Spring is coming and Cambridge is buzzing with exciting events. Come and meet us at the Science Festival, change a few good reads or sign up to become a Carbon Conversations facilitator – we can’t wait to hear from you!
We now have a new phone number, which is working perfectly! You can now reach us on 01223 301842. Apologies for previous issues with the phone line.
Lost property: we’re looking for the owner of an HP Photosmart R507 camera, left at one of our stalls last year. It’s well-worn, and contains a photo of a girl with black hair and headscarf. Please contact the office to reclaim.
Events Promoter Wanted
We are looking for someone who can work in our office one afternoon a week over the next few months to help us promote our fantastic calendar of events. Preferably this day would be a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon, but this is not necessary if you’re the right person for the job.
Update our upcoming events leaflet as needed,This would involve working with our Volunteer and Events Organiser to:
Laminating and preparing posters for postering,- Post our events on a host of online events websites, such as talks.cam and We’re All Neighbours,
- Sending emails to relevant groups and contacts based upon the type of event.
Work in a vibrant, friendly environmental charity, with expenses, training and mentoring. If you would like to apply, please send us a short letter describing your relevant skills and characteristics, availability, and why you would like the job to Stephanie.
Volunteer at the CCF Book Swap 10th March
CCF is holding its first book swap at Bharat Bhavan on Mill Road on 10th March, 2012 and we’ll need 12 volunteers for this fun event. If you could help for half or all of 12:30 to 4:30pm, in the kitchen, organising books on the various genre tables or taking admissions at the front door, we need you! (Note that the actual event is 1pm to 4pm, the extra half hour on either end is for set-up and take-down).
We would also benefit from people who could make a few baked goods that we could sell on the day of.
Email Stephanie if you can bake or be at the event to help out.
Help us promote this event too!
Download our event poster and put it up anywhere in your neighbourhood or workplace (even your front window!) that would be a great help.
And invite your Facebook friends to the event here.
For more volunteer vacancies see our website here.
Open Eco Homes 2012
This year’s Open Eco Homes event will be more exciting than ever! Over 25 eco-friendly homes in Cambridge and the surrounding villages will open their doors to the public in May 2012, up from 15 properties in 2011. The homes range from Victorian eco-retrofits to 1960′s conversions and custom builds.
The event will allow visitors to see by example how simple behaviour changes, as well as energy efficiency measures, ranging from draft proofing and insulation, to heat pumps and mechanical ventilation, can help people achieve reductions in their own homes.
Key dates for your diary
Eco Renovation Question Time: 7.30pm on 2 May 2012 at St Paul’s Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge
Open Eco Homes weekends: 12/13 May 2012 and 26/27 May 2012
A new Open Eco Homes website will be launched in the first half of March, containing futher details of the event and the properties. Look out for further details on our website.
CCF is on Facebook!
CCF has had a Facebook Group for some time now, but we have outgrown this format and are migrating to a Facebook Page. The group will be disbanded once people have had a chance to switch over, so if you still want to be in touch with CCF on Facebook (or would like to start!) just head to https://www.facebook.com/CamCarbonFootprint and click on “like.”
You’ll still be able to post on the wall, get invites to events and share with other CCF people on Facebook, just like before.
Thanks! – CCF Facebook and Twitter Team
Recycle your Read at the CCF Book Swap 10 March
Saturday 10 March, 1.00 – 4.00pm, Bharat Bhavan on Mill Road, Cambridge (at the foot of the railway bridge, big brick building with a red door)
If you love books and the planet, you’ll love a good book swap! Just bring one or more previously loved books to swap. Leave your book on the appropriately labelled table (eg. science fiction, biography, etc), then feel free to browse, chat and find some new books to take home with you. You’ll have a chance to tell others why you enjoyed your books and get some recommendations too. We will have post-it notes and pens available so participants can leave comments in the books they are swapping. There is no limit to the number of books you can swap but we recommend taking away a similar number of books as you brought.
Admission: £2/person if you bring books to swap, £5/person without books, kids free; this helps us cover the cost of the venue, and helps our charity to raise a few funds.
Any books left at the end of the day will be donated to Books for Amnesty in Cambridge.
Breaking Habits & Going For Green: a Carbon Conversations Taster Session 13 March
Tuesday 13 March, 7 – 9pm, Wesley Church, Octagon Room
As part of the Cambridge Science Festival 2012, we’ll be offering a Carbon Conversations taster session. Carbon Conversations is a 6 week course offered by our charity which covers all aspects of a carbon footprint, including travel, food, consumption and home energy. In this session we’ll calculate your Carbon Footprint, and take you through some sample activities. A perfect opportunity if you are curious about Carbon Conversations but don’t want to commit to a group just yet.
Numbers limited, pre-booking essential: email info@cambridgecarbonfootprint.org.
Story of Stuff – The Next Chapter 14 March
Wednesday 14 March, 7.30 – 9pm, Friends Meeting House
The Story of Stuff is one of the most watched environmental-themed online film of all time. It is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.
CCF will be screening this film, then facilitating a discussion on what will be the next chapter for each of us in our own “stuff stories.” We’ll tackle the issue of whether we can live well (or better!) with fewer material goods and how one goes about doing that in a consumption-saturated society.
This event will coincide with the start of our “Living Well with Less Stuff” blog, following in the steps of our successful “Eating Local” and “Eating Well on a Budget” blogs. Each participant will be taking on a personal consumption challenge that suits him or her and potentially blogging about it for CCF (that part is optional but quite fun!). If you’re interested in taking on a personal Living Well with Less challenge, don’t miss this event!
We’d appreciate it if you booked ahead as space is limited. Email the office or call 01223 301842.
Talking About Climate Change 21 March
Wednesday 21 March, 7.30 – 9.30pm, Cambridge Carbon Footprint, Future Business, Milton Rd
Cambridge Carbon Footprint has a unique approach to personal decision-making about carbon reduction. We use group work and conversations at stalls to explore and share the challenges of making sustained and sustainable behaviour change.
In this interactive workshop we will explore some key ideas, and invite discussion around common mechanisms such as making excuses or not getting around to implementing plans:
- Feeling bad about your flying but not stopping taking flights
- Noticing conflicting values and feelings such as believing in re-use and recycling but buying items new
- Wanting to buy local food, yet yearning for ‘treats’ such as pineapples or Kenyan beans
- Recycling bin loads of paper rather than making use of it in the home
Come and add your own ideas and dilemmas!
Penny Henderson has over 30 years’ experience as a counsellor and group worker. She is a facilitator and a trainer of facilitators for Carbon Conversations.
Places limited to 20. Booking essential, by emailing the office:info@cambridgecarbonfootprint.org
Breaking Habits – ‘Going for Green!’ interactive stall and workshop 24 March
Saturday 24 March, 1 – 5pm, Cambridge Science Festival
Visit our interactive stall at the Cambridge Science Festival. Hands-on activities for all the family including calculating your carbon footprint, colouring your carbon footprint, and upcycling some tetrapacks into fun wallets. Also, find out more about Carbon Conversations and the Climate Friendly Homes Project. We’ll be in the Physics Zone from 1 to 5pm.
Between 3pm to 4pm we’ll be running a Carbon Conversations taster session nearby, so if you’re curious to find out more but don’t want to commit to a 6-week course, this is the workshop for you!
View the entire Cambridge Science Festival programme here. Workshop, Ages 18+, To pre-book tel: 01223 659962 or email: info@cambridgecarbonfootprint.org
The Sharing Economy – An Introduction to Collaborative Consumption 12 April
Thursday 12 April, 7.30 – 9.30pm, St. Andrew’s Hall, St Andrew’s Rd
Could something as simple as sharing be a key remedy to hyper consumption and waste while building community at the same time? As the authors of “What’s Mine is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption” argue, traditional sharing, bartering, lending, trading, renting, gifting and swapping, redefined through technology and peer communities, is transforming business, consumerism and the way we live. Join us for this exciting evening that includes guests from Zipcar, Life is a Gift, and more, to find out what exactly this powerful emerging economic force is, how it’s being applied in Cambridge and how you can be a vital part of it.
Space is limited so please save your place by booking ahead:info@cambridgecarbonfootprint.org or 01223 659962.
Plant, Grow, Eat: An Introduction to Growing Your Own 18 April
Wednesday 18 April, 7.30 – 9.30pm, Ross Street Community Centre, Ross Street
If you’ve never grown your own food but would like to start this year, this is the workshop for you! Join expert grower Keith Jordan in this workshop that will teach you what will grow best in your particular space – no matter what that space is and tips on how to do it. You’ll come away from the workshop with a plan for your new garden, allotment or patio filled with containers and growbags, plus, ideas for what food crops will best suit both your kitchen and your plot.
Growing your own has never been more hip, fun or important! Don’t delay, book today!
Limited to 15 people! Email the office or call 01223 301842 to reserve a place.
Carbon Conversations Facilitator Training 21 April
Saturday 21 April, 10am – 4pm, Ross St Community Centre, Ross St
Are you enthusiastic about Carbon Conversations? Would you like to co-facilitate a group of your own? Or maybe you’re an existing facilitator and want to improve your skills?
Penny Henderson and Liz Serocold will be running this one-day facilitator training for those who have already taken part in a Carbon Conversations group.
Numbers limited to 10, booking essential. Contact Mary to book, or for further information.
Cost: free to Cambridge residents, £40 to others (we can usually provide somewhere to stay for anyone coming from afar).
Eco-Renovation in Progress 23 April
23 April, 7.30 – 9.30pm, off Histon Road
Following on the success and high demand of our Eco-Renovation in Progress tour in January on Hills Road, we’re offering a new Eco-Renovation Tour in north Cambridge off the Histon Road.
This is an exciting opportunity to go round 1930′s house with Anne Cooper of award-winning AC Architects Cambridge Ltd, who specialise in sustainable architecture. Anne will do an initial appraisal of the house and offer recommendations for making it more energy-efficient, taking into account the need to conserve original features.
While Anne will look at the larger picture, Martin Roach, who has a great deal of experience in DIY energy efficiency, will look at the smaller jobs that can be done straightaway.
The session will last two hours. After an introduction by Anne, the group will split into two, with Anne and Martin each taking a party round the house. The groups will then change over, giving everyone a chance to look at the house from both points of view. The owners will be on hand to answer questions and discuss what has been done already.
Booking is essential for this, as the house cannot accommodate more than 20 people! Email the office to book. We will give you the exact address upon booking. In the meantime you can check out the owner’s blog.
Annual General Meeting 25 April
Wednesday 25 April, 7.30 – 9.30pm, The Octogon Room, Wesley Methodist Church
It’s been a lively and challenging year for Cambridge Carbon Footprint: there’s a good buzz with lots of volunteer enthusiasm. We’ll follow the AGM with a meeting to discuss our successes and challenges – and how best to develop the charity further. We hope you can come and contribute your views over a cup of tea and slice of cake
Parking: Nearest car parks are at the Grafton Centre or Jesus Lane. On street parking is fairly easy in the evenings in King St and Jesus Lane.
Eating well on a budget
At the moment several of us (Helen, Mary, Stephanie and Bev) are taking part in our Eating Well on a Budget, which came about because some people said “Oh, it’s all very well eating seasonally and locally if you are not on a tight budget, but it isn’t possible for many people as it’s too expensive.” We are always up for another challenge, so we are eating for a month on £21 per adult per week (Morrison’s estimate of what a student can manage on). We are eating seasonal and local fruit, veg and meat, but being a bit more flexible about cheap proteins such as beans and lentils, which are mainly imported. To see how we get on,follow us on our blog.
To join us, contact the office.
Living well with less stuff – the year’s most influential invitation?
A number of us are aiming to reduce our consumption in various ways for the next year. In the UK, non-food related consumption forms the biggest part of the average person’s footprint and many of us now feel that we have too much stuff and that it isn’t making us happy (as well as the minor matter that our throw-away habits are ruining the environment) – on the contrary, we feel that the things that really matter in life are to do with people, relationships, a sense of community, a connection to nature, creativity…. So how do we set about reducing our consumption? Each person is doing this in her/his own way with the support of the rest of the group. Members of HICCA (Histon and Impington Climate Change Action) have already started blogging on this and several of us in Cambridge will be starting soon, with the showing of “The Story of Stuff” on March 14th. Do come to the film and join the discussion! If you want to join the project (blogging optional but fun!), email the office.
Eating Local project in the news (and join us for our spring challenge!)
Well, we managed to eat locally and seasonally through the snow and ice and actually found quite a good range of local winter vegetables (see our list of what’s in season in February). It wasn’t the penance some people were predicting, but an enjoyable and interesting challenge and we had some memorable meals on the way (visit our blog to see how we got on!)
We were pleased that the project generated quite a lot of media interest (Sunday Telegraph, Cambridge News and BBC Radio Cambridgeshire (listen to it on the winter blog).
We are planning to repeat the project for each of the four seasons, so please join us for our six-week spring challenge, which starts on Sunday April 15th! We will see if we can triumph over the Hungry Gap! If you are interested, please email the office.
Tar Sands
Curbing high-carbon fuels came to a hard-fought, but inconclusive EU vote on February 23rd.
The Fuel Quality Directive would tax fuels according to their real emissions, cutting transport emissions by 6%. It will now return for a vote by transport ministers in June.
Tar Sands, the dirtiest of fossil fuels, take 3 times more energy to extract than normal oil, with horrendous health and environmental impacts. Alberta’s tar sands could produce 174 billion barrels of oil (second only to Saudi Arabia), so Canada has been lobbying hard andthreatening a trade war if the EU taxes this fuel fairly. Britain is involved too, with London-based Shell and BP prominent in extracting Canadian tar sands and with “our” bank, RBS, financing the devastation. The UK government abstained in the recent vote. Please emailJustine Greening, Secretary of State for Transport, asking her to vote FOR the Fuel Quality Directive in June.
There are good alternatives, including Westmill co-op a community-owned 6.5mW Wind-farm near Swindon, now with a 5MW of solar. Involving the local community at all stages, along with public share offers, has won them wide support. People from the local gliding club objected, but now look at the turbines to see what the wind’s doing.
Exploiting vulnerability – a key tactic of denial
Recent leaks about the extent to which America’s Heartland Institute has been funded to disseminate climate change disinformation have shocked many. But why are their arguments so successful? The answer may lie in their capacity to create psychological states of confusion. Read more at www.rorandall.org
Growzones introductory meeting 1 March
Thursday 1 March, 7 – 9pm, Friends’ Meeting House, Jesus Lane
GrowZones is a fun and practical way to help households grow food in their garden or allotment. It works by bringing around 6 households together to do some work on each other’s gardens. It is open to all regardless of food growing experience or plot size. It is also a chance to learn about Permaculture which is a garden design system based on relationships seen in nature. This could be for you if you need help starting to grow food, are interested in permaculture and are free/can reciprocate in April and May 2012.
Key dates:
Thursday 1 March (7pm – 9pm, Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane) for an introductory meeting and two 10 minute films about Growzones and Permaculture;
15 March for a planning meeting for those who want to take part to agree the dates for working on each garden or allotment – venue to be confirmed. The teams will be working on each others gardens on during April and May 2012.
For more information contact Jane Brown on 0771 532 0886.
Transition cafe: Off-grid renewable energy systems 8 March
Thursday 8 March, 7.30 – 9pm, CB1 Cafe, Mill Road
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live off-grid? Or perhaps you’d like to know how to fix up electricity on a boat or in a shed? Come and find out how to do it with Andy Rankin, member of the TC energy group and founder of local solar energy company Midsummer Energy. Andy has lots of experience of installing off-grid renewable power systems – from small systems powering scientific instruments in Antarctica, to medium-sized systems on narrowboats and yachts, to large solar arrays providing power to farmhouses that previously relied on diesel generators.
Renewables versus fossil fuels: the global clean energy revolution 16 March
Friday 16 March, 5.15pm, LAB 003, Anglia Ruskin University, East Rd
Charles Perry of SecondNature (www.secondnaturepartnership.com) will give a lecture on “Renewables versus fossil fuels: the global clean energy revolution”
Dr Julian Huppert MP will respond, event hosted by Professor Michael Thorne Vice Chancellor
Convened by: Sustainability Society, GRLI Ambassadors, University Chaplaincy, Lord Ashcroft International Business School, Global Sustainability Institute
For more information please contact Nigel Cooper, 0845 196 2398.
Global Sustainability Institute lunchtime seminar 19 March
Monday 19 March, 1pm, Coslett 408, Anglia Ruskin University, East Rd
Erica Thompson, from Imperial College London, and Emma Boland, from the University of Cambridge will debate:
“So how useful are climate models anyway?”
*Lunch will be provided*, please arrive around 12:45 if possible, so we can start the seminar promptly at 1.
No booking necessary, but if you would like to confirm your attendance or get any more information, please contact Rosie Robison, 0845 196 5107.
Transition cafe: Co-housing and the K1 project in Cambridge 22 March
Thursday 22 March, 7.30 – 9pm, CB1 Cafe, Mill Road
Ever thought about designing and building your own home? On your own it can seem a bit daunting. But working co-operatively with other like-minded people under the guidance of a team of professionals it seems doable. K1 is a new self-commissioning opportunity at Orchard Park, Cambridge. Around 40 householders will come together to shape their own homes and community. They’ll be supported and guided through the next 18 months design and build process. K1 provides the chance for residents to create their own high standards in sustainable living and create unique indoor and outdoor community spaces. Adam Broadway will be at the Transition Cafe on Thursday 22nd March to explain and answer questions. For more information about K1, see their website here.
Green Enterprise Community Meeting: Cambridge Organic Food Company 26 March
Monday 26 March, 7.30 – 9.30pm, Friends Meeting House, 12 Jesus Lane
Duncan Catchpole, founder of Cambridge Organic Food Company will share the story of the Cambridge Organic Food Company and discuss some of the challenges they’ve faced in developing a thriving organic box scheme. As they are at the heart of the local organic community and work with a wide range of local and organic suppliers, he is extremely knowledgeable about the issues involved in local organic food.
This will be a fascinating evening for anyone interested in good food and the wider issue of how a community can feed itself sustainably and well.
Permaculture Gardening weekend course in Trumpington 28-29 April
Saturday – Sunday 28-29 April, 9.30am – 5.30pm, Trumpington
Spring is coming – does your plot need sorting out?
Join us to learn how permaculture can be applied to create beautiful, productive and wildlife-friendly gardens. The weekend will combine practical techniques, hands-on sessions, observation and exploration of design principles. Course tutor Chris Evans has been designing and creating permaculture gardens for 20 years. He has particular expertise in forest gardening and polyculture vegetables. There will be an opportunity to visit local urban-edge projects – a community orchard, a large and flourishing allotment site and a chicken co-op. The cost is £85 (£65 unwaged). There’s a limited number of spaces, so please book soon.
More info and booking form at www.transitioncambridge.org/permaculture