Transition town of the future...

Missed the Lucy Seigle's article on Transition Town Totnes in Observer yesterday ?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/06/totnes-transition-towns-ethical-living

Garden Share in Deal High St

A great response today in Deal High Street  to the launch of our 'Deal Garden Share Scheme' - we handed out over 150 leaflets and had an number of interested enquiries. Many thanks to Rosie, Sue, Vicki and Charles (support from Tony) for helping...

Full details of the Scheme can be found here

Deal Writers Group

Deal Writers Group
Exciting New Anthology Launch
An evening of entertainment with readings from your local writers

7.30 – 9.00 p.m. Deal Town Hall , Thursday 3rd March 2011 (Doors open 7.15)
Free glass of wine.

Enter our limerick competition on the night for a chance to win a free, signed copy of the new anthology. Simply complete either of the following limericks:


Limerick 1 – first line: My father said, “Get a career …

Limerick 2 – first line: In Deal every day you can find …
Anthologies can be purchased on the night for £4.50

Deal Garden Share

Deal Garden Share
This Saturday (5th Feb) we are launching our local Garden Share Scheme - come and find us on the High Street between 10:30-12:30pm and find out more about the scheme.

The Deal Garden Share scheme matches and introduces committed and enthusiastic growers with local garden owners who want to see their gardens being used more productively. In doing so both parties share in the produce grown and enjoy the garden.

We have a checklist of information aimed at both growers and garden owners that aims to describe both parties expectations, responsibilities and 'ground rules'.

This is not commercial undertaking - its about mutual benefit, trust and building the solidarity of our community.

We are also here to help - We hope get a group of Garden Doctors to share their knowledge and experience to mentor both garden owners & growers to get the best out the space available. We hope get some support to get gardens up and going, if that needs a few volunteers for some hard digging!

We want to hear from you if:

• You have a Garden or plot owner which is underused or unmanaged and would like to consider sharing it

• You are a potential Grower who has little or no access to land but wants to grow you own Vegetables and Fruit

• A experienced Gardener who would be willing to share you knowledge by mentoring garden owners/new growers

Contact: gardenshare@dealwithit.org or phone 01304 372673. Forms and posters for Growers and Garden Owners can be found here

You can help be passing the word on about the scheme, putting up a poster in your window or at your community group.

The Scheme is one of Deal With It's Local Food Group ('Delicious Deal') initiatives which aims to foster and support local food production (in all its forms, from extending the provision of cheap local allotments, the formation of Community Gardens & Orchards, Guerillia Gardening, Food Co-ops and local commercial organic food) with the aim of reducing our carbon footprint as individuals and as a community.

As a Group we also support the LandShare scheme which is a good alternative if you are looking for larger pieces of land or sites outside the district http://www.landshare.net/

Peak Oil: Rob Hopkins speaking in 2009 on TED ...

Rob Hopkins speaking on TED network on peak oil and transition in 2009....


Link if you cannot see the embedded video http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/696

Deal With IT - AGM Saturday 5th Feb at 2:30pm

Deal With It's AGM is this Saturday at 2:30pm at Dealability 43 Victoria Road Deal.

We have a proposal to replace our constiution with one closer aligned to the Transition Movement - This should be emailed out .

Please come along and  get involved. We are looking for volunteers for the Steering and Theme groups around Food, Energy, Waste and Transport. The only qualifications you need is enthusiasm and wanting to make Deal a Greener Town!

Agenda
(to be confirmed)

1. Coordinators report for 2010
2. Treasurers report for 2010
3. Press report
4. New Constitution - discussion & decision
5. Officers & Steering Group
6. AOB

Victoria's Green Matters - 3rd Feb 2011

Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column in the East Kent Mercury:

How about a fish supper tonight? Or do you regularly eat fish on Fridays? Fish has been extolled as the food for ‘healthy eating’ by many. Unfortunately, there is a ‘but’. Do you ever give thought to how your fish is caught or where it comes from? It does not originate from frozen blocks in a freezer cabinet at the local supermarket.

Fishing is a dangerous business and many men have lost their lives braving cold and mountainous seas to bring their catch ashore. Fishing has become an industry; huge factory ships, particularly from Russia, spend weeks plundering the fish supplies in the seas around our islands. Over-fishing by all nationalities has led to some species of fish becoming seriously depleted and, in some seas, extinct.

In an attempt to control the amount of fish that is taken from the sea, the European Union (EU) created the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). While obviously well meaning this has led to fishermen being allocated ‘quotas’ or regularised amounts of certain fish types that can be caught. Fishing over these quotas will result in fines for the fishermen. Unfortunately, it is impossible to fish for only one type without catching many others, allowed or not. Fishermen have to discard or throw away fish that are caught ‘over quota’ and most of these fish die.

How wasteful is this? The CFP is being reformed before implementation in 2012 and TV personality Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall has launched a campaign to stop the wasteful discard system and replace it with something more sustainable. To preserve the limited stocks of some fish, we must develop the taste for other types that are plentiful and ask our fish shops to supply them.

Join the campaign – visit www.hugh’sfishfight.net – sign up and tell all your friends to sign up too!

Deal's Cycle Forum - Launch meeting 31st Jan report

DEAL CYCLE FORUM MEETING 
THE ROYAL HOTEL ON MONDAY 31ST JANUARY 2011.

Some twenty representatives of various organisations interested in or concerned with cycling gathered at the Royal Hotel to discuss the possible forming of a cycle forum in Dover District.

People introduced themselves and the organisations they represented and gave a brief outline of why they had come.  KCC Deal Councillor Kit Smith and Kent Highways officer, Steve Darling, spoke about the developments in Deal and Dover.  DDC Councillor Nigel Collor and DDC officer Gordon Measey talked about things from the district perspective.

They all stressed the importance of a bottom up, community lead approach where concerns and priorities could be fed into the councils by a group who agreed on what is important to local residents and cycle users.

People felt that the existing cycle paths needed better surfacing which was less costly and much safer to use.  Cycle paths needed to be “joined up” and clearly signed so that cyclists knew where to ride in safety.  It is clear that there are very few dedicated cycle paths in the county.  Almost all are shared by cyclists, pedestrians and people with disabilities.  The general public need educating on the use of the paths so everyone can share them in safety.

SPOKES representatives said that there are cycle forums in all other East Kent Districts and they are a useful in communicating the needs of cyclists and pedestrians alike to KCC and those responsible for the creation of cycle paths.

Cllr. Smith suggested that the forum’s aims should be:

•    Networking among members
•    Planning new cycle ways and monitoring plans for those in the pipe line
•    Giving advice and being advocates for cycling
•    Providing a connection between users, planners and politicians

It was agreed that Ian Killbery should arrange a further meeting in early April at the later time of 7pm, preferably not on a Monday.  This meeting was tasked with the election of a Chairman and Minutes Secretary.  The agenda would contain an update on events since this meeting.

(Thank you Sue Delling for the report and Rose Dowd for the Photos ...)

Make you voice heard - save our forests...

Defra has started the consultation period (it runs to 21st April 2011) on the Government's plans to sell off our forests.

Why not tell them what you think ? http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/forests/index.htm ....

oh yes, by the way its the UN's International Year of the Forests .. who says the government does not have a sense of humour!

You can still support 360degree campaign - This Wednesday there is a crunch vote in Parliament. MPs will vote on a motion demanding a rethink of plans to sell our national forests.

If enough of us contact our MPs now, we've got a real chance of winning this vote! So let’s make sure MPs are getting thousands of messages with one very clear request: vote to save our forests this Wednesday.

It's quick and easy to email your MP, click here to send them a message:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/tell-your-mp-to-save-our-forests

Deal's Blue Mermaid back Hugh's Big Fish Fight

As you may have seen from the local press this week, one of our local chippy's has stepped up to the mark to support Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Big Fish Fight.

The Blue Mermaid Fish Bar in Victoria Road, Deal has been selling locally sourced battered Mackerel since last last Thursday.

Owner Sam Sidhu said "the Mackerel has been selling well since Thursday. On Saturday we actually sold more Mackerel than Cod. It is proving to be very popular as a lunchtime snack and its got our customers talking about the issue"

Customers to the Blue Mermaid were also treated to free tasters of sprats fresh off the beach at Deal. Sam wants to make seasonal, local sourced fish part of his menu. He hopes to be selling locally fished Pollock from April onwards.

As Sam says "locally caught fish is more sustainable. Its better for the local economy as well as better quality and a cheaper meal to our customers".

Sam's sign in support of BFF

Hugh's campaign against wasteful fish discards, getting people to try fish other than cod or tuna and getting Chippies to try something different like Mackerel has had a great impact nationally. So far over 632 thousand people have signed to support the campaign. http://www.fishfight.net/

Why not drop in the Blue Mermaid and try some Mackerel ? You can support the campaign locally by approaching your local cafe or chippie. You can find our Deal With It Poster here

First beach clean of January 2011

On a January Sunday morning, with a bitter NE wind, a harden crew of 17 from Deal With It completed the first Deal beach clean of 2011.

In just over an hour we managed to pick up and log over 130kgs of rubbish from the beach.

Deal Beach Warden, Wendy Boorman said "It was a great turnout for such a cold day. We picked up a record amount in such a short time. The information we collate from the beach cleans is invaluable to the work of Marine Conservation Society which campaigns to keep our coasts clean and healthy."

The next clean will be on Sunday 24th April.

Well done all!

Victoria's Green Matters - 27th Jan 2011

Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column in the East Kent Mercury:

There can be many reasons for an increase in the price of food; there are often floods here or drought there, increases in oil and fertiliser prices, climate change and changes in land use. All these can be said to cause shortages and so trigger price rises. It is straightforward for us to refuse to buy goods that we consider to be too expensive. We can easily choose to buy something else.
What if there is nothing else? It is difficult for us to imagine a life without the vast choices that we have today. For many people in the world there is no choice and if they cannot afford the price of food in the market they go hungry and they may go hungry for weeks.

It has become apparent that banks, hedge funds and financiers have not only caused the sub-prime mortgage crisis of 2006 but have now started to speculate on food and in so doing have driven up global food prices. This has caused food riots in more than 20 countries and governments have had to subsidise staple goods and ban exports. It may not matter to us if speculators cause the price of coffee to rise by 20% in three days just by betting on the price falling. It matters to the grower who cannot sell his crop. Global unrest is a natural result.

We have come to have little respect for bankers. Since the economic crisis, all we have wanted is regulation to stop it happening again. Speculation on food prices must count as one of the most unprincipled activities imaginable.   

People in the developing world have many problems. There are many reasons why there are food shortages and they do not need speculation to cause more problems.

The New Home Front: Total war on climate change ?

The Green Party and the New Economics Foundation have published paper 'The New Home Front' which argues that the UK needs to mobilise the scale that happened in WW2 to deal with climate change.

What do you think?

From their joint press release:

"The Battle of Britain was fought and won mainly in the skies over Kent. The battle for a sustainable and prosperous Kent and Medway requires a similar effort as the recent report, THE NEW HOME FRONT, suggests. We can grow more food in Kent. We can extend our forest cover. We can produce energy from all our buildings. We can raise our recycling levels. And each step towards sustainability will create new long term employment. But we cannot achieve high levels of useful employment if the Government continues to undermine front line public spending through its failure to collect taxes which are due (1). Similarly, our new 'Home Front' effort needs the additional revenues which could be obtained by closing all tax havens in British jurisdictions.(2)"


The paper can be found at http://www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/reports/the_new_home_front_FINAL.pdf

KCC: Renewal Energy in Kent Report 2010

KCC's Select Committee on renewal energy in Kent report for 2010 is out - get your copy here https://shareweb.kent.gov.uk/Documents/council-and-democracy/select%20committees/Renewable%20energy%20report%20final.pdf

Trains4Deal: Open the Gate!

1. WHY STATION ACCESS IS IMPORTANT

When we get the HS service to Deal and Sandwich (and we're convinced we will before too long), it will be critical to improve access to the stations.

We've seen the problems at Dover Priory, where the surge in demand for car parking has spilled out into the surrounding streets - and it;s very difficult to find anywhere to park. (Did you know - 65% of Dover to London tickets sold are now via HS?)

At Deal, we're pushing for the disused Network Rail land next to the down platform (arriving from London) to be opened up in advance of our HS service.

Our "OPEN THE GATE" campaign asks for immediate action to re-open the existing station access road (see http://tinyurl.com/4b4rdps  ).

Next step is to use this space to create:

- more badly-needed car- and taxi-parking spaces,;

- a pick-up / drop-off zone for elderly and mobility-impaired travellers;

- better bus stops nearer the station

- safer access to walk and ride bikes to the station, which many commuters and leisure travellers will welcome.

We're also saying this could be a useful link in the local cycle network, creating a safe off-road cycling- and walking-path towards Fowlmead for all the tourists who will  come down on the HS train to explore our attractive coast and countryside, as well as for local families.

We're supporting this case at a CYCLE FORUM meeting at the ROYAL HOTEL on Deal seafront on Mon 31st Jan, 6.16 to 8pm (open to all). 

We'll be pressing to improve access to Deal station - critical for when we get the high-speed service - and for safer cycle- and walking-routes to Fowlmead.

More at http://tunyurl/cycleforum - if you ride a bike and want better cycle routes, please come!

2. PARKING PROBLEMS AT DOVER PRIORY - IS THIS A SOLUTION?

We pass on the message from Relyon Transport without recommendation or endorsement from Trains4deal - we haven't tried it.

It might be of help while we're still working to get a direct HS service, for which, of course, it is no substitute - let us know what you think.

Secure Parking for HS Rail link just £4 per day!.

Dear Commuters!

We are writing to advise you of alternative 24 hour secure parkingarrangements available in Dover for those wishing to use the HS service from Dover Priory to London.Secure parking and free shuttle bus service is available at Family runbusiness Relyon Transport ( trading for 26 years ) in Poulton Close, CoombeValley Road in Dover CT17 0HL.

The cost is just £12 for three days parking and £4 per day thereafter andcan be made easily by debit or credit card.Customers wishing to use this service are advised to arrive at the depot, 15

minutes before their HS Service is due when journey time to the station by

free shuttle bus takes about 10 minutes. Return transportation back to the

depot can be booked in advance or ordered by mobile phone once the train is

a few stops from Dover Priory station.

All Commuters will save themselves time if they book in advance although

this is not essential.

Secure parking Bookings and enquiries can be made with Dave or Rosie by

phone email or fax at the following:

email :  relyontransport@btconnect.com

Phone 01304 201227

Fax 01304 241058

--------------------------------

More news at http://www.trains4deal.com 

best wishes,

Tom Rowland / Ian Killbery admin@trains4deal.com

Join the rail-users' group for the Deal area

Campaigning for High Speed trains to Deal - NOW!

http://www.trains4deal.com 

Join the trains4deal group on Facebook

Horizon: Science under attack

Just in case you missed nobel prize winner, Sir Paul Nurse on 'Science under attack' on the BBc tonight.

A very clear and concise essay on science and climate change.

Worth a watch...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00y4yql/Horizon_20102011_Science_Under_Attack/

Kingsdowner: New Local Wildlife Site - The Beach

Kingsdowner: New Local Wildlife Site - The Beach

EcoBuild 2011 - 1-3rd March

This year EcoBuild is between 1-3rd March. This is a major sustainable building exhibition in London - well worth a visit if you are a small heating business, builder or home owner just interested in the latest Eco-tech for your House.

http://www.ecobuild.co.uk/attractions.html

Ecologist: Laura Sandys MP: On Food Security

From the Ecologist:
Sandwich's MP speaks out on the need for food security.

Laura Sandys MP: why food security must be viewed as a strategic threat

Laura Sandys

18th January, 2011
With cheap food pricing, over-reliance on imports, and the pressures of a growing population, the UK's food security is set to rise up the national agenda. The Coalition Government must be prepared for the challenges ahead


For too long we have been avoiding one of the biggest threats to this country’s domestic security – food. Deluded by cheap food prices, importing over 50 per cent of what is on our supermarket shelves, and dismissing the calls from UK farmers and fishermen to focus more on national food production; food insecurity is an issue set to rise up the national agenda. It is time that Government understood and prepared for the challenge ahead.



I am pleased that our Government scientists are taking the issue of food security seriously with the future launch of the Foresight Report on Global Food and Farming Futures. Following a 20 per cent drop in Britain’s food self sufficiency over 10 years, the report will constitute an important and timely step in addressing the threat to Britain’s food security. Only last week, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation reported record food price hikes of 4.2 per cent - double the national wage increase.

Food is a truly globalised business – a fact which enhances Britain’s vulnerability given its reliance on food imports. Events in recent weeks will undoubtedly be reflected in our pockets. Australia – the fourth largest producer of wheat – has lost tons of its crops in floods; conflict in the Ivory Coast has limited cocoa exports; and poor harvests due to La Nina have reduced global food supplies. Such events reflect in world food prices and result in greater unpredictability in securing food staples.

Trade protectionism
A new era of trade protectionism in food could well be on the horizon - not for economic gain, but to ensure domestic stability. Policy makers have perhaps lost sight of the domestic, regional and international tensions that could arise should access to food be curtailed. Only last week, the rising price of onions resulted in India banning exports to Pakistan which worsened tensions with its neighbour. On Friday, the world witnessed Tunisia’s people overturn their President as a peak in global food prices contributed to national unrest. Whitehall must take heed of these international lessons and prepare.

But just how vulnerable is the UK, and how should we go about securing our future food supply? We must assess the risk – a risk that is growing and will only accelerate exponentially due to a global population reaching 9 billion by 2050. Further, over 25 per cent of the world’s productive land will be lost due to rising sea levels and desertification. The government should halt development on grade one agricultural land – the means and resources for food production must be regarded as a national priority.

There is also a role for our defence capacity in safeguarding Britain’s food security. Policy makers must carefully consider what threats might arise due to resource scarcity. Piracy is one. Last year alone, pirates abducted 217 merchant ships. Even the British Chamber of Shipping has stated: 'Climate change and scarcity of resources will bring unknown and destabilising influences at sea – as we all fight for vanishing resources.' Although it is presently the Horn of Africa that is blighted by pirates, if food is to become a more valued commodity and energy costs are to increase, piracy could soon plague other major trade routes.
 
Safeguarding supplies
Special Forces with specialist knowledge could provide logistical assistance to support our vessels transporting vital food supplies. Our aircraft carriers and frigates could assist Britain’s food importing vessels by protecting from the threats of piracy and keeping trade routes open.

But some of the answers also lie closer to home. We must rethink the way we use food. I was recently part of a TV programme that highlighted that up to 30 per cent of food – good food – is thrown away every year. Supermarkets reject fruit and vegetables that do not fit their so called 'aesthetic standards'; sell by dates encourage us at home to throw away food that is perfectly fresh; and meat cuts such as offal are discarded as we have forgotten how to eat or cook them. In my constituency of Thanet, fishermen are compelled to discard 50 per cent of their catch due to an outmoded quota system.

 

First 'Passivhaus' developed in UK

Wimbish, Essex - a UK first for rural sustainability

A Hastoe Housing Association development in Wimbish, Essex is on target to be the first rural affordable Passivhaus development in the UK. The aim is to complete the scheme this Spring, then receive accreditation from the Passivhaus Institut (Germany) by early Summer 2012.

The scheme has received investment from the HCA via a grant of £830,000 from the National Affordable Housing Programme. The scheme is being built on a rural exception site, with the 14 shared ownership and social rented homes being reserved for those people with strong local connections to the community.

The homes will require little or no energy use for heating or cooling. They will have excellent thermal comfort and ventilation and low primary energy use, meaning reduced living costs for residents. The buildings will also achieve high quality construction standards and reach Level Four of the Code for Sustainable Homes meaning that they will be super energy efficient.

The team visited Germany, the birthplace of Passivhaus, last year to find out more about the concept. They viewed Passivhaus homes where the technology has been tried, tested and proven to be successful in European climate conditions.

More details at HCA