Climate Change Emergency

Heads out of the Sand – Groby( HootS) November Newsletter

Responding to the Climate Emergency at a local level

Get on your bike!

Cycling has come a long way since the early days!

One of the ways we can lower our carbon footprint is by choosing cleaner ways to travel. One of the benefits felt during the Covid lockdown was the reduction in traffic, leading not only to cleaner air but also to many more people feeling confident to take to the roads on two wheels. I am not the most confident cyclist and was really pleased to find a sign on the way to work one day during the lock down which said: drive slowly – more cyclists and pedestrians!

Cycling has so many benefits. For the individual it is cheaper than a car or bus and helps in keeping fit, both physically and mentally. We are fortunate to have an extensive network of cycle paths connecting us to Leicester City – making the ride into town safer - and the bike park at Town Hall Square is currently free to use. Being on your own in the fresh air makes it a Covid-safe way to travel. The community benefits through less noise and air pollution and, of course, the planet benefits from the reduction in emissions.

Electric bikes are becoming more and more popular, enabling people to ride more challenging and longer routes than they normally would, and making a commute to work by bike feasible for more people. I am sure that it is not just my imagination that there seem to be more cyclists around Groby these days: maybe it’s something more of us can consider – using the car and bus less and a bike more – even as the winter draws in.

Our behaviour has a direct impact on the planet – let’s encourage each other to make the changes that we can to lower our carbon footprint and live more sustainably.

HootS – Heads out of the Sand – Groby, is not meeting at the moment due to the current restrictions in place to keep us safe. HootS came into existence to respond to another threat to our safety – the climate emergency. This has not gone away and I know that many of us continue to do what we can to speak up and act for our planet. If you would like to know more about HootS please find us on Facebook, or contact us at: hoots-groby@hotmail.com

Ruth Mwenya

September 2020 newsletter

The Mathematics of Litter

I know I’m not the only one in the village distressed about the amount of litter dropped around the village since the lockdown eased. It is difficult to understand why people drop litter – even when bins are full surely taking litter home with you is always an option? So, what do those of us who are concerned do about it?

One of the simplest things we can do is pick it up! Again I know I am not alone in picking up pieces of litter as I walk around. And that got me to thinking about the mathematics of litter. I guess we fall into three categories: those who drop litter; those who don’t drop litter; and those who pick up litter. So we have those who add; those who have no effect – neither adding or taking away; and those who take-away (quite literally!). I think most people reading this article would want Groby to be a place where there is not litter on the ground. How do we achieve this? Using the mathematics of litter we know that for each addition, we need some subtraction – we need more people picking it up.

In a time of Covid people may be more cautious about picking up litter, but with simple precautions – wearing gloves or making sure to wash your hands with soap and water/ use hand sanitiser after you have picked up litter – it is very safe. I would also understand objections along the lines of: ‘I didn’t drop it so why should I pick it up?’, but if Covid has taught us anything surely it is that we are part of a community and that we all gain from participating positively in this community. Picking up litter is a simple way to play our part.

Of course the best way would be if there were no additions in the first place, and I think we have a responsibility here too. It may be difficult to challenge people when they drop litter but sometimes that is worth doing. It doesn’t have to be confrontational but with a genuine concern for our environment and our planet. Many of us grew up with the ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ message. This is something that seems missing more recently, so educating the younger generations is important too.

And of course so much of the litter is packaging with a high proportion of it being plastic. There are so many ways we can cut down the single-use plastic we throw away. If we all take on that challenge, and talk to each other about what we are doing, maybe we can reduce the plastic we are using and throwing away as a community.

We are still to finalise when and how HootS will be meeting in the Autumn. Those of you who are members, we will be in touch. If you would like to join us as we respond to the climate emergency and try to find a better way forward please contact us on: hoots-groby@hotmail.com

Ruth Mwenya

August 2020 newsletter

Thinking beyond the Lockdown

At the end of June 2019, Janet and I travelled to London to join the mass lobby of parliament ‘The Time is Now’: we met with our MP Edward Argar to share our concerns about the current climate emergency and to ask the government to take action.

Each month at our HootS meeting we follow three strands: Education, Values and Action. Within the values strand we focus on the thinking skills we need as we face the problems of the 21st century. In February the skill we focused in on was: complex and complicated thinking. “What has this got to do with tackling the climate emergency?” I hear you ask. Well, as we start thinking about the situation that we face one thing is clear – it’s complicated! Take for example the problem of plastic, which was our education focus in our February meeting.

Plastic is very much a part of our modern life. Programmes on the television over the past year have highlighted graphically the problems this is causing us – polluting our oceans and rivers, littering our streets, causing untold harm to our wildlife. And the plastic problem is not going away – the average plastic bottle takes 450 years to degrade. Much of the plastic we use is not recyclable and ends up in landfill: it is estimated that we will run out of space for landfill in the UK by 2024. Despite all these facts, when you do your shopping it can prove very difficult indeed to avoid bringing home some plastic.

If this doesn’t already seem complicated enough, think about: the fact that alternatives to plastic packaging can be a lot heavier than plastic, and therefore transporting them is both more expensive and produces more carbon: the packaging that combines plastic with other materials: the industry that produces plastic (the carbon that it produces, and the people it employs): the plastic that ends up on our streets – the attitude that let’s this happen. It’s complicated!

So we need a new set of ‘thinking skills’ because our reflex action is to be overwhelmed with all these complications and carry on as normal. But that’s exactly what we can’t afford to do. One of the skills we need to develop is complex and complicated thinking.

At HootS we don’t have all the answers and we don’t have all the skills, but we come together because we want to do something about the situation we find ourselves in and we want to do our best to change. Everyone is welcome at our meetings and we hope that through working together we can respond more effectively to the climate emergency we face.

In terms of action we are making plans. One of these is ‘Spring Clean Groby’. We are hoping that individuals and groups will support this initiative to rid our village of litter, whether it is made of plastic, metal or paper. We have been encouraged that some groups have already been in touch – please do contact us if you would like to be involved.

Ruth Mwenya and Janet Bishop

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January 2020

Thinking differently about TRANSPORT

The focus of our HootS meeting in December was Transport. When we consider how we respond to the climate emergency, and cut our carbon emissions, we have a bit of a problem here. In the 20th century we fell in love with the car and the plane (and other carbon emitting forms of transport). Having a car has become something that we take for granted: a necessity that gives us freedom and independence. Flying to destinations of our choice has become more and more affordable, and - whether it be flying within Europe for a weekend break or a family holiday, or travelling further afield to have that ‘once in a lifetime’ experience – flying is something that many of us don’t think twice about doing. In the 21st century we are facing a climate crisis, yet it seems that freedom, independence, speed, convenience, are all too important to us to let go of our preferred ways of transport.

But can we at HootS encourage you to think differently about transport? Changing the way you get from A to B does not need to be a sacrifice but can be the opportunity it really is. At our meeting in December we shared some of the benefits from choosing a different way to travel. For example when you walk and cycle more, and drive less, it is not only your own health you are improving through exercise but also the health of those around you – less journeys in the car means cleaner air for us all to breath. When you use public transport you have the opportunity to interact with your community – to make new friends – as well as being freed from the stress of finding a parking space. When you holiday in places you can get to by road and rail (or even by walking and cycling), you appreciate what we have nearby and build relationships with near neighbours.

The New Year will have already begun by the time you read this but it’s not too late to think about changing the way you travel to benefit yourself and the planet. Maybe you could take a pledge to be Flight Free in 2020 (Google this!) – flying is the most harmful way to travel and we simply cannot carry on travelling in this way if we are to reduce our carbon emissions to the extent we need to. Or maybe you could consider becoming a car-free family (think of the money this could save!) – replace your car with: cycling; walking; car-sharing; public transport. Each of these has its own benefits.

At HootS we have found out about Leicester Car Sharing Club which was established in 1976. It has around 25 members and 5 cars. The cost of using a car is: a one-off membership fee of £20 to join; a monthly subscription of £7.50; and a mileage rate of 52p/mile for local journeys and 38p/mile for longer trips. That covers everything: petrol, tax, insurance, repairs, breakdown cover and replacement vehicles.

The photographs show some of the makes and models available as shown in reviews on https://www.theaa.com/used-cars/reviews. They are not intended to represent the actual cars owned by the Club.

Of course what we really need to achieve these kinds of changes is a strong community. Groby is a strong community but hopefully through these kinds of initiatives, through depending on each other and working together, we can make it even stronger, and then have the courage to do more.

If you are interested in changing your transport, finding out more about Leicester Car Sharing Club, giving Groby a Spring Clean, or educating yourself more about what we can do to respond locally to the climate emergency we face, please contact us or just turn up at one of our meetings. We meet at 2:30pm on the first Sunday of each month at Groby Village Hall – all are welcome. Email us at: hoots-groby@hotmail.com

Ruth Mwenya and Janet Bishop

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December 2019

The Great Big Groby Spring Clean.

Over the past few years, mainly since David Attenborough’s Blue Planet, we have all become aware of the huge issue of how damaging plastic is to the environment. Groby is surrounded by wildlife which needs protecting, so next April our aim is to Spring Clean Groby and invite you to join us.

At our very first HootS meeting, one of the concerns raised was about litter and the affect it has on the environment. Small groups of residents have been doing there own litter picks and have found that the majority of the litter is plastic.

The litter that is discarded not only gets imbedded into the soil or hedgerows, but can enter our waterways via the drains, ending up in the rivers and eventually the sea. Plastic bags get swept up into our trees. Drink cans get crushed into the ground and as they erode and crack the sharp edges become dangerous to small feet and inquisitive noses. Crisp packets take over 80 years to degrade, plastic bottles over 500 and cigarette butts over 10. Our litter, if left affects the ecosystems around us.

Our hopes for the Groby Spring Clean is to pick up as much litter as possible within our village, in particular the areas of woodlands and meadows. We want as many people and groups as possible to join us over a two week period at the end of April. We are hoping to get the schools, local clubs, groups, families and individuals involved.

The Spring Clean will hopefully help to educate and change people’s habits, while reconnecting with the environment we live in. We are going to look at which areas have the worst litter problems and look at how this can be changed. We will look at the number of bins around the village and hope to get the local council onside with the introduction of recycling bins, particularly around food outlets.

More information about the Groby Spring Clean will follow in the new year, but if you are interested in getting involved we would love to hear from you.

Contact us at HootS-groby@hotmail.com

Janet Bishop and Ruth Mywena

HootS - Head Out Of The Sand - Groby

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News from Heads out of the Sand Groby (HootS)

Welcome to our follow up article. You may recall the August article (below) about Ruth and I lobbying parliament about climate change.

This month

• Ruth reports on our first HootS meeting

• and I talk about how Climate Change has taken momentum over the past few months........

HootS First Meeting

On the 8th September 25 people met together in the Village Hall with the aim of ‘keeping our heads out of the sand’. The climate emergency that we face is complicated, scary and overwhelming and, at the current time, the easiest thing to do is to put our heads in the sand and pretend it is not happening. Thankfully at the inaugural meeting of ‘HootS (Heads out of the Sand) – Groby’ we found that there are many of us in Groby who want to face the truth of the climate crisis and do something about it.

HootS has three strands:

Education. We aim at every meeting to educate each other – to share what we know – so that we leave better informed. Each meeting will have a theme and our hope is that what we learn can be passed on to family and friends and spread into our community.

Values. Values are important because the values that dominate our society at present have got us into the crisis we are in. We are adopting the values laid out in Mike Berners-Lee’s book ‘There is No Planet B’: All people are inherently equal in their humanity; Respect and care for the world; Respect for the truth – for its own sake. HootS is an inclusive group within which we recognise that diversity is our strength. We will spend some time each meeting reflecting on our values and the thinking skills we need to face the climate emergency.

Action. It is inescapably clear that we need to act NOW. The main reason that HootS came into being is the lack of action on a national level – we want to act on a local level as well as joining with national events and actions. Our meetings are a chance to share and adopt individual actions, and to meet like-minded people and come together to act in cooperation with each other. All kinds of actions: from using less plastic, to joining a protest, to writing a letter to a politician, to car-sharing, to planting trees – the list goes on.

Because the frustrating thing is that we can all make a difference if we are ready to change. At the end of our first meeting we all shared something we had done to make a difference. The list generated included: using an electric bike to get to work; having a meat-free Monday; switching back to glass milk bottles; changing to a bank that doesn’t invest in fossil fuels; changing energy supplier to a company that uses renewable energy; litter picking; composting; growing our own veg… The list goes on! We are not powerless to act but to be motivated to make these small changes, and hopefully some bigger ones too, we need to face the truth.

So can we invite you to join us? The next meeting is on November 3rd at 2:30pm in the Village Hall: hope to see you there! For more information email us at: hoots-groby@hotmail.com

Listen To The Planet and Stand With The Scientists

It finally feels as though the message is getting through, with more coverage in the media and the supermarkets taking on the plastic challenge. Activists have stepped up their peaceful actions, with #SchoolStrikeForClimate bringing out people in force. On Friday 20th September, along with 4 million people around the world, HootS joined the 650+ people at the clock tower in Leicester to make a stand.

After her zero-carbon sailboat crossing, Greta Thunberg’s powerful speech really struck a chord at the UNs Climate Action Summit in New York. Her call for us to stand with the 97% of world scientists (who have studied and researched the climate) and agree that greenhouse gases emitted by human activities, are the primary cause of Climate Change. No more time for denial, action is required now!

Over the summer we have witnessed some harsh scenes of global climate change. July 2019 broke all known records as the ‘hottest month ever recorded’, with temperatures in Europe hitting over 40 degrees centigrade and Australia shattering it’s record for the hottest summer ever. Wildfires and forest fires, fuelled by the dry, hot weather, tore across areas of Australia, Canada, California, Europe and Indonesia destroying valuable ecosystems.

The Arctic Ocean is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth, causing glaciers to melt at a dramatic pace. We have seen images of children playing in the sea of northwest Greenland, as they experienced a never seen before heatwave with glaciers and permafrosts melting much faster than expected. In July, 197 billion tonnes of melted ice sheet poured into the Atlantic Ocean- enough to raise sea levels by 0.5mm in one month and to raise sea levels by 18cm in 30 years. With permafrosts melting and pockets of methane gas released into the atmosphere the picture is not looking good, with some fears that we may be on the edge of a tipping point which will catapult us way past the critical point of 2 degrees.

Heavy rainfall and storms have caused havoc in Spain and Greece, with the Bahamas suffering heavily at the hands of hurricane Dorian, while super typhoons battered Korea and Japan.

Downpours caused massive flooding across Africa, Laos and Vietnam.

Between January and July 2019, 7 million people have been displaced from their homes as a result of climate change. It is estimated that by 2050, 140 million people will be displaced as a result of our climate changing. This figure is based on the current forecast of a 2 degree increase in global temperature. It goes without saying, that if the temperature overshoots this, the outcome will be far worse. And with the scenes of flooding in Sileby, Mountsorrel and Bradgate, it is a quiet reminder that no one will be unaffected.

Add to that the catastrophe which is still burning in Brazil, as huge areas of the Amazon rainforest are purposefully destroyed. Greenhouse gases are released, eco-systems destroyed, taking with it part of the ‘Earth’s lungs’ -the trees desperately needed to soak up the carbon that is pumped out by us into the earths atmosphere.

What is interesting, as I talk to people, is the lack of clarity of why this is happening, of what life on Earth will look like in 30 years time, what we need to do and how little time we have to make a difference to the rise in temperature. While politicians and media are distracted elsewhere, it falls to ourselves to do what we can.

Reading books, listening to audio books and podcasts is where I started.

Here are my recommendations:

1. The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells. A hard hitting book to read as it really spells out what the future holds for life on Earth, unless we start to make dramatic lifestyle, policy and economic changes. David not only talks about the affects of rising temperatures and sea levels, but the shortage of food, fresh water and clean air. The dangers of infestation, pollution, disease and conflict.

2. There Is No Planet B by Mike Berners-Lee. An easy book to read. The chapters are made up of questions such as ‘how much food do we need to eat?’ to ‘how can I tell whether to trust anything in this book?’ Mike’s explanations are informed, light hearted and have the facts and figures to support his answers. The book is optimistic and motivating.

3. Outrage and Optimism Podcast. This is the best podcast discussing the climate crisis, facing it head on but understanding that we have the power and opportunity to change things for the better. Former U.N Executive Secretary Christians Figueres, who brought countries together to sign the Paris Agreement, teams up with Paul Dickinson and Tom Rivett-Carnac for weekly podcasts. They keep you up to date with current reports, technology and policies while interviewing key people such as David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg, Jane Goodall, Isra Hirsi and Sir Richard Branson to name but a few.

4. The Growth Delusion by David Pilling. Having had numerous conversations about the climate and listened to the cry of ‘ the economy needs to grow!’ I decided to read a book which explains economic growth and how we have become a slave to GDP. Very insightful, frustrating and humorous.

5. What A Waste by Jess French. This is a great book for children and adults. It is full of bright graphics, top tips and useful facts and figures dealing with protecting our planet. It covers plastic, recycling, deforestation, pollution and even fast fashion.

Ruth Mwenya and Janet Bishop

HootS-Gr

August 2019

The Time Is Now! Thinking Globally, Acting Locally.

On Wednesday the 26th July Janet and I travelled down to London for the mass lobby of parliament: The Time is Now. The aim of this lobby was to meet with as many MPs as possible and share our concerns about the Climate Emergency that we face; the state of our oceans and the planet; the state of our natural world and the extinctions that are already happening.It was an educational experience for us both. Our MP – Mr Edward Argar – arranged to meet us in the central lobby within the Houses of Parliament, so we queued for an hour to get in and discussed our concerns with him for a good half hour. Most MPs went to meet their constituents on the banks of the Thames, where the 12,000 people who had travelled from all around the country were organised by region. In total 300 MPs were lobbied by their constituents.

This was democracy in action – concerned citizens interacting with their MPS on a mass scale. Despite this there was no coverage of the lobby in the media and, although we had been listened to, there were no promises to act on our concerns. Despite the declared Climate Emergency it seems very difficult to influence the policies of National Government, although this doesn’t mean that we will stop trying!

We returned to Leicester energised to work together and do something locally. There is so much that can be done both individually and together here in Groby: we want to work as effectively as we can, to both campaign and to act, in the hope that we can turn the situation around. This seems like an impossible task: it is much easier to put your head in the sand and pretend it’s not happening or that someone else will sort it out. But we agree with the lobby we attended: the time is now to do something – to take our heads out of the sand and act on the scientific evidence of what is happening.

So will you join us? There is so much we can do together: write to our local politicians; meet our local politicians; campaign and educate; share ideas of how to reduce our use of plastic; teach each other useful skills for example repairing things; hold a clothes swap; encourage each other in taking decisions to change our lifestyles positively; write to public figures nationally and locally and ask them to speak out; educate each other about the situation; join with others in taking direct action; litter pick etc. What encourages me is the many conversations that I have had with people about what they are doing to make a difference – everybody can do something to make a change and make a difference. And imagine if we shared our ideas and our energy and started to work together - we can make an impact.

We are very fortunate to live in a lovely village where we have enjoyed a comfortable life. People around the world are already suffering as a result of climate change and we are not going to avoid the repercussions. When we come together to do something we are acting in the best interests of the whole planet, including ourselves.

So will you become a part of ‘Heads out of the Sand’ (HootS) Groby? We envision a very eclectic group of people - of different ages, genders, backgrounds, political parties, professions – who will come together to support each other, educate each other, use their particular skills, keep their heads out of the sand and do what we can. To quote something I saw recently on Facebook: Not everybody can do everything but everybody can do something. And surely by working together we can gain strength and do more.

Our first meeting will take place on Sunday 8th September at 2.30pm. The venue is TBC depending on numbers. Please email us if you would like more information and are thinking of attending HootS-Groby@hotmail.com

Please help us spread the word and come if you can!

Ruth Mwenya

Can We Really Make a Difference To The Future of Our Planet?

A year ago I did not really give much thought to Global Warming and my impact on it. So what has grabbed my attention and given me the drive to do something I have never done in my life..... to lobby Parliament!

I am not a hippy or an environmentalist. I have never been a member of any kind of party or group (apart from Groby Community Library Group). I am just a middle aged mum of two school age children, who works part time in Education and grew up on a council estate in Manchester. For over twenty years I worked in the fashion industry, I lived in London and travelled to India, China, America and Europe.

But from being a small child I had been taught to respect the environment. I remember a big campaign to pick up litter and stop wildlife being harmed, keeping our country clean. I remember hearing about the hole in the ozone layer and the change in aerosols so that CFCs were banned. Paper recycling, the swap from paper bags to plastic carrier bags - if only we knew!

As recycling has grown, I have continued to follow the guidelines, understanding the need to evolve and try to reduce my plastic consumption.

But Climate Change is something much bigger, something that only politicians, companies and scientists can do anything about. Or so I thought!

A couple of years ago a new girlfriend was introduced at a family get together. At that time she was a fitness and lifestyle blogger and trainer. As we have got to know her more, she has become vegan and her blogs have become more and more about the planet, sustainability and plastic. It intrigued me as to what was making her so passionate about the changes she was making in her life, so I started to follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

When she set up a Facebook group about living consciously, it really made me think about my lifestyle choices and how they affect the planet.

Earlier this year she recommended a book, saying that if there was one book you had to read, ‘The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells’, was it! I downloaded the audiobook and I listened to all of it within 12 hours. It made me scared. It made me cry. It made me angry. It made me want to buy a plot of land on a Welsh hillside, where I could become totally self sufficient with my family. But mainly it opened my eyes to the difficult future that my children will have to face.

I decided that I would do whatever I can to have an impact on climate change and all the horrendous things that will come with it. I have to give my children a future worth living for.

I felt paralysed at first, overwhelmed and isolated, but I needed to get past this to be able to have an impact.

I wanted to know more about carbon emissions and the Earth’s future so I read - There Is No Planet B and How Bad Are Bananas?, both by Mike Berners-Lee. I wanted to understand more about economics, so listened to ‘ The Growth Delusion’ by David Pilling and this book gave me an insight into why governments and companies have been unmotivated to do anything. Power, money and GDP!

The more I have read, the podcasts I have listened to and tv programs I have watched, it has made me more and more determined. I have to try to do something, to give my children hope of a future. If we do something now, and we get it right, future generations could have a better life than what is currently on the horizon.

So the answer to the question, ‘can we really make a difference to the future of our planet?’, is yes.

The next big question is what do we want the future to be?

Janet Bishop

(Concerned Inhabitant of Planet Earth)