Supporting Eco Schools work at John Blow Primary School

‘Eco Schools’ is a nationally recognised awards programme which schools can take part in to promote and develop a more sustainable and environmentally friendly school site. Schools can gain Bronze, Silver and Gold Award status, and ultimately the ‘Green Flag’ through developing a Green Team and an Action Plan which addresses issues such as waste recycling, reduced energy and water consumption, more effective use of the outdoor environment and strategies which help to share the ‘green’ message throughout the community.

Members of 2020, who are also governors at the school, have led whole school assemblies focussing on the value of low energy light bulbs, reducing electricity consumption, self-monitoring of water consumption and growing our own food. We have worked together to produce booklets of helpful tips on saving water and electricity and have also helped the school to make a ‘Green’ link with another school in the Newark area to share good practice. John Blow School now has the Silver Eco Schools Award and is working towards Gold.

Walk this Way

2020 Green Vision has planned four walks of various distances around Collingham in order to promote and encourage healthy lifestyles. The walks will be published in leaflet form, on the Collingham Parish website and a map will be posted in the centre of the village

Carbon footprint of Collingham

We are in discussion with the University of Leeds with the intention of commissioning their Department of Sustainability to carry out a carbon footprint estimate of the village of Collingham. This measurement is designed to assess the total carbon dioxide emissions of the village so that 2020 Green Vision can identify key areas where savings in energy consumption can be made.

Community Orchard

John Blow Primary School and 2020 Green Vision are collaborating on a project to plant about 20 fruit trees on the school field this autumn. The resultant fruit will be shared amongst the pupils, parents and staff of the school. 2020 Green Vision is also trying to identify a suitable site for a Collingham Community Orchard with access for all members of the community. If you know of such a site please contact Derek Middlemiss on 892821

Christmas Market

2020 Green Vision’s Christmas Market will be held on Saturday 12^th December, between 10 am and 2.00 pm in the Memorial Hall. It will be an ideal opportunity to buy gifts and seasonal produce. For more information phone Anita on 01636 892928.

There have always been people who think organic foods are a waste of money, and recently published research seems to endorse this view. But, as ever, there is more to these findings than meets the eye. Whilst it may be true that in nutritional values alone there is little difference (although organic milk is definitely higher in omega 3 content), food and farming are far more complex than just calories, proteins and vitamins.

Important points were totally ignored by the research, for instance: The copious use of herbicides and pesticides, and the fact that organic farming and agriculture attract almost no subsidies. Thus, true price comparisons are unfair. Then there is the energy cost. Artificial fertilizers and chemicals are virtually all derived from petroleum and that cost will rise relentlessly. Intensive livestock farming systems are fraught with unintended consequences; apart from their arguably inhumane methods there are still valid questions about their link with the incubation of both bird and swine ‘flu. Furthermore, they produce unacceptable levels of local pollution.

Less obvious are the unresolved questions about long-term degradation of soil conditions and fertility. The organic movement claims that their methods improve the soils, increasing useful micro-organisms and improving structure.

Obviously we need to keep a grip on common sense. Not everyone can afford to shop organically, but where local organic food is a good deal, then we should go for it. Local fresh produce is also good value and reduces ‘food miles’ – buying organic food from hundreds of miles away is nonsense by comparison. Whatever we do, we should only buy what we can use and avoid wasting it.

2020 Green Vision would like to welcome more volunteers to its ranks. If sitting in committee meetings is not your thing, we have plenty of other jobs that need to be done. For instance:

If you can give us some time or if you have expertise to share, please contact Derek Middlemiss on 01636 892 821 or email info@2020greenvision.org.uk.