Missing duck of Wadhurst.

Transition funding nearly out for a duck.

A luke warm reception was given for Transition initiatives last night at the Parish Council meeting.

It seems that the Wadhurst parish councillors would rather discuss the missing duck than to offer their whole hearted positive support for making their local community more resilient to transition from carbon based society.

Despite some support for the new group;
“This is an organisation worthy of us getting it off the ground...” their actual grasp of how to help Wadhurst to a Transition economy and lifestyle was pretty unedifying.

They do not seem to have grasped the fact that we are all involved in Transition.
That it is not simply the Parish council’s role but moreover its duty to provide not only allotments for residents but also whole hearted support for community initiatives which will give added time to our children to react to the challenges of climate change.

The generally negative attitude was exemplified by one councillor who thought that the group had already spent the money and that were coming to them for help- which he did not think they should give! This patronising attitude was unfortunately widespread amongst them, as was their negative and unenlightened stance to Transition.

But apart from not getting their facts right, the majority of councillors have failed to grasp the real challenges that Transition from carbon based society will mean. The energy saving workshops and practical seed swopping workshops which Transition Wadhurst plan to run locally will offer real and practical help to local residents to shift towards a more resilient society and a community in which more people try to help each other.

Transition seems to be poorly understood by the Parish councillors, who fear it as a militant organisation bringing change. It is not a party political group nor is it affiliated to any political party but wants to involve a whole community. We face challenges. Perhaps I am more militant than other members of Transition and these are my own views.

Transition is a very worthwhile initiative, but only half of the councillors supported it to any significant degree. This is despite the fact that it is in our Parish Plan to support initiatives like this. This is also despite the fact that they have a moral duty to support their local community.

Rotary club Xmas lights, a twinning trip to France and other far “safer options” were given more financial backing and air time than what they saw as “political or controversial issues”; namely, an energy saving workshop run by the Energy Saving Trust and a local food growing/seed swopping workshop initiative.

The Vicar of Dibley springs to mind...Politics at the local level... arcane, negative and befuddled.

The result? Wadhurst PC voted several times with motions to halve the paltry amount requested for the practical workshops to a mere £200, at one point half of the councillors suggesting that they offer only the derisory sum of £100. Some even just a room for the venue or no other help whatsoever. I would expect more from the people I elected to represent me.

Yes, we certainly do seem to have a long way to go to gain true Parish Cpuncil backing.

Transition begins at the individual and local Parish level. But this is precisely the level at which administrators like our parish councillors simply can’t see the wood for the trees. While I think that at a National level we do have braod support, at the local level, the Parish level, we do not. They cannot seem to grasp that this is a cross party movement; nor that it is a positive move towards building community resilience. Nor, can they fully grasp the urgency of the action required. If our future society is to be faced with climate change and fuel poor, we will need to build local resilience into our communities. We will need Parish Councillors whole hearted sipport; we will need them on board. The best way is to start locally.

They would much rather discuss the missing duck, prevent speed limits from being imposed on dangerous roads and dwell on grass clippings’ removal.

Perhaps we should implement some of the 300 + suggestions from the first public meeting of 100 + residents of the village.
All grass verges should be replaced by communal winter salads, beetroots and courgettes.
Safe cycling for 1 mile on every road out from the village.
Zero carbon conversion for all public buildings in the village.

Is this too much to ask?


My own personal view is that perhaps we should start with an educational workshop for our own Parish Councillors to which I would expect every Councillor to turn up.
They have a duty to support and encourage the Transition team to lead the way.

Transition Wadhurst refused Parish Council grant.

Transition Wadhurst refused Parish Council grant.

So, Wadhurst Parish Council members have voted against supporting a community organization?

Do they realise that central government has to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050?

If so, do they have a road map of how the Parish council will reduce these CO2 emissions?

If not, then they will have to start to work with Transition Wadhurst or groups like us.

This is an initiative which is in the Public Interest and is well supported by over 100 + of the Wadhurst villagers, who elected the Parish Council to represent them.

The Parish Council have a responsibility to act in the Public interest.

If they cannot do so then they should retire and we should take their place.

It is obvious to anyone with half a brain that climate change is a political matter. Therefore, saying that this is political and so cannot be grant aided is rather ostrich like, and not at all helpful. It is political but it needs to be apolitical (cross party.)

Yes, there will criticisms of politicians from all parties. This is normal and this is democratic free speech.

We would suggest that if they are that worried about criticism then they should not stand for re election.

We do not wish to be political in conventional party terms. Everyone has a responsibility to try to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Transition Organisation is apolitical and cross party. This is its strength.

"A picture of happiness"

“ A picture of happiness” was just one of the workshops run on the New Economics Foundation “Interdependance Day” on 24th October, 2009 at Oxo Tower, London.

The NEF sees itself as;
“an independent “think and do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being... aiming to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environmental and social issues. (They) work in partnership and put people and the planet first.”

“So, the economy is in ruins...unemployment is still rising and we are running out of resources...we are at a cross roads and we need to start thinking about a way forward.”(Samaah Abullah, researcher, NEF)

So, where do we start?

We were asked us to remember a time in our life when we were really happy.

You can do this now. (Don’t look at the themes below the line of asterix yet if you want to think clearly of your own first.)

What was it that made you feel so happy? What are the themes? (Come up with your own- don’t look at the ones listed below for a moment.)
Also, what helped and what detracted from this personal happiness? (Put a + or a – next to them.)

Write them on different coloured paper hexagons, (orange paper hexagon for main themes, green paper hexagon for positive or negative influences.)

Now you could try to slot them together to see if or how they fit together.
This may help you to redress the balance in your life and perhaps to enable you to achieve greater personal happiness?

**********************************************************************************
The themes that our group felt brought us feelings of happiness were;
Achievement
Freedom and creativity
Relationships

Friends
Love
Nature
Spiritual

Other groups’ additional universal happiness themes were;
Peace and tranquillity
Support
Connections

Letting Go
Humour
Shared values

“Instant happiness”
Being what you are
Autonomy- freedom to do your own thing
Making a positive contribution

Community
Carefree time
People joining together

Excitement
Thrill and variety
Beauty

Learning
Empathy

Happiness differs for each individual as it is personal view and no two people are completely alike. Of course the list is different for different people. Not everyone wants to be creative, not everyone derives happiness from exciting pursuits or thrilling exploits! So, different groups came up with different ideas. Some people don’t like variety, whilst others relish change.
Some themes are shared by all people, (universal) whilst others are not. However, amongst all the themes, there are numerous common “threads” of experience; albeit, there are many different ways of achieving happiness.

So, can we blend our ideas and come up with some interlocking ones that will benefit each other?
That way we can perhaps help to rebuild a society in which people feel more included and not isolated. We were asked to think of things that would either help or detract from ability to achieve the above happiness themes.
We had to put a plus or a minus next to them.

The positive themes that PROMOTE the goals of happiness were;

Achievement
Good relationships
Peace

Compromise and balance
Collaboration
Individuality and autonomy

Focus
Trust
Confidence

Stress (+/-)
Resilience
Opportunity

Time (to think)
Positive thinking
Acknowledgement and acceptance

The negative themes that DETRACT from and prevent happiness goals are;

Stress(+/-)
Poverty
Isolation

Empathy ( +/-) ie. can be both a positive and negative force
Inequality(+/-)
Individuality (+/-)
Depression
Lack of confidence
Low self-esteem


The elephant in the room was, of course, money. Money and its role in happiness is very relevant.

Money acts as “a sort of points system, with status attached to people who gain money. It’s a symbol of power and is connected to positive self-esteem.” (Samaah Abdullah, New Economics Foundation)

Making lots of money is associated with thrill, status , addiction, achievement and other less tangible aspects of happiness, such as speed and excitement (an Investment banker.)

To date, happiness has been wielded into the argument for achieving economic success or power, to such an extent that we may sometimes forget what our goals originally were when we started out.

In view of the current economic crisis and rising unemployment, research into happiness is vital. This will enable the potential and talents of individuals to be unlocked, achieving happiness and improved quality of life for more people and arguably, a better society as a result.

You can join the growing debate on how we can measure and achieve happiness other than in economic terms.

We came up with the above list on Interdependance Day, which was organised by NEF.

You can add you comments below
or email researcher Samaah Abdullah at well-being@neweconomics.org

Landvision.

Use "grey water" not mains or "green"-Rainwater Harvesting systems and reduced CO2 emissions..

Use "grey water" not mains or "green"- rainwater harvesting and reduced CO2 emissions.

Dr Colin Green of Middlesex University points out that global warming causes increased variability of rainfall. (Pers. comm.)This impinges on water availability and in the driest regions this means increased water stress and shortages. South East England is under water stress already, with little rain in the last 8 weeks (since August.) Globally the picture is far worse, with desert conditions and droughts extending in extent and severity to cause serious food shortages.

In the UK, we use 500 litres of water a day per family, average personal use of water is 150 litres per person day, but this varies from 75-400 litres p/day. (Cath Hassell, Ech2o)
So, how can we act smart when water is in shorter supply?
How can our reduction in mains supply water also slow down global warming?

Firstly, we can prioritise water efficiency.
Second, we can reduce our water demands and thereby reduce water stress in dry periods.
Thirdly, use of mains water and the use of mains hot water are both linked to carbon emissions and global warming. How? More than 5% of greenhouse emissions are associated with the heating of water for showers and baths. Water is 5 times harder than granite to warm up, so if you leave the hot water tap running or have a leaky tap you are wasting water and energy. It takes 0.7 kg of CO2 emissions per 1m3 of mains water used. Worse still, it takes a massive 10 times that amount of CO2 though if you use 1m3 of hot water. (Jacob Tompkins,Waterwise.)
So, reduce hot water use and you cut your bills and CO2 emissions.
How?
1) Do you heat your bathroom by running a hot shower? Don’t- its wasteful in both water and energy terms and it increases CO2 emissions .
2) Understand how your water system works. Be curious.
3) Have a meter installed. Meters installed inside houses show up underground water leaks and you can then mend these quickly (Jacob Tompkins, Waterwise.)We only have 30% water metering in England; this is way behind Germany and other European countries.
3) Consider retro fitting dual flush toilets and slow flow showers.
4) Replace showers with fast water flow rates for showers with slower rates (less wasteful and less expensive to run.)Replace inefficient taps (- why have inefficient taps anyway?)
5)Use “grey water” instead of mains water for toilet flushing and garden irrigation.
What is “grey water”? It’s recycled rain water collected from roofs and gutters and channelled into water butts and rainwater harvesting tanks. Install several water butts.
You can collect all the grey water you need for your garden – that way you won’t need to use “green” (cleansed and pumped) mains tap water for irrigation and garden watering or for flushing toilets.
“Grey water” collected from water butts and rainwater harvesting tanks are sufficient for garden watering. This helps relieve water shortages and water demand at peak times of drought.
5) Next time you re plan/build an extension/ undertake any changes to your house/your office add a rainwater harvesting tank and pump. Creative landscape design can disguise this.
So, intelligent water use can save you money on your mains/fresh water bills and on your waste water bills. It will also help water attenuation, slow and reduce storm water flows, reducing flooding. Plus, you gain your very own water source for the garden and flushing toilets. What could be better than that?
We waste 150 litres of water per day. 1/3 of our green water is used for flushing down toilets – when grey water could do that job. 1/3 is used for showers and baths; 1/3 is used for washing machines and dishwashers. Next time you flush your loo, think about “grey water”.

Sustainability in design

An American Landscape architect in USA writes;
“LA house, a single family residence, advertised as a "sustainable" house that is the "Ultimate Green Home" for the Next Generation. This house has over 6,500 square feet of AC area, 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, a 3-car garage, swimming pool, a home theatre, an elevator, etcetera.
Next week he will report back to us on how this home measures up to an unbiased assessment of its level of "sustainability." He will rate this property on my sustainability scale: from "reality" (i.e., it really is sustainable) to something less sustainable, for lack of a better descriptor let's say we will call it "green" (LEEDish or Energy Star) to the next levels of "green-wash" and finally to "hog-wash."
Of course, we can discuss what it means to be "sustainable" all day long. Your sustainability characteristics may be quite different from his (actually, he really likes Janis Birkeland's list). He states in advance, the measures that he would consider in his report to us:
1. Does this house improve human and ecological health, resilience, and viability?2. Does it increase natural capital, biodiversity, and ecosystem goods and services?3. Does it increase secure access to food and water?
At this point you are likely saying, "give us a break" since there is no house in North America that could possibly come close to meeting your first three measures. He says, not so, we have architects and developers who are doing it now. Let's continue with the measures of "sustainability" by which this house will be judged . . .
4. Does this house enhance urban space for both people and natural processes?5. Does it help to transform our infrastructure from fossil fuel-driven to solar/wind powered?6. Does it conserve open space, wilderness and natural resources?7. Does it increase life quality and substantive life choices for present and future generations?
Food for thought indeed.

Why mycorrhizal fungi are very useful in planting.

What are mycorrhizal fungi?

Soil doesn’t just consist of material derived from underlying parent rocks and decayed plant matter and animals remains. It may surprise you to know that at least 90% of all plants depend on a group of fungi which live on their roots and increase their root capacity by up to 700 times! (Plant works, Kent.)So, if we add some mycorrhizal fungi to all our planting schemes, the soil, plants and ecosystem will all benefit. These fungi are relatively inexpensive to add, when compared to the whole cost of a scheme.

The addition of mycorrhizal fungi has an effect like a tonic given to plants, as they quickly enable the faster establishment of plant roots and that leads in turn to much healthier plant growth and plant establishment. Therefore, you can see the effect of adding the fungi within 1 year, by lusher growth on your larger, healthier, faster growing plants.

The plant groups that benefit the most from the addition of mycorrhizal fungi to their root space are;

Bare root roses.
Bare root trees.
Bare root whips.
All bare root plants are prone to transplant shock which can lead to poor establishment and weak early growth. The fungi reduce mortality and speed first year growth and establishment.

Specimen and root ball plants.
Most rootball plants have a poor root to shoot ratio due to intensive nursery production, but the addition of mycorrhizal fungi compensates for this by increasing root area and thus help the establishment of the plants.

On your next planting scheme consider asking for these fungi to be added at planting time. The cost of using these fungi is really only a fraction of the total planting costs and the investment is likely to be swiftly repaid by faster establishment of plants, lower mortality and fertiliser use can also be reduced, which tends to compensate for the cost of the fungi.

These fungi are most useful on difficult planting sites, where establishment could otherwise be slower than normal;brownfield sites, ex-arable farmland, ex-mining sites, and ex- landfill sites. With the use of mycorrhizal fungi, there are reduced plant mortality and enhanced growth rates. This is because contaminants on ex-landfill sites are also locked up by the fungi. (Without the use of mycorrhizal fungi, the effect of contaminants would be slower plant growth or death.)

Landvision will continue to specify use of mycorrhizal fungi on all sites, particularly on bare root planting schemes, for root ball trees and on difficult sites, where planting schemes need an extra helping hand. They are especially useful on bare root rose planting schemes, where first year old roses show remarkable growth rates and flowering due to their addition.
For more details visit;
www.plantworksuk.co.uk

Landvision.

Soil carbon’s role; CO2 emission & flood alleviation.

Soil carbon’s role; CO2 emission & flood alleviation.

Peter Smith of Aberdeen University has found that we can reduce CO2 emissions by 30% if we add more carbon to the soil. What is soil carbon?
Dr Julia Cooper of UEA describes carbon sugars; readily available to plants in the soil, as well as soil fauna and flora, flesh, plant residues, fresh manure, all forms readily absorbed by growing plants. Then there is mature plant residue carbon, well composted manure and peat; this is more stable. Finally there is biochar, black carbon, eg charcoal. This can take thousands of years to be taken up by living plants. So, each type of carbon varies in its ability to be taken up, the rate at which plants can absorb it and in its stability.

Why should we care about soil carbon?
How is it important in climate change and slowing global warming?
Despite tendency of soils to reach equilibrium of carbon levels, there is still ample room for many soils to accept and store more carbon. Soils that have been well managed for years tend to have higher levels of carbon stored in them, but there is room for improvement, especially on other less well managed soils, or soils that have been regularly cropped as arable, and not put down to ley grassland or protected by management as woodland. More carbon stored means less CO2 released into the atmosphere- thus slowing global warming.

Not only will increasing the carbon stores in the soil be good in reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, it is also proven that increased organic matter in the soil replenishes the nutrient balance and restores soil structure.

Why is this improving soil structure important?

Improving carbon levels and improving the structure of the soil creates a stable equilibrium in soils, with less soil erosion, less runoff and thus less flooding – soil carbon and organic matter acts like a sponge, soaking up water and retaining the nutrients in the soil. This combats flooding, as increased organic matter types of soil carbon slows water runoff rates, increases soil ground water infiltration as well as slowing global warming.

If we add organic matter to the soil, we can greatly increase the general health of the soil, one effect is encouragement of mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi increase plants’ nutrient uptake (especially of phosphorus). This helps to protect the plant from pathogens and also encourages healthy growth, with increased yields.

So, what kinds of carbon can we add to the soil? Adding a full diversity of different kinds of carbon to the soil is important. Slowly available carbon such as mature plant residues in the form of recycled, well composted Greenwaste, plus also adding some of the more stable forms of black carbon or biochar, will improve soil structure, plus soil and plant health.

Overall ecosystem health-Adding recycled Greenwaste to soil as an improver and a mulch, minimises the amount of greenwaste going into landfill, as well as having the potential of slowing global warming by reducing CO2 emisssions by 30%. Research shows that adding soil organic matter prevents and minimises the effects of soil erosion and flooding. We have a responsibility to safeguard and improve the soils of the world for our children and their children, so that they will be in a better position to tackle effects of climate change. At Landvision, we will continue our long standing practice of use of recycled Greenwaste as a mulch and soil improver on all landscape schemes; improving soil structure and plant health whilst lessening CO2 emissions & the effects of flooding.