Jobs, Funded PhD & Sustainability News in Cumbria

March 2021

Meet our new carbon footprint calculators

Do you want to cut your carbon footprint in your home or business, but you're not sure what to do? Our new carbon footprint calculators are an ideal place to start, and they go live in March. Join us for one of our launch events to find out more!

These new tools will tell you what your current carbon footprint is and what's causing most of your carbon emissions. You can then make a plan to reduce them. They've been designed especially for us, thanks to support from South Lakeland District Council. There's one for households and one for businesses. Unlike some other carbon calculators, these ones allow you to save your information, so you can log in and review it, and redo your calculation each year.

Choose from our two launch events to find out more about them and how to use them.

Tue 9 Mar, 10-11am - For businesses

Thu 11 Mar, 7-8pm - For households

Baffled by bills? Outsmarted by meters?

Home energy can be baffling, let's face it! Heating controls can seem complicated. Bills can be really hard to understand. Smart meters... well, it can feel like even NASA might struggle. Our home energy experts have been helping Cumbrians get to the bottom of all these conundrums and more at our live drop-in sessions. We had all sorts of questions at the first one in Feb, from wood burners to insulation, smart meters and replacing gas and oil boilers. We've got two more coming up, on 3 and 24 March. Drop in and get answers to your burning questions.

Book now

An electric car plugged into a chargepoint

Do you own an electric vehicle?

Could you spare some time in the next few months? We’re asking EV drivers to lend a hand in a programme of activities to inspire others to get on board the electric transport revolution. Maybe you know the secrets to planning a charge-efficient journey. Perhaps you’re batty about battery tech. Or maybe you just own a box on four wheels that you plug in every so often. Either way, we want to hear from you!

Two men installing a solar panel on a roof

How many green jobs could Cumbria have?

That's the question we set out to answer with new research, funded by Quadrature Climate Foundation. Our report is in its final stages now and will be published in March. The good news is there's a lot of potential for green jobs across the county. We'll have the full story in our next newsletter. Meanwhile, keep an eye on our social media!

Jobs

Lots of exciting opportunities to share with you this month. There are two jobs at CAfS as part of the Zero Carbon Cumbria programme, along with a PhD opportunity. Plus, two freelance contracts on offer with local sustainability groups. Please share these with your contacts!

Two volunteers fixing an item at a community repair cafe

Cumbria Sustainability Network Coordinator

We're looking for an experienced community champion, to support the Cumbria Sustainability Network, which brings together community groups working on sustainability and climate change issues. You'll also manage a £100,000 grant fund to support effective climate action in the community. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.

Opens for recruitment next week (w/c 1 March). Keep an eye on cafs.org.uk/jobs-contracts.

Attendees at a training event holding up cards and discussing them

Events & Training Coordinator

This postholder will design, organise and deliver a five-year training and events programme that develops skills and capacity across the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership and the wider community. Your activities will enable and inspire communities, citizens and organisations to tackle climate change. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.

Opens for applications in March.

Funded PhD with Lancaster Uni & CAfS

CAfS will be supervising a funded PhD post on citizen and stakeholder deliberation for a just transition in west Cumbria, jointly with Lancaster University. Open for applications now. The deadline is 8 March.

Community Action Officer - Penrith

Penrith Action for Community Transition is seeking a self-employed contractor with experience of running community projects, events and activities. 25 hours a month at £14.50 an hour. Deadline: 9 am, Mon 15 Mar. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.

Support & development - Carlisle

Sustainable Carlisle is looking for a part-time support and development worker. Self-employed contractor role at 7.5 hours a week, with pay starting at £14.50 an hour. Deadline: 5pm, Wed 3 Mar. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.

CAfS welcomes 2 new colleagues

Karen Gardner

Karen is our new marketing manager for the Zero Carbon Cumbria programme. She'll coordinate communications to help Cumbria reach its goal of net-zero emissions by 2037. One fascinating fact about Karen is that she used to be a solicitor before moving into communications a decade ago.

Tim Reid

Tim is our new finance and resources manager. This is a new post for CAfS. Tim will manage our budgets and keep us straight on everything from HR to IT. Tim's past jobs included working on the Farne Islands as a ranger looking after puffins and other seabirds.

News around Cumbria & beyond

Cumbria coal mine update

Cumbria County Council in early February announced it would reconsider its earlier decision to approve the new coking coal mine in west Cumbria. The announcement came after the secretary of state for local government, Robert Jenrick, stated he would not call in the council's approval for the mine and make the decision himself. The Committee on Climate Change was among those challenging the minister, particularly ahead of the UN climate summit (COP26) in Glasgow in November this year.

Solicitors acting for South Lakes Action on Climate Change have sent a “pre-action” letter to Mr Jenrick, as the first step towards a judicial review. Read more >

Kendal Climate Change Jury - The Movie

A new short film just released last month gives a real insight into how people from different walks of life came together to steer how their town responds to climate change. You'll meet some of the jury members and hear how they gathered knowledge from national experts and considered what steps could be taken locally, resulting in a wide range of recommendations. The film was possible thanks to crowdfund supporters and South Lakeland District Council, and was produced by Land & Sky Media. Watch now >

Training in retrofitting for energy efficiency for tradespeople

Tradespeople can apply for training in home energy retrofitting and low-carbon heat insulation, to help gain the accreditations needed for work under the Green Homes Grant. Read more >

Course supports activists working on systemic change

A training course for people organising for systemic change on issues of social, economic and environmental justice is now open for applications. The 'Movement Builders' training will be online, twice a week during April. Apply by 10 Mar. Read more >

Have your say on how Electricity North West is supporting shift to net zero

There's an opportunity to comment on Electricity North West's strategies on environment action, electric vehicles and community energy, among others. The consultation is open until Fri 5 Mar. Read more >

Green recovery - call for evidence

Electricity North West wants to hear about any 'ready to go' low-carbon projects that could be unlocked by earlier investment in the electricity network, to support the green recovery. This isn't to fund projects themselves, but can help if you've been quoted onerous connection costs that have stopped your project going ahead. Deadline is 19 Mar. Read more >

In the headlines

New generation of gas power plants could derail UK climate targets

Carbon tax would be popular with UK voters

World's first Urban Air Port prepares for take-off

Events

The future of renewables, energy storage & related disruptive technologies | Thu 25 Feb, 7.30pm | Café Scientifique evening with Brian Richardson by zoom. To register, email [email protected].

Open meeting of West Cumbria Friends of the Earth group | Sat 27 Feb, 3pm | 3 speakers will give updates on coal mine, TWIG/FoE tree group & proposals for nuclear repository in west Cumbria. For info email [email protected].

Eco-Renovation for Builders | Starts 3 Mar | 5-part online training session for builders, consultants and DIY-ers, by Carbon Coop. How to apply building physics to the messy reality of a retrofit.

2021: A Critical Year for Climate Action - webinar | Thu 4 Mar, 12.30pm | Lowdown by Regen on green policy announcements & look ahead at the key policy gaps on road to net zero.

New grant fund for carbon reduction schemes - webinar | Thu 4 Mar, 1pm | Find out about funding to help community groups & businesses build a more sustainable future post-COVID.

Zero-carbon communities | Fri 26 Mar, 10am | Electricity North West offers information on what local areas and communities can do to start their journey towards net zero.

Regular events

Conversation Cafe by Sustainable Carlisle - 3rd Sat of the month. Via Zoom. Email [email protected] for the link.

Sustainability events around the UK

Keep an eye on the following websites for more events:

Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB)

Carbon Coop

Centre for Alternative Technology

Know of any sustainability events? Please email [email protected] and we'll include them!

Get the knowledge

How helpful is hydrogen?

You might have heard about hydrogen as one of the options for moving away from fossil fuels. Now you can boost your knowledge thanks to a new report by Regen. They've explored the opportunities and challenges of integrating hydrogen into our energy system. In a nutshell, they don't think hydrogen is the silver bullet for decarbonisation or a direct replacement for natural gas, but they've found that key policies could support hydrogen to become a low-carbon fuel for some sectors that are difficult to decarbonise. Read up!

Farmers' markets

Brampton Farmers Market | Sat 27 Feb

Do you know of other farmers' markets that are still going ahead in light of the pandemic? Please let us know. Email [email protected].

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