A brief report on the launch event for Low Carbon Wolvercote in April 2007

An inconvenient truth comes to Wolvercote .... 

Reports on the effects of global warming dominate the international media, and the need for 

community-based initiatives to help educate local people are rapidly growing in demand and 

popularity. For many of us the burning questions are: how are these changes going to affect 

us directly, and crucially, what can we do about it?

For Wolvercote residents, both these urgent questions were answered in detail at the launch of 

Low Carbon Wolvercote held at the village hall on April 27th. 

The meeting proposed the formation of a Wolvercote Charter. This acknowledges the threat to 

humanity of climate change and carbon emissions and offers guidelines to all the villagers both

 individually and collectively in ways to reduce our carbon footprints. Key factors include flying as 

little as possible and making the effort  to purchase locally produced non-processed foods. 

Reducing car size or shifting to public transport and bikes is another effective carbon reduction.

Household guidelines include efficient home insulation, low energy light bulbs, and to take showers

 and not baths. Solar energy, replacing old boilers and fridges, and reducing the growth of electronics

 in our homes all improve our carbon output. 

The message was loud and clear and delivered in style with handouts, visual displays and slides. The 

excellent slide show predicted the environmental changes which would occur in the village by 2049 if 

global warming continues at the present rate. The slides included: a deforested Wytham Woods, a flooded

 Port Meadow with The Post Box village shop on stilts and even a refugee settlement of makeshift tents, 

all images driving the message home and reminding us that this isn't something taking place on the other side of the world.

The second part of the meeting tested our knowledge with a quiz on environmental issues, which followed

a welcome break of free beer and homemade cakes. We worked in teams, encouraging neighbours to 

begin tackling the future of our village together.

The hall was filled to capacity with villagers of all ages, and many children, reminding us of the importance

 of the environmental legacy we will pass on to them. An inspiring and challenging evening.

Annie Peppiatt