Dulwich Going Greener

[louisiana]

Some of you may be aware that there's an organisation called Dulwich Going Greener. DGG is a charity set up in 2006 to work towards a greener and more low-carbon Dulwich (SE21 and SE22). It's all about the practical green things that people can do locally. The idea for the organisation grew out of an event at the Dulwich Festival that year.

The intention of this post is to establish a focus for DGG on EDF and to encourage dialogue about practical green work in Dulwich (rather than just having random DGG events posts in the Events section).

You can find the DGG website at http://www.dulwichgoinggreener.org.uk/ and we're on twitter too at @dulwichgreener

You can find most of our events posted to the Events section of EDF, but we also run a mailing list which you can join on the DGG website if you want to get monthly updates in your inbox.

Tomorrow night (Thursday, 8pm) we've got a fab film on, Pig Business, which is the result of four years of exploration of intensive pig farming.

http://www.pigbusiness.co.uk/

We're really lucky to have the film's director, Tracy Worcester, along to discuss and answer your questions. Tracy attends only a small number of screenings and is fairly busy advising UN-type institutions, so this is a bit of a coup!

Check out the Events section for full info:

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?6,561498

DGG is an umbrella for a range of practical local projects, which include Dulwich Vegetable Garden. DVG is a demonstrator veg garden in Dulwich Park (behind Rosebery Lodge, on Dulwich Common). It took quite a lot of effort to get the whole thing off the ground. There are now regular work days for volunteers, normally one during the week and one at the weekend (yes, the volunteers get to eat the veggies!). The next one coming up will be on Sunday 14th Nov (10.30-12.30). You can follow DVG on twitter at @DulwichDVG to find out what's coming up.

There are also other really fab projects, such as the Secret Greenhouse on Half Moon Lane. Check out the DGG website for more info.

Other stuff:

We've been running regular environment-related films and talks upstairs at the Crown & Greyhound. The series continues.

We've run a Give and Take event in conjunction with Southwark Council and Veolia, at the Francis Peak Centre in Dulwich Park (very successful) and are hoping to run some more. This is kind of like 'Freecycle in person'.

We're starting a push on allotments. Southwark Council seems to be really hands off on this, and there's a massive shortage locally. Whether it's individual allotments, community allotments, community-supported agriculture or anything similar, we're interested in your experiences and ideas about what could be done. And we're also interested in hearing from you if you'd like an allotment or other growing space and can't get one.

Please do contact me at [email protected], as I'm trying to pull this one together over coming weeks.

We're planning to do something pretty major as part of the Dulwich Park fair end of the Dulwich Festival in May 2011. More news on this very soon, as it's still really, really early days, but I have to confess it's going to be loads of fun.

And lots more...

If you'd like to get involved, do get in touch. If there's something that you'd like to see us doing which we're not doing currently, likewise. This is an interesting journey, and all contributions and thoughts are very welcome.

Lou

[email protected]

Edited to add email address.

[PeckhamRose]

I think this is all fabulous.

So ironic that the council use ungreen petrol filled machines which their staff use to blow leaves form place a to place b.

I questioned them about this; they replied it was cheaper than hiring lots of human leaf sweepers.

So that's okay then.

But good for you and this whole project.

[louisiana]

Thanks PeckhamRose. All encouragement gratefully received, and all ideas too.

Clearly, public authorities like Southwark Council are on a learning path ;-) They may end up somewhere different to where they are right now, given current/future developments (peak oil, 'workfare' type schemes by the ConDems...).

*Some* of the time we can help fix things by talking, informing and putting points of view or bringing pressure to bear. That's part of the role we see DGG having; it's often hard to achieve things when you're an individual as you often don't get listened to with any seriousness by The Powers That Be.

[PeckhamRose]

Will PM you with their written reply.

[louisiana]

Yes, please do.

[Thomas Micklewright]

Great Film - hopefully we can have another showing in Dulwich sometime!

Thomas

[louisiana]

Yes, Thomas, another screening is certainly feasible. Maybe East Dulwich rather than Dulwich next time?

Edit: in fact, we could lend out the DVD if people wanted to do domestic screenings... e.g. invite your friends around.

[louisiana]

Maybe I should let others say what they thought about the film, but I've seen it twice now and I'd just like to reassure people what is is, and what it isn't. In the film, there's lots of chat with politicians, scientists, representatives of the big US company that's now moved into Europe, local people who live near these giant factory farms, and farmers.... This is not a film of undercover how-pigs-live (there's just a tiny bit of that, a micro-segment of footage from Compassion in World Farming). It's just super-informative about what all the different parties involved think about the issue. There are significant parallels with the planned super-cow herd (was 8,000 cows, now 4,000 cows after public protest) in Lincolnshire. I'm totally happy to arrange further screening of either version (there is a director's cut too).

On another issue entirely, we're planning to start doing green drinks in East/Dulwich. Completely informal gathering in a local hostelry, preferably with good beer, once a month. Where would you like to see green drinks happening? Should we rotate venues or stay in one? Which is the best night not to clash with other regular events you're likely to want to attend?

Lou

[berryberry]

I tried to get involved with dulwich going greener. I went to speak to them about volunteering as a gardener and was told my help wasn't needed and but I could leaflet for them as no one wanted to do that. The woman was actually quite rude and inferred I didn't have horticultural knowledge. I'm a qualified gardener. I then saw another DGG trying to encourage someone else to help with gardening. I hope if you sincerely want people to join your group you need to get truly open minded and inclusive of all of dulwich instead of moaning that the rich people have taken all the land and its not fair whilst turning down the help of people who you don't perceive to fit the DGG image.

[dv1]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1329319/Think-living-Good-Life-cut-food-bills-Dont-count-chickens-Going-supermarket-save-FORTUNE.html

[louisiana]

DV1

I don't think anyone's advocating rearing little piggies on Goose Green as an economic alternative, :) although fat little geese did use to hang out there on their way to market.

It's about knowing what you're buying in the shops and having sufficient info, to ensure what you are buying is not full of all kinds of external and unsustainable (and often awful) consequences.

So, what does the package say, in the supermarket? Does it say 'Smithfield - Made in Poland'? No, never. They never say it's made in Poland or Romania, though it often is. There's just some generic Eurpoean labelling. But the conditions in those places in Poland and Romania are truly crap, both for the animals and for those that live around these enormo-industrial places (including neighbouring kids in schools!). You would not want your dog (if you had one) to be hanging around those places. So why buy you meat from exactly those places and feed it to your kids?

As a bacon addict, I'm more than dismayed at what is happening in the name of cheap food. We can do so much better. We are consumers; we can decide. We used to spend 30% of income on food; now it's more like 10% and still people say "it's too expensive".

Smaller farmers are doing what they can in this country, but as the law stands they are competing under EU law against producers elsewhere that don't have to comply with the same animal welfare regulations that they do. Does that make sense to you? It doesn't to me. We really need our farmers, now and even more so in the future (when oil gets more expensive or even when the Saudi's won't sell it to us any more).

[Alec John Moore]

dv1, are you suggesting we should believe what we read in the Daily Mail?

[dv1]

Louisiana

I seem to remember reading recently that conditions in the UK were found to be much worse than overseas.

Alec John Moore

I'm not suggesting anything, it's up to you what you choose to believe. I don't care what you read.

[louisiana]

berryberry Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I tried to get involved with dulwich going

> greener. I went to speak to them about

> volunteering as a gardener and was told my help

> wasn't needed and but I could leaflet for them as

> no one wanted to do that. The woman was actually

> quite rude and inferred I didn't have

> horticultural knowledge. I'm a qualified gardener.

I'm somewhat mystified by this. Nobody leaflets for us. We do our publicity online.

For Dulwich Vegetable Garden, we have regular work sessions mid-week and weekends, every week, and quite a few people turn up (even babies!).

Here's the latest DVG update which went out yesterday from Andy:

----

Hello DVG-ers. Just to remind you that there are still work sessions in the vegetable garden - next ones are Sunday 14th, Tuesday 16th & Sunday 21st November, at 10.30-12.30. We've lifted a lot of the spent crops but need help to continue getting the garden ready for winter (gathering fallen leaves for leaf mould, spreading manure etc) to get a real headstart in the spring. Do come along and help - we'd love to see you.

As usual, these are open to anyone, including toddlers!

----

Nobody is a qualified horticulturalist or qualified anything else, garden/veg-wise! And anybody can sign up online, follow the Facebook group, follow DVG on twitter etc. and get involved through any channel.

> I then saw another DGG trying to encourage someone

> else to help with gardening.

I'm not at all sure what this means. Another DGG? As far as I know, there is only one! (?)

I hope if you

> sincerely want people to join your group you need

> to get truly open minded and inclusive of all of

> dulwich instead of moaning that the rich people

> have taken all the land and its not fair whilst

> turning down the help of people who

> perceive to fit the DGG image.

We have young families with babies and no garden, singles who'd like to socialise, veterans on bicycles, members of the Dulwich Society or Dulwich Park Friends, local teachers, professionals such as accountants and lawyers and photographers, the self-employed, eco-educators, the retired, translators, students, experts in shorthand, and the more fortunate and landed.... Some of us fall into more than one group. :) Really, it's all sorts and very democratic. All of the projects that have started are the result of people deciding they wanted to do something. I don't think we've turned down any help from anybody, any time.

Is there something you'd like to do? Why not let us know?

Lou

[louisiana]

Alec John Moore Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> dv1, are you suggesting we should believe what we

> read in the Daily Mail?

(Alec: Oh, I hardly dared raise the Daily Wail issue. They do pay their freelancers *extremely* well though, and there will always be those writers who value that.)

dv1: What do you mean by 'overseas'? Some of 'overseas' is governed by European regulations. A whole lot more is not; and in those places standards are pretty low. Both Poland and Romania are pretty bad. You 'remember reading'... Can you point to where/what/when you read?

Standards are not 'high' in the UK, it has to be said. In my view, they should be higher.

Why not look at the specific evidence? For example, on use of farrowing crates country by country? What the law says.

[dv1]

What do I mean by 'overseas'? Erm, not in the UK? What else might it mean?

[louisiana]

dv1, there are hundreds of countries 'overseas', and each country has very different laws and regulations. There's not really such a thing as being worse/better 'overseas'.

[louisiana]

Dulwich Library is now has 'Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air' in stock.

Really practical info, such as

- the economics of low energy bulbs

- the truth about chargers

- gadgets that really suck

If you're interested in controlling your energy usage (home, transport, holidays...) this is probably a worthwhile book to look at.

We're interested in other green books you'd like to see Southwark libraries stocking.

[berryberry]

Be mystified. I was turned away and my offer of help reject at the dulwich festival fair at dulwich park. The woman I spoke to was unpleasant, he name was Louise or Louisa, had messy blond hair and was about 45. I'm a member of the public and that was my experience of DGG. It came across as a bit personal actually and I was shocked because I've set up a similar scheme in devon and was really looking forward to getting involved.

[dv1]

And whilst India, China and USA don't give a monkeys about anything green, do you honestly think that Dulwich library using low energy light bulbs and you all separating your plastic bottles is anywhere even approaching a p**s in the ocean - not even close.

[Alec John Moore]

I could say that India has a Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, most of the NGOs that have been set up in China over the last few years are environment organisations and under President Obama the US government has taken a more positive attitude towards international agreements on climate change but I don't think that would be of interest to dv1. We are all human and we only have one planet and some of us feel that we have to do something to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Personally I also think its wasteful not to reuse things.

[dv1]

Good for you. You're still wasting your time. And it is probably a nice hobby. And you really believe that these so called organisations set up by the biggest polluters are anything more than a gesture to keep people like you happy?

[Alec John Moore]

Well, I'm certainly "green" in that I can't spot a troll when I read one. But, thanks for the link to the Daily Mail article. I'll respond to that later.

[dv1]

"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion" From Wikipedia.

Really, is that what you think of anyone who disagrees with you? Well done. You worked it out. Clever.

[andybod]

berryberry - I too am slightly mystified and sorry that you've had a bad experience. As Louisiana posted earlier with some great examples, there is no "DGG image" - we're a complete mixed bunch. The Dulwich Vegetable Garden project has a healthy pool of over 100 active and potentially interested volunteers and most of us have no horticultural knowledge so we tend to rely on those who do as well as learning from our mistakes. People can drop in and out of sessions whenever they want - regular attendance is not a pre-condition of getting involved.

We have regular volunteer work sessions and ALL are welcome to come along.

Find out about forthcoming sessions by sending an email to "[email protected]" and asking to be added to the regular email newsletter. Alternatively, you can follow the project on Twitter (@DulwichDVG) or find us on Facebook.

Find out more about this and other Dulwich Going Greener (DGG) projects on the DGG website.

All the best

Andy