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
With the help of Sustainable South Hams, we developed a new guide last year to start you off on a journey to decarbonise your community building.
The step by step guide is available at the bottom of this website and you can download a Excel based toolkit to go over key aspects of your building to look at quick wins to make your building more energy efficient.
In December we relaunched our Thermal Imaging Camera Hire Scheme. Our aim is that using the thermal imaging cameras will help homeowners to improve their energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
Applications to hire one can be made by Town and Parish Councils or organised community groups only and cameras should be used in group settings.
Cameras are available to borrow for up to two weeks. It's expected that applicants will use the cameras with local residents to survey several homes within the hire period.
Details about the scheme can be found here.
|
Sustainable South Hams Changemakers Meeting - Catch up and Cake
28 February 10.30 a.m. at The Mansion, Totnes
Sustainable South Hams want to hear what you have been up to, celebrate your wins from 2024 and find out what you have planned for 2025. Come along to share your stories and bring any challenges you might be facing so you can explore them together. Plus there will be cake!
Click here for tickets.
|
Gamifying climate change narratives
28th February 2025 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
This event will explore how leveraging the power of games can enhance climate literacy and spark meaningful conversations around sustainability.
Who Should Attend
- Climate change advocates and educators
- Game developers and tech enthusiasts
- Youth groups and students interested in interactive learning
- Anyone passionate about innovative approaches to climate action
Click here to register to attend.
|
Nature narratives: Eden, spoils or garden' with Prof Sandra Díaz
5 March 5 p.m.
Prof Diaz will discuss social narratives around nonhuman life on Earth shape how we interrogate, value and act upon it.
These storylines have changed substantially over time, not fully replacing each other. Empirical evidence has accumulated supporting both deep connections between humans and other organisms, and ancient and pervasive human influence on the biosphere (“nature as garden”).
In this talk, Prof Sandra Díaz will unpack the “nature as garden” narrative, some of its cornerstones and challenges, and what it means for policy and action.
Click here to register for the crowdcast.
|
How the media covers climate change
12 March 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
This event will also be hosted online, joining instructions will be sent prior to the event to those who have registered.
Overview
Communicating the fast-paced science and policy-response to climate change with both nuance and accuracy has always been challenging. But today's fast-fracturing and polarised media landscape – which includes legacy media as well as social media – means that scientists, policymakers and journalists have their work increasingly cut out to keep the wider public informed. This timely panel brings together three leading experts who have long been at the sharp edge of climate communications.
Click here to register.
|
The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation provides revenue funding to support charitable work in the UK. The foundation spends around £45m to £50m a year through its grant programme which has three funding priorities:
Our natural world – grants to help restore and protect: species health and habitats; sustainable and ethical food (encompassing nature-friendly farming and fishing); clean and healthy fresh-water environments.
A fairer future – including the arts, creativity and the rights of children and young people, funding is available to help improve systems, policy and practice and to empower organisations to tackle systemic injustice and inequity.
Creative, confident communities – communities working together for change; community-driven enterprise and regeneration; and community-led art and creativity.
The aim of the funding is to support organisations that are leading the way with transformative projects that will have a long-term impact. Most grants from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation are for core costs and can be for three to five years. The minimum grant is £30,000.
Most grants are given to registered charities but other organisations doing legally charitable work such as CICs and companies limited by guarantee can also apply.
Click here to apply
Grow Wild is the outreach programme run by Kew Gardens. It provides funding for community groups and young people to transform local spaces for the benefit of people and wildlife, by planting and championing UK native plants or fungi.
£500 grants for 16 to 25 year olds with an idea for a project to champion UK native plants and/or fungi. You can apply as an individual or as a group of up to 6 people (you will need a Supporting Organisation to support your application and receive the grant on your behalf).
Click here to apply
According to the The Food Security Report in 2020 the UK is 54% self-sufficient and faces long-term stresses such as climate change
Food security remains under strain from environmental and climate challenges and new diet-related diseases. A new report Titled 'Just in Case: narrowing the UK civil food resilience gap' by Professor Tim Lang, considers the state of UK civil food resilience and whether the UK public’s readiness for the possibility of food shocks. An executive summary and full report can be found here.
|
|