// introduction

Our ambition is to reduce Biggar's carbon footprint and aim to be more self sufficient as we approach the twin threats of Climate Change & massively increasing oil prices. Although this is a bold ambition, we are taking up the challenge as we want future generations to realise that we recognised the risks and took positive action to reduce them. A whole network of towns has recently developed across the UK called "Transition Towns". All these towns are trying to to do the same thing so we have recently joined the network in order to learn from the experiences of these other like-minded communities. Click HERE for more information.

What does this mean for Biggar? Essentially it means working together to learn ways of saving money by reducing our energy use and resulting greenhouse gas emissions and then looking at ways to become more sustainable by relocalising our food, work & energy production. The ultimate aim is to adopt a "One Planet Living" programme so we reduce our impact on the planet and ensure that Biggar remains a sustainable community into the future.

//get your discounted or FREE insulation

Fuel bills going through the roof? Improve your insulation and save up to £200 per year.

Leaflets have recently been posted throughout Biggar explaining that Carbon Neutral Biggar has just negotiated an insulation offer with Scottish Power & EAGA, for every home in the town, to help save money on your fuel bills and achieve Biggar’s goal of reducing our carbon footprint.

Insulating your walls and loft is one of the easiest ways to be more energy efficient and could save you up to £200 a year on your energy bills, which should be very welcomed with the cost of everything going through the roof just now. If you are over age 70 or in receipt of one or more of the qualifying benefits, you may be entitled to get the work completed FREE OF CHARGE.

All other householders will be offered a discounted price as low as £149 (£210 for bungalows) to have cavity wall insulation installed and £169 for loft & pipe-work insulation. (Subject to survey)

If you would like to arrange a free survey call James McKnight from EAGA on 01555 850095 or 07866 723310 quoting Carbon Neutral Biggar..........Hurry! this is a limited offer on a first come first served basis.

//climate change challenge fund application

We have just submitted a substantial application to the Government's Community Climate Change Challenge Fund to fund three main new projects in the town. One will be to encourage locals to buy local food, one to assess the viability of providing a pool of electric cars for hire, and thirdly one to asses the viability of various sites around Biggar for wind turbines.

//carbon neutral biggar on BBC Holyrood LIve

In May the BBC came to Biggar to see what we have been up to. They interviewed a number of our members and the programme went out on Holyrood Live on BBC2 on 25th May. Click HERE to watch the video

// get stuff for FREE

Don't dump that household item that is no longer any use to you, give it away to someone who might be able to use it. You will be amazed how one man's junk is another man's treasure. Lets keep it out of Landfill if we can. Go to www.freecycle.org to advertise your item, look for something for FREE or log on as a member to see what is being given away in future. The a new group has just started in Lanark.

//biggar's own reusable shopping bags here now

Be proud to be a BIGGAR SHOPPER, get your very own reuseable jute bag for just £3.00 in various Biggar shops including, The Curved Window, Brydens, Atkinson Pryce Books, The Co-operative, The Orchard fruit shop & Ovens the butchers.

// mobile phone recycling

Please help us to raise funds for the project by recycling your unused mobile phones. You will find FREEPOST envelopes in the The Taj Indian Restaurant, the Post office, Chest Heart & Stroke Charity shop, Miniatures and Mindings & Hamilton's Newsagents. Or you can phone John on 01899 229429 to get one.

17th April 2008 we have just received confirmation of 15 phones being recycled.........

Well done everybody, keep up the good work!!!

In order to encourage and facilitate more garden space for growing our own vegetables, it has been suggested that we ask Biggar residents if they have a garden that they either, don''t want to cultivate any more or are unable to. If we then find people in the town who would like to grow their own but don't have a suitable garden, we can bring the two parties together and suggest that the produce grown is maybe shared between the two families involved. Its a real "Win Win" situation. So if you are in either category, please contact us on 01899 229254 or email: info@carbon-neutral-biggar.com with your details.

// do you have a garden to share ?

Pictured left to right are Laura Shirley & LIz Jamieson (our first resident to offer garden space)

//schools get energy monitors

Carbon Neutral Biggar has just donated energy monitors to help both the Primary & High School pupils to understand their school's energy use and CO2 emissions. The High School was particularly interested in comparing the energy reduction when they move to the new school.

Our Chairman John Riley with the Primary Scool

Eco Committee.

//our first community garden gets under way

Kindly supported by

The members of the Legion Hall, South Back Rd Biggar, have kindly donated the land behind the hall for us to utilise as a Community garden, to grow fruit & vegetables. As you will see from the photo it is going to need a lot of Tender Loving Care but we have had a leg-up with some help from B&Q who have kindly donated numerous items from plants to equipment, to help us get this off the ground.

Laura Shirley has kindly offered to manage this project for us and anyone who is interested in being involved, should contact Laura on 01899 229254.

// save money by car sharing !

We are all probably guilty of taking the car over the same long journeys on a regular basis, without considering if someone else in the town might be making the same journey at the same time in another car. By agreeing to share the journey in one car, you could help reduce CO2 emissions by 50% and if you agree to share costs, you could save money too. Here's an example of the savings if you travel to the South Gyle in Edinburgh every day: If you shared all of your journeys with at least 1 person, you could save an estimated: £1,372.42, 11,006.39 miles, 314.47 gallons of petrol, 1.73 tonne of CO2 and 33.73 pounds of NOx each year.

Liftshare is an organisation set up to encourage and assist car sharing. To register yourself for car sharing, please click HERE.

// pocket green guides

These guides have been produced by WWF (the World Wildlife Fund) to help peopleunderstand the risks associated with our changing climate and to provide some useful tips and points of contact, to help you reduce your impact on the planet. We have managed to negotiate the supply of enough guides to give every household in the town a copy. You should now have received your copy .

// biggar's own turbine moves a step closer

The Energy Savings Trust has just approved our grant application. It will be utilised to pay a team of consultants from Fintry, to assist us with negotiations with Wind Farm developers in our area. The aim being to eventually purchase a turbine for Biggar and sell the power generated back into the grid. Thus raising an anticipated £50,000 to £70,000/year for the first 10 to 11 years, (after repayment of the loan, insurance & maintenance) rising to around 10 times that amount from year 12 onwards. This money will be spent on Energy Efficiency projects within the town.

Madonna, Dr Punk & ABBA

Hotpants, MIchael & Tina

//fund raising party night a great success

Sat 23rd Feb at Skirling Village Hall was the time and venue of our most recent fund raising event.

Our 70's & 80's party night raised just over £200 from ticket sales and a share of the bar proceeds.

Thanks to everyone who made such a fantastic effort to dress in the theme of the night. And thanks to Gordon Young & Louise who provided the bar facilities. Who do you recognise on the photos? Click HERE for more photos of the night.

//lottery grant approved

We have been successful in receiving funding from "Investing in Ideas" which is part of the Big Lottery Fund. This money will be used to conduct a feasibility study in the Biggar area which will help evaluate the need to revise the collection and recycling of organic waste. Organic waste which is not separated goes straight to landfill and results in emissions of carbon dioxide and methane which are harmful to our atmosphere. There are reducing years left in landfill and it is therefore essential that we look at alternatives. After the feasibility study it is hoped that we will have sufficient information to work on a pilot project. We would then apply for further funding to help with the pilot project.

//eco forum, april 19th 2008

Organised by Biggar Rotary Club this 4th Biggar Eco Forum turned out to be a great day, with lots going on and various interesting talks & debate. The BBC cameras attended and interviewed Mike Russell (Scottish environment minister), our Chairman John Riley and various members of the public, for the Politics Show, Sunday at noon. Many thanks go to everyone involved making this such a successful day and to the Biggar Big Band sound, who entertained us at lunch time, with a number of Glenn Miller tunes.

The winner of the Prize Draw for the local food hamper was Bob Dalton from Station Rd.

To see a video of Mike Russell, click HERE

For more photos of the day's events click HERE

Mike Russell Environment Minister