Welcome to March’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 (event details below)

• Saturday 9th March 11 – 1pm Dark Skies Family Activity Event, Discovery Centre, Great Ayton
• Monday 11th March 2.30pm – 4.30pm 2.30pm – 4.30pm Open Spring Garden at 19, The Avenue, Stokesley
• Tuesday 12th March 1.30 – 3.00pm Yatton House Community Garden working party
• Tuesday 12th March 7.30pm Gardening for Wildlife Talk, Faceby Village Hall
• Saturday 16th March 10-12 noon Repair Cafe & display on reducing single use plastics at Swainby Village Hall
• Wednesday 13th March 7.00pm Waste Group meeting by zoom
• Tuesday 19th March 7.30 – 9 pm Whole CASaV Group meeting at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley
• Wednesday 20th March 6.30-8.30pm Coat of Hopes display at East Rounton
• Thursday 21st March 3.30pm Nature Group meeting at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley.
• Thursday 28th March 7.00pm Food Group meeting by zoom

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 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 climate action news and campaigns

The Big Plastic Count 11-17th March

Nearly 100 billion pieces of plastic packaging are thrown away by UK households every year, and just 12% is recycled in the UK.

It’s time the government got serious about tackling the plastic crisis. You can help by taking part in The Big Plastic Count!

Count your plastic for one week – 11-17 March 2024.

For one week in March, thousands of schools, households, community groups and businesses will be coming together to count their plastic waste. And you can join them.

Almost a quarter of a million people took part in The Big Plastic Count in 2022. This revealed that almost two billion pieces of plastic packaging are being thrown away a week. This year you can help build even more evidence to convince UK ministers to lead the way at the global talks that could finally phase out plastic pollution for good.

More information in this link:

Big Plastic Count

Drax: still burning rare forest wood and how you can act to prevent this

A power company, local to us, that has received £6bn in UK green subsidies has kept burning wood from some of the world’s most precious forests, the BBC has found.

Papers obtained by Panorama show Drax took timber from rare forests in Canada it had claimed were “no-go areas”.

It comes as the government decides whether to give the firm’s Yorkshire site billions more in environmental subsidies funded by energy bill payers.

Drax says its wood pellets are “sustainable and legally harvested”.

The Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, is a converted coal plant which burns wood pellets. In 2023, it produced about 5% of the UK’s electricity. The site has become a key part of the government’s drive to meet its climate targets.

Its owner, Drax, receives money from energy bill payers because the electricity produced from burning pellets is classified as renewable and treated as emission-free. However, Drax is only considered as zero carbon in the UK as international carbon accounting rules state that greenhouse gas emissions from burning wood are counted in the country where the trees are felled as opposed to where they are burned.

More information here: BBC report on Drax

The Stop Burning Trees organisation says that Drax is not a renewable energy company and is not emission free as it emits 12 million tonnes of carbon a year. They note that this investigation has revealed that, despite claiming otherwise, they used 40000 tonnes of wood from precious old growth forests in Canada last year and therefore consider that the UK taxpayer should not be subsidising Drax.

If you agree with this view you can act by following this link Stop Burning Trees and writing to your MP.

Join the call to ban single use packaging in restaurants

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental issues we face. Yet at hundreds of thousands of cafes, bars and restaurants across the country, we’re still being served food and drink in single-use packaging – even when we’re eating in.

City to Sea, the non-profit organisation behind the Refill campaign (which CASaV actively supports – see in Waste section below), is calling for an urgent ban on ALL single-use packaging served to customers eating-in at restaurants, cafes and bars – will you consider joining them?

The use of single-use packaging in dine in facilities is wasteful and completely unnecessary – especially when it can easily be avoided by replacing using reusable cups, crockery and cutlery which get washed and reused instead of single-use packaging which is thrown away after just one use.  

That’s why City to Sea is calling on Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Barclay to take single-use off the menu for good.

If you are interested you can sign the petition calling on the government to urgently ban single-use packaging in dine in settings here Ban Single Use Packaging in Restaurants

“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

CASaV Monthly Meeting at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley

Tuesday 19th March 7.30-9pm

Our next whole group meeting will be on Tuesday 19th March, in The Globe Community Library, North Road Stokesley, from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. As well as hearing updates from the various sub-groups we will focus on the next steps in the United for Warm Homes and Local Area Demonstrator campaigns. All welcome!

This is a link to last month’s meeting’s minutes to give a flavour of what we discuss. https://climateactionstokesleyandvillages.org/2024/02/11/casav-meeting-20th-february-2024/

Saturday 9th March 11 – 1pm Dark Skies Family Activity Event, Discovery Centre, Great Ayton

To celebrate British Science Week https://www.britishscienceweek.org/ there will be a fascinating, interactive event  Dark Skies: who needs them at 11am to 1pm on Saturday 9th March at the Discovery Centre in Great Ayton. At this family focused event you can find out why Dark Skies matter to all life on earth, the difference between blue light and warm light, and what you can do to protect our disappearing darkness.

Monday 11th March 2.30-4.30pm Open Spring Garden in Stokesley

Be inspired by a beautiful local garden full of spring flowers. This special open garden will take place on Monday 11^th March at 2.30-4.30pm in Stokesley, at 19,The Avenue,Stokesley, please book your place with Bridget Holmstrom via email bridgetholmstrom@hotmail.com

Tuesday 12th March 7.30pm Gardening for Wildlife Talk, Faceby Village Hall

Our gardens matter. Domestic gardens cover more land in the UK than all nature reserves combined. So, while wildlife is suffering from loss of natural woodland, hedgerow, and meadow habitats, our gardens take on an ever more important role. Find out how to best manage your garden to encourage wildlife and biodiversity at the Gardening for Wildlife Talk at 7.30pm on Tuesday 12th March at Faceby Village Hall. There will be a small charge of £5. This includes refreshments and is to help support the Village Hall. Do join us for an interesting evening.

Saturday 16th March  10-12 noon Repair Cafe plus display & activities on alternatives to single use plastic, Swainby Village hall  

Our monthly Repair Cafe will be at Swainby Village Hall on Saturday 16th March 10-12, together with a display and information on ways you can reduce single use plastics in your home and living generally including having a go at making your own fabric shopping bag to replace plastic shopping bags.

You can save yourself money, the earth’s resources and prevent climate damaging gases from waste going to incineration or landfill by bringing along your household items in need of repair – electrical appliances, bikes & toys, clothing & textiles, computers (laptops, tablets) & mobile phones, wooden furniture, clocks & watches, blades in need of sharpening – and have them mended (or receive advice if we can’t) by our friendly volunteer repairers. 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.

Whilst there, have a look at our display on the environmental problems of single use plastics and how you can find alternatives to help fight climate change and biodiversity loss including the opportunity to make your own fabric shopping bag. Bring along an old T shirt to upcycle or use materials provided.

This month’s free refreshments include Fair Trade beverages and home made sweet treats made with Fair Trade ingredients, kindly donated by Stokesley Co-op, facilitated by Eileen Driver.

You will also have the chance to pick up information on the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator project through which you may be eligible for a free whole home retrofitting survey (see article below).  

New repair and reception volunteers always welcome – come along, have a cuppa and a chat!

Wednesday 20th March 6.30-8.30pm Coat of Hopes Display – Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton

Katherine Brown from Roots Farm Shop, attended our February whole group meeting to tell us about this fascinating event taking place on Wednesday 20th March 6.30-8.30pm at the Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton. The Coat of Hopes is a patchwork pilgrim coat, made, worn and walked by hundreds of people over hundreds of miles from Newhaven on the south coast of England to the gates of COP26, the UN climate summit, in Glasgow in 2021. The coat is made up of pieces of blanket into which have been sewn or otherwise marked, the griefs, remembrances, prayers and hopes of people along its route and beyond. Following it’s purpose to engage with politicians and decision makers at COP26 to provoke discussion and raise awareness of climate breakdown and it’s impact on climate justice and biodiversity loss, the coat has been taken on a pilgrimage around the UK further raising awareness and engaging with a wide range of communities. Katherine has arranged for the Coat of Hopes to visit our area on it’s journey and this is a special opportunity to see it close at hand and be inspired by the messages created in it’s hundreds of patches. More information here: Coat of Hopes

Yatton House Community Garden working party – Tuesday 12th March 1.30 – 3.00 pm

Global and national research shows that community gardens positively affect biodiversity, local ecosystems, and the well-being of people that work in them.

Locally in Great Ayton the Yatton House Community Garden was established in 2022 to:
• Provide a safe and accessible community garden and space for groups and individuals.
• Provide a space which is fully inclusive by ensuring accessibility and safety are central to the design.
• Bring different sections of the community together.
• Promote awareness of mental health and loneliness.
• Champion environmental impact and climate change through wildlife, biodiversity, and the growing of sustainable organic fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Deliver educational experiences.

To support this great initiative there are monthly ‘Working Party’ days planned, the first of the year having taken place on 9th January with the next opportunity to support the Yatton House Community Garden on Tuesday 12th March, 1.30 – 3.00pm. Pick up useful pruning skills and other gardening know how along with some exercise in the open air by coming along – all welcome! If you can’t make this session, there will be further sessions each month on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.

Ideas from the groups: Nature

This month’s Nature Group meeting is at 3.30pm, Thursday 21st March, at the Globe Library In Stokesley. Please join us there.

Contact  Bridget Holmstrom for information

North Yorkshire Council Local Nature Recovery Strategy

As required by law under the Environment Act 2021, every county in England will produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy. These strategies will work together to restore, create and connect habitats across England.

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy will:

• agree priorities for nature’s recovery, such as increasing woodland cover or creating wetlands
• map the most valuable existing areas for nature
• map specific proposals for creating and improving habitat for nature and wider environmental goals

Decisions about where and how to recover nature will be reached through consultation with a wide range of people and groups in each county, from ecologists and community groups to health professionals and local businesses.

If you are interested in contributing towards the strategy or would like to sign up for updates follow this link

NYC local-nature-recovery-strategy

North York Moors Nature Recovery Plan – have your say

North York Moors National Park wants to hear from you regarding proposed plans to support nature recovery across the North York Moors.

Alongside partner organisations and stakeholders, they have put together a draft Nature Recovery Plan that will act as a tool to help better deliver on nature recovery objectives, as stated within the Management Plan. It will also provide long-term direction for nature recovery in the National Park and provide guidance for land managers and developers to ensure nature is in a better state than it was before development – otherwise known as Biodiversity Net Gain.

More information here

North York Moors Recovery Hub

Ideas from the groups: Food

Thursday 28th March 7.00pm Food Group zoom meeting – contact Wendy for link to join

March 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. In March’s section we will look at what foods are in season right now together with a seasonal recipe.

Tasty fruit and veggies available now include cauliflower, kale, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, salsify, spinach, spring onions, swede, wild nettles, wild garlic

Try some seasonal fruit (or is it a vegetable – you decide!) in a tasty dessert for flavour and freshness.

Rhubarb, ginger and custard galette

Link to recipe here: Rhubarb galette recipe

More information here:

Seasonal eating

how-to-eat-seasonally

Growing & gardening tips month by month: March

Some quick tips for growing your own in March. Now is the time to:

Plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers. Chit early and maincrop potatoes. Plant asparagus crowns. Sow seed outdoors in mild areas with light soil, eg: broad beans, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, onions, lettuces, radish, peas, spinach, summer cabbage, salad leaves, leeks, Swiss chard, kohl rabi, turnip and summer cauliflower.

Ideas from the groups: Waste

Wednesday 13th March 7.00pm Waste Group zoom meeting – contact Simon for link to join

Reduce – Reuse – Recycle: current local actions you can take to prevent waste and benefit our community

Whether household waste goes to landfill or incineration climate damaging carbon gases are produced. Here are some current local options for your unwanted or waste items that will not only cut carbon emissions but in some cases benefit those in our local community. It’s a big win / win.

Recycling pool & swimming equipment at Stokesley Leisure Centre

Worn out swimming equipment like goggles, floats, arm bands and flip flops can’t be put in to your doorstep recycling blue bin and would typically go to landfill or incineration but Stokesley Leisure Centre has usefully installed a Leisure Loop recycling point for all your worn out swimming equipment. The collected materials are then upcycled into useful items.

More information here: https://ecoleisuresupplies.com/

Refill – have you got the app?

Refill is a handy app which connects you to a directory of places where you can consume with less waste i.e. where you can refill your water bottle for free, where you can get a discount by using your own coffee cup, where you can fill your own food containers, putting the power to reduce plastic at your fingertips.

Anyone can download the free Refill app to tap into a global network of places to reduce, reuse and refill. With 300,000 Refill stations, offering refills for water, coffee, food containers and plastic-free shopping, 400,000 app downloads and 100 million pieces of plastic avoided to date, the company has shown that Refill has the power to create a wave of change and stop plastic pollution at source.

Anne Mannix from the Waste Group has been active locally, signing up businesses to the App including where you can get your water container refilled for free.

More information here Refill

Recycling for Good Causes: household items needed!

The CASaV Waste Group are collecting unwanted items which will raise funds for MacMillan Cancer Support via the Recycling for Good Causes scheme whilst saving them from going to waste in landfill. The scheme has provided us with a large collecting bag and free collection of a minimum of 10kg of items, with funds going to support people affected by cancer.

Items we are collecting are:

• Jewellery and watches
• Any currency UK or foreign of any age / unchangeable currency (banknotes and coins)
• Mobile phones, video / film / digital cameras, computer games and accessories, MP3 players, ipods, tablets, computers of any age or condition
• Stamps (loose /single stamps, first day covers, presentation packs)

Please have a look through your household and if you have any of these items going spare, please bring them along to our next Repair Cafe on March 16th at Swainby Village the Globe Community Library.

More information here: Recycling For Good Causes

Recycling stationery at Rymans

Do you have a drawer full of plastic pens that have run out or don’t work? Did you know you can recycle them at Rymans, our closest store is in Northallerton but there is also a store in Darlington.

Rymans offer pen recycling in all of their stores. They’ve collected over 1,900,000 pens which we convert into charity donations.

Ink and toner cartridge recycling is available in all stores as well and they provide customers with a 50p discount for each cartridge returned (discount is only available when making a subsequent purchase of ink / toner in store on the day of making the return and is for a maximum of 5 cartridges per transaction).

Under the Waste Battery Regulations, they offer a take-back scheme for all portable waste batteries. Recycling boxes can be found in all of Rymans stores, alternatively, you can find your local waste portable battery recycling facility at www.recyclenow.co.uk.

Recycling Make Up & Toiletry Containers

Whilst you’re in Northallerton High Street recycling your stationery you can pop in to Superdrug and recycle your make up and toiletry containers directly into their special recycling bin. They take empty Foundation bottles, Concealer tubes, Powders and blushers, Mascaras and mascara wands, Eyeliner and eyeshadow palettes, Lipsticks, glosses, and balms as well as other packaging – caps, pumps, and sprays. More information at  Recycling at Superdrug

Boots also offers a make up and toiletry containers recycling facility which requires you to register online and scan your items but you do get Advantage Card points for doing so. More information at how-to-recycle-at-boots

Wear it, don’t waste it

Our neighbouring Climate Action group in Middlesbrough is organising a number of events next month (March) named ‘Wear It, Don’t Waste It’ looking at reducing waste going to incineration and landfill and giving clothes (and toys) to those in need for free. If you have any unwanted toys or clothes that you would like to donate please drop them off at Middlesbrough Environment City offices on Sandy Flatts Lane, Acklam TS5 7YN or at the Acklam Green Centre, Stainsby Road TS5 4JS Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm.

Upcycling project of the month: a (plastic free!) shopping bag from an old T shirt

A great way to save resources going to waste as well as reducing the need for single use plastic shopping bags, follow this link T shirt bag to make a handy bag from an old T shirt. Or come along to this month’s Repair Cafe on March 16th 10-12 at Swainby Village Hall and we’ll show you how.

Ideas from the groups: Energy

Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD) project

LEAD is a £1.2M scheme to stimulate demand for energy efficiency measures in homes across North Yorkshire. The funding has been received from the Department of Energy Security and NET Zero and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will be focusing around retrofitting homes to reduce energy consumption. The project will be piloted in a number of neighbourhoods including around Stokesley.

Led by North Yorkshire Council, the scheme will be focused on specific streets, villages and neighbourhoods where studies have highlighted priority areas and where interest in tackling climate change through retrofitted schemes has been shown.

Households in these pilot areas will be offered a free ‘whole house plan’ – a survey of their homes with advice on what would be needed to make them more energy efficient such as new windows and doors, or cavity wall and loft insulation.

About 325 plans will be facilitated through the project, comprising in-house assessments, whole house plan development in collaboration with the householder, and elements of design work, leaving the resident with a clear plan of action and next steps to implement their retrofit project.

CASaV is actively involved in facilitating this project, led by Mark Lewis, one of our CASaV members with an interest in energy matters.

It is hoped that there will be a formal launch of the project next month. If you would like more information or to participate in this project, please check our website for updates LEADproject

Round up of last month’s events

Free seed & seedling stall at Stokesley Farmer’s Market

Wendy, Food Group joint lead, reports a popular response to her free seed and seedling stall where enthusiastic home growers quickly snapped up dozens of free seed packets as well as Welsh onion and Jerusalem artichoke seedlings, making donations to CASaV in the process.

Rosedale Peat Bog Restoration Guided Walk

Fourteen participants were taken on an informative and inspirational guided walk by members of the York Peat Partnership (YPP) around the peat bog restoration area in Rosedale, organised by Nature Group lead Bridget. They saw at first hand the damage erosion has done to the bogs which act as natural carbon capture. The erosion causes the peat to dry out which means that CO2 is released into the atmosphere. The group were heartened by seeing how the YPP is reversing some of the erosion through coir ‘leaky dams’ to contain water and also replanting nearly a million peat bog plant plugs such as sphagnum moss and cotton grass. If you are interested in supporting this work for example volunteering to monitor the restoration of the bogs contact Bridget Holmstrom

February Repair cafe at Stokesley Globe

Our monthly Repair Cafe was yet again well attended with over 80 household items being mended, and so saved from going to waste in landfill or incineration, including this visibly mended cashmere sweater which delighted it’s owner. Refreshments included Valentine’s themed sweet treats made from Fair Trade ingredients and there was a display about Transform Trade  and the links between Fair Trade and Climate Justice. £50 was given to Transform Trade  from donations made.

.Co-op Foodshare continues!

Every night, every week Jenny Earle, joint Food Group lead, organises volunteers to collect surplus food from our local Co-op stores and resdistributes it locally to those in need, not only reducing food waste which produces carbon gases affecting our climate but also providing a huge benefit to the community.

New volunteers are always welcome, please contact.

Signing off

If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s (April) update please email Kate Gibbon by the end of March.

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 CASaV whole group gathering on Tuesday 19th March 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, Jack Turton, Ron Kirk and Simon Gibbon

NB Due to changes to Action Network, our email tool, you cannot currently respond to this email via the ‘reply’. If you wish to respond to this email / contact CASaV please use this email: climateactionsav@gmail.com

Welcome to February’s Update from Climate Action Stokesley & Villages

Thank you for playing your part in taking urgent action globally and locally on climate breakdown.

Diary dates

(event details below)

Saturday 10th February 10-12 noon Repair Cafe, free sewing workshop & Transform Trade Big Brew  at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley

Tuesday 13th February 1 – 3.30 pm Community Garden Working Party, Yatton House Community Garden, Great Ayton

Tuesday 13th February 7.00pm Waste Group zoom meeting

Tuesday 20th February 11 – 1 Guided walking tour of Rosedale peat bog restoration (natural carbon capture) with the Yorkshire Peat Partnership

Tuesday 20th February 7.30 – 9 pm Whole group meeting at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley

Thursday 22nd February 7.00pm Food Group zoom meeting

Friday 2nd March 9-11 Free Seed Giveaway Stall Stokesley Market

Tuesday 12th March 7.30pm Gardening for Wildlife Talk, Faceby Village Hall

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 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.  

“Think global”

National and global climate action news and campaigns

The Climate Coalition letter to party leaders

The Climate Coalition is the UK’s largest group of people dedicated to action on the climate and nature crises. Along with sister organisations Stop Climate Chaos Cymru and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland it is a gathering of over 130 organisations including the National Trust, Oxfam, RSPB and the Women’s Institute, with a combined supporter base of 20 million. As this is election year, the organisation reminds us of the need to show all politicians, political parties and candidates that we need urgent action to address the climate and nature crises

The Climate Coalition has launched an open letter to the leaders of the main national political parties, calling on them to commit to doing everything they can to meet our national and international commitments to tackle climate change and protect and restore nature. The open letter is for local groups and organisations to use our collective voice to call for change. The open letter sets out a vision for the world that we want to live in – where children breathe clean air, where wildlife is thriving, where our homes are powered by renewable energy, and where communities have adequate resources to rebuild their lives after extreme weather events.

Following discussion at the last CASaV whole group meeting, Caryn has signed the open letter on behalf of CASaV. If you are part of other local groups or organisations (churches, town councils, conservation groups, community libraries etc) please consider signing the letter to ask our politicians to listen to communities across the UK and take action on climate and nature. theclimatecoalition.org/community-open-letter

If you’re not part of another community group there will be future opportunities to get involved. More information here: https://www.theclimatecoalition.org/take-action

Climate Justice, Transform Trade & The Big Brew 2024

Climate justice is the concept which recognises that, although global warming is a global crisis, its effects are not felt evenly around the world. The worst effects of the climate crisis – for example extreme heat, flooding and crop failures – are disproportionately felt by countries and communities in areas of the world which often do least to contribute to climate breakdown. Big corporate trade deals can drive up carbon emissions and block action on climate change whilst people centred trade can be more protective of the planet.

Transform Trade is a global community of farmers, workers, collectives, campaigners, donors and supporters, which works together for trade that values people over profit. Focusing on farming (including tea production) and fashion manufacture in South Asia and East Africa, the organisation partners with farmers, workers and artisans to help them benefit from more sustainable and equitable trade. In the UK they advocate and campaign for changes to business practices and government policy.

The Big Brew is now an annual event running through February and March to raise funds and awareness of the importance of people centred trade and climate justice. At February’s Repair Cafe on February 10th (more information below) there will be home made cakes and treats made from fair trade ingredients, fair trade beverages and information leaflets so you can learn more.

The Oxford Real Farming Conference 2024

Every January the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) connects people in the UK and around the globe who want to transform our food and farming system. ORFC aims to be the place to share progressive ideas. Subjects usually include agroecology, regenerative agriculture, organic farming and indigenous food and farming systems. The programme encompasses farming practices and techniques as well as addressing the bigger questions relating to our food and farming system.

This year’s conference included presentations on Perennial Veg from Riverford Organics, the Veterinary Role in Ecological Sustainability and Turning Fashion into a Climate Solution amongst many pertinent to those interested in food, farming and climate breakdown and biodiversity loss solutions.

All talks are available as recordings to listen to now here: https://orfc.org.uk/orfc-archives/

The Call of Fatal Optimism: a poem

One of our supporters, Robert Thorniley-Walker, wrote and submitted this poem to the Darlington & Stockton Times (which published it in on January 12th) in response to Rishi Sunak’s comments to a letter from the Northallerton Climate Action Group.

Robert noted that this was a “new year poem for 2024, the year we will pass the 1.5°C warming threshold into ‘dangerous’ conditions”.

The Call of Fatal Optimism

The D&S editorial back in September, “A heated Debate”
Suggested cuts to emissions have a date that’s far too late.
To his constituents Rishi wrote and explained,
“The plans to meet net zero will only succeed if public support is maintained.”

One point five degrees
Does this explain why denial and fatal optimism and are now the norm?
We know 2024 will face drought, fire, flood and never ending storms.
We lament inaction for covid-spread and each past tragedy,
But none question our absurd ‘climate emergency’ strategy.
Three years of promises are now well gone.
And ever increasing emissions in those critical years can never be undone.
The hopes of Paris 2015, with a maximum temperature rise
Now abandoned, as we sail past one point five.
The current favourite of political boasts
Is just to stop migrants in their small boats.
Yet policies will now scorch North Africa and the Med:
Too bad for those who’ve not yet fled.
Our hyper optimism just makes no sense
As the Barrier can’t save our current pretence
That all will be fine in ‘Marrakesh-on-Thames’.
A haven from an adjacent continent in flames.
“The plans to meet net zero will only succeed if public support is maintained.”

Two Degrees
Net zero by 2050 is considered fine
As a distant target to bring emissions back in line
Why, oh why, one asks, do we emit yet more,
We know full well that temperatures by then will soar.
We think it’s fine, to construct for a far distant time,
And leave a legacy of concrete, steel and brick as evidence of our crime.
We say we would construct in low or minus-carbon if we could
And refuse to research or copy old pre-industrial structures in stone and wood.
Even with no fossil fuels and a total emission freeze
The best we could hope for this decade is a massive two degrees,
Which would still displace two million souls
As they flee from flood and heat-parched soils to cooler goals.
“The plans to meet net zero will only succeed if public support is maintained.”

Three degrees
The next generation will struggle to survive
And face fearful choices, to stay alive.
Do we care, that the current young won’t find a way
To reduce the carbon from the air that we’ve released in much cooler days?
They will see the time for tipping points and temperature cascades,
That will bring, heat on heat, far beyond any human aid.
All our folly at trying to negotiate with thermodynamic law
Will bring disaster on a Black Death scale, as we jump to three degrees or more.
“The plans to meet net zero will only succeed if public support is maintained.”

Five degrees
As the planet then flips to over five,
Fewer than half living things survive,
Scavenging on an alien land
In fiery transition from loamy soil to barren sand.
The killing of our own kin and progeny – ‘progenicide’,
A democratic choice from which we can’t hide.
We who don’t care to think it a Sin,
To vehemently believe we owe the future nothing.
“The plans to meet net zero will only succeed if public support is maintained.”

By Robert Thorniley-Walker
Member of Climate Action Northallerton, Member of Osmotherley Decarbonisation Group
Civil Engineer, Author of the novel ‘Greenhush’

“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

CASaV Monthly Meeting at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley

Tuesday 20th February 7.30-9pm

Our next whole group meeting will be on Tuesday 16th January, in The Globe Community Library, North Road Stokesley, from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. As well as hearing updates from the various sub-groups we will focus on the next steps in the United for Warm Homes and Local Area Demonstrator campaigns. All welcome!

NB If you have any spare seeds for our March Seed Stall Giveaway (see below for details) please bring along to the meeting.

Saturday 10th February 10-12 noon Repair Cafe, Free Sewing Workshop & Transform Trade Big Brew at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley

Show your love for the planet this February by coming to our 21st Repair Cafe at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley on Saturday 10th February 10-12.

You can save yourself money, the earth’s resources and prevent climate damaging gases from waste going to incineration or landfill by bringing along your household items in need of repair – electrical appliances, bikes & toys, clothing & textiles, computers (laptops, tablets) & mobile phones, wooden furniture, clocks & watches, blades in need of sharpening – and have them mended (or receive advice if we can’t) by our friendly volunteer repairers. 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.

By special request, the sewing goddesses will also show you how to use / get the best out of your sewing machine or help you take your first steps in using a sewing machine if you’ve never used one before. Bring your sewing machine along for a sewing tutorial about your own machine or we will have a couple that you can try your hand at to learn the basics. You can make your own Valentines tote bag (or cushion cover) – all materials provided or you can bring your own fabric if you wish.

This month’s free refreshments will be linked to Transform Trade’s Big Brew (see above) and include Fair Trade beverages and home made sweet treats made with Fair Trade ingredients and you can pick up a leaflet to read more about this organisation’s aims and donate towards their funds if you wish.  

You will also have the chance to pick up information on the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator project through which you may be eligible for a free whole home retrofitting survey (see article below).  

New repair and reception volunteers always welcome – come along, have a cuppa and a chat!

Yatton House Community Garden working party – Tuesday 13th February 1 – 3.30 pm

Global and national research shows that community gardens positively affect biodiversity, local ecosystems, and the well-being of people that work in them.

Locally in Great Ayton the Yatton House Community Garden was established in 2022 to:
• Provide a safe and accessible community garden and space for groups and individuals.
• Provide a space which is fully inclusive by ensuring accessibility and safety are central to the design.
• Bring different sections of the community together.
• Promote awareness of mental health and loneliness.
• Champion environmental impact and climate change through wildlife, biodiversity, and the growing of sustainable organic fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Deliver educational experiences.

To support this great initiative there are monthly ‘Working Party’ days planned, the first of the year having taken place on 9th January with the next opportunity to support the Yatton House Community Garden on 13th February, 1.00 – 3.00pm. Pick up useful pruning skills and other gardening know how along with some exercise in the open air by coming along – all welcome! If you can’t make this session, there will be further sessions each month on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.

Rosedale guided walking tour of peat bog restoration Tuesday 20th February 11 – 3.00pm (rescheduled)

What has climate change got to do with peat bogs? Peat bogs play a crucial role in the carbon cycle. Peat bogs in good condition have the potential to offer a significant nature-based solution to tackling climate change as they are capable of absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon dioxide known as “carbon sinks”. Sadly we are in danger of losing this valuable resource as much of the UK’s peat bogs are in decline. The Yorkshire Peat Partnership (YPP) is doing important work locally in restoring eroded peat bogs.

Unfortunately the weather last month thwarted our planned visit but luckily this has been rearranged to Tuesday 20th February 11am – 3pm. This will be a fantastic opportunity to see this important restoration, guided by staff from the YPP.  If you would like to join this guided walk, please contact Bridget Holmstrom for more information or to book a place.

Friday 2nd March 9-11 Free Seed Giveaway Stall Stokesley Market

Growing your own seasonal fruit, vegetables and flowers not only provides you with the freshest produce but also significantly cuts the carbon emissions from heated greenhouses and transporting over long distances. Also no packaging from shop bought!  The growing season will soon be upon us so what better time to plan your allotment / growing patch / windowsill! The Food Group’s Wendy will be holding a Free Seed Giveaway on March 2nd at the Stokesley Farmers’ market. If you have any spare / surplus seeds please bring these to the whole group meeting on 20th February or pop them into the box provided at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley. Happy growing!

Gardening for Wildlife Talk Tuesday 12th March 7.30pm Faceby Village Hall

Warmer, brighter days are on the way so a good time to start planning the growing year in your garden. With over 15 million gardens in Britain, covering an area larger than all our national nature reserves put together, what we choose to do with our gardens really does matter for nature and biodiversity. Whether we are in a town centre, or the countryside, our gardens have the ability to act as mini nature reserves for local wildlife, as well as forming habitat corridors – bridging gaps between surrounding areas of habitat. To help you plan your garden with nature in mind there will be a Gardening for Wildlife Talk at  Faceby Village Hall, 7.30pm 12^th March. There will be a small entrance fee. All welcome.

Ideas from the groups: Nature

Regular monthly zoom meetings – contact  Bridget Holmstrom for link to join

Local Nature Recovery Strategy

As required by law under the Environment Act 2021, every county in England will produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy. These strategies will work together to restore, create and connect habitats across England.

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy will:

• agree priorities for nature’s recovery, such as increasing woodland cover or creating wetlands
• map the most valuable existing areas for nature
• map specific proposals for creating and improving habitat for nature and wider environmental goals

Decisions about where and how to recover nature will be reached through consultation with a wide range of people and groups in each county, from ecologists and community groups to health professionals and local businesses.

North Yorkshire Council are holding a consultation on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, please provide your input via this link  Local Nature Recovery Strategy consultation | North Yorkshire Council

Ideas from the groups: Food

Thursday 22nd February 7.00pm Food Group zoom meeting – contact Wendy for link to join

February 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. In February’s section we will look at what foods are in season right now together with a seasonal recipe.

Tasty fruit and veggies available now include brussel sprouts, cauliflower, beetroot, celeriac, chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, salsify, shallots, swede, turnips

Try a couple of these immune boosting veggies in this seasonal recipe – perhaps as a Valentine’s Night meal!

Beetroot, stilton and kale wellingtons

Recipe here: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beetroot-stilton-kale-wellingtons

More information here:

Seasonal eating

how-to-eat-seasonally

Love food, hate waste this Valentine’s Month  

Whilst you’re cooking up a storm with your seasonal veggies and fruits aim to reduce food waste as much as possible. 60% of food waste comes from our homes, 18 million tonnes of climate damaging carbon dioxide is generated by UK homes annually from wasted consumable food and drink and eight meals could be saved each week if we stopped binning our food at home. To address this have a look at the ideas and recipes here for reducing food waste: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Make the most of your freezer for avoiding waste – some great ideas from BBC Morning Live available on iPlayer

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0h7zyfq

Growing & gardening tips month by month: February

A good time to start sowing sweet peas in any pot or receptacle indoors so they get a head start when it is warm enough to plant outside.

Regular sowings of mixed salad greens can be cropped when showing a few leaves and will then regrow.

If you have garlic sprouting it is worth planting it although it may not have time to split into cloves. (Best planted November/December.)

If your sprouts are sprouting, welcome them and eat them like sprouting broccoli.

Ideas from the groups: Waste

Tuesday 13th February 7.00pm Waste Group zoom meeting – contact Simon for link to join

Reduce – Reuse – Recycle: current local actions you can take to prevent waste and benefit our community

Whether household waste goes to landfill or incineration climate damaging carbon gases are produced. Here are some current local options for your unwanted or waste items that will not only cut carbon emissions but in some cases benefit those in our local community. It’s a big win / win.

Confectionery & biscuit tubs – reuse or recycle for charity – ends 11th February!

In the UK we buy tens of millions of these plastic tubs every year!

Make sure your tubs don’t go to waste by using them at home as FREE handy containers or if you don’t need them take your clean, empty plastic confectionery and cracker tubs to any Greene King managed site until 11 February 2024 to be recycled.

Simply leave your tubs with a Greene King staff member at the bar or welcome station within one of their locations.

After 11 February, all tubs will be collected and taken to a plastic reprocessing centre where they’re shredded, before being sold onto plastic manufacturers to use in place of virgin plastics. All money raised from the sale of Tub2Pub plastics will be given directly to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Our closest Greene King pub is the Kings Head in Newton Under Roseberry but check the website for others near to you.

tub2pub/

Recycling for Good Causes: household items needed!

The CASaV Waste Group are collecting unwanted items which will raise funds for MacMillan Cancer Support via the Recycling for Good Causes scheme whilst saving them from going to waste in landfill. The scheme has provided us with a large collecting bag and free collection of a minimum of 10kg of items, with funds going to support people affected by cancer.

Items we are collecting are:

• Jewellery and watches
• Any currency UK or foreign of any age / unchangeable currency (banknotes and coins)
• Mobile phones, video / film / digital cameras, computer games and accessories, MP3 players, ipods, tablets, computers of any age or condition
• Stamps (loose /single stamps, first day covers, presentation packs)

Please have a look through your household and if you have any of these items going spare, please bring them along to our next Repair Cafe on February 10th at the Globe Community Library.

More information here: Recycling For Good Causes

Wear it, don’t waste it

Our neighbouring Climate Action group in Middlesbrough is organising a number of events next month (March) named ‘Wear It, Don’t Waste It’ looking at reducing waste going to incineration and landfill and giving clothes (and toys) to those in need for free. If you have any unwanted toys or clothes that you would like to donate please drop them off at Middlesbrough Environment City offices on Sandy Flatts Lane, Acklam TS5 7YN or at the Acklam Green Centre, Stainsby Road TS5 4JS Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm.

Ideas from the groups: Energy

Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD) project

LEAD is a £1.2M scheme to stimulate demand for energy efficiency measures in homes across North Yorkshire. The funding has been received from the Department of Energy Security and NET Zero and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will be focusing around retrofitting homes to reduce energy consumption. The project will be piloted in a number of neighbourhoods including around Stokesley.

Led by North Yorkshire Council, the scheme will be focused on specific streets, villages and neighbourhoods where studies have highlighted priority areas and where interest in tackling climate change through retrofitted schemes has been shown.

Households in these pilot areas will be offered a free ‘whole house plan’ – a survey of their homes with advice on what would be needed to make them more energy efficient such as new windows and doors, or cavity wall and loft insulation.

About 325 plans will be facilitated through the project, comprising in-house assessments, whole house plan development in collaboration with the householder, and elements of design work, leaving the resident with a clear plan of action and next steps to implement their retrofit project.

CASaV is actively involved in facilitating this project, led by Mark Lewis, one of our CASaV members with an interest in energy matters.

If you would like more information or to participate in this project, please check our website for updates – LEADproject

Round up of last month’s events

Recent Repair Cafes in Swainby 20th January and further afield in February!  

Our January Repair Cafe in Swainby dealt with 63 items, including chairs, watches, clocks, spades, knives, sewing machines, radios, jackets, boots, bags, hair straighteners, …….

If you had been in Saltburn on February 3rd you might have had a sense of deja-vu as volunteers from our Repair Cafe helped Saltburn hold their first repair cafe and they borrowed our pink t-shirts for this first event. Over 60 items were brought for repair and with 30 people helping to repair, provide refreshments and do the admin. It was a very successful event and the Saltburn team felt they learnt a lot, making them more confident to organise future repair cafes. Simon, our Repair Cafe lead, noted “I found it really useful to watch another group adapting our repair cafe model, and so picked up some tips on how to make ours easier to run”.

We are also hoping that Northallerton, Middlesbrough and Redcar will soon have their own repair cafes as well and we have even been contacted by a group in Newcastle who are planning one for Jesmond, so hopefully an idea that’s time has come and will make an even bigger contribution to reduce waste, by giving items a longer life and avoiding them having to be recycled or disposed of.

If you have local friends who are good at repair or just want to help at our repair cafes please let me know, and if they are further afield, then we may be able to put them in touch with a local repair cafe or give them some tips on how to start a new repair cafe where they are.

Allerton Park Waste Recovery guided visit 31st January

Following a number of successful and interesting previous guided visits to our local waste recovery park near Thirsk, Bridget Holmstrom arranged another opportunity last month to see at first hand how our household waste and recycling is managed. This was well attended and well received, stimulating avid discussions on how best our waste could be managed.

Co-op Foodshare continues!

Every night, every week Jenny Earle, joint Food Group lead, organises volunteers to collect surplus food from our local Co-op stores and resdistributes it locally to those in need, not only reducing food waste which produces carbon gases affecting our climate but also providing a huge benefit to the community.

New volunteers are always welcome, please contact.

Signing off

If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s (March) update please email Kate Gibbon by the end of February.

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 CASaV whole group gathering on Tuesday 20th January, 7.30 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, Jack Turton, Ron Kirk and Simon Gibbon

Happy New Year and welcome to January’s Update from Climate Action Stokesley & Villages

Thank you for playing your part in taking urgent action globally and locally on climate breakdown.

Diary dates

(event details below)

• Tuesday 9th January 1 – 3.30 pm Yatton House Community Garden working party, Great Ayton
• Friday 12th January 10.30 – 12.30 Energy Open Home, Great Ayton (part of the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator project
• Tuesday 16th January 11 – 1 Guided walking tour of Rosedale peat bog restoration (natural carbon capture) by Yorkshire Peat Partnership
• Tuesday 16th January 7.30 – 9 pm Whole group meeting at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley
• Saturday 20th January 10-12 noon Repair Cafe at Swainby Village Hall
• Tuesday 23rd January 2-2.45 pm Community Energy England zoom meeting (see website)
• Wednesday 31st January 2pm Allerton Waste Recovery Park guided visit

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 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.  

“Think global”

Veganuary

In our December Climate Column in the Darlington and Stockton Times we suggested the super-six ways in which we can take action to address climate breakdown, the 

first of which focused on food. Following a largely plant-based diet can be healthier and produce less carbon emissions. Choosing local produce benefits our local farmers and also cuts food miles. Look at our website for where to buy local/sustainable food plus recipes for tasty plant-based treats and using every part of your veggies and fruit to reduce waste, as well as tips for growing your own.”

Why not try some plant based meals in January as suggested by Veganuary and check out the new Seasonal Eating section below?

Veganuary is a non-profit organisation that encourages people worldwide to try solely plant based food for January and beyond. There are three main reasons people give for wanting to try this and all are equally valid and evidence based: to improve their own health, to better protect animals and to reduce the impact on our planet (climate breakdown, deforestation, pollution, and wildlife decimation). More information here: veganuary

EU has now agreed that ecocide is a crime

The EU has recently agreed to create new offence that aims to punish the most serious crimes against the environment. There will be a new law aimed at preventing and punishing “cases comparable to ecocide”. This landmark decision comes after months of negotiation between the European Council, Commission and Parliament and reflects the European Parliament’s recommendation earlier this year to tackle “ecocide-level crimes”.

More information here

Here in the UK, you can make the most of a rare opportunity to directly influence the legislative process and respond to the public consultation on a new ‘ecocide bill’ for Scotland.

The consultation process takes less than 3 minutes and is a hugely impactful way for you to speak up for nature. The consultation will run until Friday 9 February 2024.

The ecocide bill includes substantial sanctions designed to deter individuals in the positions of power from making decisions that directly result in the most severe cases of environmental harm.

More information here: stopecocide

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2024 26 – 28th January

It’s 45 years since the first Big Garden Birdwatch. Last year, over half a million people looked out for birds, making Birdwatch the largest citizen wildlife survey in the UK.

Although some species are showing signs of increasing in numbers, several are showing serious decline. The reasons behind the declines in garden bird sightings are complex and continue to be investigated. Fewer green spaces, pollution and a changing climate are just some of the challenges faced by many birds. By better understanding what is happening we are better equipped to find solutions. Looking back over the last 45 years, one thing Big Garden Birdwatch has revealed is that for some birds, our gardens are increasingly seen as places to find food, water and shelter during the winter.

You can use this opportunity to feel more connected to nature and contribute towards gathering key scientific data. More information here: BigGardenBirdwatch

“Act Local”

This month’s local activities to promote care for our environment and fight climate breakdown

CASaV January Monthly Meeting at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley

Tuesday 16th January 7.30-9pm

Our next whole group meeting will be on Tuesday 16th January, in The Globe Community Library, North Road Stokesley, from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. As well as hearing updates from the various sub-groups we will focus on the next steps in the United for Warm Homes and Local Area Demonstrator campaigns. All welcome!

NB If you have any spare seeds for our March Seed Stall Giveaway (see below for details) please bring along to the meeting.

Yatton House Community Garden working party – Tuesday 9th January

Amazingly given all the recent rain, Tuesday 9th January looks dry for the first working party of the year between 1:30 and 3:00 pm. Given it is forecast to not be windy or freezing cold we could prune the apple tree in the community garden along with any weeding that needs doing. All welcome to come and help.

Apologies for late notice of this event but if you miss this there is opportunity to join the next community garden working party on Tuesday 13th February (and thereafter the 2nd Tuesday of each month).

Energy Open Home Great Ayton – Friday 12th January 10.30 – 12.30

As part of the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator project (see last month’s update), Caryn and Mike are holding an open home in Great Ayton on Friday 12th January between 10:30 and 12:30. Come and find out why they chose to heat their home with a ground source heat pump and how they made the house more energy efficient over a number of years.

A photographer from North Yorkshire Council will be coming along to take some photos for LEAD project promotional material. To book a place email Caryn or phone 0777 3048250. If you can’t make it, you can read a case study about the work.

More information here:  here

Rosedale guided walking tour of peat bog restoration Tuesday 16th January 11am

What has climate change got to do with peat bogs? Peat bogs play a crucial role in the carbon cycle. Peat bogs in good condition have the potential to offer a significant nature-based solution to tackling climate change as they are capable of absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon dioxide known as “carbon sinks”. Sadly we are in danger of losing this valuable resource as much of the UK’s peat bogs are in decline. The Yorkshire Peat Partnership (YPP) is doing important work locally in restoring eroded peat bogs.

On Tuesday 16^th January there will be a fantastic opportunity to see this important restoration, guided by staff from the YPP.  If you would like to join this guided walk, please contact Bridget Holmstrom for more information or to book a place.

The plan is to meet at the lay by on Knott road, Rosedale at this location 54.402227, -0.927967 (W3W takeover.swordfish.clinic) at 11am for introductions and a quick briefing followed by a walk along a section o f the Lyke Wake Walk to look at some of the restoration work that has happened. It’s about a 15-minute walk from the layby and it will be very wet and boggy under foot in places, so it is recommended that people wear either wellies or good walking boots with gaiters if people have them. Also recommended are water-proof trousers if you have them, even if it is a dry day, it can get bitterly cold this time of year and the more layers the better!

After about an hour and a half at this site, there will then be a quick break for lunch then drive down through Rosedale Abbey and over to the second site, Low Row Mires. We’ll park in a layby here, 54.385699, -0.855547 (W3W eyeliner.graceful.unstated) on the road to Egton. There will be a 15 minute walk from here across to the Lyke Wake Walk and see the erosion that is happening, this site hasn’t had the restoration work done yet, it is planned for the new year, and there will be a chance to talk about the erosion and what will be done etc. with up to an hour and a half on site.

This is a suggested outline for the day by YPP staff and will depend on various interests and discussion points and it will of course all be very weather dependent! If weather is particularly inclement just the morning part may take place.

Sophie who is involved with the “Eyes on the bog” monitoring plots will be one of the YPP team coming across for the day, if you have any questions on this then this would be a good time to have a chat in person about it.

If you would like to join this guided walk, please contact Bridget Holmstrom for more information or to book a place.

You will need appropriate footwear and plenty of warm layers, including hats and gloves. We will stop for a quick lunch break between sites so would recommend that you bring a packed lunch, flasks with a warm drink if you have them, and plenty of water to drink.

Repair Cafe Saturday 20th January 10 – 12 noon Swainby Village Hall

Our first Repair Cafe of the new year take’s place on Saturday, 20th January at Swainby Village Hall 10 – 12 noon. Our friendly pink T-shirted volunteers will be on hand to fix your broken household items (electrical appliances, clothing and textiles, computers and mobile phones, crockery and ceramics, blades in need of sharpening) or give advice if we can’t.

Our feedback notes that this is always a friendly, welcoming event as well as an opportunity for you to save money, save our earth’s precious resources and save waste going to landfill or incineration. Refreshments included all for free (donations to cover costs of the repair cafes and towards other waste reducing activities are welcome).

New repair and reception volunteers are always welcome – please contact.

Wednesday 31st January 2pm Allerton Waste Recovery Park guided visit

Following a number of successful and interesting previous guided visits to our local waste recovery park near Thirsk, we have arranged another opportunity to see at first hand how our household waste and recycling is managed. For more information and to book a place, please contact Bridget Holmstrom

Take part in research into decarbonisation solutions for off grid (and partially off grid) communities

Are you off the gas and/or electric grid? If so, you might like to take part in some new research. Sheffield Hallam University are undertaking research into decarbonisation solutions for off grid communities looking at reducing the environmental impact of heating and powering homes not connected to the gas and/or electric grids. The research includes an energy use survey which will ask questions like, for example: how many rooms does your home have? How many people live there and what ages are they? What fuel do you use to heat the home? Do you plan to switch to an EV and if so over what timescales? As opposed to questions like: How many KwH did you consume last month? So, it should be easy to complete without specialist knowledge or having precise information to hand.

They also request that participating households take part (if they’re able to) in a more discursive one-hour interview about how they feel about their current energy arrangements and what they enable and what they restrict in terms of lifestyle, work, family life etc. And how they feel in principle about the various low carbon options that exist etc. They also ask participants if they can return to them later in the project to get their views on the solutions they are proposing in terms of future energy solutions for off grid or partially off grid homes.

They are aiming to start our engagement with occupants in February 2024 and that phase of the research may go on for several months.

If you are interested, please contact here

Seasonal eating: January

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. In this new monthly section we will look at what foods are in season together with a seasonal recipe.

Tasty fruit and veggies available now include apple, beetroot, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, pear, potatoes, rhubarb, salsify, shallots, swede, turnips.

More information here:

Seasonal eating

how-to-eat-seasonally

If you have bought or grown a stalk full of Brussel sprouts, the little ones at the top (or indeed any) make a delicious salad.

brussels-sprouts-salad

Or why not try a warming celeriac soup which uses in season celery and celeriac:

celeriac-soup-with-toasted-hazelnut-crumble

Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD) project

LEAD is a £1.2M scheme to stimulate demand for energy efficiency measures in homes across North Yorkshire. The funding has been received from the Department of Energy Security and NET Zero and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will be focusing around retrofitting homes to reduce energy consumption

The project will be piloted in a number of neighbourhoods including around Stokesley.

Led by North Yorkshire Council, the scheme will be focused on specific streets, villages and neighbourhoods where studies have highlighted priority areas and where interest in tackling climate change through retrofitted schemes has been shown.

Households in these pilot areas will be offered a free ‘whole house plan’ – a survey of their homes with advice on what would be needed to make them more energy efficient such as new windows and doors, or cavity wall and loft insulation.

About 325 plans will be facilitated through the project, comprising in-house assessments, whole house plan development in collaboration with the householder, and elements of design work, leaving the resident with a clear plan of action and next steps to implement their retrofit project.

CASaV is actively involved in facilitating this project and Mark Lewis, one of our CASaV members interested in Energy, gave a presentation at the November whole group meeting where he outlined the group’s role to:

Build awareness of the project and encourage residents within the neighbourhoods to have a plan developed

Promote the project and ensure residents know how to register their interest

Work with the team to support the running of specialised events for the project

Support the team to facilitate 325 plans during the project

If you would like more information or to participate in this project, please check our website for updates – LEADproject

Community Quilt Update: United for Warm Homes

Thank you to all of you who created (knitted, appliqued, embroidered) 56 beautiful squares for our United for Warm Homes Community Quilt, our creative ‘petition’ calling for (1) urgent support for those unable to afford energy bills, (2) a new programme to insulate our heat leaking homes and (3) an energy system powered by cheap, green renewables. Our youngest square creator was aged 9!

To spread the word as far as possible and for biggest impact we presented the completed quilt to Yvonne Peacock, the chair of the North Yorkshire Council parliamentary constituency councillors group to pass this on to Rishi Sunak on December 19th at County Hall and also spoke at the meeting to raise awareness of United for Warm Homes but also to discuss how our organisation can work more closely with the North Yorkshire Council on climate change strategy etc. We were well received and the opportunity for our organisation to contribute to was discussed. More information to follow.

More information here: United For Warm Homes

Reduce – Reuse – Recycle: current local actions you can take to prevent waste and benefit our community

Whether household waste goes to landfill or incineration climate damaging carbon gases are produced. Here are some current local options for your unwanted or waste items that will not only cut carbon emissions but in some cases benefit those in our local community. It’s a big win / win.

Christmas sweet tubs – reuse or recycle for charity

After enjoying your Christmas sweets, make the most of the (free!) quality plastic container by reusing it as handy storage for bits and bobs around the house. Too many containers? Green King pubs around the country are collecting the tubs to recycle and donate the proceeds to Macmillan Cancer Support. Our closest Greene King pub is the Kings Head in Newton Under Roseberry but check the website for others near to you.

tub2pub/

Crisp packets into waterproof and warm sleeping bags!

Metallised crisp packets, as with all composite packaging are very difficult to recycle and usually go to landfill or incineration. However, they can be upcycled into valuable waterproof and warm emergency sleeping bags for homeless and vulnerable people. Nite Light CIC in Middlesbrough, where our Food Group take surplus food to weekly (see below), is still appealing for your metallised (i.e. foil on the inside) crisp packets.

There is a collection point in the Globe, Stokesley or you can take directly to Nite Light at units 3 & 4 North Street, Southbank, Middlesbrough (just opposite Asda Southbank). They are currently being made up into emergency sleeping bags and being distributed as the need is increasing with this colder weather.

Recycling for Good Causes: household items needed!

The CASaV Waste Group are collecting unwanted items which will raise funds for MacMillan Cancer Support via the Recycling for Good Causes scheme whilst saving them from going to waste in landfill. The scheme has provided us with a large collecting bag and free collection of a minimum of 10kg of items, with funds going to support people affected by cancer.

Items we are collecting are:

Jewellery and watches

Any currency UK or foreign of any age / unchangeable currency (banknotes and coins)

Mobile phones, video / film / digital cameras, computer games and accessories, MP3 players, ipods, tablets, computers of any age or condition

Stamps (loose /single stamps, first day covers, presentation packs)

Please have a look through your household and if you have any of these items going spare, please bring them along to our next Repair Cafe on January 20th in Swainby and the bag will also be available at the next CASaV monthly meeting on January 16th.

More information here: Recycling For Good Causes

Last month’s events & updates from the sub groups

Reducing waste and reducing energy bills information stall at Stokesley Market Friday 8th December

Led by Anne Mannix, the Waste group arranged an information stall at the weekly Friday market. Volunteers were joined by Tracey Flint, Recycling Officer for North Yorkshire Council, and recycling queries were discussed as well as ideas on how to cut waste including upcycling materials into Christmas decorations and gift wrap. We also shared information on reducing energy use at home including the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator project which will provide a free retrofitting survey (details of the project above) and gave away a dozen draught excluders made at our recent upcycling crafting workshops.

Further information stalls are planned to raise awareness and engage with the public on all matters to fight climate breakdown and prevent biodiversity loss. Please contact if you have ideas and would like to join us.

Our next Stokesley market stall will be the Food Group’s Seed Giveaway stall in March, information in February’s Update but donations of seeds welcome now at any of our Repair Cafes or whole group meetings.

Nature Group

– meets regularly by zoom (see separate emails for information)

The Nature Group decorated a (25 year old!) tree with decorations made from upcycled waste to promote sustainability for the Stokesley Parish Church Christmas Tree Festival which ran throughout December until 5th January. At time of this email the results were not yet published but our tree was very much admired and prompted discussion on sustainability. In addition to the Peat Bog restoration tour on January 16th, further opportunities to learn more about our changing environment and how to fight biodiversity loss are planned.

Waste Group

(page) – monthly zoom meetings, next meeting Tuesday 9th January 7.00pm, please contact if you would like to join

December’s Repair Cafe

The December Repair Cafe took place at the Globe Community Library in Stokesley on Saturday 9th December. As well as the volunteers wearing festive headgear vegan mince pies and hot mulled juice were served and over 80 household items were brought in for repair and advice and most saved from going to waste. After the event volunteers headed to a local vegan cafe for a sociable Christmas lunch. As always, a big thank you to all volunteer repairers, reception and refreshment volunteers. New volunteers are warmly welcome!

We combined the event with a Climate Justice Meet Up and had discussions and computer simulations on the impact of climate breakdown with visitors from Northallerton Climate Action and Castleton. A ‘Postcards to Rishi’ table was available and several postcards were written to our local MP / PM about our concerns of the impact of climate breakdown on the most vulnerable communities in the world.

Allerton Waste Recovery Park Visits

Last year the Waste Group organised several popular visits to the Allerton Waste Recovery Park to see at first hand how our black bin waste is dealt with, including incineration. Due to demand, further visits are now being arranged, if you are interested please email or contact Bridget Holmstrom.

Food Group

(site) – monthly zoom meetings, next meeting Thursday 18th January at 18.00, please contact if you would like to join

Co-op Foodshare Every night, every week Jenny Earle, joint Food Group lead, organises volunteers to collect surplus food from our local Co-op stores and resdistributes it locally to those in need, not only reducing food waste which produces carbon gases affecting our climate but also providing a benefit to the community.

New volunteers are always welcome, please contact.

Stokesley U3A: Food, glorious food, veggie style!

This veggie food group meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm in Stokesley Town Hall. The group is for collaborative folks who are interested in sharing ideas, knowledge,recipes and enthusiasm for veggie style food. Wendy Smith, joint Food Group lead, attended and spoke at the November session.

Signing off

If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s (February) update please email Kate Gibbon by the end of January.

Kate will also be helping 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 first CASaV whole group gathering of the new year on Tuesday 16th January, 7.30 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, Jack Turton, Ron Kirk and Simon Gibbon

Our next whole group meeting will be on Tuesday 16th January, in The Globe Community Library, North Road Stokesley, from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. As well as hearing updates from the various sub-groups we will focus on the next steps in the United for Warm Homes and Local Area Demonstrator campaigns.

As part of the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator project, Caryn and Mike are holding an open home in Great Ayton on Friday 12th January between 10:30 and 12:30.

Come and find out why they chose to heat their home with a ground source heat pump and how they made the house more energy efficient over a number of years. A photographer from North Yorkshire Council will be coming along to take some photos for LEAD project promotional material.

To book a place email Caryn or phone 0777 3048250. If you can’t make it, you can read a case study about the work. 

Welcome to December’s Update

from Climate Action Stokesley & Villages

Thank you for playing your part in taking urgent action globally and locally on climate breakdown.

Diary dates

(event details below)

Friday 8th December 9am – 1pm: ‘Cutting waste & cutting energy bills’ information stall at Stokesley Market

Saturday 9th December 10am – 12pm: Repair Cafe & Climate Justice Meet Up, the Globe, Stokesley

Tuesday 19th December 7.30pm – 9pm: Climate Action Stokesley & Villages whole group meeting & refreshments, Stokesley Community Care Association meeting room (upstairs from usual venue the Globe Community Library, Stokesley)

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 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.  

“Think global”

COP28: ends 12th December

World leaders are currently agreeing how to tackle climate change at COP28 UN summit in Dubai.

You can read some thoughts on our website “A view of the start of COP28” or follow developments on the official website (https://www.cop28.com/en/), watch the sessions on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@COP28UAEOfficial/streams) and see how agreement is coming along on Carbon Brief (https://www.carbonbrief.org/interactive-tracking-negotiating-texts-at-cop28-climate-summit/). The UN Secretary General summarised to the local action sesson that “COP28 needs thinking big as keeping within 1.5°C means a break in our addiction to fossil fuels, via a fair just and equitable move to renewable energy and delivery of climate justice for all.”

9th December Climate Justice UK

‘Now we rise’ Day of Action

The Climate Justice Coalition is coalition of groups and individuals committed to building solidarity and power for Climate Justice in Britain and across the globe. They are a multi-level coalition made up of environment and development NGOs, trade unions, grassroots community campaigns, faith groups, youth groups, migrant justice networks and more.

Concerned about the hottest summer on record, politicians backtracking on climate commitments, continued corporate profiteering fuelling the climate and cost of living crises and to coincide with COP28 has designated Saturday 9th December as a Day of Action to demand climate justice. Across the UK there will be a series of events, more information here

#NowWeRise – 9 Dec Day of Action

Locally, we have a Meet Up event as part of our Repair Cafe, see below.

“Act Local”

This month’s local activities to promote care for our environment and fight climate breakdown

CASaV Monthly Meeting at Stokesley Community Care Association (above the Globe, usual venue)

Tuesday 19th December 7.30-9pm

Our December meeting will be on Tuesday 19th December, starting at 7:30 pm, at The Community Care Association, North Road, Stokesley. The room is upstairs from The Globe Community Library where we usually meet. Rather than a formal meeting, this will be a chance to chat, whilst enjoying a mince pie and mulled wine/juice. All welcome, but please can you bring your own mug if possible.

Reducing waste and reducing energy bills information stall at Stokesley Market Friday 8th December 9am – 1pm

Did you know that Christmas paper and cards which contains foil, glitter, plastic ribbons or sticky tape is considered non-recyclable? But plain wrapping paper, as well as already recycled Christmas wrapping paper, can be easily recycled. To promote reducing, reusing and recycling during the Christmas period and beyond, the Waste group has arranged an information stall at the weekly Friday market on 8th December. Volunteers will be joined by Tracey Flint, Recycling Officer for North Yorkshire Council, to discuss any recycling queries, share ideas on how to cut waste including upcycling materials into Christmas decorations and gift wrap. We will also share information on reducing energy use at home including the Local Energy Advice Demonstration project which will aim to provide a free retrofitting survey (details of the project below) and we will be giving away (for FREE!) draught excluders made at our recent crafting workshops.

December’s Repair Cafe & Climate Justice Meet Up Stokesley Globe Saturday 9th December 10am-12pm

Waste collection, treatment, disposal and material recovery in the United Kingdom produced 3.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2021. Our Repair Cafes aim to help cut waste by repairing and restoring to use items that would have otherwise gone to landfill or incineration, whilst also saving the energy and resources that would have gone into manufacturing new items alongside sharing repair skills and knowhow and encouraging people to think more sustainably about consumable items. This month’s Repair Cafe will be on Saturday, 9th December, 10am-12pm at the Stokesley Globe.

As usual, everyone is very welcome to bring along household items in need of repair – computers, mobile phones, electrical items, clothing & textiles, ceramics & glass, wooden items, all blades in need of sharpening including gardening tools – and our friendly pink T shirted repairers will aim to restore your items to working order or give advice if they can’t. All for free including festive refreshments including mulled juice and vegan mince pies, donations to cover costs welcomed.

As our Repair Cafe falls on Climate Justice UK’s Day of Action we will have information about how this coalition campaigns to challenge rises in energy bills and support communities in the global South who are suffering from the climate crisis, which they did not create. We will have a ‘postcard table’ where you can write to Rishi (or your own local MP if you’re from outside the constituency) to demand change on energy prices, stop the licences for new oil and gas and increase support for communities overseas who are already suffering the impact of climate change.

Local Energy Advice Demonstration (LEAD) project

LEAD is a £1.2M scheme to stimulate demand for energy efficiency measures in homes across North Yorkshire. The funding has been received from the Department of Energy Security and NET Zero and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will be focusing around retrofitting homes to reduce energy consumption

The project will be piloted in a number of neighbourhoods including around Stokesley.

Led by North Yorkshire Council, the scheme will be focused on specific streets, villages and neighbourhoods where studies have highlighted priority areas and where interest in tackling climate change through retrofitted schemes has been shown.

Households in these pilot areas will be offered a free ‘whole house plan’ – a survey of their homes with advice on what would be needed to make them more energy efficient such as new windows and doors, or cavity wall and loft insulation.

About 325 plans will be facilitated through the project, comprising in-house assessments, whole house plan development in collaboration with the householder, and elements of design work, leaving the resident with a clear plan of action and next steps to implement their retrofit project.

CASaV is actively involved in facilitating this project and Mark Lewis, one of our CASaV members interested in Energy, gave a presentation at our latest whole group meeting.

If you would like more information or to participate in this project, please check our website for updates.

United for Warm Homes Community Quilt Project update: more squares needed and presentation date

Thank you to all of you who created these amazing squares for our United for Warm Homes Community Quilt, our creative ‘petition’ for calling for (1) urgent support for those unable to afford energy bills, (2) a new programme to insulate our heat leaking homes and (3) an energy system powered by cheap, green renewables. The plan was to complete this to present to our local MP / PM Rishi Sunak on the Day of Action (18th November) but his office let us know he was unavailable. However, one of our group’s supporters and a North Yorkshire councillor is arranging for us to present this at the next parliamentary constituency councillors meeting on December 19th so we have a little more time if there is anyone who would still like to create a square to add to the quilt. 15cm x 15cm fabric square (including a 0.5cm space for a hem all around) with a design that captures any of the three issues above. You can embroider, applique, collage your design or draw with a felt tip and either bring it along to our December Repair Cafe or contact Kate Gibbon for collection / postal address before 14th December.

More information here: United For Warm Homes

Climate Action Tree at the Christmas Tree Festival at Stokesley Parish Church: now until 5th January

Following two successful and enjoyable upcycling workshops, the CASaV Nature Group have decorated a fully sustainable tree for the Stokesley Parish Church Christmas Tree Festival in order to raise awareness of the impact of climate breakdown on the living environment and promote sustainability at Christmas. All the decorations have been made from materials that would otherwise gone to waste – including parcels at the bottom of the tree wrapped in ‘waste’ materials – and the tree is also adorned with messages about sustainability including how artificial trees need to be used for at least ten years to create less carbon emissions than a real tree. Our tree is a grand 25 years old!

All of the beautifully decorated trees are from different local organisations and are available to view in Stokesley Parish Church until January 5th. You can buy a programme which raises funds for charity and allows you to vote for your favourite tree – we couldn’t possible suggest which one you should vote for!

Find out how peat bogs fight climate change:

site visit 16th January 2024

What has climate change got to do with peat bogs? Peat bogs play a crucial role in the carbon cycle. Peat bogs in good condition have the potential to offer a significant nature-based solution to tackling climate change as they are capable of absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon dioxide known as “carbon sinks”.

Since 2009, the Yorkshire Peat Partnership (YPP) has been working to help restore Yorkshire’s internationally important peatlands. Sadly more than 80% of Yorkshire’s peatlands are in poor condition. Without projects to help stop these habitats degrading we will lose a very precious resource.

The CASaV Nature group have been in contact with the YPP and organised a visit to the restored peatlands on the moors around Rosedale on Tuesday 16th January.

Bridget Holmstrom, Nature Group lead says: ‘We should be able to see them working on the site and the methods used. If anyone would like to join us please let me know. It will be a very interesting session and hopefully the weather will be kind to us’. Contact Bridget Holmstrom for more information or to book a place.

Food / growing tip of the month

For delicious and free beetroot salad leaves, cut the top off your beetroot before cooking the rest. Place the raw top cut side down in saucer of water. Wait for fresh leaves to grow. You can also do this with the cut off rooted part of spring onions and celery – fresh food for free from your windowsill!

Reduce – Reuse – Recycle: current local actions you can take to prevent waste and benefit our community

Whether household waste goes to landfill or incineration climate damaging carbon gases are produced. Here are some current local options for your unwanted or waste items that will not only cut carbon emissions but in some cases benefit those in our local community. It’s a big win / win.

Crisp packets into waterproof and warm sleeping bags!

Metallised crisp packets, as with all composite packaging are very difficult to recycle and usually go to landfill or incineration. However, they can be upcycled into valuable waterproof and warm emergency sleeping bags for homeless and vulnerable people. Nite Light CIC in Middlesbrough, where our Food Group take surplus food to weekly (see below), is still appealing for your metallised (i.e. foil on the inside) crisp packets.

There is a collection point in the Globe, Stokesley or you can take directly to Nite Light at units 3 & 4 North Street, Southbank, Middlesbrough (just opposite Asda Southbank). They are currently being made up into emergency sleeping bags and being distributed as the need is increasing with this colder weather.

Free / affordable toys for Christmas and funds for local hospice 10th – 16th December

Rob Hodgson, Labman engineer and Repair Cafe volunteer has taken over from George Carter in organising the Stokesley Christmas Toy Bank. On December 3rd he organised a toy clean and check session at Labman by Rotary members and Repair Cafe volunteers and the toys will be available at the venues / times indicated below.

Christmas is coming – save and repurpose your foil cases and stamps

Louise Coidan is repurposing your used metal foil and stamps for good causes. She has asked people to collect as much as they can and drop off to her home at Baysdale House, 1 School Lane, Gt Ayton TS9 6SH, either through the letter box or in a bag on her back gate. The stamps will go to Teesside Hospice and the foil will go Great Ayton Methodist Church to raise funds for Ukrainians.

Medication blister packets – postal recycling by Aldi / Terracycle: update

The free medication / tablet blister packs recycling postal scheme introduced recently by Aldi and Terracycle has been so popular that demand has exceeded capacity and they have had to sadly pause the scheme for now. You can still recycle blister packs at  Superdrug Pharmacies (closest are at Harrogate, Bridlington and Chester-le-Street) but they are now only able to take personal amounts from individuals so there are no longer community collecting pointing at our local libraries.

Ideally this packaging would be recycled at production source i.e. by the pharmaceutical companies but this requires a voluntary change of practice by the companies or government legislation. You can sign a petition for this here:

Pharmaceutical Company Recycling Petition

Recycling for Good Causes: household items needed!

The CASaV Waste Group are collecting unwanted items which will raise funds for MacMillan Cancer Support via the Recycling for Good Causes scheme whilst saving them from going to waste in landfill.

The scheme has provided us with a large collecting bag and free collection of a minimum of 10kg of items, with funds going to support people affected by cancer.

Items we are collecting are:

Jewellery and watches

Any currency UK or foreign of any age / unchangeable currency (banknotes and coins)

Mobile phones, video / film / digital cameras, computer games and accessories, MP3 players, ipods, tablets, computers of any age or condition

Stamps (loose /single stamps, first day covers, presentation packs)

Please have a look through your household and if you have any of these items going spare, please bring them along to the Recycling Information stall at Stokesley market on December 8th or the Repair Cafes on December 9th in Stokesley and the bag will also be available at the next CASaV monthly meeting on December 19th.

More information here: Recycling For Good Causes

Recycling Reminder: Soft Plastics

Co-op stores have just released a summary of how they recycle / process soft plastics to encourage us to recycle more. Along with most other larger supermarkets in Teesside, our local Co-op stores in Stokesley and Great Ayton have drop off collection points for soft plastics (defined as those which don’t bounce back when you scrunch them up).

Last month’s events & updates from the sub groups

Nature Group

– meets regularly by zoom (see separate emails for information)

Upcycled Christmas Decorations Workshops: To prepare sustainable decorations for the CASaV Christmas Tree and also to inspire others to reduce their Christmas carbon footprint two free workshops were held at in November at Great Ayton Discovery Centre and at Stokesley Globe Community Library. Participants of all ages came (2 to 82!) and enjoyed crafting decorations out of old shuttlecocks, CDs, cardboard and scrap wool and buttons.

Waste Group

(page) – monthly zoom meetings, next meeting Tuesday 12th December 7.00pm, please contact if you would like to join

November’s Repair Cafe

Last month’s Repair Cafe took place at Swainby Village Hall on Saturday 18th November. As always, dozens of household items were brought in for repair and advice and saved from going to waste, a big thank you to all volunteer repairers, reception and refreshment volunteers.

Allerton Waste Recovery Park Visits

Last year the Waste Group organised several popular visits to the Allerton Waste Recovery Park to see at first hand how our black bin waste is dealt with, including incineration. Due to demand, further visits are now being arranged, if you are interested please email or contact Bridget Holmstrom.

Food Group

(site) – monthly zoom meetings, next meeting Thursday 18th January at 18.00, please contact if you would like to join

Co-op Foodshare Every night, every week the Jenny Earle, joint Food Group lead, organises volunteers to collect surplus food from our local Co-op stores and resdistributes it locally to those in need, not only reducing food waste which produces carbon gases affecting our climate but also providing a benefit to the community.

New volunteers are always welcome, please contact.

Stokesley U3A: Food, glorious food, veggie style!

This veggie food group meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm in Stokesley Town Hall. The group is for collaborative folks who are interested in sharing ideas, knowledge,recipes and enthusiasm for veggie style food. Wendy Smith, joint Food Group lead, attended and spoke at the November session.

Sustainable festive eating

The Food Group has produced a sustainable festive season leaflet including plant based recipes, download the leaflet via our website or pick up a copy at one of our events.

Signing off

If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s (January) update please email Kate Gibbon by the end of December.

Kate will also be helping promote activities via Facebook and Instagram so let her know if there is anything that you would like shared via our Facebook group or Instagram page if you are not a Facebook / Instagram user.

Hope to see you at the CASaV festive whole group gathering on Tuesday 19th December, 7.30 at the Stokesley Community Care Association meeting room, upstarirs from usual venue, the Globe Community Library, Stokesley

Kate Gibbon,

on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:

Bridget Holmstrom, Caryn Loftus, Jack Turton, Ron Kirk and Simon Gibbon

The previous conferences of the parties (COPs) didn’t stop climate change and neither will COP28, which is happening now in Dubia in the United Arab Emirates. However, COP28 is an opportunity to hear what the powerful have to say about climate change, and it is our best hope of getting global agreement to help to minimise climate change.  While it is all too easy to be cynical about COPs they are moving the world, albeit too slowly, towards action and providing a voice for those who will be most affected by climate change.

COP28 is particularly challenging as Dr Al-Jaber, the President of COP28 is also CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.  While we all keep the contradiction of both relying on fossil fuels to power our lifestyles and trying to do good for the climate, he must be a million times more conflicted.  I have listened to a lot of the sessions and Dr Al-Jaber is very effectively highlighting issues around inclusivity that had stalled (keynote speech), so it is good news that a financial package for loss and damage was rapidly finalised with money behind it.  Great to see that the UK as the birthplace of the industrial revolution is putting funds into the loss and damage package.

There is no question that fossil fuels are the spectre in the room, Dr Al-Jaber over the first two days managed to tow the line without actually saying fossil fuels were the problem and while using terms like “phase-out unabated coal”, did stress that we had to stop CO₂ emissions urgently (Opening Session).

Unfortunately, day 3 didn’t go so well, during a She Changes Climate side-event while Dr Al-Jaber was discussing with the Irish ex-President Mary Robinson, one of the Elders, he stated there was no science to show how we could get to net zero without ending up in caves unless we continue (increase?) use of fossil fuels.  He challenged Ms Robinson to provide solutions rather than pointing out the problems of fossil fuel use and said as a developed country it was her problem not his.

Our prime minister also did not help the international case for scaling back use of fossil fuels, by signing declarations which called for other countries to reduce their production and use of fossil fuels having just licensed a massive expansion in UK oil and gas production.  This appears to other countries to be an example of very unjust treatment of developing countries by a developed country and is used by fossil fuel companies to continue to push fossil fuels into the developing world.

Talk is all very good, but we need actions and we have seen actions.  The local climate action session (https://youtu.be/7eBECX4v_nc) was inspiring where cities from around the world highlighted what they have been doing to reduce the 70% of carbon emissions which are associated with cities.  Dr Al-Jabber told them to be ambitious and think even bigger, this was backed up the UN Secretary General, “COP28 needs big thinking to keep within 1.5°C which means breaking our addiction to fossil fuels, making a fair just and equitable move to renewable energy and delivering climate justice for all.”  There are routes to keeping within 1.5°C from the UN IPCC, but also from other bodies such as the International Energy Association, all of them are clear that a large amount of current reserves of fossil fuels must to stay in the ground and that rapid reductions in CO₂ emissions need to happen before 2030 if we are not to massively exceed 1.5°C increase in global mean surface temperature.

While there is a lot of talk of the cost of transitioning to net zero, all studies show there are longer term cost savings and that the cost of not transitioning is many times higher.  However financial measure do have the faster impact on reducing carbon emissions, but the money raised by such measures mean that money is available to support those who are least able to afford increases in costs.  So when rich people say that we should continue to use fossil fuels to protect the poor, what they are often saying is that they don’t want to change their lifestyle or pay for the poor to be protected.

Canada for example is already redistributing the money from a carbon tax largely on businesses to its citizens. In the short term goods cost more, but you get compensated by a government payment.  In the longer term prices will drop as companies will avoid paying the carbon tax through increased energy efficiency, using less energy and using renewable energy, combined with the cost of renewable energy coming down due to economies of scale.

So whatever you hear about COP28 it is good to think where it is coming from, a fossil fuel company, a billionaire, a petrostate, a developing country, an NGO, whoever it is, what is said must get us to net zero, ensure access to clean green energy everywhere and deliver climate justice for all. The technologies have to work and not break either the laws of science or economics, so improved energy efficiency reduce CO2 emissions no matter the fuel, making something has to more expensive than its raw material and it takes time for technologies to develop, to build and for economies of scale to bring the cost down.

It is possible to get to net zero using current technologies already being used at scale (WWS for 145 countries), so the challenge should largely be not to invent new technologies (which will take decades to develop/scale up), but to deploy the technologies we now have urgently at scale.  So the discussion should be focused on what to deploy now, not about technologies which are not yet available.  Many of the technologies not yet at scale are publicised by the fossil fuel companies as often the technologies only advantage over existing technologies is that they would allow the continuing burning of expensive fossil fuels.

Lots more to happen at COP28, you can listen to the official sessions on COP28 UAE YouTube Channel (live and recorded).

Let us know on Facebook or by email what you think.