One World Centre Isle of Man

We’re delighted to be co-hosting with GRIN an evening with Rob Greenfield, an activist and humanitarian dedicated to leading the way to a more sustainable and just world. Rob embarks on extreme projects (which have included wearing all his rubbish for a month, feeding himself from grocery store rubbish bins, living off-grid and foraging for 100% of his food) to bring attention to important global issues and inspire positive change. Rob believes our actions really do matter and that as individuals and communities we have the power to improve the world around us.

He is currently travelling (as sustainably and responsibly as possible) on the 2020 World Solutions Tour and will be speaking in the Isle of Man at Ballakermeen Studio Theatre on Monday 27th April. Tickets are available now through this link here. Admission will be free but there will be an opportunity for donations on the night with any surplus going to indigenous and women-led grassroots environmental organisations of Rob’s choice.

We are expecting this event to be very popular so advise booking early if you wish to come along.

We’re looking forward to our 8th Fairtrade Primary Conference this Thursday when 68 young students from local primary schools will be joining us to learn about the difference Fairtrade can make to small farmers and producers in developing countries. This year we have Heather Thompson from Traidcraft as our guest speaker – and she will also be running one of the workshops where students will find out what life is like for a family of coffee farmers in Tanzania.

The Fairtrade Conference is one of the annual events we run with our funding from the Isle of Man Government’s Development Education and Awareness Raising Grant and we are also grateful to Tynwald President Steve Rodan MHK who graciously allows us to use Legislative Buildings as a venue.

The Isle of Man Government has now published Professor James Curran’s report on climate change action for the Isle of Man. The Government has also published the Council of Ministers response draft action plan.

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of the moment – and its impact is likely to affect the most vulnerable and marginalised communites around the world disproportionately hard. Please take some time to read the report and action plan and let your MHK know what you want them to support. Links to the report and the plan are: http://www.tynwald.org.im/…/sitti…/20182021/2019-GD-0102.pdf http://www.tynwald.org.im/…/sitti…/20182021/2019-GD-0101.pdf

As we wait to hear the details of Prof. Curran’s report to the Isle of Man Government on the action required around climate change, the Climate Change Coalition Isle of Man is marking its first anniversary on Friday 22nd November with a night of music and discussion at the Manx Legion Club.

The One World Centre was a founding member of the CCC, which exists to encourage and support our Government to address climate change by working in three areas: reducing emissions (measured against interim targets), investing in renewables and keeping our sustainability promises to UNESCO re our Biosphere status.

The CCC now has 30 member organisations, drawn from all parts of Manx society, as well as individual supporters – all focused on ensuring the Isle of Man plays its part in providing climate justice for everyone, including generations to come. For more information on the first anniversary celebration please click here

Just a reminder it’is our AGM tonight Wednesday 11th September from 7pm at St John’s Mill, Tynwald Mills. Please note we have a last minute change of speaker. We will now be welcoming Paul Craine who will talk about: ‘Climate change – the Climate Reality perspective’.

Paul has recently returned from a three-day Climate Reality training course, led by Vice President Al Gore no less, and is sure to have some important information about this very topical subject. We hope to see as many of our members and supporters as possible.

We’ll be holding our AGM at St John’s Mill, Tynwald Mills, from 7pm on Wednesday 11th September. All members and supporters are welcome. After a short formal meeting, we will look forward to hearing from OWC committee member Becky Crease who will give a talk on her time travelling and volunteering in Nepal. Tea and coffee will be available on arrival. See you then!

Continuing our series cataloguing simple changes we can all make to help us live with less harmful impacts on our planet.

Sustainability idea #20 Get your workplace involved.
We’ve already talked about individual actions you can take such as choosing tap water over bottled and using your own takeaway coffee cups but getting your workplace on board with such schemes can magnify the impact immensely. Maybe you could get your employer to sign up to be a Refill Station – or implement some other recycling scheme as a team effort?

Sustainability idea # 19 Understand your carbon footprint.
Knowledge is the key to action – work out your own carbon footprint using one of the many online carbon calculators. Learn where you create most impact and where you can make a difference.

Sustainability idea #18 Choose a speedy shower.
A quick shower is more efficient in terms of water and energy consumption than a big bath – although check the rate the water comes through if you have a very strong power shower. If you’re thinking of fitting a new shower go for one with a low flow head or any of the other energy efficient features available now.

Sustainability idea #17 Use a reusable coffee cup.
It’s estimated that somewhere between 2.5 and 3 BILLION single-use coffee cups were used in 2018. Help reduce that waste by taking your own reusable coffee cup with you – quite often, cafes will give you a cheaper cup of coffee too!

Sustainability idea #16 Resist continuous upgrading.
Many businesses tempt consumers into repeat purchases by the frequent release of new and upgraded features – even if these are things you don’t really want or need. Don’t let FOMO (fear of missing out) culture drive your decisions and use up more resources unnecessarily.

Sustainability idea #15. Buy local produce.
Reduce food miles and support local farmers at the same time by buying Isle of Man produce. You don’t necessarily need to pick/collect it yourself – check out the local farmers’ markets and choose Isle of Man produce over imported in the shops.

Sustainability idea #14. Walk or cycle more.
This one should be easier to start now the better weather is with us! Walking or cycling is a great way to reduce emissions and has the added bonus of keeping you fitter too!

Sustainability idea #13 Grow your own.
Reduce food miles and reduce packaging by growing your own fruit and veg. If you’ve only got a small yard or balcony you can still grow tomatoes, strawberries, radishes and other tasty treats in pots. Just avoid peat-based compost!

Sustainability idea #12 Ditch the dryer and use a washing line.
Tumble dryers use a lot of energy to generate heat but windpower is just as effective in getting your clothes dry – and will save you money as well. We’re not short on wind in the Isle of Man so if it’s a dry day, get the pegs out!

Sustainability idea #11 Share it!
With better weather coming (?), you might be starting to think about some home DIY or a new gardening project but we don’t all need to buy our own expensive tools such as drills, chainsaws or lawnmowers. Often these spend most of their time in a cupboard or shed so arrange to share between your friends and neighbours. You never know you might even get a helping hand!