Kate Griffin freelance journalism and editing

East Oxford’s most famous event will be taking place in a different location this year.  The Cowley Road Carnival, Oxford’s largest community-led outdoor event, will be held in South Park and renamed “Carnival in the Park”.

The move is happening because the event’s organisers are not confident of securing enough funding to close Cowley Road and turn it into a car-free space for the day. Closing the road incurs significant costs because of the need to re-route buses and ensure the safety of the thousands of attendees.

A “greater Greater Leys” could be built as early as 2013 if city council plans go ahead. Oxford City Council plans to develop the land beyond Grenoble Road, creating a new housing estate that would surround Greater Leys.

The land in question is part of the Oxford Green Belt, which means that it has official protection from being developed and can only be built on in exceptional circumstances.

Oxford artists are creating window displays with a difference this winter. WinterLight Windows is a series of installations created by artist-led community groups to brighten up Oxfordshire windows this winter. 

The rising price of crude oil is affecting the price of all sorts of things, from the food on your table to the clothes  you’re wearing. But the most direct effect has been on transport costs. The mainstream media bemoans the plight of two-car families, but people on lower incomes have been hit much harder. Here’s how to save money  on your transport costs.

Kate Griffin reviews Measure for Measure, performed by Creation Theatre Company this spring at the North Wall Arts Centre.

Hypocrisy, lies, secrets and blackmail. No, I'm not talking about Eastenders; I'm talking about one of Shakespeare's most difficult plays. Measure for Measure, performed by Creation Theatre Company this spring, is a story where family loyalties are torn apart by impossible choices.

Climate change is the biggest threat the world has ever faced, but that doesn't mean the individual is powerless. Kate Griffin lists five things you can do today to help slow down climate change.

1. Kick the EasyJet habit. Flying is a quick and cheap way of getting to your destination, but it's also one of the biggest causes of climate change. One flight to Spain produces more greenhouse gases than some people in the Third World will produce in a whole lifetime.

What is the climate anyway?

The Pocket Oxford Dictionary defines climate as the "prevailing weather conditions of an area". Basically, climate is the long-term weather tendencies in any given area - or in the world as a whole. It's not about the weather on any given day, it's about the average weather over a long period of time.

So what's climate change?

It's official: the plastic bag is now seriously uncool. On a global level, marine scientists have known for decades that plastic rubbish finds its way into our oceans. Once in the sea, the same tiny pellet of plastic can kill countless birds and fish in a macabre cycle: the animal eats the plastic and dies, then the animal's body rots away to expose the plastic inside. The plastic is then back in the ocean, ready to kill another unsuspecting bird or fish.