Category: Climate

St Mary’s Climate Conference: 5 October

Think Global, Act Local: Practical Action to Fix our Planet is a free conference on Saturday 5th October from 10am to 3.30pm at St Mary’s Church Watford.
A chance to learn, get inspired and partner up to implement solutions to save our planet. Great speakers, seminars with expert practitioners and networking with local organisations.

To find out more and register please go to the event page here.

Join this years Great Big Green Week

Event and recruitment applications are now live!

The 2024 South West Herts Great Big Green Week (GBGW) will take place over the 8-16 June 2024 across Three Rivers and Watford.

We hope you will join us in putting on a celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. We want to bring together the breadth of amazing organisations working across the area, raise awareness of the work you do and highlight the changes that communities and individuals can make to help create a better tomorrow.

gbgw Event Applications
GBGW Hiring
Click here to Register to get all the latest GBGW updates

Get involved in 2024

What’s your New Years resolution?
Is it to:
  • try something new?
  • meet new people?
  • get out into nature more?
  • campaign?
  • make a positive difference locally?
  • reduce your impact on the environment?

If you have answered yes to any of the above why not have a look at the wide range of local groups in the links below covering everything from waste/ recycling/ nature/ volunteering/ travel & transport/ energy/ campaigning and so much more……….

Groups In Watford
Groups IN THREE RIVERS

We hope you find something you enjoy

A Green Christmas

Anna shares some green Christmas ideas

What is Christmas all about? Do you know what Christmas is synonymous with? Well…

At present an additional 30% of rubbish is being produced and discarded throughout the festive period, when compared with the rest of the year. This amounts to in the region of three million tonnes each year and is made up of:

  • 54 million platefuls of food
  • 500 tonnes of Christmas lights
  • 8 million Christmas trees
  • 108 rolls of wrapping paper
  • £42 million unwanted Christmas presents
  • 100 million black bags full of packaging from toys and gifts

If you are interested you can have a look at What is the Carbon Footprint of Christmas page for more information.

So… what can we all do to be a bit kinder on the environment this Christmas?

Click on the topics below for some thoughts and suggestions – enjoy (and sorry for the tenious links to the Twelve Days of Chistmas!)

Thinking of trees...

  • Real Christmas trees have significantly lower carbon footprints than an artificial trees, especially if it is disposed of properly, by chipping or burning. When buying one, check it’s sustainably sourced with a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification. Also buy local to reduce your tree’s carbon footprint.
  • If you choose an artificial Christmas tree then you would need to use this for around 10 years for its environmental impact to be lower than real trees, so keep reusing it.
  • Grow your own.

This turtle dove is bringing gifts home...

  • Be an ethical consumer in your choices – go organic, no electricity, less packaging, reusable, recyclable – think about getting gifts that have a lower carbon footprint.
  • Buy memories and experiences rather than objects.
  • Keep an eye out for suitable second-hand gifts and take a look at the eco-friendly ranges on sites such as Etsy and Ethical Superstore (there are loads of other ethical sites out there to suit all tastes) where you’ll find everything from soaps and kitchen utensils, to bird feeders and toys.
  • Get crafty and make your gifts.
  • Sometimes less is more!

Do you really need three French hens (or turkeys) for Christmas...

  • If you are stuck when choosing what to cook for your main course – turkey has a lower carbon footprint than beef, and vegetarian/vegan options are even lower than that. See some great ideas from Vegetarian Society and The Vegan Society.
  • If you choose a meat for Christmas, choose organic free-range meats and buy local.
  • Don’t overdo it on cheese – this has a very high carbon footprint.

Why not make your own calling birds decorations for your Christmas tree...

All that glitters is not gold. Some of it is in fact glitter...

  • Most glitters are made from plastic, which contributes to the growing problem of microplastics in the environment. 
  • They’re consumed by plankton, fish and birds, causing harm from the build up in their systems. 
  • Some research has also found that PET, the plastic most glitter is made from, can breakdown and release chemicals that can disrupt human and animal hormones. 
  • As a result, some scientists and campaigners are calling for a total ban on glitter.
  • So avoid glitter to make a great positive environmental impact!

With farmers up’ing production to meet demand (on geese and other things), food waste can be a big issue at Christmas...

  • Prepare the right amount of food for the number of people you want to feed.
  • Let people serve themselves the amount they want – food left in a serving dish can be eaten as left-overs the next day, whereas food left on plates will be binned.
  • Use your leftovers in the days after Christmas – if there is too much to eat then share it around or freeze for later.

You could join the swans

  • for some Christmas swimming or…
  • Reduce your carbon footprint by reducing your car use – opting for walking or cycling instead. 
  • Ramblers is a great resource if you’re looking for local walking groups or routes.
  • Also the Woodland Trust  has information on where to go for a frosty forest walk.

Milking all those cows takes a lot of energy – but being in the cow shed is warm – so let's think about the energy we use and how we stay warm...

  • Wear warm jumpers and draw those curtains
  • With a lot of people around and the oven switched on, keeping the house warmer means less heating needed.
  • So as not to have the oven on too long, once cooked turn the oven off and cover dishes and replace them in the oven – they will stay warm.
  • Switch off lights at night, especially outside.
  • According to Flipper, using incandescent light bulbs on your Christmas tree and around the home can cost up to 90 times more to power than LED bulbs, as 90% of the energy is wasted as heat. So a really easy and effective way to reduce your energy bills and help the environment is to switch all of your lights over to LEDs in the run up to the big day.
  • Plug a number of pieces of electrical equipment into a single extension socket so you can switch them all off overnight.

How many spinning tops do you need – the full nine so we have all the ladies dancing? If not, let's rethink Christmas crackers...

  • Get crackers with just jokes and hats.
  • Make sure they are made from recyclable materials, i.e. paper and cardboard.
  • Look for reusable options, many of which are made from fabric and you can fill yourself. Search online for designs to suit you.
  • Make your own crackers. Hobbycraft has some useful tips.

Thinking of leaping – I can see the kids and adults jumping around with the new Wii and Playstation...

  • If you are looking at buying electrical equipment such as TVs, lamps and fridges as a gift, then consider the energy use across their life span. More efficient equipment can sometimes cost more up front, but will save money from energy bills in the long run.
  • If you are getting a console for Christmas, then think of getting games that the family will all want to play. If several family members are together playing on the console, this means they are not all using different pieces of equipment, resulting in a lower carbon footprint.

I'm not quite sure how I'm going to wrap those eleven pipers – so going to get creative! Maybe...

  • Wrap them in a scarf.
  • Use a paper or fabric bag (I can then use these again).
  • Reuse a box and cover it in some classic brown paper (or reuse wrapping paper) tied up with string (with some natural decorations to spruce it up). Reducing the environmental impact as lots of wrapping paper contains plastic and glitter.

I don’t know about you, but I can feel drummers in my head after a round of Christmas shopping – with people rushing around and charging you out of the way for their choice of gift. So...

  • Maybe this year I re-wear what I have, or I could swap with friends or buy second-hand instead of buying new.
  • Reduce impulse buying of things that will go to waste.
  • Do I need those elf slippers or santa jumpers? 

Research from environmental charity Hubbub showed that, last year, Brits spent £2.4 billion on new clothing for Christmas, with the Christmas jumper being one of the worst examples of fast fashion. 

Two in five Christmas jumpers are only worn once over the festive season.

AND FINALLY

Do I need to do cards? Conscious that an unbelievable 1.5 billion Christmas cards are thrown away by UK households each year, according to Imperial College researchers. So maybe this year I need to think differently...

  • Send e-cards (sent online) as they cut your carbon footprint, save trees and save money.
  • Make my own.
  • Choose ‘plantable’ cards that are embedded with seeds. The biodegradable paper is then planted in a pot of soil and the seeds will grow, while the paper will eventually decompose.

Ask Three Rivers to move to No Mow

On 24th November at 7.30pm at the Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) chambers, the Independent Councillor, Alex Michaels, is putting forward his motion to reduce mowing of TRDC grassland. The IPCC, who’s scientific report the most recent COP 26 conference was based off, list loss of biodiversity as one of the key anthropogenic issues humanity needs to solve. If successful this motion will allow our small Council area, like many other Council’s have already done, to start bringing back some of that lost biodiversity.

The grasslands motion is set out below – if you are a TRDC residents please take the time to email your councillors with your views on this motion and, if free, attend the meeting itself.

A speaker from the local wildlife trust is supporting this motion and says: “Grassland is one of the most unique habitats for wildlife and pollinators in the UK. 97% of species rich grassland in Hertfordshire has been lost since the 1930’s and 48% of species associated with it have noticeably declined since 1970.”

The motion:

(1) Hertfordshire has predominately chalk bedrock

(2) Which often leads to conditions which support chalk meadows which have been called ‘the UK’s equivalent of rainforest’

(3) Of the total publicly owned land in the District TRDC owns circa 30%. TRDC resolves to look for opportunities to cease mowing up to 50% of the grassland it owns and manages and replace this with hay meadow management (cutting and clearing twice a year). This will exclude unsuitable areas such as football pitches, areas used for playgrounds (etc.) and include verges, areas in parks and all other areas which are mown and do not need to be mown for a specific recreational reason (e.g. football pitch, playground). This motion will aim to decrease grass cutting by up to 50% of TRDC owned land and achieve concurrent gains in biodiversity. Costs for the cut and lift will likely fall into two areas. Firstly, new equipment which may be paid for by cost savings, reduced mowing where possible, existing budgets or a request to P&R. Secondly disposal costs which should be mitigated by creating sacrifice areas wherever possible, or by sale to a biodigester (e.g. the plant at Royston). TRDC will aim to have a plan presented to LEC prior to April 2022, which will take into consideration biodiversity data gathered in the 2021 audit. TRDC will review relevant officers job descriptions within the Leisure department and ensure sustainability is incorporated to re-enforce this shifting outlook.

When emailing TRDC councillors please include your address (to show you are a resident) – and listed below are the contact details for TRDC councillors (please cc Sarah.Haythorpe@ThreeRivers.gov.uk in to your emails):

alex.michaels@threerivers.gov.uk

Phil.Williams@threerivers.gov.uk

Chris.Lloyd@threerivers.gov.uk

Roger.Seabourne@threerivers.gov.uk

Stephen.King@threerivers.gov.uk

Paula.Hiscocks@threerivers.gov.uk

Lisa.Hudson@threerivers.gov.uk

David.Major@threerivers.gov.uk

Debbie.Morris@threerivers.gov.uk

Alison.Scarth@threerivers.gov.uk

Jon.Tankard@threerivers.gov.uk

If you wish to attend the meeting you need to register in advance with committeeteam@threerivers.gov.uk

THANK YOU!

If you are interested – here are some great links on No Mow:

Road Verge wilding

Mowing in No Mow meadows

COP Day of Action

Watford and Three Rivers Friends of the Earth, as part of the COP Day of Action, organised a march through Watford – marching alongside over 100,000 people in Glasgow, with over 300 demonstrations taking place across the world on the same day.

Marchers called on the UK government to ACT NOW on climate action and end its support for fossil fuels during the UN climate talks.

The marchers carried messages to both global, national and local governments to do more NOW to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees and deliver real and fair solutions to the climate crisis.

With the messages including “Earth’s on fire” the march highlighted the current hypocrisy from the UK Government in claiming to be a world leader on climate whilst building new roads and runways, and continuing to support fossil fuels here and abroad.

Visit the following site to see marches across the UK :
https://cop26coalition.org/global-day-of-action-cop26-coalition-update/

Climate change and flooding in Watford

This month of May 2021 has been unusually wet, while April has been exceptionally dry. Last year (2020) saw the wettest ever October, and one of the driest ever for May. A predicted feature of climate change is more extremes of both dry and wet weather, and that is just what we are experiencing now. Flooding, severe storms and droughts are becoming more common.

If you are a gardener like me, you have probably noticed some months which need lots of watering cans, while other months the soil is waterlogged! It is something that we will need to get used to, as the impacts of climate change continue to increase. Over the past 12 months, we have seen flooding in Watford several times: in November at Lower High Street, and in January in Water Lane. Flooding events are only going to become more frequent. Better flood defences can help, but we also need to take action against climate change. That means avoiding fossil fuels, and generally living a sustainable lifestyle.

I took these photos of the flooding in February 2021.

Flooding in Water Lane – 1 February 2021

River Colne in flood – 1 February 2021

The Watford Observer reported the recent flooding events at these links.

Parts of Water Lane remain flooded and closed. 2nd February 2021

Watford flooding: Water Lane floods after heavy rain. 31st January 2021

Flooding across Watford as Environment Agency issues warning. 30th January 2021

Climate change ‘real reason’ for flooding in Watford. 25th November 2020

Where do your local candidates stand on saving the planet?

Watford and Three Rivers Friends of the Earth (also covering Hertsmere) asked candidates across the three areas for their views. We asked them how their role as a future councillor will play a part in tackling climate change locally.

Questions covered:

  • Climate Action Plans
  • Reducing pollution
  • Home energy efficiency
  • Local biodiversity and
  • How they will work for a climate ready and resilient local area 

Click here to find out what they had to say.

We look forward to working with the our local authority going forwards as a third of emissions are dependent on sectors directly shaped or influenced by local authority practice, policy or partnerships. Local councillors will therefore be key in delivering the regional and local place-based solutions to make the changes needed.

The Hertfordshire Environment Hustings

Organised by Friends of the Earth Groups from around Hertfordshire, The Herts Environment Hustings took place on 19th April. Chairman Nick Hazell put questions on issues of sustainability and the environment from the online audience to a panel consisting of:

  • Conservatives – Theresa Heritage, Derrick Ashley
  • Greens – Anni Sander, Nick Cox
  • Labour – Tina Bhartwas, Simon Speller
  • Liberal Democrats – Helen Campbell, Nigel Quinton

The whole hustings are covered in two podcasts:

Part 1 – The questions covered were (in this order, to make it easier if you’d like to find a particular response) https://radioverulam.com/podcast/listen-now-to-the-herts-environment-hustings-part-1/

  1. 2 minutes on the parties environmental policies for Hertfordshire
  2. We know that spending time in nature has significant benefits for our health and wellbeing, and that a diverse natural environment is essential to a sustainable economy. What steps will your party advocate to reverse the recent alarming decline in biodiversity in Hertfordshire, and ensure that everyone in the county has access to quality green spaces where wildlife and people can flourish?
  3. What would you do about public transport and how to get car owners out of their cars
  4. Lots of county council land will be released for house building. Would you ensure that all such houses will be carbon zero
  5. What measures would you take to reduce the amount of Hertfordshire’s waste which is incinerated or landfill

End of Part 1

Part 2 – https://radioverulam.com/podcast/listen-now-to-the-herts-environment-hustings-part-2/

  1. Do you feel that wide area 20mph limits have an important role to play
  2. Do you have any plans to communicate the importance and urgency of the climate crisis to the general public
  3. What are your views on the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill
  4. Is banning the use of herbicides and pesticides a priority to benefit the environment and the health of local people
  5. Do you believe in a halt in new road building
  6. The Herts Sustainability Strategy has no target for reducing the GHG emissions from the county other than the national target of net zero by 2050. Should there be a target and what should it be?
  7. What are you doing in your personal life to be more environmentally friendly?

The doorbell sound is the timer used to ensure that each party had the same amount of time.

Please excuse noise distortions dues to internet fluctuations.

FoE response to the HCC SHS

Local Friends of the Earth and Climate Action Groups in Hertfordshire response to the Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy

Friends of the Earth and Climate Action Groups across Hertfordshire have submitted the following response to the current consultation on Hertfordshire County Council Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14djjCqFKCsK7vExrdNxZ0WdLzcNBJeK6/view?usp=sharing

Our response welcomes the SHS, and we are pleased to see the commitment to making the council’s own operations net zero by 2030, and the recognition of the importance of tackling the decline in biodiversity as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

However, as currently drafted, we feel that there are areas of the SHS (and the associated action plan) that need to be significantly strengthened to meet the level of ambition that the current climate and ecological emergency demands, some key points being:

  • The SHS should include not only long term goals for 2030 and 2050, but also short to medium term goals against which progress can be monitored.
  • The current target in the SHS to achieve net zero carbon emissions for the county ‘before 2050’ is too weak and vague and should be replaced by a commitment to a 90% reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2040.
  • Targets for improving wildlife and biodiversity should be aligned with recommendations from the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to manage 30% of land area for the benefit of wildlife. This applies to both HCC’s own land and the county as a whole.
  • Targets for waste and recycling should aim to make the county a zero-waste area, where all “waste” material is minimised, reused or recycled (following a circular economy approach). Targets relating to landfill alone are not adequate.
  • The SHS recognises the importance of monitoring and scrutiny (page 4) but needs to set out more clearly how this will be done in a way that is robust and transparent.
  • A communication strategy needs to be developed as part of the SHS – not only to involve others in the development and delivery of action plans but to engage Hertfordshire residents and businesses with the climate and ecological emergency.

The SHS should commit HCC to lobbying the UK government for the resources and enabling actions it needs to deliver its objectives.