Use the Carbon Account to monitor your carbon footprint.

If you want a carbon calculator that is a bit more sophisticated than the eco-congregation calculator
you may wish to try the Carbon Account website: www.thecarbonaccount.com.
It allows you to input data from your gas or electricity meter, car mileage and flights and presents
the results in a good graphical display.

They also offer to set up group accounts if your congregation is interested.

But be warned: you may be shocked at what you find. Despite reducing my heating bills, driving a
small fuel efficient car and trying not to fly my footprint still appears to be on the wrong side of five
tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Guilty!

Adrian Shaw

Faith in Food blog about Fairtrade shares the Christmas story

Blog from Faith in Food:

Make it a Meaningful Christmas…

Photo borrowed from: http://www.meaningfulchristmas.co.uk/

At least 20 million Christmas trees are decorated in Britain every year – but just seven per cent of people aged between 18 and 24 know the Christmas story, according to research by The Meaningful Chocolate Company (MCC).

To jog their memories and help them pass on the story to young members of their families, the Manchester-based MCC has produced a booklet to accompany its Fairtrade Belgian chocolate decorations this year.

MCC has produced a booklet to accompany its Fairtrade Belgian chocolate decorations this year. The booklet means adults and children can share the Christmas story while placing nativity character stickers on the blank discs. Once completed, the five decorations can be hung on the tree as a reminder of the real meaning of Christmas.

David Marshall, from TMMC, said: ‘Research has found that only 12 per cent of adults, and only seven per cent of people aged between 18 and 24, know the Christmas story. So these decorations can help adults communicate the essentials of the Christmas story to the next generation.’

The Meaningful Christmas Tree Decorations cost £4.20 or £4 if more than 20 boxes are ordered at a time. Church orders can be made through www.MeaningfulChristmas.co.uk or exclusively from Traidcraft. Orders should be made by the end of November 2012 as supplies are limited.

More than £60,000 has been raised for charity by TMMC through its Real Easter Egg sales, which has in turn increased the sales of Fairtrade sugar and chocolate. Hundreds of small farmers across Africa have been able to improve their lives as a result.

To read more about The Meaningful Chocolate Company, click here.

Climate Challenge Funding to Youth teams available

HELP TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE!

JOIN THE JUNIOR CLIMATE CHALLENGE FUND

YOUTH GRANTS PANEL

Do you care about climate change? Would you like to be part of something that has the potential to help reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint? Are you aged between 12 and 18?

If you answered “yes” to these three questions, then we’d like to hear from you.

Young Scot and Keep Scotland Beautiful have launched the Junior Climate Challenge Fund (JCCF) Youth Grants Panel.  We’re looking for up to 15 young volunteers from across Scotland to be part of a decision-making panel, working together to choose projects which you think should receive JCCF funding.

This is an important and exciting piece of work. It’s a great chance for you to gain a whole new range of skills and experiences! You don’t need to have formal qualifications, but you must have an interest in issues relating to young people and the environment in Scotland. You should also be a good communicator, be able to understand and listen to other people’s views, work within a group and have the flexibility, commitment and willingness to take part.

These are not paid positions but any necessary travel and accommodation expenses will be provided!  Training and support will also be given, including YouthBank Scotland’s excellent accredited Introduction to Grant Making training.

This is your chance to make a difference so what are you waiting for?! To find out more or to receive an info pack, contact the Young Scot team for free on 0808 801 0338 or email ygp@youngscot.org. You can also download the pack at www.youngscot.org.

Closing date for applications is Monday 7^th January 2013.

Global carbon emission growth

The Doha climate Change Conference has been marked by more reports on the growth in carbon emissions.  The latest is from the Global Carbon Project which and summarises global carbon emissions for 2011. Its conclusions are shocking: carbon emissions are increasing and this could mean global temperature increases between 4°C to 6.1°C. 

“CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels burning and cement production increased by 3% in 2011, with a total of 9.5±0.5 PgC emitted to the atmosphere (34.7 billion tonnes of CO₂). These emissions were the highest in human history and 54% higher than in 1990 (the Kyoto Protocol reference year).

Current trajectories of fossil fuel emissions are tracking some of the most carbon intensive emission scenarios used in the Intergovermental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC). The current trajectory is tracking the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (of the latest family of IPCC scenarios) that takes the planet to about 4°C to 6.1°C above pre-industrial times by 2100."

You can find out more at the global Carbon Project website: http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbonbudget/12/hl-full.htm#pathways

By Adrian Shaw

2020 Climate Group launch the Waste Pledge for businesses

Businesses across Scotland can sign up to meet the Waste (Scotland) Regulations target comming into force in January 2014 through the 2020 Climate Group. The regulation makes it a legal requirement for all businesses to separate their waste. 

According to SEPA: "The regulations require all non-domestic waste producers to take reasonable steps to ensure the separate collection of metal, plastic, glass, paper and card (including cardboard) from 1 January 2014."

No doubt many of you are already meeting the requirements of this regulation. If your congregation would like to sign up to this commitment please complete this online form: http://www.2020climategroup.org.uk/taking-a-lead-on-the-waste-scotland-regulations/