Sustainable Charlbury

http://wychnet.org/events/the-age-of-stupid

Filmmaker Franny Armstrong, Director of “McLibel” and “Drowned Out”, explains
how she raised £450,000, didn’t get kidnapped in Nigeria and persuaded Pete
Postlethwaite to star in her new climate change-epic, “The Age of Stupid”.

Franny will show exclusive preview clips from the film, which will be released in the summer.

8pm, Wednesday 28th May
Ramsden Village Hall, OX7 3AU

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=OX73AU

The discussion will be followed by refreshments. Entry is free, and advance
booking is not required, but you should arrive by 7.30pm to be sure of a seat.

For more information please contact sof@wychnet.org.

We have organized a tractor and trailer tour of this beautiful farm, which practices many conservation techniques. You will be able to see how willow is grown as a biomass crop, and solar and wind power in action. The tour itself will cost £6.50 and the farm also offers a selection of homemade cream teas. To book a place or for more information contact Tim Crisp on 810 716 or email tcrisp.wb@virgin.net.

‘The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream’. Come along to this critically acclaimed documentary at 7.30pm in The Cornbury Room at The Bell. Tickets £3, available on the door. Refreshments available from the bar. The film will be followed by a brief discussion.

The 2nd CRAGs meeting will be held on Monday 17th March at 7.30pm in the Bentley room of the Bell Hotel. This is an opportunity to discuss any issues arising from the last meeting and to answer any technical questions about using the Carbon Account.

At 8pm on the 29 March millions of people around the world will use the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

Mark your calendar and join WWF and our partners in the global “Earth Hour” movement by turning your lights off from 8-9 p.m. on March 29.

But there’s much more to Earth Hour than the one-time event. Visit www.earthhour.org to see how you can make Earth Hour a part of your everyday life and find out ways to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions.

You can take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced. Join the Earth Hour movement now at www.earthhour.org

Where Will the Lights Go Off?
Anyone can get involved and individuals around the world will be shutting the lights off in their homes and businesses. In addition, major participation is planned in 25 cities, on six continents, including Chicago, San Francisco, Copenhagen, Sydney, Manila, Tel Aviv, Bangkok, Dublin and Toronto. Find out more about what’s happening in these cities or get your town or local community involved.

Go to www.earthhour.org and sign up to create a bigger, better Earth Hour, and reduce your impact on climate change.

Thank you for switching your lights off and making a statement for planet Earth.

Sincerely,

James P. Leape
Director General
WWF International

Jon Hallé, co-founder of Goldenfuels, the Oxford-based biodiesel co-
op will be giving a down-to-earth introduction to biodiesel:

- Why biodiesel is a great solution if done right
- Why biodiesel is an awful idea if done wrong
- Exactly how and why biodiesel is being done wrong
- Exactly how and why we can do it right
- How can you run your car on chip fat

There will be an opportunity to ask questions about your own vehicle, 
biodiesel manufacture or renewable fuels in general.

Wednesday 13 February, 8pm
Ramsden Village Hall, OX7 3AU

Followed by discussion and refreshments.
Free entry, no advance booking required.

A night of poetry and performance in the Shed. Come along this Saturday, doors 7.30, entry 2 pounds, crisps provided, BYOB!

As part of Sustainable Charlbury, we are holding a meeting to see if there is any interest in starting a Charlbury Carbon Rationing Action Group (CRAG). To find out more about ‘CRAGs’ go to the main website. CRAGs only measure direct emissions - domestic energy, transport (vehicles and some public transport) and flights. The exact details (such as whether people should pay a fine if they exceed their ration) are all up for discussion, and there’s no ‘right way to do it’. So if you’re interested, please do get in touch.

Thursday 29th November, 8pm, Ramsden Village Hall

Whychwood Lecture Series: ‘Transport and the Hydrogen Economy - part of the solution to global warming’

There are no magic bullets to solve our global crises; the solutions are to be found through synergies between multiple technologies and policies. If we want to achieve, sustainably, the degree of mobility that the ‘20th century personal freedom machine’ has granted us, energy efficiency will be orders of magnitude more important than any other metric. The future will involve a greater variety of vehicle technologies and fuels than that with which we have become accustomed. There will be niches for biofuels from waste streams and battery electric vehicles but for vehicles comparable in range,
performance and versatility to a conventional family car - intercity capability - the only viable technology on the horizon is hydrogen fuel cells.

By Hugo Spowers.
Followed by discussion and refreshments.
Free entry, no advance booking required.

Please contact us for more information:
sdyson@wychwoodnetwork.org.uk

This is a list of ideas that came out of the meeting on 6th November 2006.

• Name & Shame 4×4 drivers.
• Car survey promoting range
• Insulate roof
• Wider selection of low-energy lightbulbs available locally. Stocked at Coop?
• Commit to reducing flying (for pleasure)
• More regular farmers’ markets
• Move market to Market St (pres = Church St)
• Community car hire
• Local jobs – range of skills
• Carbon budgets, make commitments to reduce CO2
• Home energy audit
• Wind farm
• Insulation advice
• Car-pool. Website or bulletin board for (car) sharing
• Schools organic garden
• Reduce plastic bags
• Infra red map of Charlbury
• Organic waste paper
• Recycling survey- action
• Community heating
• Gifford Trust building to be carbon neutral
• More trees
• Turn down heat
• Cut car use: buses and railway
• Accurate information/guidance: energy consultant
• Reusing appliances
• Experiments to demonstrate 90% reduction
• Community composting network.
• Buddying up/trials/info exchange
• Green energy suppliers
• Reduced commuters/traffic
• Wear a vest
• Variety
• Better health – walking bus
• Cheaper
• Self sufficiency
• Slower
• Value local
• Community Action Group
• Re-usable bags
• School veg growing scheme
• Roadside give-away day/Freecycle
• Cost of flying too cheap
• Renewable source of log fuel locally.
• Use cold water more often
• Shopping locally: butcher