Helix News & Events

The latest tenant in Grangemouth’s La Porte Precinct shopping centre is offering advice on how local residents can help reduce the town’s carbon footprint.

Ben Williams (left) has been appointed project co-ordinator for Grangemouth Transition Town, an initiative designed to support the community’s drive towards a healthy and low-carbon future.

The project is part of The Helix, which itself aims to become a catalyst for positive environmental change. The Helix is transforming under-used land between Falkirk and Grangemouth into a new, high quality greenspace centred on creative public art and an extension of the Forth & Clyde Canal.

Said Ben: “I am delighted to be involved in the Grangemouth Transition Town project. There’s a strong sense of community here and I feel the area has the potential to be a centre for modern low-carbon thinking.”

He added: “With oil becoming more expensive to buy and more difficult to produce, a change is required in the way the economy works. Oil is the liquid foundation of our economy, and supports much more than just cars and planes. By changing the way we think about products and services, we can do more, locally, with less need for energy. Have you asked yourself what life would be like without oil?”

Ben explained the key aims of Grangemouth Transition Town as follows:

• To reduce the carbon footprint of Grangemouth by 50,000 tonnes over the next year
• To work with the Energy Saving Trust to reduce energy waste in Grangemouth
• To work with Grangemouth Community Council to establish a Steering Group

Anyone interested in joining the Steering Group should contact Ben – contact details below.

He plans to reach out to the community through presentations to local groups, schools and events.

Grangemouth Community Council welcomed Ben’s appointment. Convenor Walter Inglis said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the Helix Trust to further the aims and objectives of the Transition Town Project. For many years, Grangemouth as a community has been dependant on oil and its associated industries to support its local economy. But times are changing and we need to consider what the future holds for Grangemouth and to ensure that as a community we develop and build a sustainable future.

“Oil as a resource is becoming harder to find and produce, resulting in higher prices for it. The increase in oil price will affect many aspects of our lives. Higher fuel price results in higher transportation costs which then impacts on the cost of everything we buy in the shops, including food.

“The Transition Town Project is about identifying what we can do as a community to offset the impact of this economic time bomb. We have an opportunity through the Transition Town Project to act both individually and collectively, and to set an example for other communities who will also be affected by what is generally referred to as the ‘Peak Oil Scenario’”.

The Grangemouth Transition Town office is located at 78 La Porte Precinct. Opening hours are Mon-Fri, 09:00 – 17:00 or call 07894 603141 or 01324 486913.

Office furniture has been sourced from WorkBack, an office furniture reuse and recycling specialist based in Grangemouth - www.workback.org.uk.

Notes:

The Grangemouth Transition Town project was awarded a Climate Challenge Fund grant of £54,659 in March 2010.

More information about the Transition Towns movement can be found at www.transitionnetwork.org and www.transitionscotland.org