At village day on Saturday 19 June Transition Bookham are planning to launch a garden share scheme for Bookham.
There are now a large number of people on waiting lists for allotments in the village and on the other side, there are gardens that are unused or even unloved. Some owners haven’t got the energy, or the time or simply the enthusiasm to look after a substantial garden. We will call on garden owners who are prepared to let somebody with an interest in growing their own food use part of their land in exchange for some produce. Hopefully a few matches will be made creating lovely organically and locally produced fruit and vegetables.
A similar scheme is already up and running in Ashtead, and Dorking have a community orchard they are very proud of. Land can also be registered via a national scheme launched by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at www.landshare.net
For any queries contact: esther_s_phillips@hotmail.com or on 01372 456 905
On Saturday 5th June 2010 - World Environment Day - the Lightbox in Woking will host a fun-packed ‘Keen to be Green Now Fair’.
The specially organized event will be packed full of information and advice, children’s activities, games, lectures and goodies to buy that raise awareness about what each and every one of us can do to become greener and reduce our carbon footprint.
From informative talks to face-painting, slow bike races, cool, eco-chic gadgets and accessories and free drop-in workshops, there will be something for everyone who cares for their local environment
Transition Ashtead Home Energy group is having its first public event on 7 April - see the advert below. Also in my blog on 13 February I mentioned that we had applied for a Surrey County Council grant to fund our planned programme for the rest of the year. We've recently heard that our application was successful and so we're pretty pleased with that. First thing to buy are some display boards I think.
Derek Smith
Secretary, Traansition Ashtead Home Energy group
You are invited to find out how to save energy & money in your own home
A presentation by Russell Smith of Parity Projects
8 pm Wednesday 7th April,
Ralli Room, Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
No entry fee. Tea/coffee and cakes available
With 27% of all energy in the UK consumed in domestic housing and 85% of our existing housing stock set to still be with us in 2050, we all need to act now to reduce our carbon footprint, and reduce our energy bills. Russell’s company Parity Projects offers the full range of services required to reduce the energy use and the environmental impact of existing buildings. He won the DIY category in the Observer Ethical Awards 2008. He also won Building Magazine’s 2007 Award for Sustainable Refurbishment. The Observer Award judges said: “Russell and his company Parity Projects stood out from all the other nominations for their new way of engaging with the public, giving them the tools to reduce their house’s carbon footprint in an innovative and inspiring way.”
In addition to the presentation there will be:
A display and demo of domestic power monitors
A display and demo of thermal draught detector
Displays of energy saving products
Advice on government grants and the new feed-in tariffs
Information about domestic combined heat and power units (soon to be introduced in UK)
Hope you can make it!
February 13, 2010 16:37 by
dereksThis is my second Transition Ashtead report, this time on the Home Energy group. We have just applied for funding from Surrey County Council’s new climate change fund to carry out a programme of activities designed to reduce carbon emissions from Ashtead’s houses. The following description of our plan is copied straight from our fund application.
1. We aim to carry out a programme of planned activities over one year to promote the importance of reducing domestic energy consumption and carbon emissions to Ashtead residents. The plan is to have three events – the first in early April to initiate interest (speaker + some home energy efficiency equipment demonstrations), the second in June as a main event to have speakers and workshop/exhibitions on relevant locally available technology. The third is to have a speaker and equipment display on home renewable energy options.
2. We aim to set up a library of locally available energy efficiency equipment – some to show and some to loan e.g. draught meters, LED and low energy light bulbs, power meters so people can see and try them out.
3. Get a small number of people trained in (a) draught proofing methodologies so they can train others to create a pool of people who can do this and (b) advising people on the grants available for domestic carbon reduction work and if necessary helping people complete the grant application forms. We plan to carry this out as part of the Ashtead churches Act10n initiative in 8-12 July, and so the main beneficiaries should be needy and vulnerable people.
4. Research local suppliers of energy efficiency and renewable energy suppliers and identify those with real expertise and good reputations and create a preferred supplier list or get them added to the approved trade lists such as Checkatrade
If anyone is interested in learning more about any of these activities you can ring me on 01372-378914 or email info@ transitionashtead.org.uk
Derek Smith
When Cuba lost access to Soviet oil in the early 1990s, the country faced an immediate crisis — feeding the population, and an ongoing challenge: how to create a new, low-energy society. Cuba transitioned from large, fossil-fuel intensive farming to small, less energy intensive organic farms and urban gardens, and from a highly industrial society to a more sustainable one.
The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil tells the story of the Cuban people’s hardship, ingenuity and triumph over sudden adversity — through cooperation, conservation and community, told in their own words. As the world approaches Peak Oil, Cuba provides a valuable example of how to successfully address the challenge of reducing our energy use.
“Everyone who is concerned about Peak Oil needs to see this film. Cuba survived an energy famine during the 1990s, and how it did so constitutes one of the most important and hopeful stories of the past few decades. It is a story not just of individual achievement, but of the collective mobilization of an entire society to meet an enormous challenge.” – Richard Heinberg, author of The Party's Over and Powerdown
Transition Bookham is intending to screen this film as part of it's launch event. Date, time and venue to be announced soon.
Zap your leaks
We have been lending out energy monitors for some time, and now the Green Mole Forum can lend you a thermal leak detector.
This nifty gadget makes it easy to check your home's energy efficiency by finding places that let heat out or cold air in.
As you scan it around it shines a light on the surface your are measuring - green, blue, or red.
Simply set the detector's temperature tolerances to one, five, or 10 degrees farenheit (or 0.5, 3, or 5.5 celsius) and scan the light across the area you want to inspect. As well as displaying the temperature of the surface you aim it at, the light will change to red for warmer spots and blue for cooler spots to detect air leaks in both warm and cool weather.
Cut Energy Bills and Improve Your Home's Efficiency
Sealing the leaks and improving insulation in your home can help you save as much as 20 percent on your heating and cooling bills. An efficient, greener home will stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Use the Thermal Leak Detector to check your refrigerator and freezer temperatures and efficiency.
If you would like to borrow it for a week or two contact us or send an email to ask to be added to the waiting list. Happy hunting!
On the morning of 
Saturday 16th the Green Mole Forum was present at Bookham Vision's Volunteers fair.
It was an event to enable the many people who ticked the box in the village plan survey indicating they were interested in volunteering to meet groups they might be able to help.
More than 100 people who filled in the survey also indicated they would be interested in joining a Transition Towns initiative for Bookham - Transition Bookham - an initiative which the Green Mole Forum is helping to support. Not sure what the Transition Town initiative is about? Then click here. The Green Mole Forum has already helped Transition Dorking and Transition Ashtead get going. With your help we can start Transition Bookham and make it a success.
What you can do if you are interested in taking part:
And we will let you know. For more articles on Transition initiatives click here.
We also had a great response to our Energy Monitor scheme. What's this? Simply: we can lend you whole-house energy monitors to help you easily identify where you can save money by not accidentally leaving energy-sapping appliances turned on.
December 31, 2009 16:43 by
anneb
It's much more fun trying to reduce your carbon footprint in company with others and having some sort of target to aim for. So to help encourage Mole Valley residents to cut their carbon we are inviting Mole Valley residents and their Councillors to take part in a 2010 footprint challenge, to see who can achieve the lowest carbon footprint - a resident or a councillor!
The contest is based on your individual household energy use, car use and airmiles during 2010 and your footprint is very easily calculated using www.thecarbonaccount.com. The Green Mole Forum will present a small award to the winner. If you saw the article in the local press about the green granny with a zero footprint - don't think its not worth you entering as the green granny won't be so green in 2010 - she's flying to California to visit her son!
If you want to take part in this challenge contact us here or telephone 01372 456421.
Over 50,000 people, including members of The GMF, attended The Wave this Saturday (5th December 2009), with Climate Marches being held in London, Glasgow and Belfast.
Such was the turnout that even the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, ended up inviting 24 supporters to 10 Downing Street afterwards, to hear their concerns.
The BBC will be broadcasting 'The Age of Stupid' either before or during Copenhagen (the opening day of Cop15 is Monday 7th December), so make sure you, your family, friends and neighbours all see it!
“In my opinion our use or misuse of resources the last 100 years or so, I’d probably rename that age, something like The Age of Ignorance, The Age of Stupid.” - Alvin DuVernay (Shell paleontologist and hero of Hurricane Katrina)