in the 1960s and 70s but these were mainly fairly short lived species such as plums, cherries and rowans. As they died and were cut down, there were just stumps left. This is better than removing the tree altogether as it stops utilities running pipes and cables through tree pits which means they can never be replanted. Russell worked with Alice Whitehead who set up a campaign group called Save Our Street Trees. It took 2.5 years to put in the first trees due to bureaucracy. They selected trees that wouldn’t get too big for the spaces – cultivars have been developed now that are narrow, or wineglass-shaped. Alice did a communication to local residents about which tree pits were identified for planting, and residents with a site outside their house were given a choice of three suitable trees to pick what they wanted. Due to the presence of utilities, contractors have to be brought in to plant the trees – 30 have now been planted. Residents were given watering cans and shown how to water the trees, as a result of the good level of care all the trees have become established within two years (usually takes three). One tree has been vandalised by a new resident, all the others are doing very well. There are other groups in WN wanting to do the same thing, but Russell is advising them to wait until the new Tree Officer improves the processes as currently it takes too long and is too expensive. **Case study - Wootton Parish Council, 2023** This is a semi-rural area where one of the parish councillors, Helen Hodgkinson7, was keen to plant some trees. Helen did a lot of consultation with residents. They selected three varieties of tree that would be suitable and ended up going with a disease resistant elm cultivar ‘New Horizon’. They now know that this provides habitat for the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly which is endangered in the UK. On the planting day 70-80 people including the local primary school came out all day to help. This year they completed the project with another line of trees. None of the trees have been lost. The project funding (from Urban Tree Challenge Fund) covers watering for 3 years and some residents have also been watering. Again the trees are set back from the path, not near lampposts, and widely spaced. The trees were planted in an open space between housing estates, and as a result the space has come to life, being more well-used by dog-walkers and others. **Case study – East Marsh, Grimsby, 2023** This project took place in an area of east Grimsby with high levels of deprivation and extremely low canopy cover, around 3%. The project partner was a new start up interested in housing not trees. They were set up to buy run down houses, do them up and rent them at socially affordable rents. However they recognised they needed to do more for the area as a whole. The local council thought the project wouldn’t work as trees planted in the area before had all been vandalised. East Marsh spoke to lots of local people and there was so much interest that for the first tree-planting day 200 people turned up to plant 30 trees. Residents are now watering the trees. One tree has been lost as it didn’t take but the rest have survived into a second year and are doing well. They have all been very heavily caged due to the risk of vandalism. In winter 2024 they planted in 8 schools in the area. There was a design plan for each school, with in some cases children helping with the design. East Marsh staff are now getting skilled up to plant trees themselves. Bear in mind that with a large project like this logistics are an issue as there needs to be room to store a lot of trees (96) and kit. It’s great to plant in schools and encourage the next generation – young people can do a lot more than you think. Children with a stake pounder and helmets are not dangerous if supervised. In that area many kids don’t have gardens or easy access to green space. Children can do most of the work - carry the trees, dig the holes, do the watering, and they really enjoy it. As part of the project, the children were told about why trees are important and what the benefits are. East Marsh are now doing more education work in schools. Overall message is that community planting is very rewarding, and shouldn’t be something to be scared of. Russell recommended a report he worked on called ‘Greening Up’ from an organisation called Create Streets8. This has been sent to the government, it talks about what the issues are and where changes need to be made, plus it includes some very useful information and case studies. **Q&A** *Earlier this year a ‘tree harvesting’ event using an approach pioneered by Dutch group More Trees Now was held in Martin More Woods in Northampton. That was planted up 16 years ago with oak trees about 2m apart, so badly needs thinning out. Bruce Durham of Harborough Woodland Volunteers has a view that farmers are nervous of councils and see them as getting in the way. How to engage with farmers?* Suggest starting with young farmers as they are being taught slightly differently. Older farmers who are interested in planting trees are probably already doing it. Example in Wales of farmers planting shelter belts which not only has benefits to wildlife but also resulted in sheep fattening up more quickly – they enjoyed the shelter and although some area of pasture was lost the remaining grass was better quality as it was watered better. Trees that are harvested using this method are too small to use in urban settings, so perhaps look at whether they can be grown on in bags or Air-Pots. They need to be 2 m tall to be put into urban areas and caged. *Does this type of harvesting and finding homes for them feature in the Tree Strategy?* This isn’t really part of the Tree Officer’s role. Suggest talking to the Forestry Commission Woodland Creation Officers as they are paid to go out and talk to farmers and could promote the availability of volunteer help. We are currently seeing community nurseries being set up without necessarily having a market, and the Scottish government’s budget for trees has been cut so that is likely to result in a lot of surplus trees. *As a resident of rural South Northants I see that farmers love to look after hedgerows with close clipping and the few trees that were growing out of hedges have died and are not being replaced. What are your thoughts on this, it would be a way of increasing cover?* The Tree Council ran a scheme a few years ago where local groups were going out and finding farmers who were interested in planting in hedgerows. They attached markers to the trees for a few years so the flail could avoid them – this had some success. *Can you recommend strategies to encourage parish councils and residents that seem quite complacent, perhaps complicated by concerns on behalf of the PC about liability insurance?* There is a need for more parish-based tree strategies, looking at local landscape character assessment and perhaps identifying important trees in the area. Some FAQs will be offered to PCs to adopt which will cover things like insurance. Epping Forest District Council did a number of Community Tree Strategies8. The Tree Strategy recommends looking at more local documents like this but they can take a couple of years. Can have benefits in terms of planning if residents have identified trees of special interest to the community, for example. *How do you raise a TPO?* There needs to be threat to the tree in order for a TPO to be put in place and it needs to score a certain number of points as a ‘public amenity’. You could start by talking to your local parish council. *Is it the same process for trees in conservation areas?* Slightly different – for all trees over a certain height in a Conservation Area permission is required to do any work. In response the local authority can only either raise no objection or raise a TPO if it wants to refuse permission. This doesn’t work very well if the tree doesn’t meet TPO criteria as then the council’s only option is to raise no objection. The owner of the tree is able to object to a TPO so councils do have to make sure their processes are robust. **Date of next meeting** – Thursday 18 June at 7:45pm. Speaker is Dr Declan Ryan from Northampton University, who will talk to us about Northampton’s Active Quarter. Our next face to face social gathering will be on 20 July at the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. Check out the What’s On page on CA-WN Exchange for details of this and other local climate and environmental events. **References** 1 [https://youtu.be/cQ7L1HpVHHA](https://youtu.be/cQ7L1HpVHHA?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [https://www.woodlanddwelling.org.uk/](https://www.woodlanddwelling.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/england-trees-action-plan-2021-to-2024](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/england-trees-action-plan-2021-to-2024?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/biodiversity-net-gain](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/biodiversity-net-gain?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5 Canopy cover map link to be added 6 [https://uk.treeequityscore.org/](https://uk.treeequityscore.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7 8 [https://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/EB1005-Ongar-Community-Tree-Strategy-EFDC-2008.pdf](https://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/EB1005-Ongar-Community-Tree-Strategy-EFDC-2008.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Meet the Steering Group - Ella Sage URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/meet-the-steering-group-ella-sage/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T15:15:43.000Z *Ella is the newest member of CA-WN's steering group and also our Outreach Officer. This is the first in a series of pieces from CA-WN's Steering Group members.* ***What is your motivation for being involved with the environmental movement and with CA-WN in particular?*** I became interested and concerned about the human rights violations in fast fashion in 2020\. I was so passionately angry that slave labour was being used to produce clothes and felt so isolated in that no-one I knew seemed to want to make changes in their own lives. Once I decided to stop buying new clothes I became interested to make more changes to live more ethically. I started looking for fair trade certificates on food and began to consume content about the climate crisis. Once again I felt very isolated in my concerns. I decided to join CA-WN to not only meet like minded people but to be part of the movement standing up for the planet. I can't ignore the pain and suffering unethical consumption and the climate crisis is causing to so many people and I feel the need to try and be part of the change and being part of CA-WN and recently having joined the steering group is part of this. ***If you were given one wish to change something in West Northamptonshire what would it be?*** More accessible public transport. I think the £2 bus fare which has been extended until the end of 2024, is fantastic however the amount of buses and how late they run is just not viable for regular sustainable travel in daily life outside of town centres. ***What one change have you made for the climate in your own life that you are happiest about and why?*** Sewing repairs. I find joy in seeing my brightly coloured darn repairs in my socks, making my favourite clothes last far longer, extending the time I have to go second-hand jean shopping by patch repairing. Friends and family have now asked me to make basic repairs extending the life of the garments and saving them from landfill. (However this might change if my first ever veggie patch this year produces anything. Fingers crossed!) ***Tell us something about yourself that people might find surprising.*** I really love beavers and even saw them in the wild last year in Scotland. ### CA-WN 30 May 2024 meeting report URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-30-may-2024-meeting-report/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T13:42:20.000Z The guest speaker for this meeting was Damon Fox from Northampton Town Football Club (NTFC). We heard from him about the many projects and initiatives undertaken by the club to improve sustainability and for their local community. The meeting was recorded and is available on the CA-WN YouTube channel1. Damon was especially keen for CA-WN members to get involved in the Cobblers Tackle Food Waste project2. Join as an individual to earn points by taking specific actions on food waste, then join an existing community (e.g. school or business) to earn points for that too. Please share with any young people or football fans in your life – it’s a really fun way to learn about food waste and also be in with a chance of winning some great prizes. More information and resources here . **Present**: Clare Robertson-Marriott, Claudine Howard, Damon Fox, Ella Sage, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, Maria Lee, Mick Lorkins, Nana Haja Salif Dagarti, Orianne Neyroud. **Apologies**: Alexina Cassidy, Clare Slater, Emmie Williamson, Jonathan Harris, Rupert Knowles **Sustainability at Northampton Town Football Club (NTFC)** Damon shared NTFC’s sustainability impact report for the 2022/23 season3. The club has heavy energy usage and a lot of opportunities for waste, with its facilities often open for events and functions as well as matches. Their aims are: - Reduce our impact - Raise awareness - Drive change In terms of raising awareness, match attendances are up 65% in the last few years so the club can reach a lot of people to talk about sustainability. During 2022/23 the club: - Set up a sustainability group, members include the club's CEO, the CEO of Northampton Town Community Trust, and the catering manager and stadium facilities officer. - Created an action plan. This started with the University of Northampton doing a report to identify opportunities for action. - Took part in the English Football League (EFL) Green Clubs initiative. This measures NTFC against other football clubs, especially Forest Green Rovers which is fully sustainability focused, driven by their owner (Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity). - Changed waste management provider, so no waste now goes to landfill. The new provider Cawleys is also more local so transport emissions are reduced. - Recyclable cup initiative – there is now no single use plastic in the stadium for any drinks. - Worked with Carlsberg to install timed pumps which go off when not in use. - Held sustainability awareness match days. - Did litter picks with the Northants Litter Wombles. - Took part in Green Football Weekend4, a national campaign encouraging less travel by players, meat free meal options etc. NTFC's performance was ranked second behind Manchester United, a huge achievement. - Won Planet League5 competing with 71 other clubs. This is an online tournament for children which promotes actions such as 4-minute showers and making compost. Actions taken by club supporters and staff saved over 100,000 kg of CO2 in total. - Partnered with sports clothing brand Decathlon to redistribute unused stock, for example to children in care, and recently to a group of children from Sudan. - Delivered environmental sustainability workshops in schools. - Was a finalist in the EFL Green Award last year (and the previous year). All these actions are primarily driven by Damon, although sustainability is only part of his job! He went on to talk about some specific projects happening now. **Cobblers Tackle Food Waste (CTFW)2** This project is ongoing throughout 2024\. Damon showed a video to introduce it, the aim is to reduce food waste through education programmes and campaigns. The football club measures its own food waste after every game and looks for innovative ways to reduce it. Food waste goes to Cawleys, who process it through an anaerobic digester, which produces energy in the form of methane and fertiliser. The project works by engaging individuals, families, schools and businesses on an online platform, where they score ‘goals’ by taking specific actions to learn about and reduce food waste, and compete to win prizes. Individuals can join a community which could be your school or business. There are competitions running throughout the year – the next one starts on 17 June. The CTFW project aims to engage with 1000 households, each one completes a start and end survey to capture current habits and changes made. The data can be useful in other ways - some people don’t have access to food waste caddies, especially if they live in a flat. Understanding if this is a barrier to managing food waste and finding a way round it can give people the chance to avoid waste. Actions available include: - Sharing surplus food with a food bank (suggestions on where to donate are available) or through an app such as Olio. - Making soup with veg scraps - Buying ‘yellow sticker’ reduced items Each action is evidenced with a photo to make sure it is actually happening. As part of the project the club visited five schools in different parts of the county in one week to measure their food waste. The first school visited was throwing away 11.5 kilos of food in one day. A lot of waste comes from younger age groups. But another big source of waste is the cooks making too much which then gets thrown away – in one case 3.5 kilos in one day. **Climate captains6** This is a Europe-wide initiative run by the European Football for Development Network (EFDN). All UK clubs have been invited to take part. All participating fans have the opportunity to win football boots signed by one of the club captains, by completing a survey to understand what actions for sustainability they are taking and where there might be a need for education. EFDN will use the data to produce a report for the club, which will then run round tables with fans asking what they would like the club to focus on next from a sustainability perspective. Two of these ideas will be implemented at the end of the year. **Other projects** - Damon is taking part in a relay for Running Out of Time7 which is taking a baton from Ben Nevis to Big Ben. Children in care are taking it to Sixfields stadium from Northampton and then Damon will run a half marathon to hand it over for the next leg. - Later this year he will be working with the Amazing Northampton Run8 to create medals from plastic bottles. Damon is going out to schools to collect bottles and raise awareness of waste and recycling opportunities. - Also looking at biodiversity around the stadium. - Last week the club won another competition – Pledgeball football league. This required fans to complete a survey and pledge what they are going to do. The club will get a trophy and £15k of support to help do even more on sustainability. NTFC is about to sign a sustainability charter through Pledgeball, which includes committing not to fly. They currently do this infrequently but it's good to make the commitment and make fans think about the impact of flying. - NTFC are also working to introduce an app (Staxy) for fans to car share to the stadium and provide information about local public transport, Voi scooters etc. Again this offers prizes and incentives to get involved. - Damon’s next big running challenge is to run to the Ukraine border to raise money for the Ukraine appeal. **Q&A** *Are the stadium lights LED?* Yes, and all lights are now on a timer so they go off automatically. *Have you thought about putting solar PV panels on the stand roof?* Yes, but they were waiting for the new East Stand to be built (which is now underway), as this is the best stand in terms of sunlight exposure. There will be batteries as well as solar panels – have had a number of companies in to advise on the set up. The new stand will also include EV charging points and 58 cycle racks. *Any thoughts on solar thermal to heat water for all the hot baths?* Not had a conversation about this yet. Will pick it up although ice baths are now more common! Regarding water use the urinals are on a timer so they only flush after every tenth time used. This has a downside as sometimes it can be a while between flushes so they have now had a company in to look how to deal with the bacteria that can develop. *Do you do rainwater harvesting?* There is a rainwater butt at the Community Trust and two large rainwater tanks at the stadium, used for watering the pitch. *Have you considered going vegan in the café?* Yes – brought in Eat Curious9 (local vegan food company) last year and now offer meat free burgers. All the food outlets have a vegan option. The meat free burgers are not specifically labelled as such – called ‘cluckin burgers’ as that is the Eat Curious product name. *Can you say more about biodiversity around the stadium?* Someone who works for Sixfields Travel is a beekeeper so going to put in some beehives to produce honey. They are also going to turn a patch of grass into a community garden to grow food for the kitchen. This will be run by the elderly adults group that meets every week. Are looking to get sponsorship for these initiatives if possible. *What are the incentives for people taking part in CTFW?* Tickets for games and team shirts, school visits from players, schools and businesses can win iPads. Final Third (club partners in the project) offering businesses free sustainability training. A school breakfast club that did well in the last competition got a lot of resources to use. The club has had greenhouses donated to give to schools. Cawleys are going out to 5 schools alongside the club in the next tournament to talk about what they do and 3 schools will going on a trip to look at Cawleys recycling centre. *How do you get the food waste separated out for the anaerobic digester – experience is that people don’t do very well at putting things in the right bin?* It is a problem – one of the good things about Cawleys is that they separate out the waste after collection. The club is also working to try and raise awareness about why this is important – Cawleys sponsor the club mascot, Clarence the Dragon, and there are videos of Clarence using the bins correctly to try and win over the children. *11 kilos of waste from one school – is that from childrens’ plates, from the kitchens…?* Everything! Took see-through bags and bins to collect up all food waste from all the classes and the kitchens. The worst school had 20.5 kilos of food waste in one day. --- **Upcoming events** CA-WN is appearing at the following external events in the next few weeks – please come along to have a chat or if you can, volunteer to help man the stand which would be very welcome. - Saturday 1 June - Green Day at Hunsbury - Saturday 15 June – Great Big Green Week event at Towcester Watermeadows - Saturday 29 June – Billing Family Fayre We also have a monthly online **climate café** – usually 3 people share facilitation duties but two of them are standing as candidates in the General Election so we have decided to avoid any appearance of promoting a political party it is best if they don’t get involved this month. Is anyone willing to help share the facilitation role for the next café on Wednesday 12 June? Our next **face to face social gathering** will be in late July at the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery again, provisionally 20 July, to be confirmed soon. Check out the What’s On page on CA-WN Exchange for details of these and other local climate and environmental events. **Date of next meeting** – Thursday 20 June at 7:45pm. Speaker is Russell Horsey, arboriculturalist and Urban Forester who is leading the work on WNC’s Tree Strategy. --- ### Links 1 YouTube for recording of meeting [https://youtu.be/i6uES8DVNiQ](https://youtu.be/i6uES8DVNiQ?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 Cobblers Tackle Food Waste [https://cobblerstackle.co.uk/about](https://cobblerstackle.co.uk/about?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [NTFC Sustainability Impact Report](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/NTFC%5FENVIRONMENTAL%5FREPORT%5F2023.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 Green Football Weekend [https://www.greenfootballweekend.com/](https://www.greenfootballweekend.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5 Planet League [https://www.planetleague.co.uk/](https://www.planetleague.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6 Complete the Climate Captains survey [https://www.ntfc.co.uk/news/2024/april/climate\_change/](https://www.ntfc.co.uk/news/2024/april/climate%5Fchange/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7 Running Out of Time [https://running-out-of-time.com/](https://running-out-of-time.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8 The Amazing Northampton Run [https://www.theamazingnorthamptonrun.co.uk/](https://www.theamazingnorthamptonrun.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9 Eat Curious [https://eat-curious.com/](https://eat-curious.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Cobblers Tackle Food Waste URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/cobblers-tackle-food-waste-2/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T13:10:35.000Z *Damon Fox, Business Development Manager and sustainability lead at the Northampton Town Community Trust, shares the club's latest green initiative. He was also guest speaker at our May public meeting (*). We are very excited to be launching the second instalment of our Sustainability project for this year at the Community Trust for schools, businesses and families, called ***Cobblers Tackle Food Waste*** \- [download the poster here.](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Cobblers-Tackle-Food-Waste-June-2024.jpg?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) This is part of a funded project running until the end of 2024 looking at how we can influence and support behaviour change of people, businesses and schools with reducing their Food Waste. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/06/Cobblers-posters.png) These are the downloadable posters If you could [download the posters](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Cobblers%5FTackle%5FFood%5FWaste%5FActivity%5FGraphics?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and put them up around your office, school or community centre to increase engagement that would be great. You as an employee of a business, student at a school, or an individual, can take part by signing up and creating a team name before adding your school or business name as your community for three weeks to compete for the ***Cobblers Food Waste Cup***, starting on June 17th. If you wish your organisation to take part please contact me at [damon.fox@ntfc.co.uk](mailto:damon.fox@ntfc.co.uk) so I can add your business to the community tab to make sure all your actions and goals from you and your employees will go to the right team! Sign up here - [https://cobblerstackle.co.uk/](https://cobblerstackle.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) There is also a video discussing the project and what it aims to do for the county: [Cobblers Tackle Food Waste (Subtitled)Introducing Cobblers Tackle Food Waste, a new project aiming to reduce food waste in our local community.To find out how you can get involved, please visit n…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/7c7f96b0/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Wc7wCzKhYcc/maxresdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCIAKENAF8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-CYAC0AWKAgwIABABGFUgVihlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDyHk6sQ07V9qHtjimp0M-gJp8sPg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc7wCzKhYcc&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) There are some amazing prizes to win in the Cobblers Tackle Food Waste Cup: - **Most green goals scored** \- Ultimate match-day experience (meet the manager and players, and get a great seat) for you and a guest. - **Complete a 10-day scoring streak** \- Enter a prize draw to win a signed Men's or Women's 1st team shirt. - **Complete the survey** \- Enter a prize draw to win 2 tickets to an EFL League match during the 23/24 season. - **Score at least 1 green goal** \- Prize draw to win a Clarence the Dragon teddy bear (5 winners). Please don't hesitate to [contact me](mailto:damon.fox@ntfc.co.uk?subject=Enquiry%20from%20CA-WN%20Exchange) with any questions! And please share with your friends, colleagues and family members. ### Bees - culture and survival URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/what-bees-need/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T13:05:04.000Z This edition of the long-running radio 4 programme Start The Week was recommended by Peter Nalder of South Court Environmental. Here's what he had to say: > **'What Bees Need'** > Listen to this on the radio if you can, online or on-repeat if available: It’s the 45-minute ‘Start the Week’ programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 9 am on May 13th. > It was excellent on the subject of bees – not just honeybees – and what the many UK bee species need in order to ‘get a life’. > I’d like to have a single session or a series of discussions before long with all and any members who have also listened to it. But tell me if you would prefer instead to have some brief notes I’ve made from listening to it. > The conversation will be about what you’ve heard or reread. And relating it to what more we need to be doing for bees on each of our sites. Or your very own site, of course. [Start the Week - Bees – culture and survival - BBC SoundsTom Sutcliffe with Wolfgang Buttress, Claire Preston, Lars Chittka and Alison Benjamin![](https://static.files.bbci.co.uk/sounds/web/sounds-web/img/sounds-apple-touch-icon.ead169771d.png)BBC![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1024x576/p0c6mgtk.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001z65q?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 See our other Podcastshelf recommendations ### Maidwell-being URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/maidwell-being/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T13:03:34.000Z *Fiona Howes, resident of Maidwell and member of Maidwell-being, tells us about the group and their activities.* Maidwell-being is about finding ways to help each other within our community, share skills, improve our environment, save money and build friendships. Although started by a small group, we are hoping that as many people as possible in Maidwell will become involved with whichever aspects interest them and carry ideas forward. Our first initiative was to renovate the village bus shelter to use as a book and jigsaw puzzle exchange, helping with sustainability. We have also provided some community recycling bins for items that shouldn’t go in household waste or recycling bins (e.g. batteries, light bulbs, blister packets, contact lenses packets, crisp packets, toothbrushes, etc). Since January 2024 we have been running drop-in sessions at the village hall on the second Saturday of each month. The first event had: - A tech support team - A repair station - Sewing and crafting advice - A solar panel expert - Rita the Refill Roadster – the mobile van from Market Harborough’s Refill Revolution, the zero-waste shop - A Wombling sign-up station (for litterpicking) - Representatives from West Northamptonshire Council - Lots of coffee and cakes! The tech support team and Rita the Refill Roadster now attend all drop-in sessions and each month we try to include a new activity (making pine cone bird feeders, learning to crochet, plant/seed swaps). To raise environmental awareness, Sustainable West Northants ([https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/sustainable-west-northants](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/sustainable-west-northants?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)) came to our April meeting with their “How bad are bananas” carbon footprint game ([bananasgame.co.uk](https://bananasgame.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) for more information) and Climate Action-West Northamptonshire came to our June meeting, the discussion providing us with some great ideas about our environment and bio-diversity. Spin-off events have included a Connecting Families event run jointly by Northants ACRE and Northamptonshire Adult Learning who advised on digital skills and provided Morsbags ([https://morsbags.com/](https://morsbags.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)) filled with goodies to help keep us warm and toasty. More digital know-how workshops have taken place, looking at using Zoom/FaceTime, online/mobile banking, online shopping, accessing the NHS/Post Office online and prevention against scamming. Future initiatives will include setting up a services directory to go on the village website providing details of recommended, reliable service providers (electricians, boiler servicing, builders, decorators, tilers, chimney sweeps, carpenters, etc) agreeing areas around the village that can help promote bio-diversity and (hopefully!) setting up ‘Repair Shop’ sessions and equipment/skills swaps. ### Our Housing Disaster: and what we can do about it URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/our-housing-disaster-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T13:01:13.000Z This little book, smaller than A5 and just 180 pages, by Julian Richer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, examines how our housing got to such a disastrous situation and suggests what we can do about. This is an essential and quick read for anyone wishing to understand the causes of today’s housing crisis and read about possible cures. (A copy is being acquired for the CA-WN Lending Library ) 📖 See our other Bookshelf recommendations ### New Local Plan for West Northamptonshire URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/new-local-plan-for-west-northamptonshire/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T14:35:54.000Z ## **West Northamptonshire Council is preparing a new Local Plan to guide the future development of our region.** ### This post reveals how local planners made it possible to allow huge scale developments in the open countryside near Towcester. Harry Mellor – a resident of Easton Neston, the Parish next to Towcester – suggests that we should be vigilant and make sure there's no attempt to do anything like this in our new Local Plan. The first that most people around Towcester knew about their new **Local Plan** was when development proposals for land north of the town were published. On the A5 north of Towcester a logistics company proposed a distribution centre and alongside, on the A43, another property developer proposed a mixed-use business/industrial park (Figure 1 above). Until these proposals were revealed it was generally believed that Council Planners had protected the open countryside around Towcester from developments such as these super-sized sheds, more usually seen at motorway junctions. **Why** permission has been granted is a question to be answered by the Councillors who sat on the committees that approved the Local Plan. **How** the Council Planners justified the inclusion of these development sites in the Local Plan is set out below. ## Background Since medieval times Towcester has existed as a market town on historic Watling Street, a strategically significant national transport route, now the A5\. By the turn of the 21st century the town was losing its attractiveness. Through traffic was being held up in the town centre and at intersections; local traffic and pedestrians were struggling for access. Central area air quality was very poor. Behind the market square, buildings were standing empty, historic sites were overgrown and inaccessible, and the River Tove – which gave Towcester its name – was in a sorry state. Towcester needed regeneration. At that time urban and regional planning was in the hands of Development Corporations, publicly funded specialists looking at the big picture of local needs and deciding what action to take to meet those needs. For Towcester it was the **West Northamptonshire Development Corporation** that in 2004 took on the responsibility for planning its evolution into a modern market town, successful enough to serve the needs of everyone living in the local area for the next 25 years. The close involvement of residents was seen as crucial for ensuring the successful delivery of the plan, so the local Council invited contributions to a future **Vision for Towcester** at the earliest planning stage (Figure 2). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/Ref-0-Town-crier-march-2006.png) Figure 2 South Northamptonshire Council’s 2006 ****Vision for Towcester** advertisement in the Town Council’s magazine ## The Towcester Masterplan By the summer of 2009 a draft of the **Towcester Masterplan** was ready for public consultation. A detailed questionnaire1 with supporting documents (Figure 3) clearly set out and explained the Masterplan proposals2,3. Public exhibitions, attended by Council staff to answer questions, added further to the effective public communication of the proposals within the Masterplan. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/Towcester_Consultation_Leaflets-combo.png) Figure 3 The Towcester Masterplan public consultation documents: Left, the 22-page questionnaire1, middle and right, two volumes of supporting information – in all 38 illustrated explanatory pages2,3 In 2011, following these lengthy consultations, **South Northamptonshire Council** formally adopted two volumes of the **Towcester Masterplan**4,5 (Figure 4). It was designed to guide Towcester’s future development up to 2026. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/Ref-4-TowcesterMasterplan_Vol1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/Ref-5-Towcester_Masterplan_Vol_2.png) Figure 4 The two volumes of the Towcester Masterplan4,5 ### Setting a green boundary A key feature of the **Towcester Masterplan** for 2026 was the acknowledgement that: > The town will grow, but will have a clear ‘green edge’, that sets a maximum limit to this growth, sets a boundary and ensures that urban sprawl is prevented. Areas around Easton Neston and Caldecote are particularly sensitive. > (Vol. 1, p. 80) In line with this principle, the Masterplan shows Towcester surrounded by its ‘Green Edge’, there to prevent sprawling growth. The snake-like red line running from the bottom left, up and out at the top right edge in Figure 5 below is the very heavily trafficked A43 dual carriageway that connects Brackley, via J15a of the M1, to Northampton. Built in the 1980s this is the 'Northern Bypass' that took through traffic well away from the town, though it couldn't divert drivers on the A5, Watling Street, the very straight red line running diagonally down to the right of the diagram. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/Ref-4-TowcesterMasterplan-Vol-1.png) Figure 5 The protective ‘green edge’ enclosing the town, shown in the Towcester Masterplan (Vol. 1, p. 33) ## All change: the introduction of ‘Localism’ In 2011 the Localism Act6 abolished Development Corporations and transferred their plan-making role to local authorities. It became the duty of District and Town Councils to work with neighbouring authorities on regional planning issues and Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire councils set up a **Joint Planning Unit** . The Joint Planning Unit, like the predecessor Development Corporation, looked at the big picture of local needs, decided what action to take to meet those needs and formulated an area-wide strategic development plan they called the **West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy Local Plan (Part 1)**7 (Figure 6). Each of the three individual councils was then expected to go ahead and formulate their own **Part 2** Local Plans. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/Ref-7-Cover-South-Northamptonshire-Local-Plan-Part-1.png) Figure 6 West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy Local Plan (Part 1) For Towcester, the strategy was to promote the town as a Rural Service Centre, with new homes south of the town in a Sustainable Urban Extension – precisely as agreed in the earlier Towcester Masterplan. Residents like me were particularly reassured to read: > The landscape setting of Towcester is considered to be of medium sensitivity due to the surrounding historic parks, gardens, ancient woodland and topography. The areas around **Easton Neston** and Caldecote are particularly sensitive. 7 > (Section 14.3) ## South Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 So, while Towcester’s central regeneration was underway, officers at South Northamptonshire Council began adding features to their **Local Plan Part 2**. Arguments for the location of development sites were based, they wrote, on the Towcester Masterplan. ### A new employment area In their 2017 **Part 2** draft they identified sites north of theA43 Towcester Bypass as offering ‘an opportunity for business and general industrial development’ (p. 123). This could have arisen from a labelling error on a diagram on page 30 of the Masterplan Volume 2, which wrongly located part of the 16-hectare **Tove Valley Business Park** as extending north beyond the Towcester Bypass, alongside the Bell Plantation garden centre on the A5 and at Daventry Road Farm (the Woolgrowers’ Field) opposite, as shown in Figure 7. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/Tovbe-Valley---Vol-2.png) Figure 7 Development site TI, Tove Valley Business Park, incorrectly marked on a map in the Towcester Masterplan Vol. 2 The correct location of Tove Valley Business Park appears in the Masterplan Volume 1 (page 46) where it is clearly separated from the Bell Plantation by the A43 Bypass (Figure 8). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/Tove-Valley-Business-Park-1-1.png) Figure 8 Employment sites, correctly showing Tove Valley Business Park at ****EM1** and Bell Plantation at ****EM5** The photographs in Figure 9 confirm the actual location of **The Northern Gateway – Tove Valley Business Park**, signposted **south,** not north of the A43/A5 junction as South Northamptonshire Council mistakenly stated. As the home to Tesco, Loughran Brothers, B & M, Screwfix, Porsche and others, residents will be very familiar with the Tove Valley Business Park. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/ToveValleySign.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/Towcester-Gateway.png) Figure 9 Towcester’s symbolic Northern Gateway and the entrance to Tove Valley Business Park, on the southern side of the A43 Towcester Bypass Having justified this new employment area the Council in their next draft of the Local Plan Part 2, went on to identify an additional, adjacent site for development, solely on the grounds that it sat alongside. The **South Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2, 2011–2029**8 was completed and unanimously adopted at an online meeting of the **South Northamptonshire Council** in 20209, largely unnoticed by a country in Covid lockdown. Other than the Councillors present at that adoption meeting, few people were aware that sites for future development had been allocated in the Masterplan’s ‘Green Edge’, a fact only revealed when planning applications for massive warehouses were submitted. Compare and contrast the earlier elaborate public participation exercises leading up to agreeing the Towcester Masterplan with South Northamptonshire Council’s public engagement on behalf of their 2020 Local Plan. ## Seeing the bigger picture The enormous scale of these development sites can be seen in Figure 10\. At around a fifth of the size of the existing town, their dominating presence, and the extra traffic they'll create, will irreversibly alter the character that once had been the key attraction of Towcester and its surrounding open countryside. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/Towcester-today-tomorrow.png) Figure 10 Left, Towcester in 2020, right, purple patches showing the extreme scale of future development sites north of the town in the Easton Neston and Caldecote area. Map data from OpenStreetMap ©OpenStreetMap contributors These commercial development sites **were never published** in their full context like this, which might explain why so few people were aware of their huge, combined size. All that had been seen of these site allocations, both by the public and probably by the South Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire Council Planning Committees, were individual plans10 that indicated neither their relationship with one another nor their collective dominance of the local landscape. Rather than the big picture a set of individual diagrams (collected here in Figure 11) were all that was needed to meet the document submission requirement of the Planning Inspectorate. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/05/ALs1-2-3.png) Figure 11 Policy AL1, AL2 and AL3 as published in an Appendix10 separate from the Local Plan main document These new development sites were facilitated by quoting selectively from the Towcester Masterplan: > The Towcester Masterplan – Volume 2, adopted by the council in March 2011 to guide regeneration proposals in Towcester, identifies parts of the Bell Plantation and Woolgrowers site as being within the ‘Tove Valley Business Park’ (Site TI - Northern Gateway) … > (Local Plan Part 2, Section 13.2.2) In fact, as shown in Figure 8 above, the Towcester Masterplan **did not** identify parts of the Bell Plantation and Woolgrowers site as being within the Tove Valley Business Park, a significant error in the evidence submitted by the Council to the Planning Inspectorate. ## Conclusion This may read as a personal Not In My Back Yard tirade. And it’s true, Easton Neston Parish has had to work hard to protect its Conservation Area status. Land speculators have ‘form’ in this area. Innocent people a few years ago were duped into investing in what were wrongly claimed to be potential house-plots in the fields around the Parish – the scammers were jailed. But for the 22,000 or so residents of Towcester and the surrounding communities the practical outcome of this Local Plan is **blight.** In planning terms ‘blight’ occurs when a potential development reduces property values. Nearby residents will see their homes devalued by the impact of noise, air and light pollution from whatever activity takes place in these new industrial sites, from earliest construction phases to regular commercial operations. For other residents of Towcester, a new site access roundabout on the A43 east of the town will create a shortcut for traffic into and through the town. This entirely predictable, newly generated volume of two-way traffic will blight the regenerated heart of Towcester, further damage its air quality and generally harm its long-term commercial prospects. To sum up more generally for West Northamptonshire: when the details in the new Local Plan emerge into daylight, they will need the closest of scrutiny to ensure that they don't deliver the negative outcomes that face Towcester and surrounding communities. ### References **Ref 1** Consultation Leaflet and Questionnaire for the draft Towcester Masterplan August 2009 - South Northamptonshire Council **Ref 2** The Towcester Masterplan Consultation – Volume 1 2011 - South Northamptonshire Council **Ref 3** The Towcester Masterplan Consultation – Volume 2 2011 - South Northamptonshire Council **Ref 4** The Towcester Masterplan – Volume 1 2011 - South Northamptonshire Council **Ref 5** The Towcester Masterplan – Volume 2 2011 - South Northamptonshire Council **Ref 6** Ref 6 Localism Act 2011 - HM Government Legislation \[Department for Communities and Local Government\] **Ref 7** South Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 1 – 2014 - South Northamptonshire Council **Ref 8** South Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 2011-2029 – 2020 - South Northamptonshire Council **Ref 9** Minutes of a meeting of the Council held as a Remote meeting on Wednesday 2 July 2020 at 6.00 pm. **Ref 10** South Northamptonshire Local Plan (Part 2) 2011–2029 Appendix 1: Proposals Maps Policies - 2020 South Northamptonshire Council ### Hummus - or Humous? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/hummus-or-humous/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:18:18.000Z Forty or so years ago, when Findus Frozen Pancakes were a staple for the mythical average family, because they were quick if you were in a rush, who could have imagined that hummus would regularly find its way into the British shopping basket? A quick snack, great for dipping carrots or as a filling for sandwiches, it is also easy to prepare, and the home-made variety is economical, has no artificial preservatives, and the finished article can be varied to accommodate taste. Essential ingredients are very basic – chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon, and salt and pepper. You will need a food processor, or a very efficient stick blender to complete the process. As always, I advocate using freshly prepared chickpeas, in part because it is a much cheaper option, but above all because the quality will be so much better than tinned ones, and you can cook dried chickpeas to the desired texture. If you’re preparing them from dry chickpeas need to soak for about 6 – 8 hours prior to cooking. After this, drain and rinse them under cold running water for a few seconds, put them in a large pan, add half a dried bay leaf and plenty of water, and bring to the boil. **Don’t** add salt to the water, as this is likely to impede the softening process. Once they have reached boiling point, turn the heat down, put a lid on the pan, and leave to simmer gently for around 45 minutes. Next, fish a couple of peas out and test them to see if they are cooked to your liking – we prefer them slightly al dente, but they need to be soft enough to make a smooth purée for the hummus. Remove the bay leaf and leave the peas in the cooking water to cool. Don’t discard the liquid – you may need some of it for the preparation of the hummus, and the rest can be frozen for use as stock in a stew or soup. At the risk of repeating myself from previous recipes, always use the best olive oil your purse will allow for dishes where the oil will be consumed without cooking. Alternatively, use a good quality rapeseed oil, which might be slightly less pricy. Many of the less expensive oils have a bitter aftertaste, which is masked when cooked, but in hummus, the taste of the oil is an important factor in the finished dish. Once the chickpeas are cool, drain them and place them in the food processor, or a fairly deep pudding basin if you are going to use a stick blender. You need enough depth that the peas won’t escape while you are blending them, but the base of the bowl shouldn’t be too wide, or it will be difficult to get the mass of the peas together while you’re wielding the stick blender. A food processor is much easier, but I have used both methods and both “work”, though the finished product is slightly different. You will need: 400g drained cooked chickpeas 1 tablespoonful or so of reserved cooking liquid from the peas. 3 cloves garlic or more, if you like 200 ml best olive oil Ground rock salt and black pepper to taste Splash of balsamic vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice Pulse the chickpeas until they are all broken up, then crush and add the garlic. Continue blending the mixture until it looks mashed. Now start to add the olive oil, a trickle at a time, as if making mayonnaise, continuing to pulse as you go. The objective is to blend in the oil, and it should incorporate relatively easily. You will not know exactly how much oil to use until you have checked it yourself for flavour and texture. Taste the mix from time to time, and when you feel happy with it, blend for another minute or two and check again. If it is too stiff, add a little of the cooking liquid, then the salt and pepper, and a splash of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, taking care not to overwhelm the flavours of chickpeas and oil. Pulse for another few moments, then set it aside in the fridge to cool. If you decide to use tinned chickpeas, don’t discard the liquid when you open the can, you can substitute this for the cooking fluid. After you’ve drained the chickpeas, run them under a cold tap for a moment or two, then continue as above. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs, and serve with toast and oil for dressing. Et bon appétit! 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### Café Hope interview with Paul Powlesland URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/cafe-hope/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:02:30.000Z In the week when the determined campaigners of the [Wellingborough Walks Action Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/saveourtreeswellingborough) (WWAG) take their case to a judicial review in the High Court, it seems appropriate to feature as our selected podcast an interview with Paul Powlesland. Paul's name may be familiar to you as the lawyer who gave interviews up a tree in support of the WWAG. He talks about this in the programme, as well as how he came to found Lawyers for Nature and why he spends a lot of his free time cleaning up his local river. [BBC Radio 4 - Café Hope, The barrister defending natureHow a barrister uses his knowledge to help protect nature.![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/272x272/p0hl7tc6.jpg)BBC![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1200x675/p0hl7tc6.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001ypyh?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### At the Museum - launching our Lending Library URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn/ Last updated: 2024-05-01T12:47:54.000Z In April we held our second face-to-face gathering at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. It was lovely to get the chance to catch up with familiar friends, and to connect with some new people. We also used this event to launch the new CA-WN Lending Library and were delighted that several people took advantage of it to borrow some great reading material. More on the Lending Library [here](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-library/). We will aim to have another in-person get-together in 2 or 3 months, but perhaps outdoors next time as it will be a summer event. ### Southern Italy by rail? popcawn May 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popcawn-may-2024-the-railway-story/ Last updated: 2024-04-30T20:51:36.000Z I used to think views like this came at the price of flight, but this photo was taken without me getting above 3000ft above sea level (and that was through a magical alpine pass). This is the view from Sorrento across the bay of Naples towards Vesuvius on my family holiday in April this year. It’s probably my favourite of a number of stunning views we witnessed from the train window as the landscape transformed along our rail journey south across Europe. Many people are curious about switching planes for trains in Europe, given the immense carbon cost of flying. A number of my friends and family have asked for details of the journey so here’s a short account in case you too are curious about long distance rail travel in Europe. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/04/Stations-2-1-1.png) The first step was to tap into the invaluable resources from the Man in Seat 611. His is a fascinating website and gave us the confidence to embark on the adventure with our two children. We chose to travel to Italy via Switzerland, taking two days to get to Rome first and then on to Sorrento. There are alternative routes and you can get between London and Rome in a single day1, but we allowed generous connection times and aimed for child-friendly bedtimes and teen-friendly wake up times (within reason – but definitely not before 6am). As it was quite a detailed itinerary (unlike our rail trip to Barcelona a few years back) we opted to book train travel through a travel agent. Except for Eurostar, none of the tickets were available to book until 3 months prior to departure. The agent recommended a 5 day inter-rail pass and booked our seat reservations (these are mandatory in some countries and recommended in others). As there can be several flights of steps when changing trains (especially between inter-city and local or metro trains) we opted to bring two large bags, both of which could be carried on shoulders if necessary and one of which could be wheeled. I dealt with the ticketing and passports etc while my husband did the heavy lifting. Baggage isn’t really restricted on trains like it is when flying – as long as you can lift it to put in the racks it’s generally fine (but check out Man in Seat 61 for further details). It doesn’t matter if your passport is at the bottom of your main bag, nor does it matter if you bring 500ml of suncream in your hand luggage! Our first proper day of travelling began with the 8.01 Eurostar from London to Paris. Unlike train travel within mainland Europe there are baggage and border checks before boarding the Eurostar so we had to arrive at the station before 7am; we’d stayed overnight on Euston Road so it was only a 2 minute walk until we were in front of the magnificent façade of the historic St Pancras station.\* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/04/leaving-london-2-2-1.png) By 11.30am local time we were in Paris Gare du Nord, with plenty of time to get across the city to Gare de Lyon, where we would catch our next train. It’s just two stops on one metro line and we’d bought a carnet of 10 tickets on the Eurostar beforehand so we were all set. We enjoyed a relaxing lunch at the station before boarding our double decker train that would whisk us south, through the picturesque countryside around Dijon, past the Jura and over the Swiss border into Basel in just over 3 hours. A quick change at Basel and then we were on our hour-long trip to Zurich, catching our first glimpses of the majestic snow-capped peaks of the Alps. Arriving in Zurich we dropped our bags at our hotel then went off to complete the trilogy of having each meal of the day in a different country. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/04/Views-1.png) I was so excited for the next leg of the journey and getting up close to some mountains! We caught the 8.33 to Milan, having arrived at the station just after 8am, giving us time to grab a coffee, fill in the inter-rail tickets and trick my husband into thinking I was sat apart from them (the seating plan on this train is a bit quirky!). Shortly after leaving Zurich the views rolled in – expansive lakes, looming mountains and snow on the ground as we went over the Gotthard pass. Needless to say I didn’t get much reading done on that trip – it was pretty much 4 hours’ worth of views! We had our passports checked at our seats as we crossed the border into Italy, so when we reached Milan it was a case of getting off one train then finding the platform for our next train, to Rome. Three hours of watching the scenery change through Tuscany and we arrived in Rome late afternoon relaxed and ready for a few days of sightseeing. We set off for Sorrento via a mid-morning high speed train to Naples and then catching the very slow, very basic circumvesuviana train that shuttles around the area connecting Naples and Sorrento. Both train journeys that morning took just over one hour, but covered very different distances! We couldn’t use our inter-rail tickets on the circumvesuviana nor make seat reservations. Being a main mode of transport serving Pompeii and Herculaneum it was understandably busy and a wholly different experience from the comfort and space on the inter city train from Rome into Naples. Nonetheless it was enjoyable and humbling to trundle around the base of one of the most renowned volcanoes in the planet. When our fabulous time in Sorrento came to an end, we essentially re-traced our steps up to Milan arriving there in the early afternoon. From there we travelled direct to Basel, taking a different but equally stunning route through the Alps. We spent the last night of our holiday in Basel, setting off from there mid-morning after a short walk around the old town. We headed back to Paris, had a lovely lunch near Gare du Nord then caught our Eurostar back to London. We stepped off the Eurostar at 7.45pm and were on the train waiting to depart for Wellingborough by 8pm. Travelling across Europe by train may require a bit more planning, with a longer journey time than hopping on a flight, but my husband and I agreed that we really can’t quantify the benefits of the rail journey. Comprehending the distance travelled, watching the landscape transform, experiencing multiple languages, cultures and the variety of food. It certainly didn’t feel like we were missing out by not flying – in fact the journey was one of the highlights of the whole trip and I’m still buzzing from it! I’d love to hear about any long distance journeys you have made – please do feel free to share in the comments below! Footnotes 1\. [The Man in Seat 61 | The train travel guide](The%20Man%20in%20Seat%2061%20|%20The%20train%20travel%20guide) [https://www.seat61.com/](https://www.seat61.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) This is an excellent resource for anyone planning a rail trip \*Otherwise it’s a 10 minute walk from Euston Station (destination for trains from Northampton) or 2 minutes from the domestic platform if you are arriving into St Pancras from Wellingborough. ### The Big River Watch May 4-6 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-big-river-watch/ Last updated: 2024-04-30T20:51:01.000Z ### The Big River Watch is back for another exciting weekend of citizen science Our rivers are in trouble. They're struggling under the weight of plastics, sewage, chemicals, and much more, with no river stretches in England or Northern Ireland classified as being in good overall health. But you can help! Join in the Big River Watch this Bank Holiday weekend and be part of the solution in three easy steps: Download the free Big River Watch app, available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Take part! Visit your local river, or explore a new one, and spend 15 minutes observing and recording what you see in the simple in-app survey. You'll gather vital data on everything from wildlife sightings to pollution levels. Not sure what you're seeing? Not to worry, the in-app guides will help you identify common species and different kinds of pollution. What’s more, you'll spend 15 meaningful minutes connecting with nature, so it's good for our rivers and for you. The perfect activity for a Bank Holiday weekend. The results from the previous Big River Watch weekend were astounding, with over 5,000 participants submitting over 3,600 surveys! By gathering more data over a longer period of time a clearer picture can be painted of river health across the UK and Ireland. Collected data are used to drive policy change, support clean-up efforts, and pinpoint areas in urgent need of restoration. Will you join the BigRiverWatch? [Learn more and get involved](https://theriverstrust.org/take-action/the-big-river-watch?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ### Baldrick’s Cunning Plan for Food Self-sufficiency in the face of Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/baldricks-cunning-plan-for-food-self-sufficiency-in-the-face-of-climate-change/ Last updated: 2024-04-30T20:50:36.000Z A recent article in the *Fruit Trades Journal* explains the effect of the weather on UK food supplies. Whether you try to support local production or are happy to patronise a supermarket, the problems facing growers are the same. Consumers will experience high prices and shortages unless Baldrick’s Cunning Plan works. Rather than me write about the situation, better that CA-WN readers should get the facts from an expert by following the link below. [Flooded fields highlight imbalance in risk to reward for UK veg growersTim O’Malley, group managing director of UK grower-importer Nationwide Produce, highlights the current weather challenges facing the fresh produce industry![](https://www.fruitnet.com/magazine/dest/graphics/favicons/mstile-144x144.png)FruitnetTim O’Malley![](https://d3fwccq2bzlel7.cloudfront.net/Pictures/1024x536/8/8/0/127880_timomalleycroppedlowres_929669.jpg)](https://www.fruitnet.com/fresh-produce-journal/flooded-fields-highlight-imbalance-in-risk-to-reward-for-uk-veg-growers/259878.article?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### WNC Local Plan Consultation URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/wnc-local-plan-consultation/ Last updated: 2024-05-31T14:08:53.000Z West Northamptonshire Council has prepared a draft Local Plan, out for consultation until 2 June. ‘Local Plan’ is a fairly bland term which perhaps doesn’t convey how very important this document is in determining the future shape of our area and communities – in the case of this Plan until 2041\. > **The Planning Inspectorate:** > “A local plan addresses housing needs and other economic, social and environmental priorities by setting a foundation for longer-term decision making of how a place should change over the next 15 years or so.” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b14b\_h39\_o0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b14b%5Fh39%5Fo0&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) So as residents of West Northamptonshire, we all have skin in the Local Plan game, and ought to take this infrequently offered opportunity to put forward our views. There are two ways you can respond to the consultation. Firstly, by using WNC's online questionnaire. This invites comments on each of the 15 chapters of the Plan and on the Sustainability Appraisal, plus asking if you agree/don’t agree with the policies within each chapter. There is also an opportunity for more general comments. You do not need to provide comments on every chapter. The second option is to send an email to localplan@westnorthants.gov.uk setting out your views and concerns. This is less time-consuming, especially if there are just one or two specific issues you want to raise. \*\*Added 31/05/24\*\* If active travel (cycling, walking, wheeling) is one of your concerns, Living Streets Northampton have done an excellent analysis of the council's actions on this and published their response to the Local Plan on their website. The Living Streets response covers active travel very comprehensively and can either be added to the CA-WN comments below to complete the consultation questionnaire, or pasted into an email. [https://livingstreetsnorthampton.org/local-plan-consultation/](https://livingstreetsnorthampton.org/local-plan-consultation/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The draft Plan and supporting documentation can be found on the WNC consultation page. [Have your say on West Northamptonshire’s new draft Local Plan - West Northamptonshire Council - Citizen SpaceFind and participate in consultations run by West Northamptonshire Council![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/favicon.ico)Have your say on West Northamptonshire's new draft Local Plan![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/os-custom-logos/screenshot-2023-08-09-at-14.24.30.png)](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/planning/west-northamptonshires-local-plan-reg18/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) CA-WN has sent in a response – our comments are included below for your reference. You are welcome to refer to or copy these as much as you like for your own response to the questionnaire. We haven’t commented on every chapter, as we focused on the areas we felt were most relevant to the climate crisis. --- ## CA-WN response to the consultation: ***Chapter 1: Introduction*** No comments ***Chapter 2: Spatial Portrait, Vision and Objectives*** No comments **Chapter 3: A Spatial Strategy for West Northamptonshire** *CA-WN comments on 3.2.4 Planning Practice Guidance* This section states “The strategy of this Plan and the policies that flow from it seeks to meet the guidance set out in PPG.” The Climate Change Mitigation report included in the evidence base for the plan suggests on several occasions: “Require higher than national standards of sustainable design and construction in new development and refurbishment requiring planning permission, e.g. via a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), backed by financial viability evidence.” We therefore request this section is amended to allow for higher than national standards e.g.: “The strategy of this Plan and the policies that flow from it seeks to meet the guidance set out in PPG, ***or to deliver higher than national standards where necessary to achieve required levels of climate mitigation and adaptation***”. **Chapter 4: Placemaking** *CA-WN comments on Policy PL3 – Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Schemes* We request amendment as follows: "Proposals for large-scale renewable energy development will be supported where, with appropriate mitigation, they do not have a ***significant*** adverse impact on any of the following" It may be necessary to accept limited adverse impact in some cases and not allowing for this is overly restrictive. *CA-WN comments on Policy PL4 - Low Carbon and Renewable Energy for New Development.* This statement: "Commercial developments should, where practical, incorporate renewable energy into their proposal including the provision of on-site renewable energy, and low carbon technologies such as solar panels or ground source heat pumps." is unsatisfactory as it allows developers to claim that use of renewable energy is not practical. New commercial developments reliant on fossil fuel for energy are instantly obsolete and will make it harder for the area as a whole to achieve Net Zero. We request removal of the words 'where practical'. This summary of the policy does not make it clear that it is relevant to existing as well as new buildings, though this is the case according to clause 12.5.2\. (“Proposals for low carbon and renewable energy will be considered against policy PL4”). We request the PL4 summary is amended to make clear the relevance of this policy to existing buildings. *CA-WN comments on Policy PL10 PSID - Healthy Food Choices - Any other approaches we should consider:* Identifying areas where retail outlets offering healthy, good value food choices are not readily accessible to all residents and taking steps to address these eg by actively supporting applications for such outlets or supporting community initiatives to provide healthy, good value food. ***We did not have any comments on Chapters 5 to 10*** **Chapter 11: Economic Growth** *CA-WN comments on Policy EC9 - Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) and Northampton Gateway:* We request clarification of: "C. Development proposals will be required to: ii. Integrate green energy principles into their designs, materials and construction process;" The vagueness of 'green energy principles' as a term could be exploited to deliver minimum possible adherence. We request that a reference be added to documented standards setting out what this term means in practice. *CA-WN additional comments on this chapter:* We welcome the statement under 11.3.3: "In order to meet this shortfall a site has been identified to the south of Junction 15 of the M1\. .....There is therefore no further need for strategic warehousing in West Northamptonshire." and anticipate that future planning applications for more warehousing will therefore be declined. **Chapter 12: Built and Natural Environment** *CA-WN comments on Policy BN10 - Biodiversity Net Gain:* Wording 'aspiring to deliver' in clause B is weak. We request wording of clauses A.ii. and B. are aligned, so that B reads: "Exempted development must achieve no net loss of biodiversity and should achieve appropriate net gains, **making provision for** at least 10% biodiversity net gain" *CA-WN comments on Policy BN12 - Trees and Hedgerow in Developments:* Points A and B are duplicated, requires correction: “A. Proposals for development should seek to integrate existing trees, woodland and hedgerows. B. Proposals for development should seek to integrate existing trees, woodland and hedgerows.” *CA-WN additional comments on this chapter:* ‘Built environment’ in this chapter seems to mean ‘historic built environment’. Consideration needs to be given also to the large number of more modern buildings which are sub-standard in terms of energy efficiency. We request wording change as follows: “12.5\. Climate change 12.5.1\. The historic **and modern** built environment can play an important role in mitigating the effects of climate change and can produce significant benefits for the environment in West Northamptonshire. Appropriate changes to historic **and modern** buildings can greatly improve their energy efficiency as well as ensuring that the CO₂ emissions embodied within existing buildings are not lost through demolition.” We request clarification of the following: “12.5.2\. Proposals for low carbon and renewable energy will be considered against policy PL4” (Policy PL4 - Low Carbon and Renewable Energy for New Development). The brief summary of PL4 included in the plan does not obviously make it an appropriate vehicle for assessing changes to existing buildings. We request summary of PL4 is amended to make clear its relevance to existing buildings. **Chapter 13: Transport** *CA-WN comments on Policy TR3 – Future Transport Schemes:* “D. Consideration will also be given to the provision of a Northampton Northern Orbital Road”. We contend that planning for a vision of the future prioritising active travel and public transport is compromised by choosing to invest in new roads. Building new roads has been proved to have the effect of generating more traffic. We request that this point is removed. *CA-WN additional comments on this chapter*: Under 13.2.8\. the ‘Connected communities’ objectives listed are largely focused on roads and cars, with no mention of active travel. This appears to reflect a gap in the Corporate Plan, which includes no objectives relevant to active travel. We request this is addressed in the next version of the Corporate Plan. **Chapter 14: Infrastructure** *CA-WN additional comments on this chapter:* 14.2.7\. “To achieve the above priorities this Plan supports the provision of infrastructure that will help achieve Net Zero by 2030”. The target of Net Zero by 2030 relates to WNC as an entity only – the context here implies this clause should reference the area-wide Net Zero target of 2045. **Chapter 15: Implementation and Monitoring Framework** *CA-WN additional comments on this chapter:* Please explain how any exceptions to the policies set out in the Local Plan will be approved and reported. An annual Authorities Monitoring Report published a long time after the event is not sufficient to enable policy exceptions to be tracked and any trends identified. In order for policies to be effective there must be transparent and timely reporting of exceptions and the reasons for these. ***General comments on the draft Plan*** No comments **Sustainability Appraisal** *CA-WN comments on 6.16 SA 15*: "To minimise West Northamptonshire’s contribution to climate change and be adaptable to unavoidable climate change" The detailed commentary in this section makes no reference to activities that will support the aim of being adaptable to climate change, although many are set out in the Climate Change Adaptation Report. *CA-WN comments on* *Table 7.1: Summary of Proposed Mitigation* "Objective 15 To minimise West Northamptonshire’s contribution to climate change and be adaptable to unavoidable climate change" The proposed mitigations are limited, mentioning only EV charging points and maximising renewables ‘as far as possible’. Other mitigations include prioritising and providing facilities for active travel and public transport, requiring flood risk assessments, buildings to be designed to reduce risk of overheating, use of green infrastructure to provide shade and cooling. ### Possible, Ways to Net Zero by Chris Goodall URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/possible/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:05:12.000Z Chris Goodall runs the [Carbon Commentary newsletter](https://carboncommentary.substack.com/), and is the author of [*The Switch*](https://earthbound.report/2016/08/03/book-review-the-switch-by-chris-goodall/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and [*What We Need to Do Now*](https://earthbound.report/2020/02/24/book-review-what-we-need-to-do-now-by-chris-goodall/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). A number of his books feature in CA-WN's L[ending Library](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-library/) list. *Possible* is another example of his clear explanations of what sustainability requires, this time taking a global look at net zero targets. In earlier books he calls for 'electrifying everything' with a focus on the car industry. In this book he looks at the tougher challenge of decarbonising trucks, flights, shipping, cement and steel — sectors that are harder to electrify. Goodall sets out the many hurdles that need to be overcome, but ultimately concludes that solutions will be found in a world where technological progress is coming faster than widely realised. New tech featured includes Sweden’s H2 Green Steel, California’s Fortera cement substitute, Hong Kong garment-to-garment recycling, Finnish turbine company Coolbrook, Norwegian e-fuels, and Captura’s innovative ocean CO2 capture. The book is helpfully set out with a look at sixteen challenges that we must overcome. He uses case studies and success stories from businesses around the world, which is interesting in and of itself. I haven't finished this book yet, but Chris Goodall is winning me over and I really do believe that a net zero future is possible. 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### The Better Business Act 2024: "A small change in the law will make a big change in the world." (Mary Portas) URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/a-small-change-in-the-law-will-make-a/ Last updated: 2024-04-27T13:35:14.000Z I set up a new business last year. So did 899,9991 other people. I did it online and followed the helpful steps on the UK government website as I went along. The process took approximately 15 mins and cost me £12\. My new company was registered within 24 hours. I hardly engaged my brain in the process, just ticked some boxes and clicked the Next button, anxious to get it done. Scary terms like ‘Memorandum of association’ and ‘articles of association’ were either already created automatically for me as part of my registration or required a tick selection of ‘standard’ or ‘default’ button. Whilst thankful for the automated, speedy, and cheap process (and suffering from the equivalent of white coat syndrome - surely the UK government company law experts know what they are doing), I went for the easy option. I now wish I’d given the process more time and due consideration. Or rather, I wish the standard, default, easy option was the best one. Because with hindsight, and I know I am not alone in thinking this, it isn’t. **So, what’s wrong with the standard, model articles of association?** There’s nothing wrong with them in the legal sense. They provide a good template for companies to start with. They are designed to be a ‘catch all’, simplifying what can be a complicated process. But they are now almost 20 years old and do not address the need for today’s businesses to be legally responsible for the wider implications of their day-to-day operations on society and the environment. **Can a nearly 20-year-old piece of legislation be updated?** Yes, and there is a coalition of 2,500 businesses working hard to achieve this. The Better Business Act2 campaign proposes an amendment to current company law and argues that it should be the duty of all Company Directors to operate the company in a manner that benefits not just the members of the business, but also wider society and the environment. The Better Business Act would like to see a change to the default purpose of a company to benefit its shareholders, with a mandatory triple bottom line purpose for all companies. In a survey of 2,000 UK adults, the Campaign found that 78% of them support the call to make businesses legally responsible for their impact on the planet and people. If the Act succeeds and becomes law, companies will no longer be able to choose whether to align the long-term interests of people, planet, and profit; instead, it will be the default option. **What are the other benefits of reforming company law?** Research carried out by think tank Demos3 and backed by the Better Business Act coalition shows that purpose-led businesses ranging from B Corporations, social enterprises and community businesses following a stakeholder governance approach could boost GDP by 7%. On top of this, the research details that such businesses are looking at increased levels of R&D expenditure and capital investment along with backing pay rises for the lowest paid. **So, where has that left my business?** I amended my Articles, in accordance with relevant UK company law. This states that the shareholders can agree a change to the Articles by passing a ‘special resolution’, which is a 75% majority approval. I created a written resolution and added in the wording from the B Corp legal requirement stating that the purpose and operations of my business were to positively impact the wider society and the environment, not just me the shareholder. I sent my amended Articles and signed special resolution to Companies House, within a strict 15-day time frame and now on Companies House I can see my legal documents truly representing the values and purpose of my business, one that helps transform the economic system into a more inclusive, equitable and regenerative system that results in a material positive impact on society and the environment. It was a bit of a headache. How great would it be if next year’s cohort of business start-ups encountered a default and standard Articles of Association that automatically enrolled them in a new, better business model. If you’re interested in finding out more about the Better Business Act, the campaign is celebrating Better Business Day 2024 on Thursday 16th May and you can find out more on their website. 1 NatWest and Beauhurst’s [New Startup Index](https://www.natwestgroup.com/news-and-insights/news-room/press-releases/enterprise/2024/feb/record-900000-new-companies-launched-in-2023.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2023 2 [Better Business Act](https://betterbusinessact.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 Think Tank Demos research – [The Purpose Dividend](https://demos.co.uk/research/the-purpose-dividend/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) – Nov 2023 ### St Katherine’s Garden Project URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/st-katherines-garden-project/ Last updated: 2024-04-25T12:06:31.000Z ### The Project - April 2024 There is a global biodiversity crisis resulting from the same human activity that is changing our climate and weather. At the Conference of the Parties (COP) 15 for Biodiversity held in Montreal, Canada, in 2023, nations pledged to increase biodiversity by 30% by 2030 in various ways. Northampton Town Council’s St Katherine’s Garden Project supports the COP’s target number 12: ‘Enhance Green Spaces and Urban Planning for Human Well-being and Biodiversity.’ [https://www.cbd.int/gbf/targets/12](https://www.cbd.int/gbf/targets/12?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The project is also part of Northampton in Bloom, underpinned by the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) guidelines to enhance perennial and sustainable planting. There is an urgency to restore habitat loss throughout the UK with urban areas providing huge opportunities. Private gardens, community green space, river valleys, allotments, traffic islands, alleyways and verges are being restored, rewilded or re-planted across the country. Urban ecology is an increasingly important area of academic research because of the relationship between quality urban planting and well-being. Many shrubs, trees and even low growing plants also mitigate against air pollution. Wherever there is a patch of soil there is life; soil supports plant life and animal life from soil microbes to people. Our St Katherine’s Garden project has become an important expression of the interconnections between people and nature and the importance of restoring a neglected space equally for Northampton’s residents and for nature. ### The Team The planning, preparation and restoration has combined the efforts of different stakeholders: Northampton’s Business Improvement District who provided the funding, Northampton Town Council with councillors and volunteers from the Climate Change Forum, Northampton in Bloom, Northampton College and the Hope Centre who built the planters, St Katherine’s Church and various community groups including Immediate Justice. Praise must also be given to the dedicated Veolia employee who clears and tidies up on a daily basis. ### The Planting All plants have been selected for all-year-round structure, texture, colour and for their role in providing habitat and food for invertebrates (including insects) and birds as a minimum. There is a mixture of evergreen and deciduous shrubs and herbaceous perennials. All are hardy and long lasting if taken care of. The three main areas of planting are the ‘mural planter’, the ‘sequence of three planters’ and the Royal British Legion memorial garden. Fuller information about the plants selected is at the bottom of the article. ### The Mural Planter **Prunus lusitanica* provides a dark evergreen and upright backdrop with showy white flower spires in spring. **Spirea arguta* produces white sprays of blossom in spring while the indigenous **Viburnum opulus* presents showy white pompoms. Lime green foliage of **Choisya ternate* contrasts with the evergreen of the **Prunus*. Colour comes from ground cover roses and herbaceous perennials such as achillea, salvias and campanulas ### The Sequence of Three Planters The planting design shows continuation, flow and connection across all three. **Photinia ‘pink marble’* forms the backdrop with **Viburnum bodnantense*. **Abelia grandiflora* and **Euonymous fortuneii* provide pink, burgundy and lime-green leaf colour all year. Ground cover roses e.g. ‘Magic Carpet’, produce pink colour variations from early summer to autumn. Herbaceous perennials will be planted among the shrubs to provide flower pollen for insects. A statuesque crab apple tree (**Malus rudolph*) is given a special place in the central planter to illustrate how one tree can provide for insects, spiders and birds all year: with scented pink blossom in spring to dense foliage from spring to autumn to the small fruit which should hang as food for birds over the winter before they fall and compost to the soil. Crab apple trees need pollinating partners for the fruit to form. A second smaller crab apple has been planted to ensure pollination and therefore fertilisation to form the fruit. All fruit trees rely on one other for pollination. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/04/Planters.png) Sequence of three planters with deep pink blooms of the crab apple visible in the centre planter. ### The Royal British Legion Garden This garden will retain some of the artemisia, oriental poppies, peonies, and feverfew from last year. Lavender has been added to the artemisia to border the design, containing salvias, poppies, cornflowers, campanulas and ox-eye daisies many of which are wild flowers. All contribute to the red, blue and white theme. Included for structure and all year interest are Privet standards (**Ligustrum jonandrum*). St. Katherine’s Garden is a hidden gem - a lovely and peaceful urban space. It is there for all to enjoy and protect. It has been a joy to have been involved in the creation of this wonderful green space which is now remarkably improved for people and nature. Directions to St Katherine's Garden [https://www.parksandgardens.org/places/st-katherines-gardens](https://www.parksandgardens.org/places/st-katherines-gardens?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) --- ### Plant details **Prunus lusitanica**: Portuguese laurel has some benefits for wildlife, providing nesting habitats for birds, flowers for pollinators and berries for birds and small mammals. **Viburnam opulus:** The Guelder Rose is indigenous to British hedgerow ecosystems in providing pollen, nectar-rich flowers, and berries. In addition, it provides great cover and protection for birds, such as thrushes, robins, and blackbirds. Other Viburnum varieties in St Katherine’s are V. bodnantense which is winter flowering providing winter and **Choisya ternate:** The early spring flowers are fragrant and will attract pollinating insects seeking food in early spring. The insects will attract birds. The shrub can become dense enough to provide a nesting habit. **Euonymous fortuneii:** This evergreen shrub can provide cover for small mammals as it has a spreading habit **Ground Cover Roses:** These roses are great for attracting wildlife – birds feed on the autumn hips and the low branches provide shelter for many small creatures. **Malus rudolph:** The Crab apple is important for local wildlife, including blackbirds, thrushes and moles who all eat the fruit. Crab apple jelly is made from the fruit. **Abelia grandifloria** is known for attracting bees. It has nectar/pollen rich and tube-like flowers. **Ligustrum jonandrum** has been included to add height and structure to the RBL garden. If grown as a hedge it would provide shelter and shade for wildlife and will filter out air pollutants. **Osmanthus burkwoodii and Photinia pink marble** have been chosen for scent, colour and structure. Neither are indigenous to the UK but will contribute to carbon dioxide reduction through photosynthesis as all plants will and can provide shelter and shade for wildlife. Plants like these are used in housing developments because they are often drought resistant and tolerate poorer soils. Mixed with indigenous varieties they can offer mitigation against air pollutants. **Wild Flowers:** (poppies, cornflowers, feverfew): indigenous wildflowers are essential for restoring grassland habitat loss. **Herbaceous perennials** such as Lavender and Achillia will attract a range of insects and birds who will feed on the seeds. These two plants have very fine, feathery leaves which can act as air filters at ground level. The information above has been sourced from various gardening and wildlife sites including: [https://www.wildlifetrusts.org](https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [www.rhs.org.uk](http://www.rhs.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### CA-WN 18 April Meeting Report URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-18-april-meeting-report/ Last updated: 2024-04-23T19:29:17.000Z This month we welcomed as our guest speaker WNC Councillor JonathanHarris. Jonathan is a member of the council’s Sustainability Group and has represented the council at UK100 training workshops. He talked to us about the proposed Climate Strategy for West Northamptonshire Council, why it is necessary and how it will fit in with the council’s other projects aimed at improving sustainability and meeting its Net Zero commitments. ❗ Please note one urgent ask in these notes – there is a second consultation on the Northampton Station development, ending on ****29 April**. [Northampton Living Streets](https://livingstreetsnorthampton.org/northampton-station-proposal/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) have put together some really helpful notes on this so do take a few minutes to respond, it does make a difference. This meeting was recorded and can be watched on the CA-WN YouTube channel1. Jonathan’s slides are also available to download2. **Present**: Adrian Sherlock, Alexina Cassidy, Briony Askew, Christine Ware, David Garlick, Ella Sage, Emmie Williamson, Graham Robb, Harry Mellor, Hilary Haynes, James Hadfield, Jane Wood, John Crick, John Derick Ayson, Jonathan Harris, Leonie Beale, Lynda Moran, Maria Lee, Mick Lorkins, Mike Longman, Orianne Neyroud, Paul Tucker, Peter Conquest, Rupert Knowles, Stephen Clarke **Apologies**: Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater ## **Climate Strategy** Councillor Harris advised that he was speaking to us as a member of WNC’s cross-party Sustainability Group (SG), not as a member of the administration. The SG is advisory not a decision-making body, therefore relies on influencing rather than formal powers. ### **Context** ***2021*** · WNC re-declared climate emergency as a new unitary authority. Its 4 predecessor councils had effectively all declared climate emergency. ***2022*** · WNC joined the UK100 network of local authorities3, and at the same time made a commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2030 as a council and by 2045 for the entire area. These are challenging targets and 5 years ahead of current government legislation. · WNC introduced the UN 17 Sustainability Goals4 as a framework for its sustainability plan. · A representative of WNC attended first UK100 Leadership Academy · First WNC Baseline Emissions report published5. ***2023*** · JH attended second UK100 leadership academy – this was very useful and he is keen to make sure the council benefits from what he learnt. ***2024*** · Sustainability Group agreed there should be an overarching climate strategy. There are projects and plans relevant to the climate and sustainability agenda but currently no overarching perspective. Development of the strategy has been slightly delayed but they are now aiming for a draft strategy to go to Cabinet in July. ### **What’s happening now** · After attending the UK100 workshop JH mapped the UN goals to the council’s existing strategies (Anti-Poverty and Health & Wellbeing). Nothing already in place at the strategy level really covered climate. · The council’s Annual Sustainability Report5 will continue and will report updates on strategies including climate. It will also incorporate an emissions update. · The intention of the climate strategy is to provide direction, reflect work already happening and create alignment. · There is already a Net Zero Implementation group made up of officers which meets quarterly. This is an operational group. The SG is keen to engage with them. · The council needs ‘sub goals’ as well as the main 2030 and 2045 targets. · Key pillars for the climate strategy are: > o Energy > o Buildings > o Transport > o Waste > o Nature > o Economy\* · The first five of these build on work done by UK100\. ‘*Powers in Place: The handbook of local authority Net Zero powers*’6 is a bible of existing local authority powers published by UK100\. The overall view of UK100 is that these powers are not sufficient and are not localised enough. The document doesn’t really talk about economy though so this will be added within the strategy. · Threads cutting across all areas of the strategy: > o **Procurement** – for example sustainability/Net Zero was an important consideration when the new Highways contract was negotiated with Kier. > o **Engagement**. Need to do much more of this. > o **Resources**. Is there enough resource to do what is needed? The Sustainability Team is small but other departments also have some Net Zero remit. As part of the strategy development it is proposed to do a mapping exercise to identify all relevant resources. > o **Governance**. The Sustainability Manager is now able to comment on papers going to Cabinet though the process is not perfect. > o **Communication**. A key message from the UK100 weekend was to create immunisation to negative messages. This is about things like sending out creative positive messages proactively, rather than waiting for negative messages to hit and then trying to counter them. > o **Training** of officers and members. Hasn’t had much focus to date and needs to be built into the strategy. · Existing activities have been mapped to the six strategy pillars. This is slide 8 of the presentation – worth a look if you want to dig into the detail. Some activities are complete (Estate and Construction & Maintenance strategies) and are therefore coloured green on the slide. Items coloured amber are work in progress (eg Tree Policy, Local Plan), red means no progress (eg transport decarbonisation) and black means state of progress not confirmed. There is more work to be done on this. · A provisional structure for the strategy has been developed. WNC can learn from other UK 100 members. Examples from other councils are available online, JH highlighted Wiltshire, Cambridge City and North Somerset7. · The new Local Plan for West Northants is now in consultation. It is a major opportunity to ensure we have the right policies in place for our area and the right level of emphasis on climate. It really is important to have a look if you can. The full draft plan is about 900 pages – a shorter read is to focus on the policy section which is only 300 pages! JH advises that if there are just one or two points you really want to make these can be sent in by email rather than completing the full consultation. This option is available on the consultation site.8 · UK100 have joined forces with the Mission Zero coalition led by Chris Skidmore. A report out today, *Zero In*,9 focuses on how to accelerate climate action especially within local government. It includes key actions for local authorities and for government. It also introduces a pledge for local election candidates, a key element of which is to remove ‘culture wars’ from climate action. · The WNC Sustainability Group is cross party and is keen to create processes and governance systems which will withstand any changes at next year’s WN local elections. The climate strategy should not be politicised. JH ended with a slide highlighting a number of reference sources. There is no shortage of good advice. It has been challenging for JH to keep track - he tries to share key sources with officers and cabinet members at the council. Alignment is the challenge as it is possible to get pulled in lots of different directions. There are some regulatory driven initiatives which will support the climate agenda – WNC now has a full-time officer in place for local nature recovery, and the Tree Strategy work is going well. ## **Q&A** *Volunteer groups could be part of the resource?* It has been broadly agreed that groups such as CA-WN, Transition Town and others should be engaged before the climate strategy draft goes out for wider consultation. *Strategy needs key targets and timelines.* We’ve got the two big goals but yes definitely need intermediate milestones and sub goals. *Culture in the council* *– how are you feeling about that? This can be seen as least important when it should be most important. Could the change in leadership today possibly be positive?* I’m an opposition councillor so see things through that lens. In reality coming together from 4 councils into 1 was a massive task and other unitaries have said it is a 10-year journey. Covid is not an excuse but was a distraction. When talking about culture I mean this is not yet part of our DNA, climate is not talked about enough. In some reports produced by officers the mandatory climate change section does not really pick up climate impact correctly. This does require education and training. Doing this is a challenge when in some places there are still temporary staff or high levels of change. We’ve had carbon calculator training on the workplan for at least a year. There is a range of views across the council. The Local Plan is stronger than the previous iteration although could be more robust. There is a national government issue in terms of building regulations which could make things compulsory instead of ‘nice to have’. *Will community energy projects be in the mix?* They are in the local plan and there is more emphasis on local energy plans. JH attended an external briefing on this today. One council has created its own local area energy plan which is an expensive exercise. *Any views on officers and how much genuine commitment there is and how much work to do on education?* Similar to the councillor community – a wide range of views. Some people will see climate as really important and others won’t. There is definitely an education issue. As an example, the Net Zero delivery group meets quarterly which it could be argued is not often enough but you have to start somewhere. In a council structure you have to start the ball rolling and then try to build on it. The SG started quarterly and now meets monthly. General feeling is there is a lot of positive will but people are juggling day to day workload which can mean Net Zero sinks into the background. *Active Travel England is now a statutory consultee on large planning applications. John Crick has seen a response from them on the Northampton Station plan which was not favourable. Following changes a second response from Active Travel England was similarly scathing. Planning can be an adversarial process so it is good to see a professional government body like Active Travel England exercising its powers.* The same thing can be said of the lead local flood authority, which is WNC. Positively there is a paper proposing new byelaws for minor rivers regarding pollution etc (major rivers are covered by the Environment Agency), however the authority do not have the resource to do regular inspections. All councils are similarly short of resources. *Paul Tucker shared his experiences from his previous role as Sustainability Manager at Northants Partnership Homes, working with the council at all levels from director down:* *At officer and apprentice level there is a lot of enthusiasm. People who got involved in working on NPH retrofit projects could see the value and got very engaged. PT met the council’s Chief Exec, Leader and the Sustainability Team, all of whom were very positive. For him the challenge was the layer between Chief Exec/Leader and the officer level. At around assistant director level/senior executive management there is a certain amount of apathy on Net Zero. They are under a lot of pressure from different priorities - ‘everything’s a priority’.* *PT likes to think of Net Zero not as a goal but as a transformation, because seeing it as a goal can make it seem unachievable. Your vision is an anchor to the future - what you are transforming towards. Not all senior decision-makers are bought in to the vision of zero carbon by 2045\. Perhaps it would be better to paint this as a picture of transformation to a desirable future that everyone wants.* That’s a fair point. The council was pushed to adopt the 2030/2045 goals, this was a good thing but perhaps not fully thought through at the point the goals were adopted. What is encouraging is that some less supportive stakeholders are now being brought on board. For example, work is being done to develop a solar generation project – the cabinet member for finance is seeing major opportunities in terms of saving money. We are not talking enough about the co-benefits. Retrofit for example is transformational for the people living in the homes and has health and wellbeing benefits as well as cutting energy bills. Education about what Net Zero means is important - it doesn’t mean you can’t do anything that results in emissions. This is still possible but must be managed in the context of the overall emissions profile. *How will the WNC climate strategy translate to parish and town council level?* Parish and town councils are not specifically mentioned in the Power of Place document – there will be some work needed to interpret this in terms of what it means for parishes. Some of the pillars are definitely relevant to parish and town councils. --- ### **Social get together on Saturday 20 April** 2pm at the Museum. No agenda, just a chance to meet like-minded people. We are also launching the CA-WN Lending Library on Saturday so please come along to borrow a book – the list of titles is on CA-WN Exchange10. ### **WNC Consultations** Three consultations currently underway: · Local Plan (ends 2 June) · Flood Management (ends 16 June) · Railway station refurbishment (ends 29 April) CA-WN will provide some notes on the Local Plan and Flood Management consultations. Living Streets have put together information on the railway station development, which we will share11. JC pointed out that only a couple of dozen people responded to the first railway station consultation – many of these referenced the active travel provision. Changes have been made as a result. ### **Trust the People** Something which may be of interest: “A grassroots community building movement, sharing democratic tools to help people support their communities in the face of local and global crises. Trust the People are offering a free 4 week online course that takes you through different aspects of community building - from connecting with people one-to-one to running community assemblies, which harness the wisdom and power of the community.” Their next course begins Monday 29th April. ### **AOB** · EW said the climate group in her village is seen as very ‘fringe’. It really helped having WNC send down a directive to the PC about a biodiversity plan. Ideally another directive from WNC on climate would be helpful. · JH mentioned the work being done in Brixworth by the climate action group there. They have a Green Framework, their way of showing intent to get to Net Zero - it’s available on the Brixworth PC website12. ### **DONM** Thursday 30 May 7:45pm (note departure from usual schedule). The speaker will be Damon Fox from Northampton Town FC Community Trust. [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/860471652877?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/860471652877?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) --- ### References 1\. Jonathan’s slides on Climate Strategy [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/WNC-Climate-Strategy.pdf](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/WNC-Climate-Strategy.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. CA-WN YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784](https://www.youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. UK100 [https://www.uk100.org/](https://www.uk100.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. UN Sustainability Goals [https://sdgs.un.org/goals](https://sdgs.un.org/goals?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. WNC Baseline Emissions report 2021/22 and Sustainability Report 2022/23 [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/sustainable-west-northants](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/sustainable-west-northants?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. UK100 Powers in Place [https://www.uk100.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/UK100\_Powers%20in%20Place\_FINAL\_26\_April.pdf](https://www.uk100.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/UK100%5FPowers%20in%20Place%5FFINAL%5F26%5FApril.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. Council climate strategies [https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/green-economy-climate-change](https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/green-economy-climate-change?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org); [https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/climate-change-strategy](https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/climate-change-strategy?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org); [https://n-somerset.gov.uk/council-democracy/priorities-strategies/climate-emergency/our-plans-tackle-climate-change](https://n-somerset.gov.uk/council-democracy/priorities-strategies/climate-emergency/our-plans-tackle-climate-change?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8\. Local Plan consultation [https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/planning/west-northamptonshires-local-plan-reg18/](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/planning/west-northamptonshires-local-plan-reg18/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9\. Zero In report [https://www.uk100.org/publications/new-report-zero-accelerating-climate-action](https://www.uk100.org/publications/new-report-zero-accelerating-climate-action?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 10\. Link to CA-WN Lending Library 11\. Living Streets advice on station development [https://livingstreetsnorthampton.org/northampton-station-proposal/](https://livingstreetsnorthampton.org/northampton-station-proposal/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 12\. Brixworth Green Framework [https://www.brixworthparishcouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Brixworth-Climate-Emergency-Statement-of-Intent-The-Green-Framework-V5.pdf](https://www.brixworthparishcouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Brixworth-Climate-Emergency-Statement-of-Intent-The-Green-Framework-V5.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### What's in our schools' air? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/find-out-whats-in-the-air/ Last updated: 2024-06-24T20:18:43.000Z ### **West Northamptonshire schools are being offered a free SAMHE air quality monitor and education resources.** Why not sign up your school for the [**SAMHE**](https://samhe.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) project? Act now because registration closes at the end of May! **SAMHE** (pronounced ‘Sammy’) stands for Schools’ Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education. It is a citizen science project which brings together scientists, pupils and teachers across the UK. **Poor air quality impacts pupils’ health and attention levels**, so it is important it is monitored and understood. SAMHE is completely free. Schools get a[ ](https://www.airgradient.com/airgradient-one/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)**high-spec air quality monitor** that measures carbon dioxide (CO2), total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), particulate matter (PM), temperature and relative humidity. The monitor sends this data to the SAMHE **Web App** via Wi-Fi. Teachers and pupils can use the Web App to **view the data** in a range of interactive chart and graph formats and see how air quality changes over the course of hours and days or weeks and months. The App also offers a range of **curriculum-linked** activities and **experiments** using the data, creating opportunities for pupils to be scientists and do hands-on experiments. 1000+ schools are already benefiting. Teachers testify that it’s “powerful to see the live feed”, has "provided our science group with a wealth of data to interrogate and analyse" and the “range of options allows us to use this system across the STEM subjects”. SAMHE enables pupils to interact with real world data about their immediate environment, gives them agency to take informed action and offers an opportunity to collaborate with scientists and contribute to important research. ### **Benefits for your school** SAMHE is designed to achieve multiple benefits and be flexible to meet the needs of different schools and pupil groups. It can be used: ● **to develop a range of skills**, including scientific enquiry, data logging and data handling, understanding graphs and charts, reasoning with evidence and persuasive writing; ● **for a range of learning aims, group types and session durations** (subject lessons, extension activities, extracurricular clubs, extended projects, 5 minute tasks, etc.) ● **to support the curriculum,** with clear curriculum links provided for a range of subjects including, but not limited to, **Science**, **Maths** and **PSHE**, plus lesson plans, videos and other resources; ● **to encourage citizenship** through individual action and engagement with local MPs; ● **to start career discussions**, with information provided about the diverse members of the SAMHE project team, their career pathways and careers advice; ● **with different age groups** (spanning age 5-18). SAMHE enables pupils to interact with **real world data** about their immediate environment, gives them **agency** to take informed action and offers an **opportunity** to collaborate with scientists and contribute to important research. Find out more and register your school **before 31 May** on the[ ](https://samhe.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)[**SAMHE website**](https://samhe.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ### **Not a school – we have more news ...** If you are concerned about indoor or outdoor air quality but not involved at a school you may be interested to know that later this year CA-WN will be launching its own air quality monitoring initiative. Two years ago we collected pollution information in Northampton, Bugbrooke and Towcester. For our new air quality monitoring programme we shall be looking for host sites across the entire West Northamptonshire area. This time we unfortunately don’t have air quality monitors to give away - but we can offer help with the technicalities. If you are interested in finding out what’s in the air you are breathing please [email](mailto:harry@ca-wn.org?subject=Monitoring%20air%20quality) for further details. And if you know of any organisation willing to co-sponsor our initiative please do put them in touch with us. ### Council Watch - March 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-march-2024/ Last updated: 2024-04-02T12:01:23.000Z The workings of local democracy are alien to most people, and not easy to get to grips with. It is really important that local residents who want to engage with the process and hold their elected representatives to account get the opportunity to do so. Council meetings are one such opportunity, when members of the public have the right to present petitions and to make statements relevant to the business of the meeting. The level of public participation at the meeting on 21 March was unusually high, with one petition and 7 other public speakers, rounded off by a dramatic ‘death’ staged by the [1000 Voices ](https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)air quality campaign. I really would urge you to watch this part of the meeting on WNC’s [YouTube channel. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9HhiyHtgPA&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The public speakers start at around 13 minutes in, the part before that mostly serves to demonstrate why council meetings might be perceived as tied up in too much protocol and therefore not very interesting. A section of the 1000 Voices protest not caught on the official council cameras can be seen on the [Umbrella Fair Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/umbrellafairorganisation/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) account. In addition to participation in the formal meeting, there were three separate protests outside the chamber. These are groups unhappy with the council’s delivery of services to residents or with its decisions: 1000 Voices; West Northants [SEND Action Group](https://www.facebook.com/people/West-Northants-SEND-Action-Group/100083713848192/), and a protest about relocation of Northampton Town Council offices away from the Guildhall. This level of engagement is in some respects positive - we at CA-WN are very much in favour of people getting more involved in democratic processes. However one could argue that people are driven to public protest only after trying other avenues. Are cost pressures and other issues leading to council service levels and tough decisions that wouldn't be the case in better times? If so the public participation section of the agenda at council meetings may be worth keeping an eye on. The public speakers came to the meeting to raise concerns including the potential sale of allotment land in Brixworth, the adverse impact of multiple warehouse developments around Towcester on surrounding communities, and a demand from 1000 Voices for a robust Air Quality Plan from the council. There was also a speaker from CA-WN on the subject of the draft Local Plan. There will soon be a public consultation on the draft Plan; CA-WN will be responding and will provide some notes to help others do the same. Other points of potential interest to the climate activist in the street: \- The Leader of the Council Jonathan Nunn confirmed during the meeting WNC’s plans to develop a draft Climate Strategy. You will be able to hear more about this during [our April meeting](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/781872069407?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) from Cllr Jonathan Harris, a member of WNC’s Sustainability Working Group. \- The council Pensions Scheme is investing £100m in forestry and reported that it is currently slightly ahead of its plan to achieve Net Zero by 2050\. Good, though it would be better to see a more ambitious target. The world may be a very different place by 2050. ### Govt U Turn on Climate URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/govt-u-turn-on-climate/ Last updated: 2024-04-02T12:07:11.000Z ### A Number 10 spokesperson this morning confirmed that public awareness of the climate crisis had reached a tipping point. They said “A younger generation of voters are telling us that government inaction in the face of the facts is putting their future prosperity at risk. The evidence is clear1. From today, **1 April,** action on climate will be our number 1 priority". ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/03/Copernicus-10-years.png) Surface air temperature Annual mean anomaly - Data: ERA5 ● Credit: C3S/ECMWF Expressing their relief CA-WN Exchange said "we must all welcome this change of heart, the recognition that action on climate cannot be simply left to market forces. An evidence-driven decision like this signals the end of believing that commercial interests are best placed to respond to the challenges of climate change." Meanwhile, in the [CA-WN Exchange](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/), it's business as usual. 1 see: [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/climate-change-support?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Biodiversity matters - popcawn April 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popcawn-april-2024/ Last updated: 2024-03-31T14:17:19.000Z Save the bees! Save the whales! Save yourselves! We don’t often hear those phrases in quick succession – it’s difficult to see how the loss of sea creatures or insects can affect our lives. But whether we see it or not, we humans are animals and very much part of nature, and therefore highly vulnerable to depletion of the natural world. Our ecosystems are complex and inter-dependent: loss of one species will have knock-on effects throughout the ecosystem. Humanity has evolved within, and remains dependent on, rich and diverse ecosystems. Indeed the term ‘ecosystem services’ has been adopted to describe the benefits to humans that are derived from nature. One much publicised example is pollination of food crops. It’s estimated that crop production would fall by around 10% in low to middle income countries without pollinators, and many of the crops that are dependent on pollinators are cash crops for developing countries, so that’s loss of vital income.1 For anyone who doesn’t care, because high income countries would be less affected, a reminder that ‘A world without pollinators would mean a world without chocolate’ might focus their attention. Other ecosystem services include healthy soils and seas for food provision and carbon sequestration, and forests to provide a plethora of natural resources, not least the oxygen we breathe. A healthy natural world also impacts on our culture and mental health – something we realised during the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world – in the bottom 10% globally, having lost around half of its natural biodiversity according to a 2020 report.2 The State of Nature report released in November 2023 revealed that we’ve lost around 19% of the species studied since 1970 (by when undoubtedly we would have experienced much loss already), with almost 1 in 6 and 1 in 8 species at risk of extinction in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, respectively.3 The UK government has a legal obligation to restore nature under the Environment Act 2021, signed into law to ensure environmental protections were not lost after leaving the EU.4 Many members of CA-WN are involved with the local parish and town councils, so may have heard about the obligation to adopt a biodiversity plan. We’ll be providing guidance on this in the coming weeks – watch this space! In the meantime, you can learn more about preserving our natural world through the articles under ‘Further reading’ below. ### **References** 1\. Our World in Data. How much of the world’s food production is dependent on pollinators? Available at: [https://ourworldindata.org/pollinator-dependence](https://ourworldindata.org/pollinator-dependence?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 29 March 2024 2\. Natural History Museum. UK has 'led the world' in destroying the natural environment. Available at: [https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2020/september/uk-has-led-the-world-in-destroying-the-natural-environment.html](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2020/september/uk-has-led-the-world-in-destroying-the-natural-environment.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 29 Match 2024 3\. Burns, F., Mordue, S., al Fulaij N. et al. 2023\. State of Nature 2023, the State of Nature partnership. Available at: [www.stateofnature.org.uk](https://stateofnature.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 31 October 2023 4\. Friends of the Earth. 5 things you need to know about the new Environment Act. Available at: [https://friendsoftheearth.uk/system-change/5-things-you-need-know-about-new-environment-act](https://friendsoftheearth.uk/system-change/5-things-you-need-know-about-new-environment-act?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 29 March 2024 ### Further reading University of Reading. Five ways to protect and restore biodiversity in the UK. Available at: [https://research.reading.ac.uk/research-blog/five-ways-to-protect-and-restore-biodiversity-in-the-uk/](https://research.reading.ac.uk/research-blog/five-ways-to-protect-and-restore-biodiversity-in-the-uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The Royal Society. What can we do to protect biodiversity. Available at: [https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/biodiversity/what-can-we-do-to-protect-biodiversity/](https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/biodiversity/what-can-we-do-to-protect-biodiversity/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) WWF. You can help save biodiversity. Available at: [https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our\_focus/biodiversity/what\_you\_can\_do/](https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our%5Ffocus/biodiversity/what%5Fyou%5Fcan%5Fdo/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Easter Biscuits URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/easter-biscuits/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:18:54.000Z This year, with the warm winter behind us, we’re experiencing a cold Easter-tide. As if the spring flowers hadn’t already had enough to put up with! They’ve had fewer daylight hours, as the mild temperatures have encouraged them to flower early. The ground they’re growing in is sodden, so that each subsequent squall has splattered mud up on to their blooms, always assuming that the wind hadn’t already battered them down to the ground. To cheer us up, I decided to make Lenten Biscuits, which of course can be enjoyed over the Easter holiday, and, if they last long enough, on into the following week. Something sweet and crunchy to have with a cuppa, while the Easter eggs are being converted into another notch loosened on the waist band, perhaps! I found the forebears of this recipe in a book I’ve been using for over 40 years, and I hope you will enjoy the resulting biscuits as much as we do. They are definitely biscuits, not cookies - there is a very distinct crunch when you bite into them. I refer to “baking fat” rather than specifying butter or baking marge; it is a matter of choice, and I use a mix of both. Butter gives a tastier finish, but is probably not so good for cholesterol levels. (NB – margarine requires slightly more flour than butter to achieve the right texture for the dough.) As we are a gluten-free household, I used 175g of GF plain flour, 20g of chickpea flour and approximately 40g of potato flour. Potato flour adds that bit of glue that is absent from unadulterated GF flour. Because there is only one egg yolk in this recipe I added extra potato flour to help bind the dough. ### **Ingredients** 100g baking fat or a mix of margarine and butter 50g caster sugar 50g light brown sugar 225g plain flour (or gluten free alternative - see above) A large pinch of mixed spice Grated zest of ½ a lemon 1 egg, separated 25g mixed chopped peel 50g – 75g dried fruit A little milk ### **To finish the biscuits** Lightly beat the egg white with a fork and have to hand approximately 50g caster sugar. You will need a pastry brush to apply the egg white. Assemble the ingredients, and prepare 2 baking sheets, lining them with baking paper or a silicone sheet. ### **Method** Cream together the fat, the grated lemon zest, and the sugars, until well blended. Sprinkle the mixed spice into the flour, then add a spoonful of flour and the egg yolk and mix in thoroughly. Mix in the rest of the flour and the dried fruit. Keep stirring till you have a thick, pastry-like dough. The next step is to roll the dough into one ball with your hands. If not all the flour has been incorporated and it is very dry, add a splash of milk. If it is not dry enough, sift more flour over it and incorporate it into the dough. It should be easy to handle, not wet and sticky. At this point, switch on the oven. The oven temperature should be approximately 170o but most oven thermostats vary, so don’t fret if you put the biscuits into a slightly cooler or hotter oven, just monitor the cooking progress after five minutes or so and adjust the dial accordingly. While the oven is heating, divide your dough into approximately 24 little round balls and put them on the baking trays, then flatten them out with the back of a fork, so they have a textured surface. Don’t flatten them too much or the edges might singe before the biscuits are cooked through. Set the timer for 10 minutes, at which point take the tray from the oven and quickly brush the surface of each biscuit with egg white. Next, sprinkle a little caster sugar over each one and return the tray to the oven. After 5 minutes, check progress – if they are a lovely deep tan, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about ten minutes, then transfer them to a baking rack to finish cooling. These biscuits go very well with a cup of tea or coffee, or just as a pick-me-up while you’re waiting for the next shower to finish! 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### Now Here URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/now-here/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:02:56.000Z This is a bit of a departure from our usual fare, in that this podcast doesn’t have a climate or environmental theme, although some episodes do – one about citizen scientists testing water quality on the River Wye, for example. It’s described as “*Stories of people coming together to fight neighbourhood decline and neglect*”. The stories it tells are of communities fighting for what they believe in, to buy their Scottish island from the millionaire landowner, or bring derelict buildings in Liverpool into community use. These are revolutions driven by hard work, organisation and intelligent use of the law. Strong communities willing to act to protect what they care about is one of the things we need a lot more of to help get us out of the huge climate change hole we have dug. This series gives hope that this might be possible. [BBC Sounds - Now HereStories of people coming together to fight neighbourhood decline and neglect.![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/272x272/p0h9x0t7.jpg)BBC![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1200x675/p0h9x0t7.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0h9wxmz?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### Join Northampton Town's Food Waste Project URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/cobblers-tackle-food-waste/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:07:58.000Z *By Damon Fox from Northampton Town Community Trust* We are very excited to be launching a new project at the Community Trust with Schools, Businesses and families called Cobblers Tackle Food Waste. This is part of a funded project running until the end of 2024 looking at how we can influence and support behaviour change of people and schools reducing their Food Waste. Please use the poster around your workplace to increase engagement. Businesses and schools can sign up and create teams to tackle food waste and win prizes. Members of Climate Action-West Northamptonshire can take part too - sign up here and create a team name before adding Climate Action-West Northants as your community for the next week to try and win the Cobblers Food Waste Cup. [https://cobblerstackle.co.uk/](https://cobblerstackle.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) There is a video here discussing the project and what it aims to do for the county. [Cobblers Tackle Food Waste (Subtitled)Introducing Cobblers Tackle Food Waste, a new project aiming to reduce food waste in our local community.To find out how you can get involved, please visit n…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/accca349/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Wc7wCzKhYcc/maxresdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCIAKENAF8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-CYAC0AWKAgwIABABGFUgVihlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDyHk6sQ07V9qHtjimp0M-gJp8sPg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc7wCzKhYcc&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) There are some amazing prizes to win in the Cobblers Tackle Food Waste Cup: - **Most green goals scored** \- Ultimate match-day experience (meet the manager and players & get a great seat) for you and a guest - **Complete a 10-day scoring streak** \- Enter a prize draw to win a signed Men's 1st team shirt or a Women's 1st team shirt - **Complete the survey** \- Enter a prize draw to win 2 tickets to an EFL League match during the 23/24 season - **Score at least 1 green goal** \- Prize draw to win a Clarence the Dragon teddy bear (5 winners) Business prizes: - **Top scoring business** \- Hospitality tickets for 4 to an EFL match - **10 or more participants** \- Sign up 10 of more participants to your community group and enter a prize draw to win a player visit to your business - **10 or more participants** \- Sign up 10 of more participants to your community group and enter a prize draw to win a Staff sustainability workshop from Final Third Please don't hesitate to come back to me with any questions! And please share via your communications channels with staff and their family members. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/03/Cobblers-Tackle-Food-Waste-Graphic--002--1.png) Cobblers Tackle Food Waste poster ### CA-WN 21 March Meeting Report URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-21-march-meeting-report/ Last updated: 2024-03-26T18:32:20.000Z The subject of this month’s meeting was "***Climate psychology***". Climate psychology can help us understand the roots of the climate and ecological crisis, the psychological impacts and defences, and ways in which we can help ourselves and others to cope and take action. Our guest speaker was Emmie Williamson, who was until recently a clinical psychologist working in the NHS. She is also coordinator of the climate group in her home village of Flore. Emmie’s slides are available to download1. Towards the end of the meeting we heard from Dr Declan Ryan of the University of Northampton about a grant application for research into Net Zero. He asked CA-WN members to support the application by completing a short survey. There is a link to the survey at the bottom of these notes. This meeting was recorded and can be watched on the CA-WN YouTube channel2. **Present**: Briony Askew, Caroline Neale, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater, Dalian Zhong, David Garlick, David Wragg, Declan Ryan, Eluned Lewis-Nicol, Emmie Williamson, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, Leonie Beale, Maura Carville, Mick Lorkins, Mike Longman, Ning Gu, Orianne Neyroud, Paul Slater, Peter Nalder, Rupert Knowles, Steve May **Apologies**: Carol Blake, Ella Sage, Jonathan Harris ### **Climate psychology** EW started her presentation with the hockey stick graph which represents 30 years of global warming and may be familiar to many. One of the key questions with climate psychology is why the line of the graph isn’t bending. Climate psychology is psycho-social and exists at cultural and global levels. It isn’t just about the individual, we also need to think about why all levels are not taking action. EW recommended watching the film *Don’t Look Up* as a great illustration of climate psychology and how people respond to bad news with defence mechanisms to ignore what is actually happening. A quote from Paul Hoggett, a key writer on climate psychology4: > “Our collective equanimity in the face of the unprecedented risk posed by climate change is perhaps the greatest mystery of our age”. The Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA)3 defines Climate Psychology as: > “concerned with the emotions, and the social and mental processes that have contributed to the ecological and climate crisis and our responses and processes of adaptation to it” The idea of psychological defences originated with Freudian analysis and explores anxieties and fears. Individuals really facing up to climate change feel deep fear and anxiety and so also experience the psychological defences which are necessary to help us cope with everyday life and take on the reality of what is happening. **Psychological roots** EW gave a brief overview of the roots of climate psychology with some references for further reading. ***Evolutionary psychology*** \- very deterministic, explains how humans came to be the fastest ever species to overshoot the carrying capacity of their ecosystem; we are overshooting the boundaries of the planet at a rapid rate. What is it about human minds and brains that made us expand so rapidly and consume so much? We evolved the ability to adapt, create tools, and to think abstractly, resulting in an ability to use resources very rapidly. We also have a tendency towards peacocking and conspicuous consumption. Consumption has become addictive - adrenaline used to be derived from hunting and is now derived from drugs and shopping etc. ***Ecopsychology*** \- a field slightly separate from climate psychology, looks at the problem of disconnection from nature which has developed over time and again results in the need for quick fixes through consumption. Ecopsychological therapy is about reconnection with nature. ***Exceptionalism and the culture of uncare***, written about by Sally Weintrobe5 in relation to the culture of neoliberalism and pursuit of profit. It adds to disconnection from nature aspects of individualism, individual consumption and particularly narcissistic exceptionalism. The culture of uncare and closing our minds to what is happening elsewhere adds to other problems and contributes to social injustice. ***Compulsive consumption***6. Aspects of society including social media contribute to feelings of shame and the need for consumption. **Cognitive and behavioural psychology**. ‘*Don’t even Think about it’* by George Marshall7, subtitled ‘*why our brains are wired to ignore climate change*’. **Psychological responses** These may be emotional, cognitive, behavioural, unconscious. ***Eco-anxiety*** ***and eco-distress***. People who aren’t there yet with their own feelings of eco-distress may think there’s something wrong with those of us who do have these feelings. Such people may be intellectually but not emotionally connected with the climate crisis. If you are fully connected the healthy response is to feel despair and hopelessness. This may not feel natural but it is. ***Solastalgia*** \- the pain we feel at the loss of our natural environment ***Aggression, violence, polarisation and conflict*** also play a part in climate psychology ***Activist*** ***burnout*** is very common. People tend to be driven to work too hard which combined with the emotions of climate anxiety leads to burnout. ***Doomism***. Connected with ‘deep adaptation’ literature which takes ownership of the word ‘doomster’ to fight apathy ***Paradigm distress and cognitive dissonance***. We feel guilt that we don’t always do the right thing. Fossil fuel interests and others want us to feel it is all our fault but a lot of change is needed at the system level. ***Psychological defences***. Activation of these can be healthy as we need to find a way of being with the feelings, overcoming intellectualisation and yet not breaking down (although to a degree breakdown is inevitable). However defences which allow us to avoid the feelings entirely are not helpful. **Models and studies of psychological responses to the climate crisis** Hickman’s ***climate-change emotional transition curve***8 – early stages may be unawareness or denial, moving towards acceptance and meaning. The middle stages can be very painful leading to depression and collapse. Sometimes people can go into a deeply negative place rather than the more ‘positive’ active, altruistic responses. This can include violence or self-harm which can happen when we are feeling a great deal of strain. ***Power Threat Meaning*** ***framework***9 \- from cognitive psychology and the field of trauma. Trauma is all about feeling powerless and abused. We are in a sense all being abused by global leaders failing to take action. This framework helps to conceptualise trauma and has been adapted for the climate crisis by Gareth Morgan, youth lead for the CPA. ***Threat responses*** to the threat of the climate and ecological crises. The function of threat responses is to regulate yourself. These can include: o Intellectualising - a common response. There can be a gender difference with males tending more towards studying science and solutions with more females at climate cafes talking about emotions. It’s important to be able to process the feelings in order to cope, otherwise this can come out in other unhealthy ways. o Protection from dangers - this can include ‘prepping’ o Violence and Aggression. Research shows that violence is very much on the increase. Wars are an indirect effect of climate change. Heat is a direct effect but as people get hotter, aggression and violence increase. This is a physiological mechanism. Other indirect effects are failed crops, economic instability, polarisation and migration. **Individual and cultural defences** ***Climate change denial*** – still very common despite strong scientific evidence, especially in the US, encouraged by fossil fuel interests. There is also ***soft denial*** which is more interesting to climate psychologists. In psychoanalysis it is called disavowal, where something has happened that we just cannot accept. This can take different forms: o Diffusion of responsibility. The ‘what about China?’ response, or someone taking a view that they are doing ok because they don’t fly, for example, so it is others that need to act. o Splitting/compartmentalisation. There can be a split between thought and feelings. This is common in climate psychology. We might repress feelings and split them off from thoughts so things become drained of feeling and meaning. Compartmentalising: ‘I can’t think about this now.’ o Distancing/detachment, which includes intellectualisation. A lot of reading and studying data may not be good if you are also separating yourself off too much from feelings. o Routinisation - burying yourself in routine is another way of cutting yourself off. ***Narrative/social constructionist psychology***. This analyses the ‘Discourses of climate delay’ including through social media. These can include: o Doomism o Policy perfectionism – criticism of policies because they are not going to deliver the whole solution right away There are many discourses around what it means to be concerned about climate breakdown. Sometimes the problem may be wrongly attributed to the individual concerned. It’s completely normal to be scared and even to be breaking down. **Psychological approaches and support** · The CPA has a register of psychotherapists who have been through climate anxiety themselves. As a practising clinical psychologist EW came across colleagues who were aware of their own defence mechanisms against climate anxiety but weren’t facing the problem. It is helpful to have a therapist who understands how you feel. · Ecotherapy – being in nature with a therapist or talking about ways to connect with nature. · Active hope training10 is a great resource to help you connect with your feelings and move on to take action. · Climate cafés. It can be taboo to say things are getting worse. Climate cafés are adapted from death cafés which enable participants to talk about a taboo topic. They are not for talking about actions, or science, but trying to bypass those defences and focus on feelings. · Radical hope, this a deep hope as opposed to naïve hope (‘everything’s going to be ok’). Radical hope is about connecting with others. · The Open University has a free climate psychology course11 Organisations: · Ecopsychology UK12 · Climate Psychology Alliance3 · XR Psychologists13 **Q&A** *George Marshall has done a TED talk14 about not being wired up to deal with this. At a certain age your friends start to die off but we don’t always pay much attention to the fact that we will also soon die. In our area we are not heavily affected by climate change so easier to ignore it. I no longer see Small and Large Tortoiseshell butterflies in the garden.* Things being at a distance from us is a real issue. Even those who have directly experienced climate catastrophes can deny that it is caused by climate change. Cognitive biases can still apply in this case. The neuroscience says that we only see a threat that is right next to us. Shifting baselines is also a real issue though outside the topic of this talk. *It is nice to know what I have and am going through is 'normal’!* Defences can be automatic. Recommend the Active Hope training. This is free and online so very accessible. It aims at unblocking the gap between knowing there is a problem and the amount of action we are taking. CA-WN and the CPA both run free climate cafes and the CPA also offer 3 free sessions with a psychotherapist. *My current defence mechanism is starting to stockpile tins of food.* This is actually quite adaptive, as our supply chains are rather fragile and food security will become more of an issue. *I get comfort outdoors, reconnecting with nature. Ironically we are moving into a more robotic, AI-dominated world which may lead to more mental health issues especially for young people. We need to connect with nature but are moving away from it.* There are definitely worrying aspects about young people and mental health. Technology is a barrier between people. Growing your own provides an element of self sufficiency as well as connection with nature. ### **Request for input to a research project** From Dr Declan Ryan, Associate Professor in Physical Activity & Health at the University of Northampton. His research is about trying to stimulate action and change. It includes access to green spaces and active travel. DR works with WNC and Northants Sport - Northampton’s Active Quarter is where most work has been done so far15. This grant application is about using a research hub to help with progress towards net zero, whether that is developing solutions, assessing effectiveness of solutions or gathering views of the general public to influence planning and policies. The grant is for up to £5.5m over 5 years and focuses on transport and the built environment. DR is going to share a short survey16 to be distributed to CA-WN supporters asking us to input as a community voice into the design of the project, specifically looking at how we perceive health. An online discussion is provisionally arranged for 2pm on Friday 5 April to provide further input to the research grant bid. Please contact jane@ca-wn.org if you are interested in participating. There will be other opportunities to engage through the life of the project. DR is also looking to do community engagement around community spaces. He hopes there will be lots of opportunities to work with CA-WN, support each other, promote active travel and green spaces. ### **WNC Draft Local Plan** WNC are about to launch a consultation on their new Local Plan. CA-WN will be putting together some guidance on responding to this for those that would like to. ### **WNC Tree Strategy Drop-In Sessions** ML has attended one – WNC are putting the strategy together so are looking for views. He has followed up on this about More Trees Now with the person he spoke to. WNC currently only have one Tree Officer whereas they need three, so it is worrying that one of their options is to deliver the strategy as a document but then only implement it reactively. ### **Date of Next Meeting** Thursday 18 April, with guest speaker Cllr Jonathan Harris on WNC’s Climate Strategy17 --- ## References and Links 1\. Meeting presentation [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/ClimatePsychology.pdf](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/ClimatePsychology.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. CA-WN YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784](https://www.youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. Climate Psychology Alliance [https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/](https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. Paul Hoggett [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul-Hoggett/2](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul-Hoggett/2?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5\. *Psychological Roots of the Climate Crisis* [https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/psychological-roots-of-the-climate-crisis-9781501372865/](https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/psychological-roots-of-the-climate-crisis-9781501372865/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6\. Compulsive Consumption [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29525015-climate-crisis-psychoanalysis-and-radical-ethics](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29525015-climate-crisis-psychoanalysis-and-radical-ethics?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7\. *Don’t Even Think About It* [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18594475-don-t-even-think-about-it](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18594475-don-t-even-think-about-it?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8\. Caroline Hickman [https://www.caroline-hickman.com/climate-psychology](https://www.caroline-hickman.com/climate-psychology?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9\. Power Threat Meaning Framework [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360701472\_The\_Power\_Threat\_Meaning\_Framework\_and\_the\_climate\_and\_ecological\_crises](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360701472%5FThe%5FPower%5FThreat%5FMeaning%5FFramework%5Fand%5Fthe%5Fclimate%5Fand%5Fecological%5Fcrises?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 10\. Active Hope [https://www.activehope.info/](https://www.activehope.info/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://workthatreconnects.org/](https://workthatreconnects.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 11\. OU course [https://www5.open.ac.uk/sustainability/news/introducing-new-free-course-climate-psychology-facing-climate-crisis](https://www5.open.ac.uk/sustainability/news/introducing-new-free-course-climate-psychology-facing-climate-crisis?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 12\. Ecopsychology UK [https://ecopsychology.org.uk/](https://ecopsychology.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 13\. XR Psychologists [https://xrpsychologists.co.uk/](https://xrpsychologists.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 14\. George Marshall TED talk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvsUHL9IQRs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvsUHL9IQRs&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 15\. Active Quarter [https://activequarter-nn.co.uk/](https://activequarter-nn.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 16\. University of Northampton grant application survey [https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/northampton/net-zero-grant-application](https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/northampton/net-zero-grant-application?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 17\. April meeting registration [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/781872069407?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/781872069407?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Hedgerows URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/hedgerows/ Last updated: 2024-03-15T19:27:30.000Z ### Hedgerow Survey At the end of January 2024, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) released data from its map of hedgerows in the UK1. The survey was conducted over five years using LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) – the same type of laser/radar that can scan through forest cover to discover ancient temples in Cambodia. The key findings were: · A total of 390,000 km (242,000 miles) of hedgerows (1-6 metres tall) exist on field boundaries in England – enough to go round the world almost 10 times. These important habitats support biodiversity and store carbon. · The South-West boasts the highest hedgerow densities, led by Cornwall with an average of 5.1 km per 1km x 1km square. · The lowest densities, excluding major urban areas, are found in Surrey (1.2 km), Hampshire (1.5 km), and Berkshire (1.7 km) per 1km x 1km square. ### The History of Hedgerows Some hedgerows are reported as going back to the Bronze Age – perhaps as fortifications. But the earliest formal hedges were boundary markers round parishes and other defined habitations. Some were planted, but some were the strip of woodland left when the forest on either side was cleared. These ancient hedgerows contain many species. As a rule of thumb, you can date a hedge by the number of species in a 30-yard length: each species corresponds to a century. Hooper’s Rule, as it is called, works as far back as 1,100 years, but does not distinguish between a Roman and an Anglo-Saxon hedge2. Enclosing land started in Tudor times when keeping sheep for wool became more profitable than growing crops, but there was much opposition. The majority of hedges were planted at the time of the Inclosure Acts. Between 1604 and 1914 over 5,200 individual Acts enclosing public land were passed and the main Inclosure Act 1773 is still in force today3. However, when I started farming in 1970, there were government grants for removing hedgerows. (Conversely there were also grants for planting windbreaks which I took advantage of.) The case for removing hedgerows was to release more land for production, accommodate large machinery, reduce competition for water and light and crop damage from rabbits. Listening to public debate today, you would think that hedgerows were planted for wildlife and biodiversity. That has never been the case. The plants and animals in hedgerows today originated from the edges and clearings in woodland, but even if they are no longer needed for agriculture, hedgerows are an important habitat and part of our wildlife and landscape heritage. ### Hedgerow Grants The foundation level of the government’s ‘Environmental Land Management Scheme’ (ELMS) is the ‘Sustainable Farming Incentive’ (SFI). There is a whole section on grants for hedgerows which I won’t repeat here4. It describes all the options for hedgerow management in order to qualify for payment. I was surprised how comprehensive the advice is and also surprised to find that I agree with most of it! ### Hedgerow Management Some of my neighbours complain when hedges are trimmed using a flail. The results are untidy initially but the hedge does not seem to mind and the ragged ends of branches heal quickly and do not suffer infection. The heavy flails can cope with quite thick branches and the cuttings are blown back into the hedge to avoid punctures from thorns on the road. Leaving a hedge uncut is not an option: it will develop into a row of trees and will die out at its base. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/03/Hedge-2.png) **Recently cut hedge showing multiple years’ cutting at same height* Hedges are treated differently in the first five years. Newly planted hedges are usually cut incrementally in order to encourage branches to bush out and fill the hedge. There are many options for managing a mature hedge (over five years old). In their SFI agreement, farmers can choose which management approaches to use. Hedges can be cut annually, every other year, or on a three year cycle. Hedges can also be cut on alternate sides. It is better not to flail hard every year, but to leave longer growth as many trees and shrubs flower and fruit on two- or three-year-old wood. Cutting every second or third year leaves flowers with nectar for insects and berries or fruits for birds and small mammals. It is also recommended not to cut at exactly the same height every time. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/03/IMG_20240309_122632.jpg) **Hedge untrimmed with one year of new growth. No hedgerow trees.* Timing of cutting can be contentious. The current law is that hedges should not be cut between March and August. Many environmentalists would like to see this put back into October or November, but they do not have to manage the farm. There are seasons of the year when farmers are very busy and do not have time or machinery for hedge-cutting. There are also times when the ground is too wet for heavy hedge-cutters. This year our neighbour was cutting on 29th February – that was cutting it a bit fine! Finally a hedge may become old and gappy: drastic action is needed. Replanting is expensive. The easiest way to restore a hedgerow is to coppice it to ground level. Most hedgerow plants will happily grow again from the base. Unwanted species can be dug out; gaps can be filled with new saplings. The SFI recommends renewing a hedge every 25–30 years, but I see few landowners doing this. After a hedge has been coppiced is also a good time to consider plashing or laying. This is a very labour-intensive process and unlikely to be undertaken without a grant or healthy bank balance. It does make a livestock-proof hedge without wire or fencing. Verticals are allowed to grow for 2-3 years and then partly cut through at the base leaving a small piece of wood and bark so that the wood is not quite severed. It is then bent over and secured with stakes and ‘withers’. New vertical shoots are sent up but the hedge is impenetrable at the base. It is usually necessary to repeat the process every twenty years. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/03/IMG_20240305_161710.jpg) **Hedge Laying. On left new stems laid over ready for tying with stakes and ethers. On right, remainder of hedge removed.* Northamptonshire, ‘the rose of the shires’, was famous for fox-hunting. Creating livestock-proof hedges without using wire which could damage jumping horses was important. While you are out in the countryside, have a look at the hedgerows to see how they are being managed. There are good and bad landowners and farmers. Use a critical eye. But before you attack your neighbouring famer, read the government advice on hedgerow management: it’s very good! Ask the farmer whether he is taking part in the SFI. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/03/Hedge-gapped-up..jpg) **Hedge gapped up.* ### Hedgerow Trees According to Rackham, there may be as many as 50 million trees in hedges and fields covering roughly 2 ½ per cent of the English land area. Also according to Rackham, the area under trees is considerably greater than the area of woodland and plantation. But it is difficult to find research on this. There is much information on street and urban trees and estimates of the total forest cover, but little on farmland and hedgerow trees. In many parts of Northamptonshire, hedgerow trees are being neglected. The elms have died, the ash are dying and several others are passed their prime. But decaying wood can provide a habitat for invertebrates, nesting birds and bats. The SFI pays for hedgerow trees, including decaying ones, and as a rule of thumb there should be an average of at least one hedgerow tree per 100 metres over the total length of hedgerow. In many cases, hedgerow trees do not need to be planted. Closely examine the hedge before cutting and select a vertical stem of the species you want. Mark it with a pole and flag and tell the hedge-cutter to cut round it. There are many species of hedgerow trees from magnificent oaks marking important boundaries down to small rowans and many fruit trees such as crab apples or sloes. It is often difficult to tell them while driving through the countryside, but at this time of year many come into flower making them immediately recognisable. You will be surprised at the number of apples you can see blossoming in the hedges in late April / early May. **To find out more about hedgerows, look out for:** ### National Hedgerow Week - 6-12 May National Tree Council announcement: National Hedgerow Week returns this spring! Make sure to save the date, there are lots more details to come! ### References 1\. [https://www.ceh.ac.uk/press/high-tech-aerial-mapping-reveals-englands-hedgerow-landscape](https://www.ceh.ac.uk/press/high-tech-aerial-mapping-reveals-englands-hedgerow-landscape?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) UKCEH Hedgerow Survey Podcast: [https://audioboom.com/posts/8448529-hedgelife-390-000](https://audioboom.com/posts/8448529-hedgelife-390-000?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. p82, Oliver Rackham: The Illustrated History of the Countryside, 1994 3\. Wikipedia: The Inclosure Acts [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclosure\_Acts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclosure%5FActs?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org); The Inclosure Act 1773 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclosure\_Act\_1773](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclosure%5FAct%5F1773?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) Hedgerows: [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sfi-actions-for-hedgerows](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sfi-actions-for-hedgerows?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/min/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:05:34.000Z I am daily more convinced that the solution to the climate crisis is changing people’s minds. And the answer to this lies not in facts and figures but in storytelling – it’s very difficult for human beings to change our behaviour and we won’t do it of our own accord unless we are emotionally invested in some way. This book tells the story of a future shaped by climate change. Individual stories are compellingly interwoven, along with contrasting strands of hope and horror. Horror at the all too plausible human consequences of an overheating planet, hope because the practical reality of implementing substantial change is set out just as plausibly. Read this book and then pass it on to someone who needs to read it more. 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Hackleton WEB URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/hackleton-web/ Last updated: 2024-03-08T15:22:33.000Z **CA-WN* were recently invited to attend a meeting of *Hackleton WEB* group (Wildlife, Environment and Biodiversity). This summary of the event is written by *Stephen Clarke, WNC Councillor for Grange Park and Hackleton* ward, and reproduced with his kind permission from his Facebook page.* On 5 March 2024, I attended the Hackleton Wildlife, Environment and Biodiversity (WEB) Group meeting at Carey Chapel, Hackleton. They meet to discuss the effects of climate change on their local environment and wellbeing. They explore what is happening locally and nationally and consider how they might be able to change things. The group includes members from **Hackleton School, Litter Wombles, WI, Parish Council, Longland Meadow, The Scouts** and the **Churchyard Group** as well as those who work in food production, buildings sustainability and farming. They are all united in wanting to reduce the negative effects of climate change and to increase wildlife, biodiversity and wellbeing. We had an update from each of the Groups and **Roy Hawkesford** told us about the [Big Plastic Count ](https://thebigplasticcount.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)which takes place on 11-17 March 2024\. Nearly 100 billion pieces of plastic packaging are thrown away by UK households every year, and just 12% is recycled in the UK. So we are being encouraged to use their count tally sheet to record any plastic we use. At the end of the week we [submit our results](https://thebigplasticcount.com/submit/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) which must all be in by 31 March 2024\. **Maz Woolley** shared the new logo and strapline for the group which was work in progress. During the evening, we had a presentation from Jane Wood and Harry Mellor from Climate Action-West Northamptonshire (CA-WN) who outlined what they do, and what is happening elsewhere. We heard about their program to assess air quality with their own meters and how this works together with WNC’s Air Quality Meters. Harry told us about the troposphere, which is the lowest layer of the Earth's atmosphere. Most of the mass (about 75-80%) of the atmosphere is in the troposphere. Most types of clouds are found in the troposphere, and almost all weather occurs within this layer. The troposphere is by far the wettest layer of the atmosphere (all of the other layers contain very little moisture). The bottom of the troposphere is at the Earth's surface and extends upward to about 10 km (6.2 miles or about 33,000 feet) above sea level. No more than you might cycle in a day Harry said. So why is it important? The troposphere is very sensitive to processes occurring at this level, like: evaporation of oceans, photosynthesis in plants, respiration of living creatures and human activities. Over the last 40 years, the boundary between the troposphere and the neighbouring stratosphere has risen as a result of climate change. Jane handed out a helpful booklet on how to create a re-wilded space entitled ‘**CLAIM BACK YOUR SPACE: WORKING WITH NATURE**’-Start up notes for small projects written by **Brian Webster**, Ecologist and illustrated by **Clare Robertson-Marriott\***. Roy told us about the Parish Council initiative to distribute a pack of wildflower seeds with the Parish Magazine this month. This gift of seeds is to enhance Hackleton gardens with natural beauty and to promote biodiversity and attract wildlife. Thank you Jane and Harry for a very interesting and informative session. Indeed you gave us much food for thought. A special thank you to Roy, the WEB Group and the Parish Council for all they are doing to make a difference to our Local Environment. If you would like to make a difference too, please come along to his next meeting. I know you will be most welcome. For more information email: [royhawkesford@gmail.com](mailto:royhawkesford@gmail.com?subject=Hackleton%20WEB) **\* *Claim Back Your Space*** is available digitally on CA-WN Exchange ### Land Share or Land Spare? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/land-sparing-vs-land-sharing/ Last updated: 2024-03-06T11:35:42.000Z Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have land use strategies. There is no land use strategy for England1. This makes it difficult to take consistent decisions on how much land should be devoted to crop production, forestry, bio-diversity/ nature, recreation, transport, housing, industry, water and so on. The decision is doubly complicated because much land can serve more than one purpose. Last year there was a debate in Long Buckby Library entitled ‘Farming and Wildlife Conservation: are they compatible’. Sadly I missed it, but it is part of a national debate on Land Sparing vs Land Sharing which is very important in developing and funding a land use strategy. **Definitions2:** · Land Sharing: a situation where low-yield farming enables biodiversity to be maintained within the whole agricultural landscape. · Land Sparing: where we make some farmland as productive as possible, requiring a smaller area of land to attain the same yields thus freeing up other land for environmental projects. This leaves greater areas of natural habitat untouched. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/03/Land-sharing-sparing-2.png) ### Self-sufficiency In 2022, UK self-sufficiency in all food was 60% and in indigenous food it was 73%3. From 1940–80, the UK went from being 30% to 80% self-sufficient in crops and became a net exporter of grains3. But it has dropped back since. Recent world events have re-awakened the need for national food security and this entails a level of self-sufficiency in certain crops. At the recent National Farmers’ Union Conference (Feb 2024), Rishi Sunak reaffirmed the target for UK self-sufficiency in food. Agriculture takes up 70% of the UK’s land mass4. On land used to feed us, 85% grows grass or crops to feed to animals4. Only 15% of our land grows crops for direct human consumption4. However, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) of UK livestock varies greatly. The FCR calculation is relatively straightforward in that it needs two pieces of information: The total amount of feed (kg) fed within a given period The total amount of meat finished (kg) within a given period These figures are divided (amount of feed ÷ amount of finished meat) to produce a figure (always greater than 1) of how many kilograms (kg) of feed it takes to produce 1 kg of meat. Lower FCR values indicate higher efficiency. FCRs are typically 6.0–10.0 for beef, 2.7–5.0 for pigs, 1.7–2.0 for chicken and 1.0–2.4 for farmed fish and shrimp. However caution is needed in interpreting these figures: for example, the cows may be eating home-grown grass, but the chickens may be eating imported soya. Alternative uses of farmland depend on soil type, topography, climate and rainfall. Small fields and steep gradients cannot accommodate large machinery. In general the UK grows good grass in the west where the rainfall is high and arable crops in the east where the rainfall is low. Humans cannot eat grass. Nevertheless, FCRs show that reducing one’s overall consumption of meat, without necessarily going vegetarian or vegan, must be a good option. ### The Case for Land Sparing The least bad way forward for most species **worldwide** turns out to be Land Sparing rather than Land Sharing5,6. That is, for biodiversity, Land Sparing is better than Land Sharing. By producing more food from a smaller area, you create the necessary elbow room for all the other purposes required of our land. Over the last 30 years, farmers have neglected their most important asset, their soil. No-till agriculture and regenerative farming techniques are now being applied to reinstate soil fertility. Cover crops, crop rotations including legumes, animal manure and grazing can all improve soil texture, increase moisture holding capacity, add to soil organic matter, sequester carbon and ultimately improve yields whilst benefiting the climate. These farming practices are compatible with both Land Sharing and Land Sparing. In Land Sparing, careful and scientific use of inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides can further increase yields without necessarily causing pollution and harming wildlife (note, however, that current methods of manufacturing nitrogen fertilisers from natural gas are not sustainable). Following the introduction of the Environment Land Management Scheme (ELMS), farmers and land managers are having second thoughts about Land Sharing. There has been poor uptake of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, but this may change with higher grants recently introduced. Re-wilding, organic farming and some so-called ‘nature friendly farming’ measures included in ELMS risk worsening the global environmental crisis by reducing how much food is produced in a region, driving up food imports and increasing environmental damage overseas. Lower yields from organic farming and Land Sharing will increase the area of land needed to achieve 60% self-sufficiency. Organic farming comes at a cost: organic food is more expensive in the shops; organic growing is detrimental to the cost of living. And so, as James Borell says2, “uncomfortable as it might be, the uncomfortable truth is that intensive agriculture is the way to go.” ### What is needed: 1\. A viable Land Use Strategy for England. 2\. A review of support to UK farmers to maintain national self-sufficiency above 60% (partly implemented as of January 2024). 3\. A national agricultural policy of Land Sparing and changes to ELMS to reflect this. 4\. Where suitable land is available, farmers should be encouraged to grow alternative protein sources to meat. 5\. Investment in low carbon fertiliser production should be encouraged. ### References: 1\. House of Lords. Land use frameworks: integrating policies in England. Available at: [https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/land-use-frameworks-integrating-policies-in-england/](https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/land-use-frameworks-integrating-policies-in-england?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2\. Dr James Borrell. Good Ideas In Conservation #1: Land Sparing vs Land Sharing. Available at: [http://www.jamesborrell.com/good-ideas-in-conservation-1-land-sparing-vs-land-sharing/](http://www.jamesborrell.com/good-ideas-in-conservation-1-land-sparing-vs-land-sharing/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3\. National Statistics. Agriculture in the United Kingdome 2022\. Available at: [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment\_data/file/1170953/auk-2022-13jul23i.pdf](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment%5Fdata/file/1170953/auk-2022-13jul23i.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4\. Henry Dimbleby. ‘Making the most of our land’. Chapter 15 in ‘Ravenous’. Profile Books 2023. 5\. Ian Bateman and Andrew Balmford. Current conservation policies risk accelerating biodiversity loss. *Nature* **618**, 671-674 (2023) (as discussed in: Current conservation policies risk damaging global biodiversity, researchers argue. Available at: [https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy/current-conservation-policies-risk-damaging-global-biodiversity-researchers-argu](https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy/current-conservation-policies-risk-damaging-global-biodiversity-researchers-argu?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)e/ 6\. Graham Brookes. Why ‘land sparing’ is a more sustainable option. Available at: [https://www.fruitnet.com/fresh-produce-journal/comment-why-land-sparing-is-a-more-sustainable-option/255386.article ](https://www.fruitnet.com/fresh-produce-journal/comment-why-land-sparing-is-a-more-sustainable-option/255386.article?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### popcawn - Vote for the Climate! March 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popcawn-vote-for-the-climate-march-2024/ Last updated: 2024-03-06T11:35:20.000Z Last month’s popcawn topic was people power and how we can find comfort and strength in numbers. Nowhere is people power seen more clearly than when we cast a vote to elect our political representatives. We may wonder what difference our one single vote could make among tens of thousands in our constituency, especially in ‘safe’ seats where the incumbent is actively voting against environmental protection policies. But recent by-election results have shown that we can elicit change…and with the General Election to take place within the year, potentially as soon as May, we have a huge opportunity to influence national climate action. So who should we vote for? CA-WN always has been and always will be an apolitical organisation and so will not make any recommendations on who to vote for. However, here is some guidance and links to resources to help you make your decision. First of all, while we wait for the publication of 2024 manifestos, look at all parties’ promises/pledges/plans and judge from the information and the language used whether they truly understand the risks and urgency of climate change and biodiversity loss. Does what they say about environmental protection tally up with how they talk about it when interviewed? And does it align with what they’ve actually been doing if they have been in power? What other policies do they have that may conflict with climate policies? For example, the pursuit of economic growth is something that needs to be balanced carefully with slowing down climate change. On the other hand, tackling the cost of living crisis through home insulation initiatives, and energy security through investment in UK clean energy, will generally have the co-benefit of reducing emissions. To help you understand what our next government should be doing to keep us safe in the coming years (ie what government policy should be) the Climate Change Committee (CCC) is a valuable resource. The CCC is an independent statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008 to advise the UK on emissions targets and there is a useful summary of its key recommendations on its website1. If a party currently has sitting MPs, you can look at their voting record on climate and nature issues, which will give you a sense of how seriously they take climate change and biodiversity loss. There’s a useful website called VoteClimate2 where you can access MPs’ voting history on climate-related matters. This apolitical organisation will also advise which vote in your constituency will provide the strongest vote for the climate. In the meantime, they will demonstrate to the parties through their membership numbers just how many people will be voting for the climate – this should hopefully influence the manifestos! This approach is also taken by a couple of other campaigns that would be useful to look up: The Commitment3 and Greenpeace’s Project Climate Vote4. Neither of these will advise on how to vote in the next election but will help to pressure parties into ensuring climate policies are taken seriously. You can sign up to all these initiatives and by doing so you will help to demonstrate the strength of public feeling for serious climate policies. **References:** 1\. Climate Change Committee. 2023 Progress Report to Parliament. Available at: [https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/2023-progress-report-to-parliament/](https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/2023-progress-report-to-parliament/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 1 March 2024 2\. VoteClimate UK. Available at: [https://voteclimate.uk/](https://voteclimate.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 1 March 2024 3\. The Commitment. Available at: [https://www.thecommitment.uk/](https://www.thecommitment.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 1 March 2024 4\. Greenpeace. Project Climate Vote. Available at: [https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/take-action/project-climate-vote/](https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/take-action/project-climate-vote/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 1 March 2024 ### Council Watch March 2024 - LCWIP and Air Quality Public Consultations URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-lcwip-and-air-quality-public-consultations/ Last updated: 2024-03-06T13:51:52.000Z Here at CA-WN we try to make a habit of both responding to relevant consultations issued by West Northamptonshire Council, and of sharing those responses with our audience. We did not respond to the recent consultations on Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for Daventry, Brackley and Towcester as critiquing their proposals required a level of local knowledge that we don’t possess. I hope some of you did take the opportunity to respond if these plans affected your neighbourhoods. The LCWIP for Northampton has not yet reached the consultation stage - you can read more about that and about LCWIPs more generally in the latest [piece from our Transport Correspondent](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-long-and-short-of-lcwips-local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plans/) Peter Doveston. There’s been a lot of talk about air quality in West Northamptonshire in recent months, entirely due to the good work of the 1000 Voices campaign1, along with the Northampton Clean Air Group. It is true that air quality in our area has not reached the appalling state of some cities in other parts of the world where it is barely possible to see the skyline for smog and children cannot safely play outside. However when CA-WN carried out our own air quality study in West Northamptonshire we found that levels of particulates in the air were closely related to periods of heavy road traffic and the times of day when homes are being heated in winter. According to guidance published by the snappily named government body The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, or OHID2: > “In the UK, air pollution is the largest environmental risk to public health” > “The annual mortality of human-made air pollution in the UK is roughly equivalent to between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths every year. It is estimated that between 2017 and 2025 the total cost to the NHS and social care system of air pollutants (fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide), for which there is more robust evidence for an association, will be £1.6 billion.” There is no reason to think West Northamptonshire is immune to this, therefore the council’s Draft Air Quality Action Plan, currently being consulted on, is very much needed. So is the high level Air Quality Strategy due to be completed in 2025\. We have got nearly 3 years into the tenure of this council without either an action plan or a strategy on air quality. CA-WN has responded to the consultation and our response is reproduced below for your information - feel free to make use of it in your own response. We recommend making full use of the ‘Other Comments’ section as the consultation questionnaire offers limited scope elsewhere for respondents to share their views on the 78-page Draft Air Quality Action Plan. Although a substantial part of this document is devoted to setting out relevant policy and regulatory background. If you are short of reading time jump to the table of Air Quality Action Plan Measures on pages 43-48. Please respond to this consultation if you possibly can – it is so important to let our local politicians know that air quality matters to us as residents. It closes on 17 March. --- **WNC Draft Air Quality Action Plan - notes on suggested responses** (We haven’t included responses to most of the tick-box questions) **Question:** *In your opinion, how do you feel about the current level of air pollution within the last 3 years, since the Covid-19 pandemic:* We selected ‘It has got worse’ as our response for all three options (Locally; Nationally; Worldwide) *Please use the space below if you would like to let us know why you answered the above question in the way that you did:* **CA-WN response:** Air quality definitely improved during the pandemic and has since got worse as we have all gone ‘back to normal’. *Further comments:* **CA-WN response:** There is no objection to removal of Air Quality Management Areas if air quality in those areas will continue to be actively monitored to enable future issues to be identified. Regarding the relative importance of the suggested actions: \- Public awareness and education campaigns will be ineffective if the current infrastructure doesn't change. If public transport and active travel are safe, inexpensive and convenient in comparison to travelling by car, people are empowered to make different choices. \- Planning controls are extremely important - new homes reliant on burning methane gas for heating and hot water must not be permitted. New residential and commercial developments must be required to plan and deliver permanent high quality infrastructure for access by public transport and active travel. \- The council needs to call a halt to the practice of building more roads as a solution to congestion. Easing congestion makes driving more attractive and therefore may result in more car journeys not fewer. Money should instead be spent on measures to make other means of transport more attractive - good quality public transport, and safe segregated lanes for cycles and scooters for example. [Have your say on our plans to improve Air Quality - West Northamptonshire Council - Citizen SpaceFind and participate in consultations run by West Northamptonshire Council![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/favicon.ico)Have your say on our plans to improve Air Quality![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/os-custom-logos/screenshot-2023-08-09-at-14.24.30.png)](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/public-health/have-your-say-on-our-plans-to-improve-air-quality/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) --- **References** 1 1000 Voices [https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices](https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 OHID Air Pollution Guidance [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-pollution-applying-all-our-health/air-pollution-applying-all-our-health](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-pollution-applying-all-our-health/air-pollution-applying-all-our-health?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### The Long and Short of LCWIPs (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans) URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-long-and-short-of-lcwips-local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plans/ Last updated: 2024-03-04T08:43:05.000Z *This article comes from CA-WN's transport correspondent Peter Doveston, very ably assisted by Dave Anderson. We are grateful to both of them for this, and for representing CA-WN at the recent stakeholder workshop on the Northampton LCWIP.* In 2017 the Government published its [first cycling and walking investment strategy](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycling-and-walking-investment-strategy?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), which sets out the ambition to make cycling and walking the traveller’s natural choice for short journeys or even as part of a longer trip. In 2020, Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LWCIPs) were introduced as an update to the ambitions of the 2017 strategy. An LCWIP provides a long-term approach to developing local cycling and walking networks, usually over a 10-year period. They are used to assist local authorities to: **• Identify and prioritise cycling and walking infrastructure improvements for future investment in the short, medium and long term;* **• Ensure that consideration is given to cycling and walking within both local planning, transport policies and strategies; and* • **Make the case for future funding for walking and cycling infrastructure.* All good so far. It is important to remember that an LCWIP is a high-level strategy which sets out governing principles for future work. It is not a plan of implementation for specific projects. The document is commissioned by the local authority, written by a consulting company, and paid for by the government. Without an adopted LCWIP a local authority cannot access certain pots of funding for future projects from central government. It is vitally important that West Northamptonshire has adopted LCWIPs as the funding pot is steadily being reduced. [In March 2023, the government cut the available Active Travel funding by two thirds](https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/news/2023/may/don-t-be-fooled-by-the-government-s-good-news/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). If, like us, you’re concerned about this then please contact your MP and raise this concern. Keep in mind that the LCWIP is a *local strategy document* and each project the authority wishes to implement will need to be defined along with a full justification probably requiring the consultants to help do this. The road is long but it is one we must all engage with despite memory of previous set-backs. This is, after all, not the first time members of CA-WN have been involved in supporting LCWIP and a great deal of input was given to a previous consultation that Northants County Council [failed to take forward](https://saferstreetsnorthamptonshire.commonplace.is/en-GB/news/views-sought-on-the-local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plan-for-northampton?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). However, if we fail to engage with the latest one, we forgo the right to complain should it not include our interests. LCWIPs are much further along in Daventry, Towcester and Brackley, now is the turn of Northampton with a first stakeholder session having been held at Delapre Abbey on 13th February 2024\. Attendees were primarily councillors (parish and unitary), officials (council departments and Highways Agency) followed by interest groups: ramblers, horse riders, Living Streets and CA-WN. The introductory session was led by an overview of the strategy development process from PJA, the consulting company commissioned to create the LCWIP for Northampton. Questions and comments were raised by those present and feedback was noted for follow up. ### What is CA-WN's view? With the current state of our decaying walking and cycling infrastructure (as well as the roads!) in mind, we are sceptical of our local authority’s appetite to embrace this process and then to get on with the various resulting projects. It is crucial that West Northants leaders get involved to lead the LCWIP, its adoption, and delivery of projects. We urge them once and for all do the right thing and make a difference to improve people’s mental and physical health, improve our local micro economy and improve air quality. We urge them to focus and avoid getting embroiled in the political debating chamber of cars vs cycling. This is not a them and us. It is all of us. The current infrastructure is decaying and the LCWIP needs to highlight this. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/02/LCWIP.png) Former LCWIP network plan map and information - from 13 February 2024 presentation ### What can CA-WN readers do? We need to raise awareness across West Northants that the Northampton LCWIP is taking place. The published timeline is as follows: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/02/Timescale.png) From 13 February 2024 presentation CA-WN are actively engaged in the LCWIP for Northampton with ideas both new and previous. We are keen to spread the word about the LCWIP as it seems they go under the radar; we would also like to help other interested groups or individuals contribute. The next session date is yet to be confirmed but we will be sure to keep you updated here on *The CA-WN Exchange*. If you are interested, please email your details (or the contact of your group) or leave a comment below. We will let you know when the next meeting is scheduled and what to expect. Send an [email to CA-WN](mailto:secretary@ca-wn.org?subject=Local%20Cycling%20and%20Walking%20Infrastructure%20Plans) with your views or log in to add a comment. ### The Climate Question URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-climate-question/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:03:07.000Z The Climate Question is a weekly podcast from the BBC World Service which (spoiler alert) looks at a different climate-related question in each sub-30 minute episode. It generally provides a good overview of each topic, with expert input articulated for the person on the street. As it is a World Service programme it isn’t too UK-centric, which is refreshing. Recent topics covered include sustainable aviation fuels, tidal power and the role of wetlands in climate change. I particularly recommend this if you struggle to find the time or the mental energy to listen to longer, more ‘serious’ climate focused podcasts. Quick link to the BBC's [Climate Question](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xtvb6?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### Lentil and Mushroom Welsh Rarebit Pie URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/lentil-and-mushroom-welsh-rarebit-pie/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:19:03.000Z It is the approach of the Spring equinox – at last! Who knows, perhaps the ground will dry up when the March winds get going. Slightly earlier each morning, before there is more than a glimmer of light in the sky, we can hear the mounting excitement of the birds trying out their calls, warning rivals off territories already staked, and each day I discover more primroses coming up in unexpected corners of the garden. Longer days may be almost here, but the forecasters aren’t extending much hope of Spring-like weather, so to cheer ourselves up, what about a lovely warming dish that is inexpensive, easy to make and will freeze happily. It’s a jazzed-up version of cottage pie, so the lentil dish will be topped with mashed potato, then finished with a super mix of mustard, cheese and yoghourt, or crème fraiche. Non-dairy alternatives to the cheese and yoghourt work just as well. Skin-on chips seem to be the thing in pubs and cafés these days, so let’s hear it for their leguminous cousins, green lentils! The lovely orange lentil is the same animal, but stripped of its skin, and green lentils come in different iterations, from the bog standard to the rather upmarket Puy lentil, considered by many as a delicacy. You can buy either canned or dried green lentils. Dried ones are cheaper and can easily be cooked at home. Whilst the tins offer convenience, there is a lot of water in the can, the contents will not be as tasty, and a pack of dried lentils is, weight for weight, a much more economic purchase. And lentils don’t need to be soaked prior to cooking, simply wash and go. **You will need:** Approximately 230g dried lentils (substitute 2 tins if you’re in a rush). 1 small bay leaf, or ½ if it’s dried 1 or 2 cloves of garlic 175g medium-sized button or chestnut mushrooms. Use more if you really love mushrooms! 2 or 3 shallots, or 2 small-to-medium onions A little oil for sautéing mushrooms and onions. A good dollop of tomato purée A tin of chopped tomatoes Red wine 1 stock cube Fresh or dried herbs – I recommend dried mixed herbs at this time of year. 600g potatoes, scrubbed clean, cut into 4, or more, chunks, depending on size. A dash of milk A pinch of salt. **For the topping:** 1 small pot of crème fraiche, or natural yoghourt 1 dessert spoonful of Dijon mustard 175g grated strong cheddar or similar hard cheese. Put the washed green lentils with a small clove of crushed garlic, the bay leaf and half an onion or a shallot, roughly sliced, into a pan and top up with water so the lentils are well covered. Add a slug of wine but no salt. Bring to the boil then lower the flame so the pan simmers well for another 20 mins. Stir periodically so the lentils don’t catch on the base, and top up the water if needed. Test to make sure they are cooked. Now drain them, retaining the juice they have cooked in. If the flavour is a little sharp, take the edge off it by adding a teaspoonful of honey, stirring it well in. Next, prepare the mashed potatoes. If you prefer to peel them, that’s ok, but leaving them in their skins is also an option. Cook them in your usual manner. Test with a knife to make sure they are cooked, then drain, allow the steam to evaporate for a few minutes, then mash them well, adding salt and milk in the usual way. Set the oven to the hot side of medium while you’re preparing the filling. Slice onions or shallots and sauté, with the oil, in a large pan until they become slightly translucent. Next, add the quartered mushrooms and stir while they cook, adding the remaining crushed garlic, till they start to give off a little juice. Now stir in the herbs and the tomato purée. At this stage, add the lentils then the tinned tomatoes. Sprinkle the stock cube over the top, add a slug of red wine and stir in well. If the mixture is a little dry, add some of the reserved lentil juice, and another slug of red wine. Stir well so everything is well distributed, then check for seasoning. Pour the filling into an oven proof dish or casserole, ensuring there will be enough space at the top for a good layer of mash and the cheesy topping. Cover the top with mashed potato. Make the topping by stirring the mustard into the yoghourt or crème fraiche, then stir in the grated cheese. Spread this over the mash, then cook in the oven until the filling is sufficiently hot and the topping begins to bubble and turn a lovely golden brown. If the oven is too hot the topping may start to brown before the filling is hot enough. If this seems to be the case, turn the oven down a little, and open the door for a minute or two, so the temperature drops. Once the topping is bubbling away nicely, the meal is ready to serve! **Et bon appétit!** 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### How Bad Are Bananas URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/how-bad-are-bananas/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:14:37.000Z *Our book recommendation this month comes from Joely Slinn, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) Sustainability Officer* For those of us seeking to improve our daily impact on the planet, this book is a useful tool for just that. The *How Bad Are Bananas?* book by Mike Berners-Lee breaks down the science of climate change into simple terms and presents the carbon footprint of almost every consumption, travel and food choice we make every day – from washing up, to purchasing a takeaway curry, right through to buying a new house. The book presents the idea of a 5 tonne lifestyle; which is some way from the average carbon footprint of a person in the UK at 13 tonnes per year. The book has become a talking point for the sustainability team at WNC and has led to many interesting conversations in the office about the carbon impact of our tea and coffee habits, as well as the emails we send and receive! We have also recently made use of the accompanying How Bad Are Bananas? carbon footprint game by Future We Want, to help with our public engagement activities. The game is a simple higher or lower concept where players compare the carbon footprint of (most of) the products and activities included within the book. The game has so far proved an excellent tool for starting conversation about the climate and helping people to consider their choices and hopefully make some impactful changes. Some days it is hard not to feel overwhelmed by the climate crisis, but this book makes our individual impact feel more meaningful and I think we can all learn a thing or two from it. ***This book is available to borrow from the*** [***CA-WN Lending Library***](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-library/)***.*** 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Nene Rivers Trust URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/nene-rivers-trust/ Last updated: 2024-02-28T19:45:36.000Z Rickileigh Edwards, Project Support Officer at the Nene Rivers Trust, outlines their projects in our area. ### Introduction to the Nene Rivers Trust Nene Rivers Trust, formerly River Nene Regional Park, is part of the national Rivers Trusts movement across the UK and Ireland. Together we work to mitigate the impacts of climate change and pollution, create new habitats, manage and monitor soil health, improve water quality and help build resilience in our communities. As part of this network, we work alongside other trusts to make our shared vision a reality: wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all. Working with our many partners, the projects we deliver help to build the connections between the local communities and the river landscape. ## Nene Rivers Trust projects: ### RAIN The RAIN project (Resilience and Innovation Northants) will be working with communities in two river catchments: Harpers Brook in North Northamptonshire, and Wootton Brook in West Northamptonshire. We will be working with these communities to trial flood resilience measures at three different scales: across the catchment, within the community, and at individual property level. The overall aim of the project is to engage with landowners and farmers, communities and individuals throughout these two catchments, to test new approaches to improving flood resilience. As a funded innovation project, we will be evaluating how effectively these measures work in combination with each other. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/02/Nene-barrier.png) Flood barrier - image courtesy of Nene Rivers Trust ### Nene Valley Catchment Partnership The Nene Valley Catchment Partnership is a member of the Catchment Based Approach. This partnership consists of many organisations from all over the Nene Valley, and is a space that facilitates the co-ordinated efficient delivery of river improvement projects while supporting cross-boundary working. The Partnership contributes to the development and improvement of green infrastructure links throughout Catchment, providing a mechanism to ‘pool’ funding to deliver multi-functional projects, and informing the development of suitable planning policy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/02/Catchmentplan.png) Plan of Nene Valley Catchment area. image courtesy of Nene Rivers Trust ### Rockingham Forest ‘Building the Links’ The National Lottery Heritage Fund are funding this partnership project to link people to the habitats and wildlife of Rockingham Forest. A wide range of activities will engage people, from guided walks to nature workshops, enabling participants to gain more identification skills and engage in wildlife recording. Other workshops provide an introduction to practical woodland management such as coppicing and charcoal making. The project is also promoting woodland education with an extension of the RFS Teaching Trees programme enabling local schools to take part in educational visits. Through cooperation with local landowners, the project is initiating discussions to build towards better management and an extension of the range of wildlife habitats that are distinctive and important in the area, making links between hotspots with wildlife corridors. ### River Ise Partnership: An ambitious, large-scale programme to enhance the quality of the Valley’s natural environment, strengthen its natural capital and develop its ecosystem services. The project aims to develop a River Ise Linear Park that creates links and pathways for people and wildlife, and augments connectivity from Wellingborough through Kettering and to Corby, seeking opportunities to develop sustainable tourism that creates socioeconomic benefits for communities through employment and income-earning opportunities. Also focussing on mitigating and facilitating adaptation to climate change, and contributing to natural flood management. You can find out more at [www.neneriverstrust.org](http://www.neneriverstrust.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Air Quality Statement to WNC meeting, 22 February 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/air-quality/ Last updated: 2024-02-26T08:40:47.000Z ### Dave Pearson, a leading Northamptonshire campaigner for clean air, gave a statement to West Northamptonshire Councillors at their Council Meeting. Read it in full below, or watch the recording of the WNC meeting on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/live/kuJUXqT33MY?si=5Ajs4pS7Tnw4G0qm&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) \- Dave's statement starts 17 minutes in. It's also worth watching the subsequent statement, from Tina Matthew of the 1000 Voices campaign. Tina introduces activists handing out 102 fake death certificates signifying estimated premature deaths due to air pollution per year in our area. These activists are carrying out well-thought-out and respectful protests because they are rightly concerned about the impact on our health of the poor air quality in West Northamptonshire. Please take a minute to [sign up to their campaign](https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to show your support. West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is currently consulting on a draft Air Quality Action Plan. There is a link underneath Dave's statement to the consultation, which closes on 17 March. CA-WN will respond to the consultation, and will share our response on CA-WN Exchange. Consultations are not necessarily fun to read through and reply to, but we really do recommend using them as a way to tell the council what you think about key topics - and what could be more vital than the need to breathe clean air? ### Dave Pearson's statement > I am speaking on behalf of Clean Air Northamptonshire. > Budgeting is about priorities and values. The highest priority for this council is surely to protect the lives of its citizens. Public Health England estimates that 102 people die in Northampton each year due to air pollution, and thousands more survive with the debilitating consequences of heart disease, cancer, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dementia, asthma and stroke. > Successive councils have dragged their feet for two decades on Northampton’s toxic air. The only tangible mitigation thus far being a bus lane on the Weedon Road. There was almost a cycle lane on the Billing Road, but you chickened out at the slightest opposition. Despite having seven Air Quality Management Areas, this council had no action plans to tackle them, nor indeed an air quality officer to devise them year after year. > It wasn’t until DEFRA began a disciplinary process on 31st August last year that things started to happen. An air quality officer was finally appointed, but only part-time. DEFRA sent a letter in October warning the council about its lack of an air quality action plan. The cabinet said nothing. DEFRA sent a final warning letter in December. The councillors were not informed. The final step in the process is a ministerial letter with a Section 85 direction, due next week. Is that why a draft action plan has been published for consultation this week? Does this council think so little of its citizens that protecting their lives is only acted upon when faced with legal sanction by central government? > Northampton’s toxic air scandal is a litany of procrastination, obfuscation, concealment, denial and delay. The next week brings both uncertainty and certainty. It remains to be seen whether this reluctant attempt to finally produce an action plan is sufficient to avert ministerial sanction. But what is certain is that next week two more people will struggle to draw their penultimate breath, then their ultimate breath, then struggle no more. > Shame on you all. [Have your say on our plans to improve Air Quality - West Northamptonshire Council - Citizen SpaceFind and participate in consultations run by West Northamptonshire Council![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/favicon.ico)Have your say on our plans to improve Air Quality![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/os-custom-logos/screenshot-2023-08-09-at-14.24.30.png)](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/public-health/have-your-say-on-our-plans-to-improve-air-quality/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### CA-WN 15 February meeting report URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-16-february-meeting-report/ Last updated: 2024-02-20T22:40:10.000Z We were delighted to welcome as our guest this month Alison Holland, founder and director of Brightwayz, a social enterprise dedicated to active travel1. Brightwayz is based in the other half of Northamptonshire, where the team runs lots of practical projects to promote and support active travel; they also provide active travel products and information across the UK. Alison’s slides are available to download2. This meeting was also recorded and can be watched on the CA-WN YouTube channel3. **Present**: Alan Mawer, Dave Anderson, David Garlick, Ella Sage, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, Martin Coombs, Mick Lorkins, Peter Matten, Orianne Neyroud, Rupert Frost, Rupert Knowles, Sam Beesley, Tim Allen. **Apologies**: Briony Askew, Clare Slater, Maria Lee ### **Brightwayz** Brightwayz is a non-profit social enterprise, which runs on similar lines to a CIC (Community Interest Company), but was founded in 2003 before CICs were invented. The company recently received Excellent STARS accreditation for its travel plan from Modeshift, a national sustainable travel organisation. They are also on NatWest’s list of the UK’s top 100 Social Enterprises4. Brightwayz exists to promote safe sustainable everyday active travel for all. They are not about holidays but active travel for everyone wherever they want to go - inclusivity is important. The organisation started out as BrightKidz with a walking bus to the local school, and developed into offering support and products to enable more parents to set up walking buses, then into active travel more generally. They now run a range of active travel projects in North Northamptonshire, and support councils, schools, business and voluntary organisations across the UK to deliver active travel with advice and information as well as products such as hi-viz waistcoats and reflective armbands. **What’s the issue with transport?** It’s the largest and fastest growing source of carbon emissions in the UK. It’s also something everybody can do something about – everyone has to travel whatever their ability or age, so everyone can make choices about how they travel. Although people are set in their ways and will not all be willing to change. Brightwayz works with people of all ages but particularly with young people, as well as with other social enterprises, the council, and schools, to deliver active travel programmes. Local projects include: · Working with schools to develop green travel plans, which is what earned the STARS accreditation. · Community Cycle Hub in Kettering. They have free use of fairly derelict old side rooms at the Royal Hotel in Kettering every last Saturday of the month. They provide free cycle parking and maps, plus engagement campaigns about active travel. It’s a friendly place for people who like cycling, scooting, wheeling to ask questions or talk to others. · Community Cycle Club is for people who need to cycle with someone else to feel confident on the roads and help them know where to ride. On the last Sunday of every month, open to all ages (children need to be with an adult). They go to a different place every month, e.g. Wicksteed Park. · Working with Kettering General Hospital to develop a travel plan and install cycle racks. They also hold regular ‘fix your bike’ events there, funded by Cycling UK. · Helping council with designing safer active travel routes. · Bikelife – supporting people with gaining confidence to cycle. Participants are either given a cycle if they need one, or help to make sure their own bike is roadworthy. At the end of the course they receive a voucher towards bike kit or to keep a refurbished bike. Similar scheme in West Northants based at Delapre Abbey – Space 2 Talk5 · ‘Get Down to Town’ - all sorts of active travel-related activities and events in Kettering town centre. Funded by North Northants Council. Kettering is the first town in the UK to receive ModeShift Accreditation for the whole area. It’s about promoting existing activities as well as running their own eg a Ghanaian women’s walking group. As part of the project they ran a ‘scooter disco’ for children and parents to borrow a scooter and whiz round to music. Very popular with children. · Get Down to Town also includes Cycle lingo, which combines cycle training and providing a bike with English language lessons. The initial cohort is Ukrainians who need a means of transport. Some have learned to cycle from scratch and have all received bikes giving them freedom to get around. **Other issues with transport** It’s not just emissions. Other problems caused by motor vehicles include: · Road casualties (1575 in total in Northants in 2022). Fewer car journeys = fewer casualties. · Air pollution causes serious ill health – not just in cities. The British Heart Foundation predicts 1,700 deaths in the county in the next decade due to air pollution. · Traffic congestion costs the economy £6.9bn a year e.g. in delays for businesses **Who does it affect?** · Families - time spent driving children. Vicious circle of driving kids because the roads are too dangerous to walk/cycle. · Businesses - people who regularly cycle have on average 27% lower absenteeism rates. Space taken up by car parking is expensive. Next plc in Leicester started a car share scheme with staff incentives and managed to claw back a large area of car park which is now used for something else. · Traders – there’s a fear that people won’t spend money if they can’t drive into town. In fact people spend more if they walk or cycle as they spend longer in town and are more likely to go to local independent stores rather than just drive to a supermarket. · Older people without access to a car suffer from isolation and difficulty accessing health and other services, especially where public transport is inadequate. Many older people are very happy to drive everywhere but that independence can be suddenly taken away by poor health. · Young adults are affected by the costs of car ownership, and are often missed out of the thinking on transport. Teens to age 25 may not be able to afford a car or driving lessons. If they can it uses up all their income to cover insurance and running costs. E scooters have been great for young people to get to work and education quickly and cheaply. · Children need to be considered as individuals as well as part of families. If they learn to walk from place to place confidently and cycle safely, it gives them independence and releases parents from ‘taxi duties’. **Changing mindsets** · Behaviour change is difficult to achieve – everyone thinks other people should do something differently but don’t do it themselves. We all need to take individual responsibility. Cyclists are stereotypically thought of as fit white men speeding along in special gear. That isn’t what a cyclist is – AH prefers to say ‘people who cycle’ or ‘people who are cycling’ as everyone travels differently at different times – cyclists drive and walk too. · Congestion – there’s a view that you need to build more roads for all the traffic. Braess’s Paradox6 is that more roads simply lead to more congestion, as more vehicles are drawn to the new roads. If you build for cars, you’ll get cars, if you build for active travel, you’ll get pedestrians, bikes, scooters etc. · It’s not a case of saying ‘no more cars’, but sometimes a bike is better. Achieving a significant difference doesn’t need everyone to change. The impact of just 20% of people cycling or walking regularly would be phenomenal. **What can we do about it?** · Travel plans provide a structure to take effective action · Modeshift STARS award system provides an excellent framework · In North Northants all schools are targeted to have a travel plan by 2033 · Businesses need to have travel plans for planning purposes but they are also useful for achieving net zero and health and wellbeing targets. · A travel plan has been done for Kettering town centre. · E scooters reduce car journeys – 1.5m trips since the scheme was introduced, 30% of those replace a car journey. **Case Study - Grange Primary school** This school has done loads to promote active travel and won several awards. It’s important to be specific about what behaviour is changing and keep track of the numbers. A key one is ‘how do you usually get to school?’ **Case Study - Rushden Lakes** Rushden Lakes is owned by Crown Estates, who are big on sustainability. Brightwayz have been contracted to work on their travel plan and reduce the number of car journeys to the site. A key group to target is the staff as they go there every day. There are also initiatives for visitors and customers particularly if they live locally, including cycle workshops. **Case Study – North Northants Council** Brightwayz has been supporting NNC with LCWIPs (local cycling and walking infrastructure plans) for Kettering and Corby. These are a really important tool for councils to access government funding for new cycle routes. Current government position is less favourable towards cyclists than under previous PMs. However LCWIPs are 10 year plans so need to keep them going. In West Northants Daventry, Brackley and Towcester LCWIPs are currently in consultation7. Make sure you give your support to LCWIPs as an interested party by sharing your local knowledge of what needs doing. Understand all the potential benefits e.g. access to employment. **Summary** · What could be replicated in West Northants? Take a look at the Brightwayz local projects page and Facebook1 to find out more about what they have done. They are happy to share ideas. · It’s important to partner with others and be part of the local community. **Q&A** ***Northampton has a wide variety of cycle groups which, as far as I am aware, don't seem to talk to each other. Do the groups in the North work together?*** Perhaps not as much as they could - Kettering Cycle Club helps out a lot, for example members act as ride leaders for Brightwayz. Would be nice to connect better. ***How did you build the relationship with the council?*** It all happened in lockdown! AH had known a few people on the old County Council, they were supportive but never had any money. In lockdown AH was on furlough and connected with a group called Northants Streets For All. She then talked to councillors, including Jason Smithers, current NNC leader and at that time transport portfolio holder. They liked the ideas she was offering and had some funding without resources to deliver very much, so engaged Brightwayz to deliver some projects. Doing that successfully won the group credibility. They are now seen as a critical friend. ***How many people work at Brightwayz?*** The core team are 6 – 3 directors, 2 project staff and 1 marketing person. The organisation provides work for many more people such as mechanics and a Ukrainian translator. ***I attended the Northampton LCWIP session 1 yesterday. Did the LCWIPs you were involved in address the state of current infrastructure?*** LCWIPs did recognise issues with current infrastructure but haven’t addressed it on the ground yet due to lack of funding. Engineers go and survey what is already there and look at, for example, what the barriers are to active travel. To find out more about the status of LCWIPs in the West, Neil Holland, Walking and Cycling Officer, is a good contact. ***Point raised at the LCWIP workshop yesterday was an audit of current facilities. There is a tendency to spend money on shiny new things not fixing what’s already there.*** A good LCWIP should have some quick wins, which could be fixes to current infrastructure or something relatively inexpensive such as new signs and maps. ***My problems when cycling are: potholes, with potential damage to me or my bike; cars getting too close; cars parked in the cycle lanes; and the high chance of having your bike stolen when it's chained up. Do you liaise with the police and council about these problems?*** The Police should be part of the LCWIP development. They may be able to offer things like bike marking, which is a very partial solution but can help with recovering bikes stolen just for a ride home and then abandoned. Facilities such as secure cycle parking are important. It might also be advisable to have a cheaper bike for quick trips to the shops and keep the expensive one for long rides. It is statistically less likely that bikes with back racks get stolen – perhaps they are less cool? It would be good to see the police clamping down more on bike theft as often there are regular prolific bike thieves. ***Sustrans are working with WNC in a similar way to how Brightwayz are with NNC*** Good to know - AH knows Sustrans well. They sometimes collaborate and sometimes are competitors! ### **Other business:** ***Recent events:*** \- Tree harvesting at Martin More Wood8. ML has been in touch with WNC about other woods where a similar event could be held later this year, and with the Forestry Commission, hoping to encourage them to hold their own events. \- HM and JW attended a Show The Love event in Towcester organised by the WI and signed up a number of new subscribers to the CA-WN Exchange. \- JW also represented CA-WN at Seedy Saturday. ***Upcoming:*** \- South Court Environmental are holding events the next couple of weekends to plant trees, including some collected from the tree harvesting9. \- Hackleton environmental group meeting March 5th. \- East Hunsbury Green Event on 1st June \- We plan another social event probably at the Museum again. Provisional date is 20th April but need to confirm with the Museum. \- The Northampton Clean Air group and 1000 Voices10 campaign are planning another demonstration outside the Guildhall We are keen to get out and talk to local groups with the same objectives as CA-WN – let us know if you would like us to come to you! Also, although most of the outreach work tends to be done by JW and HM, they would welcome anyone else wanting to get involved. Planning ahead for better weather we are looking for somewhere to go for a field trip – enjoyable but where we can also learn something. We have some ideas but more would be welcome. DG suggested an evening tour at Frosts of Watford. We intend to do a thorough review of the draft WNC Local Plan when it comes out later this month. **AOB** RK went to the workshop held recently to help develop the WNC Tree Strategy. This is being led by a consultant, Russell Horsey. It was interesting how the different council departments see trees in different ways – Highways see them as a potential hazard, others as an engineering problem, there is also biodiversity, shade/ cooling and positive effects on air pollution. We will ask Russell to come to a future meeting as guest speaker. It is positive that the council’s new Tree Officers will be looking across all departments whereas currently this all sits within Planning. **Date of Next Meeting** Thursday 21 March 7:45pm. Guest speaker Councillor Jonathan Harris. [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/781871417457?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/781871417457?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### References 1 Brightwayz [https://brightwayz.co.uk/local-projects/](https://brightwayz.co.uk/local-projects/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [www.facebook.com/brightwayzuk](http://www.facebook.com/brightwayzuk) 2 Meeting presentation [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Brightwayz-CA-WN.pdf](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Brightwayz-CA-WN.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 CA-WN YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784](https://www.youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 NatWest SE100 2023 [https://immersives.pioneerspost.com/SE100-2023/index.html](https://immersives.pioneerspost.com/SE100-2023/index.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5 Space2Talk [https://www.space-wellbeing.co.uk/](https://www.space-wellbeing.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6 Braess’s Paradox [https://brilliant.org/wiki/braess-paradox/](https://brilliant.org/wiki/braess-paradox/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7 LCWIPs in West Northants. Generally [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/buses-and-transport/transport-planning-and-policies/local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plans](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/buses-and-transport/transport-planning-and-policies/local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plans?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Current consultations [https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8 Tree harvesting 9 South Court Environmental 10 1000 Voices [https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices](https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Show the Love URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/show-the-love/ Last updated: 2024-02-20T22:20:22.000Z Every year the *Climate Coalition*1 organises two important annual climate events, the *Great Big Green Week* and *Show the Love*. As a member of the *Climate Coalition* the Women’s Institute (WI) has been taking part in ***Show the Love*** for years. CA-WN always contributes to the **Great Big Green Week**2 and we were very pleased to support the WI at this year’s *Show the Love* event at the Sawpits Centre in Towcester. The Towcester Evening WI brought many local organisations together to *Show the Love* for climate by demonstrating how we can all take small actions to help combat climate change. It was a great opportunity to make new connections and meet up with old friends too. Our thanks to the Towcester Evening WI for allowing us to join in the fun. REFERENCES 1 [https://theclimatecoalition.org/show-the-love](https://theclimatecoalition.org/show-the-love?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 ### popcawn - People Power - February 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popcawn-people-power-feb-2024/ Last updated: 2024-02-06T20:18:58.000Z ### Do you ever feel powerless or overwhelmed when you hear about the latest extreme weather event or species on the verge of extinction? You’re not alone. One of my personal lowest points was when I comforted my 10 year old son, upset while watching a lone seal pup drift away on a remnant of an iceberg as David Attenborough commented on how faster-disintegrating sea ice means fewer and fewer seal pups survive. I struggled for words. He knows that the planet is warming and that animals and humans are dying because of it. He also hears me talking about how little is being done about it. So I couldn’t tell him the white lie that everything will be ok. I was honest and shared that I’m worried about it too and so are millions of other people. We talked about David Attenborough being worried about it, Greta Thunberg being worried about it, and all the scientists, campaigners and authors who are worried about it. We came to realise that we found comfort knowing that so many other people care too. I noticed a similar effect on my levels of hope when I attended the CA-WN get-together at Northampton Museum last month. I came away feeling energised and optimistic – which is unusual for an introvert after a social gathering! If you were able to attend too, please do let us know how you felt about it either in the comments below or via email. Strength in numbers not only manifests as mutual hope, but also has a tangible effect on climate action. Our planet is warming because we collectively (certainly in developed countries) are causing CO2 to be emitted throughout our day, albeit some vastly more than others. It follows, therefore, that if we each reduced our carbon emissions, it would translate into a collective reduction that could make a sizeable impact on our emissions reduction target. Indeed a 2022 report for the House of Lords suggested that almost one third of the required emissions cuts in the UK by 2035 need to come from individual actions1. So the more people who understand and care about the climate and biodiversity crises, the more that will be done about it. However, this effect is not only linear and proportional. Social tipping points also have an important role. These have been defined as points at which potentially irreversible change in society is driven by positive-feedback mechanisms2. As I understand it, such tipping points haven’t routinely been included in climate models3, meaning the ensuing acceleration in behaviour that protects the environment hasn’t completely been accounted for. I hold hope that protective behaviours will become social norms – it makes us humans very uncomfortable to go against the social norm, so just imagine what the positive impact could be! Of course, the majority of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions cuts, plus protection of nature, need to come from governments and businesses, but people are not powerless to influence this area. Especially in an election year, individuals have a huge opportunity to influence government policy on climate and biodiversity targets. Political parties are on the hunt for votes, based on what matters most to the electorate. So let your current MP know what matters to you, and get these issues in the manifestoes. When it comes to businesses, you can vote with your pound by spending money with companies that operate sustainably or are at least local and independent, rather than faceless international corporations that have margins to squeeze and can afford to greenwash and pay pollution fines rather than clean up their act. At the end of our conversation, my son asked me what he could do to help. I told him to talk to his friends about it, so that more and more people care about it, and the ripples spread…strength in numbers. I'll leave you with a quote from Green Welford, who are working hard to get the community together in climate action, and who supplied the lovely photo at the top of the page: > Here at Green Welford our aim is to champion the sustainable future of our community and we believe that an effective way to do this is through organising community events. Tackling anything on your own can seem like a scary and overwhelming task - especially when it is something as big as climate change. By coming together as a group you are sharing the enormity of it all, exchanging ideas, learning from others and, most importantly, realising that we are all in this together; by working together it is far more effective (and far more fun!) than trying to do it all on your own. > > Since we formed in September 2021 we have held coffee mornings, clothes swaps, film screenings, talks, litter picks and our biggest and most successful event to date has been KidsFest - a day of eco events for children which is absolutely free to attend. This year it will be held on June 8th. Follow Green Welford on Instagram @greenwelford and Facebook @GreenWelford --- Hannah and Ellen from Green Welford gave an excellent talk on Carbon Literacy to CA-WN's January 2024 public meeting. You can find notes and links to their slides and a recording of the talk [here ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-general-meeting-notes-january-2024/). References: 1. House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee. In our hands: behaviour change for climate and environmental goals. Available at: [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5803/ldselect/ldenvcl/64/64.pdf](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5803/ldselect/ldenvcl/64/64.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 3 February 2024 2. Otto IM, et al. Social tipping dynamics for stabilizing Earth’s climate by 2050\. *PNAS* 117, 2354–2365 (2020). Available at: [https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1900577117](https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1900577117?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 3 February 2024 3. Moore FC, et al. Determinants of emissions pathways in the coupled climate–social system. *Nature* 603, 103–111 (2022). Available at: [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04423-8](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04423-8?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 3 February 2024 ### My View – Phil Bignell URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-phil-bignell/ Last updated: 2024-02-06T20:04:40.000Z I am Ward Member for Long Buckby, a classic rural Ward, Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee at WNC and finally Chair of Bugbrooke Parish Council. In each of these roles I feel it gives me an opportunity to have some influence on Climate change. It is easy to think that we as individuals can have very little effect but we can, and collectively that adds up to changes that must be made for us to save this precious planet. Personally, I hate waste and I recycle absolutely everything I can and with WNC’s four bin policy it couldn’t be easier. The only major element missing currently is soft plastics but several of the major chain supermarkets make that easy. In the past six months I have only ever put my black bin out three times, just think before you use it, can it be recycled? I accept it is dependent on personal circumstances but think before using the black bin, you can derive pleasure from knowing recycling has an effect, however small. I bike some 7,000 miles a year, albeit a lot for pleasure, but this is an excellent way of limiting pollution, being green and adopting a more accepted method of transport. Being on the Planning Committee gives me an excellent opportunity along with my fellow members to ensure that new proposals deliver biodiversity gains, have sustainable travel links, dwellings equipped for modern transportation and meeting energy efficiency targets which are becoming ever more demanding. As Chair of my local PC we are lucky to have Councillors committed to an Environmental Group who in the short time they have been formed have come up with and delivered projects that mean we as a Community can meet biodiversity targets we have set ourselves. Examples are regular litter picks, repurposing green areas owned by the PC, analysing mowing schedules to reduce need, and promoting rewilding. Their latest initiative is to encourage drivers in cars to stop idling, something that I detest, and educate drivers as to the harm this activity causes. So, in summary there is so much we can do as individuals, it might seem trivial but trust me the cumulative effect is great and must happen if we are serious about saving the world we live in and passing it on to future generations. *Cllr Phil Bignell – Long Buckby Ward* ### The 10th Northampton Seedy Saturday URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-10th-northampton-seedy-saturday/ Last updated: 2024-02-05T12:21:17.000Z *by Shena Cooper* Fruitful Abundance is organising the 10th Northampton Seed Swap on 10 February 2024\. Their mission is to alert people to the reasons why FOOD is so important in helping slow Climate Change and to help them make alterations in their lives which will improve life for them and for the future of the world. ### So why a Seed Swap? Encouraging people to ‘grow their own’, whether that be sprouting a few seeds on the window sill or taking on a larger growing area like an allotment or field, allows people to have a closer connection with what they eat and a more considered approach to food in general. At a Seed Swap visitors can either bring their excess seeds (please label with type, variety and year saved) and exchange them for a different variety/type or if they are new to growing or seed saving they can choose seeds in exchange for a donation (50p is suggested). Many regular attendees to this annual event save their seeds from their previous year’s harvest. These seeds are especially valuable as they have been grown locally and so are acclimatized to some degree. ### Why grow your own food? There are many benefits, and some drawbacks. One of the main benefits is that you know exactly what that product has been treated with; one can make sure that only organic fertilisers and insecticides have been used. Also when one grows their own you can pick and eat within a very short time span so you can enjoy the extra taste and nutrition of really fresh food. There is no plastic packaging, food miles or storage gases, all of these are detrimental to the planet and our health. However there is quite possibly a chewed leaf, a wormy centre to a fruit or a tiny slimy slug which are definite drawbacks. Have you ever wondered why the supermarket lettuce is clean, free from vermin and wrapped in plastic? It is these ‘benefits’ that we need to question. Connecting with nature, weather and the soil is excellent for our sense of wellbeing. Spending time outside in the fresh (windy, drizzly, sunny) air and having contact with the soil has been shown to lift our spirits, although you do sometimes wonder when you return from the garden soaking wet and muddy! Keeping our soil alive ensures that the animals, bacteria and microbes within the soil, which are so essential for a diverse eco-system, are preserved even if the soil in large areas of farmland is depleted by the use of destructive chemicals and farming practices. ### What to expect The seed swap is on Saturday 10th February in The Doddridge Centre in St James (opposite Church’s Shoes) from 10.00-2.00. As well as the seed swap table there will be a Sustainability Market selling locally produced marmalade and jam, natural garden poles etc, Rare Seeds, Recycled books etc, Seed Potatoes, Neals Yard Remedies and more. If you need refreshments we will have a café with cakes and beverages, and soup and freshly cooked food, please visit for your morning coffee or lunch. ### Roads to Nowhere URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/roads-to-nowhere/ Last updated: 2024-02-04T21:45:56.000Z *CA-WN's transport specialist uses a current local example to illustrate why public service development needs to keep in step with housing development.* I came across this article in the Chronicle & Echo recently: [VIDEO: ‘Extremely unhappy’ villagers call for ‘road to nowhere’ in Northampton to be built urgentlyConstruction of the southern section of the road, previously dubbed the “road to nowhere”, stopped over a decade ago![](https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/img/icons/512x512.png)Northampton Chronicle and EchoLogan MacLeod![](https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmJhMTk1ZWNiLTczZGYtNGY2Mi1hZDAwLWEyYzUxYWEwMzgyODo0ODQ3ZDM3MC04N2Y4LTQzMjAtYjM1Ni0zNzQ1OGQ1ZTY4NTk=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=810&auto=webp&quality=75)](https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/politics/extremely-unhappy-villagers-call-for-road-to-nowhere-in-northampton-to-be-built-urgently-4476952?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Angry residents highlighting that the Sandy Lane Relief Road near Harpole has not provided any kind of relief now for over 10 years. This is because the housing project it relied upon fell through; it has been dubbed the 'road to nowhere'. I predict (and I stress this is only my personal prediction) it may soon not be alone in deserving this epithet. Housing has been proposed for the area known as Dallington Grange, located on the north western outskirts of Northampton town, for some time and in recent years developments have started. Those of us who travel regularly down the Welford road (A5199) will have noticed the new road layouts and the new roundabout on the Brampton Lane junction. The new road, known as the North West Relief Road, necessary for opening the land up to housing, has not been without its challenges. The council applied for funding1 from the levelling up fund back in 2021 but were rejected and, at least as far as I can see, we never found out why. A request was made for feedback at the Cabinet meeting held in December 20212 but following this the trail runs cold. It doesn't matter though because an emergency £20 million loan was agreed. Following a Freedom of Information request relating to this funding the following information was given: > **'A decision was made in December 2021 by West Northants Council to proceed with the NNWR and borrow additional funding to complete the scheme ahead of developer funding being received to enable the Council scheme to be completed as planned.'** There were concerns raised about the manner in which this loan was agreed at the time, particularly as full council was bypassed despite the fact there appeared to have been the opportunity. This is also expressed in the December 2021 cabinet minutes2: > **'It was noted that the report could have been presented at the December 2021 Council meeting.'** Equally, we never hear too much relating to the interest on the loan: > **5.1.7\. The potential revenue impact would be as follows if borrowing was taken out over a 20 year period would be as follows** (sic): > **· 2022-23 £0.4m** > **· 2023-23 £1.2m (recurring for the duration of the loan)** The report1 also informed Cabinet that part of the road will be constructed by the developers at Dallington Grange (and here we chime with Sandy Lane). > **4.2\. Phase one of the scheme is the section from the A428 to a roundabout near Grange Farm, just south of the railway line and will be constructed by the developers of Dallington Grange. The first section of phase 1 has already been constructed as part of the Harlestone Gate development** This is backed up by the Cabinet minutes2, the Executive Director of Place and Economy stating: > **· It was advised that part of the road would also be built by the developers.** And Councillor Phil Larratt noting: > **· The contingency worries were understood.** And then this from the report1: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/02/image.png) It seems pretty clear to me that if the Dallington Grange developers don't start work on their side, regardless of the council being able to complete their section of the road, the North West Relief road will not be providing any relief, it will not connect the A1599 to the A428\. I asked the question directly in my FOI, is completion of the North West Relief road contingent on the progress of this development? The response was as follows: > **The delivery of the Northampton North West Relief Road scheme by West Northants is not contingent on the progress of the Dallington Grange SUE development and will be completed in Summer 2024\. The NNWR WNC scheme will link into the Dallington Grange infrastructure that will form part of the strategic link across from A508/A43 to A4500 and work on this will commence in 2024 by Persimmon. This will be progressed in parallel with the residential development and once completed to the Council’s satisfaction, after a two year maintenance period, this will become adopted formally as Public Highway.** There is a coyness within the wording but I take this to demonstrate that the full connection between the A5199 and the A428 will likely not be available in summer 2024 noting that it states work on Persimmon’s side of the road will *commence* in 2024\. Perhaps they have a right to be coy given the story below, note who the developer was in this case too: [Rt Hon. Dame Andrea Leadsom DBE MP | Meeting with Persimmon Homes about the Towcester Relief RoadThis week I met with representatives from Persimmon for an update on construction of the Towcester Relief Road. I am hugely disappointed at the problems that Persimmon are failing to address and the delays that are continuing to cause great distress for my constituents. Persimmon have informed me![](https://assets.squarespace.com/universal/default-favicon.ico)Rt Hon. Dame Andrea Leadsom DBE MPAndrea Leadsom![](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5829a293e4fcb505194767d9/5829a387197aea524aba5078/6403671fb72de4659294746a/1677945183447/headed+website.001.jpeg?format=1500w)](https://www.andrealeadsom.com/news/040323/towcester-relief-road-persimmon-meeting%20 ?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) We know the council have made significant progress on their end having even negotiated the railway bridge3. However, drone footage uploaded to YouTube4 by a local resident seems to show that progress ends at this point. This is concerning as the part of the road beyond the railway bridge falls within the remit of Persimmon. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/02/Transport-drone-image.png) Suffice to say, I'm not holding out for Summer 2024\. Of course, regardless of whether the two main roads are connected or not by the Summer of this year (and I am happy to be proven wrong in this case), ‘relief road’ is still a misleading title. The road will provide access to a new housing estate full of people and their cars. In truth, there is a housing crisis in this country, we do need new houses and the location of this development is as reasonable as any (though it is noteworthy that only a small percentage of the housing in this particular development is going to be 'affordable'5). However, we also need to dramatically reimagine how people are going to travel and, unfortunately, active travel does not seem to have been factored into these new developments. I can't see cycle lanes in any of the streets of Buckton Fields, an already built development nearby, for example. Indeed, public services in general seem to be an afterthought when it comes to housing development in this area - look at this article6 on the Buckton Fields Primary School debacle. In no way is having to rebuild a school the outcome of sustainable practices. There is also a tacit recognition that the road in its original form won’t be sufficient to cater for the needs of the housing estate and surrounding population. It is noted within the council report mentioned above that space is being allowed for the possibility of dualling. This isn’t surprising given the induced demand effect of roads, an effect that is taken seriously enough that reviews on the effect have been completed for the Department for Transport7. It is important that we get our arguments right within the environmental movement. We should be careful not to fall into the trap of nimbyism. Not every new housing development is bad, in fact not every new road is bad (I know, I just said that!) but they must be well thought out. In the case of roads, we should view them as supplementary to preferable travel options: train, bus, bike, foot. We have a duty to protect the natural world and the health of future generations; encompassed within this is the duty to call out unsustainable finance and lack of transparency. Also, to call out when housing development doesn't keep in step with public service development. Sustainability needs to permeate all of our actions, particularly the actions of our local councils and our governments. 1 [https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s3946/Northampton%20North%20West%20Relief%20Road%20-%20progress%20and%20funding%20update.pdf](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s3946/Northampton%20North%20West%20Relief%20Road%20-%20progress%20and%20funding%20update.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g684/Printed%20minutes%2021st-Dec-2021%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=1](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g684/Printed%20minutes%2021st-Dec-2021%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=1&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/transport/progress-as-huge-new-bridge-is-installed-at-controversial-multi-million-pound-relief-road-in-northampton-4233456](https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/transport/progress-as-huge-new-bridge-is-installed-at-controversial-multi-million-pound-relief-road-in-northampton-4233456?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQT4MFK7dKU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQT4MFK7dKU&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5 [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqqp9x6wqlqo](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqqp9x6wqlqo?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6 [https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/education/recently-built-school-in-northampton-set-to-be-demolished-and-rebuilt-due-to-poor-workmanship-4433422](https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/education/recently-built-school-in-northampton-set-to-be-demolished-and-rebuilt-due-to-poor-workmanship-4433422?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7 [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c0e5848e5274a0bf3cbe124/latest-evidence-on-induced-travel-demand-an-evidence-review.pdf](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c0e5848e5274a0bf3cbe124/latest-evidence-on-induced-travel-demand-an-evidence-review.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Tree Harvest gathered in URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tree-harvest-gathered-in/ Last updated: 2024-02-11T11:30:05.000Z What a great morning at Martin Moore Wood harvesting trees! Over 30 people turned up, young and old – some to literally get stuck in and dig up some young trees, others from local Litter Wombles groups filled bags with old plastic tree guards. As well as the Wombles, and CA-WN of course, volunteers represented Wild about Wootton, Wootton Parish Council, Northampton Town Council, the Rotary Club and Brixworth Country Park Volunteers. Species harvested included Oak, Hazel, Dogwood, Spindle, Hawthorn, Birch, Elder and Cherry, with specimens ranging from under a foot tall to above head height. All were otherwise doomed to be cut down to avoid power lines or footpaths, or to be slowly choked out by more mature trees. We learned how to spot a good candidate for harvesting, and how to identify different tree species (not easy when there are no leaves). The ‘crop’ was bundled into sets of 5 or 10 of the same species for collection – Collection Day is next Saturday 3 February (please register here [https://treeplanner.moretreesnow.eco/events/1985](https://treeplanner.moretreesnow.eco/events/1985?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)). It was genuinely inspiring to see so many people giving their time and hard work for a community cause. Thank you to Debbie Samwell, West Northamptonshire Council Senior Ranger, for her support and expertise and well done to everyone, especially Mick Lorkins who had the idea for this event and put a lot of work into organising it. We hope this will provide a template for others to hold similar events in their own local woodland (with landowner permission of course). \*\*\*\*Update\*\*\*\* Tree Distribution Day on Saturday 3 February went very well, with and all of the 344 trees harvested collected. In all 7 different charity or community projects benefited, including: - South Court Environmental - Rotary Northampton West - Pocket Park - Hanslope Community Orchard and Permaculture Garden - Harborough Woodland Volunteers - Haygates Farm Veteran Project - Outdoor Classroom Brampton Valley Way - Whitehills Primary School - East Hunsbury Parish Council ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/01/wood2.png) The morning's sapling harvest neatly bundled and labelled ready for heeling in ### ERLS Vehicles - Second-Hand Electric Vehicles for a Greener Tomorrow URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/erls-vehicles-second-hand-electric-vehicles-for-a-greener-tomorrow/ Last updated: 2024-01-28T21:49:15.000Z I made a recent visit to ERLS Vehicles in Brixworth to find out more about ‘The UK’s First, Fully ECO-Showroom’. ERLS have received a number of awards and nominations for their business, namely as a Finalist in AutoTrader’s ‘Sustainability Initiative Award 2023’ and Highly Commended in Car Dealer Magazine’s Used EV (Electric Vehicle) Dealership of the Year Awards 2023\. They hope to apply for a King’s Award in 2025. The business is a father-son team, with highly complimentary skills and expertise. Martin, father, is a builder and surveyor and son Magnus, having worked for Tesla, is the car expert. Both have a love of the car industry but also feel the responsibility to make a positive impact on the planet. They are fully aware that the motor industry is viewed in a negative light in terms of environmental impact. Their motivation is to disrupt the traditional system and their eco-showroom is intended to inspire and influence other car dealers. **Eco-Showroom** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/01/Erls-before.jpg) The site before the build. Credit: ERLS Vehicles Under Martin’s guidance, they transformed a dilapidated building on a brownfield site in Brixworth into a sustainable, renewable eco-showroom with an A5 EPC rating which they hope will serve as a template and inspiration for car showrooms of the future. The building is visually attractive and could be mistaken for a Nordic ski chalet/sauna. The cladding comes from Finland and is called ‘Thermowood’. It is sustainably sourced and heated to a high temperature which renders it more durable and stable. It has 20% more thermal resistance than regular timber panelling. The benefit of the excellent insulation is that the showroom maintains its ambient temperature well. This keeps the inside warm and cosy in the winter and cool in the summer, reducing the need for additional heating or AC. They have 16 solar panels on the roof which provide enough energy to run the showroom and to keep the cars charged up. Any surplus is redirected back to the grid. Next to the solar panels lies a sedum roof. The sedum sequesters carbon dioxide and attracts many birds and insects. Martin admits it does require some maintenance and has found a local supplier of natural fertilizers to give it a new lease of life for 2024\. Next on the to-do list was water – for which they installed 4 large rainwater tanks, fed by copper guttering, which provide water for washing the cars and other requirements. The copper guttering filters out any nasties, meaning no need for chemical cleaning agents. Throughout the build, the team used sustainable, recycled and/or re-usable materials. Out went plasterboard and in came birch-faced plywood boarding, which can be re-purposed. Out went uPVC doors and windows and in came aluminium, which are easily recycled. As discussed previously, out went most of the plastic guttering to make way for copper. For the flooring, the team used recycled rubber interlocking floor mats. To complete the showroom the team used their contractors’ surplus materials, or supplies they already had for the bathroom, kitchen area and furniture. It is clear to see that every decision they made on the build had sustainability as a key factor. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/01/Erls-Vehicles-PV-Panels-1.png) The site after the build. Credit: ERLS Vehicles They have plans for another 44 solar panels on the other building on the site and hope to develop a bigger community area, to attract the local EV community who can charge their cars, along with giving them space for more vehicle storage. I used my time with Magnus and Martin to discuss a few of the common questions, concerns and misconceptions surrounding EVs and summarise my conclusions below. **Electric Vehicles – can they help build a more sustainable and healthy future?** The [World Health Organisation](https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/345334/9789240034433-eng.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) completed a landmark study on clean air in September 2021\. The study estimates that pollution is responsible for an estimated 4.2 million deaths globally per year with up to 36,000 of these within the UK alone, and vehicle emissions are a significant part of this. In 2022, according to [Department of Energy Security and Net Zero](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6424b8b83d885d000fdade9b/2022%5FProvisional%5Femissions%5Fstatistics%5Freport.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) figures, carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector increased by an estimated 3.8% (4.2 Mt) from 2021, with it remaining the largest emitting sector in the UK, accounting for 34.0% of carbon dioxide emissions. Unicef published a report entitled the [Toxic School Run](https://www.unicef.org.uk/publications/the-toxic-school-run/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) which highlights the particular risks posed by toxic air pollution, with an estimated 11,000 new daily child-asthma cases worldwide. Provided EVs are charged using a renewable electricity supply, they can dramatically reduce pollution, particularly in urban areas. **What about the EV-charging infrastructure?** This does seem to be improving with the government pledging £1.3bn of infrastructure funding before the next election as part of its EV Infrastructure Strategy. There is grant support available to encourage charge-point installation and make EVs more accessible. The [Electric Vehicle Home-charge Scheme (EVHS)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-guidance-electric-vehicle-homecharge-scheme?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) offers a grant of up to 75% for home charge-point installations The [Workplace Charging Scheme ](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workplace-charging-scheme-application-form?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)offers vouchers to support charging point installation on business sites The [On-street Residential Charge-point Scheme ](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/grants-for-local-authorities-to-provide-residential-on-street-chargepoints?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)is also available for Local Authorities West Northamptonshire Council has secured funding via the [Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capability Fund ](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/news/funding-secured-expanding-ev-charge-point-infrastructure-across-west-northamptonshire?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) And an [FT.com](https://www.ft.com/content/4504d2ca-6648-40ab-8872-7fbdc7d67405?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) report from January 2024 stated that BT were exploring the potential to upgrade up to 60,000 cabinets to roadside electric vehicle charging stations if a pilot scheme is successful. **EVs are too expensive** It is undeniable that some new electric vehicles (EVs) currently come with a high initial price tag, which understandably may discourage many prospective buyers. However, to gain a comprehensive understanding of their cost in comparison to petrol or diesel cars, one must examine the total cost of ownership (TCO). This encompasses the initial purchase, maintenance and repairs, insurance, and energy (fuel or electricity). When all these factors are considered, despite the high purchase price, the TCO of EVs proves to be highly competitive with that of petrol or diesel vehicles. The Vauxhall eCorsa is the same price as its combustion engine equivalent. In the second-hand market, the prices are very similar. Other costs can also be less. Whilst insurers are wary of more expensive parts (primarily the batteries) with fewer moving parts (20 compared to 2000), EV services are cheaper and less frequent. **Batteries – this remains a contentious area – are the negative impacts reducing?** Considerable progress has been made on lessening the negative environmental impacts of mining for battery production. Along with the concerns on the social impacts of child labour, activism and exposure has resulted in better outcomes. A recent winner of Prince William’s Earthshot prize is [Green, Renewable, Sustainable Technology (GRST)](https://earthshotprize.org/winners-finalists/grst/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), a Hong-Kong-based project pioneering a low-impact method of producing EV batteries. GRST’s method involves building the battery with a water-soluble binding composite rather than traditional connection options. This makes it easier to recover valuable materials in post-use recycling. It also extends the battery’s working life and reduces emissions associated with manufacturing by up to 40%. To conclude, ERLS Vehicles is definitely worth a visit. You will be thermo-warmly welcomed and will find Magnus and Martin full of knowledge and passion for EVs and their role in a more sustainable future. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/01/Erls-Banner.jpg) ### CA-WN goes to the Museum URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-goes-to-the-museum/ Last updated: 2024-01-28T21:50:09.000Z A big thank you to everyone at the CA-WN social event at Northampton Museum on Saturday 20 January. There were around 25 people there, ranging in age from 11 to 80+. Thanks also to the really helpful members of staff on the Museum front desk and in the café. Some of the feedback we have had: > It was genuinely touching to see a room full of so many kind-hearted, passionate individuals. You are clearly making a difference! > Congratulations on organising such a good meeting on Saturday. I had a good time and made some useful contacts. We issued an invite simply offering the chance to engage face to face with others sharing similar interests. It was so great to see people, many of whom had never met before, exchanging ideas and information so enthusiastically. Our plan is to hold a similar event again, possibly once a quarter. Please let us know in the comments if you think it should become a regular event and if you’d like to see a gathering with a more defined purpose, or stay as a very informal social occasion. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/01/social1.png) ### The Joyful Environmentalist by Isabel Losada URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-joyful-environmentalist-by-isabel-losada/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:05:52.000Z *This book recommendation comes from Judy Sumner of the Wellingborough Eco Group.* Isabel is on a quest to find everything she can possibly do to help save the planet. She has decided to change her life to embrace every action both large and small from campaigning to changing her diet and making bug hotels. But in every action she looks for the joy and positivity because life’s too short to be negative. She does research and interviews people who can help her avoid the greenwashing and confusion she encounters at every turn and she describes her journey to become a greener person. She writes with humour and passion and her book is full of ideas she hopes we can all pick up and use in our own lives. The light-hearted tone makes this book easy and enjoyable to read and I would thoroughly recommend it. 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### General Meeting notes January 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-general-meeting-notes-january-2024/ Last updated: 2024-01-24T15:59:30.000Z This month we welcomed two guest speakers - Ellen Worrell and Hannah Bedard from Green Welford1. This group has been working very hard to make Welford more environmentally friendly including putting on Kidsfest events in 2022 and 2023 – family-friendly events designed to introduce children and their families to a greener way of life. Hannah and Ellen have both undertaken full Carbon Literacy training, so are certified as Carbon Literate, and gave us an hour-long overview of Carbon Literacy and what it means. Their excellent slides are available to be downloaded [here](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/GreenWelfordCA-WNJan2024.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). This meeting was recorded and can be watched on the CA-WN YouTube channel2. **Present**: Adrian Sherlock, Alexina Cassidy, Amanda Goddard, Briony Askew, Clare Slater, Dave Pearson, David Garlick, Emmie Williamson, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, Jonathan Harris, Leonie Beale, Martin Coombs, Mick Lorkins, Mike Longman, Rosie Humphreys. **Apologies**: Clare Robertson-Marriott, Dave Anderson, Ella Sage, Judy Burrage, Lynne Hackworth, Rupert Knowles. ### **Introduction to Carbon Literacy** The full Carbon Literacy course is 8 hours; EW and HB have squeezed as much as possible into an hour. Carbon Literacy is run by a charity - the Carbon Literacy Project3, its purpose being to help people understand what actions they can take to make a difference, and which make the biggest difference. It’s also important to get used to talking about climate change so it becomes part of mainstream conversation. EW and HB thanked Jen Gale of Sustainable-ish where they did their Carbon Literacy training and who has allowed them to use her slides as the basis for the ones they are delivering today. \[Jen was a recent guest speaker for CA-WN4\] ***Why Bother?*** Some think individual actions can’t make a difference to climate change. EW and HB don’t agree; they both have young children and are making changes to leave behind a planet that is safe to live on. Knowledge is power – not all the information in this presentation is easy to listen to but it is important. Having knowledge gives you confidence to talk about the big issues. · We need everyone on board · Nothing changes if nothing changes! · We don’t have long left in this critical decade ***Weather vs Climate*** The difference between weather and climate is key as the two are often confused (“how can global warming be a thing when it’s really cold here?”). Weather is what you can see out of the window; climate is the expected weather conditions in a place at a time of year. Climate change is the change in average conditions in a region over a long period. ***Climate ‘haiku’ or Climate Science 101*** created by Professor Kimberley Nicholas5 This inspires the structure of the presentation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/01/image.png) Credit: Professor Kimberly Nicholas, Lund University, Sweden ***It’s warming*** The ‘warming stripes’ created by Ed Hawkins of Reading University6 illustrate this clearly. In every region around the world the stripes turn from blue to red over the period 1850 to 2022\. Interim data for 2023 indicates we will need a darker shade of red. The same message is illustrated by other graphs showing different datasets7: \- Streak of days breaking daily records in 2023 \- Daily global average air temperature \- Daily average sea surface temperature ***It’s Us*** There is clear correlation between emissions and CO2 in the atmosphere8. 70% of carbon emissions since 1751 have occurred in the last 50 years. Excessive consumption is now too high and as demand rises, we are releasing more CO2 than natural processes can remove. The safe level of CO2 is around 300ppm (parts per million), we are now at around 420ppm. Which doesn’t sound like a lot but you wouldn’t want to drink wine containing that level of arsenic. There are four main GHGs (greenhouse gases) plus water vapour: \- Carbon dioxide (CO2) \- Methane (CH4) \- Nitrous Oxide (N2O) \- F gases (various) These last for varying amounts of time in the atmosphere and have varying levels of effectiveness at trapping heat in the atmosphere. GHGs are released by various sources: \- CO2 - cement industry; fossil fuels; natural gas \- CH4 – agriculture; food waste; landfill \- N2O – agricultural fertilisers \- F gases – refrigeration; air conditioning ***We’re sure*** There is an overwhelming scientific consensus about this. Reports issued by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) since 1995 have reported an increasing level of certainty that climate change is caused by human activity. Bear in mind that the scientists writing these reports will have wanted the words to be stronger but the text is watered down by the governmental review process. ***It’s Bad*** Climate change has many impacts all of which affect human health and wellbeing, from making some areas of the world uninhabitable, to increased incidence of respiratory diseases due to heat and pollution. Many extreme weather events are now closely linked to climate change by scientists. Biodiversity loss is a very important issue that doesn’t get as much attention as climate change, but is closely linked to the climate crisis. On average the global population of birds, mammals, reptiles and fish has fallen by around 69% since the 1970s, as shown by the Biodiversity Stripes created by Professor Miles Richardson of the University of Derby9. The UK is below the world average, with only about half of our biodiversity remaining. Animals that were fairly common within our lifetimes might only be seen in books by future generations. Not all countries are equally vulnerable to the climate crisis: there is a clear divide between the global north and the global south, with the latter much more vulnerable10. In addition the most vulnerable countries are often also those which contributed least to the cause of the problem. This doesn’t mean wealthier countries are immune – the supply and cost of goods like coffee, maize and wheat which we rely on will be affected by the increasingly adverse growing conditions in producing countries. We also need to consider that within the next 30 years there will be 1 billion environmental migrants, driven from their homes by the effects of climate change. ***Who is responsible for climate change?*** There are some countries which emit a huge amount of GHGs – with China and the US the two biggest11. But it’s also worth looking at which countries have the highest per capita emissions. By this measure the leader is Qatar, with China’s per capita emissions only just above average. And don’t forget that China’s manufacturing output supplies the world, as many countries have outsourced manufacturing to China. At this point EW and HB showed a short video12 of countries' cumulative emissions over time from the industrial revolution, with the UK starting in the lead but being quickly overtaken in recent decades. \- The world’s richest 10% produce 50% of global GHG emissions \- The poorest 50% contribute 10% of lifestyle consumption emissions 13 \- Richest 10% globally have incomes of >£27k pa; richest 1% >£100k pa Climate change is a global problem which no country can fix alone. Allocating responsibility can be complicated, but the solution is potentially very simple – we all need to do as much as we can. The current level of global warming is 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Doesn’t sound like a lot but as a human a body temperature 1.5 degrees above normal would make you feel pretty ill. Also note that an ice age is only about 4 degrees colder than preindustrial temperatures. · An increase of 1.5 degrees cannot now be prevented. No major tipping points would be reached at this level - the Earth’s system would be warmer but still recognisable as the stable conditions we are used to. · An increase of 2 degrees would mean some very significant changes – sea level rise of 56cm; widespread hunger due to lower agricultural yields; 49m people displaced. Current climate policies put us on a trajectory to hit 2 degrees by 2060. · An increase of 3 degrees is the likely result of late and uncoordinated action. This would mean irreversible impacts on almost all Earth’s ecosystems – sea levels rising by 7 metres; crop failures and food scarcity lead to widespread global starvation; 150m people displaced. 14 ***What will climate change look like near me?*** Hotter drier summers, warmer wetter winters, more public health warnings due to heat, more flooding in winter, no snow. 15 ***What is Net Carbon Zero?*** This means the amount of GHGs emitted is equal to the amount taken out of the atmosphere. Zero carbon i.e. no GHG emissions is better but harder to achieve. There have been global climate conferences since 1979 yet emissions have continued to rise. The annual conferences (COPs) are increasingly dominated by fossil fuel company delegates and national governments are not doing enough. Others need to step up too – communities, business, local government. The Council Climate Action Scorecards issued by Climate Emergency UK show that our local council is not doing terribly well so far16. **We can fix it** People often talk about reducing carbon footprint but what does this mean? Everyone has one and they vary hugely across countries and regions. The book *How Bad are Bananas* by Mike Berners-Lee is good on this. The average UK footprint is 12.7 tonnes. There are numerous online tools to calculate your own carbon footprint. In the UK we all need to get our footprints down to 2.5 tonnes by 2030\. How? Through actions that we take: · As consumers – how we spend our money · As citizens – how we vote and interact with politicians · As agents of change in our workplaces, schools, clubs etc. · As influencers - by breaking down stereotypes and making visible changes *Food* \- different foods have very different footprints, so changing what we eat is one way. The same food from different sources can have a different footprint. But try eating less meat and eating seasonally, and avoid food waste. *Energy* – various changes at home can save energy. *Travel* – drive and fly, reduce the number of trips we make by combining trips, use public transport if possible. Green Welford created their own set of challenges. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/01/image-1.png) Credit: Green Welford ***Tips on talking climate*** Climate scientist Katherine Hayhoe17 says talking about climate change is the most important thing we can all do. You don’t need to be an expert. Talk about how you feel, no-one can dispute that, but be gentle and respectful to help open up conversations. It’s not all about your personal carbon footprint, we all also have a ‘climate shadow’.18 This is about the non quantifiable influence we can have by talking about climate change and sharing what we are doing. ### **Other business** \- Consultations on LCWIPs (local cycling and walking infrastructure plans) for Brackley, Daventry & Towcester opened this week and will close on 25 February 19 \- A climate summit is being planned for west Northamptonshire later this year \- JW and HM have been working with Illustration students at the University of Northampton and will soon be sharing their work \- Don't forget tree harvesting event on Sunday 28 January (see CA-WN Exchange Whats On page) ### References 1 Green Welford [https://www.welfordvillage.org.uk/green-welford1](https://www.welfordvillage.org.uk/green-welford1?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 CA-WN YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784](https://www.youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 Carbon Literacy Project [https://carbonliteracy.com/](https://carbonliteracy.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 CA-WN meeting notes with Jen Gale 5 Professor Kimberley Nicholas [https://www.kimnicholas.com/](https://www.kimnicholas.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6 Warming stripes [https://www.reading.ac.uk/planet/climate-resources/climate-stripes](https://www.reading.ac.uk/planet/climate-resources/climate-stripes?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7 ‘It’s Warming’ graphs [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67861954](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67861954?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8 Emissions and CO2 concentration [https://www.climate.gov/media/14596](https://www.climate.gov/media/14596?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9 Biodiversity stripes [https://biodiversitystripes.info/global](https://biodiversitystripes.info/global?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 10 Country rankings for vulnerability to climate change [https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index/rankings/](https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index/rankings/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 11 Country total emissions [https://globalcarbonatlas.org/](https://globalcarbonatlas.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 12 YouTube video cumulative carbon emissions [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx85qK1ztAc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx85qK1ztAc&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 13 Carbon inequality [https://www-cdn.oxfam.org/s3fs-public/file\_attachments/mb-extreme-carbon-inequality-021215-en.pdf](https://www-cdn.oxfam.org/s3fs-public/file%5Fattachments/mb-extreme-carbon-inequality-021215-en.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 14 1.5 degrees impact vs 2.0 and 3.0 degrees impact 15 What will climate change look like near me? [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-d6338d9f-8789-4bc2-b6d7-3691c0e7d138](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-d6338d9f-8789-4bc2-b6d7-3691c0e7d138?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 16 Council climate action scorecards – previous analysis by CA-WN 17 Katherine Hayhoe [https://www.katharinehayhoe.com/](https://www.katharinehayhoe.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 18 Climate shadow [https://www.mic.com/impact/forget-your-carbon-footprint-lets-talk-about-your-climate-shadow](https://www.mic.com/impact/forget-your-carbon-footprint-lets-talk-about-your-climate-shadow?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 19 LCWIP consultations [https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Reflections by Mark Avery URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/reflections-by-mark-avery/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:06:01.000Z I’ve been a subscriber to Mark Avery’s interesting and enjoyable monthly Newsblast since he was the (free of charge) keynote speaker at a conference CA-WN co-organised with Northamptonshire ACRE. So I was keen to read this, his new book about wildlife and wildlife conservation. *Reflections* is a concise and insightful look at wildlife conservation in the UK which answers some key questions about the state of nature in this country. More than that, the author provides frame and context for the questions. The book highlights a number of successes in the field of wildlife conservation, and also looks at why, despite a plethora of conservation-focused not-for-profits, wildlife in this country continues to decline. There’s a well-informed examination of the role of government and its relationships with the wildlife conservation sector and vested interests including landowners. The book ends with a set of proposals to leave you feeling prepared for action rather than weighed down by past and current failings. If you are a member of any of the numerous UK wildlife conservation organisations *Reflections* will challenge you to do more to make sure they are spending your membership fee in the most effective way possible. Sadly this book isn’t stocked by Northamptonshire libraries, but Mark does offer the option to [email him directly](https://markavery.info/books/reflections-my-latest-book/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to request a signed copy. [MONTHLY EMAIL ‘NEWSBLAST’ – Mark Avery![](https://markavery.info/favicon.ico)Mark Avery Standing up for Nature](https://markavery.info/sign-monthly-email-newsblast/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Seville Orange Marmalade URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/seville-orange-marmalade/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:19:16.000Z One of the things I look forward to in January is replenishing our marmalade stock. Home-made marmalade is a true delicacy and bears no resemblance to even the very best shop-bought variety. Its flavour is distinctive and wakens up the taste buds in a way that nothing else can. Now is the marmalade season, as it is only in January and February that the Seville orange appears in the shops, so catch them while you can! Don’t be daunted by the length of cooking time – it’s fine to boil the fruit up one day, leave it overnight and finish off the next day. At a pinch, you could boil up the fruit, extract the juice from the muslin bag and then freeze the resultant mix, to complete the job another day. **Ingredients** · 1.5kg or 3lbs Seville oranges · 2 medium lemons · 2kg granulated sugar · Water **Essential equipment** · Large non-aluminium preserving pan · Large bowl for the sliced peel · Muslin bag · If you have a sugar thermometer, it will make the process easier **Method** Squeeze the lemons and set juice aside to add later in the process. Wash the oranges and remove and discard the stalk from each. Halve the oranges and squeeze, then strain the juice. Put all the pips in the muslin bag. Next use a dessert spoon to scoop out the pith from the oranges. Add it to the muslin bag, with the pips. Tie the bag shut – you don’t want pips in the finished marmalade! (In the boiling process, pips and pith release pectin which, as well as making the marmalade set, add to home-made marmalade’s distinctive flavour.) If you have a food processor with a marmalade slicer attachment, the next step is easy. If not, you will need a sharp knife and some “elbow grease”! Cut all the orange peel into reasonably fine shreds. You can add the lemon peel if you like. Once all the peel is shredded, put it in the preserving pan, then tie the closed muslin bag to the pan’s handle, making sure it sits well in the fruit. Add approximately 4 pints of water and stir the mix around. Bring the pan to the boil and then let it simmer for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally and top up the water if necessary. After about two hours, check the peel is softened to your liking, then remove pan from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool sufficiently to remove the bag of pips and pith from the pan. Place the bag in a colander over a bowl to drain, then squeeze as much goo out as possible. Return the goo to the pan but discard the pith and pips which have now done their job. Measure the contents of the pan into a large bowl. There will be 3 to 3.5 pints, but if there is not much liquid, you can add some at this point. Put everything back in the pan, adding the lemon juice at this stage. Now double check the peel is soft enough for your taste, as the next stage is adding the sugar and once the sugar is added, the peel will no longer soften. The recommended quantity of sugar is 1lb to 1 pint of liquid. If you prefer a tart marmalade, use less sugar, more if you like a sweeter product. If you like dark marmalade, substitute a proportion of granulated sugar with demerara or dark brown sugar. Slowly reheat the peel/juice/sugar mix, stirring carefully to prevent it “catching” on the base of the pan. You will feel the grittiness of undissolved sugar in the pan at first, so keep stirring as it’s important that all the sugar crystals dissolve before bringing the pan to the boil. Keep it on a fast boil for about 10 minutes, stirring it often to make sure it doesn’t catch on the base of the pan. Test at this point with a jam thermometer if available. Even after the temperature shows jam setting point, the marmalade needs to boil for a bit longer. I recommend the following process to check whether it will set once it is jarred up: Chill a plate in the fridge, then put a spoonful of mix onto it and return to the fridge to cool for several minutes. Now test the set by literally pushing the edge of the sample. If it is cold and sufficiently set, it will visibly wrinkle. If this doesn’t happen, the mixture hasn’t set so boil for a few more minutes (still stirring gently), then repeat the test. I make marmalade every year, and every year I find it takes longer than I expect to reach setting point. Recipe books describe the mix reaching a “roiling boil” and once you see this for yourself you will know what it looks like. Now remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Stir it again when it has cooled a little, then pot it. Although it’s annoying it isn’t a disaster if, once it has cooled, you find it hasn’t set sufficiently. You can still put it all back in the pan and boil it again. The final challenge is waiting till it’s properly cooled before taking a slice of bread and butter and taking your first bite! 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### popcawn - January 2024 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/cop-out-or-cop-down-whats-in-a-ph-r-ase/ Last updated: 2024-05-07T10:19:58.000Z **COP-out or COP-down? What’s in a ph(r)ase?** The success or failure of COP28 was widely deemed to be down to whether it was agreed to phase out (success) or phase down (failure) fossil fuel use globally. It turned out to be neither of those phrases, and in parallel, my lay interpretation is that similarly, COP28 was neither a success nor a failure. Of course the outcome of COP28 is complex and nuanced and I don’t intend to provide a comprehensive summary here – there are plenty of synopses readily available online (see references). In the meantime here are some of our ponderings on a couple of the main outcomes to pique your interest. In the end, the phrase regarding fossil fuel use was ‘transition away \[from\]’. While it may not be the concrete ‘phase out’ that we desperately need, incredibly this is the first COP where fossil fuels were mentioned at all1. So it’s a start – it’s just frustrating that I’m not writing this after COP1 in 1995! The agreement of the final text came down to the wire, involving a very late night for delegates. This is something else that gives me hope – that so many countries insisted that the initial draft text didn’t go far enough and battled through the night to win the stronger words. It’s still not strong enough, especially for those countries at greatest threat from climate change, but considering the strong smell of oil and gas at COP28, it’s more than I expected. Unlike the Paris agreement it’s not legally binding, however, with the pledge to triple renewable energy production (although versus what baseline?)1, perhaps we don’t need a legal target to phase out fossil fuels, perhaps they will no longer be economically attractive enough? I’m no economist, but my perception is that while the pursuit of economic growth has fuelled climate change and nature depletion, perhaps market forces will signal the natural demise of fossil fuels? We just need it to happen soon enough. The cruel paradigm of climate change is that the countries most vulnerable to climate change and whose very existence is threatened (ie low-lying island states), are generally the least responsible for the crisis. For members of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), the text on fossil fuels doesn’t go far enough and was reported to have been agreed without them2. However, one crumb of comfort may be the launch of the loss and damage fund for developing nations to adapt to climate change. The current pledges of deposits to this fund from the high-emitting nations have been criticised as being already allocated funds (so not new money) and insufficient to cover the costs of adapting to climate change2. But again, similar to the battle to acknowledge fossil fuels as dirty, such a fund was considered impossible just a few years ago3. Although diplomatic wins will be little comfort to communities on the front line. So, on balance, CA-WN’s final text on the success or failure of COP28 is that ‘the words are going in the right direction but we need to accelerate the action’. If you’re as frustrated as we are with the international inertia, and indeed national inertia, remember that individual actions all help – the carbon demands of millions of people got us into this mess and can help get us out of it. Another huge influence we can have is on local and national policy – 2024 is very likely going to be an election year and we need climate policy up there with other key issues. Email your current MP and let them know how strongly you feel about climate change and biodiversity loss – they want your vote so tell them what they need to do in return for it. References: 1\. The Guardian. Good Cop, bad Cop: what the Cop28 agreement says and what it means. Available at [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/13/what-the-cop28-agreement-says-and-what-it-means](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/13/what-the-cop28-agreement-says-and-what-it-means?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 4 January 2024 2\. The Conversation. How COP28 failed the world’s small islands. Available at [https://theconversation.com/how-cop28-failed-the-worlds-small-islands-219938](https://theconversation.com/how-cop28-failed-the-worlds-small-islands-219938?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 4 January 2024 3\. Bond. What were the real successes and failures of COP28, and what does it mean moving forward? Available at [https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2023/12/what-were-the-real-successes-and-failures-of-cop28-and-what-does-it-mean-moving-forward/](https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2023/12/what-were-the-real-successes-and-failures-of-cop28-and-what-does-it-mean-moving-forward/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 4 January 2024 ### WNC 2024/25 Draft Budget Consultation URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/wnc-2024-25-draft-budget-consultation/ Last updated: 2024-01-06T09:14:12.000Z West Northamptonshire Council’s annual budget is now out for public consultation, ending on 23 January (link below). It won't be the most fun you'll ever have in your life, but if you can find the time to respond please do. There's a transcript of CA-WN's response at the bottom which you are welcome to borrow from. Overall the message, similar to last year, is one of cost pressure and increasing demand for services. The council, like others all over the country, has a difficult and unenviable task in trying to balance its books. As CA-WN is a climate action group, we have predictably focused on what the budget tells us about how West Northamptonshire, as a council and an area, is going to meet its Net Zero targets (2030 as a council, 2045 as an area). These are the key points of interest in this respect: · The brief Climate Impact section in the main [Draft Budget document](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s14631/2024-25%20Draft%20Budget%20and%20Medium%20Term%20Plan%20Report%201.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) acknowledges that some proposals create unavoidable increases in emissions. These are to be “***monitored and managed as part of the Council’s ongoing carbon reduction work***”. It would be good to be told if there are proposals which result in lower emissions too. · There was only one capital project we could see that ought to result in emissions cuts: investment in heat decarbonisation projects across 3 sites (Danes Camp Leisure Centre, Abington Park Museum and Everdon Field Centre). This is being funded by the council and the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. · Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) and WNC will be working on estimating how much needs to be invested to get the housing owned by WNC and managed by NPH to zero carbon. We very much hope this information will be made public. NPH manage around 12,000 homes, of which several hundred have been part of a whole house retrofit project under the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. There’s a way to go for NPH to get to net zero, although it is minor compared with the scale of the issue across the whole of West Northamptonshire, which contains around 175,000 homes. There is very little publicly available information about the current condition of these homes and none at all about what it might cost to bring them up to an acceptable level of energy efficiency. · The Environmental Implications section of the [Draft Housing Budget document](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s14603/2024-25%20Draft%20Housing%20Revenue%20Account%20HRA%20Budget%20and%20Medium-Term%20Financial%20Plan.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) gives a good insight into the efforts being made by NPH to cut emissions, both in its existing housing stock and when constructing new builds. This section is reproduced below because we liked it so much. It would be great to see private developers applying the same new build standards, wouldn’t it? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/01/NPH-env-section-2.png) Finally, a word about the consultation process. The Draft Budget Report tells us: > … at all key stages of the process, the draft budget and consultation arrangements will be extensively promoted across a broad range of communications channels to ensure public awareness and encourage participation in the process across West Northants. This will range from news outlets, websites and social media to local community engagement channels, with specific targeting of audiences including hard-to-reach groups. Good marks for public engagement? Well, maybe, although actually participating in the consultation is harder than the above paragraph might suggest. We are asked to “***read the related documents for a better understanding of the budget proposals before you comment on them***.” There are 13 related documents in total, one or two of which are very short, but most of which require a fair amount of time and concentration. The subject matter is inevitably complex and detailed, but there must be a better way of helping the public to understand it in order to make an informed comment. [West Northamptonshire Council Draft Budget 2024/25 Consultation - West Northamptonshire Council - Citizen SpaceFind and participate in consultations run by West Northamptonshire Council![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/favicon.ico)West Northamptonshire Council Draft Budget 2024/25 Consultation![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/os-custom-logos/screenshot-2023-08-09-at-14.24.30.png)](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/cet/budget-2024-25/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### **Transcript (edited for brevity) of CA-WN Response** to West Northamptonshire Council Draft Budget 2024/25 Consultation Please tell us the name of your organisation, and your role: Organisation: **Climate Action - West Northamptonshire** Job title/role: **Chair** **PROPOSED INCREASE TO COUNCIL TAX** To what extent do you agree or disagree that we should increase Council Tax by 2.99 per cent to address the additional cost of our service provision? ***Strongly agree*** Why did you answer the previous question in the way that you did? ***This is effectively the maximum amount the council can legally increase council tax by - given cost pressures it would be irresponsible to go for a lower increase.*** To what extent do you agree or disagree that we should increase Council Tax by a further 2 per cent to fund the increase in costs of providing Adult Social Care? ***Strongly agree*** Why did you answer the previous question in the way that you did? ***This is effectively the maximum allowed increase - given cost and demand pressures it would be irresponsible to go for a lower increase.*** **FEES AND CHARGES** To what extent do you agree or disagree that the council should put up some fees and charges in line with inflation, in order to help fund services? ***Strongly agree*** If you have any comments to make about fees and charges, please give us your views below: *Not Answered* **DRAFT GENERAL FUND CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2024-2028** If you have any comments to make on these proposals, please give us your views below: ***As an organisation interested in how the council and wider area is going to achieve Net Zero targets, we would like to see more capital spending targeted at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It may be that very few such projects are planned for the coming year - worrying as the timeframes for achieving Net Zero are very short. If this is the case it would be helpful to see somewhere (and perhaps this budget is not the place) a forecast for when and how capital projects will be implemented to meet Net Zero.*** **DRAFT HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT (HRA) BUDGET 2024/25** To what extent do you agree or disagree with the proposal to increase rent by 7.7 per cent (an average increase of £8.00 per week) across the Council’s housing stock managed by Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) in line with national government policy? ***Tend to agree*** To what extent do you agree or disagree with the proposal to increase garage rents (by £0.84p per week) by 7.7 per cent? ***Tend to agree*** To what extent do you agree or disagree with the proposal to increase general service charges by 7.7 per cent in line with current inflation? *Not Answered* Within the HRA there are plans to invest £54m in social housing during the next financial year, as part of a total five year capital programme amounting to £279m. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the planned investment of £54m for social housing during 2024/25? ***Strongly agree*** Tell us why you have answered the above question in the way that you did: ***Lack of good quality social housing is a chronic problem contributing to homelessness and public health issues, so investment in social housing is welcomed.*** If you have any comments regarding the HRA Capital programme and indicative budgets as summarised in the Draft HRA Revenue Budget 2024-25 and Medium Term Financial Plan report, and Appendices, then please tell us here: ***It is good to read in the Environmental Implications section the positive steps being taken by NPH to decarbonise their estate. The council should require the same new build standards from private developers.*** End of submission. CA-WN had no further comments. ### Tinder for trees? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tinder-for-trees/ Last updated: 2023-12-21T19:09:35.000Z CA-WN was introduced to ‘tree harvesting’ at a recent event near Corby organised by a Dutch group, [More Trees Now](https://moretreesnow.eco/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). One of the attendees was CA-WN’s newest Steering Committee member, Mick Lorkins. The idea is to collect – ‘harvest’ – young trees that under normal circumstances wouldn’t survive to adulthood because they are too close to a mature tree. In natural woodland they would just die, in managed woodland they might be removed manually and discarded. The very simple idea behind More Trees Now is to find new homes for the young trees. Matchmaking for trees, in effect. The trees get a chance to thrive in a more favourable site and local people get home-grown native trees for their tree-planting projects. Not one to let the grass grow, Mick has organised a tree harvesting event on Sunday 28 January. This will be at [Martin More Wood](https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/martin-moore-wood/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) near Chapel Brampton, which is managed by West Northants Council. Many thanks to the Environment, Countryside & Parks team for enthusiastically embracing this idea. Sign up for the event here [https://treeplanner.moretreesnow.eco/events/1836](https://treeplanner.moretreesnow.eco/events/1836?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) And if you belong to a community group which could offer a good home to some of the trees, please [get in touch](mailto:secretary@ca-wn.org?subject=Tree%20Harvesting). The varieties of trees harvested are likely to include oak, field maple, hazel, rowan and hawthorn. You will need to be able to collect the trees from Martin More Wood - any not collected on the day will be safely stored in a 'tree hub'. ### WNC Tree Strategy Consultation URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/wnc-tree-strategy-consultation/ Last updated: 2023-12-07T20:18:12.000Z West Northamptonshire Council have invited local people to share their ‘views on the development of our Tree Strategy’. The consultation opened on 29 November and closes on 1 January 2024, so we don’t have long to respond. There is a link to the consultation at the bottom of this post. There was a previous Overview and Scrutiny Consultation on ‘Management of Trees’, in March/April 2022\. This isn't mentioned as part of the new consultation but I know that people would have put time and effort into responding to it so I hope their input is being considered. This new consultation asks for your opinion about trees in our area and what to include in the Tree Strategy. There are a number of tick-box questions asking how you feel about trees – positive answers only, we hope! We've provided some notes below on what you might want to say where the consultation allows you to add comments. This is just a starting point - there may well be things we have missed, please use the comments section below to improve on our notes. If you are interested in trees and perhaps thinking about starting a tree planting project in your area, let us know. And if you need information to get you started [The Tree Council](https://treecouncil.org.uk/grants-and-guidance/guidance-hub/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) covers all aspects of tree work very comprehensively. --- ### WNC Tree Strategy - notes on suggested responses **Question**: *How do you feel about these trees \[in your area\]?* *If you wish to let us know why you answered this question in the way that you did, you can do so here:* **You might want to include in your response:** · The trees in my neighbourhood provide a lot of benefits including homes for wildlife such as invertebrates and birds; food eg berries for birds, flowers for bees and other pollinators; shade in the summer. · The neighbourhood is more attractive and interesting to live in because it contains trees. **Question**: *Please use this space if you would like to give further comments on the amount of trees in your immediate local area or wider West Northamptonshire area:* **You might want to include in your response**: · I would like to see more trees in urban areas to provide benefits to humans and wildlife. There are lots of places where trees could be planted in my neighbourhood, but I understand some of these are blocked by WNC Highways and/or their contractor because of a rule that new trees cannot be planted within 6 metres of a highway. This is despite the fact that existing trees alongside roads and streets cause few problems and are in many ways beneficial. Selection of the right tree for the location will prevent most problems. · We are seeing the effects of climate change in our locality and across the world. Planting more trees and looking after the trees we have can help us deal with some of the issues related to climate change. WNC's own recently approved Estate Climate Strategy highlights the need to plant trees as part of the council's plans to deliver Net Zero. · Trees provide shade in the summer - an important consideration as we are expecting hotter temperatures to become the norm. Trees absorb water, helping to manage excessive rainfall, which is also going to become more common. · Planting native trees provides considerable biodiversity benefits as trees provide homes and food for a range of wildlife. **We suggest ticking all the suggested items for inclusion in the Tree Strategy. You might want to add:** · Retention of mature trees in situ for development proposals. **Question**: *If you have suggested other areas to be included in the tree strategy, let us know if you have any suggestions to help deliver them:* **Suggested response:** · In development proposals, mature trees in situ should by default be considered for retention, with removal permitted only when unavoidable. Alternatives to felling made a priority, with risk balanced against the benefits a tree provides. · Planning policies and guidelines must be fully aligned with the Tree Strategy. **Question:** *As part of our tree strategy, we are looking to update the councils frequently asked questions (FAQ's) specifically on how we handle concerns with trees. Let us know if there are any areas or concerns about trees that you think we should address within the FAQ's:* **You might want to include in your response:** · Where trees are considered to be causing problems, clearly outline the alternatives to felling and that felling should be a last option only when unavoidable. Where trees have to be removed they must be replaced wherever possible. · Help people identify appropriate trees to plant according to the site and other requirements, and offer advice on caring for newly planted trees. · Advice on the issue of ivy growing on trees, to prevent ivy being cut unless there is expert opinion that it is damaging the tree. Ivy is very beneficial to wildlife and not usually harmful to healthy trees. **Question:** *Involving the community is important to us, but we have to manage our limited resources carefully. Let us know if you have any ideas you think we should consider to increase public involvement:* **You might want to include in your response:** · Work with town and parish councils to share knowledge and adopt a co-ordinated approach to trees within West Northants. This could include asking each local council to nominate a ‘Tree Champion’ as a main contact point for education and activities related to trees. · Provide advice and guidance to community groups and members of the public about planting and caring for trees. This could include providing details of organisations that offer grants or other support for tree planting projects (eg Woodland Trust and the Tree Council). · Promote community initiatives such as community orchards · Use WNC communications channels to share stories of successful community tree planting projects **Question:** *Let us know if there is anything further that you would like to add in respect of trees in West Northamptonshire or the proposed tree strategy:* **You might want to include in your response:** I want to see a change to the rule that trees cannot be planted within 6 metres of a highway. As a minimum, this should be changed to allow consideration of each site on a case-by-case basis. [Give us your views on the development of our Tree Strategy - West Northamptonshire Council - Citizen SpaceFind and participate in consultations run by West Northamptonshire Council![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/favicon.ico)Give us your views on the development of our Tree Strategy![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/os-custom-logos/screenshot-2023-08-09-at-14.24.30.png)](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/place/give-us-your-views-on-our-tree-strategy/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### CA-WN Exchange - the latest URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-exchange-the-latest-3/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T08:46:36.000Z An interesting mix of new posts for you … West Northamptonshire Council gives us something to celebrate1. Across the UK two tonnes of clothing are bought every minute - Luke Costin discusses low-price fast fashion and a growing awareness among consumers that something has to change2. West Northamptonshire Councillor Zoe Smith shares her views3. University of Northampton's Dr Ebenezer Laryea, Project Lead for TANZ West Northants and Chair of the Centre for Sustainable Business Practices gives us his 'three things’ 4. For those with eco-anxiety, in **popcawn** Bugbrooke Parish Councillor Clare Slater introduces us to ‘sane realism’ to give a glimmer of hope5. If you were wondering what had sprouted in the fields around you so quickly after harvest, the growth may well be a cover crop, a natural way to prepare the seed-bed for next season’s sowing6. We report on the West Northamptonshire Sustainable Food Network that is working to improve the quality of food, end food waste, address food poverty, and ensure that we have a thriving, healthy and sustainable food economy7. Related to the food we eat, Rupert Knowles reports that farmers' production costs have far outstripped their income. We ask if supermarkets are paying a fair price to growers8. Still on the subject of food, a new podcast series is our latest recommendation; “Chris van Tulleken investigates the entangled web of forces that shape what ends up on our plates”9 and, as ever, Patsy Hollingum has two mouth-watering recipes, this time for the cheap and nutritious cabbage10. Last but not least, on our bookshelf is a very unusual comic book11. *On a separate note, we are planning a very informal social get-together in the afternoon of Saturday 20 January, at a central location to be confirmed. It would be good to see a few of you face to face for a change - look out for more details.* *We hope you enjoy reading our posts, sourced, proof-read and published by our editorial volunteers. If you feel you might enjoy being part of the team please do* [*get in touch.*](mailto:secretary@ca-wn.org?subject=CA-WN%20Exchange%20publishing%20team%20enquiry) Links: 1 [Council Watch](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-december-2023/) 2 [Threads of Change: Navigating the Future of Fashion with Sustainable Clothing](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/threads-of-change-navigating-the-future-of-fashion-with-sustainable-clothing/) 3 [My View - Councillor Zoe Smith](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-zoe-smith/) 4 [My 3 Things for Climate Change](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-3-things-for-climate-change-4/) 5 [popcawn](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popcawn-dec-23/) 6 [Cover Crops ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/cover-crops/) 7 [The Food We Eat: West Northamptonshire Sustainable Food Network](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-food-we-eat-west-northamptonshire-sustainable-food-network/) 8 [Are Supermarkets Paying Fair Prices to Growers? ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/are-supermarkets-paying-fair-prices-to-growers/) 9 Podcast: [Fed with Chris van Tulleken](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/fed-with-chris-van-tulleken/) 10 Recipe: [Christmas Cabbages](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/christmas-cabbages/) 11 Bookshelf: [Last chance to find Duke](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/last-chance-to-find-duke/) ### popcawn - December 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popcawn-dec-23/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:19:29.000Z ### COP28: the COP that steals Christmas? While many of us may be winding down for the end of the year celebrations, global climate action is ramping up with the start of the 28th annual Conference of the Parties (COP28) this week. Great! I can relax and start planning our family Christmas, while global leaders and their respective policy makers are busying themselves solving climate change. My Christmas wishes include quality time with loved ones, comforting delicious food and confirmation from climate scientists that as a result of COP28, we’re categorically on track to limit global warming to a ‘safe’ 1.5 degrees…As I jolt from my reverie, I remind myself that it’s important to have hope, but perhaps this last one is a wish too far, especially for this particular COP. Since the signing of the Paris accords in 2015, there has been little progress from COPs – indeed if they had been more successful, we might not be hearing terms like ‘emissions canyons’ used by the UN secretary general last month to describe the findings in the 2023 Emissions Gap report1, emphasizing the gulf between where we need to be and where we currently are. The pessimist in me feels that this COP was dead in the water before it even officially started – it’s being hosted by the world’s fourth largest oil producer2, with a president who is also CEO of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). As you might expect, this has drawn much criticism. But you have to have hope so I delved beyond the headlines to try to find evidence of his deep understanding of the climate emergency and perhaps ambition to pivot his oil company away from fossil fuel extraction and into clean energy. Yes, there is an apparently comprehensive sustainability section on ADNOC’s website3 and yes, Dr Sultan Al Jabar is in his second tenure as the UAE Special Climate Envoy for Climate Change4, but a quote from his personal website4 confirmed my fears that we’re unlikely to get the wording of ‘phase out’ fossil fuels that we so desperately need1: > “To meet current and future energy needs, the world needs all the solutions it can get. It is not hydrocarbons or solar, not wind or nuclear or hydrogen. It is all of the above, plus the clean energies yet to be discovered, commercialized, and deployed. In short, the world needs maximum energy and minimum emissions” Despite my frustration and disgust that oil companies have known about and covered up the role of fossil fuels in the emerging climate crisis5, is there a view that having a COP president who is seen as an ally of the oil companies will foster true engagement with the sector and improve transparency? We’d better hope so, given reports that ADNOC has expansion plans that will ‘blow the carbon budget twice over’6. However, I don’t hold much hope in that respect given the accusations of plans to seal commercial fossil fuel deals in the preliminary COP28 meetings7. Explaining the issue to my children, I likened it to Father Christmas plotting to steal their toys under the guise of bringing presents. Let’s hope that with his plans exposed, Father Christmas makes amends and delivers the best Christmas ever. None of this helps my eco-anxiety and it turns out I’m not alone – the number of searches for climate anxiety has risen sharply recently8. So how can I enjoy Christmas, when the world is quite literally on fire? If I ignore it, I feel like I have my head in the sand and that doesn’t sit well with me. But if I welcome it to take up permanent residence in the forefront of my mind then that’s a miserable Christmas for me and my friends and family…finding balance is key. A recent blog post9 gave me a name for this: sane realism, whereby giving space to and accepting our natural and healthy negative emotions of grief and anxiety about the climate and ecological crises can actually enhance our experience of joy and hope in what we still have left to fight for. On that note, the team from CA-WN wish you many moments of joy and relaxation over the festive period and we look forward to redoubling our efforts to do our bit in 2024. Clare Slater References 1\. United Nations. UN urges dramatic climate action as records keep tumbling. Available at [https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/11/1143777 ](https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/11/1143777?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) accessed 28 November 2023 2\. Our World in Data. Oil Production. Available at [https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/oil-production-by-country ](https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/oil-production-by-country?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) accessed 28 November 2023 3\. ADNOC available at [https://www.adnoc.ae/en/](https://www.adnoc.ae/en/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) accessed 28 November 2023 4\. Dr Sultan Al Jabar. Available at: [https://drsultanaljaber.com/bio.html ](https://drsultanaljaber.com/bio.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) accessed 28 November 2023 5\. BBC. Big Oil vs the World tells the 40 year story of how the oil industry delayed action on climate change. Available at: [https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2022/big-oil-vs-the-world](https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2022/big-oil-vs-the-world?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) accessed 28 November 2023 6\. The Guardian. Cop28 host UAE has world’s biggest climate-busting oil plans, data indicates available at [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/15/cop28-host-uae-oil-plans-data](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/15/cop28-host-uae-oil-plans-data?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) accessed 28 November 2023 7\. The Guardian. Cop28 host UAE planned to promote oil deals during climate talks available at [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/27/cop28-host-uae-planned-promote-oil-deals-climate-talks](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/27/cop28-host-uae-planned-promote-oil-deals-climate-talks?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) accessed 28 November 2023 8\. BBC News. Climate change: Rise in Google searches around ‘anxiety’ available at [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67473829](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67473829?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) accessed 28 November 2023 9\. Gen Dread. Put on a happy face: unlearning toxic positivity in climate work. Available at accessed 28 November 2023 ### My View - Zoe Smith URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-zoe-smith/ Last updated: 2023-12-01T18:00:39.000Z I was brought up in a family that had a real focus on environmentalism, a long time before the crisis became quite as apparent as it is now. When I collected our childhood books from my parents to read to my daughter, I found an old favourite - ‘Oi, Get Off Our Train!’ (published 1989), where a young boy and his dog meet a series of animals whose lives and habitats are threatened by human activity. It made me realise how long climate concerns have been voiced and warnings have been sounded. I remember a shocking moment of realisation at a climate meeting of the Northampton Borough Council (as it then was) when a teenage representative referenced ‘preserving the planet for our grandchildren’. I realised that this is a mantra that has been repeated for over forty years, and that, for this young person, it was far more likely that it would be his children or even he himself who witnessed the most catastrophic effects of the climate crisis. It made me think the phrase that I’ve thought many times in the years since ‘We’re running out of grandchildren’. It was for this reason that my climate concerns came most sharply into focus last year when I had my daughter. Like many people of my generation, I seriously debated the decision to become a parent in the face of the climate crisis and, like many others, decided on a path of hope through activism and action. For me, a large part of that comes from my role as a councillor and through the action that we can fight for locally. I believe that climate action needs to be one of the main considerations in everything that WNC does and that strategy to tackle the climate crisis should be at the heart of WNC’s planning for the future. As the Labour Group recently pointed out through a motion on Air Quality that we brought to Full Council, a huge part of the action needed is to plan for an Air Quality Strategy and a comprehensive Active Travel Strategy for West Northants. I remember reading a while ago a statement which said, ‘anyone who becomes a councillor should have to make three journeys around their ward: one on a bike, one with a buggy and one in a wheelchair’. As a regular cyclist previously and now as a mother with a buggy, I have extensive experience of two out of the three. Through this, I have become acutely aware of the Active Travel deficit that we have in West Northants. With roads that are ill-designed for non-car transport methods, cyclists and scooter riders, rightly or wrongly, often choose to use pavements as a safer alternative, leaving pedestrians, wheelchair users and mobility scooter users sharing the same small space with cyclists and scooter users. This makes active travel a struggle for some and near-impossible for others. A thorough investigation into ways to create safe routes through and around West Northants for cyclists and scooters, as well as pavement users, and a commitment to investing in such routes, is a necessity in order to create any kind of long-term impact. Current bus timetables, bus routes and bus designs also present a challenge for those seeking to use more environmentally friendly modes of transport. The majority of Northampton routes, particularly, require travellers to go all the way into the Town Centre and out again, rather than take more direct routes. This was particularly evident to me when I was recently travelling regularly from Abington to Kingsthorpe, finding that walking directly took the same amount of time as using the bus would have. There is also a need to think about the accessibility and equity of public transport. The buses that serve West Northants have just one wheelchair space and one pram/buggy space. This means that the number of wheelchair users and parents with babies who can access a bus is very limited, leaving those travellers with little option but to travel by car or taxi when attending work or important appointments. West Northants should look carefully at the public transport on offer and should work with providers to commit to more regular, affordable buses and a redesign that allows for more equity for travellers with different needs. Whilst there are numerous other actions that WNC could take, these are just two examples of ways in which WNC could make a decisive, positive impact for the climate. WNC has the capacity to change our local area for the better and model to the national government why climate action is so vital. Before we run out of grandchildren. *Councillor Zoe Smith, WNC Councillor for Abington and Phippsville* ### Cover Crops URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/cover-crops/ Last updated: 2023-12-01T17:50:34.000Z ### What are ‘cover crops’ and what are they for? Winter, 20241 Many years ago, a farming friend told me that villagers backing onto his field had been complaining of pesticides being sprayed onto wheat from the air and drifting into their gardens. In fact he was not spraying at all: he was sowing turnip seed as a cover crop to germinate immediately after combining! In the past, I have not taken much notice of cover crops, but there is much discussion of them in the farming press. So in the autumn, I had a look at a couple of examples in our village. Cover crops may be a mixture of plants sown into cereals before combining or into the stubble after combining. They can serve several purposes: > They cover and stabilise the topsoil from erosion and prevent it being washed into streams by winter rains. > As ‘green manure’ they mop up surplus nitrates in the soil after harvest and prevent them being leached into groundwater or running off into streams and ditches where they could increase algal blooms. > Their deep or fibrous roots help break up compacted soil. > Flowering cover crops provide a welcome late source of nectar to bees. > Sometimes they act as a nurse crop, smothering weeds and they aid in pest control. In order to get a good seed-bed for the following crop of wheat or whatever, the cover crop needs to be removed: it can be grazed by sheep or cattle, mowed, treated with a herbicide or to some extent incorporated into the top-soil using a crimper roller. A crimper roller has knives designed to roll down and bruise cover crops in front of a direct drill. This ensures faster decomposition of the cover crop and allows the following crop to emerge through residues more quickly. In September 2023, on the footpath between Lower Harlestone and Harlestone Firs, I noticed unfamiliar plants growing. I stopped to investigate and got out my smartphone with the ‘Picture This’ app – so useful! The plants about two feet tall were buckwheat. Looking closer, I could see very small oil-seed rape plants also growing in rows. The tops of the buckwheat plants were all twisted, a sign of hormone weed-killer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/11/Tartary-Buckwheat-in-Oil-Seed-Rape-after-herbicide-spray.png) Tartary Buckwheat in Oil Seed Rape after herbicide spray- photo Rupert Knowles A week later I bumped into the farmer and got the full story. The buckwheat and rape had been drilled at the same time, the buckwheat acting as a nurse crop to distract the dreaded cabbage stem flea beetle. In the UK, the beetle is the most important establishment pest of rape, leading to yield losses of up to 20%. Although buckwheat is short-lived and is killed by frost, there were thistles and other weeds in the field justifying the weed-killer spray. When I revisited the field later in November, the buckwheat and weeds were dead and the rape was thriving. In Upper Harlestone, there is a large field of mostly white mustard. This is a fast-growing cover crop good at suppressing weeds and opening up the soil. Some claim it is a bio-fumigant (a plant which on rotting down into the soil releases substances toxic to organisms which might harm the crop). But it is also a good cover for game (pheasants and partridge). I gather, talking to Adey Greeno, the Conservation Manager for Althorp, that the estate home farm is now organic and a wide range of cover crops are being tried. So, on my next walk across the fields I shall be seeing which cover crops I can identify. While you too are out on a winter walk, keep an eye out for interesting cover crops and let me know what you find. Many farmers are working hard to protect their soils and our rivers. 1An earlier version of this article was printed in the Harlestone parish newsletter. ### Christmas Cabbages URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/christmas-cabbages/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:19:26.000Z About this time of year cabbages of every shape and size appear in the shops, and being mid-winter, we all need the vitamins and minerals they impart. What is more, they are inexpensive, and can be very versatile. If you really don’t know what to do with a cabbage, perhaps the following will help. At the moment there’s a super red cabbage in our fridge, about the size of a bowling ball, very firm and with glossy purple outer leaves. Luckily it is big enough to allow for two different types of meal, since my significant other is a huge fan of coleslaw, whilst I am very enthusiastic about braised red cabbage. **Red Cabbage Coleslaw** Coleslaw, as purchased in the supermarket, consists largely of shredded white cabbage, grated carrot, onion and mayonnaise, but there are other incarnations of the dish (its name means simply “cabbage salad”). This is a variation on the traditional summer dish. The appearance of any dish enhances its appeal, and thus our inclination to eat and enjoy it, so it’s important to get colour contrast into all food, as far as possible. Grated carrot will fade into visual insignificance when mixed with red cabbage, and ideally another root veg, such as turnip or mooli, can be substituted. Turnips are rarely served raw in this country, but they have a similar flavour to radish, and will hold their own when mixed with the strong flavour of winter cabbage. If celeriac can be found – it is in season now - is also an excellent ingredient in red coleslaw. Onion is essential but can be hard to digest and it can “hang around” in much the same way as garlic. I overcome this problem by using either sweet shallots, which are mild in flavour, or spring onions. With red cabbage slaw, spring onions give added value, as the green of the leaves supplies the desired colour contrast. Cut the cabbage into quarters, and cut out the core, which may be rather tough. If you like a finely chopped coleslaw, use the slicing tool on your food processor; if you prefer a coarser texture, use a very sharp knife and then slice each quarter as finely or roughly as you please. Grate the turnip or celeriac, and roughly chop the spring onions. Next add a good dollop of mayonnaise and then pep it up a bit with the addition of salad cream. Adjust quantities of mayo and salad cream to suit your preferred texture, season with salt and pepper if desired, et voilà! It’s all ready to serve! **Braised Red Cabbage** Braised red cabbage is a lovely robust dish with a vibrant colour; it goes well with any type of roast as well, I am told, with casseroles of game bird or venison. Below is one version, but of course there is more than one way to braise a cabbage. Peel and chop one or two small onions and a clove of garlic. Slice the red cabbage finely (after coring) and rinse well in running water. Set aside to drain. Warm a little sunflower or rapeseed oil in a large pan with a good thick base – the pan will need a close-fitting lid. Once the oil is warmed through, turn the heat right down and soften the chopped onions and crushed or chopped garlic. Shake off as much water from the drained cabbage as possible, then add it to the pan. Stir well to incorporate the onions and cabbage. Put the lid on the pan and return it to the low heat. Every now and again, stir the mix to make sure cooking is even, and prevent “catching” on the base of the pan. While it is cooking, wash a medium sized orange, then remove the pan lid and zest the orange peel directly into the cabbage/onion mix. Stir well, replace lid and squeeze the juice of the orange, making sure to discard any pips, then add this to the pan, as well as a good dessertspoon of dark brown sugar. (Other sugars will do, if no muscovado on your shelves). By this point, the cabbage will be breaking down sufficiently to feel soft, but not soggy, and it’s important to give it the taste test. Add salt and pepper as required, and if you feel the dish needs a bit more bite to the flavour, add a dash of balsamic vinegar, and more brown sugar if needed. One of the beauties of braised red cabbage is that it can be stored in the fridge and microwaved when wanted. At a pinch, it can be frozen, though this may well affect the texture. **Bon appetit!** 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### Last Chance to Find Duke URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/last-chance-to-find-duke/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:06:09.000Z This is something different to lighten the mood, an utterly charming cartoon story by a Chinese author and illustrator – which explains why its English language speech bubbles have to be read from right to left. An insect researcher called *063* sets off to find a rare species of cricket whose chirps sound like jazz, which is why it has been named Duke. If he doesn’t find Duke the *Institute for Studying Extraordinary Creatures* will cut his research funding. As *063* travels through a country called *M* in the search for Duke the story subtly introduces many important social and ecological themes that could be an illuminating conversation between an adult and a young person. Last chance to find Duke is available from [Gosh Comics for £22.50](https://goshlondon.com/last-chance-to-find-duke/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) including postage. Our thanks to Quin Putornpugdee, University of Northampton illustration student, for introducing us to this book. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/11/Find-2.png) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Fed with Chris van Tulleken URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/fed-with-chris-van-tulleken/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:03:19.000Z This is a podcast series from BBC Sounds which explores the story of chicken, its progression from scrawny jungle fowl to the most widely consumed animal protein on the planet, and what that says about us. It is almost an urban myth that modern humans think food comes from supermarkets, without considering the agricultural and industrial processes which get it there. But finding out where your food comes from can be an uncomfortable experience. Chris van Tulleken will be familiar to many parents from the CBBC programme Operation Ouch! and this series presents the science and ethics of rearing and eating chicken engagingly without shirking the hard questions. [BBC Sounds - Fed with Chris van Tulleken - Available EpisodesListen to the latest episodes of Fed with Chris van Tulleken on BBC Sounds![](https://static.files.bbci.co.uk/sounds/web/sounds-web/img/sounds-apple-touch-icon.ead169771d.png)BBC![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1024x576/p0gn7v9j.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001ry9t?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### Council Watch - December 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-december-2023/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T08:44:55.000Z In November 2023 West Northamptonshire Council gave us something to celebrate. They approved two Climate Strategies – for Estate and for Construction & Maintenance. The strategies are detailed, thorough and set out comprehensive plans for reducing carbon emissions from WNC’s own land and buildings (‘estate’), land and buildings used for providing WNC services (‘shadow estate’), and from their construction activities. The scope of both strategies focuses on cutting emissions and delivering net zero, so there are no actions under the heading of adaptation. This would include preparing for increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and flooding. That isn’t necessarily a criticism of these strategies, however we’ve noted before that there isn’t much evidence from WNC of adaptation planning, and these strategies don’t fill that gap. We’d recommend reading the strategies if you have an interest in these areas – you can find them in the Cabinet Reports pack (page 325 onwards)1. Both strategies include high level action plans; CA-WN will be following delivery of these with interest. At the same meeting the WNC Cabinet approved a new Resources & Waste Strategy. Though this was not specifically a climate strategy, reduction and effective management of waste will make a key contribution to a cleaner future for our area. Still on the subject of strategies, WNC have just opened a public consultation2 on their long-awaited Tree Strategy. Please respond if you possibly can – we will aim to issue some notes on this soon. The consultation closes on 1 January 2024. Finally, the 1000 Voices campaign organised demonstrations outside the Guildhall before the full council meetings on 30 November and 28 September. They are asking West Northants Council to take meaningful action to address poor air quality in our area, and until this happens will continue their (peaceful, well-organised) protests. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/12/120-Shoes.png) 102 pairs of shoes are a sad reminder that toxic air is linked to 102 deaths each year - Photo credit: Umbrella Fair The issue of air quality is very directly linked to climate change, since the primary cause of both is pollution from carbon and the other substances continually pumped into the air by human activities. If demonstrating is not for you, but you like the idea of having clean air, you can still sign up to the campaign3. Or you could contact your local WNC councillor4 to let them know you think air quality is an important issue that needs action now. 1 [https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g1313/Public%20reports%20pack%2014th-Nov-2023%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g1313/Public%20reports%20pack%2014th-Nov-2023%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/place/give-us-your-views-on-our-tree-strategy/](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/place/give-us-your-views-on-our-tree-strategy/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices](https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 [https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### CA-WN Meeting notes Nov 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-monthly-meeting-notes-16-november-2023/ Last updated: 2023-11-23T18:00:00.000Z We were very lucky to have as our guest speaker this month Jen Gale, author and podcaster. We have recommended both her books and podcast on CA-WN Exchange in the past. Jen’s podcast and website go under the name Sustainable-ish1 and the title of her talk was “How individuals can make a difference in the climate crisis”. This meeting was recorded and can be watched on the CA-WN YouTube channel2. **Present**: Alexina Cassidy, Briony Askew, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater, Ella Sage, Emmie Williamson, Jane Wood, Harry Mellor, Leigh Mitchell, Leonie Beale, Mick Lorkins, Rupert Frost, Rupert Knowles. **Apologies**: Eugenia Wilson, Jonathan Harris ### **How individuals can make a difference in the climate crisis** **Background** Jen started by explaining how she got into sustainability. By profession she was a vet, but randomly decided in September 2012 to spend a year buying nothing new. This led to what she calls her ‘eco-piphany’, which she summed up as: there is a tendency to say ‘somebody ought to do something’ about the climate crisis. We need to do more to help people, i.e. us, understand we are somebody and can do something. During the year of buying nothing new Jen set herself the additional challenge of blog posting every single day. She came out of the year not only having changed her shopping habits but also with recognition that her actions do make a difference. What we all do as just one person, or just one family, makes a difference because people see us and we have conversations about what we are doing. We have all become familiar with climate tipping points but there can also be positive social tipping points; we need about 25% of a population doing something differently for that to become the new social norm. We need to make more of the co-benefits of being more sustainable, including saving money and being more healthy. More than 10 years after that first decision Jen has published two books, issued over 170 episodes of a podcast, is a qualified carbon literacy trainer and speaks at events such as corporate ‘lunch and learn’ sessions. **Sustainable-ish** It’s about imperfect action. People want to be more ‘green’ but then think that because personal circumstances make it hard for them to give up their car, stop flying or go completely vegan, that they might as well give up. But we can all do something - the first step is very important and can be the hardest step to take, regardless of how small. Especially online there’s a tendency to criticise people for not doing something exactly right – we need to be more kind and encouraging. To quote Jen directly: “Leave the big green bashy sticks at the door!” **What’s the problem?** Jen shared the climate stripes – or warming stripes – created by Ed Hawkins, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading3. These show the variation from average temperature for each year since 1850, the start of the industrial revolution. With temperatures above average being shown in red, it is very clear that the world is heating up. One of the things we can do as individuals is talk to people and this graphic is a great communication tool. Ways of using it include as a Zoom or Teams background, Reading football club have it on their strip (which prompted a conversation about climate on live primetime TV!), and it’s been put on the wall at primary schools. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/11/Global-climate-stripes-1.png) Credit: Ed Hawkins, University of Reading - [ShowYourStripes.info](https://showyourstripes.info/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) In a similar vein there are also biodiversity stripes created by Miles Richardson, Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness at the University of Derby4. Climate gets 8 times more media coverage than biodiversity loss, but we are absolutely reliant on nature despite the fact that as a human race we have become quite detached from it. In the UK there has been a 69% decline in biodiversity since 1970\. Typically we can remember seeing more bugsplats on the windscreen when we were young, simply because there were far more flying insects then. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/11/Global-biodiversity-stripes-.png) Credit: University of Derby - [biodiversitystripes.info](https://biodiversitystripes.info/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) data source; LPI 2022\. Living Planet Index database. 2022\. [livingplanetindex.org](https://www.livingplanetindex.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) There are lots of separate but overlapping issues having an effect on the planet, which can be quite overwhelming to think about. **So what do we need to do?** We are aiming for no more than 1.5 degrees of warming but what does that mean? To help put it into context Jen shared an analogy by Katharine Hayhoe, a Canadian climate scientist5 – what if our body temperature was 1.5 degrees higher than it should be? We would feel pretty unwell. 1.5 degrees doesn’t sound like lots but in reality it has a big impact. To achieve that 1.5 degree goal, we need emissions to peak by 2025, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about half (43%) by 2030. We have all the technology we need to make this happen. We don’t yet have all the technology to get all the way to net zero but we do have the capability to deliver a 50% reduction. What is lacking is political will and international co-operation! However there are lots of actions we can take as individuals, communities and organisations without waiting for politicians and governments to catch up with us. The Biodiversity COP last year produced a framework setting out a number of targets including that we need to preserve 30% of land and sea for nature by 20306. So to bring the focus back to us, we can think about what we can do to preserve 30% of our gardens, and of the green spaces in our villages or towns, for biodiversity. What we need to do requires massive action by all of us - businesses, government and individuals. We need both individual change and systems change, but individuals drive systems change because businesses and governments are all made up of individuals. If we can reach the 25% tipping point to change the social norm in businesses, local councils and so on, that will help to drive systems change. Jen then tested us all using a poll on menti.com to see what we thought is the most effective action individuals can take to tackle climate change. This was based on research done by IPSOS in 20217. At that time 59% of the general public believed the most impactful thing they could do was recycling, whereas in fact the top 3 actions in terms of impact are living car-free, cutting out one long-haul flight, and using energy from renewable sources. People have been given really strong messages about recycling for 20 years, so it is understandable that they think it is important. We now need to help put that misunderstanding right and get across what the big impact actions really are. Remember - sustainable-ish - we can do our best and not go the whole way e.g. meat-free Mondays vs being completely vegan. Jen shared a social media post from Katharine Hayhoe8 highlighting other things we can do alongside reducing our own carbon footprint: · Start a conversation. Jen showed a short video ‘Talking about Climate Change’9 and then encouraged the group to go away and have a conversation with someone about climate change, starting by asking them ‘how do you feel about Climate change?’ · Join a climate action group. Many things can be defined as a climate action group (as well as CA-WN, of course!) – a sustainability group at work, eco-council at your child’s school, a neighbourhood litterpicking group · Finances. Check how green your bank is; switch your bank account and your pension. Encourage someone else to switch too! Pension funds invest a lot of money in fossil fuels so this is a very impactful change10 · Spark ideas at work and school. For example, see if your child’s class at school can each do one card to the class instead of one for every child in the class; second-hand Santa at work instead of secret Santa…. Or perhaps your employer could run carbon literacy training for your workplace11 · Hold politicians accountable. A 2017 study found that MPs weren’t hearing from constituents that climate was a problem for them. Climate is slipping down the list of concerns so we need to push it back up. Organisations working on this include Greenpeace, Hope for the Future and ClientEarth12 When thinking about what we are going to do, try to apply a climate version of the Japanese concept of *ikigai* (feeling of fulfilment from pursuing your passion). What brings you joy, what are you good at and how can you apply that in the context of the climate and work that needs doing to create the world we want? The biggest impact we can have is to influence those around us to step up and take action, and to do that we need to throw a better party, rather than making people feel it is going to be bleak and all about giving things up. **Q&A** *Can you talk a bit about ‘Climate shadow’?* This idea originated in an article by journalist Emma Pattee13. It’s about how our influence can be much more important than the direct impact of actions to reduce our own carbon footprint. It encompasses all the actions we do that don’t tick a box on a climate footprint calculator, as well as so-called ‘contagious behaviours’. For example, the biggest predictor for someone having solar panels is that their neighbours have them. If people who give up flying talk about what they're doing, 50% of people in their immediate circle also cut down on flying. Growing your climate shadow can be something to think about if you have been working on your footprint for a while and want to know what to do next. *Where did the quiz come from?* The Perils of Perception study by IPSOS7. Where do the wrong perceptions come from? Some information may be suppressed by the media and perhaps also there is an unconscious bias towards things that people prefer to do and are easier. Recycling waste and plastic are an understandable way in – recycling has become a social norm. We need to get better at selling co-benefits and do less finger-wagging. *What about things that are going to cost a lot of money? How can we persuade people to do those things?* There is a frustrating perception that living more sustainably will cost more money, whereas the point is to use less so should result in spending less money. Some changes such as travelling by train and home improvements do cost more money so they need government action. This has been done very well in some countries in Europe eg cheap train tickets. If we are in a position to afford to make changes we should go ahead as this may help bring down the price for others in the future. As individuals we need to come together to lobby politicians for the actions that we need. Bear in mind that the costs of action in the short to medium term are vastly outweighed by the costs of inaction in the longer term. One of the most difficult conversations is about use of cars and the individual freedom they are associated with. There are lots of angles to take on this – 20mph zones and air quality for example. This really does need pressure on the government. Electric vehicles are not going to solve the problem because of the cost issue. Look elsewhere for examples to follow, e.g. to Paris which is progressing towards being a car free city. There was a shift away from cars in Amsterdam in the 1970s and 80s as a result of a campaign by mothers concerned about road safety. In the UK there is the Shorelands Bike Bus in Glasgow14. *Do you have a view on home heating?* Overall we need to be transitioning towards air source heat pumps; this has been done well in Scandinavia. Hydrogen for home heating is a bit of a red herring, more likely this will be used for aviation and construction. Wood burning is another difficult topic – Jen loves her log burner but cannot continue to use it in the face of research into indoor and outdoor air pollution. Reliance on wood burning as a main source of heating is a different matter to lighting a fire in her centrally heated house. 1 Sustainable-ish [https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/](https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 CA-WN YouTube [https://youtu.be/8mB-09bRFw4](https://youtu.be/8mB-09bRFw4?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 Climate Stripes [https://www.reading.ac.uk/planet/climate-resources/climate-stripes](https://www.reading.ac.uk/planet/climate-resources/climate-stripes?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 Biodiversity Stripes [https://biodiversitystripes.info/global](https://biodiversitystripes.info/global?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5 Katharine Hayhoe [https://www.katharinehayhoe.com/](https://www.katharinehayhoe.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6 Biodiversity COP framework [https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-final-text-kunming-montreal-gbf-221222](https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-final-text-kunming-montreal-gbf-221222?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7 IPSOS survey [https://www.ipsos.com/en/ipsos-perils-perception-climate-change](https://www.ipsos.com/en/ipsos-perils-perception-climate-change?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 8 Katharine Hayhoe social media post [https://twitter.com/KHayhoe/status/1678118380786659329](https://twitter.com/KHayhoe/status/1678118380786659329?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9 The Secret to Talking About Climate Change [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHPZw0zbHNE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHPZw0zbHNE&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 10 Green your money [www.bank.green](http://www.bank.green/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/](https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 11 Carbon Literacy Training [https://carbonliteracy.com/](https://carbonliteracy.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 12 Hold politicians accountable: • [https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/contact-mp-political-campaigning/ ](https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/contact-mp-political-campaigning/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)• [https://www.hftf.org.uk/](https://www.hftf.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) • [https://www.clientearth.org/](https://www.clientearth.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 13 Climate Shadow [https://www.mic.com/impact/forget-your-carbon-footprint-lets-talk-about-your-climate-shadow](https://www.mic.com/impact/forget-your-carbon-footprint-lets-talk-about-your-climate-shadow?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 14 Bike Bus [https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=29605](https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=29605&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Are Supermarkets Paying Fair Prices to Growers? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/are-supermarkets-paying-fair-prices-to-growers/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:08:37.000Z This morning (13/11/23) on BBC Farming Today1, a grower of cauliflowers pointed out that in 1976 when he left school the price was 75p each; today he is selling caulis at £1.20\. In ’76 his first new tractor was £9,500; today a new tractor is £150,000\. “Supermarkets use vegetables as a loss-leader to get people in”, he complained. A new survey2 by British Berry Growers reported in The Fruit Trades Journal on 10th November has found that 80% of British berry growers feel they no longer have partnership relationships with UK supermarkets. Supermarket returns are failing to meet growers’ inflationary costs of production. Also reported, an independent study by consultancy Andersons Midlands2, showed that supermarket returns are failing to meet growers’ inflationary costs of production. > *Between 2021 and 2023, it cost on average 18p more to produce a punnet of strawberries (400g); 21p more to produce a punnet of raspberries (200g). Yet, the amount paid by UK supermarkets on average for a punnet of strawberries and raspberries within this period increased by just 4p (2.0%) and 11p (6.9%) respectively.* Although I think that our distribution system for fruit and vegetables through supermarkets is highly efficient at providing high quality produce for shoppers every day, any value chain where one link is much more powerful than the others is subject to exploitation and distortion. Supermarkets keep talking about the need to keep prices down to support the public who are suffering a cost of living crisis, yet their reported profits are only reduced a little. Earlier this year in The Guardian, Tesco, the market leader, reported “a 7% fall in adjusted retail operating profits for the latest financial year – to £2.3bn in the UK and Ireland. And, like Sainsbury’s, its formal outlook statement to investors predicted a broadly flat year ahead.”3 So although supermarkets may not be profiteering, growers at the other end of the supply chain are talking seriously of throwing in the towel. Following a recent House of Lords’ report into the food supply chain, it is good news that MPs’ EFRA (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Committee is also preparing to establish how resilient the UK’s supply chain is. The EFRA Committee will examine operation of the UK’s food supply chain4, the market power of supermarkets and manufacturers in the food supply chain, and the relationship between food production costs and food and retail prices. I hope that ‘food manufacturers’ includes farmers and growers! Groceries code adjudicator Mark White speaking at the recent National Fruit Show5 said the issue of price negotiations has been a top concern for suppliers this year, and while the adjudicator cannot get involved in commercial discussions, he has outlined his ‘seven golden rules’ for buyers to follow. I won’t detail these here, but in addition he made a point in The Fruit Trades Journal that I have been pushing for many years: **Inexperienced Buyers**. > *Another issue for White is the lack of experience among buyers. It has long been a complaint of suppliers that buyers are rotated rapidly within supermarkets, and there isn’t time to develop a relationship or for the buyer to properly understand the category.* > *“I am concerned by the loss of established buyers who have real depth of knowledge,” he said. “Handling difficult issues is much more difficult with less experienced buyers. They need a breadth of knowledge, and knowledge based on individual suppliers. If suppliers find that buyers are not visiting their farms, keep inviting them along and also let me know.”* I remember this problem in the 1980s when I was employed by a growers’ marketing group. The technical team at M&S and later Sainsbury’s were very supportive to our group of growers diversifying into out-of-season strawberry production in glasshouses. But when our sales executive was negotiating a marketing plan for the season including prices and promotions, the situation was very different: young buyers were essentially rewarded on how cheaply they could purchase our fruit. My wife who works in the fruit trade today says that the situation has not changed. Let’s hope that a fairer value chain for fruit and vegetables (and for agriculture) will come out of all these discussions. 1 [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001sd6w](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001sd6w?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [https://www.fruitnet.com/fresh-produce-journal/berry-grower-retail-relations-sour/256985.article](https://www.fruitnet.com/fresh-produce-journal/berry-grower-retail-relations-sour/256985.article?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2023/may/08/uk-supermarkets-profiteering-sainsburys-tesco](https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2023/may/08/uk-supermarkets-profiteering-sainsburys-tesco?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 [https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7682/fairness-in-the-food-supply-chain/](https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7682/fairness-in-the-food-supply-chain/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5 [https://www.fruitnet.com/fresh-produce-journal/adjudicator-urges-supplier-input-on-cost-price-talks/256960.article](https://www.fruitnet.com/fresh-produce-journal/adjudicator-urges-supplier-input-on-cost-price-talks/256960.article?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Threads of Change: Navigating the Future of Fashion with Sustainable Clothing URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/threads-of-change-navigating-the-future-of-fashion-with-sustainable-clothing/ Last updated: 2023-11-21T19:10:46.000Z For years, well-known brands have dominated our high streets and online marketplaces, bringing affordable fashion to millions. But with the world's continually growing population, the demand for new clothes is escalating each year. In fact, two tonnes of clothing are bought every minute across the UK, according to Oxfam, resulting in nearly fifty thousand tonnes of carbon emissions, but the damage doesn’t stop there. A burgeoning global population has seen the growth of fast fashion, a worrying trend that relies on cheap, disposable clothing that’s contributing 10% to global CO2 emissions and clogging up landfill sites across the country. In addition, data from Statista1 has revealed that global apparel emissions are projected to hit 968 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2023, with the trend expected to escalate to over 1.26 billion tonnes by 2030. This research comes as Dr Alana James, Assistant Professor in Fashion at Northumbria University, recently discussed2 the environmental concerns facing the fashion industry in September of this year. In her report, she said: "The UK consistently buys more garments than any other European country, spending more than £45 billion annually. Fast fashion, an industry trend that involves getting cheap reproductions of catwalk designs out to a mass market as quickly as possible, encourages this buying frenzy.” James added: “Much of fast fashion is known to depend on sweatshop labour and polluting factories. But alongside the demand for ever-faster fashion at low prices, there is a growing awareness among consumers that something has to change. “Some firms have caught on: many brands now report their environmental footprint and have disclosed their intention to shrink it.” As the catastrophic impacts of fast fashion are beginning to penetrate public concern, we’ve compiled some of the ways you can make new additions to your wardrobe carbon neutral. **Charity and second-hand shops** One of the first, and perhaps most observable, options for low-impact clothing are charity shops. According to the Charity Retail Association3 (CRA), there are over 11,200 charity shops found on high streets across the UK, making up 4% of the UK’s total number of retail units. The CRA also said that 295 UK-wide charity shops are “boutique-style stores”, and are key demonstrators that pre-loved items can be stylish and offer a glamorous shopping experience. The benefits of buying new clothing or other goods from charity shops are seen in a variety of different ways, including funding the charities’ operations and contributing towards a positive cause, all while saving yourself some money and giving a second life to someone's unwanted items. Charity shops are also great opportunities to find pieces of clothing that differ from those on the traditional high-street sales rack and can include high-end or vintage items on offer, sold at an affordable price. Looking locally to Northamptonshire, charity shops like Dapp4 offer suitably affordable prices where funds through purchases turn textile waste into development aid for developing countries. The store sells good-quality items from well-loved brands including Nike, Adidas, and Hollister for a fraction of their retail price, so a new stylish fit can be achieved while helping a fantastic cause. Locals can also opt for Vintage Guru5 in Northampton town centre, an independently owned emporium where customers can find stand-out pieces and vintage clothes at reasonable prices, alongside other homeware goods and gift items. Store owner Julie Teckman has emphasised the importance of businesses like her own, and how they can make a difference to your shopping experience: “People often worry about buying and wearing second hand clothes, particularly vintage ones. They worry that the sizes will be wrong and that the clothes will be damaged or dirty, but good vintage clothes stores like ours will do their best to make sure all the clothes they sell are in good condition and cleaned before they go on sale. “In terms of sizing, it is true that sizes don't always reflect modern sizes as people wore different undergarments in the 40s and 50s, and were often smaller in size and height. Staff in vintage shops are on hand to help advise and always recommend trying clothes on before buying, which is another reason why shops are better than online shopping when buying vintage." Teckman added: “The huge joy of buying vintage clothes is the knowledge that, not only are you helping to break the cycle of fast fashion, strain on natural resources and waste, but also that your 'new' clothes have a history and provenance, who knows where they were worn and what they witnessed, and that’s why we say ‘vintage is the new new’.” “My view is that vintage should be wearable, and my mission is to make sure that people of all ages feel comfortable wearing vintage clothes.” **Online marketplaces** Online marketplaces have also become popular sites to visit in order to scout out unused, pre-worn, unique, or vintage outfits and accessories, with popular sites like Depop, Vinted, Ebay and ASOS Marketplace taking the lead amongst others. These sites allow users to conveniently purchase and sell their used clothing online, give it a second life with a new owner, and allow users to shop for particular brands, styles, and categories. In a recent report from Depop, the business revealed that over 25 million items were saved from landfill, all while allowing thousands of its users to create an income through the circular fashion economy. Similarly, Vinted has stated that its customers on average save 1.8kg of carbon dioxide through buying second-hand clothing and has also said that one fifth of its users would continue to opt for second-hand clothing over new after using the platform. Like charity shops, there is a wide range of clothing found on online marketplaces that suit a variety of styles and tastes, as well as a plethora of popular brands like Converse, Dr Martens and Urban Outfitters, meaning that there is something for everyone. **New ethical and responsibly-made clothing** While shopping for pre-loved clothing is one of the most ethical and planet-friendly options, buying new clothes doesn't have to be a no-go. If you have seen a must-have outfit that's brand new in-store or online, it is important to run through some important questions before you buy to make sure that it won't end up in landfill anytime soon. Ask yourself things like: What has the impact of the production of the garment had on the environment? What fabrics have been used to create the product and are they ethically sourced? Is the garment durable and will it last for a long time? It's also advisable to keep an eye out for products made from fabrics like organic or recycled cotton, lyocell, recycled polyester, and bamboo linen as a way to ensure that the clothing has been designed and produced to have a minimal impact on the environment. And to take it a step further, buying from brands that specialise in ethically-made new clothing, such as BEEN London, Mother of Pearl, and Fanfare – which use responsible materials and makes it easier for customers to make better choices – means that you are helping to benefit businesses whose mission is to bring new sustainable clothing options to the public and help show there's a demand in the market for this type of viable fashion. 1 [https://www.statista.com/statistics/1305696/apparel-industry-co2e-emissions/](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1305696/apparel-industry-co2e-emissions/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 [https://newsroom.northumbria.ac.uk/pressreleases/fashion-industrys-environmental-impact-is-largely-unknown-heres-why-3273445](https://newsroom.northumbria.ac.uk/pressreleases/fashion-industrys-environmental-impact-is-largely-unknown-heres-why-3273445?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [https://www.charityretail.org.uk/charity-shop-numbers/#:\~:text=People%20shop%20for%20good%20and,across%20the%20UK%5B1%5D](https://www.charityretail.org.uk/charity-shop-numbers/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=People%20shop%20for%20good%20and,across%20the%20UK%5B1%5D). 4 [https://www.dappuk.org/](https://www.dappuk.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5 ### The Food We Eat: West Northamptonshire Sustainable Food Network URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-food-we-eat-west-northamptonshire-sustainable-food-network/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:08:53.000Z *As residents of West Northamptonshire we at CA-WN have two key missions:* *o to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions because they are contributing to global overheating* *o to prepare ourselves for living with the weather extremes that are the consequence of a critically altered climate - winter days of sub-zero temperatures, extended summer heatwaves, severe droughts and the flooding that comes with massive downpours.* *We recognise that there are hugely complicated interactions between human activity and our natural environment. However, for simplicity’s sake, as a starting point for actions intended to deliver on those two missions, we are focusing on the basics of life:* *o the air we breathe* *o the water we drink* *o the food we eat* *o the shelter we call home* *Successful climate activism requires effective collaboration and our actions are never intended to reinvent wheels. Fortunately, related to *The Food We Eat*, there are already local wheels in motion. We are pleased to be collaborating with the *West Northamptonshire Sustainable Food Network,* whichis working to improve the quality of food, end food waste, address food poverty, and ensure that we have a thriving, healthy and sustainable food economy.* --- ## **The West Northamptonshire Sustainable Food Network** The Sustainable Food Network emerged from research into rural food insecurity and poverty conducted by Northamptonshire ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England)1 and a complementary study by Northampton Hope Centre, *Poverty in Northampton*2*.* Today the Hope Centre, together with West Northamptonshire Council, provide the central support for the network. The Network includes FAAWN (Food Aid Alliance West Northants), which provides food aid and distributes waste food through a network of food banks, social supermarkets and food larders. Recognition for the Network as a **Sustainable Food Place**3 was supported by **Transition Town Northampton**4. Also in the Network are **Food4Heroes**5, who started by bringing together furloughed catering staff to cook meals for key workers struggling to purchase basic foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables during the pandemic, and who now distribute high quality meals cooked by caterers, pubs and restaurants through foodbanks; **Northampton College**6 whose catering school facilities have been made available to the Network out-of-hours; the central catering team at **Northampton General Hospital** under the leadership of Dr Clare Topping7, Energy and Sustainability Manager; **Northamptonshire Integrated Care Partnership**8, recognising access to reliable, affordable nutritious food is important not just for physical health but mental wellbeing too; and the **University of Northampton**9 which has baked sustainability into all its operations. **Northampton Hope**, backed by West Northamptonshire Council's **Public Health** team**,** are running the **Grow! Cook! Eat!** project10 that is delivering growing, cooking and healthy eating programs across West Northamptonshire. With the help of **Cooking Good**11 community champions are learning, and being trained to pass on, skills for low cost growing and cooking. We’re looking forward to posting further news about the Network. --- 1 An investigation into rural food poverty and insecurity in Northamptonshire - 2021 -Northamptonshire ACRE [https://www.northantsacre.org.uk/sites/acre.1pcswebdesign.co.uk/files/Northamptonshire%20ACRE%20rural%20food%20report.pdf](https://www.northantsacre.org.uk/sites/acre.1pcswebdesign.co.uk/files/Northamptonshire%20ACRE%20rural%20food%20report.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 Poverty in Northampton [https://www.northamptonhopecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9322-Poverty-report-FINAL-PRINT.pdf](https://www.northamptonhopecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9322-Poverty-report-FINAL-PRINT.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 Sustainable Food Places [https://www.sustainablefoodplaces.org](https://www.sustainablefoodplaces.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 Transition Town Northamptonshire [http://www.transitiontownnorthampton.org](http://www.transitiontownnorthampton.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5 Food4Heroes [https://food4heroes.org.uk](https://food4heroes.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6 Northampton College [https://www.northamptoncollege.ac.uk](https://www.northamptoncollege.ac.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 7 Dr Clare Topping [https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three/) 8 Integrated Care Northamptonshire [https://www.icnorthamptonshire.org.uk](https://www.icnorthamptonshire.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 9 University of Northampton [https://www.northampton.ac.uk/about-us/services-and-facilities/retail-and-catering/sustainability/](https://www.northampton.ac.uk/about-us/services-and-facilities/retail-and-catering/sustainability/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 10 Grow, Cook, Eat [https://www.northamptonhopecentre.org.uk/grow-cook-eat/](https://www.northamptonhopecentre.org.uk/grow-cook-eat/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 11 Cooking Good [https://www.cooking-good.co.uk](https://www.cooking-good.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### My 3 Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-3-things-for-climate-change-4/ Last updated: 2023-11-13T14:42:51.000Z *by Dr Ebenezer Laryea, Associate Professor in International Sustainable Development Law at the University of Northampton; Project Lead, [TANZ West Northants](https://slipah.co.uk/projects/towards-a-net-zero-west-northants-tanz-west-northants/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org); Chair, [Centre for Sustainable Business Practices](https://www.northampton.ac.uk/research/research-institutes-and-centres/centre-for-sustainable-business-practices-csbp/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org).* In the face of the mounting climate and ecological crisis, taking action, no matter how small, can create a positive ripple effect. Our actions today, no matter how modest, can radiate outwards, shaping a brighter, more sustainable future for all. In this short piece, I would like to share three practices I have adopted as a way of doing my bit, in my individualistic capacity, to help take responsibility for our shared ecological environment and progress it towards a more sustainable future: **1\. Embracing Reusable Water Bottles** Plastic bottled water has long been a convenience many of us have grown accustomed to, but the environmental cost it incurs is staggering. From production to disposal, these single-use bottles contribute to pollution, resource depletion, and a harmful strain on ecosystems. By switching to a reusable water bottle, we can take a significant stride towards minimizing our carbon footprint. Every time I fill my reusable bottle, I'm reminded that my small action is a piece of the larger puzzle in preserving our planet. It's a simple swap that reduces plastic waste and conserves resources, leading to fewer plastic bottles ending up in landfills, oceans, and natural habitats both in the UK and all over the world. This small change is a symbolic gesture, highlighting my commitment to a greener and more sustainable future. **2\. Mindful Consumption: Eating Plant-Based Meals** Another effective way by which I am helping contribute to our collective fight against carbon-induced climate change is through mindful consumption, particularly in my dietary choices. The food industry's impact on the environment is substantial, with animal agriculture being a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and water depletion. By incorporating more plant-based meals into our diet, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint. Whilst there isn’t enough plant-based food to meet our dietary requirements, and whilst we will therefore continue to consume conventional food, the gradual incorporation of plant-based meals into our diet is not only beneficial for the environment but also for our health. They require fewer resources to produce and have a lower carbon footprint compared to animal-based products. By making this conscious choice, we can help curb deforestation, conserve water, and decrease the demand for intensive livestock farming. Every plant-based meal is a step towards a more sustainable and compassionate world. **3\. Sustainable Transportation: Opting for Alternatives** Our transportation choices also play a pivotal role in the fight against climate change. While personal vehicles powered by fossil fuels contribute to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, adopting sustainable transportation alternatives can make a significant difference. Where possible, I have adopted a stance of opting for walking, biking and using public transport as preferred options for travel in order to reduce my own personal carbon footprint. These alternative transportation methods not only lessen emissions but also promote healthier lifestyles and less congestion on our roads. Choosing to walk or bike for short distances not only benefits the environment but also improves my own well-being. Additionally, using public transportation where possible reduces the number of vehicles on the road, leading to less air pollution and traffic congestion. In conclusion, our responses to the climate and ecological crisis need not be grand gestures; even small changes in our daily lives can collectively create a substantial impact. Embracing reusable water bottles, adopting plant-based meals, and opting for sustainable transportation are three actionable steps that showcase my own personal commitment to preserving our planet for current and future generations. By making conscious choices, we can drive positive change and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient world. These are my three things, what are yours? ### popcawn - November 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popcawn-nov-23/ Last updated: 2023-11-03T22:29:16.000Z “Climate change and biodiversity loss together pose an existential threat to human survival that warrants an urgent response from everyone” was the opening line from October’s edition of popcawn – CA-WN’s opinion on current events. In that edition we focussed on climate change and the government’s woeful climate policies, and this month we take a look at perhaps the lesser known of the twin crises, biodiversity loss, to tie in with the State of Nature report that was published at the end of September1. We may refer to them as separate crises, but climate change and biodiversity loss are actually closely linked and with that in mind I just want to briefly mention some breaking news from earlier this week. One of the UK government’s short-sighted, ill-advised climate policies is to remain committed to sanctioning new oil and gas extraction, with just this week the news of 27 licences granted for North Sea oil and gas projects. This is despite warnings from the International Energy Agency that governments prioritising domestic fuel production risk pushing the planet over the ‘safe’ limit of 1.5 degrees of warming2. The story of these licences sat on my news app right next to the headline, ‘Scientists warn of faster threat to climate limit’ based on the conclusions of a new analysis into the carbon budget remaining before the 1.5 degrees limit is breached3. Basically, we have just 6 years of burning greenhouse gases at our current rate to have a 50% chance of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees, which translates into net zero fifteen years sooner by 2035, not 2050\. Even as a lay reader, I’m not surprised by this finding, given that temperature records on land and at sea have been broken faster than predicted4. So it begs the question of why the government is gambling with our future? Back to nature…and I’m afraid it’s more grim reading in the State of Nature report, BUT there is hope. The report is the fruit of a collaboration between over 60 conservation organisations including NGOs and research institutes. Their analysis of up to 50 years of data shows that the abundance of the UK’s species remains in decline - on average by 19% since 1970, with almost 1 in 6 and 1 in 8 species at risk of extinction in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, respectively. The distribution of habitats is also generally decreasing. However, while the findings paint a bleak picture, they do at least provide us with the scale of the problem we face. The report also acknowledges the conservation efforts that are making a difference, but that investment in such efforts is too low1. We know what to do to restore nature and the UK has an obligation to do so as a signatory to the Global Biodiversity Framework5. One of the framework’s targets is that the restoration of at least 30% of degraded ecosystems is underway by 2030; currently only 11% of UK land is protected, with less than half of that considered to be in a favourable condition1. Hopefully the government will turn this around now that it was stated last week “habitat restoration and creation, and improved connectivity of biodiversity corridors” are being prioritised…over species reintroduction at least6. If you want to give nature a helping hand directly, there are many resources available on the State of Nature website, including links to volunteer work and how you can help wildlife in your own garden. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with my favourite tip for wildlife gardening…do nothing! Nature loves a lazy gardener who leaves the leaves. **References** 1\. Burns, F., Mordue, S., al Fulaij N. et al. 2023\. State of Nature 2023, the State of Nature partnership. Available at: [www.stateofnature.org.uk](https://stateofnature.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 31 October 2023 2\. IEA. Net Zero Roadmap: A Global Pathway to Keep the 1.5 °C Goal in Reach. Available at: [www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-roadmap-a-global-pathway-to-keep-the-15-0c-goal-in-reach](https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-roadmap-a-global-pathway-to-keep-the-15-0c-goal-in-reach?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 31 October 2023 3\. Lamboll, R.D., Nicholls, Z.R.J., Smith, C.J. et al. 2023 Assessing the size and uncertainty of remaining carbon budgets. Nat. Clim. Chang. [://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01848-5](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01848-5?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). 4\. The Guardian. Record ocean temperatures put Earth in ‘uncharted territory’, say scientists. Available at: [www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/26/accelerating-ocean-warming-earth-temperatures-climate-crisis](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/26/accelerating-ocean-warming-earth-temperatures-climate-crisis?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 31 October 2023 5\. Convention on Biological Diversity (cbd.int). COP15: Final text of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Available at: [www.cbd.int/article/cop15-final-text-kunming-montreal-gbf-221222](https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-final-text-kunming-montreal-gbf-221222?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 31 October 2023 6\. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (parliament.uk). Species Reintroduction: Government response to the Committee’s Fifth Report - available at: [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmenvfru/1931/report.html](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmenvfru/1931/report.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Accessed 31 October 2023 ### Green Lentil Casserole URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/green-lentil-casserole/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:19:37.000Z The change from summer to late autumn has been sudden this year. The prolonged spell of warm sunny weather at the start of October encouraged the last tomatoes to ripen and lulled some of us into a false sense of security! This didn’t last, and with winter setting in it’s time to warm ourselves with woolly pullovers and casseroles. This one uses green lentils, rich in iron, and ultra-satisfying. They take slightly longer to cook than red lentils, and soak up the flavours of spices and herbs. If you like a spicy dish, use fresh chillis, carefully de-seeded, or if you are not a fan of “hot” food, use a scant pinch of chipotle flakes during the initial cooking stage. This dish can be served as a thick soup, or with the addition of extra root veg, a substantial casserole. These are approximate quantities and ingredients for a hearty lunch or supper for 4 people. A cup or small mug of dried green lentils 1 large or two small cloves of garlic One or two onions, depending on size A stick of celery Three medium carrots Half a butternut or similar squash Half a small head of Savoy cabbage, finely shredded One finely sliced small chilli (deseeded before slicing) One stock cube + as much water as the dish requires – the lentils will absorb a lot of fluid Dried mixed herbs A pinch or two of chipotle flakes Half a teaspoon of ground allspice Half a teaspoon of ground fenugreek Half a star anise 3 or 4 medium sized potatoes, cut into quarters. Steam these separately and add at the end of cooking. A medium bunch of fresh parsley. Cut the stalks off and retain them to add along with the vegetables. Chop the parsley leaves to garnish at the end of cooking. If you have one, use a largish casserole dish suitable for use on the hob which can also go in the oven. If you haven’t one of these use a big saucepan with a lid. Start by thoroughly washing the lentils in a sieve, and set them aside. Scrub the carrots, potatoes, etc and peel squash. Roughly chop the onion and celery. Put a splash of oil in the pan and sauté the onions till transparent. Add the celery, garlic, parsley stalks and shredded cabbage, then the sliced chilli and spices, except the star anise. Next add the lentils to the pot, and enough water to cover them. (Don’t add the stock cube yet.) When the pot comes to the boil there’s a danger the lentils will catch, so stir the pot from time to time. Add the diced carrots and cook for a few minutes then add the butternut squash. Top up with water as required, and once the lentils start to soften, add the crumbled stock cube. Adjust seasoning. Add the star anise and mixed herbs, stir thoroughly, cover with a lid and put in a medium oven for 45 minutes, or continue cooking at a low heat on the hob, stirring from time to time. If cooking on the hob, it is likely you will need to top up the water level a little as it continues to cook. A few minutes before you intend to serve stir in the steamed potatoes, leave them to soak up the flavours, then sprinkle a little chopped parsley over the casserole. Serve at the table, with optional crumbled feta cheese. 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### Our Place by Mark Cocker URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/our-place-by-mark-cocker/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:14:56.000Z This book is a good one to read alongside the [2023 State of Nature Report](https://stateofnature.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (or at least the summary, it’s a long report…). Mark Cocker readably and concisely gives us a history of the British conservation movement, whilst also sharing his own efforts to restore a piece of land in Norfolk for nature. I for one had not previously realised how the poor condition of nature in the UK can be traced back to the Enclosure Acts as well as more recent legislation and government incentives. The author’s deep familiarity with and knowledge of British landscape and nature underpins the book so lots to learn here about those too. ***This book is available to borrow from the*** [***CA-WN Lending Library***](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-library/)***.*** 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Sustainability initiatives in Northamptonshire URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/sustainability-initiatives-in-northamptonshire/ Last updated: 2023-11-03T18:34:35.000Z The last twelve months have seen a number of projects launched to help and support organisations in the county wishing to work on being cleaner, greener and ultimately more resilient. In May, the University of Northampton held a Sustainability Summit where it launched the Northampton Accord, a multi-stakeholder agreement crafted by participants in the Summit. The Accord lists shared sustainability challenges and outlines the goals that the signatories are committed to pursuing to meet these challenges, namely through collaborative research, enterprise, and knowledge exchange projects. **SLIPAH** In July, the University team, led by Dr Ebenezer Laryea, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Business Practices (CSBP) launched SLIPAH, the Sustainability Local Innovation Partnership Agenda Hub. SLIPAH has been set up to champion sustainable innovation and collaboration within the region. Through collective efforts, SLIPAH aims to make a tangible contribution to sustainable development. As members, organisations work in partnership with others, gain access to grant funding opportunities along with research and support to deal with sustainability challenges. It is free to join, but members commit to sharing information and practices, along with promising to collaborate with the University to achieve the goals of the Sustainability Accord. One of SLIPAH’s early projects is in partnership with West Northants Council - an initiative called 'Towards a Net Zero West Northants (TANZ West Northants)'. Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the aim of this project is to provide research and knowledge exchange support to business and charities which helps them reduce their carbon emissions and progress their journeys towards Net Zero. A number of businesses and charities have already registered for the project, please visit the project [website](https://slipah.co.uk/projects/towards-a-net-zero-west-northants-tanz-west-northants/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to learn more. **People, Planet, Pint** Originating in Glasgow in November 2021 during COP26, [People, Planet, Pint](https://small99.co.uk/people-planet-pint-meetup/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) is a relaxed event bringing together those with a shared passion for sustainability in all its forms. It has been running ever since, with over 75 cities hosting events and 8000 attendees from all over the world. These events provide an opportunity to chat about what's going on in the Net Zero/Sustainability space and meet others locally to share ‘wins’ as well as challenges. It’s about bringing businesses and people together in an informal environment to take action without really realising it. The first Northampton PPP took place in June 2023, with events taking place every quarter in a local pub. Alexina Cassidy, co-host of PPP Northampton comments “creating a sustainable future requires connected communities and the connections people make during the PPP event are beneficial to all involved.” PPP Northampton attendees to date have been made up of representatives from local businesses, community organisations, local government employees and the University of Northampton, along with people working in sustainability. Richard Lemon, Senior Team Project Manager at Piroto Labelling, Northampton said of a recent event, held at the Brampton Halt, Pitsford; “It was lovely to meet everyone and was very nice to have a chat without Agenda & Judgement. I certainly picked up a few bits to think about and look in to.” For those interested in coming along to the next PPP on December 7th to coincide with COP28, register a place for free via [this link](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/northampton-coppp28-people-planet-pint-sustainability-meetup-tickets-694000322647?aff=odcleoeventsincollection&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) – the first 33 drinks are sponsored by [Krystal](https://krystal.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) a premium green web hosting provider. **Be Better with B Corp** Another Northamptonshire initiative that focusses on using business as a force for good is the [B Local Northamptonshire](https://www.northantsbcorp.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) group. Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies independently verified to meet enhanced commitments to environmental and social goals. The aim of the Northamptonshire B Local group is to work together to share best practices and support and influence the wider business community. The county has 13 certified B Corps representing different industries from construction, apparel, beverages and cleaning products to investment services, HR, PR and consultancy. Reusable nappy revolutionaries [Bambino Mio](https://www.bambinomio.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), headquartered in Brixworth, trade in over 50 countries worldwide. Guy Schanschieff, the founder of Bambino Mio and the Northants B Local group says, ‘we hope our commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others.’ Bambino Mio is committed to reducing waste and to date has saved over two billion six hundred nappies from being thrown into landfill. For local businesses wishing to find out more about the B Corp movement and B Corp certification, the Northamptonshire B Corp group are keen to help, advise and answer any questions. ### Council Watch – 2023 Council Climate Action Scorecards URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-2023-council-climate-action-scorecards/ Last updated: 2023-11-03T20:59:55.000Z The title is a bit of a mouthful, but the idea is simple and very effective – objectively scoring climate action taken by local councils in the UK. It’s a huge piece of work undertaken using a well-thought out methodology, which is explained on the website of [Climate Emergency UK](https://climateemergency.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), the organisation that produces the scorecards. Councils are able to review their results and provide additional evidence prior to the final scorecards being published. Council actions are scored in 7 areas. You can see below how our local councils did – both WNC and NNC come into the category of Single Tier Councils, as does our near neighbour Milton Keynes, included below as a comparator. The lowest score of the three councils is highlighted in red for each section, and the highest score in green. The highest scores for all single tier councils show that it is possible to do a great deal better – both WNC and NNC were below average for almost every category. WNC’s poor score for Collaboration & Engagement was heavily affected by the council’s lack of a published climate action plan (something CA-WN has been pushing for since the council came into existence). We acknowledge that WNC's reorganisation into a unitary authority in 2021 slowed progress but we all need to see rapid improvement from now on. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-01-114736.png) You can dig into the detail of WNC’s score here: [West Northamptonshire Council Climate Plan ScorecardsWant to know how effective West Northamptonshire Council’s climate plans are? Check out West Northamptonshire Council’s Council Climate Scorecard to understand how their climate plans compare to local authorities across the UK.Council Climate Scorecards![](https://councilclimatescorecards.uk/media/scoring/og-images/councils/west-northamptonshire-council.png)](https://councilclimatescorecards.uk/councils/west-northamptonshire-council/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Eat More Veg Month URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/untitled-5/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:09:08.000Z ### World Vegan Day on 1 November spotlights the vegan movement with World Vegan Month\*\* continuing the worldwide celebration throughout November. At our October monthly meeting award-winning vegan chef Natasha Caton spoke enthusiastically about ‘we are what we eat’. While many of us would find it impractical for our daily menu to be entirely meat-free there are genuine advantages to regularly including fresh vegetables in our diet - it can save us money and encourage local growers to grow more. Above all, increasing our fresh veg intake can lessen demand for those meat products on supermarket shelves that, however cheap to buy, are manufactured on an industrial scale, sometimes using imported ingredients grown on farms that are depleting the local natural resources. Being kind to ourselves can be good for our health and good for everyone else too. \*\*Not to be confused with Veganuary - we'll come to that after Christmas - meanwhile, [CA-WN Exchange](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) has some great ideas for meat-free recipes. ### Climate Fresk - Playing with Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/climate-fresk-playing-with-climate-change/ Last updated: 2023-11-03T18:03:11.000Z Effective communication about climate change to ‘the general public’, i.e. those outside the green environmental tent, is a familiar and knotty problem. [Climate Fresk](https://climatefresk.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) tries to address this through the medium of a ‘collaborative game’. Within the CA-WN ranks we have a trained Climate Fresk facilitator, Maria Lee. Maria recently ran the first Climate Fresk workshop in Northampton for five fortunate participants including me. Superficially, the object of the game is to arrange and connect cards representing different aspects of climate change. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/11/Fresk-eg.png) At a deeper level, the purpose is for people to engage with and learn about the topics on the cards, and to have a discussion with their fellow players about what goes where and why. Hey presto, a conversation about climate change! As always, to have the conversation you first have to be in the room and we all know that some sections of the population wouldn’t be there by choice. However, for the ‘climate-curious’ this is a good and non-confrontational way to get into the subject, and Climate Fresk is used by a number of organisations and companies where it can reach a more diverse audience. I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and having a debate with people I didn’t know who had some different views to mine. Maria has two more workshops planned: Saturday 2 December and Saturday 27 January. If you'd like to find out more [please email](mailto:secretary@ca-wn.org?Subject=Fresk%20enquiry) or comment below. You can read more about Maria and what she has done in response to the climate crisis in this month's '[My Three Things](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-3-things-for-climate-change-3/)' feature. ### My 3 Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-3-things-for-climate-change-3/ Last updated: 2023-11-07T12:23:31.000Z *by Maria Lee, retired teacher, climate activist and Climate Fresk facilitator* **Maria’s Mad Response (so far!) to the Climate Crisis** My actions so far have been wide-ranging as you will see……. **Number One** Moved my bank account and all my savings (one ISA), to Triodos online bank - fortunately you can still use a chequebook. If you need to feel cheered, have a look at their website – so good to know it’s not only fossil fuels they don’t fund, but arms too. [www.Triodos.co.uk](http://www.triodos.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Number Two** Got arrested 5 times: once for blocking Horseguards Parade behind 10 Downing St with Extinction Rebellion; once with the “Bare the Truth” action, padlocked by the neck, not-quite-bare, to Parliament railings; and 3 times with Insulate Britain for sitting on M25 sliproads. We can get a glimpse of the extent to which the Government and judiciary gag truth-tellers from the following: > "An environmental activist \[Insulate Britain activist David Nixon\] has been jailed for eight weeks after disobeying a judge’s instruction not to mention the climate crisis as his motivation during his trial for taking part in a road-blocking protest.” > **The Guardian 7 February 2023** **Number Three** Wrote to the King. Why not? King Charles will be giving the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday 7th November. He will say that our government will exploit our extensive remaining fossil fuel resources in the North Sea. “Yes, great,” says Maria, “Let’s speed up that Antarctic eastern ice-sheet’s melting time; after all, it will only raise global sea levels by between 2 and 5 metres." In case you’ll be amused by such a vain attempt at affecting the status quo, or alternatively, would like to send a similar letter, my letter follows (I was advised not to email but write to Buckingham Palace instead). Dear King Charles, I have always been grateful to you for your outspoken interest in the natural world. Now I understand that the King's Speech will contain support for recent/new fossil fuel licences. As someone who cares about the loss of life from climate change, morally, of course, you have no option but to refuse to read the script. The alternative would be to call a press conference after the speech and say: "In my speech, the statements about fossil fuels are the most irresponsible ever written by a UK Government. Antarctica's eastern icesheet is melting irreversibly which will lead to a global sea-level rise of more than 2 metres, and 5 metres if governments like ours don't change their policies. All the world's major coastal cities from New York to Mumbai, - and London to follow - will have to be evacuated, permanently. Our government’s financial choices are not made in a vacuum; they affect the whole globe." Kind regards, **Maria* Maria Lee ### Quick oat milk URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/out-milk/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:21:26.000Z ### What you need 100g / 4oz porridge oats 750ml / 25fl oz cold water Optional sweetener of choice : maple syrup, date syrup, coconut sugar etc ### What you need to do Put the porridge oats in a bowl and completely submerge them with filtered water. Cover the bowl and leave somewhere cool for four hours or overnight. Tip the oats and water into a liquidiser or food processor. Blend for 2–4 minutes until completely smooth and there are no oats visible. Line a sieve with a clean piece of muslin or cheesecloth. Put the lined sieve over a bowl or jug and pour in the blended oats and water. Gather the sides of the muslin together and squeeze tightly with both hands to extract the milk. Add sweetener if you prefer a sweeter taste. Add more water if you prefer a thinner consistency. Oat milk stored in a sealed bottle or container will last 3–4 days in the fridge. This recipe is courtesy of the vegan chef [Natasha Caton](https://www.thelovingchef.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), guest speaker at our [October 2023 meeting](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/19-october-meeting-notes-agm/). Many thanks Natasha. 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### Sustainable-ish with Jen Gale URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/sustainable-ish-from-jen-gale/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:03:28.000Z \*\*Updated November 2023\*\* A new series of the Sustainable-ish podcast started just over a month ago, with an excellent selection of guests and topics including Dr Ella Gilbert on debunking climate myths. We are delighted to be welcoming Jen as the guest speaker at our monthly meeting on 16 November - definitely not to be missed! This Podcast is for those who want to learn about the ways their actions affect the planet and how they can live more sustainable lives. Hosted by Jen Gale, the podcast is the latest product to emerge from her Sustainable(ish) website and community. Jen is a passionate believer that we can all make a difference. She became well known for writing a blog during the period her family spent a year BUYING NOTHING NEW. In the podcast, she chats to inspiring people about the changes they’re making and the businesses and campaigns that they’re running. In recent episodes, Jen offers advice on weird weather and our disappearing seasons, reducing plastic waste in the oceans and sustainable parenting. She has also written two books which feature on the CA-WN Book Shelf. 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### CA-WN AGM and Monthly Meeting notes - October 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/19-october-meeting-notes-agm/ Last updated: 2023-10-25T20:23:05.000Z Our October meeting started with the AGM including Election of Officers, followed by a presentation from Natasha Caton of Sol Haven on Sustainable Food, and finally a short update on CA-WN activities and events. The meeting was recorded with the consent of those present. Separate recordings of the AGM and Natasha’s presentation are available on our [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@climateaction-westnorthamp8784?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). **Annual General Meeting minutes** **Present**: Briony Askew, Clare Slater, Ella Sage, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood (Chair), Leonie Beale, Mick Lorkins, Rupert Frost, Rupert Knowles. [This link](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/AGM%202023.zip?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to the meeting papers had been circulated ahead of the meeting and the papers were also shared with attendees on the call. **Agenda items** 1\. **Apologies for absence**: Alexina Cassidy, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Maria Lee, Peter Nalder 2\. **Minutes of last AGM**: No issues raised. 3\. **Chair’s Report:** JW gave a brief summary: For an organization whose seed was planted 4 years ago and which has only been formally constituted for 2 years, we are making good progress, although of course there is much more to do. In the last 12 months: · CA-WN Exchange is maturing – please do share it with people you know who might be interested. · We‘ve been actively working to develop relationships with other local groups who have similar interests – within WN through our new Outreach Officer, Ella Sage and by attending climate events, and in neighbouring areas like Market Harborough and Milton Keynes · In terms of ‘getting stuff done’, our AQ monitoring project concluded. We are going to use the data gathered to support future campaigning on clean air. · We also did a pilot programme of home assessments under the Building resilience project which we plan to extend this winter. · Guest speakers at our monthly meeting are a new feature and we’ve heard from some excellent local people this year. · And last but not least, we continue to work hard to hold West Northants Council to account by regularly turning up to their public meetings to speak and reporting on their activities in CA-WN Exchange. **4\. Treasurer’s Report:** HM summarised: We have two annual fixed overheads; our Zoom subscription, which has to date been paid by donations; and the cost of the Ghost platform on which we run CA-WN Exchange. The latter was paid for from an £8,000 grant for the Building Resilience project, we have spent a little of that so far on equipment including a thermal imaging camera which we can help people use. There is more expenditure expected when we get an invoice from Build Test Solutions for the home surveys completed earlier in the year. The remainder will be used to fund promotion and other costs for Building Resilience as the plan is for householders to pay for their own surveys in future. **5\. Election of Officers** There are four formal officer roles specified in the constitution. The following were re-elected for 2023/24: · Chair: Jane Wood – Nominated HM; seconded RK · Treasurer: Harry Mellor – Nominated JW; seconded BA · Secretary: Jane Wood – Nominated BA; seconded CS · Membership Secretary: Alexina Cassidy – Nominated JW; seconded HM These were unanimously approved. **6\. Election of Steering Committee members** There are currently 6 Steering Committee (SC) members in addition to the 3 people who hold formal officer positions. The SC meets once a month online, separately from the monthly general meetings, and exists to make decisions and determine strategy for CA-WN. Any member of CA-WN can attend SC meetings as an observer. The constitution allows us to have more SC members (within reason). JW asked if the SC members present wished to stay on the committee, all confirmed they did: · Briony Askew · Clare Slater · Rupert Knowles JW to follow up with those SC members not present (Clare Robertson-Marriott, Jonathan Harris and Orianne Neyroud). Mick Lorkins suggested he may be interested in joining the Steering Committee – JW to send him details of the next SC meeting to attend before making a decision. 7\. **Other roles** CA-WN’s constitution allows for other roles, outside of the mandatory ones and which are not part of the Steering Committee. Some of the SC members have additional roles, for example RK is CA-WN’s Farming Correspondent, and there is a small editorial team for CA-WN Exchange which currently consists of HM, AC, CS and JW. If anyone has any interest in joining this team or contributing an article to CE please get in touch.\\ Ella Sage kindly volunteered to take on the role of Outreach Officer this year and agreed to continue in that role. We are also developing a possible Sustainable Travel Officer role. There are plenty of other subject areas that would benefit from more focused attention than we are currently able to give them – for example, community energy, water quality and food security. Interest in these areas doesn’t need to mean a long term commitment – it could be a discrete one-off project such as a survey or piece of research. Do let us know if you are interested in doing something like this. **Save Our Street Trees -** One opportunity that has come our way recently relates to trees. Some of you may have come across the very excellent organisation Save Our Street Trees (SOST) which was set up 7 years ago by a Northampton resident, Alice Whitehead, because she was concerned at the loss of so many urban trees. Since then she’s been involved in numerous tree planting projects, has provided advice to lots of community groups about trees and set up a small network of Tree Guardians. She also created a [SOST website](https://saveourstreettrees.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) which is a very useful resource for information and guidance about tree-planting and management, especially in the urban environment. Alice is having to step down as Chair of SOST due to work commitments and hasn’t been able to find anyone to take over so the organisation will sadly fold. Rather than see all her work disappear, CA-WN has offered to pick up as much as we can of the group’s work. We will, for example, take over hosting the SOST website in the next few months. Volunteers were requested to take over some of the other work – ML kindly offered. JW to share details with ML. 8\. **DONM**: The 2024 AGM will be held on Thursday 17 October 2024. --- **October** **General** **Meeting** **minutes** Attendees present at the AGM were joined by Dave Anderson and Jonathan Harris. **Sustainable Food** Natasha Caton, ‘[the Loving Chef’](https://www.thelovingchef.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), gave a talk on the topic of ‘*Sustainable Food – you are what you eat’*, followed by a question and answer session. · Natasha is co-founder of [Sol Haven](https://slhavens.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), a community garden and award winning permaculture site in Moulton. Sol Haven is a 0.75 acre site based on an 80 acre farm, which is farmed traditionally, though the farmer is conscious of what Sol Haven do and is making some changes. · The community garden is opened twice a week on Monday and Tuesday with volunteers invited to help in the garden and learn about growing food and what to do with the produce. · Natasha has been a chef for around 25 years and a vegan for about 9 years. · Sol Haven grow about 80% of their own vegetables. These are used on site and given to volunteers. In the summer they also sell through a farmers’ market in Olney. · Sol Haven offers a free 12 week course called [Ploughing the Mind](https://slhavens.co.uk/ploughing-the-mind/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) for people struggling with mental well-being or isolation, funded by a National Lottery grant. · Natasha grew up on a sustainable farm, though she didn’t appreciate as a child the value of everything being home grown and homemade. However it all tasted good and this is where she learned her love of food. · At Sol Haven they grow over 50 varieties of vegetables, many in a polytunnel funded by the National Lottery. They are learning as they go how to avoid waste, though sometimes volunteers can make mistakes such as planting 100 lettuces instead of 10, which all came through together and were a struggle to use up! Some imaginative solutions though including offering Pick Your Own on the local Facebook site. · Reducing waste is a key focus for sustainable food - UK consumers waste about 30% of what they buy. Ways to address this include batch cooking (Natasha is currently using up green tomatoes by making chutney for example). A lot of produce is frozen – in glass to minimise plastic waste and for convenience as the containers can go straight into the oven or microwave. · Another key skill is to budget and plan meals, then stick to the shopping list. Food waste can be affected by the shelf-life of produce – for example an experiment Natasha did buying English strawberries from different supermarkets found that some (M&S) lasted 10 days, others only 3 days. · It is also good to support local businesses where possible - check out Christmas markets soon for good quality local produce. · Eating more plant-based food leads to a more sustainable diet due to the higher inputs needed to produce meat, and has health benefits too. Natasha found that becoming vegan improved her health and allowed her to reduce medication she was taking. Though a note of caution, some plant-based foods such as meat replacements are highly processed and therefore not so sustainable or healthy as home produced food. **Summary of Q&A Session** *What do you grow at Sol Haven that might be unexpected in the UK?* They grow kiwi fruit in the polytunnel, the plant is 3 years old now. They also grow sweet potatoes, 2 varieties of melon and a Japanese variety of potato. *Can you recommend any vegan recipe books?* Natasha has written a book herself, “The Loving Chef - 31 quick and easy vegan recipes” and offered signed copies to CA-WN members for £10, a considerable discount on the Amazon price of £31\. She also recommended two other books: “Medical Medium - Life Changing foods” by Anthony William, and “The Medicinal Chef” by Dale Pinnock. These are not purely vegan but good on what to eat for health and well-being. *Given your thoughts about highly processed vegan meat alternatives, what’s your opinion on alternative milks?* Best to do your own research on commercially available milks, but Natasha shared a recipe for making oat milk at home (which she has kindly given permission for us to publish on CA-WN Exchange). *Do you heat the polytunnel in the winter?* They’ve tried different ways of doing this, including using chicken manure which failed as the polytunnel was too big, so currently it is not heated. They do collect the water runoff from the polytunnel and other outdoor buildings to use on site. In winter they can grow and harvest leafy greens like swiss chard and spinach. The problem is more that the polytunnel gets too hot in summer rather than the cold in winter. RK suggested, based on his experience as a grower, that putting polytunnels on a slope allows hot air to escape from the higher end and encourage a flow of air. --- **CA-WN general update** ***Upcoming events*** There are several good local events coming up, including: \- The launch event for [TANZ](https://slipah.co.uk/projects/towards-a-net-zero-west-northants-tanz-west-northants/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (Towards Net Zero) West Northants, which will make available a range of free resources, research and advice for charities and businesses. \- Maria Lee, CA-WN member, is running a free [Climate Fresk](https://climatefresk.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) session on Saturday afternoon – this is a collaborative game aiming to create discussion and understanding of the issues around climate change. She is hoping to put on more sessions in future, please get in touch if you are interested. Other events are detailed on the CA-WN Exchange [Whats On](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/) page. ***Building Resilience project.*** We are expecting to receive the householders’ reports for the 10 pilot home surveys by the end of this month. Then planning to put together a community information pack to encourage homeowners to get their homes assessed in the coming heating season. Our partners in this project, [Build Test Solutions](https://www.buildtestsolutions.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), are an industry leader in the field of home energy measurement. The follow up to initial surveys will be a more in depth survey to look at how a particular house might be improved to get the best value for money. **DONM –** Thursday 16 November. The guest speaker at this meeting will be Jen Gale, author and podcaster on the subject of living a [sustainable-ish](https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) life. **Speakers for 2024** ***Thursday 18 January*** – Green Welford will give us a bite size Carbon Literacy training session. ***Thursday 15 February*** – Alison Holland from [Brightwayz](https://brightwayz.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), an active travel Community Interest Company operating in North Northants, will talk to us about their work. ### CA-WN response to Interim Bus Policy consultation URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-response-to-interim-bus-policy-consultation/ Last updated: 2023-10-22T12:42:15.000Z It is extremely easy to respond to West Northamptonshire Council's current Interim Bus Policy consultation. Apart from the usual questions about you there are only three multiple choice questions and a free text comment box to complete. The consultation closes on 12 November. We at CA-WN have responded and we encourage everyone to do the same because public transport plays such a vital role in promoting sustainable travel. Efficient and reliable bus services could significantly improve the quality of life in our towns and villages and address the financial, environmental and social challenges that are associated with having to rely on private car use. The multiple choice questions ask if you are supportive of 3 priorities for the interim policy. These are difficult to argue against (one is actually a statutory duty), so we ticked the 'Agree' box for all. The more important point is that these priorities are limited in scope, so we reflected this in our comments (below). Feel free to use as much of this text as you want to provide comments for your own response to the consultation. > Climate Action-West Northamptonshire supports the 3 priorities put forward. These are all necessary to the provision of a bus service that meets the needs of residents. However, without other more detailed priorities, these will not deliver a public transport network that meets the current and future needs of WN residents. > It is noted that this is an interim policy only, pending completion of a new Local Transport Plan for WN. > These 3 basic policy priorities should be updated and added to as soon as possible to reflect the new LTP once available. Priorities for a permanent Bus Policy must include consideration of public transport as an active component in a future sustainable transport network i.e. looking not only at meeting current needs but how the bus service can help activate the shift away from personal cars which is needed to reduce GHG emissions, and support increased use of active travel. The consultation and supporting documents are here: [Give us your views on the interim bus policy priorities - West Northamptonshire Council - Citizen SpaceFind and participate in consultations run by West Northamptonshire Council![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/favicon.ico)Give us your views on the interim bus policy priorities![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/os-custom-logos/screenshot-2023-08-09-at-14.24.30.png)](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/travel-choices/interim-bus-policy/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The two supporting documents are reports from consultants employed to carry out a review of existing bus services (including community and voluntary services). They are quite interesting if that's your sort of thing but you don't need to read them to understand and respond to the consultation. And a reminder, the consultation closes on 12 November. ### popcawn - October 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/popca-wn/ Last updated: 2023-11-03T21:28:50.000Z Climate change and biodiversity loss together pose an existential threat to humanity that warrants an urgent response from everyone – from national governments and multi-national corporations to community organisations and individuals. Unfortunately, where national governments are involved environmental policies inevitably become politicised, when ideally issues of such global importance should be above party politics. We saw this play out acutely last month when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared U-turns on green policies, from behind a lectern emblazoned with the slogan ‘Long-term decisions for a brighter future’. Listening to the opening lines of his [speech](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-net-zero-20-september-2023?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=This%20country%20is%20proud%20to,eases%20the%20burdens%20on%20families.) you could be forgiven for thinking he’d finally heeded the warnings from the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change](https://www.ipcc.ch/2023/03/20/press-release-ar6-synthesis-report/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and the government’s [own advisory panel](https://www.theccc.org.uk/2023/06/28/better-transparency-is-no-substitute-for-real-delivery/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) that we need to cut emissions further and faster than the previous policies had dictated. However, it soon became clear that the government either doesn’t understand the science, or simply doesn’t really care about the long term. Given the unexpected Conservative hold at the Uxbridge and Ruislip by-election on the basis of opposition to ULEZ, the cynical among us may suspect the Tory strategists are seizing an opportunity in the face of poor polling as we look forward to a General Election within the next year. Perilous climate change aside, the raft of policy changes sold with a focus on cost-saving benefits for individuals may actually end up having the [opposite effect](https://www.smf.co.uk/commentary%5Fpodcasts/the-governments-rowing-back-on-net-zero-will-cost-families-more-thousands-more-in-fact/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), with higher home heating fuel bills, especially for renters, and lack of investment in the EV industry keeping prices high. In terms of the wider economy, it’s recognised that kicking the can down the road rather than transitioning to a green economy sooner will [cost more](https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2022/10/05/further-delaying-climate-policies-will-hurt-economic-growth?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). The simple fact of the matter is that a transition HAS to be done, and going further and faster to net zero will bring a host of benefits, as well as mitigating some of the worst effects of climate change. The atmosphere doesn’t understand deadlines and targets – climate change isn’t on standby until 2050, to be unleashed if we fail to be net zero by then. Every gram of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas that is added to the atmosphere is aggravating global warming and the effects we are already seeing today will only get worse while we procrastinate, necessitating even more drastic emissions cuts later down the line. The rhetoric around the scrapping of proposed taxes on meat and flying, and schemes to encourage car-sharing and recycling seemed only to be included to serve the purpose of whipping up anti-green sentiment. There was no balance offered – no acknowledgement that a modest reduction in meat consumption is what is generally recommended (with a 30% reduction in meat consumption by 2031 stated in the Government’s own [food strategy](https://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)), or that choosing local, well cared-for meat over cuts imported from deforested rainforest, will help support British farmers rather than harm them as suggested in his speech. And what of flying? No-one is suggesting that families can’t enjoy their annual holiday abroad, but if some of the [15% of UK residents who take 70% of flights](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d30896202a18c0001b49180/t/60abc17294c2293bcaae5686/1621868920785/Fare+Competition%5F+A+route+to+climate-friendly+travel+choices.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) would change their habits it would massively help the environment. European rail travel is becoming increasingly popular with many new sleeper trains being introduced - just ask [The Man in Seat 61](https://www.seat61.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)! Although it seems that the timing of these announcements was outside the control of No.10, it may have allowed the Rosebank approval to be shrouded in the relative dismay already existing amongst those who truly understand the climate crisis. For those who are still unsure of what climate change will mean for the next generations, the green light for even more fossil fuel extraction may have seemed reasonable considering the PM's insistence that the UK is a world leader in carbon reductions. In fact, we [recently](https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/letter-2023-progress-report-to-parliament-to-rt-hon-prime-minister/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) lost that questionable crown. There was also boasting of the UK's comparatively small global contribution to current emissions, which fails to acknowledge our world-leading historic emissions, our emissions per capita, and the fact that we have out-sourced our manufacturing emissions to Asian ‘high emitters’. So it seems we're reduced to playing political football on the national and international stage with a crisis so huge and complex that it could easily threaten our very existence. How's that for long-term benefits? If you’d like to delve into this further, there is an excellent article on the [Carbon Brief ](https://www.carbonbrief.org/in-depth-qa-what-do-rishi-sunaks-u-turns-mean-for-uk-climate-policy/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)website, or if you prefer your information in audible format, check out our recommended podcast, [More or Less](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/more-or-less/). ### Council Watch - 2022/23 Sustainability Report review URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-2022-23-sustainability-report-review/ Last updated: 2023-10-07T12:11:13.000Z In September 2023 West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) published its first Sustainability Report. WNC has set out its sustainability stall to cover all the 17 UN [Sustainable Development Goals](https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (SDG), which include one climate goal. It’s now clear that climate breakdown is an immediate threat to our way of life, so this needs to receive a level of urgent focus that perhaps other goals don’t merit. It is a worry that this might not happen with the more broad brush approach to sustainability. Of course we were keen to read the report and suggest you do too ([full report here](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s13434/Sustainability%20Report%202022-23.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)). This is what we thought about it, but we’d like to know if you agree – please comment below. **Overview** Achievements and projects actually delivered during 2022/23 are not that impressive. One could reasonably argue that this is because of the time it takes to get major projects off the ground in the bureaucracy-heavy local government system, but the speed of change in the face of an emergency is frustrating. The main positives in this report are the pipeline projects and future plans. The report is split into sections aligned to ownership within the council - we thought there are a couple of stars and some that could do better. **Energy** \- Plans to develop a business case for large scale solar projects sound promising – this ought to have strong financial as well as environmental drivers. \- It is also encouraging that funding has been obtained for a feasibility study into a sustainable heat network for Northampton and Rothersthorpe village. \- An off-gas village competition could be a creative way to engage with communities and tackle the tough nut of transitioning households away from oil-fired heating. \- We’ll be keeping an eye out for the Estate and Construction & Maintenance Climate Strategies due to go to Cabinet in 2023. **Housing** \- WNC’s first Housing Strategy was approved in 2022\. It is structured around 4 themes; it would have been good for one of these to be more explicit about the need to decarbonise. \- The excellent whole house retrofit project by Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) is ongoing and funding has been secured to eventually include 500+ homes. \- A section on home energy efficiency improvements funded through various government grant schemes tends to highlight the complexity of the funding landscape and the small number of households benefiting under current schemes. This is largely outside the council’s control, but it really isn’t good enough. **Transport and Highways** \- Compared to some areas, West Northamptonshire is behind the curve with Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure so it’s good to see that there is work to enable car park and on-street chargers. \- Active travel plans consist of a collection of small projects apparently without an overarching strategic vision. It is hard to see how the benefit of ‘behaviour change initiatives’ will be realised without material improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure. \- The report mentions Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for Towcester, Brackley and Daventry – if you are curious about the Northampton LCWIP, it was consulted on in 2020 and is under review. More on local LCWIPs [here](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/buses-and-transport/transport-planning-and-policies/local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plans?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). \- It’s positive that the contract with Kier, WNC’s Highways partner, includes a ‘Climate Change and Environmental Management Plan’. However, apart from the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in their fleet, the activities cited focus on employee behaviour and awareness, which might not be where all the big carbon savings are to be found. **Biodiversity** \- Supporting ‘No Mow May’ and encouraging parish and town councils to do the same was a very good move. It would be even better to see WNC doing more to work with towns and parishes to implement management of green spaces for biodiversity all year round. \- There are some very good individual projects mentioned – as with active travel, the overarching strategy isn’t obvious, but perhaps the local nature recovery strategy will provide that. **Emissions Reporting** \- The baseline emissions report issued in 2023 was a major step on the road to achieving carbon reduction targets. \- Reporting a 3.4% increase in emissions against the baseline seems like bad news, but the significant positives are that this evidences transparency of reporting, and that the increase is partially down to including additional data. **Adaptation** \- Climate adaptation is frequently the poor cousin of mitigation – climate mitigation being broadly actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, whereas adaptation is about adapting our lifestyle and infrastructure to help us survive in a changed climate. \- With the impacts of climate change already being seen, adaptation needs to be better understood and receive much more focus. Unfortunately we don’t really get that here. \- There are elements within this section that relate to adaptation – ‘how the development will adapt to climate change’, ‘manage flood risk’ as examples, but they are thinly scattered amongst many references to mitigation policies (‘modal shift to foot and cycle’, ‘provision of EV charging infrastructure’, ‘proposals for renewable and low carbon development’). **Waste** \- Removing disposable coffee cups from the café at WNC’s main offices might not seem like a world-changing move, but it is highly visible and necessary. \- We at CA-WN are fans of WNC’s recycling campaign [videos](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-CwVbyTIHj8ngZpfc-d1wMwLbbRWAcm2&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Recycling and waste management aren’t going to fix the climate crisis but we can’t fix it without significantly reducing what we waste. \- The Resources and Waste Strategy is another one to look forward to by the end of this year. **Economic Growth** \- This section makes clear that sustainability is a key part of the vision for economic growth - this is where the very wide definition of sustainability can be unhelpful. There are mentions of aspirations to reduce emissions and of supporting businesses with decarbonisation. We hope detail about how this will be achieved will be forthcoming soon. **Regeneration** \- This mainly talks about Northampton Bike Park. Good news on retention and ongoing management of natural features and habitats, but not much to get excited about for the non-mountain biker. **Environmental Health** \- This covers the hot topic of air quality. I don’t think it will do much to satisfy the clean air campaigners who demonstrated outside the council meeting in September. Improving collection and sharing of air quality data is essential, but there is little sense of urgency. **Public Health and Wellbeing** \- This highlights good work from the Public Health team including sponsoring the Northamptonshire Energy Saving Service (NESS) which helps those in fuel poverty. \- As always, it will be the poorest and most vulnerable who suffer first and more from the effects of climate change – helping protect them should come under the Adaptation heading. **Procurement** \- The introduction of a Social Value Policy to ensure that social, economic and environmental benefits are taken into account when awarding contracts is a good thing, providing delivery of the promised benefits is monitored and there is adequate contractual provision to manage failed delivery where needed. ### Claim Back Your Space URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/claim-back-your-space-3/ Last updated: 2023-10-06T22:56:10.000Z Any space can be rewilded by just standing back and letting nature get on with it, and many of our richest wild places were shaped this way. If the soil is nutrient poor this may be a good idea but all too often what you end up with are nettles, thistles and other nitrogen-loving plants. These are all important because they support a huge variety of wildlife. Several of our most colourful butterflies need nettles as food for their caterpillars, and young nettle tops make a delicious soup to warm us up in spring! CA-WN has start up notes for those keen to make the most of any rewilding opportunity. Though aimed at a parish-sized area the notes can be scaled down for even the average front garden or a strip of roadside verge. **Claim Back Your Space: Working With Nature** **[Start-up notes for small projects can be read here](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/claim-back-your-space-2/)**. ### Bambino Mio - leading a reusable nappy revolution from the bottom up URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/bambino-mio/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:30:18.000Z [Bambino Mio](https://www.bambinomio.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) makes reusable nappies, along with swim wear and accessories. Founded in 1997, and based in Brixworth, Bambino Mio has become the UK’s most popular reusable nappy brand with their products sold in more than 50 countries worldwide. Their website proclaims the incredible fact that to date, use of their reusable nappies has stopped over 26bn single-use nappies from being thrown away – and that number has increased since I started writing this article. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/10/Bambino-Mio-stats.png) Bambino Mio is spearheading a Reusable Revolution to move away from disposable nappies because ‘our future is not disposable’. Many parents agree with them. There is growing concern about the impact of plastic waste with 86% of parents saying the government needs to do more to reduce nappy waste. Locally, Bambino Mio is involved in discussions with West Northamptonshire Council and their partners to increase parents’ awareness of alternatives to disposable nappies. First, some disposable nappy [data](https://www.unsustainablemagazine.com/the-effects-of-disposable-diapers-on-the-environment-and-human-health/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org):- Not only do disposable nappies form a large proportion of non-recyclable landfill waste, they also contain many harmful chemicals that are subsequently dispersed into the environment. Because they contain plastic, they can take hundreds of years to degrade. Since their invention in the 1940s, every single disposable nappy ever produced still exists. If it wasn’t incinerated, it is rotting away in landfill somewhere. 90 billion disposables are thrown away globally every year (3.6 billion in the UK) and disposable nappies are currently in the top 25 products found in the ocean. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/10/Nappies-on-beach.png) Next, the alternative:- Reusable nappies produce 99% less waste and use 98% less raw materials in production, and don’t contain the toxic chemicals found in disposable nappies. People are open to the idea of using them, but reusable nappies are still not mainstream. What are the blockers? Lack of awareness - they are still seen as an unusual choice. People think that because poo is let’s face it smelly and gross, there is too much effort to clean and reuse the nappies. There is also an assumption that they are expensive when compared to the incredibly cheap disposable nappy brands on sale in supermarkets. Bambino Mio refutes these assumptions and takes its role as a ‘changemaker’ very seriously. They organise events, protest and petitions, they lobby government for changes in the law and work hard to raise awareness of the alternative to single-use disposables. Their customers are amongst their greatest supporters. Ellis is one of many - a Bambassador™ - which means she does what she can to raise awareness, share her knowledge and experience and help make reusable nappies more common. When she became a mother, she was horrified at the amount of wasteful ‘stuff’ involved in being a parent. She also hated thinking that the nappies that she wore as a baby were still sitting in landfill sites today. She was determined to use reusable nappies – she saw it as a small way to make a huge impact. There are more practical reasons: saving money - if used full-time, families can expect to save up to £700 in their child’s nappy-wearing years – and even more if they’re reused with another baby. Even with her efforts on social media and amongst the reusable nappy community, Ellis admits that she knows very few other others who use reusable nappies full time. The Bambassador™ revolution was in full view at the end of June, when babies and toddlers [marched on Parliament](https://www.nappyalliance.co.uk/its-time-for-change-weve-launched-a-petition-to-stop-the-nappy-waste-crisis/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=On%20Monday%2026th%20June%2C%20we,impact%20of%20single%2Duse%20nappies.) to protest against the environmental devastation caused by single-use nappies languishing for years in landfill, and to demand urgent action from the government to protect their futures. They wore baby grows and t-shirts with protest slogans such as ‘My nappy’s rubbish’, ‘Our future’s not disposable’ and ‘It’s my planet and I’ll cry if I want to’. Bambino Mio has also started a [petition ](https://www.bambinomio.co.uk/pages/petition?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)calling on the government to urgently address the nappy waste crisis, so please take a moment to fill it in and help further the revolution. For people interested in finding out more, [ClothNappiesUK](https://www.facebook.com/groups/clothnappiesuk) and [NappyGurus](https://www.instagram.com/p/CnHOKfysXiu/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) are a few of the many sites which offer a welcoming community and support. ### The Power of the Lone Voice URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-power-of-the-lone-voice/ Last updated: 2023-10-06T18:06:17.000Z If your first thought was that the title of this article is far too sentimental for the purposes of the transport section then do not worry, I should probably agree with you. However, it does help to emphasize the point I would like to make which is related to recent events. The first one you may have heard of, particularly if you are resident in Northampton. One afternoon Dr Declan Ryan, an academic at the University of Northampton, was surprised to find that a [fence now blocked a cycle route](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-66894773?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) he uses regularly. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/10/Footpath.png) Footpath Photo by Dr Declan Ryan He took the picture above and posted it online to raise the alarm. Very quickly it went viral. Voices from all parts of the community contributed their dismay at the fact a very popular and well used cycling and walking route had been blocked. People offered information and thoughts as to what had happened and how it might be fixed. As it turns out, the path runs across a plot of land that had been sold off for potential development (although as of yet, no developments have been approved). Contributors speculated as to whether the path could still be considered a public right of way under the Highways Act, unfortunately this does not appear to be the case. Local Councillors from across the political spectrum got involved. WNC Councillor Julie Davenport set up a petition which I encourage you to sign: [Sign the PetitionRe-open the Beloved River Pathway for Northampton’s Commuters and Community![](https://static.change.org/favicons/favicon-114x114.png)Change.org![](https://assets.change.org/photos/7/lh/fm/NclhfmVCRtVUXnL-1600x900-noPad.jpg?1695385344)](https://www.change.org/p/re-open-the-beloved-canal-pathway-for-northampton-s-commuters-and-community?utm%5Fcontent=cl%5Fsharecopy%5F37503168%5Fen-GB%3Acv%5F376706&recruited%5Fby%5Fid=e5617c00-5c59-11ee-b8d5-454c11a5eeae&utm%5Fsource=share%5Fpetition&utm%5Fmedium=copylink&utm%5Fcampaign=psf%5Fcombo%5Fshare%5Finitial&utm%5Fterm=share%5Ffor%5Fstarters%5Fpage&share%5Fbandit%5Fexp=initial-37503168-en-GB) Even the MP for Northampton South, Andrew Lewer, turned up to the site to express [his intention of finding a solution](https://twitter.com/ALewerMBE/status/1707678054779072577?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to the blocked footpath. At this point you may be thinking that my title is mistaken, as perhaps what it should read is 'The Power of the Collective'. This is a fair point but what I would like to say is that this collective is created by the courage of several individuals willing to highlight a problem or to express support for solutions. You as an individual have the power to contribute toward change even with seemingly small actions, actions such as writing to a local MP or Councillor or attending an event to express your view. It takes courage to make your voice heard but it is of huge value. As another example, I attended a CA-WN meeting back in July (to my shame, I do not attend as many of these as I should!). Councillor Jonathan Harris mentioned the Health and Well-Being Board and that an item was coming up on its agenda relating to a Health and Well-Being Strategy for West Northants. I gave the strategy a read through and was surprised to see there wasn't much mention at all of how Active Travel might play its part in local Health and Well-being. I contacted the Board to ask if I could speak and the Chair, Councillor Matthew Golby, was willing to allow me some time. Everyone on the board was very receptive and listened to what I had to say. This was even followed up by an online meeting with the Director of Public Health in the weeks following. When I arrived at the Forum in Towcester there were some comments made that they don't receive many requests to speak from the public. I wonder whether sometimes this is because we, as members of the public, worry that the points we want to make are of little value or are mistaken in some way. This couldn't be further from the truth. So take a picture of that footpath overgrown with vegetation, report the pot-holed cycle lane, communicate your displeasure at the cut bus service and, above all, if you think you've got a solution to a problem, find a forum and tell people about it. Even if it is something you don't feel you can take forward yourself, you never know whom you might inspire. This is the power of the lone voice. What can CA-WN readers do? Signing the petition above would help demonstrate that residents of West Northamptonshire care about their local cycle paths and want them protected. And something simple for October: attend a CA-WN meeting, Climate Café or other local event and see how you can contribute. This is my own personal milestone for the month too! As always, feel free to get in contact [petedoveston@hotmail.com ](mailto:petedoveston@hotmail.com) ### My View - Jamal Alwahabi URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view/ Last updated: 2023-10-18T14:40:14.000Z I am concerned about safety on our roads - I run a youth group and our young people are encouraged to use bikes to travel to school, college, work, for leisure to visit friends. We have in the past run bike projects to get new or second-hand bikes for the youth. We have shown them safe routes to use where we can, and have helped them with maintenance. But the youth are facing safety issues: · Air quality on our roads and in our communities is very poor. · Young people inhaling traffic fumes is seriously affecting health. · There are few safe cycling routes into town or to destinations that young people use. · Our roads are full of potholes. · Traffic moves at speeds that are dangerous for cyclists. · We have no public cycle maintenance stations. In the recent past some of the youth have had accidents while cycling - so far, we have clocked up two broken arms and a broken collarbone. The young people cannot afford buses even if there are any, and they don’t live in families with cars. The distances they need to travel are too far to walk. They need to use bikes but they need to be able to do so safely. Cllr. Jamal Alwahabi, Castle Ward, Northampton [Jamal.Alwahabi@westnorthants.gov.uk](mailto:Jamal.Alwahabi@westnorthants.gov.uk) ### Taming the Four Horsemen: Radical Solutions from Robin Hanbury-Tenison URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/taming-the-four-horsemen/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:06:25.000Z Published in 2020, the lessons of *Taming The Four Horsemen* are clear: if we humans are to survive we need to make transformative changes now. The Author, [Robin Hanbury-Tenison](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin%5FHanbury-Tenison?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), may be known to readers as one of the founders of the charity [Survival International](https://www.survivalinternational.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), along with an involvement in the Eden Project. At 82, he has a long list of achievements and books to his name. The central tenet of the book is that our world is facing catastrophes of many kinds, from the climate crisis to global outbreaks of deadly diseases. It asks the question - can we look back at the collapse of previous civilisations to see what lessons might be learned? He flamboyantly and rather terrifyingly names the four harbingers of catastrophe:- **The White Horse of Pestilence and Pandemics** – many remote tribal societies have lives that are healthier than ours – what can we learn from them? **The Red Horse of War** – can we avoid conflict through promoting prosperity and renewable energy for all? **The Black Horse of Famine** – is now the time to use technology we’ve had since World War II to influence the weather? **The Pale Horse of Death** – will geoengineering help to undo the appalling pollution we are inflicting on the planet, especially the oceans? I am deep into the Pale Horse of Death section and am hugely impressed by his depth of knowledge, particularly of flora and fauna. I am hoping it will end on a positive note but fearful that it won't! [https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN](https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Cheat's Tomato Tart URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/cheats-tomato-tart/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:22:07.000Z This is a a super-easy dish to make, that looks impressive and is a great variation on quiche. At this time of year I usually have a glut of tomatoes, so it also provides a great way of using them up, especially bearing in mind that tomatoes that may not have had their full quota of sunshine sometimes have slightly tough skins and may not be as sweet as those that basked in the warmth of summer. It is the delicious tang of slightly acidic tomatoes that contrasts wonderfully with the flavour and texture of the cream cheese layer which the tomatoes lounge on. You need a block of puff pastry – this is always to be found in my freezer, along with other staples that may have been forgotten until unexpected guests appear. Also required is a large pack of cream cheese, and, if you have it, half a packet of Boursin garlic and fines herbes cheese. If you haven’t any Boursin, substitute grated hard cheese such as cheddar, or simply add garlic and fresh or dried mixed herbs to the cheese mix when preparing the filling. Tomatoes provide the top layer of the tart – use cherry tomatoes if you have them, if not, thickly sliced larger ones will be fine. It is essential to defrost the puff pastry completely so that it is easily rolled out, as the base of the tart must be very thin or you will end up with that horror – a soggy bottom. It isn’t possible to blind bake this tart, because the base will rise and then be impossible to spread with the filling. The best way to avoid a soggy undercooked puff pastry base is to use a metal sandwich cake tin or a baking tray, and heat your oven to a higher than usual temperature for cooking pastry. Place a metal baking sheet on the oven shelf when you heat the oven. You will reduce the temperature to medium about ten minutes after the tart goes into the oven. The metal baking sheet under the tart gives an immediate hot contact at the start of the cooking process. Line the base of the tin or tray with baking paper. When the pastry block has completely defrosted, cut about a third off and set aside. This is for the edge of the tart. Roll out the pastry base very finely, then put it in the tin; roll out the edge of the tart which doesn’t need to be quite as thin as the base. Finish the pastry lining by putting the edge round the sides of the tin and press the joint where the base meets the edge to make a union. Now pinch the top edge with finger and thumb all the way round to give that folded over look. Place the tin in the fridge to chill the pastry for at least 20 minutes, to allow the pastry to “set” and ensure that it is fairly hard when adding the filling. The filling of the tart is so easy to make – mix the Boursin and cream cheese (or grated hard cheese) thoroughly, adding garlic and herbs to your own taste – chopped fresh basil leaves will complement the tomatoes of the finished article beautifully. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, or if no cherry tomatoes available, thickly sliced larger ones. When the puff pastry is properly chilled, spread the cheese mix into the pastry case, completely cover the top with tomatoes, add a little milled rock salt and black pepper, and put it quickly into the oven. Bake on the higher heat for approximately ten minutes, then reduce it to medium heat and continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes. Before serving, garnish the top with fresh, torn basil leaves to give colour contrast and serve with a green salad and small boiled-in-their-skins potatoes. Et bon appetit! 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### More or Less: Net Zero and HS2 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/more-or-less/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:03:37.000Z I've been listening to More or Less on Radio 4 for a long time and have learned a great deal from it about how to understand and interrogate statistics and data in the media. Each episode always covers several topics and two of those featured in the 27 September 2023 broadcast were especially relevant. Was Rishi Sunak right to claim that the UK is ahead of other countries in terms of cutting carbon emissions? We know HS2 is hugely late and over budget but is it worse than other big infrastructure projects? The programme talks to experts to get the full picture. [More or Less - NHS consultant pay, net zero claims and Scotland’s ferry woes - BBC SoundsAre consultants in England really paid an average of £120,000 a year?![](https://static.files.bbci.co.uk/sounds/web/sounds-web/img/sounds-apple-touch-icon.ead169771d.png)BBC![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1024x576/p0ggwpnn.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001qtb0?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### Syresham Climate Fair URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/syresham-climate-change-fair/ Last updated: 2023-10-06T17:46:26.000Z We were pleased to be invited to the second Syresham Climate Change Fair in September 2023, and spend the day chatting to local residents about the issues that concern them. This included lots of bright and enthusiastic children from the local primary school, who had created a colourful climate-themed display. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/09/Syresham-School.png) Syresham Parish Council have worked with the Wildlife Trust BCN to carry out a survey of five verges around the village. It was astonishing to see the number of species growing in what looked like fairly unremarkable grassy spaces. As a result of this survey one of the verges, which contains a particularly rich diversity of plants, is going to be officially designated a ‘Protected Verge’. This means it will be cut just once a year and the ‘arisings’ taken away to stop the clippings feeding the grass, and therefore encourage the native plants to flourish and provide great wildlife habitat. At the fair, I had the chance to chat to other stallholders, which included a peat-free [nursery](https://www.swallowsnursery.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) based in Evenley near Brackley. Do let us know in the comments below if you know of other local nurseries and garden centres that are completely peat-free, and perhaps we could put together a directory to help others go peat-free in the garden. ### All about NACRE URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/northamptonshire-acre/ Last updated: 2023-10-06T17:45:29.000Z ### CA-WN has been collaborating with Northamptonshire ACRE (NACRE) for years. This is their story ... **WHAT IS NACRE?** Northamptonshire ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) is a countywide, independent charitable organisation working with rural communities in Northamptonshire to improve their quality of life, especially for those disadvantaged by their rurality. **NACRE KNOWS RURAL COMMUNITIES** We are one of 38 Rural Community Councils working across England, which together with our national body, ACRE, make up the 39 members of the ACRE Network. As an active member of the Network, we uphold its shared principles and together we work to improve the lives of people in rural England. For over 75 years Northamptonshire ACRE has been supporting rural communities in the county, helping to reduce rural isolation and vulnerability, making life more affordable for those living in rural areas, and assisting in the delivery of improved services for their residents. We support these communities across a wide range of topics from community planning to developing sustainable food projects or running a village hall. Our core work is focused on community engagement and development including helping groups to access funds for local projects, and complements the parish council work done by our colleagues at Northants CALC (County Association of Local Councils): [https://www.northantscalc.com/](https://www.northantscalc.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Working with a wide range of partners including Parish Councils, Village Halls, community groups, Local Authorities and other Voluntary Sector organisations, we campaign to ensure that the interests of people living in rural Northamptonshire are taken into account in policymaking and strategic planning affecting the County. **WHO WE ARE** We operate from premises we own at The Hunsbury Hill Centre, Northampton, a Grade II listed farm complex on 13 acres of woodland, gardens and grounds. In addition to our charitable operations, we run a subsidiary trading arm, The Hunsbury Hill Centre Ltd, trading as The Barns at Hunsbury Hill, which operates an events business for weddings, corporate and community events. 100% of the profit generated by the business comes back to the charity to help with our work. To find out further information about The Barns services, please email info@hunsburyhillcentre.co.uk or call 01604 702444. **OUR FUNDING** The charity’s income is generated from a mixture of funding streams. Through the development of an excellent working relationship with DEFRA, our national body, ACRE, has been able to secure regular funding for all the ACRE Network members. We use this funding to deliver services against DEFRA’s 8 national priorities. Additional income comes from external funders, such as the National Lottery and other grant makers for projects we develop and run, from Government and Unitary Authority contracts, consultancy fees, membership fees and donations. Our income also includes any surplus generated from our trading arm, which is donated to the charity. **OUR VISION & AIMS** Northamptonshire ACRE’s vision is for all people living or working in rural Northamptonshire to enjoy an environment in which they can lead a healthy and equitable life and not be disadvantaged by their rurality. Our Five Year strategic plan has the following aims: • To deliver the charity’s purpose for the public benefit of all rural residents in Northamptonshire. • Support the identification of rural needs and assist communities to develop sustainable solutions. • Champion green solutions and provide a connection to their wider understanding. • Encourage and develop a sense of place through community-led engagement. • Be a valued member of the ACRE network supporting at a national and local level the advocacy of rural matters ensuring rural proofing is embedded in all policies. • Renovate and develop the historic site of the Hunsbury Hill Farm for the future benefit of all. **HOW WE HELP** We offer a range of services and support, some examples of which are shown below. Please Note: where we offer a chargeable service there is a discount on the cost if you are a member of Northamptonshire ACRE. Call 01604 765888 or email acre@northantsacre.org.uk for more information. ***Community planning***: whether you are thinking of doing a Neighbourhood Plan, Village Design Statement or Parish Plan, we can provide advice, resources and expertise, particularly with supporting the vital community engagement needed for such plans. View our consultancy costs for the different ways we can support you in any planning you want to carry out. ***Good Neighbour schemes*** are established and run by local volunteers to provide neighbourly support to others who may need help on an occasional or regular basis. So far we have helped over 25 schemes start up and provide ongoing support with policies, templates, regular e-bulletins and meetings. GNS are part of our holistic Rural Wellbeing Service. Contact claire.yow@northantsacre.org.uk or joanna.browning@northantsacre.org.uk for more details. ***Green plans***: Many parish councils are very environmentally aware and keen to develop green plans as part of their strategic work for their community. Our Rural Officer has a background in Environmental Land Management and is the perfect person to help you. She can also advise on any biodiversity work in your area including what to plant where - the right plants and trees in the right place! This chargeable service is discounted for members. For more information, please contact Jenni at: jennifer.hedges@northantsacre.org.uk ***Resilient Communities training*** \- our Rural Officer is fully trained as a Communities Prepared partner to deliver their free community resilience programme, giving you the knowledge and confidence to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a range of emergencies. To book training contact jennifer.hedges@northantsacre.org.uk. Sustaining rural life often depends upon the availability of homes people can afford in their community. We champion the need for affordable housing and community-led housing and can help with ***housing need surveys***. Contact acre@northantsacre.org.uk for more details about how we can support you to deliver more affordable homes. Are you off-gas? If so, our ***bulk oil scheme*** is a great way to buy cheaper heating oil. Because we buy heating oil in bulk, we can negotiate a better price for members' orders. Plus we can provide advice and training on making your home or village hall more energy efficient. Our Office Manager, Kerri.marshall-duckett@northantsacre.org.uk has more details. Are you a community group or Parish Council looking to set up a ***food-growing project*** in your area? Do you want to start a ***community larder or food box*** project? We can provide assistance with applying for funding and through the two Sustainable Food Networks (west and north) we are part of, we can link you up with other food growing groups to exchange ideas, resources and knowledge. Email acre@northantsacre.org.uk Community transport providers in Northamptonshire provide a valuable and often essential service to vulnerable people, helping 1000s of people reach doctors and hospital appointments and take them to fetch groceries. Our ***Community Transport Directory*** is a valuable tool for any parish or village wanting to know which scheme serves their area or how they can go about setting up a new scheme. Contact acre@northantsacre.org.uk for a free copy of the latest version. Plus we can help with the following: • Rural Wellbeing Service - alleviating loneliness and isolation • Digital access and training • Setting up a community shop/pub or hub • Friendship visits - with coffee and cake! • Sustainable energy measures especially for village halls • Forest schools for families **BECOME A MEMBER** Why become a Member of Northamptonshire ACRE? Becoming a member of Northamptonshire ACRE is an effective and rewarding route to building connections, accessing information and support, and ensuring that rural communities like yours are strong, successful and well-represented. In these uncertain times, it is now more important than ever that the voice of rural communities is heard at all levels of government. Like our fellow members of the ACRE Network, we support ‘rural proofing’ as a means of achieving fairer outcomes for everyone in the countryside. No one should be disadvantaged because of where they live. Rural proofing is about making sure that all national and local policies and initiatives are examined closely from a rural perspective to understand their potential impact on these areas. NACRE works with local government bodies and service providers with the aim of rural proofing policy developments and we welcome our members' support in this. By joining one of our two membership schemes: Parish Council membership and Community Facilities membership, we can help your voice to be heard and you will be sustaining the charity to continue working and rural proofing on your behalf. Together we can ensure that rural communities matter. Being a member also offers you discounts on many of our chargeable services. The following pages identify the benefits of being a Parish Council or Community Facilities member. If you run a Small or Medium Enterprise we also offer local business membership. Please Note: If you are not a member of Northamptonshire ACRE we can still help you with any queries you may have, but this would be a chargeable service. **PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP ONLY £42 A YEAR!** Join today! Find out how to here [https://www.northantsacre.org.uk/ourservices](https://www.northantsacre.org.uk/ourservices?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) As representatives of their community, Parish Councils are in an excellent position to understand the needs and views of the residents they support. And if your Council is a member, we can assist with this work. As a member of Northamptonshire ACRE, Parish Councils receive: • 5 hours free telephone & email advice per year • Discounts on visits from our Rural Team • Monthly e-bulletins containing the latest funding news and other relevant topics • Discounts on training and workshops • Facilitation with the development of community engagement events • Discounted assistance with business and community plans such as Neighbourhood Plans • Free access to additional resources and support through our national ACRE Network. Parish Councillor Network Meetings. Our popular Councillor network meetings are held regularly throughout the year, bringing Councillors together from all over the county to meet up and share ideas, knowledge and projects. The meetings also allow Councillors to hear from invited speakers on specialist subjects as well as finding out the latest information on topics relevant to rural life. And they are free to members! Contact acre@northantsacre.org.uk for the dates of forthcoming meetings. **COMMUNITY FACILITIES MEMBERSHIP ONLY £48 A YEAR** At Northamptonshire ACRE, we run a great Community Facilities Advisory Service for our members, providing them with quality support and advice to run Northamptonshire's valuable community facilities more effectively. If your organisation manages a community facility - whether a village or church hall, community centre, playing field, park or recreation ground - why not think about becoming a member? You will receive: • 5 hours free telephone & email advice per year • FREE electronic copies of National ACRE’s invaluable Information Sheets for community buildings • FREE electronic copies of the bi-monthly Community Facilities Newsletter (with all the latest news affecting community halls and open spaces) • DISCOUNT on chargeable training on specialist subjects such as trustee roles • DISCOUNT on the cost of purchasing National ACRE’s model legal documents including Model CIO Constitution, Model Trust Deed and Model Hire Agreement • Regular e-bulletins containing the latest funding news, legal and regulatory changes and other issues of immediate relevance to community facilities • Access to specialist legal advice from National ACRE’s legal advisers Please contact Frances Harris, our Community Facilities Adviser: frances.harris@northantsacre.org.uk, or call 01604 765888 for more information about membership. **WHAT PEOPLE SAY** "Just wanted to thank you for all the support you have shown us and let you know we have received the Rose of the Shires Award for our community work for which you are one of our wonderful supporters" - HSF community larder recipient “I found the (Parish Councillor network) meeting very useful, thank you” - North Northants Councillor “Northamptonshire ACRE provides a superb advice service to village halls and has been essential during Covid in providing advice and guidance. Please continue the good work” - NACRE survey 2021 “I am writing on behalf of Wollaston and Bozeat IS KIND to express our deep appreciation for all that you and ACRE have and are doing for our community. We know from our members that this work and support is hugely appreciated and makes all the difference to people's lives”. “In praise of our Good Neighbour Scheme, I would like to say how thankful I was to be able to access help when I needed it” - Whittlebury GNS resident. **CASE STUDY** A parish council contacted us to explore options for improving village facilities, by creating a community hub. Initially, the plan was to build a new hall on a new site, which would provide sports facilities. We suggested they form a working group, consult the community and explore options. Based on their findings, the working group decided to build a brand new community hub on the existing village hall site and some adjacent land. We provided guidance on governance and how to structure a new build project involving up to three separate organisations. As the village hall charity will have to embark on major building works, we suggested they consider becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The community hub will be owned by the village hall charity and will “host” the community shop. The charity has decided to incorporate and we have provided guidance about becoming a CIO. The project now has planning permission. **WE KNOW RURAL COMMUNITIES** Many years of working with rural communities have given us a lot of evidence and data about the issues facing rural areas. Some examples of the evidence we collect and use are shown below. They are free to download or to join. **Northamptonshire Village Survey** Carried out every 10 years our last survey focused on ten key areas helping to build up the picture of rural life in 2021\. The aim is to establish local evidence to assist in targeting rural needs. A robust knowledge base is needed to champion rural interests and help policymakers such as Local Authorities and other statutory agencies make provision for rural needs in Northamptonshire today. Find out more here [https://www.northantsacre.org.uk/northants-acre-village-survey-2021](https://www.northantsacre.org.uk/northants-acre-village-survey-2021?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Rural Food Repor**t In late 2020 we ran a county-wide survey investigating food insecurity and poverty in rural Northamptonshire. We wanted to establish what the main causes were of rural food poverty in the county and to understand how living in a rural location impacted diet and shopping habits. Results from the survey were collated in this report, and it has been used to support the work we do with our Sustainable Food Partnerships. The report can be download here [https://www.northantsacre.org.uk/rural-food-survey-0](https://www.northantsacre.org.uk/rural-food-survey-0?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Guide to Rural Community Resilienc**e This free guide aims to help communities in rural areas adopt a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to emergencies, in order to be better prepared and help reduce their impact when they do happen. It can be downloaded here [https://acre.org.uk/a-guide-to-rural-community-resilience/](https://acre.org.uk/a-guide-to-rural-community-resilience/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and links in with the free Resilient Communities training we offer. **Northamptonshire VCSE Assembly** The Assembly is the “collective voice” vehicle that provides the means for VCSE organisations throughout Northamptonshire, to meet and exchange information, ideas, and good practice. NACRE is the chair of the Rural and Sustainability thematic and welcomes new members. Contact info@vcseassembly.org.uk for more details. **BECOME A TRUSTEE** Come and join us at Northamptonshire ACRE and help make a difference to the lives of people in rural Northamptonshire. Now you have an understanding of our work, why not join us? We are looking for people who have a range of skills: financial, personnel, business knowledge, marketing, and you can be experienced in governance or a first time trustee. The role is voluntary but reasonable out-of-pocket expenses are reimbursed and relevant ongoing training and support is provided. We hold 4 Board Meetings a year at the Hunsbury Hill Centre. Use your passion and knowledge to assist in the management and administration of the charity. Enhance your own personal or professional development. For more information please contact acre@northantsacre.org.uk or tel. 01604 765888 “I enjoy being a trustee as it enables me to give something back to this great county”. **THE BARNS AT HUNSBURY HILL** **[https://hunsburyhillcentre.co.uk/](https://hunsburyhillcentre.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)** The Barns at Hunsbury Hill is the trading name for the Hunsbury Hill Centre Ltd, the trading arm of Northamptonshire ACRE. Our trading arm runs events at the centre such as weddings, corporate and social meetings and wakes. This enables us to bring any surplus funding generated from the trading arm back into the charity and is used to support our work with our members across the county. We are very lucky to work at the Hunsbury Hill farm site. Our Grade II listed farmhouse and outbuildings are situated on 13 acres of woodlands and gardens overlooking the picturesque rolling countryside of South Northamptonshire. The perfect venue for your event. We can offer a choice of two Barns to suit your needs: • Our lovely High Barn, which still retains its exposed wooden beams, stonework and wooden floors, can hold up to 90 people theatre style. • Our smaller Low Barn is the perfect venue for your next company training session, providing room for up to 35 delegates theatre style. We also offer a range of food from sandwiches to afternoon tea or even a full 3-course meal! Whatever the occasion, be it a training event, product launch, annual conference, or team-building day, The Barns at Hunsbury Hill can cater to all your requirements. Email info@hunsburyhillcentre.co.uk, tel. 01604 702444 or visit [https://hunsburyhillcentre.co.uk/](https://hunsburyhillcentre.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) for more details. ### Council Watch - Council meeting September 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-climate-change-and-air-pollution-motions/ Last updated: 2023-09-29T14:36:13.000Z Two items on the agenda at the full council meeting on Thursday 28 September were related to CA-WN’s work on local air quality and our readiness to meet the challenges of climate change (links to meeting [agenda ](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=142&MId=1145&Ver=4&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)and [recording](https://www.youtube.com/live/wL6KEFuHzDk?feature=shared&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)). The first, a motion on air quality, asked WNC to commit to additional actions to reduce air pollution. Councillors arriving at the Guildhall for the meeting were greeted by an impressively organised silent protest, part of the [1000 Voices campaign](https://www.umbrellafair.org/1000voices?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) calling on the council to take action to improve air quality in the area. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/09/Protest-280923.png) The silent and peaceful protest at The Guildhall - Photo The Umbrella Fair Organisation A substantially amended version of the motion which committed WNC only to fulfilling their statutory duties was voted through by councillors. Regrettably this means no immediate action on tackling the main sources of dangerous emissions. For the foreseeable future the people of Northampton will continue to breathe heavily polluted air and for years to come our public services will be picking up the cost of repairing our residents' ill health. We don't think this is ambitious enough for one of England’s principal unitary authorities seemingly unwilling to learn from other authorities’ progress on reducing air pollution. The second motion asked the council to re-confirm its July 2021 declaration of climate emergency, and among other things, to take climate impact into account in all decision-making. Despite some debate over the implications, this motion was passed by councillors with minimal amendment, which we see as very positive. In support of the motions, Jane Wood made the following statement on behalf of CA-WN. > Good evening, my name is Jane Wood. I am chair of Climate Action-West Northamptonshire. We are local residents working on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our area, and preparing ourselves for life in a changed climate. > At your meeting in July 2021 I spoke in support of the motion to declare climate emergency. Since then I’ve been asked many times if WNC has declared a climate emergency. It’s a shame that such a significant step taken by this council over 2 years ago managed to slide under the radar for so many. > Let’s look at what has changed since that motion was passed: > \- The cross-party sustainability working group has been established > \- The sustainability team has grown and done some great work > \- WNC has joined UK 100 and been accredited by the Investors in the Environment scheme > \- A programme to retrofit some NPH homes has been completed > \- The council participated in No Mow May this year and encouraged parish councils to do the same > \- The council has issued emissions reports for the first time > This is all good and I know that more projects are in the pipeline. > However, taking a wider view and looking at how the council is operating overall, it still looks very much like ‘business as usual’ and not like a response to an emergency that will affect every aspect of our lives in the near future. We need joined-up thinking on traffic and travel, public health and education, social services and housing. We have an opportunity to make the place where we live cleaner, safer and resilient to the effects of climate change, a place where town centres are safe to walk, play and relax, rather than being dominated by cars, homes are efficient to heat and keep cool, everyone has access to affordable healthy food, and biodiversity thrives. > The motion on the agenda this evening provides an opportunity for the council to proudly and publicly endorse its previous important decision. And to go further, by standing behind that decision and embedding the declaration of climate emergency into all the council’s behaviours, procedures and decision-making. Please support the motion. > I’d also ask you to support the motion on air pollution, preferably as originally tabled including the proposal for a School Streets trial rather than the amendment which removes this and other proposals. Improving air quality has significant co-benefits for climate change, and also for public health and pride in our communities. It’s wonderful to have so many people gathered outside today in silent protest to push forward the conversation on air quality. It would be even better to see the council working together with the people and groups represented out there, to give us all cleaner air. ### CA-WN Monthly Meeting Notes 21 September 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-monthly-meeting-notes-21-september-2023/ Last updated: 2024-02-21T19:39:02.000Z Our guest speaker this monthwasSimon Derrick, Global Head of Sustainability for [Blue Skies](https://blueskies.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and founder of the [Sustainable Business Alliance](https://www.sustainablebusinessalliance.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Simon gave a presentation on the subject of '***Trade, development and climate justice: the case of Blue Skies in Africa***'. **Present**: Dave Anderson, Ella Sage, Eugenia Wilson, Harlene Griffiths, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, Karen Wilson, Leonie Beale, Maria Lee, Rupert Frost, Rupert Knowles **Apologies**: Alexina Cassidy, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater, David Garlick, Julie Fagan, Louisa Fowler, Mick Lorkins, Patsy Hollingum, Peter Nalder, Richard Hollingum This meeting was recorded and is available to watch on CA-WN’s YouTube channel [https://youtu.be/LaXqo-5HZh4](https://youtu.be/LaXqo-5HZh4?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Simon’s slide presentation can be [downloaded here](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/BlueSkies%20CA-WN.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). This is a brief summary of Simon’s talk, followed by Q&A: · Simon (aka Denzil) has been at Blue Skies for 18 years in various roles, and is currently Head of Sustainability. Blue Skies produces fresh cut fruit, ice cream and juice. UK consumers won’t see the company name on products in the shops; these are usually sold under the retailer’s own label eg Waitrose. · The company was founded in the 1990s by Anthony Pile, with the unique idea of putting the factory where the fruit is, rather than the usual model of importing the fruit and adding value in the UK. This approach has many benefits: it’s more equitable, the fruit is processed closer to the farm, the product is fresher, and there is more potential for jobs and skills transfer in the source countries. · The first factory was set up in Ghana in 1997, with the first consignment of pineapple going to Sainsbury's in 1998\. The company started with 36 employees and now has over 7,000 across Ghana, Egypt, South Africa, Brazil, Benin, Senegal, Ivory Coast and the UK (head office is in Pitsford). Their products are sold in the UK, France, Netherlands, Italy and others as well as in the source countries. · The company has been recognised for this ‘adding value at source’ approach and for the culture of seeking to help people in the parts of the world they are based. They aim to provide a working environment that is more like a campus than an industrial site, with sports facilities and other amenities. · From a sustainability perspective, to reduce waste they use residue from fruit cutting to make dairy free ice cream with coconut milk and juice. · Blue Skies works to a range of certified standards including for food safety, agricultural and environmental practices, Fairtrade. · The company culture is to promote a way of working together with people, influenced by Anthony Pile’s experience in the army of relying on the people around you regardless of their place in the hierarchy. Everyone is treated with the same level of respect and spoken to in the same way. There are no special benefits for managers such as parking spaces or closed offices. 'The fact that we are all different makes us stronger’. · The company needs to make a profit but takes the approach of ‘stakeholder capitalism’ rather than ‘shareholder capitalism’, recognising all stakeholders in the business including employees and the environment in which the fruit grows. · Sustainability is embedded in the culture of the business, through four ‘blueprint goals’: o Zero poverty o Zero biodiversity loss o Zero waste o Net zero emissions · Initiatives to deliver on these goals include: o Maximising recycling o Using sustainable materials as much as possible o Sourcing renewable energy. o Waste from fruit cutting is either composted or sent to animal feed, thereby deriving value from it as well as reducing waste · The Blue Skies Foundation works co-operatively with Waitrose and Albert Heijn (Netherlands) to support communities e.g. by investing in school buildings and water tanks, and running a Farm of the Year competition for schools. · They are aware that use of plastics in packaging is not sustainable and have launched a research hub with the University of Northampton (UoN) and other industry stakeholders to look for new solutions e.g. fully compostable biobased polymers · Another issue is plastic mulch used on pineapple farms – it reduces the need for pesticides but is hard to remove and sometimes ploughed back in. Blue Skies are funding development of a mechanical mulch lifter enabling it to be recycled, plus alternative mulches using materials including coconut coir. · 2022 project with the University of Northampton to examine the company’s social impact using a bespoke social impact matrix. This assessed the monetary impact of Blue Skies in Ghana against the [UN sustainable development goals](https://sdgs.un.org/goals?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and showed monetised social value in 2021 of $11.5m pa. · Air freight is an area the company recognises as an Achilles heel - their products have a 6-7 day shelf life so need to be transported quickly. The produce goes into the belly hold of passenger aircraft. These are flying anyway but the cargo adds to the weight. Blue Skies have signed up to the [Science Based Target initiative (SBTi](https://sciencebasedtargets.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)) and have got a draft plan to get to net zero. They are working with the aviation industry to adopt new lower carbon technology and have partnered with [Airlander ](https://www.hybridairvehicles.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)to contribute to development of their hybrid air vehicles. · How to take a fair approach to delivering net zero without blocking vital market access for producers in developing countries? To address this question Blue Skies have formed the FAIRMILES Climate Justice Initiative in partnership with the UoN, Air France, KLM and others. **Q&A Session** *Will Blue Skies end up with a residual carbon footprint to offset?* \- Yes, but would look at insetting in their own supply chain rather than buying dubious carbon credits from elsewhere. This might include planting trees or investing in mangroves. *Does the emphasis on equity make management roles less attractive?* \- The culture doesn’t suit everybody, especially those more used to a traditional ‘corporate’ working environment. They look to promote from within, searching for potential in people rather than a narrow focus on experience and qualifications. The company helps employees pursue higher education. Very much a human approach – taking an interest in people as people. Small things like making an effort to greet people and spend time talking to them are important. Managers are encouraged to look out for those such as the young who need support and might be more vulnerable. *Many companies have a ‘company ethos’ designed to promote positive behaviours but it can be hard to call out bad behaviour, how does Blue Skies deal with this?* \- A range of ways: employee surveys, the chairman specifically invites people to talk to him, grievance procedures, senior people are encouraged to spend time on the factory floor and take an interest. Experience shows that you can go to a factory and sense whether there is good morale or if there are issues. Staff turnover is very low and a lot of ideas for innovations come from staff in Africa and are bottom up. *Does Blue Skies have any agro forestry?* \- The company has its own farms now but historically has sourced fruit from local farms. They have an agronomy team which works with farmers to achieve compliance with the various standards and pay for group certification. Growing coconut trees on some pineapple farms to get away from monoculture. Also looking at regenerative agriculture and opportunities around agroforestry as part of their biodiversity plan. There are biodiversity champions at each site to enable net biodiversity gain at sites and farms. *Has the recent regime change in Brazil affected Blue Skies’ operations there?* \- Mainly in terms of the exchange rate. The new regime is more sympathetic to environmental issues, but in terms of day to day running hasn’t changed much. *Your main UK customers are supermarkets and we often hear that British farmers struggle due to the low margins from selling to big retailers. How does this affect Blue Skies?* \- There is a commercial conflict with supermarket supply chain squeeze vs the desire for ethical pay etc. The balance of power has always been with the supermarket; margins are very tight in the food industry, yet producers are also required to meet more and more demanding standards. Some retailers are better than others, some use more ruthless and aggressive tactics. One example of better practice is Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, who are well ahead in terms of consultatively engaging with suppliers and working towards a long term partnership. A lot of retailers have annual tenders so there is no long term certainty for suppliers. *As conscious consumers how could we know if we are buying a Blue Skies product?* \- This is difficult as traditionally fruit and veg produce is sold under retailers’ own brands. Blue Skies don’t supply the whole range of cut fruit for any retailer so adding messages about sustainable production to packaging might raise questions about products from other suppliers. *Do you put LEAF certification on packaging?* \- Not usually - this is the decision of the retailer, though some are starting to go down this route. **Update on CA-WN summer activities** We’ve been relatively quiet over the summer but not completely inactive: · 2 members attended Shambala festival as part of a Friends of the Earth (FoE) campaign. CA-WN is a local climate action group affiliated to FoE which brings us benefits including free public liability insurance, access to good quality training and education. There are bi-monthly networking meetings online with other local groups from the East Midlands – please contact Jane if you are interested in finding out more about any of this. We'd be keen to open up opportunities such as Shambala. · We attended a climate fair at Kilsby which featured talks and stands from a range of organisations. We are keen to support local events whenever we can so if you know of one in your area get in touch. · We’ve been keeping up engagement with West Northants Council and with other local groups. Harry had a meeting with Harborough Woodland Community Volunteers, who were mainly interesting in picking our brains about Ghost (the software we use for CA-WN Exchange). They do very good work around water quality in their area and we would love to do something similar. We could do more to liaise with other stakeholders and understand the quality of our water. To do this would require additional resource as existing active members are already fully committed. More about this and other roles at the AGM next month. **Coming up** · We are attending a Climate Change Fair in Syresham on 22 September · We are planning to attend the WNC full council meeting on 28 September to speak in support of motions on air quality and climate change. ([Motions can be seen here)](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g1145/Agenda%20frontsheet%2028th-Sep-2023%2017.00%20Council.pdf?T=0&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) · On 28 September, ahead of the WNC meeting, there will be a peaceful family friendly gathering (arrive from 4pm) outside the Guildhall. This is being co-ordinated by the Umbrella Fair Organisation to highlight the issue of air quality in our area. Sign up link [http://umbrellafair.org/1000voices](http://umbrellafair.org/1000voices?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) · CA-WN has been offered the opportunity to work with UoN illustration students on projects to develop display or public awareness materials. We did this last year and it was a very rewarding experience. **Date of next meeting and** **Annual General Meeting:** **Thursday 19 October** \- Please note the meeting will start 15 minutes earlier than usual, at **7:30pm**. **Agenda:** 7:30 – 8:00 Annual General Meeting including election of officers 8:00 – 8:45 (approx.) Guest speaker Natasha Caton (The Loving Chef) 8:45 – 9:00 Updates on CA-WN projects and activities ### Fertility and The Three Sisters URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/fertility-and-the-three-sisters/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:09:41.000Z At the time of writing, late July 2023, the local grain harvest is just starting. The combines will be out in the Winter Barley. But there is a long way to go and typically the weather has changed to a pattern of Atlantic lows giving us sunshine and showers from the west. In spite of a dry June, some say the hottest on record, predictions for wheat, barley, oats and oil-seed rape are good. Prices have dropped from last year and the high cost of electricity means that farmers will be anxious to use the combine in dry spells and avoid the cost of drying their grain before storing. Few consumers are aware that farmers have to budget 18 months in advance. The fertiliser and other inputs for this year’s crop will have been purchased early last autumn and the crop may not be sold till next spring. Covid, Brexit and the Ukraine war have made it very difficult to plan ahead. The change from the EU basic payment scheme to ELMS has added further uncertainty. The cost of fertiliser, energy, animal feed and other inputs has yo-yoed and so have prices for arable crops . No wonder many farmers are suffering mental health problems! Seeing all these large machines, combines and tractors rushing about may make you question the carbon impact of farming. Yes, farming has a huge carbon impact, but burning diesel is not the key issue. It is likely that hydrogen power will be introduced to phase out diesel on large machinery and small electric tractors and drones are already whizzing about on lighter tasks. Many farmers are also well-placed to create their own energy from bio-fuels, solar and other sources. No, the difficult issues are nitrous oxide and methane. I have done a little research into N2O (you can follow this at Ref 1 in the References at the end of the post) and I should like to write about methane another time. In addition, farmers are being accused of polluting water courses with nitrates and phosphates, so in this article, I have tried to explain why farmers apply fertiliser to their crops. **Nitrous Oxide (N2O)** Nitrous oxide is nearly 300 times more active as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide but occurs in very small quantities (approximately 0.32 ppm as opposed to 419 ppm for CO2). In some countries, agriculture releases 70 - 80% of total nitrous oxide emissions. However it is mainly a natural process of the incomplete breakdown of inorganic nitrogen compounds (ammonium, nitrite and nitrate) during denitrification and the return of Nitrogen to the atmosphere. Careful ‘little and often’ application of nitrogen fertiliser, including manure, and avoidance of water-logged conditions can help, but as a natural process, it is difficult to eliminate N2O completely. **Nitrogen Fertilisers** Whenever we remove a crop at harvest, we take with it major elements such as nitrogen, phophorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulphur, plus minor trace elements such as iron, boron, managanese etc. These have to be replaced if the soil is to remain fertile. I get quite angry when I hear journalists and others spitting out the phrase ‘artificial fertilisers’ with venom: this led me to re-visit the history of modern fertiliser, especially nitrogen, and why we need it. Nitrogen makes up 78% of the atmosphere and is an essential component of amino-acids and proteins in living organisms. To get from one to the other, nitrogen gas has to be converted to nitrate (NO3-) or ammonium (NH4+), forms that plants can absorb – see the simple diagram of the Nitrogen Cycle below. Nitrogen is also made available by the breakdown of plants and animals and manure or ‘night-soil’. Other elements come mainly from rock particles carried in rivers (alluvial) or in air (loess). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/07/Nitrogen_Cycle_2.png) The Nitrogen Cycle (Full credit at Ref 2) Since the Black Death, the world population has increased from about 400 million to 7.9 billion. Food production has kept pace although equable food distribution has not. In the Middle Ages, land was fallowed with a ley (grass) that could be grazed. However, at the beginning of the 16th Century a four-crop rotation was developed in Waasland (modern Belgium) and adopted in England in the early 18th Century by ‘Turnip’ Townsend and colleagues in Norfolk. The rotation was wheat, turnips, barley and clover. There was no fallow; the turnips or clover could be grazed and the clover and animal manure contributed nitrogen to the soil. Until North America started exports, this system fed the early increase in UK population during the Industrial Revolution. In the early 19th Century, small islands were discovered off the coast of Peru, home to millions of sea birds. The guano (bird poo) was up to 200 feet deep! It was lauded as the world’s finest fertiliser and ships from US and Europe were queuing up. But the supply was not sustainable and by 1870 was running out. Mining of Potassium Nitrate and Sodium Nitrate (both known as “Nitre” or "Saltpeter") in Chile could not keep pace either. Research in Germany led to the invention of the Haber-Bosch process for converting atmospheric Nitrogen to Ammonia - just in time for the First World War. As well as making good explosives, Ammonium Nitrate (NH4NO3) at 34%N is an excellent fertiliser. Urea (CO(NH2)2) is the cheapest source of Nitrogen (46%) and more common in many countries than Ammonium Nitrate as it cannot be used for home-made bombs. Urea breaks down in the soil to give ammonium ions (NH4-). The ammonium is taken up by the plant through its roots or it is oxidized by bacteria to give nitrate (NO3-), which is also a nitrogen-rich plant nutrient. However, if urea is applied to the soil surface, a fraction may be lost to the atmosphere as ammonia gas. Ammonium sulphate ((NH4)2SO4 ) contains 21% Nitrogen making it more expensive to transport, but it is not explosive, can contribute Sulphur where needed and is slightly acidifying – useful on chalk soils. Organic growers are not allowed to use any of these three synthetic fertilisers. They can import guano, or naturally occurring potassium nitrate (13% N, 44% K), or sodium nitrate (16% N, 26% Na). But generally they are advised to use nitrogen fixing plants (legumes) or animal manures. Worldwide the most popular legume crop is soya, but soya beans are not the best at fixing atmospheric nitrogen and most growers add some synthetic nitrogen fertiliser to maximise yields. Gardeners may like to experiment with the ancient practice of **Three Sisters Planting (3)** The sisters are normally maize (or sweetcorn or sunflower), climbing beans and pumpkins (or other squash). Once the maize is established, the beans are sown at the base and use the maize stems for support. The pumpkins have huge leaves which cover the ground to suppress weeds. Maize and pumpkins benefit from the nitrogen supplied by the beans. The problem for commercial farmers is that the three crops have to be harvested manually: we are a long way from robots that can sort out maize, beans and pumpkins in the field. **Organic vs Inorganic Nitrogen** Given that plants take up most of their nitrogen requirement from the soil as inorganic nitrate (NO3-), what is the problem with synthetic N fertilisers? **Problem 1 Carbon footprint** Firstly, the Haber-Bosch process relies on fossil fuels (natural gas) to produce hydrogen and the vast amount of energy for a high temperature/pressure reaction. The hydrogen is combined with atmospheric nitrogen to produce ammonia. So to manufacture ammonia in a climate-friendly way, manufacturers have to use renewable energy supplies and break down water by electrolysis for the hydrogen. My chemistry is not good enough to understand all the ins and outs of this and other possible routes, but there is a summary diagram below. (If you are interested try reading the Ref 4 article). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/07/AMMON.png) An overview of various production routes for the hydrogen required for ammonia synthesis 4 It is worth pointing out that ammonia is not only important in agriculture, but has many other uses including the longer term storage of energy from renewables. **Problem 2 - Fertiliser application** Second, there is the problem of accurate application of fertilisers. Nitrates are highly soluble and are one of the chief pollutants of our rivers. Applying too much nitrogen at the wrong time of year leads to surface run-off and leaching through the top-soil into aquifers. Farmers get advice on fertiliser application from RB209\. I used this ministry booklet in the 1970s; it is in its 50th year and it is brought up to date regularly. You can read it on-line (5). It relies on soil analysis, rainfall data and crop uptake. It gives the nutrient content of all types of fertilisers and manures. One of the recent changes is in nitrogen calculations. Because of its solubility, simple soil analysis which works well for P (Phosphorus), K (Potassium) and Mg (Magnesium), does not work for N (Nitrogen). Fields vary widely in the amount of nitrogen available to a crop before any fertiliser or manure is applied. This variation must be taken into account to avoid inadequate or excessive applications of nitrogen. RB209 uses the soil nitrogen supply (SNS) system which assigns an Index of 0 to 6 to indicate the likely extent of this background nitrogen supply. The Index is used to select the amount of nitrogen, as manufactured fertiliser, manure or a combination of both, that typically would need to be applied to ensure optimum yield. The SNS Index for each field can be estimated either by the Field Assessment Method using records of soil type, previous cropping and winter rainfall, or by the Measurement Method. This uses measurements of soil mineral nitrogen plus estimates of nitrogen already in the crop (at the time of soil sampling) and of available nitrogen from the mineralisation of soil organic matter and crop debris during the period of active crop growth. These nitrogen calculations can be used by conventional farmers using artificial fertiliser or by organic farmers applying farmyard manure. High tech precision farmers may use GPS to vary the application of nitrogen as the tractor works the field. Photographic information from drones can assess the health of the crop in advance. This information is used to change the rate mechanism of the spreader. Wheat farmers will balance the cost of fertiliser against the likely yield gain, but they also have to take into account the quality of the wheat to get the highest prices. Some farmers are finding that they make more money using less fertiliser even if there is a yield penalty. As a fruit grower, we used regular leaf analysis for N through the growing season. Too little N and the fruit buds are weak and there is not enough new wood growth. Too much N and the apples are soft, colourless and do not store well. As apples contain little nitrogen, they require little nitrogen. Instead of applying it to the soil, we often applied it to the leaves with a dilute spray of urea before blossom. We also applied urea sprays after harvest to ensure that the leaves rotted quickly without allowing diseases like scab to continue into the next season. **Problem 3 – Nitrogen leaching** The third aspect of nitrogen management is control of soil levels throughout the year, especially in the autumn. During the summer, higher soil temperatures increase the rate of microbial activity, nitrifying bacteria and nitrogen fixing bacteria are busy. By the end of the summer, soil nitrates are high. Fifty years ago, wheat growers applied nitrogen to the soil when drilling the crop in the autumn. Research has shown this to be wasteful and unnecessary. In fact the reverse is often needed and this is where ‘cover’ crops are used. The objective is to avoid leaving the soil bare and to avoid autumn rains washing soluble nitrate into the drains and rivers. Some cover crops are sown into the standing wheat before combining; some are drilled into the stubble after combining. The cover crop mops up surplus nitrogen and is grazed, mown, weed-killed or ploughed-in according to soil type and the timing for drilling the following crop. With high fertiliser prices, farmers value this free source of nitrogen. By February if there is a warm spell and after high winter rainfall, wheat crops can start to look quite yellow indicating a shortage of nitrogen. From then on, nitrogen is applied ‘little and often’ as recommended by FACTS trained crop advisers. **Problem 4 – Manure in river**s The fourth cause of nitrogen pollution is from the spreading of slurry and farmyard manure (FYM). Slurry is wet animal manure without straw. Because the law prevents it being spread at certain times of the year, storage is a problem. Slurry lagoons are expensive and often leak. Inspections by the Environment Agency and Red Tractor are not frequent or strict enough to prevent this happening, but small livestock farmers often do not have the money to rectify matters. Recently incidents from Devon reached the news. There is currently also a massive problem with pollution of one of our iconic rivers, the River Wye, caused by a ‘cluster’ of chicken farmers on the Welsh borders with insufficient land on which to spread their chicken manure. Of all organic manures, chicken manure is highest in nitrogen. These manures might be welcome on the arable lands of East Anglia, but the problem is getting it there. FYM is bulky and costly to transport. The alternative might be to use it in bio-digesters to produce energy. **Conclusion** I have gone into some detail about crop nutrition, especially nitrogen. You may not have read or understood it all, but the important point is that it is highly technical and with the emphasis on good soil management, climate action, and producing at least 60% of our own food, there is a lot to get right. Scientists are using new methods to understand soils better and farmers are realising that soil is a key asset and that they have to contribute to net zero as promised. We have to stop polluting and destroying our rivers. Organic matter and soil carbon are important, but searching on-line, I could not find any scientific evidence that fertilisers are destroying our soils if managed correctly. I suspect that bunging on some manure and hoping for the best may be good enough for the garden but it is not going to feed the nation! Let me know how you get on with the three sisters in your allotment or at home – I shall definitely be trying it next year. REFERENCES 1 You can follow all this on [https://ahdb.org.uk/markets-and-prices](https://ahdb.org.uk/markets-and-prices?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 2 Wikipedia: The Nitrogen Cycle - Figure derived from: Nitrogen Cycle.svg:, CC BY-SA 3.0, [https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80960223](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80960223&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 3 [https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/features/three-sisters](https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/features/three-sisters?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 4 Frontiers in Energy Research Vol 9 2021 - Sustainable Ammonia Production Processes [https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2021.580808](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2021.580808?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 5 Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board - Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) [https://ahdb.org.uk/nutrient-management-guide-rb209](https://ahdb.org.uk/nutrient-management-guide-rb209?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 6 BASIS Registration Ltd - Scheme FACTS [https://basis-reg.co.uk/scheme-facts](https://basis-reg.co.uk/scheme-facts?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### My View - Paul Joyce URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-paul-joyce/ Last updated: 2023-09-01T19:32:22.000Z ### Is a Green Revolution still possible? It seems an eternity ago when I sat in the Guildhall for a Northampton Borough Council (NBC) full council meeting on a hot Monday evening in June 2019, and the motion was passed to declare a Climate Emergency in Northampton. What would this mean locally? How soon could we make a difference? What would be needed to get things going? So many questions and so little time. We fast forward to the present; we’re now in July 2023, we’ve had hot temperatures with the heat making us feel slightly uncomfortable again, are we expecting 40 degree heat again this year? A few days last year was unbearable but what if it's 3 or 4 weeks of 40 degree heat this year or next? How would we cope in Northamptonshire, our parents would tell us it still wasn’t as hot as 1976! Are we ready locally to deal with the impact of Climate Change, is our infrastructure able to cope with the extreme heat and flash flooding with a month’s worth of rain pouring down in one day? I think we know that answer already - ‘probably not’ - but I still have hope that we can put things into place to turn the situation around. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/07/March-2.png) September 2019 Eco March through Northampton As a local councillor it became very clear to me back in 2019 that we needed to raise awareness very quickly, a Climate Change Forum was set up by NBC with councillors from all parties coming together after the emergency was declared in Northampton. Local students Mia Joyce, Ava Joyce and Lorna Lewis, inspired by Greta Thunberg, organised two Eco Marches in April and September 2019\. Both were attended by huge numbers of school children, families and local activists, marching through the streets of Northampton to the All Saints Church plaza to protest and raise local awareness about the Climate Emergency. I then decided as a local councillor to walk out of a local planning meeting in protest and later resigned because the committee was not eco friendly enough and needed to act faster on the impacts of Climate Change. The pandemic hit us in 2020, the world paused, and the planet was briefly able to recover. After local elections in May 2021 West Northants Council (WNC) and the Northampton Town Council (NTC) were formed and a climate emergency was declared by both new councils. On the Northampton Town Council a new climate change forum was set up, made up of a few local councillors and local environmental campaigners. So far through its hard work the CCF has raised Climate awareness through: · Holding 'climate cafés’ in the Grosvenor Centre and Weston Favell Centre · Installing environmentally friendly planters in Northampton Town Centre with sustainable perennial plants to green the town · Increased awareness of air quality by publicising the Airly map of the sensors that WNC have installed in Northampton · Developing an Every Journey Matters campaign to encourage more people to cycle or walk · Setting up a ‘Make Change Happen’ installation in the Grosvenor Centre · Setting up a Green Climate Change Grant scheme encouraging local residents and organisations to apply In May the leader of WNC, Jonathan Nunn, attended the NTC climate change forum to share the WNC Net Zero 2030 vision and we explored potential future collaborative working across our local parish councils to hopefully have an input to any future WNC Net Zero policy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/07/Award.png) Northamptonshire Heritage Forum Awards Ceremony The Northampton Town Council Climate Change Forum was recently nominated for an award by the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum for its attempt to raise Climate Change awareness. The future still needs to be green, but I have faith locally that by us working together and setting up different environmental initiatives change is possible at all levels. *Councillor Paul Joyce, NTC Councillor for Eastfield Ward and WNC Councillor for Headlands* ### Northamptonshire Wood Recycling CIC - good value and good for the environment URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/northamptonshire-wood-recycling/ Last updated: 2023-09-01T19:31:57.000Z *from Ella Sage* Northamptonshire Wood Recycling CIC is a shop all DIY-ers need to know about. They are a Community Interest Company based in Northampton who take wood that is destined for landfill and sell it at highly reduced prices (compared to buying it new). Set up as a not for profit, they aim to reduce wood going to landfill whilst offering volunteering opportunities as a step towards people getting back into work. A triple win - better for the environment, better for your wallet, and better opportunities for people in your local area. They are not a commercial wood shop so can't have in stock every single different type of wood cut, they don't have the room to start with, however they carry a varied and changing selection with lots of standard sizes, pallet wood and scaffolding boards and even sometimes carry some more unusual lines like huge cable reels and doors. Check their social media for updates of what's in stock and it's always fun to pop in and see I went to get some wood to raise the height of my table, I got the perfect off cut for only £1! You can also buy varnished reclaimed scaffolding board shelves with (new) brackets as well as handmade rustic furniture made to order including tables, benches and bookshelves. Where is it? Unit G2, Kingsfield Close, Northampton, NN5 7QS If you are a business, or know one that regularly has scrap wood or pallets, you might even save money by using NWC compared with hiring a skip. They cover Northamptonshire and beyond and are registered Waste Carriers with the Environment Agency. [Northamptonshire Wood Recycling CICWe stock reclaimed timber,as well as manufacture Rustic Shelves,Tables, Planters and so much more.![](https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/8390a370-eeee-47fd-a0f9-9bb64ca50841/NorthantsLogoHiRes.jpg/:/rs=w:180,h:180,m)Northamptonshire Wood Recycling CICNorthamptonshire Wood Recycling CIC![](https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/8390a370-eeee-47fd-a0f9-9bb64ca50841/WoodStoreLogo1xtrasmall.jpg)](https://northantswoodrecycling.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### My 3 Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-3-things-for-climate-change-2/ Last updated: 2023-09-01T19:31:08.000Z *by Rachel Dando L'Olive, Towcester Town Councillor, Towcester Community Fridge volunteer and foster carer* **Food** I've always been conscious of food waste. I hate throwing food away! If you don't believe me, ask my children. I much later became more aware of its environmental impact. Becoming involved from the beginning with, and then later helping to run, Towcester Community Fridge gave me the chance to do something practical and spread the message. **Shopping** Changing to using refill products has really reduced my plastic waste. I use local and online companies. So many things can be refilled. I buy less, buy local and use charity shops as much as possible. Sustainable products are great, but we need to reduce what we buy and reuse or repurpose what we have. I love a bit of upcycling too. **Transport** I've always been aware of air pollution (my grandparents lived opposite Heathrow airport for 50 years!). But I have become so much more aware of its dangers. In nearly 30 years I have flown 5 times and one of those was my honeymoon! So many beautiful places can be reached by car, train and ferry and you really get to see a country when you travel that way. My dream is to travel around France by train and then repeat the month's train trip around Europe that I did in my 20s. I walk as much as possible and being a London girl I am very fond of public transport. I do use the buses here; wish they were better, and there was proper investment, but we need to get out of our cars. ### Six things for you and the world URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/six-things/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:30:27.000Z **Travel –** Walking and cycling are healthy for you and healthy for the planet. For longer distances consider travelling by train instead of driving or flying. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/08/Renewables.png) **Renewable Energy –** Switch your contract to a renewable energy supplier if your electricity supply is not already from 100% renewable sources. Switching a contract can sometimes save money. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/08/Beans-etc.png) **Diet –** Cut down on dairy, meat and heavily processed foods. Have a balanced diet with a variety of in-season vegetables, beans, and grains. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/08/Food-basket.png) **Reduce Food Waste –** Many foods can be eaten past their ‘best before’ date. Use up leftovers and make use of your freezer. For any residual waste, use a compost bin or kerbside food caddy not a general waste bin. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/08/Washing.png) **Cold Wash - Quick Wash –** Use the washing machine less often and aim to have a full load. Lower the wash temperature and choose a quick wash cycle to save energy and reduce your laundry costs. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/09/Recycle.png) **Consume less** \- Appreciate what you already have and shift to a more sustainable shopping habit. Consider choosing ‘pre-loved’ items. Above all reduce waste; re-use, repair and recycle. If you need to buy new aim for products from companies with high ethical, environmental, and social values and be alert to ‘greenwash’. ### CA-WN went to a festival URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-goes-to-the-festival/ Last updated: 2023-09-01T17:31:00.000Z ### CA-WN teamed up with Friends of the Earth at Kelmarsh Hall. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/08/Shambala-1.png) Mural painting proved a big draw - photo credits: Jessica Gitsham and Nick Rau at FOE Over the August Bank Holiday hundreds of Shambala festival goers came to talk about our action on climate and sign up to FoE's [Planet over Profit](https://friendsoftheearth.uk/nature/planet-over-profit-end-exploitation-big-business?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) campaign. > FOOTNOTE > Yes. Footnote. The [Shambala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shambala%5FFestival?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) festival has sustainability at its heart and festival goers were entreated to arrive on foot or by public transport. And they did. There were no disposable cups or plastic water bottles on site, instead people were asked to bring their own reusables and there were free water refill stations. Not only that but after the event, once all had gone home, the camping fields around Kelmarsh Hall were completely clear - quite unlike the awful scenes of litter and abandoned tents at other August bank holiday festivals. ### Foolproof Fruity Flapjacks URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/foolproof-flapjacks/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:22:22.000Z This is adapted from a recipe I found online several years ago, having repeatedly tried and failed to make really good flapjacks. Buying most of the ingredients from a [refill shop](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-refill-revolution-the-new-old-way-of-shopping/) makes them almost packaging-free and if you're trying to cut down on ultra-processed food they are good with a cup of tea in place of a biscuit. The original recipe uses all butter but I normally use a mix of butter and vegan block in varying proportions depending on what is in the fridge, and have made a vegan version with good results. **Basic ingredients:** ***175 grams butter/vegan block*** ***125 grams sugar*** \- ideally soft brown sugar but demerara is also fine ***2 tablespoons golden syrup*** (measuring golden syrup with a spoon is a messy business but it doesn't need to be too precise) ***250 grams oats*** \- NOT jumbo oats. If jumbo oats is all you've got, spend a bit of time crumbling them up smaller, it does affect the result. ***Pinch of salt*** ***Sprinkle of ground ginger*** (about 1/8 teaspoon if you need a measurement but see how much you like) **Optional ingredients** To these I usually add a good handful of sultanas (or raisins or currants), a few chopped dried apricots, and a handful of mixed seeds. I have also added chopped nuts, dried cranberries and chocolate chips depending on what I happen to have lying around. **Method** Start by melting the fat, sugar and syrup in a large saucepan on a medium heat until the fat has melted and sugar dissolved. Turn off the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients. It will seem too dry initially but keep stirring and it will come together. Tip the mixture into a shallow 30cm/12 in x 22cm/9 in baking tray, lined with baking paper. Lining is important but if you are careful and frugal, the paper can be washed and reused several times. Spread the mixture out evenly with the back of a spoon and bake at 180 deg C/350 deg F/gas mark 4 for about 15 minutes (depending on your oven) until it's a nice golden colour. Cool in the tin until just warm, then slide out on to a board and cut into quadrilaterals of the size you like to eat. Cutting it is easiest if you place the knife on the flapjack and press down (possibly obvious to some but it took me a while...). It keeps for ages and can be frozen if necessary. I always make two trays at a time as this is very popular in my house. 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### Breathe: Tackling the Climate Emergency by Sadiq Khan URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/breathe-tackling-the-climate-emergency/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:06:51.000Z Sadiq Khan's interest in air pollution started on being diagnosed with asthma in his forties, when he was told by doctors that the cause was inhaling polluted air as he ran around London training for the London marathon. This is a fairly short and readable book which I would recommend as background reading to the current debate about ULEZ. It offers an insight into a very capable political operator as well as a plainly expressed view of the synergies between cleaning up London's air and climate action. 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Tricycle Talks: Life As It Is URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tricycle-talks/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:03:47.000Z 'Life As It Is' is a podcast from the American Buddhist magazine, Tricycle. This episode is an interview with Rebecca Solnit, who has co-edited a book of essays entitled 'Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility'. Perhaps a useful reminder at the end of summer 2023 when news of wildfires and floods across the world brings home the truth that climate breakdown is already here. This podcast reminds us that there are many tools that can be used to help keep the right fight going. [Life As It Is ArchivesEach month, Tricycle’s editor-in-chief James Shaheen and co-host Sharon Salzberg speak with Buddhist practitioners about their work, practice, and everyday life—and, perhaps most importantly, how they’re navigating these uncertain times.![](https://tricycle.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/site-icon-300x300.png)Tricycle: The Buddhist ReviewKhyentse Norbu![](https://tricycle.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Tricycle-Subscribe-Image-1-scaled.jpg)](https://tricycle.org/podcasts/life-as-it-is/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### CA-WN Special meeting report 20 July 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/special-ca-wn-meeting-report/ Last updated: 2023-07-27T19:15:01.000Z This special meeting concentrated on getting input from CA-WN members and supporters about our progress to date, and where they would like to see us focus our efforts going forward. It was a very productive discussion, thanks to everyone who participated on the night and provided their views in advance. **Apologies**: Alan Mawer, Clare Slater, Leonie Beale, Naree Lee, Teresa Cox **Present**: Carol Blake, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Dave Anderson, Dave Musson, David Garlick, Ella Mansfield, Emmie Williamson, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, Jonathan Harris, Julie Fagan, Mike Longman, Peter Doveston, Peter Nalder, Rupert Knowles, Russ Hickman, Stan Quirey ### **Meeting Notes** ***Introduction*** CA-WN made some changes early in 2023: \- Introducing regular guest speakers to our meetings. \- The CA-WN Exchange, which started in 2022 as a newsletter, moved to an online forum. This has enabled us to be more responsive and flexible with the timing and nature of articles published. Addition of guest speakers to the meetings has made for informative and interesting meetings but with less time for input and discussion from CA-WN members. Hence this special meeting to give everyone a chance to have their say. It has always been an important part of CA-WN’s ethos to be inclusive and collaborative. We have a main steering group that takes some key decisions, but CA-WN isn’t for one group of people, it’s for all of us. Attendees were asked to be honest in providing a steer about what CA-WN is doing well and not so well, and what direction they wanted to see the group take in the future. ### Polls ***Poll 1:*** *I am worried that climate change will….?* \[Select the item from the list which is of MOST concern and the one which is of LEAST concern\] This poll is based on research and reports from Climate Outreach Labs, valuable resources for public engagement and outreach, and which we use to shape CA-WN outreach work. [Britain Talks Climate: a toolkit for engaging the British public on climate change - Climate OutreachEurope’s leading experts in climate change communications, bridging the gap between theory and practice.![](https://climateoutreach.org/content/uploads/2020/09/cropped-cropped-co_favicon-150x150-1-192x192.png)Venn CreativeClimate Outreach![](https://climateoutreach.org/content/uploads/2020/11/GettyImages-1181189362-e1605781277539.jpg)](https://climateoutreach.org/britain-talks-climate/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Consensus was that people were reluctant to nominate any of the possible outcomes as being of least concern. The ones selected by most people as being of most concern were 4 and 5, and the ones selected by most people as being of least concern were 1 and 3. ***Poll 2:* *When did you last read an article on CA-WN Exchange?*** The results showed that most people had read an article within the last month. ***Poll 3:* *What sort of articles/content on CA-WN Exchange interest you the LEAST and which interest you the MOST?*** One of the innovations this year was taking CA-WN Exchange online. This is delivered by a small editorial team alongside regular specialist correspondents. This poll asks for feedback to inform future content. 1\. Business 2\. Council Watch 3\. Essentials of Life (Air, Water, Food, Housing) 4\. 'Lifestyle' - Books, Podcasts, Recipes 5\. Local events and whats on 6\. Nature and biodiversity 7\. Personal stories and opinions (My 3 Things; Councillor My View) 8\. Reports of CA-WN meetings and events 9\. Transport 10\. Something else About half of people chose item 4 as being of least interest, the item chosen by most people as being of most interest was 6. ### **Breakout groups** CA-WN has been in existence in some form for over 3 years now, and organisationally has matured – for example we are now formally constituted and have a bank account. Our second AGM is coming up in October. All good, but being a well-run organisation is not an end in itself, it’s just a necessary foundation to enable us to work on what we all care about – getting local government, communities and organisations not just to recognise the severity of climate and ecological breakdown that we are facing but to actually do something about it. Attendees were split into 4 breakout groups to discuss two questions. The questions had been circulated in advance to enable those unable to attend in person to contribute; points raised in response by email are also included. ***1\. How much difference is CA-WN making in terms of climate action in West Northamptonshire, and how?*** > \- CA-WN is talked about in WNC meetings and by other Council groups. We are being listened to and not just heard, as a result sustainability, climate change and biodiversity are more prominent in the council's thinking. WNC as a group and individual council members are ready to engage with CA-WN > \- We are more effective than most voluntary sector environmental organisations - WNC ask us to attend various events. We also get invited by parishes to go to their meetings > \- CA-WN’s apolitical stance fills a gap that brings people together: the general public, experts in different fields, councillors, members of different political parties find a space to meet in CA-WN > \- Attendees were keen for CA-WN to be involved in politics, whilst remaining clear of party politics > \- We have a bigger voice by working together with other climate groups and need to do more of this > \- Retrofit programme > \- Try to widen our engagement so more people outside of the environmental movement are aware of us > \- Value of the climate cafes, there is a real need for psychological and emotional support > \- Need to do more to make people aware of us. Stan found out via SCE and Unite, so existing connections are one avenue > \- Involvement in air pollution public actions. It’s valuable to be seen in public spaces, and also to be present at events where we will encounter the general public ***2\. Where should we concentrate our efforts and resources in order to make the biggest difference in the future?*** > \- Need to set out very clearly what our strategy and objectives are so people can get behind us > \- Getting together with other environmental groups > \- Importance of f2f engagement > \- Build on work with council – what does the law say about the powers the council has as a whole, identify which councillors have a role in any way related to climate change individually and as committees > \- Hold the council to account - what impact is their work having? > \- Public engagement – not just other environmental groups but everyone including unions, charities and voluntary groups > \- Bring all environmental groups together once a quarter on a specific issue (eg air quality, rewilding etc) to write a letter or email to the council/councillors asking for action and encourage individuals to participate > \- Importance of climate cafes and how they can connect with people who are less aware of our wider activities > \- If we all bring one more person along to a CA-WN meeting or get them involved in some way that would make a big difference > \- Make sure we follow up on climate meetings in villages etc to keep the engagement going > \- We recently attended a careers fair and could do more of that to engage young people and talk to them about green jobs and relevant qualifications > \- Awareness/mobilisation/pulling organisations together is important but we must not forget that how people feel about the climate crisis is key too. We need to talk more about wellbeing, which is very much affected by climate change. Could we focus on an aspect of wellbeing that is relevant to CA-WN? For example food security and growing. > \- Council Local Area Partnerships are looking at wellbeing, so this could be another area of engagement and influence. > \- Remind people that as individuals our collective actions add up to a lot, therefore they should not give up. ### Open discussion There was then a wide-ranging discussion, this is a summary of points raised: \- Organising a form of climate assembly is still on the agenda for Transition Town Northampton \- We need to promote more progressive ways of thinking eg doughnut economy, particularly educating councillors and local authority to think differently and move from a purely reactive approach \- Education - promoting a curriculum which is more progressive and appropriate. School assemblies are another option. \- Emissions reduction/achieving Net Zero is not enough, communitiies also need to have resilience to the impacts of climate breakdown \- Climate adaptation, there appears to be lack of planning for extreme events by the council – this should cover a range of measures and guidance. There should be an emergency hub for every parish – Emmie Williamson is working on this in Flore. Potential food and water shortages are a particular concern. \- There is a small emergency planning team at WNC, who have been trying to connect with parishes. We could invite someone from the team to talk to us. \- When we start experiencing extreme heat, will there be drinking fountains and street trees to provide shade? For example in the newly redeveloped marketplace. \- Northampton Climate Change Forum has met with Nicola Clark from ID Verde. The 14 trees proposed for Market Square and Abington Street won’t provide shade or any wildlife benefit. They are Galitzkya, a thorny non native species. Clare Robertson-Marriott and David Garlick are pursuing this as part of the CCF, though no response to written enquiry so far. Jonathan Harris offered to support this in his role as WNC councillor. \- There are 380 trees for every person alive – planting trees (if carefully chosen and cared for) is a way people can make a real difference and feel empowered \- We could start a CA-WN tree nursery – it is hard to source good quality trees, and smaller trees have a better survival rate \- Don’t forget the four important things people can change - flying, diet, home heating and over-consumption ### DONM Thursday 21 September 2023 (we are taking a break for August). September's guest speaker is Simon Derrick, Global Head of Sustainability for [Blueskies ](https://blueskies.com/global/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)and founder of the[ Sustainable Business Alliance](https://www.sustainablebusinessalliance.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). [Climate Action-West Northamptonshire Monthly Meeting September 2023Meeting open to all - newcomers welcome. We have a different guest speaker each month, plus an update on our activities and future plans.![](https://cdn.evbstatic.com/s3-build/prod/1327141-rc2023-07-27_16.04-114b2e8/django/images/favicons/favicon-194x194.png)Eventbrite![](https://img.evbuc.com/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.evbuc.com%2Fimages%2F455005309%2F574849372793%2F1%2Foriginal.20220814-133733?w=1000&auto=format%2Ccompress&q=75&sharp=10&rect=0%2C51%2C1198%2C599&s=0a16bb56782ff95fd4783a618a82cc45)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/648451424667?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### The latest from CA-WN Exchange - July 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-latest-from-ca-wn-exchange-july-2023/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:20:04.000Z Today is the 1st of July and so the beginning of [Plastic Free July](https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Although I’m very much in favour of raising the profile of important issues like eliminating unnecessary single-use plastic, I really hope that the changes made will become habit and carry on beyond July. The same applies to Clean Air Day that was held last month. The air we breathe is fundamental to our health and we need to be raising awareness of the poor air quality in Northampton on a daily basis if we want it to improve. A report from earlier in the year, [covered in CA-WN Exchange](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/no-love-for-northamptons-air/), revealed that residents of Northampton are indirectly inhaling the equivalent of 189 cigarettes per year – the worst of any city in the UK. Concerned residents and groups, organised by the newly formed Clean Air Northampton, took to the streets on Clean Air Day, marching from Northampton General Hospital to the Council buildings, asking the Council to set out an action plan to clean our air. Clean Air Northampton state that this is the beginning of their campaign, so watch out for details of future events. In the meantime, in this issue Clare Robertson-Marriott gives an insight into how our gardens can contribute to cleaning up our air. Alongside reducing our personal car travel and limiting bonfires, this is one way we as individuals can help tackle the problem. Another way is by showing support for the Northants Streets Campaign Sustainable Travel Accord - see Peter Doveston’s piece on Risk Diversion in this issue for more details. In the spirit of continuing themes, the ONE Campaign hosted a Great Big Green Week event in Milton Keynes one week after the ‘official’ week. CA-WN went along and you can read the report in this issue, which covers some of the great things happening in our neighbouring area. This month’s regular features include Councillor Adam Brown’s view on the need for a local perspective on climate action, and Luke Costin’s ‘three things for climate’, which includes a look at travelling abroad more sustainably. Another great way to reach destinations across Europe on a carbon budget is via train, which is increasing in popularity as we become more aware of our personal footprints. My trip to Barcelona last year, although taking just a little longer than flying, was by far less stressful and more picturesque. I found the [Man in Seat 61](https://www.seat61.com/index.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to be an excellent planning resource. Before you dive into the full articles, just a quick housekeeping notice: the editorial team at CA-WN Exchange will be taking its collective foot off the accelerator over the summer months to take advantage of precious family time and to generally rejuvenate. Please bear with us over this period; normal service will resume in September! **Latest Posts from the CA -WN Community** 🔹We all know plants and flowers are beautiful and life-enhancing, but they can also clean our air - [Clare Robertson-Marriott](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/untitled-3/) explains how and has some planting recommendations 🔹CA-WN has read West Northamptonshire Council's Annual Report so you don't have to - see what we thought in July's [Council Watch](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-july-2023/) 🔹[Peter Doveston](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/untitled-4/) says now is the time for taking some calculated risks, and asks WNC to sign up to a set of commitments to improve transport in our area. 🔹WNC's Deputy Leader, Adam Brown, shares his thoughts on conservatism and conservation in this month's [My View](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-adam-brown/) opinion column 🔹Luke Costin, student at Northampton University and CA-WN Exchange's newest and youngest contributor, shares the [three things](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change9/) he has done in response to climate change 🔹Harry Mellor reports from an [event organised by the ONE Campaign](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/one-gbgw-event-in-milton-keynes/) for Great Big Green Week on the good work being done by our neighbours in Milton Keynes 🔹Patsy Hollingum's [recipe ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/pennys-blackcurrant-surprise-pudding/)this month is a gluten-free blackcurranty take on summer pudding 🔹Our latest book recommendation, Jason Hickel's [Less is More - How degrowth will save the world](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/less-is-more/) asks whether GDP growth is really a good measure of success 🔹Latest podcast recommendation - [Your Brain on Climate](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/your-brain-on-climate/), a really helpful listen to understand why our responses to climate change aren't always reasonable ### Grow a Garden to Clean the Air URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/untitled-3/ Last updated: 2023-07-01T09:34:42.000Z In nature, trees, shrubs and flowering plants of different shapes, sizes, textures and habits all grow together. In our towns and cities, plant diversity can mop up astonishing amounts of pollution from the air. We can play a part in cleaning our air by planting our gardens for air quality. Such gardens are also vital for biodiversity and will be beautiful. The plants described here have been researched for their cleansing properties. Remember: the more variety in our planting, the closer we can get to nature’s own air filtration system. Leaves, stems and flowers all have a part to play in taking up pollutants from the air. **Leaves and stems** The waxy needles of Yew and the nets formed by the broad leaves of trailing Ivy and the hairy stemmed Honeysuckle are very efficient mesh systems. Yew hedging can filter out 71% of tiny airborne particles (PM2.5) in its environment. The delicate branching leaf structure of the Silver Birch traps 79% of particles in a body of air. The broad waxy surface of Elder deposits out 70.5% while flowering plants such as Lady's Mantle with wide, waxy evergreen leaves provide similar purifying effects all year. The feathery, filtering leaves of Yarrow and Lavender and the waxy leaves of ground cover plants like Bugle act as air purifiers below the shrubs and trees. **Flowers** Blossoms that are made up of lots of tiny florets are especially good filters. Elder and Yarrow have broad, flat-topped flower heads of myriad florets called umbels, while Lavender and Lady’s Mantle carry their florets in upright spires. At ground level Bugle will spread quickly, sending up densely packed blue flower spikes, and Honeysuckle, which binds all layers together, captures pollutants on the fine hairs of its stems and in its intricate flowers. ### Grow a Garden to Clean the Air with the *Indigenous Seven* These seven plants are indigenous, wild, hardy, easy to grow and together would provide shelter and food for a range of wildlife and maintain the soil they grow in. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Elder1.png) Elder ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Yew.png) Yew ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Ivy.png) Ivy ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Yarrow.png) Yarrow ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Honeysuckle-2.png) Honeysuckle ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/LADY-S-MANTLE-.png) Lady's mantle ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Buigle.png) Bugle For those with more space choose the Silver Birch and other well-known garden shrubs and flowering plants with similar characteristics: Osmanthus, Snowberry, Lavender, Salvia sp., Heuchera sp. and Aster sp. with Creeping Jenny as ground cover. 💡 **Ultimately all particulate matter will reach the soil.** ### Council Watch - June 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-july-2023/ Last updated: 2023-07-01T09:33:41.000Z In June West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) published its Annual Report. You can read the report [here](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g1144/Public%20reports%20pack%2029th-Jun-2023%2017.00%20Council.pdf?T=10&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (start on P109). We’ve looked at the 2023 and 2022 Annual Reports to pick out the elements we think are most relevant to climate change and sustainability. You can see below what WNC wanted to do in 2022/23 to address the climate and ecological emergency (priorities), what they actually did (highlights), and what they are aiming to deliver in 2023/24\. There is still no single place where we can see all actions to address the causes and prepare for the impacts of climate change (i.e. a Climate or Sustainability Action Plan). This would make it so much easier to appreciate what is being done and see where any gaps might be. If WNC has this but isn’t sharing it – why not? If they don’t have it, then they are running the risk of not giving themselves a coherent overview of climate actions, therefore overlooking weaknesses or opportunities. As a reminder the image above shows WNC’s overarching priorities, set when they took office in May 2021\. ### CA-WN’s comments: · Firstly, this is a much better picture than 12 months ago: it’s encouraging to see several projects planned or being considered which should reduce carbon emissions, including a heat network (more on these [here](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/heat-networks?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)). It would be helpful to know what the expected impact is, and we’d hope to see this in future emissions reports. · The 2022/23 report included performance measures – good, how else do we know if things are getting better? The image below shows what was measured for ‘Green and Clean’. We’d like to see more added, e.g. to allow tracking against WNC’s overarching Green and Clean priorities, it might be useful to add: \- Number of wildlife species \- % of population with access to green space · No mention of delivering an active travel strategy, although this has been promised for quite some time. · The Tree Policy is somewhat overdue so looking forward to seeing that early in 2023/24. What do you think of WNC's priorities and highlights? Please use the comments to share your views. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Green_Clean-measures.png) --- ### Priorities for 2022/23 (from 2021/22 Annual Report): · Together with our councillor working group, taking forward our Sustainability West Northants Initiative to raise awareness across our communities and make progress against the delivery of our pledges. · Sustainable West Northants – having adopted a new approach to looking at sustainability, we will deliver a clear action plan of how the council will work in partnership with communities, businesses and stakeholders. We will ensure we all play our part in delivering our ambitious strategy that includes environmental, economic, and social sustainability and value · A range of transport strategies that will ensure we have a credible, single understanding of the potential of all opportunities including active travel, the future of public services including bus, rail and new innovations including electric scooters, walking and cycling, and future road investment. --- ### 2022/23 Highlights: · Establishing a new dedicated sustainability service was key to steering and developing our response to climate change and as a result more communities, partners and businesses have been engaged over the past year. · We published a robust set of baseline CO2 emissions data for our Council’s first year, giving us a baseline against which to progress a detailed action plan to monitor and reduce these · Government funding of £1.25m was secured to make over 100 council-owned homes more energy efficient and a further £7m towards decarbonising our leisure centres. · Working with partners, we have pledged to plant over 11,300 new trees across West Northants as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative. · We expanded the success of the Northampton e-scooters scheme with the rollout of new e-bikes for hire across the town centre. · We received nearly £300,000 government funding to roll-out new initiatives aimed at researching and improving air quality in Northampton. · Putting the foundations in place for major transformational projects: Large scale solar generation (PV). · Work underway on Climate Strategies for Estate, Construction & Maintenance, and Fleet. · Secured funding: o £7m for decarbonising heating at four leisure centres. o £172k for feasibility for a sustainable heat network for Northampton and Rothersthorpe. o Delivering electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. o Delapre Park active travel scheme · Secured approval for the business case for the Resilience and Innovation in Northamptonshire (RAIN) project, unlocking £7m of Environment Agency funding to help manage flood risk in Wootton Brook (WNC) and Harper’s Brook (NNC) catchments, with wider benefits. · Secured lead authority status for preparing the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for West Northamptonshire. · Secured funding from Public Health to fund a food waste campaign · Secured £825k funding for Active Travel for capability and schemes --- ### Priorities for 2023/24 · Develop WNC’s Tree Policy and Strategy, and commence implementation. · Proceeding with the next stages of the RAIN project. · Development of first draft of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for West Northamptonshire. · Selected sites and moved towards implementation of large-scale solar generation (PV). · Publication of Climate Strategies for Estate, and Construction & Maintenance, and substantial progress on Fleet. · Completion of decarbonising heating at four leisure centres. · Completion of feasibility for a sustainable heat network for Northampton and Rothersthorpe and if appropriate seeking funding for the next stage of work. · Procuring a commercial partner for delivering EV charging infrastructure and securing the capital grant for this work. · Implementing the Delapre Park active travel scheme. · Progressing the DEFRA Air Quality Grant funded projects. These focus on the monitoring of traffic pollution in the Northampton area, integration with traffic management systems and provision of public information on air pollution levels and on the development of a full evidence base to assess the economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits of implementing further smoke control measures across West Northants · Progress the declaration of a revised Air Quality Management Area for the Northampton area and work with partners to develop an action plan to improve air quality in the area. · Complete work on Bus Service Review and implement outputs. · Complete review of Community Transport and implement outputs. · Develop and clarify changes in legislation such as the requirement in the Environment Act for Planning to introduce conditions within planning approvals to implement Biodiversity net gain (BNG) This is a way to contribute to the recovery of nature while developing land and will apply from November 2023. ### Risk Aversion? Then risk diversion. URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/untitled-4/ Last updated: 2023-07-01T09:21:08.000Z I’ve been reading a book recently called ‘The Entrepreneurial State’ by Mariana Mazzucato. It is an interesting read and I would recommend it. Within its pages the author sets out their view that, contrary to the common consensus, modern states have played a vital role in the development of private enterprise success stories. The example that is returned to within the book is Apple and that whilst the development of its product is often attributed to the daredevil inventor’s spirit epitomised in people like Steve Jobs, state funding played a huge role in helping it to get off the ground. The book contends also that without state assistance, tools we use on a daily basis (such as the internet) simply wouldn’t exist. The reason for this is that developing these ideas means taking a huge financial risk. These risks are ones private sector companies would not be willing to take on but that the state can, if it feels the potential long term benefits are worthwhile. The book continues that, more recently, we have become averse to the idea of the state financing such initiatives; this is because the failures (anyone remember Concorde?) are blamed on governments whilst the success stories such as governments' involvement in the internet are wholly attributed to the private sector. Does this aversion have a local impact? It certainly does and seems to manifest in two ways. Firstly, through piecemeal and ultra tentative funding from central governments to councils. Secondly, by passing down the mantra that we should only ever bet on one horse races. So what? One horse races are easy to bet on and if you find one you absolutely should take the opportunity, that much should be clear. We’re lucky in Northampton that there is one right on our doorstep. Funding is being given to upgrade the cycle tracks across the Delapre Abbey site - [£642,000 is being spent](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/transport/active-travel-fund?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to develop a 1300m traffic free route. Great idea and a real no brainer. The problem is that most horse races have more than one horse and you have to take a risk. Risk aversion isn’t always a bad thing, particularly if your status quo is comfortable and sustainable over a long period of time. That is not our status quo right now. We need to take some calculated risks. West Northamptonshire Council was recently a contributor to the University of Northampton Sustainability Summit 2023 and the document this summit agreed upon is known as the Northampton Sustainability Accord. You can read it [here](https://www.northampton.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/northampton-sustainability-accord-2023.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). It sets out a series of principles by which we can move toward a more sustainable Northampton. Let me draw your attention to one part of the accord: ‘*Resource Mobilisation: Stakeholders will explore opportunities for resource mobilisation, including securing funding, grants, and partnerships, to support the implementation of sustainability initiatives. They will jointly pursue external funding sources and leverage their networks to attract financial and technical assistance.’* Good words. We have several sustainability challenges in Northampton relating to Transport so I thought I would put together my own accord that specifies some areas in which the council could seek to honour the Northampton Sustainability Accord: *We the undersigned agree that, in response to article 7 of the Northampton Sustainability Accord, we will seek out funding, expertise and develop networks in pursuit of the below aims.* *\- Develop an interconnected cycle network within Northampton that includes a cycle thoroughfare into the centre of town. This cycle network will follow the standards as set out in the government report Gear Change (2020).* *\- Seek funding to install Zebra crossings/continuous pavements on urban junctions within West Northamptonshire* *\- Commit to a 20mph speed limit on all roads within the centre of Northampton, Towcester, Daventry and Brackley.* *\- Commit to moving toward a municipal bus service for the people of West Northamptonshire that aims to serve the needs of people rather than for the purposes of profit.* *\- In the short term, work with Stagecoach to develop a bus map for Northampton town with identifiable bus stop names.* *\- Lobby government to maintain the bus fare cap.* *\- Commit to free bus travel on weekends in December.* *\- Commit to pedestrianising streets in the centre of Northampton e.g. St Giles Street and commit to trialling car free periods for example on Park(ing) Day 15th September.* *\- Seek funding for feasibility studies to be carried out on the reopening of Northampton to Market Harborough and Northampton to Bedford former railway lines.* *\- Commission a travel survey for Northampton that identifies how cars utilise the roads.* If you would like to add your name to the Northants Streets Campaign Sustainable Travel Accord then please let me know in the comments below or on my [blog page](https://northantsstreetscampaign.wordpress.com/2023/06/16/the-northampton-sustainable-travel-accord/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). The time must come when noble, but nevertheless vague, commitments manifest themselves in the real world. We must see our sustainability challenges for the entrepreneurial opportunities that they are and we must start taking a few risks. ### My View - Adam Brown URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-adam-brown/ Last updated: 2023-07-01T09:15:50.000Z As Deputy Leader of West Northamptonshire Council, I often think to myself that I need to take both halves of that title seriously: both the work I do in deputising for the Leader to share his burdens, and the duties I have as a political and community leader. That leadership role requires me to have difficult conversations with my political allies, and to be willing to listen to the views of those who may consider me to be a political opponent, particularly when it comes to an issue that is as emotive and meaningful as our climate and tackling the emergency that confronts us all. Many advocates of environmental causes will believe that they lack support from my colleagues in the Conservative Party. I won’t deny that my party is still home to a stubborn caucus of climate change sceptics, and people who for various reasons are unwilling or unable to accept that we must confront the immense choices that the Climate Emergency presents us with. I believe, however, that those people and those views are in an ever-dwindling minority, and moreover they do not represent conservatism in its truest sense. There is also a new generation of Conservative members and elected officials who are united by a philosophy which holds that to be a true Blue you also need to be green. One of my favourite political texts is “Green Philosophy: How to Think Seriously About the Planet” by the conservative philosopher Roger Scruton. In “Green Philosophy” Scruton argues that conservatism and conservation are inseparable and that, “The goal is to pass on to future generations, and meanwhile to maintain and enhance, the order of which we are the temporary trustees”. In a nutshell – we are merely custodians, and our job is to bequeath a better world to the next generation. After all, without a safe and viable planet on which to raise a family, start a business, or earn a living, what is there to conserve? Very often the message and the mission being sold by those who care deeply about the environment is lost either in pessimism, or through a failure to translate a global issue into a local problem, and all politics is local. As a Conservative I believe strongly that there is a small ‘c’ conservative argument to convince people to make changes that will in turn benefit the whole planet. Talk to people about safeguarding the River Nene, their local park, or their garden and they will feel a sense of ownership and protectiveness that they wouldn’t feel about Emilia Romagna or the Amazon. Talk to them about the quality of the air they breathe on their street or in their village and it takes on far more significance than an abstract argument about air particles. Talk to them about supporting local food producers and appeal to their sense of local pride and they are far more likely to make better food choices, because all politics is local. Through our commitment to become a net zero Council by 2030, our membership of UK100 (a network of the most ambitious local leaders across the UK tackling the climate emergency), and our Sustainability Forum which embeds climate responsibility into the Council’s thinking and connects us to the wider community, I am confident that we are on our way to doing what is required here in West Northamptonshire. Plans are now translating into actions, with renovations of Council homes underway to decarbonise our housing stock, investment beginning in active travel schemes, and leisure centres being upgraded to enhance their energy efficiency. The future will entail a far greater level of ambition and investment, as well as a display of community leadership which will aim to ensure that the Council takes the whole of West Northamptonshire on this journey towards a cleaner, greener future, ensuring that regardless of political affiliation we will bequeath a better world to the next generation. ### My Three Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-9/ Last updated: 2023-07-01T09:13:15.000Z **by Luke Costin, second year student at the University of Northampton studying Multimedia Journalism and Creative Film, TV and Digital Media.* It is an established fact that one of the biggest threats facing not just the planet, but humanity, is climate change. It is also undoubted that collective action is needed to slow and halt the damage currently inflicted onto the environment, which is why I have decided to play my part in this by changing the way I purchase different items and travel to destinations in recent years. Plastic packaging seems to be inescapable, whether you're at the supermarket buying groceries, or ordering packages online, you can almost guarantee that your purchases have seen some sort of plastic. But a trend which has started to take hold in recent years and is growing in popularity are the refillable options now available in a range of supermarkets. When looking to buy household staples like pasta, rice, grains, dried fruit, or cereal, I opt where possible to use an in-store refill station, as seen in the likes of Marks and Spencer, and Asda, which allow you to buy the amount you need and store it in your own reusable container or in provided paper bags at the store. Not only does this cut out unnecessary plastic waste, but I have found it to make shopping cheaper and reduce food waste by only buying what you need. Furthermore, if I do incur any plastic waste, I will always recycle this wherever possible. Going on a holiday is something we all enjoy, but the question of how to make your journey sustainable can still be a tricky one to answer. Whilst travel companies can be held to account over their consumption of fossil fuels, as a customer on board an airplane, bus, ferry or train, it can sometimes feel like there isn’t an ethical option available. But thanks to modern developments, the travel industry is moving in a sustainable direction, and whilst newer, cleaner technologies are being developed, there are still ways you can enjoy a break without leaving a huge impact on the planet. When I look to fly abroad, I try to opt for airlines that use sustainable aviation fuel, or where this is not available, opting for an airline that offers a way to offset the carbon emitted by the flight, like EasyJet, or British Airways. Whilst in an ideal world flights would be taken with zero carbon emssissons, offsetting my carbon emissions is a temporary way for me to ensure the least impact is felt by the environment where possible. In addition, I have taken a similar approach when booking onto cruises to ensure my holiday leaves as faint a print on the planet as possible. For example, looking to holiday on a cruise ship that is powered by liquified natural gas, one of the cleanest non-electric fuels used by the cruising industry, as opposed to the widely-used diesel turbines still used by a number of cruise lines. Another thing that worries me is the trend of fast fashion, where high-street brands and online retailers mass produce clothing at speed using low-cost materials and cheap labour, often meaning the garments sold are of poor quality and usually end up in landfill. For me, when I look to buy new clothing, I try to ask myself if I need it rather than want it, and whether or not there is a more sustainable way to buy similar clothing with a fraction of the footprint. If there is another option out there, I will tend to find it via second-hand marketplaces like Vinted or Depop, as well as through vintage marketplaces online, such as Asos’s marketplace. ### ONE in Milton Keynes URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/one-gbgw-event-in-milton-keynes/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:12:53.000Z ### The ONE Campaign, sponsored by many of the world’s greatest charitable foundations, hosted a Great Big Green Week event for Milton Keynes. And CA-WN was invited. **A diary clash had pushed the event to Saturday 24 June, the week after the official GBGW, which very usefully highlights that if we are to survive a changing climate then EVERY WEEK must be a GREAT BIG GREEN WEEK.** As an emissary for climate action in West Northamptonshire it was a revelation for CA-WN to hear about the climate-related projects run by residents in Milton Keynes, our neighbouring unitary authority. Milton Keynes Council has itself shown leadership in its strategies for sustainable development, and has an award for planning excellence by the Royal Town Planning Institute (Ref 1). Compare and contrast the development policies for Milton Keynes with those of West Northamptonshire. Our area has allowed the building of wholly unsustainable greenfield housing estates; new homes built without solar heating, rainwater harvesting or passive ventilation; housing without even photovoltaic panels which are so much cheaper to install when building new. Worse, the location and layout of these modern communities mean that residents are trapped into car-dependence, adding to traffic jams and increasing our carbon emissions. This is such a shame because Northampton had once demonstrated its ability to plan for an ultra-sustainable future. Those with long memories will recall that the Prince’s Foundation and Northampton Borough Council, with the landowner, had together conceived and built Upton on the west side of Northampton as an exemplar for sustainable urban extensions. Upton’s EcoHomes incorporate solar heating, rainwater harvesting, photovoltaics, passive ventilation, sustainably derived insulation, green roofs and micro-CHP (Combined Heat and Power). In 2009 Upton Square won the UK Green Building Council's Sustainable Development of the Year award for projects under £2m - not so long ago but my, how things changed over the next decade as commercial developers were allowed free rein. At the ONE event Youth Ambassadors Amy Whittle, Sara Ngandu and Ayantola Alayande welcomed representatives from across Milton Keynes to an afternoon of presentations and discussions. An introductory quiz focused minds on the realities of the climate emergency and outlined the goals of the ONE Campaign: · elevate the case for supporting climate adaptation · collaborate with local groups · amplify voices, stories and activities. We next heard Milton Keynes City voices, stories and activities that included Transition Town MK, the Re-use Community Project - an initiative set up to recycle and sell unused items with profits shared among local charities, and Wolverton Community Energy which is now working across Milton Keynes helping individuals and businesses to reduce carbon use and become more energy efficient. Tony Coughlan from the Green Party, the only political party to make a presentation, talked very generally about increased voter awareness of green policies. From the Open University we heard about new sustainability courses and Yvonne Alton, Buckinghamshire Women's Institute (WI) Climate Ambassador, spoke of the work of the WI and showed pictures of the scarf that represents the average UK temperature across 100 years, ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Scarf.png) Scarf based on Professor Ed Hawkins’ #ShowYourStripes graph using Met Office data from 1919 to 2018. The WI has a proud history of taking action to protect the environment, as a founding member of The Climate Coalition and by lobbying politicians to prioritise tackling the issue of climate change. Eleven-year-old Milton Keynes resident Maryam Jazeem, a celebrated public speaker, Quran Reciter and YouTuber, said that Islamic leaders had used Friday Prayers to promote the Great Big Green Week and that respect for the environment was at the core of all religions. Wendy Sale, representing Transition Town MK, gave a straightforward and highly accessible explanation of Doughnut Economics, the regenerative and distributive model developed by contemporary economist, Kate Raworth. Working at neighbourhood, local council and city level, an MK city portrait is being created based upon the principles of Doughnut Economics (Ref2). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Doughnut.png) Image from Doughnut Economics Action Lab Northampton does have its local Transition Town group (Ref3) but are there are similarly concerned people in Daventry, Towcester and Brackley? If you are keen to learn more about Doughnut Economics, and how to turn it from a radical idea into transformative action, watch out for the guest speaker at a meeting later this year. Ref 1 [RTPI South East Award for Planning Excellence 2023 - Best in Region Milton Keynes City Council](https://www.rtpi.org.uk/find-your-rtpi/rtpi-english-regions/southeast/southeastawards?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Ref 2 [Milton Keynes Doughnut Economics](https://doughnuteconomics.org/groups-and-networks/31?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Ref 3 [Transition Town Northampton ](http://www.transitiontownnorthampton.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Less is More - How degrowth will save the world by Jason Hickel URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/less-is-more/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:07:07.000Z After reading this book, I have become obsessed with the idea of 'less is more' and whether it's possible for society (in developed, industrialised nations) to thrive in a post-growth economy. I have no doubt that the environment will benefit. Ever since studying Economics at A level, I along with everyone else have been told that GDP growth is good. More jobs, higher productivity, everyone better off. Both main political parties have a growing economy as one of their 5 main aims. But hasn't this growth led us to the social (massive inequality) and environmental (climate emergency) mess we find ourselves in today? This book urges us and policy-makers to consider changing direction and look for an economy based on prosperity for all, rather than pure economic growth. It offers practical ideas, not fluffy, idealistic concepts. It is easy to read and my copy is now covered in highlighted sections and I find I refer to it often. At the end of May 2023, there was an innovative [Beyond Growth 2023 Conference](https://www.beyond-growth-2023.eu/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in Brussels. The conference aimed to challenge conventional policy-making in the European Union and to redefine societal goals across the board, in order to move away from the harmful focus on sole economic growth – that is, the growth of GDP – as the basis of our development model. Delegates discussed the idea of a post-growth future-fit EU that combines social well-being and viable economic development with the respect of planetary boundaries. 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Penny’s Blackcurrant Surprise Pudding URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/pennys-blackcurrant-surprise-pudding/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:22:34.000Z What’s for afters? This childhood refrain frequently rang round the table as the family polished off our first course. It was either “afters” or “pud”, never “sweet” or “dessert”, so I make no apologies for calling the following dish a pudding, though in the strictest terms pudding should be either baked or boiled. I needed a gluten-free alternative to Summer Pudding, which relies on the absorbent nature of white bread, a quality that standard white sliced does not share with its gluten-free alternative, and this lovely summer fruit pudding, is it, albeit minus the strawberries. My first iteration of this dish called for tinned blackcurrant pie filling, available in most supermarkets until about 10 years ago. Today it is not easy to source blackcurrants, but at this time of year they are more easily found. You could, if you have a neighbour with two or three blackcurrant bushes, be specially nice to them, or why not grow a couple of bushes in extra-large pots, or on the edge of your vegetable plot. Because they are one of my very favourite fruit, we have sacrificed space that could have been usefully occupied by runner beans but the blackcurrants won the tussle, and every year I freeze a large proportion of the fruit, for use in the darkest days around Christmas and New Year. Cheek by jowl with the frozen blackcurrants I recently discovered a box of raspberries, and this being a sufficient prompt, prepared this deliciously perfumed pudding. All you will need is a quantity (about 600 grams) of blackcurrants, about 350 grams of raspberries, granulated sugar, a small pot of natural yogourt, double cream and a small amount of soft dark brown sugar. Put the blackcurrants in a thick bottomed stainless steel or enamelled pan with half a tablespoon of water, and bring very slowly to simmering point. Add granulated sugar to taste, and stir in to distribute it with the currants. Most of the juice in the pan will be released from the fruit, and the objective is to cook the currants but not reduce them to a mush, so allow the pan to come very gently to the boil and adjust the sweetness at this point. Once the currants are just soft and starting to implode, they are cooked. Remove from heat immediately and allow to cool. Check that there is just enough liquid in them to allow them to be stirred easily with a metal spoon, and again, check for sweetness. Blackcurrants are very high in pectin, and if there seems insufficient runniness in the cooked fruit, add another half tablespoon of boiling water. If you deem the fruit a little tart, it is better to add caster sugar if needed, which will dissolve more easily than granulated. Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the raspberries and refrigerate. Prepare the topping by whipping the cream lightly, just enough that the whisk leaves a trail through it. Now stir in the yoghourt, which will thicken the mix. The yoghourt gives the creamy mixture a satisfying tang, which complements the richness of the fruit very nicely. Divide the fruit concoction between dishes and carefully spoon the yoghourt cream mix onto it – a little like making an Irish coffee, although the topping will not pour satisfactorily, hence the need to spoon it. Finally, using your finger and thumb, sprinkle small patches of brown sugar over the top – you’re looking to form an archipelago of sugar, not a landmass, so hold back on the quantity. Finally, cover the dish or dishes, preferably with beeswax wrap, and chill till you’re ready to serve. Bon appetit. *The precursor to this recipe was given to me in the 1980s by my friend Penny Pierce, hence its somewhat quirky name.* 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### Your Brain on Climate URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/your-brain-on-climate/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:03:58.000Z Collectively, we know that climate change is a serious threat to our future, and we know what we need to do to avoid the worst effects. But we don’t seem to be doing it, at least not fast enough. So why is our behaviour not in line with the science? There’s lots of reasons but I personally feel that we can find out many of the answers if we take a look at the human psyche. The [Your Brain on Climate](https://www.yourbrainonclimate.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) podcast series examines the psychology of climate change: what we think and why we think it. Experts in topics such as grief, connection and pluralistic ignorance join the host, David Powell, a campaigner and engagement expert, for engaging and uplifting discussions. I find they help me to understand a bit more about why we think in the ways that we do and how to potentially harness that when communicating about climate change. 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### Join us for tea, cake and even more action on climate URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/climate-action-with-tea-cake/ Last updated: 2023-06-20T11:35:19.000Z ### Meet like-minded people at an informal social event at the Grosvenor Centre in Northampton on Saturday 8 July. From 1.30pm we’ll be at the Gatherings Meeting Room on the level above the ground floor just along from the Market Square entrance to the Grosvenor Centre. Please register using the Eventbrite link below so we know how much cake to bring. We look forward to seeing you. [Climate Action with Tea and CakeJoin us for tea, cake and even more action on climate. Informal ‘drop-in’ social event, free and family friendly.![](https://cdn.evbstatic.com/s3-build/prod/1289128-rc2023-06-15_16.04-d4fb13b/django/images/favicons/favicon-194x194.png)Eventbrite![](https://img.evbuc.com/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.evbuc.com%2Fimages%2F539282249%2F574849372793%2F1%2Foriginal.20230620-112235?w=1000&auto=format%2Ccompress&q=75&sharp=10&rect=0%2C7%2C1098%2C549&s=81a609632d1ae3a1858a4736c8d58b19)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-action-with-tea-and-cake-tickets-662897423037?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### CA-WN Monthly Meeting Notes 15 June 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-monthly-meeting-notes-15-june-2023/ Last updated: 2023-06-19T06:26:28.000Z Our guest speaker on the Politics of Climate Change was Dr Caroline Kuzemko, Reader in International Political Economy at Warwick University, and author of numerous books, articles and academic papers. She is also Co-Lead of Warwick's Energy GRP and a member of Warwick's Environment & Social Sustainability Action Group. This meeting was recorded and can be watched on the CA-WN [YouTube channel](https://youtu.be/dn1Sl5uZ4e4?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). **Present**: Alan Mawer, Alexina Cassidy, Clare Slater, Dave Anderson, Emmie Williamson, Eugenia Wilson, Harry Mellor, Hilary Haynes, Jane Wood, Leonie Beale, Michael Lawrence, Mike Longman, Orianne Neyroud, Peter Nalder, Rupert Frost, Rupert Knowles. **Apologies**: Ella Mansfield **The Politics of Climate Change** JW introduced Dr Caroline Kuzemko, and reminded attendees that CA-WN is not party-political; a climate action organisation can’t be free of politics, but it is one of CA-WN’s core principles that we are interested in whether people share our climate and environmental goals, not which side of the political spectrum they come from. Dr Kuzemko (CK) started with a brief summary of her career – she came relatively late to academia. After taking first degrees in Russian and German, she went into banking in the City, where she became curious about some of the ways the City worked and why it was allowed to work like that. She then took a Masters in International Political Economy - in order to reduce GHG emissions globally a lot of the ways in which we operate need to change, and the drivers for that are policy ones. She has studied processes of policy making, mainly but not exclusively in the area of sustainable energy. She is now doing work on the geopolitics of global energy transformations. CK then gave an overview of the links between climate change (CC) and politics: · There is no avoiding the politics of CC and we ignore it at our peril. The impacts of CC are unequal for political reasons but also due to differing incomes and geography (e.g. residents of low-lying countries and regions harder hit). · The scale of the transformation required to address CC is unprecedented. The IPCC advice is to reduce emissions by 33% by 2030; to achieve this will require really considerable change which will have impacts for everybody everywhere. From a positive viewpoint this means avoiding the worst effects of CC on societies, but other impacts are social and economic, for example, loss of employment for those working in industries with high carbon practices. These effects will need to be managed in order to avoid severe hardship. · All models showing how we either maintain warming at no more than 1.5 degrees, or achieve net zero by 2050, assume policy levers are used. · Why can’t we “just do it”? This is difficult especially in democracies as going ahead without democratic mandate breaks the link between voters and the democratic system. **Summary of Q&A Session** *How do we raise climate change up the agenda for the mass of voters? At the moment, there are few votes in climate action.* · CC has become a ‘valence issue’ i.e. one where there is cross party support in many countries across the global north. CK’s view is that this an issue that people do now care about, for reasons which might include increased coverage in the media, demographics (young people care more), or better education on climate issues. · CC is much further up the agenda than it used to be - there is more work to be done, but mainly on raising awareness of just how much CC will change lives for everyone in the world. Here in the UK we may think it won’t impact us much – but there will be 100s of millions of climate migrants from uninhabitable parts of the world in need of somewhere to live. · We often hear about the negatives and not the solutions, of which there are now masses. For example, a new solar park can be very divisive, but we need to understand why it is there, and that it may benefit the community. Discussion around the solutions to CC, what they look like, and what they mean needs to happen much more. · CK always starts from ‘never give up’ - we can’t give up, and she weaves CC into every conversation, diplomatically and relevantly. This is the only way to successfully question and challenge cultural norms. *Surveys around villages when doing canvassing shows that people are not ticking CC as one of their top issues; they are more interested in healthcare and migration.* · National surveys show the number of people ticking CC as a top issue has been steadily rising. Of course the response also depends on where you are and your personal experiences. *Could you talk about politics, CC and conflict? There seems to be a trend of people hating each other and being encouraged to do so.* · CC tends to exacerbate problems that already exist, including conflict. There are ways of thinking about CC that people perceive as possible, it can be helpful to explain it as a factor that will exacerbate what already exists. We need to talk about the solutions, many of which are very affordable and doable. · Integration of CC into all departments and all areas of policy is being done in the EU already. *If there are no votes in actually solving issues, and voters are attracted by the promise of solutions, are democracies inherently unable to solve the climate change problem?* · Delivering long term policies within democracies can be difficult because of short term election cycles and two-party systems. This is less of an issue now that CC is a valence issue as noted previously. · Solutions should provide more support now – e.g. insulating your home will mean you are warmer and have lower energy bills. Solutions can be beneficial for health and the economy as well as the environment (co-benefits). · Being a democracy doesn’t make delivering solutions harder, though it’s important to emphasise the co-benefits to gain support. *Short cycles do make long term planning more difficult. Some say we need to be on a war footing – do we need benevolent authoritarianism?* · Tend to disagree, having studied the Russian revolution and the degree of change they tried to implement. The thinking then was that lots more people would benefit across society, but when change is made on a ‘war footing’, people will fight back, resulting in wars, and associated very high emissions. · CK rejects the notion of an autocratic approach – it isn’t a choice between war and market led approaches, there’s also a system with a civil service which makes policy. *Can the ‘war footing’ be more about ‘everyone pulling together’? In some ways the ability to mandate change is needed as following popular opinion is too slow.* · There is a middle way e.g. the Netherlands has legislated to stop burning gas by 2050, and Demark has a policy of ending use of gas to heat houses. These changes are still in the context of market economies. In 2008 the UK Climate Change Act was ground-breaking and very cleverly made the carbon budgets legally binding. It also set up the Climate Change Committee to hold the government to account. There is lots we can do if we put our political mind to it. · Relying on markets is risky, as the more you do this, the more you sit back and do nothing yourself. There will be people who disagree, and those who lose jobs as a result of climate policies, so it’s important to make sure there are plenty of people who benefit. For example phasing out coal in the 1980s, though not done for environmental reasons, has resulted in the UK reducing emissions more rapidly than elsewhere. However, some parts of the country are still suffering from the devastation caused by closing coal mines, so we can learn some lessons. In Alberta in Canada they are compensating the workers rather than the owners of coal companies. *Are there any examples of political systems/economies doing a good job? If so, could that model be repeated/copied in other places?* · No A\* for anybody but there are aspects that can be pointed at in lots of places. For Denmark phasing out gas doesn’t cause loss of revenue as they are not a gas producer. Where cutting out gas is about revenue the transition will be slower e.g. Norway has done lots to promote take up of EVs and develop hydroelectric power, but they are a big oil and gas producer and still issuing extraction licences. The UK has a similar problem because of the strong influence of the gas lobby here. · Germany has a huge coal lobby and the coal industry is a big employer in poorer parts of the country so phasing it out is politically very difficult; Germany has done very badly on this. But it has done really well on improving the energy efficiency of homes, through a national development bank giving very low interest loans and grants to people who couldn’t afford to insulate their homes. *CA-WN has been taking an interest in the passage of the Local Electricity Bill through parliament, as it may go some way towards enabling local renewable energy projects that are currently difficult to set up and don’t offer impressive financial incentives. Can you comment on this please?* · This bill is quite focused on making generation of renewable energy more attractive by allowing much more local trading, i.e. direct trade between local stakeholders. · The rules and regulations for trading electricity and gas were designed for liberalisation of the industry and to keep oil and gas companies from making too much money. They were not put in place to facilitate the renewable future that we need, so must be changed if we are going to have a more distributed energy system. The bill proposes to change some of these rules but not all of them. The main obstacle is still planning permission especially for onshore wind but also solar. Everything in the bill needs to happen but so does a whole lot more. *Can you comment on the issue of electricity grid capacity, which we are told is a major obstacle?* · This has been known about for a really long time. Lots of papers have been written on how to re-regulate the network but only relatively minor changes have been made. So it is still a major obstacle. · In Bristol they have built some of their own network - the local authority invested in renewables and wanted to use them locally so built the grid. They installed it at the same time as the road was being dug up for other purposes to minimise cost (though still expensive). · There are discussions in Parliament about giving Ofgem a new overriding goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions; currently their goals are to ensure availability and affordability of gas and electricity (which they don’t really have the power to do). · The rulebook for connecting to the grid is so long and complex that it requires a team of people to understand it. *There seems to be a lack of climate adaptation policies and planning. Is this because politicians are under the impression that delivering net zero will immediately halt global warming, whereas in fact temperatures may continue to rise for 200 years?* · Adaptation has been a poor relation in many countries, usually where it is hard for people to understand the implications of CC for themselves. This includes the UK. There isn’t a really clear understanding that adaptation is needed. More adaptation measures are being implemented at the local authority level, but only where impacts are being seen locally e.g. flooding. *Our society is currently reliant on quite a lot of frivolous means. How can we reconcile the need for degrowth with the consumerist culture?* · There is room for more regulation - more stick, less carrot, but you do have to bring people with you. Some of the levers used need to be stronger, with an increased focus on skills, education and co-benefits. We should be improving quality of life as well as reducing emissions. *A lot of ideas depend on regular people having a lot of trust in those who haven’t served us well in the past. How can we serve the whole population without subjugating anybody? In Germany for example land defenders have been injured by the authorities.* · How would you get people on board? It’s important to know how change will be achieved. People can’t currently afford to care so policies need to recognise and address that. This is one way to engender more trust. *There should be more concern about methane, particularly across the north of the planet, and biodiversity.* · Methane as an issue has been overshadowed by carbon emissions, a lot is released including just being burnt off. Russia is a major offender and cannot be controlled by the international community. This has been more of a talking point at recent COPs but hasn’t trickled down to public debates. **Display stand design ideas** · HM explained that CA-WN has acquired the framework of a large pop-up display stand but needs to commission the ‘skin’ to cover it, and decide on what to put on this. One idea is a large attractive image for example a wildflower meadow, with just our name and logo. This could be overlaid with a banner customised for specific purposes and events. Other ideas are invited. · AC mentioned that at a recent event at Barclaycard, one stand was covered in leaves, which was eye-catching and fun to use as a backdrop for photographs. **Contacts with other groups** · We recently published a [list of other local climate and environmental groups](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/local-climate-and-environmental-groups/) on CE – thank you to Ella Mansfield for making that happen. Someone from a group based just outside West Northants asked us how we put the list together – the answer is mainly word of mouth, so if there are other groups to add please let us know. The aim is to help people find and contact groups in their area or linked to their own interests. · We are now looking to take this further by proactively contacting groups to see if there are ways we can work together or support each other more. **Upcoming events** · Saturday 17 May, Yelvertoft Environmental Group are holding an afternoon of family activities including pond dipping, bug hunting and making homes for bugs and hedgehogs. · Saturday 24 June, an event in Milton Keynes organised by the ONE Campaign, a global anti-poverty organisation. They’ve invited a mix of other organisations including MK Council sustainability and environment team, MK Green Party, Extinction Rebellion Bedfordshire and Network Rail. Volunteers requested to attend and help to represent CA-WN. This seems like a good chance to meet people with similar interests a little bit outside of our normal patch. · Saturday 1 July, Sustainable Futures Summit at UoN, a community event aimed at promoting environmental and sustainability campaigns in this area. \[*Post-meeting update – this event has been postponed to the autumn.\]* · Saturday 8 July, Tea & Cake with CA-WN – informal social event at the Gathering meeting room in the Grosvenor Centre. · August Bank Holiday weekend - CA-WN has been invited to share a stand at the Shambala Festival with Friends of the Earth, who have some tickets as one of their people is speaking at the event. Unfortunately tickets can't be split between people across the 4 days, so we are looking for volunteers to help with this who can attend 2 or more days ideally. Please get in touch! **AOB** – none **Date of next meeting** – Thursday 20 July 7:45pm. ### GBGW 2023: There’s no more water URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/gbgw-2023-theres-no-more-water/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:13:51.000Z It’s true. All the water in the world is just that, all the water in the world. No one knows how water got here and we can't make more H2O. Welding two parts of hydrogen to one part oxygen doesn't work, unlikely as that seems in an age where hopes of solving worldly problems presume that ‘technology will fix it’. Our undrinkable oceans and salty water add up to roughly 97% of all earth’s water leaving 2.6%, as freshwater, potentially useful to plants and animals, but over half of that is in groundwater or locked in glaciers and ice caps. After accounting for groundwater, glaciers, and ice caps there’s just 1.2% of our freshwater left 97% of which is in frozen ground and permafrost, lakes, rivers, swamps and marshes, soil moisture, and in all living things. The remaining 3% of Earth’s freshwater is held in our atmosphere as water vapour - until it falls as mist, rain, sleet or snow, to sustain the world’s population. There's a continuous process of water moving from Earth's surface into the atmosphere and back again: the water cycle. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Water-cycle.png) **Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech* In summary the stages of that hydrologic cycle are: **Evaporation**: Heat from the sun causes water to evaporate from Earth’s surface, rivers, lakes, and oceans, turning it into water vapour that rises to the troposphere. **Condensation**: Water vapour cools as it rises through the troposphere and condenses into clouds of tiny water droplets or ice crystals. **Precipitation**: The condensed water falls back to earth when the clouds become too heavy. **Infiltration**: Some of the precipitation seeps into the ground and becomes groundwater, some stored in underground aquifers. **Runoff**: Some precipitation flows over the surface of the land and into rivers, lakes, and oceans, The cycle begins again. Unfortunately for life on Earth, the very delicate balance of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff that regulates earth's climate patterns and maintains ecosystems is becoming unstable. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Currents.png) **Image Credit: NASA/JPL* Since the beginning of time ocean currents have distributed heat and energy around the Earth in a generally predictable pattern, moving warm water from the tropics towards the poles, where it cools and flows back to the tropics. The surface temperature of ocean currents and the heat of the sun influence the rate of evaporation, but surface water temperatures and solar energy inputs are changing and that is upsetting the historically stable hydrologic cycle. The roughly two-thirds of freshwater locked in Arctic and Antarctic ice, and as icing on mountain tops, has been gradually unlocked by ever-so-slightly rising temperatures. The addition of this freshwater to saltwater is having complex and far-reaching effects on the ocean ecosystem, raising sea levels and creating havoc with weather systems. Though this doesn’t generally affect us today, Britain is dependent upon currents that create the Gulf Stream, bringing the warmth that moderates our climate, keeping temperatures relatively mild, especially in winter, and contributing to our high levels of rainfall. Originating in the Gulf of Mexico, this warm, swift Atlantic current flows northwards along the eastern coast of the USA and then veers towards the British Isles and Europe. Without the Gulf Stream we would have a climate more like that found at similar latitudes in North America, with temperature and rainfall weather extremes we’ve never seen before. These certainly would affect us. In our globalised world, where everything is interdependent, we need to think about tipping points, those critical thresholds where systems undergo irreversible change beyond which they cannot return to a previous state, even if the conditions that caused the change are reversed. Think of events that mean home-made renewable energy becomes cheaper and no more unreliable than imported oil and gas. That’s a tipping point. Why would a country not develop its sources of renewable energy for its economy and security? Think of events that reduce food availability and focus minds on food security such that improved farming methods deliver greater self-sufficiency. Why would a country not aim to feed itself? Without wishing to overplay the role of CA-WN, think of that tipping point reached when a critical mass of residents determine to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, improve local biodiversity, and work on building their community’s resilience to the effects of a changing climate. Wouldn't that be a great result for the Great Big Green Week 2023? ### GBGW 2023: A consumer guide to identifying a sustainable business URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/a-consumer-guide-to-sustainable-businesses/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:14:08.000Z As CA-WN Exchange contributor Harry Mellor pointed out in his [Great Big Green Week article](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/housing/) earlier in the week, three-quarters of all our greenhouse gas emissions come from consuming goods and services. Aside from trying to consume less overall, how do we as consumers try to choose more ‘sustainable’ and therefore less-damaging products and services? While there is no standardised definition, several indicators and labels exist to help consumers assess a business's sustainability. They can help consumers identify products that align with their sustainability values, both environmental and social, and at the same time help support businesses striving for a more sustainable future. In no particular order, here is a list of some of the main certifications and labels you will find on products or websites. [Soil Association Organic](https://www.soilassociation.org/certification/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org): The Soil Association is a widely recognised certification for organic products in the UK. It guarantees that the product has been produced following organic farming practices and meets strict standards for environmental sustainability. [Fairtrade Foundation](https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org): The Fairtrade Foundation certification ensures that products have been sourced from producers who receive fair prices for their goods, work in safe conditions, and adhere to social and environmental standards. [Marine Stewardship Council](https://www.msc.org/what-we-are-doing/our-approach/what-does-the-blue-msc-label-mean?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwhJukBhBPEiwAniIcNQ%5FqZm7fmN8Q0A-fIuChH2HU9h9Ulli%5FmEkUrCZiCy3dUtHwFMzi3BoCPfUQAvD%5FBwE&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (MSC): The MSC label is found on seafood products and indicates that the fish or seafood has been sourced from sustainable fisheries that follow responsible fishing practices. [Forest Stewardship Council](https://connect.fsc.org/certification/certification-system?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (FSC): The FSC label can be found on wood and paper products, indicating that they come from responsibly managed forests that meet environmental, social, and economic standards. [Rainforest Alliance Certified](https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/insights/what-does-rainforest-alliance-certified-mean/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org): This label is commonly seen on products like coffee, tea, chocolate, and bananas, indicating that they have been sourced from farms that meet strict environmental and social standards. [Carbon Trust](https://www.carbontrust.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org): The Carbon Trust certification is given to organizations and products that have successfully reduced their carbon footprint and are committed to ongoing carbon reduction efforts. [B Corp](https://bcorporation.uk/b-corp-certification/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org): B Corp certification is given to businesses that meet rigorous standards for social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. The B Corp logo on a product indicates that the company behind it has achieved this certification. [RSPCA Assured](https://www.rspcaassured.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org): This label indicates that animal products, such as meat, dairy, and eggs, come from farms that follow welfare standards set by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) [Good Business Charter](https://www.goodbusinesscharter.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org): An organisation must meet commitments to 10 components; real living wage, fairer hours and contracts, employee well-being, employee representation, diversity and inclusion, environmental responsibility, paying fair tax, commitment to customers, ethical sourcing and prompt payment. [Certified Organic (Organic Farmers & Growers):](https://ofgorganic.org/about?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The Organic Farmers & Growers certification provides assurance that the product meets organic farming standards and is produced without synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms. [BREEAM](https://bregroup.com/products/breeam/how-breeam-works/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org): (Building Research Establishment Assessment Method): BREEAM is used to specify and measure the sustainability performance of buildings, ensuring that projects meet sustainability goals and continue to perform optimally over time. ### GBGW: Clean Air Day 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/gbgw-2023-clean-air-day-15-june/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:14:14.000Z ### By Dave Pearson - *Clean Air Northampton* Yes. The 15th June 2023 was **Clean Air Day**. But shouldn’t everyday be a **Clean Air Day**? The Council, with statutory duties to ensure the good health of residents, must answer why Northampton is the town with the most polluted air in Britain. CA-WN already knows why because I’ve been helping to monitor Northampton’s air. The pollution sensors show that it’s largely the collective result of everyone needing to use their cars and keep themselves comfortable at home. What do the people of Northampton want done about the town’s polluted air? At the Town Carnival on 10 June *Clean Air Northampton* listed key actions that could help reduce air pollution in the town and asked people to rank the most important in their view. Top of the poll was active travel, walking and cycling. Planting more trees, improving public transport, and introducing a clean air zone also scored highly. Electric buses came in fifth. Then came smoke control areas that ban wood-burning stoves and bonfires. Next came car-sharing schemes, refusing to licence diesel and petrol taxis and a 20 mph speed limits in residential areas. Car clubs, where you just book and use a car when you need one, was the least popular measure. John Crick of *Living Streets Northampton* said “It’s been well known for years that Northampton has toxic air, well over the safe limits set out by the World Health Organization. Air pollution is caused mainly by cars, and 40% of car journeys in Northampton are less than 2 miles – a distance that could easily be walked or cycled by most people. Yet while neighbouring cities such as Leicester, Nottingham, Coventry, and Birmingham are investing to make cycling and walking safer and easier, nothing meaningful is being done in Northampton. Putting the needs of car drivers above all else creates junctions that are unsafe for walking. Most people find our roads way too intimidating for cycling so counting the number of cyclists on today’s roads is a waste of public funding intended to support active travel. “Other places have realised that we can’t just go on adding more and more cars as populations grow. They’ve invested in active travel infrastructure and it’s working – Northampton needs to do the same and join the 21st century.” West Northamptonshire Council, our new unitary authority, has sole responsibility for managing traffic and travel, roads and planning, public health as well as for ensuring economic wellbeing. As the sixth-largest unitary by population, and ranked thirteenth by net current expenditure, it has become a nationally significant public authority. If it hasn’t already recognised its responsibility for encouraging active travel, then it should put it high on its business agenda. There’s no need to start from scratch. The ten-year old County and Town Transportation Plans all include sections on active travel. Public Health England say that that every 12 months around 100 Northampton deaths are linked to air pollution. If residents value their health, they need to get behind *Clean Air Northampton* and support our Council in making change happen. Clean Air Day 2024 must show that great progress is being made on cleaning up our air. ### GBGW 2023: Climate anxiety - a personal journey URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/climate-anxiety-a-personal-journey/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:15:22.000Z People talk about sustainability journeys – that is, starting with small actions such as paying attention to recycling or switching to recycled toilet paper and then progressing to the big carbon-ticket items like installing solar panels or committing to going flight-free. But there’s a whole other journey that I personally am undertaking, and I suspect many of you are too: the emotional journey, along which you take in the complexity, enormity and importance of the climate and biodiversity crises. But where does it start and will it ever end? With no expertise in psychology, I had no idea what the answers were, but feeling bereft and permanently panicked, I really needed to know how to feel joy again. Below I share details of my personal journey, and in the accompanying article, [*Why don't we all care about climate change?* ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/why-dont-we-all-care-about-climate-change/)I share my very much lay perspective of the psychology of climate change. It’s only recently that I’ve recognised I’m even on this journey. I’ve been aware of, and felt upset by, climate change since it was commonly referred to as global warming. A series of major life events took the edge off my worry – distracted me, I suppose. But just as the rollercoaster of having young children subsided into an undulating carousel, the February 2019 heatwave hit…and BOOM! I’m swept away in a tsunami of angst, fear and downright misery. I didn’t know what to do - I couldn’t indulge those feelings because I had responsibilities, but I couldn't see how I could ever feel happy again while the world was on this path to destruction. No-one around me confessed to feeling those feelings and in fact mainly seemed blissfully unaware of the dire situation. Thankfully I found an online community whose members had similar outlooks. That helped, knowing that this is a shared worry. I also learned that taking action may help me feel better – so I threw myself in head first. Within 6 months I had helped to set up a local online sustainability group, stood as a parliamentary candidate with a view to raising the profile of climate change debates, and co-founded a local climate action group (the precursor to CA-WN, in fact). But despite buzzing around with all these hats on I was still feeling a tangible fear for the future. I’d had to educate myself on the climate science to enable me to make a meaningful impact in the roles I’d taken on, and the more I read, the more doom I felt as I visualised the impending tipping points and their irreversible consequences hurtle towards us. I felt guilty for bringing my children into this world and wondered how on earth I could fulfil my role as a mother in keeping them happy and healthy. I also felt guilty that I was beginning to shy away from the difficult reads – how could I contribute to a climate action group if I wasn’t aware of how bad the situation was becoming? But equally distressing was why are other people still going about their daily lives seemingly without a (climate) care in the world? In hindsight I recognise a turning point, which came when I mentioned to a friend (who does have psychological expertise) how I couldn’t bring myself to watch the latest David Attenborough documentary. He suggested that I was experiencing grief, and how that was a natural and healthy response to the crisis. My intense emotions finally validated, I sought professional help to manage them. I was fortunate to be able to afford some sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy, after which I felt much more able to recognise, understand and accept my emotions, and more importantly, to harness them. I’m sure this isn’t the end of my emotional journey, but for now it feels like a stable steady path with enough visibility to enable me to brace myself for the potholes. I feel that with the help of some reading and TED talks, I can finally try to understand my climate anxiety. ### GBGW 2023: Why don't we all care about climate change? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/why-dont-we-all-care-about-climate-change/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:15:32.000Z While researching the basis of [my own climate anxiety](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/climate-anxiety-a-personal-journey/), I began to form a picture of why some people don’t seem to care about the climate and biodiversity crises. I try to weave sustainability into every aspect of my life. Every decision I make I have the environment at the forefront of my mind. Every conversation I have, every purchase I consider, even the films and TV I watch I’m wondering about the carbon footprint of production, or evaluating environmental messages. I nag my family about how long they are taking to peruse the contents of the freezer with all that warm air rushing in, and I wince if I hit an insect while driving. So it fascinates me when other people just don’t seem to get it: jetting off on multiple return flights a year, leaving their car engine idling, buying fast fashion like it’s going out of…fashion. What could be driving this denial? When I think of climate deniers, I think of people in powerful positions such as CEOs of oil companies, politicians and others with financial or political motives. However, I was enlightened by a [TED talk by Patrick Belmont](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNrmpPraBIs&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), where climate deniers were considered not just as those who actively work against tackling climate change, but also ‘passive’ deniers, who accept there is a problem, but continue to pollute for various reasons, such as those who believe technology or offsetting is the answer or who feel they cannot make a difference, so why bother? During that talk, a new definition of a climate denier was proposed as someone with a large carbon footprint (i.e. all of us in the Westernized world) who is not actively trying every day to reduce that footprint. But what about those people who still aren’t fully aware of the problem, despite all the mainstream media coverage? From all that I’ve read and watched, it seems there’s a multitude of factors: · Its effects are invisible – it’s difficult to ascribe the odd storm to climate change and we can’t truly visualize the decline in our native species. · The cause is invisible – labelling items and activities to show associated carbon dioxide or equivalent emissions, may help tackle this. · It’s gradual – perhaps we would be able to ascribe extreme weather events to climate change if they were suddenly happening every week. · It’s not affecting us personally – while we may feel sympathy for victims of floods or fires in far away regions, I feel there may be an element of dissociation from our own reality. And then there’s the case of knowing on some level that there is a problem but not facing up to it because: · It’s painful – and we are all striving for happiness, so it’s safer psychologically to ignore it. · No-one else seems to be that worried – my friends and family aren’t worried, and the government aren’t telling us to stop flying, so surely it can’t be that bad? · There’s more pressing issues – the cost of living crisis, a pandemic, war, personal issues. I think the most worrying of all these is wanting to ignore it because it’s too painful. Actually, our negative emotions are important to energise us, so if we can harness them, we can leverage them to help us find solutions through taking action. This may ultimately lead to a profound happiness that we can derive from living by our values, which I feel is a great antidote to chasing the short-lived instant gratification that comes from purchasing stuff. As is practising gratitude – which can help us connect more deeply with nature. Developing compassion for others and nature could in turn motivate individuals to protect each other and our wildlife, as we feel more connected and part of a global community of humans and all the other species. I live in hope that we will soon reach a tipping point where the social pressure to protect our habitat becomes so great that it is the norm. ### GBGW 2023: Why Measuring Matters and How You Can Help URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/why-measuring-matters-and-how-you-can-help/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:15:46.000Z We now know that wildlife and biodiversity in the UK is in a great deal of trouble – Clare Slater wrote about this in a recent [editorial](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-latest-from-ca-wn-exchange-june-2023/) for CA-WN Exchange, and the BBC Wild Isles series spelled out the scale of the problem in beautifully filmed colour. A point made in Clare’s editorial was that biodiversity decline is being measured against a 1970 baseline. To someone like me who grew up in the 70s, it seems like a time when there was an abundance of wildlife, but at that point nature in the UK was already battered by centuries of human activity. Someone born 2 decades after me might feel the same about the 1990s. This phenomenon of shifting baseline syndrome can be dangerous as left to ourselves we fail to perceive longer term trends. Consequently accurate data records are extremely important. Let us imagine that when children now at primary school reach their middle age they will say “there are so many more birds, bees and butterflies today than when I was a child”. How can we, as individuals, help to make this happen? One way is to let our lawns grow, make hedgehog highways, avoid pesticides and herbicides and grow pollinator-friendly flowers, and so transform our big and small outdoor spaces into a patchwork of habitat. Another way is to contribute to the vitally important process of collecting and analysing data, as a ‘citizen scientist’. Citizen science can be simply defined as ‘any activity that involves the public in scientific research’, and it contributes to action on the climate and ecological emergency by engaging and empowering individuals to collect and analyse data related to climate change and biodiversity decline. This can include monitoring local weather patterns and tracking changes in plant and animal populations. For the individual, citizen science can foster a sense of ownership and responsibility to counter the helplessness many feel when faced with the rapidly materialising realities of climate change. You may well already have joined the ranks of citizen scientists, if you are one of the 500,000+ people who took part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this year, or if you have counted butterflies for the Big Butterfly Count run by the Butterfly Conservation Trust. These are both annual events but there are opportunities to contribute on a more regular basis too. This might be as part of a larger ongoing project such as the Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s Beewalk, or more casual reporting of your everyday sightings. All counties have a Biodiversity Records Centre with a website where you can upload details of your own observations and see what other people have reported. The easiest way to do this if you have a smartphone is to download the iRecord app and log your sightings on the go. These are then passed on to the relevant local expert (county recorders) for verification. As an amateur it is quite nice to get an email confirming your identification was correct! Sometimes you might have been wrong, but no problem – amend your record and learn from it. Most citizen science projects will provide support and reference material to new participants, and there are also plenty of books and online guides. I regularly use a couple of identification apps too – Chirpomatic for birdsong (Merlin is another one), and Obsidentify for visual identification of just about anything, though I mostly use it for invertebrates and plants. These apps aren’t completely accurate all the time but help to narrow down your options. And I know Facebook isn’t for everyone but there are some great specialist groups on there. There are links to a few of these along with other useful resources at the bottom of this article. Have a look through the available options and sign yourself up – I’ve had a go at a few things now and I’ve always had a very warm reception, so there really is nothing to fear. --- ### Useful links · Good list of Citizen Science opportunities here - [Citizen Science, Fieldwork and Sightings (countryside-jobs.com)](https://www.countryside-jobs.com/volunteers/citizen-science?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) · [Northamptonshire Biodiversity Records Centre](http://northantsbrc.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) · The [British Trust for Ornithology](https://www.bto.org/how-you-can-help/take-part-project?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) for mainly bird-related projects · [Zooniverse](https://www.zooniverse.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), for a global and very diverse selection of projects that you can work on from your desk **Facebook groups** · [British Birdwatching for Beginners](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1793919364234148/) · [UK Bees, Wasps and Ants](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1590641777855221/) · [Butterflies and Moths UK](https://www.facebook.com/groups/113572275415525) If you want to go further, the Wildlife Trust BCN offers excellent [identification workshops](https://www.wildlifebcn.org/get-involved/training-workshops?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). They also have a range of [volunteering roles](https://www.wildlifebcn.org/get-involved/volunteer?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). I’m sure there are lots of resources and opportunities I have missed out – please add a comment to share others that you know about. ### GBGW 2023: It starts at home URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/housing/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:03:04.000Z ### The government figures shown here chart our collective contribution to global climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions. ### Because everything we do has a climate consequence let’s keep in mind that when it comes to reducing emissions, as they say, *every little helps* \- one way or another. With nearly half a million people living in West Northamptonshire *every little* amounts to an awful lot. When three-quarters of all our greenhouse gas emissions come from consuming goods and services, half a million people consuming a little less would indeed add up to an awful lot less greenhouse gas. A personal decision to consume less, while ostensibly bad for business, does save money. A little less travel, or walking or cycling instead, could add further savings, savings that higher winter heating bills are eating up. So, how can we reduce our heating bills? It is said that installing a heat pump and improving insulation levels will reduce home heating costs. This would be good business for installers, but we need to ask how householders might benefit. Certainly, some homes do need extra insulation. And an efficient heat pump carefully matched to the home’s energy needs might save energy. But at what cost are these improvements made? Householders' decisions about investing in energy efficiency are sometimes based on the recommendations given in a home’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). These certificates, produced using a standardised procedure for assessing and grading a home’s energy efficiency, were never intended to guide major investments, like installing a heat pump or improving whole-house insulation levels. Bear in mind that the EPC assessment process was formulated long before we had smartphones. In those days of paper-based surveys, the priority was the development of a straightforward, easy to deploy, nationally applicable energy efficiency ranking scheme. Fast forward to today. What would work better than a home’s EPC to inform decisions about increasing home energy efficiency? To answer that question ten families opened their homes to CA-WN last winter to trial a new approach to assessing their options for improving energy efficiency. This new approach makes use of very detailed information gathered over several weeks using technology that even if it existed ten years ago would have been prohibitively expensive for everyday use. The process starts with the household’s energy meter readings, proceeds to log immediate outdoor temperature and humidity levels, collects room-by-room measurements of indoor temperature and humidity levels, and concludes with an end-of-survey meter reading. Taken together these provide unique insight into the thermal performance of each home. The computer-based analysis of the results, when coupled with a clear understanding of occupiers' comfort preferences, becomes the uniquely tailored foundation for building up options for improving the home's energy efficiency. Although they use affordable data acquisition devices, these in-depth assessments at £500 each, can only be for the few. Not least because currently, mid-2023, there are too few assessors with sufficient experience of delivering this holistic analysis service. It will take two further heating seasons before there’s a large enough team capable of triaging the 100,000 or so privately owned West Northamptonshire homes that deserve to be less energy wasteful. The current absence of trained energy assessors is just one obstruction to wide-scale action to improve home energy efficiency. There are other practical roadblocks: scarcity of materials, of equipment and of a labour force sufficiently skilled to do installations. The social housing providers in our region, Grand Union and West Northamptonshire Partnership Homes, are receiving public funding that will help to develop a retrofit market capable of matching supply of resources to emerging demand, but that too will take a couple of years at the very least. Government energy-related go-stop-go-stop financial support policies have created a natural reluctance of middle-tier contractors to dive into retrofit. The region really does need those family-owned, reputation-aware, conscientious businesses that lie between the profit-maximising, publicly listed national building contractors and the single-skilled sole trading builder, electrician or plumber. Meanwhile, those homeowners who do seek to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and aspire to save money heating their homes, are having to deal with well-meaning but sometimes inept contractors trading in imported equipment originally intended for use in climates quite different from the English South Midlands and generally untrained in accurately assessing what’s best for their clients. There’s one further obstacle in the push to replace fossil-fuelled home heating. Ofgem estimates that a typical household uses 2,900 kWh of electricity and 12,000 kWh of gas every year. Even when a heat pump is four times as efficient as gas heating, switching to electric-only heating effectively doubles each household’s annual electricity use. That’s a doubling of demand on a grid that today struggles to satisfy peak wintertime demand and is structurally unable to take input from major new sources of renewable energy. Where does that leave us today? If West Northamptonshire communities choose to came together, as streets and neighbourhoods elsewhere are doing, they could make a start by identifying homes ripe for improvement. They would then be in a position to benefit from economies of scale by, as it were, bulk-buying from a new breed of well-informed retrofit contractors able to supply, fit and maintain UK-specific systems and controls. Which does leave a final and fundamental question, who will be paying for all this? One answer came from a speaker at a retrofit conference last summer, a leader of a local Integrated Healthcare Board (ICB), who explained that there could be a case for ICBs to raise a budget for spending on home improvement if it cut the costs of caring for patients whose poor health was linked to poor housing conditions. There must be other equivalent opportunity costs, such as the National Grid complementing its essential infrastructure investment by allocating funds for delivering well thought through home energy efficiency measures that would reduce total demand on its electricity network. Enlightened lenders offering mortgages for buying energy inefficient homes might add to their loan amount the full costs of bringing them up to the standard needed to maintain comfort during extended sub-zero winters or 40°C summers. Of course all this requires joined-up thinking by all the relevant parties. Without taking thoroughly considered decisions, followed up by urgent action, there'll be no progress to report in 2025\. Everything is hotting up and there's no time to lose. Whatever the future holds CA-WN will continue to be a source of reliable fact-checked information and ever ready to support local communities in their drive to be more resilient to the worst effects of climate change. If you have a question [just ask](mailto:secretary@ca-wn.org?subject=Re:%20The%20CA-WN%20Exchange%2012%20June%202023), or if you would like to share your views then please do hit the subscribe button. ### Welcome to Great Big Green Week 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/welcome-to-great-big-green-week/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:16:14.000Z Today is the start of [Great Big Green Week](https://greatbiggreenweek.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), a celebration of community action in fighting climate change and nature depletion. The week-long series of events across the country showcases community projects and is an opportunity to send a message to the government to show that we want greater action on climate change and protection of nature. Events taking place in our area include nature walks, litter picks and even festivals; you can find out more details and search for events nationally here: [Find an event - Great Big Green Week](https://greatbiggreenweek.com/find-an-event/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). We are marking the week here at CA-WN with daily offerings from CA-WN Exchange, with each day bringing a new topic. We’ll be covering food and farming, saving energy at home, water, air quality, climate anxiety, biodiversity and sustainable business. We also have our regular online climate café on Wednesday and our monthly meeting on Thursday will be looking at the politics of climate change. Enjoy the week! ### GBGW 2023: The Great Food Challenge URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-the-problem-with-soy/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:09:58.000Z Our food contributes significantly to the carbon emissions causing the climate to change. How can we rise to the challenge of feeding the number of people on Earth in a way that is healthy, safe, affordable and has minimal environmental impact? As a consumer making choices to fit with our lifestyle and our pocket as well as our principles is difficult - we are faced with a huge choice of products and often very limited information about how food is produced and its environmental impact. One way to get a small insight into UK food production is to visit a working farm, and that is what I did last weekend as part of LEAF Open Farm Sunday. You can read more about the scheme [here](https://farmsunday.org/visit-a-farm/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) \- enter your postcode to find a participating farm local to you. I’d encourage you to pay one a visit if you can. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Bigbeasts.png) The time-saving big beasts of farming today I visited H Collins & Son in Kislingbury, a few miles SW of Northampton. The array of farm machinery on display was vast in every sense, with helpful signs explaining what each one is for. Reading what these can do in a day makes it clear why new technology improves efficiency. Farm machinery demos were watched by lots of families with fascinated small children, who also loved getting close to sheep and lambs. There were games and a straw bale racetrack for young ones to enjoy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Granddayout.png) For families LEAF Open Farm days are a great day out I liked the sheep too, but the highlight for me was a long chat with John, the nutritionist from Heygates, based in Bugbrooke Mill one village away from Kislingbury. Heygates produce a wide range of flours, mixes and animal feeds. I particularly wanted to find out more about soy in animal food, as growing soybeans is a major cause of deforestation, especially in South America. The raw material used in animal feed is actually soy meal, effectively a by-product of soya oil manufacture. Soy meal is high in protein (about 40%), which makes it highly suitable as a foodstuff, but also makes it difficult to replace, as there is no readily available product yet which matches this at a similar cost. A number of alternatives are being explored, so in the future it should be possible to replace soy meal in animal feeds largely or even entirely. The company Heygates get their soy from (Cargill) is signed up to the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya, a relatively new initiative. This means that soy bought by Heygates should not have been grown on newly deforested land. Consumer pressure is a key driver behind the desire to cut down on use of soy. One way to reduce the total amount of soy being used to feed animals is for all of us to eat less meat. The average consumed [daily per person](https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/daily-meat-consumption-per-person?tab=table&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in the UK is around 219g, compared to 12g in India and an average of 45g across Africa. Meat-free food is becoming more mainstream and more appealing – see Alexina Cassidy’s piece on [Eat Curious](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/eat-curious/). We could also look at different sorts of meat. Whilst at the farm I enjoyed a venison burger, made by a [company](https://warwickshirewildgame.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) that provides a service to landowners affected by too many deer. In the absence of natural predators to control numbers, deer damage crops and commercial and natural woodland, with knock-on effects on other wildlife. Some argue that fencing could be more effectively used to control deer, but some culling is unavoidable. In food as everything else, we should aim to be thoughtful consumers and finding out a bit more about the process of growing and producing what we eat can only be a good thing. ### The latest from CA-WN Exchange - June 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-latest-from-ca-wn-exchange-june-2023/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:20:23.000Z Often when I speak to people about the environment, the primary concern seems to be around greenhouse gas emissions and global heating. Indeed, the headlines that the 1.5-degree barrier will be breached soon (albeit temporarily for now) really do hook you into the media articles; it doesn’t take much to visualise the disaster movie extreme weather events that are coming our way. What’s harder to convey, however, is the other huge impact of human activity – the ecological crisis that is decimating the biodiversity of species on our planet. Of course, images of sea creatures trapped in plastic bags or news that our hedgehogs are in decline resonate with most people, but what does it matter if we lose a few animals here and there? Actually, it matters a lot. Our ecosystems are highly complex and inter-dependent: loss of one species will have knock-on effects throughout the ecosystem. Humanity has evolved within, and remains dependent on, rich and diverse ecosystems. For example: pollinators that are critical for many of our crops, healthy soils and seas to help sequester carbon, and forests to provide a plethora of natural resources, not least the oxygen we breathe. You may not be surprised to read that globally we have lost around 25% of biodiversity so far, with the UK having lost around 50% of its biodiversity; a loss of 10% is considered ‘safe’ to avoid ecological meltdown. The stripes above show the 69% decline in global biodiversity from an already depleted 1970 baseline. I first heard about those stripes on 22nd May, which was the UN International Day for Biological Diversity. As with climate change, mechanisms are in place to try to address the decline in nature – a breakthrough output of COP15, held in December 2022, includes the promise to protect 30% of the planet and 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030\. But as with climate change, we now need to see actions to back up these words. Biodiversity loss and climate change are not separate though, in fact climate change is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss especially in polar, mountain and coral reef ecosystems. On the other hand, degradation of ecosystems that store carbon, such as forests, peatlands and wetlands, transforms these ecosystems into carbon sources rather than sinks and contributes to climate change. So, as well as making our outdoor spaces welcoming to wildlife, we can all help nature by continuing to reduce our personal greenhouse gas emissions, keeping pressure on our leaders to put plans into action, and just generally talking about the issue. This is where CA-WN Exchange comes in – hopefully our articles will keep you informed on issues to help spark those conversations. This month we have Councillor Danielle Stone’s view on the dire situation with air pollution and extreme heat in Northampton, Peter Doveston looks into the possibility of re-establishing some of the long-forgotten railway links across the area and Eluned Nicholls of Northampton Living Streets describes the benefits of Walk to School Week that took place last month. A common theme in all these topics is the growing problem of air pollution, of which car travel is a major contributor. Hopefully Clean Air Day on June 15th will help raise awareness of the issue. CA-WN has been out and about over the past month, at the Greener Byfield village event, Transition Town Northampton’s cross-organisation meeting ‘Climate Chaos’ and the Sustainability Summit at the University of Northampton. Reports from all of these can be found in this issue. On the topic of sustainable food production, Alexina has prepared us a feast for the soul with her report on the future of food production from the team at Eat Curious and Rupert has been hearing about preparations for the LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) Open Farm Sunday on 11th June. We welcome a new contributor this month: Luke Costin delves into the environmental hazards of disposable vapes. We also have Northampton Town Football Club’s Damon Fox’s three things he’s changing for climate; on a side note, this weekend Damon will have completed a running challenge of 750km in support of the 7500 children living in poverty in Northampton – there is still time to donate so if you are able to do so please visit [www.justgiving.com/page/damon-fox-1678696402252/](http://www.justgiving.com/page/damon-fox-1678696402252/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Finally, as well as enjoying this month’s regular issue, look out for extra features during Great Big Green Week, running from 10th to 18thJune. Clare Slater **Latest Posts from the CA-WN Community - it's been a busy month!** 🔹CA-WN publishes a [rebuttal ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-accepts-andrew-lewers-invitation-to-talk-about-net-zero/)of an article on Net Zero by Andrew Lewer, MP. 🔹[Councillor Danielle Stone](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-danielle-stone/) speaks out about air pollution 🔹Our latest [Council Watch](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-may-2023/) is a good news story 🔹CA-WN's newest contributing writer, Luke Costin, takes an in-depth look at the environmental problems associated with [vaping](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/disposable-vapes-disaster/) 🔹Luke also provides our podcast recommendation, the [Big Green Money Show](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-big-green-money-show/), featuring Deborah Meaden 🔹Peter Doveston's [interview with the English Regional Transport Association](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/learning-our-lines/) puts the spotlight on railways 🔹Northampton Living Streets reports on the success of [Walk to School Week](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/walk-to-school-week/) 🔹Damon Fox from Northampton Town Football Club shares his [Three Things for Climate](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-8/) 🔹Patsy Hollingum's latest recipe is a delightful medley of [salads](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/patsy-recipe/) 🔹We report back on events CA-WN has attended: [Climate Chaos](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/event-report-climate-chaos/), organised by Transition Town Northampton; the University of Northampton's first [Sustainability Summit](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/university-of-northampton-sustainability-summit/); and a lovely family event put on by [Greener Byfield](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/greener-byfield-family-fun/) 🔹Attendees at the University event were catered for by local company Eat Curious, who are featured in Alexina Cassidy's latest [Business as a Force for Good](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/eat-curious/) item 🔹Bookshelf this month looks ahead to Clean Air Day on June 15th, with a review of Tim Smedley's [Clearing the Air](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/clearing-the-air-the-beginning-and-the-end-of-air-pollution-by-tim-smedley/) 🔹Don't forget [LEAF Open Farm Sunday](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/leaf-open-farm-sunday-at-brixworth-farms/) if you are looking for a slightly different family outing ### CA-WN accepts Andrew Lewer's invitation to talk about Net Zero URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-accepts-andrew-lewers-invitation-to-talk-about-net-zero/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:21:49.000Z The Northampton Chronicle & Echo recently published an opinion piece by the Conservative MP for Northampton South: [Political Opinion: We need to talk about Net Zero, by Andrew Lewer MP](https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/opinion/political-opinion-we-need-to-talk-about-net-zero-by-andrew-lewer-mp-4149744?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) That's an enthusiastic 'yes, please' from CA-WN to talking about Net Zero: **Andrew Lewer says**: The “recent National Infrastructure Commission report has warned Government about increased vulnerability to power cuts caused by storms, as well as potential disruptions in electricity supplies due to low wind”. **CA-WN says:* A selective interpretation of the* [*report*](https://nic.org.uk/studies-reports/infrastructure-progress-review-2023/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)*, which also said “the risk of delay in addressing climate change is now greater than the risk of over correction”, and “concrete action is required to reduce the use of gas and oil”.* **Andrew Lewer says:** The UK’s goal to deliver net zero by 2050 is “an arbitrary target”. **CA-WN says:* The 2050 date was a key recommendation of* [*a May 2019 report*](https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/net-zero-the-uks-contribution-to-stopping-global-warming/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) *by the UK Climate Change Committee, which includes a wealth of supporting evidence.* **Andrew Lewer says:** The legal order which set this target went through Parliament “with minimal debate and no vote” at a time when “the nation's focus was primarily on Brexit and then the global pandemic of COVID-19”. **CA-WN says:* The legislation came into force in June 2019 prior to the Covid pandemic being declared.* **Andrew Lewer says**: “the UK contributes only 1% of global CO2 emissions”. **CA-WN says*: The UK ‘territorial emissions’ i.e. those generated from within the country are around 1% of the global total. However, ‘traded emissions’ (those attributable to goods we import and consume) are almost half as much again. The UK* [*contribution to historical emissions*](https://ourworldindata.org/co2/country/united-kingdom?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#what-share-of-global-cumulative-co2-has-the-country-emitted) *is also relevant – we are responsible for 4.52% of all human-created greenhouse gas emissions since 1750, with only the US, China, Russia and Germany above us in the table.* **Andrew Lewer says:** “\[The UK\] is being subjected to some of the most ambitious and far-reaching changes since the industrial revolution.” **CA-WN says*: These changes are the result of legislation produced by a Conservative government, and absolutely must be ‘ambitious and far-reaching’ to deliver on the the United Kingdom’s legally binding commitment.* **Andrew Lewer says:** “The warnings from the National Infrastructure Commission \[NIC\] … highlight potential vulnerabilities and risks associated with a hasty transition to clean energy.” **CA-WN says*:* [*A letter*](https://nic.org.uk/news/nic-and-ccc-call-for-urgent-action-to-protect-infrastructure-from-climate-risks/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) *to the government sent by the NIC jointly with the UK Climate Change Committee includes the warnings quoted above (1st para) but doesn’t propose slowing down the transition from fossil fuels.* **Andrew Lewer says:** The policy to promote diesel cars in the early 2000s is an example of poor policy based on government “placing bets on new technologies” which is equivalent to the current transition to electric vehicles. **CA-WN says:* The* [*‘dash to diesel’*](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41985715?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) *was designed to meet CO2 reduction targets - it was already known that diesel was much worse than petrol for pollution-causing particulates but targets on these were less demanding so a bad trade-off was made. Andrew Lewer’s criticisms of the current EV charging infrastructure and electricity generation capacity are valid but result from government's failure to plan. Regardless, these issues will be resolved in time, unlike the dirty air and resulting health problems caused by internal combustion engines.* ### Clearing the Air: The Beginning and the End of Air Pollution by Tim Smedley URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/clearing-the-air-the-beginning-and-the-end-of-air-pollution-by-tim-smedley/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:07:19.000Z Air pollution results in millions of premature deaths worldwide each year. This book explains how historical and ongoing human activities have resulted in air that damages our health, the different pollutants involved, and that we are still working to understand all the ways in which they affect our bodies. Tim Smedley is a journalist, not a scientist, so the wealth of information gained from his very extensive research is presented clearly and accessibly. And having done a great job of convincing you that air pollution is a very bad thing indeed, the book also includes a lot of case studies showing that positive change is possible too. Some of these are very close to home - there's a good chapter on public transport featuring the Milton Keynes bus service. It ends with a list of actions authorities and individuals can take to cut air pollution. 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Walk to School Week URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/walk-to-school-week/ Last updated: 2023-06-02T10:16:30.000Z *By Eluned Nicholls of Northampton Living Streets* May 15th to May 19th was Living Streets’ National Walk to School Week in 2023\. Kingsthorpe Parish Council and Northampton Town Council both offered to sponsor participating schools in their areas by buying the packs of classroom and advertising materials produced by Living Streets to support the event. A generation ago 70% of primary school children walked to school. By 2018 it had dropped to 51%. The school run had become a part of our lives, congesting our roads, and polluting the air we breathe. Today 1 in 4 cars on the road at peak times are on the school run. Walking to school would reduce the amount of traffic on our roads and improve air quality. It would also provide healthy exercise for pupils. UK Chief Medical Officers recommend children do 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily exercise. Walking to school (or cycling, scooting or other form of active travel), would help stave off the childhood obesity crisis where almost 30% of children in the UK are overweight or obese (ONS 2018). It would also reduce the likelihood of children developing conditions in adulthood such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart and lung problems (Atkins, 2018). Walking to school helps give children a sense of mental as well as physical well-being. Over half of parents interviewed in 2016 said that their child’s mood always or sometimes improves after walking to school (OnePoll, 2016). Children often concentrate far better after walking to school. Their spatial awareness, and their understanding of their local areas, as well as of traffic risks, are also increased. There are so many good reasons for walking to school. 1500 schools nationwide took up the challenge of walk to school week this year, including 12 in Northampton and Kingsthorpe, but we need all schools to be actively encouraging their pupils to walk to school every week of the school year. As well as a Walk to School Week, Living Streets have an all year round walk to school challenge with an activity tracker and badges to support children’s efforts. If you would like to know more, please visit: [https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/products-and-services/projects/wow](https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/products-and-services/projects/wow?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Walk for your children’s health and the health of the planet. ### Greener Byfield Family Fun URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/greener-byfield-family-fun/ Last updated: 2023-06-02T10:15:45.000Z What a joy to be invited to participate in this event. It was set in Byfield Pocket Park, which is a little haven and worth a visit in its own right. There was the obligatory tea and homemade cakes, as well as lots of activities on offer for local families. These included bird box and bird feeder making, solar powered toys, and an opportunity to see some local fossils (insert your own joke). Beekeepers from the village brought a display case of (safe and happy) honeybees and delicious honey for sale. CA-WN took along a selection of native plants and seedlings to give away, and set up a little potting station where children could plant bean and sunflower seeds to take home and nurture. It is so encouraging to see a parish council put on such a lovely event to raise awareness of climate change and the importance of making changes to how we live. We know of other parish councils who are similarly pro-active – Boddington, Harlestone, Wootton, Syresham, Welford and Kilsby come to mind. If there’s an event going on in your parish or neighbourhood do let us know and we can publicise it through CA-WN Exchange and even come along if possible. ### Climate Chaos – Save Our Future URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/event-report-climate-chaos/ Last updated: 2023-06-02T10:13:58.000Z This event was organised by Transition Town Northampton to bring together local groups, organisations and individuals, all with a common interest in addressing the climate emergency, and they succeeded. The attendees ranged from West Northamptonshire councillors and officers, including the Leader of the Council Jonathan Nunn, to representatives of local environmental and community groups such as the Umbrella Fair Organisation and Northampton Town Climate Forum, plus activists from Extinction Rebellion, and Green and Labour party parliamentary candidates. The headliner was a presentation by Paul Allen from the [Centre for Alternative Technology](https://cat.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), summarising CAT’s Zero Carbon Britain report as a scenario for the future. This set the scene for a lively Q&A discussion – it was clear that everyone present understood and cared deeply about the threat posed by climate change. If we in West Northants are to succeed in making our area and neighbourhoods zero carbon and resilient to the effects of climate change, that common concern must continue to bring us together despite other differences. You can read a fuller report of this event in the [May meeting minutes](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-monthly-meeting-notes-18-may-2023/). ### University of Northampton Sustainability Summit URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/university-of-northampton-sustainability-summit/ Last updated: 2023-06-02T10:12:46.000Z The organising committee for Northamptonshire’s first ever Sustainability Summit had booked top quality speakers and panel guests, and attracted a good size audience from local businesses and organisations. There was a strong business focus to the event, and it was so beneficial to hear from business people who are energetically committed to making a positive impact on the environment and communities in which they operate. All freely acknowledged there is more to do, and that the ‘bottom line’ is still a priority – in fact a key message from the summit was that it is possible to be profitable, as well as environmentally and socially responsible. The primary output from the event was the Northamptonshire Sustainability Accord, which summarised sustainability challenges and objectives. The UoN are now in the process of setting up the ‘Sustainability Local Innovation Partnership Agenda Hub’ (**SLIPAH**) which will work with local stakeholders to deliver on the Accord’s ambitions. There will be ongoing monitoring of progress, and a full report back at the 2024 Summit, which the University have already committed to host. When the Accord and presentations are shared we’ll make them available to CA-WN Exchange subscribers. You can read a fuller report of this event as part of the [May meeting minutes](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-monthly-meeting-notes-18-may-2023/). ### Eat Curious - growing more than plants... an insight into sustainable food production URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/eat-curious/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:10:07.000Z I recently had the good fortune to eat three delicious meals in a row; two lunches with a breakfast in between; cooked by someone else. What a joy it was – an exquisite symphony of flavoursome curries, rice, side dishes and snacks courtesy of Northampton-based food development company, Eat Curious. Don’t tell the University of Northampton’s Sustainability Summit organisers, but they were worth the price of the ticket alone. Naturally, I became curious about [Eat Curious](https://eat-curious.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Eat Curious, based in Horton, Northamptonshire, was created by a group of innovative entrepreneurs determined to share their vision that plant-based food is the future. They started with a disused cattle farm in 2020 where they began exploring more sustainable and regenerative types of agriculture and landed on vertical farming, creating the company [Syan Farms](https://syanfarms.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Vertical farming is an innovative agricultural technique that involves cultivating crops in vertically stacked layers or structures, usually indoors or in controlled environments. LED lighting along with climate systems are used to allow for precise control over environmental factors like temperature, humidity, light intensity and nutrient levels. This optimizes plant growth and means there is no need for pesticides or herbicides. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/05/Vertical-Farming-on-Syan-Farms-3.png) Vertical farming is a response to the challenges faced by traditional farming methods, such as limited land availability, climate change risks and land degradation, whilst at the same time appreciating the need for higher yields to feed the growing global population. It is also much more sympathetic to the land with no heavy machinery on site and no agricultural run-off damaging local ecosystems. Syan Farms aim to be almost totally off-grid by end 2023, thanks to 45,000 litre capacity underground water storage tanks, a closed-loop irrigation system and an on-site solar farm. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/05/Solar-panels-on-Syan-Farm.png) So what does it grow? Syan Farms started with herbs and micro-greens and introduced their produce to local pubs where feedback noted exceptional taste and quality. Encouraged by this, in late 2021, the team decided to build a large-scale automated facility on the farm and widened their growing capabilities to include crops such as chillies and tomatoes. Syan Farms focuses greatly on research and development and have their own Syan Lab where in collaboration with other companies, universities and initiatives are experimenting with technology to find out how to add flavour and nutrition to food. For example, by changing the wavelength of the light directed onto the crops at certain times, this can affect the growth of the crop and its nutritional value. Enter Eat Curious in Summer 2022, as a means to utilize the output from the farm. Eat Curious has its own Product Development kitchen and manufacturing facility where they develop delicious recipes and research alternative proteins. The items on the menu include protein pieces (these were in the curries I devoured), mince, puff pastry patties, roasting joints, burgers, bangers and fillets. The list goes on and my mouth is watering as I type. You can eat all this at events, at home, out on the road and it gets even better, they have now a range of products that have no allergens (dairy, gluten, soy or nuts). A brief history of plant-based food. The concept of abstaining from the use of animal products or the consumption of animal-derived food can be found in various religious and philosophical traditions throughout history. The term "vegan" was first coined in 1944 by Donald Watson, a British woodworker and animal rights advocate. He founded the Vegan Society and defined veganism as a way of living that seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals. Veganism gained momentum in the 20th century as animal welfare concerns and ethical considerations became more prominent along with broader counterculture and environmental movements. People adopted veganism as a means to protest against factory farming and promote sustainable living. Today Veganism has continued to grow in popularity, with an increasing number of people adopting the lifestyle, and a wider availability of vegan products. The mission of the Eat Curious team is to create nutritious plant-based food for everyone! They want us to ‘Meat Free our Minds’ and understand that by choosing plant-based alternatives, we are benefiting our own health and the health of our planet. ### My Three Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-8/ Last updated: 2023-06-02T09:55:13.000Z *by Damon Fox, Business Development Manager at Northampton Town F.C. Community Trust.* As the sustainability lead at Northampton Town F.C Community Trust I have begun to take Climate Action even more seriously. Over the last two years I have been the advocate for engaging our fans, school children and families in Planet League, a Climate Action Football Competition created to inspire action and change through football fans competing against other football fans. Our success has led to making changes across the club and to a monthly meeting between both the Community Trust and Club on ways and programmes we can be part of, to support this important area. 1. Travel - Following a recent Planet League campaign and not using my vehicle as one of the actions to score, I began walking the 5km from home to my office at the stadium and back again in the evenings. This began last October and I have continued to do this ever since. I now enjoy my walks listening to podcasts and sometimes taking time to plan work things for the day in my head. I enjoy the fresh air as well as the physical benefits I am getting from it. Strengthening my legs has helped me over a knee injury and with completing running challenges. I feel really good about making this choice. 2. Food - Again having been inspired by the challenge of the competition we had 6 weeks and then another 3 weeks without meat for meals and myself and my wife certainly enjoyed it. We found new things to cook and new ways to be creative with our cooking whilst at the same time often saving in the pocket too. I am not a vegetarian or a vegan but having a significant reduction in meat has made us feel positive about what we can do. Often as well most of these meat substitutes come in recyclable packaging. 3. Packaging - Another area we have looked at in our household is the amount of recycling we were doing, we are positive with recycling but actually wanted to see if we can reduce the amount of packaging we buy in the first place. We have now started shopping for vegetables and fruit at local markets where they come without plastic or netting. Another area we have done this across the house is the bathrooms where we now only use bars of soap, again to reduce on the plastic bought, and then recycled as well recyclable toilet paper. In these cases it is not always about the cost saving but you can certainly gain those benefits in the long run. (no pun intended) [Planet LeaguePlanet League![](https://planetleague.co.uk/favicon.ico)Sign Up![](https://planetleague.co.uk/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Fplanet-league-logo.png&w=3840&q=75)](https://planetleague.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Salad Days URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/patsy-recipe/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:22:44.000Z In my long-ago youth, “salad” meant two or three lettuce leaves, a few slices of cucumber and a tomato. The addition of radishes and watercress rendered the dish positively festive. A few decades on, salads have become more interesting. Featured in today’s dish are potato salad, kohl rabi slaw, Greek tomato and cucumber salad and a version of mushroom salad that allowed me to use up a few fine beans and mangetout peas. **Potato Salad** Potato salad is a personal favourite and comes in many guises; the horseradish mayonnaise version features on today’s menu. Some varieties of spud fall apart in the cooking process, so choose good salad potatoes, scrub the skins and steam till perfectly cooked. You will also need one hard-boiled egg, fresh chives, a little olive oil, a jar of ready-made mayonnaise and a pot of horseradish sauce. If you have no chives, use the green part of a couple of spring onions. While the potatoes are still warm, cube them, add a spoonful of olive oil and a little salt, stir to coat the potatoes in the oil, make up a quantity of the mayonnaise, mixed with horseradish to taste and add chopped chives. Mix the potatoes and mayonnaise in a bowl, adding the chopped white of the boiled egg. Reserve the crumbled yolk and a few extra chives to sprinkle over the salad at the point of serving. **Kohl Rabi Slaw** Kohl rabi is a brassica and can be rather tough if it isn’t used when really fresh. If the skin seems tough, it will need to be peeled. Coarsely grate a couple of scrubbed carrots, finely slice or chop a shallot, grate the kohl rabi (again, use a coarse grater), mix everything well and add a liberal quantity of mayonnaise. I add a good squeeze of salad cream to the mayonnaise because that gives a slight vinegary bite. **Greek Salad** Greek salad has long been a favourite for us. Essential ingredients are French dressing, feta cheese (the supermarket’s proprietary brand will do very well) some stoned olives, peeled crushed garlic and fresh garden herbs - traditionally, use marjoram or oregano, chives, and thyme, and cucumber and small to medium-sized tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes approximately into cubes, and about the same weight in cucumber, also cut into chunks. Mix the tomatoes and cucumber in a largish bowl with the dressing, olives and herbs. Use a large spoon to mix everything together, and in order not to mash the tomatoes, adopt a folding technique. Finally, add the cubed feta, and fold in, mixing for the least possible time. **Mushroom Salad** Mushroom salad has a lovely earthy taste, and is best made with button mushrooms, not only because they keep their shape and consistency better than field mushrooms, but also because they contain less water. Mushroom and spinach salad is a delight, but having no spinach, I used fine beans and mangetout peas. Steam or blanch the peas and beans for 3 or 4 minutes, so they remain firm to the bite but are not squeaky to the tooth, then cool quickly in running cold water. Wipe the mushrooms over with some damp kitchen paper, or a perfectly clean kitchen cloth, then set aside while making up French dressing. French dressing is very much a matter of taste, in both senses of the phrase. I buy a good sunflower oil, or a best quality rapeseed oil, and one of the more expensive olive oils available on the supermarket shelves. You can make a good dressing without using olive oil, and then pour a slug of best olive oil into the mix. This gives it the proper olive tang, which is a vast improvement on the slightly bitter aftertaste of cheaper olive oil. Slice the mushrooms into thickish slices, add salt, pepper and crushed or chopped garlic, then stir - again, using the folding technique and a large-headed spoon - then add the green vegetables and fresh garden herbs. The mushroom salad, like the slaw and the potato salad, can be made in advance, as the mushrooms will soak up the dressing marinade, but won’t disintegrate, or become what the French term “cooked”, meaning soggy and limp. The Greek salad is best made at the last minute before serving. Serve the salads with a hunk of crusty bread, to mop up the last vestiges of a tasty, healthy meal. Et bon appétit tout le monde! 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### The Big Green Money Show URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-big-green-money-show/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:04:08.000Z If you’re looking for a podcast where you can listen to some of the world’s biggest businesses discussing their current initiatives and future plans to further their operations in a sustainable direction, then look no further than “The Big Green Money Show”. Hosted by Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden, a serial investor with a passion for the environment, and BBC consumer affairs journalist Felicity Hannah, the podcast holds big businesses to account on the decisions they are making regarding the welfare of the planet, challenging the ways companies are evolving to ensure a move towards a net-zero, environmentally-friendly course. Additionally, the show also talks to individuals with impressive credentials on how the consumer can make small changes to bring down their carbon footprint and make an impactful difference to the planet. Each episode of the podcast focuses on different areas of environmental impact, some of which you may not have thought about, ranging from the topics of medicines and healthcare with GSK, palm oil and ice cream with Unilever, and electric vehicles with Vauxhall, and green jobs with Ørsted, the podcast has covered a host of important, eye-opening issues. You can listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds: [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m00152bx](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m00152bx?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### Learning Our Lines URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/learning-our-lines/ Last updated: 2023-06-02T09:43:18.000Z West Northamptonshire was once well serviced by rail. On the Grand Central Line there were stations at Brackley, Helmdon, Culworth, Woodford Halse and Charwelton. The Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Railway hosted Byfield, Moreton Pinkney, Blakesley, Towcester and Stoke Bruerne. The London North Western serviced Roade, Blisworth, Weedon and Daventry. Northampton Town had 3 stations. We live in different times and due to diminishing bus services the car is a necessity in a lot of these places today. It is unrealistic to imagine a time when all of these stations reappear. However, is it quite so wistful to imagine a strategic reopening of certain former railway lines? I speak to Professor Andrew Williams, a Patron of the English Regional Transport Association, an organisation championing such an idea. We begin talking about the Northampton to Bedford line but our focus eventually turns to the Northampton to Market Harborough line. “We must be realistic and put first things first” says Andrew. “Nothing will come of these former railway lines before a feasibility study is carried out. The government wants proof of feasibility and of local appetite for schemes before you can then apply for funding”. Andrew points to the [£150 million project ](https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/614m-portishead-bristol-railway-line-26175124?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)to reconnect Bristol Temple Mead with Portishead as an example of where great progress has been made following its own feasibility study. Andrew turns to the Northampton to Market Harborough line which opened in 1859 and continued right up until 1981\. It is his belief that this line is central to any consideration of reopening Northampton to Bedford (a railway for which a bid was made to the [Restoring your Railway Ideas fund](https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/in-full-the-85-abandoned-rail-schemes-vying-for-restoration-funding-16-03-2021/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) back in 2021\. This was for funding to develop its own case for reopening). “Northampton to Market Harborough opens a connection to the North that Northampton vitally needs” points out Andrew. It would be a valuable connection, a train from Northampton to Market Harborough would provide a link to the East Coast Mainline allowing journeys to Leicester and Nottingham among others. “Provide this northern connection and the case in favour of a Northampton to Bedford line becomes stronger, think about the freight connections for Brackmills”. Why don’t we just do a feasibility study? I ask Andrew naively. “The study itself costs £80,000” he replies. It becomes more complex, there are no pots of government money that can be applied for at present for the purposes of such studies, as of 2021 the government’s ‘Restoring your Railway’ Fund has [not accepted new proposals](https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CDP-2023-0014/CDP-2023-0014.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). The money will have to come from somewhere else. Money is just one problem of course. There are other issues and it is likely that CA-WN readers, discerning as they are, have already thought of a couple. The route of the old Northampton to Market Harborough railway is now the popular Brampton Valley Way which also includes a restored steam railway frequently enjoyed by visitors. Wouldn’t a regeneration of the former railway affect these locations? “This is precisely what the feasibility study is for” says Andrew. “It can take into account the potential challenges, for example; the steam railway, the footpath, the houses that now sit on the former line in Market Harborough and the road crossings at places like Draughton”. “The reopened railway line can co-exist alongside the steam route. I am a huge supporter of the work that has been carried out along Brampton Valley Way and would never want to see it affected negatively. I believe that there are viable solutions here”. Andrew adds particular emphasis to this point. *(NB - After writing these articles, I contact the contributors to make sure they are happy with what I have written. One point Andrew reasserted was that he really wanted me to make clear his respect for the Brampton Valley Way supporters and Northampton to Lamport Steam Railway. He re-emphasised that any plan of reopening the Market Harborough line would have to be made working with these stakeholders and not be imposed upon them).* Indeed, there are examples of railways that have reopened and worked alongside enjoyment of the countryside, over in Gloucestershire plans for a [rail link between Cirencester and Kemble](https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/cheltenham-news/hopes-cotswolds-light-railway-link-8037508?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) include a cycle track and footpath. A well thought out plan that takes into account the priorities of local people could provide much needed stimulus to the area. Up and down the country line reopenings are being considered and where they have taken place they have proven more popular than initially anticipated. The Borders Railway between Edinburgh and Tweedbank, reopened in 2015, proved so popular that [overcrowding became an issue](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-34255933?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Here Andrew gives warning. “Any plan must be future proofed. We must anticipate that it will be popular. We must also anticipate changes to local infrastructure. For example, if it was decided to build a bridge over the A508, should the bridge take into account that at some point that road might be dualled? These are things the feasibility study would consider”. Future proofing is one of the arguments climate activists have in their arsenal. Arguments that include energy security, health and well-being related savings etc. Here, in green transport alternatives, we must embed the future in any of the decisions we make. Andrew offers further warning that whilst the ideal scenario would be for a fully electrified track, it is possible that initially the proposed railway line could be diesel run. I can hear you wincing CA-WN readers, but allow me to elaborate. Diesel is not the end game here and currently we have hundreds of diesel fuelled lorries travelling between Northampton and the north each week. How many of these could be replaced by much more fuel-efficient rail freight if the infrastructure existed? Infrastructure that could be electrified at a later date. I know too that residents in Brackley will be particularly suspicious of Railway talk given that HS2 sits right on their doorstep however it is important to realise that the reopening of old railway lines causes nowhere near as much upheaval as the cutting of completely new lines. “A great bulk of the work is already sunk in when it comes to reopening old tracks. The ballast will need to be replaced but the route has long been cleared” says Andrew. This is not the case with HS2 where new infrastructure is required at each stage in order that it move forward. As so often with the arguments in favour of sustainable travel infrastructure, the economic argument is compelling. Northamptonshire is a central county within the UK and distribution is a huge industry, you need not go very far before you see the multitude of warehouses in our area. People are always going to need goods, goods are always going to need to be transported. How we transport them is up to us. Rail freight is a legitimate means of transport and Northamptonshire has already been earmarked for its rail freight potential, read more in this article about the [Rail Freight Interchange ](https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/business/construction-starts-on-450-acre-northampton-gateway-logistics-park-off-m1-3085058?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)being built between Milton Malsor and Collingtree. Courage will be required when we face decisions about our sustainable future. Courage that we will need to process changes to a landscape we have grown familiar with. However, it is my belief that when we talk about reopening the lines between places like Northampton and Market Harborough, what we are talking about is putting back connections that should never have been removed. What can CA-WN Readers do? Andrew tells me two things. Firstly, email your MP and your local councillors and ask about the potential for a feasibility study for the reopening of the Northampton to Market Harborough line. Secondly, if you are interested, join the ERTA. Have a look at the website and you’ll see there is all sorts of potential for West Northamptonshire including the possibility of stations in places like Woodford Halse and Daventry. [https://ertarail.co.uk/become-a-member/](https://ertarail.co.uk/become-a-member/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Council Watch – May 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-may-2023/ Last updated: 2023-06-02T19:41:58.000Z Elsewhere on CA-WN Exchange you will see accounts of the [Climate Chaos](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/event-report-climate-chaos/) event and the [UoN Sustainability Summit](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/university-of-northampton-sustainability-summit/). Both were attended by West Northamptonshire Council’s Leader, Jonathan Nunn, and by members of the council’s Sustainability Team. Jonathan Nunn had a formal speaking slot at the University and used it to good effect, talking about WNC’s commitment to addressing climate change, and highlighting their membership of [UK100](https://www.uk100.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) among other achievements and plans. The Summit was a business-focused event, where it would have been surprising not to see the council. In contrast, WNC might have chosen to side-step Climate Chaos, organised by Transition Town Northampton with the express purpose of bringing together groups and individuals from right across the spectrum of climate action; an occasion that was inevitably going to involve robust challenge from XR activists and others. Instead David Garlick of TTN was able to say after the event “*Thank you to Cllrs Johnathan Nunn, Sam Rumens and Adam Brown who were willing and able to attend, listen and respond.”* We’ve said many times that successfully tackling the climate and ecological emergency requires everyone to work together, and it is good to see the council’s members and officers putting its pledge to provide community leadership into action. The most recent full council meeting was the Annual Meeting on 18 May (WNC’s AGM), which while not short of vigorous debate, covered very little on the environmental or climate front. The one point worthy of note is that the role of Assistant Cabinet Member for Climate, previously held by Councillor Colin Morgan, appears to have been abolished in the revised Constitution (no reason given). A shame, as a committed and energetic holder of this post might do much to progress the council’s sustainability agenda. ♻️ Finally, a shout out to the WNC Waste Education Officer David and his [series of short films](https://www.youtube.com/@WestNorthamptonshireCouncil/shorts?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) on recycling, giving helpful advice on some of the tricky issues such as takeaway boxes, disposable cups and toothpaste tubes. ### My View - Danielle Stone URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-danielle-stone/ Last updated: 2023-06-02T09:37:55.000Z I am one of the ward Councillors for Castle, in Northampton. It includes the Town Centre which has some of the most polluted areas in West Northants. Much of this is caused by traffic: traffic congestion; idling cars; poor town planning. This is really bad for employees in the town who suffer the consequences day in day out. The people most affected by poor air quality are women and children. This is because it is often women who hang around schools waiting for children, and who tend to walk along local pavements on busy roads more. Working class women, black and white, tend to live closer to busy roads, are more likely to live in flats, are at home more. Research shows that black women, in particular, are disproportionately affected. We know there is growing concern about pollution in cars and in buildings. Buildings are porous. Polluted air does not stay outside. Poor air quality impacts pregnant women, causing some to deliver low birth weight babies and babies to be born with respiratory issues. We know that asthma in children is increasing and the severity of it is increasing. When I work with school councils and ask if there is one thing they would like me to raise at Council, I am often told, “please stop the cars coming near my school”. My group of ward Councillors has raised issues to do with air quality around the Barratt Maternity Unit at Northampton General. I don’t understand why there isn’t an outcry about levels of pollution there. There is a car park with idling cars directly beneath the unit. There are busy roads, often with traffic jams and idling cars on 4 sides of the hospital. How is that OK? It’s not. In response to a question I raised recently I received an answer back showing WNC is using previous guidelines for what is acceptable levels at 40mg/m3 **not** the current threshold, which is 10mg/m3. This really is not good enough. During the extreme heat last Summer, I was really alarmed about the health and safety of parents, mainly women, and their children, stuck inside flats all day, with no ventilation or clean air. Some I visited were in a state of considerable distress. Our social housing provider, NPH (Northamptonshire Partnership Homes), is really good and made welfare checks when asked to. WNC Labour group put forward ideas for improvement - all the time. They are voted down - all the time. We have asked for: \- a public transport policy and a plan to take bus services back in house. \- clean air zones around hospitals, care homes and schools \- a campaign followed by enforcement action to stop cars idling \- clean, safe and green public spaces \- safe cycling and scooter routes protected from traffic \- free bus passes for the under 18s \- an end to the use of diesel buses in Northampton. ### From smoking to vaping: An environmental risk? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/disposable-vapes-disaster/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:30:35.000Z Take a step outside in any town or city across the UK and you’ll more than likely be met with plumes of fruit-scented vapour, or notice the colourful vapes littered on the streets. E-cigarettes, also known as vapes, are a relatively new concept. They were introduced to the UK in the mid-2000s, but it wasn’t until 2021 that these devices rose to fame. Disposable vapes – from brands like Elf Bar and Elux, come in a variety of bright, attractive colours and a range of flavours including grape, strawberry, and watermelon. And appearing aesthetically appealing to younger adults, they’re a far cry from the original e-cigarettes that were designed to mimic the traditional tobacco cigarette. These disposable vapes are powered by lithium-ion batteries housed in plastic casings, meaning that while these devices are classified as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), consumers cannot discard them in their household waste or recycling. Therefore, consumers must dispose of their vapes at household recycling centres, the shop they bought them from if disposal services are provided, or at a supermarket’s in-store battery recycling point. But despite this, [The Eco Experts](https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/blog/disposable-vapes?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=Globally%2C%20around%201.9%20million%20tonnes,capacity%20for%20absorbing%20carbon%20emissions.) have suggested as many as 50% of vapers misunderstand this fact and throw them away in their general waste. But they also believe the blame is to be shared with disposable vape manufacturers. The environmental site proposes that manufacturers should alter their packaging to make the message around their recyclability clearer, and that education around how vapes can be disposed of ethically is improved. However, until each disposable vape is recycled properly, the incorrect disposal of single-use vapes has the potential to release plastic, electrical, and hazardous chemical waste into the environment, according to the [House of Commons Library](https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2022-0216/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Vape-3.png) Photo Luke Costin This prompted a number of charities and organisations to write an open letter to the government calling for a ban on so-called disposable vapes in November last year. Think tank and charity [Green Alliance ](https://green-alliance.org.uk/press-release/leading-environmental-and-health-groups-demand-ban-on-disposable-vapes/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=Leading%20environmental%20and%20health%20groups%20demand%20ban%20on%20disposable%20vapes,-Date%3A&text=The%20groups%20argue%20that%20disposable,environment%20and%20wildlife%20when%20littered%E2%80%9D.)was just one of the 18 signatories on the letter to the health and environment secretary warning the mass production of single-use vapes could hinder the transition to net-zero in the coming years. The charity advised that the battery contents of disposable vapes are critical materials for the transition, including for manufacture of environmentally-viable products, and warned that lithium discarded from disposable vapes is equivalent to the same needed for 1,200 electric vehicles. But despite this worrying information, data suggests the boom in vaping shows no signs of slowing down. According to [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-update/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-update-main-findings?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), vaping prevalence in England in 2021 was around 7%, equating to between 3.1 and 3.2 million adults who vape. In addition, the popularity of disposable vaping products has increased among those who vape by 15.2% in 2022, compared to 2.2% in 2021. In addition, data collected by [Vape Club](https://pressat.co.uk/releases/elf-bar-sales-skyrocket-some-retailers-figures-rise-by-up-to-883-as-industry-experts-voice-disposable-vape-black-market-concerns-643337bc6d143f314ad47b8596ddd5f9/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), one of the UK’s largest online vaping retailers, revealed that there was an 883% increase in age-verified sales on their website, with the growth suggested to be attributed to the resurgence in popularity of Elf Bar products. Furthermore, research commissioned by [Material Focus](https://www.materialfocus.org.uk/press-releases/one-million-single-use-vapes-thrown-away-every-week-contributing-to-the-growing-e-waste-challenge-in-the-uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) last July identified that 1.3 million single-use vapes are thrown away each week in the UK, which across a whole year is enough to cover 22 football pitches. The study also uncovered that the number of disposable vapes thrown away are contributing to the fastest growing waste stream in the UK, with more than 155,000 tons of electrical waste thrown away each year. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/06/Vape-2.png) Photo Luke Costin Elf Bar is just one of hundreds of businesses manufacturing and selling disposable vapes in the UK and is one of the most well-known brands internationally. The company is renowned for its disposable vapes, such as the Elf Bar 600, which is designed to provide up to 600 puffs to the user and are easily accessible to purchase online or in-stores. As concerns continue to grow surrounding the impacts these devices will have on the planet, CA-WN approached Elf Bar to ask what the business is doing to minimise its product's impact on the environment. Elf Bar said: “As a pioneer and innovator of vaping technologies, we have been implementing environmental protection programs and carrying out recycling initiatives in various countries since last year. This includes Ireland, Romania, and Cyprus, where recycling services are provided in over 3,000 stores. “As part of this initiative, a select group of our vape retail partners, such as MyCigara, Evapo, and Tidal Vape, have already joined our pilot program. These outlets have committed to installing dedicated recycling bins for used ELFBAR products in their UK-based stores, effectively paving the way towards environmentally responsible consumption. To further enhance our environmental commitment, we have partnered with Recover, one of the UK’s most established lithium recycling companies, to handle the collection and transportation of the discarded devices from these retail outlets." As the trend of vaping continues to surge, reusable and refillable vapes are currently the most sustainable device offered to customers. Right Vape, found in Kingsley, Northampton, is one of many e-cigarette stores across the country selling disposable vapes, but ethically encourages its customers to move to reusable and refillable devices. Chelsea Torpey, Stop Smoking Specialist at Right Vape, said: “As a vape shop, we do sell disposables, however, one of the brands we sell the most of is Riot Bars. These are the first carbon negative disposables and are fully recyclable. “The disposables are made with a PLA casing, which is then "made into records and clothing to be sold for charity", the battery is also removed and "reused" in future Riot Bars and other electrical goods. “In order to incentivise the recycling of these products among our customers, we offer a return scheme 'bring back 10 Riot Bars to recycle and get a free Riot Bar', which has proved to be successful in encouraging people to properly recycle their Riot Bars with us.” Despite selling disposable vapes, it would seem that the store is no stranger to the potential impacts these single-use vapes can have on the environment and the possible risks posed if these products are discarded inappropriately. She added: “We do not endorse the use of single use, disposable vaping products. We advocate the use of refillable devices to all customers. When encouraging customers to move to a refillable device, we highlight various factors, including more control over nicotine strength, more reliability in testing, the cost, and the impact that disposables have on our planet. When a customer comes in looking for a disposable, we always engage in a conversation with them, ensuring they have all the information regarding the impact of disposables, such as the lithium battery inside, which can't be disposed of in normal waste bins.” *Luke is a second year student at the University of Northampton studying Multimedia Journalism and Creative Film, TV and Digital Media. He has an interest in social, climate, and environmental affairs including litter pollution, and sustainable food and household goods models.* ### 15 June is Clean Air Day URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/15-june-is-clean-air-day/ Last updated: 2023-05-26T23:49:44.000Z ### Air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK every year. The World Health Organisation and the UK Government recognise that air pollution is the largest environmental health risk we face today. 💡 Local authorities must fulfil their statutory duties to make high quality, accurate air quality information available to the public in a timely fashion - Source: [Air quality strategy: framework for local authority delivery](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-air-quality-strategy-for-england/air-quality-strategy-framework-for-local-authority-delivery?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) \- DEFRA April 2023 ### We can all make a difference on Clean Air Day - and everyday. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/05/CA-WN-air-pledge-2023-nologo-1.gif) ### ### LEAF OPEN FARM SUNDAY at Brixworth Farms URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/leaf-open-farm-sunday-at-brixworth-farms/ Last updated: 2023-05-24T06:52:33.000Z This morning I went to Park Farm (Spratton Rd, Brixworth, NN6 9DS) to see how preparations are getting on for the farm open day. I met Jessica and Charles who are heavily involved in the organisation and are very excited to be welcoming members of the public to see where they work. Invitations to farms like Brixworth are rare and this is a great chance to see how a modern, large scale arable enterprise operates. There will be seriously large machinery to see close up including a colossal combine where older children will be able to climb into the cab to see the gadgets and understand how they help precision management. But these gadgets are not just for fun. For example, one tractor has a camera mounted that continuously monitors the growth and health of the crop and automatically adjusts the amount of fertiliser applied as it is being spread. Not only is fertiliser expensive, applying more than the crop can use leads to pollution of ditches and streams. Brixworth Farms is a cooperative of neighbouring landowners who share management, machinery, storage and marketing. They are members of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) which means that they take the environment, climate, bio-diversity and customer safety very seriously. There will be two guided walks, a self-guided tour leaflet and a visit to a butterfly field with an expert. On my visit, the sky was filled with swirling and calling house martins, so birdwatchers bring your binoculars. As well as wheat for Shredded Wheat, the farm grows barley, oats, canary seed, beans and oil-seed rape. There are plots set aside for pollen and nectar and other nature. While enjoying fish and chips or an ice cream, the farm manager, Ian Matts, and his staff will be about to answer all those questions about food and farming and the countryside that have been bothering you. What is regenerative farming? What does ‘organic’ really mean? What is a cover crop? You will get true answers from an expert! Book your visit [here](https://www.trybooking.co.uk/CHOE?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Note that there are no animals on this farm and the smallest toddlers may get bored. There are other farms with animals open in Northamptonshire – click on the link below and put in your post code. For the rest of the family, this is a brilliant opportunity to see and learn what is going on in the countryside at first hand. [Homepage - Open Farm Sunday![](https://farmsunday.org/apple-touch-icon.png?v=gAEY7m606v)Open Farm Sunday![](https://farmsunday.org/assets/img/new/leaf-header-logo.png)](https://farmsunday.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### CA-WN Monthly Meeting Notes 18 May 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-monthly-meeting-notes-18-may-2023/ Last updated: 2023-05-24T06:51:46.000Z Our guest speaker Claire O’Brien, Environmental Sustainability Manager, Grand Union Housing Group, gave an interesting and engaging presentation about retrofit, energy efficiency, and the importance of making messages about these subjects relevant to your audience. This meeting was recorded and can be watched on the CA-WN [YouTube channel](https://youtu.be/CZYuCSlnqbs?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), and you can see Claire’s slides [here](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Grand%5FUnion.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). **Present**: Briony Askew, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater, Dave Anderson, David Garlick, Ella Mansfield, Emmie Williamson, Harry Mellor, Hilary Haynes, Jane Wood, Leonie Beale, Naree Lee, Orianne Neyroud, Paola Sabatini, Rupert Knowles, Teresa Cox **Apologies**: Alexina Cassidy, Jonathan Harris, Patsy Hollingum, Richard Hollingum, Rupert Frost **Grand Union Housing** ***Overview of Sustainability Strategy*** · Grand Union Housing Group (GU) provide 12,500 homes for more than 27,000 people across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire. They also provide services for victims of domestic abuse, and supported living arrangements. GU is looking to build around 2k new houses in coming years. · GU’s sustainability strategy is about more than carbon; their vision is to have an overarching sustainability strategy embedded in goals for every department. · Later this year carbon literacy training is being delivered to all staff with line management responsibilities (c25% of workforce). · Actions to date include switching to fully green energy tariff, which was supported by the business despite there being a cost implication. · On energy efficiency GU objective is to have all properties with an EPC rating of C or above by 2030\. In 2022 42% homes were at EPC C, 45% D or below. 17% were A rated and 13% B rated. · There is a programme to carry out EPCs on properties which don’t have one or where it is about to run out. · GU have secured Social Housing Decarbonisation funding to retrofit c169 properties. They have already carried out 100 retrofit assessments · They are also looking at their business operations and are keen to decarbonise their fleet of 80 vans. This is quite complicated due to charging infrastructure. Employees take the vans home and preference would be to instal home chargers however not all live in properties where this is suitable. In addition tools are stored in vans and charged on the go and the impact of this on vehicle range is unknown. · Compliance with ESOS (Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme) regulations on communal and block properties will also improve energy efficiency. ***Communications*** · In general, the conversation about sustainability can be a bit ‘snobby’, for example, aspirational messages in the media about the long term destination and thinking about future generations. Talking to GU customers about impacts overseas doesn’t resonate. · Some of their customers are vulnerable and it’s important to emphasise social and financial benefits alongside environmental. The former two are the main motivation for GU customers. Many will be in fuel poverty, so talk to them first about having a more energy efficient system, and the social benefits such as a warmer home; important if people are vulnerable or carers, enables people to work from home and children to do homework in comfort. · GU ran a customer survey on sustainability and retrofit to help make communications more relatable. Most important environmental issue was price – many ‘greener’ options are not affordable e.g. EV ownership. · Most customers stay up to date with environmental issues through TV or social media. · 81% of people expect efficiency measures to result in lower energy bills, but with current fuel prices, it is more likely that home improvements will mitigate future price rises. · It was also important to find out things like how much notice people would like if improvements are being carried out. Sometimes the required delivery time for grant funded work results in unfairness as timescales are shorter than homeowners might choose, or work might have to be done at an undesirable time (e.g. during school holidays). · Customers are also concerned about mess and disruption, and there is a particular challenge with working at the homes of vulnerable and disabled customers. Following Claire’s presentation, attendees had a number of wide-ranging questions, which allowed Claire to show just how much she knows! This is a selection of the questions and answers: *Have GU considered using newer building methods?* GU aim to build c200 properties a year (which in developer terms is small) and have looked at lot of options in terms of building style including modular building and Passivhaus. These come at substantially higher cost, plus the supply chain and contractors are relatively scarce. GU have to balance meeting housing needs with sustainability, but are making a number of changes within the constraints of conventional building methods. GU have compared themselves to large private developers and found those are doing much less in terms of sustainable development. If big builders led the way this would drive economies of scale. *Can you talk more about the social benefits?* As a housing association GU take a wider view. For them warmer homes = more comfort for customers, which means they are more likely to stay (good for GU and the customer). A long-term and comfortable home means improvement in quality of life and an overall better customer experience. However there is a need for pragmatism – some customers are very resistant to change. Need to think about what would make them willing to accept efficiency measures. *What if the carbon literacy training is resisted by some employees?* Claire and the training team have talked about how to approach climate deniers. A script will be prepared to help the trainers deal with objections, covering points such as: ask trainees to have an open mind; emphasise that training doesn’t cover the arguments against climate change; think about the social and financial co-benefits for customers. GU’s focus on sustainability will accelerate (rather like Health & Safety in the past) and will be part of the job description for all employees so it will be in their own interests to be on board. Claire is hoping staff will take the learning home and make changes there too. **Reports from recent events** CA-WN members have been out and about recently and this is a brief report on two events that both aimed to bring different groups together to achieve strength in numbers: · Climate Chaos - an evening event on 10 May organised by **Transition Town Northampton** (TTN) · A two day Sustainability Summit at the University of Northampton 15/16 May. \---------------------------- **Climate Chaos event** About 35 people attended, including WNC councillors, parliamentary candidates, XR and Just Stop Oil activists. And many others. Main speaker Paul Allen from Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT). The key points from his talk in brief: · The problem of meeting the challenge of climate change was described as a ‘Wicked’ problem – Wicked in that it’s a really complicated and particularly challenging problem to solve with feedback that moves the problem along and where there’s no single solution. · CAT have produced a Zero Carbon Britain \[ZCB\] report outlining a possible scenario with five wicked solutions – wicked in that they embody feedback that accelerate their effectiveness: 1\. **Having and sharing a positive vision**. This included Powering Down - reducing energy demand, and Powering Up – increasing energy from renewables 2\. **Taking advantage of falling technology costs**. already seen this with wind and solar systems, a virtuous cycle of demand can reduce the costs of housing retrofit. 3\. **Inspiring new leadership.** Getting organisations to step up their action plans – including councils 4\. **Exploit the power of real life on the ground projects.** Create a positive vision by sharing information about projects that are delivering real change. 5\. **Multi-solving**. Identifying and maximising the co-benefit of collateral action. Further details at[ https://cat.org.uk/time-for-wicked-solutions/](https://cat.org.uk/time-for-wicked-solutions/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The talk was followed by a good debate, sometimes heated. The next steps are more ‘gatherings’ and possibly a Citizens’ Assembly. **Sustainability Summit** A University of Northampton initiative to create a Sustainable Business Hub with this inaugural summit delivering a Sustainable Business Accord listing key aspirations that will be monitored in coming months and reviewed annually at successive Sustainability Summits. · CA-WN members attended business- focused presentations, Q&A panels, and took part in breakout sessions. · First day included a brilliant presentation by the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Cranfield University, the climate scientist Professor Chris Fogwill, who explained the cause of our climate crisis with some complex diagrams that summarised over 100,000 years of scientific data collected at the South Pole where the behaviour of the ice sheets heavily influence the ocean currents that in turn determine global weather patterns. Some of the businesses and organisations represented: - **UoN** who are increasing the energy efficiency of some of their older buildings. - **BlueSkies** – a business that imports fresh fruits that are prepacked in the countries where they are grown - including Ghana, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt. Not sustainably perfect but adding value to the communities where the fruit is grown and prepared and very conscious of their environmental impact. Two organisations set up by BlueSkies: **FreshpPact** are looking to improve the eco record of fresh produce across the sector. are trying to get rid of plastic mulch by finding biodegradable alternatives; and the **Sustainable Business Alliance** formed in partnership with the University of Northampton Centre for Sustainable Business Practices - **Chartered Institute of Waste Management** Northampton-based, who see waste as a potential resource. - **Sustainable Leather Foundation** - **Good Business Charter** – certification body - **West Northamptonshire Council** - **Farrington Oils** – *Mellow Yellow* fresh pressed rapeseed oil processed on its own farms - **Weetabix** (focusing on ingredients, packaging, sustainable operations, health & wellbeing) - **Freefoam**– construction products like insulation, practise closed loop production and focus on end of life solutions - **Goodwill** solutions – social enterprise and working warehouse - **Nene Group** – warehouse racking systems There were breakout sessions on both days – output from the summit was the Northampton Sustainability Accord, there will be a hub based at UoN to make sure commitment is followed through, and to organise future summits and smaller events. Key points – big focus on collaboration and amazing plant based food throughout. **AOB** Upcoming events: o May celebration 19 May at South Court Environmental (Abington Lodge) o Greener Byfield sustainable family event at Byfield pocket park on Saturday 20 May o David Garlick will be speaking at Abington Library on Thursday 1 June at 2pm ### The latest from CA-WN Exchange - May 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-latest-from-ca-wn-exchange-may-2023/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:22:01.000Z “Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future for all” was the headline of the press release around the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). At first glance, it sounds quite upbeat! But then it’s that word, ‘liveable’…and its antonym, which is the implied consequence if we don’t take urgent action. This most recent IPCC synthesis report is intended to inform governments to help develop climate policy. I really hope those in charge are reading it intently, because the report has been hailed the ‘final warning’ to avert climate disaster. As an individual, reading about the climate emergency can make you feel hopeless, helpless and very much alone. That’s why for me finding my tribe in CA-WN, and other environmental groups I’m part of, has been an important aspect of managing climate anxiety. So the net effect of me attending The Big One was a comforting one. If you’re wondering what I’m referring to, I’ll forgive you. The mainstream media coverage of Extinction Rebellion’s 4-day protest in Westminster over 21–24 April was woeful. Tens of thousands of concerned individuals, representing themselves and a multitude of organisations, descended on Parliament Square and its environs to demand an end to the fossil fuel era and the establishment of emergency citizens’ assemblies to guide decisions in the best interests of the public. The atmosphere was exhilarating, it felt safe and right to be there, to stand up and be counted and hopefully be part of a turning point in history. This event was different to the civil disobedience events – I’ve never personally taken part in disruptive behaviour but I understand the desperation behind it. The change in tactics by Extinction Rebellion may help bring more people on board, but if the mainstream media largely ignore this massive event, then you could understand why tactics may revert to civil disobedience as the urgency to be heard accelerates. Whether this event has had the desired effect or not, it feels awesome to have been part of something bigger than the sum of its parts and be on the right side of history. It’s apt, therefore, that collaboration is the theme of Alexina’s latest Business as a Force for Good feature. She tells us what local businesses are doing, both in our area and globally, to make a positive impact - something which should make us proud of Northamptonshire. This month we also invite our supporters to collaborate with us, by suggesting ways you could help to deliver our objectives. There was of course a May event that cannot be ignored; we share Bugbrooke Environmental Working Group's guide to sustainable celebrations as we look forward to further events. We also include a reminder of the King's environmental commitment, with the hope that his leadership will inspire others. **Latest Posts from the CA-WN Community** 🔹[Stronger Together](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/stronger-together/) \- Is collaboration the way to navigate today's tough business environment? 🔹[Water - Too Much/Too Little](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/water-too-much-too-little/) \- our Farming Correspondent Rupert Knowles shares some helpful insights into how water is used by plants and how this knowledge can be used to water crops and plant trees successfully. 🔹To dig deeper into the issues surrounding our vital water supply, check out [three expert presentations](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/water-2/) on Water Security, Hydrogeology, and Anglian Water's response to the considerable challenges facing the UK's water industry. 🔹[Fiddling in Rome](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/fiddling-in-rome/) \- Peter Doveston writes about initiatives by West Northamptonshire Council to revise school transport services, sadly in a way that may lead to fewer children travelling by bus and therefore more cars at school gates, and to measure air quality. And wonders whether WNC have got the balance right between measurement and data collection, and taking action. 🔹[Hosting a sustainable celebration](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/hosting-a-sustainable-coronation-celebration/) \- how to reduce the environmental impact of your event, from recycled fabric bunting to alternatives to single-use tableware and how you dispose of food waste. 🔹[Three cheers for King Charles!](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/three-cheers-for-king-charles-lll/) \- could this be the age of environmental enlightenment, led by our new monarch? 🔹Bookshelf and Podcast Shelf - this month our community recommends [Ravenous](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ravenous-by-henry-dimbleby-with-jemima-lewis/) by Henry Dimbleby and [Outrage!+Optimism](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/outrage-optimism/) 🔹[Small things are important](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-7/) \- Dr Paul Slater shares three personal actions he has taken in response to climate change 🔹And a new [recipe](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/purple-vegetable-casserole/) with royal colour from Patsy Hollingum [How You Can Help](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/how-you-can-help/) \- a new page where we suggest practical ways you could support CA-WN's work ### Water – Too much / Too little URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/water-too-much-too-little/ Last updated: 2023-05-05T21:50:37.000Z Writing at the end of April, I am wrapped up well and summer seems a long way off. But it is at this time of year that water companies and farmers look anxiously at the levels in their reservoirs as well as river flows and groundwater levels. If we have another scorcher in 2023, will we avoid water rationing, grow enough potatoes and will our wildlife prosper? At the end of March, Anglian Water, Thames Water and Severn Trent were all reporting well filled reservoirs in our area. Pitsford School has a Met Office weather station on the roof and supplies national data. If you don’t have your own weather station or rain gauge in the garden, the website is a good place for finding local data. The format takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s all there. ([http://www.northantsweather.org/](http://www.northantsweather.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)) In the following table you can see that October and November 2022, and March 2023, were all above average. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/05/Ruperttable-1.png) I well remember the drought year, 1976\. Late summer 1975 was hot and dry, and the reservoirs never filled in the winter 1975/6\. Our brook dribbled to nothing and without irrigation there was a massive crop of tiny apples costing a lot to pick and making me no money. Even if we are starting the summer of 2023 with full reservoirs, we should not squander water. I spent many years irrigating my own crops and then working as an irrigation consultant. We took electronic measurements of soil moisture every 10 minutes in farm crops, orchards and greenhouses. Our probes had sensors every 10cm down to 50cm or sometimes to 1m. Here are some observations I made. 1\. Soil is roughly 1/3 particle, 1/3 air and 1/3 water when full. ‘Full’ means that for any water added to the top surface, an equal amount will flow out to drainage. If the drain is blocked, a full soil can become saturated or ‘water-logged’: the water has driven out the air and the roots cannot breathe. Conversely, water draining through a soil dissolves nutrients for the roots, cleanses unwanted elements and draws in fresh air with oxygen from the surface. Therefore, a good rain or irrigation should fill the soil down to the maximum rooting depth of the crop, say 50 – 100 cm. Watering little and often is not good: the plants develop surface roots only: nutrients deeper in the profile are not mobilised. The leaves turn yellow. 2\. Rain or watering will fill the top layer of soil first and then gradually fill the middle and lower layers. A thunderstorm may overfill the top layer and water will run away over the surface without penetrating to depth. I remember two crops next to each other, potatoes in one field and onions in the other. The potatoes were grown on ridges, the onions on the flat. We had probes in both. There was a thunderstorm on Saturday when 15mm rain fell in 30 minutes. The probe in the onions measured exactly 15mm increase in soil moisture; the probe in the potato ridge measured nothing. The rain had run off the ridge into the furrow away from the potato roots. On the Sunday, it drizzled all day and a further 15mm fell. This time, because it fell slowly, both probes recorded the full 15mm. 3\. Because water use is driven by photosynthesis, plants use water in the daytime but not at night. Graphs of soil water show a stepping effect so it is easy to see where the roots are working and how much they are using each day. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/05/Irrigation-Graph-1-Slide-14.png) Graph 1 above shows sensors in potatoes at 10, 20 and 30 cm summed together. It is easy to see the steps when the plants are growing well and when they start to run out of water. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/05/Irrigation-Graph-2-Slide-13.png) Graph 2 shows five sensors on a probe (10cm to 50cm) graphed separately with the shallowest on top. It shows water flowing through the profile at each irrigation but not reaching 50cm till 16th September, when the soil moisture content shown by the deepest probe rises sharply. At this point the deep roots become really active. 4\. Using a device to measure sap-flow in a tree trunk, one can see the same effect. So much so that during a total eclipse of the sun, an oak tree stopped using water. But the tree was large: the message took time to reach the roots. Water use stopped 15 minutes after the beginning of the full eclipse and did not start again until the eclipse was well finished! 5\. Gardeners are often told to water in the early morning or late evening. It may be important not to scorch the leaves of tender plants in full sun, but it makes little difference to the water reaching the plants’ roots. Droplets left on the leaves will evaporate when the sun shines or the wind blows. 6\. How often should we water? That depends on the proportion of sand / silt / clay particles in the soil and the amount of organic matter, humus and other constituents binding them into ‘aggregates’. The large particles in sand have less surface area to hold water by capillary attraction. The opposite is true for heavier silts and clays. But water capacity of all soils is improved by some organic matter. In graph 1 (a light soil) you can just see that the top 30cm of soil is full at about 75mm of water and getting dry ‘stress’ at about 38mm. This means that if a plant’s roots are 30cm deep, you subtract stress from full and find that they have 37mm of water available. At maximum, you can see that the plants are using up to 8mm per day and therefore irrigation of 35 to 40mm is needed every 5 – 6 days. That’s a lot of water! In our gardens we are not usually trying to win the potato prize at the county show! Nevertheless, if your soil is light it will need a good drenching every week. In a heavier soil, plants tend to use the same amount of water per day but need watering with more water less frequently. 7\. Plants in pots have far less soil to explore and less water is available, especially as we are now using peat-free compost with poor water-holding capacity. In hot weather, outdoor pot plants need watering at least every other day with feed once per week. Make sure water drains through and out of the bottom every time you water. However, indoor plants need far less water. There is less light driving photosynthesis and less air flow causing evapotranspiration. In the summer, I dunk and drain plant pots in the sink once per week, but in winter I leave them 2 – 3 weeks at a time. Growing strawberries in bags in a greenhouse, with the dripper removed there was no sign of stress for 14 days. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/05/plants.png) 8\. If you have drip irrigation, treat it like growing in a pot. The wet area under a dripper is onion shaped but the wetted area seldom spreads more than 25cm. Therefore drippers should be a maximum 50cm apart. Remember with drip, roots accumulate under the dripper. Therefore after rain falls overall, the roots are only active under the dripper and water will run out there much quicker than in the surrounding soil. I find soil and water very interesting. But until I saw those two graphs above, I never thought carefully about what happens under ground. One final point: in 2022 many newly planted trees were lost in the hot, dry summer. This was unnecessary. I have planted thousands of fruit trees, including in 1976, and I have never lost one. 🌳 🔹The smaller the tree, the better its chance of survival. ‘Whips’ are best. 🔹 If possible, plant bare root trees in November when the leaves are off but while the soil is still warm enough for immediate root growth. 🔹 Water thoroughly after planting. 🔹 Protect from rabbits. 🔹 Remove competition from grass and weeds and keep bare soil one meter round the tree for at least one year. (Grass takes a lot of water. If using a herbicide is unacceptable, weed by hand and/or use a mulch). 🔹 Any mulch, such as cardboard, will prevent weed growth but it must let water through. Straw will intercept light summer showers and the water will evaporate before reaching the soil. With straw, it will be necessary to water thoroughly at least once per month. Keep planting and growing! It is good for the planet. If you have any water related issues, give me a call. ### Hosting a sustainable celebration URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/hosting-a-sustainable-coronation-celebration/ Last updated: 2023-05-05T15:38:02.000Z As the date for the King’s Coronation was set, among the Bugbrooke Environmental Working Group excitement was mixed with concern about potential sustainability issues. So, we came up with some suggestions for organisers to help make Coronation celebrations as sustainable as possible, and worked with the village event committee to put these into action. Of course, looking beyond the Coronation, these suggestions will hopefully be implemented for other events. **Avoid single use items** Single use plastic cutlery, plates and bowls will be banned in the UK from October, but even wood/paper have issues with sustainability e.g. cannot be recycled if contaminated with food, plus the carbon footprint of manufacturing the items. Compostable disposable cups etc require specialist disposal and they cannot generally be composted in this country. Therefore, we suggested a few more sustainable options such as: · Hire glasses/cups/plates for your event – there are party hire kits available (https://www.partykitnetwork.org/) and some supermarkets offer free glass hire. · If serving sauces/garnishes at your event then have a big bottle rather than sachets. · Attendees could take a picnic with reusable plates, bring reusable coffee cups and bags for life for any purchases. As a result of the discussions about food containers for the Coronation, the local football club bar have switched from polystyrene to compostable card and paper for their takeaway food – still single use but an improvement. **Transport** This is a local event and the organisers are including on all their posters a request for everyone (who can) to walk to the venue. **Decorations** Balloons are best avoided – especially helium-filled. They are terrible for nature when they pop/are discarded. Studies have shown that balloons labelled as ‘biodegradable’ don’t break down safely and still pose a risk to wildlife. As an alternative we suggested reusable bunting and organised a bunting making workshop. Seven keen volunteers spent a morning turning a pile of donated fabric scraps and old clothes into 80 metres of multicoloured bunting, which can be stored for use at future events. **Food waste** Food rotting in landfill is a major emitter of greenhouse gases, not to mention the emissions arising from food production and transportation, that are also wasted when the food goes to waste. The best way to prevent this is to ensure food waste is minimised by careful planning. Any leftover food could be shared amongst guests or donated (best to identify where it could go beforehand), and any food that cannot be shared could be composted or at least placed in a food caddy. There’s a useful article on the Party Kit Network blog: [https://www.partykitnetwork.org/post/ways-to-avoid-food-waste-at-parties](https://www.partykitnetwork.org/post/ways-to-avoid-food-waste-at-parties?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Disposing of food waste from the Coronation event presented challenges because it contained bread and meat which are not normally recommended for home composting, plus paper napkins which can’t be put in kerbside food waste caddies. We asked [GardenOrganic](https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) for advice and they suggested a hot composter, which can deal with all types of food waste, paper and card, and is rodent proof. Supported by Bugbrooke Parish Council, we have been able to fund a hot composter that will be a permanent asset to the village. After the Coronation it will be used by a village organisation to help deal with ongoing food waste and provide free compost for local gardeners. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/05/Butt.png) ### My Three Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-7/ Last updated: 2023-05-05T14:11:45.000Z *by Paul Slater, Consultant Anaesthetist, Northampton General Hospital* I have become increasingly conscious of the poor state of the environment over the last few years; as part of my contribution to the solution I have been gradually making more changes to my lifestyle. Of course, individuals cannot tackle this crisis alone, but I do believe that the additive effect of collective personal actions will help to combat the current crisis. 1\. Travel. I cycle to work whenever possible and take other journeys by public transport or in our electric car. We have recently started to make more journeys by train, including family holidays, and I haven’t taken a flight for 4 years. 2\. Diet. Although I am not fully vegetarian, I have massively reduced my consumption of meat to the point where I often go for a few weeks without eating meat. I am finding it easier to choose meat free options and just eat meat occasionally. 3\. Finance. I have recently become aware of major banks financing fossil fuel extraction and so I have converted my savings account to an ethical provider. ### Three cheers for King Charles lll URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/three-cheers-for-king-charles-lll/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:22:15.000Z ### The coronation of King Charles delivers a new age of environmental enlightenment. As our Head of State, the natural environment has never had such powerful representation. For over 50 years His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales, had been an outspoken campaigner for the environment including this, his November 2015 opening speech to the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Madrid: > "I urge you to consider the needs of the youngest generation, because none of us has the right to assume that “for our today they should give up their tomorrow.” > On an increasingly crowded planet, humanity faces many threats – but none is greater than climate change. It magnifies every hazard and tension of our existence. It threatens our ability to feed ourselves; to remain healthy and safe from extreme weather; to manage the natural resources that support our economies, and to avert the humanitarian disaster of mass migration and increasing conflict. > In damaging our climate we become the architects of our own destruction. While the planet can survive the scorching of the earth and the rising of the waters, the human race cannot. The absurd thing is that we know exactly what needs to be done; we know we cannot adapt sufficiently to go on as we are, nor can we build ourselves a new atmosphere. To avoid catastrophe we must restrict climate change to less than two degrees, which requires a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions”. If monarchy has any purpose, such leadership could be it. Three cheers for King Charles. ### Outrage! + Optimism URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/outrage-optimism/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:04:17.000Z I’ve been listening to Outrage & Optimism for several years. Its credentials as a source of information and comment on global climate and environmental issues are impeccable; one of the three co-hosts is Christiana Figueres, who as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was one of the architects of the 2015 Paris Agreement. This means they can book some really well informed guests from both the climate activist movement and the global ‘establishment’. I’d particularly recommend a recent short series the podcast ran on Momentum vs Perfection, which examined tensions within the climate movement about how to go about achieving the changes that are so desperately needed. I found both programmes absorbing and informative. At the end of each episode (though not the Momentum vs Perfection series), the question is always asked of guests, ‘What outrages you and what makes you feel optimistic?’. A question we could all consider occasionally to remind ourselves why we do what we do. [Climate Change Podcast | Outrage + OptimismA podcast taking you behind the scenes on the politics, investments and actions meeting the climate crisis head on like no other.![](https://www.outrageandoptimism.org/hubfs/favicon/OutrageOptimism-Favicon-228.png)Outrage + Optimism![](https://www.outrageandoptimism.org/hubfs/layout/OutrageOptimism_OGImage_V1.png#keepProtocol)](https://www.outrageandoptimism.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### Ravenous by Henry Dimbleby with Jemima Lewis URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ravenous-by-henry-dimbleby-with-jemima-lewis/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:07:46.000Z In 2021, Henry Dimbleby published the much acclaimed ‘National Food Strategy’. This was one of the most carefully thought through and readable government documents that I have read and yet most people, including members of the government, have not read or acted upon it. In reply, in 2022 the Government Food Strategy was unveiled. It was not a strategy at all: just a mish-mash of one or two less political items. After all the work put in, Henry must have been very disappointed, but he has not let the matter rest. *Ravenous* contains a popular fight-back restating the key issues in our flawed food system. It is understandable by all. At the beginning, the science of System Dynamics and concepts such as feedback loops and the tragedy of the commons are explained. But Henry soon delves into our history and diet, population and consumption, state intervention, obesity and the cost to the NHS. How can we break the Junk Food Cycle? From there he deals with our farming systems, use of the land, the invisibility of nature and food’s effect on the climate. This is a very positive book, not full of doom and gloom, but brimming with ideas to effect the massive changes we cannot avoid. At the end is a list of the 15 points for government to consider and a table showing where progress has been made, but where huge gaps still remain. One disappointment is the clarity of the graphics, but these can be viewed in the original at [www.nationalfoodstrategy.org](http://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) This fascinating and detailed book is nevertheless a quick and easy read. I recommend it to anyone who thinks about what they eat! Follow the link below to the CA-WN Bookshop where you can support local and independent bookstores, or borrow from your local library. [ https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN](https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Purple Vegetable Casserole URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/purple-vegetable-casserole/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:22:57.000Z This is, essentially, a vegetable casserole, but the ingredients were such that when cooked, it had a wonderful purple hue – fit for Royalty**\***, perhaps? I had a number of single vegetables in the fridge, which all needed to be used, including some amazing, really vividly purple carrots. These, together with two small beetroot, are what gave the casserole its bright colour. You can make this with any root veg, and oddments of cabbage, celery, fennel and so on. My ingredients were: · A red onion · A parsnip · 1 medium or 2 small beetroot · 3 medium carrots · 3 sticks celery · ½ a celeriac root · ½ butternut squash · 1 sweet potato · ½ red pepper · ½ a head radicchio, shredded · 2 garlic cloves · 1 vegetable stock cube · 1 tin chopped tomatoes · A liberal pinch of chilli flakes · Pinch smoked paprika · Pinch of carraway seeds · ½ teaspoon mustard seeds · Water as needed · Sunflower or rape seed oil to soften onions Butternut squash has tough skin and celeriac is very knobbly so both must be peeled but root vegetables, where possible, are much better scrubbed clean than peeled. Use the point of a small sharp knife to remove any eyes or indents that cannot be scrubbed. Cube the root vegetables into approximately 2 cm pieces, but make the butternut squash and sweet potato chunks slightly larger, as they soften quickly anyway. Start by chopping or slicing the onions finely, and crush the garlic, then add to a large casserole and soften till the onions are transparent. Try not to singe them or the flavour will be bitter. Add the spices and continue to warm through, stirring till the onions are coated and the pot gives off a lovely aroma. Now add all the fresh vegetables except the radicchio. Stir everything well making sure all the vegetables are coated with spices. Add the tinned tomatoes, crumbled stock cube and water and continue mixing everything in. Bring the pot to the boil, then cover and lower heat to keep it simmering. Check water level periodically and taste to see if the veg is sufficiently soft to be pleasant to the tooth, and add seasoning if needed. If your tastebuds tell you the dish is slightly bitter, add a dessert spoonful of honey. At this point I added the radicchio. Had I been using cabbage or chopped cauliflower leaves, this is also the point when they would have gone in the pot. Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes, garnish with a dollop of yoghourt or sour cream sprinkled with fresh chopped herbs, and serve immediately. 🟣 \* In ancient Rome, only the emperor was permitted to wear purple. The colour was associated with royalty because the dye was so expensive. 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### Fiddling in Rome - do consultations deliver? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/fiddling-in-rome/ Last updated: 2023-05-05T14:03:43.000Z ***Peter Doveston* *shares his thoughts on proposed revisions to the school bus service, and the council's plans for air quality monitoring.* *Peter* *, from* *Northants Streets Campaign* *,* *also writes his own [blog ](https://northantsstreetscampaign.wordpress.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org).** More bad news I'm afraid. A consultation is currently underway that is considering West Northamptonshire's revised Home to School Transport Policy. One need not dig down too far to find evidence of the fact that public transport is suffering on this side of the county. The key areas of consideration, as set out by the council, are as follows: *1\. Proposed spare seat scheme \[children not legally entitled to school transport will need to wait until October to find out if they have been awarded a 'spare seat'\]* *2\. Removal of entitlement to linked schools* *3\. Provision of transport for rising 8’s* *4\. Removal of transport for children under 5 for mainstream pupils only* *5\. Removal of travel assistance for year 11 pupils who move home during the academic year* *6\. Review of suitable walking route criteria* *7\. Increase the cost of non-entitled bus pass \[from £600 to £1000 pa\]* You can read the full policy here as well as participate in the consultation, I would encourage you to do so. [Home to School Transport Consultation 2023 - West Northamptonshire Council - Citizen SpaceFind and participate in consultations run by West Northamptonshire Council![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/favicon.ico)Home to School Transport Consultation 2023![](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/os-custom-logos/wnc-logo-white.png-1)](https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/cet/home-to-school-transport-2023/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) What should you say? The more pertinent question is probably what 'can' you say? Council budgets are under enormous pressure, the state of the infrastructure we have is in dire need of major investment and unfortunately the vulnerable tend to feel the effects of this the most. No better example than seeing the removal of services and the increase in cost of the non-entitled bus pass. The defence has been that the Home to School policy hasn't been revised in 10 years. The fact it *is* now up for revision is testament to the times we are in. On reading the documents within the consultation I was drawn to the below paragraph: *"*The Councils statutory duty** *There are a range of statutory obligations which the council must meet in relation to the provision of Home to School transport, anything above these obligations is discretionary and included within the Council’s Home to School Transport Policy. The statutory guidance the council must follow is the Department for Educations Home to school travel and transport guidance (2014)."* It got me thinking, what exactly are the council’s obligations when it comes to Home to School transport and to what extent are they fulfilling them? On looking through the guidance there are two statutory duties given: [Home to school travel and transport guidance](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment%5Fdata/file/575323/Home%5Fto%5Fschool%5Ftravel%5Fand%5Ftransport%5Fguidance.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) In order to comply with their home to school transport duties local authorities must: *• Promote the use of sustainable travel and transport (Part 1.1).* *• Make transport arrangements for all eligible children (Part 1.2).* This corresponds to the Education Act 1996 where you can find reference to sustainable modes of transport [here](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/section/508A?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). There's more - the guidance for councils also states: *3\. The Act defines sustainable modes of travel as those that the local authority considers may improve the physical well-being of those who use them, the environmental well-being of all or part of the local authority’s area, or a combination of the two.* *20\. Creating safe walking, cycling and travel routes and encouraging more pupils to walk and cycle to school is one of the best ways to reduce the need for transport and associated costs. '* One wonders, if more investment had been put into safe cycle routes within Northampton, whether the elevated cost of running Home to School Transport may not have hit the council as hard as it did. The problem we face is not one of legislation, as we see multiple examples of sustainable transport being embedded within legislation (Remember *Bus Back Better* and *Gear Change*?). We certainly face an economic challenge. Though I would argue, a challenge that requires a Keynesian response rather than one of Friedman. However, more than this we face a situation where central government is out of step with local councils and local councils are apathetic to certain parts of statutory guidance. For the former point, two events have occurred recently that outrightly fly in the face of promoting sustainable transport · Active Travel was cut in the budget ([https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/news/2023/march/urgent-call-on-government-to-reverse-devastating-cuts-to-active-travel-budget](https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/news/2023/march/urgent-call-on-government-to-reverse-devastating-cuts-to-active-travel-budget?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)) · Air Passenger Duty has been cut [https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/air-passenger-duty-tax-flights-b2307530.html](https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/air-passenger-duty-tax-flights-b2307530.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) For the latter point, this is the Council's section about sustainable transport within the revised Home to School Transport policy: (I note that this section comes right at the end of the policy document.) *16\. Promote Sustainable School Travel* *16.1 The Council will continue to identify opportunities to support independent and sustainable travel to and from school including:* *• Assessment of the travel and transport needs of children and young people in West Northamptonshire.* *• Review sustainable travel and transport infrastructure within West Northamptonshire that may be used when travelling to and from schools and colleges and promote sustainable travel options.* *• Consider infrastructure improvements to better cater for the travel needs of children and young people.* *• In conjunction with schools and colleges, the Council will be Implementing a scheme that will support children and young people travelling independently to and from education and training facilities.* Point two reminds me that a very thorough, resident led, review of infrastructure was conducted only 3 years ago yet seems to have been kicked into the long grass. The Data is still available [https://saferstreetsnorthamptonshire.commonplace.is/](https://saferstreetsnorthamptonshire.commonplace.is/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Why not start here? In Northampton alone, 334 suggestions were made as to how cycling and walking could be made safer and yet Northampton has remained largely unchanged. Reviewing and data collection seem to be a hallmark of the West Northamptonshire approach to sustainability and environmentalism; the council has received almost £300,000 for use in air quality initiatives: [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/news/west-northamptonshire-awarded-funding-improve-air-quality](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/news/west-northamptonshire-awarded-funding-improve-air-quality?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Great news! Only on reading the press release you get the feeling that the heart isn't really in it: *'The new grant will provide funding to develop an evidence base for possible action to deal with particulate pollution in the West Northants. Work proposed will include air quality monitoring and modelling, along with survey work to identify patterns of fuel use in the area.'* It is not that reviews and data are bad, it is that there comes a point where you must grasp the nettle and do something. You cannot measure results into existence. Reviewing is not doing. What can CA-WN readers do? - Whilst West Northamptonshire is not included in the local elections this May, elections are on the horizon. As voters we need to start thinking about what our expectations are of our elected representatives, this includes what we want from our infrastructure, how our urban areas should be designed, how we think our public transport should be funded and run. Start looking at your local area and ask your current council representative or MP what they think the solutions are to the problems you see. Their response (if it is forthcoming) can be a helpful gauge when you come to make your decision at the ballot box. To all readers – On occasion people contact CA-WN to ask if they can get in touch with me. I wanted you to know that I am always open to listen to ideas, views and concerns from people who live in all parts of West Northamptonshire. If you want to talk about something in relation to transport, travel or the built environment then please do reach out to [Petedoveston@hotmail.com](mailto:Petedoveston@hotmail.com?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Water URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/water-2/ Last updated: 2023-05-05T13:59:45.000Z In the UK we are privileged to have fresh safe water on tap, but a complex set of natural and man-made systems is needed to deliver this. During the 2021 and 2022 Great Big Green Weeks, CA-WN was able to put on talks from speakers who gave us expert insights into the complexity and fragility of our water supplies. Lindsay Shepherd Singh spoke to us about water security in 2021\. You can see her presentation slides here [Water security and scarcity](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Water%20GBGW%202021%20LSS.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Lindsay studied Geopolitics, Resources & Territory as a postgraduate student at King’s College London. She has particular interest in transboundary water resources and specifically the impact of geopolitics on aquifers in North India having worked in politics in the region for a number of years and seen first-hand an unfolding groundwater crisis. Having previously studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Lindsay believes in an interdisciplinary approach to addressing major global climate concerns. Lindsay also owns and runs Re, a zero waste shop in Flore, Northamptonshire, which she founded in 2019 (read about the joys of packaging-free shopping [here](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-refill-revolution-the-new-old-way-of-shopping/)). During Great Big Green Week 2022 we were privileged to have two speakers on Water, with very different perspectives: Abigail Wickes, Anglian Water Customer Engagement Manager, talked about AW's purpose, the challenges faced by them and the communities they serve and what is being done to deal with these. Her slides are available here [Anglian Water Purpose and Challenges](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Water%20GBGW%202022%20AW.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Elizabeth Sharpe has wide academic and practical experience as a hydrogeologist and spoke to us about the impact of climate change on our water resources nationally and globally. Her slides are available here [Hydrogeology - water and climate change](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Water%20and%20Climate%20change%20GBGW%202022%20ES.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Both Abi and Elizabeth's presentations were recorded and can be watched on the CA-WN YouTube channel. [GBGW 2022 Anglian WaterThis is a recording of a presentation given by Abigail Wickes, Anglian Water Customer Engagement Manager, as part of Great Big Green Week 2022.We were very p…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/70627e6a/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WnMt0L61QIw/maxresdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCIAKENAF8quKqQMa8AEB-AG2CIAC0AWKAgwIABABGGUgZShlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLC7iGKTFLkmMOZOk9H7M5SA2GO9bQ)](https://youtu.be/WnMt0L61QIw?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [GBGW 2022 Water: HydrogeologyThis is a recording of a presentation given by Elizabeth Sharpe, a hydrogeologist and member of CIWEM (The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental M…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/70627e6a/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7N_xL1o7l38/maxresdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCIAKENAF8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-CYAC0AWKAgwIABABGDggUChyMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBMb6LubpWIMZVKhomJKW0-Dwp6GQ)](https://youtu.be/7N%5FxL1o7l38?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Stronger Together URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/stronger-together/ Last updated: 2023-05-05T09:25:49.000Z *Today's business environment is tough. Is effective collaboration the best way to navigate through it?* When it came to researching this article, I couldn’t resist asking the Internet what the keys to business success are. This threw up a rabbit-warren of answers, some of them positive and forward-thinking, but many stuck in the conventional mindset of competitive advantage. Take this for a definition from [Study.com](https://study.com/learn/lesson/competitive-advantage-types-strategy-what-is-competitive-advantage.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=Competitive%20advantage%20is%20defined%20as,their%20rivals%20thanks%20to%20them); ‘the capacity a corporation has to *outdo its competitors* in both quality and price. A successful business can *beat its competitors* in the market in terms of sales and revenue margins because of these advantages. Business may frequently *outperform their rivals* thanks to them.’ And another adversarial comment from [Investopedia](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/competitive%5Fadvantage.asp?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=Investopedia%20%2F%20Michela%20Buttignol-,What%20Is%20a%20Competitive%20Advantage%3F,compared%20to%20its%20market%20rivals); ‘business success derives from factors that allow a company to produce goods or services *better or more cheaply than its rivals’*. Most gladiatorial of all came from [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-key-planning-factors-competitive-success-business-robert-ford-1c/?articleId=6470846627174318080&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (albeit dated 2018) advising would-be entrepreneurs that ‘the more time you take to closely study your competitor’s strengths and weakness, the more likely it is you’ll be able to *devise strategies to defeat them’*. The italics are mine as I wanted to draw attention to the sharp-elbowed, winner takes all attitude. There is no denying that today’s business environment is tough; rising costs of energy, materials and goods, climate and biodiversity crisis, social inequality, difficulty in accessing funding, regulatory and disclosure requirements. Might the best way to navigate these issues and risks be through effective collaboration rather than competition? An example of a business community leading the way in collaboration and collective action is the B Corp community. Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. B Corps commit to positively impact all stakeholders – employees, local communities, customers, and the environment. Once certified they can join a local group, known as a ’B Local’ where they work together to find solutions to shared challenges. In Northamptonshire, there are 12 certified B Corps representing 8 different industries ranging from construction, apparel, beverages, cleaning products, investment services, HR, PR and consultancy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/04/Northamptonshire-B-Corps_without-logos_Apr-23.jpg) The Northamptonshire B Corps vary in size from micro to global. Reusable nappy revolutionaries [Bambino Mio](https://www.bambinomio.co.uk/pages/our-story?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), headquartered in Brixworth, trade in over 50 countries worldwide. Guy Schanschieff, Founder, commented in a recent article in the [Retail Times](https://retailtimes.co.uk/reusable-nappy-brand-bambino-mio-achieves-b-corp-status/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ‘we hope our commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others.’ Guy is spearheading the formation of a B Local group in Northamptonshire along with [Warner’s](https://www.warnersdistillery.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) the spirits producers from Harrington, whose vision is to become the most nature positive drinks business in the world. Tina Keogh, Co-Founder & Co-CEO intends to ‘raise awareness of how businesses can go beyond (business as usual) to have a positive impact on nature’. The aim of all the businesses in the Northamptonshire B Local is to leverage the breadth of insights, experience, and innovations across their industries to share best practices and support and influence the wider Northamptonshire business community. Another B Local in Oxfordshire has provided a number of informative and educational events to the wider business and academic community. Through tie-ups with other local business groups, such as OSEP (Oxfordshire Social Enterprise Partnership), OxLEP (the Local Economic Partnership) as well as business schools SAID and Oxford Brookes, they have helped foster collaborative promotion of purposeful businesses and to bring stakeholder-led capitalism and B Corp as a concept onto the syllabus for these business schools. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/04/Stronger-Together-Proverb.jpg) The B Corp movement is a global movement and there are many examples of collective action initiatives. One is the [B Corp Beauty Coalition](https://www.bcorpbeauty.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) where over 60 B Corps across 8 countries and 3 continents have come together to improve the sustainability standards of the beauty sector. Historically this has been a cut-throat and environmentally damaging industry but through the coalition’s influence (and they have some big names around the table, such as Elemis, Weleda, Rituals) they intend to trigger broader changes and ultimately improve the social and environmental footprint of the sector as a whole. Closer to home, prepared fruit producer [Blue Skies](https://blueskies.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), headquartered in Pitsford, launched the [Fresh Produce Impact Hub](https://www.freshppact.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (FRESHPPACT) in 2022 in order to bring together retailers, manufacturers and agribusinesses operating within food supply chains and address the issue of plastic waste. The food industry is the single biggest user of plastics, but agriculture is also a big user with plastic mulch used routinely for moisture retention and weed suppression. FRESHPPACT is funded by a UKAID grant through the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Programme (SMEP) and is an example of the importance of effective collaboration. No one company could solve such a huge issue as this. The consortium of members includes the University of Nottingham, the University of Northampton’s Centre for Sustainable Business Practices (CBSP), Waitrose & Partners and Primafruit to name a few, and is working to find solutions to mitigate pollution caused by plastics. FRESHPPACT is also exploring innovative ideas to replace single-use plastic trays for fresh fruit, methods of removing agricultural mulch safely or using biodegradable mulch, and compostable clothing for its workers. Thanks to the breadth of the consortium, FRESHPPACT has the resources to develop and test the new ideas to ensure they are economically viable before scaling up and introducing them to the rest of the industry where their impact can be greatly increased. Simon Derrick, global head of sustainability at Blue Skies, writes in a recent article for the [Fresh Produce Journal](https://www.fruitnet.com/fresh-produce-journal/collaboration-is-key-in-fight-against-plastic-pollution/248697.article?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), ‘to attain the necessary scale of impact, we need seismic change, and this can only be achieved through effective collaboration.’ The KTP project (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) run by the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce and the University of Northampton and part funded by Innovate UK is a further illustration of successful local business collaboration in action. The KTP aims to support Northamptonshire businesses by developing innovations and transforming their business though working with expert academics to transfer and embed new skills and capabilities. [Tingdene](https://www.tingdene.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of residential park homes and holiday lodges, based in Wellingborough, signed up for a KTP to address spiralling waste costs and to get support in changing employee behaviour and improving the recycling of their waste. It was so successful, that in the words of Jamie Wilkins, Tingdene’s Chief Technology Officer, ‘we are looking to enter another KTP to focus on the product rather than the employees this time; to expand our work practices and manufacturing techniques.’ The Chambers of Commerce of which there are 53 in the UK, all accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce, represent 70,000 businesses and are committed to supporting the businesses in their respective areas. The [Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce](https://www.northants-chamber.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) represents around 1,000 businesses – who employ over one third of the county’s workforce. Members benefit from essential services, events, networking, training opportunities, help with funding and marketing along with business support. The British Chambers of Commerce together with the [CBI](https://www.cbi.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (Confederation of British Industry), and the [FSB](https://www.fsb.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (National Federation of Self Employed & Small Businesses) although apolitical have lobbying power and voices that are listened to in the corridors of Westminster, ensuring that the UK’s businesses of all sizes and sectors can prosper for the benefit of all. Effecting actual policy change as a result of collective efforts is often the optimum aim of a coalition. Over 2000 businesses in the UK have joined the ‘Wake Up to Better Business campaign’ and are pushing for the passage of the ‘[Better Business Act’](https://betterbusinessact.org/about-the-act/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). This would amend UK law so that every company in the UK takes ownership of its social and environmental impact and aligns the interests of shareholders alongside those of wider society and the environment. Through a small amendment to Section 172 of the Companies Act businesses would be legally responsible for benefiting their employees, customers, communities and the environment at the same time as delivering profit. The Better Business Act is backed by the Institute of Directors and is taking part in a Parliamentary Reception on 26th April 2023. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/04/BBA_BetterBusinessAct_Logo_Dark--002-.png) To conclude; the business world is a multifarious yet mutually dependent ecosystem. Now more than ever we need we need to learn from one another. Collaborative advantage is the new competitive advantage. Collaboration is essential for success and we are without doubt stronger together. For those wishing to dig further into this topic, [Paul Skinner’s book “Collaborative Advantage”](https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/paul-skinner/collaborative-advantage/9781408710746/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) is packed full of practical guidance to help businesses perform better through collaboration. ### CA-WN Monthly Meeting notes 20 April 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-monthly-meeting-notes-20-april-2023/ Last updated: 2023-05-01T15:18:35.000Z This month we had a presentation on ***‘How UK businesses can do better for Society and the environment’*** from Alexina Cassidy. This meeting was recorded and can be watched on the [CA-WN YouTube channel](https://youtu.be/Lqo%5F7PJw370?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), and you can see Alexina's slides [here](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Sustainability%5Ffor%5FBusinesses%5FCA-WN%5FApr23.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). **Present**: Alexina Cassidy, Briony Askew, Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater, David Garlick, Eileen Daley, Ella Mansfield, Eugenia Wilson, Harry Mellor, Hilary Haynes, Leonie Beale, Louisa Fowler, Mike Longman, Naree Lee, Richard Hollingum, Rupert Frost, Rupert Knowles **Apologies**: Dave Anderson, Emmie Williamson ***‘How UK businesses can do better for society and the environment’*** Presentation by Alexina Cassidy - Alexina has been retraining to enable her to provide consultancy advice and support to businesses to improve their environmental performance. She focuses primarily on working with SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). CA-WN believes that all sectors of society must travel together towards a future where we are no longer contributing to the climate and biodiversity crisis, and businesses have a big part to play in this transition. This is a summary of the points Alexina made in her excellent presentation: · Businesses can make a big difference and have a responsibility to address carbon emissions as well as justice issues that may arise from their operations. · 99% of UK businesses are SMEs. These generate over half of UK GDP and employ 16m people. · Areas of business operation that can be looked at to improve social and environmental performance: \- Governance – legal & corporate structure \- Employees \- Customers \- Community & Suppliers \- Environment **Governance** i.e. mission and engagement. · Not all companies have a mission but all should think about their purpose, vision and plan. Is the business led from the top or more egalitarian? · Ethics and transparency – most companies will have a code of ethics and/or code of conduct; a good business is happy to be transparent about how they conduct themselves and about their financial affairs. · Legal commitment – it’s easy to set up a company using a standard form of Articles of Association without even reading the document. The [Better Business Campaign](https://betterbusinessact.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) is seeking to amend the Companies Act to create a legal requirement for businesses to take ownership of their social and environmental impact. **Employees** · Treatment of employees is an important factor in the social impact of companies. Does the business provide financial security to employees eg by being a Living Wage employer? · Business should treat all types of employee well and fairly, including contractors and part time workers. · Incentives like bonuses or profit share for everyone (not just the top few) · Avoid excessive income inequality · Health, wellbeing and safety: take care of employees’ mental health as well as more traditional ‘health & safety’. · Career development – enable employees to raise issues and concerns, provide training and mentoring. · Flexible working practices, whether working from home or in the office, help to make people fully engaged in the success of the business. · As an employer can the business hire people who might struggle to enter the job market – e.g. people with disabilities. · All of the above should lead to employee engagement and satisfaction. **Customers** · Enable customers to raise complaints and concerns; treat them with respect. · Have strong data security and privacy controls · Customer protection – don’t seek to make excessive profits at the expense of the customer. · Consider under-served populations and how the business could improve the life of low income individuals or people who are not able to access products and services easily **Community & Suppliers** · Diversity, Equality & Inclusion is key. Look for suppliers with a diverse board and better gender equality. This has a business benefit, as teams work better if there is a true mix of people. · The business can have a positive economic impact eg by using local suppliers and having inclusive tendering processes. · Think about which bank and pension scheme match the business’s ethics. Use the [Make My Money Matter](https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and [Bank Green](https://bank.green/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) websites to see what investments your bank has (this is good for individuals as well as businesses). · Civic engagement & giving – encourage employees to volunteer, whether as a team, or on a more long term basis for example as a school governor or an officer of a charity or voluntary group. One company Alexina works with has given one of their employees back the time he spends volunteering at a food bank at the weekend. Giving by a business might be time and materials or expertise as well as money. \[See CA-WN Exchange’s *[Business as a Force for Good](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/business/)* features for examples of companies that are working to make a difference\] · In summary - ask your suppliers to have the same high ethical and environmental standards as you do. **Environment** · Often the most thorny topic as it is hard to do well. · Where to start? A good place is measuring the business carbon footprint. Online tools are available or environmental management consultants for bigger companies. Assessment needs to include production processes, as well as premises efficiency and facilities management. A good assessment will measure GHG emissions and supply chain footprint. · Businesses should seek to minimise transport and movement of goods. Transport includes employee travel, so encourage employees to car share, cycle, walk or use public transport, and provide EV chargers at the workplace. · Other areas to look at are waste management, recycling, use of environmentally friendly materials There was a lively Q&A session after the presentation, this is a very brief summary: As a business why should I change? · It’s good for the business to purposefully adopt ethical best practice · Helps to attract and retain talented employees who want to work for a company with positive values · Build customer trust and loyalty · Easier access to funding and lower financing costs – lots of ethical funds looking for sustainable businesses to invest in. · Reduce energy usage and costs **Speakers for future meetings:** ***May*** \- Claire O’Brien, Environmental Sustainability Manager, Grand Union Housing Group, on “Making retrofit messaging relevant to your audience”. ***June*** \- Dr Caroline Kuzemko, Warwick University, on “The Politics of Climate Change” If there are topics you would like to see us cover at future meetings, or you know of someone who could speak to us on an environmental or climate related topic, please let us know. **Events:** A number of CA-WN members have recently attended local events designed to bring together groups with shared aims and focus: · NN Environment Network – for groups in West Northamptonshire. This includes Transition Town Northampton, South Court Environmental, the Umbrella Fair, Green Party, XR and others. The group is fairly new so still working out its role, but it has been good to find out what other groups are doing and as a minimum we can support and share each other’s work. · Stronger as One – organised by a Kettering Climate Action group. Good turnout for the first meeting from across the county, which was dedicated to getting views about ‘what needs to happen’ and ‘what can we do’. It is proposed that the group will focus on supporting the efforts of the Wellingborough Save our Trees group initially. The next meeting will be in early June. Details of all local events relevant to CA-WN and our supporters are always posted on the *[What’s On](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/)* page on CA-WN Exchange. Please keep an eye on this as it is updated frequently. If you know of an event that we should add, please send details to secretary@ca-wn.org. **AOB** · Ella reminded us that we had intended to put up details of any tasks or opportunities to volunteer to help CA-WN on CA-WN Exchange. Watch this space! · David is looking at planting wildflowers on land around Weston Favell parish hall · A [Friends group](https://sites.google.com/view/northamptonshiregardenstrust2/billing-road-cemetery?pli=1&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) is being set up to look after Billing Road Cemetery, using a Gardens Trust Community Grant Award. **Date of next meeting** Thursday 18th May 7:45pm – 9:00pm [Climate Action-West Northamptonshire Monthly Meeting May 2023 Tickets, Thu 18 May 2023 at 19:45 | Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-action-west-northamptonshire-monthly-meeting-may-2023-tickets-563637102747?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### The latest from CA-WN Exchange - April 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-latest-from-ca-wn-exchange/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:22:31.000Z Reflecting April’s temperamental weather of sunshine and showers, the climate movement has a dichotomy of approaches that are being used to try to effect change. Although we are all aiming for the same goal, the differing approaches can sometimes rile the other ‘side’: the disruption caused by civil disobedience is denounced by many, while the snail pace of the more pragmatic approach frustrates many others. Given the enormity of the challenge we need everyone pulling in the same direction, not undermining one another, and surely there is the room and the need for a variety of approaches? We’ll need more plant-based diets, but also regenerative agriculture; we need to reduce road travel overall, but also have some electric vehicles; we need to cut down on the amount of ‘stuff’ we buy, but also support those businesses that are adopting sustainable practices. We need to understand and embrace all approaches, and to remember that everyone is viewing this from a slightly different angle. For me, like Emmie (My Three Things for Climate Change), it is important to connect with people who truly understand the gravity of the climate crisis and I’d like to think that I can help support and boost those who choose a different approach. While we remain in the minority, we need to coalesce our collective voice and get our message to those who need to hear it, loud and clear! So grab a cuppa and find out more about some of the area’s ongoing projects in this issue of CA-WN Exchange. Peter Doveston describes the conception of the exciting plan for a new Active Quarter in Northampton and Councillor Rosie Humphreys' My View includes an insight into Active Travel plans unfolding in her ward. We also hear about an inspiring collaboration with Illustration students at University of Northampton, and an innovative business approach to turning one person’s trash into another’s treasure. **Clare Slater** --- **Latest Posts from the CA-WN Community** 🔹[Watching Plants Creeping Northwards](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/watching-plants-creeping-northwards/) \- Brian Laney, one of the Northamptonshire County Recorders of plants, on four species that are making their way north due to climate change 🔹[CA-WN collaboration](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/uon-illustrations/) with University of Northampton students - how to communicate climate activism 🔹[Time for a New Quarter ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/time-for-a-new-quarter/)\- Peter Doveston from the Northants Streets Campaign writes about the exciting proposal for a new Active Quarter in Northampton 🔹[Offsetting and Carbon Trading](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/offsetting-and-carbon/) \- CA-WN's farming correspondent, Rupert Knowles, considers the problems and potential of carbon and biodiversity offsetting in agriculture 🔹[Business as a Force for Good](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/business-as-a-force-for-good-encore-environment-working-hard-to-reduce-waste/) \- an insight into the serious business of waste management and the work of an innovative market leader based in Northants 🔹[Council Watch](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-2/) \- a look back at the achievements of West Northamptonshire Council over the last 12 months 🔹[Bookshelf](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-garden-jungle-by-dave-goulson/) and [Podcast Shelf](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/farming-today/) \- read/listen to the latest suggestions from the CA-WN Community (if you would like to contribute a recommendation for a book you have read or podcast you love on a climate or environmental topic do get in touch) 🔹[My Three Things for Climate Change](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-5/) \- Emmie Williamson, Clinical Psychologist; Green Party parliamentary candidate for South Northants; Co-Coordinator of West Northants Green Party; Coordinator of Flore Climate Groupshares her efforts 🔹[My View](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-6/) \- CA-WN gives a Councillor the space to speak about climate action. This month we hear from Rosie Humphreys, Lib-Dem Councillor for Braunston and Crick --- #### What's on in April and May [****Wednesday 12 April**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-cafe-april-2023-tickets-484840971397?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) CA-WN Climate Cafe (online) [****Wednesday 19 April**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/active-hope-registration-517712170037?dm%5Fi=78W4,EEWI,1CED5C,1RSW2,1&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) An introduction to Active Hope - Friends of the Earth event (online) [****Thursday 20 April**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-action-west-northamptonshire-monthly-meeting-april-2023-tickets-563634755727?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) CA-WN Monthly General Meeting (online) [****Friday** ****21 - Monday 24 April**](https://extinctionrebellion.uk/the-big-one/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The Big One - 4 day peaceful action in London [****Saturday 13 May and Friday 19 May**](https://www.facebook.com/Southcourtenviromental) South Court Environmental May Days at Wilsons Orchard and Abington Lodge [****Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 May**](https://www.northampton.ac.uk/about-us/governance-and-management/management/sustainability/uon-sustainability-summit/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) University of Northampton Sustainability Summit ### Encore Environment - working hard to reduce waste and create social value URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/business-as-a-force-for-good-encore-environment-working-hard-to-reduce-waste/ Last updated: 2023-04-01T08:42:31.000Z Take, make, use, dispose, pollute. These five words represent the traditional linear industrial system. It starts with extracting Earth’s minerals, metals, biomass and fossil fuels; these are then manufactured into products which are sold to consumers who - for the most part - will use them and then chuck them away. To borrow from Kate Raworth’s ‘Doughnut Economics’ – ‘like an industrial caterpillar, ingesting food at one end, chewing it through, and excreting the waste out of the other end.’ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Linear.png) CC 3.0 Catherine Weetman 2016 Industrial activity depletes nature’s resources at the start of the process and then dumps carbon dioxide (and equivalents) into the atmosphere, offloads effluent (agricultural run-off and sewage) into lakes and oceans, and disposes of consumer products into landfill at the end of the process. What breaks my heart about this is how hard nature itself tries to deal with these by-products of industrial activity through its natural sinks – its oceans, soils and forests. The world’s forests absorb 2.6bn tonnes of carbon dioxide every year yet an area the size of a football pitch is destroyed every second. The Earth’s soil absorbs roughly a quarter of all human emissions each year, with a large portion of this stored in peatland or permafrost but it is under threat from increasing global demand for food production, chemical pollution and climate change. The ocean has sucked up about a quarter of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere since humans began burning fossil fuels for energy during the Industrial Revolution. But plastic pollution in our ocean means plankton are eating micro plastics, impacting the rate at which they are trapping carbon. As a result of this depressing situation, the industry of responsible waste management is growing in importance. The waste management hierarchy (or Lansink’s Ladder, named after a Dutch politician, Ad Lansink, who conceived the simple idea in 1979) indicates an order of preference for action to reduce and manage waste from most favourable to least favourable actions. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Waste-Hierarchy---Step-Up---Go-Green.png) The original ‘ladder’ had 5 rungs: disposal, recovery, recycling, reuse and prevention. Lansink submitted his motion to the Dutch parliament, and it became a piece of formal legislation that has been a critical tool in shaping waste policy in the Netherlands ever since. The waste management and recycling industries of today have adapted and tweaked the original ‘ladder’ to better reflect the technologies developed since the 1970s. [Encore Environment](https://www.encore-environment.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), based in Sywell, Northamptonshire, oversees the waste management needs of major construction projects across the country. They base their operations on Lansink’s waste management hierarchy, focusing on a reduce, reuse, and recycle approach, as well as getting involved early in a project in order to identify the best recycling solutions and identifying circular economy opportunities. Approximately 59% of the total waste generated in the UK and 15% of total UK carbon emissions come from the construction industry and Encore Environment is working hard with its clients to reduce the waste these projects generate and decrease the carbon emitted. One of the innovative ways they do this is to connect surplus waste materials from construction refit and refurbishments projects with organisations in need who can reuse them. This stops reusable items going through traditional routes of disposal, reducing waste, reducing carbon, and creating social value. To use a well-known phrase ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’; they have compiled a unique database made up of social enterprises, charities, hospices and schools in need of items and working with the construction company, ‘divert’ anything that they can to the people who need it. Encore Environment has named this ‘Project Divert’ and it has won a number of industry awards in recognition of the positive social impact this creates. The list of local charities and organisations that have benefitted from Project Divert is long; but here are a few: The Hope Centre, Overstone Scout Activity Centre, Sywell School, Home Start Kettering, Library Plus, Headway Northampton, Friends and Families MK, eve Northampton. Another initiative from Encore Environment is Waste Wise Kids, a non-profit founded in August 2019\. They work with local primary schools by supporting teachers in educating young children about waste, recycling and sustainability. They aim to give children the knowledge and understanding needed to actively reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Their catchy logo is ‘stop, think and act’ and their presentations to schools are fun and informative. The schools receive resource boxes which include a presentation with teachers' notes, sustainable handouts, rewards charts and a ‘Rubbish Robot’ competition. The pupils and teachers work together to action sustainability initiatives within the school and learn lifelong skills that actively reduce waste going into landfill. Waste Wise Kids regularly run online competitions and promote crafting and repurposing ideas for families to do together. They bring their knowledge home and show their family and friends practical ways to manage household waste. Rachel Rowley, CEO and co-Founder of Encore Environment, hopes that through Waste Wise Kids, ‘children build life-long skills that will have a positive impact on the environment’s future.’ ### Watching Plants Creeping Northwards URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/watching-plants-creeping-northwards/ Last updated: 2023-03-31T10:43:33.000Z *Brian Laney, one of the Northamptonshire County Recorders of plants, talks of four species that are making their way north due to climate change.* In recent years several wild plant species have appeared in the vice county of Northamptonshire which have never been seen in the county before ('vice county' refers to the old county of Northamptonshire, which includes the Soke of Peterborough). Some of these plant species were once rare in the UK but have made a major spread in their distribution and have been affected by climate change making it suitable for these species to have spread. At least four wild plant species come to mind where this has happened, they have reached Northamptonshire and are still spreading into certain other counties including heading in a northward direction in the country. Early meadow grass (*Poa infirma*) used to be only known from the Isles of Scilly, the Channel Isles and Cornwall. However, it was first recorded in Northamptonshire by Paul Stanley who spotted it from his car on the side of the A43 at Moulton. Since Paul’s find there have been at least 12 sightings of this species including growing around the car park of the Motel and the Little Chef by the A43 at Towcester. Early meadow grass is very light green in colour and is an early flowerer, flowering in late Feb into March. This could explain why the species could be missed due to its early flowering period. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Early-Meadow-Grass-cu.png) Early meadow grass (Poa infirma) close up Jersey cudweed (*Laphangium luteoalbum*) was at one time only known from Holkham Pines in North Norfolk, Dungeness in Kent and Holton Heath in Dorset. Jersey cudweed was first seen in Northamptonshire by Terry Wells in 1990 at Peterborough. There were no more records for this species until 2019 when it was found at Yarwell quarry by Ryan Clarke. This species has really taken off in the UK in recent years especially in urban areas including here in Northamptonshire. The species has been found by Brian Laney in Ryehill and New Duston in Northampton and even in the grounds of a garden centre at Burton Latimer. In 2022 Simon Hales found the species in a street in Higham Ferrers. In some parts of the UK the species has come up between the brick paving of people’s driveways and this could well happen in someone’s driveway here in Northamptonshire in the near future. Jersey cudweed is a late flowering species and can be seen in flower in September. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Jersey-Cudweed-flower-1-Simon-Hales.png) Jersey cudweed (Laphangium luteoalbum) Four leaved allseed (*Polycarpon tetraphyllum*) was once only known from the Isles of Scilly, The Channel Isles, Cornwall and South Devon. Again in recent years the species has really taken off and it’s starting to show up in the Northants vice county. Four leaved allseed was first found by Kevin Walker and Peter Stroh in 2015 at Bourges Boulevard Business Park, Peterborough, within the Northants vice county. Since then a single plant of the species was found at Whilton Locks and New Duston by Brian Laney, and Martin Dove found several hundred plants in a street in Northampton. It’s a species that flowers in the summer with small white flowers that open in the sunlight. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Four-leaved-allseed-Whilton-locks-2020.png) Four leaved allseed (Polycarpon tetraphyllum) Lizard orchid (*Himantoglossum hircinum*) is a very distinct looking orchid that is fully protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act. At one time in the past the species was only known from Sandwich Bay in Kent and Devils Dyke in Cambridgeshire where the species still occurs today. However again in recent years this orchid has really taken off spreading west as far as Somerset and as far north as Doncaster in Yorkshire. The first Northamptonshire record was by Sean Karley in 2017 at Swaddywell Pit. Sadly, the plant was not seen again even though there have been several checks by various botanists. Then in 2022 people from the Northants Wildlife Trust found a large flowering specimen at Ring Haw. This orchid is very spectacular when it flowers with one botanist mentioning it looked like a maypole with its streamers. Some people suggest the flowers smell like a Billy goat! Lizard orchid has a wintergreen rosette meaning the leaves are above ground over the winter months. The rosette of this species is quite light green in colour. It’s very possible more of these rosettes of this great species could be found even in urban areas in Northamptonshire including mown verges and even peoples’ lawns! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Lizard-Orchid-3.png) Lizard orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum) With all four of these species mentioned it is very likely more populations will be found in the vice county of Northamptonshire so keep your eyes open and both Brain Laney and Alyson Freeman, the two Northamptonshire County Recorders for plants will appreciate the records. Well any plant records people see are always appreciated! If you have a plant to report, then you can contact Brian or Alyson on their email below: [brian.laney@gmail.com](mailto:brian.laney@gmail.com) [alysonfreeman0@gmail.com](mailto:alysonfreeman0@gmail.com) You can also look at the Northamptonshire pages of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland: [https://bsbi.org/northamptonshire](https://bsbi.org/northamptonshire?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### UoN – CA-WN collaboration URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/uon-illustrations/ Last updated: 2023-03-31T10:40:45.000Z ### CA-WN had been invited by Zoe Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Illustration at the University of Northampton, to set a project for second year Illustration students. CA-WN outlined the practical problems of communicating the many facets of climate change and students each came up with three suggestions that were discussed before choosing one to further develop. Bat Mendes came up with a prototype activity board that illustrates the everyday progression of the bumblebee, a children's favourite creature, from its home nest out to collect nectar, finding nothing in a paved yard then lighting upon wildflowers and taking nectar on board before returning home to the hive. Bat crocheted realistic looking bees with an embedded magnet that a child could pick up and place on illustrations each with their own magnet - except for the illustration of the 'garden' that is not at all bee-friendly. The prototype board was field-tested to great success by visitors at the March *Tea & Cake with CA-WN* event in Towcester. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Zoe-red---green.png) Time is Running Out for accepting heavily polluted air - exhibit by by Zoe Anderson Zoe Anderson chose to illustrate the theme of Time is Running Out with a brilliant egg timer that rotates over a cut out map of Northampton town centre to illustrate the pollution differences between active travel versus private car use. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/CA-WN-Alex-posters.png) Alexandra Turbok illustrated how a diverse community can deliver biodiversity by sowing seeds and germinating them in their own patch of land. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Logan-s-Woods-cropped.png) Logan Moennich gave CA-WN a rich library of multi-layered graphic images based on his own photographs that might be used to illustrate articles in the CA-WN Exchange. His suggestion of a *Zine* was a great idea but wasn't a practicable proposition in the time available. Jessica Dennis came up with three brilliant suggestions, an interactive rewilding activity game based in Becket's Park in Northampton, an idea for flat-pack DIY bug housing, and a suggestion for transforming the CA-WN Claim Back Your Space booklet into a children's illustrated step-by-step guide. CA-WN will definitely take this very welcome idea to widen the the booklet's reach. ### Time for a new Quarter URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/time-for-a-new-quarter/ Last updated: 2023-03-31T10:38:44.000Z ***By Peter Doveston - Northants Streets Campaign* *. Peter also writes his own [blog ](https://northantsstreetscampaign.wordpress.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org).** During the pandemic, two academics were chatting. They were mulling over the effects, both positive and negative, that the emergency was having on people's ability to exercise outdoors. Negatively, people were trapped in their homes, unable to move as they wished. As a result, apathy had set in and they remained inactive. Positively, however, the situation had instilled a new intrigue. Left limited to only a small portion of the day to go outside and explore, people had revived their interest in the local area. Yes, that path does lead down there, yes there is a lake at Delapre and yes, you can spot herons and even otters. Yes, you can walk for several miles from Far Cotton without setting foot on a road. On exploring the area around the University’s Waterside Campus the two academics realised the wealth of nature and nature-based activity that surrounded them. The Active Quarter was born. I spoke to Dr Peter Jones, an Associate Dean at the University of Northampton and one of the two academics, to get an idea of what the Active Quarter means for the town. Peter comes armed with slides and enthusiastically fills me in on where and what the Active Quarter is. The area itself is a 900 hectare quadrant that runs from Becket’s Park just south of the Town Centre and reaches out south-east to Brackmills, Hardingstone and Great Houghton. Within its realms lie the University, Delapre Lake, Delapre Abbey, a golf course, Brackmills estate, and the newly installed mountain bike track. Intermingled within these locations is a warren of pathways and cycle tracks, some unfinished and disconnected. This will be one of the aims of the Quarter; to create joined up, well sign-posted pedestrian and cycle routes in the area. The process has already begun and if you’re interested take a look at this [recent report](https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/publications/report-active-quarter-brackmills-industrial-estate-2022-active-tr?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/New-Quarter-picture-1-v-2.png) Active Quarter in yellow Other short term aims include building community engagement, developing a Delapre Cycle Hub, creating a distinct Active Quarter logo and brand and holding related events including an annual festival. Whilst into the future, there are hopes that the success of this Quarter may influence other local infrastructure plans. The community engagement element seems central to me and connecting this engagement with funding will be one challenge the Active Quarter must face if it is to have its full impact. However it is to be hoped that, through the Quarter’s myriad stakeholders, the experience is present to make community ideas a reality. The Quarter intends to promote health and well-being but, more fundamentally, in a way that shows how health and well-being can be embedded in our communities. This includes how we travel around and the proximity of green spaces to where we live. This latter point has been on the lips of central government very recently. [Everyone to live 15 minutes from green space or water in England under plansA blueprint is set out to restore nature in England after criticism over pollution and wildlife decline.![](https://static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/windows-phone/news/windows-phone-icon-270x270.23502b4459eb7a6ab2ab.png)BBC NewsHelen BriggsEnvironment correspondent![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/89A4/production/_128463253_redsquirrelgettyimages-1314827451.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64456455?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) It will be down to the success of concepts like the Active Quarter as to whether this is merely lip-service or genuine action. The Active Quarter’s stakeholders include, among others, the University of Northampton, Delapre Abbey, Northamptonshire Sport, Brackmills BID and (especially pleasing) West Northamptonshire Council. A [paper ](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g693/Public%20reports%20pack%2017th-Jan-2023%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)was delivered to WNC Cabinet on January 17 this year where Cabinet resolved ‘continued support of working collaboratively with partners, towards achieving the Active Quarter ambitions outlined within the report’. Why do I write about this? I write because this is a serious opportunity for sustainable, healthy, nature-based, impactful growth for a town that desperately needs it. It is an example of like-minded collaborators coming together to produce a plan that has people's best interests at heart but also realises that human well-being does not have to be disconnected from economic well-being, that the two are often intertwined. There are opportunities here for all; for small businesses, for students and visitors, for town dwellers and for wider West Northamptonshire folk. I write because everyone has a responsibility here to back this plan if they support its aims. You could do this by patronising its businesses or organising visits among your local groups and clubs. You could write to your local Councillor or MP and tell them how good you think this is, or how good you think it could be. You could engage in consultations as and when they come up. As it happens, the CA-WN Exchange is an excellent resource for keeping up to date on these! As Peter Jones rightly points out at the end of our talk ‘the hard work starts now’. PS – Whilst thinking about consultations, please consider filling this one in by clicking on the link below. [Marefair Heritage ParkPlease take the time to complete our survey. Your feedback is important.![](https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/favicon.ico)Logo![](https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/img/ss_logo_twitter.png)](https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/MarefairHeritagePark/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The plan is for a heritage park to be developed on a piece of land near to Northampton train station. The land is on the former site of Northampton Castle, the ruins of which are now non-existent. At present, the site is in desperate need of regeneration and I think anything we can do to embed green spaces in our urban areas is a good thing. The consultation ends on the 7th April so don’t delay! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/New-Quarter-Picture-2.png) Map showing the proposed new heritage park site To all readers – On occasion people contact CA-WN to ask if they can get in touch with me. I wanted you to know that I am always open to listen to ideas, views and concerns from people who live in all parts of West Northamptonshire. If you want to talk about something in relation to transport, travel or the built environment then please do reach out to [Petedoveston@hotmail.com](mailto:Petedoveston@hotmail.com) ### Offsetting and Carbon Trading URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/offsetting-and-carbon/ Last updated: 2023-03-31T10:37:25.000Z I am very suspicious of offsetting. An old friend was persuaded by her heating oil supplier to give money to forestry in India. She has travelled to India many times and has a soft spot for the country and its peoples, so she was easily persuaded. In theory, the trees would mop up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere equivalent to that emitted by her oil-fired boiler. But how to know? How many trees? Over what period? Who will care for them and measure their growth? Is this ‘greenwashing’ or can she rest with a clear conscience that she is not harming the planet by burning oil? Would it not be better to stop burning oil AND to plant trees in India? Early in February, I spent a day at ‘The Low Carbon Agriculture Show’ at Stoneleigh, the site of the old Royal Agricultural Show. It was busy with farmers travelling from afar. There were two days of talks, but I did not attend these, preferring to ask focused questions at the many stands. There were over 120 companies representing renewable energy; low carbon transport & machinery sectors; together with suppliers of innovative technology and advisors on carbon and environmental land management. Electric Land Rovers and sophisticated drones caught my eye, but I was more intrigued by the large number of companies involved in Carbon and Biodiversity offsetting. A key element in carbon offsetting is to be able to measure carbon change in an area of land. Various carbon calculators are on offer including Agrecalc, a carbon footprint tool developed by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and its consulting division, SAC Consulting. These calculators are not all the same and it will take time for a standard to evolve. For forestry it is relatively straightforward to estimate the amount of carbon stored in the trunks of trees; it is more difficult to estimate what goes on under the surface in the soil but a system has been agreed. For crop land, carbon is stored below ground as decomposing roots and other organic matter incorporated by worms, and the farmer must show the initial carbon content and an increase over the years in order to offer an offset. For calculators like Agrecalc to work, good data are needed. The situation is dynamic: organic matter is constantly added and broken down. Traditionally a farmer takes soil samples at two depths with an auger following a W pattern across the field (see photo of me doing this in China). The samples are mixed to provide one composite (average) sample. A laboratory sends back an analysis of N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus), K (potassium) and Mg (magnesium) to help the farmer apply the right amount of fertiliser plus an estimate of organic matter. With carbon trading and offsetting, a lot of money is involved. More sophisticated and detailed soil carbon analysis is required to measure changes over time across the land and at depths down to one metre or more, using mobile sampling machines. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Rupert-picture-2.png) A mobile sampling rig - Agricarbon UK Ltd Back in the laboratory the analysis of soil samples can be an automated process that lowers the costs of processing them. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Rupert-picture-3.png) Soil carbon analysis in the laboratory Farmers are losing the Basic Payment Scheme, a grant based on the area of land farmed. The alternative is to engage in one of the government’s Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS). Government schemes are outlined by DEFRA in a small leaflet called ‘New Farming Policies and Payments in England’ and there are more details at [www.gov.uk/guidance/funding-for-farmers](http://www.gov.uk/guidance/funding-for-farmers?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). There are separate schemes for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. But to many famers these are complicated and bureaucratic, and commercial carbon offsetting might seem more attractive and simple. At the show there were numerous brokers and consultants offering to help farmers connect with those seeking offsets. For example, I picked up a brochure from a Cambridge company called Insenti. Insenti's software platform connects farmers who are looking for investment in regenerative agriculture or green energy projects with their downstream customers, who are looking to reduce ‘Scope 3’ emissions in their own supply chains. This is known as insetting. However, none of the consultants offered a clear way in which a famer could measure changes in carbon and sell this directly to food manufacturers and suppliers, or other industries such as airlines. The situation is much clearer in biodiversity offsetting although how it is measured in money terms, I am not sure. The Environment Bank helps local planning authorities (LPAs) create ecologically diverse landscapes for nature and offer Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) to developers. The Bank agrees a 30 year lease interest on land and the farmers or landowners are paid to develop and manage ‘Habitat Banks’. The scheme is fully funded and risk-free to the landowner. The Bank has a team of ecologists offering support, guidance and monitoring throughout the 30 years. The Habitat Banks in the form of BNG units are sold to developers to provide a mechanism for delivering BNG in all local areas. This makes it easy for both developers and local authorities to comply with the Environment Act and the National Planning Policy Framework. See [https://environmentbank.com/](https://environmentbank.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) It seems to me that biodiversity offsetting is a much more ethical practice than climate offsetting. Some climate offsetting may be necessary, but the need for housing and industrial development is clear. BNG is a sound way of supporting it without undue harm to the environment. So, farmers are taking climate and biodiversity change seriously. Not only do they want to deliver benefits to society, they also seek opportunities to make money from the private sector to replace government grants. But before YOU take a plane to Spain, think train! ### Council Watch April 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-2/ Last updated: 2023-03-31T10:35:09.000Z ****CA-WN watching West Northants Council for us all** The very first issue of CA-WN Exchange was published exactly one year ago, on 1 April 2022\. We chose to write the [first ‘Council Watch’ feature](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-april-2022/) as a report card on the first year of the unitary authority’s existence. So how are things looking one year on? CA-WN has updated the report card. In short, it's been a much better year with some real progress made, but there are still a few lowlights. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-30-190307.png) ### Farming Today URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/farming-today/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:04:26.000Z Farming Today has been going for ever – I remember my granddad getting up to listen to it every morning in the 1970s. But it has definitely moved with the times and these days isn’t just about combine harvesters and the price of pigs. We all know that food systems are a major contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions which are driving climate change. And that methods of farming in the UK can impact wildlife and biodiversity both positively and negatively. There’s a very real tension between the demand for high volumes of affordable good quality food, improved food security, and the expectation that farmers make space for wildlife and invest in environmental schemes. As consumers we are faced with the challenge of trying to make environmentally conscious choices in a cost of living crisis. Farming Today can help us understand the other side of the coin – the challenges facing farmers and food producers. It has recently covered topics including why UK fruit growers are cutting down trees instead of planting, the re-introduction of sea eagles to Wales, and a new multi-million pound oat processing plant in Northamptonshire. [BBC Radio 4 - Farming TodayThe latest news about food, farming and the countryside![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/272x272/p0c6mqgx.jpg)BBC![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1200x675/p0c6mqgx.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### The Garden Jungle by Dave Goulson URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-garden-jungle-by-dave-goulson/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:16:05.000Z *The Garden Jungle or Gardening to Save The Planet:* Professor Goulson is a mine of information about the natural world and a great communicator. There’s a lot of science in this book, but it’s clearly conveyed and easy to absorb. The science sits alongside a lot of practical experience and bags of enthusiasm. There’s a great deal to learn here about what is actually living in your garden, the role each creature plays and what we can do (and not do) to help them thrive. There are helpful plant suggestions at the end, and every chapter starts with a recipe. This is a book which any aspiring, or experienced, wildlife gardener will enjoy. ***This book is available to borrow from the*** [***CA-WN Lending Library***](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-library/)***.*** Or buy from our bookshop [https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN](https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### My Three Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-5/ Last updated: 2023-03-31T10:24:29.000Z *by Emmie Williamson, Clinical Psychologist; Green Party parliamentary candidate for South Northants; Co-Coordinator of West Northants Green Party; Coordinator of Flore Climate Group.* I’ve really enjoyed reading the other contributions in this space, and how the actions range from large and broad to tiny and specific. So I thought I’d choose three things along that spectrum. When I first became fully aware of the magnitude of the climate and societal collapse that seems increasingly inevitable as governments and industries fail to meet the challenge of reducing emissions in time, I felt a deep need to connect with others who have this awareness. When studying climate psychology it is clear that in the face of such overwhelming information and the feelings that follow it, psychological defences, mainly different forms of denial and dissociation, are the norm. I’m sure you too have found yourself sounding slightly barmy when talking to a lot of people about the horrors coming our way, even though a lot of it is already happening. Even for those of us who have become fully aware, the feelings often oscillate, as it’s too hard for the mind to really comprehend, and for us to cope with the emotions continuously. We all have some level of psychological defence. “Climate cafés” are places to join others who want to open up awareness and feelings, process them, and connect with others. I decided to start an in-person group in my village to serve this function, and also to start to take action to build our climate resilience, reduce our carbon footprint and increase biodiversity. And I was really pleased recently to find CA-WN, and that this wonderful group runs climate cafés. Providing a supportive way to raise awareness is very effective, so such groups are also a form of action in themselves. I read that one of the most impactful things we can do in the face of the climate emergency is to scrutinise where our pensions are invested and divest from any fossil fuel company the pension is invested in. I have an old, small private pension pot - I had it analysed and it was mainly invested in Shell! I’ve now moved it to a green and ethical investment fund, and enjoy the reports and webinars of the companies they invest in. I could have made a lot more money if I’d left it invested in fossil fuels, with the way things have gone, but at least my conscience is clear and my pension is doing some good. It was hard to choose a tiny thing I’ve done, so I’ll mention the one foremost in my mind, as I’ve recently stopped buying disposable cloths (‘J-cloths’) and nearly bought some again today but stopped myself! Now I wash reusable cloths instead. In general I’m simply trying to consume less. 📌 You can see details of CA-WN's regular Climate Cafes and other events on our [Eventbrite ](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/climate-action-west-northamptonshire-34423488393?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)page. ### My View: Rosie Humphreys URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-6/ Last updated: 2023-04-01T11:36:58.000Z From the emails I receive and the conversations I have there is a huge appetite at grassroots level for the changes that will enable us all to live more sustainably. Three of the eight villages in my ward have active environment groups (in Braunston, Crick and Yelvertoft). Kilsby village is also considering setting one up. A proposal to link the small village of Yelvertoft, which has no public transport or general store, to the larger village of Crick by a 2km cycle/walking path received 70 likes on Yelvertoft’s Facebook page and filled my inbox with supportive emails. (Strangely, the only negative comment was from one of my fellow ward councillors!) Many Yelvertoft residents really do want to leave their cars behind for the short journey to access the shops, post office, surgery and Crick’s other amenities. The Parish Council has set up a working group to look further into this proposal and the WNC cycling officer has confirmed that the highway would be suitable, only the cost almost certainly prohibitive. Fortunately there is a possible cheaper option of upgrading a bridleway which connects the two villages. Ironically on the day the local resident and the officer cycled the two possible routes the Transport Minister announced that Active Travel funding for the parliamentary term is being cut from £3.8 billion to £3 billion, such a backward move for the economy, the environment and our nation’s health. Now that the clocks have gone forward I am intending to fulfil my personal sustainability pledge to cycle any distance shorter than 5 miles by bike. This can be a challenge when time is short and evening meetings will mean cycling on rural roads in the darkness, however the longer hours of daylight mean I’ll have no excuse! Cycling is such fantastic exercise, particularly in our undulating countryside and certainly around my part of West Northants there is a large network of small, largely car free lanes. My dream would be to link all our smaller, isolated villages with a network of “green lanes”, connecting them to larger settlements, where the pedestrian, cyclist, mobility scooter user and horse rider would take precedence over the motorist. Cars would be discouraged from using these lanes (except for access) by a 15 mph speed limit. WNC should be hearing soon whether this year’s Active Travel bids to construct car free routes between Far Cotton and Brackmills via Delapre Abbey have been successful. Cycle and walking routes can’t of course be the sole solution to Northampton’s dire air pollution. It’s unfortunate that on the day WNC announced its initial report on its baseline emissions, the first important step in the Council’s net zero journey, news in the press identified our county town as the top UK city for air pollution. Worse than London, Bristol, Nottingham and many others, being exposed to Northampton air is the equivalent of smoking 189 cigarettes a year. No wonder residents in living in some parts of the town have exceptionally high rates of COPD. WNC has received further funding to tackle its severe air pollution problem and this may include extending smoke control areas to reduce concentrations of harmful particulate matter pollution. If this extends to rural areas there is going to be a huge fault line between those who currently rely on solid fuel for domestic use and those for whom a cosy log fire is purely recreational and how those on either side of this line will respond. Looking into the future perhaps wood burning purely for pleasure will be as frowned on as indoor smoking. Mindful of its harmful effect to my neighbours and beyond, I have certainly been lighting my open fire rarely this winter, so have had little ash to spread on my vegetable plot. At this time of the year I am always excited for the growing season, although by the end of the summer it’s usually a case of as many failures as successes and the triumph of hope over experience. My experience as a volunteer with Garden Organic’s peer support scheme to encourage people to have a go at growing was positive reinforcement of the fact that whatever open space you might have access to it’s always possible to grow something of your own, whether it’s herbs on a windowsill or potatoes in a bin bag. (My son had a good crop of potatoes grown from a bin bag on his London balcony during lockdown.) In my view planting seeds and watching them metamorphose into fresh green stalks to junior plants and then mature into edible delights is one of the best antidotes to withstanding the burdens of the complex, endangered world we inhabit. And, of course, the results are (hopefully) delicious, with a freshness that is incomparable to what you might buy at even the highest end supermarket, plus of course you are making a contribution to carbon reduction and saving money. The vegetables that are offered at the weekly Daventry Community Larder where I volunteer would all have been destined for landfill had they not been taken by the various suppliers who distribute surplus food to our local larders. The recent growth of these larders in West Northants – there are 9 now over the whole area, including two in the villages of Brixworth and Woodford Halse – is an effective response to tackling food waste and mitigating hardship, with so many in desperate need during this cost of living emergency. Given the scale of the task of both reducing the amount of food that is thrown away each year and the heating or eating dilemma for so many families, these larders will be one answer to sustainable grocery shopping for a long time to come. They are also social places and any activity which helps dispel the memory of the terrible social isolation that was the experience of significant numbers of people during the pandemic has got to be a positive benefit. As one customer observed to me at the Larder: “People talk to each other here – they don’t do that in Tesco’s!” Cllr Rosie Humphreys - Braunston and Crick ward ### CA-WN Monthly Meeting notes 16 March 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/notes-from-ca-wn-general-meeting-march-2023/ Last updated: 2023-03-20T17:23:46.000Z **Present**: Alexina Cassidy, Briony Askew, Dave Anderson, David Garlick, Dmitry Borisovich, Ella Mansfield, Eugenia Wilson, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, John Thomason, Ken Ritchie, Leonie Beale, Orianne Neyroud, Peter Nalder, Rupert Frost, Rupert Knowles **Apologies**: Clare Robertson-Marriott, Clare Slater, Emmie Williamson, Jonathan Harris, Olivia Stevenson, Patsy Hollingum, Richard Hollingum This meeting was recorded and can be watched on the [CA-WN YouTube channel](https://youtu.be/hqrbzf17cmc?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **'Investors in the Environment - WNC's approach'** A presentation given by Joely Slinn, West Northants Council Sustainability Officer, and David Knight from Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT). PECT is the charity that runs the [Investors in the Environment](https://www.pect.org.uk/projects/investors-in-the-environment/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (iiE) accreditation scheme for businesses. ***Investors in the Environment*** David Knight gave an overview of iiE, which PECT started in 2010\. Some key points from his presentation: · iiE is designed to break down sustainability into manageable pieces, easily accessible by any organisation · iiE members make a commitment to cut emissions in half by 2030 · Certification enables organisations to show what they are doing, promote continual improvement and look for opportunities to make impactful change. PECT provide support and help throughout the process. · The process starts with appointing sustainability champions and developing policies, as well as working on the tools and skills to set targets and create action plans. Internal and external stakeholder engagement from the start is key to successful delivery. · Organisations are also expected to introduce environmental and social projects that have a wider positive impact. · 3 levels of iiE – Bronze, Silver, Green. Most organisations start at Bronze, which includes calculating carbon footprint and gathering data. Silver moves on to setting and delivering against targets. Green includes broadening the focus of environmental action and impact of the organisation within their community and through value chains. · Four main categories within iiE – management (leadership and governance); climate change; nature and natural resources; pollution and waste (circular economy). · At Green level organisations should be working towards a minimum 2% reduction in carbon emissions every year and aiming to increase this as they become more mature. They might also be working within their supply chain to improve suppliers’ carbon footprint and seeking to become a leader in the field of sustainability. · PECT carry out an annual audit of performance against iiE criteria and guidance. · PECT also offers an online learning management system to help organisations upskill and runs annual iiE awards. ***West Northamptonshire Council’s approach*** Joely started by summarising WNC’s commitments and delivery so far: · Sustainability strategy and pledges · Commitments to achieve Net Zero for the council by 2030 and for West Northants as a whole by 2045 · Cross party working group has been set up for members (aka Councillors) which is helping to drive organisational culture and understanding Benefits of iiE process and accreditation: · A management system and tracking of progress · Showcase achievements · External verification adds credibility · Show commitment to leading by example and influencing others to follow similar approach, in line with WNC’s pledge to be a community leader on sustainability WNC actions and plans: · Current scope for iiE is WNC corporate buildings · Introduced an environmental policy to formalise appropriate leadership and governance; this will be published on their website soon · Measuring use of all resources (energy, water etc). This was being monitored by predecessor councils but each one did it differently, so has had to be aligned · They will be setting targets for the next financial year (2023/24) at the end of March · Action plans have been introduced for each of the resources being measured e.g. there is an energy awareness campaign in offices to help reduce demand · Baseline emissions report for 2022/23 has been delivered · Removal of disposable coffee cups (150 per day) from the Angel Square staff café · Regular progress reporting to staff and introduced a staff sustainability network · The iiE Bronze accreditation audit is expected in the next few weeks **Q&A after the presentation*:* · Explain more about the circular economy? It’s about keeping materials in use for longer, as opposed to the linear model of using and disposing, for example single use plastic items. Organisations can incorporate circular economy principles by considering what they buy, for example. (More here: [What is a circular economy? | Ellen MacArthur Foundation](https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)) · Cost of iiE accreditation? This varies depending on size of organisation and level of PECT support. Three 3 price plans: basic for small companies (1-50 employees, single site); more advanced for medium-sized organisations; enterprise level (large and/or complex organisations). Basic £996 per year, advanced from £1,450 per year, enterprise level from £5,000. · How much time does accreditation require from an organisation? Approx. 2 hours a month; one of the first things PECT encourage is to develop a team to work on iiE so that it is not the responsibility of a single person. Organisational approach should share the workload. · How does WNC help parish councils with limited resources to introduce schemes such as community solar panels? Felicity Ward from Sustainability Team is looking at how community energy projects can be supported. In terms of more general support, the team are happy to engage with parish councils, including coming out to talk to them where possible. · What encouragement for small businesses (e.g. hospitality industry) to make changes? WNC can help to share experiences and build networks for small businesses, and are looking at funding opportunities to help businesses on a net zero journey. · How does WNC engage with constituents about the journey they are on and the need for it? No simple answer… Engagement is ongoing – try to lead by example and show the benefits. Saving the planet is not necessarily the best motivation for all – for businesses it’s often the bottom line so emphasise where there can be cost savings. Create the conversation and make sure you share what you are doing. · Does accreditation cover contractors? Just in house activity at present, however major contractors such as Kier and Norse have made their own commitments to net zero. · Are area-wide carbon emissions also being baselined and reported? Yes, report has been written and going through approvals. · Does ‘going beyond’ for the Green level include going for negative zero? Yes that would be part of being a leader in this space including biodiversity commitments. · Is there space for carbon offsets to achieve net zero? A carbon removal scheme is necessary though not yet clear what that will look like. In the meantime we have carbon offset but it is absolutely critical for businesses to demonstrate carbon reductions first. WNC has been looking at offsetting and what the acceptable limits might be to meet net zero targets. There is no set tolerance for councils yet but the science based target initiative for businesses has set tolerance at 10%. Offsets should only be used for completely unavoidable residual emissions. · A suggestion that WNC consider linking up with organisations such as South Court Environmental which are already practising circular economy. · What about methane, a more damaging greenhouse gas than carbon? What is referred to as carbon footprint is actually ‘carbon equivalent’ so it takes into account all greenhouse gases including methane. · Advising where to bank and invest pensions etc? Yes, iiE asks organisations to look at where they are placing their money. · Does WNC have a strategy for working with schools? Looking to engage more with secondary schools, initially by running a youth summit but there was limited interest. However WNC are going out to 2 schools who were very interested. Schools emissions were included in WNC baseline figures and this energy use will have to be reduced. **Vote of congratulations** Dr Paul Slater spoke to CA-WN in January about the work he is doing with others at Northampton General Hospital to cut use of anaesthetic gases, and has now won an Excellence Award from Northants NHS Trust. Massive congratulations to Paul, this is his citation for the Sustainability Champion award: 🏆 *“Paul has been a huge driving force behind the green actions of the anaesthetic department. As a result, the hospital exceeded national and regional targets for the reduction of desflurane (an anaesthetic gas) and was recognised locally as an example of best practice. This resulted in a carbon and financial saving of hundreds of tonnes of CO2 and tens of thousands of pounds every year.”* **Upcoming events** · Tea & Cake with CA-WN in Towcester on Saturday 18 March · UoN sustainability summit on 15 and 16 May (there is a £100 delegate fee, reduced to £75 if booked before the end of March). More details and registration [UON Sustainability Summit 2023 | University of Northampton](https://www.northampton.ac.uk/about-us/governance-and-management/management/sustainability/uon-sustainability-summit/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Building Resilience project update** · CA-WN is working with a [company based in Weedon](https://www.buildtestsolutions.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) to complete assessments of property thermal performance. Visits are taking place this week to put data loggers in the 10 pilot properties, they will be collected after 3 weeks and the data processed to provide reports. The output will be shared with the group as a whole when available. · The objective is to provide householders with the ability to understand the thermal coefficient of their home, which is different to the desk-based rating provided by an EPC. **Date of next meeting:** Thursday 20 April 7:45pm ### The latest from CA-WN Exchange - March 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-latest-from-ca-wn-exchange-march-2023/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:22:42.000Z Do you sometimes wonder why you bother? When all around you, others seem to be merrily going about their business making high carbon choices without a care in the world? After all, it’s their planet too – their extreme weather, their rising sea levels and their food shortages. It’s something that frustrates me on a daily basis and something that can elicit anger and despondency in equal measure if I let it. It has, however, forced me to examine why I bother to spend time on things like extensively researching my options before spending any money and sometimes taking the less convenient but lower carbon travel option. As a mother, my first motivation, biologically, is fear for my children’s futures. But also as a global citizen I feel like it’s my duty not to make life more difficult for others by supporting harmful industries such as aviation, fast fashion and plastic manufacturing – Ella’s ‘[Three Things for Climate](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-4)’ in this issue really resonated with me for this reason. Perhaps a subconscious reason for bothering is that I don’t subscribe to the paradigm that humans are special and separate from the natural world – our rich and diverse environment has enabled our lifestyles and can destroy them too if we don’t respect it. Motivation also comes from hearing stories about the positive actions that others are taking. This issue of the CA-WN Exchange can help with this – we hear from an inspiring Parish Councillor, [Callum Boddington,](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-callum-boddington) and about the exciting projects being undertaken by [Northampton Town Council’s Climate Change Forum](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/northampton-town-climate-change-forum). [Peter Doveston](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/dont-be-so-car-less) digs deep into the motivation for reducing car use, and if you still need more motivation to reduce car use, check out the issue of air pollution that a CA-WN project has been helping to uncover. A new feature is a spotlight on other councils' climate action - this month we look at [Wirral Council'](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/insights-in-significant-climate)s ambitious tree, hedge and woodland strategy. Thankfully not all sustainable choices require soul searching to stay motivated: watching the wildlife enjoying your untidy garden and admiring the scenery on a relaxing rail trip rather than the inside of a busy airport, sell themselves. **Clare Slater** --- **Latest Posts from the CA-WN Community** 🔹[Don't be so car-less](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/dont-be-so-car-less) \- Peter Doveston from the Northants Streets Campaign calls for the promotion of public transport and active travel 🔹[My Three Things for Climate Change](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-4) \- Ella Mansfield, CA-WN subscriber, shares her efforts 🔹[No Love for Northampton's Air](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/no-love-for-northamptons-air) \- hold your breath, this article will make your eyes water... 🔹[Business as a Force for Good](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/a-guiding-light-financial-advice-often-gets-a-bad-rap) \- an insight into the world of financial advice and how in Northants it is possible to find businesses who put people and planet first 🔹[Spotlight on Other Local Authorities](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/insights-in-significant-climate) \- read about Wirral's Council innovative and ambitious tree, hedgerow and woodland strategy 🔹[Council Watch ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch)\- update on the new budget and the latest on planning proposal 🔹[Bookshelf](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/silent-spring-rachel-carson) and [Podcast Shelf](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-writer-rachel-carson-who-fought-insecticide-wars-the-forum-bbc-world-service) \- read/listen to the latest suggestions from the CA-WN Community 🔹[My View](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-callum-boddington) \- CA-WN gives a Councillor the space to speak about climate action. This month read about Callum Boddington, Parish Councillor for Wollaston 🔹[Recipe ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/warm-the-cockles-of-your-heart-with-borsch)\- take a moment to try Patsy's latest mouth-watering suggestion 🔹[Local News ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/northampton-town-climate-change-forum)\- update from Northampton Town Climate Change Forum --- #### What's on in March ****Wednesday 8 March** [CA-WN Climate Cafe (online)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-cafe-march-2023-tickets-484839848037?ref=the-ca-wn-exchange) ****Thursday 9 March** [Breathing Easy: Understanding Indoor Air Pollution in the UK (online)](https://www.rmets.org/event/breathing-easy-understanding-indoor-air-pollution-uk-and-its-impact-health-and-well-being?ref=the-ca-wn-exchange) ****Monday 13 March** [Action on climate adaption for nature and people - a personal perspective](https://www.mkgreens.org/event/action-on-climate-adaptation-for-nature-and-people-a-personal-perspective/?ref=the-ca-wn-exchange) ****Thursday 16 March** [CA-WN Monthly General Meeting - all welcome (online)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-action-west-northamptonshire-monthly-meeting-march-2023-tickets-503715284977?ref=the-ca-wn-exchange) ****Saturday 18 March** [CA-WN Social event - Tea & Cake - Sawpits Centre Towcester](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tea-and-cake-in-towcester/) ****Wednesday 19 April** [An introduction to Active Hope (online)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/active-hope-registration-517712170037?dm%5Ft=0,0,0,0,0&dm%5Fi=78W4,E3OP,17T3C7,1QC43,1&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Tea and Cake in Towcester URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tea-and-cake-in-towcester/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:22:55.000Z Members and friends have been unable to meet face-to-face since Covid sent CA-WN meetings online - and we know just how much love some of us have for online meetings. So we were delighted to invite our friends and supporters to this first get together of the year on Saturday 18 March in Towcester. We used the opportunity to show some art projects created for us by Illustration students at the University of Northampton. Thank you to all that came, especially the Mayor of Towcester, Martin Johns, and his wife Christine. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Sawpits-grp-2.png) Towcester Town Mayor Martin Johns with CA-WN crew and friends at the event opening. Our next in person social event is on 8 July, at the Gatherings meeting room in the Grosvenor Centre, Northampton. Please join us for a cuppa and chat. ### Council Watch March 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch/ Last updated: 2023-03-04T09:39:35.000Z ****CA-WN watching West Northants Council for us all** ### So what has West Northamptonshire Council been up to so far in 2023? The full council met in February to agree WNC’s annual budget. With inflation at around 10% these are not easy times in which to set a budget. Councils in England can only increase council tax by a maximum of 5% (including 2% ringfenced for social care). A rise higher than this requires a referendum, a risky move only one council has taken since the cap was introduced in 2012 (they lost). While no one wants their own bills to go up, the gap between rising costs and capped income will put pressure on council services, and any cuts to services are more likely to hit those already vulnerable. Seen in this context unpopular rises in green bin collection fees and car park charges might be more understandable. Incidentally, ‘anti-car’ measures like higher parking fees could be a ‘pro-environment’ tool. But only if they sit alongside measures to make healthier and greener choices like cycling, walking and public transport more attractive - not the case here. There wasn’t a lot in the budget to reward the hopeful climate activist (with a couple of exceptions - see below), although the Capital Strategy promised better to come: *New capital investment requests will be considered against their contribution to the achievement of the Council’s strategic priorities, in particular any schemes that contribute to the Climate Change agenda and our ‘Green and Clean’ priority* One ‘scheme that contributes to the climate change agenda’ is the Rural Leisure Centres heat decarbonisation scheme, which proposes to replace gas heating systems with air source heat pumps at a cost of just over £8m, mainly grant-funded. The Housing Revenue Account Budget includes more spending on decarbonisation and energy efficiency, with plans for retrofitting 500 Northamptonshire Partnership Homes properties with £9m of Social Housing Decarbonisation Programme grants. See CA-WN's [interview with Paul Tucker](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-talks-to-paul-tucker-northampton-partnership-homes-sustainability-manager/) from NPH for an in-depth look at retrofit. --- ### WNC first emissions data report published. This [report ](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s10244/WNC%20emissions%20report%20030223.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)provides a baseline measurement of the council’s own emissions, calculated using an assessment tool provided by the Local Government Association. The biggest sources of carbon emissions in WNC’s operations are heating, electricity, and outsourced services including waste management and highways. WNC’s total annual emissions are just over 20,000 tonnes CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent). This compares to 505m tonnes CO2e for the UK as a whole ([provisional 2021 data](https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/greenhousegasintensityprovisionalestimatesuk/2021?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)). It’s worth noting that the biggest single contributor is UK consumer expenditure at 27% of all emissions, so there is plenty of room for individuals to make a difference. WNC has committed to achieve net zero carbon for its own operations by 2030 and for West Northants as a whole by 2045\. Baseline emissions measurements are an essential foundation for delivering on these targets. The decarbonisation projects mentioned above will take emissions in the right direction, although other investments will be in projects that push them the other way. The current approach to assessing the climate impact of projects needs improvement, which WNC's sustainability team are looking to address. A second report is planned, which will quantify emissions for West Northants as a region. 🖥️ To find out more about WNC's sustainability and environmental plans, join [CA-WN's monthly general meeting](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/503715284977?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) on 16th March to hear Joely Slinn, WNC Sustainability Officer, and David Knight from Peterborough Environment City Trust talk about 'Investors in the Environment - WNC's approach' ### Warm The Cockles Of Your Heart With Borsch! URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/warm-the-cockles-of-your-heart-with-borsch/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:23:11.000Z We have a friend who says this tastes like authentic Ukrainian borsch – and she should know, she’s from Chernivtsi. Our Oddbox delivery has of late brought us veg we haven’t necessarily factored in to our current menu list, and the result has been a lot of beetroot that accumulated in the fridge. You can freeze beetroot, cooked or raw, though it should be cut into slices or small chunks prior to freezing, and borsch can be made using fresh or frozen beetroot. Beetroot gives the soup a wonderful colour which contrasts well with the yogurt or sour cream topping that is added immediately before serving. I never give specific quantities or ingredients with soup recipes because it depends on what you have to hand, and which flavours you really like (or dislike), also whether you’re hoping to produce a thick or a thinner soup as your end result. The heating effect of borsch relies on chilli, so if you don’t especially like spicy food, substitute other milder spices, or use a vibrant herb such as fennel, or powdered fenugreek. A little chopped root ginger might also be a good one to try. The version in the picture was made using onions, garlic, carrots, celery, leeks, shredded savoy cabbage, Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes, parsnips, and, of course, beetroot. Vital ingredients from the stock cupboard were veg stock cubes, chipotle flakes and flaked chilli, as well as a liberal pinch of mixed herbs. There is no need to peel any of the vegetables, just give them a good scrub, using a brush or a green scourer. Use a sharp pointed knife to take any really grotty bits out of the veg, and top and tail carrots and beetroot. You can give the soup a good varied texture by cutting or slicing the various vegetables to thicker or thinner slices and cubes, according to how creative you feel! Use a big pan and add a little sunflower oil, then add the crushed garlic, and chilli and chipotle flakes, as well as the onion and celery. Warm everything together, stirring until these vegetables are transparent, then add the chunkiest slices of root veg first, with enough water to prevent sticking and scorching on the pan base. Continue adding vegetables until everything except the leeks and the shredded cabbage have been incorporated. When the thickest chunks of veg are cooked to your taste, add vegetable stock in sufficient quantity to achieve the consistency of soup you like. Now taste the brew to check whether you need more salt and pepper. At this point, add the brassica. It’s important not to add it until late in the process, or that boiled cabbage taste might be dominant in the final dish. I also added the finely sliced leeks at this point. More stock or water can be added if you want a thinner consistency. The colour should be a vibrant purple or burgundy hue. Finally, take the pot to the table, with yogourt or sour cream as a side dish, and prepare to be delighted by the end result! 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### My View: Callum Boddington URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-callum-boddington/ Last updated: 2023-04-01T11:37:29.000Z A plastic bag bought, used, and thrown away today will remain on this planet for around twenty to one hundred years. A simple action that will have a lasting impact; actions no matter how small or insignificant have consequences. This is something we must consider as we move forward and plan for a more sustainable future. Within this article I am aiming to highlight some of the simple actions we as local communities can take to help protect our environment and reduce the stresses on our climate. Climate change itself causes great debate. I am in no way an expert on this issue, but I can recognise the impact humanity has on our planet, and that we cannot continue to consume in the same way we have. While this will make up the first part of discussion in this article, I plan to use the second part to outline a youth agenda for climate change. I want to expand on how the young leaders of today are going to play a crucial part in building a cleaner and more sustainable future for tomorrow. Since becoming a Parish Councillor in Wollaston, I have had the privilege to create and work on the **Wollaston Green Initiative** which aims to provide information and educate people on ways they can live more sustainably locally. This involves where you can recycle certain items such as crisps, blister packets and batteries and how to create a compost bin in your back garden. Providing people with the information to allow them to act themselves is one of the most powerful things we can do. Information is a key to everything; it empowers people to make informed and independent decisions. Through my role I have also attended networking events and conferences about what action we can take within our communities to be greener. The most recent was the [NACRE Grow Green Together](https://www.northantsacre.org.uk/grow-green-together-conference-2022?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) conference; where I learnt about local projects across Northamptonshire, from communities and local businesses, to action groups like [Save Our Street Trees](https://saveourstreettrees.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) as well as local Parish Council projects and the work that our new Unitary Councils are doing. But there are other simpler ways we can improve our natural environment, such as wilding our green spaces and planting trees as well as protecting and looking after the ones we already have. Educating and providing information at different levels for people on how to live sustainably, recycling, donating to and buying from charity shops, composting, walking or cycling instead of driving, returning of unused electrical equipment, among so many others. I am sure there are more sophisticated ways we can act, but sometimes the simplest action can be the easiest to implement. As we face a number of new challenges, as well as some long-standing ones, the introduction of new and fresh ideas creates a sense of renewed energy around issues. And climate change is one of them - young people and young leaders are in a unique position to propose new ideas to solve complex issues. Albert Einstein phrased it best *‘*We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them*’*. This is a message that has stayed with me, and I hope will inspire others to take up leadership positions locally and in any organisation, school or club, as it did for me. Young leaders have in recent years led the way on climate change, sharing new, realistic, ideas on how we can build a sustainable future. And I’m not just talking about Greta Thunberg, there are countless others around the world who are not only sharing ideas but also implementing them. At [Wollaston Secondary School](https://www.wollastonschool.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) a group of students have put themselves forward as climate change ambassadors, where they explore what they can do to help make the school more environmentally friendly. This shows that they are committed to making a difference, and my hope is that the school continues to support them and implement their climate change agenda across the school. Young people can often find themselves being listened to but then not being allowed to test or try their ideas. Young people are the future, and they should be given every opportunity to be bought in on decisions and help create solutions for a world they will inherit. My final advice to young people and young leaders is simple. Stand up, speak your mind, know your facts, and challenge the long-established norms and institutions. It won’t be easy, and you will encounter hurdles, be spoken down to or told you are wrong or misguided; but never give in and don’t be afraid to fail. To lead is to fail, and failure only pushes us to succeed. Even if the issues you are passionate about aren't to do with climate change, you shouldn’t be afraid to take a stand on an issue and speak up to those who have the power to help you. ### New England Financial Solutions - investing in the future URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/a-guiding-light-financial-advice-often-gets-a-bad-rap/ Last updated: 2023-03-04T09:53:57.000Z The average person in the UK has £17,365 savings, according to a report published in September 2022 by the [Building Societies Association](https://www.bsa.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/with-a-third-of-people-relying-on-their-savings-to?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Savings accounts are the most popular savings method amongst UK adults with over half using them, though when questioned, 23% of savers admitted to not checking the interest rate prior to opening the account. According to data from the UK financial regulator the [FCA](https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-proposes-ways-make-financial-advice-more-accessible?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (Financial Conduct Authority), about 10m UK consumers with more than £10,000 in savings, hold over three quarters of it in cash – the equivalent to stuffing it under your mattress. This begs the question why. The world of investments is often viewed as a minefield, with many people uninformed or wary of the options, put off by complex tax rules and hidden costs. To add to existing worries, UK savers are increasingly aware that banks and financial institutions funnel money into the fossil fuel sector with [44% wanting them to stop](https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/press-releases/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). This mix of confusion and distrust may explain why people are unwilling to pull their cash out from under the mattress and step into the world of investing. This is where Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) or Wealth Managers come in. IFAs provide independent advice on all types of investment products. Wealth managers provide a service to customers who have signed an agreement with them to manage their financial goals. To address a lack of personal finance knowledge and focus on long-term financial objectives, working with an expert sounds like a sensible move, yet [only 8% of UK adults have taken financial advice](https://www.ft.com/content/1ff44ac1-0d94-4fcf-a212-a07acb106152?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). [New England Financial Solutions](https://www.newenglandfinance.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), a financial adviser based in Northamptonshire, is trying to do things differently, motivated by a profound understanding that their clients, stakeholders and the planet have a shared future and all three need nurture and protection. They use academic science-based questionnaires not just to assess a potential client’s attitude to risk, but also to understand their personal goals and aspirations, to find out what gives their life meaning and purpose. Prior to entering into a contract, the New England Financial Solutions team have extensive discussions with potential clients about social, ethical, and environmental issues as they relate to investing. This in depth research and analysis enables them to build a full understanding of the role that an individual’s financial well-being plays in their current and future security. The company's ethical values and approach have resulted in New England Financial Solutions recently achieving B Corp status. Certified B Corporations are companies that demonstrate efforts to achieve the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability across all areas of their business. They also commit to continuously improve their impact on their employees, their customers, their community and the environment. The New England Financial Solutions team are working hard to reduce their carbon footprint and now hold the majority of their client calls online rather than in person to save on fuel costs. Over 75% of their clients are invested in sustainable ESG funds – funds that incorporate environmental, social and governance issues into the investment process. New England Financial Solutions has been involved with the local Northamptonshire community over the past 18 years through charitable support and also through establishing close working relationships with other Northamptonshire businesses. At least 20% of their work is pro bono and a new initiative with [Northamptonshire ACRE](https://www.northantsacre.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (NACRE) is in the pipeline that would provide free Financial Wellbeing Workshops to Northamptonshire’s rural communities. ### The writer Rachel Carson who fought insecticide wars URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-writer-rachel-carson-who-fought-insecticide-wars-the-forum-bbc-world-service/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:04:34.000Z The Forum - BBC World Service One of the more interesting finds of late whilst digging around BBC Sounds has been the strand The Forum on the World Service. The Forum explores a wide range of subjects including history, technology, art and philosophy, a sort of world-wide In Our Time. Do not be put off by the rather lengthy title as ‘The writer Rachel Carson who fought insecticide wars’ is an excellent programme. It not only examines her work and her life but also looks at the legacy she left behind and the lessons that should have been learned today. Primarily a science writer with a keen interest in the sea, the book she is best remembered for is Silent Spring (see [Bookshelf](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/)) and for lots of good reasons. In fact the story of the book and the ensuing clashes with the power of big pharma is as important as the message of the book itself. [BBC World Service - The Forum, The writer Rachel Carson who fought insecticide warsHow Silent Spring, a book about DDT use, changed the way we think about the environment![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/272x272/p0dvl86q.jpg)BBC![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1200x675/p0dvl86q.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct38tl?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### Northampton Town Council's Climate Change Forum URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/northampton-town-climate-change-forum/ Last updated: 2023-03-04T09:20:11.000Z *By Councillor Andrew Stevens and Clare Robertson-Marriott.* *The Climate Change Forum was set up by Northampton Town Council in late 2021\. Its purpose is to develop projects and campaigns which will raise local awareness of the significant threat to all life on earth that climate change and the related biodiversity crisis is likely to cause.* Whilst the Council and individuals can only do small things to counter the threats of climate change and biodiversity loss, taken together with what millions of other people and some large organisations and businesses are doing, the impact can be huge. The message is clear: these climate induced extreme events are already happening and will worsen if humans do not significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ### Projects that have been actioned or are current 1\. Our **Climate Cafes** at the Grosvenor Centre in April - June 2022 were the first public events organised by the Forum. Since then, climate ‘hubs’ have taken place in a number of venues around the town. 2\. We have also placed our first sustainable planter for the '**Greening the Town**' project on Abington Street by the junction of St Giles Terrace. This project aims to increase [biodiversity ](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5802/cmselect/cmenvaud/136/136-report.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#heading-0)in the town centre by creating dedicated areas for sustainable plants and flowers, using perennial plants which will create a year-round display as well as providing shelter and food for soil organisms, insects and birds. The planter showcases examples of plants that can be grown as a sequence throughout the year in the smallest of spaces. Whether we use a window box, patio troughs, a one metre square patch of soil or larger areas, we all can support biodiversity by planting up a green space. The new planter will be managed by St Giles' Music, a local Northampton business. We hope other businesses in the town will engage with the Forum's aim to add further planters and 'green spots' throughout the town centre: the planter represents a small step but has a huge message behind it. The CCF has provided a '[planter recipe](https://www.northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk/uploads/ccf-sustainable?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)' with details of the plants and the planting sequence. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Planter-1.png) 3\. More recently the CCF have created a long term display in the Grosvenor Centre: ***‘Make Change Happen’***, on the first floor by the lifts and stairs near Boots. The installation features a 'globe with footprints design' developed for the Climate Hubs, plus a prompt to make a climate pledge. The designs on the installation's columns are from banners made by school students for the Eco March in the town centre in 2019\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Installation-5.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Installation-2.png) This space can be used for one-off events and stalls by community groups wishing to hold an event on an environmental theme, as long as the Grosvenor Centre staff agree; town council event staff can advise on this process. Email [info@northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk](mailto:%2Ainfo@northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk) to find out more. 4\. We have launched a 'climate change'[ grants scheme](https://www.northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk/climate-change-grants-scheme.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) for local community groups and organisations. ### Three Projects in development.... 1\. **Every Journey Matters** \- An information campaign that aims to encourage more people to choose to walk or cycle shorter journeys around the town. Every journey in the town taken on foot or on a bike that would have previously have been driven in a car reduces harmful emissions and air pollution. 2\. **Breathe In Better.** This is an awareness campaign which aims to help local residents know more about the level of air pollution in their area, and what they can do about it. Air quality data for the town is easily accessible from this site [https://airly.org/map/en/](https://airly.org/map/en/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). **3\. Schools project.** We are encouraging primary schools to get involved with Northampton Living Streets' [Walk to School Week](https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/products-and-services/projects/wow?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in May this year, and have a budget to buy some Walk to School Week packs for schools that tell us they are interested. We are also offering an opportunity for schools to get involved with an ‘Air Quality Toolkit’ guide that was produced by Oxford Council and which the CCF has adapted to be used in Northampton. This provides detailed advice and class teaching plans prompting students to do their own science by collecting data on air quality in the area around their school. If you’d like to know more, and possibly help develop, promote or evaluate these campaigns when they launch later this Spring, or are interested in supporting the Climate Change Forum, then please contact the CCF Chair at: [Cllr.andrew.stevens@northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk](mailto:Cllr.andrew.stevens@northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk) ### Silent Spring URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/silent-spring-rachel-carson/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:10:50.000Z ### by Rachel Carson If ever there was a seminal book in the history of environmental catastrophes then it has to be Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. Even well over fifty years on, the book still delivers a strong message, perhaps even stronger today, that you cannot play around with chemicals and changing nature without severe and even devastating collateral damage. The use of DDT and other highly toxic chemicals and the power of the chemical companies created strong arguments but scientific sense eventually prevailed, though one may think that was but one battle in an on-going war. Carson was a rare writer, able to put across complex scientific content in a way that makes it easy to understand without demeaning the subject nor playing it down. This is a book to judge others by - and to learn from. Rachel Carson is also the subject of this month's [CA-WN Podcastshelf](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/). Follow the link below to the CA-WN Bookshop where you can support local and independent bookstores, or borrow from your local library. ***This book is available to borrow from the*** [***CA-WN Lending Library***](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-library/)***.*** [https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN](https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN?ref=the-ca-wn-exchange) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Don’t be so car-less URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/dont-be-so-car-less/ Last updated: 2023-03-04T09:19:25.000Z **By Peter Doveston - Northants Streets Campaign** CA-WN's Transport Correspondent provides an analysis of vehicle ownership and deprivation data to make the case that reducing car use isn't just about emissions and climate change Why should we bother doing anything? A question you may have encountered if you have spoken to your rambunctious yet articulate friend who is sceptical about the climate emergency. It’s a provocative question and one backed by a seemingly persuasive argument. A figure often cited is the fact that the UK contributes less than [2% of worldwide CO2 emissions](https://www.worldometers.info/co2-emissions/co2-emissions-by-country/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Why indeed should we act when our paltry slingshots will prove meaningless against the Goliaths of China, the USA and India? Is the climate emergency really going to be solved in the provincial town of Northampton? Questions such as these are often raised in response to calls for us to cut back on certain activities; car use is a particularly sensitive area. They are all good questions though and we must not shirk them, frustrating though they may be. Rather we must respond with a convincing and unpatronising retort. I intend now to give two examples of why it would be good for us to cut back on our car use, and show the benefits of such action beyond that of global scale emissions reduction - two formidable stones to be cast in your sling. We should cut car use because it will benefit the poorest and most vulnerable in our society and because it will make our towns and cities healthier places to live. Firstly, let’s look at the car ownership data from the 2021 census for two neighbouring areas of Northampton town, Abington Vale and Eastfield. The data can all be found on the [Office for National Statistics website](https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/maps/choropleth/housing/number-of-cars-or-vans/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/Picture-1.png) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/picture-2.png) Now let’s look at the data for Household deprivation in the same areas. Criteria for Household Deprivation can again be found on the [ONS website](https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/maps/choropleth/population/household-deprivation?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/picture-3.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/picture-4-1.png) This, of course, is not enough evidence to say that there is a definitive relationship between car ownership and deprivation. However, it is enough to say that the more deprived area in this instance is also the area with more car-less households. Before our rambunctious friend cries ‘anomaly!’, let it be known that this example does not stand in isolation: - Kingsthorpe St David – 40% of households are not deprived in any dimension but walk across the Cock Hotel Junction to Kingsthorpe Village and it is 50%. Concurrently, 28.7% of households in St David are car-less, it is 19.3% in the village. - Blackthorn - 33.9% are not deprived in any dimension, walk across the Wellingborough Road to Little Billing and it is 50.6%. Concurrently, 26.3% of households in Blackthorn are car-less whilst it is 12.2% in Little Billing. Some other stats worth mulling over: 46.2% of households in the town centre and Semilong area do not own a car. UK wide, 22% of households do not own a car. Our rambunctious friend may eye us curiously as though while they are aware that not everybody drives, it may come as a surprise that it is a more significant percentage than they had previously considered. Do not be tempted to rest now, there is more for them to hear. The current cost of living is still high with inflation sitting at around 10%. Reducing car costs is a way that people are looking to save. The ONS published a [cost of living dataset ](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/expenditure/datasets/impactofincreasedcostoflivingonadultsacrossgreatbritain?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)based on data collected in October 2022, in which 89% of people said their cost of living had increased, 44% of these said they were cutting back on non-essential trips in their car. Car ownership does not necessitate everyday use and thus even those who can afford a vehicle are feeling the pinch. We often hear that councils and governments should assist by cutting fuel tax or offering other subsidies such as free parking. We also regularly hear about road building and improvement projects designed to improve the lives of residents. If the statistics we have shown our rambunctious friend are anything to go by, such cuts, subsidies and projects would never reach some of the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. What would reach them? Adequate, regular, affordable public transport working along established popular routes. Public transport which also happens to be a central consideration in any green strategy. Also, safe cycleways, so the bike becomes a viable alternative to the car. If our friend is not sold on the environmental argument, perhaps this argument will demonstrate the socioeconomic benefit of public transport and active travel investment. Our friend may be impressed by this and agree that such investment is important. However, they say that they are perfectly able to afford their car and your argument does not necessitate a reduction in their personal car use in the way that the climate emergency argument does. Do not be downhearted, there is another very good reason for limiting personal car use and moving over to the alternatives. A study conducted in 2022 has put together a [world map of air pollution](https://housefresh.com/secondhand-smoke-world-map/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). The way they have characterised the data is to show the equivalent amount of cigarettes you would have smoked had you lived one year in each city. Look who tops it in the UK: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/picture-5.png) There is little benefit in promoting alarmism when it comes to such studies, which only offer a snapshot of reality. It is undeniable, however, that Northampton sits on top of this particular pollutant ranking and there is an ever-growing body of evidence that shows a relationship between air pollutants from vehicles and serious health concerns e.g. cardiovascular disease. Promotion of public transport and active travel is not just a green concern, it promotes an equitable society. Reducing our personal car use is not environmental extremism, it is a matter of public health. Our stones clatter into Goliath and he stumbles to the ground, forced to reflect. As the dust settles, however, a faint echo drifts through the air... ‘The electric car?’ This, perhaps, is a discussion for another time. P.S. It is not beyond the ability of Governments to act boldly against the proliferation of car use. Take a look at what the Welsh Government is doing as part of their National Transport Plan. [All major road building projects in Wales are scrappedEnvironmental campaigners called it “world-leading” but some warned of lost construction jobs.![](https://static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/windows-phone/news/windows-phone-icon-270x270.23502b4459eb7a6ab2ab.png)BBC NewsTeleri Glyn JonesEnvironment & Rural Affairs Correspondent![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/1B4E/production/_119009960_gettyimages-933446250.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64640215?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### No love for Northampton's air URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/no-love-for-northamptons-air/ Last updated: 2023-03-05T15:49:33.000Z ### In the week that gave us Valentine’s Day the Daily Mirror reported that Northampton is the worst town for its particulate matter (PM) air pollution. CA-WN decided to dig deeper. The Mirror story was picked up from indoor air quality experts at [HouseFresh](https://housefresh.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) who used [PM2.5](https://housefresh.com/what-is-pm2-5/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) data collected by [AQICN](https://aqicn.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and converted it to the equivalent number of cigarettes passively smoked per year using a formula from [Berkeley Earth](https://berkeleyearth.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). This is the detailed breakdown from HouseFresh: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/Dirty-Northampton.png) CA-WN has been monitoring particulate matter (PM) in Northampton and our readings are pretty close to those from the Defra site beside Spring Park in Northampton. Here's how little Northampton loved its air in Valentine’s Day week: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/SpringPark14Feb.png) Data source: Defra Spring Park, Northampton site With this peak on 8 February: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/SpringPark8Feb.png) CA-WN's air quality readings and those from the Spring Park suggest that pollution levels are most likely related to amount of traffic on our roads and the hours that we heat our homes. West Northamptonshire Council is reportedly readying its own air quality monitoring system. We will soon know for sure what lies behind Northampton's ***Bad Air Days***. Further guidance on air pollution can be found here [World Health Organisation.](https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/345329/9789240034228-eng.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### My Three Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-4/ Last updated: 2023-03-04T09:18:36.000Z *By Ella Mansfield, who has volunteered and worked in the charity sector for 10 years. Ella is a new member to CA-WN but has been on a personal sustainability journey for 3 years.* I started making sustainable changes about 3 years ago during the pandemic, like everyone else I all of a sudden had a lot of free time on my hands. One of the biggest overall things is a mindset shift of not putting 'me' in the centre but to look at the impacts and bigger picture and one thing at a time. I have been making lots of small changes as I go along but definitely have a long way to go. One of the first sustainable things I became aware / conscious of was the conditions of people who made clothing particularly in countries like China and Bangladesh. I was already a lover of charity shops with about 50-75% of my wardrobe being second-hand so it wasn't as daunting to go fully second-hand with a few items from sustainable brands (I try and look for third party certification). Moving on from that I have really reduced my wardrobe to only the things I like and fit, and when it comes to buying new (second-hand) clothes if it's not a 'yes I love it' it's a 'no'. I really enjoy giving gifts to people but hate the waste associated with wrapping paper particularly once I found out it's often coated in plastic and not recyclable. I started off buying recycled, recyclable brown paper and tape and using up what I had left over. Now I reuse wrapping paper from gifts I have received, packaging paper, old calendar pictures, and have made my own material gift bags out of old clothes and second-hand fabric scraps and ribbon. I noticed family members starting to use brown paper last Christmas which was a big win. My third thing is toilet paper, this is something that blows my mind. We are all told to plant trees to save the world to then just cut some other trees down to.... well you know what I mean. So I now only use recycled toilet paper which supports the recycling industry not the logging industry. What I love about the sustainability journey is that it's constantly evolving and that different people take different paths. ### **Updated** Promising meeting on local energy with Chris Heaton-Harris, MP URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/positive-meeting-with-chris-heaton-harris/ Last updated: 2023-02-25T17:20:19.000Z **\*\*Update February 24, 2023** You may be aware of a new Government-published report – the ‘[Net Zero Review](v)’, conducted by former energy minster Chris Skidmore. The review is strongly supportive of the Local Electricity Bill, including in its recommendations: ⏩ **Turbocharging community energy** Government should commit to the Local Electricity Bill and publish a Community Energy Strategy that addresses regulatory, legislative, funding and capacity barriers in the sector. The Strategy should also consider what support should be given to innovative projects such as community purchasing and community energy sharing and storage. It goes on to say: “Current regulations in the energy market mean that community energy projects cannot directly supply local communities, an issue which the Local Electricity Bill seeks to address.” This might be a good time to write to your MP to ask them to support the Bill. Of the 7 Northamptonshire MPs only one (Kettering's Philip Hollobone) is among the cross-party group of 317 [MPs supporting the bill](https://powerforpeople.org.uk/the-local-electricity-bill/support/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#mps). The not-for-profit organisation Power for People has some guidance on writing to your MP [https://powerforpeople.org.uk/write-to-your-mp-leb](https://powerforpeople.org.uk/write-to-your-mp-leb?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) --- We had an encouraging conversation with Mr Heaton-Harris at the Griffin's Head in Mears Ashby about small-scale community renewable energy generation. Mr Heaton-Harris was knowledgeable on the subject and supportive of the Energy Bill amendments\* which would make the creation of local electricity projects much easier. Right now any community group hoping to set up a small renewable energy generation project to benefit their local area is hit by a swathe of unfair regulation and disproportionally high costs. The Bill has solid support in the House of Lords and with a favourable wind will be debated by the House of Commons in the spring. There is recognition amongst MPs that community-owned and locally-owned renewable energy schemes would play an important role in supporting the UK's national net-zero targets and over 300 MPs have already formally pledged their support. Mr Heaton-Harris promised to talk to other colleagues who have pledged support for the Bill and CA-WN will continue to press for him to formally add his name to the list. Mr Heaton Harris said he is keen to hear from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) with regard to the technicalities of the Bill before doing so. \*The two recent amendments to the bill aim to introduce a Community Electricity Export Guarantee, to provide small-scale renewable energy generators with a guaranteed price for their electricity, and an Electricity Suppliers Services Scheme, which would enable those small-scale operators to sell directly to the local community at a 'community energy tariff', in conjunction with an existing licensed electricity supplier. 🍃 For more information on the amendments to the Local Electricity Bill and the Energy Bill, you can view the campaign by the not-for-profit organisation [Power for People.](https://powerforpeople.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### CA-WN Monthly Meeting Notes 16 February 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-monthly-meeting-notes-16-february-2023-2/ Last updated: 2023-02-19T22:24:07.000Z **Present**: Alan Mawer, Alexina Cassidy, Clare Slater, Clare Robertson Marriott, David Wragg, Dmitry Borisovich, Ella Mansfield, Emmie Williamson, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, Jonathan Harris, Leonie Beale, Rupert Frost, Rupert Knowles **Apologies**: Briony Askew, Maria Lee, Olivia Stevenson, Yvonne Mitton This meeting was recorded and will be published through the CA-WN YouTube channel in a few weeks (some elements of Nicole’s talk are time-sensitive). If you would like to see the recording please email jane@ca-wn.org for a link. Nicole's presentation slides can be downloaded here [Net Zero Power slides](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/Net%5FZero%5FPower%5FSystem%5F2035.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **Net Zero Power System 2035** This presentation was given by guest speaker Nicole Johnstone, who is the Marketing & Communications Manager at Habitat Energy, part of EDF Renewables but gave this presentation in a personal capacity based on her career in the energy industry. These are some key points from Nicole's talk: ***Why flexibility is key to a net zero power system*** · Energy accounts for 26% of CO2 emissions · The ‘energy trilemma’ is clean, affordable and secure power. The UK’s target is to have a net zero power system by 2035\. It is expected that the UK will have short periods of zero carbon electricity by 2025\. · Electricity supply must be equal to demand. If there is not enough electricity in the system there will be blackouts; if too much, distribution equipment becomes overloaded and starts to fail. So National Grid have to be very responsive to keep frequency at 50Hz. Gas and coal fired power stations can be turned up or down relatively easily, whereas wind and solar can’t so other ways have to be found of balancing supply and demand. · The electricity network used to be very linear i.e. centralised production with power being pushed out to end users. Now there is consumer end supply (e.g. solar PV) as well as demand, so the electricity system is needed to be bi-directional, which it’s not designed for. · Nuclear energy is ‘clean’, in terms of not producing greenhouse gas emissions, though with other issues. It is also not very flexible, so is best suited to provide baseload supply. · Gas-fired power stations can be run ‘part-loaded’ to make them more responsive to intra day fluctuations. · Wind and solar electricity producers have been paid to turn off production at times when there is low demand resulting in over-supply. Renewable energy sources are variable and intermittent – so there is a requirement to turn that into flexible power supply. ***Tools which can deliver flexibility:*** · Energy storage; UK battery capacity needs to increase from current 2 gigawatts (Gw) to 18Gw · Interconnectors – power lines which flow both ways to Europe so power can be moved · Demand side response; suppliers have been paying people to reduce consumption during evening peak. There is also an estimated 6 Gw of demand that can be moved without affecting people eg in industrial processes involving heating and cooling which would be unaffected by power being cut for short periods. A similar principle applies domestically, for example home fridges could retain temperature levels if the motor is not running for short periods during peak (this would be automated so invisible to the householder) · Electric vehicles (EVs) – EVs both store and use electricity, and could export back to the grid to be used to increase overall UK battery capacity · Batteries; the last UK blackout was in 2019, caused by a lightning strike combined with a gas power station tripping out and loss of power from an offshore wind farm. The blackout was arrested within minutes, largely because of batteries which can respond in milliseconds to export power. Batteries also help with inertia, which coal fired power stations have and renewables don’t (i.e. coal fired stations keep producing power for a short period after a problem starts). Speedy response of batteries help make up for this loss of inertia. ***Energy Superhub Oxford*** · This is running as a 4 year project with 6 partners including EDF and Oxford CC · The electricity system is made up of the transmission network (e.g. pylons) and the distribution network (local power cables linking transmission network to end users) · Transition to renewables puts the distribution network under strain and this is holding up some solar projects. This project aimed to connect directly to the transmission network, a potentially more efficient way to make use of existing infrastructure. It is the first battery in the UK to be directly connected to the transmission network. The battery gets paid for services provided to National Grid, which helps pay for operating costs. · The battery shares connection with an EV charging hub about 4 miles away. This has 42 charge points, a mixture of ultra rapid and slower charging. There is enough capacity at the site to charge 400 cars when demand increases. · There are 40 more similar sites planned across the country ***In response to a question about sourcing of rare metals for batteries:*** · Battery chemistry is changing, for example to use less cobalt in lithium ion batteries plus entirely new battery chemistries which have longer duration than lithium ion. Recycling is also improving and batteries will need to become a circular economy. All EDF batteries have a contracted route to recycling. **Building resilience** · The aim of the project is to move from a position where over 50% of the \~174k homes in West Northants are energy inefficient, to a situation where householders are comfortable, with lower heating bills, and GHG emissions from heating are significantly lower. · In order to identify energy efficiency opportunities we need to measure the thermal performance of each house as an individual home, with differing characteristics and residents. We used data loggers in homes (recording humidity and temperature 24/7) which helped to tell us more about the occupational behaviour of the inhabitants. · As a step up from this we now have a technology based solution to try. This will involve running data loggers over an extended period, measuring energy use at the start and end of the measurement period as well as measuring the thermal capacity of the building. The technical solution will triage the data and produce a household report which will give an initial list of possible improvements. · We need to complete initial measurement of a few representative homes by the end of March and will then take the results of that pilot to community groups and parishes. · EPC (energy performance certificates) provide home efficiency improvement recommendations, but these are very generalised. The technology we are looking at will enable us to give much more targeted advice. · More in depth measurement using other tools could also be done if the householder wanted after seeing the initial report. · CA-WN would look to build on this over the course of several years to develop a retrofit programme, including pipelines for materials supply and training of tradesmen to complete the work. Currently there is not the workforce with cross disciplinary skills needed to provide the service householders need. **WNC emissions reporting** · WNC have been collecting internal emissions data for several months and have now published their report, which is available on their website [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/news/council-takes-step-forward-meeting-sustainability-pledge](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/news/council-takes-step-forward-meeting-sustainability-pledge?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) · The report to Cabinet which accompanied the public report can be read here (starting on page 405) [(Public Pack)Agenda Document for Cabinet, 13/02/2023 18:00 (moderngov.co.uk)](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g694/Public%20reports%20pack%2013th-Feb-2023%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) · The council are also planning to publish a baseline emissions report for the area as a whole (sourced from publicly available data). **In-person events** · We are planning a tree-planting event in Towcester on Saturday 18 March, followed by a social get-together at the Sawpits in Towcester. Further details to follow, all welcome. · The Gathering meeting room in the Grosvenor Centre has been booked for Saturday 8 July for another social event. · Please get in touch if you have any requests or ideas for what you would like to see or do as part of either of these events **Public engagement** · JW and HM have given a talk to Illustration students at the University of Northampton, along with the Northampton Town Climate Change Forum and Northampton Living Streets. · The students are doing a module based on climate activism and some of the Year 2 students are creating some new public engagement materials for CA-WN. The ideas they have come up are very different to anything we have done before and we’re looking forward to sharing the results. **CA-WN Exchange** · AC asked whether anyone would be willing to help create a Useful Links and Resources page for CA-WN Exchange, as a one-off short term project. Once this has been set up and published, it can be kept up to date as we go. Please get in touch if you have time and inclination to help with this. ### Spotlight On Other Local Authorities - Wirral Council URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/insights-in-significant-climate/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:32:04.000Z 🍃 Wirral Council's ambitious tree, hedgerow and woodland strategy - an example of strong communication, cross-party and partner collaboration and local community education and involvement. Wirral Council is a single tier authority covering a population of approximately 320,000, a mostly urban area of 157 km2 listed by the ONS as 38th most income-deprived out of 316 local authorities. Politically it is a coalition authority with 66 local councillors (26 Labour, 24 Conservative, 9 Green, 6 Lib Dem and 1 Independent). Wirral Council declared a Climate Emergency and developed an Environment and Climate Emergency Policy and Climate Emergency Action Plan in 2019 in order to meet an ambitious net zero target of 2030 internally and 2041 for Wirral as a whole. The Wirral [Tree, Hedgerow and Woodland Strategy](https://www.wirral.gov.uk/about-council/climate-change-and-sustainability/trees-hedgerows-and-woodland/tree-hedgerow-and?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) was developed by Wirral Council and a team of experts made up of tree wardens, local and national tree organisations, community groups and local landowners. It has a catchy mission; **participate, protect and plant**. **Participate** relates to the importance of community support in ensuring the success of the project. Planting trees is labour-intensive and volunteers are vital. **Protect** recognizes that a 2 ft high sapling does not deliver the same carbon sequestration as a 300-year-old oak tree ([estimated at 48 lbs of CO2/year](https://8billiontrees.com/carbon-offsets-credits/carbon-ecological-footprint-calculators/how-much-carbon-does-a-tree-capture/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#:~:text=The%20amount%20of%20carbon%20dioxide,kg%20of%20CO2%20daily.)), so existing trees need to be cared for and maintained with felling only used as a last resort. **Plant -** guided by the principal of ‘the right tree for the right place’ commits to planting over 20,000 new trees every year throughout the decade 2020-2030\. This will increase Wirral’s canopy cover from 13% to 25%. Wirral council has established a cross-disciplinary working group and the Tree Strategy is reviewed annually by the council and its stakeholders. The council's website includes a handy **‘Tree-o-Meter’** for residents to track progress and hopes to extend the project beyond the 10-year plan. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/03/Wirral-Tree-o-Meter.png) ****Wirral Council's 'Tree-o-Meter'** **Measuring the impact so far** using the latest data from July 2022, shows there were over 26 community planting events and 15 school planting events accounting for 98% of the trees planted. The project has been extremely popular and local support has been overwhelming. The council has led, along with key partners, many original initiatives and projects. To pick out a few; a tree planting session for Wirral’s foster families was organized by the council where parents and their foster children planted a woodland dedicated to them, along with a COVID-19 memorial woodland, funded by [Trees for Climate](https://englandscommunityforests.org.uk/trees-for-climate?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). There is also an adopt-a-tree scheme in place for local residents to take care of trees on or near their properties and an intention to involve community groups where they can ‘adopt’ planting sites and take responsibility for ongoing maintenance. The council also hopes to extend the sponsor-a-tree scheme to involve the business community. With regard to the **environmental benefits**, the Wirral Tree Strategy forecasts the sequestration of 222 tonnes of carbon over the decade, with a baseline measurement of what the current treescape across the whole authority currently delivers being performed by the forestry organisation [Forest Research](https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). From this baseline measurement (due to be completed March 2023) it will be possible to accurately measure the real impact of the Tree strategy and help the council work out where there are gaps – for example, if there is a need to plant more in specific areas prone to flooding. **Funding** for the tree strategy came from the [UK government’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/urban-tree-challenge-fund?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (currently open for new applications with a 30 June 2023 deadline), [DEFRA](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), [Mersey Forest’s Trees for Climate](https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/our-work/trees-for-climate/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) budget, and the council’s own dedicated climate emergency revenue budget and capital finance programme. The council also created several new posts – a Landscape Manager for the Tree Strategy, a tree risk manager and 4 tree inspectors. **Searching for available land** is an issue that the council is preparing for. The first 4 planting seasons 2021-2024 will be on council-owned land, but for the final 6 years, they will have to find partners to provide land and are hoping to work with housing associations who often have land suitable for planting. Another problem is the lack of tree saplings as tree planting schemes expand across the UK. Wirral Council has reacted to this by setting up its own tree nurseries to enable them to keep on target. With thanks to [Friends of the Earth](https://friendsoftheearth.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and the climate charity [Ashden](https://ashden.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) who put together a series of case studies on local authority action on climate in 2022, the CA-WN Exchange look forward to checking the Wirral’s Tree-o-Meter to monitor the Tree Strategy’s progress.If readers would like to read more about the Wirral’s achievements since declaring a climate emergency in 2019, click [here](https://www.wirral.gov.uk/about-council/climate-change-and-sustainability/climate-emergency/key-achievements-climate-emergency?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). CA-WN would also like to draw readers' attention to [Save our Street Trees Northampton](https://saveourstreettrees.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), a not for profit community group working hard to achieve a similar goal to Wirral council, but without any regular funding. ### The latest from CA-WN Exchange - February 2023 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-latest-from-ca-wn-exchange-february-2023/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:23:22.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/Coffee-2.png) Photo by Alex Padurariu/Unsplash Well done on making it through January - what feels like a 100-day month! For many of us February is a month of hope, with the first signs of Spring emerging as buds, green shoots and sunset creeping later into the evening. But for those of you who are tuned in to the seasons, our changing Spring can also be a source of anxiety. A [2022 study](https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.2456?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) has shown that UK flowers are flowering one month earlier due to rising temperatures – an earlier Spring can put wildlife at risk, as well as affecting agriculture practices. Feeling anxious about the climate crisis (also known as eco-anxiety) is a perfectly normal and expected response to the realisation that our futures are at risk. It’s also a necessary response, one that should motivate us to protect our habitat. But it can be an all-consuming feeling of hopelessness, which nobody wants or ought to feel. So how do we find a happy medium to harness the positive aspects of eco-anxiety? I’ve struggled with this for years but knowing that I am not alone (see [Richard’s recent article ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/climate-anxiety/)describing his pre-Christmas climate anxiety), taking steps to reduce my personal carbon footprint and joining others in collective action as a member of CA-WN have all helped. As well as hosting our monthly online climate cafes, it’s our aim to bring some hope with our collection of articles in this issue of CA-WN Exchange. This month we hear about how villages can run an eco-event, like the one held in Byfield last month, and Alice Whitehead from Save our Street Trees shares her [Three Things](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-3/) for individual climate action. We also showcase some fabulous independent refill shops in our area. I’m lucky enough to live close by to one and I cannot overstate the satisfaction from repeatedly re-using the inner bag of a cereal packet! There’s also a primer on the basics of planning – a potentially complicated process but one that is important to understand and challenge, as poor planning can lead to masses of unnecessary carbon emissions. **Clare Slater** --- ### **Latest Posts from the CA-WN Community** 🔹[**A Greener Byfield**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/a-greener-byfield-event-promoting-sustainability-in-a-village-community/) \- promoting sustainability in a local community **🔹**[**My Three Things for Climate Change**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-3/)\- Alice Whitehead from Save our Street Trees shares her efforts **🔹**[**Business as a Force for Good**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-refill-revolution-the-new-old-way-of-shopping/) \- looking into the retailing revolution of refill shops in Northamptonshire **🔹**[**Council Watch - a focus on Planning**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/planning/) \- how does it work, what can we as residents do? **🔹**[**The Farming of Rapeseed oil**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/mellow-yellow-2/) **\-** our correspondent looks into a local operation and considers the use of oilseed rape as a break-crop in cereal crop rotation 🔹[**Bookshelf**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/untitled-2/) **and** [**Podcast Shelf**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-countryside-hour-from-bbc-norfolk/) **\-** read/listen to the latest suggestions from the CA-WN Community **🔹**[**Recipe**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/bean-and-vegetable-hotpot/) \- take a moment to try Patsy's latest delicious suggestion --- #### [****What's on in February**](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/) ****Saturday 4 February** Green Football Weekend at Northampton Town Football Club ****Wednesday 8 February** [CA-WN Climate Cafe](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-cafe-february-2023-tickets-484839517047?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (online) ****Saturday 11 February** Botany of Valentine's Day, Abington Lodge Northampton ****Thursday 16 February** [CA-WN Monthly General Meeting (online)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/503712998137?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ****Saturday 25 February** [Zero Waste Workshop for Beginners, Grosvenor Centre Northampton](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/zero-waste-for-beginners-workshop-tickets-506192825367?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Mellow Yellow URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/mellow-yellow-2/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:10:37.000Z **Rupert Knowles – CA-WN Farming Correspondent** Some of you may be old enough like me to remember dancing to Donovan’s 1966 hippy hit song by this name. But today, it is Farrington’s oils that invoke the magic of flower power. Farrington’s cold-pressed rapeseed oil is produced at Bottom Farm, Hargrave in North Northamptonshire and before Christmas I went to meet Duncan Farrington. In 2005 after much research, Duncan with his mother’s help launched Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil. Today it is sold nationally and abroad. Duncan’s wife, Eli, is constantly developing and testing new products in the farm kitchen. On the Farrington Farm of 290 hectares, oilseed rape forms part of the rotation with cereals and beans. They are termed ‘combinable crops’ meaning they are harvested by standard combine harvesters. In addition, many local farmers are contracted to grow for Farrington's and all the farms are certified under the LEAF marque which demands high environmental standards stricter than Red Tractor. Rapeseed used to be considered toxic to humans because of the high erucic acid content, but with modern varieties originally from Canada, the acid content is limited to 2%. For market acceptability, the oil is known as Canola in the Americas. ‘Cold pressing’ is a process with the seed being fed slowly through a screw and filtered out into large stainless steel tanks for storage. When I visited, the press had stopped for routine maintenance, but the press can run continuously for a long time. Other types of oil extraction involve heat and chemical solvents: their yield is higher but the oil inferior. Those oils are commonly used in biodiesel. With a high residual oil content the spent cake from cold pressing is a valuable addition to animal feeds. You may have noticed the reduction in golden fields in recent years. Rape plants are attacked by the cabbage stem flea beetle which lays its eggs in the young plants in late summer. The larvae bore into the stem and damage the growing plant. Neonicotinoid systemic insecticides were developed in the 1980s and were used in seed coatings thus eliminating the need for spraying. It was a long time before it was realised that tiny quantities of this systemic chemical were finding their way into the nectar and pollen of rape plants and were responsible for a decline in bee populations (honey bees, bumble bees and others). The chemical affects the navigation of bees and they cannot find their way home. Neonics are now banned in the EU and UK, and many farmers gave up growing rape in desperation. However, much research has led to cultivation methods that reduce the damage by the beetle and rape is making a come-back. It is a very useful break-crop in the cereal rotation. You can read about the Farrington business’ environmental credentials and more on the website: [https://www.farrington-oils.co.uk](https://www.farrington-oils.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)/. Most CA-WN members are keen to source their food locally. We are not in an area known for fruit and vegetables, but in the spring our fields glow yellow when the rape is in flower. Mellow Yellow is produced from local rapeseed and processed locally and naturally. As well as their own, all the farms supplying Farrington's are LEAF certified. Oil is not available from the farm but is stocked in a wide range of local shops and supermarkets such as Waitrose. Pitted against imported Olive, Sunflower, Soy, Peanut or Palm, Mellow Yellow is the natural oil to choose. ### Movement: how to take back our streets and transform our lives URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/untitled-2/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:11:08.000Z ### by Thalia Verkade and Marco te Broemmelstroet. Translated from the Dutch by Fiona Graham Once upon a time our streets were sociable spaces where people met to chat, and children safely played. But not now. Drivers, not pedestrians, rule our roads. How did we let that happen and what can we do to return our public spaces to be shared safe places? If what’s needed has never been done before then technical professionals probably cannot help. They are constrained from ‘thinking outside the box’ because they must play by the rules and the rules are governed by precedence and legislative demands. Though set in Holland this highly readable invitation to rethink things, to put people at the centre of urban design, has universal relevance. Follow the link below to the CA-WN Bookshop where you can support local and independent bookstores, or borrow from your local library. [https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN](https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Planning basics URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/planning/ Last updated: 2023-02-04T11:56:44.000Z **Why is 'planning' important?** The location, design and construction of new buildings has a huge influence on our greenhouse gas emissions as a nation – the sustainability of the materials used, how the buildings are powered, and whether the development is supported by public transport and active travel routes are all important factors. Housing and commercial development in the UK is governed by a complex set of national and local plans and policies which take years to be created and adopted. Every individual planning application has to be looked at in the context of these. Local Plans identify possible locations for building, which many people only realise has happened when a developer starts taking an interest in a location which happens to be on their doorstep. By this time it can be hard to object to the proposed development successfully. On the other hand, challenges to development on plots of land not included within the adopted Plans may have more chance of success. **Core components of the planning system** ***Nationally*** The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the government's planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied. National Planning Practice Guidance - technical guidance for local authorities ***Locally*** Local planning policies have to be aligned to national policies. If local policies were to set a higher standard than the national framework, councils are likely to face challenges from developers, which would be expensive to defend. Lack of explicit national guidance can be why councils struggle to insist on, for example, renewable energy for all new buildings. In West Northamptonshire the key documents are: - West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy (JCS), or Part 1 Plan. This sets out the vision and objectives for West Northamptonshire up to 2029, including strategic policies. Adopted in 2014; policies within the JCS were reviewed in 2019. - Part 2 Local Plans - more detailed planning policies and site allocations for South Northamptonshire (adopted 2020), Daventry (adopted 2020) and Northampton (adopted 1997, new version currently in development). These areas merged to become West Northamptonshire when the unitary authority was created. ***Very locally*** Neighbourhood Plans – these are not binding but set out the preferences of local residents and inform planning decisions for villages and neighbourhoods. It is up to local communities to decide whether to have a neighbourhood plan. Links to the national and local plans are at the bottom of this article – to find out if there is a Neighbourhood Plan for your community the best place to start is your Parish or Town Council. **What can I do to influence development in my area?** - Keep an eye out for public consultations on local plans and planning strategies, make sure you respond and encourage others to do the same - If there is no neighbourhood plan in your area, consider getting together with other residents to develop one - If you comment on specific planning applications, keep your comments factual and try to highlight where the application is or is not in line with planning rules. Links below for more help with determining this. 💡 Useful links: **National and local plans and policies** [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework--2](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework--2?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/planning-practice-guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/planning-practice-guidance?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/west-northamptonshire-joint-planning-unit-jpu/west-northamptonshire-joint-core-strategy-local-plan](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/west-northamptonshire-joint-planning-unit-jpu/west-northamptonshire-joint-core-strategy-local-plan?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://www.southnorthants.gov.uk/info/65/local-plan-part-2-and-evidence/40/local-plan-part-2/12](https://www.southnorthants.gov.uk/info/65/local-plan-part-2-and-evidence/40/local-plan-part-2/12?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://www.daventrydc.gov.uk/living/planning-policy/part-2-local-plan/](https://www.daventrydc.gov.uk/living/planning-policy/part-2-local-plan/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://www.northampton.gov.uk/info/200205/planning-for-the-future/2199/northampton-local-plan-part-2](https://www.northampton.gov.uk/info/200205/planning-for-the-future/2199/northampton-local-plan-part-2?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **West Northamptonshire Council consultations:** [https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/have-your-say/current-consultations](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/have-your-say/current-consultations?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) **More information and guidance on planning:** [https://www.communityplanningalliance.org/planning.html](https://www.communityplanningalliance.org/planning.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://neighbourhoodplanning.org/](https://neighbourhoodplanning.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://www.cpre.org.uk/resources/how-to-respond-to-planning-applications/](https://www.cpre.org.uk/resources/how-to-respond-to-planning-applications/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Refilling - the 'new old' way of shopping URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-refill-revolution-the-new-old-way-of-shopping/ Last updated: 2023-02-04T11:56:14.000Z Plastic is everywhere – it’s convenient and we use it all the time. The amount of plastic packaging we consume today reflects the lifestyles we live. In my kitchen this morning, I counted well over 50 items which are packaged in plastic – and I like to think of myself as a sustainable shopper. For retailers and manufacturers, plastic protects products from damage and contamination, it enables transport, it preserves products for longer (reducing food waste) and it displays information about the product. Plastic is very useful. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/Plastic-facts.jpg) Unfortunately it is also indestructible. After using it, we don’t know what to do with it. We generate about 400m tonnes of plastic waste (most of it single-use) each year. 60% of this ends up in our natural environment or landfill. Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose and can leak harmful chemicals into the ground which can then enter the ocean. At current rates plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050\. Plastic is tricky to recycle – only about 10% is recycled according to the OECD. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/New-Wave-Graph.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/Tops-in-Trash.png) In the face of such terrifying statistics, reducing plastic use is key and this is where the innovative refill shops come in. The refill concept is usually based on refill and bulk opportunities where consumers bring their own containers to refill food items, personal care or cleaning products. Refill shops (also described as zero waste shops) are not only packaging-free but usually promote a holistic, sustainable lifestyle with local and organic products. A key characteristic of all refill shops is close customer interaction – not only is it a welcoming retail experience, but it is also an educational space where the shop owners share their knowledge and expertise and go out of their way to make their customers happy. It is basically the ‘new old’ – like shopping in the neighbourhood shops we used to have in the old days. “But what about price?” I hear you cry. It is true that the holistic sustainable concept makes it hard to compete with supermarkets although for certain product categories, particularly dry goods, buying in bulk is price competitive. It is also hard for the refill shops to compete with the 24/7 opening hours of the big retailers, although most offer an online and delivery option. We are lucky in Northamptonshire to have a number of refill shops and vans situated across the county – see list below. Husband and wife team Lindsay and Navneet Singh were inspired to set up [‘Re’ in Flore](https://coffeeandrefills.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) in 2019 after living in Navneet’s home town of Amritsar, India where a more sustainable waste not, want not policy along with less plastic waste is practised. Their mantra is ‘refill, refresh, renew, rethink’. Aside from offering over 400 products in a 400ft2 shop floor (an exceptional use of space), they also have an outdoor seating area where they serve delicious coffee and cakes. Lindsay is proud that in three years of operation, they have sold over 6,000 coffees with not one disposable cup given out. They even have their own ‘mug bank’. She also worked out that thanks to ‘Re’ about a quarter of a million single use bits of packaging have been avoided (rice wrappers, crisp packets etc.) Their motivation is simple; they want to sell good stuff, meet good people, listen to and learn from their customers. They are not selling principles; they are selling products that have principles behind them. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/Re-Flore.jpeg) One corner of Re's shop in Flore At the opposite side of the county, [Food for Thought in Wellingborough](https://www.foodforthought.shop/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), founded and managed by Kerry Leese in 2020, offers its customers a welcoming space, an online ordering system and a large range of products including kids’ crafts. She also champions local suppliers and offers a range of interesting workshops. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/02/Food-For-Thought.jpg) Food for Thought in Wellingborough Both ‘Re’ and ‘ Food for Thought’ state that the refill concept is a challenging low margin business model. They have to sell high volumes to make a profit and consequently need high footfall. Both talk warmly of their regular customers but acknowledge the need to attract more. ‘Food for Thought’ is launching a new website and delivery service in 2023 and ‘Re’ is also launching a new website and considering offering sandwiches to bring people into the shop with the intention of then encouraging them to bring their containers and using the refill service. Unless you are lucky enough to have a refill shop in your local community it may not be so convenient or practical as your local supermarket. However some supermarkets are following the refill shop’s example and adapting to provide refill and reuse stations; Asda, Co-op, Waitrose to name the ones I have found, although it represents a miniscule percentage of sales. As a conscious consumer, it wouldn’t hurt to ask your local supermarket to offer a refill and reuse option, and while you’re at it, put pressure on them to reduce their use of plastics. A 2020 [report by Greenpeace](https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/uk-supermarkets-can-halve-throwaway-plastic-by-2025-by-reducing-plastic-across-54-grocery-categories/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) found that supermarkets could make big cuts to the amount of plastic waste they produce by focussing on just a few ‘problem products’ responsible for most of their plastic footprint (bottled water, fizzy drinks, household detergents, vegetables and salads). This weekend, I urge you in the words of Re’s Navneet Singh, to ‘shop local, shop conscious and shop considerate’ and take your empty containers to one of the Northamptonshire refill shops. Kerry Leese of ‘Food for Thought’ would say ‘we’re not just a shop!’ and I can guarantee you that the experience will be enlightening, important and (excuse the pun) ful***fill***ing, 🍃 Full list of Northamptonshire Refill Shops (please let us know if we have missed any). Re - Flore [https://coffeeandrefills.com/](https://coffeeandrefills.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Food for Thought - Wellingborough [https://www.foodforthought.shop/](https://www.foodforthought.shop/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Daily Bread - Northampton [https://www.dailybread.co.uk/](https://www.dailybread.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Green Machine - S. Northants [https://www.greenmachinerefill.co.uk/](https://www.greenmachinerefill.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Refill Revolution - Oundle [https://www.refillrevolution.co.uk/](https://www.refillrevolution.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Fill Refill - Northampton [https://www.fillrefill.co/](https://www.fillrefill.co/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### My Three Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-3/ Last updated: 2023-02-04T11:55:45.000Z *By Alice Whitehead, the founder and chair of Tree Charter community group Save Our Street Trees and communications officer for organic gardening charity Garden Organic* I love the idea that three things can change the world. It's easy to feel climate change is too big to tackle as an individual but I’ve always felt every small step makes a difference. One of the biggest changes I've made to the way I live, is protecting and planting trees. Through my campaign group, we've managed to plant almost 500 trees in Northampton in the last six years - on streets, in schools and in urban orchards. Every tree makes a difference so even a small apple or cherry in your back garden will provide habitats for wildlife, mop up pollution and help reduce the urban heat island effect. But if you don't have the space or the know-how to plant yourself, you can simply support a tree planting project by volunteering or donating. For the last 20 years, I've also grown my own food at my allotment and in pots in my garden. I garden organically, so I use a NoDig method - which means there's less soil disturbance - and I encourage beneficial insects and predators by not using pesticides or bought in fertilisers. I grow green manures and make my own plant food to nurture crops. I also compost garden and kitchen scraps so I use less bagged compost overall. What I do buy in is peat free. Food security and food miles are becoming big issues - and it's fantastic to be able to pull up fresh carrots, that I know have been grown without pesticides, within a short walk of my doorstep. They taste so much better too. A more recent change in our house has been trying to pre-cycle rather than recycle. Like many people, we recycled for 10+ years - diligently putting our plastic and cardboard waste into the council collections. But each week, we were horrified to see how much non-recyclable waste continued to go in our black landfill bin: hand soap dispenser tops, gift wrap, plastic bags, plastic film, crisp packets and so on. So we made the decision to start cutting back on what we bought, buying items in less packaging or in refillable bags and bottles, including signing up to a milk delivery. All three are small steps - and there's still so much I'd like to do. But if we all did just one of these things, just imagine what an incredible impact we would have on the planet! [Home - Save Our Street TreesSave Our Street Trees Northampton campaigns to promote and protect urban street trees and encourage more trees to be planted to bring benefits to communities![](https://saveourstreettrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/streettreeslogo512-300x300.png)Save Our Street TreesAlice Whitehead![](http://saveourstreettrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Sticker-artwork-2.png)](https://saveourstreettrees.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### A Greener Byfield – promoting sustainability in a village community URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/a-greener-byfield-event-promoting-sustainability-in-a-village-community/ Last updated: 2023-02-04T11:55:03.000Z **India Palmer** On Saturday 14th January Byfield village held its first sustainability event in the village hall. The event came about through eco-enthusiasts India Palmer, who lives in Byfield, and Helen Buttrick, working with the village Parish Council. The Parish Council were extremely supportive of promoting sustainability in the community. The first step was to complete a survey of residents which was promoted through the parish magazine and local Facebook page. The survey asked questions about activities villagers are already doing to be sustainable, what they would like to know more about and some of the barriers they found to being greener. 88% of respondents felt that Byfield should be more sustainable and highlighted specific interest in promoting nature/wildlife, solar panels and heat pumps. Holding people back from doing more was primarily the expense, with 84% of respondents drawing attention to this as an issue. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/Byfield-01.jpg) The event was directly linked to the survey and designed to support the community and interested individuals in building a greener future. After consultation with the parish council an event of two hours was planned and featured talks on rewilding by Dr Helen Buttrick, solar panels by Mike Johnson, heat pumps from Richard Corbett and the local pocket park by Chris Butlin. In addition to the talks, time was allowed for attendees to view stalls from a range of local sustainability groups: [Woodford Community Larder](https://www.facebook.com/groups/367234932183125) [Byfield Good Neighbours](https://byfieldgoodneighbours.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [M&S Renewables](https://www.mandsenergy.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) – solar panels [Helia Net Zero](https://helianetzero.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) – sustainability consultants [Eco4All](https://www.instagram.com/eco%5Ffor%5Fall/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) – sustainability coach Byfield Green Group [Climate Action West Northants](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/) The event was well attended and very positive feedback was received. Several attendees had tried rewilding without much success so appreciated additional advice on how to progress. There was much interest in solar panels and particularly the integration of batteries. There was also interest from individuals in receiving specific sustainability advice for their personal circumstances. Byfield is a community in West Northants, located about 12 miles south west of Daventry. It is home to approximately 1400 people in 500 houses. Existing sustainability initiatives in the village include heat pump heating at the village hall, rainwater saving and recycling in the cricket pavilion and several local solar projects. Overall, there appears to be an appetite to become more sustainable and we hope to run a future event aimed at families to try and spread the word! If you would like to find out more or want help running a similar event in your area, please feel free to contact [india@cantab.net](mailto:india@cantab.net) or 07919 656477. ### The Countryside Hour from BBC Norfolk URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-countryside-hour-from-bbc-norfolk/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:04:45.000Z This is a great podcast for anyone who wants to learn about British wildlife and biodiversity. It features ‘farmer and nature lover’ Chris Skinner, who shares his lifetime of experience as a working farmer and wildlife enthusiast. The podcast usually includes a recording from Chris somewhere on his Norfolk farm, talking about a wide range of subjects such as hibernating butterflies, a disappearing stream or how to propagate mistletoe, followed by answering listeners' questions, all with trademark good humour and a deep love of the countryside shining through. [BBC Radio Norfolk - The Countryside Hour - Available nowAvailable episodes of The Countryside Hour![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/272x272/p084vcc8.jpg)BBC![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1200x675/p084vcc8.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02tfhrt/episodes/player?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 👂 [Check out more of our Podcastshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/podcastshelf/) ### Bean and Vegetable Hotpot URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/bean-and-vegetable-hotpot/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:23:44.000Z This is one of my favourite recipes, not least because you can use up any vegetables that are waiting in the fridge for inspiration to strike! The version in the picture contains onions, garlic, a couple of sticks of celery, a tiny piece of root ginger, finely chopped, butternut squash, sweet potato, carrots, swede, red peppers, three sorts of beans, a tin of tomatoes, curly kale and a slosh of red wine. The finished dish was topped with a few leaves of raw baby spinach and some crumbled feta cheese. We eat it with fresh bread to mop up the juice, and as some versions have more of a soupy finish, it makes a hearty chunky soup to eat from a bowl on a cold day. We like a slightly spicy, smoky flavour, so I use flaked chilli and smoked paprika, but you can vary this, and substitute or add cinnamon, coriander seeds, fenugreek – whatever is lurking on the spice rack. The hotpot has the beauty of being a vegan meal - excluding, of course, the feta, it has no gluten and you can include or leave out anything you don’t like (one of our family members can always detect celery, no matter how small it’s diced!). Assemble the veg, and prepare it by dicing the onions, chopping the garlic and root ginger, and chunking the celery. Use a good splash of oil and sauté these lightly, taking care not to singe them which imparts a slightly bitter flavour to the finished dish. Add the spices at this stage, to release the flavour. While the sautéing is happening, dice or chunk the root vegetables and squash, and add first the biggest chunks, or the vegetables that take longest to cook, to the pan. I like to vary how the vegetables are prepared, so the swede was cut into sticks, the butternut squash into cubes and the sweet potato into larger chunks. Next add the peppers, the tin of tomatoes, red or white wine and a small bay leaf. Rinse out the tomato tin with water and then crumble a stock cube into the mix. Stir frequently to make sure everything is well-mixed and incorporates all the flavours, but don’t be over-vigorous as this can break up the vegetables and cause some to become mushy. Next add the beans, and again, stir carefully but thoroughly. Now leave the pot to simmer slowly, testing the vegetables with the tip of a sharp knife so you know when everything is cooked. Make sure the pot doesn’t dry out, topping up with water if necessary. At this point add herbs – I used dried herbes de Provence, but again, go with your preference and what you have available. The pulses I used were butter beans, cannellini, and chickpeas, all bought dried, soaked overnight and cooked the previous day, retaining the cooking fluid, which went in the pot too. If you prefer to use canned beans, the juice in the tin is fine to use. Once all the root vegetables are cooked and the beans well incorporated, add the shredded kale. This goes in last so it doesn’t overcook, which would spoil the look and destroy the vitamins. To serve, add a few leaves of spinach to the top as well as crumbled feta cheese. If no spinach, garnish with fresh parsley, or very finely shredded raw kale – that splash of green brings out the colours of the cooked vegetables, because “we eat with our eyes!” and what looks good tastes better. 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### CA-WN monthly meeting notes 19 January 2023 *link to slides added* URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-monthly-meeting-january-2023/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:23:56.000Z Present: Alexina Cassidy, Alix Harrower-Dean, Axel Segebrecht, Briony Askew, Chris Leng, Clare Slater, David Garlick, David Wragg, Ella Mansfield, Emmie Williamson, Harry Mellor, Jane Wood, John Hunt, Michael Lawrence, Mike Longman, Orianne Neyroud, Patsy Hollingum, Peter Nalder, Richard Hollingum, Stan Quirey Apologies: Clare Robertson-Marriott, Dave Musson, Jonathan Harris, Leonie Beale, Maria Lee, Rupert Frost, Rupert Knowles, Russ Hickman, Sue Carverhill Thank you to everyone that came to our January meeting, it was great to see several new faces joining us. ### Summary of 2022 We started with a short summary of CA-WN’s activities in 2022, which included: • 5 issues of CA-WN Exchange • Outreach events including: • HOP22 Climate Fair • Grow Green Together Conference • Great Big Green Week events • 6 Climate Cafes • Claim Back Your Space booklet • 6 statements to WNC committees • Building Resilience • Air Quality monitoring • Developing as an organisation ### The challenges of creating a sustainable NHS Our guest speaker, Dr Paul Slater, then gave an excellent presentation about sustainability in the NHS and in particular within his speciality of anaesthesia. I highly recommend watching his talk back on [YouTube](https://youtu.be/Zm37iubWvFQ?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) (starts about 7 minutes in). You can also view [the slides](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/CAWN19Jan23.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) here. Dr Slater gave many insights into the work being done within the NHS to reduce its carbon footprint (it is responsible for 3% of all UK GHG emissions). Changes within the field of anaesthesia include switching away from the most damaging anaesthetic gases, reducing use of nitrous oxide and new technology to capture gas that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. It was particularly pleasing to hear that it has been possible to completely replace one gas (ethyl chloride) with a cold metal stick. Watch the video to find out how! Work is also being done to reduce unnecessary use of single use plastics, and to promote other ways of cutting emissions associated with medical treatment, including carrying out consultations remotely where possible. Dr Slater has also founded a Sustainable Surgery Group at Northampton General Hospital. ### CA-WN Exchange CA-WN recently launched CA-WN Exchange online, where articles, personal stories and original writing are now published. CA-WN Exchange also provides a forum for discussion of climate and biodiversity issues and initiatives. JW thanked the editorial team for their work in developing CA-WN Exchange, first as a high quality newsletter and now in its new incarnation. An email update from CA-WN Exchange will be issued on the first Saturday of every month. Comments, feedback and suggestions for topics to feature are very welcome. ### Building Resilience HM gave a short overview of the Building Resilience project that emerged from examining how to help alleviate fuel poverty. During the last couple of months we have been undertaking continuous collection of data on temperature and humidity in a variety of homes, and also using thermal imaging and smoke pens to help identify sources of heat loss. There will be a summary report in February. ### Looking forward to 2023 We will be building on the good work already underway, aiming to increase our reach and public engagement, as well as continue to keep tabs on the progress of West Northants Council. Monthly meetings in 2023 will be a bit different, as we plan to invite a guest speaker every month. Suggestions for speakers welcome – in February we plan to have an expert speaker on energy and battery storage. We also intend to hold more in-person meetings this year – the monthly general meetings will remain online but it will be great to have some face to face get togethers too, both purely social and more formal. ### AOB If you are in Northampton on 28 January please support XR at their event to unveil a plaque drawing attention to the serious issue of raw sewage being dumped into waterways https://www.facebook.com/events/554785709879209 ### Date of Next Meeting Thursday 16 February 7:45 pm ### Welcome to Our New Home URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/welcome-to-our-new-home/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:24:11.000Z 🍃 January 2023 marks an exciting time for CA-WN (Climate Action - West Northamptonshire) as we launch a new [forum](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/) for the exchange of ideas, research and content on the climate and biodiversity crisis.https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ --- For our valued supporters, we thank you for your commitment to CA-WN. 2022 was an active year in which CA-WN achieved a number of things of which we are proud; namely positive collaboration with local groups, well attended monthly members' meetings, close attention to West Northamptonshire Council activities, the launch of the CA-WN Exchange newsletter, publication of the 'Claim Back Your Space' booklet and a number of online and in person events. We hope you will continue to be a supporter of CA-WN and work with us to deliver resident-led solutions to the climate and biodiversity crisis. --- 🍃 You will receive the monthly CA-WN Exchange to your Inbox (on the first Saturday of every month). This will cover a range of topics from food and farming, biodiversity, business spotlights, local Council commentary, a what's on guide and useful hints and tips to help you play a part in climate action. --- To search for articles, use the Features tab on the Home Page where you will find a dropdown list of the different topics we cover. If you would like to become an active participant in our collaborative online forum, please Sign In and Subscribe on the site. You can Unsubscribe at any time. --- ### Honeywell Bakes – committed to being good URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/business-as-a-force-for-good-2/ Last updated: 2023-01-07T13:18:24.000Z > *Honeywell Bakes, Welford – committed to being good to each other and the planet and a proud B Corporation. By Alexina Cassidy* *Honeywell Bakes* are a team who in their own words ‘are determined to use business as a force for good.' Why do they want to do this when surely they just want to sell as many biscuits as they can? The answer is that *Honeywell Bakes* is a new kind of business, a *B Corporation*, that balances profit and purpose and is legally required to consider the impact of their business decisions on their employees, customers, suppliers, the environment, and the local community. Started in 2012 around a kitchen table, drinking tea and nibbling biscuits, *Honeywell Bakes* has grown to a team of twenty five. They supply biscuits and baking kits to a range of online customers; from individuals to London retailers to businesses wanting bespoke ‘branded’ biscuits. They supplied biscuits to *Netflix* for a *Squid Games* event replicating when contestants must carve shapes into a piece of honeycomb toffee without letting it break. Rebecca Honeywell-Ward, Founder, has always been committed to a sustainable way of life, conscious of the beauty of the Northamptonshire countryside and keen to use local suppliers wherever possible. Their organic flour, free- range eggs and new packaging comes from local companies. Cleaning products come from *Fill Refill Co* in Wellingborough. *Honeywell Bakes* are strict with themselves about reusing and recycling everything they can and are working hard to eliminate plastic wherever possible. Any unwanted biscuits are donated to *The Hope Centre* and *Affinity Day Care* in Northampton. All food waste is composted or used as animal feed and most of their packaging is home compostable, plant-based cellulose bags, recycled wrapping paper and envelopes. *Honeywell Bakes* is a *Real Living Wage* employer – this is a wage rate that is voluntarily paid by over 11,000 UK businesses who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets everyday needs. By investing in their employees as a socially responsible employer, *Honeywell* means to foster a caring and supportive environment – a place where people want to work (and not just because of the biscuits!) In terms of *Honeywell’s* determination to be a force for good, over the past few years they have donated over £50k to a charity called *Farm Africa*, which is committed to empowering women and sustainable farming in East Africa. For 2022 they have joined *1% for the Planet* with 1% of turnover directed to small grassroots charities and organisations of their choice. They are also involved with *Ecologi* (another *B Corp*) who finance reforestation and carbon offsetting projects. One project that particularly interests the *Honeywell* team is helping finance high efficiency cookstoves in poorer countries. In Tanzania for example the primary fuel source for over 90% of the population is firewood or charcoal. *Ecologi* help to install ‘cleaner cookstoves’ that benefit both people and the environment. To find out more, see the links below **[B Corporation](https://bcorporation.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)** **[One Percent for the planet](https://onepercentfortheplanet.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)** **[Ecologi](https://ecologi.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)** **[Real Living Wage](https://www.livingwage.org.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)** ### The Children of the Anthropocene by Bella Lack URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/the-children-of-the-anthropocene-by-bella-lack/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:11:18.000Z The title of this book alone was a learning experience for me – anthropocene means relating to or denoting the current geological age; viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. Bella Lack’s stories of a changing climate are told through an array of different voices from a 14 year-old in Madagascar collecting water from baobab trees in a drought, a 13 year-old vegan in California suffering jibes from her classmates to a 20 year-old Nigerian linking the rise of the Boko Haram terrorist group to food insecurity. Follow the link below to the CA-WN Bookshop where you can support local and independent bookstores,or borrow from your local library. [https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN](https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Climate Anxiety URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/climate-anxiety/ Last updated: 2023-02-03T14:24:27.000Z This morning I settled down to meditate and frankly I was all over the place. Some days are easier than others but at the moment I am in the midst of a mental struggle. That much I recognise. But struggling about – or against – what? What are these fleeting thoughts that charge about my synapses, appear as clear as day and then vanish before I have a hold of them. I should be able to shoo them away myself but they have their own velocity, and their own veracity. So why this erratic mental behaviour and why now? Well, partly it’s been around for ages but I do recognise that it is the conjunction of two big concerns, that of the climate crisis and the fact that Christmas is looming out of the fog like the vast hulk of a deserted ship. Studies into the impact of climate change on mental health are quite common and there is enough ‘academic’ material available to keep you reading well into the next decade. I suppose that the climate crisis triggers these anxiety responses because we – I – feel that there is nothing that can be done to stall or reverse it. In fact, perhaps the only thing I can do is to learn to cope with the changes that it will bring. If I think about that rationally, as I approach my 70th birthday, and given the ages my antecedents reached, I only have another couple of decades at the most to worry about this. But then I think about my grandchildren and the first of probably several great-grandchildren. What sort of a world have I made for them? I feel personally responsible for their future and their future welfare. How will they cope? What will happen in their lifetime? I have turned down the thermostat, spend most of my life in one room, only use the car when necessary (which is difficult when you live in a village). I seldom buy clothes, I don’t fly anywhere, no longer go abroad. What more can I do? And why should I if the governments across the planet cannot agree about what they should do? And then out of the fog looms Christmas. “Well, we have always bought this for so-and-so.” “Well, they want this-and-that.” How do you approach the subject of making a donation instead of a present? On my meditation stool these thoughts fly around my head, coming and going like an annoying fly at the window but when you get there to open it, off the fly goes to somewhere else, only to return when you move away. Through CA-WN Exchange, CA-WN shows that even small things can make a difference. Individual voices can combine to make louder voices. I have a voice and I do small things but in this, the darkest time of the year, I ask, is it enough? I hope so. ### Vegetarian Roast Cheese, Cashew and Walnut Loaf URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/vegetarian-roast-cheese-cashew-and-walnut-loaf/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:24:37.000Z *Patsy Hollingum writes: I’ve been making this for our Christmas dinner for around ten years now. It sounds more complex than it is, the end result is well worth the effort, and it takes far less time to roast than a turkey. It is just as tasty served cold, and also freezes well, if carefully packed.* **You will need:** All finely chopped: 2 medium onions 1 medium red pepper 3 sticks celery 175 g chopped mushrooms 2 cloves crushed garlic Approx. 1 teaspoon of dried thyme sage marjoram 4 tablespoonfuls chopped fresh herbs: parsley sage thyme etc - don’t overdo the rosemary though. 100 g shelled walnuts, finely chopped 120 g cashew pieces - don’t over-process if using a mixer 175 g cottage cheese 300g of mixed grated cheeses: smoked cheddar Red Leicester strong cheddar 5 – 6 eggs (depending on size) beaten. 1 tablespoonful Dijon mustard Seasoning to taste. Oil to sauté 100g uncooked brown rice - when cooked the brown rice will weigh approx. 250g **To prepare:** Gently fry the chopped celery and onions. When slightly softened, add mushrooms, garlic, red pepper, dried herbs and seasoning. It’s important not to let the vegetables over- brown when cooking. Stir regularly. When all the vegetables are softened, put the mixture into a large mixing bowl then add all other ingredients to the bowl and mix till well-combined. You will need a 2lb loaf tin, lined but not with ordinary greaseproof as it’s likely to stick. Use baking parchment. Use one long strip for end-to-end fit, and a similar wide strip, running side to side. The top of the mix needs to be completely covered, so don’t skimp on the paper. The depth of filling should be no greater than 7 cm. If the tin is very full, wrap the outside of the tin in brown paper, and cover the top with more paper, to prevent the outside drying out before the middle is cooked. Bake the mix for 90 minutes at 180˚ C, or gas mark 4\. The mix will feel firm when pressed, and a knife inserted in the centre will come out clean. If not, turn the oven down to about 10o˚C, re- cover the top carefully and return to oven for 20 + mins. It can be pre-cooked, then sliced and re heated in a microwave on the day. Serve with the tastiest gravy you can make. A dash of red wine or sherry will jazz it up nicely! 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### What if: photovoltaic panels are installed over car parks? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/what-if-photovoltaic-panels-are-installed-over-car-parks/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:24:46.000Z To stimulate the development of solar energy production the French Senate has adopted a bill to require larger car parks to be covered by solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. If the French National Assembly approves the measure the law will apply to car parks with more than 80 spaces. Larger car parks with more than 400 spaces will have three years to comply, smaller parks with 80 and 400 spaces have been given five years. Car park operators who fail to comply risk being fined €48,000 a year. Senators who objected to the new law on the grounds that it would favour PV panel production lines located outside the European Union were asked if they would be refusing to buy toys made in China at Christmas. Proposals are also being developed for solar farms alongside motorways and railways. And SNCF, the nationalised railway, have already invited tenders for installing 1.1 million square metres of PV panels on its stations. France’s solar PV initiatives are far less costly than building new nuclear power plants. But more relevant to France’s immediate fuel crisis, solar farms can quickly begin generating electricity. Quite a contrast to nuclear energy where new plants take years to come on stream. ### Warm Spaces URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/warm-spaces/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:25:03.000Z With a certain amount of irony, the combination of climate change and the rapid increase in fuel costs, it is no surprise that many – if not all – of us are turning down, or even turning off, the heating. Maintaining the most effective and efficient heat in your home is not an easy nut to crack, and often the simplest choice is to restrict when to have it on. If you go to work, this choice is easy but if you either work from home or are one of the 18% of the population in West Northants of retirement age or older, how do you keep warm? If you are active and have the opportunity, then some form of exercise will help a great deal, as will the odd blanket and hot water bottle. But what if there was a warm place to go to, somewhere where you could meet others, or find a quiet but warm spot to pass the time? West Northamptonshire Council, working with local partners in the voluntary and community sectors, are creating a directory of Warm Spaces. These are places that are deemed safe and welcoming to people from the authority, some even providing a hot meal or a cup of tea. A list of Warm Places is given below. For up-to-date information, search for Looking For Warm Spaces on the [West Northants website](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/cost-living-support/looking-warm-spaces?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org)[.](https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/cost-living-support/looking-warm-spaces?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Registered Warm Spaces: **Daventry** Buckby Library and Hub Daventry Volunteer Centre Naseby Village Hall Windsor Lodge Tea Room Badby Village Hall Daventry Library Clipston Village Hall Brixworth Library The Crick Old School Woodford Halse Community Larder **Northampton** Northamptonshire Central Library Affinity Day Care CIC Age UK Northamptonshire Briar Hill Community Centre C2C Social Action Cafe Track (TRACK NN CIC) Community Court Yard Doddridge Centre Limited Friends of Abington Library Growing Together Hunsbury Library Innergate UK(NXT Leaders) Kingsthorpe Team Ministry - Church of England Churches in Kingsthorpe Moulton Library and Wellbeing Hub Northampton Hope Centre Northampton Partnership Homes Northampton Town FC Community Trust Rectory Farm Community Centre The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation United African Association Weston Favell Library Wootton Community Library Broadmead Community Church Duston Library Northampton Salvation Army Community Hub **South Northamptonshire** Brackley Library Bugbrooke Parish Council Deanshanger Library Deanshanger Parish Council Middleton Cheney Community Library Nether Heyford Parish Council renew169 Wellbeing Cafe Roade Community Library The church of St Margaret of Antioch The Coffee Pot Tavern The George at Tiffield Tove Benefice Group Tove Valley Baptist Fellowship Towcester Library Yardley Gobion Village Hall ### My View: Emma Roberts URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-emma-roberts/ Last updated: 2023-04-01T11:38:03.000Z As I sat down to write a few words for the article this month what struck me was just how much I had to say, there is simply such a lot I could write about. Lots of people contact me about Active Travel and more friendly streets. They want to see change and the ambition to achieve it. They want more investment in infrastructure that doesn’t involve building a new road. They want roads and pavements that allow pedestrians, cyclists, cars, and other motorised vehicles such as Scooters to be able to share space. They want to see less traffic around their school and more space to walk safely. They want recognition that we can share these spaces for safety but equally for the impact on air quality. Last year for Brake Road Safety Week I ran a competition in my ward with local school children being asked to design a road safety poster with a view to these posters being available to be put up around schools. The winning design from a young girl at Delapre Primary caught our eye because it was titled “The Road is a shared space” Our future generation know exactly what they want to see. Everyone judging felt the image really drew you in and offered such hope for what we could achieve. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/Emma-Roberts-photo-1.jpg) I got to thinking about what gets in the way, why there is a such a reluctance to take ambitious action here in the new West Northamptonshire footprint. When a motion was proposed to Council to look at calling for a feasibility review into the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a 20mph speed limit it was voted down. The motion would have allowed a report on the probable impacts on fatal accidents, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and air pollution. It was voted down, but many seemed to agree the concept was completely valid. The concept is heavily supported by Road Safety Professionals, BRAKE the road safety charity, the World Health Organisation, and the General Assembly of the United Nations, Living Streets campaigners to list a few. The General Assembly of the United Nations endorsed the 20mph concept as part of a key deliverable of its sustainable development goals. So why do we say no? Just because a Labour Councillor asks for it perhaps. ROSPA tell us that studies show that as well as Road Safety benefits, air quality, noise pollution and encouragement of more physical activity are all benefits born out of these measures. Why won’t we consider running school/play streets as a norm across the area? Why don’t we want to trial anything that might cause a bit of disruption? If we don’t take any risk, we won’t achieve change. I would like to see a real shift in ambition. I would like to see us working to take the public with us and show the benefits, rather than focus on potentially negative perceptions relating to change. Where there is reluctance, we have a duty to inform and engage, not shy away. We need to be ready to emphasise the benefits and be prepared to handle controversy. When WNC embraces this I think we will take 10 giant leaps for climate action, 10 giant leaps for public space improvement and who knows maybe 10 new reasons to do some more! ### More Demand, Demand More URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/more-demand-demand-more/ Last updated: 2023-01-05T11:58:07.000Z In October, Peter Doveston encouraged us to write to our MP to ask why West Northamptonshire Council does not receive appropriate funding for public transport. Continuing his exploration of bus services, Peter talks to two local councillors and the provider of an on-demand bus service. Social concern and competitive edge, a frequent tension in the pursuit of quality public services. Fundamentally, we need public transport to get us where we need to be within a suitable timeframe. At the same time however, it is clearly not right to have near empty buses tracking back and forth along seldom used routes. It is not commercially viable nor environmentally friendly. We see this tension manifesting itself in Northamptonshire. Bus services such as the 200 from Daventry to Banbury and the Sunday service 88 to Silverstone are under constant threat of being cut. The people who rely on such routes are rightly concerned but there are legitimate questions about these service’s sustainability. I spoke to Councillor Holland-Delamere, a member of the council’s Cross-Party Bus Strategy Group and West Northants Labour Transport Spokesman, to see if I could get a sense of the problem. We live in a disparate county. ‘Villagers in Middleton Cheney do not look to Northampton as a centre, they look to Banbury’ the Councillor points out, yet the village is within the boundaries of West Northants. This point alone is worthy of reflection. As an urbanite my views on what a bus service should be are different to those who reside in the countryside. From what Councillor Holland-Delamere tells me, our current model for servicing the villages is too rigid. ‘If we take Northampton as an example’ the Councillor says ‘what do people from the villages come here for? The theatre? The shops? How can we tailor our services to meet the demand more flexibly?’ Lynn Hinch, a director of ABILITY a local Community Interest Company (CIC), may be onto the solution. ABILITY provides bus services to residents in North Oxfordshire and West Northants. It relies on a combination of membership fees, community grants and concessionary fare reimbursement to fund its activity. ‘We’re not a charity’ Hinch explains, ‘we have directors who are able to make executive decisions quickly and efficiently.’ Perhaps within this model we find the flexibility required to address the needs of the villages. ABILITY has a fleet of modern mini-buses that run regular routes from the villages into local towns such as Banbury, Bicester, Brackley, Daventry, Towcester and Northampton. Their buses stop at familiar local locations and people who subscribe to the “Plus Service” membership can even be picked up nearer to their homes or from the door. The services respond to demand, where a person needs picking up within the area. They can contact ABILITY and the bus will come to that location, a versatility that other operators running fixed routes are unable to provide. ABILITY is a not-for-profit organisation and does not pay out to shareholders but reinvests in the organisation. Indeed CICs generally are designed to put the community service first. Could it be green? ‘We’ve not seen anything on the market yet that could work to make our fleet fully electric. The price is £210,000 each’ Hinch says but then rightly points out that their current fleet is new enough to meet the latest emissions standards of Euro 6 and is much more efficient than commercial operators older fleet of buses - and ‘every person who comes on our buses means one less car on the road’. I could not agree more with her on this point! We all are worried about the climate and bus emissions is a contributor to it, we still see 25-year-old buses on school runs! I still have questions, is this kind of service predominantly for concessionary users or could it work for commuters as well? I speak to Jonathan Harris, a Liberal Democrat Councillor for Brixworth Ward, who also sits on the cross-party Bus Strategy Group and has set up a service in his area through CommMiniBus. ‘Our service is centred around concessionary bus passes’ he explains ‘and there are significant administrative challenges to running the service’. This isn’t surprising. The increased flexibility of an on-demand service must have the drawback of having to respond to and collate multiple requests into realistic routes and timetables. The challenges in providing such a service to commuters are clear, it would have to be far more frequent and would need smart technological infrastructure to make it efficient and user-friendly. Then, as Councillor Harris points out, there are the cross-border issues. Negotiations would need to take place with the respective councils of Rugby, Market Harborough, Banbury and others. Challenges certainly but not insurmountable ones. How could the Council assist these services? All three of my interviewees agree. Funding. Funding for infrastructure (individual buses require a large amount of capital), funding for administrative assistance, funding for fuel. The communities know where the buses need to go and who they need to serve, funding is the key. My thanks to Councillor Holland-Delamere, Lynn Hinch and Councillor Harris for taking the time to speak to me. ### Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid by Thor Hanson URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/hurricane-lizards-and-plastic-squid-by-thor/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:12:30.000Z While humans wrestle with net zero targets and greenwashing, other species have had to adapt to the impacts of climate change, as Thor Hanson, an American biologist, reveals in his carefully researched book. His accounts of how squid have responded to warmer waters, and lizards to fierce storms, are poignant and sobering. ![Diagram Description automatically generated](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/06/data-src-image-0499b0df-d109-4bcf-97f9-94a53f3c2bb4.jpeg) Follow the link below to the CA-WN Bookshop where you can support local and independent bookstores, or borrow from your local library. [https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN](https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### My Three Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three/ Last updated: 2023-01-24T18:41:33.000Z *by Clare Topping, Energy and Sustainability Manager, Northampton General Hospital* As well as being Energy and Sustainability Manager at NGH, a role she has held for 10 years, Clare is also the co-ordinator for Beds and Northants for the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey. She has lived in Daventry for over 20 years. I wasn’t sure where to start with my three things for Climate Action; I often find that even though I started with baby steps, one good habit often leads to another. The first thing I did was to stop flying. I haven’t flown in over ten years and have signed the lifetime flight free pledge. Flying has such an environmental footprint - have you even thought about how they de-ice planes in winter? I’ve found going by train to feel much more decadent. Secondly, I am vegetarian, but started just by cutting down on meat and dairy. Not only is it good for planetary health, but can be good for human health too - most people don’t get their five a day, and there is an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and some forms of cancer from eating too much red meat. This has also resulted in me buying more seasonally, and only buying fruit and veg grown in the UK, and a great way to discover vegetables you’ve never tried before! Thirdly we measure our carbon footprint. So, we have turned down our thermostat by 1oC, turned the heat of the shower down, wash clothes less often, and stopped driving if we don’t need to. We’ve seen a noticeable change in costs and in our carbon footprint. ### Air Quality in West Northamptonshire URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/air-quality-in-west-northamptonshire/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:25:12.000Z ### Report for the week of Guy Fawkes night: CA-WN is monitoring air quality at several sites across West Northamptonshire. The green graphs show abnormal peaks of particulate matter (PM2.5) density at CA-WN sites during the week of Guy Fawkes night 2022\. For reference the blue graph is from the official DEFRA site at Spring Park, Northampton. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/image.png) PM2.5 is the size of particulate matter (2.5 microns) that when breathed in can pass through the lung’s lining and get circulated with blood to every internal organ. Urgh. Bonfires and firework displays are very popular. But it’s clear that they create additional air pollution - unlike a drone display (below) that can be commissioned for public entertainment at very much the same cost as a public firework display. Something organisations could consider next time someone suggests ‘Let’s have fireworks’. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/image-2.png) *Image courtesy of Preetam Choudhury - Creative Commons* ### Report from the 2022 AGM of the Wildlife Trust BCN URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/report-from-the-2022-wildlife-trust-agm/ Last updated: 2023-01-07T13:59:24.000Z Jane Wood, Chair of CA-WN, has been a member of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire for a few years, and as the Trust was holding its 2022 AGM in Northampton, it was a great opportunity to find out more about what the Trust is doing – “which turned out to be a lot more than I previously knew!” For example...the Trust is running a ‘wet farming’ pilot at its Great Fen reserve in Cambridgeshire. Soil erosion from the Cambridgeshire Fens has the same carbon footprint as all the human activity in the county. Wet farming, also known as paludiculture (from the Latin *palus* meaning swamp), allows agriculture to continue whilst the water table rises, as opposed to the traditional practice of draining land in order to farm, which causes the peat soil to erode and release its stored carbon. Crops being trialled include sphagnum moss, bulrush (or reedmace), reed, and the wetland cereal crop sweet manna grass. Rushes are used for building material and, more surprisingly, fluffy bulrush seedheads are a vegan alternative for eiderdown in insulated puffa-style jackets. One of the uses being developed for sphagnum moss is to replace cotton and synthetic polymers in period and incontinence products! Kathryn Brown, Director of Climate Change and Evidence for the Wildlife Trusts nationally, spoke about climate adaptation. She included in her presentation the Climate Action Tracker, which gives a really useful (and alarming) assessment of the potential global temperature rises based on various scenarios. Setting the scene for why adaptation to the effects of climate change is important, she said, “We’re careering towards a 1.5 degree increase in global temperature by 2050, if not 2040...this is now largely inevitable”. We are also seeing worse impacts at current levels of warming than were predicted by the models. Earlier this year the Wildlife Trusts published a Changing Nature risk assessment and adaptation report setting out their adaptation priorities over the next few years. The risk assessment showed that the three counties covered by Wildlife Trust BCN are in one of the most vulnerable parts of the country for heat, drought, and fire. We need to be prepared for the impact this will have on natural and man-made infrastructure and on people. On a more cheerful note, 95% of residents in the three counties live within five miles of a Trust reserve. Following the indoor element of the day I joined a guided walk at the Summer Leys nature reserve near Wellingborough, a former gravel quarry now managed for wildlife. I hadn’t visited before but will be going back to have a longer look. Even in a fairly short visit, I added three new birds to my list (Cetti’s Warbler, Little Grebe and Shoveler duck, for fellow birders!). Cetti’s Warbler is a climate change ‘winner’ as warmer winters mean this former migrant is now resident all year round. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/Summer-Leys-nature-reserve.jpg) Summer Leys Nature Reserve One of the things we can do to help tackle the climate and ecological emergency is to become a member of an environmental organisation such the Wildlife Trust, or the RSPB, Plantlife, the Woodland Trust and many others. The Wildlife Trust BCN offers lots of local and online events and activities as well as being a brilliant source of information about nature. [https://www.wildlifebcn.org/](https://www.wildlifebcn.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/uk/](https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Council Watch November 2022 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-november-2022/ Last updated: 2023-01-07T13:42:49.000Z **CA-WN watching West Northants Council for us all** CA-WN has not conducted a survey about what people think of the council’s progress to date on tackling the climate crisis and delivering their sustainability agenda, however for most people the consensus might be summed up as ‘frustratingly slow’. It is difficult to point to concrete examples where there’s been any change in practice to match WNC’s declarations of intent in this area – if anyone has got such an example to share, we would be very happy to know about it. Of course external observers don’t see what is going on under the bonnet. A key foundation for taking effective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to baseline current emissions levels, and we are told that this important exercise is close to completion for the council’s own operations, which is excellent news. A couple of other updates from recent committee meetings: - The report of the Tree Policy & Strategy Task & Finish Group recommended that a Tree Policy be prepared no later than March 2023 - The council still aims to deliver a draft Active Travel Strategy by the end of this year, having received funding to do so. The next council meeting in February will be primarily about discussing the budget for the coming year. We already know that finances are tight for WNC, in common with many other local authorities, and do not underestimate the scale of the challenge in finding money for ‘green’ initiatives as well as the council’s many other responsibilities. We do not seek to teach WNC its business in this respect, but would remind councillors that it will not be enough to fund a few standalone projects. Making substantive progress towards a zero-carbon future will require a fundamental shift in approach, so that all proposed spending is meaningfully tested against the sustainable development goals. This is the opportunity for WNC to really show their hand; achieving the clean and green future we all want will need investment in, for example: - Public transport that enables residents to travel to work, shops, hospitals and places of study at a cost they can afford and in a way that meets their needs (see the post [More Demand, Demand More](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/more-demand-demand-more/)). - Supporting householders to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and move away from fossil-fuel heating - An extensive, safe, modern active travel network - Support for local groups planting trees, creating community gardens and creating wildlife-friendly environments - Monitoring air pollution - Climate adaptation measures – making sure our essential services and infrastructure will be resilient to the effects of the changing climate. Spending to enable travel by private car must be rigorously examined, whether that is on new roads and car parks, or on subsidising parking. Consider the example of the proposed changes around Northampton train station, which include plans for a new 1400 space multistorey car park. We will not achieve net zero by encouraging more people to travel to the station by car. It’s also important to remember that provision of parking spaces only benefits people who can afford both a car and the parking charges. Is travelling by train equally accessible for everyone? A reminder that details and papers for all Council committees can be found on their website and meetings can be watched live or recorded on YouTube. I’d also highly recommend subscribing to NNJournal as a way of staying well-informed about local issues. They’ve recently covered funding plans for the above-mentioned multistorey car park (October 31st), as well as an analysis of the attendance record of WNC councillors (October 28th), something you might want to think about when the next elections come round. Some content is free but it’s all available for £5 a month, well worth it to support genuine local journalism. [https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/mgListCommittees.aspx?bcr=1](https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/mgListCommittees.aspx?bcr=1&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://www.youtube.com/c/WestNorthamptonshireCouncil](https://www.youtube.com/c/WestNorthamptonshireCouncil?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/](https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [https://www.nnjournal.co.uk/](https://www.nnjournal.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Farming Decisions URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/farming-decisions/ Last updated: 2023-01-05T12:00:10.000Z ### I was reading articles in Farmers Weekly about the rise in cost of farmers’ inputs such as fertiliser and diesel, and the rise in price of outputs such as grain and milk. This led me to thinking, ‘just how do farmers make short and long-term decisions on managing their businesses? At the moment it is not helped by the lack of clarity in government policy, specifically the changeover from subsidies based on the area of land farmed (Basic Payment Scheme ‘BPS’) to grants of public money for public goods. The latter is referred to as The Environmental Land Management Scheme or ‘ELMS’ for short. The BPS is being phased out gradually until 2027 while ELMS is phased in. There are three new schemes that will reward environmental land management: The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Local Nature Recovery (LNR) and Landscape Recovery (LR). It is very complicated and you can read all about it in www.gov.uk/guidance/funding-for-farmers. As an example of LNR, under ‘making space for nature on farms and in the countryside’, from 2024 farmers will be able to apply for money to help the local environment. This could be managing and restoring habitats, planting trees and managing woodlands, restoring peatlands, or using natural flood management techniques. The SFI is particularly relevant to CA-WN. Farmers will be paid to provide public goods, such as improved water quality, biodiversity, and climate change mitigation. The latter may include storing carbon in soils by increasing organic matter as in ‘regenerative farming’, but to date there is no methodology for measuring and comparing carbon sequestration in soils. A system has been worked out for forestry but not for arable land, and this is particularly important as farmers are hoping to be able to sell carbon credits on the carbon market in addition to receiving government grants. In fact, some farmers are so fed up with the complexity of government grant schemes that they will ignore them completely and rely on selling carbon credits on the open market to supplement farm income. Going back to my initial thought on farmers’ short and long-term decision making and disregarding grant schemes, the turmoil in prices must make it very difficult. Most arable and livestock farmers have to gamble on forward markets and they follow the news carefully. With changes in the pound following the mini- budget, in the six trading days between 10 October and 18 October, the London feed wheat futures contract lost more than £28/t, dropping from £293.20/t to £265/t. As well as volatility in outputs, farmers have suffered huge inflation in inputs. In the 12 months to September 2022, the average cost of farm inputs went up by an “eye-watering” 34%. Animal feed and medicine, fuel and power, and fertilisers saw the greatest increases at 36%, 43% and 134% respectively. I cannot imagine how a farmer can plan ahead in these circumstances. But a farmer has many cropping options depending on his soil, topography (slopes), local climate and rainfall, markets and his expertise and capital. In future articles, I shall explain some of the crops and options. For example, one local farmer has given up growing oil-seed rape, but another has made it his speciality. Why? I hope to find out from the horse’s mouth. ### Unusual Rigging – fully committed to circular economy URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/business-as-a-force-for-good/ Last updated: 2023-02-01T09:29:43.000Z > *Unusual Rigging, Bugbrooke – committed to the tenets of the circular economy, zero waste, carbon reduction and resource efficiency by Alexina Cassidy* Whether it was the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Ceremonies, Abba Voyage or I’m a Celebrity ‘Walk the Plank’ challenge, you will have seen *Unusual Rigging’s* work in action. Established in 1983, *Unusual Rigging* is the UK's most experienced provider of rigging and stage engineering solutions across the world and its Northampton facility just outside Bugbrooke covers 4.75 acres and employs over 60 staff. So far, so interesting; but of even more interest is that *Unusual Rigging* is passionate about sustainability and since 2016 it has applied its business model to the concept of the circular economy – an economy that is regenerative or restorative by design. The three tenets of the circular economy are; to eliminate waste and pollution; to circulate products and materials (at their highest value) and to regenerate nature. Back in 2016, the first priority was to focus on energy use. *Unusual Rigging* built a 100kw solar system (392 panels) on their warehouse roof and became a supplier of renewable energy. Their system provides about 60% of their own energy demand and any surplus generated during summer months is exported to the grid. Alongside the focus on energy, *Unusual Rigging* worked on their materials. As you can imagine, there is a huge amount of equipment used for rigging and lighting. As a starting point, *Unusual Rigging’s* equipment is designed for durability. Tom Harper, MD, believes that waste is simply a product of bad design. Instead, they are creative and innovative. An example of this is for their new HQ in Bugbrooke, they are repurposing trusses that were used at the Queen’s Jubilee and using glulam (glued laminated timber) which is as strong as steel but a much lower carbon option. In 2018 *Unusual Rigging* worked on the refurbishment of Drury Lane Theatre Royal and they saved the theatre 7,500tonnes of CO2 emissions by renovating, re-using and re-circulating up to 80% of the materials. Another focus area for *Unusual Rigging* is waste. Since 2016, they have sent zero waste to landfill. They started with the obvious things; they stopped printing things off, everything went virtual. Their carbon reduction programme began with simple baseline measurements and then over the next 6 years explored all the ways they could reduce emissions. The new HQ will have water- regeneration systems, grey water harvesting system for toilets, ground source heat pumps and yes more solar panels. Pending planning approval, they hope to open the new HQ by end 2023. Every aspect of *Unusual Rigging’s* work is underpinned by a transition to renewable energy and materials. A circular economy decouples economic activity from the consumption of finite resources and Tom Harper believes it is a resilient system that is good for business, the environment and people. *Unusual Rigging* has a good relationship with their local community of Bugbrooke. Not only do they provide resources (human, material and financial) to local clubs, festivals and schools but they also support mental health initiatives and national charities. Tom believes that mindful businesses that have climate mitigation at the core of how they operate can be a force for good in the battle to address the climate emergency. ### Beans Means … Texture and Flavour URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/beans-means-texture-and-flavour/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:25:04.000Z > Following on from the earlier post about lentils Patsy Hollingum turns her attention to beans. I am a fan of BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme and earlier in 2022 the topic was beans, a subject to which the team devoted two episodes: *https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0015tp6* *https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00161r4* Listening to these programmes sent me scurrying to my store cupboard to check which dried beans it contained. Clearly, not enough, for my next shopping trip took me to what someone dear to me has described as “a wholefood heaven”. There I found a wide array of dried pulses amongst which, to my great delight, were dried butter beans. Soaked and home-cooked butter beans bear no resemblance to the tinned variety – I urge you to try them out. Of course, the great advantage of buying tinned beans in water is the time saving aspect. It’s possible to make a late decision about cooking chilli when there are tinned kidney beans on the pantry shelf - from start to finish, the meal could be on the table within three quarters of an hour. Against this, cooking dried kidney beans requires advance planning – soaking time of around eight hours, followed by an hour and a half’s cooking time, whilst preparing the chilli before adding the beans. It’s hard to calculate whether it’s better for one’s finances to buy a bag of dried beans and cook them, using fuel which we are all aware is very expensive. Set against this, is it better for the environment to not transport heavy loads of water packed in tins? And, there’s the question of the manufacture of the tin, plus the post-use recycling. Bear in mind that a 500g bag of dried beans yields far more beans, post-cooking, than a 454g tin of beans, post draining. Cooking times for dried pulses are often less than stated in instructions, apart from in the case of kidney beans, which must be boiled rapidly for 10 minutes, and then simmered for at least 90 prior to use. There are, however, more ways than one to skin a cat, and you can always vary the type of bean you use in your Mexican dish of choice. Go on, give it a whirl - try preparing dried beans or chickpeas, the finished article will be so different to the tinned one, the texture and flavour setting them head and shoulders above the canned variety. 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### Creating a meadow area from neglected grassland URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/creating-meadow-from-neglected-grassland/ Last updated: 2023-01-12T09:37:52.000Z *Advice from Dave Musson, based on many years' practical experience.* Many UK public amenity areas have suffered over the years from cheap, fast grass cutting, which leaves all cuttings on the ground. These cuttings rot down to benefit existing fast growing grass species to the detriment of weaker grasses and broad leaved plants. The result of this form of management is a sward made up of fast growing grass species. These outgrow weaker grasses and most of the wildflowers that would otherwise form a good biodiverse meadow and leaves only the tall, lush grasses that require extra cuts each season. The following method has been proven to reverse this process and produce a species rich sward that needs less mowing. 1. Choose the plot. 2. This needs to be small enough to manage. Preferably with a well defined boundary. 3. Ask ourselves- “Can we put a tree on the plot?” We have a selection of trees to plant in the next few years so tree planting should always be a consideration. 4. Mow off all top growth and take away the cuttings. This will remove some of the surfeit of nourishment in the grass we take away. It will also begin to prepare for sowing in Autumn. 5. Carry on with this with the mower set as low as possible as often as needed till planting time in Autumn. 6. Prepare the ground. We are looking for at least 50% bare earth in which to sow seed. This may mean extra mowing, as close to the ground as possible. 7. Next, scratch the whole of the prepared ground until we have a shallow seed bed. 8. The method depends on the soil at the time. We found a combination of 3 tined hand cultivator, followed by a lawn rake or sometimes a garden rake repeated several times from different directions produced a really good seed bed. 9. Sowing. This is best done by hand. The difference in size and weight of the different seeds means extra care needs to be taken when hand broadcasting. An old Wok or similar enables ones\` hand to reach to the bottom of the seed mixture thus the heaviest seeds do not stay till last. Two passes at 90% to each other works very well. 10. Pressing down. The seed needs to be in contact with the soil but not covered over so it now needs to be pressed into the soil. 11. Feet are traditional for this. Several pairs of feet trampling in unison will do an excellent job. 12. It is also possible to sow two seed mixtures. One will consist of Annuals associated with ancient cornfields. These will grow up and flower in year one and will provide cover for the permanent pasture that will develop underneath. This is a well known tried and tested method of establishing the sort of mixture we are hoping for. 13. Once established, it is unlikely to grow very tall and should only need to be cut once a year ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/Dave-Musson---Grassland-3.jpg) ### Meeting Notes from CA-WN AGM Oct 2022 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/meeting-notes-from-ca-wn-agm/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:25:26.000Z Hi all Many thanks to those who were able to attend last week’s AGM - [*meeting minutes and recording here*.](https://ca-wn.org/index.php/2022/11/10/ca-wn-agm-october-2022-minutes-and-recording/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) These cover both the AGM and the short monthly meeting that followed it. Further details below on some points discussed at the meeting: ***Consultation on further development of Northampton Railway Station*** This includes plans for car parking and changes to access routes and cycle parking. Note the closing date is this Friday 28 October. - Link to the consultation website [Northampton Station (northamptonstationgateway.co.uk)](https://www.northamptonstationgateway.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) - Link to the response from Northampton Living Streets for reference [https://livingstreetsnorthampton.org/resources/](https://livingstreetsnorthampton.org/resources/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ***Solar Farms*** - The planning application for a [solar farm near Gayton](https://snc.planning-register.co.uk/Planning/Display/WNS/2021/1858/EIA?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#undefined) was refused by WNC Strategic Planning Committee on 17/10 - There are two other planning applications for solar farms going through at the moment: [Fawsley Solar Farm | By Elgin Energy](https://fawsleysolar.co.uk/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and [Crick Solar Farm](https://www.cricksolarfarm.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) - The debate about solar farms, including using agricultural land for solar, is likely to be an ongoing debate locally and nationally. Links to a couple of articles below: - [Solar farms a 'blight on the landscape'? Research shows they can benefit wildlife (theconversation.com)](https://theconversation.com/solar-farms-a-blight-on-the-landscape-research-shows-they-can-benefit-wildlife-191222?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) - [Farming and solar panels can work together – here’s the proof | Greenpeace UK](https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/farming-and-solar-panels-can-work-together-heres-the-proof/?fbclid=IwAR3AZLkgaA%5FeIrU%5FZXfvh0AyrqgS7verYw6sh4WPSbrDyuSnt%5FS9rFYeet0&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ***Climate Fresk*** Game designed to educate people about climate change in a fun way which can be used in settings including schools and businesses. If you might be interested in either training as a facilitator or attending a workshop to take part in a game, please let me know. [https://climatefresk.org/](https://climatefresk.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) Thank you ### Constitution - Meetings - Minutes - Policies URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/admin-constitution-meeting-schedule-minutes/ Last updated: 2024-11-26T20:08:33.000Z ## CONSTITUTION CA-WN is constituted as an Unincorporated Association. You can see how we operate as an organisation in our Constitution: [https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/CA-WN%20Constitution%202024%20.pdf](https://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/CA-WN%20Constitution%202024%20.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ## MEETINGS We have monthly online General Meetings, usually on the third Thursday of every month. These are open to anyone, and bookable through our Eventbrite page. [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/climate-action-west-northamptonshire-34423488393](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/climate-action-west-northamptonshire-34423488393?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) If you have subscribed to CA-WN Exchange, we will send you the link ahead of the meeting and the meeting notes afterwards. ## MEETING MINUTES AND RECORDINGS Full reports for meetings from January 2023 onwards, including links to speaker presentations, are posted on CA-WN Exchange and can be found under Features > [CA-WN Admin](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/ca-wn-admin/). Past guest speakers are listed below, details of future speakers are on our [What's On ](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/whats-on/)page. Recordings of meetings from January 2023 onwards are available on the CA-WN [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpFhRu3wpqTgqBu44PpjI4A?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/10/image-2.png) Minutes of older meetings can be downloaded here: [CA-WN Meeting notes Nov 2022](http://ca-wn.org/minutes/CA-WN%5FGeneral%5Fmeeting%5Fnotes%5F17%5FNov%5F2022.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [CA-WN AGM and General Meeting minutes Oct 2022](http://ca-wn.org/minutes/CA-WN%5FAGM%5Fmeeting%5Fnotes%5F20%5FOct%5F2022.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [CA-WN Meeting notes Sep 2022](http://ca-wn.org/minutes/CA-WN%5FGeneral%5Fmeeting%5Fnotes%5F15%5FSep%5F2022.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [CA-WN Meeting notes Aug 2022](http://ca-wn.org/minutes/CA-WN%5FGeneral%5Fmeeting%5Fnotes%5F8%5FAug%5F2022.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [CA-WN Meeting notes July 2022](http://ca-wn.org/minutes/CA-WN%5FGeneral%5Fmeeting%5Fnotes%5F21%5FJuly%5F2022.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [CA-WN Meeting notes May 2022](http://ca-wn.org/minutes/CA-WN%5Fmeeting%5Fnotes%5F26%5FMay%5F2022.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [CA-WN Meeting notes Apr 2022 ](http://ca-wn.org/minutes/CA-WN%5Fmeeting%5Fnote%5F28%5FApr%5F2022.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [CA-WN Meeting notes Mar 2022](http://ca-wn.org/minutes/CA-WN%5FMeeting%5FNotes%5F17-March-2022.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [CA-WN Meeting notes Feb -2022](http://ca-wn.org/minutes/CA-WN%20%5Fmeeting%5Fnotes%5F17%5FFeb%5F2022.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [CA-WN Meeting notes Jan 2022](http://ca-wn.org/minutes/CA-WN%5Fmeeting%5Fnotes%5F20%5FJan%5F2022.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ## Policies **Data Protection/GDPR** CA-WN handles all personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Details of this are in our [Data Privacy policy](http://ca-wn.org/MemberDocs/CA-WN%20Privacy-GDPR%20Policy.pdf?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). We do not collect any sensitive personal data. **Safeguarding** As a Friends of the Earth Local Action Group, we follow the [FoE guidance](https://groups.friendsoftheearth.uk/resources/safeguarding-guidance?%5Fga=2.207886354.1277123045.1653333652-27828778.1626094527&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) on safeguarding. **Political impartiality** As a Friends of the Earth Local Action Group, we follow the [FoE guidance](https://groups.friendsoftheearth.uk/political-impartiality-guidance?%5Fga=2.214581015.1277123045.1653333652-27828778.1626094527&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) on political impartiality. ### Supercharge Me by Eric Lonergan and Corinne Sawers URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/super-charge-me-by/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:13:25.000Z The October addition to the CA-WN Bookshelf is a refreshingly readable book by fund manager Eric Lonergan and sustainability adviser Corinne Sawers who advocate augmenting traditional solutions, such as carbon pricing, with EPICs: Extreme, Positive Incentives for Change to ‘supercharge’ behavioural change. Follow the link below to the book’s website to find more information. As always, we would encourage you to use your local independent bookstore or to borrow from your local library. [https://www.superchargeme.org](https://www.superchargeme.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### What about level up, level down? URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/what-about-levelling-down/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:32:13.000Z The Government’s Levelling Up Agenda has gained a lot of attention. However, Peter Nalder ponders on the need to look to Levelling Down on the issue of climate change. What do I mean by that? Actually **‘levelling up’** is not just politician’s ’speak’. And actually **‘levelling down’** is about getting reductions in the Carbon Count (CC) - though CC also means ‘Climate Catastrophe’. Some things I have read recently have led me to poke about in stuff I know little about, so anything I write here may be hogwash. There may be bits of sense in it but if so, then others - not I - will have to tell you and me what actually might be done. I’ll start with the CC levelling down. Here are some up-to-date numbers from yesterday’s newspaper: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/Screenshot_20230107_143926.png) What neat numbers those are! Those in the end column that is. Easy to remember and work with. To get from NOW to SAFE we have to move from 6 to 5\. That’s subtract 1\. Or reduce by 1/6\. And 1/6 is just over 16%. \[ 1/6 and 16% Two more similar and easy-to-remember numbers! \] If every man-jack and every woman-jill of us suddenly reduced our carbon footprint by 16%, the future would be rosy rather than red-hot. The stupid word in that sentence is ‘suddenly’. I bet none of us could do that from one day to the next. It would take time because we would have to ‘take the trouble’. The other stupid thing about it is that the same 16% reduction would have to be achieved by every business, every council and every organisation as well. And governments too. I account each government, and perhaps each council as well, as a ‘disorganisation’ not an organisation! What are the chances? That thing about ‘taking time’ is already talked about when governments set targets. They say things like, “We’ll do such-and-such by two thousand and 30, or 40, or 50, and then, by the way, consistently ignore or miss targets or do nothing much about achieving them. I’d better justify saying that just in case you don’t believe it. But if you believe it, you could skip reading this next bit and continue reading at the big X below. **Justifications** - Recent newspaper headline: ‘Rainforest destruction continues despite pledges made at Cop26’. - The British Government published this past January ‘Climate Change Risk Assessment’. It was based on the ‘Climate-change Assessment of UK Climate Risk’ (June 2021) which identified 61 risks. This January’s publication addressed 4 of those 61 risks. (source: British Wildlife magazine for Feb 2022) - “Friends of the Earth are taking the government to court over its ‘net zero’ strategy, arguing that its failure to set credible policies to tackle climate change is unlawful.” (source: British Wildlife magazine for Feb 2022) - Below I’ll include some examples that show what some other countries are doing. To compare with this country. **X Taking Time** By way of introduction let me offer a picture to your mind’s eye. You’re going for a walk. You see a post-and-rail fence going straight across your path. Such fences have equal distances between posts. There are some other walkers looking at the fence as well but they are looking at it from an oblique angle so they see it stretching away into the distance. Their brains may tell them the posts are all at equal distances but their eyes tell them the successive distances ‘get smaller’ the further away they are. Back to how we are to move from NOW to SAFE and a question to consider. Do we do it by equal amounts each year (Your picture of the fence) or by successively less amounts each year (The other walkers’ picture of the fence)? Here’s another ‘parable’. You want to win at Wimbledon some time in the future but at the moment you are not much of a tennis-player. So, of course, you embark upon training. After 1 year you can beat half your opponents; after 2 years, half of the remaining opponents; and so on. Do you agree that it’ll be getting harder and harder as the years pass to make progress towards your target? Surely beating the last few opponents is going to be much harder than beating the ‘half’ at the end of the first year? It’s what is sometimes called ‘The Law of Diminishing Returns’. All attempts to reach perfection in any and all endeavours get harder and harder like that. The goal of perfection in reaching SAFE is almost certainly like that too. Progress to perfection is likely to get harder and harder. It would be good if we could get about half-way in **THIS** year. **Even Harder** What if we don’t make a good start? Actually, what if we even do get started? Those numbers we started with included ‘Actual level now 6’ and that is what we NOW have to reduce from. But next year it might not be 6\. It might be 7\. Or more! It’s worth repeating: We’d better get started! **Solutions…** …to the Climate Catastrophe are always likely to be partial, not complete solutions. And they’re hard to find. Or are they? Let’s consider a few ideas from those other countries I mentioned above. First, compare the British and **New Zealand** governments. We’ve seen above that 4 out of 61 risks were considered in the UK. I urge you, please, to go to the Guardian website and read the item ‘New Zealand reveals plans to prepare for the climate crisis’. It was written by Tess McClure in Auckland and appeared on 28th April 2022\. It’s instructive to compare the two. One of them is at least forward-thinking. Were governments susceptible to shame there could be a partial solution to find here. Second, consider [https://tinyurl.com/mr34a254](https://tinyurl.com/mr34a254?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) which states that “On 29 February 2020, **Luxembourg** became the first country in the world to make all public transport in the country (buses, trams, and trains) free to use”. Is that an example of a partial solution to CC reduction? Probably. Third is something that lies well outside my expertise and, I suspect, beyond my understanding. Referencing what has happened already in **Chile**, there’s an article in The Guardian (5th May 2022) to read: [https://tinyurl.com/yckjp6kk.](https://tinyurl.com/yckjp6kk.?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) The salient phrases in it are ‘Green Bonds’ and ‘hold the government to account’. The difficulty in my head is that the words ‘Green’ and ‘Bonds’ re-call that other word ‘Greenwash’. This sort of thing: Get a volunteer to plant a tree and it’s OK to still dig peat. But thinking about it led me to consider the possibility of a link between levelling DOWN (the CC) and levelling UP (citizens’ well-being). Is this idea just bonkers: What about if we measure the amount (eg the percentage) by which our Carbon Count goes down each year in comparison with the previous year? Suppose the answer came to 5%. Then 5% is the maximum the government is then allowed to use as the tax rate in that second year. That basic idea can be refined by adding ‘for those individuals, companies and organisations’ whose income is less than the median amount for each of those three categories’. I offer no proposals for above-the-median incomes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/Screenshot_20230107_144327.png) A further refinement. If the CC rate went up instead of down, the tax-rate for the poorer half of the people would have to be negative! They’d be given what is usually taken! Then any pigs that might be flying would have to avoid the pies also up in the sky. But surely something like these ideas would be no more absurd than only looking at 4 out of 61 risks? What marks would you give this ‘new absurdity’ out of ten? And what marks out of 10 for the government’s absurd lack of achievements? Answers on a re-cycled postcard. ### Council Watch October 2022 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-september-2022/ Last updated: 2023-01-07T14:34:19.000Z **CA-WN watching West Northamptonshire Council for us all** It’s been good to see the WNC Sustainability team (@SustainableWN) out and about at public events in the last few weeks – including the Grow Green Together Conference where Leader of the Council Jonathon Nunn also spoke (see page 3 for our report on the conference). Councillor Nunn’s commitment to WNC’s net zero targets is real, but are all councillors equally concerned about the climate crisis, evidenced this year in exceptional and catastrophic weather events around the world? The fact that of 93 councillors only 3 (including Cllr Nunn) attended the conference, and 22 showed up for an internal training session on net zero vs carbon neutrality might indicate otherwise. Do you know where your local councillors stand on the climate crisis? One thing we can all do as individuals is ask questions of those who represent us. You can check who your councillors are here [https://tinyurl.com/22shc2mz](https://tinyurl.com/22shc2mz?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and it is your right to ask them about their views on environmental issues. Please let us know what they say. At the full council meeting on 29 September, a petition was presented by Lynn Micallef, supported by Pesticide Action Network UK, asking the council to stop using glyphosate weedkiller and become a ‘Pesticide Free Town’. WNC haven’t made a decision yet, so if you are concerned about use of chemicals designed to kill wild plants, aka ‘weeds’, and potentially harmful to other wildlife, you can still sign the petition [https://tinyurl.com/yc2r52en](https://tinyurl.com/yc2r52en?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). A report was presented at the same meeting about the support being offered by WNC during the current cost of living crisis. Immediate relief for residents struggling to meet daily living costs is sadly very necessary, however CA-WN urges the council to also pay attention to longer-term actions that will help make households more resilient to rising costs, and drive down greenhouse gas emissions. One obvious example is improving the energy efficiency of the area’s homes. The excellent whole house retrofit project carried out by Northampton Partnership Homes (see Issue 2 for more details) showed what can be done, but at present there is an absence of reliable independent information and practical support for homeowners and private tenants. This needs to be addressed urgently. Finally, it is disappointing to see cutbacks in some bus services (eg Northampton to Daventry D3 reduced from hourly to every 90 minutes). This will force more people to use cars, therefore increasing traffic, air pollution and emissions. It is time to see more imaginative thinking around the transport agenda, including public transport and active travel. The Northampton Living Streets Group have launched an Autumn Active Travel Campaign encouraging residents to contact councillors asking for specific steps to be taken to make it easier and safer to walk and cycle. More information on their website [https://livingstreetsnorthampton.org/](https://livingstreetsnorthampton.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). ### CA-WN’s Building Resilience Project URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wns-building-resilience-project/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:03:23.000Z ***With energy costs a hot topic this winter CA-WN is helping households stay warm and save money.*** Burning gas or oil or wood for warmth creates harmful greenhouse gasses and now the cost-of-living crisis adds energy conservation at home to the urgency for action. For nearly 50 years, since the last worldwide energy crisis ([Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970s%5Fenergy%5Fcrisis?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org), architects and engineers have been able to design buildings that use very little energy for winter heating and summer cooling. These days we could all live in homes that even on the coldest of days need little heat input to keep us comfortable indoors. And even more energy could be saved by capturing sunshine and turning it into hot water or electricity. The statistics for local domestic Energy Performance Certificates ([source](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-energy-performance-of-buildings-certificates?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#epcs-for-all-domestic-properties-existing-and-new-dwellings)) show that most Northamptonshire homes are energy inefficient, fuel is being wasted and that solar generally contributes nothing. Residents must pay a high price to maintain their usual standard of living. To help our environment and to cut household expenses there’s a pressing need to upgrade the energy efficiency of around 100,000 homes in our area. That is a colossal task that demands answers to **four key questions**: 1. What needs to be done to each home? 2. How much will it cost? 3. Who will do the work? 4. Where are the necessary materials and equipment? To begin to find answers to these questions CA-WN is setting up and supporting local a **Building Resilience Taskforce** equipped to help communities carry out their own home energy assessments. This hugely ambitious project echoes work being done by small groups elsewhere in the country so it is not breaking new ground, it is simply the scale that is different and there is an immediate need to recruit and train community representatives who will liaise with, if not join, the **Building Resilience Taskforce** ([get details here](mailto:secretary@ca-wn.org)). Workshops have already been held for early supporters who were shown the simple equipment that can help identify the basics of home heat loss, an online form, a thermal imaging camera to reveal the building’s outside face on a cold winter’s night when those indoors are enjoying their home comforts, and a pen streaming harmless smoke that shows up any draft around windows, doors or through floors and skirting boards. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/Thermal-image.gif) *Detect heat-loss with thermal images* As well as noting down the physical details of each visited house these newly skilled household energy assessors are spending time with residents to learn about their daily lives and to fully appreciate individual preferences for keeping warm in winter. These one-to-one conversations are essential because heating costs aren’t all about the efficiency of home heating systems, nor about the effectiveness of whatever insulates occupants from the weather outdoors. Each householder’s energy usage is just as much about their normal living habits – the time spent working, eating, sleeping, using the lights, getting the laundry washed as well as using all other electrical appliances. > Answers to those **four key questions** will emerge as the anonymised data-gathering forms are analysed. A picture will be painted of the state of West Northamptonshire homes this winter - vital evidence for evidence-based decision taking in the coming months by homeowners looking for practical help from tradespeople, from commercial lenders and, not least, from government. ### Bus Back Better URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/bus-back-better/ Last updated: 2023-01-05T12:08:56.000Z *With few exceptions, bus services outside London have never recovered from the precipitous drop in usage that followed their deregulation in 1986.Here in West Northamptonshire we have come to accept the reality of piecemeal routes, precarious funding and unreliable timetables. However, in an admittedly rare defence of the council on his part, Peter Doveston does not believe they are to blame.* A national bus strategy was released in March 2021 optimistically titled *Bus Back Better* which forthrightly calls upon councils to put together ambitious plans for bus improvements in their areas. In fairness, West Northamptonshire gave it a good shot. Their Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) contains some good ideas including the recommendation for capped fares on the widely used Buzz card so that it could act in a similar fashion to the Oyster Card in London. I would like to have seen the inclusion of ticket purchasing machines in bus stations and other central locations to streamline passenger entry onto services. It would also be good to produce a Northampton town bus map akin to the London Tube or the services you see in Nottingham, along with the creation of bus stop names so that they are more navigable by visitors. And, possibly, even the introduction of screens on buses that indicate which stop is coming up next. The council has to tread a narrow path. They have to consider the maintenance of rural services into this bargain. These are notoriously hard to fund consistently and CA–WN readers who travel on the 200 and 500 from Daventry and Brackley will understand this all too well! In an ideal world West Northamptonshire would have its own municipal bus service similar to that in Reading but this would require a sizeable investment from central government to get it off the ground. The reality is that the council have to negotiate an enhanced partnership with Stagecoach, a privately run company who, unsurprisingly, have shareholders in mind. Sadly, the council was unsuccessful in obtaining funding through *Bus Back Better* but it was not alone. The Campaign for Better Transport reported that ‘While all local transport authorities applied, only two in five received some funding and even these received less than a quarter of what they asked for’. Northamptonshire was, however, listed as one of the ‘frequent losers’ when it came to obtaining funding for bus services. > The bus situation is an example of how economics will play a pivotal role in a green future. Bus services that function properly reduce emissions, reduce the need for personal car manufacture and provide equitable transport for all members of society. These social factors are often hard to reconcile with private concerns and this point is central to the green debate. What can CA-WN readers do? This is an issue for central government, so write to your local MP and ask why West Northamptonshire keeps missing out on funding for its bus services. There are also a number of good public transport campaign groups that are worth signing up to including The Campaign for Better Transport. > Such campaigns are not hopeless endeavours, take a look at the recent DfT £2 fare cap announcement for buses in England! ### My View: Helen Hodgkinson URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-community-spirit/ Last updated: 2023-01-24T18:42:08.000Z **CA-WN* gives a Parish Councillor in Wootton the space to speak about climate action - *Community Spirit** Becoming a Parish Councillor a year ago was an unexpected appointment for me, and one that I am very grateful for. I love being involved in the community and it’s been a real eye opener to experience the spectrum of activities that the Parish is responsible for. One of my key areas of focus has been on the public open spaces within our community with an emphasis on protecting and enhancing our natural environment. This is to create beautiful spaces that our residents can enjoy but also, and quite possibly more importantly, so that we ensure there is a rich and diverse habitat to support wildlife and nature, which we are entirely dependant on for our own existence. Whatever your passion, connecting with like minded people, as well as creating a space or platform so that people can easily connect with you, is essential. We formed a local community group called *Wild About Wootton*, which has just over 100 members. We have a Facebook group where we share pictures of our natural environment within the open Parish boundaries and in our back gardens, and we share details of community events that people are welcome to get involved in. For our outdoor projects we tend to plan by the seasons and for the 2021/2022 Autumn/Winter season we held **five** hedgerow and tree planting events and planted close to 1,000 saplings during that time. All of the saplings were donated either by *The Woodland Trust* or *Tree Appeal* and they were planted by our volunteers. More recently we have created our first Wildflower verge using 300 plantlets supplied by the fabulous team at *Blisworth Wildflower Nursery*, to create a rich habitat for our declining pollinator populations. Being completely candid, *Climate Anxiety* is a very real thing for me. I worry terribly about the damage that we have and continue to inflict on our natural environment. But taking action and taking small steps to create positive change is my way of trying to dissipate that feeling. The global climate and nature crisis can feel very overwhelming at times and knowing where to start can be a bit challenging. So, starting on your doorstep is a great place. You can actively make a real difference and by speaking up and creating change you will immediately identify others who feel the same way as you. In WNC, there are 176 Parish Councils. Each one of those communities has an opportunity to take ownership for the environment and future that they want to create. And if we all focus on positively influencing what happens within our immediate areas, we can create a rapid ripple effect of inspiring change. Speaking up can sometimes feel a bit scary but I promise you that when you do, you will find people who think and feel like you, and support what you’re trying to achieve. And connecting with your local community is such a fulfilling experience! If there is something that you’d like to see happen within your community to protect and enhance the natural environment, or to address climate change, drop a note to one of your local Parish Councillors; they’d love to hear from you! ### My Three Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change-2/ Last updated: 2023-01-24T18:43:40.000Z *by Martin Wilson, Sustainability Manager, West Northamptonshire Council* I wasn’t sure whether to include becoming a vegan as one of my choices because it can look like quite a daunting change to make, especially if your diet includes a lot of meat-based meals. The best advice I could give to anyone considering becoming vegan is don’t be too hard on yourself whilst making changes to your diet. Ensuring you continue to have a balanced healthy diet is more important than a short-term quick reduction in either meat or dairy intake. The second is to eat together and whenever possible eat the same meal. This is great for family interaction and can make a real difference to the amount of ingredients and energy used to prepare the meal. Since becoming vegan this has become slightly more difficult, but we still manage to plan meals we can all eat together. There are some great vegan recipes for dishes like risotto and chilli which can be cooked in one pan. The third is to use what you have, don’t replace it until it is worn out and then only if you need to. Try to avoid impulse buys. As a general rule I try to wait at least a week before buying anything new. I’m sure many of us have clothes and shoes we’ve bought, worn only a few times and then ended up in the back of a wardrobe or cupboard. This is a great way to save money by using something you already own, and reduce your impact on the environment. ### Patsy Hollingum is taking the pulse ... URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/patsy-hollingum-is-taking-the-pulse/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:25:24.000Z In my store cupboard at the moment I have no fewer than 10 different types of pulse, plus one on my current shopping list. Some of you will be familiar with the word, without knowing exactly what it covers, so here’s a little rule of thumb: a pulse is a dried seed which is rehydrated in order to be eaten when required. Probably everyone in Britain is familiar with the old staple of the pantry, the baked bean, essentially, a tin of rehydrated haricot beans cooked in a sweet tomato sauce. Very satisfying, available at very short notice, very quick to prepare, and generally very nutritious, consisting of protein and carbohydrates. What many people do not realise, however, is how easy it is to prepare nutritious, proteinaceous meals, using dried beans, at very low cost. Let me introduce you to the versatile lentil. They come in different guises. Red lentils have been cleaned and split, and do not have their protective skins in place, green lentils, brown lentils and, a new discovery for me, beluga lentils, are still wearing their party clothes. All, with the possible exception of the red lentil, need to be washed prior to cooking. Lentils don’t need to be soaked prior to cooking, and dried packs of lentils are far less expensive than tinned ones, as well as having more flavour and a better texture. Add to this that they are kinder to the environment. They can be purchased in bio-degradable bags, rather than aluminium cans, and, being dried, the fuel to transport them to the wholesalers, and thence, via the retailer, to the consumer, is far less; that heavy commodity, good old H2O, is not transported with them. The downside, of course, is that you need to cook them prior to eating them, so use more household energy and your time to prepare them for the tables. It’s worth noting that once cooked, they can be frozen without suffering loss of texture or flavour. 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### Amazing Maize Maze URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/amazing-maize-maze/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:11:15.000Z In early September 2022, I visited the Pick Your Own farm at Harpole for a chat with the owner, Teresa Drage. I wanted to find out how her enterprise had been affected by the hot, dry summer. Manor Farm has been in the family for many years. It is a typical mixed arable and livestock farm of some 600 acres, but in 1988 a pick your own unit was started. Social media advertising and housing development on the western fringe of Northampton have contributed to its success. There is a wide range of soft fruits, especially strawberries and raspberries – see https://www.grangefarmharpole.co.uk/. Apart from a few ‘cooked’ strawberries, it has been a good season for fruit. The drought has not been a problem: all crops are irrigated and fed by drip. In fact, the fine weather and the cakes, drinks and ice creams have brought out the customers. A novel attraction, open at the time of writing, was the Maize Maze. This had not been irrigated but still grew above head height. I was amazed to learn how it was created: each seed was placed in its exact position by a modern seed drill controlled by GPS and software. For the paths, no seeds were drilled. The complicated pattern achieved can be seen in the photograph. In uncertain times, many enterprising farmers are looking to diversify their incomes: this is a fine example. Soft fruits are prone to soil diseases. Because pick your own requires fixed infrastructure, the crops cannot be rotated round the farm in the normal way. In the past many growers resorted to chemical soil sterilisation. Today, most strawberries and raspberries are not grown in the soil. Peat is renowned as the best growing medium but its extraction is not good for the climate. This means Teresa faces a dilemma: one option she is considering is coir from coconuts in India or Sri Lanka. Although coir is a good consistent alternative to peat, it is expensive. Farming inputs such as energy and fertiliser have shot up in price this year and environmental factors will add further to the pressure. I also discussed how the drought had affected Teresa’s other enterprises. Grass for her livestock was frizzled by July 2022 and like our neighbour in Harlestone, she was feeding from her stock of winter silage. When the cows turned their noses up at straw, she started on her small stock of silage remaining from 2021\. In 2022, unlike the famous drought of 1976, the season started with soils full of moisture. So the grass grew well in spring: the first cut of silage was good. But if Teresa had to buy more animal fodder in the coming winter, she would have found it very expensive. ### Apples and Orchards, wild and domesticated URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/apples-and-orchards-wild-and-domesticated/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:11:31.000Z By Clare Robertson-Marriott To understand current human dependency on globalisation it might be useful to consider the provenance or origin of the things we buy: food items, textiles, cars and so on, and to accelerate the development of endeavours with a local or circular economic focus. We could begin with the APPLE. There is an Apple Day each year in the UK; an event created in the 1990s by a Dorset community group called Common Ground to raise awareness of the importance of orchards to nature and to local communities. This year it is on 21st October. In autumn 2022 I took part in a Northamptonian Apple Day held by South Court Environmental (SCE) Group at Wilson's Orchard in Northampton, one of five remaining orchards in the county. The event consisted of tastings, juicing in action, eating apple-based recipes, and perusing a range of books on fruit and orchards. Peter Nalder of SCE has dedicated much of his life to the 'Apple Cause': *to perpetuate the symbiosis of tradition, heritage and biodiversity*. Wilson's Orchard is mainly a Bramley Apple Orchard, originally one of two. One became a housing estate but then community action in the 1990s prevented Wilson's being sold off in 'lots' to the residents of the housing estate. Wilson's Orchard is now recognised by West Northants Council as an important green space and community orchard in Northampton town. It is bound by the Nene River's flood plain which is managed as a wet land for wild life while the orchard trees, many of which are more than 100 years old, dampen the hum of the A45. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/SCE-30-Apr-22-2.jpeg) Bramley Apple tree in Wilson's Orchard The Bramleys of Wilson's Orchard would have originated from a Bramley pip planted by a young woman called Mary Brailsford in a Nottinghamshire garden some 200 years ago. Since then every single Bramley apple or tree planted has come from that pip. Perhaps the apples should have been named Brailsfords but instead they were named after Matthew Bramley who was the next owner of the garden. Mary died and never knew! However the Bramley apple industry is now worth circa £50 million. Even more romantic than the idea of a young woman planting her pip is to consider the wild fruit orchards growing millennia before the Bramley, on the foothill slopes of the Tien Shan mountains of Kazakstan, yielding the original species of many of our domesticated fruits and nuts. Archaeobotany and genetic studies have demonstrated the DNA connections between our domesticated apple: Malus domestica and the wild Asian crab apple: Malus sieversii. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/Clare-Robertson-Marriott---Crab-apple-severseii-1.jpg) Crab apple **malus sieverseii* Human migrations and large animals such as camels and horses enabled seed and pollen dispersal, humans therefore performing the role of megafauna in creating an apple diaspora. Apple evolution and spontaneous hybridisation to larger forms from the small crab apple was therefore accelerated by human activity along such routes as the Silk Road from Asia into the Middle East and Europe. Apple hybridisation in the time since the Bramley has become deliberately trait orientated: genetic manipulation for commercial gain. Gala apples hail from New Zealand and combine the DNA of the Orange Red Apple and the Australian Golden Delicious. Every continent has created its own varieties suited to soil and climatic conditions and each variety will provide particular culinary or medicinal or shelf-life and transportable features to provide for varying consumer choice. Some varieties have their own branding. The Pink Lady apple, now very popular, has its own trademark. However those six-pacs we find in our supermarkets are likely to come from commercial orchards where production depends on chemical use. They cannot be grown organically, commercially. The further a variety is genetically from the original Malus seversii, the more chemically-dependent they are. The older varieties are better suited to organic regimes, an important factor in establishing local organic community orchards. Apples are interwoven with human history and mythology. It is interesting to note that the association with evil acts comes from a misunderstanding: that malum in Latin means evil and malum in Greek means apple! Malum and Malus create other apple stories! The sturdiness, goodness and beauty of the apple fruit must continue. We would do well to work to increase the creation of community orchards in a form that provides for that tapestry of humans as megafauna in balanced bio-diverse agro-forestry systems. Through this we can return to, and celebrate, varieties less removed from the original Malus crab apple. Wilson's Orchard, Northampton is off Billing Road East NN3 3XE References: [http://www.heritageappletrees.com/](http://www.heritageappletrees.com/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) [http://www.englandinparticular.info/orchards/o-nhants-i.html](http://www.englandinparticular.info/orchards/o-nhants-i.html?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/diary-of-a-young-naturalist-by-dara-mcanulty/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:13:36.000Z This addition to the CA-WN Book Shelf is a multi-award winner! Written as a diary, this is a wonderful portrayal of the beauty of the natural world. As an autistic teenager suffering from anxiety, McAnulty shows us a child’s eye view of our delicate and changing biosphere. Through the seasons from his home patch in Northern Ireland, he writes passionately about wildlife, activism and his loving family. ![Text Description automatically generated](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2024/06/data-src-image-5ae3f31b-e689-48f1-b65f-641ec271a0a7.jpeg) Follow the link below to the CA-WN Bookshop where you can support local and independent bookstores, or borrow from your local library. [https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN](https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### CA-WN talks to Paul Tucker, Northampton Partnership Homes Sustainability Manager URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-talks-to-paul-tucker-northampton-partnership-homes-sustainability-manager/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:03:36.000Z Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) was set up by Northampton Borough Council in 2015 to manage the council’s housing stock, and some other assets. NPH is now owned by WNC but has its own management team and Board of Directors. NPH is responsible for allocations and lettings, repairs and maintenance, providing housing management services including support services and dealing with anti-social behaviour, and building new homes. Currently, NPH looks after around 12,000 homes in Northampton. **CA-WN**: *You are the Sustainability Manager for NPH – how long have you been in the role, and what is your background?* **Paul**: I’ve worked at NPH as the Sustainability Manager for about two and a half years now. The time has really flown by. My background is quite varied. When I left school, I wanted to be a rock star and really tried to do that in my early twenties - I was in a band that released a record and there’s a terrible video of us somewhere on the internet! Then after that I worked as a lorry driver for a while. After I realised how much I disliked that job, I started studying Environmental Management with the Open University and was very fortunate to land an entry level position at Northamptonshire County Council in about 2015. I was a Carbon Reduction Officer, working in the Energy and Carbon Management Team, and I became really involved in energy efficiency assessments of council assets (mostly schools), offering support and advice to reduce energy consumption, and managing projects on energy efficiency and renewable energy. It was a fantastic period of my career, I learnt so much about energy, and before I moved on from NCC I had reached the position of Energy Manager. After finishing at NCC I had an enjoyable but shorter than expected period working for the University of Northampton before joining NPH in October 2019\. I’ve been lucky to have had some really interesting positions, often in the grey area between public and private sector, across some of Northampton’s key organisations. It’s been an interesting journey, that’s for sure, and I feel really proud to be working in such a positive field in my hometown. **C**: *And what does a Sustainability Manager do – it’s a job role a lot of people might not be familiar with?* **P**: My job is about making things better! I like to think of it as this: life as we live it in the UK today is unsustainable, we are simply using and abusing the Earth in such a way that eventually it won’t be able to support us. My job is about making the way we live less unsustainable, with the end goal to eventually be living in a world where our use and abuse of nature is within parameters that allow the Earth to continue providing for us. Clearly, I can’t do that on my own, and we probably won’t achieve that in my lifetime, but that is the aim of my job role, to reduce our impact on the environment to within reasonable parameters, for the benefit of society as a whole, for people, planet, and prosperity. My day to day is quite varied. I like to get involved in sustainability in a very broad sense, with energy and carbon reduction being a key focus, but also for example working with Anglian Water to reduce water consumption, and I represent NPH as part of the West Northants Sustainable Food Partnership. I’m responsible for strategies and policies that NPH has such as an Environmental Policy and a Fuel Poverty Strategy that I’m hoping to be published soon. A big part of my job over the past 18 months or so has been our work on whole house retrofit with funding from the governments Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. **C**: *I understand NPH successfully applied for a decarbonisation grant – can you give us an overview of how this will be spent, and how it fits into NPH’s plans to achieve net zero carbon?* **P**: This is the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, which gives us funding for the whole house retrofit project. NPH has been a part of this project from the first round of funding which was known as the demonstrator phase last year, and we gained further funding this year which is known as Wave 1\. The government funding aims to develop approaches to retrofitting homes to very high standards of energy efficiency, so it’s a great opportunity for NPH and WNC, and has great benefits to our residents too. It’s a high-profile funding stream, and we have been very successful working alongside WNC to bring in over £9 million of investment to Northampton. This programme is the start of what will feed into an approach to improving existing housing to zero carbon standards. I hope that this approach will influence all sectors of housing, not just social housing. Our approach has been to retrofit some of the oldest housing we manage, to bring them up to energy efficiency standards comparable to new build homes. We have some A rated properties, they’re not quite zero carbon (the EPC says it emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per year) but we can definitely call the finished homes ‘zero carbon ready’, which is pretty good for a home built around 1930. The work we’ve done has focused on improving the fabric of the building, and we’ve just worked on houses so far. We’ve wrapped the homes in insulation, called External Wall Insulation, which is up to 20cm thick and goes all the way down to the ground – even into the ground in some cases. We’ve installed new, high-performance windows and doors, and topped up loft insulation to 400mm. With all this added insulation, we’ve had to make sure the homes are well ventilated, so we’ve installed mechanical ventilation in all of the homes. In some of the homes, we’ve installed solar PV and replaced gas central heating with air source heat pump systems. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/P03-06-Retrofit-Housing-1-3.jpg) The project has shown that homes can be retrofitted to a zero carbon standard, there shouldn’t be any doubt about that. We’ve worked on homes that are around 90 years old and brought them up to a great standard. The challenge is in building up the skills to do this at scale, and also making it more affordable. One of the aims of the SHDF is to achieve cost reductions on the whole house retrofit approach, as at the moment this work simply isn’t feasible without the funding. Over the next year or so, NPH will develop plans for net zero carbon and I’m sure WNC will too, and the work we’re doing on this project are the first baby steps for such plans, proving that it can be done. **C**: *How much do you expect the planned work to benefit NPH housing tenants, in terms of warmer homes, lower energy bills and reduced carbon footprint?* **P**: At the start of the programme, we estimated that energy costs for households in the scheme would reduce by around 50%. However, since then the cost of energy has gone up by more than 50%. The improvements have protected these households from the energy price rises in ways we couldn’t have predicted, and we haven’t fully assessed this yet, but based on today’s prices, we imagine the energy savings will be far greater than we anticipated. We estimated carbon reductions would be around 70%, but in some cases, we’re seeing over 90% carbon reduction. We’re in the process of assessing the carbon and energy cost savings as we’re coming to the end of our demonstrator phase and I hope we will have some impressive statistics to release in the near future. In terms of warmer homes, a lot of the work took place over winter and we had residents telling us the difference the insulation made pretty much instantly. Installing External Wall Insulation stops walls getting so cold which reduces the risk of condensation build up, so alongside the improved ventilation, the internal environment should be much healthier, more comfortable, with less humidity and greatly reduced risk of damp and mould. My personal view is that the aim of the retrofit work above all else is to make the homes better, and that means better in the eyes of the people living in them. If we are reducing the carbon emissions of the homes but making the people living in them miserable then the work has failed. We’re working with the University of Northampton to assess the impact on households as well as doing some other monitoring and evaluation of the retrofit works. The lived-in experience is key to understanding how we adapt and develop an approach to decarbonising housing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/P03-06-Retrofit-Housing-2-1.jpg) **C**: *Will there be things that private homeowners and landlords can learn from this project too, and will there be information made available (e.g. on costs and benefits) to help them make informed choices about retrofitting their properties?* **P**: Yes, definitely. We’ve shown that it is possible to retrofit a home to be zero carbon ready, but this is not a one size fits all solution, the lesson to be learnt for homeowners and landlords is about process. That means working towards outcomes rather than focusing on installing measures. It is having a long-term vision that you strategically aim for, taking appropriate opportunities and trigger points to do them, and recognising that it is unlikely you can do everything at once. For example, if you’re relaying a floor, consider installing insulation; if you’re re-rendering, consider installing EWI; if the boiler has packed up, consider alternative options, etc. But doing these things with a plan. I recognise all too clearly how difficult it is to translate this into the context of a private homeowner. I’m starting this journey on my own home but finding it incredibly hard. I know what outcome I want to achieve, but it’s hard to find and manage suppliers, to understand what sort of assessments are really required on a one home project, and a whole bunch of other uncertainties that I’m struggling with. It is a different world working on a multimillion-pound major project with a team of people working together, to a homeowner trying to manage the process on your own. I hope a key output of our retrofit project is some really helpful insights for homeowners and private landlords to make this easier. There are huge benefits that could be achieved, and I think support and advice needs to be made available. If we can translate our project success into meaningful guidance, then I would absolutely love to be able to offer that. **C**: *What’s your personal top tip to be more energy efficient at home?* **P**: Just common sense. We waste so much energy on so many things. Turn things off when you’re not using them, be aware of the energy you’re using and ask yourself if you need to be using it. Do you over-fill the kettle to make a cup of coffee? Are you running the dishwasher half full? Are all the lights on when nobody’s around? Is the TV on and no-one’s watching it? These might seem like small insignificant things, but they all add up to a huge amount of waste. Stop wasting energy! **C**: *If Boris Johnson (or Jonathan Nunn) asked you what one thing they could do to help NPH achieve its net zero target, what would it be?* **P**: There really isn’t one silver bullet. Achieving a net zero target is a complex issue. I think the thing I would most like governments to do is work harder on the brand. Net Zero has become a brand and it’s quite divisive. Some people think we should be doing it at all costs, others think it’s a waste of time. Some people don’t understand what it means, and there is no surprise about that as it is a concept considered in different ways by different people. To achieve net zero carbon, we need everyone to be onboard, to understand and support the aims and to consider the benefits appealing and desirable on a personal level. We don’t have that yet on a societal level. That’s what I would like Boris Johnson and Jonathan Nunn to work on. Net Zero Carbon is a huge challenge, and whether we think we can do it or think we can’t do it, we’re probably right. ### Gardening for Butterflies URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/gardening-for-butterflies-2/ Last updated: 2023-01-08T15:14:58.000Z David James, County Butterfly Recorder, looks at what to plant to attract butterflies and moths into our gardens ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/P08-09-Peacock.jpg) Peacock (Aglais io) A lot is quite rightly made of our fantastic butterfly sites here in Northamptonshire, and many people come from all over the country to visit our localised butterflies in places such as Salcey Forest, Glapthorn Cow Pastures, and Fermyn Woods. There is, however, a very important habitat for our more common butterfly species, and that is of course our gardens. Encouraging butterflies into the garden is a mutually beneficial exercise as not only do the butterflies benefit from the extra resources provided, we also get to enjoy them from the comfort of our homes while sitting in the garden on a warm summer's day. One of the major factors in recent butterfly declines has been habitat loss so by providing a few plants for them we can really help. There are two types of plants in a butterfly’s life - larval food plants on which the butterflies lay their eggs and their caterpillars feed, and nectar food plants which are the flowers on which the adult butterflies feed. The benefits of providing larval food plants are huge as without these there will be no butterflies at all, and it is also often possible to observe the whole life cycle of the butterfly. Believe it or not one of the most important larval plants for some of our butterflies is the common Stinging Nettle. The caterpillars of Red Admirals, Peacocks, Commas, and Small Tortoiseshells, which are some of our brightest and most welcome garden visitors, all feed on the Stinging Nettle so it is well worth keeping a patch if possible. Planting a Buckthorn in the garden will attract Brimstone butterflies and the eggs are very easy to find once a female has visited. They lay their eggs on the underside of a leaf and once hatched the caterpillars crawl onto the top of the leaves. They can be remarkably well camouflaged even when they get quite big! Like a lot of butterflies, the caterpillar once fully grown will wander off to pupate but occasionally a chrysalis can be found on the leaves too. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/P08-09-Holly-Blue-2.jpg) Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) Holly Blues can be a very welcome sight in the garden and are commonly seen flying up and down the hedgerows. Holly Blues have a large variety of plants on which they can lay their eggs, but their favourites are Holly, Dogwood, and Ivy. Orange-tip butterflies can also be attracted into the garden with Lady Smock and especially Garlic Mustard. Their bright orange eggs can be found quite easily on the stems under the flowers and once emerged the caterpillars can be easy to find too. They overwinter in the pupal stage so it’s also worth checking any dead Garlic Mustard stalks during the winter to try and find their amazing-looking chrysalis. Nasturtiums will also attract the more common White butterflies with Large Whites, Small Whites, and Green-veined Whites (often referred to as the ”Cabbage Whites” due to their liking for Brassicas), and quite a few people I know plant Nasturtiums around the garden just for these butterflies. You may of course be wondering how the butterflies find these plants to lay their eggs on and the answer is by using smell. The female butterfly will use scent receptors on its feet to find the correct plant and will then carefully lay an egg in the best place to provide the caterpillar with the best chance of finding suitable food. However, it isn’t an easy life being a butterfly, and lots of parasitic Wasps can lay their eggs in the caterpillars. One of the defence strategies of host plants is to change their scent when they are being eaten by caterpillars and this, technically known as herbivore-induced plant volatiles, sends a signal out to the parasitic Wasps to come and parasitize the butterfly larvae. It’s fascinating stuff! Moving on to the nectar plants there is a rich variety of flowers we can plant to encourage adult butterflies to feed in our gardens. The famous one of course is the Buddleia (also known as the “Butterfly Bush”) and when in flower these can attract large numbers of butterflies into the garden. It is also worth checking your Buddleia at night too with a torch as you’ll be amazed how many moths will come and visit it too! According to Butterfly Conservation, the top ten best garden nectar plants are Buddleia, Ice Plant, Lavender, Michaelmas Daisy, Marjoram, Aubretia, Red Valerian, French Marigold, Hebe, and Candytuft, but many other plants can provide nectar sources throughout the season. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/P08-09-PaintedLady.jpg) Good Spring flowering plants include Apple, Aubretia, Bluebell, Bugle, Cherry, Forget-Me-Knot, Honesty, Pear, Plum, Primrose, Rosemary, and Sweet William. Great plants for the summer months include Allium, Birds-Foot Trefoil, Bell Flower, Candytuft, Cat Mint, Clover, Cornflower, Everlasting Pea, French Marigold, Hemp Agrimony, Red Campion, Sage, Scabious, Teasle, Thyme, Verbena and Viper’s Bugloss to name just a few. Another fascinating insect to look out for in the garden is the Hummingbird Hawk-moth. This day-flying migrant moth constantly seeks out flowers to fuel its high energy flight (just like a Hummingbird) as it whizzes from flower to flower before shooting out of the garden as quickly as it shot in! One of the most important nectar sources in the autumn is Ivy and the flowers can attract large quantities of Butterflies and Bees. That’s it from me for now. 2021 wasn’t a very good season at all for our butterflies so let’s hope that this year is much better and by providing some extra habitats in our gardens we can hopefully give our local butterflies a much-needed boost. You can find out much more information about gardening for butterflies on the Butterfly Conservation website at [www.butterfly-conservation.org](http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) and you can read my full 2021 annual review of the butterfly season for Northamptonshire here - [David James Wildlife Diary](http://www.davidjameswildlifediary.com/2022/01/the-butterflies-of-northamptonshire-in.html?fbclid=IwAR2OQPUzlFMB8zvN2rnA1-rGBZcDZUEuFro1mTCT4sM317kcdiktBifHHFc&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). Instagram - @dave.b.james Photo credit: Richard Hollingum ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/P08-09-Red-Admiral.jpg) Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) ### Council Watch July 2022 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-july-2022/ Last updated: 2023-01-08T15:00:15.000Z **CA-WN watching West Northants Council for us all** Since the last issue of this newsletter there have been two meetings of the full council. The ‘annual meeting’ (similar to an AGM) in May was a largely procedural affair which set roles for the next 12 months. The ‘normal’ bi-monthly meeting on 30 June as always had a very full agenda but no items or motions directly related to the climate emergency or sustainability. There’s little new information to be gathered on the climate front from the WNC website either, so CA-WN is grateful to WNC’s Sustainability Manager Martin Wilson for attending our Steering Committee to give a progress update. We had a really informative conversation, and see this as a good indicator of the council’s willingness to engage with external stakeholders. This is a summary of the update Martin gave us. - The cross-party Sustainability Working Group consisting of 7 councillors plus council officers is now established and has developed a workplan based around 12 themes. The next step is to hold meetings with service areas within the council to agree actions. The actions once agreed will be formally managed with regular progress reports to WNC Cabinet. - Two councillors from the working group have been put forward for the UK100 leadership academy training in July (UK100 is the network overseeing delivery of the Net Zero Pledge). - Collection of emissions data for WNC as an organisation is underway. This will establish a baseline figure and enable prioritisation of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases. - Review of the Sustainable West Northants website is underway to improve how it is used. - There are discussions with NCALC (Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils) about how to engage with town and parish councils. At CA-WN we see it as our responsibility to both support the council to take action on climate change, and to hold them to account for actions and promises not delivered. This responsibility is shared with every resident of our area – we know time is always an issue, but please do try to engage with your democratic representatives and let them know your views. WNC’s leader Jonathan Nunn is speaking at the Grow Green Together conference CA-WN is co-hosting with Northants ACRE and the University of Northampton on Monday 12 September. Please do come along if you want to hear more about the council’s plans to achieve net zero, and have the opportunity to ask questions. **The 12 WNC Workplan Themes** - Planning and land use - Transport - Building, housing and infrastructure - Commercial and industrial - Energy generation and heating - Natural environment and biodiversity - Agriculture and food - Waste - Carbon sequestration and capture - Education and youth - Public health - Community, engagement and placemaking ### Hard Times Bread Pudding URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/hard-times-bread-pudding/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:25:43.000Z ### *By Patsy Hollingum* This is a recipe for old fashioned bread pudding using stale white bread. It’s a good way to use up really stale bread, including the crusts. As it is a recipe for using up “left-overs” I have not given exact quantities, however, don’t go over the top with the spices. The dried fruit acts as a sweetener, so no need to add sugar to the mix. Break or cut the bread into chunks and place the pieces in a large bowl. Pour in enough very hot wa- ter, to go a little way up the sides of the bowl without swamping the top. It shouldn’t “swim” in it. Leave it to soak for 15 mins or so, stirring the uncovered top pieces in so they too absorb the water. Drain off the excess by transferring it to a colander over the bowl and press out the excess moisture, it shouldn’t drip when it’s been thoroughly drained. Next, mash up the drained mixture so that it is blended thoroughly. This will be like a slightly sticky dough but must not be “mushy”. Add melted butter or a vegan alternative and stir until well mixed. If desired, add a medium egg to make it more nourishing. Add mixed spice, nutmeg or cinnamon, according to preference, then follow with dried fruit of your choice – chopped apricots with chopped mixed peel, or raisins, currants and sultanas work well. Transfer mixture to a cake tin, preferably square, and flatten the top with the back of a spoon, then sprinkle with a layer of demerara sugar. Cook at 145˚C for about an hour, lowering the temperature if the top browns too much. The sugar topping should be crunchy but not burnt. Check whether the pudding is cooked by pressing lightly on the top, and observe whether the sides are shrinking away from the tin. Serve warm with custard, fresh cream or ice cream, or eat cold as a filling snack. The mix and its subsequent success rely on the gluten in the bread to bind them as the pudding cooks. 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### My View: Louisa Fowler URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-louisa-fowler/ Last updated: 2023-01-05T12:01:43.000Z *West Northants Councillor for Towcester & Roade reflects on how even small steps can help fight climate change - even in your garden* > **The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved.* > *Richard Rogers* Does the little I do make a difference? Can what I do challenge the waste and consumption of others? Is there any point in cutting out one car journey when Putin is rolling tanks across Ukraine? In my more optimistic moments I believe that if everybody did one little thing each and every day, it could add up to significant reductions, and I believe that the role of those of us who care about the environment need to push that message - too many people believe that there is nothing that can be done and make no alterations to their patterns of behaviour. Sustainable West Northants, which invites all of us to make a pledge to become more sustainable, aims to help all of us to focus on the little things we can do, so that together we can make a big difference. This echoes the sentiment of CA-WN, and it was that optimism which drew me to the group in the dark days of lockdown Two. At home, many of the pledges I have made over the last two years have revolved around the garden. Two years ago, during *No Mow May*, I stopped mowing a large section of my garden, and over successive lockdowns I dug out the top layer of grass (putting it on my compost heap) and I spread seeds that were beneficial to wildlife. At the same time I eradicated the use of all chemicals in the garden which also means I am no longer buying products which come in plastic bottles. Although the garden looked under attack last summer, this year a level of natural harmony already seems to be achieved, with my roses looking particularly happy. They may be so pleased with themselves because they are constantly getting juice from the wormery, or the hotbin, or from the nettle soup I make - all measures which have eliminated plastic, freight miles and chemicals. Although the wormery (£100, recycled plastic) and hot bin (£225, made in Northampton) were both investments, my compost heap was free to make from old materials. For the wall I used old stakes which had come with plants and then lined it with cardboard. I have not bought a plant in a plastic pot since 2020; The *Hairy Pot Plant Company* supply great quality plants in compostable plant pots which disintegrate into the soil when you place in the ground (although you can actually reuse the pots, too). I also have six raised beds - but I cannot even begin to suggest I am self-sustaining. I do know, however, that in growing my own I have developed a much more seasonal approach to cooking which reduced air freight miles even further. I am fortunate to have space, but I genuinely believe that our role in CA-WN is to remind everyone that every tiny change we make can create impactful difference. If we all grew (and ate) salad leaves on a windowsill it would reduce plastic packaging, improve our health and reduce air miles. The message we need to communicate, as an action group, is that all of us can act together, taking small steps to achieve big changes. I recognise that as a councillor for WNC I have increased responsibilities, and working on the *Tree Task and Finish Group* has been an interesting experience. We have been determined that the council will invest in a tree officer, and that will be reflected in the final policy. I would love to see us invest in edible forests, run by community groups, and the idea of collective planting as a council is a matter we are investigating. However, I have also had to realise that whilst I may wish to plant trees everywhere, for some people they are a nuisance: blocking light, threatening foundations and causing potential harm. That is why our own sustainability pledges are so important: it reminds us all that we can take individual, important steps which collectively improve our natural world. ### My Three Things for Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-three-things-for-climate-change/ Last updated: 2023-01-05T12:10:25.000Z *by Ken Ritchie, former Daventry District Councillor* About 40 years ago I was persuaded to join SERA, the environmental campaign within the Labour Party. I paid my money, but was a fairly passive supporter until about 10 years ago when the world started to wake up to the speed of climate change and the enormity of its potential consequences. Limiting the damage is impossible without action by governments. Local government, however, also has a part to play and, as a Daventry District councillor, I was able to put the climate emergency on the council’s agenda. I then had the privilege of working with a small group in making recommendations for the council: we were a cross-party group, but our commitment to tackling climate change seemed more important than our party differences. We felt that the Council should not only reduce its emissions but should provide leadership, encouraging others to make the changes that are needed. But was I doing enough myself? My wife and I were keen recyclers, we seldom flew, and I often joined her in her vegan diet, but we were still big emitters of greenhouse gases. We therefore decided to install a heat pump. Although it uses some electricity, it heats our home and our water by extracting heat from the air like a refrigerator in reverse, thereby making a huge reduction in the energy we need from the grid and consequently a reduction in emissions. This, however, is not something that every household will be able to do because of the initial costs. We therefore need to campaign for much better financial help and support for those who want to change to a renewable energy source – otherwise being green will only be an option for the better off. We also need to get West Northamptonshire Council to stop allowing houses to be built without heat pumps, solar panels or other green technologies, making net zero a much more difficult target ### Farmers and bees are buzzing!!! URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/farmers-and-bees-are-buzzing/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:11:47.000Z Show time. > The barley is turning gold and the combines will shortly be busy in the fields. The magical months of May and June are over. July is a relatively slack time of year when farmers visit the shows. In 2022 I visited two: Cereals 2022 near Duxford in Cambridgeshire and Groundswell near Baldock in Hertfordshire. Both are full of machinery and plot demonstrations and trade stands and feature the latest ideas in arable farming. Both are on the chalk downland that dives below the London clay in Essex and the Thames Estuary resurfacing as The Downs in Kent and Sussex. Productive lands combined with vulnerable habitats, especially chalk streams and meadows. Cereals is the show for main- stream farmers. They were admiring the latest tractors, cultivators, drills, sprayers and combines which were put through their paces. Merchants, dealers and banks were entertaining their key customers. Seed merchants and research establishments had been preparing since the previous autumn to sow their demonstration plots of wheat, barley, oats, and rape. It was mainly business as usual excepting the absence of several large dealers. Although the price of fertiliser, especially nitrogen and phosphate, has shot through theroof, so has the price of wheat. Ammonium nitrate has increased 160% since May 2021\. Feed wheat has risen from £170/t on 1st July 2021 to a high of £350/t (+105%) in mid-May dropping to £282 today (+65%). Such fluctuations make it very difficult for farmers to plan ahead and not many will be making major capital investments this year. Groundswell is the alternative show focused mainly on ‘regenerative’ farming. It had record crowds keen to learn how to adapt to the change currently spreading through UK farming. Some were large scale main-stream farmers, but many were new to farming or had acquired smaller plots and were anxious to do the right thing for the environment and the climate whilst still making a profit by selling wholesome food. Regenerative farming (‘re-gen’) is about the farmer’s most precious asset, the soil. By reducing inputs and increasing organic matter (carbon),worms and soil micro -organisms can get to work improving structure, drain- age, rooting depth and nutrients. Soil disturbance by ploughing is minimised (‘min-till’), crops with fungi and bacteria that draw down nitrogen from the air are included in the rotation (clovers, vetches, pulses, beans etc.) and cover crops with deep roots protect the bare surface in winter to stop ‘run-off’ when soil and nutrients end up polluting streams instead of recharging aquifers. One of those cover crops may be a grass ‘ley’ combining grass species with clovers etc. In this part of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire the aquifer is the chalk. Where there is grass, there must be animals to eat it and incidentally add manure to the soil. So regenerative farming includes grazing livestock. ### Green Living Made Easy by Nancy Birtwhistle URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/green-living-made-easy-by-nancy-birtwhistle/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:13:45.000Z The latest addition to the CA-WN Book Shelf is another gem from Nancy Birtwhistle to follow on from ‘Clean & Green – 101 hints and tips for a more eco-friendly home,’ which was recommended by Harlene Griffiths in March. ‘Green Living Made Easy’ is a practical book from the Sunday Times bestselling author and Great British Bake Off winner and the ultimate guide to reducing your environmental impact while saving you time and money. Inside are tips and home hacks on everything from eco cleaning, upcycling and making the most out of your weekly shop to small-space gardening and creative crafts, plus a selection of Nancy's delicious recipes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/greenliving-cover.jpg) Follow the link below to the CA-WN Bookshop where you can support local and independent bookstores, or borrow from your local library. [https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN](https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WeAreCAWN?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) 📖 [Check out more of our Bookshelf recommendations.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/bookshelf/) ### Local Matters - Boddington URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/local-matters-boddington/ Last updated: 2023-01-30T21:28:31.000Z by Mark Thompson, Boddington Sustainability Group **Boddington:** Pop: 720 (2010) 196 Households (2010) Boddington Parish is made up of two villages - Upper and Lower Boddington - located in West Northamptonshire and has a population of around 700\. In July 2021, three newly elected parish councillors formed a new working group of the council with the purpose of beginning work on a sustainability strategy for the parish. The group was also tasked with making recommendations to the council and community on practical steps it could take to reduce its impact on climate change and biodiversity loss. This was very timely as if you recall, in June the Pacific Northwest of the USA experienced a “heat dome”. This is where an area of high pressure in the atmosphere stops the air beneath it escaping. Like a lid on a boiling pot, the dome forces air downwards, raising temperatures even further. The one in the USA was extremely unusual in both intensity and duration. Another incident occurred in Lytton, a small town in British Columbia, around the same latitude as London. A record temperature of 49.6 °C was experienced for three days, triggering wildfires; Lytton burnt to the ground. So far eight parishioners with a diverse set of backgrounds and experience have joined the three councillors, meeting every six weeks. The group has published a number of articles in our local newsletter *The Bugle*, providing advice on topics such as recycling, renewable heating and biodiversity. This month the group is recommending to the council that it purchase a thermal imaging camera to be loaned out free to parishioners to allow them to identify areas of heat loss in their homes. A recommendation to install additional recycling facilities will also raise funds for the local school. The Annual Parish Meeting will be used to survey demand for community electric vehicle chargers. The Parish bought a parcel of land some years ago, Jubilee Field. A keen local group have been planting native wildflower meadows and variety of native trees on the site. You can find more information on our new webpage: [https://www.boddingtonparish.co.uk/index.php/information/sustainability](https://www.boddingtonparish.co.uk/index.php/information/sustainability?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org) ### Council Watch April 2022 URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/council-watch-april-2022/ Last updated: 2023-01-08T19:39:04.000Z **CA-WN watching West Northants Council for us all** **Reflections on WNC, one year in** At CA-WN we see ourselves as a ‘critical friend’ to the council; we support WNC’s commitment to achieving Net Zero, whilst retaining our right as a climate action group representing local residents to call them out if they are falling short. This report card is I hope a fair assessment of the unitary authority’s first year as a warrior in the fight against climate change. To summarise – it would be unfair not to recognise that this has been a tough year for WNC, which had to manage transition activities and an ongoing global pandemic. The future isn’t offering any easy rides though; actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change need to happen quickly and on a large scale. This will require a significant gear change from the council, working with local residents and organisations. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/Screenshot_20230108_193646.png) ### Vitality Soup & Family Frittata URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/vitality-soup/ Last updated: 2024-06-05T07:25:56.000Z ### ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/image-4.png) ### VITALITY SOUP *Cooking time: 20mins Vegan, dairy free, gluten free* A combination of early vegetables and wild seasonal gems that can easily be foraged in Spring. Soften an onion, add 600g asparagus, handful of young nettle tops, 2 handfuls of wild garlic and chopped garlic clove, cover with 1-1.5 litres of veg stock and simmer for 20 mins. Liquidise and serve hot or cold. ### FAMILY FRITTATA Cooking time 15 mins In the spirit of Zero Waste Week any leftovers and/or seasonal veg can be used. Soften a red onion, add carrot, courgette, broccoli until soft. Mix 5 eggs and a splash of milk, season and pour over veg. Cook for 2-3 mins. Place under grill for 1-2 mins. Serve with salad. Recipe courtesy of Lucy Burney Nutrition. Recipes courtesy of [Lucy Burney Nutrition](https://www.instagram.com/p/CbdFcAMI1mz/?%20utm%5Fmedium=copy%5Flink&ref=exchange.ca-wn.org). 🥕 [Check out more of our delicious sustainable recipes.](https://exchange.ca-wn.org/tag/recipes/) ### All Quiet on the Billing Road URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/all-quiet-on-the-billing-road/ Last updated: 2023-01-05T12:01:04.000Z ### *By Peter Doveston - Northants Streets Campaign* In 2020 the then Northamptonshire County Council received £351,000 from the Department of Transport's Active Travel fund. According to the council's website the purpose of which was to 'encourage walking and cycling'. Sadly, what followed was a litany of half-baked and ill- considered measures, inspired by minimal public consultation and that offered little by way of encouragement. The poorly positioned bicycle racks that littered Northampton and the surrounding areas, as well as the Rushmere Road cycle wand fiasco, stand out as examples. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2023/01/image-3.png) This funding, however, was only Tranche 1\. A second tranche of funding was secured to the tune of £1.332 million specifically for the purposes of upgrading the cycling infrastructure on the Billing Road. The existing cycle lanes, narrow even at peak condition, have now almost ceased to exist and are in need of urgent repair. To this day a spade is yet to touch the earth. What's going on? The original plan was to make the road one way with a 2-way cycle track being created in the space made available. A successful local campaign that garnered over 1000 petition signatures scuppered even a consultation of the plan despite its merits. Whether for or against the original idea, this still leaves £1.332 million of public money hanging in the ether with the prerequisite that it be spent on Active Travel. The petition has left a bad taste in Councillors mouths. The question was raised at a Place Scrutiny Committee as to why the consultation for the original scheme was ended before completion. The responses ranged from the observation that attention has shifted away from the scheme to the idea that the scheme was off the radar. The important thing to remember here is that if legitimate grievances are raised with regard to schemes, time should still be allowed for equally legitimate counter arguments to be made. Consultations should be completed. > The important thing to remember here is that if legitimate grievances are raised with regard to schemes, time should still be allowed for equally legitimate counter arguments to be made. Consultations should be completed. It does not bode well for the future. Active Travel England have made it clear that future funding will depend upon the proper consultation of schemes. With Northampton aiming for city status, perhaps Councillors should take a look up the M6 to Coventry and the Binley Cycleway as an example of how to take Active Travel seriously. To emphasise this lack of urgency, a Freedom of Information request submitted by Living Streets Northampton on 5th January 2022 confirmed that there was no scheduled date for a new consultation on the Billing Road corridor. Plans to spend some of Tranche 2 on the Billing and Rushmere Road junction were also up in the air with no confirmation given as to how much of the funding will be spent nor whether the results would adhere to LTN1/20 guidelines on cycling infrastructure. 'We expect the junction improvements to meet these guidelines' is the closest the answers come to commitment. > How can CA-WN readers help? Write to your Councillor, whomever it may be, and ask what the plan is for Active Travel on the Billing Road in Northampton Town. The state of local politics is such that the unspoken will often be swept under the carpet. We need to make sure we pick the rug up and give it a darn good shake every now and again. ### My Three Things For Climate Change URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-3-things-for-climate-change/ Last updated: 2023-01-06T13:40:46.000Z *by Orianne Neyroud GCSE student and CA-WN steering group member* We have all made changes in a bid to be more environmentally friendly. Here I will share three of those little things I have done to lessen my impact. Recently my family and I became flexitarian. Flexitarianism is a vegetarian diet that allows for that bacon craving or occasional burger. This lack of rules helped at first. We had to change our cooking habits but we learnt a lot. Honestly the biggest thing we realised was how much we took meat for granted. We also became aware of how much meat costs when our supermarket trips suddenly became cheaper! I found I didn’t miss meat or fish so I decided to become vegetarian. Secondly I started trying to cut out plastic. For example using solid soap, getting a veg box and glass milk bottles. These changes were harder, being both scarcer and more expensive than plastic alternatives but I am doing my best to get onto the road to zero waste. Finally I stopped buying unnecessary things. I became stricter with myself only buying clothes when I needed some and recycling/giving away what I didn’t wear anymore. I didn’t replace my phone until it was very unreliable and now avoid online browsing to prevent an impulse buy. This actually made me feel good. An uncluttered wardrobe and not wasting money is rewarding and better for the planet. So those are three things I have done to be environmentally friendly. They seem inconsequential but little actions start to add up! ### My View: Jonathan Harris URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/my-view-jonathan-harris/ Last updated: 2023-01-06T13:49:46.000Z As the Secretary General of the UN said when presenting the grave picture for the future of this planet - ‘it’s now or never’ to take action. Five of the worst offending greenhouse gas emitting countries are China, USA, India, Russia and Japan. The UK is 16th on this list (181 countries)\*. Much of the manufacturing that creates large emissions is no longer here within the UK, but we still import and consume goods from around the globe. In effect we have ‘off-shored’ carbon production whilst we still reap the benefits of consumption. The climate emergency is a global problem and to reduce the effects of warming we all need to make changes. Attitudes that reflect ‘it’s their problem not mine’ will only compound the problems we face. Complexity science suggests ‘small input, large outcome’ and I keep this in mind as I think of actions I can take. As the Dalai Lama says, ‘if you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito!’ The reality is we all will be impacted; not in the same immediate way as those in the most vulnerable zones who are already experiencing the threat of flooding, land-loss, wildfires, extreme temperatures that impact food production and life itself right now, but we will be affected. We will also be impacted as food production becomes at risk and populations are forced to migrate. West Northants Council has finally committed to become net zero carbon by 2030 in regard to its own and its associated emissions. Its pledge is to make all of West Northants net zero by 2045\. I am pleased to be part of the oversight group working on this challenge but it won’t be easy and it will come at a cost. Technology changes will give us some solutions - however, they will be comparatively slow to arrive and not enough on their own. We need behaviour changes - and these won’t be easy or comfortable. We all can impact our own carbon footprints: home, travel, food consumption and ‘stuff’ consumption. We must make changes that will benefit our planet. My immediate actions have included moving to an electric vehicle and making the conscious decisions to fly less and buy less ‘stuff’. My wife has been vegetarian since 1984, so whilst I am not a vegetarian, my meat consumption is ‘light’ and she insists I have ‘happy meat’ that is locally sourced! It is less than a lifetime to 2100 - a child born today will be 78 at the turn of the century. I believe we have a responsibility to make sure we are leaving this planet in a better state than we found it. \*CAIT Country Greenhouse Gas emissions data (1990-2016) ### Climate-Friendly Farming URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/climate-friendly-farming/ Last updated: 2024-08-04T19:12:02.000Z ### Rupert Knowles - CA-WN Farming Correspondent New-born lambs are scampering after their mothers all over West Northamptonshire. I was driving up a farm track north of Braunston last week and they went skipping ahead without the sense to veer to left or right. The pastures to the side undulate with the ancient signs of ridge and furrow indicating feudal origins. Whether it is arable or livestock, our beautiful countryside hints at a past history of centuries of cultivation and grazing. But it also hints at changes that have taken place and farming today faces further changes on a huge scale which will also leave their mark. I am excited to have been asked to write about agriculture, farming and the countryside for CA-WN’s bi- monthly newsletter. Am I qualified to do this? Not exactly; but I speak the language of farmers and I hope that I can interpret what is going on in the countryside, how farmers are delivering their contribution to net zero, how farming impacts on biodiversity and also how our food distribution system works (or doesn’t). Questions please! My background is in fruit and trees. I inherited the family fruit farm and one of my memories as a small boy is following my father round the orchard with a large, black umbrella. With the up- turned umbrella under a branch, we would beat the branch looking for fallen black-kneed capsid – a voracious consumer of fruit tree red-spider mite. As well as growing, I have been an agricultural trainer, a pesticide and fertiliser adviser, chair of an apple- growers’ cooperative, served on local and national NFU committees, an irrigation consultant and an adviser and developer of soft fruit production under glass and tunnels. I taught horticulture in China where together with my wife, Lana Mo, we were first to help Chinese fruit growers through Global GAP (the international Red Tractor mark). I worked with farmers in Afghanistan developing fruit nurseries and orchards and poplar woodlots and I advised on fruit, nut and vegetable projects in Zimbabwe, Bulgaria, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. So you will have to excuse me when I do not suffer fools gladly. I am passionate about farming, food and forestry! I will endeavour to research and discuss current farming issues with particular reference to climate change and biodiversity. **Leaf Open Farm Sunday (LOFS)** 12 June 2022 was a great opportunity for parents and children to share knowledge on farming and food. One event featured buried underpants! Before Easter Sunday participants had buried a pair of cotton pants (or any other garment entirely made of cotton) eight inches down in a field – to be dug up 60 days or more later. At a depth of eight inches the life-forms in the soil will begin eating the cellulose sugar, from which cotton is made, and start decomposing the organic material. Sterile, lifeless soil would have little impact on the cotton, whereas organically thriving soil would result in very little to dig up, demonstrating a really healthy soil. It strikes me that CA-WN members could do the same in their vegetable bed or allotment and take the said garment to a LOFS farm for comparison. I will research the addresses of local farmers who are members of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farm - https://leaf.eco/) and are participating in the next Open Farm Sunday. ### CA-WN's Air Quality Monitoring Project URL: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/untitled/ Last updated: 2023-01-05T11:58:42.000Z Air pollution matters. No one likes bad smells but airborne particles can damage human health so it is important to know what is in the air we breath. For Northamptonshire there is just one official site for measuring air pollution. This project complements official measurements with real-time outdoor, hyper-local readings using miniature air quality monitoring stations equipped with WiFi . Every few minutes the monitoring stations upload air quality data to a [community website](https://maps.sensor.community/?ref=exchange.ca-wn.org#12/52.1993/-0.8952) that shows estimated real-time air quality. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6b/9d/6b9d1f4f-4192-42dd-8678-29d4899fa5bc/content/images/2022/12/Bugbrooke-Primary.png) *a monitor outside a primary schgool* Each station contains sensors measuring the amount of dust - technically *particulate matter -* in the outdoor air. The concentration of particulate matter \[PM\] is given in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) ie the weight in one millionths of a gram of PM in a cubic metre of air. The weight of two significant PM sizes in the airborne dust are estimated: • PM10 \[particulate matter 10 microns and smaller\] • PM2.5 \[particulate matter 2.5 microns and smaller\] A micron, or micrometre, is one millionth of a metre so these dust sizes are invisible to the naked eye and explains why they need to be measured by electronic sensors. PMs smaller than 2.5 microns can penetrate the lining of the lungs, enter the blood stream and be circulated round vital organs. As these can be the most hazardous to human health they need to be counted. It is important to note that the measurements from these monitoring stations cannot be taken literally because their sensors are not calibrated to laboratory standards, nor are they operating under laboratory conditions. However their sensor components are identical, or broadly similar, to those used in professionally calibrated systems and they do provide an important indication of immediate pollution levels along with an archive of trends over time.