AFTER COPENHAGEN

AFTER COPENHAGEN
Are you an optimist or a pessimist after the Copenhagen Summit?
Described by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon as “an important beginning”, the 3-page non-binding Copenhagen Accord has now been signed up to by 80% of the world’s carbon producers.
• Industrial countries must list their individual emissions reductions targets, and less-industrialized countries must list the actions they will take to cut emissions by specific amounts.
• All countries must accept a transparent system for monitoring their emissions.
• Poor countries will be paid to prevent deforestation.
• Wealthy nations will establish a fund (growing from 30 billion dollars per year to $100 billion per year by 2020) to help poor and vulnerable nations adapt to climate change.
• Signatory nations accept a goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees C by 2050.
• The Accord creates a Technology Mechanism to accelerate development of low-carbon technology, but supplies no details.

Besides being non-binding, these are the main weaknesses of the Accord:
• 2 degrees C is too high and there is no cap for CO2 concentrations, even at 350 parts per million which scientists say is a safer level to take account of positive feedbacks. By setting a limit of 2 degrees temperature increase without specifying a CO2 cap, the Accord may implicitly be adhering to the older scientific consensus, which would mean a 450 ppm cap and 3 degrees or more of real temperature increase. Any scientific assessment of temperature and CO2 targets is delayed until 2015.
• No target date for peaking of emissions, and no global emissions targets for 2020 or 2050.
• No concrete deal on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation
• The promised finances for poor nations are too small.

The next opportunity to forge a binding global climate treaty will be the August 2010 U.N. conference in Mexico City. The delay to any global agreement on climate change means in my view that we must redouble our individual and community efforts to change our life-styles through 10:10. Our 10:10 actions will help us prepare for the inevitable carbon rationing that will be imposed either for the individual citizen, or else at the power stations and oil refineries. The reason why the Copenhagen Summit has failed to produce any binding global agreement on climate change is that the politicians are unable to agree voluntarily to measures such as carbon rationing which would see a stand-still or reduction in their own people’s material consumption. And the economic crisis makes climate change harder to solve in the way everyone wants to see—i.e., with lots of green-tech growth.

Ron Prinn, co-director of MIT's Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change and a co-author of a new study in 2009, says that "our results show we still have around a 50-50 chance of stabilizing the climate at a level of no more than a few tenths above the 2 degree target. However, that will require global emissions, which are now growing, to start downward almost immediately.”

"If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm." Dr. James Hansen, director of the NASA Institute for Space Studies.

Although the effects of climate change may develop gradually, it is more likely that we will experience abrupt and dramatic shifts in weather patterns. Over the last decade we have seen both the highest temperature ever recorded in the U.K. and the (by far) warmest decade, as well as close to the greatest rainfall in 24 hours ever in the U.K. The picture of extremes is mirrored across the world. The 2006 Stern Review on the economics of climate change remarks that under presently envisaged global climate change, 200 million people may be directly affected by sea level rise, including several major coastal cities such as London.

The bigger world picture is well put by Richard Heinberg (Jan 2010):
“Climate change is just one of several enormous interrelated dilemmas that will sink civilization unless all are somehow addressed at both global and local levels. These include at least five long-range problems:
• topsoil loss (25 billion tons per year)
• worsening fresh water scarcity
• the death of the oceans (due to acidification from more carbon dioxide)
• overpopulation and continued population growth
• the accelerating, catastrophic loss of biodiversity
• peak oil
As events are unfolding now, these problems, together with climate change, will combine over the next few years or decades to trigger a food crisis of a scale and intensity that will dwarf to insignificance any famine in human history. It's not just that national governments can't get together to solve climate change. They can't solve economic meltdown, peak oil, water scarcity, soil erosion, or overpopulation either. This is not to say there is nothing that can be done about these problems. In fact, there are organizations and communities in many nations doing path-breaking work to address each and every one of them. Without global agreements, local efforts are what we've got, and we will simply have to make the most of them that we can, by working locally and on a small scale, while sharing information about successes and failures as widely as possible.”


We need to create a strong environmental movement at grass-roots level to give the politicians the backing to go further than they are. What can you do?

Transition Westcombe has various subgroups and projects which you can join by emailing transitionwestcombe@googlemail.com


• Food Sub-group: Community orchard planting, the urban foraging map, patch match

• Inner Transition: Form a 10:10 group with your neighbours to start reducing your carbon footprint by 10% in 2010. Email transitionwestcombe@googlemail.com for info and advice on the first Transition Westcombe 10:10 groups.

• Energy Subgroup: Changing the planning criteria to allow more solar panels. Creating a Council-led system for the reporting of wasteful office lights left on at night.

• Various: International Plastic Bag Free Day for Greenwich. Getting community notice boards on stations.

Or propose your own project and get the backing of Transition Westcombe. We are currently looking at how to support the proposal of Westcombe resident Barbara Morris for “greening” the streetscape by redesigning the streets with less tarmac, more plants and more porous surfaces.


Latest News:
• 10:10 groups in Foyle Road and Humber Road have begun meetings aiming for a 10% reduction in their carbon footprint during 2010.
• Low Carbon Communities Challenge bid. Unfortunately our bid did not win this very competitive challenge, but we can still be pleased to have been chosen to bid.
• URGENT: The Mayor is revising the London Plan and also the Mayor's Transport Strategy, and the consultations close officially on Tuesday 12th January at 5pm. Key proposals you may want to question….1. Another road crossing at Blackwall tunnel. 2. A Thames Gateway road bridge plus car ferry. 3. A weakening of the criteria that would allow road building to take place. As was shown at the recent public inquiry, these new bridges would have little effect on traffic congestion, while increasing air pollution and contributing to climate change.
Specifically you may want to object 1. To any new vehicle or road river crossings (as referred to in paragraph 6.37 of the London Plan, and proposal 39 of the MTS) as these would be expected to generate more traffic and add to air pollution and climate change emissions and 2. to new policy 6.12 of the London Plan which weakens the criteria for building new road capacity / makes it unacceptably easy for new roads to be built.
Responses by email to "mayor@london.gov.uk" with "Replacememt London Plan" as the title


HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Donnachadh McCarthy and Energy Saving in Period Homes

Donnachadh McCarthy on ‘Energy Saving in Period Homes’ on 27 November 2009 at Mycenae House

Donnachadh began by describing the speed with which the polar ice is melting, and the potentially disastrous consequences to everyone from global warming. He asked how many people in the audience know their carbon footprint, and emphasised that this is the basis for changing habits and reducing energy consumption, saying ‘We only take notice of the measurable’. Many of his friends and clients take care to save energy in small ways but then expend a large amount of energy by flying log distances. The first requirement, therefore, is to make a meaningful impact by considering a person’s total carbon footprint, and this involves more than just the energy efficiency of their home.

Donnachadh explained that he lives in a typical period house with solid brick walls. It is carbon negative as the solar photovoltaic panels on the roof (the first house in London to have them) generate more electricity than he needs, and he exports the rest to the national grid. To save electricity, he has recently changed all his lighting from low energy bulbs to LEDs (light emitting diodes) which have a rating of about 1 to 2 watts each. He only uses gas for cooking. Solar thermal panels on his roof produce hot water in the summer months, and in winter his high temperature wood burning stove with back boiler generates hot water and also warms his house with the aid of an ‘eco-fan’ that sits on top of the stove and blows warm air away from it. He burns waste wood, but it is possible to buy wood that is grown as a bio-fuel.

He has not added wall insulation because external insulation is not be possible in a conservation area and is expensive, while internal insulation slightly reduces the room and may create a damp problem. Donnachadh also saw no merit in either wind turbines on roofs or ground / air source heat pumps, and was critical of Aga cookers, which are lit all year round.

Donnachadh emphasised the need to draught-proof as much as possible (letterboxes, keyholes, around doors and windows and anywhere that could be a source of air leakage. In older properties this includes sealing the chimneys with chimney balloons.

Alistair Smit from iGenSolar, a local solar design and installation company, described the benefits of solar PV roof panels (generating electricity) and solar thermal roof panels to provide hot water. The cost of installing such systems is paid for by the ‘free’ energy provided, particularly as energy costs are likely to rise significantly in the future, and because of the government’s proposed Feed In Tarrif system that is due to begin on 1st April 2010. This might produce an income of a few hundred pounds per year and would reduce the time it will take to recover the capital cost of the installation.

James Barratt of French & Sashey, a local draught-proofing and timber window restoration company, spoke about his own company’s experience of timber windows. Although they can replace timber windows most of their work is draught-proofing, which is much cheaper at a rate of about £300 per window. Even windows with rotten timber in them can often be saved by replacing the bad wood. James also believes that draught-proofing timber windows is much better than secondary glazing, which is mostly made of PVC or aluminium and costs more to install and is less effective. Double-glazing is only worthwhile if the whole windows need replacing. PVC windows were criticised as being environmentally unfriendly.

Pippa Hack, Strategic Development Manager, described Greenwich Council’s energy-saving policies, including demonstration houses and grants, and explained that the Borough has signed-up to the 10/10 carbon saving initiative, though this does not apply to the buildings of their own tenants and schools.

The packed meeting of some 70 people applauded the speakers for an evening that had been extremely informative and enjoyable.



Transition Westcombe: Average Carbon Savings & Costs Chart for Energy Savings Measures (Short)



Savings measure / Annual saving Kgs CO2 / Source / Cost / Saving per Year / Payback

1. Loft Insulation 0 – 270mm / 800 / EST / £230 / £200 / 2 Years
2. Loft Insulation 50-270mm / 400 / EST / £240 / £55 k/ 5 Years
3. Floor Insulation / 270 / EST / £100 / £45 / 2 Years
4. Cavity Wall Insulation / 1050 / EST / £260 / £145 / 2 Years
5. Solid Wall Insulation, Int’l / 2400 / EST / £7000 / £380 / 18 Years
6. Solid Wall Insulation, Ext’l / 2500 / EST / £12000 / £400 / 30 Years
7. Double glazing (new) / 720 / FC / £6000 / £135 / 45 Years
8. Solar thermal hot water / 390 / BRE / £5900 / £560 / 10 Years
9. Draughtproofing / 150 / EST / £75 / £45 / 2 Years
10. Temp controls, boiler & rads / 840 / EST / £200 / £65 / 3 Years
11. Wood-burning stove-boiler / 6000 / EST / £9000 / £600 / 15 Years
12. Wood-burning stove / 600 / EST / £3000 / £200 / 15 Years
13. Reduce temp. 1 degree / 200 / FC/ £55 /
14. Heat one less room / 100 / CG /
15. Low pressure shower, not bath / 100 / CG /
16. Hot water tank insulation / 150 / EST / £10 / £20 / 6 mths
17. Ground source heat pump / 0 / DECC / £10000 / £190 / 36 Years
18. New condensing boiler , if / 1300 / EST / £1500 / £235 / 6 Years
existing one is 10 yrs old

Sources :
BRE = Building Research Establishment. Changing Spaces.
CG = Chris Goodall, Guardian
DECC = Low Carbon Buildings Programme, Dept of Energy & Climate Change
EST = Energy Savings Trust
FC = Felicity Carus, Guardian
IGS = iGenSolar
Note. The full Carbon Savings Chart and Carbon Calculator for your individual footprint is available in table form by emailing transitionwestcombe@googlemail.com











TRANSITION WESTCOMBE SHORT FACTFILE ON GRANTS : DEC 2009

A. Contact the Energy Saving Trust on http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ and key in your postcode and requirements for information on national grant schemes. 0800 512012

B. Utility Company Grants for Insulation
Try your utility supplier (gas or electricity) for their CERT offers. Look at their web sites or telephone them for insulation offers. You can take up offers from any of the energy companies, regardless of who supplies your gas and electricity.

C. Government grants for insulation
Warm Front.. Up to £3,500 to households on certain benefits and over 60, to improve their heating and energy efficiency.
D. Greenwich Council Grants
Grants are help are available for insulation and heating improvement for people on certain benefits

E. National Grants for generating energy & solar hot water through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme:
Solar thermal hot water: Overall maximum of £400 or 30 per cent of cost
Ground source heat pumps: Overall maximum of £1,200 or 30 per cent of cost
Wood heaters/stoves: Overall maximum of £600 or 20 per cent of costs
Wood fuelled boiler systems: Overall maximum of £1,500 or 30 per cent of cost
Solar photovoltaics (solar panels): Maximum of £2,500 or 50 per cent of costs
Wind turbines: Maximum of £2,500 or 30 per cent of the relevant eligible costs.
Small hydro: Overall maximum of £2,500 or 30 per cent of the relevant eligible costs.

This scheme ends on 30th April 2011. Applications for power generation (electricity) can only be accepted up to March 2010 when Feed-in Tariffs will be introduced. Heating only applications can be made up to April 2011 but applicants should take into account that projects must be completed before this date.
The Feed-in Tariff is due to come into force in April 2010, when parts of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme are phased out. Residents can at the moment still gain the benefit of the Gov Grant ahead of this date next year when the up-front grants will cease and the Feed-in Tariff will take over as the incentive. The addition of the Feed-in Tariff or Clean Energy Cashback scheme due to come into legislation in April 2010 this then makes Solar PV one of the best solutions to meet this requirement as it can also start to generate a site income.

A community orchard for Westcombe Park?

We need your suggestions - urgently! - for identifying possible sites for a community orchard.

We have been approached by an organisation promoting community orchards in London, and they would like us to register our interest in taking part so they can apply for funding to help us set up an orchard in our area.

To make their funding bid they need to hear from us in the next couple of days, and our confirmation of interest should include any ideas we have on potential sites.

That's where we need your ideas.

Don't worry too much about the practical aspects, including ownership - that can be looked into and negotiated on later. You may think it needs to be a very big site, but in fact an orchard could be small or large. You might know of land in your street, or in a disused local nook, or on a local housing estate.

Please have a think and email any ideas you have for sites to transitionwestcombe@googlemail.com, with the subject line 'Orchard sites'.

Setting up your 10:10 group for 2010

SETTING UP YOUR 10:10 GROUP FOR 2010

 

 

We are writing to let you know of our experience of starting 10:10 groups in our street, hoping that you may feel like doing something similar in your immediate neighbourhood.  10:10 is an initiative started by Franny Armstrong for us all as individuals and organizations to voluntarily reduce our energy consumption by 10% during 2010.  The most important ways we can save are on our home fuel consumption, our travel and our choice of food. Making it into a New Year’s Resolution (an idea brought by one of our group) could give it a real boost.

 

All you need is to involve up to 7 people or so who live in your street & organize a periodic get-together (once every 2 months through 2010) in which you share ideas on reducing energy consumption.  You monitor your progress by meter readings and other simple calculations by getting the Transition Carbon Calculator (email us to ask for this).  We found that it’s more fun & effective because of the shared information and a sense of community.

 

This method of working in small groups has been proved by Global Action Plan, and we have already successfully started it with groups in Foyle Road.  Please contact us if you want any help, and in any case let us know you have a group running so you can share your good ideas on the blog.

 

We are sure that you are already doing many things to live more sustainably, and indeed in that case it will be particularly valuable if you do form a group of neighbours since you will have experience to pass on.  Please start asking people now to be part of your 10:10 group so that you can have your first get together early in the New Year. Let’s make 2010 a turning point.

 

Very best wishes  ….Edward and Irena

Tips from TV star on cutting your fuel bill

Thanks are due to the Mercury for a great preview in today's paper of the home energy event coming up on 27 November.

There is such a thing as a free lunch

Transition Westcombe has launched its latest food project, an online urban foraging map detailing the free larder of edible plants growing around us.

So far the map – which you can find at www.tinyurl.com/freefoodmap - lists fruits and other foods including elder, rosehip, firethorn, cherries, chestnuts, Swedish whitebeam, and blackberries.

Anyone can edit the map, like a Wikipedia page, and we hope local people will contribute to it so it becomes a bank of community intelligence about local wild food locations.

There really is such a thing as a free lunch, or at least a free pudding or preserve, and it’s all around us - like the syrup and topping used in this firethorn berry cheesecake.

Of course we’ll never meet all our food needs by urban foraging, but that’s not the point. It’s a great way of learning about what we can make use of, and reconnecting with traditional recipes and foodstuffs, and this food definitely has zero food miles. Foraging makes you see your neighbourhood as a potential treasure trove - a new pie ingredient might be growing on the next bush.

At the moment the food map is a bit autumn-centric, because we’ve marked what we’ve spied and picked in the last month or two, but we want everyone to share their local knowledge so it becomes a year-round resource. Eventually we could turn it into a booklet or calendar and use it to raise a few pennies for the transition effort.

We’re taking a small risk by allowing anyone and everyone to edit it, but we've suggested a few guidelines on the site and we reckon people will enter into the spirit of it.

TW CHOSEN TO BID FOR £500,000

Greenwich Council has chosen Transition Westcombe as one of five groups to bid for the Government’s £500,000 Low Carbon Communities Challenge.

The money is capital funding which could be spent on energy saving measures such as insulation, draughtproofing, solar thermal panels or double glazing.
We are currently working out the most effective ways to spend the money in terms of reducing carbon emissions. At this stage we are asking all private home-owners, private tenants and private landlords to contact Transition Westcombe if they are interested in receiving 50% match funding for these projects. Please email us now on transitionwestcombe@googlemail.com

Will Transition Westcombe become the first carbon neutral transition town? If Transition Westcombe should win this funding to kick-start capital spending on energy-saving measures then this could be an enormous help in getting the whole of Westcombe Park moving towards becoming carbon neutral.

Come to the open meeting to hear eco-auditing expert Donnachadh McCarthy talking on ‘Energy saving measures in period homes’ at 7.30pm on Friday 27th November, in Mycenae House, Mycenae Road, SE3. There will be a panel to answer questions of Alistair Smit from iGenSolar, James Barratt from French and Sashey (timber sash double glazing), and Pippa Hack from LB Greenwich.

Please forward this email to anyone in the Westcombe Park area who you think may be interested.