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Case Studies |
Examples from Partners
Scotland
Ellon
Global Footprint Project
The Ellon Project was started in June 2006 following the May 2006 SusSET Conference which identified a lack of recognition for natural heritage resources, climate change and sustainability in the development of the SuSET project.
Previous footprint global projects had focused on the national and regional levels e.g. the North East Scotland and the Scotland Global Footprint Projects. However research across the developed world shows that personal consumption at a household level contributes on average to about 50% of each nation’s global footprint.
The global footprint considers how much land and sea are needed to feed us and provide all the energy, water and materials we use in our everyday lives. It also calculates the emissions generated from the oil, coal and gas we burn to heat our homes, supply our electricity or support our methods of transport, and determines how much land is required to absorb our waste.
The North East Scotland Global Footprint Project, between the partners Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Councils, and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) was launched in Ellon in on the 2 nd February 2007. The North East Scotland Project provides a baseline figure of 5.64 global hectares per person (gha/person) for Aberdeenshire, 5.8 gha/person for Aberdeen City, as against 5.37 gha/person for Scotland. Work carried out by the WWF and other global footprint partners suggests a target of 1.8gha/person to live within the Earth’s natural heritage resources.
Ellon Community has a footprint of5.2 gha/person. This Footprint is smaller than Aberdeenshire due to a reduced housing and food footprint.
The next step is to bring together a group of local people in Ellon who would be interested in developing and progressing the environment projects that arise from the global footprint project.
See: Word Document
See also: www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/planning/index.asp
Scotland's Global Footprint website: www.scotlandsfootprint.org
Contact: Steven Gray email
Sweden
The Green billions
To encourage local authorities to take positive steps to reduce consumption, a national programme called ‘The Green billion’ was launched in 1996. Strömstad created a great variety of projects that together formed a local recycling park. This park is not just a place to get rid of the household waste, but an information centre for a sustainable environment.
Poland
Lębork
Lębork and Local Agenda 21
Lębork has cooperated with the Swedish Municipality of Almhult since 1994 resulting in a ‘Local Agenda 21’ commitment. This LA21 document selected most important pro-ecological actions that should be implemented for improvement of social conditions and environmental protection. Listed actions and general directions were prioritized and incorporated in the town development strategy created at that time. Partners together decided what has to be improved and Lębork decided to undertake following tasks:
-Introduction of segregation of waste in cooperation with NGOs, entrepreneurs, youth and consumers
-modernization heat distribution centres, and installation of energy saving devices in buildings
-modernization of sewage plant
-building new water treatment station
Examples from Elsewhere
Kamikatsu , Japan (population 2,042)
Zero Waste
Land available for waste disposal is quickly disappearing in many countries. This is certainly the case in Japan, as more land is needed for urban expansion and development. Waste incineration is becoming more common, but has its own environmental problems. In the small town of Kamikatu, local authorities have unveiled plans to completely eliminate the waste sent to landfill and incineration plants. In order to achieve this, households have been asked to establish a composting system within the home, and to filter their remaining waste into 34 different categories. While this system seems over-ambitious, it is incredibly successful. Current figures show that 98 per cent of households are participating in the composting scheme. This was helped tremendously through the subsidisation of composting machines. It is now estimated that between 75 per cent of household waste is being recycled. These figures are incredibly encouraging given the fact that households participate voluntarily. Officials attribute the success to the ability of small town communities to organise and motivate themselves more easily than in larger cities.
www.green-alliance.org.uk
Isle of Gigha, The Highlands UK (population 150)
Turning bills into profits
The geography of small islands makes them more vulnerable to energy issues. They tend to exist on the very edges of electrical grids. This makes for poor connections and longer service delays during power cuts. Technological advances in energy production have turned this around for many communities. Wind turbines use the strong winds around coastlines and in high altitudes to generate electricity. In 2004, the Isle of Gigha in Scotland became the first grid-connected windfarm in the UK. The project was funded through grants, loans, sale of equity and shareholding schemes. The 6 turbines provide more than enough electricity to meet the needs of the local community. The surplus is sold back to the grid, generating a profit of £80,000 per year.
www.hie.co.uk
Renewable Energy Systems Framework
During the summer months, the infrastructure on these islands reaches a critical mass. Of particular concern is the ability of tourist islands to effectively keep up with the demand for energy. Given the small size and remoteness of many of the islands, they tend to have poor connections to electric grids. This causes frequent disruptions in the form of power cuts on a regular basis throughout the tourist season. In addition, the expansion of electrical grids is detracting from the natural landscape features that attract tourists in the first place. Much attention has now turned to the use of Renewable Energy Systems (RESs) to meet the energy needs of island communities. This would mean that the coastal winds and intense sun would again work in their favour. Wind farms and solar panelling would allow islands to locally generate and distribute electricity. In addition, they would be much more sensitive to the natural landscape. There is a strong argument for legislation to allow RES development costs to be subsidised by private mass tourism developers.
Ardfern, The Highlands, UK (population 200)
Village Hall Heating
The cost of running public facilities and community buildings can consume a significant amount of energy as well as public funds. In Ardfern, community officials took advantage of a 50% grant provided by the Community Energy Company to install a heat pump in the village hall. The pump transferred heat from the ground underneath the village hall car park into the building. The new system effectively uses only a quarter of the energy than using the gas boiler. As a result, the village is saving 3.1 tonnes of CO 2 emissions, or £1,284 per year.
www.hie.co.uk
Winnebago , Minnesota USA (population 1,500)
Cooperating through Crisis
In the small town of Winnebago, farmers have joined together to reverse some of the unsustainable practices of the oil industry. They have formed a cooperative, each contributing 5,000 bushels of corn per season to the Corn Plus plant located in the town. The corn is then turned into ethanol, which is quickly proving to be a viable alternative fuel. A number of car models now come with the option of being used as a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV). Some of them can run on a combination of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol. The cooperative works to ensure a steady supply of corn into the plant for a reasonable price. It also ensures that the farmers get a fair price for their crops at a time when the local agricultural industry is suffering the most. At least twenty of the cooperative shareholders are now owners of FFVs. These farmers are certainly doing their bit to help themselves, their economy and their environment.
Principal Contacts
See http://www.transitiontowns.org
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