The CA-WN Exchange (Page 3)

Understanding the Biodiversity Crisis

Understanding the Biodiversity Crisis

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

Plastic Packaging for Fruit and Vegetables

Plastic Packaging for Fruit and Vegetables

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

West Northants Council: Local Nature Recovery Strategy

West Northants Council: Local Nature Recovery Strategy

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.

Greta Thunberg speech to COP25

Greta Thunberg speech to COP25

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'

Report of 17 October CA-WN AGM and Monthly Meeting

meeting reports

Report of 17 October CA-WN AGM and Monthly Meeting

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

West Northamptonshire Area Climate Summit 2024

West Northamptonshire Area Climate Summit 2024

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

Talking action - popcawn October 2024

Talking action - popcawn October 2024

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

WNC Local Transport Plan

WNC Local Transport Plan

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

Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup

Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup

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

The Great Simplification

The Great Simplification

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.

English Pastoral: An Inheritance by James Rebanks

English Pastoral: An Inheritance by James Rebanks

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

Six Inches of Soil film report

Six Inches of Soil film report

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.

Visit to Nottingham Energy Partnership

Visit to Nottingham Energy Partnership

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

If only ...

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 ieTram1 is manufactured at a purpose-built plant in Basque Country,

Report of 12 September public meeting

meeting reports

Report of 12 September public meeting

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

We need to talk about climate - popcawn September 2024

individual impact

We need to talk about climate - popcawn September 2024

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

Council Watch September 2024

Council Watch September 2024

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

My View - Andrew Stevens

My View - Andrew Stevens

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,

Meet the Steering Group - Rupert Knowles

Meet the Steering Group - Rupert Knowles

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

Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth by James Lovelock

Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth by James Lovelock

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

The Countryside Kitchen meets...

The Countryside Kitchen meets...

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,

Syan Farm visit

Syan Farm visit

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

Carbon Literacy Training: a personal response

individual impact Featured

Carbon Literacy Training: a personal response

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

Think Global. Act Local.

Think Global. Act Local.

by Danny Moody, Chief Executive of the Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils (Northants CALC), 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

individual impact

popcawn July 2024: Do you speak Carbon?

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