07/04/11…Arnie’s man choses local group for Climate Week award

HADDENHAM IN TRANSITION. The group was one of four finalists in the Best Community Initiative category in the inaugural Climate Week Awards (Mar 21-27). The winner was selected by a judging panel, which included Lord Nicholas Stern, Met Office Chief Scientist Julia Slingo, environmentalist Tony Juniper, author Ian McEwan and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s climate advisor, Terry Tamminen.

It was announced on March 21 at the official Climate Week launch event, where the keynote speaker was Chris Huhne MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. The project entered for the award was their Heat, Camera, Action! initiative: ?to offer people infrared thermal images of their houses, businesses and community buildings, for free. The project aims to catalyse action to reduce energy use, by showing people where heat is escaping from their properties.?

It was set up by volunteers from Haddenham in Transition, who, in November/December 2009 borrowed an infrared camera and built a team of 20 volunteers who surveyed nearly 200 local properties in seven local towns and villages, including Thame. They also ran events about climate change in each location.

In December 2010 they secured a