Nuclear: disaster or saviour?

Thursday 23^rd February, 7.30pm

at West End United Church, Wolverton

We will be exploring:

• What nuclear power is and how it works
• Why the nuclear energy debate has hotted up recently
• Contentious issues surrounding nuclear energy:

     -   Safety risks and human health costs of nuclear power

     -   Economics and feasibility of nuclear energy

     -   Environmental costs and benefits of nuclear power

And challenging you to consider where you stand in the debate!

Our Past meetings and events - see below

Green Christmas                                  24th November 2011

An excellent time was had by all who came along to the practical evening at the Well.

People were given a choice of three activities and several of us had time to try out all three.    We then had a discussion about some of the environmental challenges posed by our western-style celebration of Christmas.   Some of the ideas we talked about are shown on the Green Christmas page. 

Visit to Church Farm, Ardeley                              18th June 2011

We started our visit in the garden room, where we enjoyed a lunch which included meats, eggs and salads produced on the farm. 

We had a guided tour of the farm sitting on a trailer pulled along by a tractor driven by Tim Waygood, who provided a running commentary to explain what we were looking at. He also explained the differences between energy-intensive industrial farming and the organic animal-friendly approach at Church Farm. 

We stopped off at two points to feed chickens and pigs.

After then tour we were free to walk around the areas devoted to the growing of vegetables, herbs and salads, which we were just finishing when the rain arrived!

So that gave us the excuse to shelter in the shop and buy some of the farm (and other) products on offer and for some of us a short visit to the café for a final cuppa before returning home.

Sustainable Cookshop                              Tuesday 1st March 2011

Following Lisa’s vegan project last year, this event aimed to encourage others to review their eating habits and perhaps consider giving up, or reducing, their consumption of meat and dairy products during lent.

The event was designed not only to provide a range of vegan dishes for people to sample, but to try and engage people with the whole subject by involving them in actually preparing the dishes beforehand. 

We were able to use the excellent kitchen facilities at the Well, which enabled several groups to prepare and cook food at the same time.

15 people came along at 6.30pm to take part in the food preparation.  An additional seven – the residents of the Well - came along to enjoy the meal at 8.00pm afterwards.

Each group was provided with a recipe and the necessary ingredients, which Lisa had carefully assembled beforehand.  Some dishes were salads, whilst others required cooking.  We had a main course followed by a sweet, for which the chief ingredient was some apples that had been grown at the Well and harvested the previous autumn. 

During the meal everyone was provided with a quiz which posed a number of questions about the environmental issues connected with our food sourcing and consumption.  

After the meal Lisa took us through the answers to the questions and we had a discussion about some of the issues raised.

We had a fair-trade stall as well, and everyone was able to take home copies of the recipes afterwards.  Lots of vegan recipes are shown on our Vegan Food page

Supper at the Well at Willen                Friday 10th September 2010

Sixteen of us had a thoroughly enjoyable evening at the Well.  The rain held off for our walk around the grounds and we saw the productive vegetable plot and and fruit trees.  We were able to buy some of the recently-harvested vegetables.

We had a talk about the crop rotation being used at the Well and learned about the different types of bread baked on site (samples provided!).  After an excellent 3-course vegetarian meal, cooked using some of the home-grown produce, we learned about the history of the Well and had a tour of the premises, including the extensive library (a fantastic resource)

Visit to the Centre for Alternative Technology

Saturday 26th June 2010

Eleven of us set off on the train from Milton Keynes just after 9.00 on a beautiful summer morning for the journey to Machynlleth in the Welsh hills.  A minibus, booked in advance, was waiting to ferry us from the station to the site.  

There was plenty to see, including buildings made of different types of energy-efficient materials, and examples of renewable energy technologies.  But on this superb summer day it was a pleasure lingering in the outdoor areas devoted to the growing of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and salads and, as a bonus, the wild flowers were probably at their best.

Some of us spent nearly an hour (and quite a bit of money!) in the extensive gift and bookshop and, of course, the cafe featured in the itinerary for most of us!  

Pictured below:  The allotments which provide most of the food consumed on site;  The eco cabins, used as accommodation for people attending short courses at CAT;  The stunning new WISE (Wales Institute of Sustainable Education) building;  Break for refreshments in the cafe.

Climate Change Alleviation Projects                        March 2010

Catherine Loy, Regional Co-ordinator of Christian Aid, spoke from first hand experience about her recent visit to these Christian-Aid supported projects in Mali and Burkina Faso.

Saving Energy in the Home                                  November 2009

Ruth Wharton, Microgeneration Officer of the Energy Saving Trust, gave a presentation about the types of technology now available for householders who want to invest in low carbon heating systems, or to generate their own electricity. Ruth explained how the Feed-in tariffs work and what other financial incentives the government now offers to householders.

The Age of Stupid                                                                    September 2009

Forty people came to watch this film, depicting life around 50 years from now.  The lead character looks back to the early years of the 21st century and asks why no action was taken in response to the warnings the scientists were issuing.     

RSPB Visit                                                                                       June 2009

Weather conditions were ideal for our evening visit to The Lodge – The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)’s headquarters at Sandy.  After we had eaten our picnic tea in the grounds, Mark Brandon and two RSPB volunteers took us on a guided walk of the heathland area which is currently being restored. 

Conifers have been taken out and a scheme of planting of a diverse range of indigenous trees is under way.  We were also shown areas where they are trying to establish heathers, grown from seed.  At this time of the year the thousands of Hollyhocks provided a spectacular display.    

Against expectations, we didn’t see many birds!  But one of the aims of the restoration is to provide an environment which will be more favourable to birdlife, and species they are targeting include the Dartford Warbler, the Woodlark and the Nightjar.

Introducing the MK Carbon Reduction Programme          January 2009

Ian Byrne, Deputy Director of the National Energy Foundation, gave a presentation on the scope and purpose of the MK Carbon Reduction Programme, launched in October.

Transport: A Journey to a Fairer Future             November 2008

A full-day conference incorporating the Annual Members Meeting of Christian Ecology Link.  For a full report and photos, see here.

Eco-congregation                                                                June 2008

Fifty people came to our meeting with Jo Rathbone, who heads Ecocongregation in England & Wales. She gave a talk about this project when she came to Milton Keynes during the summer.

Having listened to her presentation, five churches agreed to adopt the project.

Milton Keynes Recycling Facility                                       April 2008

We visited the huge recycling plant at Wolverton and enjoyed an illustrated talk, followed by a tour – we were all kitted out with the compulsory ear-protectors!

The facility sorts 100,000 tonnes of materials each year - paper, card, cans and plastic bottles – for sending elsewhere for recycling.  Glass bottles are also processed here.

Travel and Tourism                                                            February 2008

We considered the environmental impacts of travel by air and sea, and of the development of tourist destinations.

We also learned about examples of exploitation of the indigenous population by holiday operators and tourists.

Brochures advertising responsible and eco-friendly holidays were on display.

The presentation was repeated in October for the Leighton Buzzard CEL group.

Why Should Christians Care for the Planet?          October 2007

Dr Martin Hodson, from the Oxford Christian Environmental Group Sage, gave a presentation on the theological basis for creation care.

The Future Growth of Milton Keynes                September 2007

We had a presentation on the future growth of Milton Keynes, from two guest speakers from MK Partnership, Cheryl Montgomery and Abigail Morgan.

Local Food                                                                                    April 2007

We enjoyed two presentations – one from Alissa Pemberton from MK Foodtrain, who runs the Farmers Market at Wolverton, and the other from Ian Nutt, who runs the Ethical Food Company at Verney Junction. 

Afterwards we sampled some delicious food and drink products supplied by the Ethical Food Company.

CRAG stands for Carbon Reduction Action Group

A small group of us has been measuring the carbon footprints of our transport and home energy use since the beginning of 2010.  We plan to take steps to reduce our footprints over the next few years. 

You can read about some of the actions we have taken, and what we plan to do in the future, on the page devoted to the CRAG.

If anyone is interested in joining us on this adventure, it is never too late to start.  Just email david@millersofmk.co.uk if you would like to do so.