Charlbury climate action - keep it in the ground!

Thu 10 Dec 2015, 09:05

Into the last 48h of negotiations at the Paris talks now... It sounds as if the level of understanding and commitment is very different from previous talks and an unprecedented coalition of rich and poor countries is pushing for a proper clean deal. 4 important countries yet to join and there is a petition to call on them to do so:

secure.avaaz.org/en/coalition_of_ambition_11/?tWyuEab

Sat 5 Dec 2015, 15:53

I'm sorry I missed that Liz! I would have liked to witness a spontaneous and collective 'norm' that it's now laughable to deny we are trashing our planet.

Sat 5 Dec 2015, 14:38

We listened to Any Questions last night. When the UKIP panellist started the party's climate change denial as usual, there was a new and very different reaction from the audience - they laughed. And every time she tried to carry on, they laughed harder! I believe a corner has been turned....

Mon 30 Nov 2015, 14:37

...And I had an acknowledgement last week from the PM's office that our letter had been received, signed by 260 Charlbury people on 21 November and urging him to show strong leadership in Paris. We also pointed out the UK Government's reduction in support for renewables!

Mon 30 Nov 2015, 14:05

And 25 people attended the climate change vigil at the Charlbury Friends Meeting House during the course of yesterday afternoon twitter.com/CharlburyHub/status/671326970530177025

Mon 30 Nov 2015, 12:38

We weren't the only ones galvanised.......

See photos from marches all around the world. The Paris shoes are a brilliant way to show solidarity without putting lives at risk...

www.theguardian.com/community/ng-interactive/2015/nov/27/global-climate-march-your-guardianwitness-contributions

Sun 29 Nov 2015, 20:52

Thanks Frances for galvanising me to be on The March today. It felt very special to be with a group of Charlbury people who care enough about our planet to make being there their no.1 priority.
It was someone else's slogan but 'There is no plan-et B'!

Sun 29 Nov 2015, 19:38

What a fantastic day at the London Climate March! And a fantastic group to spend it with. Thanks to everyone who came - you can see a photo of us setting off from Oxford Parkway at twitter.com/FrancesMortimer/status/670919218917937152

Sat 28 Nov 2015, 16:49

Have got the group tickets, see you at Oxford Parkway at 10.25. Everyone who's travelling separately, please take photos of yourselves at the march if you don't meet up with the rest of us - will be great to have lots of pictures of Charlbury people marching...

Sat 28 Nov 2015, 10:43 (last edited on Sat 28 Nov 2015, 11:40)

Hi Tim yes will put you down for 2 tickets. Anyone else interested, i'm not going out to get them until 11.30 now.

Sat 28 Nov 2015, 08:55

Frances, could you put me down for 2 of the group tickets please on the 10.44 train. I will also have a couple of spaces in our car both ways for anyone that wants a lift. Anyone interested please email me separately.

Fri 27 Nov 2015, 21:01

Thanks for all the advice re buying tickets and parking at Ox Parkway on Sunday. Sounds like i should head down to Charlbury station on Saturday morning to secure group tickets. If anyone wants to be included in a group ticket (and plans to come straight back after the march), please let me know before 10.30am on Sat.

Fri 27 Nov 2015, 09:42

...And of course a Vigil for the Climate right here in Charlbury on Sunday afternoon! See the Events page for full details

Thu 26 Nov 2015, 22:21 (last edited on Thu 26 Nov 2015, 22:28)

Great to see so much interest in climate on the forum.

If you can't make the London march on Sunday 29 Nov, remember there are other events, including some on Sat 28 - see www.campaigncc.org/localmeetings for a list. The one in Reading www.readingpeoplesmarch.org/ looks the nearest.

I'm planning to go to Cardiff, which includes a mass bike ride - see: www.stopclimatechaoscymru.org/stop-climate-chaos-cymru/wales-climate-action-day-diwrnod-hinsawdd-cymru/

Travel time by train to Cardiff on Sat is probably similar to that for getting to London on Sunday, given the buses on our line on Sunday and the need to get across London.

Thu 26 Nov 2015, 11:04

...err that is why we are all using Oxford Parkway!

Thu 26 Nov 2015, 09:08 (last edited on Fri 27 Nov 2015, 14:06)

Thu 26 Nov 2015, 07:59

Don't panic! All of the listed options to buy online tickets ahead of travel (loco2, Chiltern, GWR) allow you to specify the Charlbury ticket machine to print out and pick up the tickets.

Wed 25 Nov 2015, 17:53 (last edited on Wed 25 Nov 2015, 17:54)

Why not buy them from GWR and pick them up from the machine at Charlbury before Sunday?

Wed 25 Nov 2015, 16:32

But, Liz, there are very few ticket machines at Oxford Parkway, & people will probably need to queue to pick up tickets from the machines on Sunday unless they think in advance.

Wed 25 Nov 2015, 10:09

You can buy your tickets ahead through loco2.com of course rather than queue to buy a ticket at the station.

Tue 24 Nov 2015, 19:22

Dear Frances, just wondering if I might get onto the Groupsave group fo the train to the Climate March. I'll probably be able to get a lift to the 10:44 train but would need a lift back to Charlbury after the March. Is there anyone coming back after the March, instead of staying on, and have room for one more in their car? I'm on Fishers lane. My landline is 01608 238276 to leave a message.

Tue 24 Nov 2015, 11:26

If a lot of people are traveling from Oxford Parkway on Sunday, I would recommend either arriving very early to buy or pick up tickets, or buy and pick them up in advance. Normal cheap day returns or period returns from Oxford Parkway should be available from Charlbury station -- not sure about the group tickets.

OXP station has only a very few ticket machines & no ticket office. Although the manned information office will sell tickets, I am not sure how well they would cope with a Sunday rush.

There is also a shortage of parking machines, & they are slow & involve number plate recognition. It's actually quicker to park in the Park & Ride Section; but if you do so you need to make sure you use the Park & Ride Parking ticket machines & not those in the Railway Parking Area. The 2 car parks are handled by different firms.

To pre-book parking in the Railway Parking section you can pay by mobile using the Whoosh app or pay online using the ParkReg website. The parking location code is 2074, SMS 87070, Phone 0844 4480418. It's £2 for 11 hours & £4 for £24 hours. Longer costs more, although I understand that the parking machines at the station don't currently offer the 48 hr option that is listed as also being available.

Mon 23 Nov 2015, 21:32

Looks like we should be able to get a 34% "Group Save" discount for 3-9 adults travelling together which we can buy on the day. There are more than 9 of us coming but some people want to return later in the evening etc, so easiest thing may be to just buy on the day.

For anyone who would like to join us, we are planning to get the 10:44 from Oxford Parkway and there are offers of lifts from Charlbury - let me know if you'd like one.

There is also a bus coach going from Chipping Norton if anyone prefers - i can put you in touch with the organiser.

Mon 23 Nov 2015, 17:08

Yes indeed Stephen, i was information gathering with a view to getting to the Climate Change March. Since I posted here, I've contacted Frances Mortimer to see if she can include me on the group train ticket arrangement, which would be ideal.

Mon 23 Nov 2015, 08:14 (last edited on Mon 23 Nov 2015, 08:15)

I assume Jenny was actually asking about getting to the Climate Change march rather than a general enquiry about advance tickets. If so, I have just looked on the web, and purchasing a day return at this notice is cheaper than buying advance singles. Having said that, folks that are going together can combine and get a group fare.

Mon 23 Nov 2015, 07:24

Thanks Christine.

Sun 22 Nov 2015, 22:16 (last edited on Sun 22 Nov 2015, 22:18)

Jenny, You are in the wrong thread for rail tickets, but the answer is yes if you find an offer and buy 24 hrs in advance. Chiltern delivers mobile phone tickets or there are machines (and humans) at the station.

Sun 22 Nov 2015, 20:54

Does anyone know if it will be cheaper to buy my train ticket, from Oxford Parkway to Marylebone, in advance?

Sun 22 Nov 2015, 07:38

Watch this.....
bit.ly/1Scmasu

Fri 20 Nov 2015, 16:33

The Southill Solar team was thrilled with the response at Wednesday's meeting. Pledge forms will be available tomorrow with the climate change petitioners and with any luck we might have hit six figures by the end of Saturday!

Thu 19 Nov 2015, 16:05

Thanks all for the excellent meeting last night. As mentioned, there will be an opportunity this Saturday morning to add your name to a short letter to David Cameron -- copies available for signing outside the Co-op and the Corner House between 9am and midday. The letter points out that the UK is the only G7 country significantly increasing its support to the fossil fuel industry and reducing its support of renewables, and challenges him to take a lead at the Paris talks and commit the UK to a serious reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Wed 18 Nov 2015, 17:53

Southill Solar meeting tonight at Memorial Hall - 8pm

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 13:30

Still awaiting a response from my pension company Aegon regarding a company-wide divestment policy from fossil fuels. However i have received information about my specific pension fund, the Kames ethical equity fund:

"Currently 2.73% of the fund is held in Oil & Gas Producers companies vs. the index weight of 11.89% to this sector. The majority of this exposure is in BG (2.68%).

"BG is currently under takeover offer from Royal Dutch Shell (the latter is not suitable for the Kames ethical funds). If BG is acquired by Shell, the opportunity for the Kames ethical equity fund to invest in the oil & gas sector will be reduced even further since the combined entity will not be suitable and the remaining companies suitable for investment are all significantly smaller than BG. The BG/Shell deal is not expected to close until later this year and if it does, we will review at that time whether it remains worthwhile investing in any Oil & Gas Producers or it would be more appropriate to exclude the sector completely from all the Kames ethical funds."

So that's pretty encouraging - might be an option for others wishing to move their pensions out of oil & gas.

Sun 8 Nov 2015, 10:28

Christine, that would be great.

Wed 4 Nov 2015, 11:18 (last edited on Wed 4 Nov 2015, 11:22)

I have the Charlbury banner we used at 2009 march and modifying it to say "Keep it in the ground".

Tue 3 Nov 2015, 16:58

Am I now remembering that we have a Charlbury banner? Could we be a subset at the Greenpeace meeting point?
UN headline in recent days: "It (the Paris climate deal) is unstoppable. No amount of lobbying is going to change the direction."

Tue 3 Nov 2015, 13:34

It will be interesting to see. Some of the big companies have ethical funds, but there is ethical and ethical. I went through Ethical Investors (ethicalinvestors.co.uk) nearly 40 years ago, and they are extremely good. You can say exactly what is acceptable to you, and what isn't.

Tue 3 Nov 2015, 11:06

Finally wrote to my own pension fund... will wait to see what response i get, but this is what i said:

"Dear sir/madam

I am an investor with Aegon through my stakeholder pension plan. I would like to find out whether Aegon is considering/developing a company-wide policy to divest from fossil fuels?

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reported that to keep the global average temperature rise below 2 degrees celsius, between 2/3 and 4/5 of currently known fossil fuel reserves will need to remain unburnt (ar5-syr.ipcc.ch/ipcc/ipcc/resources/pdf/IPCC_SynthesisReport.pdf, Table 2.2)

This means that continued exploration for and extraction of fossil fuels is extremely risky, on two fronts:

1. morally, resulting in potentially catastrophic climate impacts, and
2. financially, as fossil fuel reserves will become unburnable, "stranded assets"

The financial risk of fossil fuel investments has been raised by the World Bank and by the Governor of the Bank of England: www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Pages/speeches/2015/844.aspx

I urge Aegon to develop a policy to divest from all fossil fuel investments, and most urgently from those fuels that are most carbon intensive (e.g. coal, tar sands oil). Please could you tell me whether this is already under discussion within Aegon, and if not, how i can raise it within the company.

Many thanks
Frances Mortimer"

Tue 3 Nov 2015, 11:04

Thanks Liz - i am also helping to coordinate a "health professionals bloc" at the march, through my work. Just waiting to find out where we will be starting from - if it's a good place i'll let you know and maybe we can all go from there? Like Christine i had also thought of catching the 10:44 from Oxford Parkway (and can give a lift to the station for 4 others). That should arrive Marylebone at 11.40.

Tue 3 Nov 2015, 08:49

Meeting up on the day. This march is going to be super big. Be able to say that you were there when everything changed!
How about this as a meeting point for Charlbury people? It's a good location between Paddington and Marylebone depending on how people decide to go in.Greenpeace is meeting at 11:30 in UTC at Wellington Arch, Apsley Way, Hyde Park Corner, London, W1J 7JZ Nearest tube Hyde Park Corner. I'm not a Greenpeace member but happy to march under their banner.

Fri 30 Oct 2015, 22:48 (last edited on Tue 3 Nov 2015, 08:16)

Article from today by Kieran Cooke (from Charlbury I am told): climatenewsnetwork.net/royal-call-for-switch-to-low-carbon-investment/
"...speaking to a gathering of some of the world's leading investors controlling billions of dollars' worth of funds [...] Prince Charles said global warming is an increasing source of risk to the financial community."

Mon 26 Oct 2015, 07:49

Charlbury trains are buses that Sunday (!) so looks like I'll catch 10:44 from Oxford Parkway arriving Marylebone 11.40. If anyone would like a lift to Water Eaton I can give 3 people a lift in my electric car.

Sun 25 Oct 2015, 18:06

Thanks for the clarification, Duncan. I really wish you had made that clear on your leaflet. There is scope for a vigil as well: why not on a different day? Perhaps as the Paris talks start? Then many of us can go to both. Meanwhile, I think it is very important to 'stand up and be counted' if you can (and most of us can), so I hope to see lots of people on the march.

Sun 25 Oct 2015, 17:44 (last edited on Sun 25 Oct 2015, 17:45)

It's great that there's growing interest in mobilising action on climate change here in Charlbury. The more voices the better, it seems to me - as long as we aren't contradicting one another! The flyer in "The Leaflet" - just circulated to all addresses on behalf of Peace@thePub- refers to a vigil here on 29th November. It is absolutely NOT meant to be a "rival attraction" to the London march on that day - rather it's for anyone who for reasons of health, mobility etc is just unable to get to the march.

Sun 25 Oct 2015, 16:56

For those who are interested, can I suggest they read Winning the Carbon War by Jeremy Leggett which is free to download. Very entertaining and a real insight to what is going on behind closed doors about the future of fossil fuels and the companies that extract them www.jeremyleggett.net And just last week the Chief Executive of ENEL (the Italian state electricity company) announced that they are now planning to move away rapidly from fossil fuels - and not to be surprised by what announcements other major European utilities will be making over the next twelve months....

Sun 25 Oct 2015, 14:59

See my last comment on your previous thread!

Sun 25 Oct 2015, 13:33 (last edited on Fri 27 Nov 2015, 21:01)

At a meeting on 22 October 2015, local residents came up with a 3-pronged approach to mobilising action on climate change in the Charlbury area.

1. Get the conversation going - we all know that climate change is happening and something needs to be done to stop it. But how far have things gone, and what really needs to happen??

2. Take action - there are lots of practical things we can do to reduce our carbon footprint. But on their own, these won't be enough to "keep it in the ground": to stabilise the climate, four fifths of known fossil fuel reserves must never be used. That means they are stranded assets - their financial value needs to be written off. Can we use our position as investors (say, in pension funds) to move money out of fossil fuels into something with a future?

3. Make our voices heard - we are planning to travel together from Charlbury to the people's climate march in London on 29th November 2015, with our banner "Keep it in the ground!". That's the eve of the Paris talks, the most crucial international summit this decade. People will take to streets all over the world to call for a global agreement to end climate change. We are also planning a video message to David Cameron from his constituents, to be posted on youtube.

This forum thread is for everyone to join in - in the conversation, and in generating ideas for action and for making our voices heard at a global level!