Practical Ways to Fight Climate Change — A Festival
During September 2020, we held an online climate action festival via Zoom. All of the content was recorded and is available on the SLH YouTube channel and at the links below.
| Heatons Climate Action Festival | Opening Session Find out why this festival is happening now and why you live in the perfect place for it to be held! One of our panellists also shares an eco poem for the festival. This Opening Session is combined with our first webinar event Takeover by the Heatons Youth Climate Commission. | Paul Lowis (SLH Chair), Hannah Warren Catch up on YouTube here |
Have Your Say | Takeover by the Heatons Youth Climate Commission Three young Heatonians will quiz a panel of local experts about the climate crisis and what we could change for the better in the Heatons. Check in with Heatons Youth Climate Commission again at the end of the festival to find out what the representatives recommend as future actions. | The Young Persons Commission, Colin Foster, Emma Greenwood, Sarah Bridle, Andy Burnham Catch up on YouTube here |
Climate Science | The Science Behind Climate Change The scientific evidence for climate change is overwhelming, but reports in the press and on social media suggest otherwise. This session will explain the physics behind this issue and will include an opportunity to ask the questions that matter to you. | Sarah McClelland, Andy Wilson Catch up on YouTube here |
Reducing, Reusing and Recycling  | Being Green and Having Fun! This session for families and children will include an online quiz to find out who knows the most about climate change and keeping our environment clean, with an interactive section that uses old plastic packaging and an iron to make a… — you will have to wait and see! If you would like to join in with this part as it happens, have the following ready: – LDPE Plastic waste i.e little packets for screws, baked bean wraps, magazine covers, bubble wrap (any soft and stretchy plastic) – Scissors – Iron – Baking paper – Cardboard to save the table / ironing board Children need to be carefully supervised when holding the iron. | Rachel Lewis, Camilla Reghenzi Catch up on YouTube here |
Cycling, Walking and Transport | Let the Heatons Breathe Local experts and enthusiasts share their practical tips and local routes for walking, cycling and using electric bikes to enjoy the many green spaces in and around the Heatons. Includes ideas on less carbon-intensive holidaying. | Angie Taylor, Sarah McClelland, Andy Kyffin Catch up on YouTube here |
| Cycling, Walking and Transport | Shared Heatons = Safer Heatons Explore the national and local initiatives designed to make walking and cycling safer for everyone, and the benefits of these “active travel” methods. Discover ideas designed to encourage us out of our cars and make journeys more pleasant, particularly for children and elders. | Rod King, Andy Howard, Faye Drinkwater Catch up on YouTube here |
Wild Heatons and Biodiversity | Want to Be a Wildlife Detective? In this session, two enthusiasts raised in the Heatons will share their passion for wildlife. Learn about our local bats and many other creatures, what inspired our enthusiasts and where you can go to enjoy the wildlife that lives just around the corner. | Emilia Adamson, Jeff Clarke, Dave Higginson-Tranter Catch up on YouTube here |
Energy and Property | Planning a Building Project? Make It Green! Join this session to find out how to be ambitious with your next building project but still choose sustainable options. Be inspired by the design ideas behind a Heatons Ecohome. Lots of practical advice from Heatons homeowners that will help you maximise your investment while reducing your long-term energy costs and your carbon footprint. | Steve Howarth, Sara Darwin Catch up on YouTube here |
| Reducing, Reusing and Recycling | Support the Local Fight Against Food Waste Did you know that 6.6 million tonnes of the UK’s food goes in the bin each year? Find out what Heaton Norris Community Centre and other community groups are cooking, sharing, planting and growing to ensure that food is redistributed locally, and how one of the churches in the Heatons is distributing food that would otherwise go to waste. Join the Q&A to find out what you can do. | Nadia Ali, Josh Gaskell, Lucy Danger, Sam Dugdale, Helena Mellish Catch up on YouTube here |
| Cycling, Walking and Transport | More Fun and More Affordable Than Ever Before: Electric Cars Find out from Heatons residents how to finance and use an electric car, and understand what impact this choice has on your carbon footprint. This session will explain why a family-sized electric car can now be cheaper overall than a fossil fuel-driven equivalent. Hybrids, hydrogen, eco-driving, batteries and the charging network will be discussed too. | Paul Dunk, Mel Godfrey Jason Smith Catch up on YouTube here |
| Have Your Say | Climate Action Ideas from Businesses in the Heatons The panellists involved in this session will discuss some of the inspiring ideas that are circulating among our local businesses and within our community. Stockport Council’s Corporate Director for Place, Mark Glynn, will join local business and community leaders to debate climate actions for safeguarding everyone’s futures. | Mark Glynn, Steve Pilling, Jodi Flannery, Graeme Heyes, Kes Scott Catch up on YouTube here |
| Reducing, Reusing and Recycling | Buying Green in the Heatons Join local shop owner Shelley Brown from The Good Life and some of her customers to talk about low waste, sustainable shopping habits. This session will include tips on the benefits and challenges of shopping sustainably, as well as time for your questions. | Shelley Brown, Simon Haigh, Amy Gray Catch up on YouTube here |
| Energy and Property | Create a Warmer, Energy Efficient Home Sadly, reducing your energy bills is not quite as simple as putting insulation in your loft. Let us explain how to make the most effective energy-saving investments in your home, including how to plan projects and apply for the brand-new home insulation grants available from the UK government. Learn about People Powered Retrofit. | Aneaka Kellay Catch up on YouTube here |
| Closing Session | What Next? Our three Youth Commissioners will be discussing their climate change recommendations with Nav Mishra MP, before sending them to Andy Burnham, for the GM Green Summit starting 21 September. | Young Persons Commission, Navendu Mishra Catch up on YouTube here |