Transition
Kidderminster
Newsletter
May 2020
Kidderminster
Newsletter
May 2020
Sustainability - Survival
It will come as no surprise to read that this issue of your TK Newsletter is dominated by the coronavirus. How could it not be? Transition Kidderminster is concerned with the longer view, implicit in our 'Sustainability - Survival' strap line. With this in mind we have put together many thought-provoking (and indeed provocative) news items for you to think about.
There is a lot of talk currently about not returning to before-coronavirus normality, but not much about how to actually arrive at a better way of living. Better as in better for our children and future generations. Better as in actually surviving the problems coming our way. We have an opportunity as individuals to reflect, to question the wisdom of how we have been living, and hopefully to change. We should see this pandemic as a wake-up call and an opportunity.
There is a lot of talk currently about not returning to before-coronavirus normality, but not much about how to actually arrive at a better way of living. Better as in better for our children and future generations. Better as in actually surviving the problems coming our way. We have an opportunity as individuals to reflect, to question the wisdom of how we have been living, and hopefully to change. We should see this pandemic as a wake-up call and an opportunity.
Hi CoronaVirus!
What took you so long?
What took you so long?
Scientists have warned for years about the new age of Pandemic.
“… food animals are crammed together into fewer farms than ever before, providing microbes with unparalleled opportunities to infect to them, each individual animal acting as a potential gateway for viruses to invade the human population…”
The Viral Storm by Nathan Wolfe
Around 70% of UK meat is factory farmed and the percentage is rising. Apart from the very serious animal welfare issues there is the increased risk of causing another pandemic. Read more on this here ...
“… food animals are crammed together into fewer farms than ever before, providing microbes with unparalleled opportunities to infect to them, each individual animal acting as a potential gateway for viruses to invade the human population…”
The Viral Storm by Nathan Wolfe
Around 70% of UK meat is factory farmed and the percentage is rising. Apart from the very serious animal welfare issues there is the increased risk of causing another pandemic. Read more on this here ...
Not all disease is caused by viruses, there are bacterial diseases too. Fortunately we are now able to control many bacterial diseases using antibiotics. But for how long? Read more on this hugely important topic here ....
"Humans Caused Coronavirus Pandemic"
This is the conclusion of the world's top environmental scientics who go on to state:
"Rampant deforestation, uncontrolled expansion of agriculture, intensive farming, mining and infrastructure development, as well as the exploitation of wild species have created a ‘perfect storm’ for the spillover of diseases.” This quote is from 27th April, just one of many such reports drawing similar conclusions. You can read more here ...
"Humans Caused Coronavirus Pandemic"
This is the conclusion of the world's top environmental scientics who go on to state:
"Rampant deforestation, uncontrolled expansion of agriculture, intensive farming, mining and infrastructure development, as well as the exploitation of wild species have created a ‘perfect storm’ for the spillover of diseases.” This quote is from 27th April, just one of many such reports drawing similar conclusions. You can read more here ...
Air Pollution Plummets
With cars off the road, much of industry shut down and most planes grounded, air pollution has plummeted, some cities seeing phenomenal drops, for example Delhi by a factor of 100! More here ...
Prior exposure to air pollution is a significant factor in the coronavirus death rate. We should not accept a return to dangerous air pollution levels as the price we have to pay for a return to 'normallity'.
Calculations by a US expert suggest that tens of thousands of premature deaths in China from air pollution may have been avoided by cleaner air, far higher than the country's 3,208 coronavirus deaths!
"Science tells us that epidemics like Covid-19 will occur with increasing frequency. So cleaning up the streets is a basic investment for a healthier future." Read more here ...
"Science tells us that epidemics like Covid-19 will occur with increasing frequency. So cleaning up the streets is a basic investment for a healthier future." Read more here ...
And some good news on air pollution, the grouse shooting industry has taken a hit as heather burning is banned on large tracts of moorland. Read the story here ...
Fossil Fuel Usage Dives
Reduced fossil use during the lockdown gives rise to the hope that CO2 emissions will be significantly reduced. But even with cars off the roads and planes on the ground the anticipated reduction is only 5%. Which shows what an enormous task it will be to wean the planet off fossil fuels. And inertia in the planetary system means that any drop in CO2 levels will take time. Have a look yourself to see if there is any discernible reduction. See latest CO2 figures here ...
As a result of lockdown, for the first time ever oil prices went negative for a brief period in April as the fossil fuel market saturated. (However an adverse effect will be to make wind and solar less competitive.) But we seem unable to turn off the tap. More here ..
As a result of lockdown, for the first time ever oil prices went negative for a brief period in April as the fossil fuel market saturated. (However an adverse effect will be to make wind and solar less competitive.) But we seem unable to turn off the tap. More here ..
Lockdown has reduced energy demand by 20%. And some lucky householders are even being paid to use electricity!
Read about this here ...
Read about this here ...
And the aviation industry has another problem - what to do with all those grounded planes. Finding parking space for planes has become the problem nobody thought of.
Air traffic is down by 90% at some UK airports, and the aviation industry is predicted to make huge losses. Will it ever be the same again? Should it ever be the same again?
Being forced to give up cruises and foreign holidays, will we come to better appreciate our own country?
More here ...
Air traffic is down by 90% at some UK airports, and the aviation industry is predicted to make huge losses. Will it ever be the same again? Should it ever be the same again?
Being forced to give up cruises and foreign holidays, will we come to better appreciate our own country?
More here ...
Food Issues
Food waste has long been a big problem. Throwing away huge quantities of edible food does not help with sustainability. However, shortages and the logistics of coping with lockdown mean that we are being far more careful to use what food we have. Hopefully reduced waste will become part of the 'new normal'. More here ...
And self sufficiency has taken off after fears of shortages; more people are now looking to grow their own.
Here are a couple of interesting links.
Dig For - a Facebook group that will be of interest to self-sufficiency enthusiasts
5-Minute Crafts - this video is full of interesting ideas on growing your own food
Here are a couple of interesting links.
Dig For - a Facebook group that will be of interest to self-sufficiency enthusiasts
5-Minute Crafts - this video is full of interesting ideas on growing your own food
One enterprising company is making good use of the opportunities created by the lockdown. In Milton Keynes robots take up the challenge of delivering food. More here ...
If you are running out of recipes try the Transition Green Cuisine Recipes. Download the PDF here then print pages 1,3 - turn them over then print sheets 4,2 on the revese sides. (ie page 3 on the back of page 1, page 4 on the back of page 2). Then fold in half and assemble into your own 8 page booklet!
Wildlife Related Topics
While our own species is in temporary retreat during the lockdowns, wildlife has filled the vacuum, with many sightings of animals in our cities. This year will see a much lower toll for roadkill by cars and trucks, which in the UK annually takes the lives of about 100,000 hedgehogs, 30,000 deer, 50,000 badgers and 100,000 foxes, as well as barn owls and many other species of birds, amphibians and insects. Also, many councils have delayed cutting the grass on roadside verges – one of the last remaining habitats for wild flowers – which should bring a riot of colour to the countryside this summer and provide more pollen for bees and other insects. Read more here...
Further afield, the lack of tourists on Thailand's beaches is giving the rare leather back turtle a chance to breed. More ...
And the Costa Rican town of Curridabat demonstates how we can live with nature in the long term. Citizenship has been extended to bees, bats, hummingbirds and butterflies, trees and native plants! Can we learn from this example? Read more about this stunning experiment here ...
On the Rewilding front, a new national wildlife charity called Heal Rewilding is planning to buy ecologically depleted land across Britain and give it back to nature. The charity is crowdfunding and will seek former farms, green belt or lower-grade land where wildlife can recover. The sites will be within easy reach of large towns and cities to benefit more people. Read more here ...
The Big Issues Remain
The really big elephant in the room has not gone away. 2020 is predicted to be hottest year ever. Climate change is still with us - it's not grabbing headlines of late but slowly and surely it's still happening. More ...
The invisible factor in Britain’s carbon footprint comes from international travel and the carbon produced overseas to make goods that are imported. If we factor these in then we are miles off reaching zero carbon by 2050.
A spectacularly unambitious target anyway. More ...
A spectacularly unambitious target anyway. More ...
And don't forget the plastics issue - that's not gone away either - just pushed down the problem list.
A recent report estimates that the weight of plastic in our oceans is greater than the weight of all the fish. Difficult to imagine how anyone can do that calculation, however have a read here ...
A recent report estimates that the weight of plastic in our oceans is greater than the weight of all the fish. Difficult to imagine how anyone can do that calculation, however have a read here ...
Disappointingly, after all the efforts to get people to use non-disposable cups, forecasts are that by 2030 the UK will use 33% more disposable coffee cups than now. Read the sad news here ...
On a more positive note, news of a Japanese village that has achieved zero waste. No mean feat in a country that is the world's second highest producer of plastic waste. More here ...
Sign the Petition
... calling on world leaders to support a
Global Deal for Nature
Almost 3 million signatures so far, please help it over the line
"Earth’s bounty underpins human well-being, and yet we are poised to wipe these out in the blink of an eye in geological time. Now it is time to give back before our living standards and spirits are further diminished by the loss of the diversity around us. We have the tools necessary to protect most of life on Earth, should we choose to do so."
Global Deal for Nature
Read about this incredibly important global initiative here ...
... calling on world leaders to support a
Global Deal for Nature
Almost 3 million signatures so far, please help it over the line
"Earth’s bounty underpins human well-being, and yet we are poised to wipe these out in the blink of an eye in geological time. Now it is time to give back before our living standards and spirits are further diminished by the loss of the diversity around us. We have the tools necessary to protect most of life on Earth, should we choose to do so."
Global Deal for Nature
Read about this incredibly important global initiative here ...
Planet of The Humans
The newly released feature film Planet of the Humans (free here on Youtube ) has generated severe criticism from environmentalists. Draw your own conclusions on this important film but then it's worth watching the response to these criticisms (by Ozzie Zehner (director), Geoff Gibbs (writer) and Michael Moore (producer) here ...
The Dirty Secret Of Capitalism
For a mind-blowing take on why we may be encountering so many global problems spend 20 minutes with this TED talk. Finally, a Letter From The Coronavirus
A brilliant Italian video on Youtube ( there's a subtitles button, bottom right, 5th from right ) |
Useful Websites
Local vegan supercook has put together loads of fantastic recipes for you to try.
visit domesticgothess.com
Local vegan supercook has put together loads of fantastic recipes for you to try.
visit domesticgothess.com
Find out how to minimise your involvement with large corporations. Move the money from global to local.
visit www.noncorporate.org
Find out how to move to a more sustainable life style. This site is a treasure trove of practical information.
visit www.lowimpact.org
You can help plant trees without leaving your Smartphone/Laptop!
Simply replace your search engine with Ecosia - profits are transformed into trees!
It costs you nothing and takes only a few minutes - read about it here...
And get your app here...
Simply replace your search engine with Ecosia - profits are transformed into trees!
It costs you nothing and takes only a few minutes - read about it here...
And get your app here...
Avoid plastic bags & packaging
get refills at these local outlets.
Kidderminster - Eat.Love.Yoga - Comberton Hill - café and refills
Stourport - The Vegan Hub, High Street - café and refills
Bromsgrove - Nature’s Intention - High Street - see web site
Worcester - Pack It In - The Shambles - see web site
get refills at these local outlets.
Kidderminster - Eat.Love.Yoga - Comberton Hill - café and refills
Stourport - The Vegan Hub, High Street - café and refills
Bromsgrove - Nature’s Intention - High Street - see web site
Worcester - Pack It In - The Shambles - see web site
email Transition Kidderminster at
[email protected]
talk to us on 07867 502575
Newsletter feedback/news items to
[email protected]
Visit our informative website at
transitionkidderminster.org.uk
2019 newsletter back issues at
tknews19.weebly.com
Join us on Facebook !
Get involved - it's your future too!
[email protected]
talk to us on 07867 502575
Newsletter feedback/news items to
[email protected]
Visit our informative website at
transitionkidderminster.org.uk
2019 newsletter back issues at
tknews19.weebly.com
Join us on Facebook !
Get involved - it's your future too!
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