The Diocese of York celebrated 2011 as the Year of the Environment. We're trying to find out how people and churches engaged with this initiative - please could you spare a few minutes to answer these questions?
Eleanor Course
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Photovoltaic panels at St Edward's Dringhouses, York
"With the experience of photovoltaic panels on our roof at home, with the enthusiasm of Martin (the vicar) I presented the idea to the PCC early last year. I emphasised the significant reduction in the churches carbon footprint by installing solar and the probable financial benefits to the church after the initial outlay. The PCC agreed to put some money into the pot and the church membership was invited to offer donations. Solartwin, our preferred installer of the three quotations, advised that the Scout Hall roof had the best aspect as it faced south and had minimal overshadowing.
"The Scout committee interviewed me about the concept and were agreeable. We obtained diocesan approval and planning permission.The generation meter reading is already steadily increasing! This will be of benefit to the church,the Scouts and the local community groups who use the facilities of the church."
If you're interesting in finding out more about fitting photovoltaic panels to your church or church buildings, there's information here.
Eleanor Course
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Year of the Environment Legacy
In 2011, we were focussing on the Environment, and we ended the year with a legacy for the future.
Through December and January we're planting 400 trees on diocesan glebe land. These trees will increase the biodiversity of our land holdings and offset some of the carbon emissions that we generate as a church.
Highlights of the Year of the Environment have included the bird box sent to every church and church school, the Lent Course, the Big Environment Celebration in York Minster in May, and the art exhibition which toured churches throughout the Diocese. Also in the diocese there have been a number of local events organised within deaneries.
We hope that the initiatives and projects from this year will have inspired and equipped you to make changes in your lives and in the life of your church, to care for our world, God's creation. Thank you to all who have taken part.
Graham Andrews, Archbishop’s Advisor for the Environment
Through December and January we're planting 400 trees on diocesan glebe land. These trees will increase the biodiversity of our land holdings and offset some of the carbon emissions that we generate as a church.
Highlights of the Year of the Environment have included the bird box sent to every church and church school, the Lent Course, the Big Environment Celebration in York Minster in May, and the art exhibition which toured churches throughout the Diocese. Also in the diocese there have been a number of local events organised within deaneries.
We hope that the initiatives and projects from this year will have inspired and equipped you to make changes in your lives and in the life of your church, to care for our world, God's creation. Thank you to all who have taken part.
Graham Andrews, Archbishop’s Advisor for the Environment
Friday, 16 December 2011
Winter is wonderful too!
As 2011 and the Archbishop’s ‘Year of the Environment’ comes to a close, the Winter update on the flora and fauna in the grounds of Bishopthorpe Palace has been published today.
In the last of these seasonal updates, written by Garry O’Reagan, the Head Gardener, he explains that winter is just as important as any other season in the Palace grounds. The Archbishop of York added: “Whilst the conservation and environmental work will continue into 2012, I want to thank Garry not only for all his hard work in the garden but also for taking the time to write these updates for the website. We are custodians of a garden that has been created over hundreds of years and we hope to aid its growth and development for many generations to come. Let us have the same attitude to the fantastic planet God has given us.”
You can read Garry's Winter update here.
In the last of these seasonal updates, written by Garry O’Reagan, the Head Gardener, he explains that winter is just as important as any other season in the Palace grounds. The Archbishop of York added: “Whilst the conservation and environmental work will continue into 2012, I want to thank Garry not only for all his hard work in the garden but also for taking the time to write these updates for the website. We are custodians of a garden that has been created over hundreds of years and we hope to aid its growth and development for many generations to come. Let us have the same attitude to the fantastic planet God has given us.”
You can read Garry's Winter update here.
Friday, 9 December 2011
TendaGrave
We've been made aware of a new idea called TendaGrave - if you're someone who spends time in churchyards, you might be interested in this.
Tendagrave is a free service for people who cannot for whatever reason tend a family or friend's grave. It will put you in touch with other people in a similar situation. You then offer to tend a grave in your local area and, in return, your loved one's grave will also be lovingly looked after.
Eleanor.
Tendagrave is a free service for people who cannot for whatever reason tend a family or friend's grave. It will put you in touch with other people in a similar situation. You then offer to tend a grave in your local area and, in return, your loved one's grave will also be lovingly looked after.
Eleanor.
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Churches urged to apply to new £10m Government green fund
The Church of England has welcomed the Government announcement today of a new £10 million Local Energy Assessment Fund which gives community groups, including churches, a chance to bid for money.
The new Fund, announced by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, DECC, will provide grants for around 200 community organisations, including churches, to undertake energy efficiency projects and renewable energy generation in their area. With a Christian presence in every community, the CofE's churches are perfectly placed to house local energy efficiency projects, said David Shreeve, the Church of England's national environment adviser.
"It is good news that DECC consider churches and other faith groups as vital parts of the local community. The deadline for application and delivery is tight but many churches are currently considering ways of harnessing renewable energy for their buildings and this may just be the spur they need.
“A recent communication I received from 10 Downing St stressed the Prime Minister’s recognition that Church assets often sit at the heart of the community Shrinking the Footprint the Church of England's national environment campaign, provides advice and toolkits for the local church as it rolls out vital green community projects as part of its ministry and mission."
There is around £50,000 available for each successful community to be used to help assess the potential for energy efficiency and local renewable energy generation and get things started in their area. This is a short-term scheme where work will need to be completed by end of March 2012.
Interested communities can apply via the Energy Saving Trust and money will be allocated in two rounds. The first round closes at noon on 22 December 2011 with successful applicants notified in the week beginning 9 January 2012. The second round will close to applications at noon on 20 January 2012 with successful communities notified at the end January. Full details can be found at www.greencommunitiescc.org.uk.
The new Fund, announced by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, DECC, will provide grants for around 200 community organisations, including churches, to undertake energy efficiency projects and renewable energy generation in their area. With a Christian presence in every community, the CofE's churches are perfectly placed to house local energy efficiency projects, said David Shreeve, the Church of England's national environment adviser.
"It is good news that DECC consider churches and other faith groups as vital parts of the local community. The deadline for application and delivery is tight but many churches are currently considering ways of harnessing renewable energy for their buildings and this may just be the spur they need.
“A recent communication I received from 10 Downing St stressed the Prime Minister’s recognition that Church assets often sit at the heart of the community Shrinking the Footprint the Church of England's national environment campaign, provides advice and toolkits for the local church as it rolls out vital green community projects as part of its ministry and mission."
There is around £50,000 available for each successful community to be used to help assess the potential for energy efficiency and local renewable energy generation and get things started in their area. This is a short-term scheme where work will need to be completed by end of March 2012.
Interested communities can apply via the Energy Saving Trust and money will be allocated in two rounds. The first round closes at noon on 22 December 2011 with successful applicants notified in the week beginning 9 January 2012. The second round will close to applications at noon on 20 January 2012 with successful communities notified at the end January. Full details can be found at www.greencommunitiescc.org.uk.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Yorkshire Living Churchyard Project Autumn Newsletter
The Yorkshire Living Churchyard Project autumn newsletter is now available, with stories about bees and butterflies, the 2011 Open Churchyards, and news on headstone cleaning. You can download it here.
Eleanor Course
Eleanor Course
Friday, 18 November 2011
Surge of signatures on power feed-in tariff petition
The Church of England is calling on the Government to slow down their plans to drop the rate of returns on electricity grid feed-in tariffs for photovoltaic panels to give churches, and other community groups, more time to complete installation. It is also asking for a special community tariff.
The online petition from the Archbishops’ Council’s Cathedral and Church Building Division has already attracted almost 1000 signatures from both individuals and groups. Already 35 CofE churches have photovoltaic panels installed and more than 300 are actively considering a project.
Installing photovoltaic panels on churches is a complex business and the 50% cut in return rate proposed for December 12 will penalize churches who are committed to installing photovoltaic panels, but will not have time to complete, says the petition.
The installation of photovoltaic panels is promoted across the CofE’s 44 dioceses as a way of using natural resources to reduce the carbon footprint of a church. The Church, through its national environment campaign Shrinking the Footprint, is committed to the Government’s carbon reduction targets of 80% by 2050.
Martyn Goss social responsibility officer for Exeter Diocese said; “This news is very disappointing. Here in the Southwest we have been encouraging churches to install panels and many will be adversely affected by this cut in tariff resulting in having the rug pulled from underneath them by such short-term political decision making”.
David Shreeve the Church of England’s national environment officer said: “The returns on a photovoltaic project will not be as financially attractive as they were and take longer to pay back. Whilst in the life of a church building this is not a long time it will take us into the next generation. As well as enabling churches to use renewable energy, we see photovoltaic panels on church roofs as setting a brilliant example to their local communities.”
Eleanor Course
The online petition from the Archbishops’ Council’s Cathedral and Church Building Division has already attracted almost 1000 signatures from both individuals and groups. Already 35 CofE churches have photovoltaic panels installed and more than 300 are actively considering a project.
Installing photovoltaic panels on churches is a complex business and the 50% cut in return rate proposed for December 12 will penalize churches who are committed to installing photovoltaic panels, but will not have time to complete, says the petition.
The installation of photovoltaic panels is promoted across the CofE’s 44 dioceses as a way of using natural resources to reduce the carbon footprint of a church. The Church, through its national environment campaign Shrinking the Footprint, is committed to the Government’s carbon reduction targets of 80% by 2050.
Martyn Goss social responsibility officer for Exeter Diocese said; “This news is very disappointing. Here in the Southwest we have been encouraging churches to install panels and many will be adversely affected by this cut in tariff resulting in having the rug pulled from underneath them by such short-term political decision making”.
David Shreeve the Church of England’s national environment officer said: “The returns on a photovoltaic project will not be as financially attractive as they were and take longer to pay back. Whilst in the life of a church building this is not a long time it will take us into the next generation. As well as enabling churches to use renewable energy, we see photovoltaic panels on church roofs as setting a brilliant example to their local communities.”
Eleanor Course
Friday, 11 November 2011
Solar and photovoltaic panels
Solar and photovoltaic panels on Churches are the subject of much national discussion at the moment. Phil Thomas, Church Buildings Officer and Graham Andrews, Archbishop's Adviser for the Environment, have written some useful guidelines for churches thinking about solar and photovoltaic panels here.
Eleanor Course
Eleanor Course
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Peter Owen-Jones visits Pickering
Peter Owen-Jones is best known as the presenter of many BBC television series including ‘How to Live a Simple Life’, where he followed in the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi attempting to live freed from material constraints and without money. Also for the BBC, Peter presented ‘Extreme Pilgrim’, in which he lived as a Chinese Buddhist monk, a Christian monk and an Indian ascetic, and ‘Around the World in 80 Faiths’, a travel documentary encountering different religions.
Peter Owen-Jones said, “The environment is the greatest issue Christianity faces today. If we believe that God created the world, we should love and cherish it, for the rest of the creation that we share the world with, and for future generations. At the moment our world is in crisis, and churches need to lead the way in changing that.”
The talk has been organised by one of Ryedale’s ‘Green Deans’, the Revd Bill Page. Bill said, “We’re looking forward to welcoming Peter to Pickering and hearing him speak on the church and the environment. The talk is part of the Diocese of York’s Year of the Environment, where we’re encouraging individuals and churches to make a difference to their environment in 2011.”
Peter is the vicar of three parishes on the edge of the Sussex Downs and also a founder member of the Arbory Trust (the only Christian woodland burial site in the country) and has recently instigated the ‘Life Cairn’ Project.
Eleanor Course
Monday, 24 October 2011
Autumn – my favourite season
As part of his Year of the Environment celebrations, the Archbishop of York today has invited people to view online the Autumn update from Bishopthorpe Gardens. You can read the update here.This is the third seasonal update about the flora and fauna habitats within the grounds at Bishopthorpe Palace.
Written by Garry O’Reagan, the Head Gardener, it features the introduction of spring bulbs in preparation for next year, the tree chosen to celebrate the Year of the Environment planted by the Archbishop, clutches of eggs hatched from the bird boxes and the squirrels busy burying conkers in the lawn.
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu said: “Autumn is a wonderful season, a time of harvest and a time of thanksgiving for what nature gives us”.
Eleanor Course
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Food recycling in Easingwold
As part of the Year of the Environment, Easingwold Deanery’s Green Deans Margaret Price and Helen Kitchen organised a Food recycling project. For 3 weeks a total of 23 households and 2 shops collected all their food waste into Grott Food Residue to Energy Sacks, and this was collected and disposed of to a Combined Heat and Power process, a way to produce renewable energy from food pre prep and leftovers.Over 250 kgs of food residues were collected, saving Hambleton District Council money in diverting this resource from landfill. Food waste in landfill creates methane gases that are more harmful to the environment than CO2. It is costly to dispose of to landfill and these costs are rising every year.
It has been a revealing process, many people surprised by how much they do throw away, and what they throw away. Overall, 60% of the weight of our rubbish is food. Composting at home can reduce this by half.
The photo shows Georgina Bingham, Director of AH&I, the company behind the Grott Range of Products which are aimed at resource recovery and who are helping to create a solution to the problem of food waste collection and disposal, and Margaret Price, at the Stillington Collection point.
On Friday, 7th and Saturday, 8th October, a stall with leaflets, more results of the project, and a number of freebies, will be outside Towlers in Easingwold, with a craft activity on the Saturday.
Helen Kitchen, Easingwold Deanery Green Dean
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Moorsholm Community Wildlife Garden wins Northumbria in Bloom awards!
Moorsholm in Bloom, including the St Mary's Community Wildlife Garden, has picked up awards at the recent Northumbria in Bloom 2011 Awards. Congratulations!PCC Secretary Ken Gillance told us, "We won the Gold Medal for the 'Best conservation project' in the Special Awards, and in the Major Awards we won the Best Village class (population 301 - 1000), Gold Medal and 'The Wansbeck Trophy' for the Best Village of that size, in the Northumbria area.
"The work in the village and the promotion through the Northumbria in Bloom campaign, is all done by our groundforce team 'Moorsholm in Bloom' a voluntary community group which also cares for the churchyard and church hall grounds. The conservation award, whilst based on a number of heritage features across the village, did also include the conservation work in our churchyard which the judges inspected and were very impressed by. The team are highly delighted with these results, particularly as it is only our second year of entry in the competition.
"On Sunday 28 August 2011 we held a joint service for all the Danby Castleton Benefice led by Revd Dr Michael Hazelton of Danby, which included a blessing of the new garden and official opening."Congratulations to all involved in Moorsholm!
Eleanor Course
Yorkshire campaigners ask: The Conservatives – The Greenest Government Ever?
On Saturday 1 October over one thousand campaigners from the north of England will gather at Manchester Cathedral to urge the Conservative party to live up to its green promise by doing everything in its power to make sure global climate talks deliver for the poorest people in the world.
On the eve of the Conservative party conference in Manchester Christian Aid, CAFOD and Tearfund will warn the party not to abandon its pledge to be the ‘greenest government ever.’
Eighteen months on from David Cameron’s promise, the charities now want to see the Prime Minister playing a proactive role in delivering firm climate policy that works for the world’s poorest.
The group of charities will come together for an ecumenical service which will begin at 5pm
Tearfund President, Elaine Storkey, will lead the service and speakers will include leading South African theologian Professor Tinyiko Malueke and Christian Aid’s Director Loretta Minghella. This will be followed by a procession from 6.15pm to the G-Mex centre (where the Conservative party conference is being held) and on to Albert Square. Here a candlelit vigil and a minute’s silence will be held to stand in solidarity with the world’s poorest who are already suffering the impacts of climate change.
The campaigners will stress that developing countries desperately need world leaders to take stronger global action on climate change, and that the UK must take a lead in the G20 and the upcoming international climate negotiations taking place in Durban, South Africa in November.
North East campaigner, Valerie Barron, said, “It is vital that our government lives up to its promise to be the greenest ever. We need strong leadership from them ahead of the UN climate conference in Durban. I felt compelled to make sure they hear this in Manchester.”
In 2009, developed nations pledged to have a fund up and running by 2013 and that this should deliver $100bn of climate finance per year by 2020 to help poorer countries cope with the impact of climate change. But the charities fear that the economic crisis may result in rich nations not fulfilling this pledge or finding new sources of finance to fulfil this.
Climate finance is key to making the next UN climate conference in South Africa a success, the charities say, but currently there is no agreement on where money for the new Green Climate Fund, agreed at UN climate talks last year, will come from. These discussions are happening at the G20.
Christian Aid’s Director Loretta Minghella said, “We need the government to galvanise international support for the extension of the Kyoto Protocol, without which there would be no enforceable rules on carbon emissions and we would risk climate anarchy.”
The charities acknowledge that the UK has, in the past, positioned itself as a world leader on climate finance issues, but that in the midst of the economic crisis, such leadership is notable for its absence.
On the eve of the Conservative party conference in Manchester Christian Aid, CAFOD and Tearfund will warn the party not to abandon its pledge to be the ‘greenest government ever.’
Eighteen months on from David Cameron’s promise, the charities now want to see the Prime Minister playing a proactive role in delivering firm climate policy that works for the world’s poorest.
The group of charities will come together for an ecumenical service which will begin at 5pm
Tearfund President, Elaine Storkey, will lead the service and speakers will include leading South African theologian Professor Tinyiko Malueke and Christian Aid’s Director Loretta Minghella. This will be followed by a procession from 6.15pm to the G-Mex centre (where the Conservative party conference is being held) and on to Albert Square. Here a candlelit vigil and a minute’s silence will be held to stand in solidarity with the world’s poorest who are already suffering the impacts of climate change.
The campaigners will stress that developing countries desperately need world leaders to take stronger global action on climate change, and that the UK must take a lead in the G20 and the upcoming international climate negotiations taking place in Durban, South Africa in November.
North East campaigner, Valerie Barron, said, “It is vital that our government lives up to its promise to be the greenest ever. We need strong leadership from them ahead of the UN climate conference in Durban. I felt compelled to make sure they hear this in Manchester.”
In 2009, developed nations pledged to have a fund up and running by 2013 and that this should deliver $100bn of climate finance per year by 2020 to help poorer countries cope with the impact of climate change. But the charities fear that the economic crisis may result in rich nations not fulfilling this pledge or finding new sources of finance to fulfil this.
Climate finance is key to making the next UN climate conference in South Africa a success, the charities say, but currently there is no agreement on where money for the new Green Climate Fund, agreed at UN climate talks last year, will come from. These discussions are happening at the G20.
Christian Aid’s Director Loretta Minghella said, “We need the government to galvanise international support for the extension of the Kyoto Protocol, without which there would be no enforceable rules on carbon emissions and we would risk climate anarchy.”
The charities acknowledge that the UK has, in the past, positioned itself as a world leader on climate finance issues, but that in the midst of the economic crisis, such leadership is notable for its absence.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Focus on purchasing - what can you change?
We hope that this focus on purchasing has helped you think about what you buy and what changes you could make to help our world.Is there anything your church could do with its purchasing power? Could you become a Fairtrade Church, use Fairtrade communion wine or start a community Grow Zone?
As an individual, could you plan meals that only use British food, buy recycled toilet paper, or Fairtrade wine? Let us know!
Eleanor Course
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Focus on purchasing - buying Fairtrade
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and local sustainability. You can read more about Fairtrade here and discover what you can buy and what it means to the producers.
We interviewed Christine Church from One World Shop in Hull - watch the video to discover how what you purchase can change people's lives.
We interviewed Christine Church from One World Shop in Hull - watch the video to discover how what you purchase can change people's lives.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Focus on purchasing - buying recycled
Buying recycled products means less rubbish ends up in landfill sites
and fewer valuable natural resources are wasted. For the recycling
industry to be able to work, there has to be a market for recycled
materials. By buying recycled products, you are helping create this
market and ensure that valuable materials don’t go to waste. Buying
recycled doesn’t mean having to skimp on quality either.The most common recycled product is paper. You can easily find recycled toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, tissues, stationery and packing materials, as well as printer, copier and writing paper.
Other recycled products that are available in supermarkets and on the high street include:
- wine and water glasses – and even champagne flutes
- glass jugs and bowls
- school uniforms
- bin bags and tin foil
- reusable shopping bags
- newspapers
- clothing, including fleeces made of recycled plastic
- furniture
- play materials and toys
- tiles and bathroom fittings
Eleanor Course
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Focus on purchasing - grow your own?
If you have your own allotment or garden, or even a grow bag in your
yard, you'll know how satisfying it is to grow your own food and keep
your food miles low. Could you form a group at church to grow food,
perhaps even inviting members of the community to get involved?
Grow Zones is a community project bringing help and inspiration to your garden, wonderful food to your table and adding friendship and purpose to your life.
A Grow Zones team clubs together to share skills, tools and produce to eliminate food miles and turn gardens over to permaculture at whatever level you want – from a redesign of your whole plot to simply helping and sharing with someone else’s once or twice a year.
The project gets people growing; introduces permaculture ideas; forms community; and teams even benefit from insurance cover for their group activities. Backed up by the Grow Zones Kit you’ll have all the resources, ideas and inspiration you need to get going.
To order a Grow Zones Kit and find out more visit www.growzones.com.
Eleanor Course
Grow Zones is a community project bringing help and inspiration to your garden, wonderful food to your table and adding friendship and purpose to your life.
A Grow Zones team clubs together to share skills, tools and produce to eliminate food miles and turn gardens over to permaculture at whatever level you want – from a redesign of your whole plot to simply helping and sharing with someone else’s once or twice a year.
The project gets people growing; introduces permaculture ideas; forms community; and teams even benefit from insurance cover for their group activities. Backed up by the Grow Zones Kit you’ll have all the resources, ideas and inspiration you need to get going.
To order a Grow Zones Kit and find out more visit www.growzones.com.
Eleanor Course
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Focus on purchasing - buying locally
17th September to 2nd October is British Food Fortnight when retailers encourage people to buy food grown in Britain. It's also the York Festival of Food and Drink until 25th September, where local producers will be showing off the best of local food and drink. If you want to know more about food and drink producers in our area, deliciouslYorkshire has some great lists of where to shop.
Eleanor Course
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
What does purchasing have to do with the environment?
When you shop, the decisions you make really do matter. The products that we buy, including the food we eat, has taken energy to produce and transport it to you. Energy produced by burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change, which can lead to devastating floods or droughts in developing countries. As the customer, you have a lot of power. Ask for what you want! If you’re looking for greener products, want to know how something was made or can’t find the information you need, ask the manufacturer or retailer. Keep asking if you have to. If more people ask, retailers are more likely to start stocking greener products and providing the information you want.
Over the next week, we’ll be looking at how buying locally, buying recycled and buying Fairtrade can make a huge difference to our world.
Eleanor Course
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