Hi everyone!
This Tuesday evening the food group will be discussing the implications of the proposed TTIP legislation, and on Thursday evening RE-conomy Cambridge will be opening up the question of money - how to get it (!) and the ethical issues raised by social entrepreneurship. It's also a great week for the green-fingered: on Thursday evening join Permies in Pubs for a bit of added inspiration for the next month, and you'll be treated to insider tips from a master composter at this Saturday's composting skillshare. If you'd like to get involved with Transition there is no better time so check out our volunteer vacancies below. Don't forget to scroll down as there are loads of things happening across Cambridge this week. Read on...
18:30-20:00, Earl of Beaconsfield pub, Mill Road
TTIP stands for 'Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership'. It's a far-ranging piece of proposed legislation which could have impacts on the food system and elsewhere; it was debated in Parliament this week. Bring info about TTIP to share, join us to uncover the implications and what it may mean. There's plenty of info on the net and in the media - a starting points is here for the official EU take on TTIP. See George Monbiot in the Guardian for some of the arguments against TTIP here
19:30, 6 Bells Covent Garden, Cambridge
A meeting to talk over all things permaculture in a friendly atmosphere. All welcome from knowing nothing to expert. We will have some books around to look at and some ideas for practical things to do over the next month or so. If you have any questions, ask Dave
19:30-21:30, Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane CB5 8BA
Booking advised Is there a place for 'solo-preneurs', social enterprises and income streams within Transition Cambridge? How can we fund core Transition Cambridge activities? Is it acceptable or desirable for people to earn income in a voluntary community? You're warmly invited to join us to explore these and other issues around the relationship of money in Transition Cambridge - All welcome! Contact Jacky Sutton-Adam for more information. Read more about the Reconomy movement.
10:00-12:00, Rock Road Library, Rock Road, off Cherry Hinton Rd (Hills Rd end)
Free, drop-in skillshare in new Library community room and, weather allowing in the community garden. All ages and abilities. Learn from Liz our master composter about the why and how of composting. Cambridge Woodworks will donate a compost bin from pallets and have hotlogs to sell. Help us turn the existing compost, and see what mini beasts are living in it. Recycling champions will be giving out free green kitchen waste bins and samples of free soil conditioner. You could use the latter to start some fruit and veg seeds off in recycled containers. It will be cosy and warm and there will be refreshments too! Looking forward to meeting you. Donations to Friends and Transition would be welcome. More details here.
19:30, Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane CB5 8BA
'Voices of Transition' has been described as a film which is optimistic but clear-sighted. It reframes current and impending crises as positive challenges! The film explores: farmers and researchers demonstrating agroforestry in France; Transition groups bringing food production into the heart of UK cities - showing how city-dwellers can become active players transforming communities towards local resilience; decentralised, organic food production in Cuba. You can find trailers and more info on the film's website. Rob Hopkins, co-initiator of the Transition movement says: “Voices of Transition educates, opens minds to new possibilities and presents a new vision of how our food system could be. As a historic transition unfolds, this film is a very powerful tool.” You can see his recommendation for the film here. Following the film showing, we will chat about food initiatives in and around Cambridge, and what we might do towards local food resilience. We suggest a donation of £3-£5 to enable us to cover costs. More details here.
10:00-13:00, Trumpington allotments
Join experienced allotmenteer Dave Fox on his plot in Trumpington. Novices and experienced growers all welcome - this is a mutual sharing, not a lesson:) In the 21st February session we will tend winter crops, prune fruit bushes and top fruit, and dig some parnsips. Take some produce home with you. Join in here. More details here.
19:30-21:30, Rushmore Room, St Catherine's College
The Wisdom to Survive: Climate Change, Capitalism and Community is an artistic documentary exploring how unlimited growth and greed are destroying the life support system of the planet. In the film, activists, artists, musicians, academics and faith leaders explore what a sustainable society might look like. The event is free, and will be followed by a facilitated discussion. Refreshments provided. More details here.
19:30-21:00, Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane CB5 8BA
Many of us are making changes in our lives towards a low carbon world, but to make this happen on a wider scale we need serious, hard-hitting economic measures too. What are the options, how do they work, and are they practical in the real world? Come and find out about carbon taxes, cap and trade and other options from Prof. Michael Grubb, Professor of International Energy and Climate Change Policy at UCL and senior advisor to Ofgem. More details here.
19:30-21:00, Lord Ashcroft International Business School, Anglia Ruskin University East Road CB1 1PT (Main entrance)
Do you wish politicians would listen to your views on the environment and sustainability? Not sure how to vote? Come to this free event and put your questions to Cambridge’s parliamentary candidates, with Dr Aled Jones in the chair to ensure fair play and a good debate. Informal discussions can continue afterwards. The following parliamentary candidates will be present: Chamali Fernando (Conservative), Julian Huppert (Lib Dem), Rupert Read (Green) and Daniel Zeichner (Labour). Dr Aled Jones is Director of the Global Sustainability Institute at Anglia Ruskin University. Organised by Transition Cambridge and Cambridge Carbon Footprint, with support from Anglia Ruskin University.
Keen to help make our local food system more sustainable? We are looking for volunteers in various roles: join us on our stalls at this year’s food events around Cambridge; help us with website content, entering events and / or creating member profiles for a few hours a week, ideally for 3-6 months; help us with social media (Facebook and Twitter); take on one of various volunteering roles for the new Sustainable Fish Cities campaign, which will be starting soon. These range from joining the core team to helping put together information packs. Volunteering can involve as little as one afternoon’s time up to several hours per week. Email info@cambridgesustainablefood.org for more information.
We really need some help with a few things at the moment, e.g. we're looking for an assistant treasurer while our treasurer is away for 2 months, and Romsey Community Garden is looking for two new coordinators. Also we're looking for someone to represent us on a new environmental coordination group in the city (working particularly with student/university groups). Interested? More info here or e-mail us to find out more!
Read an interview with Dave Fox, who runs the Grow Your Own sessions on his allotment in Trumpington. In this interview with the Transition media group (aka Oscar), he talks about his passion for growing and saving seeds. Dave is also one of the organisers of Seedy Sunday this coming Sunday (25th January). Read more here.
10:30-17:30, Wysing Arts Centre, Fox Road, Bourne, Cambridge CB23 2TX
Bringing together thinkers, artists and innovators, this day of talks, performances and workshops will explore the new ways of working that are shaping a more sustainable future for the arts and culture. Presented at Wysing in partnership with Julie's Bicycle and The Junction Cambridge. The day aims to inspire debate and equip participants with new insights and practical actions, with spotlights on: working internationally, materials and suppliers, skills sharing economies, how 'green' digital technology really is, and presentations of new work from The Cambridge Junction in collaboration with Angharad Wynn Jones. More details here.
13:00-14:00, Lord Ashcroft Building, room 109, Anglia Ruskin University
Global Sustainability Institute seminar series. Professor Giangiacomo Bravo of Linnaeus University believes that the solution to environmental problems cannot be limited to the technical dimension but also requires a serious social science perspective. Free sustainable lunch provided. For more information.
18:00-19:30, Yusuf Hamied Theatre in Christs College
There will a panel discussion, chaired by Prospect’s Bronwen Maddox with Sir Mark Walport, UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir Alan Wilson, Professor of Urban and Regional Systems, UCL and Professor Frank Kelly, Master, Christ’s College followed by questions and a wine reception afterwards. The event will be jointly hosted by Prospect Magazine and Foresight and everyone must register.
19:30, Latimer Room, Clare College, CB2 1TL
Burning biomass (mostly imported wood) to generate electricity is the government’s main solution to meeting EU renewable energy targets. But is it sustainable? And what are the impacts? Duncan Law from Biofuelwatch examines the evidence. Duncan will also discuss some positive solutions, such as Brixton Energy co-operative, and look at how campaigns are building nationally and locally. Including a short film by the Dogwood Alliance: ‘Our forests aren’t fuel: wetlands up in smoke’. Discussion and Q&A after the talk. More details here.
19:30-21:00, The Fort St George pub, Midsummer Common, CB4 1HA
CCF would like to invite you to spend a winters evening in a cosy, riverside pub thinking about and possibly planning a more climate friendly holiday for 2015. We hope the event will be informal yet inspiring, with opportunities to hear about others experiences and maybe share your own. We’ll cover: * Wild camping and cycling holidays *Home swapping * Eco-holiday greenwash * WWOOFing:World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms * Train travel at home and abroad * How to calculate the carbon footprint of your holiday Please email us to book. This event is free to attend More details here.
19:30, Reach Village Centre
Reach Community Solar Farm will be launching a share offer in Reach Village Centre on the 5th Feb to raise funds to build a small solar farm on the outskirts of the village. The completed scheme should generate roughly half of the electricity used in the village. Any surplus made after running costs will be split between a community benefit fund and interest payments to members. Do come along whether you are interested in investing or just want to find out more - or keep an eye on the reachsolarfarm.co.uk website if you can't make it along on the evening. (Various TC members are involved in this project, including Andy Rankin of Midsummer Energy (member of TC energy group) and Paul Robinson of Willow Farm (home of Waterland Organics veg-box scheme and the TC CropShare project).) More info.
09:00-17:00, St Catharine's College
The Cambridge Climate & Sustainability Forum is an all day event packed full of talks, debates, workshops and discussions. We’ve got some huge names already confirmed, like Dame Barbara Stocking (ex-CEO of Oxfam) and Stephen Tindale (ex-head of Greenpeace UK.) Through our title “Climate Change, Culture Change” we want you to consider climate change from a new perspective and open your eyes to the wider context and issues linked to climate change. Our speakers will address its interactions with poverty, governance and economics, as well as participating in a panel discussion on whether capitalism and neoliberal governments are capable of tackling the issue of climate change. The workshop sessions will look at practical ways to encourage much needed change. Included in the ticket price are morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea as well as a programme of the day’s events. Tickets are £25-35, they're selling fast so buy yours soon! Buy tickets here: http://tinyurl.com/kc8h9zz More details here.
10:00-17:00, Murray Edwards College
The organisers say: "If we want to stop climate change, we need to start seeing the issue from all angles. The hardest thing about climate change isn't the changing climate. It's everything else: Disease, Poverty, Food, Water, Energy, Water, Wildlife - the list goes on... But dealing with climate change isn't just about driving electric cars, recycling the trash and switching the lights off. It's bigger than that - it connects all of us, all over the world. Which means that you can't tackle climate change if you only see it from your own perspective. We want you to consider climate change from a new perspective - not just the one you already have. Our aim is to open your eyes to the wider context of the issues that surround climate change. In doing so, we hope to inspire you to transform the world for the better." Tickets will be on sale via the website (there's an early bird discount). More details here.
14:00-16:00, Newnham Scout and Guide Centre, Chedworth St, Cambridge CB3 9JF
Creative Communities is back on February 8 for another family-friendly, faith and climate change event. So why not come along (and bring your kids, if you have them)? We’ll have crafts, snacks and a series of short talks from members of different faith groups on their perspectives on the interaction between faith, climate change and how we respond. There will also be helpful tips and space to reflect on what we might all do practically to reduce our carbon footprints. More details here.
19:30-21:30, Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge
Cambridge Ladybirds WI is a diverse and welcoming group of women that meet every 3rd Tuesday of the Month. We are open to new members and welcome guests to our talks and events. Membership is £36 for the year and the guest fee is £4. Our 2015 programmes includes meetings on: SOS for Honeybees and Bike Maintenance. Find out more on our website.
The Gleaning Network UK is looking for an East of England Gelaning Coordinator - full info here. There is more information on the Gleaning Network here and you can also read about this opportunity on facebook. The role is voluntary and part-time but with expenses paid. The deadline is 2nd February.
Have a great week,
Hannah
Transition Cambridge aims to help Cambridge make the transition to ways of life that are more resilient in the face of rising energy prices and a changing climate.