Read all about it in the updates and reports below from our Transition Norwich news crew: the start of our new Economics and Livehoods group, must-see documentary Gasland, Norwich FarmShare open meeting, Magdalen Street Celebration, Low Carbon larder, Transition Circle West's cycle workshop, the latest on the blog and more . . . . Merry May Day everyone!
It is clear that the problems of peak oil and climate change are inextricably linked to our failing financial system, and we are in danger of letting governments and corporations undermine our values in the hope of reviving a growth-fuelled economy. There are many responses to this, from campaigning for different national and international policies to local alternative trading systems which redefine the paradigms of what it means to be part of a society, sharing this one planet.
What is your carbon footprint?
For those wanting to start a Transition Circle or other kind of energy reduction group in their neighbourhood, workplace or organisation a series of six Carbon Conversations provides an excellent foundation. We now have several trained facilitators and apart from regular groups in central Norwich we can offer courses in your area. All you need to do is find 6-10 friends or colleagues who would like to participate, find a space and time to meet and we’ll find the facilitators. Christine Way
For further details contact: training@transitionnorwich.
The 2011 Magdalen St. celebration is all set for October 1st, and the planning group are giving the day a long run-in, after the astounding success of last year's event. Getting rave reviews in the local press last year was no mean feat, given that the whole event was planned and delivered through the amazing good will of volunteers, local people, and performers.
There will be a showing of the film "Gasland” (directed by Josh Fox) Wednesday 4 May, 6:00 pm, jointly organised by the School of Environmental Sciences and Cinema City. After the showing, our panel of experts, Dr. Kevin Hiscock, Dr. Alan Bond, Dr. Victor Bense and Dr. Nikolai Pedentchouk will be discussing issues highlighted in the film in what we hope will be a lively debate. Tickets are available from the cinema, and Orange Wednesdays will apply!The film follows the stories of real people affected by shale gas exploration in the USA. Shale gas is an unconventional energy source where gas is released from the shales by a process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, of the shale itself. This industry has rapidly expanded within the last ten years in the USA although seemingly with major consequences for both the environment and health of local people. These effects arise as both the gas released, and the chemicals used in the fracturing process may contaminate local aquifers, rivers and surrounding land. With the UK Government currently considering its approach to allowing this industry into the UK and the first fracking experiments occurring earlier this month, this is a highly topical environmental/earth science related film.
For more information: http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Cinema_City/film/Gasland/ or please contact me on : S.Loveless@uea.ac.uk
The Grapes Hill Community Garden Group has been busy planting up the garden and we now have lots of hardy perennials and over thirty different sorts of herbs, from some dramatic pyramidal bay trees to more unusual varieties like Anise Hyssop, English Mace and Corsican Mint.
Our first meeting in April was a foraging meeting. We met in the UEA square and then went for a lovely sunny wander round the lake, grazing on the vegetation as we went! We collected quite an impressive variety of different plants and all of us learnt lots of new things. We then took all of our goodies back to my house and made a gourmet lunch of super salad, chickweed omelette and braised hogweed shoots, yum yum! We decided that we should have another session later on in the year when there are different things available.
The Community Supported Agriculture scheme and school farm are springing into life, with Laura and the gang planting out plants. There have been a few challenges on the farms, including the tractor breaking down, and a record-breaking dry spring which means we have to hurry up with getting some irrigation in place. Laura is still keen to hear from people who could do casual work (paid or unpaid), as well as recruiting for the new part-time post.
This month after a Spring in action meal that included raw nettle pesto, local asparagus, home-grown rainbow chard and Hunza apricots, we checked out our several Low Carbon Larders, and conducted our monthly round up of seasonal veg, exchanges of practical tips (wood-fired stoves, how to bottle tomatoes, individual porridge mixes) and big picture thinking.What has become clear in the last six months is that this is not going to be a cookbook in the usual sense. There will be recipes (dishes you can bring-to-share), but it's focus will not be Cuisine. Instead it will chart a whole new attitude to eating and buying food: cooking from scratch, considering provenance weaning ourselves of a high meat and dairy intake and getting used to eating in community, instead of alone on the fast-track. It's about swapping stuff (Mark and Erik exchanging alexanders for last-of-the season kale), using less energy (pressure cookers, living without a fridge), not wasting anything (freegan food, roadkill, foodcycle Fridays in Norwich). And about creating a culture that is happy to eat simple things.
Food in the last decades has become an obsession with pleasure and convenience- artificial, over-luxurious, over processed, shipped from everywhere in the world. It needs to become practical, deep, connected, nutritious and tied into the local territory. Here's where we start: by paying attention on what is on the table, giving it right value and meaning and asking questions. Civiliations famously arise and fall accordingly to their ability to feed themselves. If we want to evolve into people who are synch with the planet we’re going to have to radically downshift our kitchens. It might be the end of the Magimix, but it won’t be the end of the world. Charlotte Du Cann
Carrying 15 kilos of millet home to the larder; low carbon cookbook crew tuck in!
What's in a name? As there are so many people that we have met along the way who live further out into the county, we have decided to cast our net out further and rename ourselves to include our county cousins. Therefore we have decided on a little rename from Permaculture Norwich to Permaculture Norfolk!
UEA permaculture society allotment workday 10th April-fun in the sun! Polytunnel beds prepped for seedlings, asparagus planted.
Tuesday April 12 Aladdins cafe, Magdalen Street The cafe is unexpectedly full. 35 people are listening intently to Deepak giving a recap of Nicole Foss' presentation last month, Making Sense of the Financial Crisis in the Age of Peak Oil. Making Sense of the Financial Crisis in the Age of Peak Oil. As well as its main theme of runaway deflation, he includes other subjects Foss spoke about after the event, notably the restriction of our civil liberties. We've organised ourselves into five tables each with a question arising from the talk: Are we heading for inflation or deflation? What political actions can we take in order to save our society? How did we get into this situation, historically, philosophically? What actions can we take locally, as individuals and in community?
Circle West is getting politically educated!.... thanks to a great presentation by Helene, who has been working in the field of making the U.K. Parliament more accessible. We had our usual bring and share delicious food - and for me this was 2 evenings in a row of bring and share, as we had the Farmshare Board meeting the day before ( I'm now a bundle of health and wellbeing!).
This is our flour mill. It's a rather beautiful object, about a metre square, and it needs a home.
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