Green World Forum

Green Screen Live Earth Coverage 777 Pledge for the Planet

”We need to move away from more and global, to less and local.”

We may be only little but this is our chance to make a big noise, just as those Cotesbach villagers did 400 years back. It is as much about land use and food production today as it was back then, but now it’s not just landowners but more governments and corporate giants who need to act to protect our environment and our lives from irreversible change and to re-educate people into sustainable ways of living.

People need to act now, urgently.

We need to learn to dig again, to grow our own vegetables, to respect the earth – that’s why we’re supporting the OFfA scheme ( www.gardenorganic.org.uk ), BTCV and others by bringing unwanted second hand tools along- maybe some of the team will be there mending them onsite, perhaps those 17 th Century guys will be able to help too.

If your tool is too far gone to be used again for gardening, local artist Worzel recycled them into a huge commemorative sculpture!

We need to support growers, producers and retailers of local food who understand the essential connection between a fertile soil and good health, and that high food miles, over packaging and processed foods are detrimental to the planet. That’s why we invited them all along, to show us what great food we can buy locally.

We invited key speakers from the environmental movement to talk about climate change, powerdown and sustainability and where we should be going in the next 400 years; Fiona Reynolds, Director General of the National Trust, and Graham Harvey, agricultural editor of The Archers and author of ' We Want Real Food '. Also Tony Gosling, of TLIO and EcoVillage Network UK . We invited the National Trust and many other environmental organisations to take on a pitch for the day to tell people about their campaigning and also asked local businesses as well as green companies and organisations who promote the ethic of sustainability to support us financially by advertising in our Event Programme.

There were many interesting features to the Green World Forum, the National Energy Foundation Green Energy Machine being just one... Friends of the Earth, Soil Association, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Platform Harvest Help, Common Ground, Practical Action, Transition Towns, Fairtrade, East Side Climate Action, EcoVillage Network UK and TLIO were among those represented.

We also ran a Green Screen for viewing of cutting edge environmental films and video links - including : An Inconvenient Truth, The Future of Food, Sky News footage of Cotesbach in Green Britain Week January '07, an award winning movie flash by a pupil of Rugby School called 'Climate Change Champion'. Platform will be bringing films about Ken Saro-Wiwa and Peak Oil, plus others by Harvest Help and Transition Town Lewes, Peak Oil: Imposed by Nature, The End of Suburbia, Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, - a whole day's viewing, and a Speakers Corner, allowing everybody to "have your say": these are huge issues and everybody’s voice counts.

We are pleased to tell you that we have been registered and approved as a Friend of Live Earth and showed this in the tent on Elmdene Field (Venue 5) on the day, alongside sustainability workshops.

leaf Cotesbach 777 Pledge for the Planet logo

LAND – EARTH – SOIL – PLANET – ENVIRONMENT – COMMUNITY – HEALTH – HERITAGE

  1. I understand the need for Energy Descent in the face of Climate Change and I realise that the power of one can make a difference.
  2. I recognise the need to rebuild more sustainable communities, to Act Local, and Think Global.
  3. I will adapt my shopping habits taking into account how goods are grown, produced and distributed and the impact this has on the environment.
  4. I will become more conscious of food labelling in supermarkets – ingredients, food miles - and the need to reduce wasteful packaging.
  5. I will grow my own food if I can and encourage the revival of traditional cooking skills.
  6. I will work with the grain of nature by eating seasonal produce, and returning compost to the soil.
  7. I will refine my needs : consume more wisely.