A Nobel Prize winner headed up a question time panel in Wilmslow last week, focusing on issues around energy and energy reduction.
Organised by Transition Wilmslow, this free event at Wilmslow High School on Friday, 24th February, was designed to inform the local community about energy issues and supporting energy saving solutions.
The panel was headed up by local resident Professor Geoff Levermore, who was one of the team on the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2007, alongside climate campaigner Al Gore, for their efforts in bringing the subject into the global arena.
Also on the question time panel were Cllr Rod Menlove, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services for Cheshire East Council, Eleanor Underhill, General Manager of the National Trust's Quarry Bank Mill, and James Eggleston, currently studying for his A levels at the High School. The panel was chaired by Professor John Handley of the School of Environment and Development at Manchester University.
Professor Levermore, currently Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester, said "As an educator I'm always willing to talk to groups if I can help. I feel the issues regarding climate change and energy conservation are important. Climate change is especially important as it is one of the greatest problems facing mankind today."
Transition Wilmslow, working with Groundwork Cheshire, has recently been awarded a grant of £35,000 by the Department for Energy and Climate Change to help raise awareness of ways to reduce household energy consumption in the Wilmslow area. The Wilmslow Question Time was just one event organised by the group of volunteers to highlight energy sustainability as an issue.
Rachel Corrigan, Chair of Transition Wilmslow, said "The event was well attended by about fifty people and a range of questions was asked to the panel from the mix of future energy sources that we can expect, to the measures taken by Cheshire East Council to restrict energy losses from their buildings, to the sustainability of the plans around the Lifestyle Centre and the potential sale of Rectory Fields.
"We heard from Eleanor Underhill, from Quarry Bank Mill, about the targets they have for cutting energy use at the mill and the issues they face and the exciting news about the potential hydro opportunity on the River Bollin. Cllr Rod Menlove also spoke of some of the actions that Cheshire East Council has taken to reduce energy use, including small wins such as fitting a pool cover at the leisure centre pool."
Transition Wilmslow is also using the grant funding to hire out thermal imaging cameras to be used on houses around Wilmslow to show where energy is being lost from the home, and identify simple steps householders can take to reduce energy loss.
Andrew Backhouse, of Transition Wilmslow, spoke at this week's meeting of the Wilmslow Business Group, explaining to local businesses what Transition Wilmslow is looking to achieve.
He said "We are trying to build a network of people who are thinking for the next 50 years because in the next 40 years we are going to run out of oil. Where is Wilmslow going to be unless we start to think outside the box?
"There are lots of simple steps we can do to make things better."
Transition Wilmslow has fifty energy monitors which they are happy to loan to local businesses for a couple of months so they can monitor how much they are spending on energy.
If householders are interested in benefitting from the free thermal imaging service, or businesses would like to borrow an energy monitor please email Andrew Backhouse.
For further information visit the Transition Wilmslow website.
Photo: (l-r) Eleanor Underhill, Councillor Rod Menlove, John Handley, Rachel Corrigan (Transition Wilmslow's chair), James Eggleston, and Professor Geoff Levermore. Courtesy of Gary Kershaw.
