Wiltshire Council are currently consulting on proposed changes to their waste collection service which will see alternate weekly rubbish collections introduced across the county.

Evidence from other councils has shown that, where alternate weekly collections are introduced – recycleable material one week, residual waste the next – recycling rates have improved.  For this reason, South Wiltshire Agenda 21 are supporting the proposed changes. 

To find out more and take part in this consultation visit http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/consultations.htm

Climate Change – should we be worried?

SCCAP meeting 21.6.2010

The next full meeting of the Salisbury City Community Area Partnership – which will also be the AGM for the Partnership – takes Climate Change as its theme.

The meeting will be held at the newly refurbished Quaker Meeting House on Wilton Road on Monday 21st June, 7 – 9 pm.

There will be speakers from Wiltshire Council and South Wiltshire Agenda 21 as well as displays and information.

Admission free – all welcome

We also encourage member groups and individuals to submit their own responses and make sure their voice is heard.  We welcome contributions towards our group responses to ensure that we represent the views of the membership.  Wiltshire Council consultations are accessible from their website at http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/consultations.htm

Below are some examples of our recent responses.

• Hampton Park Development

• Waste Site Allocations

• Salisbury Our Place in the Future! (Part 1)

• Salisbury Our Place in the Future! (Part 2)

• Comment on the Strategic Plan for the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

• South Wilts Core Strategy

“An essential documentary … if you like eating see this film”

Daniel Etherington – Channel 4

Studio Theatre, Ashley Road, Salisbury

Thursday 22nd April, 7:30 pm

Doors open 6:45, Bar available

Tickets £5, Students £3

To reserve a seat contact South Wiltshire Agenda 21 by email. Reserved tickets must be collected at the Theatre by 7:15 pm.

The honeybee is under threat, mass die-offs are occurring and no-one knows why. This film explores the collapse of the Earth’s pollinators through the eyes of those whose livelihoods depend on them.

Introduction in music and dance by Wiltshire College (Salisbury)

For more about the film and to sign an online petition to help secure funds for a systematic review of the impact of pesticides on bees visit the film website

Council calls for businesses to commit on Carbon Footprint

 Sponsor Wiltshire Council’s Alistair Cunningham presenting the Salisbury & District Chamber of Commerce’ Green Business Award in February 2010 said that the council was committed to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint by 50% by 2020.  It was looking for business to do likewise, adding that being sustainable not only benefited the environment but the bottom line as well. 

 The winner was Neal’s Yard Remedies, with Emery Little Insurance Brokers and Ayres Heating & Plumbing respectively first and second runners up.   

The judges were a panel organised by South Wilts Agenda  21, and included Ken Taylor a retired General Manager formerly with Shell, Ariane Crampton, Head of Climate Change, Wiltshire Council and Guy Beards, Lecturer in Health, Safety and Environmental Issues, Wiltshire College Salisbury. 

Criteria for the Green Award had been revised from the previous year to include all three element of sustainability – environmental, social and economic.  Candidates were asked :

“To describe how your business improves the environment or promotes 
sustainability. This may include, for example, how you have reduced the 
carbon footprint of your operations, marketed a product or service that 
improves your customers’ environmental performance, improved management of 
your supply chain or helped the community in a relevant way.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- your commitment to sustainability, for example policy statements and 
their implementation;
- life-cycle resource efficiency, including measures to reduce your contribution 
to global climate change, minimise waste and improve supply chain management;
- benefits to society, including links with your community, involvement of your workforce and other stakeholders.
- how your environmental initiatives impact your business, demonstrating 
that they are economically sustainable”.
 

In the event, the judges were faced with a wide range of entrants, from office-based businesses who work at operating greener, to those trading in green products or services.  Some were passionate but just off the starting block, others relied heavily on having a green product.  Some have dilemmas and work hard at making improvements in inherently less sustainable activities.  Leaders however tended to have strength across the range of criteria, and generally based on some years developing their approach.      

And what for the future?

In order to help build awareness and capability in sustainability, Wiltshire Council’s Climate change team will be recruiting a member of staff with the specific mandate to support Wiltshire businesses during 2010.  The premise is that many businesses want to improve their approach to sustainability, but often don’t quite know how.  The Council’s objective will be to provide businesses with access to leading resources to help build awareness of what they can do to improve.  Wiltshire Council can be contacted via Ariane Crampton on climate.change@wiltshire.gov.uk or 01225 756198

 A parallel network has been operating in Hampshire for five years; the Sustainable Business Network(SBN).  Major businesses combined with the local authority to fund a post based in the council’s offices.  The national SBN in New Zealand told SWA-21 last year that they had been inspired by Hampshire’s example, and then went further to create the New Zealand Greenlist – a web-based directory of businesses showing their green credentials set against their SBN’s criteria.  We wonder; could something similar be supported here?  Anyone interested in the prospect is invited to contact Ken Taylor on kentaylor47@hotmail.co.uk

 Wiltshire College is working to improve its own environmental performance, and to incorporate these ideas in their teaching.  Many young people have embraced this work and produced some really good displays, presentations and video.  The college is also keen to provide local businesses with the skills they need to efficiently manage their environmental performance and gain recognition for doing so.  Wiltshire College can be contacted via Guy Beards at guy.beards@wiltshire.ac.uk or 01722 344213

For more info visit www.greencone.com

 Happy composting!

There were a number of really excellent speakers at this event. On the first day Alan Simpson MP gave an inspirational talk on ‘Making the most of the crisis – the politics of climate change’, while other speakers informed us about a host of different ideas and concepts including some of the intricacies of carbon trading.   The second day brought together a number of remarkable individuals who had managed to implement environmental projects in their own communities. Adam Twine, from Westmill Co-operative in Wiltshire impressed everyone with his story (particularly when it was revealed that he had actually walked from Westmill near Swindon to Winchester for the event!). It was however a sobering thought that it had taken about 15 years from initiation of the project to get his wind farm up and running.  If one small project takes this long will it be possible to turn the whole country, and indeed the whole world, around to a low-carbon economy within a timeframe which will stop runaway climate change?  There is still a mountain to climb, but at least events like this show that there are plenty of inspirational mountaineers prepared to show the way.

Margaret Willmot, South Wiltshire Agenda 21

Deadline for entries 22^nd January.  

Read the criteria  for entry and download an application form.

Profile of previous winners.

 
 International concern about climate change is rising, and although countless reports demonstrate the scale of the problem at the global and regional levels, the voices of men and women on the ‘frontline’ of climate change are heard less often.
Joining with four other development charities, Self Help Africa has produced a report called Climate Frontline which allows these voices to be heard directly.
In the report, vulnerable men and women describe, in their own words, how climate change is affecting them, and how they are doing their best to adapt by building on local knowledge and diversifying their livelihoods.
Climate Frontline is intended as a contribution to the ongoing discussions in advance of the Copenhagen summit on climate change next month in the hope that sufficient and reliable support will be provided for vulnerable communities.

To read or download the report visit www.climatefrontlineafrica.org

Or watch the climate frontline video.

Or request your own copy here.

“I believe that we have to solve the problems of reducing the carbon footprint of our homes in all sorts of innovative ways not only technical, but also personal, organisational and monetory.”

Greg Condliffe

Newbeck Cottage, Flower Lane, Amesbury is no ordinary house!  It is jammed full of innovative ideas for reducing its carbon footprint.  Architect Greg Condliffe, of Harnham, Salisbury was nominated by South Wiltshire Agenda 21 in this year’s Regen South West Green Energy Awards. Greg was runner-up in the housing category and was the only award winner from Wiltshire.

 Regen SW is the sustainable energy agency for South West England, funded by the SW Regional Development Agency.  Its mission is to speed up the transition to a low-carbon economy by unlocking sustainable-energy business opportunities, accelerating the uptake of the region’s renewable-energy resources and championing effective energy-demand-reduction initiatives in the region.  

Greg, who owns the firm Concrete Ideas, likes a challenge.  If he comes up against a problem he will find a solution even if this is unconventional and has never been tried before.  He also values the skills of his builders and uses their experience and ideas to enhance his own.  His philosophy is affordable sustainability, which will not cost the earth, can be easily replicated and retrofitted into existing buildings.

 Newbeck Cottage is a small, new home in a conservation area, built using lime mortar (making it recyclable).  It incorporates a range of carbon neutral technologies including:

• a novel rainwater harvesting system using a series of water-butts linked by a simple pond pump to a storage tank in the roof
• solar panels, which not only supply the hot water, but also enhance the under-floor heating system
• an air-heat recovery system supplying continuous fresh air, warmed in winter and cooled in summer, so removing the need for ventilation and consequent draughts
• insulation to the highest standards, including that made from recycled plastic bottles

All the plant is stored in the attic, making use of this waste space, and the controls are cleverly hidden behind a mirror in the bedroom.