Highland Environmental Network Newsletter

Highland Environmental Network Newsletter Welcome to the Highland Environmental Network February 2014 Newsletter  - news, opportunities, events and articles on this issue's theme Transport.   News Update from HEN - Highland Environmental Network is now a Company Ltd by guarantee (but still a voluntary organisation), we need to invite groups and individuals to become members of the new company, membership is currently free. By joining HEN you will be showing your support for the work delivered by HEN as well a helping to promote environmental sustainability in the Highlands. If you would like to join HEN please complete the membership form which only takes a few minutes. Environmental Directory - We have also been busy updating the HEN Environmental Directory, please make sure your details are up to date, if you want to make any changes please submit them using this form. If your organisation is not listed on the Directory please sign up, it's a great resource and it's free too! Goodbye & Hello - This month we say goodbye to Carol Masheter, who has been HEN Project Development Officer for the last 2.5 years. Carol is taking on the Community Development Officer role for Soirbheas in the Glen Urquhart and Strathglass. Caroline Vawdrey will be take over from Carol on 3rd February, Caroline says "Community and conservation have always been important to me - and so working for HEN seems like the ideal place to be." You can contact Caroline on hen@highlandenvironment.org.uk.  We also welcome Joanne Ellen who will be working with us for a short period to support the development of the new Climate Change Declaration for the Highlands, which we will keep you informed of as it progresses.   Don't forget you can keep in touch and share your news and events with HENhen@highlandenvironment.org.uk by phone 07733771186 follow HEN on Twitter or like us on Facebook. Job Opportunities Several positions available including posts with Ullapool Trust, Trees for Life and Kyle of Sutherland, for more info.   What’s on CPD- R U Up 4 Growing your own Food? Friday 21st February A busy few weeks ahead for Biodiversity.... Highland Biodiversity Conference Wednesday 26th February, in Inverness Book your free place please now! Highland Biodiversity Exchange Saturday 8th March, in Strathpeffer Book your free place now! Share your event  here.   We are always keen to include contributions from other organisations in the Newsletter, please get in touch if you would like to contribute an article. Theme for the next issue is Green Tourism, deadline for articles 21st April or the next ebulletin deadline is 21st Feb for general information, please send your information and articles to hen@highlandenvironment.org.uk.  The views expressed in articles are not necessarily that of HEN.   We hope you enjoy the Newsletter and thank you again to everyone who has contributed articles. Time to rethink our car usage If you didn't make a New Year resolution for 2014 then you might want to consider making one to reduce your car usage. Not only could you get fit, save money but also dramatically cut down on your CO2 emissions! Over the past few decades people have started to travel further to their place of work, leisure and health for reasons. This is reflected by the trend for out of town retail parks, business park workplaces, sports facilities to edge of town sites, new ‘campus’-type hospitals and ‘drive-in’ restaurants. An increase in population in some rural areas can also have an effect.  Holiday travel has seen the explosion of ‘low-cost’ airlines and the trend towards taking longer and more frequent journeys by air.  Transport now accounts for around 20% of Scotland’s total greenhouse gas emissions, or around 10.7 million tonnes of CO2e. The largest share of transportation emissions 69% is from road transport or around 10 million tonnes CO2e per year. Cars account for 43% of all transport emissions, and 60% of total road transport emissions – 6 million tonnes CO2e per year. This is approximately 11% of total Scottish emissions. While railway transportation contributes 3% CO2 emissions and bus/coaches only 2%. What can we do about it?  There are two broad approaches to reducing the emissions associated with transport: • Reducing travel (e.g. by replacing travel with video-conferencing, journey planning to combine multiple trips into one trip, or lift-sharing). • Substituting a more carbon-intensive way of travelling with a lower (or no) carbon alternative (e.g. switching from car travel to bus travel, or from bus travel to bike). Travelling less  The most efficient way to reduce CO2e emissions from travel is by doing away with unnecessary journeys. Video-conferencing, rather than travelling to a meeting, can reduce a significant amount of CO2e. Journey planning also cuts travel and thus emissions, by optimising your route or by combining two journeys into one. Home working can make a big difference to travel. Working from home one day in five will save 20% of journeys and emissions. It also takes cars off the road, which at work times will reduce congestion. However, working from home is not without some costs. For example, there may well be added daytime heating costs and electricity. These may partially offset the CO2e savings made from reduced travel. Shared and public transport  Public and shared transport provides a climate friendly, more inclusive alternative to the private car. Minibus, bus and coach also provide good alternatives to cars in terms of emissions. Rail travel produces less CO2e than driving and as such it is a good alternative to private car travel. Lift-sharing and car clubs  Lift-sharing helps to reduce emissions by cutting the number of individual car journeys made. Car clubs are when people share the ownership or use of a car, rather than each individually owning a car. This can help to reduce emissions as car club cars are generally more efficient than the typical private car, and not having access to a private car tends to mean that people drive less. Efficient cars, eco-driving and car maintenance practices  Reducing speed you drive at directly reduces your emissions will driving an efficient diesel cars, hybrid-electric, or electric vehicles instead of large fossil-fuel powered cars are all steps that can be taken to reduce our emissions. Highland Liftshare   Highlanders are being urged to travel smart, save cash and socialise in a bid to cut tailbacks caused by roadworks on the Kessock Bridge. The website highland.liftshare.com is part of Transition Black Isle’s Million Miles project, which aims to slash car use on the Black Isle by a million miles, or one percent, a year. With well over 600 members signed up and 700 journeys registered, your chances of finding a travel buddy onhighland.liftshare.com to share your journey with are growing all the time. “More lift-sharing means less cars on the road, and shorter queues during the bridge works,” said Million Miles project officer Peter Elbourne. “Splitting fuel costs makes the journey cheaper all round - and travelling with passengers in the car means you can enjoy a blether while you’re on the move.” More and more people are getting together with others who live or work near them to share transport for the daily commute, cutting hundreds of pounds from annual fuel bills. In addition people are usinghighland.liftshare.com to find buddies to share journeys to events such as theatre shows and football matches. There’s also a fantastic competition to encourage people to sign up. Add a journey on to highland.liftshare.com for a chance to win a voucher for a full valet from Arnold Clark – details on the lift-sharing page on the Transition Black Isle website. E-mail millionmiles@transitionblackisle.org or phone 07715 663781 to find out more. Out & About in Cromarty As part of the Million Miles project, Transition Black Isle has organised a special ‘Out and About’ event at the Victoria Hall in Cromarty on Saturday 1st February. People who come along will be able to get their hands on a voucher for a week’s free bus travel. In addition, visitors will be able to get their bikes fixed, have a shot on an electric bike and take part in a range of other transport related activities. The Million Miles team has also organised more driver training to run alongside the Out and About in Cromarty event on 1st February. Each session lasts around 50 minutes, with a qualified instructor taking you out for three laps around Cromarty. The expert advice is very useful as it is tailored to your driving style. The average improvement in fuel economy to date is 16%, which is equivalent to around £250 per year. A fuel efficiency session is normally priced at £12 (already discounted from £40). However, we are able to offer a session FREE to members of Transition Black Isle! Drivers must book their sessions to meet insurance requirements, so get in touch with us ASAP (millionmiles@transitionblackisle.org). Please contact us at more information or to let us know your preferred time.   Cycling in Rural Scotland Conference   The Highlands will host a unique celebration of two wheeled travel when inspirational and influential figures from the cycling world gather in Conon Bridge. The Cycling in Rural Scotland conference aims to boost bike use in less populated areas of the country.  As well as encouraging people to try out pedal power on rural roads, the conference aims to lay foundations which will lead to future improvements for rural cycling. The event at Ben Wyvis Primary School on Saturday 22nd March has been organised as part of the Million Miles project, which aims to cut a million miles, or one percent, off car use in the Black Isle.  Million Miles is funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund. Among the speakers already confirmed are Highland Council convener Drew Hendry and livewire adventurer Pammy Johal, who has motivated hundreds of ethnic minority women to take to two wheels. The day will also feature workshops on a broad range of topics, from cycle safety on rural roads to community mapping, cycling for health and promoting cycle tourism. “We’re aiming to attract cyclists, wannabe cyclists and anyone who has in interest in safer, healthier travel on our rural roads,” said Million Miles project officer Marion McDonald.  “This is a one off opportunity for both those already involved or people keen to see more bikes on country roads to get together, share knowledge and spark ideas off one another. “We’re anticipating a lot of interest from cycle clubs, community activists, local groups and policy makers from a range of organisations, and are pulling together an exciting programme of talks, workshops and fringe activities to ensure there’s lots going on for everyone on the day.” For further information contact Marion McDonald on millionmiles@transitionblackisle.org or 01808 510051. Make your journey more Carbon CLEVER Lessons learned from last year’s resurfacing works at the Kessock Bridge have resulted in long-term benefits for many commuters, including those working for the biggest employer in the area, The Highland Council. Many have changed their travel and work patterns on an ongoing basis as the result of their experiences during the bridge works and this has helped reduce congestion on the bridge and cut the council’s carbon footprint. It is estimated that the number of vehicles crossing the bridge at peak times was cut by 1,000 as commuters used buses and trains that serve their communities, jumped on their bikes, organised car sharing, and rearranged their work hours to avoid crossing the bridge at peak hours. Without this reduction, it is estimated that journeys across the bridge could have taken up to an hour longer. A survey of Council staff affected by the resurfacing work indicated that a significant number intend to continue with alternative arrangements due to the associated benefits.  It was particularly encouraging to see the growing numbers using public transport, with the opening of Conan Bridge Railway Station adding to the options for communities. Reducing our carbon emissions is at the heart of the Council’s Carbon CLEVER Project. This will see the Highlands lead the way in moving to a low carbon economy. We want to create a carbon neutral Inverness in a low carbon Highlands by 2025. The public are being urged to get behind and take part in Carbon CLEVER as achieving the targets will have many benefits for everyone. It will improve transport and energy choices, support business development and help us to save money and be healthier. Get involved and make the region an even better place to stay.  We all need to reduce our carbon footprint and public bodies have challenging targets to meet if we are to avoid any further change to our climate. The Council will publish its Carbon CLEVER Programme plan later this year. Already a number of projects are being supported. The plan will identify the projects and actions that the Council, Highland organisations, and partners will be implementing to achieve the target of a low carbon future. An important part of this plan will be on transport. It will cover both the installation of infrastructure for, and supporting the transition to, more sustainable forms of transport. Transport accounts for approximately 28% of the region’s carbon emissions, and it is vital if we are to realise the ambition of a low carbon region for a significant shift to occur to more sustainable forms of transport. Cycling is a low cost, quick, and convenient way to travel. It can also help to keep you fit and assist the region to reduce its carbon emissions. Inverness has been approved as Scotland’s Cycling City through the Scottish Cities Alliance. This recognises the relatively high amount of people that cycle in Inverness compared to other areas of the country, but also the effort and commitment that is being put into encouraging cycling by the Council, partners, and community groups. The Council is working hard to improve cycling facilities across Inverness. It is working with others to install new cycling infrastructure, including providing new and safer cycle lanes; developing an electric bicycle hire scheme for Inverness with investment from SSE; and identifying quick measures to make cycling in and around the city easier and safer. The Highland Council Useful tips to cut travel costs Start saving money and fuel throughout 2014 with the help of Home Energy Scotland.  1.      Web tools:  ·         Our FuelGood app is designed to help you track fuel efficiency for each car journey you make.  It can track your car journeys, flagging when you’re driving inefficiently and at the end of your journey provides a summary of distance travelled, time taken, average miles per gallon and the savings you could make by driving efficiently. Use the FuelGood app ·         Our Travel Energy Check shows you how to reduce your fuel bills and helps you get the most out of your car, whether you have a small car, a big family car or a hybrid car – find the best in class, and get smarter driving tips too. Use the Travel Energy Check 2.      Fuel-efficient driving tips: You could save 15% off your fuel costs by using all of our fuel efficient driving tips. As well as saving money and fuel, fuel efficient driving will help you to drive safely and reduce wear and tear on components like tyres, clutch and gearbox. Become a fuel efficient driver today. Follow our top tips: 1. Shift to a higher gear as soon as possible Driving at lower engine speeds reduces fuel consumption. Change up between 2,000 and 2,500 rpm. 2. Anticipate road conditions and drive more smoothly Rather than last minute braking, decelerate smoothly by easing off the accelerator as early as possible. This allows the car to decelerate using engine braking. With the car in gear and the accelerator released, a modern car uses virtually no fuel at all. This form of braking is also gentler on the car and its occupants. 3. Maintain a steady speed in as high a gear as possible Driving at a steady speed requires little effort for the engine. Avoiding unnecessary acceleration and heavy braking helps reduce your fuel consumption. 4. Drive a little slower Stick to the speed limits and make your fuel go further. For most cars the most efficient speed is 45-50 mph. The faster you go above this, the more fuel you will use. Driving at 50mph rather than 70mph reduces your fuel consumption by 10% at a stroke. 5. Switch off if you're stationary for more than a minute When stuck in traffic or waiting for someone, switch off your engine. Switching off whenever it's safe to do so can soon lead to significant savings. 6. Keep your tyres properly inflated Under-inflated tyres not only lead to poor road holding but also cause excessive drag and resistance, increasing fuel consumption. Both over and under-inflated tyres can be dangerous to road holding, so make sure your tyres are at their recommended pressure. 7. Switch off air conditioning Use air conditioning sparingly as your engine has to work harder to power the air conditioning machinery. If driving at low speed, open the window instead. 8. Close your windows if travelling at 50mph or more The aerodynamic drag on your car of an open window at speeds of 50mph or more adds to your fuel usage. Keep your windows closed at high speeds. 9. Remove roof boxes and racks if not being used Car designers try hard to make their vehicles as aerodynamic as possible. Adding a roof box or rack spoils this by increasing drag on your car, making your engine work harder and increases fuel usage. 10. Remove unnecessary items Carrying excess weight in a vehicle increases fuel consumption. Heavy or large items, such as tool kits and golf clubs should be removed when not required. 3.      Buying an efficient car: When buying a new or used car, choosing an efficient vehicle doesn’t mean compromising on style or features. There can be large variations in the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by cars within the same market category, and even by the same model of a car registered in different years. Our handy search tool allows you to compare the energy efficiency of new and used cars registered since 2001. You can search by either the size of car, or by a particular make and model. Use our search tool 4.      Walking and cycling:  Walking and cycling are cheap and healthy options for getting around. Half of all UK car journeys are for less than five miles. Short hops like this can be expensive, because cars can use twice as much fuel when engines are warming up. There's no doubting the convenience of jumping in the car but walking and cycling can often be a practical substitute, especially in a town or city. They're certainly cheaper, saving on parking fees as well as fuel. And the health benefits are huge, from weight loss to better fitness and overall physical and mental well-being. For clear and impartial advice call Home Energy Scotland free on 0808 808 2282 or visit homeenergyscotland.org Home Energy Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered by Energy Saving Trust.    Rural Development Programme The Scottish Government is currently running a consultation on the new Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) for 2014-2020. Proposals include plans to protect rural development support for farmers and to increase funding for agri-environmental schemes. The consultation period runs until 28th February. The consultation document can be found here, and a summary of the proposals is available to download here. For more info Rural Development Programme consultation is launched.