What do the churches and Transition Wilmslow have in common? It's a wish to look after our planet, to keep it for future generations too, and to take steps to reduce climate change. So to have a 'Love Wilmslow, Love our planet' event for St Valtentine's Day was quite a revelation.
Paul Allen, one of the authors of Zero Carbon Britain, gave an uplifting and rich presentation about how our world has changed over generations and what has caused it. Did you know that in standardising light bulbs, the companies reduced the life of a light bulb from 20,000 hours in some brands, to 10,000 for all? Or that it was the motor car companies who bought up the tram systems of America to scrap them?
What got us to all use seat belts, to cut down on smoking – but also got us to buy new things, rather than long lasting ones, to eat and import more foods that are not good for us, rather than perhaps grow more of our own? What could we be doing to change our culture in Wilmslow?
Rev Kirsty Thorpe, Chair of Churches Together in Wilmslow said "This was a visionary and exciting piece of partnership which I hope will bear fruit for generations of people who live in Wilmslow."
People in Wilmslow are already involved in a lot of things to reduce climate change. Some are recycling tools through Work Aid, raising money for solar lights and cookers for slums in Nairobi through Kibera in Need, cutting down food waste through Waste Watch, let alone the work developing by Transition Wilmslow on restoring Lindow Moss, energy saving, and making a more sustainable local community. If we don't do a lot to cut our energy consumption, the future for our children will be very different with climate change.
So how do we get there? Part of the way forward must be to strengthen our community, to do more together, whether sharing cars, more buses, help save energy ... We need to encourage one another, and the town council could be a leader in this. Perhaps we could have electric cars and bikes as a greener part of the Wilmslow Motor Show!
A part of the day was a chance to share skills – from composting and making things to sharing music. At least twelve children and young people joined in a stomp – a musical and movement performance using scrap material, organised by Wilmslow High School students. Saving energy and building community should be fun!
So what could you be encouraged to do? Transition Wilmslow organises fairly regular film nights and stalls at the Artisan Market, and has several groups doing things. See us on www.transitionwilmslow.co.uk.
Guest post by Andrew Backhouse.
