Muswell Hill Sustainability Group

Stop rip-off gas and electricity bills

Carajenkinson3 — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:39:04 +0000

Muswell Hill Sustainability Group supports fair pricing for gas and electricity. Please sign the petition at http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/big-six-energy-petition#petition to put the pressure on the Big 6 to reduce their prices.

The Big 6 currently produce only 8% of their energy from renewable sources. If you want to switch to a supplier using a much bigger proportion of renewable energy, Haringey Council have negotiated a special deal. Find out more at:http://www.haringey4020.org.uk/index/discounts_freebies/green_energy_tariffs.htm. You will pay a bit more, but you will be supporting the move to renewable energy.

Inspirational low energy primary school

Carajenkinson3 — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:53:52 +0000

One of the projects we’re very excited about is our work with schools in Haringey. We completed energy audits for 6 schools to allow them to apply for Haringey zero-cost loan funding, and we’re hoping that the improvement works, including low-efficiency lighting, pipe lagging, TRVs and better boiler controls will take place during the school Summer holidays. As part of this project our energy auditor, David Pitcher of Green & Castle arranged for a visit to Ashley Primary School in Surrey which has reduced its carbon emissions by 80%. I was accompanied on the visit by Cal Shaw, Head of Chestnuts Primary and her business manager as well as Jude Clements who has been getting quotes from contractors to do the work at the Haringey Schools.

The Head of Ashley, Richard Dunne, visited Antartica 6 years ago and the sight of icebergs melting motivated him to make a real difference at his school. Through many projects over the last 5 years he has managed to reduce the school electricity bill to £3000 per annum – which is approximately a twelfth of the average at a Haringey primary. He has done this by embedding sustainability – the pupils at the school are given the job of monitoring different aspects of energy use and are awarded weekly prizes for the most energy reduction. There is now almost no artificial lighting at the school – corridors and classrooms are lit by solar tubes – directing the sunlight very effectively into the building. He has put a large skylight into his Victorian school hall, so it is now a light and airy room. The school recently had a new block added which (through the solar membrane on the roof) actually produces more energy than it consumes on some days!

We were all extremely impressed and the visit really showed the potential for what could be done at Haringey Schools. If you’d like to find out more about our School project do contact us at info@mhsgroup.org.

Community Energy Talk this evening

Carajenkinson3 — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:20:00 +0000

Community Energy – what next?

Don’t miss this opportunity to discuss community energy possibilities with experts!

Professor Yvonne Rydin Environment Institute, UCL

Maya de Souza Green Party Councillor, Camden
Thursday 10th May 8.00pm
Muswell Hill Methodist Church, 28 Pages Lane, Muswell Hill, London N10 1PP
All Welcome

Professor Rydin will outline the results of a research project, CLUES, on community energy projects in rural and urban locations. See http://www.ucl.ac.uk/clues/

Maya de Souza will explain what can be done in North London to encourage community energy projects.

Solar information evening

Carajenkinson3 — Wed, 02 May 2012 08:32:54 +0000

Thanks to all who came along on 1st May to our event co-hosted by Highgate Society, Transition Highgate and Hican. Full house – we’ll book a bigger venue next time!

Fracking

Carajenkinson3 — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:01:04 +0000

Cara Jenkinson, Chair of MHSG, writes “I am deeply concerned that it now seems more and more likely that fracking will be allowed to proceed apace in the UK. In addition to the concerns around earthquake risk, water pollution has been a real issue in the US with benzene and methane found in drinking water. Furthermore and most worryingly shale gas retrieved by fracking is not ‘clean’ fuel, as stated in much of the promotion around this process. Scientists at Cornell University have shown that fracking leaks methane which is 105 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Richard Black, environment correspondent at the BBC has produced an excellent article showing that a ‘dash to gas’ will mean that we cannot hit the Government’s targets for decarbonisation.”

A happy low carbon customer!

Carajenkinson3 — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:31:53 +0000

One of our members, David Groome in Wood Vale N10, has just replaced his boiler through our Low Carbon Buying Group. Here’s what he said ” We have just had our central heating boiler replaced by John Sleeman, who was recommended to us by the Muswell Hill Sustainability Group (MHSG). I am happy to say that John did an absolutely first class job. It was clear from the outset that he has the knowledge and experience to overcome any problem he encountered, and he carried out the work in a very competent and thorough manner. We were very impressed with all of John’s work, and his prices were also very reasonable. It may be possible to find someone who would offer to do the job slightly more cheaply, but they definitely will not do the work as thoroughly. John is also a very pleasant guy to have around the house, keeping noise and intrusion to an absolute minimum. If you are thinking of replacing your boiler then we would recommend John Sleeman without the slightest hesitation.

To find out more about our Low Carbon Buying Scheme, email us at info@mhsgroup.org

Low carbon zone nears completion

Jeremy — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:47:18 +0000

Muswell Hill Traders gave us an exciting Green Day on 31 March 2012. Up and down the Broadway there were musicians, go-go dancers, conjurors and jugglers. And rickshaws did the rounds, carrying customers round the shops to buy discounted green merchandise. Tucked away in the Crocodile Café was a Green Grotto where the MHSG had a busy stall and the LCZ volunteers displayed their achievements over the past two years, bringing us within striking distance of the 20% reduction in carbon emissions which we have to achieve. Peter Thompson was put in charge of the display board. [Photo by Rita Gayford]

Low carbon awards for Alan and Kate

Jeremy — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:45:35 +0000

There was prize giving in the Green Grotto on 31 March 2012 and inevitably Alan Morton, our Prime Mover of the Low Carbon Zone and other sustainability projects in Muswell Hill, was up for an Oscar. He outlined MHSG’s plans for extending our 100 homes project into other neighbourhoods (Bounds Green, the Harringay Ladder, Crouch End) and for assisting schools in Tottenham to obtain funding for energy-saving measures worth up to £6000 a year per school. He was one of several MHSG members to be rewarded by Councillor Nilgun Canver and BBC broadcaster Fiona McKinnon with a splendid certificate and lots of applause. Kate Allardyce, our hard-working co-ordinator (pictured), was similarly honoured.

Recycle those bins!

Jeremy — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:41:50 +0000

MHSG member Ruth Edwards is an expert on recycling. But she was baffled by the surplus of green bins, made redundant by the Council’s introduction of green wheelies. It was unclear whether a plastic bin was suitable for co-mingled recycling and anyway she didn’t want to part with an old friend. Suddenly she had an Archimedes moment: use it to grow this year’s crop of radishes, beetroot and Swiss chard and one broad bean in the middle!

Wood chips available at St James Viaduct

Carajenkinson3 — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:36:38 +0000

A message from Friends of Parkland Walk for those interested in wood chips:

“If you’ve been on the northern section of Parkland Walk recently you won’t have missed the tree work on St James viaduct. The result is a lot messy piles of wood chips – far more than we can use. So, after consultation with the conservation officer for Haringey, we are able to offer these to anyone who wants to go up there and bag them up. With weather forecasts suggesting no let-up in the hosepipe ban, these will be ideal for reducing the amount of moisture lost from your garden through evaporation.

All we ask, is that in the process of collecting up the wood chips, you exercise care not only for the walk and its plants, but also be aware of passers by and others around you. Also be aware that by now, a lot of dogs have visited these piles, so we do recommend you wear gloves whilst working and always wash your hands before handling food”