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Kehelland Chapel hits the BBC Spotlight News.

 

With rising heating costs, BBC Spotlight ran a feature on Kehelland village and the experimental use of a bio derived fuel, HVO, made from certified waste oil products which reduces carbon emissions by nearly 90% as well as being renewable. The source has been confirmed as sustainable. Remember as a District we are targeting zero carbon by 2030. 

 

Kehelland Chapel was featured as the first Church building in the country to convert to its use. The project, sponsored by the UK fuel industry as part of the Future Fuel Ready campaign is to demonstrate the viability of the fuel as a replacement for conventional kerosene type heating oil.

 

The program included the school and some of the many local residents taking part in the trial.

 

The conversion offers a low cost option which can support the rapid warm up demanded and not readily obtainable from heat pumps which are better suited to a continuous heating demand.

 

Church premises present a peculiar problem regarding carbon reduction. Listed building status for many buildings means solar panels are ruled out and the aesthetics, insulation and building conversion required for heat pumps, even if allowed, would be prohibitively expensive.

 

If the Government can be persuaded to accept the idea and revise the taxation legislation accordingly, then this HVO becomes a viable and economic option.

Eco District Newsletter

19th March 2022

Big Green Fair at Truro Cathedral

The District Environment Team were represented at the Fair on Saturday 19th as one of about 20 stalls.

Through our connection with the Cornwall Churches Environment Group and the fact that both the Anglican and Methodist Churches should be in direct contact with their Churches anyway, it was agreed that rather than a stand promoting EcoChurch, we would present an A Rocha stand in order to reach other denominations and the wider public. With the CCEG and Green Churches stands it made a set of three Church related stands for greater impact. Addressing Lifestyle, the stall displayed a number of items around which environmental issues could be discussed. These including a vegetable steamer (“Oh yes, my Mum had one of those. You need a lot less water, I will try and get one next week!”) and a glass half full of water (Water has to be pumped about 4 times and chemically treated before reaching the tap and if it is then poured away down the drain more pumping and chemical treatment is required needing more electric power). It is estimated that the number of mobile phone chargers left switched on when not in use consume enough power equivalent to about 147 homes all day and night. These resonated with a lot of people and set them thinking. The stand prompted a number of pastoral rather than Eco conversations and prayer. A junior church leader from Shropshire was introduced to the A Rocha resources and the opportunity was taken to introduce A Rocha resources to other stallholders where it might be relevant to their activities.

Truro Green Fair Andrew and Joy 190322.JPG

1st February 2022

 

Silver award for Degibna Prayer Chapel

 

A first for any church of any denomination in Cornwall. Degibna Prayer Chapel in the Lizard & Mounts Bay Circuit was awarded an Eco Church Silver award in November 2021. So now they are going for Gold. 

Tasks undertaken so far include:

  • changing to a green energy provider

  • holding an annual Environment Sunday 

  • adopting an environment policy

  • minimising use of disposable cups, plates etc

  • encouraging wildlife in the Prayer Garden (bird-feeders etc) 

  • offering quarterly Creation Walks which explore local area

  • changing to LED lighting

  • providing a planter cycle rack at front of chapel

Planter cycle racks are available commercially from various sources but something similar is not beyond a competent DIYer. They are there 7 days a week so non church members can be invited to use them at any time (but check liability). 

The chapel is uniquely situated close to Loe Pool near Helston, surrounded by fields and adjacent to a National Trust Car Park. The area is well-known for its outstanding natural beauty and peaceful walks. A range of regular and occasional events are offered- see website for details:

http://www.degibnaprayerchapel.org.uk

The Chapel can be booked for groups and individuals seeking a tranquil space for prayer, quiet days, training days and community activities. The Prayer Garden to the rear of the Chapel is always open. If you are in the area, do pay a visit. 

20220130 Degibna Cycle Planter.jpg

8th July 2021

 

We have made it! 

 

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly District is now officially registered as an Eco District with A Rocha UK, the parent interdenominational organisation which manages and monitors applications and provides a number of resources to aid Church (https://arocha.org.uk). We are the fifth Methodist District to be registered to take up this challenge to address environment issues out of the thirty six. 

 

Eleven of the churches in the District are known to be registered and at least four have already made sufficient strides to earn the accolade of being a Bronze Eco Church. 

 

One of the District Environment and Climate Change Advocates said "It has taken 3 months to implement the decision made by Synod in April. In that time we completed registration set up a working web presence and started recruiting Advocates at Circuit and Church level." 

 

By now all church stewards should have received a letter inviting their church to consider appointing an advocate. It is accepted that this program will not be right for every Church or maybe the timing is not right, but we should all be working towards the objective of caring for God's creation.  

25th June 2021

 

Change to E10 petrol? You should check.

 

As part of our national Carbon Emissions reduction, this summer most petrol is changing to something called E10 petrol (Diesel fuel is not affected). 

This is not suitable for all cars and there is a Government website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/e10-petrol-explained which explains about the change and also should allow you to check if there are any problems with your vehicle. 

When and if we are allowed to visit the continent, E10 petrol is also being introduced in many countries. 

Why is it being called E10? Because it contains 10% biofuel. 

21st June 2021

Young Christian Climate Network March 

The photo below shows the group as they passed through Truro. One of the delights of having Land's End in our District is that we can greet all the travellers between Land's End and John O' Groats.  

The Young Christian Climate Network pilgrimage is to raise awareness of the Climate Crisis; walking from land's End and aiming to arrive in Glasgow to coincide with the COP26 Climate Summit. 

Please remember all those who will take part in the walk in your prayers, asking especially for their safety and that their efforts might produce lasting and significant fruit. 

You can catch up on the work of YCCN and follow their progress at https://www.yccn.uk. Or on Twitter: #RiseToTheMoment

18P1 YCCN March.jpg

14th June 2021

 

Stithians Methodist Church is first in the Country

 

Stithians Methodist Church is the first in the country to trial the new renewable liquid fuel, known as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), replacing their traditional fossil fuel heating. The trial will last for 12 months to obtain long term usage data. 

 

"We all appreciate the need to help the environment as a priority and these trials are to ensure the fuel will work well when converting existing setups." Explained Mr John Weedon from Mitchell & Webber based in Redruth. "We are pleased that only a low cost conversion is needed in many cases and so far tests are extremely promising, with all boilers performing well."

 

15 Stithians boiler..jpg
Stithians delivery.jpg

The first delivery of eco friendly low carbon fuel

The modified boiler doesn't look very different 

24th May 2021

Truro Methodist Church gains Bronze

TMC has today received its Eco Church Bronze Award certificate. 

TMC is one of the eleven Methodist Churches in the District to be registered in the Eco Church scheme and believed to be the fourth to gain the Bronze Award. 

For more information go to https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/how-eco-church-works/

17th April 2021

 

Cornwall Methodists go Green

 

At their recent meeting the Cornwall District of the Methodist Church voted overwhelmingly to become part of the Eco Church scheme. They are only the fifth Methodist Church district in the United Kingdom to take on this challenge. Eco Church is a scheme developed with other denominations to not only encourage local churches to be environmentally friendly but to encourage members of the congregation and local population by example. 

 

The Reverend Steven Wild, District chair, said ‘This has long been a dream of mine for all the Methodists in Cornwall as part of their discipleship to pledge themselves to be caring for the environment’. As each Church reaches a target performance it can apply for an award culminating in the gold standard. Four Methodist Churches in Cornwall have already received an Eco Church Bronze Award but just 3 in the whole of the country have achieved Gold.

 

The environmental theme dominated the Synod meeting. This is a meeting of representatives from across the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Methodist District and was  held virtually last Saturday. There were excellent and passionate presentations from the four Environmental Ambassadors in the district, Lucy Isaacson Truro and Climate Vision Euan McPhee from Falmouth and Joy and Andrew Geake from Camborne.

 

The whole of the Synod went into small discussion groups and many creative ideas from as simple as reducing excessive printing and photocopying to using well water for toilet flushing etc.

 

To promote this scheme amongst the Churches a network of Environment Advocates will be set up whose sole responsibility will be to encourage eco-friendly policies and actions. They will also provide a forum for passing on news about successful schemes and updated best practice in a fast changing world. Any relevant suggestions will be eagerly entertained.

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