EPIC-Lincolnshire; working for a low carbon world

Environment, People, Innovation, Choice

The Vision

A future where there is a balance between the exploitation and conservation of Lincolnshire’s environment and its resources.

The Mission

To motivate individuals, businesses and communities within Lincolnshire to recognise their ability to adapt to, or mitigate, the global effects of humanity’s activity on the environment.

EPIC-Lincolnshire seeks to act as a focus for a program of activity that includes:

• Raising awareness within Lincolnshire of the issues and potential responses to climate change
• Provide a forum for collective action planning to limit carbon emissions 
• Providing a link with regional, national and international structures
• Providing a Lincolnshire voice at forums and conferences  for environment and climate change issues
• Providing support and/or coordination for low carbon grant and funding applications where appropriate
• Facilitating the establishment of low carbon projects and enterprises 
 

The challenge

EPIC-Lincolnshire began with construction of the EPIC Building on the Lincolnshire Showground. EPIC-Lincolnshire itself aims to be a partnership of all those who recognise the challenges (and opportunities) that Lincolnshire will face from a changing Environment. Lincolnshire’s People will need to show Innovation in how their Choices shape the county’s response to climate change and global warming.

Adapting and mitigating the effects of climate change successfully will require us to work together, sharing ideas, information and resources. Networking is at the heart of this process. EPIC-Lincolnshire is working to form a ‘network of networks’.

The invitation

The current structure includes the Low Carbon Business Network, Low Carbon Community Network and Low Carbon Education Network. These are designed to help the development of areas and groups of mutual interest and opportunity. If you feel you are involved in an organisation, community group, project or business that might benefit from joining one of the networks please follow the link to the profile registration form. Individuals are also very welcome to join the newsletter service and contact EPIC-Lincolnshire with copy for articles, web links, events and to offer comments and news items of relevance to Lincolnshire’s climate change agenda.  

The partnership

EPIC Lincolnshire is about developing a partnership approach to establishing Lincolnshire's responce to the challenges of climate change. The partnership already has some core members but is open to all.

The Rationale for EPIC-Lincolnshire

Drivers towards a low carbon world

The need for action in response to climate change is now widely recognised. A successful response will require wide engagement and result in new actions and activities as business, communities and individuals work towards a low carbon world.

In 2003 a group led by the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society, Lincolnshire County Council and West Lindsey District developed a proposal called the EPIC Project  which has resulted in the construction of an iconic low carbon exhibition and visitor centre on the Lincolnshire Showground. In June 2008 the EPIC Centre opened to its first visitors.

EPIC-Lincolnshire is now taking the EPIC Project forward under wider ownership to become the outward face of climate change initiatives across Lincolnshire.

“The scientific evidence is now overwhelming… …The benefits of strong early action outweigh the costs. Tackling climate change is the pro-growth strategy for the longer term, and it can be done in such a way that it does not cap the aspirations for growth... The earlier effective action is taken the less costly it will be.”- Sir Nicholas Stern, ‘The Economics of Climate Change’

“Each year 25 thousand million tonnes of CO2 are discharged into the atmosphere through burning coal, oil and gas. This thickens the heat retentive blanket effect of the earth’s atmosphere. The climate is changing faster than at any time in 10,000 years. … Because of the need for urgent action the greatest challenge is to move rapidly to much increased energy efficiency and to non fossil fuel energy resources”. – Sir John Houghton, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The three main gases that contribute to global warming are Carbon Dioxide, Methane and Nitrous Oxide. Although Carbon Dioxide is the dominant gas emitted the others are even more effective at trapping heat and thus contribute significantly to global warming.

The effects of the release of methane by agricultural livestock and nitrous oxide from artificial fertilizer is one reason why agriculture is estimated to contribute about 17% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The release of methane following forest clearence in the tropics and from warming of permafrost may cause significant warming in coming decades through uncontrolled feedback systems.