Welcome to November’s Update
from Climate Action Stokesley & Villages
Thank you for your role in taking urgent action globally and locally on climate breakdown and biodiversity loss.
Diary dates
(details of all events below in Newsletter section)
1. ‘Act Local’
- Tuesday 19th November 19.30 – 21.00 Whole Group Meeting, the Globe Community Library, Stokesley
- Tuesday 5th November 10.00 – 12.00 The Mending Group, Osmotherley Quakers Meeting House
- Friday 8th November 8.00 – 12.30 Retrofitting Workshop: Building Airtightness (free), Hutton Rudby Village Hall
- Tuesday 12th November 19.00 Waste Group Meeting (incl Repair Cafe) by zoom (see Waste Group section below)
- Tuesday 12th November 13.30 – 15.00 Yatton House Community garden Working Party
- Saturday 16th November 10.00-12.00 Repair Cafe, Swainby Village Hall
- Saturday 16th November 10am onwards, Environment Climate Osmotherley Coffee & Cake Morning, Osmotherley Methodist Chapel
- Wednesday 20th November 19.30 Environment Climate Osmotherley Meeting, Osmotherley Methodist Chapel
- Thursday 21st November 15.30 Nature Group meeting, the Globe Community Library, Stokesley Library Green week (see Nature Group section below)
- Thursday 21st November 19.00 Food Group Meeting by zoom (see Food Group section below)
- Tuesday 26th November, 19.30 Dark Skies Talk, Osmotherley Village Hall
- November dates tbc Sustainable Christmas decorations workshops at the Globe, Stokesley and the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton
- Friday 6th December 9 – 12 Sustainable Christmas Stall at Stokesley Market
2. ‘Think Global’
- 1st – 30th November Buy Nothing New Month
- 1st – 30th November World Vegan Month
- 4th – 8th November UK Countryside COP 4
- 6th November 18.00 People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup, Northallerton
- 11th – 22nd November 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
- 22nd November 19.00 – 20.00 Net Zero Teesside – Gas Power, Blue Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Public Meeting, Redcar & Cleveland College
- 23rd – 1st December National Tree Week
Newsletter
Our online newsletter / magazine focuses on our group’s values and purpose, summed up by our motto ‘Think global, act local’, beginning with global / national / county issues including ways in which you can influence policy, followed by local news and activities you can participate in that develop our relationship with the environment and fight climate change and biodiversity loss.
“Think global”
National and global action on climate breakdown & biodiversity loss news and campaigns
1st – 30th November Buy Nothing New Month
If everyone on Earth lived like people in the UK, we would need over two and a half planets to regenerate and absorb our waste. As a society, we need to move to a circular economy that wastes less and puts more value on the things we already have. From the water and energy used in production, to the fuel used in delivery, every new item we buy comes with an environmental price tag.
Buy Nothing New Month is organised by Keep Britian Tidy and calls on us to boycott Black Friday and the culture of impulse buys that goes along with it and instead, aim to waste less, make the most of the stuff we already own, and cut our carbon footprint by buying nothing new – excluding essentials like food and medicine – throughout November.
If you sign up to the campaign, you can receive expert tips to help you shift to a ‘buy less’ mindset and swap the way you shop, find creative ways to reuse the things we own, and clear the clutter by rehoming the things we no longer need.
More info: buy-nothing-new-month
1st – 30th November World Vegan Month
A vegan / plant based diet can reduce an individual’s annual carbon footprint by up to 2.1 tons. Plant-based foods require less land and fewer resources, and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than animal products. Animal waste from factory farms is a major source of nitrous oxide emissions, which are 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at driving the greenhouse effect.
But to make a big difference it isn’t about giving up meat completely. Eating just one vegan meal per week can reduce your carbon footprint by nearly 50 kilograms per year. According to Oxford University, if every family in the UK ate one plant-based meal instead of red meat once a week, it would be the same as taking 16 million cars off the road.
During World Vegan Month, you are likely to see more vegan products in stores, along with the promotion of vegan events, recipes, clothing and more.
For more info see here: world-vegan-month
4th – 8th November UK Countryside COP 4
In the UK there is a Countryside Cop from the 4-8 November. This is for the rural communities and agriculture to inspire activity prior to COP 29 being held in Baklu. There are a number of events that are happening and some are on line and free to attend. If you would like to find out more please follow this link. countryside-cop4-04-08-november-2024/
6th November 18.00 People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup, The Potting Shed, Northallerton
Every month across the country there are sociable community based meet ups for people to share ideas about sustainability with the added bonus of a free drink (for the first 33 people to arrive!). The meet up nearest to CASaV is at the Potting Shed, Northallerton so why not pop down there to meet like minded people, find more about what’s going on locally with sustainability and how you can get involved. Book a place to get your free drink via this link:
northallerton-small99s-people-planet-pinttm-sustainability-meetup-tickets
11th – 22nd November 29th Conference of the Parties (COP 29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024. This is a pivotal opportunity to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis. With global temperatures hitting record highs, and extreme weather events affecting people around the globe, COP29 will bring together leaders from governments, business and civil society to advance concrete solutions to the defining issue of our time.
A key focus of COP29 will be on finance, as trillions of dollars are required for countries to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect lives and livelihoods from the worsening impacts of climate change. The conference will also be a key moment for countries to present their updated national climate action plans under the Paris agreement, which are due by early 2025. If done right, these plans will limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and double as investment plans advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
As Antonio Guterres said at the Montreal COP ‘It up to us to accept responsibility for the damage we have caused and take action to fix it … I urge you to do the right thing. Step up for nature. Step up for biodiversity. Step up for humanity. Together, let’s adopt and deliver an ambitious framework — a peace pact with nature — and pass on a better, greener, bluer and more sustainable world to our children.’
More info here: https://cop29.az/en/home
Report from COP 16 Biodiversity Summit – Cali, Columbia – October 21st – November 1st 2024
While climate change crisis often grabs the headlines, there are many headlines about both national (birds) and global biodiversity loss (polar bears), which are signs of the nature crisis that the world is currently suffering. So at the Rio Conference in 1992 the UN was tasked to address both of these crises – climate and nature.
The UN Biodiversity Summit happens every other year rather than annually, and aims to ensure global action happens to stop and reverse the frightening global rate of biodiversity loss. As with the climate COPs, nations make specific commitments on actions their country will take to protect their national biodiversity. Similar to the climate COPs progress over the last 32 years has been slower than expected in 1992.
You can read a detailed summary produced by Carbon Brief – https://www.carbonbrief.org/cop16-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-biodiversity-conference-in-cali-colombia/. So just a few headlines here – the summit came to an abrupt halt after countries failed to reach consensus on the creation of a new fund during a mammoth 10-hour final plenary session. However, a number of steps forward were made for example, a new benefit-sharing mechanism for genetic resources will protect sovereign rights, a new permanent body for Indigenous peoples which will allow them to advise and offer their view at biodiversity COPs directly for the first time.
Disappointingly of 196 countries at the COP only 44 countries (including EU 27) had met the deadline to produce their own biodiversity plans, developed countries saying they did not have the time and developing countries blaming lack of finance promised by developed countries.
23rd November – 1st December National Tree Week
National Tree Week, organised by The Tree Council and partners, brings together the conservation sector, volunteers and tree-lovers to mark the start of the annual tree planting season.
There are free online tree talks, tree planting information guides and face to face events across the country. More information here: national-tree-week
“Act Local”
This month’s local activities and ideas from our focus groups (Nature, Food, Waste, Energy, Transport) to address biodiversity loss and fight climate breakdown
Tuesday 19th 19.30 Whole Group Meeting, the Globe Community Library, Stokesley
Our next whole group meeting is on Tuesday 19th November, at the beautifully updated Globe Community Library, Stokesley from 19.30 until 21.00.
All welcome to come to discuss all things climate change and biodiversity loss, updates from the sub groups and planning for future activities
We’re a friendly bunch and we welcome everyone!
Tuesday 5th November 10.00 – 12.00 The Mending Group, Osmotherley Quakers Meeting House
A new regular group activity organised by ECO (Environment Climate Osmotherley). Meet for coffee, cake & conversation with knitting, crotchet & sewing, an opportunity to share your skills with experienced & novice friends.
Tuesday 12th November 13.30 – 15.00 Yatton House Community Garden Working Party
As well as the monthly Yatton House Community Garden working party on Tuesday 12th November 1:30 – 3:00pm, the garden is now open weekdays unless raining so call in and enjoy sitting in the restful space.
The bog garden area is now planted up with donations from CASaV members. Geoff Jacques took a walk round the garden and shared a great video with our CASaV Facebook page. If you can’t make it to the garden you almost feel as though you are there. Thanks Geoff. https://www.facebook.com/reel/472877255781684
Saturday 16th November 10.00-12.00 Repair Cafe, Swainby Village Hall, High Street Swainby
Our monthly Repair Cafe casav.uk/repaircafe will be on Saturday November 16th 10 – 12 at Swainby Village Hall, High Street, Swainby. As always, our pink T shirted repair volunteers will be eager to fix your household items – clothing & textiles, electrical appliances, wooden furniture, toys & bikes, laptops & mobile phones, blades needing sharpening – as well as give you hands on demonstrations to encourage us all to extend the life of things we own by mending them when they get damaged or wear out, saving money from not buying new, saving resources used to make new and also reducing carbon emissions in manufacturing.
As usual, through coming to the Repair Cafe you can save yourself money, the earth’s resources and prevent climate damaging gases from waste going to incineration or landfill. On average, we manage to fix 70% of items, give advice on possible repair steps for 20% and how best to recycle the 10% that are sadly beyond repair (statistics). But 100% of attendees are offered free refreshments of tea, coffee or juice as well as cakes and biscuits and a great opportunity to chat with friendly, like minded people.
This month’s free refreshments include Fair Trade beverages and home made sweet treats (including vegan!) made with Fair Trade ingredients, kindly donated by Stokesley Co-op, facilitated by Eileen Driver.
New repair and reception volunteers always welcome – come along, have a cuppa and a chat or email Simon Gibbon.
Saturday 16th November 10am onwards, Environment Climate Osmotherley Coffee & Cake Morning, Osmotherley Methodist Chapel
Delicious homemade cakes, scones, tea & coffee – everybody welcome. Find out about the aims and activities of Environment Climate Osmotherley (ECO).
Tuesday 26th November, 19.30 Dark Skies Talk, Osmotherley Village Hall
Richard Darn is an experienced astronomer based in the North of England. Enthusiastic in outreach, Richard delivers astronomy events across the region and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to hear a talk by him locally.
Richard advises on dark sky designations, having helped Northumberland National Park, Yorkshire Dales National Park, and North York Moors National Park achieve dark sky status with the International Dark-Sky Association. Richard helped launch Kielder Observatory and co-founded the popular Kielder Forest Star Camp.
In this presentation at Osmotherley Village Hall, Richard will celebrate the glorious auroras & gossamer Milky Way with pointers to what is coming up in the night sky. Richard will also be discussing the fragility of our nocturnal environment & the growing impacts of light pollution and explain the importance of dark skies to the wildlife and indeed to our health. He will also give an overview of the North York Moors International Dark Skies Park. It will be a great event. This event is being organised by the Osmotherley Environment Group.
November dates tbc Sustainable Christmas decorations workshops at the Globe, Stokesley and the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton
After last year’s successful and popular FREE upcycled Christmas decoration workshops, more are planned this month to help you prepare for Christmas whilst reducing waste. Using a range of materials which would otherwise gone to waste we will show you how to craft your own bespoke Christmas decorations, suitable for all ages.
Dates still being arranged, check social media and posters for updates.
Friday 6th December 9 – 12 Sustainable Christmas Stall & Draft Excluder Giveaway at Stokesley Market
At Christmas many of us spend and consume a little more than usual. We do this to indulge ourselves and to celebrate the festive season, brightening up the bleak midwinter period.
But with increasing waste issues, and the climate change emergency, it is more important than ever to celebrate Christmas in a way that doesn’t cost the Earth.
The Waste Group are holding their annual Sustainable Christmas stall at Stokesley Friday Market on 6th December to help our local community enjoy their Christmas more sustainably with information and activities including:
- Draft excluder giveaway – help yourself to a FREE (limited numbers, come early!) handcrafted draft excluder to keep your home warm, cut heating bills and reduce climate impact
- Make upcycled Christmas cards and gift tags
- Sustainable Christmas recipe leaflets
- Upcycled & compostable wrapping ideas
- Reducing waste by reducing, reusing and recycling
- Information on how to save energy and keep warm this winter.
Please get in touch Anne Mannix if you would like to be involved or have a suggestion for what else we should include on the stall.
Apple juice pressing 2024
This time of year we often have surplus apples from our trees which might otherwise gone to waste but using CASaV’s equipment and volunteer skills, approximately 1,250 kg of apples were pressed to make 470 litres of juice.
Furthermore, some local cows and llamas enjoyed the apple pomace that was left after pressing so again, nothing went to waste.
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped run the sessions.
Issues / ideas from the groups: Nature
Next Nature Group meeting: Thursday 21st November 15.30, Globe Community Library, Stokesley Contact Bridget for information
Heather burning: Community Earth Project
The Community Earth Project (CEP) based in the Esk Valley on the North York Moors is trying to collect data across the North York Moors for particulate matter (PM) levels during heather burning events. PMs are known carcinogens as are associated chemicals in smoke from burning organic matter. CEP is installing sensors which will contribute to the sensor.community database and hopefully will be used to increase awareness of the health issues caused by moor burning.
CEP is looking for people who would be prepared to ‘host’ a PM sensor to monitor this year’s burning season. For more information contact cep.nature.recovery@gmail.com
Ideas from the groups: Food
Next Food Group zoom meeting: Thursday 21st November at 19.00 by zoom contact Wendy for a link to join
Save your seeds!
As you harvest your autumn veg, make sure you save some seeds and keep them dry both for yourself next spring but also to contribute to the seed bank at The Globe, Stokesley and for the Food Group Free Seed Stall at the March Farmers’ market in Stokesley.
Foodshare: surplus food prevented from going to waste and helping those in need
Foodshare is a joint initiative by the Food and Waste groups and is organised by Jenny. EVERY evening at 9pm a Volunteer collects surplus food from the Ayton Coop and Premier supermarket and both Stokesley Coops and takes it to various distribution centres (often in Middlesbrough) such as Nitelight (for homeless) for use/distribution amongst those in need. This is fresh food such as fruit, veg and bread, NOT the tins and dried food that are needed by Food Banks.
Foodshare collects 40 – 60 kilos of food each day with a value of approx £250. This is £78,000 worth in a year!
Jenny is always keen to recruit more volunteers to support the foodshare so if you feel this is something with which you could help, please contact Jenny here jennyearle.
November Seasonal Eating
Eating food in season (local as far as possible) can have substantial positive impact on climate breakdown by reducing high-energy input from artificial heating or lighting needed to produce crops out of the natural growing season.
Fruit and vegetables in season in November include:
apples, artichoke, beetroot, butternut squash, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chestnuts, chicory, cob nuts, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, pears, potatoes, pumpkin, quince, rosemary, sage, salsify, shallots, swede, turnips, watercress, wild mushrooms
Sustainable food source of the month: Quorn
If you’re looking for ways to eat more sustainably and meat free, Quorn could provide a good source of protein. Quorn is made from a natural protein (mycoprotein) which is derived from soil living fungi which is grown using a fermentation process similar to the one used to make bread, beer, and yogurt. Unlike many ultra high processed meat replacement foods containing dozens of additives, Quorn is relatively low processed with only egg whites or potato extract (for fully vegan items) added. Furthermore, being produced locally here in Stokesley, Quorn is a food source with a low carbon transport footprint.
The Quorn business is planning to increase the biodiversity of their grounds and have been working with members of the Nature Group to identify their current flora with view to creating wildflower meadows and other valuable habitats.
Seasonal recipe: Christmas Stuffed Squash with Quorn Vegan Pieces
Recipe here: christmas-stuffed-squash-quorn-pieces
Gardening tip of the month
chicory
Chicory should ideally be dug up this month but then kept in the dark for using from January.
Sustainable Pet Food
When aiming to eat more sustainably it is also useful to consider what your pets are eating. The global production of pet food releases 106 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere each year.
There are new developments in the pet food industry which aim to reduce this carbon footprint.
For example, nutritious pet food can be made from farmed insects, more info here:
https://entocycle.com/complete-insect-farm
https://mygrubclub.com/pages/about-us
Unlike cats which require animal based protein, dogs can live healthily on a vegan / plant based diet. Some sources of vegan dog food here:
Ideas from the groups: Waste
This month’s Waste Group (including Repair Cafe) Meeting Tuesday 12th November 7.00pm CASaV by zoom – contact Simon Gibbon for a link to join
A Plastic Free Community for Stokesley & Villages?
The Plastic Free Communities (PFC) network has been created by Surfers Against Sewage to tackle plastic pollution at source – from beaches and green spaces right back to the brands and businesses that create it. Plastic is a growth industry, with one in every ten barrels of oil now used to create new plastic. 38 million plastic drinks bottles are bought in the UK every day, 112,000 pieces of plastic leave UK supermarkets every minute.
By taking action in our local community we can make sure we don’t choke our coast, streets, parks and playgrounds with it. Because if it’s on our streets today, it’s in our rivers tomorrow, and our beaches and oceans forever. Locally there are PFCs in Redcar & Cleveland and Saltburn & Marske but none in the whole of North Yorkshire other than Scarborough.
Would you be interested in helping to set up a Plastic Free Community in Stokesley & Villages (Great Ayton, Hutton Rudby, Great Broughton & Kirby, Seamer, Swainby, Osmotherley, Picton, Rountons) to support individuals, businesses, schools and organisations work towards reducing single use plastics? If so contact Kate
Soft Plastics: Recycled or Incinerated?
The organisation behind the Big Plastic Count decided to track the soft plastic collected for recycling at Sainsbury’s and Tesco to find out how much was actually recycled.
The results were shocking: some 70% of the soft plastic collected for recycling was actually incinerated instead.
Incineration is terrible for the environment and for human health. Waste incineration is now the UK’s dirtiest form of power. Burning plastic is more polluting than even burning coal, and releases toxic gases and particles into the air.
In a massive win for all of us who care about ending plastic pollution, last month the UK signed the Bridge to Busan declaration. This is a statement signed by 40 countries at the United Nations affirming the need for global cuts to plastic production.
If you haven’t already signed the Greenpeace petition for a strong Global Plastics Treaty, they really need your support:
AdFreeCities
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We are all used to adverts trying to get us to buy more, a lot of which rapidly becomes waste, as well the old item the new item replaces. Advertisements are regulated on television and elsewhere to protect children. This is not the case for street advertising, or even the adverts in shop windows or on transport. AdFreeCities are asking people to be an AdSpotter (sign up here) on the school run, whether your children walk, go by bus or are even driven what adverts are they exposed to.
One of the main ways we will reduce waste is by buying less stuff and AdFreeCities are helping us to not be exposed to these commands to buy more stuff.
AdFreeCities – https://adfreecities.org.uk
AdSpotters – https://adfreecities.org.uk/adspotters/
Waste group events in October:
October Repair Cafe & Draft Excluder Workshop / Giveaway
October’s Repair Cafe in Stokesley saw over 60 items in need of repair dealt with by our intrepid pink T-shirted volunteer repairers and the majority were fixed to the delight and gratitude of their owners who were also treated to free Fair Trade cuppas and vegan cakes and treats. The sewing team were busy helping people craft their own bespoke draft excluders, using textiles that would have otherwise gone to waste to keep their homes cosy and draught free, cut their heating bills and also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Issues / ideas from the groups: Environment & Climate Osmotherley (ECO) Group
Wednesday 20th November 19.30 Environment Climate Osmotherley Meeting, Osmotherley Methodist Chapel
Meet up to discuss the activities of the group and future plans.
Contact Rebecca for more information
See also Dark Skies Talk and Mending Group above.
Ideas from the groups: Energy / Net Zero
22nd November 19.00 – 20.30 Net Zero Teesside – Gas Power, Blue Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Public Meeting, Redcar and Cleveland College
Whether you think Net Zero Teesside (NZT) is a key step on the road to net zero or rather you think it is Not Zero Teesside, it is being subsidised by our taxes. There is a meeting in Redcar in support of the project at 7pm on 22nd November at Redcar and Cleveland College (https://www.britainremade.co.uk/netzeroteesside).
The pros – Net Zero Teesside – https://www.netzeroteesside.co.uk/
The cons – Crowd Justice – Stop the Fake Carbon Capture Project https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/net-zero-teesside/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5SasZ5MHn8
Simon’s summary NZT was originally going to capture CO2 from existing chemical plants/incinerators on Teesside, but now it is only going to capture CO2 from new gas power stations and hydrogen from gas. So even if the CO2 capture was 100% effective it still locks in new large CO2 and methane emissions in extraction and shipping of the gas. NZT will not directly contribute to the UK’s net zero target. So the question is do you believe that NZT is necessary as a technology demonstration on the route to net zero, and to do this it needs new sources of CO2.
Read the links above, come to the meeting, make up your own mind and make your views known to your MP.
Signing off
If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s (December) update please email Kate Gibbon by the end of November
Kate also helps promote activities via Facebook and Instagram so let her know if there is anything that you would like shared via our Facebook page and Instagram if you are not a Facebook / Instagram user.
Hope to see you at the whole group CASaV meeting on Tuesday 19th November 19.30 at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley
Kate Gibbon,
on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:
Bridget Holmstrom, Caryn Loftus, Ron Kirk Barry Warrington and Simon Gibbon
Climate Action Stokesley and Villages 