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Climate friendly parish....St Endellion is aiming to become Cornwall’s first Climate Friendly Parish. Why they are doing things to help the climate....The parish of St Endellion is near Port Isaac in beautiful rural North Cornwall. They feel it's important to protect their surroundings for the future and make a difference As a community they recognise that tackling climate change is a long term commitment and that’s why they want to work together to do what they can to reduce their own carbon emissions. They also want to show how by acting together, communities across Cornwall can reduce the threat of climate change. What they are doing.... Being a Climate Friendly Parish, means everyone in St Endellion committing to using energy and resources more efficiently. They believe that community action, involving local schools, residents, businesses and GPs means they can start to make a difference to safeguard their parish. By acting together they aim to live more sustainably and lower their carbon emission by 5 per cent each year. The project is just getting underway with an assessment of how much carbon is currently emitted within the parish. Having established where they are now, they will then be able to take steps to reduce their emissions towards their target of 5 per cent a year reduction. Small simple changes are being planned to help achieve the reductions such as:
The parish council voted unanimously in August 2006 to become the first Climate Friendly Parish in Cornwall. Now members of the community are meeting each month to take their plans forward. They are being supported by Cornwall Friends of the Earth, Community Energy Plus and students from Cornwall College. Why it’s important…..Almost everything we do in our daily lives results in the production of carbon emissions which add to the problem of climate change. Yet simple changes can reduce the amount of emissions we produce and therefore reduce the impact of future climate change. Small changes by the residents of St Endellion will lead to substantial yearly savings of carbon emissions and they will also help people to save money. They are also encouraging people to buy local seasonal food which reduces food miles (the distance food travels from the producer to the consumer) and helps to reduce packaging which leads to further savings in carbon emissions. They also hope to encourage sustainable travel in the parish – this is good for the climate as less carbon will be produced, it will also reduce local congestion and benefit health. Further information.... To find out more about the progress being made in St Endellion visit their Climate Friendly Parish website The Climate Friendly Parish project was developed by Cornwall Friends of the Earth and it aims to give recognition and support to communities working to reduce the threat of climate change. To be awarded the ‘Climate Friendly’ status a community must reduce its carbon emissions by 5 per cent each year. For more information contact Clayton Elliot: email celliott73@yahoo.co.uk The first national conference for communities interested in taking up the carbon neutral challenge is taking place in April 2007. It is hosted by the community of Ashton Hayes in Cheshire, who are working to become the country's first carbon neutral town. More information is available from their website Individuals and community groups can get involved in developing climate change projects where they live by working with the Cornwall Community Climate Forum. For more information contact Clayton Elliott: email celliott73@yahoo.co.uk A report on the possible impacts of climate change in the south west is available from Our South West (PDF file) For information on saving energy in the home visit the Energy Saving Trust and get free and impartial advice from Cornwall Energy Efficiency Advice Centre To find out about farmers markets, local producers and farm shops in your area of Cornwall. Information on sustainable travel in Cornwall is available from the County Council
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OptionsThis StoryListen again to this story.... Related StoriesRelated LinksSt Endellion Ashton Hayes Climate change in the South West EST Cornwall EEAC Local Food Sustainable Travel
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locally. As a farming and fishing community they recognise that climate change will have a big impact on the parish. Rising sea levels, stronger and more frequent storms and increases in sea temperature could impact fishing, and farmers will be effected by warmer winters, longer summers and increased rainfall. Some of the affects of climate change are already being noticed in Cornwall.
