Responding to the 'Code RED for humanity' - in Shaftesbury, Dorset and beyond; Hedgehog-friendly news; Local area updates: in-person meetings,  local nature network, Great Big Tree Festival, and more

Code RED for Shaftesbury ...

This strikingly colourful artwork (by Alisa Singer) accompanied the recent IPCC report that gave a scientific assessment of climate changes. It was described by UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, as "a code red for humanity".  We must make a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions globally before 2030 if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change. It's a big challenge - can our own actions make a difference? Two of the contributing authors, Amanda Maycock & Ed Hawkins, said "Every fraction of warming matters", "Every tonne of CO2 matters".  Of course we need action from government and the global leaders who will meet at COP26 in November, but the report also adds to the pressure on individual businesses and households. A realistic path for the UK to achieve 'Net Zero' (which means we've stopped adding to total atmospheric greenhouse gases) by 2050 involves reducing emissions by approximately 50% from current levels by 2030.

A chart showing the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the average local household has been posted on the website forum. To get a more accurate assessment for your own household you'd need to use a carbon footprint calculator such as that offered by the WWF, or Giki offers an app which helps you to both measure and reduce your carbon footprint.

The chart helps us to see what a 50% reduction means for our households.

• The annual emissions from the average Shaftesbury home is equivalent to 3.23 tonnes CO2. More than 50% of these emissions are coming from the mains gas many of us use for cooking or heating. Planet Shaftesbury is promoting a Dorset-wide event at the end of September where people who have adapted their homes or lifestyles to use less fossil fuel energy can host visitors who want to know more about their experience of eliminating draughts, alternatives to gas-fired boilers, and more. To consider opening your home (one or two half days is fine) along with other Shaftesbury-area hosts please email Rachel (rachel.bodle@gmail.com). Details about visiting the open greener homes will be made available next month.
• Could Shaftesbury households reduce their travel-related emissions if our bus services were much improved? What would it take to get you on to public transport? The government has made money available for improvements and Dorset Council is looking for ideas through a survey launched at the end of July. The survey is on their website but you can also telephone Owen Clark on 01305 228227 or email your comments to busbackbetter@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk  
• Achieving a 50% reduction is not something any of us can do easily - we need to tackle lifestyle changes step-by-step. Sustainable Dorset has published a comprehensive Green Living Guide. They also offer encouragement to groups of households that use the guide, working together to reduce their impact on the planet - use this link to find out more. Some of us are keen to assemble additional information on helpful resources and services available locally - please email with suggestions for inclusion or to get involved: planetshaftesbury@gmail.com

In case of emergency, break ... the pattern?

Time to say 'YES'?: Dorset Council is currently considering the planning application for a solar farm near Motcombe. The applicants propose to rent the land for 40 years after which the panels and other structures will be dismantled. A number of local residents and both Gillingham and Shaftesbury town councils have decided to ask Dorset to refuse the application saying it will have an adverse impact on the countryside, spoil the view, impede tree planting in part of the Gillingham Royal Forest, or be inappropriate adjacent to the historic landscape of Kings Court Wood. On the other hand, nationally the proportion of electricity generated by renewables remains less than 50%, and we'll need even more clean electricity as we cut our emissions from home heating and private cars. In an emergency, should this be the deciding factor? If you'd like to comment on the application (by 31st August) this link will take you to it on Dorset Council's planning website. The online form asks for your name and contact details; whether you are objecting to the solar farm,supporting the application or just commenting; and offers an opportunity for a brief statement to back up your response. It can take less than 5 minutes! 

Time to say 'NO'?: At this time, should any consideration be given to new coal mines or oil wells? Extinction Rebellion are taking action in London for two weeks from 23rd August for a rebellion telling government and financiers in the City of London "Stop all new fossil fuel investment immediately". The richest countries have spent $40bn more on fossil fuels than clean energy since the pandemic. The latest XR newsletter comments this is the opposite of ‘building back better’. If you want to join in, or support from home, you can find out more here. And if you haven't done it already and have a pension scheme, make sure the investment policies align with your values.

Hedgehogs

Becoming a Hedgehog Friendly Town: Around 30 people were at July's Covid-cautious public meeting to learn more about the Dorset Mammal Group and their work. Susy and Colin Varndell gave an informative illustrated talk during which several of those present described their local hedgehog encounters. This meeting put us on the road to becoming a Hedgehog Friendly Town. 

The next Hedgehog Friendly Shaftesbury meeting is 30th September: 7.30pm at Town Hall. If you have hedgehogs in your garden, want to enhance your garden for hedgehogs or just want to join us in making Shaftesbury a safe and nurturing environment for our hedgehogs and help our populations thrive, come along for an interactive discussion to take Hedgehog Friendly Shaftesbury forward. Susy and Colin Varndell will be with us again, this time with lots of information about what we can do to help hedgehogs in Shaftesbury and the surrounding areas. Bring along your own ideas to share and tell us what you are doing for hedgehogs in your garden and you will take away a FREE hog pack, full of information about hedgehogs and how we can help them! There will also be an opportunity to join a small group who aim to be able to care for sick or injured hedgehogs locally and receive training in hedgehog care and first aid. 

Contact shaftesburyhedgehogs@gmail.com to find out more, join the mailing list or report your hedgehog sightings in and around Shaftesbury.

Planet Shaftesbury meetings at the Town Hall: 3rd Thursday of the month, 7.30pm. The session on 19th August identified a number of complementary themes for meetings over the coming months as well as triggering a number of people to think of initiating public events. Join in as we decide where we could have a presence, how we can respond to increased awareness of the climate emergency, and what we can offer to people who want to make life-style changes. All welcome. Event details are on the website including our Covid-cautious approach. We request that you register on Eventbrite so that we can manage the number of participants. You won't need a ticket.

Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show:  Planet Shaftesbury participation with Greener Gillingham and Hawkers Farm at the G&S Show combined hard work, some thought-provoking challenges, rewarding conversations and a lot of fun.  The stand attracted many visitors including Simon Hoare MP.  Those involved are about to hold a celebration and debrief which will feed into future event planning. (We last had a 'Climate & Environmental Crisis' constituency meeting with our MP in Blandford, Feb 2020. Is it time to arrange another public meeting with him? Ed.) 

A Local Nature Network: Rewilding and making space for nature are hugely important tools in our race to tackle climate change and reverse biodiversity decline. Mariko Whyte wants to hear from you if you're interested in these topics and already doing your bit, or have an interest in learning more. She is setting up a new project that will connect up individuals, organisations and landowners in and around Shaftesbury to join the dots and create a landscape full of wildlife.The idea is that we can work together to share resources, ideas, inspiration and access funding to do things on a much larger scale!  An initial meeting will be planned in autumn to give everyone a chance to meet up, find out more and share ideas. To register your interest and receive information about these plans email mariko.h.whyte@gmail.com 

Wildflower verge trials are now in their 2nd year. 2021 has seen a particularly colourful display attracting a lot of public support and also insect visitors!  The plan was created as part of the Council's Climate Emergency plan.  Representatives from interested parties including Councillors, Shaftesbury in Bloom, the Grounds team, Open Spaces Group and Planet Shaftesbury recently met to discuss the experience and how to develop things for the future, with expert advice from Mariko Whyte. Currently an audit is underway to assess the suitability of more plots where native wildflowers might flourish and where a mixture of wildflowers and manicured grass might thrive together.  One spectacular outcome of reduced mowing was the appearance in June of a native wild Common-spotted Orchid opposite the old Cann School by the Royal Chase roundabout!

Re-signing the North Dorset Cycleway: A couple of our keen cyclists have been working with Sustrans to ensure that the formerly labelled NCN253 is now identifiable as the North Dorset Cycleway, distinctive and no longer part of the national cycle network. One commented that the work has been a wonderful way of discovering previously unfamiliar parts of the local area!

Grow to Give: is a national initiative directing fresh locally grown fruit and vegetables to food banks and community fridges. It's being supported by Shaftesbury's Community Fridge which is open in the car park of The Father's House on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Allotment and garden growers are invited to drop produce off between 10-12 & 2-4 when there will normally be a volunteer to receive it.

Shaftesbury Fringe 28-30 August includes a sustainability fair at the Town Hall on these three days along with a Planet Shaftesbury information stall. Workshops include T-shirt printing, make do & mend, and repair demonstrations - see the Fringe programme for details. This has all been brought together by Georgie Faulkner-Bryant of Myrtle & Marigold - the local liquid soap refill service that reduces our plastic waste. 

Great Big Tree Festival 23-26th September: The festival corresponds with Great Big Green Week, a national week of events celebrating action on climate change. Shaftesbury's Tree Festival is an invitation for each of us to celebrate the beautiful mature trees we have, the new trees and hedgerows that have been planted this year, and will also mark the launch of planting plans for winter 2021/22.  There's still time to add your own public or private event to the music, poetry, walks and more in the programme. Drop a line to Bethlewis560@gmail.com. Full details of what's happening will be unveiled at the Fringe. 

Gillingham Walkers Welcome are hosting a walking festival again this year. 4-11th September. Themes include bats, meadow flowers, red kites & more. 

Hawkers Re-Creatives: This hub for sustainable fashion is open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10-4  at Hawkers Farm (near Duncliffe Wood car park). Free admission. See www.hawkersfarm.org for details. 

Artemis Festival is a new environmental event in North Dorset focusing on Natural History, Conservation and Sustainability - to take place at the Turnpike Showground, 23 & 24 July 2022. There are opportunities to get involved in this exciting project which will include live talks, interactive workshops, demonstrations and activities to engage visitors with the natural world as well as live music and entertainment. See the website https://www.artemisfestival.co.uk/ 

Wider Perspectives

Dorset Climate Action Network (Dorset CAN): connects all those in Dorset who share their dream - a Dorset with clean rivers, fantastic public transport, chemical free fields, carbon neutral homes for everyone, not just the rich, regenerating wildlife, locally-grown food, resilient town and village communities AND the Great Dorset Hedge. Could you sign up to this (it's free)? You can choose to receive their Dorset newsletter; hear what teams working on Land Use, Transport or Energy are getting up to; support campaigns; attend a fundraiser in Stour Provost (26th August). Link to all this & more here.

Petitions from our post-bag:

• This CPRE petition asks the government to give more protection to hedgerows.
• A petition to UK government seeks a ban on urban and garden pesticides. Find it here.  

The next monthly newsletter will be distributed in the 3rd week of September. If you have news to share please send it to planetshaftesbury@gmail.com