RBWM are supporting IChoosr in the roll-out of this scheme for a third year! Deadline for registrations is the 9th August.
Through a reverse auction with installers, you can get highly competitive rates on solar panels, batteries, and chargepoints. Plus, you’ll receive support from the IChoosr team and the council throughout the process. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
No payment or obligation until you receive a survey and proposal from pre-vetted installers.
More information can be found at: Solar Together | The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
And a Q&A on Solar here: Frequently Asked Questions | The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (solartogether.co.uk)
Category Archives: Climate Conversations
HOLD THE DATE: “Climate Trauma: Finding Our Power” Workshop
“I believe that the threat even greater than climate change is how powerless we feel in the face of it.” Clover Hogan, TED talk, What to do when climate change feels unstoppable.
- Struggling with anxiety about climate change?
- Keen to take positive action but uncertain where to start?
Join this workshop “Facing Climate Trauma: Finding our Power”. Connect with others in the local community, get new perspectives on our personal and collective challenges, and clarity on next steps we can take.
- When: Monday 16th September 6:30 – 9:30 pm
- Where: Maidenhead Community Centre, 4 Marlow Road SL6 7HY
- How much: As a ‘pilot’ event tickets are discounted at £15. (*usually £35)
- What next: Book your tickets here on Humanitix: Finding our power workshop
Maidenhead Candidates’ Climate Statements – Election 2024
This is a very important 2024 General Election at a critical time for our country, our climate, and the planet. Not sure who to choose to vote for in Maidenhead?
We asked all Maidenhead candidates earlier last week for ‘climate statements’ on their ‘green credentials’ and how the intend to help Maidenhead at this critical time.
Four candidates replied. Their responses are posted below: please do read – we hope this, together with this ranking from Greenpeace here helps inform your Climate Vote choice!
Climate Statement: Andrew Cooney – Green Party …
Climate Statement: Josh Reynolds – Liberal Democrat …
Climate Statement: Jo Smith – Labour …
Climate Statement: Yasir Qazi – Independent …
We also reached out to and as of today have yet to hear back from:
- Timothy Birt – Social Democratic Party
- Tania Mapthis – Conservative and Unionist Party
- George Wright – Independent
How to be a climate voter!
Election 2024: which party is best on climate and nature? Not sure who to vote for?
Greenpeace ranked and rated the main parties’ green policies: Read more here
Voting for the Climate in 2024!
So many conversations from so many parties & politicians wanting your vote:
- What’s the stance of each party on the key climate issues?
- What’s their actual track record on delivery on the climate?
- What are they promising if you vote for them on July 4th?
- What influence will they really have locally and globally?!
So many questions – do you need some help? This episode of Rare Earth (a great series we really recommend) can help you think through all these issues and help you decide where you may place your vote for the Planet!
Rare Earth – Environment and the General Election – BBC Sounds
A letter from Chris Packham
Restore Nature Now
[London 22nd June]
Dear friends, I’m writing to your group as one of the UK’s many smaller, grassroots organisations. It’s a beautiful day in Arne, Dorset where I’m currently filming Springwatch- the field of grass shoots and seedlings seems appropriate.
I applaud you- grassroots are the beating hearts of campaigning and activism. We may be small but we are mighty!
We are the mycelium under the floor of campaigning; tirelessly working away, growing, networking and barely seen- but without us the whole ecosystem of activism would simply not flourish. I thank you for the vital role that you play. A selfless, passionate and inspiring role.
We are light and agile, without the heavy governance and processes of boards and multiple layers of management. We can be responsive, reactive and blaze trails where other bulkier organisations can only slowly follow. What we lack in membership and funds we make up for in energy and effectiveness.
So here’s to the grassroots; the volunteers, the local activists, the common people, the ordinary folk MAKING CHANGE HAPPEN.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I hope to see as many of you as possible on Sat 22 June in London to demand our government Restore Nature Now. You can sign-up as a supporting organisation here and as individuals pledge to march here.
We know that amazing things can happen when we come together- when we unite en-masse to joyously, fervently, demand the changes we need to see from our elected leaders when it comes to biodiversity loss and climate breakdown.
See you on the streets! Chris
No-one is too small to make a difference!
One of our many volunteers read this book recently and was moved to write a review:
Everybody should read this book – it is full of solid scientific facts, and brutally honest, but somehow inspiring at the same time.
When Greta Thunberg first appeared on the scene, I didn’t read much about her. It took me a while to realise why. It was because she made me feel both envious and guilty! I knew that I would never have had the courage to speak out and call world leaders to account when I was just a teenager. I felt guilty because I felt I should be doing more than I was about the climate crisis.
She started by taking Fridays off school and sitting down outside the Swedish parliament. She handed out fliers with lots of information about the climate crisis, and posted her actions on social media. Once this went viral, hundreds of thousands of other school children have followed her example.
Greta Thunberg is absolutely remarkable and this small book was a revelation to me. Her first book, it is a collection of speeches she made to a range of audiences including the UN, the UK parliament, the US congress, the World Economic Forum and climate rallies. Not all of the people she was addressing were as concerned about the climate crisis as she was. Some were sceptical and others overtly hostile.
Hub VOLUNTEER’s Book Review
What I found amazing about this book was the stark clarity of her writing. She explains that having Asperger’s Syndrome causes her to think in black and white. She sees this as an advantage because as she says “there are no grey areas when it comes to survival”. What she finds inexplicable is the gap between the urgency of the situation, supported by science, and the lack of action on the part of politicians and businesses to tackle the problem.
Get this book from all good bookshops including one of our personal favorites: The Little Bookshop Cookham. [Greta Thunberg ISBN 978-0-141-99271-6]
Grow Green: Gardening Ideas for a better planet
One of our many visitors at the Hub at our Anniversary Event was inspired by what they saw.
They talked about how many of the resources in the Hub support the messages and learnings from a book they recently read. They wrote a review and strongly recommend “Grow Green” by Jen Chillingaworth.
“This little book is one I would certainly recommend to anybody who wants to learn about gardening in the best way for the planet. It is small and light enough to be carried around the garden, and provides lots of helpful information for all green gardeners, including beginners.“
Hub Visitor’s Book Review
You can get this book from all good bookshops including one of our personal favorites: The Little Bookshop Cookham.
I thought we were not doing too badly in our garden, from an environmental viewpoint. We have a pond, two water butts, three compost bins, a log pile and a wild area. We don’t use any chemicals and have started to save some of our seeds. However, I found lots of useful tips in this little book which covers topics from compost and biodiversity, to checking your soil type and growing indoor plants. I never knew that ground cinnamon could be sprinkled on soil in seed trays to help reduce problems with fungal disease, or that most edible plants need 6-8 hours of direct sunshine during the day.
Hub Visitor’s Book Review
The author does not assume that her readers know anything about environmentally friendly gardening, but manages not to be patronising! She suggests we apply the 5 R principles – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot to everything we do in the garden. There are loads of ideas on how to reuse containers you already have, lists of what is suitable for composting, and which plants help others to grow better.
Many of the things she mentions fit in with the resources at the ECO Action Hub! I have swapped seeds there, and will certainly be at the next seedling swap. The library of things will mean tools and equipment can be borrowed, saving money and reusing resources more efficiently. There is a great section about wildlife and how to make your garden more welcoming to all sorts of creatures. It is a fantastic place to visit anyway, but has already made us better at gardening sustainably.
Earth Day: today and every day!
What we do today and everyday helps form the kind of world we want to live in. Reducing our carbon emissions is ever more important: Working together we can achieve more – and we’re here today and every day to help you!
Here are some really great ideas – chose one (or two) for Earth Day and every day!
- Eat less meat and dairy – saving money and carbon!
- Leave the car at home – walk or cycle or bus and feel good!
- Draughtproof the house – you’ve always wanted to and we can help!
- Turn the thermostat down 1% – saving money, fuel and money too!
- Shun single-use plastic – stop buying bottled water of coffee in a cup?
- Join a local ‘Wild’ group and make your space more green & friendly?
- Buy less, spend less … consume less: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse Recycle!
- Need a plan? We can help you – download our Personal Action Plan here!
- Need some more help & more information? We’ve got Help Sheets here for you!
🌎🌱 Make every day earth Day! Help create a greener, healthier future! 🌎🌱
Take the 10% Carbon Reduction Challenge!
What’s it all about? We all know we need to reduce our carbon footprint, don’t we? We can see climate change is real, that there are global issues and local concerns. Can we afford to do nothing, or can we really make some changes ourselves and have an impact?
Can you make a difference? What can you do to really reduce carbon, save money, and equally importantly how will you feel if you do make changes? How much difference can you really make as a person, and how easy will it be? We can help you!
Introducing the 10% Challenge: Understanding your personal and household’s carbon footprint, finding tools and approaches to become more aware, then being given plans, approaches, and support to reduce your footprint year on year is what the 10% Challenge is all about.
Tell me more?
- We will help you calculate your carbon footprint today.
- Prioritize changes you can make (how easy, how expensive, what return).
- Build a plan with you to make a difference (travel, food, reduce/reuse, …)
- Show you how to keep assessing, planning, and making real changes!
What next? Come and see us and get some great ideas to start your journey and make a difference now. Sign up with us to get more help. We are open Thursdays to Sundays (here)
Come to our Anniversary Party: we’ll have our team there ready to talk with you AND we’ll have special guests including RBWM’s Karen Davies (Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Biodiversity) and her colleagues signing up to and taking the 10% Challenge with you!!