The final decision will be made in early June 2012. In the meantime, please add your name to the list of supporters on the Bristol Green Capital website.

“We think we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, find co-operative ways of living with climate change, and still have good lives. Through neighbourhood action we can increase ordinary people’s ability to make a better future for Bristol, and to influence what governments do.”

The exhibition is open to the public from 7 April – 19 May 2012 on weekdays (9am-5pm, except bank holidays), plus Saturdays (10am-4pm, on 7 April, 21 April, 5 May, 19 May).

For example:

• Physical wellbeing – trees help restore oxygen levels, which can fall by up to 10% due to pollution, and decrease pollutants such as diesel particulates
• Mental wellbeing – people feel less sad, depressed or stressed around trees and they can reduce hyperactive behaviour in children and even improve their educational attainment
• Safety – urban residential areas with more trees tend to have lower levels of crime and a better feeling of safety

In addition, trees provide shelter from winter winds, saving up to 5% heating costs, and shade to reduce the need for summer air conditioning.

Bristol City Council, who manage about 30% of the land area of Bristol, are planting a net increase of 800 trees a year. They are getting funding for trees to go alongside new road schemes, bus routes and build outs; they give most benefits in a city if their canopy covers tarmac or concrete, and is planted next to a road or in a car park.

But the landowners of the other 70% of Bristol need encouragement to plant more trees too.

For further information see the Bristol Tree Forum page on the City Council website, or contact the Chair, Clive Stevens (clive.stevens@euronova.co.uk).

Have a look at the dedicated website bs6openstreets.wordpress.com and see if you feel inspired to run an event!

The map provides a quick check on whether the roof of your house is considered suitable for solar PV (electricity generation) or solar thermal (hot water) panels, based on its orientation and pitch and the local geography – though it doesn’t seem to allow for any shading by trees. It would still be necessary to get an accredited installer to provide a fuller report on an individual roof before going ahead.

To check the solar potential of your roof, go to the Solar Energy page on the Bristol City Council website and enter your house number and postcode. It will show a map of the locality around your house and with colour coding of the solar potential of all rooftops in the area.

The next step is for May Gurney to start kerbside plastic collection, as Yo Higton described at the SusRed meeting at the end of November. It is certainly more convenient to have your plastic taken away to be recycled, rather than having to take it to a collection point (or – worse still – putting it in your black bin to go to landfill). Hopefully, this will not make us less inclined to press supermarkets to cut the amount of plastic packaging in general.

If you have problems with your waste collection, or have questions in general about recycling and rubbish, a good opportunity to raise them is at the Neighbourhood Partnership Forum meetings. The next Redland Forum (covering the northern part of Redland) is on 7th March, and the next Cotham Forum (including the southern part of Redland) is on 14th March. See the list of forthcoming events on this website for more details.

One of the big concerns is how it will be possible to create safe and sustainable access to the new school. As well as the environmental benefits, the restricted space in Lower Redland Road means it will be critical to encourage walking and cycling to the school, rather than parents expecting to drop off and collect their children by car.

There will be a public meeting specifically about traffic, parking and pedestrian arrangements (22nd February), as well as an opportunity to raise the issue at the Neighbourhood Partnership Forum meetings for Redland (7th March) and Cotham (14th March). See the list of forthcoming events on this website for more details.