ENVIRONMENT
Wildlife in the South Hams AONB is under extreme threat from Climate Change and loss of habitat. Without our concerted efforts to rebuild habitats in our gardens, farmlands, riverbanks and seashore - some species are tottering on the brink of extinction. Local action to monitor, rebuild and conserve our wildlife is of great importance and very rewarding. Nature wants to live, and will live, if we give it a chance.
What needs to be done?
Bigbury is a small community and beautiful parish. We are part of the 'Wonderful World' that we sang about at our Beach Assembly. What we do here does make a difference globally to the climate and biodiversity emergency. We are exploring ways for businesses, homes, farms residents and visitors to collaborate to make Bigbury a place where nature can thrive and we can enjoy living, visiting and working here without harming the planet. (see also Wild Bigbury)
What are we doing?
Planet Bigbury
OUR AIMS
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Support local businesses
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Restore and protect natural habitats
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Reduce reliance on fossil fuel & increase use of renewable energy
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Protect the River Avon and Bigbury Bay from pollution
COMMUNITY CHEST
Create a Community Chest to provide small grants to help individuals, businesses and farms to take action to make our aims a reality.
What have we done?
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Regular features in parish magazine to promote Carbon Savvy's Top Ten Tips to reduce carbon footprints of our homes.
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Held workshops to help home owners to use the free Carbon Savvy Home Carbon Calculator
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Promoted and enrolled on Carbon Savvy's Carbon Ambassadors training to better understand climate change and how we can reduce our home carbon footprints.
Next Steps
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Create an annual Bigbury Energy Questionnaire to collate progress, ambition and concerns about switching to renewable energy.
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Organise an annual 'Green Doors' event for local homes can share their progress on switching to renewable energy solutions.
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Celebrate the 'Power Stations' in Bigbury where homeowners are installing renewable energy equipment.
Home Carbon Footprints
Farm Carbon Footprints
What have we done?
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All farms in Bigbury are measuring their farm carbon footprint and are working, with their customers support, to reduce the impact of their farming practices on climate change.
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Farms measure soil organic matter (SOM) regularly as an indicator of soil fertility. For every 0.1% increase in SOM farmers are able to store 9 tons of eCO2 per hectare helping us to slow down climate change.
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Regular features in parish magazine promote Farm Carbon Toolkit to reduce carbon footprints of our farms
Next Steps
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Open Days on farms to showcase what farms are doing to increase habitat for nature, produce renewable energy and reduce their carbon emissions.
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Continue to work towards setting up the Small Farm Carbon Offset Scheme
What have we done?
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Teamed up with Eoin McQuone, Chief Carbon Coach, Founder and Managing Director of Go Climate Positive to understand the importance of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in our fight to slow down climate change by reducing business carbon footprints.
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Shared Go Climate Positive training videos for SMEs.
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Introduced businesses to the concept of the Small Farm Carbon Offset Scheme to enable them to become carbon neutral.
Next Steps
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Hold Open Days for our businesses to showcase what they are doing to reduce their carbon footprints.
Business Carbon Footprints
Parish Carbon Footprint
What have we done?
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Highlighted our over reliance on fossil fuels (oil and LPG) and the need to shift to renewable energy.
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Raised awareness of the estimated average carbon emissions from a home in Bigbury calculated from meta data by the Exeter University Community Calculator.
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Signposted information about the Bigbury territorial carbon emission footprint.
Next Steps
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Work together to reduce the impact our community has on global climate change.
What Can You Do?
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Measure your own carbon footprint
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Find out about the small steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint.
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Join with your neighbours to make a difference by forming a 'Transition Street'
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Find advice and suggestions in our Bigbury Net Zero articles in Bigbury News
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Sign up for the Bigbury Net Zero Drums email
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Follow Bigbury Net Zero on Facebook
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Help organise, support and attend the events and projects below.
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Tell us about your 'green' projects and look at what some local businesses are doing: