Our Climate Café® started pretty soon after we launched Sustaining North Berwick, inspired by a presentation by Jess Pepper from Climate Reality and the successful creation of Climate Café® in Dunkeld & Birnam.
Our monthly meetings are open to all and usually take place in Steampunk – a local coffee house and first adopters of compostables and the ‘close the loop’ collection! Discussions at Climate Café® start with an update from organisers Kathy Duncan and myself Ruth Hunter Pepper – we will cover off progress on campaigns or organisation of forthcoming events and results of recent meetings with other community groups, schools or East Lothian Council.
There are invariably planning applications to discuss and discussions about how we respond. The conversation opens up to new ideas, wider environmental news and forward planning. Sustaining North Berwick recently became a constituted organisation and as well as having a bank account now have a secretary – Fiona Fleming.
Sustaining North Berwick – Public Feedback on Climate Change
Until last year we ran an annual event to celebrate Earth Hour. We invite charities and organisations including – WWF, FOES, Scottish Environment Link, Zero Waste Scotland, Climate Reality, Plastic Free Scotland, East Lothian Councils Waste Services, Home Energy Scotland, sustainable home energy providers and a select few installers of innovative products, ethical independent traders, High School Eco Committee, individuals and organisations involved in inventions, Eco projects – from reducing plastic waste to inventing sustainable products, sustainable transport experts and manufacturers of electric cars and bikes, rewinding organisations and locals involved in associated projects and a host of others. The idea is people attend this free event and learn more about areas of their own life that can be improved. It works really well and is always a busy and popular event, building year on year.
In association with our wonderful local gardening group North Berwick In Bloom we planted over 1500 trees in our newly established Country Park. Kathy Duncan SNB’s treasurer sits on the Country Park Board. Kathy has also recently undertaken a new project to encourage more re-wilding in people’s own gardens and we look forward to the creation of a map of gardens around the town that have an area set aside to encourage more bees, birds and insects.
We have tackled the issue of Takeaway Packaging and rid the town of hideous expandable polystyrene – a long and painful journey of seeking workable and more sustainable alternatives which we are really happy to share with whoever might be interested. This could save another community endless research and we’ve introduced a tried and tested ‘Tiffin Box’ scheme with our local Indian restaurant which may be of interest to other groups.