Skye Climate Action

Zero Waste Scotland webinar on single use plastic consultation
2020-11-11 15:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Virtual Meeting
The Scottish Government is consulting on restrictions to single-use plastic products including cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers and polystyrene food containers. Listen in and ask questions at the Zero Waste Scotland webinar on 11 November at 3 pm.

You can also give your views directly to the Scottish Government by completing the consultation response.

Healthy Soil and Compost
2020-11-10 19:00 - 21:30 | Virtual Meeting
This online course will explain how to make our soils more fertile, deeper and richer the natural way using age old techniques and wisdom as well as looking to soil science, (including understanding the remarkable microbial and mycorrhizal associations with our plants).
Book here.

Interfaith Scotland Climate Action: Hope for the future
2020-11-10 16:00 - 18:30 | Virtual Meeting
“As we reach the time of what should have been the COP26 in Glasgow, our final session will offer a space for dialogue on faith-based climate action. We will share and reflect on stories of hope in action from faith communities around the world. The session will offer interactive opportunities for participants, facilitating connections and raising motivation for the year ahead. This interactive event is in English with Spanish translation.”
Register here

Gearing Up For Change In Rural Scotland
2020-11-10 10:00 - 16:30 | Virtual Meeting
The organisers say “This year’s topic ‘gearing up for change in rural Scotland’ will showcase real examples of innovation from land-based businesses who are not only tackling climate change but improving their bottom line. You will also hear from landowners and tenants who have a real understanding of their market and have successfully diversified. All of this, along with experts on carbon trading, natural capital, forestry and more, will ensure you will leave the event full of practical ideas and steps you can take right now to help you gear up for change.”

For more information and a draft programme click here.

The Race to Zero Coalition: From COVID-19 to COP26
2020-11-09 16:00 - 17:30 | Virtual Meeting
“Join us for a series of exciting keynote addresses and panels featuring mayors from around the world, climate experts, business leaders, activists and scientists. The event will be made up of two panels that showcase how delivering a Global Green New Deal is integral to achieving climate, social and economic justice around the world.
Our first panel will be co-convened with the International Trade Union Confederation and will feature inspirational speakers who are working to achieve a green and just recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
Our second panel, co-convened with America’s Pledge and Climate Mayors, will address the result of the U.S. presidential election and its impact on the future of the Paris Agreement and climate action around the world.”
Register here.

Community-led action in Europe on climate change and sustainability
2020-11-09 16:00 - 17:30 | Virtual Meeting
A webinar, consisting of presentations, roundtable conversation and a Q&A with the audience looking at approaches and accomplishments that local communities take in responding to the challenges of our time. “We explore together what are the prerequisites for catalyzing effective community-led action on a local level and how this can contribute to systemic transformation within and across society.”
Register on the humanityrising.solutions website (click “Rise Now!)
You can also watch the live stream here and the recording afterwards here.

Grassroots to Global - supporting Peoples' Assemblies in Scotland
2020-11-03 18:30 - 21:00
“Many of us who have woken up to the impacts of climate change see it as part of a system which also causes many of our social problems, from inequality to marginalisation. It is this system that needs to change if we are to tackle all of these problems – including avoiding the worst impacts of climate chaos. Most people would prefer to live in a system which is built around care for people and the planet and where our collective decisions are made fairly. But there isn’t yet a shared view across society of what that system would look like or how we can get there. Grassroots to Global is a new project which plans to support People’s Assemblies in Scotland – starting in our communities and building to the national level – where we can use deliberative democratic processes to begin to build that shared view. If you would like to join us, please contact heartpolitics@protonmail.com or attend our first public meeting on the 3rd of November from 6.30-9pm.”

Interfaith Scotland Climate Action: COP26 – Ramp up Ambition!
2020-11-03 16:00 - 17:30 | Virtual Meeting
“Our second online session will bring together representatives from the scientific, policy and faith communities engaged on climate change. This will be an interdisciplinary discussion on the agenda for COP26 and what this means for climate action now. This interactive event is in English with Spanish translation.”
Register here.

Autumn Foraging course
2020-11-02 19:00 - 21:30
Learn how to identify and gather a range of wild plants safely and sustainably and find out about traditional uses of plants, identification, nutrition, preparation, plant ecology and much more.
Book here

Webinar: Responsible Tourism in Scotland
2020-11-02 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Meeting
VisitScotland and tourism businesses for this webinar exploring what Responsible Tourism means for VisitScotland and for the wider industry.
“As we work together to plan for and support the rebuilding of our tourism industry, it’s important, looking to the future, that we put the welfare of communities, our culture and our natural environment at the heart of our approach. In this moment for change we have an opportunity to rebuild tourism based on a more responsible future, in line with the Scotland Outlook 2030 strategy, which calls for responsible, sustainable and managed growth for the future.”
Register here.

Highland Climate Change Conference
2020-11-02 10:00 - 17:00 | Virtual Meeting
Highland Council’s conference to discuss our regional, national and global response to the Climate Emergency will include speakers Roseanna Cunningham MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform), Dr Roxane Andersen (Senior Research Fellow at the Environmental Research Institute of UHI), David Whiteford (Chairman of North Highland Initiative), Lord Thurso (Chairman of Visit Scotland), Graham Neville (Area Manager, Northern Isles and North Highland of NatureScot) and Dr Marco Springmann (Senior Researcher, Oxford University).
There will be workshops on Biodiversity & Habitat, The Bigger Picture, Personal Responsbility and the Green Recovery.
Click here for more information, the link to the main workshop Microsoft Teams meeting and links to register for the four workshops.

Rainforests in Britain and Ireland: Online Workshop
2020-10-30 12:00 - 14:00 | Virtual Meeting
Scotland’s rainforest, also known as Atlantic woodland or the Celtic rainforest, is found along the west coast of Scotland and on the inner isles. There are several good examples of this unique habitat in the south of Skye.
These ancient woodlands composed of oak, birch, ash and hazel thrive in ‘oceanic’ climates where temperatures are mild, rainfall is high and the air is clean. The high humidity and low temperature range create perfect conditions for moisture-loving lichens and bryophytes, also known as mosses and liverworts. A healthy rainforest can contain 200 species of bryophytes and 100-200 species of lichen.There are several good examples of this special habitat in the south of Skye.
Book here to learn more about our very own rainforests from Ben Averis, of Native Woodlands Discussion Group.

Plastic Free Broadford & Beyond meeting
2020-10-29 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual Meeting
Meeting of Plastic Free Broadford and Beyond to review Plastic Free October and plan future activities.
For information contact Anne@skyeclimateaction.org.

John Muir Trust Seminar: The Future of Wild Places
2020-10-28 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual Meeting
A series of four, fortnightly seminars by the John Muir Trust, starting with “The Future of Wild Places.”
The speakers will be
Liz Auty – Schiehallion Property Manager at John Muir Trust
Steve Carver – Senior Lecturer at Leeds University and an expert in wild land areas
Krishna Sharma – Keeping it Wild People’s Forum member, London
Hannah Needham – Junior Director at Heal Rewilding
Book here.

In Praise of Walking: The new science of how we walk and why it’s good for us
2020-10-27 10:30 - 12:00 | Virtual Meeting
Paths for All’s online Expert Lecture features guest speaker Shane O’Mara, Professor of Experimental Brain Research from Trinity College Dublin. His enthusiasm for walking and its powerful benefits stem from his main research interests: stress, depression and anxiety; and learning, memory and cognition.
The lecture will explore the new science of how we walk and why it’s good for us. Shane will share the fascinating science behind why walking can unlock cognitive powers in the brain like nothing else. His lecture will help us understand the true superpowers of everyday walking.
Register here.

Portree screening of Wild Relatives (2018) by Jumana Manna
2020-10-26 10:00 - 2020-10-30 18:00 | ATLAS Arts, Portree, Isle of Skye, IV51 9BZ, United Kingdom
Jumana Manna’s Wild Relatives will be installed in the ATLAS space, Portree, as a COVID safe screening for individual household groups and families. The film will be screened at 10.30, 12 noon, 1.30pm, 3pm and 4.30pm for individual household groups, giving people an opportunity to say hello and watch offline.
Pop by and feel free to pick up and drop off seeds and zines at ATLAS as part of our seed saving programme. COVID-safety and physical distancing procedures will be in place with only single households permitted at a time, so book in advance to avoid disappointment. The film is 64 minutes long and refreshments will be provided. Book here.

Screening of Wild Relatives (2018) by Jumana Manna
2020-10-24 19:00 - 21:00
This film explores a withdrawal of seeds from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault deep – which lies deep in the earth beneath the Arctic permafrost – by an international agricultural centre affected by the Syrian revolution turned war. Between the Arctic and Lebanon a series of encounters unfold, teasing out tensions between state and individual, industrial and organic approaches to seed saving, climate change and biodiversity.
Followed by a Q&A session with the artist.
For more information and to join the event, click here.

What COP26 is about: Part 6 - What Are Climate Change Negotiations Really Like?
2020-10-22 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual Meeting
Workshops by the COP26 Coalition – a UK-wide coalition organising ahead of the 2021 UN Climate Negotiations in Glasgow
In this “Boiling Point” series of six one hour-long webinars you will have a chance to learn the basics of international climate change politics and the infamous COP, or “Conference of the Parties,” ahead of the COP26, scheduled to be held in Glasgow in November 2021.
For more information and to book click here.
The sixth session will share insights from negotiation veterans about what it is really like to attend a COP. Activists, academics and journalists will all speak about how observers participate and what they contribute. With Graeme Reed (Assembly of First Nations), Tracy Bach (Washington University), Aruna Chandrasekhar (freelance journalist), Kera Sherwood-O’Regan (Activate) & Jason Boberg, SustainedAbility

A just transition for Scotland's housing
2020-10-17 10:00 - 12:30 | Virtual Meeting
Scotland’s climate change ambition means that Scotland’s housing will be moving to a net-zero emissions future. Making homes energy efficient and carbon-free can be an opportunity to improve the quality of our housing stock, tackle fuel poverty and create jobs. If our transition is going to be just, it has to be fair for all.
At this event you will hear from the Just Transition Commission set up by the Scottish Government, along with experts on Scotland’s net-zero ambitions and what it means for the housing sector. You will also be able to contribute your ideas on how we can reach net-zero emissions and put an end to fuel poverty in Scotland.
Book here.

International Repair Day
2020-10-17
Organised by the Open Repair Alliance, this year’s theme is “repair is essential” . On the day the Open Repair Alliance wants to amplify the voices of the fixing community – community repair groups, independent repair businesses and individual fixers alike. and find out why repair is essential to you.
If you are planning an event, initiative or endorsement, send it to the Alliance with this form and they’ll add it to a global map of confirmed activities on and around Saturday 17 October.
More information here

What COP26 is about: Part 5 - What to expect at COP26 in Glasgow
2020-10-15 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual Meeting
Workshops by the COP26 Coalition – a UK-wide coalition organising ahead of the 2021 UN Climate Negotiations in Glasgow
In this “Boiling Point” series of six one hour-long webinars you will have a chance to learn the basics of international climate change politics and the infamous COP, or “Conference of the Parties,” ahead of the COP26, scheduled to be held in Glasgow in November 2021.
For more information and to book click here.
The fifth session will lay out climate justice movements’ expectations of COP26 while also exploring what can feasibly be achieved in terms of COP outcomes and the role of civil society in advancing the talks. With Lidy Nacpil, Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development, Dipti Bhatnagar, Friends of the Earth International & Alex Rafalowicz, 350.org.

Garden Organic - the principles of organic gardening
2020-10-14 13:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Meeting
Looking for inspiration to grow the natural way? Why not join one of Garden Organic’s half day webinars on the Principles of Organic Growing. You’ll get an overview of what it means to grow organically, and find out how you can integrate the five core principles into everyday practice within your own growing space. Click here to register.

Degrowth: Online Short Course
2020-10-13 18:30 - 20:30 | Virtual Meeting
Start of a six week course on Tuesday evenings run by Enough! and the Centre for Human Ecology. It will introduce participants to the historic gains and problems of economic growth and the principles of degrowth and ecological economics. The course will discuss different frameworks for an economics of radical sufficiency – meeting fundamental human needs and promoting new rhythms and ways of working for a more just and sustainable world.
The course will also introduce exciting new ideas and projects which promote the flourishing of degrowth principles in a Scottish context.
More info at https://climatefringe.org/events-calendar/
For enquiries email info@che.ac.uk with ‘Online Degrowth Course’ in the subject heading.

Green Tease : COP26: what is it? what’s going on? and what can we do?
2020-10-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual Meeting
The sixth in an ongoing series of informal meetups that Creative Carbon Scotland organised following COVID-19 physical distancing measures as a way for ecological and artistic minded people of all kinds to keep in touch. Each session has a rough theme for discussion but the conversation is usually wide ranging and open. Alongside these informal meetups, we are also organising more elaborate creative online events that you can keep track of on the Creative Carbon Scotland website
Register here.

Climate Emergency Training for Community Leaders 4 Week Course
2020-10-12 12:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting
“Over these four weeks we will cover the basics of climate science, current and likely future impacts of climate change and what it may mean for your communities, where emissions come from, explore how to communicate climate change and ways to encourage others to take steps to reduce their carbon footprint.
There are four modules to the course which will be delivered via a series of video guides, live webinars, online activities, and quizzes. We will use Google Classrooms for much of the content and Zoom for the live webinars.”
Contact Claire Gibson: claire.gibson@keepscotlandbeautiful.org

The Palestine Heirloom Seed Library
2020-10-10 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Meeting
Join us for an online participatory event with artist and activist Vivien Sansour, founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, as we explore the importance of preserving an area’s seed varieties not only for food, but as a form of social and political resistance.
You are invited to bring and hold your own seeds and to be ready share stories of the power of your own seeds here on Skye.
For more information and to join the event, click here.

Closing Down Big Oil
2020-10-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual Meeting
Part of the Edinburgh World Justice Festival. A participative discussion on the key question of how we move to a sustainable economy; with international speakers.
Register here

What COP26 is about: Part 4 - The big issues in climate politics
2020-10-08 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual Meeting
Workshops by the COP26 Coalition – a UK-wide coalition organising ahead of the 2021 UN Climate Negotiations in Glasgow
In this “Boiling Point” series of six one hour-long webinars you will have a chance to learn the basics of international climate change politics and the infamous COP, or “Conference of the Parties,” ahead of the COP26, scheduled to be held in Glasgow in November 2021.
For more information and to book click here.
The fourth session will take a closer look at the major issues that are present in the negotiations, including carbon markets, loss and damage, and finance, and unpack the recent clamour from some quarters for “net-zero” goals. With RachelRose Jackson, Corporate Accountability, Teresa Anderson, ActionAid International, Harjeet Singh, ActionAid International

Clean Air Day
2020-10-08 | Virtual Meeting
A day of online presentations including clean air for schools, campaign successes, health sector, cars and cleaner workplaces.
More info here and register here
There are lots of free resources available to download from the Clean Air Scotland site including for schools, health care professionals and communities. Take action and post what you do to our Facebook page.

The Economist - Sustainability week
2020-10-05 13:00 - 2020-10-09 15:00 | Virtual Meeting
A week of talks from industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and researchers “to assess what businesses in particular—but also governments and NGOs—can do to rise to the challenge. How can solutions be scaled up to meet internationally agreed goals? Can the disruption of covid-19 accelerate progress? How can we scale solutions, alter behaviours and collaborate better?”
Register here.
