South Hams Climate Change and Biodiversity Newsletter July 2022

Climate Change and Biodiversity Emergency

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July 2022

Reducing our Carbon Footprint and increasing Biodiversity

Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter. This is a place for us to update you on what we are doing at South Hams District Council and what things are going on around the District.

It will tell you what's going on nationally and things you, our residents and businesses can be doing to reduce your carbon footprint and manage your land to improve the environment and its biodiversity.

If you have anything you would like to include in this newsletter, contact our Climate Change Specialist by email here and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.


Council Updates


ev

First new car charging point up and running

The first of 80 new Electric Vehicle (EV) charge points planned for 38 public car parks across Devon are now ready for public use in Dartmouth's Mayors Avenue Car Park. 

EV charge points at the South Hams District Council owned car park are now available to be used by the public. It'll be possible to charge two vehicles at one time; the two charging bays are fully accessible, converted from three regular parking spaces, available for the sole use of electric vehicle charging.

Cllr Tom Holway, South Hams District Council's Executive Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, said: "Since declaring our Climate Emergency, South Hams District Council has been committed to working with our partners through the Devon Climate Emergency Response Group to aim to reduce carbon emissions across the South Hams district to net zero by 2050.

"Infrastructure projects such as this are vital to being able to reach that goal. We need to be able to encourage residents and visitors alike to make more sustainable choices; projects like these facilitate those choices and help to make net zero a realistic and achievable target."

The charging point scheme is being rolled out across 38 public car parks in the county over the next 12 months. The scheme is being delivered through a partnership of Devon County Council, South Hams District Council, West Devon Borough Council, North Devon Council, Teignbridge District Council, East Devon District Council and ScottishPower on behalf of Devon Climate Emergency (DCE).

The remaining sites will be installed in phases this summer.

Powered by the renewable energy through a green tariff, the charge points are compatible with all makes of EVs and will fully charge a 50 kWh battery in two to four hours, providing a range of up to 200 miles depending on vehicle specification.

The rate of charge is dictated by the vehicle's inverter. However these chargers can deliver enough electricity for up to 88 miles of travel in one hour. This means the points are ideal for both shorter stops, such as shopping trips, and regular charges by residents.

As these points are for public use, they are also available for visitors of Devon wishing to charge their electric vehicle.

The cost to fully charge a 50 kWh battery, providing a range of up to 200 miles, would be in the region of £17.50.

Through the scheme, nine car parks in the South Hams will get new charging points, including in Totnes, Kingsbridge, Salcombe and Modbury.

These charging points are part of the larger DELETTI programme, a £1.3 million project which is being largely funded by the European Regional Development Fund.


Funding and Help


The BEIS Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator (IEEA) - Deadline 19 September 2022

Funding of £150,000 to £1million is available for industrial scale demonstrations of novel technologies with the potential to reduce energy consumption, maximise resource efficiency and cut carbon emissions in UK industry.

The main objective of the IEEA programme is to support partnerships between technology developers and industrial companies, to facilitate innovation and increase the number of energy efficient technologies available to industry.

The programme is open to projects from all UK industry sectors that can demonstrate either a novel technology (targeting Technology Readiness Level 5-8), or the use of an established technology in a novel way.

Projects may be applicable to any industrial sector and must include an industrial partner that will demonstrate the technology at their UK site, and (usually) a technology developer that has developed the new technology. Other project partners, such as research organisations, universities, specialist technology suppliers, and consultants, may be included in a consortium.

Click here to find out more.

Sources of funding for tree planting in Devon

As of publishing this newsletter, there are over 20 different sources of funding for tree planting in Devon.

The Devon Local Nature Partnership manage a list of funding sources which is available here: www.devonlnp.org.uk/our-work/trees-for-devon/sources-of-funding-for-tree-planting-in-devon


July's Events


South Brent fair

Fair for South Brent

On Saturday 16 July 2022, there will be an exciting, fun and creative community Fair for South Brent from 11 a.m to 4.30 p.m at Palstone Park Recreation Ground, Exeter Road, South Brent TQ10 9JP.

Fair co-organiser Jane Nichols said: “Sustainable South Brent (SSB) is collaborating with the Parish Council to run this really enjoyable, free to enter day out. We’ve got over 50 stalls, with local community groups, organisations and businesses, loads of free or low-cost activities and workshops for all ages, a table-top jumble sale, great food and drink and some fabulous entertainment lined up. Plus competitions, quizzes and a raffle with generous prizes.”

The stalls and activities will focus positively on themes around community, nature and climate. In keeping with this Jubilee year, visitors will be able to explore the past, present and future in a ‘Timescape’ marquee.

David Hancock, South Brent Parish Councillor, added: “The Fair will be loosely zoned around the areas of: Energy, Nature, Transport, Community, Renewal/Waste and Food and Land.

"As well as all the fun things happening across the Fair, there will be lots of really useful information. Visitors can find out how to reduce energy costs, access grants, get advice from a local GP, talk to renewable energy experts and much more. We hope visitors will be inspired by what people are doing and can do to help make South Brent an even better place to live.”

Check out the Sustainable South Brent Facebook page for further information, which will also be available, together with a full programme via Sustainable South Brent’s website: (https://www.ssb.org.uk).

Visitors are urged to walk, cycle, go by bus or car share to the Fair if at all possible. There will be very limited on-site parking for disabled only, and quite limited parking nearby.


EST

The parish council perspective: How parish councils can install EV charging - 20 July at 2 p.m

Join the Energy Savings Trust for their next Local Government Support Programme webinar looking at how parish councils can install EV charging on their land and what grant funding is available to help them.

They will cover

  • Recent changes to the On Street Residential Charge point Scheme (ORCS) which can help parish councils to install an EV charge point
  • Disley and Newtown Parish Council will speak about how they recently installed their own charge point

Join the webinar on Wednesday 20 July at 2pm by registering at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cJ6DDZojQFSBrmZMs68Vrw


zero hour

Nature and Climate - What next for Totnes Constituency?; Kingsbridge Community College; Friday 22 July, 6:20 p.m - 8:00 p.m

This event is being organised by Kingsbridge Climate Action, Wild About Kingsbridge, and Till the Coast is Clear, in collaboration with Zero Hour Devon. It's an opportunity for residents of the Totnes constituency to participate constructively in how to address the many nature and climate challenges ahead, discussing the local impact of the climate and biodiversity crisis.

Click here to register.


Sustainable South Hams Updates


ssh

Author: Louise Wainwright

Thank you to Cllr Tom Holway for introducing Sustainable South Hams to the district-wide network of ward councillors and parish councillors through their parish clerks. Thanks also to those parish clerks who have already updated the information about their parishes on the new Sustainable South Hams website. 

If any clerks did not receive the Google Form to enable them to update or amend information about their parish, please contact info@sussh.org for assistance.

For the SSH network to provide the support needed to community groups, it is vital that all local groups add their information to the Groups information for each parish.

Please encourage community groups in the South Hams to 'Add a Group' to the website using the menu provided. You can also submit an ‘Add a Project’ form to bring your projects to the attention of a South Hams volunteers, investors and supporters.

Sign Up for our newsletters on our website and join us on Facebook to find out more about our activities.  


Next Sustainable South Hams Meeting

The next monthly Zoom meeting of SSH will be on 7 July at 7pm. These meetings are open to anyone who wants to make nature and climate action happen.  The specialist subject this month is “Next Steps...”

You are encouraged to join the meeting and contribute your suggestions and to provide insights into what is holding you back and what you want SSH to do to help you get the ball rolling. Join Zoom Meeting by clicking here.  

Meeting ID: 842 3320 4383   
Passcode: 689542

For more information please contact us at info@sussh.org 


South Dartmoor Community Energy Vacancies


sdce

SDCE are looking for 2 people to join thier friendly and motivated team on a self-employed basis:

A Home Energy Advisor (training provided) and a Project Manager to lead thier new Retrofit Advice Service.

Good hourly rates, working for a mission-led organisation in a time of growth.

See www.sdce.org.uk/vacancies for more info, or contact them to arrange an informal chat about the roles.


New Research and Publications


Project Drawdown updates world’s leading set of climate solutions

project drawdown

Project Drawdown was founded in 2014 and its mission is to help the world reach 'drawdown', a future point where the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to fall, and to reach this as as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible.

Five years ago Project Drawdown published a collection of drawdown solutions, including technologies and practices that if ambitiously implemented can achieve 'drawdown'. A newly released update to that work adds 11 new solutions by incorporating new population growth models and new data for the existing 16 solutions. The new solutions cover;

Seaweed Farming - expanding this can enhance carbon sequestration whilst also providing new biomass for fuel, plastic, livestock feed and human consumption.

Macroalgae Protection and Restoration - As one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, protecting and enhancing this increases sequestration in the deep sea.

Improved Fisheries - Improving the management of wild-capture fisheries can reduce excess effort and overfishing.

Improved Aquaculture - Whilst aquaculture is one of the fastest growing animal food sectors, its currently highly inefficient and energy intensive. On-site renewables can improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

Seafloor Protection - Seabeds store vast amounts of carbon, bottom-trawling practices can disturb sediments and release vast amount of carbon

Improved Cattle Feed - Optimising feed can lower methane emissions

Improved Manure Management - Advanced technologies and practices for managing manure can reduce the adverse climate impact of animal agriculture whilst protecting existing agriculture.

Methane Leak Management - Methane leaks often occur during the production and transport of oil and natural gas.

Recycled Metals - Recycled metals capitalize on already extracted materials making it possible to produce goods more efficiently, reduce the need to extract new resources, and cut down on energy and water use. 

Recycled Plastics - Decreases demand for fossil-fuel-based raw materials.

Reduced Plastics - Plastic production has grown tremendously over the past century, reducing this is critical to save resources and energy and therefore reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

All the solutions formulated by Project Drawdown share six traits, those being they:

1) are currently available
2) are growing in scale
3) are financially viable
4) are able to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in Earth’s atmosphere
5) have a net positive impact
6) are quantifiable under different scenarios.

The full table of solutions can be found here. 


New Met Office study examines chances of record June temperature

met office

A study by the Met Office using a real-time attribution study was conducted during the heatwave that affected large parts of western Europe last month, with France recording its earliest 40 degrees Celsius on record.

The study has shown that the chances of a record breaking June monthly temperature across western Europe have become over ten times more likely in just 20 years. What used to be a one in 723 year event back in 2003 (the last time record temperatures were found all over Western Europe) would now be a one in 66 year event in 2022.

What does this mean?

Strong heatwaves will become much more common place over western Europe.

By using climate projections, the study team are able to calculate that unless action is taken to reduce emissions, by 2100, heatwaves of the magnitude recorded in June 2003 and June 2022 would happen every two to three years.

In a world where human greenhouse gases never occurred, the chances of a heatwave of the magnitude experienced in Western Europe last month would only have been seen once every 8,200 years.

To read the study in full, click here.


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