“Don’t confuse me with the facts, I’ve already made up my mind.” Everyone who has worked on climate change, trying to nudge, to persuade and to inform has run up against that refrain in some form or another many times. Puzzled progressive scratch their heads. “Wasn’t there supposed to have been something called the Enlightenment? Weren’t facts and reason supposed to have won the day?” But our facts bounce off like shells on strong armour. Our discoveries are dismissed as Fake News. And our reason is labelled conspiracy. At least they think we’re clever.
As the sea levels rise and humanity divides itself into ever more hostile warring tribes, our side needs to cut through even more urgently. Why don’t people understand? Why do they love the siren songs from the other side? Such questions are no longer academic.
One man thinks he has some of the answer. Paul Hannam is a successful academic, businessman, best-selling author and psychologist. He specialises in teams and leadership. He sees the telling and reification of stories as essential to the way that humans see both themselves and the world. For Paul a story is like a deep psychological paradigm by which we perceive, interpret and act on the data which impinges on us at all times. And you won’t change anything unless you change that story. Read more
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Significence.jpg347216Marianne Lindfieldhttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngMarianne Lindfield2020-10-09 13:52:492020-10-09 13:52:49Confronting stories of despair
SUSSEX GREEN LIVING THANK HORSHAM DISTRICT COMMUNITY AND LOCAL CHURCHES FOR THEIR RECYCLING EFFORTS AND ANNOUNCE OPENING OF NEW RECYCLING HUB
Joy Carter, “lead Womble” at Sussex Green Living has continued to co-ordinate the sorting and dispatch of “hard-to-recycle” types of waste accepted by TerraCycle during the COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent period and would like to encourage local residents to keep on recycling.
Given the current situation with COVID-19 and the government’s restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus, our day-to-day lives have changed, and our priorities have shifted but it is not all bad news! Green issues remain a key topic, and Sussex Green Living, along with TerraCycle would like to remind everybody that recycling is as important now as ever before! By disposing of waste correctly or storing it to send to TerraCycle when things get back to normal, we can collect now and have an impact forever. Read more
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/IMG_7825-scaled-1.jpg19202560Carrie Corthttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngCarrie Cort2020-10-06 15:18:112026-07-22 13:00:16Churches unite to help fundraise for our recycling hub
For our Horsham Future Forum (HFF) meeting on the 29th of September, we were joined by Tom Bragg, from Cambridge Carbon Footprint and Open Eco Homes, to explain to us how the Green Homes grant works. The purpose of his talk was to go through the details of these grants to help people understand how to apply for them. Tom was also joined by Soren from Warmer Sussex, to provide his insight to people (learn more about Warmer Sussex and listen to Soren’s podcast here)
He started off with a poll asking the participants of the HFF about their intentions about applying for the grant, and what they might want to install. Only 28% of participants said Yes or Probably, with a much higher percentage, 68%, responding with a maybe, so hopefully the clarifications provided through Tom’s talk has encouraged people to apply. The installation that was the most popular was low carbon heating (such as heat pump or solar thermal) at 88%, followed by insulation (48%), draught proofing (28%) and windows and doors (20%). As this was a multiple option question, some people might have chosen more than one option.
Firstly he explained about the scheme, and secondly discussed all the energy saving measures that you could decide from to implement in your house. The main points to remember are: Read more
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/green-house-scaled.jpg24862560Marianne Lindfieldhttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngMarianne Lindfield2020-10-06 13:02:342020-10-06 13:02:34Green Homes Grants explained
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/climate-scarf.jpg431641Carrie Corthttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngCarrie Cort2020-09-28 11:23:572020-09-28 11:23:57Can you help make climate scarves?
In partnership with TerraCycle, a global leader in recycling hard-to-recycle materials, Sussex Green Living is now working with over fourteen parishes and schools to divert billions of waste resources from landfills.
Why is Recycling Single-Use Plastic Important?
Plastics are extremely durable and cheap to manufacture, making them almost impossible to overlook for manufacturers when it comes to product design and packaging. But their durability comes at the cost of slow degradation rates in the wild; upwards of 300 to 1000 years.
With about 380 tonnes of it being produced every year, by the time the plastic we have disposed of today begins to degrade the quantity in landfills, oceans and everywhere else will have become totally unmanageable. That is, unless, we can turn the tides.
Bisphenol A has been observed to disrupt physiological levels of sex hormones, negatively affect thyroid hormone gene expression in humans, and cause other detrimental effects. In marine life, issues with plastic entanglement and ingestion have been observed at a broad scale. Read more
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/wrappers-to-riches-sm.jpg224300Carrie Corthttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngCarrie Cort2020-09-25 19:56:312020-09-25 19:56:31Parishes and Schools recycle more single-use plastics
On Tuesday the 15th of September, we had a very interesting talk from Adam Stark from The Food Resilience Project in Cootham. Adam teaches religion and philosophy at the Weald School, and is a self-published writer as well as an environmental campaigner, along a list of other accomplishments. The evening started with a movie trailer shown by Carrie Cort, called “The Need To Grow”, a stark environmental documentary film emphasising that “we need to stop playing games and start saving the planet” because to “not take care of our planet [is] no longer an option”. With that setting the stage for the importance and difficulty of maintaining our food systems in the face of the global and climatic changes we are seeing, we moved into hearing about Adam’s initiative. Read more
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/food-resilience-project.jpg539957Carrie Corthttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngCarrie Cort2020-09-21 16:51:212020-09-21 16:51:21Food and community resilience
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/YEF-logo-scaled-1.jpg25602489Carrie Corthttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngCarrie Cort2020-09-15 12:12:142026-07-22 13:01:34Learn from our Youth Eco Forum
Our Horsham Climate Cafe on 5th September was an inspiring and informative talk about Wildlife Friendly Gardening. Every green space is critical for our wildlife, even your garden, as all our UK gardens form more space than all the UK nature reserves!
Carrie the founder of Sussex Green Living opened the event with a reminder that we humans are not at the top of a wildlife pyramid but are simply part of the web of all life. All the living things in an ecosystem depend on all the other things – living and non-living for continued survival – for food supplies and other needs. Humans, animals and plants depend on a complex system of food for survival. Stressing the importance of using bug hotels, bird boxes and bat boxes in our gardens, but be aware that bats need about 1,000 mosquito type insects per hour, so a pond is almost essential!
Joanne Knowles was our second speaker who is passionate about encouraging us all to seek out peat -free compost.Read more
Did the World announce there is a climate emergency? Yes by 26th August 2020 1,767 jurisdictions in 30 countries had declared a climate emergency. Populations covered by jurisdictions that have declared a climate emergency amount to over 820 million citizens, with 60 million of these living in the United Kingdom. This means in Britain now over 90 per cent of the population lives in areas that have declared a climate emergency, over 450 councils all together. So why are the councils in Surrey and Sussex still allowing licences for profit making companies to drill for fossil fuel? It is insane. Learn what is happening locally with an update from the Weald Action Group:
1. The Weald Action Group are doing a Weald Oil Walk in September aiming to raise money in view of the Judicial Review being led by Sarah Finch from Surrey following Surrey CC adopting a Climate Emergency and then permitting the drilling company UKOG to undertake production at their Horse Hill site (well a bit waterlogged currently). To learn more about the walk contact jillsutcliffe1@gmail.com.
2. Balcombe – application for Extended Well Test coming forward again to WSCC Planning Committee. It was due to be considered on March 24th but that meeting was held later and the Planning Officer Chris Bartlett recommended REFUSAL. Out for consultation until Sept 28th. Read more
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/broadford-bridge.jpg540960Carrie Corthttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngCarrie Cort2020-09-10 19:02:302020-09-10 19:02:30Support the Weald Oil Walk
Last Tuesday’s Horsham Future Forum attendees learnt about the important work of the Community Fridges and plans for Horsham Community Fridge, learn all about it……
How did it start?
Sarah Renfrey set up Fare Divide in 2018 with a vision to save perishable foodstuff from landfill by setting up community fridges in West Sussex to encourage healthier communities by forging partnerships with local food suppliers and make surplus food available to all without judgement or stigma.
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image.png7291058Carrie Corthttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngCarrie Cort2020-09-09 14:06:192020-09-09 14:06:19Talks about food waste and local food
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Community Wellbeing Garden“The Community Garden is Nature’s Samaritans!”29 September 2026 - 12:09
Sussex Green LivingWeather, food prices and the case for growing your own29 September 2026 - 11:56
Sussex Green LivingSecond Hand September – First Choice is Second-Hand!29 September 2026 - 11:51
BiffaHow our food waste creates green energy29 September 2026 - 11:41
Confronting stories of despair
/in Climate change, Eco News, Events, Health and wellbeing/by Marianne LindfieldAs the sea levels rise and humanity divides itself into ever more hostile warring tribes, our side needs to cut through even more urgently. Why don’t people understand? Why do they love the siren songs from the other side? Such questions are no longer academic.
One man thinks he has some of the answer. Paul Hannam is a successful academic, businessman, best-selling author and psychologist. He specialises in teams and leadership. He sees the telling and reification of stories as essential to the way that humans see both themselves and the world. For Paul a story is like a deep psychological paradigm by which we perceive, interpret and act on the data which impinges on us at all times. And you won’t change anything unless you change that story. Read more
Churches unite to help fundraise for our recycling hub
/in Eco News, Events, Fundraising, Recycling, Single use plastic/by Carrie CortSUSSEX GREEN LIVING THANK HORSHAM DISTRICT COMMUNITY AND LOCAL CHURCHES FOR THEIR RECYCLING EFFORTS AND ANNOUNCE OPENING OF NEW RECYCLING HUB
Joy Carter, “lead Womble” at Sussex Green Living has continued to co-ordinate the sorting and dispatch of “hard-to-recycle” types of waste accepted by TerraCycle during the COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent period and would like to encourage local residents to keep on recycling.
Given the current situation with COVID-19 and the government’s restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus, our day-to-day lives have changed, and our priorities have shifted but it is not all bad news! Green issues remain a key topic, and Sussex Green Living, along with TerraCycle would like to remind everybody that recycling is as important now as ever before! By disposing of waste correctly or storing it to send to TerraCycle when things get back to normal, we can collect now and have an impact forever. Read more
Green Homes Grants explained
/in Eco News, Events, Green Suppliers/by Marianne LindfieldGreen Homes Grant
For our Horsham Future Forum (HFF) meeting on the 29th of September, we were joined by Tom Bragg, from Cambridge Carbon Footprint and Open Eco Homes, to explain to us how the Green Homes grant works. The purpose of his talk was to go through the details of these grants to help people understand how to apply for them. Tom was also joined by Soren from Warmer Sussex, to provide his insight to people (learn more about Warmer Sussex and listen to Soren’s podcast here)
He started off with a poll asking the participants of the HFF about their intentions about applying for the grant, and what they might want to install. Only 28% of participants said Yes or Probably, with a much higher percentage, 68%, responding with a maybe, so hopefully the clarifications provided through Tom’s talk has encouraged people to apply. The installation that was the most popular was low carbon heating (such as heat pump or solar thermal) at 88%, followed by insulation (48%), draught proofing (28%) and windows and doors (20%). As this was a multiple option question, some people might have chosen more than one option.
Firstly he explained about the scheme, and secondly discussed all the energy saving measures that you could decide from to implement in your house. The main points to remember are:
Read more
Can you help make climate scarves?
/in Children & nature, Climate change, Events, Fundraising, Health and wellbeing, Seasonal celebrations/by Carrie CortParishes and Schools recycle more single-use plastics
/in Eco News, Education, Recycling, Single use plastic/by Carrie CortIn partnership with TerraCycle, a global leader in recycling hard-to-recycle materials, Sussex Green Living is now working with over fourteen parishes and schools to divert billions of waste resources from landfills.
Why is Recycling Single-Use Plastic Important?
Plastics are extremely durable and cheap to manufacture, making them almost impossible to overlook for manufacturers when it comes to product design and packaging. But their durability comes at the cost of slow degradation rates in the wild; upwards of 300 to 1000 years.
With about 380 tonnes of it being produced every year, by the time the plastic we have disposed of today begins to degrade the quantity in landfills, oceans and everywhere else will have become totally unmanageable. That is, unless, we can turn the tides.
Bisphenol A has been observed to disrupt physiological levels of sex hormones, negatively affect thyroid hormone gene expression in humans, and cause other detrimental effects. In marine life, issues with plastic entanglement and ingestion have been observed at a broad scale. Read more
Food and community resilience
/in Climate change, Events, Food Waste, Health and wellbeing, Seasonal celebrations/by Carrie CortLearn from our Youth Eco Forum
/in Children & nature, Climate change, Eco News, Health and wellbeing/by Carrie CortWildlife friendly gardening
/in Biodiversity & Nature, Children & nature, Climate change, Eco News, Ecology, Events, Green Suppliers/by Carrie CortCarrie the founder of Sussex Green Living opened the event with a reminder that we humans are not at the top of a wildlife pyramid but are simply part of the web of all life. All the living things in an ecosystem depend on all the other things – living and non-living for continued survival – for food supplies and other needs. Humans, animals and plants depend on a complex system of food for survival. Stressing the importance of using bug hotels, bird boxes and bat boxes in our gardens, but be aware that bats need about 1,000 mosquito type insects per hour, so a pond is almost essential!
Joanne Knowles was our second speaker who is passionate about encouraging us all to seek out peat -free compost. Read more
Support the Weald Oil Walk
/in Climate change, Eco News/by Carrie CortBroadford Bridge, Nr Billingshurst
Did the World announce there is a climate emergency? Yes by 26th August 2020 1,767 jurisdictions in 30 countries had declared a climate emergency. Populations covered by jurisdictions that have declared a climate emergency amount to over 820 million citizens, with 60 million of these living in the United Kingdom. This means in Britain now over 90 per cent of the population lives in areas that have declared a climate emergency, over 450 councils all together. So why are the councils in Surrey and Sussex still allowing licences for profit making companies to drill for fossil fuel? It is insane. Learn what is happening locally with an update from the Weald Action Group:
1. The Weald Action Group are doing a Weald Oil Walk in September aiming to raise money in view of the Judicial Review being led by Sarah Finch from Surrey following Surrey CC adopting a Climate Emergency and then permitting the drilling company UKOG to undertake production at their Horse Hill site (well a bit waterlogged currently). To learn more about the walk contact jillsutcliffe1@gmail.com.
2. Balcombe – application for Extended Well Test coming forward again to WSCC Planning Committee. It was due to be considered on March 24th but that meeting was held later and the Planning Officer Chris Bartlett recommended REFUSAL. Out for consultation until Sept 28th. Read more
Talks about food waste and local food
/in Children & nature, Climate change, Eco News, Ecology, Food Waste, Green Suppliers/by Carrie CortHow did it start?
Sarah Renfrey set up Fare Divide in 2018 with a vision to save perishable foodstuff from landfill by setting up community fridges in West Sussex to encourage healthier communities by forging partnerships with local food suppliers and make surplus food available to all without judgement or stigma.
What is Fare Divide?
Read more