Posts filed under 'Environment'
The Devon Wildlife Trust got in touch with some spiffing details of a photography competition to capture the creatures of the coastlines (uniquely there are two coastlines in Devon donchaknow).
“Wembury Marine Centre and the Plymouth group of the Marine Conservation Society are running a photo competition this month to help promote the weird and wonderful wildlife found off our coasts.
“The competition is open to all and the theme is ‘Marine Conservation - the good, the bad and the ugly’. Entries should illustrate some aspect of British marine conservation. This could include beautiful coastal landscapes worth conserving, people working in conservation, marine or beach pollution, marine related animal or plant species at risk.
“There are four classes in the competition: Underwater Adult, Underwater Junior (under 16), Land Adult and Land Junior (under 16). The deadline for entries is 18 July 08.
“Cat Ridout who runs Wembury Marine Centre said: ‘I’m delighted to be involved with this photographic competition. I hope it will be the first of many and help to promote our marine environment which often gets overlooked. The competition is open to all and is not just for underwater pictures so next time you go for a walk on the beach, take your camera and get snapping!’
“The competition will be judged by Peter Rowlands (underwater photographer), Neil Hope (Deputy Picture Editor, Western Morning News), Paul Naylor (underwater photographer) and a member of staff from Plymouth College of Art and Design.
“The entries will be displayed at Wembury Marine Centre from Saturday 9 August to Sunday 17 August. Prizes will be awarded at an evening event at the Centre in August.
“For more information about the competition and the prizes on offer, visit the competition website or call 01752 862538.”
Pic, a sunset coral, by Keith Hiscock.
———————————————————————————–
————————————————————————————
Has this information been useful?
July 4th, 2008
posted by Cptn
Way back in the smog of time, this publication carried a regular column called Mill Communication, which was intended to “pick the juiciest tidbits from those Trago Mills/UKIP local newspaper adverts so you don’t have to”.
Seems we may need to do run it again to save citizens their sanity - we got this message through from Roberto Franceschini of the European Movement, Devon Branch:
“The Western Morning News published the European Movement letter of complaint against UKIP abusing their column in the weekly Trago Mills advertisement page. Unfortunately, they inserted a paragraph from the Government Agency Natural England on windpower which made nonsense of the text I sent them. So, today I sent WMN the letter below:
‘The following extraneous paragraph was slipped probably in error into my letter “No grandees in our European Movement” published on Wednesday July 2.
‘It said: “Natural England, the Government’s statutory adviser on wildlife and landscape protection, has promised to publish a map setting out suitable locations for onshore wind developments in England.”
‘This error made a nonsense of the complaint I was making about the irresponsible use of Trago’s advertisement in the WMN by UKIP. If Mr Challice and his party wish to make such statements at the very least they should be factually accurate.
‘I do not consider it good enough to provide the public with misleading slurs at the expense of a respected local organization that gives the public an opportunity to hear from a wide range of experts on many topical European issues.
‘The European Movement Devon Branch which has been operating in Devon since 1975 only wishes it could say the same for UKIP’s activities.”
The whole thing seems kooky to us here in the belly of the PRSD’s barometer of bilge, but before we enter into a debate about the end-of-pier routine that is UKIP – who are quite happy to bemoan the gravy train and yet pocket the cash – we thoroughly applaud Natural England’s approach to onshore wind maps.
Creative Commons photo © 2004 by Tomasz Sienicki, tsca#sdf.lonestar.org
————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————
Has this information been useful?
July 2nd, 2008
posted by Cptn
Devon has a super record on recycling, it’s one of the top local authorities in the country, donchaknow, so it would have been nice if South West MEP Graham Watson had mentioned that in his press release about the agreement between MEPs and Europe’s environment Ministers to set a target of recycling 50% of household waste by 2020, and 70% for industrial and commercial waste.
In fact, “The percentage of rubbish recycled in the Devon County Council area is now 50.5%, according to the latest figures for April to September. That is an increase from 45.6% last year, and well above the national average of 30.9%,” according the a Devon CC press release from December 21, 2007.
“The best recycling areas in Devon are Teignbridge with 60.4% (55.34% not including Devon County Council’s recycling centres), South Hams 59.04% (57.06% without DCC’s recycling centres) and Mid Devon 53.35% (49.69% without DCC’s recycling centres).”
There’s always more to do, but a bit of recognition of the hard work and the growing commitment to recycling would be good.
———————————————————————————–
————————————————————————————
Has this information been useful?
July 2nd, 2008
posted by Cptn
Advocate of nuclear power, Giles Chichester MEP, has been invited by the Industry Forum to give the keynote address at their Meeting on Climate Change at the Chemical Industries Association in London today.
Giles, who oft remarks on how nuclear is the environmentally cleanest and best positioned to be the energy of choice now, is a member of the EU Temporary Committee on Climate Change which was created to ‘formulate an integrated approach to climate change policies’. So you’d guess his comments echo those from European Parliament discussions.
He is also coordinator of the the European People’s Party (not THAT sort of People’s) and European Democrats (not THOSE sort of Democrats) group on the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee. He is also chairman of the European Energy Forum and the Conservative Delegation’s Energy spokesman in the Parliament. But from what we can gather, he aint no lover of green.
• Read Giles’ press release about his expenses scrape.
———————————————————————————–
————————————————————————————
Has this information been useful?
June 30th, 2008
posted by Cptn
If yesterday’s cycling fun in Exeter is to make more a lasting impression (saddle soreness notwithstanding), then it might be advisable for all those peddle pushers to freewheel it to the Exeter Beyond the Car talk by Peter Lipman, organised by Low Carbon Exeter, which takes place at the Music Room, Exeter Central Library, on Wednesday July 2 at 7pm.
“Peter Lipman,” says the press release, “works on practical projects dealing with sustainable transport at Sustrans and is also chair of trustees of the Centre for Sustainable Energy and the Transition Network.”
And if the 350 people who attended the Cycle Sunday event at Exeter’s Flowerpot playing fields is anything to go on, there should be support for at least one non-motorised form of transport.
————————————————————————————
Has this information been useful?
June 23rd, 2008
posted by Cptn
Bike Week cruised into action yesterday, and if you’re a little concerned by saddle soreness or not being able to pull the wheelies of your youth, consider this sobering piece of information which was included in the press release: ‘With unleaded petrol costing on average £1.16 a litre anyone cycling even a 10-mile round trip each day for five days can save around £7 per week in petrol costs alone.**’
But it’s not just the price of fuel that can persuade you to the peddles – there are health and lifestyle considerations, too.
Cathy McGarvey, of South West Water, cycled to work for the first time this week having completed Devon County Council’s cycle training course for adults, Cycle To Your Heart’s Content. She told the PRSD: “I had never cycled to work before the course and went on it to gain more confidence of cycling on roads in traffic and it has really helped. It’s only four miles from my home to work but it was much more pleasant than a car journey.”
Zoe Humble, who cycles from Stoke Hill to Landmark Information at Sowton Industrial Estate, said: “Having not ridden for 20 years it was a bit daunting to cycle again but it’s enjoyable, especially at this time of year. The main reason I cycle to work is for my health and it’s surprising how quickly your fitness and confidence improves, but I’m also saving around £30 a month. The county council’s cycle maps of Exeter have helped immensely at finding off-road routes. There are cycle paths that you aren’t aware of as a driver. I didn’t realise that 90 per cent of my journey is on a cycle lane, some of which is across green fields. The provision of the cycle network has helped me feel a lot more confident about tackling the journey.”
• Events being held during Bike Week include a free Dr Bike clinic and free police security marking outside WHSmith’s in Exeter Guildhall on Monday 16 June, from 9am - 5pm.
• Employees on the Sowton Industrial Estate and Exeter Business Park are invited to Ashfords Solicitors on Grenadier Road for its cycling celebration from 8:30am to 4pm on Friday 20 June.
• On Sunday 22 June, Bike Week will culminate with Cycle Sunday, a celebration of cycling from 10am to 5pm which will also raise funds for FORCE Cancer Charity. The six or 12 mile charity cycle rides start at Flowerpot Playing Fields near Millers Crossing in Exeter anytime between 11am and 2pm. Entry fees are £3 for adults and £1 for children under 16. This money, together with sponsorship money from those who choose to raise it, will go to FORCE Cancer Charity. To register call 01392 402875.
Calculations
**based on the average car consumption of 37.8mpg and cost of petrol at £1.16 a litre.
4.5461 litres in a gallon, so a gallon costs £5.29
50 miles @ 37.8mpg - takes 1.323 gallons
£5.29 x 1.323 = £6.998 (rounded up to £7)
————————————————————————————
Has this information been useful?
June 15th, 2008
posted by Cptn
That super market town (or supermarket town if you prefer) is straining at the bit to strut its stuff for climate change and is in the process of setting up an environmental community group.
Group member Jackie Brodie told the PRSD: “Many people are concerned about climate change but feel that they have done as much as they can do to make changes in their own lives.
“This new group will concentrate on inspiring and supporting community-led projects that local people will be able to get involved with. We would like to work towards a positive vision for a more sustainable Newton Abbot, with a strong local economy, increased local democracy, a strengthened local food culture and more local energy provision.
“The main themes at our first meeting were the need for our group to be positive and supportive and to involve all sections and ages in our community, but in particular the young.”
Of course the group wants to hear from you. The next meeting in on Thursday June 19 at 7.45pm, and for more details email jackie@gjbrodie.freeserve.co.uk
If anyone is interested in commenting on the Devon County Council Design Brief for the pedestrianisation of Queen Street, Newton Abbot, there is to be a public consultation event at the Town Hall on June 5 between 10am and 8pm.
————————————————————————————
Has this information been useful?
June 2nd, 2008
posted by Cptn
The Appledore Visual Arts Festival kicks off today, and promises it’s usual mix of community-inspired artistic fun, which this year will be right down to earth, because that’s the theme ‘Earth’. Oh, never mind.
As Satish Kumar says: “This year’s festival brings art back to its ancient ecological roots so that we can re-connect with our environment on several levels. We can embrace its role a wonderful, natural muse but we can also start to look upon the Earth as something that we should preserve and protect for future generations of artists and makers.”
And we’ve got a list of events, so you can partake in the festival which if free to children under 18 adults will be asked to contribute £3 for a Festival Pass which will be valid for all four days. Most events are free, there are a limited number of events which have a charge including artists talks (£3/Adult) and a series of advance-booking workshops.
Children and Families:
Each day, there will be wide range of drop-in art creation events and workshops for families, many of which are specifically offered for children. These range from creating a giant scrap planet, to having a go at throwing a clay pot, to playing in the mud to create mudcloths from Mali. Children and adults can experiment painting with natural earth pigments, learn how to carve letters in local stone or help the National Trust build a dry stone wall.
Artists Residencies and a Masterclass:
Participating artists include several internationally famous artists who are inspired by Devon’s beautiful and elemental landscape.
Potter Svend Bayer will be working with local clays to create big pots on the wheel. Visitors will be able to watch him at work and also spend time talking with him about his art and his passion for clay.
Jill Abey and Jackie Smallcombe create unique cob buildings and sculptures. Working in collaboration with dry stone wallers from the National Trust and Festival visitors they will create a cob sculpture which when complete will be painted with red and ochre pigments. So roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.
Stone sculptor David Brampton-Greene will be carving stone on site. David worked extensively on the Seed, Peter Randall-Page’s massive sculpture now installed at the Eden Project. You can talk to David as he works on the Quay.
During a two day residency the highly respected artist, Christopher Cook will experiment with unorthodox combinations of media. He will explore ideas for new work using oil pigments mixed with resin, graphite and a medium new to him, Bideford Black. Bideford Black is a rare pigment found in an underground seam running through North Devon which was once used as eye liner.
Exhibitions:
Steve Thorpe is an unusual combination of artist and a coastal rock climber. The material and colours in his ’Rock Works’ are derived entirely from ground up rocks. As he climbs, he collects stones and rocks which are ground up to produce natural colours, these pigments and textures are then used to create powerful meditative paintings. His paintings are composed as walks, with the rocks he finds on a particular journey.
Artists Talks:
Thursday May 29 (7.30pm): Abey & Smallcombe will talk about their work as cob artists.
Friday May 30 (7.30pm): Svend Bayer will talk about his passion for clay and pots.
Saturday May 31 (7.30 pm) : Peter Randall-Page will be present, talking about Granite Song, a collaborative project with the photographer Chris Chapman which celebrates their local mid-Devon landscape.
Sunday June 1 (2pm): Christopher Cook will talk his Festival residency.
Theatre:
The Plough is running an exciting day long workshop on Friday May 30 from 10.30 – 3.30 pm. Children from 8 to 12 years old will have the opportunity to spend the day creating ‘The Last Apple Tree’ a Play-In-A-Day (£10 / child). Spaces available.
Angel Heart Theatre will perform their new puppet play The Nightingale, it is a magical performance with music, songs, shadow theatre and beautiful wooden puppets. Each puppet has been hand carved from limewood and wears magnificent costumes. Saturday May 31 from 2.30 – 3.30pm: £4 / person and £14.50 family ticket (2 children and 2 adults). Tickets can be bought on the door, supported by Beaford Arts.
Dance:
For those of you who love to dance, Dance In Devon will be present for all four days. On Thursday and Friday (May 29 & 30), they will be running a series of dance workshops and activities and over the weekend they will be running an open studio event with Gill Bliss a visual artist and dancers from YoYo Triptych a local dance group. The sessions are open to all Festival visitors, so feel free to come along and enjoy the chance to dance and get in to the groove.
Rebecca Jeffrey will also be running African Dance classes on Sunday June 1. Here’s a chance to learn an African Earth dance and then perform it during the Sunday afternoon Carnival Parade (£5 / person).
Films and Documentaries:
Alongside all these inspiring artists and workshops a programme of Film Shorts will be screened from 6 – 7.15pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. An eclectic selection of film titles ranging from Earth Between Our Toes to Funkenstein and from Sun In The Nightime to The Beginning should entice any interested film buff.
A beautifully made Oral History film of the special people and culture of Appledore will be screened at 1.45 and 4.30pm on Saturday May 31. The film shows their stories, memories and personalities and represents an important and personal portrayal of the unique maritime heritage of Appledore.
Open Gardens, Artists Trail and Contemporary Crafts :
Another firm favourite of the Festival is the opportunity to explore the winding streets of Appledore, a unique and historic village. There will be Open Gardens, Decorated Doorknockers and for the first time an Artists Trail where selected artists will display and sell their work in the homes of Appledore residents. Selected artists will also be selling high quality contemporary crafts including jewellery, glass, photography, stained glass and ceramics. A Trail Map will highlight were the Open Gardens and Artists Trails can be found.
Music:
Popular favourite the Appledore Silver Band will play on the Quay on Saturday at 2pm. In conjunction with Wren Trust the ReCyc Junk Band will perform the premiere of a new piece of music on Sunday at 2pm. After their performance there will be an opportunity to play their instruments. During the weekend, Bideford Folk Festival and Paul Duggins from Dicey Reilly will also be playing music on the Quay.
Festival Finale - Carnival Parade:
The Sunday afternoon finale is now a firmly established tradition. Energia the Samba Band will start playing on the Quay at 4.30pm, the Carnival Parade will start at 5.30pm. The parade is a fantastic way to close the Festival and this year should be a great spectacle with an array of art creations including a Giant Earthworm, a Scrap Planet and many other artworks created during the Festival including some beautiful carnival costumes.
Appledore is a beautiful estuary town with a maze of narrow winding streets and expansive views across the estuary of the Torridge and Taw rivers. All over the town events will be happening so come along, get creative and enjoy the fun of the festival.
May 29th, 2008
posted by Cptn
If you’re a bit cheesed off with the weather, try spending an evening in Antarctica.
Exeter University geographer Dr Chris Fogwill presents a talk entitled Antarctica: An Isolated Continent? on Thursday (May 29) at 6.30pm, at Parker Moot Room, Amory Building, Streatham Campus, Exeter.
Dr Chris Fogwill, who is a lecturer in Environmental Change and has spent a year in a tent in Antarctica, told the PRSD: “The traditional view of Antarctica is one of a cold, windy hostile environment, a place for exploration and heroic tales, very much isolated from ‘our’ world. However, recent rapid and spectacular changes in the Antarctic Ice Sheets have called this view into question and brought the giant ice sheets of Antarctica to the front of government, public and media attention. I look forward to sharing my experiences of being in this remarkable place with the people of Exeter.â€
• Chris Fogwill: Antarctica, an isolated continent? Some lessons from the past. Thursday 29 May, 6.30pm, Parker Moot Room, Amory Building, Streatham Campus, Exeter. This event is free of charge and booking is not required.
It’s part of a whole series of events organised by the university’s Geography department which aims to inform us all about the world we live in. Other planned events are:
Thursday 26 June, 6.30pm Tremough Campus, Penryn (Lecture Theatre A)
Larissa Naylor: Rock coasts on the move: effects of the March 2008 storms
Thursday 31 July, 6.30pm Streatham Campus, Exeter (Moot Room)
Tim Quine: Use and abuse of land resources
Thursday 28 August, 6.30pm Tremough Campus, Penryn (Lecture Theatre A)
Bridget Woodman: Energy Policy for a Changing Climate
Thursday 25 September, 6.30pm Streatham Campus, Exeter (Moot Room)
Stewart Barr: ‘Doing Your Bit’. Can we change our lifestyles to help the Planet?
Thursday 30 October, 6.30pm Tremough Campus, Penryn (Lecture Theatre A)
Jasper Knight Climate Change and Sandy Coastlines
Thursday 27 November, 6.30pm Streatham Campus, Exeter (Moot Room)
Chris Turney: Ice, Mud and Blood: Lessons from Climates Past
Thursday 11 December, 6.30pm Tremough Campus, Penryn (Lecture Theatre A)
Chris Caseldine: Iceland - living on the margin
————————————————————————————
Has this information been useful?
May 28th, 2008
posted by Cptn
There’s even more action than usual in Mutley next week with the Mutley Greenbank Festival, kicking off on Monday with a party in a park which includes friends to the republic, Lemanis. But before you put your dancing shoes on have a gander at what else is going on in the weeklong events that focus on arts, the environment and the community.
The week of events launch on Monday May 26 at the Levinsky building, Plymouth Uni, and there’s stuff for old and young including activities and circus skill and animation and dance, films and a cafe. (starts at 11am)
Also on Monday is the Party in the (Moorview) Park, featuring the cool sounds of Drinking Peanuts,starting proceedings at 1pm. Followed by Duncan Thorne, “and singer/songwriter Jimmy Buddha Om, the man behind the Acoustic Café evenings at the Fortescue pub. Tim Page, legendary blues guitarist and singer, will be performing with Bekah Billington, and Lemanis will be bringing their complex and interesting mix of harmonies, backed by an orchestra of wind, brass and string instruments. The evening sounds commence with get-up-and-dance local band The Bernies, followed by The Wireless, just back from a festival in Nice, and are set to crescendo with the ever popular Mad Dog McCrea.”
But that’s just Monday, there’s stuff going on every day culminating in a two-day Big Days in the Park event in Freedom Fields Park on Saturday May 31 and Sunday June 1.
Combine this with craft fair, art events, environmental afternoons and workshops and courses and you’ve got one heck of a hip and happening week, cunningly planned to co-incide with half term, in everyone’s favourite bit of the city.
————————————————————————————
We cannot live on love alone
May 24th, 2008
Previous Posts
