< Back So what do you do with your hoover fluff? Angela Vnoucek 12 Jul 2024 One Shrewsbury resident's journey to become a Zero Waster This is not a question which comes up in everyday conversation. It is however relevant if, like me, you do not like putting your general waste bin out. It was too much hassle for me with a busy job and one less thing that I needed to think about. No more " What day is bin day? " and all the aggravation which came with. It was 2011 and I decided to review everything I put in my bin and find another home for it, or, better still, not generate it in the first place. I soon reached the stage where a whole year had gone by and I could still see the bottom of my general waste bin. It was only in 2020 that I realised I was doing something which is rapidly becoming a growing trend – zero wasting. I became used to recycling, reducing, repairing, repurposing, rotting (aka composting) and refusing. My general waste bin has now been repurposed and houses, ironically, my garden equipment. And what became of the hoover fluff? That went into the green waste bin. So now that I have posed the question please ask yourself ‘What do you do with your hoover fluff?’ Your journey to be a zero waster has begun. Read more about Angela's zero waste activities on the BBC News website . Listen to her interview on BBC Radio Shropshire [Intro @ 26:40; then 30:13 - 36:30: 48:24 - 54:27: 1.42:09 - 1.48:49] Previous Next

< Back The inaugural walk for our Walk Through Bridgnorth’s Green Spaces leaflet Fiona Morgan 17 Jun 2023 A walk designed to promote Wellbeing and Nature in Bridgnorth On Saturday 17th June we were delighted to launch the latest in our series of self-guided walk leaflets - the Walk through Bridgnorth’s Green Spaces - which has been produced in partnership with South Shropshire Climate Action, Sustainable Bridgnorth and Bridgnorth Library with the support of other groups including Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Energize, Bridgnorth Town Council, Community Resource and Buglife. 15 of us turned up in the first rains we had had in June for the inaugural walk which was led by the Chair of Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Bridgnorth branch. The walk was done at a leisurely pace, taking 2 hours to explore the green spaces around Bridgnorth’s High and Low Town including churchyard gardens, parks, a riverside walk, and the old alleys and paths in the town. During the walk we saw house martins swooping around Bridgnorth Bridge and geese and their baby goslings resting on the banks of the River Severn. A kingfisher was seen by one of the party darting under the bridge. We heard chiff chaff, wren and greenfinch from a spot overlooking the cliffs on the other side of the river which are also the haunt of peregrine falcons. A pitstop was made halfway round the walk at Our Green Shop (Bridgnorth’s zero waste refill shop) to buy much needed refreshments and snacks. We then headed back up to the High Town and leant about the fascinating history of the town and the history of Bridgnorth Libraries from members of Sustainable Bridgnorth and Emma Spenser, Branch Manager, Bridgnorth Library & Visitor Information Point. We finished with a stroll through Castle Park Gardens, where the second Bridgnorth Green Festival will be held on Saturday 9th September, and viewed the bug house and swallow boxes installed in the grounds of St Mary’s Church. If you are interested in doing the walk around Bridgnorth you can find the walk leaflet on the South Shropshire Climate Action website . The walk contains a variety of accessible route and more strenuous routes which include steps. The original walk leaflet, A Walk through Ludlow’s Green Spaces has also recently been revised and updated and can be accessed via the SSCA website too. We hope both walks will be used by people and groups of all ages to promote their physical and mental wellbeing through connecting people to the pockets of Nature that exist in our urban spaces and to promote sustainable tourism in south Shropshire. The more people connect to, and care about, Nature, the more they will act to protect it. Previous Next

< Back SSCA signs the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Fiona Morgan 31 Jan 2023 We need to get serious about taking global climate action Al Gore’s blistering 4 minute speech at the World Economic Forum, January 2023 about the state of the climate crisis Watch it and weep and then take action! Former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore, gave an incredibly powerful and passionate 4 minute speech during a panel session at the World Economic Forum, Davos in January, which summarised in just 4 blistering minutes where the world is at in relation to the climate crisis; the deliberate attempts by the fossil fuel industry to scupper any meaningful action to reduce carbon emissions including undermining the COP process; and the moral obligation that we have to take action to transition to net zero for the sake of all younger people and to prevent upwards of 1 billion people becoming climate refugees. You can watch the video here . Sign up to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty TODAY The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is a bold new proposal to phase out coal, oil and gas faster, fairly and forever. Similar to other impactful international treaties that have helped phase out the use of nuclear weapons, landmines and chlorofluorocarbons, a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty will require widespread global support – from a wide range of institutions and individuals including civil society organisations, cities, governments and citizens around the world. The current priority is for organisations and individuals to endorse the Treaty at fossilfueltreaty.org and promote the concept among their networks using the hashtag #FossilFuelTreaty South Shropshire Climate Action has joined hundreds of organisations around the world in calling for a #FossilFuelTreaty with 3 objectives: No new coal, oil & gas Phase out fossil fuels A global #JustTransition Watch this 90-second video to find out more. Previous Next

< Back The Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND) at Keele University Clive Dyson 8 Mar 2023 SSCA's field visit to Keele University to see their renewable energy park Mike Bourke, Susan Lockwood and Clive and Kate Dyson visited Keele University on Wednesday 8th March 2023 to see the renewable energy park and the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND). Keele University operates its own electricity distribution network, so is in a good position to experiment, somewhat isolated from the grid. It has two wind turbines, generating up to 1.7 MW, and an array of 12,500 solar panels, generating up to c. 5.5 MW. It also has a c. 2 MWh battery. On the cold, clouded winter day of our visit it was supplying about two thirds of the energy demand of the campus. There is also an export grid connection rated at about 1 MW. Alongside the energy park, it has been running a Smart Energy Network Demonstrator project, with support from Siemens (I believe it’s had research funding as well). This controls the generation system, use of electricity across the campus and export to / import from the grid. SEND also provides support to local enterprises, assisting them to develop energy-efficient low carbon solutions, and adding 120 new jobs and £40 million gross value added (GVA) to the regional economy. The University also carries out research and development in relation to low-carbon technologies, new energy products and data management systems. For example, it successfully trialled OFGEM’s Hydeploy project to inject 20% Green hydrogen into the University’s wholly owned gas network, testing its safety in the existing pipes and boilers and reducing carbon emissions by 7%. This project is now being taken forward on a larger scale in Gateshead, involving local homes, schools and other public buildings. Keele is also participating in a consortium of eight regional universities in the HyDEX programme to promote a new hydrogen industrial economy. During our visit we viewed the energy park, and learned of its positive impact on local biodiversity. During a (much warmer!) time spent in the impressive control centre we learned about the monitoring systems, the relationship of renewable energy developments to the planning regime, and the constraints of a decentralized community system like this in relation to the National Grid. This is a marvellous regional resource, and we hope to arrange further visits by key local organisations. We are most grateful to the staff of SEND for such a memorable learning experience. Previous Next

< Back Celebrating the launch of our walk through Ludlow’s green spaces leaflet Trice Astill 4 Oct 2023 Connecting residents and visitors to Ludlow's urban green spaces On the 4th October representatives from local Ludlow organisations, including Ludlow Library, Hands Together Ludlow, and Friends of Whitcliffe Common, joined us for an evening stroll around the town’s green spaces using the recently republished walk leaflet produced by Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s Ludlow branch and SSCA and designed by local artist Sarah Jameson. We wound our way around the castle walls, through the gardens, past the sycamore tree, leaves still green, onto the high paths overlooking the Teme and down to the Millenium Green. Over the Dinham Bridge and along the Bread Walk by the river, past the rock layers, waterfall, weirs and salmon run. We walked up the steps to Whitcliffe, following the path to Ludford and over the bridge to Lower Broad Street then up past the Butter Cross to St Laurence’s Church and the Jubilee Garden. There our walk ended as dusk fell. If you know Ludlow you might consider why this short walk took us nearly 2 hours? That is the purpose of the walk: we took time – time to “stand and stare” and really look for wildlife and to listen to birdsong and to sounds of the river, time to breathe and relax, time to talk, to get to know each other and to swap information and knowledge. We saw mistletoe above the insect hides on the tree by the castle, goosanders diving on the Teme by Dinham Bridge among the mallards, dippers on the rocks by Ludford bridge and a farewell flypast of swans at sunset over the Readers House. We heard blackbirds alarm calling, the chatter of jackdaws and winter song of robins. We admired the linear garden in pots along Lower Broad Street and the flower colours glowing in the lowering light and finally enjoyed the peace of the Jubilee Garden. Members of the group noted how the walk is an opportunity to discover a different side to Ludlow “ Although I’ve lived here all my life and played here as a child, with the group I’m seeing it in a new way “; and to take a step back from a busy life: “ It’s been so relaxing after work. I wouldn’t normally have done something like this but it’s helped me destress ”; and engage and learn about the natural world: “I love the soothing sound of the river, just being near water ”. It also offered us a more engaging way to get to know one another while walking outside, rather than meeting around a table. The three aims of producing the map and walk were for residents and visitors to discover, observe and enjoy the wildlife in Ludlow town, improve people’s mental and physical wellbeing by connecting to Nature and offer a sustainable tourism option for visitors. If you or your organisation are interested in the Walk Through Ludlow’s Green Spaces leaflet you can download your own copy as well as an A3 poster of the walk from SSCA’s new website here . Alternatively Ludlow residents can obtain a paper copy free of charge from the Hands Together Ludlow office and visitors can access them from Ludlow Visitor Information Centre (for a small cost). Previous Next

< Back Action to protect our rivers in Shropshire Tina Teearu 28 Aug 2024 22nd September World Rivers Day As the saying goes: “Water is Life and Life is Water”. Rivers and lakes provide the water we drink, important wildlife corridors and recreational opportunities. Wetlands provide habitats where nature can thrive, store carbon and prevent flooding downstream. Yet in recent years pollution from agricultural runoff (from fields and intensive production chicken units), industrial waste, untreated sewage, pesticides, “forever chemicals” and heavy metals have been found in many rivers, posing serious risks to wildlife and human health. The situation is becoming critical with the Wye and the Severn slowly suffocating and dying in front of our eyes. Something has to be done. Progress towards safeguarding UK rivers for future generations is far too slow. Hopefully the new government will change the regulatory system from the top down, but we also need “grass roots” action. In Shrewsbury, campaigners Up Sewage Creek are working to turn the tide – volunteers (sometimes in poo hats!) have brought their “Poo-o-meter” to events like the Dragon Boat Festival and Folk Festival, raising public awareness of Combined Sewage Outfalls (CSO’s). The group organises local walks, talks and protests, and is currently running a crowdfunder for water testing kits so the water company can be held to account when breaches occur. A recent win for the River Severn has come via an allied group of keen open water swimmers who achieved Bathing Water Status for part of the Severn in May. This will bring extra funding to ensure certain stretches are clean enough for humans to swim in, but ideally we need the whole river catchment to be of this standard, supporting a rich ecosystem teeming with life from source to sea. So what can YOU do? National campaigns, championed by famous names like Feargal Sharkey and Joe Lycett, abound and there are many ways in which you can help in your own way. Take part in an event on World Rivers Day (22 September) Go on the March for Clean Water on 26 October in London. Join forces with Take Back Water which aims to bring about the re-nationalisation of the water industry in the UK. Whatever you do – do something! Previous Next

< Back Telford and Wrekin Borough Climate Change Annual Conference Fiona Morgan 18 Oct 2024 Working in partnership to adapt our communities to an uncertain future The second annual conference organised by Telford and Wrekin Council took place on 18 October. The conference was well attended by local organisations including the Fire and Rescue Service, town and parish councillors, businesses including Veolia and representatives of community groups including Climate Action Hub Telford, Sustainable Newport, Transition Telford, Shropshire Cycle Hub, Marches Energy Agency and local churches.Speakers covered topics including: how the council is reducing carbon emissions across the borough how the local business community is sharing good practice via the Telford Sustainability and Energy Cluster the sustainability projects being run by Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals Shropshire Good Food Partnership's work on reducing food waste with schools the Postcards from the Future visioning exercise about what Telford and Wrekin could look like if communities took action to get to net zero in relation to energy, buildings, transport, land, food and waste was discussed by the local communities forum. This was followed by a group discussion about developing an adaptation strategy for the borough as to the actions needed to make local communities more resilient to climate change. This was made all the more pertinent due to the flood barriers being erected in Ironbridge that morning. Previous Next

< Back Visit to Keele University’s smart energy network demonstrator site Mike Bourke 27 Feb 2024 A joint visits by SSCA, ZCS and Shropshire Council staff and elected members On the 27 February Mike Bourke (Stretton Climate Care/SSCA) and David Matthews (Zero Carbon Shropshire) visited Keele University together with five elected members of Shropshire Council’s Climate and Carbon Reduction Advisory Group and four council officers (the Assistant Director Commercial Services, the Climate Change Manager, the Communications Officer and the Video, Photography and Digital Content Officer). This followed a visit the previous week by Shropshire Council’s planning officers. Professor Trevor McMillan, the Vice-Chancellor, stressed the importance to the University of partnerships with local and regional industries and Councils in developing technical and community responses to the climate crisis. The Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND) offers a practical model and research facility, backed by student courses and educational programmes (“from Skills Bootcamps to PhD’s”) to assist the development of policies and the training of apprentices and the existing workforce. The University is able to serve as an honest broker, independent of commercial or political agendas, to promote co-operation between interested parties and the general public and is already working with Staffordshire Council, and Rugeley and Dudley. Professor Zoe Robinson, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures, elaborated on these collaborations. Matt Dean, SEND Research and Innovation Manager, and Julian Read, Partnership Development Manager, described the Energy Park with its solar array, wind turbines and industrial battery, the relationship with the National Grid, and the associated Green Hydrogen production unit. The Shropshire delegation undertook to report back to their colleagues and explore opportunities. They welcomed Keele’s statement that “We have the staff, the students and the funding to help you”. Previous Next

< Back Shropshire Council's plans for the North West Relief Road (NWRR) continue Fiona Morgan 1 Mar 2023 End the de facto ban on on-shore wind Shropshire Council has submitted 100 new planning documents for the NWRR to try and allay some of the concerns raised by statutory consultees such as the Environment Agency and Natural England in response to the first planning application (2021). However, according to Better Shrewsbury Transport, the revisions do not address any of the fundamental issues with the road which includes the destruction of wildlife habitat including ancient trees and vital hedgerows and the production of at least 50,000 tonnes of carbon. Moreover the revisions have increased the total area of land affected by the road by 40%. Shropshire Council is planning to spend at least £87 million, plus an unlimited overspend on constructing the NWRR. This is despite a recent Shropshire Council budget consultation asking for views on how to make £50 million in savings. A new round of public consultation is open if you wish to comment on the revised NWRR plans: you can email planning.northern@shropshire.gov.uk using the planning application reference no. 21/00924/EIA in the Subject and make sure you include your name and address or comment via the Shropshire Council Planning portal or use the online form found on the Road To Ruin Shropshire website The deadline for comments is 11 March 2023. However, Better Shrewsbury Transport hope that emails will be taken into account until the planning officers submit their report in May 2023. For more information about the history of the road and campaign please see the Better Shrewsbury Transport website. Meanwhile in Wales.... The Welsh Government following the review of their National Transport Plan has made the decision to scrap all major road building projects in Wales and ensure all future roads must pass a strict criteria including that they must not increase carbon emissions. Read the full article by Teleri Glyn Jones in the BBC online (published 14/2/23) here . Previous Next

< Back Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin's Climate Conference: a young person's view Sascha Robinson 1 Jun 2024 Includes Dr Sam Hampton's key note speech "Collective action and behaviour change to tackle the climate crisis" On the 18th May, the Climate Conference for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, went ahead at Shrewsbury Town Football Club with over 130 people attending either as interested individuals or representatives of community groups, local businesses and councils. It was an opportunity to inspire and stimulate our communities to address the urgent changes needed to reach net zero. As a member of the Environmental Leadership Program (ELP2) with Shropshire Wildlife Trust, it was amazing to be given the opportunity to support the preparation and running of the event, alongside several other young people. The morning of the conference was kicked off by Dr Sam Hampton,* a climate behaviour expert, who discussed that across the globe, we severely underestimate how many people are interested in making behavioural and lifestyle changes to support the environment. He summarised that galvanising communities for climate action should be a top priority. Following this, myself and other young people shared our own perspective about the space for youth in climate action. It was a great chance for us to feel ourselves heard and to express that we need to be on the forefront of change. Young people no longer want to be a tokenistic addition to climate action. Our involvement in the development of the conference really gave us those opportunities we need to start seeing more of. Panel discussions focusing on the topics Land, Nature, Food and Farming, Transport, Energy and Housing, and the Circular Economy were held for the remainder of the morning. It was clear that the 30-minute times slots simply wouldn’t begin to cover the conversations that unfolded. What stuck with me was the education that needs to take place in all areas of climate action. Learning how to retrofit your own home or developing skills to repair rather buy new may be understood by those involved in climate action. But the main question remained, how can we engage and educate all people? In the afternoon, the delegates split into workshop groups to share ideas and knowledge across a broader 9 aspects of climate action including how to encourage public engagement and collaboration. The workshops were a great success. From speaking to fellow ELP2 facilitators, we concluded that the ideas were plentiful, but putting those ideas in place was where groups found a sticking point. The conference closed with a summary of each workshop’s actions. From here the groups will remain in contact, making the vital steps towards reaching their priority action goals. After an excellent day of brainstorming and collaborating, I can see our future towards net zero looks bright. The conference was organised by Zero Carbon Shropshire, South Shropshire Climate Action and Save Our Shropshire and sponsored by Shropshire Homes and Kier. A short film summarising the conference will be made available soon which we will circulate in a future newsletter. *The presentation slides from Dr Sam Hampton's key note speech " Collective action and behaviour change to tackle the climate crisis" can be read here. Dr Sam Hampton Conference Key Note Speech 18.5.24 .pptx Download PPTX • 11.01MB Previous Next

< Back Minsterley Meadows success Janet Cobb 1 Dec 2024 Fundraiser saves nationally important Shropshire grassland Following a 10-month campaign by local people and nature conservationists, Middle Marches Community Land Trust and Marches Meadow Group are delighted to announce that Minsterley Meadows have been purchased. Thanks are due to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and players, 367 donors, Morris & Co and over 100 supporters and volunteers. The meadows are nationally important and are amongst the best flowery grasslands in Shropshire. They support over 5,000 green-winged orchids, a species which has severely declined over the last 100 years. Over 90% of Shropshire’s green-winged orchids are in these two hay meadows. In addition, funds have been secured for ongoing management of the meadows including supporting local people to care for them and engaging with young people through a local art project, activities and events as well as working closely with local schools. Peter Carty, Chair of Marches Meadow Group commented: “This is a fantastic achievement…such places are arks of wildlife from where we hope to collect seed and material to spread into new meadows” Geoff Rogers, Chair, Minsterley Parish Council adds: "The Parish of Minsterley greatly appreciates all those who have secured the purchase of Minsterley Meadows saving it for future generations.” Previous Next

< Back SSCA's first Retrofit Services Consultation Event, Craven Arms Mike Bourke 20 Jun 2023 Bringing groups from the Marches together to discuss retrofit and next steps for the region The Energy and Buildings Group of South Shropshire Climate Action organized a Consultation on Tuesday 20th June at the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms. The purpose was to improve co-operation between the different groups offering retrofit services across the Marches, and those attending represented Shropshire Council, Herefordshire Green Network, Marches Energy Agency, Lightfoot, Telford Climate Action, Sustainable Bridgnorth, Stretton Climate Care and environmental groups in Broseley, Clun and Market Drayton. Two of those attending are also elected members of Powys and Herefordshire Councils. The day consisted of three workshops: 1. A Directory of Retrofit Providers and Specialists . People who want to retrofit their homes need to know of contractors with the relevant skills and qualifications. At present, some organisations have their own lists based on local knowledge, though all have, of course, to emphasize that they cannot recommend these firms or accept liability for any work carried out. It was agreed that a Marches-wide list should be produced, prefaced by a list of questions which customers should ask before any contractor is employed. A small group will take this forward over the coming weeks. 2. Grants and Funding . Tony Baker of MEA described the current Government funding schemes available to householders (Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Great British Insulation Scheme and the Home Upgrade Grant - the latter being restricted to households on means-tested benefits or with an annual income of less than £31,000). We also discussed a proposed Lottery Fund application for a scheme to insulate individual rooms within houses. 3. Household Energy Surveys . These can take two forms of different levels of complexity, depending on whether the aim is to measure the household’s existing carbon footprint or to prepare the house for a retrofit programme. Presentations were made by Stretton Climate Care, Lightfoot and MEA. Rob Narraway gave a demonstration of a Thermal Imaging Camera, and the use of the Retrofit Roadshow Van was described. The cost of the various schemes was discussed, and training will be offered to newly formed community groups. It was generally agreed to have been a useful day in co-ordinating the efforts of the various agencies across our region. Previous Next