The second week of the Climate Change Conference in Cancun is about to begin.
At a time when governments are making cuts Sarah-Jayne Clifton offers alternatives to carbon trading that need not cost the tax-payer any more.
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
PLYMOUTH FRIENDS OF THE EARTH MEETING TONIGHT!
Reminder: Plymouth FoE monthly meeting on Tuesday 23 November, 7.30pm, Unitarian Church Hall, Notte St
Meet other group members and hear from Jackie Young, Sustainability Officer at Plymouth City Council, what they are doing to tackle climate change
Hello everyone!
I’m the Network Developer for the South West Region and I work in our London offices supporting our marvelous local groups’ network. I’ve been helping Plymouth Friends of the Earth over the past few months with various bits and bobs given that the absolutely amazing Sheila Evans took the well-earned decision to step down as Coordinator of the group and devote her passion and energy to a few other interests. I’m so impressed with how committed she’s been to the group and I’m sure you will join me in wishing her all the best as she steps down and take a bit of a break!
For the next few months I’ve agreed to act as the main point of contact for the group for anyone getting in touch, and to likewise send a little reminder about meetings to the wider membership.
I am very sorry that this one comes a little a late! I’m afraid I got ill, just before going on annual leave and I am only now catching up with myself.
The meeting is going ahead tomorrow night, from 7.30pm at the Unitarian Church Hall on Notte St.
Jackie Young, Sustainability Officer at Plymouth Council, will be talking to the group about Local Carbon Frameworks – how they work and what the council is doing to involve the wider community in Plymouth to help the city reduce its CO2 emissions (the council have a target of 60% reduction by 2020).
As background reading, you may be interested in our latest briefing on our campaign calling on the Government to introduce Local Carbon Budgets:http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/local_carbon_budgets.pdf
We discussed at the last meeting setting up a blog to help raise the profile of the group, as well as an email list to allow members to communicate with each other directly. So watch this space!
Also, I’m excited to let you know that we are organizing our next South West Local Groups Get-together (for all groups in the region) in Plymouth on the 15 January at the Babbage building )part of Plymouth University) so keep the date in your diary and keep an eye out on the Community website here for more details and a programme:http://www.foe.co.uk/get_involved/community.html
I hope some of you can make it tomorrow,
All the best,
Katie
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Flooding in Cornwall: Don't worry though, next year the Big Society will step in.
It was great to see David Cameron offering his support to those affected by the first major flash floods of this winter. It is just a shame that this support is nothing more than empty rhetoric.
Speaking in Parliament today he said the government would do all it could to help those affected.
What the government is doing is the following.
Cutting DEFRA's budget of £3bn by £700m by the end of the spending review in 2015.(1)
Defra's biggest cuts in money terms are in resource spending for administration and front-line services, which will be reduced by 29%, from £2.3bn this year to £1.8bn in 2014-15 – the third highest reduction in percentage terms of any government department. (2)
Capital spending, mostly on flood defences, will drop from £600m this year to £400m each year. Added up over the four years of the spending review, the department and its agencies will spend £2bn less than it would have, not accounting for the effect of inflation.(3)
There seems to be increasingly more floods each year. A debate continues over whether there is more flooding or simply higher levels of observation combined with development on flood planes. Whatever the truth of this it remains that at the moment we don't seem to be able to deal effectively with the current level of flooding. If we continue to develop on flood planes and levels of flooding increase this can only lead to a greater need for support and infrastructure to be in place to deal with it.
I have yet to hear a convincing argument as to how exactly volunteers will succeed in building and maintaining their own flood defences.
It is surely in the interests of a country to have effective flood defences, as it effects not only those directly hit by flooding but also emergency services and the wider economy.
Now I must get back to seeing what is happening with the Royal Wedding. Will Kate break tradition and have a strapless wedding dress?
(1), (2),(3), Juliette Jowit, The Guardian, 20th October 2010,
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Foraging while you walk.
Foraging seems to be one of the latest 'discoveries' amongst eco-friendly minded folk, with courses even being run in central London. I'm not sure how tasty a blackberry from Hyde Park would taste but you never know!
I would imagine my grand parents would find this 'new' fad quite amusing, since they could identify trees, fruit, berries and other such now arcane knowledge without having to refer to a foraging guide. It is a shame that more people don't have a wider knowledge, but then again it makes the pickings richer for anyone willing to invest a few minutes searching online or in a foraging guide.
The best of the wild mushrooms have now gone but there are plenty of Sweet Chestnuts on the ground just waiting to be picked up. This last weekend I was up in Rame Woods near Cawsand where there are a number of trees. In a few minutes of picking while we walked we managed to collect enough for a snack. While they were pretty small compared to the nuts you might see in the supermarket they tasted just as good.
You can learn how to identify a Sweet Chestnut here, and there is far more information than I possess in this excellent article but you need to be quick.
There is even a growing online map of places to forage called forage.rs. Personally I enjoy the idea of getting out and seeing what you can find or simply fall up on; sometimes things will literally fall on you! Just remember to gain permission if your going on to somebodies property and make sure your picking Sweet Chestnuts and not Conkers!
Sunday, 31 October 2010
WHAT NEXT FOR CLIMATE CHANGE?
Meeting at Plymouth City Council 29 Oct 2010
Several members of Plymouth FOE attended this meeting. It was opened by Prof Iain Stewart of Plymouth Uni, talking of climate change, both the present understanding, and where we go now. He outlined the evidence for climate change: retreating glaciers, shrinking arctic and greenland ice, sea level rise, sea temp rise. All the data shows that this has progressed inexorably since the 1950s. Ice core samples confirm that although there has been CO2 fluctuation over the past million years, it has never reached the current levels.
There is consensus among climate scientists that it is the manmade contribution to greenhouse gases that is driving up the temperature [and not solar activity]. The climate sceptics are mostly not scientists, and thrive on sewing seeds of doubt. But, if you choose to disbelieve 2500 top climate scientists from around the world, who do you believe? Rather, it is time to accept that it is happening, and move on to what we should do.
Next was Dr Andy Phippen, from the Plym Uni business dept. He showed how all business has changed over the past 10-20yrs, becoming environmentally aware. They have responded both to customer and employee expectation, as well as legislation. Businesses have to be green.
Sarah Holmes, a lawyer, spoke of how environmental law has changed . In 1990, it was concerned with direct pollution, eg discharges. By 2000, it was indirect pollution, eg nitrates from fertiliser seeping into rivers and drinking water. Now it controls access to the market place, ie you must demonstrate the sourcing of materials used in manufacture, plans for disposal,etc. She quoted the economist Sir Nicholas Stern who said that we had to spend 1% GDP now to mitigate climate change, or risk spending 20% later in clearing up the mess. So, although there is no legal successor to Kyoto, the EU has set itself targets for CO2 reduction and increasing % of energy from renewables. All UK businesses over a certain size have to register for energy monitoring, and paying for CO2 produced.
Helen Pineo of the Local Gov. group spoke of how local gov. was responding to the challenge set by the climate change minister to reduce carbon emissions, now that the regional bodies have been disbanded. There is shared information on best practice with regard to climate change mitigation, sustainable energy technologies etc
Jacky Young from the city council spoke of Plymouth's Local Carbon Framework. Plymouth plans to cut CO2 by 20% by 2013, 60% by 2030, 80% by 2050. Plymouth is ahead of the rest of the UK, and has been chosen as one of 9 pilots looking at carbon reduction. Plymouth was chosen because it already had a framework/action plan; and because it has good relationships with local business.
Finally Alex Hurth, the council's carbon manager [a new post] explained his job: to ensure compliance with environmental law, to look at energy management [and reductions] in the council's buildings; and also transport issues. His brief is to try and reduce Plymouth's carbon footprint [already below the national average].
A very interesting day, showing how national policy is being interpreted and delivered at local level by local government, businesses and individuals.
By Kevin Mattholie
Several members of Plymouth FOE attended this meeting. It was opened by Prof Iain Stewart of Plymouth Uni, talking of climate change, both the present understanding, and where we go now. He outlined the evidence for climate change: retreating glaciers, shrinking arctic and greenland ice, sea level rise, sea temp rise. All the data shows that this has progressed inexorably since the 1950s. Ice core samples confirm that although there has been CO2 fluctuation over the past million years, it has never reached the current levels.
There is consensus among climate scientists that it is the manmade contribution to greenhouse gases that is driving up the temperature [and not solar activity]. The climate sceptics are mostly not scientists, and thrive on sewing seeds of doubt. But, if you choose to disbelieve 2500 top climate scientists from around the world, who do you believe? Rather, it is time to accept that it is happening, and move on to what we should do.
Next was Dr Andy Phippen, from the Plym Uni business dept. He showed how all business has changed over the past 10-20yrs, becoming environmentally aware. They have responded both to customer and employee expectation, as well as legislation. Businesses have to be green.
Sarah Holmes, a lawyer, spoke of how environmental law has changed . In 1990, it was concerned with direct pollution, eg discharges. By 2000, it was indirect pollution, eg nitrates from fertiliser seeping into rivers and drinking water. Now it controls access to the market place, ie you must demonstrate the sourcing of materials used in manufacture, plans for disposal,etc. She quoted the economist Sir Nicholas Stern who said that we had to spend 1% GDP now to mitigate climate change, or risk spending 20% later in clearing up the mess. So, although there is no legal successor to Kyoto, the EU has set itself targets for CO2 reduction and increasing % of energy from renewables. All UK businesses over a certain size have to register for energy monitoring, and paying for CO2 produced.
Helen Pineo of the Local Gov. group spoke of how local gov. was responding to the challenge set by the climate change minister to reduce carbon emissions, now that the regional bodies have been disbanded. There is shared information on best practice with regard to climate change mitigation, sustainable energy technologies etc
Jacky Young from the city council spoke of Plymouth's Local Carbon Framework. Plymouth plans to cut CO2 by 20% by 2013, 60% by 2030, 80% by 2050. Plymouth is ahead of the rest of the UK, and has been chosen as one of 9 pilots looking at carbon reduction. Plymouth was chosen because it already had a framework/action plan; and because it has good relationships with local business.
Finally Alex Hurth, the council's carbon manager [a new post] explained his job: to ensure compliance with environmental law, to look at energy management [and reductions] in the council's buildings; and also transport issues. His brief is to try and reduce Plymouth's carbon footprint [already below the national average].
A very interesting day, showing how national policy is being interpreted and delivered at local level by local government, businesses and individuals.
By Kevin Mattholie
Friday, 29 October 2010
Plight of Paraguay: Inspiration to Change.
The following is a reflection on one of the talks that I was lucky enough to hear at this years Friends of the Earth Conference. It was my first time and hopefully won't be my last!.
Pablo clicked up a map of Paraguay and its forest cover circa 1980, and next the present cover. A collective gasp, followed by stunned looks of disbelief and mutual recognition of the incomprehensible change in the land.
Watching a country's forest almost completely disappear over 25 years is an astonishing disgrace. Astonishingly terrible efficiency - converting the land to mostly international exports (soy and other non-staple crops)-and disgraceful behaviour at every level by those who have created, sold, planted the crops and poisoned the land.
Pablo Valenzuala is Director of Communications for Friends of the Earth Paraguay (Sobrevivencia). He showed very effectively (even through a translator) the plight of the Atlantic Forest, and of the indigenous people who relied on the land for their livelihood and basic survival.
Survival is the literal translation of Sobrevivencia and, after hearing the talk, you could see the reason for the group’s name. They are literally fighting: for the survival of indigenous people and communities; for what is left of the forest; against the threat of poisoning from herbicides and pesticides imported into the country by the likes of Cargill and Monsanto; and for the wider rights of us all to own our (non-GM) seed.
“Our seed” may sound as unusual to you as to me but it is central to our existence. There is an ongoing battle to resist large corporations that are seeking to profit from destroying diversity and essentially patenting what is left. Nobody or organization should have that level of control and power. Yet it has already begun.
We are both most probably sat within five miles of a Tesco or other supermarket, where a variety of produce sold is already being prescribed. The corporations operating in Paraguay are intent on total market domination of what is grown, and there is more profit in soy exports than a diverse eco-system supporting the climate and crops of those few million Paraguayans. What's there not to love about that?
Sadly, we unwittingly demand this each time we opt for cheap meat - mostly produced using soy feed, which largely comes from South America. You can change this by adapting your eating habits, but also by lobbying your MP to support the Sustainable Livestock Bill at its second reading in the House of Commons on 12th November 2010.
With support it will begin the process of changing the way we rear and feed our livestock, and reduce demand for cheap soy and the destruction of further forest but to do so it is essential MPs are in Parliament on November 12th 2010.Get your MP MOOVING on it!
Pablo clicked up a map of Paraguay and its forest cover circa 1980, and next the present cover. A collective gasp, followed by stunned looks of disbelief and mutual recognition of the incomprehensible change in the land.
Watching a country's forest almost completely disappear over 25 years is an astonishing disgrace. Astonishingly terrible efficiency - converting the land to mostly international exports (soy and other non-staple crops)-and disgraceful behaviour at every level by those who have created, sold, planted the crops and poisoned the land.
Pablo Valenzuala is Director of Communications for Friends of the Earth Paraguay (Sobrevivencia). He showed very effectively (even through a translator) the plight of the Atlantic Forest, and of the indigenous people who relied on the land for their livelihood and basic survival.
Survival is the literal translation of Sobrevivencia and, after hearing the talk, you could see the reason for the group’s name. They are literally fighting: for the survival of indigenous people and communities; for what is left of the forest; against the threat of poisoning from herbicides and pesticides imported into the country by the likes of Cargill and Monsanto; and for the wider rights of us all to own our (non-GM) seed.
“Our seed” may sound as unusual to you as to me but it is central to our existence. There is an ongoing battle to resist large corporations that are seeking to profit from destroying diversity and essentially patenting what is left. Nobody or organization should have that level of control and power. Yet it has already begun.
We are both most probably sat within five miles of a Tesco or other supermarket, where a variety of produce sold is already being prescribed. The corporations operating in Paraguay are intent on total market domination of what is grown, and there is more profit in soy exports than a diverse eco-system supporting the climate and crops of those few million Paraguayans. What's there not to love about that?
Sadly, we unwittingly demand this each time we opt for cheap meat - mostly produced using soy feed, which largely comes from South America. You can change this by adapting your eating habits, but also by lobbying your MP to support the Sustainable Livestock Bill at its second reading in the House of Commons on 12th November 2010.
With support it will begin the process of changing the way we rear and feed our livestock, and reduce demand for cheap soy and the destruction of further forest but to do so it is essential MPs are in Parliament on November 12th 2010.Get your MP MOOVING on it!
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Meeting Times
Plymouth FOE meets at 7.30pm on the 4th Tuesday of the month (except August and December) at the Unitarian Church Hall, Notte Street, Plymouth (entrance round the back of the church). FREE entry! All welcome
Keep your eyes on the blog and elsewhere, as we may be holding meetings at a new venue in the future.
You can keep up to date with upcoming events by clicking on the Calendar link to the right of the screen. If you click on the "Agenda" tab you can view all the upcoming events in a list otherwise you can scroll through the months to see what is happening.
As well as FOE events we will also share information about other events you may be interested in attending.
If you would like us to share an event that you are holding in Plymouth or the surrounding areas then post or email the details to us.
Keep your eyes on the blog and elsewhere, as we may be holding meetings at a new venue in the future.
You can keep up to date with upcoming events by clicking on the Calendar link to the right of the screen. If you click on the "Agenda" tab you can view all the upcoming events in a list otherwise you can scroll through the months to see what is happening.
As well as FOE events we will also share information about other events you may be interested in attending.
If you would like us to share an event that you are holding in Plymouth or the surrounding areas then post or email the details to us.
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