WITH the Copenhagen climate change talks being so much in the news and set to disappoint so many by failing to truly tackle the problems we face, what can we do locally to make a difference?
Hebden Bridge Transition Town group is looking at how as a community we can shift to lower carbon living here and now, without waiting for politicians to come up with agreements.
The changes we can make cannot only help bring down emissions and re
duce our dependence on fossil fuels.
They can also make this town an even better place to live and make us stronger as a community.
The Transition Town movement is catching on fast around the country and we think it has a lot to offer Hebden Bridge.
The term Transition Town basically means a community working together to create local solutions to climate change and peak oil.
Hebden Bridge has the very exciting possibility of being at the forefront of grass roots, community solutions to climate change because there is so much already going on in our area around sustainability, and so much expertise to draw on.
The Alternative Technology Centre is working on creating energy, Zero Carbon Cragg Vale is working on becoming carbon neutral, Treesponsibility is reforesting our valley and planting woods for coppicing, Calder Food Hub and the Orchard group CLOG are encouraging people to grow their own food as individuals or in collectives, and the Hebden Bridge Transition Town group are providing free energy audits to reduce bills and emissions.
Many more have been working hard for a long time and there are new groups starting up with new energy and ideas.
The Hebden Bridge Transition Town group aims to help pull all this together and get the community involved in the widest possible sense.
Over the next few months we will be organising a festival of ideas, music, food, films, talks and fun to mark the launch of Hebden Bridge as a Transition Town next year.
We will be talking to as many community groups and individuals as we can in the hope of working together to set Hebden Bridge off on its transition to being a carbon neutral area.
Watch this monthly space for more details, contact us with your ideas, and become involved in the very practical organising of the launch.
The next Transition Town launch planning meeting will be in January and details will be on our website shortly (hebdenbridgetransitiontown.org.uk) and publicised in the Hebden Bridge Times.
