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December 2012 NewsletterA round up of news and views Bulk-buying Organic and Fairtrade wholefood - The Food Group is keen to set up more wholefood bulk-buying groups in order to support ethical trading, cut food miles and reduce excessive packaging. Group members have also pledged to donate some of their purchases to the Trussell Trust's Food Bank in order to help local families in need. If you would like to join one of the bulk-buying groups or start one in your own neighbourhood, please click here... for more information. The more people that sign up, the more food we can donate! Outcome of Doha COP 18 - The Kyoto Protocol will limp on, with no new targets and without the support of either Canada or the USA. No new agreement is in sight until after 2020. The world is now on course for a 4°C temperature rise, with Honduras, Nicaragua, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan and El Salvador facing more extreme weather events. Read what the US Union of Concerned Scientists say here... You can check out the review of the latest scientific paper on melting sea ice in the Arctic, here... Shale Gas - some Ministers say that it will bring down gas prices, however scientists from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research state that if just 20% of the reserves identified under Lancashire were to be extracted and burnt, this would result in emissions of over 2,000 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, representing around 15% of the Government’s greenhouse gas emissions budget through to 2050. Click here to read their report. Find out more about the Fracking process and watch the video, here... Energy security - however Shale Gas could also contribute to improved energy security and increased use of gas could displace our current high use of coal. Research carried out by the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) and others has shown that exploration is necessary to assess the shale gas resource in the UK, monitor the environmental impacts of drilling and assess the effectiveness of the existing regulatory regime: read more here. The issues around energy security are also not widely understood, indeed four out of five people have never even heard of the term: read more here about recent UKERC research. Climate Pledge Activists' flashmob in Marlborough High street - shoppers were urged to write to Claire Perry MP, calling on her party to commit to de-carbonising electricity by 2030 to reduce extreme weather events, as advised by the government's own Committee on Climate Change. Add your voice by copying and pasting our message to Claire Perry from here... Should company's listed in the City of London be obliged to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions potential? - This would help directors to fulfil their duty to report on what might affect the future performance of their company and flag up risks for investors. Boards should be required to explain how their business model is compatible with future scenarios. Directors should be required to explain what level of climate change they are assuming in their strategy and which technologies they assume will be in place by what date. For example, we need to know whether the management of mining and oil companies currently assume that the world will continue on the pathway to 6°C of warming. Read more of Caroline Lucas's controversial House of Commons speech and the Environment Minister's paternalistic response here... Do you have a small garden? - Read Lorna's blog on Container Gardening, here... Are you praying for a better apple harvest next year? - Join in the ancient tradition of Wassailing, with your lantern, pan-lid and wooden spoon, at 4pm on Saturday 5th January, in the Priory Gardens. Mulled cider and apple juice will be served in St Mary's Church afterwards.
Merry Christmas and a Low Carbon New Year!
The Transition Marlborough team
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