Snow has meant that Geomorphology Professor Malcolm Newson’s visit to Hebden Bridge at Treesponsibility’s invitation is postponed to February 26th and 27th. He’ll be looking at Walshaw Moor Estate and SOURCE tree-planting sites, and offering advice on erosion control and combating soil runoff and sedimentation in rivers.
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Defra’s Triennial Review proposes to merge Natural England and the Environment Agency.
Defra is inviting anyone with an interest in Natural England and the Environment Agency to respond by 4th February 2013 to a discussion paper which proposes to merge the two agencies. This follows considerable cuts to Natural England’s funding in the Coalition government’s first Comprehensive Spending Review, and the removal of the agency’s power to make policy. The Coalition government has also already cut 27% of Environment Agency funding, stopping 294 planned flood prevention schemes from going ahead – including one at Walsden Water.
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As previously reported, Blackshawhead Environmental Action Team (BEAT) has been working with British Gas to have heavily-discounted air source heat pumps (ASHPs) installed in local houses which are not connected to mains gas. Finn Jensen of BEAT says,
“The British Gas ASHP offer is not just for Blackshaw Head so if anyone else who is not on mains gas is interested we will forward that to British Gas.”
Extended deadline means there’s still time for a free survey
The deadline for the installation of an air source heat pump with a discount of around £10,000 has now been extended by the government to the end of March 2013. So if you’re off the gas mains and want a free survey of your house to see if it’s suitable and to get a quote for the discounted installation cost (usually around £5-6,000) please email finn.jensen@rocketmail.com with your phone number(s).
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The Energy Bill Revolution campaign is urging the government to use the money it gets from carbon taxes to make our homes super-energy efficient – driving down our energy bills forever. And also reducing household carbon emissions and the need for energy.
If you haven’t already signed the Energy Bill Revolution petition, you can do it here.
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The official United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations in Doha have agreed that the Kyoto agreement will continue for a second commitment period, 2013-2020, and a number of countries have made carbon emission reduction commitments for this period. But not enough reductions have been agreed to limit global warming to the 2°C rise above the pre-industrial average global temperature by the end of the century, that most climate scientists believe is needed in order to avoid potentially disastrous climate impacts.
The reductions that have been agreed will not have any real impact by 2020, and Carbon Action Tracker calculates that on the basis of this scenario, by 2040 the average global temperature will have risen more than 3°C above the pre-industrial level. This is bad news.
Enough to “make Nick Clegg throw his toys out of the pram.” Chris Heaton-Harris MP says 30,000 social media activist members of 38 Degrees helped force Clegg to stand strong on climate targets.
Hebden Bridge Self-Build group invites members and the public to an interactive workshop on Sustainable Building Materials and Structures, with Derek Deighton, a former lecturer on Sustainability and Construction at Blackburn University.
The workshop is on Thursday December 13th 6.30 for 7- 9, at the former Nutclough Tavern, Keighley Road, Hebden Bridge.
Please come with questions, say the Self-build group. This is what the “interactive” bit is.
Here’s an interesting blog about Amsterdam self build housing.
Find out more on the Bright Green website
Despite the Planning Officer’s recommendation to refuse the Setbray/Belmont Homes planning application for a supermarket, hotel and hydro power station on the Mytholm Works site, Calderdale Council Planning Committee yesterday voted to defer the application, in order to give the developers time to submit a retail impact assessment. The developers had refused to provide one when the Planning Officer had asked them for a retail impact assessment during pre-Planning Committee discussions.
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