New Podcast - HappenStance comes to the Green Room

A new audio podcast from The Green Room -

More podcasts can be found on our podcast player or at SoundCloud. They can be downloaded for listening offline.

HappenStance Press Comes to Porthcawl

Poet and editor of HappenStance press Nell Nelson travels from Fife to Porthcawl to launch two new books by Welsh poets.

'Unleaving' is the first collection of poems by Kristian Evans, a writer and artist, originally from Bridgend, who currently lives among the dunes at Kenfig on the south Wales coast with his wife, two sons and a border collie. A close observer of the expressions of the natural world, and its dialogue with poetic tradition, his work is nonetheless willing to take risks and test our conventions. Even in his prose, there’s poetry, the borderlines blurred and burnished. He is the author of the popular Kenfig Journal.

Stephen Payne’s day job is in academic cognitive science. He is currently Professor of Human-Centric Systems at the University of Bath. He’s always been fascinated by language and lyric, and here, in his first full length collection, 'Pattern Beyond Chance', scientist and poet meet and strike sparks. It’s no surprise to encounter poems that think, and think about thinking. They’re playful, provocative and lyrical, and the poet’s continuous pleasure in sound and pattern is curiously infectious.

Nell said, ""How lucky and lovely it is to have debut publications from two excellent Welsh poets at the same time! It's a delight to be launching HappenStance books in Wales -- for the first time, but definitely not the last."

Originally recorded in November 2015, more podcasts (with Twm Morys) soon.

Sustainable Wales Profiles ‘Local Heroes’ in 3 New Short Films

COMMUNITY ENERGY –  SHINE A LIGHT?

We Profile ‘Local Heroes’ in 3 New Short Films launched at the Centre For Alternative Technology, Machynlleth.

We've just released three short films profiling the importance of local renewable energy schemes.

Watch the films

The charity believes such local schemes are an answer to climate change(**) and the chronic fuel poverty now encountered in Wales.

(Latest figures from the Welsh government indicate 30% of the Welsh population experiences fuel poverty - defined as spending over 10% of income on fuel).

“The films, made by innovative Park6 Productions, are a means to broadcast the community energy message and to encourage the public, local authority staff and politicians to learn more”, said Sustainable Wales Director, Margaret Minhinnick.

 “The three short community-based films aim to highlight the challenges groups face in Wales to develop local renewable energy.  Their content supports the idea of democratising our energy supply, bringing ownership and profit back into communities whilst reducing climate change”.  

The films show community groups Bro Gwaun near Fishguard, which now has a wind turbine; Awel Aman Tawe in the Swansea Valley with planning for 2 turbines, and Friends of Taff Bargoed Country Park developing a hydro power scheme in Treharris near Merthyr.

The three films were launched at the ‘Renew Wales’ conference, at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth, on January 20. The response was overwhelmingly supportive.

Margaret Minhinnick explained “Local energy schemes are massively important in Germany and other EU countries, creating local jobs and supporting the local economy, but the UK has been extremely slow to catch on.”

“The three films are based around local groups which have fought against the odds. They are run by real local heroes in Wales striving to make this happen in spite of all the challenges they face and hard work it entails.’ said Robert Proctor, Renew Wales Director.

“We will be producing further films which will profile the energy ideas of political thinkers like Dr Calvin Jones of Cardiff University and former MP Alan Simpson. Also, we hope to profile the green energy ‘cluster’ at Parc Stormy (Stormy Down), where exciting developments are underway continued Margaret “Sustainable Wales believes that local community energy schemes are the way ahead.”

Further information: 01656 783962

Robert Proctor. Tel: 02920 190260

Notes

The three films, produced by Sustainable Wales were funded by the Big Lottery ‘Awards For All’ programme with support from Renew Wales.  and Community Energy Wales www.communityenergywales.org.uk  

Park6Productions (who support the charity by offering reduced fees)

**Welsh Local Government Association climate change projections suggest that if we don’t plan ahead extreme weather events will become more prevalent. The conditions outlined below are likely:

·      essential infrastructure (transport, IT energy, waste) may be compromised;

·      water and food supply may be disrupted;

·      risks to communities increase, especially among the elderly and other vulnerable groups;

·      economic productivity may be reduced due to flooding, high temperatures and transport impacts;

·      agriculture may suffer due to loss of soils, lack of water;

·      ecosystems services (flood retention, food production) may be degraded.

Listen: Slave Labour and Consumer Power

Slave Labour and Consumer Power

BBC Radio 4 - The Long View

Jonathan Freedland examines current debates about ethical shopping and production, in the light of early 19th century campaigns to boycott goods which involved slave labour.

Producer Clare Walker.

BBC iPlayer link

Thanks! (video)

Over 12,000 hours of volunteer time since our move to share office space with SUSSED in 2012!

You can share and download this video here

Thanks to all our Green Room performers, guests and open mic performers...

Schumacher Institute Discussion Paper in advance of COP 21: ‘Carbon landscape: a pre-COP21 perspective’

As we run up to COP 21 in Paris we have produced a discussion paper called ‘Carbon landscape: a pre-COP21 perspective’. This presents the picture of carbon management and regulation as it applies today and it considers the impact that current and future regulatory developments are likely to have on UK businesses and their environments.  It also reports on progress made - the extent to which the UK is on track to meet its carbon reduction targets.
Download here (PDF)

Businesses operating in the UK are increasingly required to comply with a raft of environmental regulation and legislation relating to their carbon emissions as well as their broader energy efficiency. In addition, companies must consider the changing cultural backdrop which is leaning towards green investment and polluter divestment. In this report we consider the impact that current and future regulatory developments are likely to have on UK businesses and the environment in which they operate. We also consider the extent to which the UK is on track to meet its carbon reduction targets and any factors that may influence its progress. 

Schumacher Institute website

COP 21 Paris website

The Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF15) is the largest business focused event held during the annual Conference of Parties (COP), taking place this year on 7- 8 December at COP21 at Stade de France (gate E) in Paris.

Building on year-round work from Climate Action and the UN Environment Programme, the 2 day Forum will convene cross-sector participants from business, Government, finance, UN, NGO and civil society to create an unparalleled opportunity to bolster business innovation and bring scale to the emerging green economy.