Upcoming Eco Events
The Mix in Wantage is open for refills on Saturday mornings
Sustainable Summer Challenge devised by Packing Not Included zero waste shop in Marlborough inspires you to make one change in your lifestyle per week
Big Butterfly Count (until 9 August)
Mon 31 Aug – Sat 5 Sep GreenFest 2020 goes online
Eco News
• West Berkshire Council are first council to launch a green Community Municipal Investment scheme
• Parsons Down Infant & Junior Schools win Green Flag Eco School award
• If you are concerned about a green and fair recovery please support this Friends of the Earth petition
• West Berkshire Green Councillor Steve Masters is living in a tree right now to protest the pending destruction by HS2 of Jones Hill Wood near Aylesbury that inspired Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox book. If you’d like to support the campaign, please join their protest or make a donation here.
• Do you know what is going on with HS2?
• Sustainable Wantage’s July news includes: terracycle collections, scything workhops, new wildlife gardening facebook group
• Newbury Friends of the Earth is encouraging local residents to nurture saplings to be planted in a new Lockdown Wood and the group is growing – see here how to get involved and tips for looking after your saplings at home. They have ordered over 1000 native English saplings to establish the wood this winter.
• Hungerford Environmental Action Team suggests 10 ideas for taking action to protect the environment
• BBOWT (Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust) facebook page has lots of advice on supporting wildlife and making your garden wildlife friendly. They have a lovely guide to looking after wild bees in your garden.
• According to this new league table by Dr Ivanova, the biggest impact on emmissions can come from the amount and way we travel.
Local Climate Change Initiatives
• Conversation with Claire Willser from West Berkshire Climate Action Network and Green Councillor Steve Masters on 4LEGS Radio (listen from 29 minutes in – includes an explanation of how XR Citizen Assemblies work)
• Highlights of GreenFest 2019 in Hampstead Norreys: talk by Sir Brian Hoskins, Founding Member of the Climate Change Committee; Panel Discussion including Richard Benyon MP; Lawrence Woodward OBE on Food & Farming Choices for Health and Environment; Should we oppose the expansion of Heathrow?
Green Machine Computers
Your local green IT recycling centre, IT support company and IT training academy. Refurbish, Recycle, Reuse Most offices and many
Local Student Climate Change Strikers
Like many parts of the UK, our area has seen recent Student Strikes for Climate inspired by Swedish student Greta Thunberg but it has
West Berkshire Green Exchange – Zero Carbon discussion document
West Berkshire Green Exchange are a voluntary sector organisation setup in 2013 whose aim is to bring together those people in
Climate Change Talk By Dr. Mike Morecroft
Climate change seems to always be in the news these days. The science shows that the world is warming as a
Letter to my local councillor
I have copied below the text of an email that I wrote to my local councillor, Clive Hooker (Conservative, Downlands),
West Berkshire Council Declares Climate Emergency – What Happens Next?
As predicted, West Berkshire Council unanimously passed a motion on Tuesday 2 July 2019 which had been agreed beforehand by
West Berks Solar Streets, Your Local Solar Panel Incentive Scheme
Incentive for households to reduce their carbon emissions and electricity bills through clean energy West Berks Climate Action Network (WBCAN)
The First West Berkshire Climate Conference, 28 October 2019
This event was organised by West Berkshire Council on 28 October 2019 at Newbury College as a logical next step
The Pursuit of Carbon Neutrality – how to travel more efficiently in the age of climate change
It seems to be an inalienable right for people to be able to travel as much as they wish. This
Food
• Price comparison between food shopping at Packaging Not Included zero waste shop in Marlborough versus the supermarkets
• It is commonly accepted now that meat (especially beef) production creates a lot of carbon. But you also have to take into consideration carbon emissions of fruit and vegetables that are flown around the world
• Local honey suppliers in your area
Reducing Food Waste
Jo from The Mix in Wantage explains how their new Community Fridge and Store Cupboard works to reduce food waste.
You can also use the Olio and Too Good to Go apps to rescue local food going to waste.
Want to grow your own veg?
Hannah Fraser from Bloom Garden shares her tips for growing your own veg Growing your own veg can be hugely
Zero Waste Packaging Not Included Shop in Marlborough
Packaging Not Included, the brainchild of Hayley Lambert (see interview below), is Marlborough’s first packaging free food and cleaning products
Low Energy Cooking
Did you know that it’s possible to save 40-50% of the fuel needed to cook, without buying any new equipment?
Renewable Energy
Sourcing a Renewable Energy Supplier
THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL. This slogan was splashed across the entrance of GreenFest organised by villagers of Hampstead Norreys and
Discounted Solar Panels for West Berkshire Residents
In response to the climate crisis, the local community group West Berks Climate Action Network has partnered with Iddea Renewable Energy
How to Check if Your Solar PV System’s Working Correctly
From May to August, we’ll see 15-16 hours of sunlight a day, compared with 8 hours in December and January.
Electric Cars & Tech
The Benefits of Electric Scooters by Wessex Scooters, Electric and Vintage Scooter Specialists
Wessex Scooters are a small local scooter specialist in Brimpton Common near Thatcham with a worldwide reputation for excellence, builder of
A Beginner’s Guide to Electric Cars
As the owner of an EV, Richard has written this article based on his own knowledge and experience as a
Green Machine Computers achieves ISO 14001 accreditation for Environmental Management
Green Machine Computers Ltd has recently received accreditation under ISO 14001, a set of rules which defines the standard for
The Role of Trees in Carbon Capture
How Planting Trees in West Berkshire Can Offset Carbon Emissions by Dr Mike Morecroft, Natural England
Introduction There is wide recognition of the threat posed by climate change and the need to act urgently to reduce
Use Ecosia Search Engine To Plant Trees While You Search The Web
Berlin-based Christian Kroll set out in 2009 with a mission to create a search engine with a positive environmental and
Water & Cleaning Products
How to protect our waterways from pollution and to minimise water waste in our homes.
Yellow Fish in Newbury
If you live in the Gaywood Drive or Two Rivers Way area of Newbury you may have noticed an abundance
Plastic & Recycling
• According to Oxfordshire Recycles, the carbon impact of food going to waste is bigger than the impact of the plastic packaging. A wrapped cucumber lasts 3 times as long as an unwrapped one! However, 79% of all plastic items ever produced are still in the environment and having an impact on the planet.
• Packaging Not Included in Marlborough has proved a huge success in reducing single use plastic
• Newbury EcoBricking every Wednesday 3 – 7pm at Lock, Stock & Barrel Pub
Meet Sammy, the UK’s Longest Ecobrick Bench (we think!)
Among the many things that took place at Hampstead Norreys’ inaugural GreenFest, was the official unveiling of Sammy, Hampstead Norreys Primary Schools’
New bins help people to Recycle ‘on the go’ in Newbury
West Berkshire Council has teamed up with their waste contractor Veolia to install eight new recycling litter bins in Newbury
An Explanation of Plastic Recycling by Dr Peter Cox
An Introduction to Plastics Recycling by Dr Peter Cox Dr Peter Cox is a chartered mechanical engineer who first started
Surfers Against Sewage Litter Picks
Surfers Against Sewage is a marine conservation charity that has expanded their ‘beach cleans’ to inland rivers, mountains and urban
Recycle and Raise Money for Charity with TerraCycle
It’s surprising how much you can recycle thanks to local people who have set up TerraCycle collection points. See below for success
Make Eco-Bricks to Keep Plastic out of Landfill
An Eco-brick is a plastic bottle crammed full with so much plastic that it is heavy and strong enough to
Clothes & Shopping
• How to take a more sustainable approach to your wardrobe…without buying a single thing by Victoria Lochhead from Frankie & Ruby Dress Agency
• It was inspiring to chat with Karen Kirton from Berkshire on a Budget about her progress and ongoing plans for a No Spend 2020 including testing free offers on food apps, free pampers and make-up samples, free music lessons and computer support. Listen here:
Local Environmental Groups
Please consider joining a local group to meet likeminded people in your community and learn more about actions you can take to reduce waste and fight climate breakdown. (Please leave a comment below if you would like to have your group featured here).
- West Berkshire Green Exchange
- West Berkshire Climate Action Network facebook group
- Thatcham Against Plastic
- Thatcham & Newbury plastic free, recycling & zero waste
- Newbury Climate Strike
- Hungerford Environmental Action Team
- Pangbourne and Whitchurch Sustainability Group (PAWS)
- Sustainable Wantage
- Extinction Rebellion Devizes & Marlborough
- Transition Marlborough
- Carbon Neutral Aldbourne
Petitions and Campaigns to Support
Change.org petition to get every product clearly labelled with its carbon footprint
38 degrees petition to EU for mandatory carbon emissions labelling
Petition to parliament: compulsory labelling of their carbon footprint of all products sold in UK
One Response
Penny – absolutely brilliant range of eco- friendly initiatives!
Congratulations!