New Website!

This blog has now moved to Transition Guildford's very own website at http://transitionguildford.co.uk/blog/ where you can find information about events, projects, what we do, and yes, the new blog. See you there!

Manager of Surrey County Council's Climate Change Team to give presentation on 29th September

Lesley Harding, Manager of Surrey County Council's Climate Change Team is kindly coming to give the Guildford Environmental Forum a presentation on Tuesday 29 September at 1900 in committee room 1 at GBC's Millmead offices on "The Emerging Strategy for a Low Carbon Surrey". Very light refreshments will be available from 1830. All are welcome.

Surrey County Council (SCC) have been working with the 11 district council's in Surrey to come up with a coordinated approach to lowering our carbon footprint across Surrey and as to how we can reach the Holy Grail of decoupling carbon emissions, wildlife loss, water stress, etc from economic growth. This really centres around two National Indicators that Surrey have signed up to on our behalf - NI 185 and NI 186. Each council is actively working on a range of projects that will cut carbon emissions from their own estate. This is NI 185. Guildford Borough Council have been working intensively with the Carbon Trust (CT) and are well advanced on identifying capital projects to cut carbon. Waverley, Mole Valley and Reigate & Banstead have joined together in a similar exercise with help from the CT.

NI 186 is about cutting carbon emissions across the entire community - much more challenging. Please come along and be part of the solution to how we can achieve these desperately important goals.

See you there, John Bannister, Chair Guildford Environmental Forum

Age of Stupid Viewing Tonight (5th Sep)

Transition Guildford, with the support of the Guildford Environmental Forum, will be showing the Age of Stupid again tonight as part of the British Science Festival. The Age of Stupid stars oscar nominated Pete Postlethwaite as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055 looking at old 2008 footage asking "why didn't we stop climate change when we had the chance?" We will power this outdoor event using a mbile solar generator, so the event will be near zerocarbon. Say for the post-film debate on "climate change - how to be part of the solution."

The vieing will be from 7pm to 9pm, at Abbots Hospital, Guildford. Tickets cost £2, and you can book online at www.britishsciencefestival.org, by phone on 020 7019 4947, or at the Tourist Information Centre, Guildford. If you can't make this date, the Electric Theatre are showing this on 9/9/09 at 20:00.

London.carfree holds first public meetings

Would you like to see parts of London go car-free? That is, to create streets which do not have cars on them, but are reclaimed as areas for people to "walk, talk and play in". Well, london.carfree (http://london.carfree.org.uk/) is a new association trying to do just that, and they have invited all those interested to attend their launch meetings on September 14th and 17th, 7:30pm, at Lambeth Town Hall, (Assembly Hall) Acre Lane SW2, and Islington Town Hall, (Council Chamber) Upper Street N1, respectively.

Living Beyond Our Means: The Declining Aral Sea

Stephen recently spotted this horrific story on the European Space Agency (ESA) website, a clear example of humans living beyond our means and creating extreme environmental degredation in the process. The Aral sea (once the world's forth largest) has been effectively 'mined' for its water for 50+ years, and the result has been a drying inland sea with sandstorms and land poisoned by salt intrusion. The image at http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMGVT6CTWF_index_0.html shows the retreat of water between 2006 and 2009 - worth seeing.

Thanks to Dr Howard Lee!

Many thanks to Dr Howard Lee, from Hadlow College, on a fascinating talk on food production in the UK! The Millmead Offices were packed for the talk last night, showing the ever-increasing interest in "grow your own".

If you would like to get involved in growing your own food within Guildford, or want to help others do the same, then you can email us at e.white@surrey.ac.uk

Dr Howard Lee - "Grow Your Own or Starve!"

Dr Howard Lee, from Hadlow College for land-based industries in Kent, is coming to speak to the Guildford Environmental Forum and Transition Guildford on Monday 13 July on "Grow Your Own or Starve! The potential for Grower Groups". Dr Lee, who is a lecturer and the Sustainability Champion at Hadlow College, will cover examples from around the UK of community initiatives to grow food in public spaces, community supported agriculture, landshare, garden-share and other responses by local people to provide themselves with fresh food grown locally in every kind of space conceivable. This is a response to several factors including rising food prices, increasing concerns about our food security and the desire for fresh organically grown food.

The talk is in committee room 1 at GBC's Millmead offices at 1900, with refreshments from 1830.

All welcome... See you there!

Transition Guildford flying the flag at the Picnic Festival

Transition Guildford joined in on the fun at the Picnic Festival in Guildford on Sunday, with a stall on the field. The festival was a great day out enjoyed by many from the area. It really kicked off at the arrival of a very colourful and musical parade arriving from Guildford town centre, featuring a giant parrot, sun, and children and adults adorned with bright headresses. People seemed to be genuinely excited by the presence of a transition movment in Guildford too.

42 turn up for the "Age of Stupid" viewing

The Council Chamber was busy on Monday 8th June for the viewing of the film, the "Age of Stupid", which was attended by 42 people. The film was a very powerful account of the effects of climate change, and follows the path that this is likely to take us in to the future.

The Guildford Environmental Forum will be showing the film again on Saturday 5th September at 1930 as part of the Festival of Science and Engineering, which is in Guildford this year. It will be outdoors on one of the grassy areas (weather permitting) or in the Austin Pearce building (if not) at the University of Surrey . The film show will be powered using a mobile solar generator. School packs for the "Age of Stupid" should become available from September.

"Age of Stupid" viewing tonight

Don't forget about the "Age of Stupid" viewing at 7pm tonight at the Council Chamber, Millmead Offices, Guildford. See you there!

Progress on the Community Orchard

Further progress has been made on Guildford's community orchard. Last Friday John, Alexia, and Emma met Adam Owen, Parks and Countryside Manager at Guildford Borough Council, who further pledged his support for the project, and offered invaluable advice for its progression. The project will involve the planting of an orchard in Guildford (most likely in the Merrow area) for the enjoyment and use of the community. If you would like to get involved, or you live in the Merrow area and would like to share your thoughts, then please leave a comment below.

"Age of Stupid" viewing - Monday 8th June

Guildford & Waverly Friends of the Earth (FoE) and the Guildford Environmental Forum (GEF) present a screening of the film, "Age of Stupid", at 7pm on Monday 8th June at the Council Chamber, Millmead Offices, Guildford. All are welcome (its free), and refreshments will be available from 6:30pm.

The film stars the Oscar-nominated actor, Pete Postlethwaite, as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2050, looking for 'old' footage from 2008 and asking why we didn't stop climate change when we had the chance.

Very topical! See you there :-)

The Picinc Festival - 21st June

Exciting news! The Picnic Festival is returning to Guildford this year, taking place at Shalford Park from 12 noon until late on 21st June. It is "a small festival that aims to be friendly to families and gentle on the environment. There will be an accoustic tent, main stage, arts workshops, stalls and more..." Transition Town Guildford will of course be there to support it, and we'll have a stall providing information about our projects, ways to save energy, and friendly people to chat to.

See you there!

Ed Milliband Visits the Transition Network Conference

Ed Milliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, visited the Transition Network Conference as keynote listener on the weekend of 22nd May. Go to http://transitionculture.org/2009/05/25/ed-milliband/ to hear the interview with him - very interesting!

Welcome to the Transition Guildford Blog!

Hello all, and welcome to the Transition Guildford Blog!

Here you will find all the latest news from Transition Town Guildford - information and feedback on our events, news about things happenning in Guildford, anything related to climate change, growing your own food, community spirit, peak oil, and much more besides!

Please feel free to add your comments, and let us know if you'd like to get involved.

Happy reading!