Shades of green

40 came round our garden in the six hours for which we were open today as part of Cheltenham Green Doors. Five were children, but all seemed more or less committed to the quest for the shortest distance from land to mouth.

At four, we shut up shop and jumped into the car to drive up to Cranham, to see one of the other properties: it was open till six. That was quite a show-stopper: a green oak new build on the site of the TB Sanatorium where George Orwell had once been a patient. It's 1,000 feet up and thus with a fabulous view, over first open fields and then Buckholt Wood, sunny from breakfast to dinner.

My photograph shows the North side, where you drive in past a new lake and bund dividing the property from Cranham Sawmill. The facing here is a wall of Cotswold stone, the other side all glass, with sedum roof and both PV and solar thermal panels.

The owner indicated a line through the pond dividing Cotswold District from Stroud: the two Councils agreed, he said, that Stroud should deal with the planning application, which they were happy to approve, being "top eco".

Are such houses a sign of hope or of contradiction? I suppose the hope is that they can be the F1 racing cars of their time, justifiable on the grounds that they pave the way for more energy efficient roadsters. Because what we need of course is not just top eco, but middle and bargain basement eco too. Otherwise top eco will end up as unjust as Richard ("Eco") Branson's dream of Martian emigration.

"Applying renewable energy within a Christian environmental morality"

This was the title John Twidell chose for his talk to Christian Ecology Link in Cheltenham this evening. Two dozen of us gathered for an excellent presentation, and wide-ranging discussion to follow.

John's faith motivated him to look for work in Africa after completing his second degree - teaching physics in Khartoum University. He saw the waste of a major energy source there (solar) as a failure in stewardship of God's creation, and thus began his experimentation with renewable energy. Returning to the UK, he invented a course in the subject at Strathclyde University, and then obtained the post of Professor of Renewable Energy at de Montfort. He and his wife Mary (whom he met in the Sudan) still live in Leicestershire, where their home bristles with energy-saving measures: they are happy to demonstrate them to any who turn up.

In his presentation, John contrasted green energy - diverting natural flows - with brown energy - digging up in order to pollute. We shouldn't be surprised that renewables are only just becoming accepted: it takes 50 years for people in school to graduate to becoming decision-makers. But the technology for harnessing especially the sun and the wind is now well proven, sophisticated, available and increasingly affordable. Of course, Government help is needed to establish it - the same with any energy source. But Government can equally well scupper it: witness the harm Eric Pickles is doing by his arbitrary overturning of appeal decisions and so preventing new wind farms from being established.

The speaker ended by advocating that we each list possible "my changes" - lifestyle decisions, taking up the issues through lobbying, even career changes (standing for election). And as for leaving the EU, that would be a disaster energy-wise: UKIP want to reopen coal mines!

PS There's an open day to view a community wind turbine not far away, on Sunday 28th: details here.

Fracking in the Cotswolds

This was the title of a presentation given by Dr. Jonathan Whittaker today to the Gloucestershire Churches Environmental Justice Network. A good number of us crowded into the so-called Jerusalem Room over College Green from Gloucester Cathedral to hear it. "I'm a dentist," Jonathan began, "so I know a little about drilling..." He was modest: fracking is clearly a subject he's studied carefully, and puts well into context.

Explaining why the Government is so keen to promote it, he uses the analogy of tobacco. The tax revenues from both shale gas exploration and cigarette sales are a pot of gold too tempting for Chancellors to resist - but the cost of encouraging fracking may outweigh its income stream in the long term, just as the cost of treating lung cancer patients puts the tax from tobacco sales into perspective.

Fracking is, Jonathan concludes, less likely a bridge to the future - more a gangplank. What if - instead - as much were spent on developing (for instance) the Anaconda wave energy converter, pumped hydro energy storage and peak demand control as is scheduled for HS2?

Jerusalem was already on my mind from last night, as we watched Henry IV Part 2, relayed from Stratford-upon-Avon. The king's death in the Jerusalem Chamber takes place off stage, but on stage there's plenty of fine business in Greg Doran's excellent production, in which Oliver Ford Davies as Shallow if anything outperforms Antony Sher as Falstaff. What a play!

A question of trust

This indifferent photograph from near the back of the Town Hall's Pillar Room was taken at the end of last night's fracking discussion, part of the Cheltenham Science Festival. It shows the main participants, energy economist Paul Ekins and (right) Andrew Quarles, Cuadrilla's exploration director.

Ably though Richard Bacon chaired it, the self-styled "debate" could have done with being a little more adversarial. And of course it needed longer than an hour, to allow more of the audience's expertise, and I suspect concern, to make itself heard.

The context of climate change and the neglect of the 5th Fuel (energy conservation) needed bringing out more too, IMHO; but the speakers both did well to prevent it just becoming an emotional tussle.

Cuadrilla is asking for "a social licence", but Prof. Ekins queries whether the public trusts the energy companies to tell the whole story, let alone the Government to regulate them effectively: fracking would have no impact on gas prices; 50 wells need to be dug to see what the fugitive emissions would amount to, and whether UK fracking was viable at all - and then 300 new wells a year to meet industry expectations. On top of all this, it's likely to become a substitute for nuclear or renewables, rather than coal. Wouldn't we be better off looking for energy security through renewables? Precisely.

Green Doors '14

Tonight, a dozen of us have been discussing another weekend of open houses and gardens next year, to promote energy efficiency and conservation generally. This will be Cheltenham's third, and is fixed for 20th/21st September. What we need are more people to come forward, to allow their improvements etc. to go on show.

I took the photograph at the exquisite Young Dürer exhibition in Somerset House: I visited it yesterday afternoon. It features the 23-year-old Dürer's wife, "My Agnes" as he called her, a drawing on loan from the Albertina.

Church crawling

Jenkins to hand, Caroline and I set off inland today on a wet morning to look at two churches with seven stars between them. Even looking at lesser churches in Cornwall gives me great pleasure, if only for their churchyards' old slate tombstones: they last long enough to reveal much fine lettering still.

Getting to Blisland was itself a delightful journey of discovery, passing garden-gate produce stalls, ancient signposts and through a maze of narrow lanes. The church is almost worth visiting for its name alone: the only one dedicated to the brothers Protus and Hyacinth, whose feast was yesterday. John Betjeman raved about the Victorian screen, which runs gaudily across the entire width of the church. I especially liked looking up to the giddy-making wagon roof of the nave.

Blisland has a newish community building to boast of also: a vast shed, housing shop, post office, café with internet and large screen, doctor's surgery... all run, it's said, on as little energy as possible. There's a sign pointing out the cost of a drive to the nearest supermarket: "Shop here and save yourself a fiver."

St Neot's church is more celebrated even than Blisland's - "the cathedral of the Moor" - on account of its mediaeval stained glass. But it seemed less welcoming to me, possibly because of the sign forbidding unauthorised use of the photographs we visitors take. It's not as if there's a decent choice amongst the church's own photographic postcards. And anyway, dissemination of religious images is all part of spreading the Gospel surely! Why alienate visitors in this way?

Yes, the glass is interesting, especially the Old Testament scenes (Eden and Noah in particular). But give me Fairford any day.

During our stay, we met the owner of a remote Cornish home, who was moaning about a proposed wind turbine. "Only 450 yards away, and it will take £100,000 off my house," she had complained. We happened to pass by the property on our way to Blisland: it's sunk in a deepish, very wooded valley. Even if she's right about the loss in value - surely doubtful - you have to ask how many people in less fortunate circs. would give their eye teeth to be able to arrest an unwanted "development" within 450 yards of where they live; and to question whether one individual should be able to elevate her property rights above the needs of the world for more renewable energy. This, along with the extreme "whiteness" of the retired and holidaying community down here in Cornwall.

Cheltenham Green Doors

Last year and the year before we called it Eco Open Homes or ECOHAB: this year, we were Cheltenham Green Doors, to chime in with the Bristol model. And we brought forward the openings to June, rather than September, as they were previewed by an event in the Cheltenham Science Festival earlier in the month.

So I had an enjoyable time this weekend cycling around the fifteen venues - houses, a shop and gardens demonstrating a more sustainable way of life - and took some photographs. In most places, there were visitors at the time I called in, and they were eager to know what was on offer and to engage in conversation: our increased efforts at publicity seem to have reaped some dividend. We shall see what others, more closely involved, have to say at the meeting that's fixed for 2nd July: it's a lot of work, but is it worth going on with it year in, year out?

Commercial and environmental

Gloucestershire Churches Environmental Justice Network arranged a site visit today at the premises of the Commercial Group. Though barely 500 metres from where we live, I had never before ventured down their road, which runs through the site of the former Leckhampton Station. Commercial's sustainability tsar, Simon Graham, gave us generously of both his time and his experience - a most impressive performance!

Since their Damascene moment, six years ago, Commercial have achieved in excess of a 75% reduction in carbon, and - as from Friday last - are able to say they do zero waste. The effect on both customers and suppliers must be very considerable.

Simon outlined three drivers for business to move towards sustainability. Seeing the need to be part of the solution, in looking at responsibility to shareholders. Resource constraints: durability necessitates stewardship. And finally the need to be able to look our grandchildren in the eye.

 I have probably quoted before the question asked by Sir Toby Belch, "Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?" Ale was there sadly none, but Simon did produce a packet of chocolate biscuits.

Dr. Brenda Boardman

I've admired from afar the work of Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute over a longish period: in its early days, when the geographical ambit of the Summerfield Trust was wider, we gave it some money; but I never met its best-known pioneer, Brenda Boardman. For 17 years, she and her husband John helped to fly Oxford University's environmental flag, starting from a time when the word "environment" featured within no other department's title.

It was a pleasure therefore to find myself sitting between Brenda and John at the annual lunch of the Gloucestershire branch of the Oxford Society today, at the Three Choirs Vineyard. Afterwards we heard from Brenda, not only about the genesis of the ECI's inter-disciplinary work on the environment, but with her appraisal that there's currently a sorry lack of joined up green thinking within the University.

She described the situation as "both brilliant and heartbreaking": despite fairly recent endowment being provided for more than one new institution at Oxford, working in the environmental field, "we are still largely living in the realm of wishful thinking." All the Colleges come up with when asked for their response to the challenge of climate change are toe-dipping gestures such as the LMH allotments.

"Oxford's four most recent buildings are the four buildings which are Oxford's heaviest users of electricity." The University has lasted for 900 years, but with the problems the world faces, it's almost impossible to conceive it lasting another 900 years unchanged, she sighed - as did we all.

Chepstow

My friend Jerry asked me to join him today, on a visit to Chepstow. Our mission was to look at the methodist church there: it has submitted for an eco-congregation award, and independent assessors were needed to see what they had been up to.

It's a town centre church, with a lot going on, including the busy Beacon Coffee Shop, where we met: it gives good heart to the community (the church has more than 200 members including quite a decent portion of younger ones - compared to many). The recently-installed PV panels will have made a big difference to the carbon footprint.

We had an interesting discussion with members of the green team - and Jerry and I had another interesting discussion, trying to come to some conclusions on the train journey back.

Before catching our train, we visited the great barn of an Anglican church, St Mary's Priory. How do you set about doing practical green things in a building of that scale? Perhaps the event at Southwark Cathedral tomorrow night would be of interest to them: "Thinking global, acting local" is the title for a discussion on how that ancient building can become more environmentally sustainable.

I didn't remember how beautiful that stretch of railway was, running along the West bank of the Severn. It must easily rank amongst Britain's most scenic routes.

Egg box on wheels

Robert Llewellyn used my post title to describe the Renault Twizy in which he drove to Cheltenham today, to speak at our Science Festival. His was one of the three "environment" events I sat through, my enjoyment decreasing as the day wore on.

Taking wind power as a subject for debate, the day began really well. The "motion", that this house believes that Britain should be a fan of wind energy, was proposed by Andrew Garrad, supported by Jonathon Porritt: it was opposed by blogger Ben Pile, aided capably by John Constable. The audience's view (two-thirds in favour) was monitored both at the outset and at the conclusion: only a couple of minds were changed, but the debate's chair, science journalist Vivienne Parry, conducted proceedings very fairly and with some degree of flair - going amongst the audience, for instance, to elicit questions created a much more level playing field between us and them on stage.

The dialogue was typified by Ben Pile's "complaint", that policy makers seem to think it's their responsibility to get us to change our behaviour. To which all we (in the majority) would reply, "I wish!"

Compared to that for the debate, the audience for Roger Kemp and Robert Llewellyn's talk, "Can we keep warm and still save the world?" was made up of the converted. No tricky questions there. But two amiable speakers, with good wit (Robert) and slides (Roger). Their joint conclusion, that a socialist-type solution is needed (e.g. to convert us to using combined heat and power) felt surprisingly acceptable in Cheltenham.

This evening, we turned out to sit for a further hour in one of the many excruciatingly uncomfortable tents that have taken over Imperial Gardens. (Not only are the rows of seating far too close together, but the temperature control leaves much to be desired - and why turn the lights down so low that it's impossible to take notes?) This final event of the day was possibly the most bizarre ever to have taken place in this Festival. (Interviewer Jonathon Porritt confirmed as much to us over a much-needed whisky afterwards.) The meat of it? Well, several hundreds of us sat there while "charismatic fashion designer and businesswoman" Vivienne Westwood demonstrated, by what she did NOT say, how vital it is to walk the talk. She praised Jonathon for his credibility: there was alas no way he could return the compliment.

Heart & Soul

Our Cheltenham Town Transition Heart & Soul Group met this morning: we had a good discussion about consumerism. Energy supplies came up, all obviously agreeing that renewables were "a good thing"; but what about "the fifth fuel" - energy efficiency? Consuming less should be seen to be a main pillar of any seriously green-thinking government's strategy. But is it?

One idea (Arran Stibbe's): nationalise the energy industry; and let the state give the power companies a per capita grant - the same for each customer. Then the state charges customers according to consumption. The result? Energy suppliers are motivated, big time, to get customers to reduce their consumption.

Carbon savings

This is a property in an adjacent road to us, perhaps with too many PV panels: I took the photograph at just after 3.30pm towards the end of last month, and already the sun is off nearly half of the array. Our decision last year to go down the solar thermal route, rather than have PV, was governed by similar considerations of shading.

12 months having now elapsed since we finished with the plumbing firm that did our work, we can look at what a difference it's made. Not only did we instal three roof panels, but we upgraded the gas boiler and the radiator system. The result? Gas usage is barely more than half what it was before; daytime electricity about two-thirds, and night-time units about three-quarters. Of course, the 2011/12 Winter has been milder, but that's still an appreciable saving, in my book!

The Jevons paradox

Coming back from Malvern last evening, I was struck more than usually by the degree to which people seem to have money (and carbon) to burn. Above is a detail from a photograph I took on a bright Summer day in a tent at Cheltenham Racecourse - Greenbelt: they should know better. Now, as Christmas approaches, I noted once again that there is hardly a house without its tree lit up, visible through the unclosed curtains. Worse still is the number of houses with flashing lights festooned over their exterior.

And, yes, the roofs of some of those houses even sport photovoltaic panels. Thus supporting the theory of W.S. Jevons, writing some 170 years ago: Jevons argued that improvements in fuel efficiency tend to increase, rather than decrease, fuel use: he observed that England's consumption of coal soared after James Watt introduced his coal-fired steam engine, greatly improving on the efficiency of earlier designs. Watt's innovations made coal a more cost-effective power source, leading to the increased use of the steam engine in a wide range of industries. This in turn increased total coal consumption, even as the amount of coal required for any particular application fell. At that time, many worried that coal reserves were dwindling: some thought increasing efficiency would reduce consumption. Jevons however argued that further increases in efficiency would tend to increase the use of coal. Hence, increasing efficiency would tend to increase, rather than reduce, the rate at which England's coal deposits were being depleted.

Similarly, those benefiting from the feed-in tarrif are saying, perhaps: "What the heck? Now we don't need to worry about turning the lights off!" What prospect therefore of fossil fuels being left in the ground?

A new aesthetic

I hosted a wrap-up this evening, for our Cheltenham Eco Homes open day the other Sunday. A good discussion took place between the owners of the various houses that opened up to the public. One reported a caveat she'd heard uttered by a visitor, that any "greening" of people's homes needed to be "tasteful", which seemed - in that instance - to preclude "ugly" panels fronting the road: these were perceived as lowering the tone, and therefore house prices in the area. But surely, said another at our meeting, what about TV aerials?Aren't panels the chimneys of the 21st Century? You hear people complaining about turbines being located between the Lake District and the Howgills: where have these complainants viewed them from? Why, the six-lane M6 Motorway, that scythes throught that beautiful terrain.

Cheltenham Eco Homes

Ours must be the least eco of the ten private houses open to the public today, as part of the Heritage Open Days scheme. This is the first year that eco homes have featured alongside buildings of architectural interest, such as Maggie's Centre which we visited on Thursday. There was a pretty continuous trickle of visitors, to look at our new boilers and solar thermal installation: BCL Energy set up a display in the dining-room, and Caroline sold jam and chutney, much of it made from what we grow in the garden. In fact everyone wanted to see the garden, blown about as it has been this last week or so. The chickens were a great draw of course. We were exhausted by the time the last people left!

At the risk of moral showboating, it seems to me extraordinarily appropriate to have held this first Cheltenham Eco Homes day on 11th September. On the back of 9/11 2001, we went to war in Iraq over oil; and even by reducing our demand for oil, we are unlikely to be able to avoid altogether further resource conflict. But to reduce it must be a first step.

Solar thermal

Our drive has been full of vehicles today. Last Autumn, we were approached - who hasn't been? - about putting panels on the roof, and it seemed the right time. After much toing and froing, we decided against the initial suggestion, a ten-unit system of photovoltaic cells. The roof available is 40 degrees off South and our two large chimneys add a deal of shade to the area. So, we are foregoing the attractive 41.3p per unit on offer from the government at present as an incentive to house-owners who opt for PV.

Instead, we asked about solar thermal, to reduce the gas and/or electricity needed to warm our water. We found that it too came with a sweetener - the renewable heat incentive: some £300 a year for 20 years. So, that is what we are now having installed - but of course it doesn't end there. Further questions and answers have led us to agree that our ancient boiler - long since condemned by British Gas - should be replaced, along with most of our rusting radiators. Altogether, a very expensive business.

We are just thankful that the temperature are at this moment above freezing, though this does not seem set to continue later in the week: doors are continually left open by plumbers who - whilst their selling point may be carbon efficiency - were themselves clearly born in a barn.

Solar gain in Hatherley

Apologies to The Oldie for pinching their cartoon, but it's too apt to resist. We've been on a Cheltenham Connect "site visit" today, to a house in another part of town, where the owners have been active in harnessing the power of the sun over recent years.

The solar panels and photovoltaic cells are working a treat - but the wind turbine is about as useless as the one in the cartoon. It's not mounted high enough up above the (suburban) house; and if it was - the owners have the necessary planning permission already - then it might possibly damage the brickwork.

The Converging World ("TCW")

This is the name of a charity based in Bristol, the brainchild of John Pontin. He was at the UoG talking about it yesterday. I felt privileged to be able to go along.

TCW aims to generate equality through self-sufficiency; to reduce emissions, and to supply sustainable energy solutions in order to create long-term funding streams, to continue to finance the achievement of the main aim. Ambitious? Yes!

But it's an attractive and eminently practical idea. John has primed the pump via a family trust, which put up £1.4m for a wind turbine, on stream in Tamil Nadu, South India. Another wind turbine, erected with borrowed money, secured on the first, is also up and running there. Four more turbines are planned for 2010.

The revenue from these turbines goes, as to three-quarters for future wind turbine investment, and as to the other 25% for social change and development: TCW is working with SCAD in Tamil Nadu on climate change adaptation.

A great idea: needs packaging in a way that everyone can see its merits. And (as its name implies) its concentration is of course on convergence, not the equally vital matter of contraction: very important not to lose sight of that.

We can support TCW by donations (as with any charity); by buying its Gold Standard carbon credits, and by spreading the word.

("My" turbines, I saw whilst crossing the Mersey from Birkenhead last May.)

A Cheltenham church leads by example

This Press Release came my way today: an inspiring story!

After almost two years of intensive planning and fund-raising, Bethesda Methodist Church in Cheltenham is about to install a major array of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on its south-facing roof. Almost invisible from the street, these 40 solar panels will generate upwards of 6,000 kW hrs of electricity a year and any surplus not required by the church will be exported to the national grid.

Funds for the £39,000 installation, which is being carried out by SolarSense, Bristol, have been raised from the UK Government Low Carbon Building Fund, the Methodist Church District Advance Fund, Cheltenham Borough Council, The Summerfield Trust and the Bethesda congregation.

Bethesda is part of the National Eco-Congregation Scheme - an ecumenical programme helping churches make the link between environmental issues and the Christian faith, encouraging them to respond by practical action in the church, in the lives of individuals, and in the local and global community. The church has received two national eco-awards – one of only a dozen or so churches throughout England to have been so recognised. Since its first award, presented by Jonathon Porritt in 2003, Bethesda has become a FairTrade church, sold more than £14,000 worth of fair-trade goods, distributed more than 1000 low-energy light bulbs, operated an extensive recycling scheme, and launched its own carbon offset programme, funds from which have just helped to install a solar hot water system for an AIDS orphanage in South Africa.

Following its second award (presented in 2007 by local MP Martin Horwood during a Sunday morning service), the independent review team commented: “Concern for issues of environmental stewardship and sustainability seem to permeate all aspects of church life”. In their letter of recommendation, independent reviewers concluded: “From any perspective, the Bethesda environmental programme is first class. It should in our view receive maximum publicity. Other churches and indeed secular organisations should be encourage to visit and learn from their example.”

In a recent widely-distributed publication from the Environment Agency, a panel of experts drew up a list of the most important things needed to “save the planet.” The second of their 50 recommendations read as follows: “It is time the world’s faith groups took a lead in reminding us that we have a duty to restore and maintain the ecological balance of the planet.”

Bethesda has been doing this for the last decade, is actively encouraging other churches to do likewise and is now involved in sharing its concerns with the wider community.