Victoria's Green Matters - 8th October 2015

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

If you are green at heart you will be delighted to learn this week that renewable energy has, for the first time, generated more electricity than coal for a whole quarter. This means that between April and June, wind, solar and bioenergy have provided 25% of our electricity.

The extra performance this year as opposed to last year, when renewables generated 16.4% of the electricity for the same period, was attributed to there being more wind and sun but also to more turbines and solar panels being installed. Gas fired power stations contributed the most generation with 30%; renewables came second, nuclear third with 21.5% and coal at the bottom with 20.5%. Coal is, of course, the most polluting fuel, producing twice the carbon dioxide emissions of gas with nuclear and renewables being the cleanest.

This information was released in government statistics and comes in a week when they have been greatly criticised for reducing support for renewable energy. Our new Conservative government has argued that renewable energy subsidies have been rising too fast and has announced plans to cut support for solar power by 87% and to end subsidy for onshore wind farms – just when renewables are becoming much more competitive and the industry is growing.

It would appear that our government would rather go ahead with subsidies and plans for more nuclear power which will not be available for at least 10 years, instead of more renewables, which, in the case of solar is virtually instant.

Victoria's Green Matters - 1st October 2015

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

A new report, the ‘Living Blue Planet’ report, is again urging us to eat only Marine Stewardship Council approved fish. This is fish from fisheries that have been examined to ensure that they are properly and sustainably managed.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London have found that numbers of tuna, mackerel and bonito have fallen by 74% between 1970 and 2012, much more than the 49% for other ocean species over the same time.

This is catastrophic as our food sources are being destroyed along with the ecology of our oceans. Most focus has been on blue fin tuna, which is now on the verge of extinction, but other close relatives that are commonly found on restaurant menus or in tins such as yellow fin tuna and albacore, are becoming increasingly rare. The incidence of other species such as sea cucumber, a luxury food in Asia, has fallen by 98% in the Galapagos.

While over fishing is the obvious culprit, it is not the only one. Pollution, including plastic which contaminates the digestive system of fish; climate change, causing oceans to become more acidic because of the carbon dioxide that is being pumped into the atmosphere and the loss of key habitats all contribute to the decline of species. Overfishing is a global problem. The Pacific is of particular concern as Chinese, Japanese and Korean fleets take the most fish.

There are choices we must make and make urgently – to halt climate change and overfishing.

Deal Beach Clean 20th September

The #GreatBritishBeach Clean in Deal

A big thank you to our 22 volunteers who had a busy time on the Deal Beach Clean last Sunday.

We collected some 19 bags with 38kgs of rubbish in just over an hour and half.

Special thanks to the Rotary Club of Deal who donated monies for us to buy 10 new pickers and some bag hoops.

As always thanks to our Deal Beach Warden, Wendy Boorman for organising all the MCS forms and post clean work to get the data back the MCS.

We are looking at one final beach clean for 2015 in December....
DWI Supporter Jayne from PRFilms has done a short film of last Beach Clean at Sandown Castle end of Deal Beach in July.

Victoria's Green Matters -17th September 2015

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

We are seeing an increase in tree loss around the world. This is very concerning, not least because of the coming Paris climate talks, as reducing emissions due to deforestation will play a significant role. Globally, 18 million hectares of trees were lost last year due to both natural and manmade causes.

Trees covering an area twice the size of Portugal were lost worldwide in 2014 and this was caused mostly by the demand for palm oil which is estimated to be present in half of all packaged goods, from chocolate bars to shampoo. Indonesia is the world’s biggest producer of palm oil but has introduced a moratorium on the sale of forests in recent years under pressure to reduce its carbon emissions.

We are used to hearing about tree loss in Brazil and Indonesia but researchers were surprised to learn that five African states featured in the list of ten countries where forest loss has accelerated since 2000. One of these is Madagascar, which lost 2% of its total forest area to agriculture, mining and the timber industry last year.

Developing countries, such as Liberia, realise that the ecological consequences of deforestation are worrying but feel they must consider growing palm oil because of the economic pressures to create jobs.

We must bear in mind that developing nations have to feed an ever growing population, are trying to build up a steady economy and so need encouragement to look further ahead to create sustainable development for the long term.

Dover Community Energy Event - 14th October 2015

Dover Community Energy Event. On October 14 in Dover, Sustainability Connections is hosting and event about Community Energy Champions: who they are and what they can do for you. 

The event is supported by NEA ( National Energy Action), the leading UK organisation on Fuel Poverty and by DECC, British Gas and Dover District Council.

Weds 14th Oct 11am to 2pm

We’ll have some interesting gadgets and energy saving advice for you.

Bring your own lunch and stay for networking.

  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/communities-and-energy-how-to-use-supply-and-generate-local-energy-tickets-12448097595




Have you noticed that not a day goes by at the moment without some mention of the power of communities? Have you picked up on the fact that people are pulling together to bring change and progress in their own communities? If you've been hearing about community owned energy projects – examples of communities running crowd-funding campaigns to install solar panels on a school roof etc - then this is going to be of interest to you.  All around, people are tapping human energy to tap, gain community control and ownership of how we power our communities.  
This mini conference is an opportunity to meet people who are delivering local energised programmes that are

• tackling fuel poverty
• helping people switch energy tariffs
• developing locally based, household energy efficiency programmes with jobs for local builders.
• building projects for locally generated and community-owned energy
•  

Come and visit our stalls

Big Energy Saving Network  - Energy bill/ energy efficiency advice service with Energy Champions across Kent
Aquaponics – via Dover Big Local.
Food bank/ and Community Café – again, link is via Dover Big Local
Local Women Energy Champions and people who have completed a City & Guilds in Energy Efficiency in the Home.
Our Local Building contractors  - the people installing insulation, boilers, internal and external wall insulation, solar, biomass…all that kind of thing.
Retrofitworks (www.retrofitworks.co.uk)

Agenda

Introduction by local VIP ( TBC)
Overview of Fuel Poverty and plans to combat it  - National Energy Action
Co-operative movement – Co-Op Energy                 
 What’s happening locally with the Energy Champion concept?

•          Amanda Martin, Climate Change and Energy Conservation Officer, Dover District Council

•         Russel Smith  Retrofitworks – how to set up a local energy efficiency co-operative

•          Stephanie Karpetas – Sustainability Connections/ Community Energy South

•          The Local Women Energy Champions – what we’ve learned/ what we do.

•          City & Guilds Level 1 Certificates & NEA Community Action Award

11am arrival, coffee and browse exhibitions
11.30 – 12.45 Presentations
12.45 – 2pm   "Bring and Share" lunch, networking and photographs.
 

Deal Beach Clean Video

DWI Supporter Jayne from PRFilms has done a short film of last Beach Clean at Sandown Castle end of Deal Beach in July.







Our Next Beach Clean is on 20th Sept 9:30am meet at Deal Pier. Part of Mcs's UK wide 'Great British Beach Clean' 

If you cannot see the video here is the YouTube link

Support community bid for Green Energy in Deal

Please vote to kick start a project that aims to put solar PV on Betteshanger Welfare and Social Club and support more community energy work for people living in and around Mill Hill. 

It’s all down to who wins the most votes and we are lagging in third place at the moment – way behind the lead who has 300 + votes.

Come on Deal – let’s show them that we are a community that gets things done!

 https://www.mandsenergyfund.com/project/28348/

Aim
We support communities to own and control both the use and the generation of energy. We do this in two ways: 1. We train local energy champions to City & Guilds Level 1 Introduction to Energy in the Home. These champions then assist at outreach events to encourage people to review their energy bills and to switch energy providers. Working with vulnerable consumers, we identify people who are still on standard tariffs and who can save an average of £200 on their bill. At the same time, we are able to talk about energy-efficient retrofit measures. We have built a 300 strong cluster of local SMEs who are involved in energy efficiency ( insulation, cavity wall, renewables) and our aim is to have our energy champions make referrals to these local installers. We are also building a partnership with local credit unions to find attractive financing options for people to upgrade their homes. 2. Community-owned renewable energy projects. We are drawing on the expertise of Community Energy South to create share offers for community owned energy in Kent. We offer peer mentoring from groups who have been there and done it. We aim to support 10 to 15 groups across Kent over the next three years.

Strengths
On local energy matters, we built our reputation by offering home surveys, using a thermal camera, running energy fairs and training unemployed women to be local energy champions. We’re successful at winning funding and have helped thousands of people save money on their energy bills. Our network covers all sectors: voluntary groups; housing associations, local authorities; health organisations; SMEs and local large businesses. We are collaborative and make very good partners in projects. Small enough to be flexible, we are open-minded about overlaps. Our directors’ extensive experience includes finance, large corporates, local government, voluntary sector and small business. Our solutions offer financial sustainability, eg community-owned energy. We offer a return on investment and we include all sections of our community. We collaborate, thinking about the needs of our partners. Our approaches are refreshingly progressive - all working towards a common and greater good. Local people are excited about what we do and they like that we are part of the local community. We have told an energy story in a way that makes sense to people and which gives them confidence that we can drive forward positive local change. We are willing to support and grow projects and then let committed, well-trained communities take charge.

Benefits
This community owned energy project will • Bring energy savings to a group of community buildings in the heart of a deprived community. • Create a community owned asset with a community fund to finance continuation of energy champion training, a community tariff and energy efficiency measures identified, installed and financed through local organisations. • Give our community leverage for future grants and project funding Eg Big Lottery funding or EU projects and build on the pride and empowerment that comes from a community taking charge of its own future.

Great British Beach Clean - Deal 20th Sept 9:30

Deal With It is supporting the Marine Conservation Society's UK Wide 'Great Brtitish Beach Clean' (which  runs nationally between 18th-21st Sept) with a Deal Beach Clean on Sunday 21st Sept at 9:30am meeting at Deal Pier.

The Objective of the Great British Beach Clean is to take a snapshot of the rubbish on our beaches and for the MCS to then analyse how things are changing. Deal With It will be supplying rubbish pickers, bags, gloves and monitoring sheets we just need your enthusiaism and 1-2hrs of time on the 21st.

We have been very fortunate to have a donation from  Rotary Club of Deal  which has allowed us the purchase 10 new pickers. All donations from groups, individuals and businesses are always very welcome

See you on the 21st!

Victoria's Green Matters - 3rd September 2015

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

It seems that our ‘greenest government ever’ is about to deal another stinging blow to the renewable energy industry. In a consultation document just released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) it is proposed that the feed-in tariff, paid to householders who install solar panels on their roof, should reduce by 87%.

From 1 January, 2016 the feed-in tariff for small scale installations will reduce from 12.47p per unit to 1.63p per unit, taking away any monetary incentive to install solar panels. Large scale, stand alone units will only be eligible for a payment of 1.03p per unit instead of 4.28p. These cuts, alongside the already announced removal of financial assistance for new onshore windfarms and for home energy efficiency measures can only lead to many losses of companies and jobs in the fledgling industries that the country desperately needs.

The DECC documents also admit that cuts in the tariffs could lead to fewer installations – probably the most obvious conclusion that could be reached! The cost of installing solar panels has gradually reduced over recent years as more and more people are able to afford them so a reasonable cut in feed-in tariffs is only to be expected but surely, this is a step too far?

A representative from Friends of the Earth commented that these cuts will prevent almost one million homes, schools and hospitals from having the advantage of independent, clean and renewable energy.

Our government would rather subsidise fracking for gas rather than clean energy.

Victoria's Green Matters - 27th August 2015

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

It is becoming more and more obvious that we need to live with trees in our communities. It was in 1984 that Roger Ulrich discovered that hospital patients recovered more quickly from surgery if they had a view of trees from their room. Since then there has been a growing body of scientific evidence that has shown that health and, indeed, wealth benefits from trees in our cities.

In Toronto, recent research has shown that people living on tree-lined streets demonstrated health benefits equivalent to being seven years younger or receiving a £6,000 rise in salary; studies have shown that many benefits occur, including improved mental health and lower rates of asthma.

Despite all the evidence to show that ‘trees are good for us’, no government department is actually responsible for the health of urban trees throughout our nation. Conversely, government owned woodland is looked after by the Forestry Commission. Urban trees remain the responsibility of local councils whose finances are stretched, often in too many directions, to include the health of their trees.

It has been shown that trees provide a valuable service to city streets and their inhabitants by absorbing carbon, removing pollution and storing rainwater allowing it to be evaporated by the sun rather than pouring straight down the drains. Trees that are near buildings reduce the need for air conditioning in the summer and even heating bills in winter.

It is vitally important for us to look after our trees and to ensure that their value is realised.