WEDNESDAY 16th JULY
SusCha Film Screening: DROWNED OUT
An award winning documentary by Franny Armstrong.
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Three choices. Move to the slums in the city, accept a place at a resettlement site or stay at home and drown.
The people of Jalsindhi in central India must make a decision fast. In the next few weeks, their village will disappear underwater as the giant Narmada Dam fills.
Bestselling author Arundhati Roy joins the fight against the dam and asks the difficult questions. Will the water go to poor farmers or to rich industrialists? What happened to the 16 million people displaced by fifty years of dam building? Why should I care?
DROWNED OUT follows the Jalsindhi villagers through hunger strikes, rallies, police brutality and a six-year Supreme Court case. It stays with them as the dam fills and the river starts to rise…

“Angry, compassionate, disturbing and yet empowering, it makes for urgent and necessary viewing.” Time Out (London)

Wednesday 16th July, Cornbury Room, back of the Bell Hotel, Charlbury.
Doors 7.30 for 8pm start, tickets £2 on the door.
Refreshments available from the bar.
Hope to see you there!

Wychwood CRAG launch party: THURSDAY 26th JUNE.
8-10pm, upstairs in the Corner House, Charlbury.

On the 26th June, we will be launching the Wychwood Carbon Rationing Action Group, but there’s still time to join before the launch!

What is a CRAG?
CRAGs are a growing network of community groups that are trialling carbon rationing as a means of lowering emissions. The groups work by deciding on a personal yearly carbon allowance that each member must try to stick within. They then meet regularly to discuss issues and offer each other support and ideas. In the Wychwood CRAG, we have agreed to try to reduce our personal carbon footprints to 4.5 tonnes each this year. If we go over this amount, we have all agreed to pay £15 per tonne, which will go into a central pot to be given to an agreed charity or local environmental scheme.

How do I join?
In order to make a pledge to reduce, you must first find out your current carbon footprint. In the Wychwood CRAG, we are using a new locally developed carbon calculator, The Carbon Account. Unlike other calculators which only estimate, this one uses your actual mileage and meter readings to give you an accurate figure which can be tracked over time. To register and join the Wychwood group, log on at wychwood.thecarbonaccount.com and begin entering your readings.

If you would like to join this sociable and experimental action group and start to really take action on climate change, email contact@sustainablecharlbury.org and come along for wine and live piano music at the launch on the 26th June.

I look forward to seeing you there!

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.