Transition Town Lewes News – November 2007

In this issue

  • Ouse Valley Energy Services Company launched
  • Heart and Soul OEKOS initiative launched
  • TTL online Forum launched
  • Love Lewes website launched
  • Recent events
  • Upcoming events
    • Art from the Arctic
    • Permaculture meeting
    • Tony Juniper talk
    • Diet and Climate change debate
  • Some campaigns
  • Funding info and principles
  • Finally…

Welcome to the November bulletin, with many new TTL initiatives all adding to the web of solutions. The amazing thing is… all this is being done for free so far!

Big news

Last month The Ouse Valley Energy Services Company (OVESCo) formed out of the Energy Group of TTL. It plans to deliver a range of energy saving, renewable energy and related projects to the residents of the Ouse Valley. Ovesco has just won the tender to administer Lewes District Council's new round of energy efficiency grants – specifically solar water heaters to households in the A to D bands. Chris Rowland of TTL has relocalised to work with Ovesco on this the first of many energy services projects. http://www.ovesco.co.uk

The Heart and Soul group of TTL launches monthly OEKOS GROUP

First Wed of the month, 7.30 prompt - 8.45. Subud Centre, 26a Station St. £2 fee to cover the hire of the hall. Next meeting Wed 12 December. This will be a regular monthly session, just for an hour, hosted by the Heart and Soul group, where we can reflect more deeply on how we feel about these themes, in a safe and respectful way. Let’s support each other and inspire ourselves to draw on our highest and best, through these challenging and exciting times.

TTL online Forum launched from TTL website

Why not take time to visit and register with the new Transition Town Lewes forum, where discussions are taking place on many and varied subjects (keeping chickens and bees for eggs and honey, how we are coping with knowledge of the impending global energy crash, re-skilling recommendations, Peak Oil in the news and much more). · To find the forum and register, simply: · Click the ‘*New* Forum’ menu item at the left hand of the TT Lewes website front page www.transitiontowns.org/Lewes · From the forum page, find the ‘Register’ link · Fill out the registration screen, selecting for yourself a username, personal password and entering your email address · When you find the ‘TT Lewes Password’ field, enter the password ‘HarveysTT’ · Click submit and that’s it – you’re in and able to contribute to the discussions or just look around! Once you’re registered you can access the forum any time, without needing passwords again (unless you have a ‘high security’ setting on your computer). Anyone who has any problems registering is welcome to email steve@foundation-stage.info for help.

Love Lewes

is an initiative of the TTL business group. Its aim is to give Lewes businesses easy access to some of the best websites on everything to do with making a business more sustainable and more profitable. Many of the environmentally friendly things you can do will also help you please customers more, cut costs, and build a stronger, more resilient business. The site has case studies of several local businesses.
http://www.lovelewes.com

Recent Events

Molly Scott Cato was the guest of the Business and Currency groups of TTL. She spoke at All Saints on 24 October about Local Skills, Local Money, Local Power. Her thought-proviking talk and the questions were chaired by Norman Baker, MP. Alex Munslow of Transition Brighton filmed the vent, which can be viewed from here: http://transitiontowns.org/Lewes/Lmlslp

Molly’s talk was followed by an Open Space event called How will we thrive locally in a world with less oil? Many questions were raised and discussed, ending in a fruitful harvest of ideas for the Energy Descent Action Plan and towards the economic revival of Lewes. For photos of the discussions and the workshops please see http://transitiontowns.org/Lewes/Osec

Transition Town MUNGA. The Food Group invited Year 10 students from Chailey, Ringmer Community College and Priory School to role play their way through a United Nations Model General Assembly (MUNGA) on Climate Change and Food at Lewes Town Hall on Friday November 9th. Supported by Chairs from The United Nations Association, East Sussex County Council and their own schools, the students adopted the role of delegates from China, India, UK, Jamaica, Japan and The Ukraine to imagine what the global food economy would look like under their (somewhat idealistic) control. Gilly Smith, food group

Whales, weather, water and waste: A pub quiz with an environmental twist: This was the first event held by TTL's arts group a lively, fun and brain-stretching event! Hosted by quiz master supremo Andrew Clarke, around 50 people crowded into the two downstairs rooms of the Lewes Arms. Some came already in teams, others made impromptu groups, uncertain of their collective knowledge. Every team had to decide on a name and the results were extremely inventive - The Carbon Pigs, 3 Degrees Warmer, Eco-Operators and The Wasters to name a few. Andrew did his best to shout the questions across the pub, evolving some creative question-relaying later on in the evening. A picture round asked the contestants to guess the name of the green campaigner or artist and a range of global (and even local) questions tested Lewesians skill on whales, weather and waste. Some debate ensued around a question on the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on whaling and doubtful murmurings were heard when one came up about recycling in the town but that was as heated as it got. The water round had everyone guessing the names of water-themed songs and their singers. The Carbon Pigs were the triumphant quiz winners and Esso-S won the prize for best team name. With thanks to Dave at the Lewes Arms for allowing us to hold the quiz there and for the many generous shopkeepers of Lewes for donating such wonderful prizes.
Janette & Holly
Transition Town Lewes Arts Group

Coming up next

  • Permaculture briefing this Saturday 24th November at Lewes New School from 10.30am-12.30pm followed by lunch.

This event is a result of discussions held at the recent Open Space event (Creating an Energy Decent Plan for Lewes) and is designed to raise the issue of how to introduce those involved in TTL to some of the useful Permaculture skills. The training will focus specifically on a number of Permaculture thinking, planning and design tools. These processes will be useful for running TTL groups and to help create an Energy Descent Plan for Lewes. The Transition Towns movement and the idea of Energy Descent planning has sprung from Permaculture thinking, so the morning will provide the opportunity to understand its roots a little. The event is free and it would be good to see as many TTL members attend as possible. Please try to nominate at least one person to attend from your group so that we can spread these useful tools widely throughout TTL.

  • Art from the Arctic – Sunday 25 Nov, Lewes Constitutional Club, 139 High St, 8pm, £3. A TTL Arts group initiative.

Artists, scientists and writers witness climate change in the High Arctic. Screening of a fascinating film followed by a discussion led by John Kelly, polar artist and geographer.

  • Tony Juniper, director of Friends of the Earth at Pelham House, Wed 28 Nov, 8pm, £3.

Solutions to Climate change – the political response. A talk followed by a discussion chaired by Caroline Kenward of Lewes Friends of the Earth.

  • Monday 3 December Diet and Climate Change, Southover Grange, 7.30pm, £3.

A lively and timely debate with Clive Sams (chair of the Soil Association), Martin Tebutt (Boathouse Organic Farm), Michael Bradford (Bradford Farms) and Tony Wardle (Viva). Advance booking is now essential – please email Gilly@GillySmith.com

Funding for TTL initiatives and some principles

As time goes on and TTL grows, there is a need for some of the work/initiatives to move from a volunteer basis to a paid basis to become sustainable. The communications group has applied for funding for a part time post in the office – which, if it gets it, will be advertised widely.

A TTL group formed last month to establish principles about applying for funding for TTL initiatives. They are essential reading for people developing initiatives that involve money (of which we hope there will be many!): http://transitiontowns.org/Lewes/OurAims. Broadly speaking, members of TTL can earn money from doing TTL work if there is funding, and transparency and openness are essential. The projects need to be agreed and monitored by the relevant group, and any posts advertised. The project must support the aims of TTL and be in line with the principles of TTL. Now we don not have a core group, these kind of principles safeguard the integrity of TTL as it grows. Thanks to the groups who have written them.

Southdown CVS is offering free funding advice to volunteer groups (such as TTL) and are creating a database of relevant grants as well as considering holding ‘funding surgeries’. Email the office if your group wants more details.

Campaigns

TTL is not a campaigning group, instead trying to harness our collective energy in creating solutions. But occasionally things come up that you just think – if this went ahead it would destroy or seriously hamper all our efforts – so, calling campaigners; here are three things worth considering.

· The Newhaven incinerator is currently undergoing a public enquiry about the Compulsory Purchase Order. It’s a huge enquiry, at the White Hart Hotel in Lewes, over 8 days. The remaining dates are Wed 21/Thurs 22 Nov, and Tues 27 and Wed 28 Nov. Dove encourages the public to attend to show the inspector we care. The incinerator would be a disaster for our whole bioregion, for more reasons than can be listed here. It’s worth every effort to oppose.
http://www.dove2000.org.uk/

· Climate Change/Day of Action Rally Saturday 8 December, London, 12 noon (10 for cycle rally), speakers Caroline Lucas, George Monbiot, Michael Meacher, Chris Huhne. Timed to coincide with the UN Climate talks in Bali. Does anyone want to coordinate a group to take part in the rally in London? Does anyone know of a more local event?
http://www.campaigncc.org/index.shtml

· A consultation has been taking place across the South East Region to plan the future of the region until 2016. They are asking for input into the plan, which has some merit in its intentions but huge flaws in its ‘business as usual’ assumptions. Please do contribute to the consultation by going to the site yourself, as well as emailing your feedback to Louise, one of the TTLers (louiseh@gn.apc.org), by Sunday evening, who is coordinating a TTL response. Deadline Monday 26 November.
http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/our_work/planning/sus_dev/rsf.html

Some creative online initiatives

The Freeconomy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2funpl8L1dk

Solutions blogs such as Beansprouts
http://www.bean-sprouts.blogspot.com/

And humour
http://www.climatecartoons.org.uk/unsecuritycouncil.html

The context to this bulletin is the increasing flood of information about climate research, peak oil, peak resources of all kinds, natural disasters, food shortage predictions, oil price rises, global economic problems and so on. One solution to the pain witnessing such news can bring is to Be the Change – to create positive personal and community solutions towards reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and building resilience. So get involved – come along to the events, join a group, share your money, time or expertise, with TTL or one of the other local groups creating solutions.

Please forward this email widely, and reply if you can suggest improvements or encouragement.

From the communications group of
Transition Town Lewes

Get involved: contact one of the Group contacts on the Groups page