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Climate Change News - ARCHIVEDClimate business pledge Evaluating the Contribution that Key Regional Strategies Make Towards Addressing Climate Change The importance of yield in agricultural crops to limit emissions The Transition Movement Natural England talking adaptation to Climate Change Review paper by English Heritage on possible effects of Climate Change on our Heritage sites/landscapes Measure your carbon dioxide emissions A very good walk through with references the climate change tensions United Nations Environmental Programme New official standards for making carbon neutral product claims Guide for Local Councils on adapting to Climate Change Green Day June 4th Local Food impacts on climate change and best practice advice Committee on Climate Change African farming and climate change Global Water Security Adapting to coastal change (erosion and flooding/defenses etc.) Defra - Accelerating the Uptake of Anaerobic Digestion in England House of Lords response to the EU White paper on climate change adaptation for Agriculture and Forestry The Land Use and Climate Change Group was established in March 2009 to find ways to make major net cuts in greenhouse gas emissions for land use, agriculture and the food chain Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in National Parks World Wildlife and the Food Climate Research Network publish report quantifying the UK food carbon footprint including possible land use changes This is the peer reviewed science paper on species movement A role for UK Forests The livestock sector The Lancet paper on livestock Green Living Blog debunks some climate change statements Flood risk management The consumers dilemma discussed by academics Defra/DECC guidance on how businesses can measure their carbon dioxide outputs The Committee on Climate Change has presented its first report to Government Low carbon community challenge UK at forefront of a low carbon economic revolution Energy Saving Trust Managing the Health effects of Climate Change Chair of Rural CC Forum gives his views on farming and climate change UKCIP updates Climate Adaptation Wizard Forestry Commission publishes information pack covering tress and climate change Regional Adaptation Study There was a lot more literature on display from the Environment Agency, Natural England, Climate Change Partnership and the LGYH about both mitigation and adaptation. The LGYH have appointed a special officer Mr Jon Clubb as Regional Climate Change Co-ordinator for the Local Govt authorities. Parishes come under this so I have written to Jon about the work we have been doing, and revisiting how we might take forward the Parish Climate Change Adaptation Plan concept we obtained support for at our conference last year. Obviously we need to work with the two RCCs and the two Parish Council Associations if we are to get a pilot underway. Two reports were presented at the conference:
Climate Change Plan and Regional Adaptation Study Launch Event Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing our society. In Yorkshire and Humber we are uniquely exposed to the threats and opportunities a changing climate will bring. The revision of the Climate Change Plan for Yorkshire and Humber and the completion of the Regional Adaptation Study mark major milestones in the drive to better understand the challenges ahead in tackling climate change in the region. The Climate Change Plan gives the region clear direction in addressing climate change issues whilst the Adaptation Study places its focus firmly on climate changes already underway and how the region can respond to them. These two major documents are to be jointly launched at the Royal York Hotel, York on Friday 13 March 2009. The keynote speaker for the event is the Rt Hon Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. For further details about the event contact: events@yhassembly.gov.uk. Defra Joining Up Various Bits of Biomass and Introduces Anaerobic Digestion Thoughts River Hull and Humber Flood Risk Yorkshire Dales Y&H Regional CC Pitt Flooding Review New Climate, New Crops? Growing Old in A Changing Climate Workshop - held in York.
RAF work on Climate ChangeLaunch of Climate Change Plan and Regional Adaptation Study Prepared for the Assembly Research on attitudes on the need to change transport behaviours for climate change. ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy. Defra launches one-stop shop for adapting to climate impacts. Climate Change - What can your parish do? Climate Change Conference May 13th 2008
Paul Hudson, BBC Look North's Weather Presenter and Climate correspondent presented an overview of what climate change is, including evidence for man’s influence and what climate change means in reality to Yorkshire, with projections to 2020, 2050 and 2080. 5.09MB Arthur Barker, Chair of the Y&H Regional Climate Change Executive Group, outlined the regional structures relevant to climate change and their objectives. Including the role of the Y&H Climate Change Executive group, Yorkshire Forward and links to LAAs and local authorities. 66KB Anna Steynor, UK Climate Impacts Programme, introduced the UKCIP Local Climate Impacts Profile tool which helps users think about weather events that have impacted them in the past, allowing them to assess their vulnerability to the potential impacts of climate change. 863KB Dave Cherry, Leeds City Council, presented a case study of the councils use of UKCIP's Local Climate Impacts Profile tool and some examples of implemented adaptation techniques. 909KB Jeff Pacey, The Environment Agency, 'Top to Bottom; River Catchment Water Flows', set the context for the whole catchments context of water flows and the potential for communities to take action. 1.33MB Richard Robinson, The Environment Agency, 'Surface Water - Peaks and Surges' set to increase understanding of the Parish's overall capacity to cope with more extreme weather events, particularly those related to water flows. 426KB Vince Carter, The Forestry Commission ‘Shade and Shelter and the Regional Forestry Strategy’ presented evidence of the value of trees to climate change adaptation in rural communities. 569KB Dave Thompson, Natural England 'The Birds and The Bees' Focused on how climate changes may affect wildlife and impacts on England’s natural environment and how can the parish environs be adapted to accommodate such change.1.34MB Ceri Wyborn, Y&H Public Health Observatory 'Health Involvement and Implications', approached the health risks of climate risks and how community support might be harnessed to help and alert health service providers.1.08MB David Gluck, Ecotec, considered the research question 'Does policy work towards the creation and maintenance of genuinely sustainable communities in rural areas in the face of equally genuine concerns regarding climate change and the need to mitigate against the effects of this and adapt to its potential impacts?' 334KB
Questions at Conference. Summary of completed evaluation forms. RAF Member Comment. I thought the RAF Seminar on Climate Change Adaptation was a really good event to get people thinking about adaptation and how they might plan to deliver the action needed. You may have these links already but I thought they might be useful in terms of examples of adaptation studies at a catchment and regional level. There may be actions that could be applied at a more local level. One is the Wear Adaptation study which can be view through the following link http://www.climatene.org.uk/ in the Action in the NE tab, adaptation. The other is the NE Adaptation study again through the same page on the http://www.climatene.org.uk/ website. I'm sure if you want a specific link then that would be possible by contacting them via email on admin@climateNE.org.uk or Adrian Hilton NE Regional Climate Change Coordinator on adrian.hilton@sustaine.com. Gail Hammond Principal Officer Climate Change & Sustainable Development Researchers identify the top dozen ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
RAF work on Climate Change: October/November 2007 At the Forum meeting of 26th April we held a showing of the All Gore film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ and had a talk from Cllr Arthur Barker about the Y&H Assembly work (see www.yourclimate.org). Following discussion at the meeting Forum members asked that the RAF investigate Climate Change work with parishes. Significant investigation has now taken place and it has been agreed that such project work would concentrate on adaptation. At the Forum meeting of 25th September a paper was presented giving outline thoughts on some possible work, please see here. The Forum decided to take these ideas forward and agreed the next step to be a seminar for Parish Council Chairs and Clerks to be held in early spring 2008. We are particularly interested in unearthing any overlapping projects in order to avoid duplication and we need anyone who thinks they have identified such work to tell us please. We have found in our research a lot of different threads of work going on rather independently so finding overlap is quite difficult. Our work is likely to be in river catchments draining into Ouse from the Dales. In our research we have identified some key references and we list them below for your information.
There are also some Public Sector lead organisation references: Please see the Nottingham Declaration Action Pack to start. Oxfordshire are working with UKCIP www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/portal/publicsite. The European angle is covered by “Living with Climate Change in Europe“ http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/faq_en.htm.
Useful reference reading and information include: Parish and Town councils – Act on CO 2 Climate Change adaptation by design Town and Country Planning Association:
There are some specialist booklets: Yorkshire and Humber Regional Forestry Strategy Climate Change Wildlife and adaptation: The Met Office Useful reading I have basically included references to adaptation, whilst other wider references and mitigation are covered in less detail elsewhere on our site. The detailed discussions which have taken place can be found in the meeting section of our website. Graham Ward Y&H RAF Chair
Environment Agency response to proposal paper Soil - A Precious Resource
Assembly Activity on Climate Change The Assembly December Newsletter outlines their present initiatives. Firstly a scrutiny starting this month and secondly a Regional Adaptation Study. More information on the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly website or (PDF version)
Climate business pledge Tomorrow’s England is a DEFRA funded project linking 11 environmental and community organisations. It aims to find out how close to home climate change might be for people in this country and to paint a picture of places and lives, business and government, in England in 2025 and 2050 should current trends in carbon emissions continue. Tomorrow’s England wants to collaborate with businesses who are already facing up to climate change and factoring it into their business. See the leaflet for more information or contact: Susan Brown at Tomorrow’s England at info@climatechangeandme.net or on 07961 342247.
Evaluating the Contribution that Key Regional Strategies Make Towards Addressing Climate Change Final Report |
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Helen Wright
Executive Manager
Yorkshire and The Humber Rural Affairs Forum
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
County Hall
Beverley
East Riding of Yorkshire.
HU17 9BA.
yhrafhelenwright@eastriding.gov.uk