New Forest Carbon Footprint Project

 May 2007 – April 2008

The New Forest National Park Authority have given the New Forest Friends of the Earth a grant to set up a community carbon footprint project which will run in Brockenhurst from September 2007 until the end of March 2008

The project aims to work with the community of Brockenhurst towards achieving a substantial reduction in current carbon emissions by setting 8 targets for households and 3 to 5 for children and young people.

There will be a focus on the predicted effects of climate change on the New Forest as well as globally. Brockenhurst was identified as the community to pioneer this approach in the New Forest

The launch will be held on Saturday afternoon, September 22 nd Charlie Dimmock is coming to be with us for two hours. There will be displays and information about the project and the targets, a youth drama workshop on a futuristic tale of “Footsteps in the Forest” and other activities for young and old. We hope that two of the Christian Aid marchers will be here with a presentation of the dire effects of climate change in third world communities. We are liaising with Christian Aid’s Climate Change campaign with their Cut the Carbon march from Belfast to London coming through Lyndhurst on September 23 rd

On September 25 th New Forest FoE are holding a Green Tourism panel discussion.

On September 29 th we shall host a reception for Mukti Mitchell, who is sailing around Britain on a low carbon lifestyle voyage calling in at over 40 ports and sailing into Lymington on September 28 th. His reception will be combined with a low carbon trade fair. All these launch events will take place in Brockenhurst village hall.

Throughout the winter there will be a series of events, films and speakers such as the NPA Conservation Officer who will explain the predicted effects of climate change on the New Forest area, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the RSPB who will detail climatic effects on particular species. These and other experts, e.g on local flood management, can come to explain predicted risks to any of the village groups who request this. We shall be showing Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” for any who have not yet seen it and Prof George Mombiot’s compelling “Apocalypse Postponed”

Target columns will be set up showing how the community carbon footprint comes down as the number of households achieving each target goes up. There will be a system for people to record when they have achieved targets. We aim to be entirely positive in the sense of no criticism of neighbours or those who do not wish to take part. There will be a range of targets, some of which can be achieved by everyone with no cost and very little effort. We have not included any negative targets such as flights/ air miles but only achievable measures which can reduce a household’s CO2 emissions and which, if enough people take part, will show that it is possible to significantly reduce the community’s carbon footprint. The success of the project will depend on the active participation and help of the Brockenhurst community.

Having been awarded this grant provides us with an exciting opportunity to make a significant difference not only in the New Forest, but to contribute to the increasing world wide movement to reduce the effects of global climate change. Will you help?

We do not have much time to lose before climate change becomes irreversible. At present it is third world communities in Africa and Asia, who are innocent of CO2 emissions, who are already suffering. In future, if we don’t act in time to curb our CO2 emissions, it will be our New Forest environment and our children and grand children who will, equally innocently, suffer the consequences.

If any of you feel that you could support the project in any way please get in touch before September. We need all the help we can muster to make this a community effort.

Rachel van der Meeren

Tel: 01590 624842
Email: rachel@newforest-carbonfootprint.org.uk