- Ministers accused of ‘environmental crime’ over South Downs oil drilling, theguardian.com (Aug 23, 2023)
- Horse Hill oil - a legal challenge with real climate impact, friendsoftheearth.uk (Jun 28, 2023)
Surrey () is a ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the west. The largest settlement is Woking.
The county has an area of 1,663 km2 (642 sq mi) and a population of 1,196,236. Much of the north of the county forms part of the Greater London Built-up Area, which includes the suburbs within the M25 motorway as well as Woking (103,900), Guildford (77,057), and Leatherhead (32,522). The west includes part of the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up area, which extends into Hampshire and Berkshire and has a total population of 252,397. The south of the county is rural, and its largest settlements are Horley (22,693) and Godalming (22,689). The county contains eleven local government districts, which are part of a two-tier non-metropolitan county also called Surrey. The county historically included much of south-west Greater London and excluded Staines-upon-Thames, which was part of Middlesex.
The defining geographical feature of the county is the North Downs, a chalk escarpment which runs from the south-west to north-east and divides the densely populated north from the more rural south; it is pierced by the rivers Wey and Mole, both tributaries of the Thames. The north of the county is a lowland, part of the Thames basin. The south-east is part of the Weald, and the south-west contains the Surrey Hills and Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons, an extensive area of heath. The county has the densest woodland cover in England, at 22.4 per cent.
Networks and sustainability initiatives
- Transition Farnham
- Transition Haslemere
- Transition Redhill
- Woking Environment Action, link checked 17:31, 21 September 2022 (UTC)
Events
Regular events
Climate action
- Talking Tree, Climate Emergency Centre and cafe on Staines High Street, projects include a Community fridge, added 10:45, 10 February 2022 (UTC)
- What Next?, Godalming based environmental charity, added 10:22, 5 July 2021 (UTC)
- Dorking Climate Emergency, Surrey based Climate action group, added 17:48, 23 June 2021 (UTC)
- Zero Carbon Guildford, helping the borough of Guildford reach carbon neutrality by 2030. Currently acquiring a space to act as a Climate Emergency Centre. added 15:30, 13 May 2021 (UTC)
Surrey declare climate emergency, July 2019[1]
- Staines, Guildford and Farnham have Climate emergency centre groups[2]
- Extinction Rebellion Reigate and Redhill
- Horse Hill Rebel Alliance on facebook
- What is Surrey County Council doing about climate change? surreycc.gov.uk
- Surrey Climate Commission, a collaboration of organisations, launched in June 2019
Biodiversity
Open spaces
Community energy
In the United Kingdom the first sustainable community energy system was pioneered by Woking Borough Council, starting in 1991. The system uses traditional and a phosphoric acid fuel cell co-generation plants, thermal storage, heat fired absorption cooling and photovoltaics (over 9% of the UK's small capacity), to supply both residential and non-residential customers, as well as the Council's own facilities. By end of 2005 there were over 60 generating islands in the Borough.
Despite the investment in the plant, the system delivers cheaper energy than can be supplied from the traditional 'brown energy' suppliers, helping to tackle fuel poverty. It is part of a plan to cut local carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by 2050. Their initiatives won the Council the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2002. W
Action Surrey - Wikipedia: Woking, Energy policy
Cycling activism
Food activism
Grace + Flavour, community fruit & vegetable-growing co-operative for East & West Horsley.
Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
Farnham Repair Cafe on Facebook
Sustainable transport activism
Walking: Wikipedia: Footpaths in Surrey (category)
Waterways:
The River Wey Navigation and Godalming Navigation together provide a 20-mile (32 km) continuous navigable route from the River Thames near Weybridge via Guildford to Godalming (commonly called the Wey Navigation). Both waterways are in Surrey and are owned by the National Trust. The River Wey Navigation connects to the Basingstoke Canal at West Byfleet, and the Godalming Navigation to the Wey and Arun Canal near Shalford. The Navigations consist of both man-made canal cuts and adapted (dredged and straightened) parts of the River Wey.
- River Wey and Wey Navigations Community Site
- The Wey & Arun Canal Trust, Wikipedia:Wey and Arun Canal
News and comment
2022
- Appeal for water customers to be mindful when turning on the tap, southeastwater.co.uk (Jul 11, 2022) — South East Water is asking people to be mindful of the amount of water they are using as hot temperatures push up demand beyond levels expected for the time of year. Water latest, southeastwater.co.uk
- Building Community Action Through Climate Hubs, Transition Together (Feb 27, 2022) — guide to community-led climate hubs from Zero Carbon Guildford
2020
Six key issues Surrey County Council must address, Sarah Finch, Extinction Rebellion Reigate & Redhill, Feb 3[3]
2019
In July 2019, Surrey County Council declared climate emergency. Two months later, they gave the go-ahead to plans for four more oil wells at Horse Hill, near Gatwick. To highlight the dangers of more oil drilling in a time of climate emergency, there will be a demonstration in October. Sep 16[4]
20 years of oil production at Horse Hill approved, Sep 11[5]
2018
Campaigners celebrate as oil drilling at Surrey Hills site is blocked, Sep 4[6]
2017
How Farnham UK's Repair Café Takes a Bite Out of Waste, Feb 23[7]
2010
Surrey moves away from incineration, Jan 6[8]
2007
Woking: Solar canopy is 'gateway' to town, Sep 11[9]
2004
Woking shines in providing renewable energy, Jan 26[10]
Resources
Maps
Campaigns
See also
External links
Surrey W
References
- ↑ climateemergency.uk
- ↑ Handbook, Climate emergency centre
- ↑ xrreigateandredhill.org
- ↑ Horse Hill Rebel Alliance on facebook
- ↑ drillordrop.com
- ↑ The Guardian
- ↑ transitionnetwork.org
- ↑ ukwin.org.uk
- ↑ BBC News
- ↑ The Guardian