If this email does not display as expected please click here to view it on-line
 |
May 2013 NewsletterA round up of news and views Want to learn a new skill? We can help you realise your dream - click here to find out more... Train line electrification - as a result of lobbying by the Bedwyn Trains Passenger Group and TM's Transport Group, the government's Department for Transport tasked ARUP Consultants to do a 'Benefit: Cost' analysis of electrifying the line between Newbury and Westbury. Their results suggest that it would be highly beneficial to electrify the section between Newbury and Bedwyn (to avoid the imposition of a shuttle service) but not as far as Westbury. Unfortunately their BC ratio was based on the current pathetic service that operates between Newbury and Westbury, rather than on a massively improved service that could have linked us with Bath and Bristol at least once an hour! Our new Bedwyn Bus-Train Link timetables - are now available on the Marlborough Town Council website. You can down-load them here... 400 parts per million - this level of CO2 has not been present in the atmosphere since mid-Pliocene, 2 to 4 million years ago, when the average temperature was 2-3 degrees higher than it is today and 3-toed horses were around. Parliament is due to vote on the Energy Bill on 3rd June - will they vote to limit GHG emissions to 100g CO2/kWh by 2014? Find out more, here... How much CO2 is your house emitting? - Permaculture Course participants estimated the amount of CO2 that was being emitted by their houses by looking at the number of kilowatt hours of energy they had consumed over the past year. The results were startling - the amount of CO2 that is emitted from burning oil is 2-3 times more than that emitted from burning gas or consuming electricity, per kWh. Nick's wood pellet boiler gave by far the best result, as it emits only a quarter the amount of CO2 compared with gas. However, we can all reduce our CO2 emissions by increasing the insulation of our homes, thereby reducing demand for energy. Find out more, here... 'Do the Math' - 12 of us stalwarts joined in the recent world-wide viewing of this 350.org movie that documents the 'divest from fossil fuels' campaign that is sweeping US university campuses. It provoked a great deal of discussion between us, in the Bear Hotel and we resolved to look more closely at the investment policies of our banks, pension funds and faith-based organisations. Find out more here... Improving the cycle racks in Marlborough High Street - unfortunately our new town councillors voted against siting these racks in free, car parking spaces outside Polly Tea Rooms and across the road, in front of Valentinos, read more here... An on-line survey is now being prepared with the help of the CTC Cycling Charity, so residents can express their views. In the meantime, you can sign the CTC 'Get Britain Cycling' e-petition here... Bee, butterfly and moth-friendly plant give-away! - The Permaculture Group are planning yet another plant give-away in the Communities' Market this Sunday 2nd June. Come and grab a seedling in return for a small donation to TM.
Thanks
The Transition Marlborough team
News and other information can be found at our Blogs  Subscribe to Newsletter |