Here is a selection of articles written by or on behalf of CABH including those published in The Cottage magazine.
A Briefing the Nation Needs to Hear
In November 2025, something unusual happened in Westminster. Ten of the UK’s leading climate and nature experts stood up in front of an invited audience of over 1,200 politicians, business leaders, faith figures and media — and gave them, in plain terms, the national briefing on the climate and nature crisis that most of us have never had. Read more…
Download pdf: National Emergency Briefing
Plug-in Solar Panels & Gully Under Pavement Charging For Electric Vehicles
The UK Government announced two new initiatives to expand the availability of renewable power to households to help people who are unable for whatever reason to install traditional roof top Solar or don’t have off street parking for an electric vehicle as a response to the increase in energy because of the Middle East Conflict.
Download pdf Plug-in solar & street charging
Great Big Green Week 2026
Great Big Green Week is back in Bovey Tracey on 13-21 June 2026, and everyone is invited to get involved. This annual week brings together neighbours to take action for the community, for nature and for the climate. Over 1 million people took part in this mass moment for nature and climate in the UK in 2025.
This year, our Great Big Green Week is going extra local with organisations across Bovey & Heathfield, creating activities that will get us all thinking differently about how we move around our community and how we engage with our local food systems.
Some highlights already planned for this year’s Great Big Green Week in Bovey include:
- 13 June: Screening of The Engine Inside, an award-winning documentary about how bicycles have the potential to transform lives and contribute to a better world. This film will wrap up the Reel Earth season with Bovey Paradiso, Climate Action: Bovey & Heathfield and First Draft Books. At Phoenix Hall 6:30 for 7:00 start.
- 18 June: Community Cycle from Bovey to Teigngrace Meadow, a Devon Wildlife Trust reserve, meeting a local expert to look at plants, butterflies and other wildlife
Plus, look out for foraging walks, craft workshops and more from organisations like CO-OP, MAKE Southwest and National Trust-Parke.
The big finale of the week is the Great Big Green Fun Day, returning to Mill Marsh Park on Saturday, 20 June 2026. This free, family-friendly day will be a vibrant celebration of community, sustainability and creativity. Come enjoy live music from Exeter Community Folk Orchestra and Bovey Tracey School Choir, furry friends from East Shallowford Farm, an open drumming workshop, eco-themed crafts, community stalls, food trucks and a special appearance from the Animal Rapper.
To stay in the loop about our Great Big Green Week activities, follow us on Facebook at “Great Big Green Week Bovey Tracey.” If you would like to get more involved in the week, we are looking for volunteers to join the Planning Committee and lend a hand in bringing this week to life for our community. Email Steve Oldrieve at steve.oldrieve@boveytracey.gov.uk to learn more.
We can’t wait to see you during the week.
Full timetable of events is here: Great Big Green Week 2026 Events Calendar
***
About the author:
Leslie Leggett is the owner of First Draft Books, Bovey Tracey’s independent bookshop. She is a member of Climate Action: Bovey & Heathfield and part of the Great Big Green Week planning committee.
Download pdf: Great Big Green Week 2026
Positive Tipping Points
Positive Tipping Points. How to Fix the Climate Crisis (Oxford, 2025) by Tim Lenton was published last autumn. Tim is the Chair in Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter. In January, Tim came and spoke to an enthusiastic audience in Bovey Tracey at a meeting organised by CABH and First Draft Books. This article is based upon his book and the meeting.
The climate system like many complex systems exhibits tipping points. ……read more
Download pdf Positive Tipping Points
Up, Up and Away – Aviation
Looking up at the sky you will sometimes see thin ribbons of cloud. Often these form behind high flying aircraft. They can be regular or irregular in shape, perhaps looking like a zip at times. They may soon disappear, but on occasions they will persist for several hours or merge into other cloud. These are contrails, condensation trails, and they have only been around for just over a hundred years. We are seeing a new type of cloud that most of our ancestors wouldn’t have observed. They form as aircraft fuel (kerosene) is burnt producing carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapour. The water vapour forms ice crystals in the high, cold atmosphere and these form the contrails.
Contrails are just one product of flying. Greenhouse gases from burning fuel are another and these are changing our climate. Aviation currently emits approximately three per cent (in tonnes) of the global total of CO2 and this is increasing. Action is being taken to find alternative fuels for aviation to reach the industry’s net zero target by 2050. ……read more
Download pdf Up Up and Away – Aviation
Becoming a Climate Ally
Every part of our community can help tackle climate change, from small shops to charities, from churches to individual service providers. That idea inspired the Climate Ally initiative from Climate Action: Bovey & Heathfield —a simple recognition scheme that encourages local organisations to take practical steps, gain acknowledgment, benefit their own activities and inspire others.
Download pdf: Becoming a Climate Ally
Bringing the Climate Home: Big Ideas, Local Action in Bovey Tracey
If you think climate change is just about polar bears, far-off wildfires and melting ice caps, think again – it’s also about potholes on our lanes, soggy summer barbecues, and whether your tomatoes ripen before the slugs get them. But here in and around Bovey Tracey, we’re doing more than just talking about the weather.
Download pdf: Bringing the Climate Home
7th UK Carbon Budget 2038-2042
How the government plans to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the impact this will have on our lives
Download pdf 7th UK Carbon Budget
Climate Change Optimism
There are many books and online sites concerning climate change. In this Article we present a selection of books, a podcast and a video story maker, which provide useful and mostly optimistic information on the progress we are making in dealing with climate change.
Download pdf Climate Change Optimism
Building Local Resilience
What can households and local communities do to adapt and to mitigate the climate impacts already ‘baked in’ from past and present carbon emissions? How can we build resilience to these impacts? Resilience in this context is the ability to recover from adverse events quickly and resume normal life.
Download pdf Building local resilience
New Website
We have created a new CABH website. Endorsed and supported by Bovey Tracey Town Council we have set up this website to cover all matters of interest concerning the climate and environmental emergency.
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
To help lessen the impacts of climate change there are many things we can do to reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions and therefore our personal carbon footprint. Here are some ideas to consider.
Download pdf Personal carbon footprint reduction
Climate Change Creativity
On Saturday February 10th 2024 Climate Action Bovey and Heathfield (CABH) held an open meeting, at the Phoenix Hall in Bovey, with the aim of generating ideas and local action in response to the coming impact of the changing climate on our local community….read more
Download pdf Climate change creativity – Open Space event
Carbon Offsets
So what is carbon offsetting? It is defined as offsetting your carbon emissions by paying towards projects that remove carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere elsewhere. Read more…
Download pdf Carbon Offsets
Climate Change And Dartmoor
In November Alex Gandy, at the time the Acting Head of Forward Planning and Economy at the Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA), gave a talk to Climate Action Bovey and Heathfield (CABH) detailing DNPA’s response to the Climate and Ecological Emergency
Download pdf Climate change and Dartmoor
The Value of Thermal Imaging
One member of CEBH has shared his knowledge and experience with us. Here he describes how thermal imaging may help us understand how to more effectively heat our homes.
Download pdf The Value of Thermal Imaging
Electric Vehicles
Some of us, including the Town Council, are considering whether to change our fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric cars or vans.
So, what is it like to own an EV? One of our members sets out some of the pros and cons.
Download pdf Electric powered vehicles