{"id":8760,"date":"2023-01-06T10:24:57","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T09:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/st-albans-and-district\/?p=8760"},"modified":"2023-01-27T19:01:08","modified_gmt":"2023-01-27T18:01:08","slug":"climate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/st-albans-and-district\/2023\/climate\/","title":{"rendered":"How Local Communities are Tackling Climate Change – Action Provoking Evening"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Kate<\/a>On Mon 23 Jan we heard from Kate Swindells about\u00a0 how her local St Albans community is tackling climate change and building resilience to its effects. <\/strong>The information she gave us is for sharing so we can multiply the effect everywhere.<\/p>\n

There were 38 people on the Zoom call which was great – from Soroptimist groups far and wide including Western Canada, Yorkshire, the Midlands and the Chilterns areas. There were lots of guests as individuals and representing groups interested in finding out more about the Sopwell Eco-Stars manageable approach to building resilience to the effects of climate change.\u00a0Kate is a founder member of the Sopwell Eco-Stars Group<\/strong><\/a> which is a sub-group of Sopwell Residents Association. The group <\/span>supports local people in managing the uncertainties we are all facing because of global warming, ecological breakdown, and related disruptions around food, energy, and the general cost of living.\u00a0\u00a0 Kate explained the approach that to cope with the uncertainty surrounding the effects of climate change, community resilience is vital at a hyperlocal level.<\/p>\n

\"Kate<\/a>Baroness Brown, <\/b>Deputy Chair of the Climate Change Committee, <\/b>in Oct 2020 said \u201cI would like to see us launch a race for resilience. We have a race for zero <\/b>that’s been launched in association with the COP, where we\u2019re getting businesses and organizations and community groups and local authorities all signing up to say they’re going to get to net zero. I would like to see businesses and local authorities and community groups all signing up to say that we’re going to be prepared<\/b> for the changes that the climate is going to be bring.\u201d Here’s the link to Baroness Brown’s ‘Race for Resilience’ presentation at the UK Climate Risk conference. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Sk_bCwH4OS8\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Kate<\/a>Kate told us that climate change is part of a polycrisis (terminology we will all be hearing more about) with multiple crises all happening at once: Climate change: Economic fragility: Profits over people and planet: Divisive politics: Increasing social injustice: Resource depletion: Collapse of biodiversity and eco-systems. The UK is not doing very well, and we’re a leader so what about the rest of the world?!<\/p>\n

\"Kate<\/a>Why take hyperlocal action?\u00a0<\/strong>We were built for it! Agency: Connections: trust, working together, compassion: Tailor to community needs: Emissions & sustainability: Emergency preparedness: Funding! Sopwell eco-stars has created links to schools, faith groups, community groups and holds Community Events: Repair fairs,\u00a0Seasonal cooking for less, Saving energy, cutting bills (next event 4 Feb 2pm to 4pm – https:\/\/SaveEnergy.eventbrite.co.uk<\/a>), Clothes swaps\/collections, Emotional resilience, Film nights….. Success factors are: Local environmental groups & awareness; Strong community spirit; Connections; Schools, faith & community groups, local gov and community stars; Communications; Twice-yearly printed newsletter to every household; Website & electronic mailing list; Other groups\u2019 newsletters; Local community and street-level Facebook and WhatsApp groups; Community noticeboards. Kate said it’s all about CONNECTIONS, CONNECTIONS, CONNECTIONS!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Click here to download and view Kate’s presentation: Sopwell eco-stars Jan 23<\/a>\u00a0(Kate presents up to slide 35 then there is extra info on the Appendix pages).<\/p>\n

Click on the arrow in the image below or here https:\/\/youtu.be\/olpn7iGgRqk<\/a> to view the whole of Kate’s presentation (33 mins), plus Q&A (19 mins).<\/p>\n