TalkSwindon Climate change forum
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 Archive - 2007 |
Wednesday November 21st 7:00pm for 7:30pm, Friends Meeting House, Eastcott Hill. SN1 3JF All welcome.
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Speakers Anne & Neil from the Fitzroy Climate Friendly Community, with news of their progress to date and ideas for others to start up other climate friendly initiatives in Swindon. Members of the Purton Climate Friendly Community will also be coming along to share their experiences in doing their bit to make a difference. |
Closest bus access to venue is from Regent Circus, with a short uphill walk.
Big Ask street campaigning, 17th November 2007
We took to the centre of Swindon asking shoppers to sign our giant postcard calling on Swindon MPs Michael Wills and Anne Snelgrove to push for a strong climate change law.
Camp for Climate Action, 14th - 21st August 2007, near Heathrow Airport
Coverage on Indymedia | Videos on YouTube | Photos on Flickr
Monday 8th October Breaking the Silence A show about the work of Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, the book which first inspired the environmental movement back in 1962. Followed by discussion. Arts Centre, Devizes Road. 7.30 pm £6/5. Tel.466565 or email boxoffice@swindon.gov.uk
Wednesday 10th October lecture by Professor Rev. Ian James, Department of Meteorology, Reading University - 'Climate Change and the Church' 5.30pm University of Bath, Oakfield Campus, 5.30pm, free. Parking available, bus routes 1/1A and 20/21
15th-30th September Climate Friendly Fortnight
Tuesday 2nd October Christian Aid Cut the Carbon March Demo, London. Coach from Swindon, organised by Gloucester Christian Aid
Wednesday 3rd October SCAN and Swindon Trades Council public meeting on transport and climate change. Broadgreen Centre, 7.30 pm, free.
One of the things which is necessary to tackle climate change is to cut the number of cars on the roads, to achieve a shift from road to rail and buses.
What can the unions and environmental activists do to help to create this shift?
Come along to this meeting and discuss how we can campaign locally and nationally to create a transport system which provides a public service which can cut congestion and pollution rather than worsening the environmental crisis.
Can Swindon grow significantly without worsening congestion and pollution?
Closest bus access to venue is from Fleming Way / Manchester Road / Bus station
Poster
Road pricing - please sign the alternative petition
There is a great deal of coverage of the million-signature petition against road pricing.
The impression given is that the motorists lobby is an overwhelmingly powerful and vocal political force. We believe that the green lobby could be equally influential, but needs to make its voice heard more clearly in order to have a greater influence on political decision making. We also think that road pricing is an important step to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and to making the roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
Please sign up here
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/TRACK-CARS/
Let's see if we can show that there are a million people in this country that care about the effect that traffic congestion has on our environment.
Sunday 13th May All day at Lower Shaw Farm. Swindon Festival of Literature's Climate Change Day.
Adult and Children's programmes plus panel discussion. See the photos, and videos of Mark Lynas and Kate Evans speaking.
Evening: film showing and discussion of 'An Inconvenient Truth' 8pm The Arts Centre.
TWIGS open day
We took our stall and food miles competition to the TWIGS open day on 22nd April. See the photos.
An Inconvenient Truth
On 12th February, over 80 people packed the back room of the Victoria to watch Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth. Read more.
Great Global Warming Swindle
Please download the following and write to Channel 4 and OfCom to complain about the Channel 4 programme, the Great Global Warming Swindle.
Read our debunking of the myths here.
Local Planning Authorities: Energy & Efficiency Bill. MAKE IT LAW!
SCAN was horrified to hear that several councils who have tried to make their planning policies stronger on climate change action have been thwarted by Central Government, with inspectors disallowing measures that were stronger than national building regulations. Phil Woolas on behalf of Ruth Kelly blocked a bill proposing toallow councils to raise their energy efficiency standards in January.
Swindon Borough Council have been drafting similar standards for the large-scale housing developments that are set to take place here. SCAN endorsed those proposals while pointing out that they needed to be even stronger if significant reductions in greenhouse gases was to result.
On 20th April a second reading of the Local Plannning Authorities: Energy and Efficiency Bill, will take place in Parliament.
This bill supports urgent action to reduce carbon emissions, as it
will enable local authorities to require energy efficiency and
renewable energy standards that are higher those set by the National
Building regulations. In this way, it will enable a more rapid
response to addressing climate change, that is not subject to the
delays and inertia of the national parliamentary system.
SCAN is calling for people to write to their MPs and to Ruth Kelly and Phil Woolas before 20th April to demand that a bill is made law which allows councils to set higher standards.
For more information please see the campaign website: www.ukace.org
Planning Policy out to Consultation in Swindon
Swindon Borough Council have put out a policy on ecologically sustainable building design and construction for public consultation until the 2nd March. See http://www.swindon.gov.uk/suppplanningdocs
This is a forward thinking policy but could be strengthened if there is a good public response asking for more. Quantity of responses is the key to having an impact, so please write individually. SCAN's full response is available here, and this can be used as a guideline for those of you who don't want to wade through 300+ pages of the document! In addition we have a short 5 point version which can be adapted.
Send your responses on the official comment forms to The Forward Planning Group, Freepost SCE5251, Swindon Borough Council, Premier House, Station Road, Swindon, SN1 1TZ, by fax to 01793 466442, by e-mail to forwardplanning@swindon.gov.uk or using the on-line comments form at http://www.swindon.gov.uk/suppplanningdocs
Cllr Dale Heenan discussed the proposals with SCAN at the SCAN meeting at Friends Meeting House, Wednesday 20th December, 7.30-9.30 pm and details can be found on the minutes of this meeting (please email SwindonCAN@gmail.com) if you wish to receive these). A detailed online discussion of the document is also ongoing at TalkSwindon (see link on left of this page).
Wednesday 28th February '21st Century Cave Dwellers' GULP lecture at University Oakfield Campus on Energy Use 5.30 - 6.30pm Free
Thursday 22nd February 7:30 pm, Civic Offices, Euclid Street. Talk and discussion on domestic renewable energy by Alex Lockton from Freesource Free entry.