Birmingham
friends of the earth
newsletter Feb - March 2014
stop wasting the waste You may have read in our newsletter last April-May about Birmingham City Council’s Waste Scrutiny Review. This has since moved on to investigating “Energy from Waste”, and its report is due to come out shortly. Getting energy from waste sounds like a good idea, if it displaces the burning of fossil fuels, but Birmingham Friends of the Earth is concerned that this does not mean burning rubbish, so destroying the value of the materials by turning them into ash and air pollution.
Continued on Page 13
contents 3 - campaigns’ digest 5 - in the media 7 - Warehouse news 8 - guest article - Equality West Midlands 9 - big green debate: electric cars 11- volunteer appeal 13 - stop wasting the waste (continued from front page) 16 - energising community energy 18 - trip to Majorca 19 - marine review 20 - where does all the tinsel go? 21 - volunteer spotlight 22 - diary 23 - contacts
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campaigns’ digest Hello and a very Happy New Year!
consider the environmental impacts of their decision.
We had an exciting and busy 2013 with, amongst other things, lots of stalls, events and the launch of our Let’s Get Moving campaign. 2014 is already shaping up to be no less busy with Let’s Get Moving going forward (pun fully intended), alongside work on other issues such as waste, energy and climate change. If you’re still looking for a solution to the dreaded New Year’s Resolutions, then why not get involved in Birmingham Friends of the Earth? We would love to have some new people along in 2014! As always our contacts are on page 23.
In more positive news on the Energy & Climate Change front, national Friends of the Earth are currently planning their new campaign around Community Energy. We’re not entirely sure what shape it will take at this point, but as a prelude to this campaign, we’ve done a bit of a profile of local sustainable energy projects. Please see the article by Tim, Shaz and John Wilkinson for more details.
Energy & Climate Change The news before Christmas was that the government would consider licensing a lot more of the country for fracking. Depending on which paper you read, around 40-60% of the country would be available to be fracked. The map showing the areas of the country which could be fracked, clearly shows Birmingham as one of these. The January fracking news was that councils will be offered cash incentives, such as 100% business rates and 1% of revenue from fracking, in order to get them to approve applications. While there are no fracking licence applications in Birmingham yet, we’re wondering how Birmingham City Council would react if one was put in. Despite the incentive to a council in financial difficulty, we hope they would fully
Biodiversity There hasn’t been much news on the Biodiversity front recently although we’re still waiting for the government to launch the consultation on its National Pollinator Strategy. Hopefully by the time you’re reading this newsletter, we’ll be responding to the government’s plans to save bees and other pollinators.
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campaigns’ digest (continued from page 3) Sutton Coldfield. We feel that as well as the negative aspect of building in the countryside, there are also the issues with how you connect these new settlements with transport systems and other services. This creates an inherent conflict with what the council is trying to do in the Birmingham Mobility Action Plan in trying to reduce car journeys.
Transport On the transport front, we’re waiting for the council response to the consultation on its 20mph proposals. We have been working on our response to the Birmingham Mobility Action Plan, which is the vision for the city’s transport system over the next 20 years. We’re cautiously welcoming this quite bold plan while also challenging the city council to be more ambitious. How all these ideas could be funded is probably the weakest part of the plan at the moment, so we ensured we made some suggestions as to how they could fund their ideas. Planning We’re currently responding to council’s Birmingham Development Plan, which, while containing many good aspects, does include proposals to build on greenbelt in
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Waste As the New Year begins we’re gearing up to do a bit more work on waste. We want to make sure that the Council does not get tempted to keep its incinerator after 2019. We’ll be making the case for the alternatives, and how a “waste” system could generate income for the city. Have a look at the main article by John Newson for more details of our thinking on this. Julien Pritchard
in the media It’s been a slightly quieter time in the media lately what with Christmas happening. But we’ve still been able to get our message across beyond the usual suspects on a number of occasions. First up I was interviewed by Adrian Goldberg on BBC WM about the fines a lot of drivers are getting for driving in bus lanes. I made the case for bus lanes, and how they were part of an integrated transport system. I added that having clear signage around bus lanes is important, but equally once that’s the case there’s no point having them if they’re not enforced. We had some coverage in the Birmingham Mail around 20mph limits in an effort to counter the UKIP campaign against the Council’s plans. We countered UKIP by pointing out that 20mph can be good for businesses. Making a safer environment for pedestrians means a shop’s footfall actually increases. Lower speeds also means fewer or less dangerous accidents. We were also quoted in the Birmingham Post praising the Green Commission’s Carbon Roadmap. We made the point that as always with these things, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. How much and how well will the roadmap be implemented? Finally at start of the year in the Birmingham Post there was a fantastic feature on air pollution and our Let’s Get Moving campaign. The
full page spread detailed the issues around air pollution in Birmingham, where it was worst, the problems with monitoring, and what we’re calling for (more cycling and walking investment) as part of the solution. Campaigns Co-ordinator Robert Pass was quoted several times in the article, really trying to hammer home how much of a health hazard and a silent killer air pollution is.
This was the first time we’ve had a full page spread since John Newson’s one bin bag escapades. Hopefully it won’t be the last time we get coverage of this massively important issue! As always keep your eyes peeled for us in the news again soon! Friends of the Earth praises Birmingham City Council for pledge to cut carbon emissions: bit.ly/1mhwT6u “530 people a year” die from air pollution in city: bit.ly/1fQ1ffU Julien Pritchard
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warehouse 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. Open Monday & Wednesday to Saturday, 10am-5pm 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.
0121 633 0730
“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
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Vegan essentials, vegan treats, wholefoods & more Opening hours Mon-Sat 10:00 - 19:00 Closed Sundays
warehouse news If you’re an organisation looking for an office, then we have one available at the Warehouse. This recently refurbished and fully furnished office has excellent public transport links, within two minutes’ walk of Moor St Station, five minutes from New St Station and a stone’s throw away from major bus connections. It ticks all the big boxes with: • Natural daylight and ventilation; • Central heating; • Broadband; • Up to four phones with voicemail, voice-to-email, fax-to-email and custom call routing; • Direct street access making it suitable as a walk-in centre. On top of this, you will have access to the other facilities in the building, including; • An award-winning vegetarian restaurant, perfect for entertaining clients; • A vegan shop, great for everyday groceries and lunchtime nibbles; • A reception facility, ready to welcome your guests when you’re too busy; • A meeting room, for when you need a private space or to accommodate more people. The meeting room contains: • A Cisco 7936 conference phone; • A dedicated Skype setup; • Projector screen and projector; • A bike shop that’ll service your bike as you work;
• Photocopying and scanning. We want to encourage the friendly and synergistic atmosphere that we already have in the building, so we are looking for tenants that are aligned with our mission to create positive environmental change. If you think that’s you, then please get in touch to view the premises and grab an application form. Call 0121 632 6909 and speak to Phil for an appointment. Deadline for applications: 28th February. Phil Burrows
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guest article - Equality West Midlands It’s been recently reported that even David Cameron now believes that global warming is responsible for the spate of storms that wreaked Britain over the last month. There are many explanations for the development of global warming but arguably at the root of the problem is a structural issue. Most of the world adheres to capitalist economics, a system that encourages excessive consumption of every commodity imaginable. In the Western world especially this has led to a massive fixation with consumerism (only 330 shopping days until Christmas 2014!). This system not only harms the planet but also has a severe impact on human societies. In countries such as the United States that expel a lot of carbon emissions, much research has found that there is also much more income inequality. In the UK, still a massive producer of carbon emissions, the top 10% of richest British citizens possess more than 850 times the amount of wealth held by the poorest 10%. ‘The Spirit Level’- by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett- demonstrates in eyewatering detail how a society with high levels of income inequality does much worse in almost all facets of life. Their recent work shows how life expectancy can differ by 25 years depending on whether you live in a rich or poor London borough. Among their conclusions, Wilkinson and Pickett argue that properly
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tackling environmental problems would contribute to the abatement of income inequality - and this abatement would also help us to save the planet.
Upon its publication in 2009, ‘The Spirit Level’ received widespread acclaim. In response, the authors established The Equality Trust to carry on their hard work. Local affiliate groups were also established, including in Birmingham. Since 2011, Equality West Midlands has raised awareness of income inequality and connected issues amongst politicians and the general public. Among our activities, we were proud to take part in the A41 Project that showed, through photography, the disparities between communities across the country. In 2014, we are looking to further develop our profile and would welcome the opportunity to work with anyone who, like us, is concerned by the harmful impact of income inequality on everyone’s lives. To get in touch, please email equalitywestmidlands@gmail.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Wordpress. Tom Pratt
the big green debate - electric cars Our Big Green Debate this month is about the electric car! Guest author David Powell makes the case for the electric car as part of a sustainable transport solution. Meanwhile, our lead transport campaigner Adam McCusker, says there’s more to cars than how they’re powered. As usual there may (or may not) be a certain amount of devil’s advocate in this, and the view may not necessarily be the view of the author. Julien Pritchard
yes
no
A serious campaign to confront the dominance of the internal combustion engine must embrace electric vehicles. Having driven 12,000 miles in 7 months in a Citroen Czero all electric car I can confirm the costs are significantly less than a petrol equivalent. It has an 80 mile range, charges up overnight on economy 7 electricity at a cost of approximately £1.00 and is leased for £150 per month.
Whilst I can’t deny that electric cars are a better option than normal cars in pretty much every respect, they are still cars. By which I mean that, for most users at most times, cars are way over-engineered for the simple task of transporting one or a few people a medium distance fairly quickly.
I visit customers throughout Birmingham to deliver/collect flattened packing boxes. This pretty heavy duty use could not be covered by public transport or cycling. In
For people who need a car to transport bulky things other than themselves or need to travel long distances, the electric car makes sense, though it only needs to be large enough for their stuff. However, we know from the statistics that, on average, car drivers are using far more energy and space than they need to. At peak times, the average car occupancy in Birmingham is 1.2 people, whilst the average speeds of cars is less than 20mph within the
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yes (continued)
no (continued)
addition to the £250 per month I reckon I’m saving - consider some of the environmental benefits
inner city and rarely over 30mph in the suburbs. 25% of journeys by car are under 2 miles.
1) If all power used is generated
Clearly, many of these journeys can be made by bicycle or on foot. We are right to encourage this because these are the most energy efficient forms of transport and are good for us. But there are legitimate reasons for not travelling by bicycle or foot, ranging from health to distance, comfort, safety and the weather. We don’t have to turn immediately to cars though. The production of energy and materials for cars would remain a significant strain on the
from fossil fuels they are still rated at about 25 gms CO2 per km a quarter of the most efficient internal combustion engines- if the electricity supply is linked to Ecotricity/Good Energy then theoretically no CO2 is used. Further if you charge overnight when the grid has excess capacity you are using otherwise wasted energy. 2) They use regenerative braking so when you take your foot off the accelerator you recover a large part of your kinetic energy as you decelerate . 3) No noxious fumes or particulates to clog up the atmosphere, cause illness, or coat buildings with grime. 4) No noise pollution blighting areas near main roads and motorways. 5) Smaller and nippier than conventional vehicles as they use
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Earth’s resources even if we have a world full of electric cars whose electricity is produced by renewable energy. Should we not instead focus on trying harder to stop wasting energy, like transporting empty seats? There are many alternative sustainable transport options beyond bicycles. Electric bicycles, electric
yes (continued) less road and parking space and cause less congestion. 6) In their construction the additional cost in real and carbon terms of the batteries is offset by the fact that no drive train is needed. Batteries can be recycled and can be manufactured without exploiting people in developing countries. With a positive approach, careful planning, and occasional use of free public rapid charge points (80% recharge in 20 minutes) even the most demanding day can be covered. Cycling and walking can only ever cover a quarter of planned journeys, the electric car can cover most of the rest. David Powell
no (continued) tricycles, electric motorcycles, electric scooters, quad-bikes, rickshaws as well as the Trikke (an electric three-wheeled standing scooter), one or two-seater cars like the Renault Twizy, velomobiles (aerodynamic, reclined bicycles) and even roller blades are all options for travelling various differences for various purposes. Sadly most are either considered unfashionable or aren’t thought of at all. Cars are poorly designed and if we are serious about sustainable transport, we need to design and use transportation which serves its function in the most efficient manner rather than just copying the standard model we are used to. Adam McCusker
volunteer appeal Birmingham Friends of the Earth (BFoE) are looking for enthusiastic, outgoing individuals to help us build support and raise awareness for our campaigns, in particular our local campaign: “Let’s Get Moving”, which aims to tackle the levels of city air pollution by encouraging people to take more active transport such as cycling or walking. You would be involved in staffing stalls, talking to members of the
public, helping run BFoE events, building relationships with other organisations, as well as generally supporting the campaign from our office. Some of the work will be based in our office at the Warehouse in Digbeth, but also out and about in and around Birmingham. If you are interested, please contact Julien Pritchard for more information on 0121 632 6909 or at campaigns@ birminghamfoe.org.uk
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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 to do this in a number of ways; 1.) By taking part in 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 four ways to join us... I wish to become a Golden Supporter with payments by standing order of £10 per month or more. I wish to become a Silver Supporter with payments by standing order of £5 per month I wish to become a Bronze Supporter with payments by standing order of £2 per month. 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.
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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: .........
stop wasting the waste (continued from front page) bins for recycling are provided to households. The Council’s target is to raise the proportion from 32% of household waste composted and recycled up to 60%. Behind this is the fact that almost every material now has a value for recycling, so someone will want to sort and process it.
For 20 years, most of the municipal waste that was collected has been burned in the incinerator at Tyseley (hundreds of thousands of tonnes every year). This is owned by Veolia, the international waste company. The plant does produce some electricity, but it is a dirty and inefficient process, using a “rubbish fuel”, so cannot be considered to be a power station, but only a waste disposal facility (an expensive one). Only with a massive subsidy from the Council has it been able to continue. However, the situation has changed greatly in recent years. Householders can now put plastic tubs and pots into the doorstep recycling box, along with plastic bottles. The Council is no longer supplying millions of bin bags. Paper is wanted for recycling and the council is paid for it. Therefore, the proportion of refuse that will burn at all must be declining. The recycling rate is set to improve further in 2014, as large wheeled
Veolia’s incinerator becomes the property of the Council in 2019. Given the cost of running and maintaining what will be a 25-yearold plant, we doubt if it will be an asset. The risk is that in an attempt to pay for its continued running, the Council will be forced to keep shovelling in mountains of rubbish. There is no energy or environmental case for Energy from Waste, if this is what it will mean. Instead, Birmingham Friends of the Earth has called for a “Waste Savers” approach that aims to separate and use almost all of the waste, instead of the old “rubbish collection” approach. We think most householders would like and be prepared to co-operate with this change. Wales and Scotland already have targets of 70% recycled and some individual authorities have already gone beyond that level. We therefore challenge our City Council to adopt a “no incineration” target and to plan backwards the steps to get to that position. In the rubbish bag or bin, usable materials become useless, by being contaminated with waste food and other “putrescibles”. This is why all the areas with high recycling rates
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stop wasting the waste (continued from page 13) There are already gas burning “combined heat and power“ systems in Birmingham that can distribute waste heat to buildings. Waste and energy supply should be part of an integrated strategy, but we think this will need careful planning, and burning rubbish in air cannot be part of an environment-friendly approach.
have separate food waste collection from households. In Walsall and Sandwell districts, people can put out a small food waste bin that is emptied weekly (if you want). Food waste includes: teabags, vegetable peelings, egg shells - anything unfit to eat. It all goes to an anaerobic digestion plant, where bacteria make it into biogas; the by-product is a liquid fertiliser. The gas can then be piped, stored and burned in an engine to make heat and/ or electricity. The government and EU are promoting this technology which looks like the basic waste solution for the 21st century. Being the largest local authority in the country, Birmingham can offer a huge flow of such organic material from homes, businesses and parks that should make it worthwhile for a commercial partner or partners to invest in the equipment – here if anywhere! Harder material, such as wood waste can be gassified to be used as a fuel, without producing smoke.
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BFoE has called for a “Waste Savers” approach that aims to .... use almost all of the waste, Many local authorities which have well-developed recycling and food waste collection are finding that there is little left as residual waste, so they only collect the black bin once a fortnight. Birmingham is near the top of the league for residual waste per household; hence it has the most scope to reduce it. As wheelie bins roll out across the city, the 240 litre black wheelie bin being offered may be too large for most households, so we call for a smaller standard as the norm, i.e. 180 litres. Many items can be reused, of course, and should not be thought of as “waste”. The Council’s bulky
waste collection destroys tonnes of furniture etc that could be re-used. In some other areas, the doorstep collection does include clothing, books shoes and other items that then can be sold. Jobs and training could result from Re-use Centres.
that would fit into any industrial estate. Reducing lorry movements should be one aim. Many of the business and premises to handle waste already exist within the city. They should be given a chance to compete for the waste, instead of giving it all to one multinational company, as happened with Veolia in 1994. An “industrial ecosystem” for waste should be the model, and it doesn’t have to be more expensive for the council, only they will need to plan and work towards it consistently. These are the ideas that Birmingham Friends of the Earth will be putting forward and seeking support for on every occasion. What you can do
If waste items are seen as a resource and collected as such, then a sustainable economy can be built around this, supporting businesses and jobs that recycle money locally, instead of enriching a single monopoly, the current position of Veolia whose privileged contract ends in 2018. The site at Tyseley should be transformed to “Cool Tyseley” recovering the value of waste without burning. Opportunities should be spread around, so the ten districts of Birmingham each having 100,000 people could be suitable units for waste management. Even neighbourhoods of 10,000 people could handle their own waste, for example there are in-vessel composters and anaerobic digesters
Learn more about what can be put into the recycling collection and make full use of it www.birmingham. gov.uk/recycling then let your neighbours know. Think about composting more of your waste – cheap composters can be ordered at www.getcomposting. com. Set up your kitchen so as to make it easy to separate waste where it arises. Write to your councillor saying what you are doing and asking for ambitious recycling targets and a plan to phase out burning of rubbish (and breathing it!) www. birmingham.gov.uk/wardcllrs. Give us your suggestions at campaigns@birminghamfoe.org.uk John Newson
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energising community energy It’s exciting times as the new national Friends of the Earth campaign on community energy is currently being planned. We’re not quite sure of the final form yet but, as a small curtainraiser to that campaign, we thought we’d present three local community energy groups and projects and what they’re up to.
to earn a dividend after three years, subject to Power for Good’s performance.
Julien Pritchard
text PFG-YES and your email address to 07757 071 414
Interested? Please contact us now by either: email via ‘contact us’ on our website: www.pfg.coop phone John Heywood on 0121 241 5830
write to Power for Good, 3 Roxburgh Road, Sutton Coldfield B73 6LD.
Power for Good
Read more about us on our website: www.pfg.coop John Wilkinson
Power for Good is a locally based inter-church and inter-faith cooperative that takes local action to combat global climate change. In its first project, Power for Good aims to install solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of five places of worship: four churches and one mosque, helping to reduce the carbon footprint and the electricity bills of each. More projects will follow. Power for Good expects to issue its Community Share Offer Prospectus at the end of March 2014. So, we are now inviting individuals and organisations to invest in Power for Good by purchasing our Community Shares. Shareholders automatically become members, and qualify for tax relief of 30% of their investment if taxpayers. Investors may expect
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Community Energy Birmingham Community Energy Birmingham (formerly Core50) is an energy co-operative creating renewable energy installations within Birmingham. Community Energy Birmingham successfully installed solar panels at the Ackers activity centre in Sparkbrook. The solar panels provide the centre with electricity much cheaper than through traditional means, whilst Community Energy Birmingham receives the feed in tariff. That installation proved to be a
great success so the co-operative are looking into creating more projects across Birmingham. They are in the planning phase for their next project, which will build on the success of the solar panels at the Ackers. Community Energy Birmingham are optimistic that they can be part of a much bigger movement that will help transform our future energy supply to clean renewable energy. If you would like to know more about Community Energy Birmingham, get involved, or be notified when the share offer for investment in their next project, please contact Becky Collins at communityenergybrum@gmail.com Shaz Rahman
Staffordshire Sunny Schools Staffordshire Sunny Schools is a new GenCommunity community energy project seeking investment and is hosted by prospective local partner South Staffordshire Community Energy (SSCE). SSCE work as a cooperative to invest in new ways to generate energy from renewable sources as well as helping help local communities to reduce their energy usage. GenCommunity themselves are a community benefit society,
run for the benefit of the community rather than investors. The project is raising money to put solar panels on the roofs of 25 schools across the county. Three installations have already been completed. They’re looking to raise £880,000 pounds from across the UK but particularly local communities and businesses. The solar panels are projected to save about 10,500 barrels of oil over the 20-year life-time of the project and £1.8-2.8 million worth of energy savings to schools. GenCommunity have outlined the share offer for the project: £500 minimum investment and the deadline is 24 February 2014. Any surplus after investor profit (projected 10.48% return with tax relief) goes to the Community Fund, managed by South Staffordshire Community Energy. Solar-panelled schools provide a platform for practical education and awareness-raising among pupils. So, as well as saving and generating renewable energy, this project will educate the next generation in the importance of renewable energy! For more information on the share offer check out: http://www.gencommunity.co.uk/share_offer/ For more information on Southern Staffordshire Community Energy see: http://ssce.co.uk/ Tim Atkinson
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trip to Majorca
I was recently lucky enough to take part in a sustainable building internship with a Majorcan organisation called Artifex Balear. The founder is a wonderfully eccentric man called Miquel Ramis. You can start to see what I mean by watching a YouTube video of him called: ‘This guy can make anything out of anything’. He has practiced stone masonry as a hobby for most of his life and quit his job in marketing to create Artifex; a stone masonry, sustainable building, alternative education and general green innovations organisation. He has based all this in a disused military barracks in the industrial
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town of Inca in Majorca. The council gave him the building for free as he agreed to renovate it so that it could be used after he left it.
The founder [of Artifex] is a wonderfully eccentric man There is a great Majorcan saying, ‘poc-a-poc’ , which means little by little. It describes the way of life of the people who live there and is the perfect description for Artifex Balear.
The workshop is around eight years old and is still a derelict building with holes in the floor and no windows. What has changed is it now has exquisite handmade vaults and arches, sporadically placed around the building. There are beautiful statues and mosaics just dotted about and then there are pieces of half-dreamed up projects filling every bit of space in-between. To some it might sound like a nightmare, but you rarely get the chance to work in such a free and creative environment; any idea for any of the projects you saw you could run with and see what happened. I created a heliostat powered by a clepsydra, which is an
ancient water clock as done by the famous engineer Al-Jazari. My two friends created a cinva-ram, which is a machine that compresses earth into useable bricks. The only limitations were that the projects used recycled materials, that they were economically viable and that they were useful for the community. It’s this sort of back garden shed engineering that should be encouraged, to get away from a wasteful society of replacing rather than fixing. Hopefully, this sort of thinking can spread and there is no greater satisfaction than bringing a machine back to life but, as the Majorcans say, poc-a-poc. Jacob Williams
marine review Despite being part of an island nation, in land-locked Birmingham we are often blissfully unaware of the damage our choices can have on our seas. Who knew that our English Channel sea bass was caught by a fishery that kills thousands of porpoises each year? Whether it is through our consumption of dwindling fish populations or our choice of a polluting face-wash filled with micro-plastics, we all have an impact on our oceans. In November 2013, national Friends of the Earth began a review of the
future of marine campaigning it undertakes, including the issues we work on and the role of local activists and allies. We are looking for feedback from local groups and anyone interested in the marine world, as to which issues you believe we should focus on. For a summary of our progress so far, or to get involved, please check the campaigns hub for marine at http://forum.foe.co.uk/ campaignhubs/ or email Emily@ birminghamfoe.org.uk. Emily Williams
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where does all the tinsel go? Twelfth night has been and gone and probably so have all the piles of ripped wrapping paper, discarded cards and tinsel that has seen better days. For many, Christmas already seems like long time ago as we settle into the old routines and look forward to the next celebration and holiday. But as we still may have a little resolutionary spirit left, now is a good time to reflect on what Christmas has left us with and what we could do about it. We consume, and ultimately throw away, loads of tat at Christmas, and a quick search on the internet will bring up lots of facts and figures about the amount of waste generated. Instead of simply printing a list of statistics I thought I’d examine that most shiny of decorations – tinsel. Modern tinsel is made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film coated with a metallic finish, sliced into thin strips1 and assembled into garlands. Although, theoretically, everything can be recycled, the complexity and cost of separating these compounds outweighs any benefits. So, to the landfill it goes. PVC doesn’t readily decompose, and as it degrades it leaches a number of toxic chemicals. This is the single worst plastic according to several health organisations2. It also produces dioxins (carcinogenic chemical compounds also likely to cause developmental disorders and damage to immune systems) in its manufacture. Not so shiny now.
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This is just the tinsel tipped iceberg. I haven’t started to look at the excess food, packaging, unwanted presents etc. that seem to accompany the festive period. Before we hang our glittery festooned heads in shame, let’s get back to the resolutions. As well as trying to get rid of that extra Christmas Cake weight, how about trying to rid ourselves of other excesses too? That mantra ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ holds true. Do we really need another garland? Could we make do with what we already have or recycle other things as decorations? Christmas and other festivals can be a great time for celebration, but let’s extend that to celebrating the Earth and think about what we are presenting it. A sustainable lifestyle may be for life not just for Christmas after all. Catherine Palgrave 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinsel 2 http://www.brighthub.com/ environment/green-living/ articles/107380.aspx
volunteer spotlight Julien Pritchard interviews Steven D Quirke
How long have you been volunteering with BFoE? Since October 2012, just over a year and a bit. What do you do here? I’m the in-house graphic designer, producing campaign/marketing material for events. In addition to that, every two months I get to swear at the office colour printer (or stop others swearing at it) as I produce the layout, source the photos, print, fold and staple all 500 copies of the newsletter you’re currently holding. What do you like about working here? The people, the fact it’s in Birmingham. I get to do what I love (the design work) and alongside the little ego trip of pointing to something, poster, flyer or newsletter, and saying “I did that”, knowing I’m doing it for the good
guys as well. What have you learnt from volunteering with BFoE? Birmingham Police can’t tell the difference between a push bike and a Range Rover; never bring in sour cream and chives pretzels in, as others in the office will jump on them and you’ll never see them again (the pretzels); I can be really loud at times without realising it (sorry guys); but mainly that no matter how rubbish the world and those that run it are, there are people willing to give their time and effort to stand up against it all. What do you think is the most important environmental issue and why? To my mind it’s short-sightedness: only considering the short-term “benefits” whilst doing something. For example; building housing estates on greenbelt without considering the need for greater public transport links or other infrastructure. This results in greater use of private vehicles, and therefore further congestion and pollution, as well as the loss of land that could be used for future agriculture and food production. What’s your best green tip/ advice? Check yourself and your actions. Once you’re happy with what you’re doing, start checking what those “above” you are doing, and if you don’t agree, let them know in no uncertain terms.
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diary Campaign Meetings - mondays 7.30pm 3rd February - General meeting 10th February - Planning meeting - Birmingham Development Plan 17th February - Action meeting - Let’s Get Moving! 24th February - Action meeting - Let’s Get Moving! 3rd March - General meeting 10th March - Action meeting - Let’s Get Moving! 17th March - Action meeting - Let’s Get Moving! 24th March - Action meeting 31st March - Action meeting
Other Events Tuesday 11th February - Sustainability Forum - Building Greener Communities Through Schools – Birmingham Council House 6.00pm – 9.00pm Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th February - Weekend Permaculture Introductory Course – The Warehouse 10.00 – 4.00pm Wednesday 26th February - Presentation on Co-learning for Community Resilience – Aston University Room MB234 2.00pm – 4.00pm Saturday 8th March - West Midlands Friends of the Earth Regional Gathering – Venue TBC See Northfield Eco Centre (www.northfieldecocentre.org) & Birmingham Environment Education Project (www.BirminghamEnvironment.org) for more events and workshops
Farmers’ Markets Birmingham University: 4th Wednesday of the month 9am-2pm Harborne: 2nd Saturday of the month 9am-2pm Kings Heath: 1st Saturday of the month 9am-3:30pm Kings Norton: 2nd Saturday of the month 9am-2pm Moseley: 4th Saturday of the month 9am-3pm New Street: 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month 10am-4pm Solihull: 1st Friday of the month 9am-5pm Sutton Coldfield: 2nd Friday of the month 9am-3pm
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contacts Contact us: Friends of the Earth (Birmingham) The Warehouse 54-57 Allison Street Birmingham B5 5TH
Chair: Robert Pass Campaigns Co-ordinators: Roxanne Green & Robert Pass Campaigns Support Worker: Julien Pritchard
Tel: (0121) 632 6909 Fax: (0121) 643 3122
General Manager: Philip Burrows
E-mail: info@birminghamfoe.org.uk Web: www.birminghamfoe.org.uk
Treasurer: Margaret Lynch
Friends of the Earth is:
Biodiversity: Rebecca Pollard
- The largest international network of environmental groups in the world, represented in 72 countries. - One of the UK’s leading enviromental pressure groups. - A unique network of campaigning local groups, working in more than 200 communities in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. - Over 90% of its funds come from its supporters.
Birmingham FoE: Campaigns at a local level to effect environmental change (in ways which feed into national and international policy) through:
Climate Change & Energy: Jacob Williams Let’s Get Moving!: Shajidur Rahman Planning: Benjamin Mabbett Transport: Adam McCusker Waste & Recycling: John Newson Newsletter Editors: Catherine Palgrave Steven D Quirke Zoe Wright Website Editor: Philip Burrows
- Education
Talks: Jacob Williams, Rebecca Pollard & Emily Williams
- Empowering others to take action
All enquiries and callers welcome.
- Lobbying
- Participation and representation through public fora
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