Transition Belper Newsletter - October 2013

In this issue:

• Annual General Meeting - 1st October
• U.N. Report States Global Warming is “unequivocal”
• Green Drinks - 15th October
• Belper Goes Green Planning meeting - 8th October
• Belper in Transition - A Communities Perspective
• Belper Train Station Wins an Award
• New! Belper Gardening Club
• Derwent Valley Mills Discovery Days
• Travel & Transport Group
• Energy Descent Action Plan Group
• Weird Weather
• Facebook Groups
• Contacts

Annual General Meeting
7.30 pm Tuesday 1st October 2103 at Strutts Community Centre, Derby Road, Belper

We'll be reviewing the past year and making plans for the coming year as well as electing the trustees to take us forward. Everyone is welcome to attend but only members will be able to vote in any election or to approve minutes and accounts. The cost of this privilege is a mere £5 per calendar year so if you wish to consider yourself a member of Transition Belper rather than a much valued supporter please come along a little early and complete a membership form.  There are other benefits of membership such as discounts on occasional publications such as the Transition Free Press and reduced entry to social events where an entry fee applies.
 

U.N. Report States Global Warming is “unequivocal”

Global warming is “unequivocal” and it is “extremely likely” that humans are the primary contributors to this warming, according to a report released on Friday 27^th September Stockholm by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).  The report is a short “summary for policymakers” of the full 1,000-page report, which will be released Monday, Sept. 30th.  The report is based on research by several hundred of the world’s top climate scientists. This one covers the physical science of climate change, and will be followed over the next 14 months by three more reports on climate change impacts, mitigation, along with a synthesis of the previous reports.

The IPCC releases reports every few years that synthesize the latest in peer-reviewed research. This is its fifth assessment and the first since 2007 “Human influence has been detected in warming of the atmosphere and the ocean, in changes in the global water cycle, in reductions in snow and ice, in global mean sea level rise” and that it is now more certain than ever that “human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming” since the 1950s.

The report says that “each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850” and that in “the Northern Hemisphere, 1983–2012, was likely the warmest 30-year period of the last 1400 years.”

Regarding the supposed “pause” in global warming since 1998 often quoted by climate skeptics’; the report says that this may be due to changing climate models and that a fuller understanding of this pattern requires further study. The report says that it is “extremely likely” that more than half of the observed global warming from 1950 has been caused by an increase in greenhouse gases emissions, and to contain these changes will require “substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions”.

Following the report’s release, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, “The heat is on. Now we must act”.
 
For a full summary of the report and other details, see the IPCC website: http://www.ipcc.ch
 

Green Drinks Social Evening 
from 7.30 pm, Tuesday 15th October at the White Hart, Sandbed Lane, Bargate

All welcome to join us for a jar and a chat. It has been suggested that we informally discuss a quote by Steve Lambert:  " change doesn't start with action, it starts with vision. artists are great at creating visions." It would be good to have some artists along to give their view.

Belper Goes Green Planning meeting
7.30 pm. Tuesday 8th October, upstairs room at the Queen's Head, Chesterfield Road

There's already a 'wow factor' building to next year's event that will be held at Belper Rugby Club on 31 May and 1 June next year. We're trying to involve local children in making musical instruments from scrap, designing recycling posters, designing a Belper Mosaic that can be made at the event and in building a solar powered pa system. There's much work going into expanding the food and entertainment that will be on offer as well as stalls that explain energy saving technology and insulation, local crafts and interactive workshops. Plus a whole lot more. There's a real creative buzz in the making and we'd like as much help and ideas as possible so please do come along and contribute. If you can't make it but would like to be involved please let David know and you'll be added to the email distribution list.

Belper in Transition - A Communities Perspective

We are organising a meeting, on the 3rd October, of local active groups and organisations to share their visions and ideas for making Belper a more sustainable and resilient town. Our local MP Pauline Latham is helping to organise and facilitate the meeting and has invited a number of organisations such as the health service, higher education, local authorities, local businesses, land and building owners in Belper to listen to the ideas and start working together to develop a plan for Belper.

This is a key step for the community to get involved in the future development of a sustainable Belper and will hopefully develop into a major community led project, not just a wish list of ideas as reported in the Belper News this week.

Pauline Latham MP is helping to organise and facilitate the meeting and has sent out invitations to a number of organisations already. If you are aware of an organisation that should be involved then please email Pauline with the name of the organisation, the person to contact and their contact details at pauline.latham.mp@parliament.uk . We'll report back from the meeting in the next newsletter.

Belper Train Station Wins an Award

Our station was awarded runner up in East Midlands Trains Awards for the Community Partnership category, recognising the outstanding environmental improvement work carried out. If you would like to take part in this worthwhile project, please email Kathy. 

New! Belper Gardening Club

We are setting up a gardening club for Belper and are looking for both general members and individuals who would like to be involved with the actual set up of the club. If you are interested in gardening and would like to share your knowledge, exchange seeds/plants, learn new skills, take part in gardening trips or simply socialise with other garden lovers, please contact Kathy.The meetings will take place once a month in the evening, with added occasional trips. 

Derwent Valley Mills
Discovery Days

As usual we'll be opening up hydro power stations for all to have a look for free and leading the Belper waterways walk - times and venues:

• Saturday 26th October 11.30 - 1.00 - Milford Hydro (behind the Mill pub).
• Sunday 27th October 2.00 - 3.30 - Belper Hydro (East Mill Car Park).
• Tuesday 29th October 12.00 - 3.00 Derby Hydro at Longbridge Weir (behind the bus station).
• Sunday 27th October 2.15 - 4.15 - Belper waterways walk. Come along to learn about how the waterways have evolved over the years as the Mill site grew. Also find out why the river levels were lowered last week and will be lowered again in a couple of weeks. Please book for the 45 minute walk 01629 536831 

Oct 12th and 13th 2013 Green Buildings Open Up Weekend

Transition Belper Facebook Group
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