Transition Town Tooting

Category: Other stuff

A place to gather things that have no category!

  • TTT’s ’12 tweets to Christmas’: here is tweet no. 1

    TTT’s ’12 tweets to Christmas’

    We’re going to tweet every day from now until Christmas Eve on practical, creative, seasonal & interesting sustainability themes. 

    Here is the welcoming tweet:
    Today we begin @tttooting‘s 12 tweets to Christmas, built on our email newsletter last month ow.ly/FMPV5 Join in!

    And here is tweet number one:
    No.1 in @tttooting‘s 12 day to xmas: Source your dinner locally. Use a tool like @findlocalfood‘s ow.ly/FMQcO or @MadeInTooting

    Follow us on twitter (@tttooting) and retweet the messages, and we’ll follow you. The more the merrier….and please join in and tweet us your sustainability tips too.
    If you are not on twitter, you can read the posts here on the TTT blog, one a day. Do email us more ideas here.

    Yes it’s a challenge to be concise and fit a message into 140 characters – it must be good practice! Actually it is quite addictive…
    And we haven’t written these as a committee – the tweets are simply what diverse individuals have volunteered to share.
    If it catches on….we could do a run of New Year’s Resolutions in Jan?

    Our twitter address again: @tttooting 

  • Restart Party 2

    Tooting’s second Restart Party was held on Dec 3rd at Mushkil Aasaan with more electronic items being fixed by volunteers for free courtesy of the Restart Project.  We had quite a few laptops and tablets this time round. Sidd (pictured) had come all the way from Ilford with his laptop screen recycled as an external monitor – pretty impressive!
    UPDATE: see Sidd’s blog on how he did it

    Sid with his home made machine

    The Restart Project is a London-based social enterprise that encourages and empowers people to use their electronics longer, by sharing repair and maintenance skills.  We are very grateful to Janet, Ugo and their amazing team of volunteer fixers for running another event with us, and I personally am delighted to have had my old camera fixed after 5 years in a drawer – thank you!

    We hope to make Restart Parties a regular feature in Tooting and are on the lookout for skilled local fixers.  Would you like to share your skills (and probably learn new ones) while helping keep electronic stuff out of landfill? Contact us at the usual address if you’d like to get involved in future Tooting Restart events (transitiontowntooting@gmail.com).  David

    Fixing the shutter on my camera

    Laptop consultancy
    What’s in here?

  • Air Quality Meeting Report 26/11

    The LSX data showing pollution In Tooting

    At the end of November we held a productive meeting about air quality in Tooting, organised in conjunction with Furzedown Low Carbon Zone, London Sustainability Exchange (LSX) and Battersea & Wandsworth TUC. 

    This meeting was organised on the back of the citizen science data collected in Tooting’s main roads earlier this year showing levels of NO2 three times the EU limits and PM10 levels twice the EU limit.  Many thanks to the speakers: LSX CEO Samantha Heath, Gavin Steadman, Area Manager for the Environment, Wandsworth Borough Council (WBC) and local Labour councillor Rex Osborn, as well as to all those attended. 

    There was a great deal of data to unpick.  We heard that an estimated 29,000 people die prematurely each year in the UK due to air pollution, double the combined effect of alcoholism, obesity and road traffic accidents.  We also found out more about NO2, PM10s and PM2s (PM refers to Particulate matter 10 or 2 microns in diameter) and the effect they have on our health.  For instance 80% of PM10s are caused by road traffic and have been proven to have a direct link to lung cancer. Meanwhile we hope to facilitate giving local residents an opportunity to contribute to WBC’s Air Quality Action Plan due to be put out for consultation in January 2015. We look forward to this and other developments to improve Tooting’s air quality in 2015.

    A detailed report on the meeting can be read here while Samantha Heath’s presentation can be accessed here.

  • Seize Your Pension Power To Save The Planet

    Your pension can change the world! 
    Right now, it’s funding climate change…

    On December 9th we are running an event with Share Action looking at how the gazillions sloshing around in the UK’s pension funds are invested in fossil fuel companies and other high-carbon industries which are driving the world towards dangerous climate change.

    This is our money and we should have a say in how it is used shouldn’t we? 

    By taking back control over the cash invested in pensions, we can make sure it’s supporting a better future.

    This workshop will cover the basics of how your pension is invested and how pension savers can take action to effect change. Join us for the evening to learn about your pension power can save the planet!
    Tuesday 9th December 2014, 7-9pm at Mushkil Aasaan, 222 Upper Tooting Rd, SW17 7EW [poster to download]

  • Tooting’s Air Quality – community meeting Wednesday 26th Nov

    We’ll share the results of this local and practical ‘citizen science’ project to measure local air quality, and hear from knowledgeable speakers who are involved with this challenge.

    All welcome to take part in this urgent discussion, look at the issues in depth, and consider: ‘what’s to be done?’

    When: Wednesday 26th Nov, 1930-2100 
    Where: Tooting United Reformed Church, Rookstone Road SW17 9NQ

    Speakers:
    Samantha Heath – CEO, London Sustainability Exchange
    Rex Osborn – Borough Councillor, Graveney Ward
    Houda Al-Shafiri – Head of Public Health, Wandsworth Borough Council
    David Thorne – Co-Chair, Transition Town Tooting

    TTT has been running a campaign on air pollution locally in collaboration with London Sustainability Exchange and with Battersea and Wandsworth Trade Union Council. We have carried out ‘citizen science’ measurements around Tooting, and our surveys have produced some interesting results.
    See a graphic summary of the local results by clicking here.

    • Some parts of Tooting High Street record levels of nitrogen dioxide that are 2 to 3 times higher than the European safe exposure limit
    • The Mayor of London’s ’ultra-low emission zone’ does not include Tooting. 
    • Around 4,250 people die each year from long-term exposure to fine particles in London
    • Those affected lose 11.5 years of their life on average
    • Much more needs to be done to ensure Tooting has a clear bill of health!

    To see our recent leaflet on local Air Quality, click here
    To see the event poster, click here

    For more information, please email us

    Change Picture

    Air Quality in Tooting

    Starts
    19:30, Wednesday 26th November
    Ends
    21:00, Wednesday 26th November
    Location
    London | Wandsworth | Tooting
    Tooting United Reform Church, Rookstone Road SW17 9NQ (map)
    Workshop
    You are attending this event (change)

    Created by Charles Whitehead

    About

    We’ll share how we have been involved in a practical ‘citizen science’ project to measure local air quality
    Transition Town Tooting has been running a campaign on air pollution in Tooting in collaboration with London Sustainability Exchange and Battersea and Wandsworth Trade Union Council by carrying out ‘citizen science’ measurements around Tooting. Our surveys have produced some interesting results:

    • Some parts of Tooting High Street record levels of nitrogen dioxide levels that are 2 to 3 times higher than the European safe exposure limit
    • Around 4,250 people die each year from long-term exposure to fine particles in London
    • Those affected lose 11.5 years of their life on average

    The Mayor of London’s ’ultra-low emission zone’ does not include Tooting.
    Much more needs to be done to ensure Tooting has a clear bill of health!

    This event will look at the issues in depth.
    Speakers:

    Samantha Heath – CEO, London Sustainability Exchange
    Councillor Rex Osborn – Graveney Ward, Wandsworth Borough Council
    Houda Al-Shafiri – Head of Public Health, Wandsworth Borough Council
    David Thorne – Co-Chair, Transition Town Tooting
    To see our recent leaflet on local Air Quality, click here
    To see the event flyer, click here

    – See more at: http://www.projectdirt.com/apps/event/32292/#sthash.Sd6nVmrX.dpuf

    Change Picture

    Air Quality in Tooting

    Starts
    19:30, Wednesday 26th November
    Ends
    21:00, Wednesday 26th November
    Location
    London | Wandsworth | Tooting
    Tooting United Reform Church, Rookstone Road SW17 9NQ (map)
    Workshop
    You are attending this event (change)

    Created by Charles Whitehead

    About

    We’ll share how we have been involved in a practical ‘citizen science’ project to measure local air quality
    Transition Town Tooting has been running a campaign on air pollution in Tooting in collaboration with London Sustainability Exchange and Battersea and Wandsworth Trade Union Council by carrying out ‘citizen science’ measurements around Tooting. Our surveys have produced some interesting results:

    • Some parts of Tooting High Street record levels of nitrogen dioxide levels that are 2 to 3 times higher than the European safe exposure limit
    • Around 4,250 people die each year from long-term exposure to fine particles in London
    • Those affected lose 11.5 years of their life on average

    The Mayor of London’s ’ultra-low emission zone’ does not include Tooting.
    Much more needs to be done to ensure Tooting has a clear bill of health!

    This event will look at the issues in depth.
    Speakers:

    Samantha Heath – CEO, London Sustainability Exchange
    Councillor Rex Osborn – Graveney Ward, Wandsworth Borough Council
    Houda Al-Shafiri – Head of Public Health, Wandsworth Borough Council
    David Thorne – Co-Chair, Transition Town Tooting
    To see our recent leaflet on local Air Quality, click here
    To see the event flyer, click here

    – See more at: http://www.projectdirt.com/apps/event/32292/#sthash.Sd6nVmrX.dpuf

  • Restart Party, Wed 3rd December – let’s get stuff fixed!

    Do you have an electrical or electronic item that needs fixing and don’t want to have to throw it away? 

    After a fantastically successful evening in September we are delighted to announce that the Restart Project, a London-based social enterprise that encourages and empowers people to use their electronics longer, have agreed to run a second “Restart Party” with TTT in Tooting next month.
      
    Sound interesting? Then come along to the event. 

    Restart Party at Mushkil Aasaan

    220 – 222 Upper Tooting Road, SW17 7EW, 

    Wednesday December 3rd from 6.30 – 9.30pm.

     


    Challenge the culture of built-in obsolescence and take back control of all your electronic stuff! 

    Do note that Restart Parties are a community self-repair space where you take responsibility for your own gadgets and data, so please do not forget to take any back-ups beforehand, if relevant – and if possible arrive during the first two hours to allow time for fixing!

    See great reports of our last event here and on How We Get to Next here.

    Could we have a Tooting Restart Group so that we could hold more regular local Restart Parties?  If you are interested in the idea do come along on the night – or if you can’t make it contact Hilary Jennings on transitiontowntooting@gmail.com. 

    You might also be interested to know that Restart hold regular skillshare get togethers http://therestartproject.org/skillshares/

  • Growing, jenga, community energy and wellbeing at St George’s Community Open Day, 15th Nov.

    Thanks so much to St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust for the invitation to have a stand at the Open Day last Saturday – our third year running.
    And thanks to all who came to talk, share ideas, participate in the games for all ages, and sign up to our email lists to keep in contact. 

    We chose three areas of what we do locally to share with visitors:

    • The Tooting Community Garden

    • Sustainable living and wellbeing games

    • Our sister project, the Furzedown Low Carbon Zone

    Some high points included:
     
    Playing with the planet: 
    plotting the sources of common foods on the world map

    Giant jenga, with green living tips

    There were twelve volunteers on the varied activities through the day, and there was a lot of preparation…

    Sometimes action takes over

    …the most valuable aspect of the day was having the time to talk to visitors about plans and ideas.


    Making drinks carton wallets
    Rhubarb on the St George’s Allotment

    Doing the day together as a team was also special.

    TTT and the Furzedown Low Carbon Zone have some great events happening in the next month – see our Events Calendar on the top right of this blog homepage.  

    All welcome!

      

    Plus: we are discussing future projects with St George’s. 
    We’ll share news soon..

  • Green living & games: a second theme for our St George’s Open Day Stand

    A theme we’ll be looking at with our stand in the hospital at St George’s all day on Nov 15th is green living, with games and activities to explore home and personal sustainability. Living green is a practical response at family and community level to global climate change.

    Professor Chris Rapley’s play / lecture called 2071 ‘explores the future of life on earth and climate change’ this week at the Royal Court Theatre. Some of us from TTT saw the play today, and one of the conclusions is simple and powerful:

    1. Global population will probably stabilise – say at c9.5 billion
    2. That population will need energy
    3. That energy must be carbon-free for us to have a successful future

    Blunt words.
    Getting rid of ‘carbon’ in energy and production is not the only key to being sustainable and happy…but it’s a core step. TTT have found the practical focus on everyday carbon reduction has been successful in the series of Carbon Conversations meetings we’ve offered locally since 2011. To see a recent run through of our 2014 series in six blog posts, click here – and we will be happy to talk about the meetings with visitors on Saturday.

    What about games?

    We know playing games is a simple (and sophisticated) way of understanding a new subject or rehearsing larger-scale challenges.



     
    In Carbon Conversations, there are a lot of games – for example on our choices in managing home energy, and on travel options, and on ‘where is the carbon in the food we use?’

    Come along on Saturday and we guarantee you will enjoy our games for all ages: Giant Green Living Jenga, Food Mapping, Food Footprints, and making a Drinks Carton Wallet.

    We’ve been making these wallets in Tooting since 2010 (last seen at the 2014 Foodival, where dozens were hidden around Tooting, each with a local chilli pepper and an invitation inside…).

    Like to see a step-by step guide to make 
    them at home?
    1 First squash your carton, with a concertina fold in each side:
    2 Fold into three and then….
      …well, come along on Saturday and find out! 


    Here are some finished wallets:

     


    We look forward to seeing you all day on Saturday 15th at St George’s, and all ages are welcome to come and play.

  • Sustainable, Healthy and Resilient Tooting

    We’re hosting a TTT stand at St George’s Community Open Day, this Saturday 15th Nov from 10:30 to 4pm. The event is held throughout the hospital and medical school . Do come and chat with us, and catch up with what we’re doing – and we’d love to hear your ideas on what a more sustainable Tooting would look and feel like.  
    We’ll be upstairs on the first floor of the Lanesborough Wing, in the Ingredients Restaurant.

    We’re painting a new banner

    We can talk about TTT plans, and about sustainable living, and about the Furzedown Low Carbon Zone. We’ll have some fun on the stand too: we’ll have games, activities, and things to make for all ages: so all are welcome.

    We’re doing three daily blog posts for the rest of this week to lead into the St George’s Open Day, on three themes that make a green thread running through our activities:

    1. Enjoying the outdoors in Tooting
    2. Sustainable living and low-carbon games 
    3. The ‘Growing Tooting’ project

    Please read on as we explore these themes, and come and chat about them on Saturday.

  • Enjoying the Outdoors in Tooting – one theme for our St George’s Open Day stand

    Come and talk to us at our stand at St George’s Community Open Day on Saturday 15th Nov. about opportunities to get outside in Tooting. Outdoor Tooting can be a surprising and rewarding place for all ages, and TTT want to encourage more young people and adults to get outside – for fun, to play, for exercise, to meet people, to learn – & more.

    Four glimpses of our outdoor project with Gatton School:                                                      


    This morning we hosted 70 
    Year 4 children, staff and parents who were investigating what’s living in six different Community Garden habitats – with the group braving showers and wind.

    The end of today’s session, under the holm oak.
    Time to go home, and now the sun has come out.

    Last week, in one of the weekly sessions with Reception children

     

    A year ago, Year Six made a practice DIY drainpipe system to learn about getting water from the roof to the butts for the rainwater harvesting build project. 
    It worked!

     

    Back in September, just before the Tooting Foodival, teenagers from The Challenge project helped to harvest potatoes at the Garden, and much more. 
    (The rainwater build now doubling as an outdoor room, nice…)

    Adults are welcome outdoors! 
    Another way to enjoy being outside is to try on of FanSHEN Theatre’s Tootingwalks: two audio tours of Tooting that you can download to your mobile, and then walk the guided tour – or load on your computer to preview at home, like a radio programme. 
    For all the details online, click here. 
    Chat with us about the Tootingwalks if you come to St George’s.

    Or, get ideas with Project Wild Thing: click here for info. Adults or young people can be bold and pledge to spend an hour outside for every hour spent looking at a screen…..try it!

    We’re going to plan some Wild Days Out(doors) in Tooting in 2015, and also show the  ‘Project Wild Thing’ film one evening – keep in touch, chat at St George’s, and come and get involved.