Shropshire Climate Action: Active Travel Active travel Short Journeys: walking and cycling To make walking or cycling the first choice for short journeys we need safe roads, cycle paths and footpaths so people of all ages can enjoy using them. Nationally, transport spending currently favours cars over all other forms of transport, including active travel (walking and cycling) so policy changes and investment are required to encourage the transition to active travel. Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan Shropshire Council commissioned a Loca l Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) focusing on seven market towns during 2022/23. Proposals include a network of segregated cycle lanes, improved road and paving surfaces, reduced speed limits and safer crossings at road junctions and roundabouts. Implementation takes place over 10 years. Actions you can take Try using public transport, walking or cycling once a week to replace shorter journeys Share transport as much as possible Consider joining or starting a car or lift-share club Sustrans is a charity which aims to make it easier for peo ple to walk and cycle. They are the custodian of the National Cycle Network – the UK-wide network of over 12,000 miles of signed paths and routes for walking, wheeling, cycling and exploring outdoors. And they have lots of tips for getting active by using a bike or walking Shropshire Cycle Hub is a community charity focused on improving access to healthy sustainable transport across Shropshire. Find out about the services they offer including bike servicing, rickshaws and how you can get involved. Actions schools can take DfT School Streets programme in Shropshire helps schools to create an active travel plan. See link for more details about the wider initiative. Not all schools are eligible. The programme is being trialled by 6 schools across the county Bikeability is a national cycle training offer for schools supported by Shropshire Council Living Streets is the UK charity for everyday walking. Their Walk to School Outreach project, is working with Shropshire Council and Active Travel England (ATE) to encourage more primary school children and their families to walk to school. Their WOW challenge has increased walking rates by an average of 23% in the first 5 weeks. With funding from ATE, schools across Shropshire are being offered the WOW challenge for free (usual cost £500). See if your primary school is eligible here . Living Streets also offers support to communities and workplaces to make walking a natural choice for all. See the website for information about their walk leader training and their project work. Sustrans organises: Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel the UK's biggest school cycling, walking and scooting event Cycle to School Week Sustrans School Streets is a test programme to address congestion, poor air quality and road safety concerns that many schools experience during drop-off and pick-up times. This project is being delivered in association with Playing Out Big Street Survey is a free curriculum resource enabling pupils to investigate the area around their school and create a manifesto on how to make their streets safer and greener

Shropshire Climate Action: Trains & Planes Trains & planes The climate impact of flying Air travel can offer unparalleled speed and global connectivity, but comes with a hefty carbon cost. According to Flight Free UK aviation is responsible for 7% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. Even a short flight can emit hundreds of kilograms of CO2 per passenger. You can assess a flight's carbon emissions using My Climate's online CO2 flight calculator which will help you to work out how to offset the emissions. The aviation industry is making the problem worse by promoting frequent flyer incentives, airport expansion and increasing private jets. National campaigns are encouraging individuals to explore eco-friendly alternatives to flying. Possible’s campaign calls for UK flights to be cut by a third to help reduce carbon emissions and reach our climate targets. Graph credit: Flightfree.co.uk Take to the rails instead... Trains offer a great alternative to flying and driving. They are more energy-efficient: producing far fewer carbon emissions with each mile travelled. International travel by train Travelling abroad by train has never been easier! Th e Man in Seat 61 offers lots of information about using trains abroad. It provides travellers with: up-to-date information on train routes journey planners practical tips for a smooth journey. Train travel in the UK The UK rail industry is actively working towards more sustainable practices. Transport for Wales is investing in energy-efficient technologies and infrastructure upgrades to red uce carbon emissions. Using train apps to measure carbon savings Apps such as th e Trainline app and Train Pal app offer user-friendly platforms which makes it easier to plan journeys across the UK by train and bus to reduce your carbon footprint. When booking tickets, users receive information on the carbon impact and carbon savings of their journeys (see image on the right). Supporting greener business travel Trainline Business sells tickets from 270 carriers across 45 countries, covering 80% of all routes in Europe and provides businesses with cost efficiencies and controls over their travel spend. Read more here Actions you can take... Use a carbon footprint calculator to find out how much the types of transport you use contribute towards your carbon footprint. Sign up to Flight Free UK’s flight free challenge and check out their website for tips on alternative ways to travel abroad. Ask your employer to sign up to Climate Perks, a new employee benefit scheme where employers help staff to choose slower, cleaner, travel by giving them paid ‘journey days’ on top of their annual leave entitlement. Support Possible’s frequent flyer levy campaign : the more someone flies in any given year, the more tax they pay on their flights. Keep up to date with local initiatives that prioritise sustainability. See Shropshire Council’s website .

Shropshire Climate Action: Buses Buses South Shropshire Climate Action (SSCA) sent Shropshire Council "15 Transport Asks" . These are the four relating to public transport. 1. Transform bus services to maximise the shift from car trips to buses 2. Fund the transformation of all buses so that they are zero carbon 3. Introduce a “one ticket” public transport policy covering all buses regardless of operator and all local rail (see for example, Transport for Cornwall ). 4. Design and fund a best practice Park and Ride service for Ludlow and Bridgnorth served by electric buses. SSCA received a response from Shropshire Council. Click here to read their answers Every village, every hour campaign CPRE's "Every v illage, every hour" report (2021) sets out what a comprehensive bus network for England would look like, with services to every village every hour, and the scale of investment required. It would provide a bus service fit for the climate emergency and address the inequality and social exclusion caused by the dominance of cars in rural life. Shropshire-based campaign group BeST: Better Shrewsbury Transport BeST (Better Shrewsbury Transport) comprises a group of organisatio ns and individuals keen to engage positively with the council to promote active and sustainable solutions to the town’s transport challen ges. It is campaigning for urgent action to promote active and sustainable modes of transport.

Shropshire Climate Action: Land & Biodiversity Land & biodiversity Farmers are the wardens of our land. In their hands lies both great potential and great challenges – feeding a growing population whilst also restoring ecological health. Land use is crucial to achieve a net zero carbon future as the land represents a significant sink in which to store carbon. Many Shropshire farmers are pioneering new methods of agricultural production and the industry as a whole has committed to achieve a net zero carbon future. The climate crisis will test our food supply chains and there will be a need to build local food resilience and local food networks. SCA wants to lend support, share best practice and be an advocate for positive change. To join Shropshire Climate Action's Land and Biodiversity Working Group which meets regularly please email: contact@shropshireclimateaction.org We also do this in collaborative partnerships, as active members of: The Marches Nature Partnership The Shropshire Hills National Landscape Team (the new name for this designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) Partnership Board, and its Climate Group Shropshire Good Food Partnership South Shropshire Climate Action's Next Steps report identified a menu of opportunities for positive land use and a toolkit for change. Implementation of this menu rests with a range of collaborative partners and local initiatives. Land management Nature & biodiversity Food Water Gardening Nature walks

To see this working, head to your live site. Categories All Posts My Posts Forum Welcome! Have a look around and join the discussions. Create New Post General Discussion Share stories, ideas, pictures and more! subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 3 Follow Questions & Answers Get answers and share knowledge. subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 0 Follow New Posts admin73119 Feb 14, 2023 Welcome to the Forum General Discussion Share your thoughts. Feel free to add GIFs, videos, hashtags and more to your posts and comments. Get started by commenting below. Like 0 admin73119 Feb 14, 2023 Introduce yourself General Discussion We'd love to get to know you better. Take a moment to say hi to the community in the comments. Like 0 admin73119 Feb 14, 2023 Forum rules General Discussion We want everyone to get the most out of this community, so we ask that you please read and follow these guidelines: • Respect each other • Keep posts relevant to the forum topic • No spamming Like 0 Forum - Frameless

Shropshire Climate Action: Reuse - Repair - Recycle Reuse-Repair-Recycle Our consu mer society and its environmental impacts We live in a consumer society and a culture that encourages us to buy more than we need. Almost everything we buy takes energy to produce, which is usually sourced from fossil fuels (electricity, gas, coal, oil), so our purchases also contain ‘embedded carbon’. If an item is thrown away and sent to landfill or an incinerator, this contributes to other greenhouse gas emissions, such as methane. Actions you can take Instead of buying new things, adopt the sustainability principles of: Refuse & reduce, Reuse & share, Repair, & repurpose, Rot and Recycle & refill. Refuse & reduce Reuse & share Repair & repurpose Rot (food waste) Recycle & refill

Shropshire Climate Action: Food Food Actions you can take for a healthy diet which also reduces carbon emissions: Aim to be food waste free Eat more plant-based foods Eat less, but bu y better quality local meat and d airy Buy local, seasonal and organic produce Support farmers markets and local box schemes Use local independent retailers Choose Fairtrade-certifi ed products Select fish only from sustainable sources Eat a healthy balanced diet and less processed food Grow your own or join a community garden or food Co-op What is the carbon footprint of your diet? Use the BBC's online interactive climate change food calculator to calculate the carbon footprint of your diet on the climate. Assess the sustainability of your food shop 23% of your carbon footprint comes from the products you buy at the supermarket Impact Score® Shopping is an app you can use when shopping or at home to scan the barcodes on food products and find out how ethical and sustainable they are. It will tell you if they have a low, medium of high carbon footprint. It will also suggest ‘more sustainable’ alternatives for products. Grow your own food Grow your own food – reduce the carbon miles of your meals Find out more about having an allotment at All About Allotments Apply to your local council for an allotment: www.gov.uk/apply-allotment World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) : volunteer with organic farmers and growers in Shropshire and beyond to gain skills and understanding about growing food in exchange for your labour. How to get involved locally Find out more about the expanding local food network in Shropshire Shropshire Good Food Partnership works with different stakeholders across Shropshire to: provide individuals and groups with support to set up and manage community-based food growing, cooking and shar ing initiatives support land-based enterprises and food businesses with innovation and create opportunities to access local markets and develop the local food economy bring together stakeholders including Local Government to engage on policy and planning and deliver goods and services Working groups include: Grow Local, Sustainable Food Economy, Wise Land Stewardship, Nature Connection, Reducing Food Waste, Healthy Food For All Contact for more information: hello@shropshiregoodfood.org Slow Food Ludlow Marches organises events such as themed meals, tastings, producer visits, markets, talks and demonstrations. The group describes its aim as “supporting local, small scale, sustainable food production” and has recently had a particular emphasis on supporting and preserving local endangered foods. The Slow Food Movement is a global, grassroots movement that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. Join campaigns for more sustainable agriculture Join campaigns for more sustainable agriculture: The Soil Association campaign s for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use The Sustainable Food Trust explores solutions for a food and farming production system that causes the least possible harm to humans and the planet

Shropshire Climate Action: Make a Donation Make a Donation As a registered charity, we greatly rely on our wonderful network of volunteers and supporters who donate their time and resources to help us achieve our goals. If you have a little spare and you’re able to make a donation to us today, we’d be tremendously grateful – every little helps us to spread the word, host events, continue campaigning and build the resources we need to reduce the impact of climate change on our wonderful county. You can make a donation via our fundraising page on Just Giving here Thank you. We really appreciate your support.

Shropshire Climate Action: Eco anxiety Dealing with eco anxiety What is eco anxiety? E co anxiety (also known as ‘eco distress’ and ‘eco grief’) describes the wide range of negative thoughts and emotions people may expe rience when they hear about the global challenges our planet is facing. It can include an overwhelming sense of hopelesness and doom. The Royal College of Psychiatrists describe a range of emotions such as feeling anxious, worried, upset, scared, sad, angry, distressed, vulnerable, or unsure about the future. Research by Marks et al. 2021 showed the impact of eco anxiety among young people aged 16-25. Watch these short videos by psychotherapist Ro Randall on Coping with the Climate Crisis (2020) to help understand and accept these intense feelings. How to deal with eco anxiety First, it is important to acknowledge that these feelings are rational and show how much you care. Secondly, people should be allowed to express their distress about the climate crisis. It is important to listen to each other. Consider joining a climate café (see below), which offer safe, informal spaces for people to talk about their feelings, fears & uncertainties about the climate and ecological crises. In the words of We Are Possible, “The best remedy to climate despair is to take action, together.” Further actions Explore this website to make a difference in reducing carbon emissions and protecting Nature. You will be joining millions of others across the world.. Sign up to We Are Possible - a UK based organisation who “face our climate dread with a can-do attitude and sense of fun” for practical actions and approaches. The Climate Majority Project is enabling mass citizen-led climate action across the UK, connecting people across social, political and strategic boundaries, and building communities so that the climate majority can find their power and voice. “Most people sense that we’re in deep trouble with climate change, and they want to do something. We help projects to grow, get funding, and connect with as many willing hands as possible… Join us in creating the future you want, wherever you are, however you can, with all that you’ve got." Sign up to The Cool Down newsletter which provides lots of information on how to be green, save money and read good news stories about climate action. "How to live in a chaotic climate" Check out this book “How to Live in a Chaotic Climate: 10 Steps to Reconnect with Ourselves, Our Communities, and Our Planet” (2023) By Laura Schmidt, Aimee Lewis Reau, Chelsie Rivera “Eco-distress is real. How to Live in a Chaotic Climate is here to help you rediscover meaning, joy, and connection as the tumult around us increases. Based on the Good Grief Network’s acclaimed 10 Steps to Resilience and Empowerment in a Chaotic Climate program, this book unpacks the social, political, and spiritual nuances of the climate emergency, step by step" Listen to this 10 mins segment about Eco-grief and anxiety on BBC4 Women's Hour (broadcast 15/6/23) in which climate scientist turned campaigner Jen Newall from the Climate Majority Project talks about: how growing numbers of people are experiencing eco-grief and anxiety explores what exactly is the impact on people and how we can turn the tables and help people to feel more hopeful about the environment. Climate cafés: Joining with others to support one another Online Climate Cafés facilitate talking and listening to people who share your concerns and who want to take action. The Climate Psychology Alliance (of therapeutic practitioners, researchers, artists and others) hold regular climate cafés online each month. Follow this Eventbrite link to find a date that suits you. Consider starting a climate café in your area: Contact Climate Café® who have been running climate cafes across Scotland and in Solihull for seven years. They love to share ideas, support and guidance and can connect you with others to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive venue.

Improve efficiency Fabric first Most of us don't live in recent, energy efficient homes. We need to add (or retrofit ) energy-saving measures. Plan a series of steps, which can be implemented over time, saving money and disruption. It's best to start by improving the energy efficiency of our houses, addressing the 'fabric first': Improve insulation, air-tightness and ventilation: Window and door replacement. Loft insulation. Wall insulation - cavity, internal and/or external. Floor insulation. Air tightness. Appropriate ventilation / moisture control, to avoid issues with damp and mould: Trickle vents, extractor fans, heat recovery (MVHR). Take opportunities to insulate You can insulate your loft at any time, although it's more comfortable up there in the spring or autumn. But adding wall, loft or floor insulation is more disruptive. Plan to do it when opportunities arise, possibly a room at a time over a number of years for internal work. Fit internal wall insulation if you are: Installing a new kitchen or bathroom. Replacing or repairing plaster or plasterboard. Or just emptying and decorating a room. Fit external wall insulation if you need scaffolding, which is a significant cost, for any reason: Working on rendering or painting. Fitting replacement windows. First Retrofit priorities Draughts. Drainage - maintain gutters, downpipes and drains. Condensation and damp - a vital topic we'll return to. Asbestos - may be discovered during a retrofit and likely to require specialist removal or treatment. Windows and doors Replacing single-glazed windows, with modern double- or triple-glazing, and old draughty doors makes a home feel far more comfortable and significantly reduces energy losses. It's important to avoid thermal bridging around the frames. The reduction in energy use, at current prices, means that replacement double-glazed windows typical pay for themselves over 15 to 20 years. Loft / roof insulation Adding loft insulation is usually the most cost-effective way of reducing the energy lost from a house. If you have none, adding 300mm of loft insulation will typically pay for itself in one to two years. There are few better investments. Care is required if you have a 'room in the roof', have ceilings immediately under a flat or sloping roof, or have dormers. Insulation needs to be installed to avoid condensation, either by having a moisture-proof membrane on the warm side of the insulation or, in certain older properties, using a fully-breathable structure. Make sure that any air leaks into the loft space are blocked. For example, this could be from behind plaster board in the top-floor rooms or through downlighters. Wall insulation It's almost always worth fitting internal or external cavity wall insulation to houses that have solid walls (without a cavity), as the work has a short payback period, typically of a few years. Returns are also good for adding cavity wall insulation to houses that have cavity walls but no insulation in the cavity. It can be worth adding internal or external wall insulation to houses with cavity wall insulation, built up to about 2002 (to 2006), when the building regulations standards were tightened. Houses built since then should have reasonable wall insulation, and it's currently not likely to be worth improving on this. Floor insulation This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand.

Shropshire Climate Action: Recycle & Refill Recycle & refill According to WRAP 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from plastic packaging – more than the 2.5% contribution from global aviation. The best way to reduc e the need to recycle is to avoid buying overly packaged items in the first place. 76% of the 8,300 million tonnes of plastic produced between the 1920s and 2015 became waste. Back then only 9% was recycled. While recycling rates have increased , we can’t recycle our way out of the plastic problem. For example, despite 60% of people in the UK saying they use a refillable water bottle, 10m single use water bottles are still bought e very day, 700,000 of which are disc arded as litter. Surfers Against Sewage have identified the worst companies for plastic pollution in their Citizen Science Brand Audit . Actions you can take The following websites contains ideas and actions for how you can reduce you plastic use. Get involved in the campaigns and Big Plastic Count surveys of Every Day Plastic Surfers Against Sewage have a Plastic Free Communities campaign you can sign up to, to encourage your community and local businesses to go plastic free and they organise litterpicks and beach cleans Shropshire Against Pointless Plastic shows all of the local Shropshire communities who have already taken this step. Bridgnorth has been awarded Plastic Free Community status by Surfers Against Sewage Sign up to the Plastic Free July® challenge , an initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation. You will be sent weekly emails with tips, stories and news from the global movement Make your lunch box zero waste (poster is designed by Generation Zero Carbon Shropshire). Local Refill opportunities There are refill shops across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (see the list below) where you can refill your food, cleaning and toiletry products to avoid packaging and reduce your plastic consumption. The Refill website also helps you to find places to eat, drink and shop with less waste. Get inspired by Shrewsbury Cup - a reusable cup available in cafes across Shrewsbury. Customers pay £1 deposit, enjoy their drink and then return the Shrewsbury cup to any participating café to get their £1 back. The cups are washed ready to be used again. Harvest Wholefoods Glebe Farm, Lydham, nr Bishops Castle, SY9 5HB. Further information Myriad Organics 22 Corve Street, Ludlow, SY8 1DA. Further information Honeysuckle 53 Church Street, Oswestry, SY11 2SZ. Further information Pomona Grocery 1-2 Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, SY1 2AQ. Further information Refill Your Boots 31 High Street, Whitchurch, SY13 1AZ. Further information Pantry Severn Lasyard House, Underhill Street, Bridgnorth, WV16 4BB. Further information Simple Life Unwrapped 12 High Street, Much Wenlock, TF13 6AA. Further information Green Options Zero Waste Darwin Shopping Centre Pride Hill, Shrewsbury, SY1 1BN. Further information The Green Cove Wellington Market, Wellington, TF1 1DT. Further information Entertaining Elephants 43 High Street, Church Stretton, SY6 6BX. Further information The Little Green Pantry Newport Indoor Market, Stafford Street, Newport, TF10 7LU. Further information Minimise Shrewsbury Market Hall, Claremont Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 1HQ. Further information The Little Green Pantry 2 Crown Street, Wellington, TF1 1LP. Further information Recycling in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Recycling in the UK is c urrently the responsibility of Local Authorities . Find out what you can recycle where you live by clicking on the following Council websites: Shropshire Council's Recycling tips and Recycling and rubbish FAQs Telford and Wrekin Council's Recycling Information and A To Z of Recycling And Rubbish The TerraCycle scheme also helps people to recycle the unrecyclable (including crisp packets, cheese packets, pens, bread bags, coffee pods etc. etc). You can find your nearest collection point and what can be recycled via the website. Material Focus has created a tool to help consumers find recycling points for electronic item s.

Move to Renewable Energy Make the move to using energy from sources that don't produce carbon emissions. Buy energy from a renewables tariff - it can be cheaper. Consider a tariff with off-peak periods and shift your energy use. The proportion of energy generated from renewable is usually higher during off-peak periods. Many appliances can be timed. Charge an EV during off-peak. Home batteries can be charged during off-peak. Change your heating system to one that uses renewable energy. Probably a heat pump or electric heating. But insulate your property first. Install solar panels - if your property is suitable. Renewable energy tariffs This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand. Off-peak tariffs and time shifting Many suppliers offer tariffs with a lower-cost, off-peak period, although the day-time cost is often higher than a flat-rate tariff. As well as reducing costs, you will usually reduce the net carbon emissions you create if you time-shift your electricity usage into an off-peak period. This is because, on average, renewables contribute a larger proportion of energy generation during off-peak periods. Use the timers on home appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines. Tumble driers (except for heat-pump ones) can be a fire risk, so it may be best not to use them at night. Electric Vehicles can be charge overnight, using the car's timer or one in your charge point. Home batteries, with or without solar panels, can be charged off-peak and used to provide power during the day. Heat pumps This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand. Solar panels This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand.