Global issues, local action Print E-mail
Saving the planet begins at home. Andrew McCloy explains how concerned communities are taking environmental concerns seriously and doing something  about them. As the reality of global warming sinks in and the enormity of the challenge becomes apparent, political dithering and inaction has led to a growing, grassroots support for our beleaguered planet. Backed by NFWI, a broad-based coalition of interests called Stop Climate Chaos is looking to build up a popular momentum for political action to counter climate change.

Thanks to cheaper air travel, ever more sophisticated technologies and global markets, the world seems a much smaller place these days, but with a growing ecological imbalance evident for all to see, we're being forced to look at how our own individual actions fit into the wider picture.

Through the NFWI's 90@90 initiative, the organisation supports a range of projects to help more than 200,000 members reduce their impact on the planet and live in a more environmentally friendly way.

The WI has joined a campaign called Global to Local which has launched a series of schemes designed to improve the health of the planet, including car-sharing clubs and setting up EcoTeams (see below). Whether it's campaigning against excess packaging and the scandal of food waste, or encouraging everyone to compost, the NFWI believes that we should all take responsibility for our own actions. So what are communities already doing on their own patch?

Last spring the NFWI, with the help of sponsorship by Marks & Spencer, embarked on an ambitious initiative called the Carbon Challenge, encouraging people to live their lives more sustainably and so reduce their so-called carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of a person, household or community is simply a measure of the impact that human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.

An individual's carbon footprint will be calculated according to your amount of personal car usage and air travel, how you get to work, and so on, while a household's will take into account factors such as the sort of heating used - fossil fuels like coal or gas, or less harmful renewables, such as solar panels or a wind turbine. Plus points will include efficient insulation, recycling 'grey' (used) water and shopping locally to avoid unnecessary car journeys.

Down with CO2

Already there are whole communities examining their carbon footprint and looking to reduce their impact on the environment. The Cheshire village of Ashton Hayes [PIC] is aiming to become the first in England to achieve carbon neutral status, whereby their collective carbon dioxide output is offset via a co-ordinated green approach and their carbon footprint reduced to zero.

"We want our children and future generations to know that we tried to do our bit to stem global warming and also encourage other communities to follow suit," says project co-ordinator Garry Charnock. "Our aim is to encourage everyone in our community to think about how their way of life affects their impact on climate change and to help people to understand how simple actions can make a big impact on CO2 emissions into the atmosphere."

Launched early in 2006, the 1,000-strong community engaged five Chester University students to survey households' energy usage and calculate overall carbon emissions. Amid considerable media interest, and with support from a wide range of organisations including the local WI, community-wide initiatives include tree-planting and domestic energy surveys, as well as experimental renewable energy saving demonstrations.

Another community project actively supported by the WI is examining a particular aspect of sustainability. In Bampton, Devon the local SPAR shop has joined forces with Bampton WI to find out how the village sources its food and the key role local stores play in village life. Called the Living Local community project, it will be examining all aspects of sustainable grocery shopping in Bampton and how the community as a whole can do more to promote a sustainable way of life. The results will be shared with the SPAR and WI networks in the form of a 'toolkit' that can be used by communities elsewhere.

Renewable energy

There are plenty of other examples of how people are taking the initiative and tackling climate change at a local level. A renewable energy project was established in the Dyfi Valley in Mid Wales as far back as 1998, thanks to support from, amongst others, Powys and Gwynedd County Councils, Snowdonia National Park and the Centre for Alternative Technology. With a decent slice of European funding, the Dyfi Eco Valley Partnership has helped set up a hydro electric unit on a local farm, installed solar panels at local schools and photo-voltaic (light-catching) panels in a social housing development, as well as establishing a community-owned wind turbine.

In Knoydart, a remote peninsula in north-western Scotland, a community-owned hydro-electric scheme supplies electricity to the village of Inverie, which because of its location is not connected to the National Grid. Meanwhile in North Yorkshire, Nidderdale High School and Community College at Pateley Bridge installed a wind turbine - the first in a UK school - to meet part of its energy needs and provide an educational resource both for pupils and the wider community.

A far more ambitious project has taken place at Ulverston, on the Morecambe Bay coast in south Cumbria. Baywind was established in the late 1990s as the first UK co-operative to own wind turbines. They raised a staggering £2 million through the sale of shares, almost half to local people, enabling the construction of six turbines that now supply 'clean' electricity to meet the needs of 1,700 homes. Baywind has gone on to establish the Energy Saving Trust, encouraging and advising other local communities to establish local energy projects.

What is clear from all these examples is that ordinary people and communities have decided to take action themselves. These are not Government-sponsored projects or the actions of profit-led big business. The wind-generating projects, for instance, are local, community-owned initiatives developed on a realistic scale that do not blot the landscape in the manner of giant commercial wind farms.

Whether it's local WIs investigating food miles or a village reviewing its energy consumption, global issues and local issues are inseparable if we are to ensure the long-term health of the planet.

Andrew McCloy is a freelance writer and secretary of Sustainable Youlgrave, a community environmental group based in his Derbyshire village.

EcoTeams examine lifestyle changes

Thanks to funding from Defra, the WI is establishing EcoTeams to give WI members the opportunity to learn about climate change and make lifestyle changes to reduce their impact on the environment. Groups of eight WI members, representing their households, meet once a month for four months to examine how they approach everyday issues such as water, energy, waste, transport and shopping. What simple yet effective changes can both benefit the planet and yet still save money? If you would like to find out more please contact Emily Boost on tel: 020 7371 9300 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Car sharing and car clubs

The NFWI's 90@90 has identified a clear concern amongst members at both the inadequacy of rural transport and the lack of access to a car in the daytime. A possible solution is the Carplus project, which will provide support and information to the WI federations interested in the idea of using car sharing and car club schemes (short-term hire of a car by community members) as a tool to tackle transport problems. Carplus is a national charity that promotes car sharing and car clubs as alternatives to private car ownership. They will run workshops to explore local transport issues and how car clubs and car sharing might work for individual groups. For more details call Emily Boost at NFWI on tel: 020 7371 9300 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

What can you do?

Organise a climate change speaker for a WI meeting. A national Speaker Network has recently been set up by Climate Concern UK, a campaign to increase public understanding of climate change issues. Any group can arrange a climate change talk or discussion by checking for a local speaker on the website at www.climate-speakers.org.uk or by phoning 01325 378452.

Further information
Pull Quotes
The carbon footprint of a person, household or community is simply a measure of the impact that human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced
The wind-generating projects are local, community-owned initiatives developed on a realistic scale that do not blot the landscape
 
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