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Category: climate change

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A peat bog
Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I hope you have seen the campaigns to stop using peat. This post explains why these are very important.

A quote from a Guardian article how saving peatlands could help save the planet:

Unlike rainforests or coral reefs, peatlands have largely been ignored by researchers and policymakers, to the extent that we don’t even know where all of the world’s peatlands are.

To see how important it is for Britain I am using the excellent   CAT’s Zero carbon Britain report. In particular section 3.6.3 Capturing carbon. The following diagram show where we currently store carbon. This shows how important peatland is a and how much more is can store pre arce compare to woodland and other land use.

Peatlan can store many time more carbon than forest.

As Plantlife point out

A loss of only 5% of UK peatland carbon would be equal to the UK’s annual greenhouse gas emissions

IUCN UK Peatland Programme (2011), Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands: Summary of Findings, October 2011

So, to save the planet rather than planting a tree restore or create some peatlands.

You can plant a tree as well.

And STOP using Peat.

So, it you want Carbon Capture and Storage, create peatlands rather relying on untested technology to store C02 under the North Sea were it will probably leak.

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A poster for the event. Positive sustainable Actions In Malvern What we can do What we must do What Cop26 Climate Conference needs to Achieve Find out more about sustainable initiatives in Malvern and the surrounding area, interest group discussions and ways We welcome new ideas and more local initiatives. Working together we can make the necessary changes and move towards zero carbon lifestyles

A Transition Malvern Hills Event

22nd October 2021 Malvern Cube, Albert Road North, Malvern.  WR14 2YF

Doors open 7.30pm

Transition Malvern Hills is bringing together voluntary groups whose work contributes to Carbon Reduction and Biodiversity

This Event is about taking action. It will give everyone present the opportunity to find their way of increasing their contribution to the extremely urgent tasks we face with the 2 connected challenges of reducing our Carbon Footprint and reversing mankind's devastating impact on Biodiversity.

We know governments and the business community have the major role to play and the public's campaigning is piling the pressure on. We also know we can all make a significant difference with changes in our lifestyle most of which have significant gains for us personally. Many of the changes we need to make are made much easier if community based structures are created to help us. This evening will focus on how we can volunteer to take action both in our lives and helping others with these enabling community structures. Some examples of these already created are the Repair Café, The Car Share Club, Energy Coop and many more will be at the event.

What are the next initiatives that we can create in the Malvern Area?

What action can we take in our lives?

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Transition Malvern Hills will be having an event at the Cube on the evening of 22nd October. One of the themes of this event is "What Cop26 Climate Conference needs to Achieve".

In preparation for this event and COP26, Transition Malvern Hills is asking you what do you want from COP26.

To let us know please fill out this form or email COP26@transitionmalvernhills.org.uk.

Here is some of the input we have already had.

 I want this government and COP26 to back green businesses and stop backing big corporations who seem to be interested more in their profits and dividends to shareholders than the impact they have on the environment and on the people they employ - often paying low wages - except to their CEOs and others at the top of course! We need to turn round our reliance on fossil fuels, plastics, and many poisonous chemicals that come out of the fuel industry.

G M

As an 84 year old I should not be concerned about climate change, but as a responsible citizen I recognize and support the urgent need for immediate action by all political parties and individuals, if the world as we know it is to be preserved for future generations.

B O

My thoughts are for three things:
i) Tax aircraft fuel
ii) Stop cheap "red" diesel for farmers, construction etc.
iii) To review and start looking at Green Economics instead of the of control capitalism.
I am not an economist so the last one may be badly worded inappropriate but we need to change the financial system!

W M

Stop relying on unproven technologies to halt climate breakdown and invest in proven technologies. STOP investing in industries that contribute to climate break down.

I C

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COP26, is the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference. Also know as 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. It is to held in Glasgow between 1 and 12 November 2021. For more details see Wikipedia

Under the Paris Agreement, countries submitted Intended nationally determined contributions, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to a "business as usual" scenario. Under the framework of the Paris Agreement, each country was expected to submit enhanced nationally determined contributions every five years, to ratchet up ambition to mitigate climate change. Since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the conference of 2020 was set to be the first iteration of the ratchet mechanism. This has been delayed to 2021 due to the pandemic.

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COP26 will be a test of the willingness of all nations to live up to the promises they made to all people of the world in the Paris Agreement – especially to those most vulnerable and to future generations. Promises to take the following action on the climate crisis:

  • Mitigation – to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
  • Adaptation – to enable communities to adapt to climate change, particularly through financial support to those who need it most.
  • Loss and damage – to address the social, cultural, and economic losses and damage caused by impacts now and in the future, including irreversible losses from climate change.

More than five years on from Paris, there has been progress, but there is still a long way to go to fully implement the Paris Agreement. COP26 must ensure the Paris Agreement is made real.

This year the number of extreme weather events has shown how urgent all of this is. A small subset of these events are

COP26 is the moment for countries to update their plans 

The run up to this year’s summit in Glasgow is the moment when countries update their plans for reducing emissions. 

But that’s not all. The commitments laid out in Paris did not come close to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, and the window for achieving this is closing. 

The decade out to 2030 will be crucial. 

So as momentous as Paris was, countries must go much further than they did even at that historic summit in order to keep the hope of holding temperature rises to 1.5 alive. COP26 needs to be decisive.  

“WE need to be lobbying our local councils, District Councils, County councils, our MP’s and central Government to put climate change in all their decision making processes.  The main goal when making decisions on housing, transport, food and infrastructure should be about reducing carbon in the first instance.   We do have the forward thinking technology to make the necessary changes, by 2030, that will result in a reduction in our emissions while ensuring a positive future for this country and beyond, this can only be achieved with all countries working together.  This is our last chance of preventing runaway climate change, it can and must be done NOW.”

Ginny, Chair Transition Malvern Hills

See also https://www.theclimatecoalition.org/cop26

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On Saturday 12th June 2021 we gave a talk entitled "Climate Break Down what can I do" at the Hellens Garden festival.

The diagram used during that talk are here.

The main sources for this talk were

If you require more information please contact us.

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Over the last 13 years Transition Malvern Hills has been creating and supporting low energy local initiatives to help combat the challenges that climate change is bringing.  We were listening to the scientists from around the world then and for many decades beforehand, Climate Change along with destruction of our biodiversity has been recognised around the world as the biggest threat to mankind.

Transition Malvern Hills now need more action to be taken at County Council level, without this joined up thinking the efforts of our local authorities, such as district, town and parish councils as well as the dedicated work of the local green groups, is being undermined by lack of real action at County level.  Worcestershire County Council, by declaring a Climate Emergency and getting on board with our local groups, will fundamentally help build the foundations of a truly biodiverse and low carbon county.  

Transition Malvern Hills supports the Climate Emergency Motion that will be put forward at the Worcestershire County Council meeting on Thursday 15th July 2021.

Can those who live in Worcestershire please email your Worcestershire County Councillor to ask them to support the motion. To find your Councillor go to https://worcestershire.moderngov.co.uk/mgFindMember.aspx. Below is a suggestion for the contents of the email.  Add your address so they know you live in their division.

Dear Councillor,

I write to you as my county councillor, and I am asking you to support the Climate Emergency Motion put forward at the Worcestershire County Council meeting on Thursday 15th July 2021.

The IPCC has indicated that by 2025 humans will have emitted sufficient CO2 to increase the global temperatures by 1.5°C by 2100, and we are on course to exceed 1990 average temperatures by over 2°C. This will be catastrophic for communities locally and globally, leading to a breakdown in many of our ecosystems. While the UK has made great strides in reducing our emissions from the electrical grid, and has set ambitious targets to reduce our overall emissions by 78% by 2035, our actions now need to go further in many other areas to meet these challenges.

With over three quarters of English councils now having declared a climate emergency, there is clearly a strong wave of support for tackling climate change. As a resident of Worcestershire, I want to see us join this positive approach to tackling our changing climate.

And with these challenges, come great opportunities. Tackling climate change can bring communities together, re-designing urban landscapes that improve our physical and mental health, ensuring we overcome issues of pollution while improving our natural landscape. As our climate warms there is the real risk of our much loved local countryside changing beyond recognition. We must be proactive to prevent these changes. Working with our parishes, districts and young people, the county can, if it chooses, lead the way in community led landscape preservation.

There are also economic benefits: Creating new local jobs to improve energy efficiency of our housing stock, which will reduce fuel poverty in the county. With Opportunities to harness local energy supplies, the Utilising solar, wind and hydro power potential across the county, the county could produce clean energy that can create an income for us all, not just energy firms. Some councils are already investing in energy production to keep council tax low and help provide the increase in electricity we are going to need as we move away from fossil fuels.

This is a real opportunity to show our practical commitment to climate change. Lead the way rather than follow other councils. Create job opportunities and economic benefits for all. We can help preserve our beautiful county, ensure our communities are safe and green for future generations, while also helping ensure better health (physical and mental) for our children and grandchildren.

I hope you will support the motion and help lead the change we need to be in order to protect the great county of Worcestershire.

Yours Sincerely,

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Climate Assembly UK’s report

On the 10th of September 2020 the first UK-wide citizens’ assembly on climate change published its final report , setting out a clear, internally consistent and timely path for how the UK can reach its legally binding target of net zero emissions by 2050.

This report did not get the publicity it deserves.

The report is available here. This well worth a read.

The citizens’ assembly was set up by six Select Committees of the House of Commons.

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Worcestershire Active Travel Partnership

Transition Malvern Hills recognises the importance and benefits of encouraging active travel. That’s why we agreed to support Worcestershire Active Travel Partnership’s  ‘We Walk, We Cycle, We Vote' campaign. They’re trying to make sure that the next County Council with its transport, public health and environmental responsibilities gives a higher priority to encouraging and making it easier and safer to walk and cycle rather than drive for more of our shorter journeys. The next County Council elections take place on 6 May. Candidates standing in Worcestershire have been polled and those who have responded to express their support for active travel can be found on the Worcestershire Active Travel website at https://sites.google.com/view/worcestershireatp/responses Perhaps something to consider when deciding who to vote for.

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Manchester based Carbon Co-op is an energy services and advocacy co-operative that helps people and communities to make the radical reductions in home carbon emissions necessary to avoid runaway climate change.

They have held a series of webinars on retrofitting homes to reduce their carbon footprint. They have now released records of the webinars here. I would recommend the one on "People Powered Retrofit – a neighbourhood model for new retrofit markets"