All welcome at our Annual General Meeting!
You are warmly invited to HEART’s first Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 17th January from 7-9pm.
We’ll be holding the gathering at the Cottonmill Community and Cycling Centre, Old Oak, Off Cottonmill Lane, St Albans. AL1 2EF.
This is a new centre, with eco-credentials, near where two of HEART’s co-founders (Kate and Chantal) live. In future years we will choose other locations around Hertfordshire.
The evening will consist of the AGM requirements (annual report and financials etc), followed by a short presentation or two and then plenty of time to share a vegan meal in good company.
We really hope you can join us. Register your place and meal option on Eventbrite.
COP27 in Sharm-El-Sheikh
As many commentators predicted, this was again – tragically – a pretty dismal failure.
“What made me angry was the charade.” Michael Shaw
Professor Jem Bendell, who attended, described it as “something akin to a 5-star holiday or a trade fair for the fossil fuel industry“
Henrik Nordborg described it as “an endless cycle of planned failures. It is the wrong people trying to solve the wrong problem with the wrong approach.”
The best summary we’ve seen of what happened, and the impact it’s likely to have can be found here in this (quite sarcastic) “Just Have a Think” piece called “Are Climate Targets now Pointless?”
Some of the things we’ve been up to recently
Helping to Launch the New Moderate Flank
As our deteriorating climate sinks in, more and more people are hungry to take positive action that rises to the occasion.
The New Moderate Flank seeks to catalyse exactly that.
The window for limiting overheating to 1.5C has closed.
Traditional, predictable weather is gone and it is up to us to choose from the shades of danger that are possible.
The power to address the failure of institutions to act resides with us as citizens. We have to respond.
With honesty, determination, and creative forms of positive action.
Sign up for emails and find out more at moderateflank.org/
Sopwell Eco-Stars: How resilient is your community?
Our first ‘hyperlocal’ resilient community project began in Sopwell, St Albans this year, working in partnership with Sopwell Residents Association and other local organisations.
Kate and Chantal, together with former Sustainable St Albans trustee Gail Jackson have set up this community response project in their local area, making the case for adaptation and resilience, as well as mitigation.
Working with partners, sessions so far have included a repair fair and seasonal cooking sessions, with clothes swaps and energy & insulation events planned.
Next year will see a big push to engage with local community leaders, assess the resilience of community buildings and beginning a hyperlocal community-led climate risk assessment, and adaptation & climate action plans.
Hear more about it in this short radio conversation, and also at our annual general meeting in January.
What’s your County Council doing on Adaptation and Resilience?
HCC Scrutiny Meeting: Adaptation and Resilience Topic Group
At the end of November, Hertfordshire County Council held a one-day topic group marking the anniversary of COP 26.
The purpose was to scrutinise the preparedness of HCC directorates in responding to changing climates and how service users access them in this changing environment, especially the more vulnerable members of our community.
One of the four ‘Lead’ ambitions of the Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy is for “All operations and services to be ready for future climates.”
So how did they do? Kate has written a blog summarising this meeting, which you can read here.
Out and About
Kimberley has been continuing to give talks, meet influencers, and facilitate deep-dive retreats.
In November 2022, Kimberley gave a talk to the Eco-Club at Merchant Taylors School.
She also offers a weekly Witness Call every Sunday starting at 6pm for 90 minutes.
These are open to all. There are still very few places and spaces where we can speak authentically and freely about our feelings – and people have welcomed just showing up as they are – and being deeply heard.
Contact us if you’d like to come along to one of these!
Meeting Lord Deben – Chair of the UK’s Climate Change Committee in Baldock
House of Lords Debate on New Moderate Flank, with Rupert Read and climate scientist Kevin Anderson. You can listen to Rupert Read’s case here.
The Edge Retreat October 2022
We held another really successful 4-day deep-dive retreat at the end of October. Shout if you might be interested in joining the next one!
“Spending four straight days in the company of wonderful people who ‘get it’ and feeling free and uncensored in conversation was such a privilege. Deeply listening to others and being heard myself was an enlightening and enriching experience. We didn’t even actually talk that much about specific climate issues – we just knew we all understood the backdrop. The activities and exercises were fun, powerful and sometimes very challenging, but there was always a strong feeling of being supported and cared for. I trusted Kim implicitly to look after us all. I loved exploring deep feelings and felt honoured to be present while others shared their stories. I felt deep connection that I haven’t felt for a long time, with complete strangers, more connection after a few days than years with colleagues or friends. I came away feeling nourished, lighter and clearer, and determined to go forward with joy and love into the work that is mine to do!” Nicky Clark, Hertfordshire citizen.
Recommended Books and Videos
Great for Christmas presents!
“Do you Want to Know the Truth?” by Professor Rupert Read
Honesty is the key word for Rupert Read’s latest book, published in November 2022.
Certainly not a light read, but absolutely essential for those who would rather know where we stand, and what we can do about it.
You can get this as a free download (or just pay what you want).
A Gift for Conversation
Are you worried about Climate Change?
Do you wish you could talk about it more with people in your life?
Are there members of your family, friends and colleagues who don’t “get it”? This ‘gift book’ can help.
A Gift For Conversation: Let’s Discuss Climate Change is an interactive gift book, designed to get people talking about Climate Change.
It explains Climate Change in simple, clear and emotive ways, complete with beautiful illustrations. There are sections YOU write!
Use the power of your own story – your most persuasive tool.
That’s it for this newsletter.
We wish you a restful festive season.
Lots of love,
Kim, Kate and Chantal
HEART Community Group
