South Somerset Climate Action campaigns for sustainable communities – renewable energy, energy conservation, reliable food supplies, waste limitation, pollution control,
careful use of minerals and forests, fresh water & oceans.

The Power of Community - Saturday 6 February - 7.30
What community, intelligence & hard work
can accomplish when oil is scarce …
‘Uplifting’ … how Cubans coped when oil dried up and children went hungry …

http://www.powerofcommunity.org
Both at Ilminster Arts Centre, East Street, TA19 0AN
followed by discussions
Tickets: £4/£3/free for 12-16 year-olds accompanied by an adult
from South Somerset Climate Action 01460 55323 / 53289
or The Meeting House Arts Centre 01460 54973

Discussion after the film: What about 10:10?
When Franny Armstrong, director of The Age of Stupid, challenged Climate Change Minister, Ed Miliband, to cut his carbon emissions by 10% in 2010, he said he would.
Thousands of others have done the same.
You are invited to have a try - to make the pledge and go all out to do it.
If you don’t like the idea - you don’t have to do it!
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/10-10
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/01/how-to-reduce-emissions-10-10
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/interactive/2009/oct/20/guardian-quick-carbon-calculator

South Somerset Climate Action
Campaigning for sustainable communities

Summary

While huge resources of cement, steel and fossil fuels would be needed to construct a tidal power unit, there is great potential for generating electricity for many years thereafter with very little need for anything other than the flow of tides.

Concerns were expressed that:

n The wildlife of the estuary should be given all reasonable protection.

n Innovative technologies should be investigated.

n Long term sustainability of our community and the planet should take precedence over corporate ownership and profits.

n Renewable energy will not solve all our problems. Government must make clear that our current way of life is unsustainable however much renewable energy capacity is installed because:

l Fossil fuels will become increasingly expensive – probably quite soon.

l Other resources – particularly metals - are being consumed at an unsustainable rate. This is already a matter of serious concern – coming generations will curse us for our wastefulness.

l UK dependence on imports makes the country vulnerable.

l Burning fossil fuels is rather like using a piano for firewood – it works but there are so much better uses.

l Pollution from the burning of fossil fuels causes breathing disorders, acid rain and many of other problems.

l Climate changes have already occurred. The climate scientists might be right in saying that carbon dioxide will make them very much worse.

Chard Guildhall, Fore Street, Chard TA20 1PP

SEVERN BARRAGE – Are there better options?

Everyone knows that we could have cheap renewable electricity from the tides that surge up the Severn Estuary twice a day, every day — or so they believe!Renewable? Yes! Cheap? No! Damage to wildlife? Awful! And yet, easy-to-get-at oil will soon be gone and we now have to import much of our gas. Something must be done!All this and more will be debated and, with only 18 days after that to respond to the official consultation, the matter is urgent.

It is also complicated — there are no easy answers.

The Government has looked at ten schemes – and chosen five for further study. One of those rejected by Government engineers is for a ‘reef’ rather than a simple ‘barrage’. Could a reef be better for wildlife? Better for shipping? Less silting? Quicker to construct and get into electricity generation? And cheaper? RSPB asked engineers, Atkins, to take an independent look at the reef idea. Atkins supported some of these claims but the Government’s team does not agree. The argument rages.

The main speaker at the event will be Rupert Armstrong Evans who has put his own money into designing the ‘reef’ scheme. This he believes would cause much less disruption to fish and bird life. Michelle Osbourn of Somerset Wildlife Trust will describe how some hundred different types of fish swim in and out of the Severn. Around 70,000 birds a year feed on the mudflats. Joe Burlington, Chairman of South Somerset Climate Action will say that the most any scheme could produce is 5% of our electricity. Each year however, UK electricity use increases by 1%. So Severn tidal energy alone will not solve our problems. We need to cut back whichever scheme is adopted – and they might all cost too much anyway.

Technically, tidal power is exciting. We really could be on to something but there are questions at every turn. Would a 13-mile barrage be best — all the way from Weston to Cardiff — or would a reef be better? What’s a lagoon? Will it just fill with mud? How do they work? How will ships get through? Will one of these stop floods – or make things worse?

Nobody who comes should expect answers to everything but Somerset Wildlife Trust and South Somerset Climate Action believe that ordinary people should be told about the project and urged to say what they think.

Fare - full £12, unwaged £7.

Please book by phoning John on 01935 873028 or email Lesley l.docksey@yahoo.co.uk

Minster Rooms, Court Barton off Silver Street, Ilminster
£2 at the door including tea or coffee & biscuits

Planet Earth as a dynamic structure, constantly changing. What affects our atmosphere and climate and how lifestyle changes and technology might come to our rescue.
£30 St Mary’s Church Rooms, North Street, Ilminster - Workers Educational Association Call 0845 458 2758 or www.wea.org.uk or turn up on Tuesday.