http://fifediet.co.uk/read/

Fife Diet today publishes Scotland’s first comprehensive study of carbon reductions and food: ‘Foodprint’.
The results show that by eating the Fife Diet way people are cutting their green house gas emissions by considerable amounts. A Fife Diet household sample showed an average foodprint which is approximately 27% lower than the UK average. Furthermore, the top end of the sample have a foodprint which is between 40% – 50% lower than the UK national average.

The research volunteer sample has also pledged to reduce its food impact yet further, by wasting less, eating local and organic, composting, eating less meat and growing their own. These would reduce emissions by a further 5%.

These reductions are very significant, as they are being achieved against the backdrop of a food system which is highly unsustainable and predisposes all of us towards a high foodprint. For example a report earlier this year showed that the food we eat accounts for 30% of the UK’s carbon footprint. according to a new report – How Low Can We Go? published today by WWF-UK and the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN)
Working with Climate Futures, Scotland’s leading carbon consultants, the Fife Diet project has assessed the impact of the project in carbon terms, but there are other benefits.

The latest images from Samadi down at the community allotment.

Would you like to know more about Community Supported Agriculture? This is sometimes a natural next step for a local food growing project.

Linlithgow Climate Challenge and Soil Association Scotland have organised this event to stimulate thinking around Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

Community Supported Agriculture Information Session
20 September 2010
2.30-4.30pm
Donaldson’s School  Linlithgow

The session will be led by Mick Marston who is a CSA Regional Development Officer for the Soil Association. Mick works with a range of CSA’s in England will use this experience to  cover the following topics:
What a CSA is and what any CSA should have as its core principles
Different models in operation in England/abroad which could stimulate thinking
Things to consider when setting up a CSA
Building a financially sustainable CSA

Most of all, there will be time for questions and discussion.

The event is free but places are limited to 30 people in order that we can get facilitate some good discussion. Please provide your name, a contact email or telephone number and the organisation you represent.

To register for this event please email emartin@soilassociation.org If you cannot email you can call Erika on 0131 666 2474.

If you cannot attend but would be interested in a future event please let us know.

We are delighted to be holding this event at Donaldsons School , who will be providing some refreshments which will be locally sourced.

The sweat lodge is a ceremony where we connect to the earth to say thank you for our lives.

During the day we will collect the willow to build the bender with, build it, cover it, dig the fire pit,
dig the stone pit, light the fire and then sweat. We will be following Native American Wisdoms.

The day will start at 10am and for those only able to come for the sweat please be here by 6pm at the latest.

Please bring enough vegetarian or vegan food to last the day, to share or just for yourself!
(we will share lunch and a meal after the sweat)

We will be able to provide hot water for drinks and stoves to heat food on.

There are toilets and washing facilities although no showers!

If you would like to stay the night then you will have to bring your own camping equipment eg. Tent, mat, sleeping bag.

Stella Longland will be the Lodge chief, Rob Brodie the fire keeper.

Please let us know in advance if you are coming by emailing Rob, also with any queries you may have
(robrodie@hotmail.co.uk) or phone Rob on 07952 832 242

Donations are welcome to help cover costs.

One of the conference’s peak moments was Nicole Foss’s talk: Making Sense of the Financial Crisis in the Era of Peak Oil. (Available: http://transitionradio.posterous.com/tag/nicolefoss)

In summary Nicole explained how our energy inheritance (energy rich fossil fuels) has made it possible to create an enormous financial ‘bubble’ – in effect a huge Ponzi or Pyramid scheme – which has now imploded. Bubbles like this are nothing new but the most recent one is unprecedented due to the extreme interconnectedness and highly speculative nature of our global markets. We thus have entered a time of financial deflation, but this time also coupled with energy depletion. The latter might not manifest in the short term – however no technology on earth can make up for the condensed resource that fossil fuel is and neither is our energy infrastructure e.g. the electrical grid – capable of delivering the renewable energy to the places where it is needed. We are thus in transition from a culture fuelled by an energy inheritance, to one fueled by energy income.

Rob Hopkins and Peter Lipman commented on her talk and re-emphasise the urgency of making the Transition and the importance of community as compared to money. Have a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2lx3ZLmQj4)

It seems Transition is now taking on board not only Climate Change and Peak Oil but also the financial crisis and the development of social enterprises is seen as one of the routes forward in building future economic stability.

Rob Hopkins also introduced a new way to perceive Transition: as a Pattern Language. As Rob explained Transition is multi-layered and complex and the 12 steps or ingredients (see: http://www.transitionnetwork.org/community/support/12-ingredients) – though a very useful blueprint – do not capture the complexity of what is going in the initiatives. The basic idea of using pattern language  – as I understand it – is to map more of this complexity and to reevaluate and apply some of the tried-and-tested solutions to human problems which display a certain universality – in other words: there is no need to reinvent the wheel – yet also we to develop new solutions to deal with our contemporary issues. Rob is keen for people to contribute to the next Transition Handbook which will involve the application of pattern language. (See: http://transitionculture.org/2010/06/04/rethinking-transition-as-a-pattern-language-an-introduction/)

A short film on the T – conference is YouTubed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-Gmh2cePNk

(Spot the guy with the NHTT T-shirt.)

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

Scottish National Gathering

Friday the 19th November ?South Hall, Pollock Halls, Edinburgh

Transitions: diverse routes to belonging November 20th and 21st 2010?John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh.

If you want to use the juice from your apples then why not hire our community apple press which will be available from the end of August. For more information checkout the Apple Press Page on the website or get in touch with Louise

We have also organised a Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop which will take place at the Monimail Tower Project Orchard on Saturday 6 November. The course will run from 10am-2pm and f you would like to book a place then get in touch with Louise now.