Warning: This Newsletter contains (quite a lot of) good news!
Tring Climate Emergency Event Update + lots more
Tring Climate Emergency Event Saturday 26th October Update + lots good local news + carbon footprint and zero carbon items
This issue of TinT Newsletter covers:
Tring Climate Emergency Event Saturday 26th October Flyer and How You Can Take Part
UK Green New Deal Bill
Tring Carbon Footprint
Tring First Book Festival
Tring New Bookshop
Sustainability Award for Lussmanns
Farmers Market 20th Birthday
Wood Burning Stoves
Bus Services Improvement Consultation
Electric Bikes
DBC Local Plan Timetable Announced
Zero Carbon Action Plans
Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
Zero Carbon Job Potential
Climate Emergency Event in Tring Update
Climate Emergency Event Tring Saturday 26th October
Proud of something you are doing/have done to cut carbon footprint or enhance local biodiversity?
Like to give a talk (10 mins); run a stall/table top exhibit; display a poster; to share this with the community?
E-mail the Town Clerk, Michael Curry, at clerk@tring.gov.uk or phone 01442-823347 with what you would like to offer (including volunteering to help on the day)
The event flyer is here for joint venture between the Town Council, TinT, Tring XR and Green Tring.
Tring’s Free Climate Event Sat. 26th October, 10am – 3pm, Victoria Halls, Akeman Street. Tring,
Tring Town Council, in collaboration with Tring in Transition, Extinction Rebellion Tring, and Green Tring.
We are in the midst of rapid global climate breakdown, and a sixth mass extinction, of our own making. To avert the worst consequences of this “existential threat” (UN Secretary General), we must “act now with determination and urgency” (Sir David Attenborough).
Huge changes are needed to safeguard our children’s futures, and the futures of other species. Some of those changes we can make as individuals, some require governments to act, and some we can do as local communities.
Come and find out what your local community is already doing to fight climate change; learn the scientific truth about the situation; discover what we as individuals can do…..
Let’s work together to make Tring a leading light in fighting climate change and becoming a sustainable community for the future.
There will be stalls, talks, information, networking opportunities, and family-friendly activities. Local businesses, groups, organisations and schools will have the opportunity to exhibit what they are doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase sustainability, care for the local ecology, and reduce single-use plastic and other forms of waste.
Everyone is welcome to visit and admission is free.
(NB Aiming to be plastic and paper free – so just one poster/flyer for visitors to photograph)
I want to help!
Name:
Organisation:
Contact:
E-mail:
Tel:
Address:
I would like to: Please tick which apply
¨ Have a stall ¨ Give a presentation ¨ Display a poster
¨ Put on an instore display ¨ Volunteer to help I would be showcasing: Please give a brief description of what you intend to promote
Exhibitors will be chosen by the Working Party on Climate Change, which includes representatives from all the organising groups, and will be chosen to provide a balance across the climate and ecological issues that need to be addressed. The list below gives examples of eligible topics
Food: reducing waste, growing your own, plant-based diets, reducing food miles. Energy: green energy alternatives – switching suppliers/solar etc., insulation, community green energy projects, how to reduce energy consumption at home. Lifestyle: flight-free holidays, reducing fast fashion purchases, upcycling clothes/ furniture, repairing appliances, clothes swaps, divesting your savings/pensions from fossil-fuels. Travel: sustainable alternatives (bikes, e-bikes, e-cars), car shares, public transport, carbon offsets, car-free town centres. Ecology: tree planting, re-wilding, insect and wildlife friendly gardening and public spaces, organic gardening, avoiding palm oil and how to help protect rainforests, importance of our own peat bogs. Plastic: refillable bottles/mugs etc., real nappies, refillable food stores, alternatives to single-use plastic, recycling advice, creative ways to reduce and re-use plastic, reusable and home-made cleaning products. Education: - what local schools, youth groups and other organisations are doing to educate people, including children, about these issues. And- charities that educate girls overseas (educating girls helps reduce population growth).
UK Green New Deal Bill
Caroline Lucas (Green MP) working with Clive Lewis (Labour MP) launched a Bill Friday 20th September as UK first attempt to make a Green New Deal a reality.
To quote from Caroline’s article in Friday’s Guardian “This Bill sets out a transformative programme driven by the principles of justice and equity. It aims to move our economy away from its harmful dependence on carbon, at the scale and speed demanded by the science, and to build a society that lives within its ecological limits while reversing social and economic inequality.”
The full Bill is at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2017-2019/0365/190365.pdf
Tring Carbon Footprint
TinT’s Energy Action Group has started work on calculating Tring’s carbon footprint at the request of the Town Council. This will provide a baseline against which progress towards net zero carbon can be measured.
A poster about this is planned for Tring’s Climate Emergency Event on Saturday 26th October.
Tring First Book Festival
A resilience issue is that Ben and Sandra are organising Tring’s first Book Festival. This runs November 8th to 17th with a star-studded cast of speakers and other events.
Check out https://www.tringbookfestival.co.uk/
To buy tickets click “Events & Tickets” on the home page, then click on photo of event of interest, scrolling down the page to seat buying section.
New Bookshop in Tring Opening Very Soon
As if organising Tring’s first ever Book Festival isn’t enough they are also opening a bookshop on Tring High St (almost opposite the Library and Black Goo). Their aim is to have this open before the end of September. So, when they are open, no more buying books via Amazon, please, dear reader! "Use it or lose it"
Sustainability Award for Lussmanns
Andrei is understandably proud to announce that the team at Lussmanns have retained the Sustainable Restaurant AssociationTHREE *** Accreditation.
“From reducing, reusing and recycling to treating staff fairly, supporting global farmers, sourcing fish responsibly and much more, every element is checked to ensure the best grading. We are so happy to come out on top once again.
We’ve worked incredibly hard to review and improve on our sustainability goals year on year, to deliver delicious responsibly sourced dishes at value for money prices on the high street, and to edge ever closer to a better food system.”
Farmers Market 20th Birthday Saturday 12th October
Saturday 12th October sees Tring Farmers Market celebrate its 20th anniversary at Church Square (in front of Parish Church), and Tring Apple Fayre Procession. Morris dancers etc at Church Square.
Market runs 9 a.m to 12.30.
Tring Farmers Market is rare in having stayed true to the original ethos of farmers markets in having only local producers.
Produce includes artisan bread including French style baguettes, artisan UK cheeses (via a local supplier), eggs, local grown lamb, pastries and tray baked goodies, preserves and local honey, locally made rapeseed oil for salads/cooking etc, locally grown pork and pork products, beautiful hand made cards at very competitive prices, award winning silver jewellery.
(Very frustratingly no veg because so far as we know no one locally produces veg other than allotment holders and Tom Leach seasonal operation at Ivinghoe Grove Farm Pick Your Own.)
Bus Services Improvement Consultation
Do you believe there should be less car use?
If so, could you take a couple of minutes to submit comments on the Hertfordshire Bus Services Improvement Consultation. End-date is November 10th.
How about an electric bike if bus services do not help you?
Available in Tring from Dave Barnett at https://www.tringmotion.co.uk/ (Silk Mill Business Park down Brook St).
Ask Dave if you can have a test ride.
News on Dacorum Local Plan! (at last ...)
TinT made substantive comment on the draft Plan back in November 2017.
Earlier this month the timetable for getting to the Presubmission Consultation Stage (on which TinT will also be making substantive comment) was published – it comes with an unpleasant sting in the tail from Government as feared by both TinT and Dacorum Planning Dept.
Pre-Submission Plan for public Consultation - May- June 2020
Submission of Plan to the Government - November 2020
Public Examination of the Plan - January-April 2021
Planning Inspectors report Issued - November 2021
Adoption of the plan - February 2022
The sting in the tail is that Government now requires Dacorum to build a minimum of 1,025 new homes per year, rather than the 756 new homes per year originally proposed.
Wood Burning Stoves: Using them to minimise pollution
Autumn is coming (has come, just?) and some of us might be thinking about buying a wood burning stove, or, if we have one, stocking up with logs.
Worried about pollution from burning logs? One of our members has kindly written the following, which should help.
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS
Obvious but important, stoves from different manufacturers operate slightly differently, especially when it comes to lighting them, so follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. YouTube also has demonstration videos.
Place a CO (carbon monoxide) alarm 1.5m above floor level in the same room as the stove. (This is required under current legislation. Alarms are available at a small cost from ironmongers.
USE DRY LOGS
This is the most important thing to get right when burning wood. Otherwise tarring of chimney/flue and chimney fire is a risk. Freshly cut logs, as a minimum, will need at least two summers to dry properly in Britain (more is even better). Always split them to accelerate seasoning.
Stacking the wood around the stove if you have room will warm it and help it to burn better. NB Don’t let the logs actually touch the stove because they can catch light and cause a house fire.
If you are buying logs check they have all been split; logs with their bark still on take a lot longer to season. Invest in a moisture meter – logs should register 20 or under. If they are mostly 25--30 or more send them back or ask for a lower price and season them further.
Be aware that some woods burn better than others: ash, beech, oak, apple are good; pine, fir and other conifers contain a lot of resin and will make the chimney sticky so it will need extra sweeping if you are not to have a chimney fire.
OPERATIONAL TIPS
Don’t leave the stove door open, unless instructed to by the manual (for example, when lighting the fire).
Never completely close the secondary air vent.
A brisk burn is the cleanest, most efficient way of running the stove. You can buy a magnetic thermometer to attach to the stove pipe which will let you know how hot the fire is burning.
Put more than one log on at a time, more surface area gives more turbulence in the stove and better burning. Best also to use smaller logs. Don’t try and keep the fire in overnight by closing the air intake down. This creates an inefficient slow burning fire which causes pollution. Open the air intake before going to bed, the fast burn will reduce soot on the stove window. The stove is often still hot enough to relight easily with the addition of kindling in the morning.
MAINTENANCE
It’s a good plan to go outside and take a look at the smoke from the chimney, from time to time. Dense, black smoke is a sign that the combustion is not optimal, usually because the fire is not hot enough. When the wood stove burns optimally, only a bit of steam and some light, odour-free smoke escapes from the chimney.
Keep the stove free of soot and have the chimney swept every six months, if you are using the stove every day through the winter, to avoid chimney fires. Ensure air vent seals are working efficiently. Most sweeps can tell you if you are not using the stove correctly and suggest improvements.
Zero Carbon Action Plans
Turning climate emergency declarations into on-the-ground action is the aim of the new Zero Carbon Britain Hub and Innovation Lab https://www.cat.org.uk/new-hub-and-innovation-lab-to-share-zero-carbon-solutions/at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) due for launch later in 2019. This will update CAT’s existing “Zero Carbon Britain”.
This report gives the findings of a recently published piece of research on estimates of new jobs in the counties of UK when zero carbon materialises (the report also covers Ireland and Hungary).
Interpreting the UK job map on page 6 needs a bit of caution. It does not mean most jobs resulting from zero carbon will be in Scotland, and the least, inter alia, in Home Counties, as the colour key relates to jobs per 1,000 population.
