Birmingham Friends of The Earth newsletter - Aug-Sep 2008

Agrofooling ourselves if we think this is the answer.

The big Friends of the Earth campaign over the summer and into September is lobbying MEPs to oppose the EU’s new legislation to impose a 10% target for use of biofuels (or agrofuels) in road transport. Agrofuels are produced by using biomass (material from plants or trees) to make liquid fuel (biodiesel or bioethanol).

Using the prefix “bio� normally makes people think that something has environmental benefits, but in this case nothing could be further from the truth, as the large scale conversion of either virgin or existing agricultural land into monoculture plantations is neither good for people nor the planet. Whilst still connected to the theme of climate change, this is an issue that is easy to sell to people as the effects of this ill-conceived plan are clear and immediate for everyone to see.

Continued on Page 12

3 - Warehouse News 5

- Campaigns Digest

7

- South Birmingham Community Radio

8

- Development and the Environment

11 - More Post Office Closures 12

- Agroofooling Ourselves

15

- Train to Spain

16

- Aviation Campaign Update

19 - Volunteer Spotlight 20 - La Velorution 21

- Diary

22

- Membership Form

23 - Contacts

2

Have you seen this man?

You may have seen me around Birmingham Friends of the Earth’s Warehouse building over the last few years as a volunteer and you will probably see a lot more of me in the future now I have been taken on as General Manager.

So what have I been up to in my first month in the most vibrant, ethical and friendly place in Birmingham?

Building Away Day Thank you to everybody who came to the event and for submitting ideas for the future of the building.

Over the next few months I will be working out how to bring some of the feasible ideas into reality, so expect to see me hunched over my keyboard writing funding applications.

Middle Bay – The space in the middle of the Birmingham Friends of the Earth Building.

How many people know there is a golf club, cricket bat and an eight foot stick of (pretend) dynamite in the middle bay? We found out after a big sort through which has resulted in easily accessible and

well labeled shelves in the prop store. This process has left the loading bay free from clutter, ready to be put to good use.

Volunteers Having put together a receptionist handbook and a volunteer pack, I have been working closely with BVSC (Centre for Voluntary Action) to encourage more people to become receptionists for Birmingham Friends of the Earth. If you know anybody who can spare four hours a week, would like to learn new skills or would just like to do something different, then please get in contact.

Phil Burrows

3

The shops and companies here have all come together because they are dedicated to working towards a healthier, more organic city.

So if you want to help make Birmingham a cleaner, greener place to live, or you just want to eat some good vegetarian food, then come to The Warehouse and see what’s going on.

SPROCKET Cycles

Sales, service, repairs, accessories. Bikes also built to your own specifications.

Established over 15 years ago in the Friends of the Earth Building in Birmingham The Warehouse Café has a reputation as a quality provider of vegetarian and vegan food in Birmingham.

“Real people serving real food with local, organic and fair trade leading the way” Guardian Unlimited.

To see the delicious menu go to www.thewarehousecafe.com For bookings and enquires Telephone 0121 633 0261 Email info@thewarehousecafe.com

4

Open Wednesday to Saturday, 10am-4pm 0121 633 0730

• 100% vegetarian and vegan • A Large selection of organic and fairtrade products, most supplied and delivered by a workers co-operative • Vegan owners - no meat or dairy products sold Open Monday to Saturday, 10am-5pm

Campaigns Digest Biofuels and railways have been the dominant themes of the past couple of months. Indeed, they are key articles in this very newsletter.

Firstly, on rail, our superb campaigner, John Hall, has been working tirelessly to promote campaigns for return of rail from Longbridge to Frankley and also for stations at Balsall Heath, Moseley, Kings Heath and Stirchley – a long-running campaign for the return of local rail on that line. We’ve run stalls in Longbridge, Frankley, Kings Heath and at the Shakespeare Line Fayre at Moor Street station.

Transport issues continue to be one of the most popular campaigns for Birmingham Friends of the Earth – many hundreds of people have signed petitions, made comments on planning applications or written letters about the desire for more local rail. Only, in the case of Longbridge, we’re going backwards, not forwards so we’re trying to stop that tide.

Transport issues continue to be one of the most popular campaigns for Birmingham Friends of the Earth

On biofuels, we are lobbying our Euro-MPs to strongly support the EU Renewables Directive but strongly oppose one aspect within it: for fuel tanks to contain 10% biofuel (i.e. food) by the year 2020.

Currently, 2.5% of fuel sold at the petrol pump consists of biofuel and has already seen some disastrous consequences – both social and environmental. In the past couple of months, Birmingham Friends of the Earth and Oxfam Midlands have met with Conservative MEP, Malcolm Harbour and Labour MEP, Neena Gill.

Malcolm was very knowledgeable about biofuels and we had a constructive conversation.

While he was concerned about the many negative aspects about biofuels, he did believe they had some role to play (beyond recycled use of cooking oil that everyone supports). He did support strong regulation on car efficiency, which is interesting given his car industry background. Neena Gill was particularly concerned about land grabbing by big companies that need land to cultivate biofuel crops.

Neena asked us to write a written briefing that she could take to her Labour group meeting to agree on a common position.

Nigel Baker, Lou Twist and Joe Peacock ran some well-received workshops on biofuels on two occasions, one of which was at an event at the Birmingham Buddhist Centre in Moseley, while the other was at the ‘Believing in our Environment’ event organised by Maud Grainger at the Botanical Gardens in Edgbaston. This

5

Campaigns Digest event was principally aimed at faith groups and families – we attracted over 300 people on a wet and windy day. A whole range of stalls, children’s activities and workshops assisted attendees to consider the link between their faith and modern day environmental issues.

Other outreach included a strong presence at the Birmingham Climate Change Festival, the UN Association Climate Change Conference and Michelle Ireland’s ‘chat show’ on Unity FM. The ‘Faith and Climate Change’ project was nominated for a Friends of the Earth Earthmover award along with the Flyagra runway campaign and the Billesley Lane allotments

campaign victory. The Faith project went further by making yet further progress in the Big Green Challenge – originally there were over 350 competition entries. This time, we moved from the top 100 projects in this national competition to find ourselves in the top 21 and entered into a ‘dragon’s den’ type situation as on The Apprentice. Maud Grainger and two others will go to London to defend our project as the judges attempt to see how water tight the project is. Watch this space – success would mean we gain significant assistance and funding to continue the project.

Chris Williams

Roxanne Green & Michelle Ireland at the Climate Change Festival

6

continued

South Birmingham Community Radio The thing I remember most from the first meeting I attended about South Birmingham Community Radio (SBCR) was Peni Whelan saying “Community radio is 90% community and 10% radio.”

Peni and SBCR Board Secretary Nick Shough are the collective brains behind SBCR, and had organised a public meeting to offer local residents an insight into the plans for developing a community radio station in South Birmingham and to find volunteers to help out.

We’ve come a long way since that first meeting. We formed a management committee, got some funding from Community Network South West, appointed Peni as Station Manager and our first 28 day FM broadcast is due to launch at the beginning of August. We have had our first successful internet broadcast, live from the launch of Birmingham’s Climate Change Festival. As well as broadcasting the speeches given at the launch we were able to conduct interviews with Cllr Paul Tilsley, the Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, and Dame Ellen MacArthur, who gave us some excellent tips on changes an individual can make to reduce their negative environmental impact.

These interviews can be found on our website. We were also able to demonstrate our capacity for using alternatives to mainstream

power sources by bringing along a 12-volt battery attached to an 85w photovoltaic solar panel that generated easily enough power for the laptop we used to broadcast our stream.

One of our key objectives as a community radio station is to raise awareness of environmental issues and the contribution that individuals can make to the cause of sustainability and reducing the harmful impacts of human behaviour on our planet’s ecosystem. It is mandated by our constitution that we will seek to generate as much of the power we need as possible from alternative sources of energy and we have been loaned two solar panels to start that process rolling.

We are keen for anyone who is interested to get involved – whether you are looking to present a show, put together a documentary on a subject relevant to the people of South Birmingham or do some behind-the-scenes audio magic, then please do get in touch or just come along to one of our radio training evenings every Tuesday at Bishop Challenor Sports Centre in Kings Heath. It’s very good fun!

Website: http://tinyurl.com/5q3zk2 E-mail: sbcradio@gmail.com Phone (Peni Whelan): 07828 797467 Paul Ansorge

7

Wrongbridge: Birmingham’s Longbridge site has the potential to turn an employment tragedy into a development that could lead the region in a better direction. Its failing, however, is that current plans destroy any chance of reopening the railway line from Longbridge to Frankley. John Hall explains the site’s railway history and recent plans that have scuppered its reinstatement.

In 1905, Herbert Austin and his brother Harry raised capital of £37,000 to build cars that were rare things in those days. They took over an old print works, in Longbridge, which was then in the County of Worcestershire.

In the same area, of what was then attractive and productive farmland, construction of Hollymoor Hospital (Rubery) was under way.

Contractors brought building

Photo of Longbridge by Kate&Drew

8

The Longbridge to Frankley Railway

materials to the site by railway along the most convenient access point at the sidings at Rubery Station on the G.W.R./Midland Railway joint line from Longbridge to Halesowen.

By February 1915, a railway station had been built within the Longbridge works and expansion work included North Works that was built on land bounded by the Halesowen Branch railway. The River Rea that had co-existed with the railway, and which flowed eastwards towards the city, bisected the site so it was put underground in a culvert. The new West Works, commissioned fully in 1980, continued the practice of supply by rail with a link into the building bringing in body panels from the Swindon plant.

Completed in 2002, Great Park was a major development close to the Longbridge plant on a 200 acre former hospital site with offices, houses, industrial units, leisure facilities, a supermarket, health centre, and an area of public open space. It would seem to offer more than enough facilities for the area and nearby Northfield’s new road was partly funded by a supermarket.

Dating back many years has been the plan for a railway connection from Longbridge to Frankley. Today, on the section between Longbridge and Rubery Lane, there are no obstructions and the track is in place from Longbridge station over half the length. Instead of running the whole length to Frankley, the railway could run only as far as Rubery Lane, adjacent to Great Park and down the hill from new housing at Hollymoor.

A study of the full extent to Frankley by professionals working for Centro had assumed that instead of having a level crossing, Rubery Lane would cross the railway on a bridge. People living near to Rubery Lane then had concerns that a new bridge and embankment would overshadow the houses, and objected. Added to this, the reinstatement of a rail line beyond Rubery Lane would impact on Balaams Wood. However, giving up on the full route to Frankley would remove the principal objections to the railway whilst still being much

better than no railway at all.

When the car plant closed and scores of local businesses suffered, dynamic committees were set up that took the decisions and policies already in place, added proposals of their own, and then consulted on them. One idea, for instance, was that the A38 should be a technology corridor, with the vacant land at Longbridge offering a development opportunity. An unconvincing proposal, as there was already plenty of vacant

The world’s poorest people are already being, and will continue to be, hit hardest by climate change land alongside major roads elsewhere in Birmingham – and no one queuing up for a slice. The outcome included a website www. future4longbridge.co.uk where the study and its proposals were stated.

Since then, an Area Action Plan (AAP) has been drafted, which is a planning document that supersedes everything that has

9

Wrongbridge: gone before. In brief, it seeks to set up a new local centre, a major technology type employment site, some car manufacturing, housing, a Park and Ride, a new bus route to Frankley, road improvements, a new park, and opening up of the River Rea. Sadly, what has been dumped from the proposal is the long mooted reinstatement of the railway from Frankley to Longbridge.

Birmingham Friends of the Earth became aware of planning application S/01814/08/FUL, which innocuously takes the River Rea out of its culvert and also proposes to eradicate the railway. For those with an interest, it is worth viewing and commenting on the application.

Birmingham Friends of the Earth has responded to the planning issues

Multi Faith & Climate Change

by Akiko Bathgate

10

Longbridge to Frankley Railway Continued from page 9...

and believes it is important for individuals to think about what they want and to have their say.

The railway needs to be retained and the proposal for a car park needs to go. Putting the building costs for car parking into another fund, for example, a 25 year feeder bus contract, which would bring many more people to Longbridge Station with much less environmental cost. The BFOE response calls for forward thinking use of the land and development of planet-friendly manufacture and employment. But so far, the ideas lack the vision that is needed for Longbridge: the site of broken dreams.

John Hall

More Post Office Closures The Government has announced more post office closures, and in Birmingham alone there are 26 branches that face closure, despite the fact that many of them are in the midst of close-knit neighbourhoods, adding further pressure to struggling shopping parades.

The loss of the 26 post offices would lead to less people using nearby local shops, which could cause small independent shops to close.

The closure of post offices is very much linked to the survival of small, independent businesses. Birmingham Friends of the Earth have been running a Shop Local First campaign which encourages shoppers to use their local shop first before the supermarket.

The great benefits of local shops are: • Local shops are more likely to provide local food. The content of an average shopping trolley travels over 10,000 miles, polluting the environment.

• Local shops keep money circulating in the local area. The New Economics Foundation found that £1 spent with a local shop rather than a supermarket is four times better for the local economy.

• Local shops are more energy efficient than supermarkets – it would take more than 60 greengrocers to match one supermarket’s energy usage.

So remember to support your local post office and shop local first.

Mary Horesh

11

if we think this is the answer.

Agrofooling ourselves Continued from front page

Continued from front page....

Carbon neutral?

In April 2007 European member states agreed to a proposal for a mandatory target that agrofuels should make up to 10% of all transport fuels (by energy content) by 2020. Certain conditions have been applied to this in order to allay concerns over the possible negative impacts, such as sustainability criteria that states “Biofuels and other bioliquids…shall not be made from raw material obtained from land with recognised high biodiversity value” and that the 10% should come from “renewable energy”. However, in practice economic pressure will lead to the target being met by the cheapest option. In addition, the sustainability criteria that have been proposed at the EU are not strong enough to prevent degradation of land in the developing world and they include no measures to address social impacts.

Surely something that grows and absorbs CO2 in the process is better for the environment than fossil fuels and will have less impact overall in terms of emissions. This is the argument that has been used to support the use of biofuels. However, there are many other factors to take into account when looking at the carbon footprint of agrofuels.

Conservative MEP Malcom Harbour discussing Biofuels at the Warehouse with Maya Segas from Oxfam.

12

Far from decreasing emissions, agrofuels actually increase them.

Far from decreasing emissions, agrofuels actually increase them.

What has become clear through research is that when land use, use of fertilisers to grow the crops, production and transportation of the finished product are taken into account, the net carbon impact is actually higher than burning fossil fuels.

It would be almost impossible to grow all the crops we need for the quantity of biofuels proposed, as this would require 40% of all our agricultural land. Instead, they are imported from developing countries, where virgin rain forest,

grasslands or wetlands are often being cleared for its production.

These places are known as carbon sinks because the native vegetation has significant properties of carbon storage. Clearing and converting them at such a time when we need to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere is the last thing we should consider.

The growing of these commercial crops requires large amounts of fertiliser, in order for the yield to be sufficiently large. The production of this fertiliser releases nitrous oxide, a gas which is 300 times more potent in terms of its greenhouse effect than CO2. Therefore, even the use of crops that are grown in the European Union, such as rape seed, have been shown to contribute more to climate change than burning fossil fuels.

Finally, the production of the actual fuels requires energy, which comes from burning fossil fuels. The transportation of huge containers carrying the finished product also requires large amounts of fossil fuels to be burnt. A law which is supposed to be reducing emissions is actually increasing them, so it is imperative that it should not be passed.

Are agrofuels responsible for food shortages and increases in prices?

While agrofuels are not the only factor in the massive increase in food prices over the last couple of

years, most experts agree that they are a major factor. A leaked report from the World Bank suggests that biofuels are responsible for world food price rises of around 75%.

Countries where people spend 5080% of their money on food are the ones where such increases will be felt the most. Oxfam has stated that 600 million more people than already predicted will not have enough to eat by 2020 due to these targets.

While agrofuels are not the only factor in the massive increase in food prices over the last couple of years, most experts agree that they are a major factor.

Grain reserves are now at an all-time low, despite this the EU is looking to increase the amount of biodiesel produced. The financial incentive is for more people to grow crops for fuel rather than food. Even in our own affluent country people are complaining about high food prices.

So to be pursuing this target, which will lead to further increases in the

13

if we think this is the answer.

Agrofooling ourselves Continued from front page

cost of food and reduce the amount grown for human consumption, is baffling to say the least.

Displacement of native people and destruction of rainforests The arguments for not destroying rainforests are well known to us now, as they support an incredible amount of biodiversity, as well as being the lungs for the planet by producing oxygen and sequestering carbon dioxide. The unsustainable level of demand for agrofuels is creating competition over how land is used and inevitably this means that the big, agrofuel-growing corporations win out over local farmers, who are then pushed into areas where they destroy virgin land and come into conflict with forest dwellers. Communities are at risk from land-grabbing practices, as well as being forced into working as labourers on massive plantations and many experts are convinced that the sustainability criteria will not protect communities from any of these social consequences.

The Alternatives It seems that we have been talking about the same solutions to the problem of energy supply for many years, but as they are the alternatives to agrofuels too, it would be strange not to mention them again. A more sustainable transport system needs to be developed and car manufactures forced to improve the efficiency of their vehicles

14

It seems that we have been talking about the same solutions to the problem of energy supply for many years, but as they are the alternatives to agrofuels too, it would be strange not to mention them again. through legally-binding targets for CO2 emissions. If this is done in conjunction with producing more renewable energy for domestic electricity supply, it would have a significant impact on levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

For more detailed information on suggestions for changes to legislation regarding vehicles look on the Friends of the Earth website.

You may also write to your Member of the European Parliament here: http://www.foe.co.uk/biofuels Joe Peacock

The Train to Spain Last December I found myself catching Eurostar at St Pancras for Paris Gare Du Nord, crossing Paris by metro to Gare St Austerlitz and from there taking the overnight Trainhotel to Madrid.

Trainhotel sounds evocative and conjures up images of glamorous Europeans quaffing champers whilst assorted agents rush about enigmatically. I expected to encounter at least one heiress travelling with her poodle, or perhaps a group of sophisticates playing bridge in the dining car, and I imagined being interviewed by Interpol! The cabin brought me back to earth - it was comfortable and functional.

The Trainhotel to Spain is operated by a joint Spanish rail (RENFE) and French rail (SNCF) organization called Elipsos. The trains are named after Spanish painters like Francisco de Goya or Joan Miro, although strangely no Salvador Dali (the mind boggles)!

There are several seating options available: a simple recliner, one berth in a 4-berth cabin, two sharing, or sole occupancy. Whilst the recliner is only a bit cheaper than a berth, the two or one per cabin options are expensive so I chose one berth in a 4 berth cabin (price £189 return not including the Eurostar leg). There is a bar carriage selling light snacks and drinks and a fancy dining-car where you can eat in style (vegetarians must book ahead). A peek through the door

revealed no poodles so I settled for a cerveza plus sandwich in the bar.

Back in the cabin, I settled in and chatted with the other passengers.

They were going all the way but there are stops in Blois, Poitier, Vittoria, Burgos and Valladolid before Madrid (the Barcelona Trainhotel stops in Limoges, Perpignan, Figueras and Girona).

At about 10pm the guard comes around collecting passports (so you don’t get woken at the border) and also to convert the seats to bunks and then it’s lights out. Whilst the bunks are tight (anyone over 6 feet will struggle), I got to sleep fairly quickly and the next thing I knew I was in Madrid ready for breakfast.

The total journey time from Birmingham was 20 hours.

Everything was on time and hasslefree for both the outward and return trips and, with similar overnight trains running to other parts of Europe like Italy and Eastern Europe, I’d have no hesitation travelling this way again.

Andy Welch

Photo by Andy Welch

15

Multi Faith & Climate Change

by Akiko Bathgate

Aviation Campaign Update In January Birmingham Friends of the Earth joined forces with Birmingham Airport antiNoise Group (BANG) to launch a new campaign with the aim of persuading local planning authority Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to refuse planning permission for a proposed £120 million extension to the main runway at Birmingham International Airport.

The launch of the ‘Flyagra’ campaign and its dedicated website, www. flyagra.co.uk, received extensive coverage in the local media, as did a street stall in Solihull town centre in February, where campaigners from

16

The launch of the ‘Flyagra’ campaign and its dedicated website, www.flyagra.co.uk, received extensive coverage in the local media, as did a street stall in Solihull town centre

BANG and Birmingham FoE dressed as pilots and air stewardesses distributing free ‘Flyagra pills’ (cunningly disguised as handy blue foam earplugs) to passing shoppers - with a warning not to swallow!

Nearly two hundred letters objecting to the runway extension were signed by local people that afternoon.

The pros and cons of the runway extension were rigorously debated at a public meeting in March organised

by Birmingham FoE at the John Palmer Hall in Solihull. Chaired by Solihull News editor Ross Crawford, the packed meeting heard from four speakers: Lorely Burt MP (Liberal Democrat, Solihull) and John Morris of Birmingham International Airport Limited, who supported a motion to extend the runway, and Friends of the Earth’s Chris Crean and John Stewart of the Heathrow Airport residents campaign group HACAN Clearskies, who put the case against. Following a lively question and answer session, the motion was resoundingly defeated.

The airport runway extension was in the news again in June with the publication of the long-awaited health impact assessment commissioned

by Birmingham International Airport (BIA) Limited and carried out by IMPACT, the international health impact assessment consortium based at Liverpool University. Controversy erupted, however, when it emerged that the airport company, unsatisfied with IMPACT’s findings, had asked consultants RPS for a second opinion.

In its peer review of the health impact assessment, RPS concluded that the health benefits of the extra jobs created in the local community as a result of the runway extension would outweigh the negative health impacts of increasing aircraft noise and pollution.

Campaigners also question the validity of the economic cost-benefit analysis of the runway extension carried out for BIA Ltd by consultants York Aviation The runway extension, which could be up and running as early as 2012, will increase the range of longdistance air services available from Birmingham. Environmentalists and local residents fear the development will lead to more noise pollution and climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft and airportrelated road traffic. Campaigners also question the validity of the economic cost-benefit analysis of the runway extension carried out for

17

Aviation

Campaign Update Continued from Page 17

BIA Ltd by consultants York Aviation.

York Aviation’s cost-benefit analysis included an estimate of the future economic cost of the extra carbon dioxide emissions from planes using the extended runway, when in fact the total global-warming impact of aviation is two to four times greater than the impact of aircraft carbon dioxide emissions alone. When we consider that, according to York’s ‘sensitivity test’, the cost of aircraft carbon dioxide emissions would have to rise by only 36 per cent to reduce the net present value of the proposed runway extension to £0, it is likely that the true climate-change cost of the

18

runway extension outweighs all the potential benefits of the development identified by York put together.

Following a meeting with senior planners at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in June, we understand that the Council’s planning committee will decide whether or not to grant planning permission some time in September 2008. You can comment on the planning application at any time up until the date of the decision, so please fill out and send the action postcard enclosed with this newsletter. Thank you!

James Botham

Volunteer Spotlight Chris Williams interviews Maureen Kirkbright

What do you do here?

I am the Membership Secretary. I run the membership database, updating it when subscriptions or donations are made and I send out packs to new members.

What do group?

you

like

about

the

Everyone is so friendly and I feel that what I do here is very worthwhile.

I know that I am contributing something that is very essential to the organisation. I care about the group’s aims and I am kept informed of the important environmental issues.

What environmental concern you the most?

How long have you been involved with Birmingham Friends of the Earth?

How did you first get involved?

18 months. I have known about Friends of the Earth for some time but only came across the Birmingham group when I met Tamsin (former General Manager) at the Birmingham Voluntary Services Council Volunteer Fair. I wanted a volunteer post to do during my retirement to keep me active and contribute to something worthwhile.

issues

Climate change is top of the list.

However, I am also concerned about the loss of local shops. I would like to keep them going and stop supermarkets taking over, virtually controlling what we buy, what we pay and how food is produced. I feel supermarkets have too much power now and we need choice between shops.

The airport issue is also important. There is already enough capacity at our airports and people can already fly to virtually anywhere from this country.

TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES AND ‘ADVERTISING ENCYCLOPEDIA’ Do you want to cancel your Advise that you don’t want to be telephone directories and ‘Yellow included in the distribution. Not all Pages’? call centre agents are aware that it is possible to cancel delivery so If so, you can do so by calling: you may need to politely insist.

BT: 0800 833 400, select option 5 Yellow Pages: 0800 671 444

19

La Velorution The Parisian term for the city’s one year old Velib bike hire scheme.

The local authority in Paris has deposited 20,000 distinctive heavy duty bicycles in about 750 special racks around the city, and anyone can simply swipe his or her ordinary travel card and pedal off. The bike doesn’t have to be returned to the same pick-up station: you can cycle from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre and leave it there.

The scheme is simple in that the same card can be used for public transport and for Velib, and that makes it accessible to locals and tourists alike. Subscription is minimal: one day costs 1 euro, one week costs 5 euros, one year costs just 29 euros; and for that you can make as many short trips as you like. The first half hour is free, with penalties for late returns.

Based on an already successful scheme in Lyon, the Paris one has confounded its critics with

Photo by La Velorution

20

more than 6 million rides clocked up in the first three months, and every bike rented on average 10 times a day. Fans of the scheme argue its success comes down to simplicity of use, density of pick-up stations (never more than 350 metres away) and good administration by JCDecaux who organise it all in return for exclusive access to the city’s advertising billboards.

There are other schemes around Europe. German cities like Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich have the Call A Bike scheme (although this has been criticised for requiring cyclists to call the bike control centre at the beginning and end of a ride).

There are also systems in Oslo and Stockholm; and the red and white “bicing” bikes in Barcelona. A scheme is proposed for Dublin, and London is planning to introduce rental bikes tied in with a Legible London signage system to encourage walking apparently 50% of tube journeys in London are quicker by foot.

One teething problem reported from Paris (and Barcelona) is that by the end of the day uphill stations are empty while downhill stations are full. Cyclists happily cruise down from Montmartre hill but seem less keen to pedal back up. However, with 50 people employed to redistribute the bikes to these higher altitude stations, Paris is setting a great example to Europe with La Velorution.

Andy Welch

21

Multi Faith & Climate Change

by Akiko Bathgate

Farmers’ Market Bearwood: 3rd Saturday of the month Birmingham University: 4th Wednesday of the month.

Harborne: 2nd Saturday of the month 9-2pm King’s Heath: 1st Saturday of the month King’s Norton: 2nd Saturday of the month Moseley: 4th Saturday of the month New St: 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month Shirley: 3rd Thursday of the month except Jan and Feb Solihull: 1st Friday of the month Sutton Coldfield: 2nd Friday of the month Visit this site for more info: http://thefoody.com/regions/centralfm. html#westmidlands

21

Become a Supporter...

We are the only organisation in Birmingham that campaigns on Climate Change, Transport, Local Shops, Planning, Waste and Recycling.

You can help us do this in a number of ways; 1.) By taking part in or our campaigns 2.) By joining us 3.) Both Whichever route you decide, you are helping to change your environment for the better. Making sure that those who pollute, monopolise or despoil locally, nationally or internationally are accountable. There are two ways to join us...

Either I wish to become a Golden Supporter with payments by standing order of £2 per month or more.

Or I wish to become an Annual Supporter, paying by standing order / cheque (Please delete as appropriate. Note that standing orders are cheaper for us to process).

Annual supporter fees are a minimum of: • £16 (waged) • £10 (unwaged) • £20 (joint/family)

Please

return with standing order or cheque to: Secretary, Friends of the Earth, 54-57 Allison Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 5TH.

Contact Details Full name: ..........................................

Address: ............................................ .........................................................

Town:................... Postcode: ...............

Telephone: .........................................

E-mail: ..............................................

Standing Order Form Sort Code (if known): .........................

Your name/ Account name: .................

Your account number: ........................

Bank Name/Address: ......................... .......................................................

Please pay the sum of £ every month/ year (delete as appropriate) starting on ____/____/_________ To: Friends of the Earth Birmingham Ltd., Account no: 50 72 58 30 Sort Code: 08-60-01 Unity Trust Bank, 9 Brindley Place, 4 Oozells square, Birmingham B1 2HE This replaces any previous standing order in favour of Friends of the Earth Birmingham.

Signature: ...................... Date: .........

Contact us: Friends of the Earth (Birmingham) The Warehouse 54-57 Allison Street Birmingham B5 5TH Tel: (0121) 632 6909 Fax: (0121) 643 3122 E-mail: info@birminghamfoe.org.uk

Chair: Benjamin Mabbett Campaigns Co-ordinators: Mary Horesh & Joe Peacock Campaigns Support Worker: Chris Williams General Manager: Phil Burrows Treasurer:

Web: www.birminghamfoe.org.uk

Margaret Lynch

Friends of the Earth is:

Aviation:

- The largest international network of environmental groups in the world, represented in 72 countries.

James Botham Climate Change & Energy: Nigel Baker Multi-faith and Climate Change Project:

- One of the UK’s leading enviromental pressure groups.

Rianne ten Veen & Maud Grainger

- A unique network of campaigning local groups, working in more than 200 communities in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Kate Nancarrow & Andy Pryke

- Over 90% of its funds come from its supporters.

John Hall

Birmingham FoE: Campaigns at a local level to effect environmental change (in ways which feed into national and international policy) through: - Direct action - Lobbying - Education

Waste and Resources: Local Shops: Mary Horesh Planning: Transport: Martin Stride Newsletter Editors: Katy Barry Phil Burrows Website Editor: Phil Burrows Talks: Paul Webb and others All enquiries and callers welcome.

- Empowering others to take action

Find us on page 74 of the B’ham

- Participation and representation through public fora

A-Z, grid ref: 4A

23

Printed on 100% Recycled Paper Using Vegetable Based Inks

Birmingham Friends of the Earth