A Net Zero Town

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ReadingCAN has a plan to achieve a net zero town by 2030! They plea for reading communities, residents, businesses, and any other organisations to take action and mobilise this vision. An increase in more efficient buildings are being constructed and the planning requirements are driving higher standards. ReadingCAN says that we are ever exposed to the effects of climate change and in the next few decades we can expect; • Disruption of power networks • Flood risks • Heavy rain/high winds • Failed air conditioning Positively an increase in temperature can mean less heating requirements and reduce carbon emissions. To achieve a net zero town by 2030 Reading will require: • reductions in heat loss from buildings through a major retrofitting programme for Reading • electrification of transport and heat as opposed to fossil fuels. • an order of magnitude increase in renewable heat and electricity generation. • use of smart technologies such as rechargeable batteries. ReadingCAN highlights ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprint as individuals as follows:

Ecosia search engine

Ecosia, a German search engine that donates 80% of their advertisement revenue to non-profit organisations that support the campaign against deforestation. It works like this; when you search the web using ecosia, ad search adverts generate income for ecosia, then ecosia uses the income to plant trees all over the world. Deforestation destroys animals’ natural habitats, for example there are about 5000 chimpanzees left now and their habitat is shrinking due to a higher demand of charcoal and firewood. However, with ecosia, they have been planting tree corridors in Uganda for chimpanzees to move freely through their forest home. Ecosia also grows bamboo for local communities to have sustainable alternatives to charcoal and firewood. To use ecosia you simply get the free browser extension at this link, and you can begin planting trees all over - https://www.ecosia.org/. Switching to a green energy provider could be the most effective way of reducing your carbon footprint. By buying energy on a green tariff, you can contribute to the creation of renewable energy capacity. There are a multitude of services online that will compare green energy tariffs in your area, finding the best deal and helping you save money on energy bills and one of them is Big Clean Switch - Big Clean Switch www. bigcleanswitch.org “How Green Is Your Energy Tariff?” Which.co.uk Changing our eating habits can have a major impact on our carbon footprint. Half the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture and food accounts for 26% of global emissions and it’s estimated that 2 thirds of food produced is wasted. The following points are great steps towards improving our ecosystem: • Cutting down on our meat and dairy intake • Eating locally sourced food • Buying fruit and vegetables from markets with paper bags as opposed to wrapped in plastic. • Global Refills in Reading allows you to refill your oats, nuts, spices, pastas and rice, for a very reasonable price. Not only food but here you can refill your laundry detergent and soaps, shampoos and body washes. The prices are no more than what you would pay in a supermarket. • Too Good To Go, ready to fight food waste? Every day delicious food goes to waste just because it does not sell on time. The Too Good To Go app lets you buy and collect this food at a great price. You won’t know exactly what you’re getting until you get your order, all part of the surprise however you can specify if you want vegan or vegetarian food. • Olio connects neighbors and local businesses so surplus food can be shared. This could be food near its sell-by date in store, spare home vegetables, bread from your baker or groceries in your fridge when you go away. Simply open the app, upload a photo, give a description, time and where they can pick the item up. • Browse listings near you and arrange a private meeting to pick them up. Small actions can make a big change! We can build a more sustainable future and share our most precious resources, instead of throwing them away. Join a food waste community today.

PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS

The public body Historic England, concerned with preserving and protecting listed buildings around the country, have awarded Reading with an £85,000 grant to help inject the town with a new lease of cultural life. The scheme, running over a four-year period, aims to restore and reinstate a new sense of purpose for some of the derelict Victorian buildings around the St Mary’s Butts and Castle Street areas. Historic England, in association with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will back this project, resulting in art installations and a number of community-led creative endeavours that will showcase Reading’s rich and illustrious history. With Reading being one of 68 areas in England to receive this funding, the project will finally give these largely dilapidated spaces the facelift that they dream of. As most high streets across the town are full of chain shops, Historic England’s initiative will surely provide Reading with artistic character. With high streets having been on their knees since the COVID-19 pandemic due to the rise of internet shopping and people’s changing habits, creative spaces and an added vibrancy to towns and cities are more important than ever. Ahead of the Historic England project, Reading was given another pilot grant of £9,231 to run the HSHAZ (High Street Heritage Action Zone) which deals with championing the diversity and community of the Oxford Road area. A mural appeared over the summer as part of the ‘Reimagining the High Street Through Your Stories’ project. The painting is a visually rich ode to the people and the culture of Reading. Another mural, created by artist Gemma Anusa and part of the same enterprise, has been painted on the railings of the Battle Street car-park. The picture is of the face of a girl and quotes and significant dates in the history of the Oxford Road have been embedded into the mural itself. With all these creative outlets cropping up around Reading the town seems to be awakening from the cultural dearth it has unfortunately suffered from over the last few years. Historic England and the Arts Council are not the only organisations helping to shake up the town either. A new cinema and arts space opened its doors in July on the former site of Argos in the Broad Street Mall. The Biscuit Factory, its namesake derived from the famous Huntley & Palmers factory, shows foreign language and independent films and is a muchneeded antidote to the nearby Vue. In short it is vital that Historic England has the means to restore and protect these places. The organisation has just said that there are now many buildings and important natural landscapes across the country that are under threat from neglect or decay.