MARCH NEWS

In the recent village survey, 87% of respondents agreed that ‘climate change and nature loss are real challenges threatening us today’ and 83% said that it was important to take action. “We may be small,” one respondent added, “but we contribute to the whole picture.” Another said “We all need to play our part in the fight against climate change and protecting the nature around us” which is exactly what FarringtonGreen is all about.”

At a lively meeting in the village hall on March 11, the Vertically Integrated Project students from the University of Bath presented more detailed findings from their survey and then discussed the findings in groups focused on 4 topics: energy generation, food consumption and waste, transport and buildings.

ENERGY GENERATION

Some villages like Compton Dando and Pensford have been investigating community  projects, which allow communities to generate their own energy. 78.6 percent of respondents expressed an interest in these. These are typically solar arrays, wind turbines or small hydro projects. Wind turbines were found, in group discussions, to be more appealing but the village isn’t high enough to make them very effective. We don’t have a water source for hydropower. So solar arrays might be feasible but land would need to be purchased for them and they they would need to be situated out of sight; there were strong feelings expressed about not wanting “an eyesore” in the village. Bath and West Community Energy advises villages like ours on these kinds of projects. Those interested in finding out more should contact VIP student Andrew Wainwright: akw37@bath.ac.uk (Please also read Andrew’s article below).

Almost everyone is interested in solar energy for their homes, with price being the biggest drawback. They might be helped by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, who announced this month that VAT will be removed from the cost of installing solar panels and wind turbines, heat pumps and insulation.

FOOD CONSUMPTION AND WASTE

The discussion group on food was very popular – and it was clear from the survey that people have already been making changes to what they buy and eat, with half the respondents saying they are now eating less meat. The other major concern with food shopping is a strong desire to avoid packaging.

But knowing what to buy is becoming bafflingly complex. Everyone wants to make good decisions, but which are the foods that are healthy both for us and for the environment, that don’t represent hundreds or thousands of air miles and are affordable? That is one of the questions that a VIP food group will try to tackle and simplify—so that we all have a better idea of the foods that have a more positive impact on the world as a whole. That project is being led by Bath student Melin Karabulutoglu: get in touch with her if you want to help.

TRANSPORTATION

It’s no surprise to anyone that traffic and air quality are huge issues in our village. The parish council has been trying for years to get speed limits on the A37 and A362 reduced, without (so far) agreement from B&NES. Air quality may improve as the country shifts to electric cars, but in the meantime, air pollution is killing more people than cigarettes. So the more cars we can get off the roads the better. Every household in the village has an average of 2 cars. What might it take to have just one?

Farrington Gurney is a village of walkers and cyclists. 51% say that walking is their main form of transport. So far there are just 11 electric cars in the village. At least 2 of these will be available for inspection on Jubilee Day, with their owners giving honest advice, not sales pitches, about making the transition. 

Cycling is a very big deal in our village – with some households having more bikes than people! Parish Councillor Phil Wade has been talking to the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) about getting a cycle/footpath built to connect with the path starting in Midsomer Norton that leads onto Bath and Frome. This plan was tried in the past, when the fallout from the global financial crisis meant that, despite overwhelming support, there was no money for it. This time could be different. There is still overwhelming support (82% ) for a cycle path but this time there might – might – be some funding too! University of Bath student Fammie Azeez is helping to pull together supporters; if you’re one of them, do please contact us.

HOUSING

With energy bills due to rise in April, everyone’s worried about their heating bills. The Climate Change Committee recently pointed out that, if gas prices remain as high as they are at the moment, decarbonizing the whole country will actually save money.

In the village, 61% are us are dependent on gas boilers, which produce both carbon emissions and particulates. So far, the village has just one heat pump. 20 percent of us rely on wood burners. So until we can use clean energy, the immediate issue is how we reduce energy consumption. How much heat can we stop leaking out of our houses, so we don’t have to consume so much oil, gas and wood? Old houses are a bigger problem than newer ones – many of the recent houses are very energy efficient – but nobody wants to pay a penny more for their comfort than they have to.

One respondent advised that everyone should get those gas boilers serviced regularly. Good point. But University of Bath student, Tom Roberts, has a more creative idea. What if, using thermal imaging surveys, we could get the whole village surveyed for heat loss? Tom’s been working with C.H.E.E.S.E.: the non-profit Cold Homes Energy Efficiency Survey Experts, based in Bristol.

Getting every house surveyed would cost a lot. But many houses in the village—from the old miners’ cottages to the newer houses—are quite similar. So Tom asked CHEESE to see whether they would work with us, surveying one house from every style – but sharing the results of the survey with anyone living in that kind of house. This could mean that for a very small sum most people in the village could get a good professional recommendation for how and where to insulate their homes.

There are lots of details to be worked through: Thermal imaging surveys are not viable until the autum when the difference in temperature between the inside and the outside are greater. But in the meantime Tom and his fellow students will be roaming the village survey the different styles of house we have. CHEESE are pretty excited about an entire community having access to solid information to reduce energy bills and carbon emissions. We will need help with this project, so if you are interested please contact Tom.

In the meantime, thanks to the good graces of John Treble, the Village Hall has had a thorough energy survey by a professional energy surveyor, Andy Snipe. He is due to report back soon about the feasibility of solar panels on the village hall roof and other ways in which the hall might be made more energy efficient. It’s one of the biggest buildings in the village, so could make the biggest impact.

There is still a lot of data to be crunched, to understand better views and habits of the village and to identify further projects which could reduce our collective carbon footprint. You will hear more about this in months and years to come! In the meantime, thanks to everyone who filled out the survey, to everyone who attended the meeting and shared their ideas and to everyone who’s willing to help. As they say: history is made by the people who turn up!

·         54 percent of respondents said that the environment mattered most to them, with 33% saying that community mattered most.

·         Why had people come to the village? 20% were born here, 23% worked nearby, 32% came because of their love for country life and 24% because of their love of village life.

·         More housing for young people was wanted.

·         85% of people wanted maps of public footpaths and bridleways put up in the village.

·         Then, as now, there was little enthusiasm for sharing private cars but transport was an issue, with 36% of villagers having trouble getting to a cinema, a library or a leisure centre.

·         Villagers wanted to be connected to the gas main.

·         Church attendance was low; most of the village had attended one service in the previous 5 years. Attendance was evenly split between St. John’s and the Methodist chapel.

·         Tennis was popular with over a third of the village wanting a tennis club—and tennis courts were the leisure facility most wanted.

CHALLENGE: Can you identify more spaces in the village for trees? If we can find the space and get permission, we could get funding for the trees. But we need to find a home for them first. If you spot a place, please take a picture and send us an email with as many details as you have to.

We’ll keep you posted on the numbers…

What can we really do about Global Warming?

Scientists have been trying to communicate the problem – and its solutions – for years, but until recently governments have been reluctant to act.  Today, every country surveyed shows most people have either concern or strong concern about global warming.  Interestingly, this puts us, as individuals, in a position of some power.   

Our actions have impact in three ways: on governments, who now see climate change as a way to gain re-election; on companies, who are busy adjusting their products and services to better match our demands; and on other individuals, who, studies show, are highly influenced by the choices of people around them. 

I believe we are approaching a social tipping point.  A point in time when this groundswell of opinion causes governments, companies and other people to switch their choices to ones which start to help the environment and finally begin the process of climate restoration.   

We’ve already seen the early signs: Green MPs forming part of governments in Scotland, Germany and elsewhere; a huge increase in the amount of renewable energy generation; and widespread acceptance of electric vehicles.  Not too many years ago it would have been impossible to imagine a UK government banning the sale of diesel engines in cars, or even committing to reduce net emissions to zero.  And though we have a long way to go before we are truly on any kind of path which will get us there, the way our attitudes have been changing gives us strong grounds for hope. 

Because changes like this do not proceed in straight lines.  Like so many things, they come “gradually, then all at once.”  And it’s at times like this that our individual actions have the most effect. 

Ironically, it was the fossil fuel lobby which first came up with the concept of personal carbon footprints.  Their intention was to direct people’s attention away from the harm done by pumping large quantities of poisonous gasses into the air and instead have us focus on recycling, litter picking, and plastic straws.  But each of those things, small though they are, do make a difference.  And as more and more people take up these new behaviours, so living in an unnecessarily polluted world seems more and more ridiculous.  We are now beginning to ask the really important questions, such as, how can we construct a society that reverses climate change and gives us a better world to live in. 

So just what can you do to help?  Well, you can learn about the effects of your actions on the climate.  Ask about the climate impact of the products and services you buy.  Join and form groups of people sharing interests.  Look for ways to reuse, rethink and repair, instead of simply buying new. There are also many specific suggestions under the topics of Food, Transport, Nature, etc.  But perhaps the biggest effect you can have is to pass on what you have learned – share your activities and decisions with other people, and stop electing politicians who take no action. 

Andrew Wainwright is a economics PhD student at the University of Bath.  He is currently working on community energy projects, carbon dioxide removal initiatives, and policies to encourage the circular economy, growth of net zero infrastructure in the global south and a rather intriguing opportunity to turn oilrigs into generators of cheap, green hydrogen. His email address is akw37@bath.ac.uk