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Kingston
Environment News

       

 December 2021 

 
                             Seasonal greetings and welcome 
to this month's joint newsletter of 

Kingston Green Diary, December

A selection of upcoming local green and mostly Christmassy activities 

Tuesday 30 November: Kingston Green Drinks

Tuesday 7 December:  What if... pop-up climate conversation in Berrylands

Saturday 11 December: Hogsmill Community Garden Xmas Fair

Sunday 12 December: Fair Fayre at Kingston Environment Centre

Saturday 18 December: Santa's Grotto at The Circulatory

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Regular gardening opportunities

Regular conservation volunteering

What else is happening soon?

We recommend that you continue to look at websites or social media before setting out to confirm that events are happening and to check requirements intended to keep you and others safe. Check the current Covid news and rules for Kingston here.

Understandably, post-COP26 discussions and local Christmas events feature heavily in this issue.
As usual, local news and activities take priority in the newsletter and within sections - and most of the local groups below have their own websites, social media and newsletters, so if you are particularly interested in any of them follow their links to find out more and join in their activities. If you'd like more news from elsewhere, try some of the sources listed here.

Thank you, regular and occasional contributors

There were slightly more contributions this month with most meeting the deadline, so do keep them coming, especially once we get back to normal in 2022.

Next issue

The January 2022 issue will be a much slimmer one and the January and February issues will probably appear a bit earlier or later than usual, so please check deadlines when you receive our requests for news and make sure your websites and social media are up-to-date and can fill any gaps.

Notes to contributors, current and future: if you normally contribute items to this newsletter, or would like to, and haven’t heard from us recently, please subscribe to our contributors’ list via this sign-up form to get our requests and reminders - and make sure they are not disappearing into your spam folder!  Make sure you receive the newsletter too by adding yourself to the subscribers list too - sign up here. You can update your own contact details in these lists or unsubscribe at any time.
     We look forward to hearing about more environmental activities, on-line or in the real world of Kingston, as and when possible - we try to give local news and campaigns top billing, so do please keep them coming in. Do use this newsletter to promote new local green groups or enterprises – and also to check what's already happening locally to avoid clashes.
     In any case, please send us your environmental news and updates in good time to feature in the next newsletter which will usually go out just before 1st of next month. According to Mailchimp, 58% of our 800+ readers frequently click the links in this newsletter and 23% do so sometimes, a good number of engaged readers worth reaching.

If you have problems viewing this newsletter, please click the link at the very top of this page to see it in your browser.

Contents

This is our standard list of contents, with links to local green groups and events near the top and more general ones further down - not all are live every month and occasional extras may be added! You can fast forward to the sections that interest you, but don't miss out by skipping too selectively! 

Kingston Environment Centre
Transition Town Kingston
Campaigning together
Save the World Club
Kingston Environment Forum 
The Kingston Hive Climate Emergency Centre
Green Volunteering
Local sowing and growing
Kingston Biodiversity Network
Kingston Cycling Campaign
Full Cycle
Habitats & Heritage
XR Kingston
The Community Brain
Ham United Group
Climate crisis updates
Kingston Council news
Have your say
Money, money, money
Nature notes & Events
Waste matters
Energy and transport news
Food, glorious food
Reviews & Updates on all things environmental
More things we like this month
What else is happening soon?
 

News


Green Halloween at KEC
  
Reptiles large and small provided scary pleasure at KEC in October





Recycling
We would like to increase our efforts to encourage recycling at KEC, both for ourselves and the local community. We have made a start with a box for plastic bottle tops, kindly passed on to us by Janine at Sunray Recycling. If you are a visitor to KEC or live locally do bring clean plastic bottle tops of any description and put them into the box in the office or in the meeting room. We are also planning to collect crisp packets in the near future, so please start saving those; they can be any make and the large multipack packets can also be recycled - just make sure they are clean and it is helpful to flatten them. If there is any local person who is passionate about recycling and would like to help us to set up a recycling drop-off point at KEC please do get in touch.
 


Coming soon


Fair Fayre
Sunday 12 December, 12.00 – 5.00pm


For our popular annual Christmas event for independent craftspeople, local traders and environmental groups stallholders so far include Miranda Littman Jewellery, Sim Kay’s stained glass and moon calendars, Anna Dyson’s Intuitive Oils, Ruth Wiskow’s crochet, Bantam Lady’s Produce, + vegetarian food, a plant stall and a Christmas tombola.
     If you would like a stall please email Pat, and please share our flyer if you can. We are also looking for volunteers on the day for setting up from 10.00am onwards and for tidying up from 5.00pm onwards. Other roles include: helping with Covid procedure management inside the building, meeting and greeting stallholders, and help with KEC’s own stalls, social media and food. If anyone is able to prepare some fresh salads for that day please let us know in. Also, if anyone has any small, good quality children’s items that could be used on our children’s tombola that would be great. Thank you and do please put this date in your diary.

Death Café
Sunday 28 November

Run by Charlotte Haigh

KEC AGM
At the end of January, date tbc

 

Regular events at KEC 


Square 1 Café
Saturdays, 12.00midday – 4.00pm – and look out for news on the KEC Facebook page of a special Christmas event on December 18th  
     The café has been running for several weeks now, attracting new visitors every week. If you would like to drop in to a friendly, free café where you can have a chat with other users, tuck into a tasty vegetarian sandwich, have a hot drink and, if you enjoy them, play board games, do join us.


Regular meetings at Kingston Environment Centre
1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, 7.00pm
Till further notice - see below...


Stitch & Chat
2nd and 4th Wednesday evening every month


Kingston XR meetings
1st & 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7.00pm

Community gardening at KEC
Thursdays 10.00 am - 2.00pm & Saturdays 10.00am - 3.00pm

New volunteers are always welcome, regardless of experience. Remember to dress warmly and safely in comfortable clothes and stout footwear. We have recently done a lot of clearing of the island bed on the green space outside the Centre and it looks a lot better for it. We have also been dividing perennials, potting up strawberry runners and planting autumn-sown broad beans in the yard. Visitors are always welcome on those days to take a look at what we are growing, and we also have regular plant sales - look out for details of those on our Facebook page.



Listen or catch up with previous shows on Mixcloud..



See the KEC website calendar for info and updates on events and activities at Kingston Environment Centre, 1 Kingston Road, New Malden, KT3 3PE.
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TRANSITION TOWN KINGSTON

News


Mapping the Kingston Circular Economy
We are mapping all the locations around Kingston that support a more circular economy and community. This includes anywhere that helps refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, refill, rent, redirect, recycle and regenerate! If you know of any sites, please go to http://bit.ly/ttk-5rs and fill out the form. Known locations can be viewed here - click "Show Map" to see the map. Please contact Paul Mackay with any questions or comments. 
 
 

Transition News and Events


Read Rob Hopkins on COP26 and the Five Stages of Grief  

Transition London & SE Hub Online Meet- Ups
Find more Transition activities, discussions and events in London and the S E on Facebook

Find out more about the wider Transition Network.  

 

Regular TTK events


TTK's Stitch in Time
1st Thursday evening every month at The Circulatory
Find out more below in Save the World Club's section and confirm our sociable stitching sessions nearer the time on our Facebook page or TTK Events on the website. Please come along to one of our sessions or contact Marilyn if you think you could help with running this project - we need a few more helpers/organisers.

Green Drinks 
Last Tuesday every month, next one on 30 November, 7.00 - 8.30pm, Spring Grove, Bloomfield Road, KT1 2SF
Join us at the Spring Grove pub to share ideas, projects, concerns, hopes and what’s happening (there is a lot!). If this is your first time, just ask at the bar for the Green Drinks group or look for the table with the Green Drinks sign (the Spring Grove does food too). We look forward to seeing you.
     Updates will be posted on the TTK Facebook page. Green Drinks does not take place on public holidays so there will be no get-together on 28 December.

TTK Energy Group meetings
1st Tuesday morning of every month
 Contact Peter to find out more.

Website Website
Facebook Facebook
Twitter Twitter

Campaigning together 


"The future is written nowhere…you have to write it." Amin Maalouf

Please tell us about local and national green campaigns we should highlight in this section. See the Have Your Say and Kingston Council sections and look out for Megaphone Man for more opportunities. Please take action - if not us, who?

Email your MP post-COP
Not sure what we can do now the discussions at COP26 have ended? Your voice always counts. Now that pledges have been made, we can talk to our MPs about "keeping 1.5 alive" and what we want action to look like in our local areas. Writing to your MP is a quick and simple way for you to get your voice heard. Find a letter template here and edit it to make your request as personal as you can. If you'd like further support in working with your MP post COP26 visit Hope for the Future's website or email them. 

The Great Homes Upgrade
Launched by the New Economics Foundation in October, this is a campaign to get the government to upgrade the millions of cold and leaky homes in the UK. Upgrading our homes would mean they stay warmer and don’t rely on dirty fuels. That way everyone can come home to a warm place which doesn’t pollute the planet - feels like a no-brainer we could all get behind. Find out more.

Useful resources for campaigners

 

Find contact details for your councillors, MP, MEPs, and LA members at WriteToThem.com  Rather than repeating our advice on writing every month, we have saved it here on the TTK website.

TheyWorkForYou shows what MPs have been speaking and voting on recently, with a page on the website devoted to recent votes and parliamentary business on the environment),

Info on Citizens’ Assemblies: Participo offers info on the research on and practice of innovative citizen participation – useful and interesting for anyone interested or involved in planning Citizens’ Assemblies.

    


News

STWC thanks all the donors who have helped towards their three vans which collect and distribute donated food to vulnerable people and help with STWC’s upcycling/ recycling work - see our website. We are regularly offered more locations to collect food from, and as winter approaches, there is increasing demand for our food deliveries, so the need for another vehicle is now apparent as well as funds to maintain, service, insure and tax the vehicles. So we continuing to fund-raise – more news here.

STWC is also helping with the setting up of The Kingston Hive.

To keep up to date with news and events over the next few weeks, make sure to check us out on social media

 
Coming soon   

Santa's Grotto, with Father Christmas
Saturday 18 December, The Circulatory

There will be free presents and live music. Tickets aren't required to attend but if you sign up you will receive reminders. Children should be accompanied by an adult. See our website for more info.  
 
No BBQ events are currently happening due to the weather.

Regular events at The Circulatory


TTK's Stitch in Time
1st Thursday of every month, 7.00 - 8.30ish, next one  2 December

Covid regs and weather permitting, we will be sewing together again – bring your own sewing project or join in a group one (maybe making Christmas present bags?) - helpers always  welcome. Look out for updates on future sessions on TTK's Facebook page or TTK Events.


A little bit extra to STWC -


AmazonSmile customers can support Save The World Club. Simply turn on AmazonSmile whenever you shop with Amazon, select Save The World Club as your chosen charity, and a small percentage of each purchase is then donated automatically to STWC.

The Circulatory, Unit 5, Chiltern Works, Station Way, Surbiton, KT5 8LS. We are at the end of the driveway adjoining Berrylands train station - look for the big blue barn doors..
Website Website
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A network of local environmental organisations covering a wide range of blue and green issues in Kingston 



News 

Volunteers wanted  
Any KEF member-group interested in coordinating or chairing this forum, a role which has plenty of scope for expansion and networking, is invited to contact Marilyn, who would like to hand over and stand down very soon.
     And/or volunteer member-groups who would like to attend meetings on behalf of KEF, e g, with Kingston Council or its various Covid Recovery Task Force groups, is invited to contact Marilyn.

Local green organisations, please make sure you are still members of the KEF website and that someone interested will pick up our messages, so that you can contribute and be consulted as and when relevant. New organisations and/or new group representatives are welcome to join too, by clicking the Join Website button at the top of the KEF Home page. And have a look at the website and Facebook page occasionally - there may be a question or issue for you to take up. 

Individuals, there is almost certain to be an organisation or person in the group who can answer your eco-questions or take up local environmental issues or send you in the right direction, so do use the Facebook page to share these. If KEF (or one of the organisations that feature in this newsletter, many of which are KEF members) can’t help, we almost certainly know someone who can. And you don't need to join KEF’s website to access its useful information and resources. 
Website Website
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Kingston Hive is a collective of local volunteers aiming to take over a disused shop space in the town centre, transforming it into a hub to benefit people and planet. It will be a place to share skills and resources, offering practical and emotional support so that we can face this crisis together.


Join us to help shape Kingston Hive - you'll meet a diverse group of like-minded people who love the borough and our amazing planet. 



Coming soon


What if... The Royal Borough of Kingston was part of the climate change solution?
Tuesday 7 December, 6.00 – 9.00pm, Berrylands Scout Hut
Come along to The Hive’s drop-in Climate Café to join a conversation about the Royal Borough of Kingston’s Climate Emergency Draft Action Plan and Engagement. Find out more on Facebook

Regular events


Planning meetings
1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month, 7.00 - 8:30pm, Kingston Environment Centre, New Malden.

Come and join us to help make The Hive buzz!

See the website or Facebook page for updates.
Website Website
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Green volunteering


Berrylands Nature Reserve Volunteer Sessions
On Wednesday and Saturday mornings
Help to improve Berrylands Nature Reserve and our other local green spaces, making them better for the local community and its wildlife! Find out more about upcoming volunteering sessions, and drop in on the day.

Nature conservation volunteering with Citizen Zoo
Citizen Zoo - volunteer with us! 

Habitats and Heritage volunteering events 
See https://habitatsandheritage.org.uk/events/

Friends of Ham Lands monthly volunteer conservation session to improve habitat for butterflies
2nd Saturday every month, 10.00am – 12.00pm, next one Saturday 11 December
The conservation work has been identified and agreed by local naturalists and LBRuT’s ecology officer. Please bring your own gardening gloves. Children are very welcome but need to be accompanied by an adult. The group meets at the corner of Croft Way and Riverside Drive. If you have got secateurs, loppers, garden saws, and gloves please bring them and wear working clothes including strong and waterproof footwear.  Find out more.
+ Gardening at Ham Library, quarterly maintenance sessions - find out more.

Volunteering Kingston seeks stories of people who volunteer to tackle the climate crisis
Volunteering Kingston, the volunteer centre for the borough of Kingston, supports people who want to volunteer and organisations which involve volunteers. We want to tell stories of people who are volunteering to help tackle the climate crisis and help the environment to inspire others from all backgrounds to get involved. If you have a good story to tell and encourage others to volunteer, please email Molly.

Looking to recruit volunteers? 
Volunteering Kingston is here to help! Volunteering Kingston is the volunteer centre for Kingston. If you are looking  for more volunteers to support your activities or advice on any aspect of involving volunteers we can help: we have a website where you can advertise volunteering opportunities and a resource bank with advice on a range of different topics; we can provide one-to-one advice on Zoom to support you on various topics such as recruitment, retention, reward and recognition, managing difficult situations, and how to organise volunteers when you are an informal group. Please get in touch any time via enquiry@volunteeringkingston.org.uk or 0300 365 9980.

Get Connected
Connected Kingston is a site dedicated to helping Kingston residents find local activities and navigate local services [and local groups to find helpers and participants]. It is run by the Royal Borough of Kingston Council and Kingston Voluntary Action in conjunction with local charities and statutory organisations. Special training is available to anyone who regularly comes into contact with people that may be struggling to navigate or find local activities or services. Our goal is to help residents of Kingston stay happy, healthy and connected to each other. Contact us here and/or register an activity or find something to do.

Sowing and growing in Kingston 

Hogsmill Community Garden 


Events

XMAS FAIR
Saturday 11 December, 11.00 - 4.00pm


Fundraising event
January, date to be decided. 
See Facebook page for details.
 
Our usual volunteer days and monthly work parties continue. Find out more on our Facebook page.
On Swan Path, Vineyard Close

Canbury Community Garden

Winter tidying, composting, and enjoying our happy hens continue - helpers always welcome at our weekend gardening sessions. 
Between Canbury Gardens, Kingston Riverside [tennis] Club and Kings’ Passage - current access only via our Canbury Gardens gate near the bandstand.
Facebook - Hogsmill Community Garden Facebook - Hogsmill Community Garden
Facebook - Canbury Community Garden Facebook - Canbury Community Garden


Kingston Edible Forest 2100

A food forest planted for the long term with perennial edible flowers, veg and fruit, details on our website. We are there most Sundays and a weekday evening when there's light. Please contact us to check as the gates to the allotment site are locked. 
Knollmead Allotments, Tolworth
KT5 9QP
Website - Edible Forest Garden Website - Edible Forest Garden


News


Virtual harvest festival - last call!
Calling all those who took and grew seeds from TTK's Big Seed Giveaway earlier this year: we were hoping to see your produce and award some prizes in the GreenZone event proposed for September, but that was delayed to October - a bit late for real harvests. So if you took any photos, please post them on TTK's Facebook page, and maybe win a prize for the most impressive photo. Virtual harvest finishes at the end of November.

Regular gardening sessions


See also socially distanced gardening at Kingston Environment Centre, and go to Facebook pages to confirm opening times and safety advice before turning up.
 
 

Useful resources for gardeners

Rather than letting this list become ever longer, we have moved older items to Growing Tips on Transition Town Kingston's website.
  • LFGN London Friends of Greenspaces Network  - celebrating Friends Forum’s efforts, sharing ideas and experiences, and supporting each other in valuing and improving London's parks and open green spaces.
  • Food Not Lawns is  a network of ecologically conscious gardeners around the world, sharing seeds, food, resources and information toward building a more sustainable gardening community. 
  • Learn about urban food growing and running community gardens at Capital Growth training sessions (online for now) which cover a number of themes from climate resilience to growing for nature. Recordings of some sessions are also available to members on the Capital Growth member's dashboard.

 

KBN exists to highlight and promote local conservation work in Kingston. 
Click on an icon below for news of conservation activities around Kingston - get involved, set up a project of your own, or see Green Volunteering below.

Regular events


See the website or Facebook page for KBN activities and updates.
Website Website
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We are the Kingston group of the London Cycling Campaign, promoting cycling in the borough and speaking up for everyone on bikes – children and adults.

Website Website
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Our core values are recycling and sustainability - we upcycle and recycle cycles.

A Christmas idea!
If you are looking for a new bike for yourself or a loved one this holiday season, come on down and check us out, we do kids bikes too! For more information, see our webpage or social media.
 
Website Website
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Habitats & Heritage acts for the natural and historic environment in south and west London. In a time where the health of our environment and each other has never been more important, and never more interlinked, we invite readers to support our work by signing up to our Supporter Scheme today for just £10 a year.     

News and Events


Look after your bike!
See our Facebook page for short video on how to take care of your bicycle to make sure you have fewer problems going into the future! Help us reduce air pollution by making bicycles your main mode of travel!
Website Website
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Instagram Instagram

XR Kingston    


News


Join the Rebellion and help to make the politically impossible inevitable. Everyone is invited to rebel for life. Want to get involved? Here’s how!

Read news from global Extinction Rebellion here and the latest from London XR
 

Regular events


For XR Kingston meetings, actions, film shows coming up check Events on the Facebook page. 
Facebook Facebook


We believe in giving people ‘permission’ to be brilliant because everyone can be brilliant...

 
Website
Website
Facebook
Facebook
Twitter
Twitter
 Ham United Group (HUG) is a Community Interest Company (CIC) aiming to improve the environment and the quality of life for the people in Ham and Petersham, just next to North Kingston. HUG supports projects and groups that help make our community more sustainable. 
 


HUG News and Events

 
URGENT – help needed
We urgently need help with our – relatively simple – accounts. Do you know someone who is good at figures or a retired accountant who’d be willing to spare a couple of hours a month to help? Or perhaps a local accountancy firm who are looking to do some work for a local CIC on a pro bono basis or for a nominal fee? If so, please email us.
 
Our third Good Gardens event was im-peck-able!
The third in our series of Good Gardens events was all about birds and how to attract them to our gardens. Local bird expert John Gard gave us lots of tips on bird feeders, the best type of bird boxes to use, and where to place them. He also gave us a fascinating insight into the diversity of wildlife in the area. We’ll be hosting three more events in 2022.
 
Next volunteer conservation session to improve habitat for butterflies
Saturday 11 December 
See Green Volunteering

Visit our website for full details of events happening in and around Ham 

Regular events


Richmond Maker Labs
RML is an informal workshop where ideas can be transformed into objects, and faulty goods can be repaired instead of being replaced. RML is open to the public on Tuesday evenings and to existing members on Thursdays. Tuesday evening places can be booked via Eventbrite.
 
See also HUG volunteering sessions in Green Volunteering.
Website
Website
Facebook
Facebook

Climate crisis updates  


The Kingston Hive, our new Climate Emergency Centre  
Look out for The Kingston Hive in Kingston town centre in December. See updates and keep an eye on The Hive website.

No photo description available.Kingston's Global Assembly
On Saturday 30th October, 20 people came together to join in a Community Assembly as part of the worldwide Global Assembly movement to deliberate on the question “How can humanity both effectively and fairly address the climate and ecological crisis?”. Everybody had an opportunity to say how they felt and to explain what they thought should be done, and then in groups to work out messages for Kingston, the UK and the world. You can read them here. K-PACE hopes to work with others to organise more events to respond to the Council's Climate Action Plan, and to discuss and agree more citizen-led actions. Find out more about K-PACE
  
(Climate) actions speak louder than words, says Semble
5 brilliant community organisations - recently funded through ActionFunder - told Semble how their projects are paving the way to a more sustainable future and why community-led initiatives are key to building the climate solutions we need. Read more here
 
COP26 – glass half full or glass half empty?
A useful round-up on the BBC news website
 
 
 
Could we mobile the critical 25%?  
“...Social convention, which has for so long worked against us, can if flipped become our greatest source of power, normalising what now seems radical and weird...” Read George Monbiot in The Guardian on the one last hope for our survival after COP26.

The New Economics Zine Issue 4: Is a greener world possible?
Published by NEF while the UK hosted COP26, this issue takes a look at how our economy needs to change to address the climate crisis — featuring articles from Alice Bell, Michael Jacobs, Joycelyn Longdon, Josina Calliste, and more. Read it here.
 
Where voters and consumers lead on the climate crisis, businesses will have to follow
Will Hutton writes in The Observer that though the COP26 outcome may disappoint campaigners are part of a wider shift in which everyone has agency 

The Climate Coalition
October and November TCC meetings and daily updates focussed on the build-up to and expectations of COP26, with speakers from the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group and the COP26 Coalition, the group behind the Global Day of Action on 6th November, which included 50 activities planned in the UK and 150ish across the globe. Thinking ahead, TCC is planning another Great Big Green Week in 2022. Find out more about TCC.

The Climate Coalition’s Green Recovery 10 Point Plan
Leading UK NGOs working on climate change and development set out their own 10 Point Plan for the UK to forge a green and fair recovery from the pandemic and inspire the world to follow. 

Ten ways to confront the climate crisis without losing hope
It’s easy to despair at the climate crisis, or to decide it’s already too late – but it’s not. Here’s how to keep the fight alive by Rebecca Solnit in The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/18/ten-ways-confront-climate-crisis-without-losing-hope-rebecca-solnit-reconstruction-after-covid
 
Was COP26 a success? The view from Greenpeace
For some, COP26 was a matter of survival - the decisions made by over 190 countries signalled the difference between life and death. There is still reason to keep up the fight—the global climate justice movement needs you now more than ever. Read Greenpeace’s COP wrap-up.
 
"...Perhaps the more important, if intangible, impact of Cop26 is that conversations on climate change now permeate the every day. No other Cop, not even the landmark event in Paris six years ago, received as much attention. A lot of this is to do with extreme climate impacts around the world that are impossible to ignore. But there should also be much gratitude to the young people, activist groups, and Indigenous communities who tirelessly raise the climate crisis into the collective conscious..."
From The Independent Climate Newsletter: sign up for free weekly updates on the environmental emergency
 
Read more on the climate crisis and COP26
Subscribe to receive an exclusive weekly piece from our top climate crisis correspondents, as well as a digest of the biggest environment stories – plus the good news, the not-so-good news, and everything else you need to know. Sign up for The Guardian’s Down to Earth newsletters.
Oil giants lobby COP-host UK to back gas as "necessary compromise".(Unearthed, July 2021)
Read the full IPCC report here 
Read news reports in The Guardian here and here, and on the BBC website 
Reports on climate change from the New Economics Foundation 
Global heating in graphic form
More books and radio programmes listed in our Reviews section.

See also Campaigning Together.
 


Coming soon 

 
From COP26 to COP27: Briefing by Climate Vulnerable Country Advocates
Tuesday 7 December 7, 6.00  – 7.15 pm, on-line

This webinar will review the outcomes of COP26 and set out Climate Vulnerable Country advocates' priorities for 2022 and COP27. Find out more and book
 

Kingston Council news                        

 
Joi
n the Kingston Climate Conversation    
Kingston Council is asking those that live, work and study in the borough to comment on its plans to help tackle climate change. The Climate Emergency Draft Action Plan sets out the steps it could take to become carbon neutral by 2038 and help reduce carbon emissions across the borough, focussing on seven areas: council buildings, homes, travel, waste, green economy, sustainability and the natural environment. Is the plan right for Kingston and what else needs to happen to reduce the borough’s carbon footprint?  Join the Kingston Climate Conversation, read the plan and submit feedback.
See The Kingston Hive pop-up event for an upcoming opportunity to comment.

See also the Council's Climate Emergency section for updates on what the Council is doing and some sensible advice on what individuals and business can do.
See the Council's website for the latest news.

Have your say - 

See Campaigning Together and Council News above, and look out for Megaphone Man in other sections.

 Money, money, money... 



Don’t miss funding opportunities for your green group
Got a good idea for a new green project or for improvements to an existing one? Keep an eye on Kingston Voluntary Action’s Funding page and regular Funding bulletins  and see below.

Green Funding Collaborative 

Is your green group or project looking for funding? KVA and KEF collected some useful information from the environmental groups that responded to our pilot survey, and we hope that completing it helped those groups to assess their funding application readiness. We invite other green groups to participate via this link. If your group can answer yes to all the questions, you probably have all the information and procedures needed for a funding application; if not, you will be directed to some useful sources of advice and help. The information gathered will also help KVA and/or Kingston Council officers to forward funding opportunities that come their way to relevant groups, and even to recommend collaborations that could support and strengthen applications.

John Lewis targets throwaway culture with £1m ideas fund
John Lewis, which raised £1m from the sale of 10p plastic bags in stores, hopes to unearth “scalable” ideas that would eliminate waste or pollution from the design stage, ideas that could be shared and accelerate the transition towards a more circular economy. Applications for the John Lewis Circular Future Fund,  which will be divvied out in grants of £150,000 to £300,000, will close on 9 January 2022. Bids are invited from academia, charities, social enterprises and businesses that are less than five years old. An independent panel will review them in March with the grants awarded the following month. Read about this new fund in The Guardian. 

The Our Space Award (OSA)
Up to £2,000 available for projects in London aiming to clean & green the city through active community engagement & participation, increasing a sense of community ownership over shared spaces. It will support Londoners of all ages and backgrounds, communities and schools in greening their neighbourhoods, making them inclusive places for all to enjoy.
Deadline 15 December, find out more.
 
Funding to plant trees, orchards and hedgerows
Up to £1,500 for groups working to enhance local biodiversity. The projects should involve children below 21 years old.
Deadline 17 December, 5pm, find out more. 

Tesco Community Grants
Tesco Community Grants is always open for applications from charities and community organisations to bid for up to £1,500.  Projects are voted on by Tesco customers in stores across the UK, with projects changing every three months – the scheme is currently looking for applications from charities and community groups who deliver projects that help to tackle food insecurity in their communities. This might include, for example, breakfast clubs, holiday clubs and food banks. Visit the Tesco Community Grants website for further details. 

More green funds, thanks to Kingston Voluntary Action, who will be happy to help with completing applications:  
Tree Council - Branching Out Fund for schools and community groups undertaking well-planned tree planting projects across the UK, preferably during National Tree Week. Grants of between £300 and £1,500 (excluding VAT) are available. Deadline:17/12/2021 
National Allotment Gardens Trust grants available for registered allotment associations and committees for the improvement and development of facilities on registered and permitted sites. Grants of £250 to £2,000 are available. Deadline: 01/01/2022. 

Nature notes   

 

News

Let it grow, let it grow...
Sixty years ago, scientists let a farm field rewild – the Monks Wood Wilderness experiment was a rewilding study before the term existed.  See what happened and what we can learn from it in Positive News.  



Coming soon


Climate Change: The Challenge for Nature, Wildlife and the Countryside
Thursday 25 November, 6.00 – 7.30pm, on-line
A free webinar in the South Downs Network Environment, Climate Change and COP26 series. A panel of speakers will explore the challenges that lie ahead and what can be done to mitigate the effect on the countryside and natural world, with or without international or UK government support. Register here.
 
Forest bathing on Ham Lands
Friday 3 December, 10.00am – 3.00pm

Find out more

Interesting websites and apps for nature-lovers

 
Reading Nature - share your nature visits, experiences and photos from the diverse green spaces across Kingston.
Natural History Museum website - discover British birds and wildlife 
Butterfly Conservation can help you identify butterflies and moths
Froglife has useful information about wildlife gardening, building a pond and much more.
The RSPB’s advice on planting for nature
Friends of Ham Lands work with local naturalists to preserve and enhance the natural habitats of Ham Lands, a Local Nature Reserve right next to Kingston. You can read current and previous newsletters on their Newsletter page.
Citizen Zoo - a social enterprise dedicated to rewilding in the UK – sign up for their newsletter highlighting lots of lovely rewilding news and events.
The London Natural History Society Virtual Natural History Talk series brings together naturalists, experts and specialists via Zoom. Talks are recorded and you can catch up with them here
The Seek app uses your smart phone to identify the plants and animals all around us, and can make the daily walk much more interesting.  
BirdNET can identify 984 of the most common bird species of North America and Europe. from song recorded on your phone.
UK Bird Sounds
Backyard Nature.

Food, glorious food... 


How does your supermarkets rate in the climate crisis?
The Guardian rates what the big chains are doing on the environment, from cycle parking to plastic packaging, air miles and refills... Find out more.

Sustainable gin and family-sized crisps... the climatarian diet?
Many of us are keen to eat more sustainably – but is a vegan croissant better or worse than locally sourced sausages? And can climate-conscious eating ever be enjoyable? A Guardian writer finds out
 
See also Eating to Extinction: The World’s Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them in Reviews.

Waste matters


A nice seasonal upcycling project for crafters
Janine E Martin of SunrayRecycle has had a request for Christmas decorations upcycled from old high-vis jackets. They have offered to pay per decoration and Janine would like to share the job with lovely stitchers, with part of the fee going to a local organisation or charity of your choosing. See SunrayRecycle on Facebook to see more pictures and find out more. You can contact Janine via Facebook Messenger, or text or WhatsApp on 07886552574.

Refresh your memory –
about what Kingston Council will recycle and which bin to put it in. Read Kingston’s recycling guide here

At the luxury end of upcycling - 
Turtle Doves make recycled, ethical clothing out of pre-loved cashmere knitwear. Cashmere (though possibly not approved of by vegans) makes a lovely warm Christmas present.

Energy and transport news

 
“Making Zero Carbon = Zero VAT”
A new report commissioned by the MCS Charitable Foundation shows that existing VAT regulations act as a barrier to retrofitting our homes. The additional cost of VAT, charged at up to 20%, is discouraging the installation of energy efficiency measures and domestic renewable technologies at precisely the time we need to be kickstarting the retrofit revolution to make our homes fit for the future. Read it here.

The hidden climate costs of free parking spaces
Underpriced street parking keeps people driving in cities, even in those that have good alternative transport options. More people driving means more city traffic, increasing congestion and pollution. A survey of London residents found that their top choice for using kerb space was to plant trees, with parking ranked fifth. Converting space could also help cities move more efficiently and more sustainably: cars travelling on a single 10-ft-wide lane move about 1,600 people an hour in cities, while the same lane as a protected, two-way bike lane, for instance, would allow 7,500 people to get around and a lane delineated for public transport could move 8,000 people an hour. Read more in The Guardian
 
At home with a heat pump

Four householders with recently installed air source heat pumps discuss the ups and downs of ownership in The Guardian. 

Useful resources


Environment Now – the facts: the Earth is changing faster than at any point in human memory as a result of human-caused global heating and The Guardian is tracking the changes via the vital signs

What to do? Possible suggests five key areas where we can all take action to tackle the climate crisis.

Recommended by The Climate Coalition: The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, “a non-profit organisation that supports informed debate on energy and climate change issues in the UK.” and Carbon Brief “ UK-based website covering the latest developments in climate science, climate policy and energy policy. We specialise in clear, data-driven articles and graphics to help improve the understanding of climate change...”

CarbonCopy's brilliantly designed map showing us the level of climate ambition from councils across the country - from places that have not yet declared a climate emergency to places targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Fossil Free News
There’s so much happening in the climate movement — it can be hard to keep up. Get highlights from campaigns everywhere working for a #FossilFree world, delivered twice a month.
 
Off-set your carbon footprint...
It is estimated that an average UK household emits around four tonnes of CO₂ each year. Even if you’ve pared your carbon footprint  down to the minimum, there will still be carbon dioxide emissions associated with your everyday life. The World Land Trust Carbon Balanced calculators enable you to calculate how much – and then offset it with a donation towards tree-planting and conservation projects around the world. If that’s not your thing, there are other ways to offset – tell us your favourites.

Climate Outreach’s How to have a climate change conversation – Talking climate.

Environment Now – the facts
The Earth is changing faster than at any point in human memory as a result of human-caused global heating and The Guardian is tracking the changes via the vital signs, from carbon dioxide levels to Arctic sea ice, taken from data sources including Nasa, the US National Snow and Ice Data Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Want to take action on climate change, but don’t know where to start? Possible has divided their campaigns across five key areas where we can all take action to tackle the climate crisis. Click the buttons on Possible’s website to find out what you can do right now to help.

Reviews 

We read the reviews so you don’t have to... (We haven’t read or listened tp everything in this section, but we think they all sound interesting.) 
 

Read


Salmon 
Look out for the latest edition of Kingston's magazine for ethically-minded people who live, work and play in the borough and the surrounding area, or read it on-line by clicking on the picture on the right. 

Hot Air The Inside Story of the Battle Against Climate Change Denial by Peter Stott 
A climate scientist reveals the bitter fight to get international acceptance that human activity causes climate change against the efforts of sceptical governments, prominent climate change deniers and shadowy lobbyists. See a preview here and  and read an interview with Peter Stott here.  
 
Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World by Katharine Hayhoe  
A scientist and gifted speaker makes a convincing case for calm, informed discussions in the race to avert catastrophe “An optimistic view on why collective action is still possible—and how it can be realized.”(The New York Times) Read a review in The Guardian
 
Too Hot to Handle? The Democratic Challenge of Climate Change by Rebecca Willis
Based on interviews with leading politicians and activists, and the author’s twenty years on the frontline of climate politics, this book explores why climate is such a challenge for political systems, even when policy solutions exist. It argues that more democracy, not less, is needed to tackle the climate crisis, and suggests practical ways forward. Read an article by the author, Professor in Energy & Climate Governance at Lancaster Environment Centre.
 
From Client Earth:
How to spot fossil fuel greenwashing and more environmental stories

Eating to Extinction: The World’s Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them by Dan Saladino  
A tiny crimson pear in the west of England, chunks of fermented sheep meat in the Faroe Islands, exploding corn in Mexico... are just some of the thousands of foods around the world today that are at risk of being lost for ever. Dan Saladino spans the globe to uncover the stories of these foods. Find out more here.  Read an article by the author and watch a discussion about the book.

Cli-fi
Novelists are facing up to the unthinkable: the climate crisis. Claire Armitstead talks to Margaret Atwood, Amitav Ghosh and more about the new wave of climate fiction – read the article in The Guardian Review section here
 
Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the Climate Crisis by Alice Bell   
Our Biggest Experiment shines a spotlight on the little-known scientists who sounded the alarm to reveal the history behind the defining story of our age: the climate crisis. Alice Bell takes us back to climate change science's earliest steps in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, through the point when concern started to rise in the 1950s and right up to today, where the "debate" is over and the world is finally starting to face up to the reality that things are going to get a lot hotter, a lot drier (in some places), and a lot wetter (in others), with catastrophic consequences for most of Earth's biomes. The message is ultimately hopeful; harnessing the ingenuity and intelligence that has driven the history of climate change research can result in a more sustainable and bearable future for humanity.
 
Fairness and opportunity: IPPR’s people-powered plan for the green transition
Through public consultation, IPPR Environmental Justice Commission has developed the ideas and policies to bring about a rapid green transition that is fair and just. Read more here.
 
The RSA’s Regenerative Futures programme
“We want to see a world where people and communities harness their potential to be sources of health and regeneration for all life on earth. Because people and planetary needs are intertwined, our problem solving should be too. We need to regenerate...” Find out more; infographic summary here. 
 

Watch

 
Bill Mckibben In Conversation with Fatima Ibrahim on The End Of Nature
McKibben’s book is as relevant today as it was as a ground-breaking plea for radical and life-renewing change when first published in 1989. The author argues today that our view of nature and its role in our lives has irretrievably altered, and that we have to rethink this relationship. He talks about how much has changed, both for better and for worse, since he wrote the book, and what we must do now. Watch here

The Glasgow Effect 
On 8 January 2017, one week after completing her year-long "durational performance"The Glasgow Effect, for which she refused to travel beyond Glasgow’s city limits, or use any vehicles except her bike, for the whole of 2016, Ellie Harrison gave a talk about the work at the Glasgow Film Theatre which you can watch or read here On 4 November 2019, she published a book providing the complete context for her thinking and action.
 
The People v Climate Change
First shown on BBCTV in May, repeated in November and available on I-Player for another 5 months if you missed it, this heartening film follows seven members of the UK’s first ever Citizen's Assembly on Climate Change. Assembly members came from all over the UK, bringing their own perspective to the climate change debate and grappling with challenging questions about our future. 

 

Listen

 
The Hack that Changed the World 
Who was behind the 2009 hack and leak of emails that fuelled climate change sceptics? Listen to BBC R4’s 5-part programme exploring the hack and its aftermath. Another case of “follow the money”?
 
Our Planet Now: COP26
Discover the latest analysis, discussion and explainers to keep you informed about COP26, climate change and the environment from Our Planet Now on BBC Sounds.  

Regular updates on all things environmental 


Most of them will send environmental news direct to your inbox:
EcoWatch - online environmental news, also on Facebook  
The Independent environment news  
The Guardian environment news and The Guardian’s weekly Green Light email.
The BBC environment news
The Ecologist, currently celebrating its 50th year; its impressive archive includes the landmark A Blueprint for Survival (1972) outlining the need for a serious economic and environmental overhaul
Fix the Planet - New Scientist’s monthly dose of climate optimism

 

More things we like this month   

What else is happening soon?  

New Scientist Live 2022
29 - 30 January 2022 (31 January Schools only day), Manchester Central and Online

A festival of ideas and discoveries for everyone curious about science and why it matters, including some talks on climate and ecology. Find out more and book
 
Surviving the Future: Conversations for Our Time 
31 Jan - 27 Mar 2022

Sterling College's interactive, communal online course is back, led by TTK co-founder Shaun Chamberlin; guests last time included Kate Raworth, Rob Hopkins and Vandana Shiva.  Details will be updated here.

Greener living: your guide to climate change and leading a more sustainable life
Online course, as and when suits you

This New Scientist expert-led online course shows you easy changes you can make to your life that will have a big impact on the environment and help tackle climate change
Cost £199, find out more.
 
Living Streets’ National Walking Summit 2022: Walking for everyone
Tuesday 22 March  2022, in person in London or online

Bookings now open, find out more and secure your place today at National Walking Summit 2022 | Living Streets

Kingston Voluntary Action events and training
Ongoing

If your group would like advice or support, please complete this form, outlining your support needs and we will get back to you as soon as we can to set up a free 45 minute appointment with a relevant member of staff. Keep updated on KVA's training opps by getting onto their mailing list.  KVA also offer free easy to use websites to community groups. Find out more here.
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