Sustainable Blewbury

This page lists newsletters containing articles and other items of interest that we produce from time to time. In the autumn of 2017, with Newsletter 16, we changed from newsletters that appeared infrequently and contained many articles to monthly issues containing (usually) one long article and various short items of interest. Due to the workload we then switched to producing a newsletter every two months.

November/December 2020 – Newsletter 42

Click here.

Local SB activities: A Blewbury nature reserve? Annual footpath leaf clearing; Thermal imaging of houses in January; Permaculture orchard garden: medlars; Hedge-laying progress. Then: Revised timetable for 94/94S bus in the New Year; Climate jargon and climate change explained; Environment is to benefit from ‘biggest farming shakeup in 50 years’; So, what can I do to help the climate NOW? A small, sensible British hydrogen-powered car; An important point to discuss: is net zero good enough? 1% of people cause half of global aviation emissions. Finally, some longer articles: A Christmas that cares for people and planet; The UK’s 10-point climate-change plan, with some comments

September/October 2020 – Newsletter 41

Click here. This edition starts with information on our various activities: apple juicing, a possible village woodland, garden market, repair cafe and annual leaf clearing of village footpaths. Short items include: China's zero-carbon pledge, the UK's failure to meet biodiversity targets, an electric ferry, local air pollution from SUVs,, a new coal mine in England, Cambrige University divesting its fossil fuel investments, and plans for lots of eco homes in York. There are two longer articles about the status and possible roles of energy from hydrogen in a net-zero UK.

July/August 2020 – Newsletter 40

Click here. Our latest edition starts with information on how SB is re-organising and postponing our AGM, then summarises some of our current activities (notably apple juicing and the garden market). Three fairly short items on help in making homes more energy efficient, a comment on recent trends in longer-range electric cars, and a link to information on air pollution. Finally, a long article on the status of the UK's nuclear electricity-generating reactors.

May/June 2020 – Newsletter 39

Click here. We start with a rundown of some recent Blewbury activiities related to SB. Short items cover a wide variety of topics: Long-tailed Tits; Tiny plankton tell the ocean's story; some recent comments on climate from Greta Thunberg: Climate change 'as urgent' as coronavirus; Great Britain heads for record coal-free period during lockdown; Church investments in major oil companies; 18 reasons why you should go meat-free; Record breaking temperatures in Siberia; Climate change meteorology; The Time is Now ... for a green and fair recovery.

March/April 2020 – Newsletter 38

Click here. We start with some local events we have had to cancel: an event on reducing food waste, our second Repair Cafe, our AGM and the Garden Market, then some news from Blewbury Climate Action, hedge laying and our downland wildlife corridor. Followed by a very varied list of short articles: the connection between repair cafes and planned obsolescence of consumer goods, a possibly surprising short item on plastic bag use, something about the UK's first Tiny Forest, an article on how Covid-19 has led to an inadvertent experiment in cleaning up air pollution, information about the status of the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway, a short item on how bacteria might process waste polyurethane plastic, and an article on how some of the big banks, despite saying all the right things, are still financing finding and producing fossil fuels that cannot be burned if we are to limit climate change.

January/February 2020 – Newsletter 37

Click here. We start with some local events: our first Repair Cafe, a talk on our food, and an event to show how to reduce food waste. Then a very varied list of short articles with the common theme of climate change. Comments on the 2020 World Economic Forum at Davos, a first step on the road to replacing natural gas for heating and cooking, and an item on plant-based milks – which are environmentally damaging and which might be good to use. That’s followed by a comment on why it is important to reduce methane emissions from animals raised for meat and dairy, a summary with comments on the UK’s lack of progress towards its ground-breaking net-zero carbon target, and finally an article on how the UN is building a refugee camp in Africa that is actually green.

November/December 2019 – Newsletter 36

Click here. Local activities include: thermal imaging, a talk on filming wildlife, and other items of local interest. There are short items on green social housing in Norwich winning the Stirling prize, increasing sales of SUVs increasing carbon emissions, and the European Investment Bank dropping fossil fuel investments. Three related items: the moratorium (not ban) on frackng in England, UK support for fracking in Argentina, and a new deep coal mine approved for Cumbria. And shrinking summer sea ice in the Arctic. An article on Natural Climate Solutions with emphasis on planting trees, followed by another describing how increasing wildfires increase carbon emissions, and evidence that such fires are happening more often in the UK. Finally, a summary of some interesting projects funded by grants from the Oxfordshire Low Carbon Hub.

September/October 2019 – Newsletter 35

Click here. There are a number of items about what is happening locally on climate change: progress on our joint Blewbury Climate Action initiative with the Parish Council, the newly formed Sustainable Harwell, moves to plant trees locally, and plans for moving towards zero net carbon by Oxfordshire County Council. Plus short items on the new Oxfam Superstore in Oxford, a local pop-up eco shop, information on recycling rates and on another big drop in the cost of offshore wind power.

July/August 2019 – Newsletter 34

Click here. Articles include the long-term project to restore chalkland wildflowers at Tickers Folly Field, an alarming article on how much food we waste at home, and a plea to have explanations of how climate change is affecting our weather linked to TV and radio weather forecasts. There are short items on a green and attractive social housing development, major divestments from fossil fuels by the National Trust and the European Investment Bank, and a huge mismatch between words and actions by the government on reducing carbon emissions.

May/June 2019 – Newsletter 33

Click here. The long article is about the important new report from the UK government's Committee on Climate Change. This responds to the new urgency about our climate and proposes tougher targets and what we have to do to revitalise the UK programme in order to reach their new goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. There is also a note on the climate and biodiversity crises from our chair and an update on the community orchard. Short items of interest cover the IPCC’s special report on climate warming of 1.5C, the first week since 1882 with no coal-fired power generation, a web display of the energy sources producing electricity, hydrogen-powered buses for London, making your garden a haven for wildlife, the North Wessex Downs walking festival, rubbish on beaches, and the Oxford Bus Company’s PickMeUp service.

March/April 2019 – Newsletter 32

Click here. The long article is about our hedge-laying activities in and around the village. There is a short item on the Wildlife Trusts’ #WilderFuture Campaign. An article on water goes into how to get your reusable water bottle refilled, the activities of WaterAid, and the work of WaterHarvest to improve water supplies in India. Finally, a short item on the Royal Horticultural Society’s report on gardening as the climate changes.

February 2019 – Newsletter 31

Click here. The long article is a summary of the current situation regarding new nuclear reactors for electricity generation in the UK. There are also short items on palm oil and divestment from fossil fuels. And following on from the talk on electric cars, there's a link to a good site for finding out about the full range of electric cars now available. (The photo shows construction work on Hinkley Point C.)

January 2019 – Newsletter 30

Click here. We have an article on why repair cafes have become a useful and popular way to re-use existing items rather than throwing them away, together with information on where and when local groups will be holding them. The main article is about food waste, a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The main part of the article explains the counter-intuitive conclusion that packaging some food in plastic and leaving the plastic in place for storing the food can greatly increase its usable lifetime and thus reduce food waste. if the plastic is then recycled it has actually helped provide a positive outcome.

December 2018 – Newsletter 29

Click here. The featured long article describes how all the classes at Blewbury Primary School have been learning about sustainability and how to put it into action. In addition to Sustainable Blewbury news, including a talk in February on electric cars, there are also shorter items on a Chinese megacity that now has all of its 16,000 buses fully electric, a sharp increase in global carbon emissions in 2018, how the National Trust is trying to reduce plastic waste on its properties, and the rapid rise in human population.

November 2018 – Newsletter 28

Click here. Short items on replacing stolen trees in our community orchard and the BBC’s more enlightened coverage of climate change, accepting that it is real and caused by humans. The longer article discusses the rise of huge data centres, which use large and growing amounts of electricity. Some now use electricity generated by renewable sources but others do not. What might happen in the future?

October 2018 – Newsletter 27

Click here. Short items on new housing estates forcing people to be dependent on cars, Blewbury bus service reductions and other SB news. The longer article is about plastics: the recycling situation for different types of plastic, other issues that some of the plastics raise, and how to reduce your use of disposable plastic items.

September 2018 – Newsletter 26

Click here. Our 25th anniversary celebration! There is a short item on the status of the Oxford–Cambridge Expressway proposal, noting that there has not been any open, public discussion of whether it is actually needed. Our main article discusses the very hot summer of 2018 and how it's connected to climate change.

July/August 2018 – Newsletter 25

Click here. The largest power station in the UK, Drax, has converted from coal to biomass. But is burning wood pellets to produce electricity really green if they have to be transported from the US, where old hardwood forests are being cut down to make them? We also note some bad decisions: refusal of Swansea Bay tidal lagoon, permission for a new opencast coal mine, and permission for fracking to begin in Lancashire.

June 2018 – Newsletter 24

Click here. We describe the Oxford Low Carbon Hub – what it does, how it works and some of its many successful projects. Also, a short piece about how Witney overcame Oxfordshire’s abolition of bus subsidies by starting its own coop bus company, and news of some interesting workshops and our own activities.

May 2018 – Newsletter 23

Click here. We have an introductory article about planetary boundaries. They classify areas of environmental concern and try to evaluate how close each area is to possibly causing serious changes. Also, news from our AGM and an interesting new approach to the storage side of carbon capture and storage.

April 2018 – Newsletter 22

Click here. We have a long-ish article about air pollution: the many and various types, what causes them and what their effects are. It's a topic that isn’t often explained clearly, and articles in the media tend to confuse things. Also, some tips on how to reduce the use of plastics in order to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment.

March 2018 – Newsletter 21

Click here. We have an article on a new hedgerow planted on the downs, between the Chalk Pit and Cow Lane, to serve as first stage of a wildlife shelter corridor that we hope will one day reach all the way to Woodway Road. Also news of coming events, and a link to videos taken in the village by camera traps that we purchased so pupils at Blewbury School can learn about local wildlife.

February 2018 – Newsletter 20

Click here. This issue features two articles: one on the activities of other groups like us in the local area: Sustainable Wantage, Sustainable Didcot, Sustainable Wallingford and Abingdon Carbon Cutters, and the other on how to manage the ups and downs of solar and wind power in an electricity system mostly made up of renewable energy sources. There is a are short item on avoiding the use of throwaway single-use plastics.

January 2018 – Newsletter 19

Click here to read the fourth monthly newsletter in our new format. This issue features two articles: one on the first year of our community orchard, and the other on ash tree dieback. There are short items on two talks to be given in March, global warming, renewable energy in the UK and New York City’s divestment of fossil fuel investments in its pension funds.

December 2017 – Newsletter 18

Click here to read the third monthly newsletter in our new format. This issue features a summary of Sustainable Blewbury’s many and varied activities in 2017. There are short items on fracking, wind and solar farms with battery storage, and plastics recycling.

November 2017 – Newsletter 17

Click here to read the second monthly newsletter in our new, short format. This issue features an article about invasive alien (i.e. non-native) plant species. It is in two parts: first a gardener’s experiences with some of these plants, and then the work of the Environment Agency in controlling the worst of them.

October 2017 – Newsletter 16

Click here to read the first newsletter in our short, monthly format. This issue features an article about LED light bulbs, especially recently appearing ones with energy ratings of A++. These are a significant improvement on so-called ‘low-energy’ bulbs (CFLs) and are even better than the wide range of A+ LED bulbs now available.

September 2016 – Newsletter 15

Contents: (click here to read the newsletter)

Editorial – Jo Lakeland and Eric Eisenhandler
A community orchard for Blewbury – dream becomes reality – John Ogden
2016 sets all the wrong climate records – Eric Eisenhandler
Renewable energy briefs – Eric Eisenhandler
Young gardeners at Blewbury School – Jo Lakeland and Roger Murphy
Saving our buses – a co-ordinated community action – Jo Lakeland and Maranda St. John Nicolle
Green electricity from our food waste – Eric Eisenhandler
New local food directory – Jo Lakeland
The Low Carbon Hub wins prestigious sustainability award – Jo Lakeland
Light pollution – Glen Meadows
First W. Mike Edmunds Memorial Lecture

December 2015 – Newsletter 14

Contents: (click here to read the newsletter)

Editorial – Jo Lakeland and Eric Eisenhandler
What comes next? – The aftermath of the Paris climate change conference Jo Lakeland
Climate change briefs – Eric Eisenhandler
A wrecking ball hits renewable energy in the UK – Eric Eisenhandler
The origins and early days of Sustainable Blewbury – Jo Lakeland
Blewbury’s Water – Jo Lakeland
How your ‘landfill’ waste produces energy at Ardley – Angela Hoy
Thoughts of an angry Volkswagen diesel owner – Eric Eisenhandler
Hedge-laying in Blewbury – John Ogden
Ash dieback – is genetic modification the solution? – Jo Lakeland and Glen Meadows

April 2015 – Newsletter 13

Contents: (click here to read the newsletter)

Editorial – Mike Edmunds
Climate Change Briefs – Mike Edmunds and Eric Eisenhandler
Green Deal? Or Green lottery? – Eric Eisenhandler
Blewbury School: Eco-School and Eco-Council – Jo Lakeland
Blewbury Garden Market – the background – Angela Hoy
Heritage Lottery Fund award for the Blewbury Wagon – Peter Cockrell
Bee alert Blewbury – Debs Furness
Low Carbon Hub shortlisted for prestigious Ashden Awards – Jo Lakeland
Sustainable Blewbury beer mats

November 2014 – Newsletter 12

Contents: (click here to read the newsletter)

Editorial – Mike Edmunds
Groundwater flooding – Mike Edmunds and Paul Whitehead
Climate change briefs – Mike Edmunds
Invest in community energy in Oxfordshire – Mike Edmunds and Jo Lakeland
Sustainable connections in our area – Jo Lakeland
Downland project – Peter Cockrell
Apple juicing events 2014 – Angela Hoy
Our orchard garden comes of age – Eric Eisenhandler
Blewbury Garden Market – Angela Hoy

July 2014 – Newsletter 11

Contents: (click here to read the newsletter)

Editorial: Speaking out on climate change – and changing the economy – Mike Edmunds
Climate change: reporting-bias in the media – Emily Black
New Blewbury Bee Group – Blewbury Bees
A Letter from Salt Spring Island – Katharine Byers
At last – the Renewable Heat Incentive – Eric Eisenhandler
Is the Green Deal for you? – Eric Eisenhandler
Green May Fair, 10 May 2014 – Jo Lakeland and Angela Hoy

February 2014 – Newsletter 10