Oxfordshire Climate Action News and Resources

News

Al Gore, Gary Neville or Cheryl Cole- who would you trust on climate change?

A survey commissioned by Climate Week suggests celebrities can help to communicate climate change. Check the Guardian website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2011/jan/10/climate-change-celebrity-power-survey

December 2010 coldest on record for UK, but globally 2010 is another warm one.

Provisional figures from the Met Office suggest that December 2010 was the coldest December on record for the UK as a whole, with a mean temperature of -1 degree celsius, compared to the long-term average of 4.2 degrees celsius. More information can be found at: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2011/cold-dec. While 2010 look likely to be a colder year than average for the UK, this is in marked contrast to the global temperature, which looks set to show 2010 as one of the warmest on record: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2010/pr20101202b.html

December round-up of what's happening in the World of Transition

Including a transition favela in Brazil.

http://transitionculture.org/2011/01/07/a-december-round-up-of-what%E2%80%99s-happening-out-in-the-world-of-transition

Why dire climate warnings boost scepticism

Undermining belief in a fair world may mean that climate warnings go unheeded. The use of dire predictions to encourage action on claimte change may be backfiring and increasing doubt that greenhouse gases from human activities are causing global warming. That's the message of a new report on the website of nature magazine: www.nature.com/news/2011/110104/full/news.2011.701.html

Resources

New book: The No Nonsense Guide to Climate Change

Written by Oxford resident Danny Chivers, who says the book 'goes through the science step by step in non-technical language, explaining the key evidence and debunking common misconceptions.' It covers climate targets, solutions, history, politics and the way forward, with top tips on how you can go beyond recycling and lightbulbs and actually change stuff for the better, all in one handy guidebook.

The book hits the shops in March, but you can read the first chapter for free and/ or order an advance copy from the New Internationalist website here: http://www.newint.org/books/no-nonsense-guides/climate-change-2011

Green Living Blog

Green Alliance's Green Living theme will focus through the Green Living Consortium. This coalition aims to help government understand how it can enable and encourage people to live greener lives.

Two recent ones: 'Rail fares up by 13% but war on motorists 'over''

http://greenlivingblog.org.uk/2011/01/07/rail-fares-up-by-13-but-war-on-motorists-over

And Through the Keyhole, eco-style:

http://greenlivingblog.org.uk/2011/01/13/through-the-keyhole-eco-style

You'll never confuse climate and weather again

Great Armstrong and Miller clip- both funny and educational http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQIHaGhYoF0

Royal Forestry Society Climate Change Fact Sheets

As part of the celebration of the 2011 United Nations International Year of Forests, the RFS has commissioned a series of 9 one-page fact sheets all about trees and the role they play in modifying the global climate. These resources are free to download from this website: http://www.rfs.org.uk/node/552

Communities

Low Carbon Oxford North

LCON invites you to its 3rd public meeting to be held at St. Margarets Institute, 30 Polstead Road, Tuesday 25th January @ 7.30 for a 7.45 start. There will be expert speaks on car clubs, car sharing and climate change. And an opportunity to join LCON.

Transition Eynsham Area Photo-voltaic (PV generation) project

The Energy Group's contribution to bringing about the Transition to a truly sustainable Eynsham and surrounding area is to reduce energy waste and increase the proportion of that energy generated without the use of fossil fuels. One project we want to pursue is the increased use of Solar PV panels, either on houses or larger buildings.

Green TEA also want to set up a 'co-operative enterprise' in which local people can invest smaller sums and install PV panels on larger buildings, sharing costs and income with building owners. This way we will increase the amount of energy generated locally without using fossil fuels. Contact Richard Andrews: 01865 880106.

Eco-Renovation

Upcoming Eco-renovation Info Sheets- your thoughts wanted

ClimateX will be producing 5 info sheets on eco-renovation subjects in the next few months. The sheets will summarise the main issues, answer some of the tricky questions and signpost to more detailed and relavant local information (for example case studies, local suppliers etc.). Your input would be appreciated to ensure we're covering the main topics in the detail required, and to suggest any of your top information sources- go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NGLC3R5

Thermal Imaging Exhibition

Sustainable Wallingford are having an exhibition of our thermal images on 25 and 26 February in St. Mary's Church in Wallingford. They will be available to view all day on Friday 25th. And on Saturday 26th we will have some members there to answer questions from 10am- 2pm.

Oxfordshire Ecorenovation 'Open Eco-homes 2011'

If you have a home with some interesting eco-features, whether a full eco-renovation or some specific features, we invite you to share it with others in a smaller 'eco-homes' format. Info at: malcolmcro@aol.com

Subscribe to the eco-renovation mailing list

Subscribe by sending a blank email to this address: oxfordshire_eco-renovation-subscribe@maillist.ox.ac.uk

Events

'Riding the Perfect Storm', Linacre Lectures 2011

27th January- 10 March, Thursdays @ 5.30pm, Sir Martin Wood Lecture Theatre, Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, Parks Road (opposite Keble College)

27 January: World on the Edge- when will the Big Bubble Burst; Lester R Brown, President, Earth Policy Institute
3 February: Sink or Swim? Chasing water security in changing climates, Professor David Grey, visiting professor in Water Policy, Oxford University
10 February: Scratch n Sniff: emerging infections, why so many? Professor Angela McLean, co-director, Institute for Emerging Infections, Oxford University
17 February: The Biodiversity Crisis: will we turn the corner or go over the precipice? Dr Simon Stuart, chair, Species Survival Commission, International Union for the Conservation of Nature
24 February: The Food Security Challenge: will current institutions provide adequate shelter from the gathering storm? Professor Tim Lang, City University, London
3 March: A Globally Sustainable Energy System: the economic and politics of the transition. Professor Paul Elkins, Energy Institute, University College London
10 March: Question Time 2030. Panel discussion, panel TBC

Further Approaches to Leadership for Climate Change and Sustainability

22 January. A day school @ Ewert House, Summertown, Oxford which examines different models of leadership and some of the skills needed to become an effective, generative and authentic leader. Course cost £50. Jane Corbett, University of Oxford.

One Million Climate Jobs- Public Meeting

25 January 7.30pm @ Council Chamber, Oxford Town Hall. With Mark Bergfeld (National Union of Students), Jonathan Neale (Editor, One Million Climate Jobs), David Ricketts (UNITE Community and Youth Workers Union) and Craig Simmons (Oxford Green Party).

This is the Oxford launch of the One Million Climate Jobs report (available here: www.climate-change-jobs.org), organised by the Campaign Against Climate Change and Oxfordshire Anti-Cuts Alliance.