RIBI ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY GROUP NEWSLETTER FOR CLUBS & DISTRICTS FEBRUARY 2015 EARTH HOUR Earth Hour is due to be held on SATURDAY 28 MARCH 2015 FROM 8.30 P.M. TO 9.30 P.M. The idea of Earth Hour is to encourage everyone to turn off all electrical equipment for that hour. As a Club, why not turn off all the lights and hold at least an hour of the regular weekly meeting nearest to the 28 March by candlelight? In this way you would be bringing this event to the attention of your members and highlighting the importance of reducing our carbon footprint. Earth Hour is the largest movement for the planet in human history, spanning 7,000 cities, 152 countries with a digital reach of 200 million. Earth Hour is much, much more than a symbolic action of switching off lights for an hour; it’s a continuous movement driving actions, big and small, that are changing the world we live in. There is a leaflet about it on the RIBI web site. CLIMATE WEEK – 2 TO 8 MARCH 2015 At the moment it is not certain this will take place in 2015. I have been in contact with the founding organiser and he said that he was still seeking sponsorship to enable this to take place. I think we may have to assume it is not going ahead as it is only a short time now until it should take place and their web site has not been updated since last year. I will let you know if there are any further developments. FRACKING This is very much in the news at the moment with, only recently, new regulations coming into operation whereby, for example, it will not now be permitted in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Many Councils have to make a decision as to whether or not to allow it. If you want the opportunity of finding out what it is all about, one of our members, Professor Keith Tovey, has kindly prepared a Power Point talk which you can get from the web site or from me. I have also done a few notes to go with it, and there is also a full information paper available on the web site. Somehow we have to meet our future energy needs and fracking is but one way of doing this. However it comes at an environmental cost, so why not give your Rotary Club the opportunity of learning all the facts? The plan shows geological areas where fracking could take place. TREE PLANTING at Home or Abroad! Planting trees can be so important. Broadleaf tree planting helps to offset our carbon emissions. Trees provide wild life habitats. They can prevent erosion. They can reduce the invasion of bracken. They can provide food (e.g. fruit and nut trees). They can be a symbol of remembrance. Below are a few examples of how tree planting has achieved all these results. N.B. You will see a lot of the projects involve school children. Planting trees is a wonderful way to encourage young people to be involved. COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING The Woodland Trust provides FREE tree packs for community tree projects. Packs can be 30, 60, 105 or 420 trees and there are several categories from which to choose – all year colour, wild life, working wood, hedge etc. For planting next November applications must be in by the 3 September at the latest, but this date could be brought forward if demand is heavy, so apply early.
WORLD WAR ONE MEMORIAL TREES Several Clubs have planted trees as an act of remembrance of those who fought 100 years ago in the First World War. The Woodland Trust hope to have 3 million trees planted over the next 4 years dedicated to this. The Trust’s trees are quite small and may not suit some areas, so it may be necessary to buy trees. These can be from about 50/60p for a ‘whip’ (which will need a stake and sleeve which cost about £2) up to a tree about 10 foot high which would cost around £50 with a stake and buckle tie. Some have planted a tree for each person who was killed in action in their community. In one larger town all the schools have planted a tree dedicated to a regiment who fought in the War. TREES IN MEMORIAM Many Councils cannot afford to plant trees, but one way of helping them is to set up a Trees in Memoriam Scheme. To start it off, you can use trees which have already been planted in public parks or along roadsides. Agree a price with the Council – say about £75 for a 10ft tree or up to £250 for a larger tree – and then sell them on to members of the public in memory of a loved one. A tree is a ‘living’ memory and will last 100 years or more as against a park bench which usually costs a lot more and lasts only a few years. Hold a Tree Dedication Service for the relatives and friends in situ, and, if it impractical for there to be a commemorative plaque with the tree (e.g. mowing problems), start of Book of Remembrance showing the location of the tree, the name(s) of those to whom the tree is dedicated, and the names of those who wish to be associated with the tree. This can then be kept in a local library or museum. The money you then get can be passed back to the Council to enable them to plant more trees. There are leaflets on this including a Service of Dedication on the web site, or ask me for more details. CARBON EMISSIONS OFFSET SCHEME There are many areas where trees can be planted in bulk especially in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You will find fields which are of no further use for grazing where bracken has taken over, and farmers are more than happy to allow these to be planted. For this you will need a minimum size tree of ‘whip’ size, which, with a stake and protective sleeve, cost around £2.50 each. In my own area the Nidderdale AONB has only a 5% tree cover as against the national average of 8% and a target of 10%. So far we have planted over 13,000 from money donated by both Rotarians and the general public who wish to offset their carbon emissions. If you or your Club do not have access to a place where trees can be planted, then you can contribute trees to the Nidderdale Scheme through me. Details on the web site. TREES FOR MOUNT KILIMANJARO The Sustainability Trust and Sustainable Global Gardens have joined with Rotary Clubs in the Kilimanjaro region & other local organisations to replace trees felled for woodfuel, building materials and land clearance over the last 50 years. The idea is to plant fruit trees to encourage the local people not to cut them down, but to benefit from the crops. Trees are needed as the ice cap on the mountain is melting due to deforestation and considerable erosion has taken place. See the web site for a leaflet or contact the Sustainability Trust direct on peter@TheSustainabilityTrust.org or their web site www.TheSustainabilityTrust.org IRISH BORDER FOREST The Peace Forest Ireland project developed in Dublin North Rotary Club with Forest Friends Ireland. Tree plantings have taken place in Leitrim/ Fermanagh, Dundalk and Newry and Dowra Co. Cavan. Plans are under way to plant trees during 2015 Tree Week March 1-8 Irish Republic and 28 November - 6 December Northern Ireland. The project aims to assist the Northern Ireland peace process, by
bringing together communities agencies and individuals north and south of the border, providing tree and forest culture education, developing joint enterprises in horticulture woodland crafts and management, creating sustainable jobs, tackling climate change, setting up management structures to ensure success, creating a linear woodland continuum, of hedgerows, groves, woodlands, forests depending on the availability of land, planting native Irish hardwood broadleaf trees based on local provenance, maximising biodiversity, utilising local expertise, forming linkages with existing peace forests including the European Peace Forest, planting commemorative peace trees for those who died in the Northern Ireland conflict. Reference http://www.rotarydublinnorth.ie/ and https://www.facebook.com/peaceforestireland TREES FOR LIFE Fancy planting trees in Scotland? Trees for Life are asking for volunteers to come and plant trees for a week in eight different locations – such as the Isle of Skye (illustrated) – staying in lodges nearby. There are about 10 in a group with two experienced supervisors working alongside. You even get a day off when you will be taken to a local attraction. You have to be over 18 and reasonably fit! A list of essential clothing and equipment is available to view on the Trees for Life web site as are the various locations and available dates. They start from late March and go on through April and May in some locations and then again from August through to November. Visit their web site on www.treesforlife.org.uk/plant-trees NEXT MONTH will feature the Rotary Spring Clean Campaign http://www.rotarygbi.org/members/humanitarian-service-programmes/community/environmentsustainability-group/environment-projects/ takes you direct to our web page on the RIBI web site. There you will find leaflets on all the subjects above as well as many others which I am sure you will find useful. If you need any help or advice, please contact the person or Club named on the leaflet or me, Terry Knowles, Member of the RIBI Environmental Sustainability Group, TERUNA2@aol.com.Tel 01423 525014