make charlbury a eco town

Thu 1 Mar 2007, 20:20

very true point, it could all be a trap, but we need to try and find out if that is true, but the government is doing something at least, they are adding the environment to the school ciriculem, to get the children involved, and they are also issuing every school a copy of the al gore film '' an unconvenient truth'' which should also help.

Now adays you really have to think about the alternatives, is candle light better than electricity, or is what they are made of not really that important? you have to notice everything, and pay attention to detail!

Mon 29 Jan 2007, 00:55

Perhaps CFLs are a "trap"? And, Becky, taking you seriously here, but have you thought what candles are actually MADE of nowadays?

What I'm worried about is that the overt psychology of "ecological" action/doing type thinking has undergone an interesting change. In the 70s, when one mentioned environment most people sensitive to such appeals immediately headed towards a dustbin.

Nowadays they grasp lovingly for a CFL or even better an LED. Is this progress?? Perhaps. At least its heading towards the light...

Even more worryingly is the focus in much of the media upon aviation fuel carbon emissions. This smells to me like the same sort of trap that was set to ensnare and emasculate a generation of activists like the Reagan/Thatcher arms race of the early-mid 80s destroyed the first generation "proto mass movement" of potential environmental activists, a modest wave smashed against unmoveable rocks of iconic meaning, deep group identities, the historical remnants of national psyches (psychoses??). Etc.

I warned against that happening from about 77 or 78 when it became clear what the agenda of the likely incoming UK and US governments was going to be. Am I making the same sort of warning about a similar sort of trap for the last couple of years about the air travel shibboleth? And again to be unheeded?

Who was it who said that those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it??

Sun 28 Jan 2007, 14:09

we should try to build up on the amount of lightbulbs that we have, also we need to try and get more and more people involved in this, maybe trying to use candles more, and lights less, watch less tv, and just cut down, also i think that the ice energy idea is a great one, everyone should try to get everyone involved

Sat 13 Jan 2007, 22:06

can anyone tell me where I could buy some candles and a mangle!

Fri 12 Jan 2007, 17:44

Malcom,
All GU10 at the moment are a bit prototype. The ones in the library are a diffuse white light equivalent out 30Wats and 50Watts bulbs. Dependent upon your floor and wall colour they could work for you. I am trying to get some warm tone LED ones which would light floors better. Will let you know about these when I get them.

There are very few dimmable CFL. We have one in the library which needs to be calibrated and only had 3 different levels of light. Forget about dimmer switches and low energy light bulbs more trouble than they are worth.

Thu 11 Jan 2007, 17:33

GU10 spots - most excellent, we've a lot of those most of which we have turned off to save the energy hit, which makes it a bit dark. Wonder how well the reflectors work to put light out front with all the (presumably) coiled tubing in front of the reflector? I shall hurry to borrow some soonest.

Incidentally, are any of the bulbs dimmer friendly? Increasingly the electronics is allowing tolerance of dimmers if not actual dimming itself in some lights (apparently) and actual dimming in others. But a lot of fluorescents won't even start up on a dimmer circuit even when it is put up at "full", and those that do can be very flickery, erratic, and quite soon dead by all accounts. Save me having to replace the existing dimmer switches, which would take quite a while as there are a number of them to rewire.

Anyone any experience of fluorescents with dimmer (thyristor not old rheostat) circuits?

Thu 11 Jan 2007, 12:32

Malcolm,
All the bulbs are new and we even have some GU10 spots too. To see the full list
http://www.ghostwind.info/cawag/uploads/File/List%20of%20Low%20Energy%20Lightbulbs.pdf

and

http://www.ghostwind.info/cawag/index.php?page=light-bulb-library

Wed 10 Jan 2007, 23:08

Colin, how recent are the light bulbs in the library? A lot of our uses are now areas that need quick start up times and low initial energy hit, which modern electronic "ballast" and fluorescent coatings are providing, but these are still far from universal, probably not quite yet "common" either.

Now if only I could stop my wife/partner/significant other and/or kids from breaking them by hitting with wooden poles, vacuum cleaner hoses, slamming down anglepoise lights onto their own frame ... been through about 8 or 9 that way now, i.e. about 2 per year, which DOES rather mess up the economics...

Meanwhile I think I have somewhere one of the original Philips prototype bulbs, I was given a few back in something like 1988 or so for trialling and used them for about 15 years. But the light was rather horrid and blue so gradually they got consigned to more and more marginal uses, but I think one survives somewhere...

Tue 9 Jan 2007, 16:53

Hi Sarah; Thank you for the 'Ice Energy' plug, if anyone is interested or just simply wants to know more, then give me a call. 01865 885188. Yes I do work for them, but also live in Charlbury!

Fri 5 Jan 2007, 20:23

You could try before you buy with the low energy Lightbulb library provided by the Charlbury Area Waste Action Group http://www.cwag.org.uk/ . There is also a pdf listing the bulbs details and price.

List of low-energy lightbulbs
http://www.cwag.org.uk/uploads/File/List%20of%20Low%20Energy%20Lightbulbs.pdf

Thu 4 Jan 2007, 21:29

Graham - The Oxford Environment Centre at 37 Sheep Street in Charlbury, sells two or three kinds of low energy light bulbs for £2.99 (or £19.90 for 10), plus a variety of other environmental products. The low energy light bulbs we put in our house over 5 years ago are still going strong!

Thu 4 Jan 2007, 20:13

Whilst I fully accept the need for an Eco/ Recyc Society, can some one please tell me why does it need to be so expensive (i.e, dishwashers / refrigerators and the humble light bulb).

I have recently bought some eco bulbs @ £7.00 each and are supposed to last 6 years in fact more like 3 months and why don't manufacturers made them instead of the un eco friendly versions?

So until prices come down, its back to old stuff I'm afraid

Thu 4 Jan 2007, 14:28

If anyone is interested in installing a ground source heat pump (as recently featured on 'DIY SOS') visit www.iceenergy.co.uk they are based in Eynsham and supply an environmentally friendly heating system for homes and even schools!

Wed 3 Jan 2007, 19:11

Thankyou for that, i think that to get the whole community to work on this project could really help the environment as now is a key time to help, But everyone really needs to get involved, there is already in exitence a light bulb library, in charlbury. For more information go to the sustainable charlbury action group at : http://www.charlbury.info/cgi-bin/dcommunity.cgi?page=21.
and as malcolm pointed out : Someone has to point it out, and its the job of each generation to look at the world in new ways!

Mon 9 Jan 2006, 10:17

We can help you with the Energy side of things. We are the local operator for the Energy Saving Trust providing free, impartial and expert advise on energy saving in the home.

We are working on a project in North Leigh to develop an energy label for the village. This is a pilot project at the moment but we hope that we can role the project out to other villages or towns in the future.

0800 512 012
energy.advice@tvec.org.uk
www.tvec.org.uk

Wed 26 Oct 2005, 16:44

Liz has given some good starting points - I'm so out of touch with the environmental movement nowadays its pathetic (for one who was once so involved)!

Could I suggest Richard perhaps sets up a "green charlbury" area so that interesting snippets can be posted into there for people to…

Long post - click to read full text

Thu 20 Oct 2005, 18:50

Becky, There are actually quite a lot of organisations around that have been doing the kind of thing that you are aiming at and I think they will give you help. Google 'Global Action Plan' - they would help you set up a local group here and tell you how it is done. If you get their information, I might be able to find some time to help you. Also, try Climate Information and Outreach Network (COIN). They are new, based in oxford and looking for funding to support groups like the one you are proposing.

Wed 19 Oct 2005, 17:53

thankyou for your support i'd love to make a group for children but like you said i'm not quite sure how we would arrange it, i no there was a charlbury eco group which met together every tuesday at 5:30 but i'm not sure if it still running, also i may put up a few posters to show its on and all about it but the question is where could i have the meeting because it would cost unless we met somewhere like the news and things cafe.

if you think of any ideas that might help please tell me.

Tue 18 Oct 2005, 22:10

Becky

Would you be interested in trying to get a group of young people beginning to do things?

I'm sure a number of people around Charlbury would like to help you do that, but we'd have to make sure we got the balance right so that it is a "you kids" thing and not us grown-ups, so you can work together with adults campaigns or educative stuff. As I keep on saying - it's going to be your world, not ours - and the current elder generation has made a right awful mess of it.

Someone said in Germany 30 years back, on one of the best posters I've ever seen:

"We don't inherit the world, we only borrow it from our children..."

Or perhaps it was simpler than that; We only borrow the earth from our children.

Anyway, think I've still got a copy of that poster in the loft. It was brilliant! Well worth digging out and using again.

My 8 year old is interested in environmental stuff and quite worried about it. Must be others at the Primary School (and others nearby) who have some idea of what is going on, and also worrying. And more so (I hope) for older brothers and sisters in Secondary schools.

The greatest danger the world faces now is that a lot of - most probably! - of people in the rich world are "in denial": Don't want to know, don't want to think about it, want to believe that something will be bound to save them (science to the rescue, something will come up! etc) and shut their minds to unsettling voices.

A lot of very rich people and multinational corporations (mostly American) who are making a lot of money out of things as they are (and will be able to buy safety and food if things get nasty whilst billions drown and starve) are doing their best to keep people believing things which encourage this denial.

C'mon guys - what can we do to help Becky start something up??

Mon 17 Oct 2005, 10:53

Becky,
If you want any advice or information on reducing the schools waste or even a visit from a mobile green/recycling education bus then get in contact with me and I will set things in motion.

info@cwag.org.uk
www.cwag.org.uk

Best Regards

Colin

Fri 14 Oct 2005, 16:32

great to hear u are so enthusiastic i have been to a meeting which talked about making charlbury school an eco school and mrs cambell is very keen on this. she immediatly made an eco group of which is was part of and set of to get the bronze award package- the first step to the GREEN FLAG.

who are your children? i might know them, be able to talk to them about it i think its areally good idea to get them involved they will be the people who will have to bear the consequences!

Tue 11 Oct 2005, 22:28

Love to! Also you can get my kids and any of her friends involved in a project(s), as its them who are going to have to live through (or die of) the consequences of our present lunacy.

What ideas are around? What are you thinking of? What're your contact details? How do we get kids involved as well as us old "environmentalists" of the 70s and 80s - when green was all new and fresh?

Can Richard set up "project sub forums" (OK, fora, for the pedantic) where people can chew over this sort of thing? What would we call 'em - places where people like Becky can work out her ideas in discussion with others, be OK for youngsters to be around, etc.

I'm really encouraged to see someone putting forward a request like Becky. Perhaps all hope is not yet lost...

Mon 10 Oct 2005, 17:25

do u want to make charlbury a eco town!

if u do email me, the more people the better.