Dear <<First Name>>
The hot topic this month is renewable energy which is under more pressure than ever. CFB has now joined the Wiltshire Clean Energy Alliance, both to fight Wiltshire Council's attempt to impose blanket restrictions on the installation of wind turbines and to promote the development of clean energy, which is the only sensible way forward if we are to reduce reliance on fossil fuels - more on this below.
We continue to grow - 520 people and organisations now receive our newsletter and well over 650 are signed up to our Carbon Neutral 2050 campaign!
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1. September monthly meeting - Monday 17th Sept. 7.30 p.m.
European rail travel
2. October monthly meeting - Monday 15th Oct. 7.30 p.m.
"Water - where the system fails us"
3. "A Clean Air Town?" meeting - Tuesday 18th Sept. 8.00 p.m. Fat Fowl
4. BoA Walking Festival - w/e 14/15/16 September
5. "Wind Power - Myths and Truths" - Tuesday 18th October 7.30
6. Sustainable Food & Drink Group news
7. Save the Arctic - please sign Greenpeace's petition
8. Bore Hill biodigester update
9. DEFRA research update10. Restoring sash windows meeting/workshop
11. 'Friends of the Strips' Open Day
12. Fracking in the Mendips - meeting, Tuesday 25th September
September monthly meeting'Travel by Train - to Europe and Beyond'Monday 17th September 7.30 p.m.
Quaker Meeting House, Whiteheads Lane, B o A
Our September meeting will be about the fun and environmental benefits of travelling by train. Hear from three of our members where they went and how they did it. As ever, there will be updates about CFB's work. Open to everyone; admission is free and donations are always welcome to cover hall hire costs.
October monthly meeting,
"Water - Where the 'System' Fails Us"
Monday 15th October, 7.30 p.m.
Quaker Meeting House, Whiteheads Lane, BoA
Our speaker will be Julian Jones of the 'Water 21' organisation. Over 5,000 years of human intervention has created many of our current social, environmental and economic problems. How could sustainable water & land management be the answer ? For further information before the talk please see www.water21.org.uk
"A Clean Air Town?" open meeting
Tuesday 18th September 8.00 p.m.
upstairs at the Fat Fowl
Are you interested in joining a group of people who want to pioneer the use of electric cars in BoA and make the town a UK leader in cleaner transport?
We don’t want to discuss statistics. We don’t want to discuss a bypass. We don’t want to discuss a one-way system. We just want to make this happen. Electric vehicles are here now, so now’s the time to start. One local hotel has already agreed to install a charging point for electric cars, so, we’re already on the way.
BoA Walking Festival - w/e 14/15/16 September
CFB has been working closely with the BoA Walkers are Welcome group to organise BoA's first Walking Festival which starts this Friday. There are still places on most of the walks and for the Festival Feast on Saturday evening at the Ale and Porter. So, if you want to join us you'll need to book up straight away, through the Tourist Information Centre in Westbury Gardens.
"Wind Power - Myths and Truths"
Tuesday 30th October at 7.30pm. 
Wallington Room (former Holy Trinity upper church hall), Church Street, BoA.
A talk by ffinlo Costain, member of the newly formed Wiltshire Clean Energy Alliance. This will be an excellent opportunity to find out more about this topical subject. All welcome. Free entry but donations to cover costs appreciated.
Wind power - your opportunity to contribute to the Wiltshire Council consultation
Wiltshire Council have been told by the planning inspectorate that they must consult over their proposed Policy 42 Amendment. We do not yet have details of the consultation but, as soon as we do, we will send you details in a separate e-mail. Meanwhile, you might find it helpful to look at the Wiltshire Clean Energy Alliance's website for some useful background information.
Sustainable Food & Drink Group
1) CFB has worked with 'A Local Life' to identify local food and drink producers and retailers and would like to display a map and directory. If you could spare a couple of hours to work with the editor of 'A Local Life' to ring some producers/retailers to raise sponsorship to produce the map please contact Ros Edwards by 18th Sept. via climatechampions@gmail.com. If anyone could give a little help with the compilation of the map that would also be welcome.
2) The SFADG will be putting on shared displays with Oxfam and the Fairtrade Group at the Farmers Markets’ and the Library during October. This is part of Oxfam’s national GROW week initiative.
3) Trowbridge Apple Festival would like to invite local food and drink producers and other suppliers of traditional products and crafts to attend the Festival on October 13th, 10am until 4pm in the beautiful grounds of Courtfield House in Trowbridge. The organisers would be pleased if anyone is able to display the attached poster. Contact details are at bottom of poster. Please pass this info on to anyone who might be interested in being involved.
4) The SFADG is actively working on a range of projects. If you are interested in finding out more please contact climatechampions@gmail.com.
Save the Arctic
Has the world gone mad? Arctic sea ice is at a record low and what is the response? Drill for more climate changing oil in the Arctic. Greenpeace is aiming to get 2 million signatures for their campaign against the drilling and are already at 1.6 million. To sign the petition or see how you can help in other ways please visit www.greenpeace.org.uk/arctic
New Bore Hill Biodigester update
Thomas Minter has kindly sent us the latest on Malaby Biogas's new plant in Warminster. "1st June saw the transition from the construction phase to operational phase of the plant following the delivery of seeding material. June until early 2013 will see the capacity of the plant steadily increase as all the equipment is commissioned and the biology built up to full capacity. To date digester 1 is running at full capacity and digester 2 is approximately 20% full. Waste is coming in from a number of sources: some local and some from further afield. The ‘Direct to A.D.’ pilot scheme is up and running in the Warminster area and performance is being monitored to roll it out to other localities once there is demand and evidence of efficient operation. The visitors centre is open for groups to go on site and tours are by prior arrangement only."
DEFRA "Digital Stories" research project update 
Last year a large group of CFB people helped some researchers from Bath University. Here is an update from Margaret Gearty who led the research team: "It is well over a year since we had our workshop together exploring how digital stories might be a way to stimulate pro-environmental behaviour change. The research has generated so many interesting insights, stories and potential ways forward and our work with Climate Friendly Bradford was a very important part of that. Defra are enthusiastic about the draft report which is going through their final pre-publication clearance stage in September and the current hope is that it will be published by the end of the year. If so it will then appear on the Defra website and I am sure sections of it might be of interest to you (and some sections much less so!)."
Talk/workshop on restoring historic windows
by Stuart Foley, local craftsman
Thursday 15th November, 7.30 for 8.00 p.m.
A joint event between CFB and the BoA Preservation Trust.
‘Family Fun Day’ in French Grass Woods Sunday 7th October 12.00 - 3.00
French Grass woods, locally known as ‘The Strips’, is currently being cared for by a community
group called ‘Friends of The Strips’, under the direction of the local authority.
Please come along and join us to find out more about what's happening. There will be refreshments, stalls for donated plants and books and activities for young ones including a Bug Hunt, Making your own Den, and a Treasure Hunt. More info ......
Fracking - pros and cons
Tuesday 25th September 7.00 'til 9.00 p.m.
A public meeting in Wells Town Hall (Somerset) with a panel of stakeholders who will speak for and against the potential effects of fracking on communities and ecosystems across Somerset, organised by frackfreesomerset.
