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CAPS

Welcome to CAPS!

CAPS is the Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth

CAPS is about raising our awareness of the climate – and our collective action to address it.

CAPS is a partnership of Sidmouth Town Council and other local organisations – including the Sidmouth Churches, the Sidmouth Plastic Warriors , the Sidmouth Science Festival , Sidmouth schools and the Vision Group for Sidmouth

And the Partnership is open to all members of the Sid Valley community – whether individuals or organisations.

Here’s a list so far of The CAPS Partners

The Four Aims of CAPS

The CAPS team have set out four aims to support our overall objective of raising community climate awareness. They are :-  

·       Organise talks and other events on sustainable behaviours:

o  These will be on behalf of Sidmouth Town Council and be offered to Partners and other organisations across Sidmouth

·       Publicise national and regional support to help households reduce their carbon footprint

o  This will also explain when this can help save individual’s money

·       Seek out opportunities to help households live more sustainably

o   This will share practical ideas that could be adopted by Sid Valley residents

·       Provide an electronic newsletter celebrating success

o  This will be provided to individuals, as well as organisations, and will highlight positive carbon reduction activity in Sidmouth and beyond, promote future climate related events, and inform individuals of opportunities to get involved.

The Four Aims of CAPS – Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth


SOCIAL MEDIA!

Don’t forget to join us in conversations online at the CAPS Facebook page.

Here are a few from the last couple of weeks:

UK appoints its first nature envoy Ruth Davis to tackle species decline

We need a dose of good news

COP26 is around the corner

Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth (CAPS)


EVENTS!

CAPS are planning a number of talks over the coming months

DOMESTIC RENEWABLES IN SIDMOUTH

SOLAR/BATTERIES/HEAT PUMPS: 21st January 2025 at the Cafe Scientifique: 3pm Kennaway House

Sidmouth householders’ experiences of domestic renewable technology – solar, battery and heat pumps.

More info here: Events: All events – Sidmouth Science Festival

FOR MORE DETAILS: Events – Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth

CAPS TALKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH…

ALL SAINTS CHURCH: BREAKFAST CLUB: 8.30 18TH JANUARY

ROTARY CLUB: LUNCH @ VICTORIA HOTEL: 12TH FEBRUARY

PRIMLEY WI: 13TH FEBRUARY

SID VALE ASSOCIATION: 16TH APRIL

U3A: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: tba 2025

GSI SEMINAR SERIES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

RESPONSIBLE CLIMATE INTERVENTION: Weds 13th November

Join the GSI for a conversation on the subject of responsible climate intervention. A multi-disciplinary team will discuss the challenge of responsible Climate Intervention in the context of global temperature increases by several degrees by the end of the century.

THE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS SUMMIT @ COP27

The Agri-Food Systems Summit will be hosted inside the Climate Action Innovation Zone at COP29.

The Climate Action Innovation Zone is running 13-15 November alongside COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Registering as an online virtual viewer is free-of-charge, you will have access to the online Climate Action Innovation Zone livestreaming hub from 13 Nov to the end of January 2025.

Virtual Viewer Pass – Climate Action Innovation Zone


MORE ON DOMESTIC RENEWABLES!

There is more and more interest – and lots of information – out there on how to save money and energy at home.

For example:

Imagine it. Community by community, street by street, a programme to insulate homes, swap gas boilers for heat pumps, build local renewables, and keep us all warm without heating up the planet. 

Warmer homes and cheaper bills? It’s possible! — Possible

How underground reservoirs could be the future of cheaper heating bills

Every family in a warm home fit for the future

No matter who we are, we all want to be able to come home to a place which is warm, safe and comfortable. But the UK’s housing is draughty, wastes energy, and relies on fossil fuels that pollute our atmosphere. We can upgrade Britain’s housing so that everyone can come home to a warm, comfortable home. 

Home | Great Homes Upgrade

ECOE provide free home visit to carry out brief review of property and make recommendations

ecoe.org.uk


WHAT ACTIONS TO TAKE!

What we can do to ‘SAVE MONEY: SAVE THE PLANET’

Green Guide to Saving Money and the Planet 2024

100 Easy Eco-Friendly Ways to Save Money in 2024 – Green Tulip

What we can do to ‘SAVE MONEY: SAVE THE PLANET’ – Sustainable Sidmouth Champion Awards

ADVICE & GRANTS!

Free courses August-December: “Exeter College is proud to offer Awareness Courses in Retrofit, Solar and Heat Pumps.”

All courses are repeated in September – December at Exeter Airport Industrial Estate Exeter EX5 2LJ

Green Skills by Exeter College | Eventbrite

East Devon businesses get help to reduce carbon and save money

FOR MORE DETAILS: Advice & Grants – Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth


FEATURE!

AN ECO HUB FOR SIDMOUTH!

The purpose is to provide an ongoing presence in town to engage people on issues related to climate change… a place to have your say/find information/exchange ideas/learn what’s happening/volunteer

Drop-in sessions at the Tourist Information Centre and the Library every month

Pop-up in Market Square

Themes to address would include retrofitting to make homes energy efficient, reduce/reuse/recycle, calculating your carbon footprint, active travel, plastic, biodiversity

Films to be shown!

FOR MORE DETAILS: Features – Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth

See also: What’s the impact of Sidmouth’s festivals? Questions: from the Sidmouth Air Show to East Devon’s festivals – Vision Group for Sidmouth

NEWS!

Catching up with some recent CAPS blog posts:

‘Cosy homes’, climate and tackling plastic @ Sidmouth Science Festival

There was a lot going on at the Sci Fest – the big day being ‘Super Science Saturday’:

‘Cosy homes’, climate and tackling plastic @ Sidmouth Science Festival – Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth

The Sidmouth Science Festival and the climate

In fact, the Sci Fest began very much due to concern about the climate…

The Sidmouth Science Festival and the climate – Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth

What’s the carbon footprint of the internet – and what can we do about it?

Keyboard warriors/activists need to be aware of the huge amount of not-so ‘clean energy’ their online activity is draining.

CAPS has just been sent an excellent, up-to-date overview of the issues with the report on the Worldwide Internet Carbon Footprint: An Exploration

What’s the carbon footprint of the internet – and what can we do about it? – Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth

Active travel!

The county council is asking us to ‘have our say’ with the draft Countywide Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) by the end of the month. Do join the consultation!

Active travel! – Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth

“Climate change, biodiversity loss and resource depletion are not isolated problems”

“They are part of an interconnected web of crises that demand urgent and comprehensive action.”

Over the weekend, the second Dorset climate change conference attracted hundreds of attendees; as was said, ‘We can’t stand idly by – and that the issues can be addressed at a local level:

“Climate change, biodiversity loss and resource depletion are not isolated problems” – Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth


FUTURE EARTH NEWSLETTER!

Sign up to get the Future Earth newsletter from the BBC. Get the latest news on climate change and the environment every week, emailed directly to you.

Future Earth newsletter

GOOD NEWS! FROM THE DAILY CLIMATE

The Daily Climate – Good News

For example:

Sodium-ion batteries could offer cheaper, greener option over lithium – The Daily Climate