We are probably all aware of the Live Earth UK concerts happening this year; part of a string of eight 24-hour concerts across seven continents on 7th July raising awareness on climate change. Some may also be familiar with the Stop Climate Chaos event ‘I Count’ event held last year on 4th November in London’s Trafalgar Square where over 25,000 attended to ‘be counted’ on the eve of global climate change talks that took place in Nairobi.

So what is Cornwall doing to meet the challenges?

What will it be like to live in a Cornish village during the remainder of this century? How will life change for rural dwellers? It now seems certain that the impact of climate change and the gradual decline in global oil supplies will mean that things will change for us all during our own lifetimes and those of our children. It is equally certain, however, that if we act now and act together we can adapt our lifestyles to continue to enjoy the benefits of rural living in genuinely sustainable communities.

Already in Cornwall some communities are starting to address the challenge of how to mitigate the impact they have on the environment. St Endellion parish council voted unanimously in August 2006 for St Endellion to become the first Climate Friendly Parish in Cornwall and, with the help of Friends of the Earth, the community aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 5% each year.

Small simple changes are being planned to help achieve the reductions such as:

• helping households and businesses to reduce the amount of energy they use;
• encouraging the purchase of local seasonal food to reduce food miles;
• using the car less by making use of public transport, walking, cycling and sharing lifts.

The emergence of the transition towns model, where local communities aim to plan for a low energy, low carbon future, in Penwith, Falmouth and now Truro is another example of Cornwall taking its first steps towards a “green peninsula” where environmental sustainability underpins its economic, social and environmental activities.

This week the Cornwall Rural Community Council (CRCC) is joining forces with other Rural Community Councils across the country who are simultaneously launching a variety of events to promote the idea of the sustainable 21st Century Village to raise awareness locally and nationally of the issues and the solutions raised by climate change and fuel limitations. These will involve a series of conferences, press releases and the launch of various environmental community projects. A major national conference in December will highlight the range of activities and progress made and illustrate how to take things forward.

Cornwall Rural Community Council (CRCC) has already made contact with St Endellion who will be represented at a conference being jointly organised by CRCC, Community Energy Plus and Cornwall Interlinks. The conference, entitled “Climate Change – So What?”, to be held at the Eden project on Wednesday 31st October, is aimed at grass roots community organisations, encouraging them to identify and implement ways in which they can operate which are more environmentally sustainable. This might include community recycling and composting projects, use of renewable energy technology within community buildings, community transport or car sharing schemes and local food production.

Peter Burton, CRCC’s Head of Community Planning and Development said “It really is high time that we move beyond individual activity to lessen our impact on the environment and look at the ways in which communities as a whole can work together to ensure we don’t compromise our children’s future. This conference aims to educate and inspire the groups we have traditionally worked with to take action now in ways which not only lessen our demands on the environment but also bring about a new sense of cohesiveness to Cornish villages. We will be contacting Parish Councils, Village Halls and other community organisations in the near future to invite them to this exciting event, so watch this space!”