Climate Change & the New Normal
2025-02-27 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
Talk by Dr Venus Bivar, Associate Professor of Environmental History at St Anne’s College, University of Oxford.
Dr Venus Bavar’s research and teaching are located at the intersection of environmental, economic, and European history. Her scholarship excavates the histories of major contemporary global phenomena, from the international agricultural trade system and climate change, to the primacy of economics in political life and the centrality of free markets to the liberal democratic state.
This is a Historical Association event – for tickets please email mikeshort20@btinternet.com

Hedge laying – your chance to learn a traditional skill
2025-02-28 09:30 - 16:30 | Smallcombe Nuttery, Horseshoe Walk, Bath, BA2 6DD, United Kingdom
Transition Bath offers another day of hedge-laying at Smallcombe Nuttery. We are very grateful to Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and the National Trust for their support with this work.
Hedge laying is a traditional country skill intended to create a strong, dense living hedge. By laying a hedge you not only create a living fence, you also help to encourage new growth, making it an excellent way of regenerating an old, overgrown hedge without replacing it. It’s a skill that is best learnt from a craftsperson, and we offer that chance. You will be working in a group of volunteers led by CPRE’s hedge-layer, gaining real work practice on one of the Nuttery’s overgrown hedges.
Spaces are limited and must be attended if we are to maximise our time with our hedge expert so please be certain that you can make the appointment before booking. Please include a contact number so that we can keep you up-to-date on what is required for the day.
We will be outside for most of the day, so please dress accordingly and bring a stout packed lunch and plenty of water. Sustaining cakes will be provided!
Get your tickets

Butterflies & Moths: Key Indicators of Insect Population Change
2025-03-04 19:30 - 21:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
Maurice Avent was fortunate to purchase an SSSI valley close to Bath in 1982 for which he has kept records of butterfly populations for 30 years. He was National Chairman of Butterfly Conservation between 2007 and 2010.

Insects are very much the foundation upon which our planetary diversity of creatures, including the human race, depends to survive. Thanks to the bright colours of butterflies and some species of moth, they are almost the only insects whose populations have been studied for many centuries. Due to their sensitivity to minor environmental changes, butterflies and moths can be used as indicators of the general health of the entire planetary insect population.

This is a Bath Natural History Society talk; tickets £3 on the door.

All Transition meeting – March 2025
2025-03-04 19:30 - 21:00 | Ring O Bells, 10 Widcombe Parade, Bath, BA2 4JT, United Kingdom
Unfortunately due to a date clash we are now unable to run this meeting. Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to connecting with you all again very soon.
Join us to discuss everything that’s going on in Transition Bath and beyond at our monthly meeting at the Ring O’ Bells, Widcombe. If you want to join us, have an idea of a project you’d like to forward or just want to feel that you’re not alone in the fight for a better Bath, then this is a great place to start.
Just come along!
The venue is upstairs, which may not suit everyone’s needs. Please talk to us if you have any accessibility requirements, as we’re committed to making our events welcoming for all.

Bath Future City: Planning, Development, Sustainability and Community
2025-03-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Percy Community Centre, New King Street, Bath, BA1 2BN
Join us for an evening of talks on how we use Bath’s landscape and plan its urban growth to shape a sustainable future for the city.
Hear from speakers on wider landscape policy, the need to reset the Local Plan, the mechanisms for promoting exemplar new development, and the role and power of community engagement in the planning process – how you can help to shape your city. You will also hear about Bath’s exciting new initiative, Bath Landscape City, and the role this will play in creating a greener, more biodiverse and sustainable city for the future.
Speakers:
Matt McCabe – Cabinet Member for the Built Environment for BANES
Matt will provide an overview of the planning policy context which sets the scene for future development; exploring topics covering the Greenbelt, housing allocations, the resetting of the Local Plan and the role that proactive public consultation has in shaping future plans for the city.
Philip Haile from Transition Bath
Philip will offer an analysis of the limitations imposed by ‘Viability’, and the National Planning Policy Framework in developing the Local Plan. This will include an examination of home energy efficiency standards, embodied carbon, affordable housing, housing densities, co-living spaces, transport infrastructure, community amenities, green and open spaces, and how these elements contribute to the creation of new housing developments and neighbourhoods.
Paul Pearce – the Green Infrastructure Programme Manager for BANES’ Landscape City Project
Following the screening of a short film on the Bathscape Project which celebrates Bath’s unique landscape setting, Paul will provide an overview of its exciting new initiative, Bath: Landscape City, as well as an outline of its Nature Recovery Strategy.
There will be time for Q+A with our panel of speakers.
Refreshments will be available.
We hope you will join us on Tuesday 11 March to celebrate Bath’s unique landscape, while exploring the opportunities for communities to engage with the planning process and the resetting of the Local Plan in shaping the future city of Bath.

Book your free ticket here.
Suggested donation: £6

Winter Tree Walk
2025-03-15 10:00 - 11:30 | Somerset
In the winter it can be tricky to identify one species of deciduous tree from another. Join Mark Bagott and Tania Orgill as they lead you through the wonderful wintery trees to learn how to identify them using clues like shape, colour, leaf litter, silhouettes and arrangement of buds.

Please bring:
•Warm enough clothing for the weather (remember it will be much cooler in the woods)
•Sturdy footwear
•Camera (optional)
•Notebook & pen (optional)
Please ensure you book onto this event via Eventbrite so we can keep in touch with additional details or changes!

Please don’t bring dogs to this event.

Meeting by St James Church, South Stoke, Bath

Green Screen: #ClimateScam? / Climate Anxiety / Plan Z: From Labcoats to Handcuffs
2025-03-16 16:00 - 17:30 | The Little Theatre, St Michael's Place, Bath, BA1 1SF, United Kingdom
Green Screen presents ‘#ClimateScam?‘ with short films Climate Anxiety and Plan Z: From Lab Coats to Handcuffs. This screening is followed by a live panel curated by all three filmmakers. Come and join the conversation.
All the films address the impact the climate crisis is having on our young people with refreshing, diverse and solutions-based perspectives as well as well as the stark situation faced by scientists who, unheard by government, are now taking to the streets.
#ClimateScam? (40 minutes)
As the world faces increasingly devastating climate-related disasters, why do so many people believe that climate change is all a hoax? This is the question that Jaz Njie, a young hairdresser and tech-savvy Gen Z-er, sets out to discover in the new film, #ClimateScam?. In this documentary, produced by award-winning charity Cornwall Climate Care, Jaz swaps her scissors for a microphone as she goes out to the homes of climate scientists, climate sceptics and climate activists, getting to know the real people behind the often angry headlines.
Climate Anxiety (17 minutes)
A Cambridge Moviemakers film directed by John Yates. As the climate crisis unfolds, young people fear for their future. In this short film young people, parents and professionals discuss their experiences of climate anxiety and how they deal with it.
Plan Z: From Labcoats to handcuffs (24 minutes)
Are scientists doing enough to sound the alarm about climate breakdown? Plan Z traces the motivations of British researchers who’ve turned to civil disobedience to warn the public directly, risking arrest, a criminal record and their professional reputations. When the UK government pledges to ‘max out’ oil and gas extraction, the lives of psychology professor Colin, microbiologist Abi and ecologist Aaron collide outside the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), where they and six others are arrested for causing alleged criminal damage. But who are the real climate criminals? As restrictions on protest tighten, will scientists retreat to their laboratories or will more stand up than ever before? A window into the world of reluctant activism, Plan Z explores the moral power of protest when established routes of influence fail.
Green Screen: #ClimateScam?, Climate Anxiety and Plan Z: From Labcoats to Handcuffs, The Little Theatre Cinema, 16 March, 4pm, £10.
Click here to book tickets – and see short video clip.

Webinar: What do you need to know before purchasing a heat pump?
2025-03-18 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-05-06 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-06-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
The webinar aims to cover a broad range of topics you should be aware of before purchasing a heat pump.

How do heat pumps work?
Which homes are most suitable (including cylinders, outside space)?
Thermal insulation improvements
Historic homes
Temperature versus efficiency/cost/CO2 and weather compensation
Reducing flow temperatures and upsizing radiators
Locating a heat pump, noise, planning permission
Hot water cylinders
Controls
Time of day tariffs
Do you run them 24-7? Most efficient ways of running them
Installation costs
How to go about getting quotes? Installers versus energy companies
Follow-up services offered by Transition Bath & BWCE

There will be the opportunity for questions and answers during the webinar but specific questions about individual properties will be deferred to a 1:1 meeting with homeowners being offered as a follow-up to these webinars.
We will provide a link to the webinar to those registered just before the event.
Book a free place here – we will contact you with the webinar details, weblink a couple of days before the event. The event is mainly aimed at residents of Bath & North East Somerset.

Herons and Peregrines Walk
2025-03-29 10:00 - 11:30 | Somerset
The first stage of the walk covers a short distance to look at the heronry in the trees above the Honda dealership at the bottom of Ralph Allen Drive. Last year there were 10 active nests. By early March, the Grey Herons should be rebuilding their nests and displaying. Visibility should be good as there won’t be leaves on the trees. After looking at the herons, the walk continues towards the city to see if the Peregrines on the Catholic church are at the nest. They might be displaying at this time of year, prior to breeding.
The walk will be around 1 mile in total, including crossing some roads.
If the event of bad weather, the walk will need to be cancelled or postponed.

Note: Please ensure you have registered via Eventbrite so you can be notified of any changes to this event
Please bring:

Sensible shoes
Weather appropriate clothing (coat/brolly/etc)
A drink
A camera/phone (optional)
Binoculars (optional)

Please don’t bring dogs to this event.
Meet in the car park at Prior Park Garden centre.

What is Nature?
2025-04-14 19:30 - 21:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
What do we mean when we say that the environment is in danger, that Nature is being lost? You might think that this is self-evident, but actually, the very concept of “the Environment” is a recent invention, dating back only about 50 years.
Our modern conception of Nature being “a good thing” is not one that people have always subscribed to. And indeed, even today, we tend to be selective about those aspects of “Nature” that we like and those that we don’t.
In this talk Professor Stuart Reynolds will discuss how humans have viewed Nature through the ages and evaluate the idea that we now live in an “Anthropocene Age” in which few if any aspects of Nature remain undisturbed by humans. If that is so, then what does it mean to “conserve” Nature?
Stuart Reynolds is Emeritus Professor of Biology at the University of Bath. He is a member of the Department of Life Sciences and also of the Milner Centre for Evolution.
Tickets £3-£6

World Earth Day Green Screen: Escape from Extinction - Rewilding
2025-04-22 18:15 - 19:30 | The Little Theatre, St Michael's Place, Bath, BA1 1SF, United Kingdom
Picturehouse are screening ESCAPE FROM EXTINCTION; REWILDING across all sites in honour of World Earth Day, Tuesday April 22nd. This screening includes an exclusive, pre-recorded Q&A with director Matthew Brady.

Can the world be saved when so much has already been lost? Narrated by Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, this fascinating, inspiring, and timely documentary follows the scientific experts on the frontlines of conservation as they seek to answer this question.

The earth is rapidly approaching a sixth mass extinction event, with a quarter of all species under threat. However, there is still hope. Armed with a radical new vision known as ‘rewilding’, follow the world’s top environmental leaders on a spectacular journey across six continents as they work to rebuild ecosystems, restore biodiversity, and even transform lives.

From the cloud forests of Rwanda to the California coast, this bold new approach to wildlife conservation is not without its challenges. However, it may just be the solution to finding a sustainable balance between our delicate natural world and the demands of a growing human population.

Get your tickets.

Transition Bath West of England Combined Authority Mayoral Hustings
2025-04-23 19:00 - 21:00 | St Michaels Without Church, Broad St, Bath, Somerset, BA1 5LJ, United Kingdom
This is your chance to hear from the candidates vying to become the next Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority! Join us at St Michael’s Church for a lively discussion on key issues affecting our region. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to engage with the candidates and make an informed decision on election day! The focus of the hustings will be how the new mayor can make the region more environmentally sustainable.
Four of the main candidates for the West of ‘Metro’ mayor who are attending the hustings are: Helen Godwin (Labour), Mary Page (Green Party), Oli Henman (Lib Dems),and Steve Smith (Conservatives). More information about the candidates is available here.
The successful candidate will be responsible for spending over £1 billion in B&NES, Bristol and South Gloucestershire during their term in the areas of transport, housing & planning, skills and education, environment & energy, and business investment. For more information click here.
The tickets are free but we are asking for a £2 donation at the door to cover our costs. Only those with tickets will allowed in. Please click here to book your ticket.
The Mayor and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority election will take place on Thursday 1 May.
The hustings on 23 April start at 7pm sharp, so please arrive beforehand, the doors open at 6:30pm.
Date: 23 April 2025: 7pm to 9pm Location: St Michael’s Without Church (opposite Waitrose), Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LJ

Sustainability Shorts #6
2025-05-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Percy Community Centre, New King Street, Bath, BA1 2BN
We will be holding our sixth evening of the Sustainability Shorts lecture series in the centre of Bath at the Percy Community Centre in New King Street.
The evening is designed to be engaging, snappy and entertaining, with six speakers talking for ten minutes each on their chosen sustainability subject. There will be five minutes for Q&A after each speaker, then it’s on to the next! You are guaranteed to hear something new and something you can work with from our varied speakers.
Our six speakers are as follows:
Sheila Gundry, Head of Operations at Froglife and Charlcombe Road Toad Patroller
We are really fortunate to have a thriving toad population at Charlcombe Lane in Bath. Sheila Gundry, Head of Operations at wildlife charity Froglife and local environmentalist, will explore the vital role of toads and other amphibians for healthy ecosystems, discuss the contribution of volunteers from Bath Toad Rescue, and compare challenges and successes with the national picture.
Stephen Clarke, Extinction Rebellion Bath, explaining XR UK’s perspective on what makes a non-violent, direct action organisation sustainable.
Ruth Lambert, CEO of Share and Repair- a charity helping people across Bath and North East Somerset save money and the planet through repairing, reusing and reducing.
Anna Hughes, Director, Flight Free UK
Why should we be avoiding air travel? And how can we practically do that? Anna’s talk will look at the alternatives and give plenty of tips and ideas.
Paula Malone, Climate Fresk facilitator and children and young people’s educator
A Climate Fresk workshop turns climate science into a game – the playful and collaborative workshop teaches participants the fundamental science behind climate change and empowers you to take action. The idea is to create a network of people who can pass on a high level of climate education to help guide us to a low carbon world. Paula will also talk about how we are doing our children and young people a huge disservice by not a) educating them about the world around them and how it’s changing, and b) empowering them to recognise and realise the power and agency that they have to create positive change.
Skye Pennant, The Slow Stitch Club
Skye will talk about the importance of mending. a hugely creative and intentionally slow and therapeutic skill. Part of the joy of visible mending is celebrating the stitches you make no matter how wonky they may be. By using contrasting colours of threads and patches on our clothes we can turn the damage into a scrapbook of our lives lived in them. Whether they’re from fast fashion brands or handmade by you, our favourite clothes deserved to be worn and loved and repaired for as long as possible.
We will be serving tea and coffee during the break (there may even be biscuits), so plenty of fuel will be on offer to help you to keep up with the pace!
Tickets are free, but we’d be grateful for a donation if you can manage it, so we can continue to run events like this one.

Avoiding Climate Change via Waste Management
2025-05-08 19:30 - 21:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
The UK has committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But not all greenhouse gases come from burning fossil fuels. Waste management, which includes landfill, waste-water, incineration and composting, is estimated to contribute ~19 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents every year, with a significant portion of this derived from methane, a much more polluting gas than CO2.
Tristan Rees-White, of the University of Southampton, heads a methane emission monitoring team working to reduce emissions across the sector.
Tickets £3-£6

Bat Walk
2025-05-10 20:30 - 21:30 | Somerset
Come and enjoy a quiet evening walk along the canal to see what bats can be seen and heard with the bat detectors. Leader – Cat Baker.
Please reserve your space via Eventbrite so you can be updated with any changes to this event, and please cancel your ticket if you can no longer attend.
You will need

Warm enough clothing for the weather.
Phone to record (optional)
Torch
Sturdy footwear

This event is only suitable for children aged 8+, and all children must remain the responsibility of parents at all times. Parking at this venue is very, very limited – please consider other forms of transport! Please do not bring dogs to this event, thank you.

Faultlines in Sustainability 1: Sustainable land use with George Monbiot (via zoom) and Patrick Holden
2025-05-14 10:00 - 16:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
This is the first in a series of all-day sessions (in person or online) in which a panel of experts will discuss and answer questions on a “Faultline” within current sustainability policies. This session focuses on reconciling farming and nature.
Is modern farming sustainable? Many believe the answer is no: its impacts on both climate and biodiversity are too high.
Yet the remedies proposed fall into two opposing camps. One is to improve farming practices to become more wildlife-friendly and share the land with Nature; the other is to intensify production in some places, in order to leave land exclusively for nature in others. The dilemma is integration versus differentiation.
Faultlines 1 will discuss these options – everyone is invited to take part in the discussion.
Organised by Peter Harper, Sam Cooper, Stuart Reynolds (all University of Bath) and Will Reynolds (Centre for Alternative Technology).
Confirmed speakers include: George Monbiot (via Zoom), journalist, author, and environmental and political activist; Patrick Holden CBE, UK organic dairy farmer and campaigner for sustainable food and farming; Lynn Dicks, Professor of Ecology at the University of Cambridge; Mark Lynas, author and journalist; Hannah Needham, strategic natural capital expert and habitat restoration specialist; Dustin Benton, policy advisor at Forefront Advisors.
Book for event.

Ocean: How to Save the World's Last Wilderness
2025-05-17 14:00 - 15:00 | The Guildhall, High Street, Bath, BA1 5AW
From the icy oceans of our poles to remote coral islands Sir David Attenborough, the greatest natural history broadcaster of our times, has filmed in every ocean habitat on planet earth.
Colin Butfield, Attenborough’s long-term collaborator and co-author will be talking about their latest book at the Bath Literature Festival.
Ocean: How to Save the World’s Last Wilderness uncovers the mystery, the wonder and the frailty of the most unexplored habitat on our planet. The ocean can, and in some cases has, recovered the fastest. We could see a fully restored marine world, even richer and more spectacular than we could possibly hope in our lifetimes, if we act now.
Colin Butfield is a writer and the co-founder of Studio Silverback, Executive Producer of the WWF’s Our Planet project and an advisor for the Earthshot Prize. He has made some of the most important documentaries of our times and is an important natural history writer for the future.
This is an event from The Bath Literature Festival.
Tickets £14/10

Securing our food supply: Building resilience in the UK
2025-05-21 18:00 - 19:00 | Somerset
Increased international volatility, climate change and biodiversity loss all pose risks to the UK’s food security. Prof Tim Lang and Prof Sarah Bridle discuss what a good food system looks like, as well as the policies needed to ensure that our food system is fairer, more sustainable and more resilient.
About the speakers
Tim Lang became Emeritus Professor of Food Policy at City University London’s Centre for Food Policy in 2021. He was Professor of Food Policy at City from 2002 to 2021 and had founded the Centre in 1994 at Thames Valley University (now University of West London). For years, he’s engaged in academic and public research and debate about food policy, locally to globally. His abiding interest is how policy addresses the mixed challenge of being food for the environment, health, social justice, and citizens. His most recent report is Just in Case: 7 steps to narrow the UK civil food resilience gap.
Sarah Bridle is Professor of Food, Climate and Society at the University of York. Their work focuses on analysing the environmental impact of what we eat and creating a more resilient food system which benefits human health as well as the planet. Sarah is the author of Food and Climate Change: Without the Hot Air.
This event is hosted by the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR).
This event will be held on Zoom. The meeting details will be included in your ticket confirmation email. You will automatically receive reminder emails in the lead up to the event that also include the event link.
If you have a question about access, please contact us via Eventbrite or email at ipr@bath.ac.uk
Book tickets.

Green Screen: A New Kind of Wilderness
2025-05-21 18:30 - 20:00 | The Little Theatre, St Michael's Place, Bath, BA1 1SF, United Kingdom
On a small farm in a Norwegian forest, the Paynes live a purposefully isolated life, aiming to be wild and free. Maria and Nik, along with their four children Ulv, Falk, Freja, and Ronja are self-sufficient. They practice home-schooling and strive for a closely-knit family dynamic in harmony with nature. However, when tragedy strikes the family, it upends their idyllic world and forces them to forge a new path into modern society.
The film will be followed by a Q&A session.
Director: Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
Buy your tickets

Is A River Alive?
2025-05-21 19:00 - 20:00 | The Guildhall, High Street, Bath, BA1 5AW
At the heart of Robert Macfarlane’s perspective-shifting new book is a single idea: that rivers are not mere matter for human use but living beings who should be recognised as such in both imagination and law.  Is a River Alive? takes the reader on an exhilarating exploration of the past, present and futures of this urgent concept: to northern Ecuador, where a cloud-forest and its rivers are threatened by goldmining, to the wounded waterways of southern India, and to north-eastern Quebec, where a spectacular wild river is being defended from death by damming in a river-rights campaign.
Robert Macfarlane is internationally known for his writing on nature, people, and place. His bestselling books, including Underland, Landmarks, The Old Ways, and The Wild Places have been translated into over thirty languages. He has written for film, music, theatre, and radio, has collaborated with the artist Jackie Morris on The Lost Words and The Lost Spells and with the musicians Cosmo Sheldrake, Julie Fowlis and Johnny Flynn with whom he has released two albums, Lost In The Cedar Wood and The Moon Also Rises. He is a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
This is an event from The Bath Literature Festival.
Tickets: £14/£10

Mike Berners-Lee: A Climate of Truth
2025-05-22 19:00 - 20:00 | The Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, Bath, BA1 1UF, United Kingdom
As the climate emergency accelerates, the need for higher standards of honesty in our politics, media and business is critical, argues climate and sustainability expert Mike Berners-Lee (A Climate of Truth: Why We Need It and How to Get It). By turning our attention to the principle of truth, we can all have far more impact on the issues we care about.
Mike Berners-Lee is a sustainability expert, writer, and founder of Small World Consulting. His books include How Bad Are Bananas?, The Burning Question  (co-written with Duncan Clark), and There Is No Planet B. He’s a professor at Lancaster University, where he develops practical tools for thinking about the future and researches the global food system and carbon metrics. His work blends politics, economics, psychology, and technology to explore practical solutions for a sustainable future.
This is an event from The Bath Literature Festival.
Tickets: £14/£10.

The Elephant Game: Beyond Bricks and Mortar
2025-05-31 10:00 - 13:00 | Museum of Bath at Work, Julian Road, Bath, BA1 2RH, United Kingdom
You’ve probably heard the fable about the blind men and the elephant – each one touches a different part and ends up with a completely different idea of what it is. That story inspired the name of The Elephant Team, a group of specialists at the University of Bath, combining their skills to tackle a major problem in the push for sustainable building.
Here’s the issue: new sustainable construction materials (SCMs) are being developed rapidly, but they’re not being adopted nearly as fast. Why? Because while scientists focus on how these materials perform, they often overlook a crucial question – do they meet people’s real needs?
The Elephant Team believe the key is co-production: involving communities directly in the development process. Our research aims to combine technical data about SCMs with insights from the people who’ll actually live with them. The result? A smarter way to choose materials that work for both people and the planet.
So – how do we make this happen?
To bring these ideas to life, the team has created a prototype board game called Beyond Bricks and Mortar (BBM). It’s a fun, hands-on way for people to explore what really matters in a home. Players compete and collaborate as they design their ideal homes – first by identifying what’s important to them, then digging into the needs behind those choices, and finally selecting the materials that best meet those needs.
The BBM game has been played with several groups so far, and the feedback has been great – people find it both enjoyable and eye-opening.
This special Community Workshop, taking place at the Museum of Bath at Work, will give you the opportunity to play Beyond Bricks and Mortar with The Elephant Team! The workshop kicks off with a warm welcome and a quick introduction to the research – plus how your input during the game will help shape it. Don’t worry, your participation is completely anonymous, and you won’t be asked to share anything personal or sensitive. You’ll also receive a full Participant Information Sheet on the day.
Dr. Joel Lazarus will lead the first session, introducing a fresh and fun way to think about human needs – key to getting the most out of the game. After a short break, we’ll dive into BBM for about an hour, then wrap up with a group reflection and closing.
BBM is easy to play and great for all ages – it’s recommended for anyone aged 7 and up. Kids are more than welcome, because the team would love to hear their ideas too!
Reserve your space on 31 May.

Faultlines in Sustainability 2: Sustainable Eating
2025-06-18 10:00 - 16:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
BRLSI is currently running a series of one-day events on sustainability policy. These are focused on ‘Fault Lines’ between alternative approaches to net zero where it isn’t yet entirely clear what will be the best thing to do. Each meeting considers just one of these Fault Lines and brings a panel of experts to discuss the way forward. The second of these events is about sustainable eating.
The Faultline is about the desirability or otherwise of manufactured ‘meat-alternative’ foods. It is generally agreed that animal farming is a major source of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, and that it would be beneficial to reduce the number of animals, especially cattle, on British farms. But what would people eat? Not everyone wishes to be vegetarian or vegan, and so we must expect that there will be a future shift from real meat to palatable and nutritious meat-alternatives made from plants or microbial proteins. Even insect proteins are being considered. On the other hand, will such alternatives provide a proper balance of protein and other nutrients? This is especially important for children. Moreover, these meat-alternatives will necessarily be manufactured in laboratories or factories, and there is currently much concern over the adverse health consequences of ‘ultra-processed foods’ (UPFs). And in the end, do we really want to eat food that is not ‘natural’?
The Faultlines #2 meeting will bring together a number of UK experts to discuss the pros and cons of meat-alternative sources of protein.
They include the well-known commentator in the media on food, farming and food security, Professor Tim Lang from City St George’s, University of London, who will introduce the issues and offer his own opinions on the way forward. Mark Lynas is an author, speaker, podcaster and campaigner. He also acts as science advisor with the 74-country Climate Vulnerable Forum, and is Head of Policy with the pro-science environmental campaign network WePlanet. He will present the case that it is essential to avoidance of climate breakdown that that there is extensive take-up of meat alternatives. Another important figure at the meeting will be Dr Tamsin Blaxter from the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food at Oxford University. She will focus specifically on the requirement to get dietary proteins right.
But what about the meat replacements themselves? What are they, and are they safe? Professor Stuart Reynolds(University of Bath) will talk about plant-based meat-alternatives, and will assess whether they really do permit fewer greenhouse gas emissions than real meat. Professor Marianne Ellis from the University of Bath will argue that the best solution to the meat substitutes problem will be to grow cultured animal cells in industrial scale laboratories. On the other hand, Dr Daniel Amor from the University of Bristol will argue that mass-reared Insects can be an important protein source for human food and animal feed. But will people really eat them? Erik Millstone (Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex): will talk about ultraprocessed foods and how they are (or aren’t) currently regulated.
All of this will be discussed by a panel of other experts, who will also answer questions. Its members will includeProfessor Jennie MacDiarmid, who is Director for the Interdisciplinary Centre for Health, Nutrition and Wellbeing at the University of Aberdeen) and Dustin Benton, now a consultant at Forefront Advisors. Dustin previously worked at Defra, where he was Chief Analytical Advisor to Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy, and led on climate and renewables at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).
The event will include a provided lunch, mostly conventional food, though samples of meat and dairy replacement foods, including insect protein, will be available to try (participation not obligatory!).
Book tickets now.

Let's Talk About Fashion Sustainability
2025-06-19 19:30 - 21:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
According to the UN Environment Programme, the fashion industry is the world’s second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
Yet fashion and clothing are also key statements of individuality and mediators of human understanding, connection, and distinction. Is it possible to transform our thinking about fashion and design toallow fashionable clothing to become sustainable? This talk introduces the Centre for Sustainable Fashion’s ‘Framework for Design’; examining the context of fashion design from the viewpoints of both planetary and social justice, it will explore four agendas of fashion as nature, cultures, society and economy.
Professor Dilys Williams FRSA, Director of Centre for Sustainable Fashion, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, London.

Tickets £3-£6

The Dao of Complexity with Dr Jean Boulton
2025-07-01 19:30 - 21:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
The pandemic, climate change, rising populism, geopolitical unrest – just a few of the issues causing turbulence in today’s world. We are living and working in times that are complex and fast changing.
Jean Boulton, building on her new book, The Dao of Complexity (2024: De Gruyter), will explore the remarkable resonance between the science of complexity and the cosmology of Daoism. She will argue that embracing a view of the world as processual, contextual and emergent will support us in “making waves” – making a difference in a world of increasing connectivity, polarisation and fragility.
Dr Jean Boulton is a fellow of the Institute of Physics, and a visiting academic in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Bath. She is a renowned expert in complexity science and its application to the social world and she is keenly interested in how to apply these ideas both to transform and engender resilience.
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Talk and Q&A with Mya-Rose Craig, or 'Birdgirl'
2025-07-02 18:00 - 20:00 | A Patch Wilder, A Patch Wilder, Shipham Road, Winscombe, Somerset, Bath, BS25 1RQ, United Kingdom
Mya-Rose Craig, also known as ‘Birdgirl’, is a multi-award-winning young naturalist, author, and founded UK charity Black2Nature when she was 12 years old. She has shared a stage with Emma Watson and Greta Thunberg and did the most northerly climate strike with Greenpeace. Join us for a talk and Q&A session covering her books, experiences and Black2Nature’s work with Visible Minority Ethnic children from inner cities going into Somerset and engaging with nature, biodiversity loss, and global climate justice.
A Patch Wilder is a small farm managed for wildlife by two ecologists. It’s nestled in the West Mendip Hills north of Cheddar. The talk will be held in a converted barn events space. For those with limited mobility, it is possible to park next to the barn. Please get in touch with access requirements sian.bentley@somersetwildlife.org.uk
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How to Use Your Sewing Machine
2025-07-05 10:30 - 12:00 | Southdown Methodist Church Hall, The Hollow, Bath, BA2 1NJ, United Kingdom
This hands-on workshop is for beginners and those who haven’t used their sewing machine in a while. It will guide you through setting up and help show you how to get the most from your sewing machine.
It will include:

Learning to wind the bobbin and thread your machine
Understanding the various functions and stitches of your sewing machine
Simple problem solving

Our volunteer tutors will help answer any specific questions and resolve issues you have with your machine.
As this workshop is primarily intended to help you get the most out of your own machine, sewing machines do vary, it is best to learn on your own machine.
Don’t forget to bring your own machine (and the manual for your machine would be helpful too!) If you don’t have your own sewing machine we have a limited number that you can borrow (please select Borrow A Sewing Machine at checkout).
Please note that under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times, and we are asking for a suggested donation of £10
P.S. don’t forget your power lead and foot pedal!
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Green Screen: The Line We Crossed
2025-07-09 18:00 - 21:00 | The Little Theatre, St Michael's Place, Bath, BA1 1SF, United Kingdom
Green Screen is proud to present two screenings of THE LINE WE CROSSED with live panels featuring director Liz Smith and participants from the film as well as other special guests TBA.
Bath – Wednesday 9th July, 6pm hosted by Transition Bath
As we fail to address the climate crisis, activists cross the line into civil disobedience with chilling consequences for their lives and our protest rights. A British story of dissent, drawn from the frontlines of climate resistance. Through the experiences of those who stood in defiance, it traces the quiet unraveling of our protest rights. The film challenges audiences to question what makes dissent effective and where the line of acceptability is.
This film contains flickering or flashing lights that may affect those with photosensitive epilepsy.
Green Screen is a community-led space to discuss the environmental issues raised in the films we show. Everyone is invited to continue the conversation after the film in the cinema’s bar or cafe – enjoy a free tea or filter coffee when you bring a keep cup!
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