< Back Having climate conversations with the people you know Julie Howe 1 May 2025 We are the 89% who want their Governments to take action on climate Recent research found that 89% of people across the world want their national governments to do more to fight global heating. In the UK the figure is a still remarkable 82.4%, across the political spectrum. You would never believe this, reading much of the popular press or standing on a Climate Action stall. You might blame long-standing, well-funded misinformation campaigns by the fossil fuel industry, or political posturing. So why - when almost 9 out of 10 people worldwide are united in wanting action to fight the Climate crisis -do we so often remain silent? Experts believe it is because they wrongly think only a minority share their views. We are social creatures, and research has shown we are hugely influenced by how we perceive others think. If we can challenge this self-fulfilling bubble of silence by making people aware that their pro-climate view is, in fact, by far the majority view, we can unlock a social tipping point and push leaders into the Climate action so urgently needed. So this month, why don’t we all join Market Drayton Group and raise the subject of Climate change in ONE conversation and be sure to make the point that across the globe 89% of people want more action from their governments. That would be over 1000 tiny pricks in the bubble of silence. Here are some useful guides to help you get started: Client Earth Talk Climate Change or watch a video here . Previous Next

< Back Ludlow Town Council has become the latest Shropshire authority to back the Climate and Ecology Bill. Jane Cullen 15 Mar 2023 More support in Shropshire for the Climate and Ecology Bill. At a meeting on Monday night, councillors decided to unanimously back a motion calling on Ludlow Town Council to express its support for the Bill. The town clerk will now write to South Shropshire MP Philip Dunne, urging him to support the draft legislation as it makes its way through Parliament. So far over 200 UK councils and 125 MPs have expressed their support for it. The Climate & Ecology Bill aims to introduce a new UK law to deal with the full extent of the climate and nature crisis. It would ensure the UK slashes emissions in line with the 1.5C target; reverse UK biodiversity loss by 2030; ensure that the entirety of the UK’s global carbon and ecological footprints are accounted for; and invite the public to be part of the discussion on how to tackle the crisis. Jane Cullen from South Shropshire Climate Action, who spoke in favour of the motion in the public session of the town council meeting, said: ‘ I am pleased and relieved that Ludlow Town Council is backing this Bill. We’re already seeing the effects of the climate and ecological emergency here in South Shropshire, and we’re desperate for new laws to protect us, our beautiful county, and the wildlife we share it with. ’ Ludlow Town Council joins Shropshire, Bishop’s Castle and Ryton & Grindle Parish Councils on the list of Shropshire authorities that have come out in support of the Bill, with motions being tabled at Shrewsbury, Whitchurch, and Oswestry Town Councils later this month. So far only one of Shropshire’s five MPs – Liberal Democrat Helen Morgan – has publicly expressed support for the Bill. It will be reintroduced into Parliament later this Spring. Jamie Russell, a spokesperson for campaign group Zero Hour Shropshire, which is campaigning for the Bill locally, said: ‘ We’re extremely grateful to Ludlow councillors for supporting this motion. At Zero Hour Shropshire we’re hoping that more parish and town councils will back the Bill and we’d love to hear from any councillors who would like to know more about this very simple motion of support. Every Council that gets behind the Bill will help encourage more of Shropshire’s MPs to realise that the time for this vital legislation is now. ’ Previous Next

< Back SSCA met with Philip Dunne (MP for the Ludlow Constituency) Nick Read 11 Apr 2023 SSCA discussed our first 6 months and next steps On Tuesday 11th April Jane Cullen (SSCA Chair), Fiona Morgan and Nick Read (SSCA Project Co-ordinators) met local MP Philip Dunne. Although Philip had met both Jane and Nick previously this was an opportunity to introduce Fiona and to highlight the progress that had been made since the appointment of the two Project Coordinators in June. He was impressed with the level of activity within his constituency, the degree of coordination and collaboration that was being achieved, but also recognised the need to significantly increase climate-related actions. A sense of urgency had been engendered by a recent visit of the Environmental Audit Committee (which Philip chairs) to the UK Arctic Research Station, whose scientists warn that global warming is proceeding faster in arctic regions than had been predicted. Philip also indicated that the Climate and Ecology Bill (currently going through the House of Lords) was unlikely to have enough parliamentary time to succeed in the House of Commons. On a more positive note he wanted to use his influence to enable clusters of farmers to work together on landscape scale interventions. Previous Next

< Back Another successful year for CPRE Shropshire's Hedgerow Heros project Sarah Jameson 2 Apr 2025 6 kilometres of new hedgerow planted across Shropshire CPRE Shropshire’s Hedgerow Heroes project is coming to the end of its fourth year. This winter we have successfully planted over 6km of new native hedgerow in the Shropshire countryside on a mix of sites from working farms and smallholdings to community Scout camps and primary schools. We would like to thank all the wonderful volunteers – nearly 300 of them! – who have come out to help us in rain and shine to plant – we really could not have done it without their help, support and continued enthusiasm. There are two outlier events to go: on 21 May we have our final art workshop at Wheathill near Ludlow: a cyanotype session (printmaking with plants and the sun), led by Shrewsbury artist Andrew Howe. In September there will be a talk and walk all about the field names of the upper Clun at Newcastle Community Centre. To book on either of these events, email Sarah or keep an eye on our website . Previous Next

< Back Shaping careers and growing the economy. Oh! And tackling climate change! Kev Oubridge interviews Mollie Roberts 1 Sept 2025 A young climate activist's perspective With Climate change, Nature loss and corporate responsibility now global priorities, the net zero sector is growing rapidly. As a young person, whether you want to work with nature, retrofit homes or build wind turbines, opportunities are opening up. A survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), found the net zero sector is growing three times faster than the overall UK economy, providing high-wage jobs across the country while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy security. The net zero economy grew by 10% in 2024, generating £83bn in gross value added (GVA).Notably, the West Midlands was a growth hotspot, along with Yorkshire and the Humber, and south-west of England, bucking the trend of economic growth being confined to London and the south-east. As we all know though, getting jobs and moving into a career as a young person starting out is no easy task: you might not have the right qualifications, competition is fierce and it’s difficult to know exactly what a role entails from a job ad. There’s also the catch-22 of employers looking for people with experience when that’s the one thing young people tend to lack. Despite these challenges, twenty-year old Mollie Roberts is optimistic about her future, but has had to work hard to get where she is. Home schooled, Mollie says she enjoyed the freedom it gave her to study topics in depth and she remembers lots of interesting field trips, including a visit to a chilli factory, and going out on the boat with local fishermen in Devon. She took humanities A-levels before realising later that she wanted to take a more science and environment-related career direction. So she took a part-time Open University Certificate in Higher Education, Environment: Journeys Through a Changing World, while at the same time working full-time as a barista in a local coffee bar. Mollie is now applying to University of Exeter to do a four-year degree, which would include a year-long research placement. Confessing to enjoying research, Mollie says she could go on to do a Masters, although her preferred option is a research job or apprenticeship, ideally on a ship in the arctic. This would involve perhaps studying solar power or changes to the ocean or glaciers. Accepting that her arctic ambitions might take a while to come to fruition, she says she would also like to work overseas in a council or government role working within the community, where she could have a tangible impact on Climate change. Mollie will be supported in doing this by an impressive CV, which includes a number of paid for and volunteering roles – she currently works as a Ranger for the National Trust at Carding Mill Valley, as well as a day a week at Stokesay Castle for English Heritage. As a closing question I asked Mollie how she felt about Climate change. Her immediate response was ‘Worried! Big time’. She went on to say that this made it difficult for her to talk about future jobs and her career, not knowing what the future holds for her and for her children, should she have any. This was a salutary reminder to me that Climate anxiety is a thing and I might have been better asking the question up front. A recent Woodland Trust study found that 70% of 16-24 year-olds are worried about Climate change, and the majority of people from older age groups are similarly concerned. Perhaps a way to cope with anxiety is to talk about Climate change with others and share your concerns. You could join a climate or nature focused group or sign up for their newsletter. Read about or take a free online course or consider attending a Climate Fresk workshop to learn more about Climate change, why it’s happening and what we can do about it. You could even follow Mollie’s example and pursue a career in the net zero sector. It’s growing rapidly and there are all sorts of opportunities for those with drive and determination. Previous Next

< Back SSCA’s response to the government’s decision to roll back on the UK climate commitments Jane Cullen 23 Sept 2023 Our letter to Philip Dunne MP On the 23rd September we wrote to Philip Dunne MP, to make the following points: 2023 is the hottest year ever recorded; We in the UK lack climate leadership at all levels, especially government; The Office for Budget Responsibility has recently highlighted the economic benefits of speedy action on net zero and the financial risks associated with any delay; If we continue to use fossil fuels for our cars and heating this will drive up costs; Children experience profound anxiety as they try to grow up amidst all these pressures; Lack of action on the climate emergency creates more hardship and disintegration of communities while damage to the environment and nature accumulates; Milestones on the way to 2030 are missed that makes a net zero transition so much more difficult, so much less likely. Surely Prime Minister Sunak can see the climate emergency cannot be used in the ordinary way to score political points? Please write to Philip Dunne yourself (the Rosebank oilfield and the closing of the Energy Efficiency Unit both happened last month too). His email address is: philip.dunne.mp@parliament.uk Philip Dunne’s own letter to Prime Minister Sunak on behalf of the Environmental Audit Committee can be read here . [Photo credit: The chart is by Ed Hawkins, University of Reading using Met data and depicts Shropshire's increasing annual temperature change since 1884]. Previous Next

Shropshire Climate Action: Food waste & composting Rot (food waste & composting) The impact of food waste Food waste contributes 8-10% of total man-made greenhouse gas emissions (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and global food systems contribute 30% (according to WRAP ). If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third largest emitter after China and the USA. Food waste occurs at all stages of the growing, selling, cooking and eating process but in the UK 70% of food waste comes from our homes . Emissions from the total food waste in the UK is equivalent to 10 million cars on the road. According to Shrewsbury Food Hub , food waste costs the average UK family £700 a year. How to manage food waste Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions both directly (for example as methane emissions from landfill sites where food is decomposing) and indirectly, since waste implies that for a given level of consumption more food needs to be produced than is actually being consumed. Shropshire residents produce an average of 486kg of waste per person per year (Shropshire Council, 2020). Data from Herefordshire Council (2019) showed that: 37% of all household waste is food and drink (1.9kg/household/wk). 59% of food waste was of a home-compostable type (1.1kg/hh/wk). Just under a quarter (23%) of the home-compostable food disposed of was within its original packaging. 41% of food waste was non home compostable (0.7kg/hh/wk). Over half (53%) of the non-compostable food waste was still in its original packaging. On average 35% of all discarded food waste (0.65 kg/hh/wk) was still within its original packaging. (The Food Waste Hierarchy diagram on the left shows what steps we can take, and in what order, to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions.) Actions you can take The first step to prevent food waste is don’t buy it if you don’t need it. Plan your meals: Love Food Hate Waste has tips including portion and shopping planners, food storage guides and recipes for leftovers. Sign up to Shrewsbury Food Hub’s Taste not Waste Challenge to reduce your own food waste and save money at the same time. V isit your local Food Share or community fridges/freezers where organisations collect surplus food from shops, manufacturers and farms to share with local communities: Shrewsbury Food Hub supplies regular food shares across Shrewsbury Foodshares also operates in Broseley, Bridgnorth and Highley. Food is available for a £1 voluntary donation. See facebook.com/foodshareproject for details of each event Hands Together Ludlow have a community fridge open each weekday 10am to 4pm In Oswestry OsNosh provide a weekly lunch on a Pay as You Feel basis using surplus foo d Check out Shropshire Good Food Partnership’s website for guides on how to preserve food, set up a gleaning network and more Composting The final thing to do with food waste is to compost it! Use the Garden Organic 'how to make compost' link below to check what food waste can go into your compost bin. According to Garden Organic each home compost bin saves 150 kg of waste from having to be transported away and saves you money if you use the compost to grow your own food in your garden. Action you can take Garden Organic has an easy to follow guide on how to make compost You can also volunteer as a Shropshire Master Composter and promote home composting in your local community. Training is provided.

< Back SSCA's reflections on COP15: UN Biodiversity Conference Nick Read 10 Jan 2023 Not to be confused with COP 27 on Climate Change which was held in Egypt in November, Montreal has recently hosted COP 15 (or the 15th Conference of the Parties) to the United National Convention on Biological Diversity. The Convention was signed in 1992 and adopted by every member state except the United States, which has signed but never ratified the treaty. COP 15 was due to be hosted by China, who still provided the Chair, but was held in Montreal because of the strict Covid-19 restrictions that China had been operating. The most important outcome of the conference was a commitment to significantly extend the level of protection of ecosystems from the current 17% and 10% of the world’s terrestrial and ocean areas respectively to at least 30% of the world’s land, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans (sometimes referred to as the 30x30 target) by the year 2030. Special attention is to be paid to areas deemed to be important for biodiversity, such as tropical rain forest.There were 23 targets agreed, including: Halving global food waste by 2030 Reducing government subsidies that harm nature by $500 billion a year Reducing to “near zero” the loss of areas of wildlife-rich habitat Minimizing, reducing or mitigating the effects of invasive alien species by at least 50% by 2030 There is a also a commitment to support developing countries financially to help implement some of these measures. Whilst broadly welcomed by environmental campaigners there is still concern that the words will not be matched by actions, but at least the words have been agreed. Previous Next

< Back Local groups meet with Julia Buckley (Labour MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham) David Matthews 21 Jun 2025 Q&A focused on how we can better protect Nature and take climate action On Saturday 21 June, Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley joined a community Q&A about Climate and Nature issues at the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. The event was hosted by Zero Hour (the campaign for the Climate and Nature Bill), Better Shrewsbury Transport*, Up Sewage Creek and Shrewsbury Vegans. It was chaired by Richard Grindle, CEO of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. Julia took questions from the audience on a range of topics including river pollution, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the North West Relief Road, factory farming, and nature loss. Jamie Russell from Zero Hour, who helped organise the event, says: ‘Julia was exceedingly generous with her time and fielded robust questions on a range of topics. She explained her desire to use her role on the Environmental Audit Committee** to push the Government to be bolder in its response to the Climate and Nature crisis, and agreed to join crossparty MPs who have signed the Early Day Motion in support of the Climate and Nature Bill .*** She also talked very powerfully about being shocked by a Parliamentary briefing from leading scientists about the devastating rate of change being witnessed in Antarctica. Over the next few months, Zero Hour will be supporting local residents in constituencies across the UK as they set up similar community Q&A events with their MPs to push them to prioritise the climate and nature crisis in all aspects of their work. If you’d like to be involved, get in touch at campaign@zerohour.uk ’. ***The Climate and Nature Bill returns to Parliament on 11 July. The Zero Hour campaign is asking residents to write to the Prime Minister ahead of this date asking him to give the Bill emergency debate time, as well as writing to your MP to request they sign the Early Day Motion on this much-needed Bill. Write to the PM to ask for debate time. Write to your MP about the Early Day Motion. Join Zero Hour at The Climate Coalition's mass lobby of MPs in Westminster on 9 July. *With reference to Shrewsbury, Julia is supporting the active travel initiatives associated with the Big Town Plan and better integration of rail and bus services. **Julia is a member of the Environment Audit Committee and pointed out that the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee (ESNZ) is more directly involved in plans to achieve net zero, so we should consider how to influence that committee too. Previous Next

< Back Shropshire residents ask National Trust AGM to support the Climate and Nature Bill Jamie Russell and Dougald Purce 2 Nov 2024 Ask your MP to support the Climate and Nature Bill too On 2 November two Shropshire residents participated in the National Trust’s AGM representing a member’s resolution for the Climate and Nature Bill (CAN Bill). Jamie Russell from Shrewsbury (seconded by Dougald Purce, also from Shrewsbury) proposed that the NT support the bill. The CAN bill has been reintroduced in the House of Commons by Lib Dem MP Roz Savage, and is heading for its second sitting in parliament on the 24 January 2025. If successful, it would bind the UK Government to delivering on its international agreements and treaties on mitigating biodiversity loss and climate change, for instance, pledges made with the Paris Agreement at COP21. National Trust members overwhelmingly supported the resolution. This is at a critical moment in the bill’s progress through Parliament: it needs 102 MPs to turn up and vote for it on its second reading. Ask your MP to support the Climate and Nature Bill this month You can help the CAN Bill by writing to your local MP. The CAN website helps people create letters: to our local MPs who are already supporters of the CAN Bill (Julia Buckley, Labour, Shrewsbury and Helen Morgan, LibDem, North Shropshire) and local MPs that have not yet agreed to support it (Mark Pritchard, Conservative, The Wrekin, Stuart Anderson, Conservative, South Shropshire, Shaun Davies, Labour, Telford). Groups that want to get more involved in the CAN campaign can use this pack of resources which has lots of ideas, including template press releases, downloadable materials and a pack of social media resources . Previous Next

< Back Middle Marches Community Land Trust launches White Grit Meadows Appeal Julie Howe 30 Aug 2025 Preserving unique habitats for wildlife in the Marches A Community Land Trust is a nonprofit, community-based organisation committed to the stewardship and affordability of land, housing and other buildings used for community benefit in perpetuity. CLTs across the country take a variety of forms; usually they have the aim of meeting local housing need and providing community benefit.However, in Shropshire, the Middle Marches CLT has a distinct purpose: to acquire and manage land of current or potential habitat and wildlife value to ensure nature conservation interest is developed and maintained in perpetuity. Currently the Trust holds four sites . It also works with land managers and organisations for habitat protection and improvement and shares information, advice, skills, expertise and knowledge on nature conservation. Now MMCLT is seeking to purchase and protect a site at White Grit: Wildflower meadows are one the rarest habitats in the UK. A local community land trust has been offered a rare and exciting opportunity to buy five acres of botanically rich meadow just over the Welsh border, at White Grit, within view of the mighty Corndon Hill. "It's a fantastic site", exclaims the Chair of Middle Marches Community Land Trust, Dr. Richard Keymer. " Across the UK, 97% of these meadows have been lost since the 1930's. We have launched an appeal for £45,000 to ensure that these small fields at White Grit will be there for future generations to enjoy ". Large billowing hedgerows enclose the meadows. On a summer's day there is a timeless feel to them as you wander from one room-like space to another, and it is all alive with bees, hoverflies and butterflies amongst the flowers. The site has been looked after by the present owners for 23 years, but they now need to relinquish their ownership, and have kindly offered the meadows to the Trust to purchase. The White Grit Meadows Appeal launched on Saturday 30 August from 1 to 4pm, at Cordon Marsh Chapel. Click here to give money to the appeal. Alternatively, donations can be sent by post, to the Middle Marches Community Land Trust, c/o Enterprise House, Bishops Castle SY9 5AQ. Please make cheques out to 'Middle Marches Community Land Trust. For further information please contact us via email . You can also read the Guardian newspaper’s recent article on MMCLT here . Previous Next

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