Birmingham
friends of the earth
newsletter Oct-Nov 2013
pedalling for laughs! Birmingham friends of the earth are inviting you to come and have a ‘wheelie good laugh’ at our 2nd comedy gig, ‘Pedalling for Laughs!’ at the Glee Club on Wednesday 20th November. Thanks to our supporters and a great bunch of friendly, local comedians, our first comedy gig, ‘There’s Something Funny in the Honey’, raised £1000 for the Bee Cause. The money raised has already realised the ‘Jubilee Bee Garden’ in Balsall Heath, with two other projects ongoing.
Continued on Page 13
contents 3 - campaigns’ digest 5 - in the media 7 - Warehouse news 8 - guest article - Birmingham Climate Justice: time for radical action 9 - fracking and the battle of Balcombe 11 - buzzing Birmingham 13 - peddling for laughs (continued from front page) 16 -Birmingham’s cycling revolution 17 - appeal for Volunteers 18 - air pollution monitoring 19 - getting Britain cycling 20 - put your money where your ethics are 21 - volunteer spotlight 22 - diary 23 - contacts
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campaigns’ digest Hello and welcome to your Autumn Campaigns Digest! After a lovely summer weatherwise, September seems to have a distinctly autumnal feel to it. This may sound obvious, but when you consider that for the past five years we’ve had wet summers and then Indian summers in the autumn, it seems more surprising. No matter, the arrival of September brought a plethora of stall opportunities for both ‘Let’s Get Moving’ and’ The Bee Cause’! So hopefully you saw us at an event near you! Energy & Climate Change The Clean British Energy campaign may have taken a back seat, but that doesn’t mean that Energy & Climate Change has gone away as an issue, as anyone who has been following the news around fracking will doubtless be aware! Our lead on Energy & Climate Change has been to the protests at Balcombe, and includes that in his article on the topic in this issue. There have been groups and actions springing up in Birmingham and around the country about fracking, and one of those groups, Birmingham Climate Justice, is also featured in this newsletter in an article by activist Kara Moses. We’re looking to do something on the issue on Global Frackdown Day on 19th October, which is a global day of action against fracking. Please get in touch for more details!
Biodiversity We’ve had a few bee stalls over the summer and also seen the three projects funded by last year’s comedy gig, “There’s Something Funny in the Honey”, come onstream. This is really positive news and there are more details about this in the article; Buzzing Birmingham. Nationally the Bee Cause is pushing to make sure the National Pollinator Strategy is as strong as possible, as we await government consultation on the proposals. This is due in October and at which point we’ll be asking people to respond and tell Lord DeMauley what should be in a good strategy. Transport The big news was that Birmingham received £17 million from national government to improve cycling in the city, and added £7 million of its own money, meaning there is £24 million to be spent on cycling over the next two years. However this doesn’t mean that our nascent Let’s Get Moving is over, quite the opposite. As Shaz explains in his article on the award, we need
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campaigns’ digest (continued from page 3) at least another eight years of investment at the same level.
Air Quality Related to our Let’s Get Moving campaign was the government’s proposals on reducing or abolishing air quality reporting requirements for local authorities. Birmingham Friends of the Earth are firmly of the opinion that in order to tackle the problem you need to measure it thus being able to provide the evidence base to see if you’re action is having any effect. Let’s hope that our and many other organisations’ responses to these ridiculous proposals convince the government to drop these plans.
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Waste The wheelie bin saga rumbles on with the report on the initial pilot in Harborne and Brandwood released, which recommended roll-out over the whole city. We’ll see how well it progresses. However the most interesting thing for us as an environmental organisation will be to see if it increases recycling rates and how quickly the council can add a food waste collection once the whole wheelie bin program is in place by 2015. We’ll keep you posted! Julien Pritchard
in the media It’s been a quieter couple months on the media front recently. However, the Government reducing or abolishing air quality monitoring gave us the opportunity for some media coverage during August. At the end of the month we got a short article into the Birmingham Mail about the scandal of the Government trying to push the issue of air pollution under the carpet. I was quoted saying that the Government should be instead looking to tackle the issue, and called on Birmingham City Council to come out against the proposals. Before that, these proposals had also given me the opportunity to speak on Radio WM on the Danny Kelly show. I outlined what the Government was proposing to do and why it was a bad idea. I also had the opportunity to talk about what we should be doing instead, and, as well as increasing monitoring as opposed to decreasing it, I also talked about our Let’s Get Moving campaign and how to tackle air pollution through more investment in active transport. The explosion of activism in Balcombe and around the UK about fracking resulted in discussion in the local paper’s letters page, which were filled with discussion on the fracking issues and the protests. Our lead on Energy & Climate Change Jake Williams, wrote a letter to the Birmingham Mail critical of the process and pointing out it was no
wonder communities were protesting against it, while also making the case for clean green energy. It was a good job too, as the rest of the letters were sharply critical of protesters and very pro-fracking.
Finally, everyone’s favourite environmental topic in Birmingham returned to the fore, yes, that’s right, wheelie bins! The publication of the Council report into the pilot in Brandwood and Harborne prompted a pre-emptive discussion about the issue on Radio WM’s breakfast show, for which I was interviewed at 6.30am on a Friday morning! During the admittedly early interview, I reiterated our view that wheelie bins could be really positive for recycling rates, especially if they become part of an overall sustainable waste strategy. However, I also argued the residual waste bins ordered were possibly too big, especially if Birmingham City Council starts providing a food waste collection! So, as you can see, a relatively quiet month on the media front! 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. “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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0121 633 0730
• 100% vegetarian and vegan; • A large selection of organic and fairtrade products, most supplied and delivered by a workers cooperative; • Vegan owners - no meat or dairy products sold. Open Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 11am - 5:30pm, Thurs 10am - 6:30pm, Sun 11am - 3pm.
warehouse news Over the last two months, one of the biggest pieces of work that has been going on around The Warehouse has been outside the building. Some of the money raised at last year’s There’s Something Funny In The Honey comedy fundraising gig was earmarked for spending on our own little Bee World here beside The Warehouse. Volunteers have been beavering away over the course of a few weekends to create this. Firstly, hard surfaces were removed, followed by replacement with soil, and, finally, bee friendly plants were added that should help feed our beleaguered bees. In addition to the Bee World, the volunteers have also been getting stuck into clearing up a derelict plot adjacent to the building to create a space for wildlife here in the middle of the city. The space had been neglected for many years, but in recent years we’ve been progressively tidying it up, clearing dumped rubbish and cutting back the mass of buddleia that had completed colonised the area. Recently we’ve had a big push to get the space looking like a real garden, which has involved: buddleia trimming, the creation of a ‘dead hedge’ with the trimmings, chipping of the remaining twigs and branches, and the collection of hundreds of loose bricks and rubble that were lying around the place. Thanks to a donation of topsoil, we now have more opportunities to plant out areas with wildlife friendly plants.
The clearing and gardening sessions have proved especially popular with volunteers this year, and as a little treat we’ve been taking advantage of the sunny weather and having a little volunteers’ barbecue to say thanks for their efforts. The result of all the hard work has been to transform the space into more of a manageable garden that we can now take forward, with our plans being for it to become a permaculture garden, providing both a haven for wildlife and a little local food production, as well as a social and relaxation space for our volunteers and hopefully the local community, too. Ben Mabbett
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guest article - Birmingham Climate Justice: time for radical action Something exciting is happening in the environmental movement. Fracking, Balcombe and the spectacular Reclaim the Power camp have sparked something. Excitement. Inspiration. Debate. Action. Perhaps it’s too early to tell, but I’m quietly anticipating something of a resurgence of the environmental movement. Fracking has burst onto the scene, taking fossil fuel extraction and all its dirty secrets to people’s doorsteps. For the first time since the failure of global ‘leaders’ to commit to any kind of meaningful action on climate change in Copenhagen 2009, the UK is having a discussion about fossil fuels; climate change is creeping back onto the agenda. Local anti-fracking groups are multiplying across the country as are discussions about ‘where next?’ after Reclaim the Power – including here in Birmingham. The effective actions taken at the camp, which grabbed global headlines, empowered participants and stopped Cuadrilla drilling for six days by the mere threat of further actions, has inspired many to take more direct action. Lobbying to influence government decisions is a necessary part of a broad and effective movement, but must be accompanied by more radical approaches – a plurality of tactics is needed. Radical action
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can push the boundaries further, creating a space for mainstream organisations to move into, shifting the debate further and more quickly in the direction it needs to go. Direct action works. It’s how most major progressive changes in society came about, from the abolition of slavery and women’s liberation to halting further coal investment and Starbucks actually paying some tax. A number of us who attended Reclaim the Power have decided to form a new direct action group, Birmingham Climate Justice. Our approach does not depend upon the power of government elites but reclaims power to affect change ourselves through direct action. We want to work with existing groups such as BFOE to build a broad movement in Birmingham. The action we take will aim to highlight the inextricable links between environmental, social and economic injustice. Our first area of focus is the increasingly extreme fossil fuel extraction processes – such as fracking, coal bed methane and underground coal gasification – in Birmingham’s greenbelt and beyond. Lots of exciting plans are already in place, and we’d love you to join us. Get involved! Find ‘Birmingham Climate Justice’ on Facebook To join the mailing list email BrumClimateJustice@riseup.net Kara Moses
fracking & the battle of Balcombe If you haven’t noticed, a little something called fracking has been making headlines recently, and with good reason too. With 65% of the country being given licences to be fracked on, this environmentally destructive form of fossil fuel extraction is seeing protests appear up and down the country where local communities are standing up for both their local environment and their energy futures. A focal point of this has been the ‘Battle of Balcombe’ where local residents and activists are working together to tell Cuadrilla the company currently performing exploratory drilling to frack off! I was there as part of the Reclaim the Power camp and would like to share what I saw first-hand. Fracking is a technique used for shale gas extraction, that involves drilling into the earth and shooting vast amounts of high pressure contaminated water, in order to fracture the shale and release the trapped gas. There are many arguments against this; aesthetic, the risk of contaminating water supply, gas leaks and earthquakes. Looking at the wider issue, there is the stupidity of trying to extract and burn even more fossil fuels when we are already far too reliant, as well as the how the European energy market works. Unlike in the US where shale gas led to a boom in the economy, in the UK Cuadrilla have admitted that there would be
little to no change in the price of gas to users. Even with all this information readily available, the Government are still pushing ahead with this dash for gas. The movement against fracking, and the general corruption of our politicians has come to a head in Balcombe. Local residents have been campaigning and lobbying against the exploratory drilling in their area for the last two years. Although they showed that 85% of the community didn’t want fracking, they have been ignored, resulting in people blockading the gate and camping on the road. A five day action camp called ‘Reclaim the Power’ were invited to join the resistance and bring with it national
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fracking & the battle of Balcombe (continued) and international media attention. I went along for the five days and have never met so many welcoming and caring people. Walking through the camp, strangers would smile, say hello, and offer you food, drink or conversation. There was a great amount of local residents there too. Several news outlets made it sound like a bunch of ‘professional activists’ had decided to hijack their campaign, but this simply was not true. I even got a free lift to the train station from a family of three from a nearby village who had been doing runs and bringing down supplies to the protesters from the shops. We weren’t just there to mingle, we were there to take part in mass direct action and to bring Balcombe and the government’s dash for gas to the public’s attention. On the Monday hundreds of people took part in nonviolent mass action; blockading the road with bikes and dancing, armlocking together outside the gate, occupying Cuadrilla’s HQ in Lichfield, Blockading the PR company’s building and banner dropping Lord Brown’s House in London. Thanks to
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these actions the world’s media took notice. As well as interviews and reports in all the UK’s major news outlets, international press such as the New York Times were reporting on it. At the time of writing there is still a camp at Balcombe that needs people’s support, but what are the next steps? Groups are starting all over the country thanks to the inspiration of Reclaim the Power; Birimingham Climate Justice are an example. There will also be an international day of action against fracking on the 19th October called ‘Global Frackdown’. Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities in Birmingham to show solidarity and play your part. Jacob Williams
buzzing Birmingham Following on from the news last issue that Lord DeMauley committed the government to a national pollinator strategy (a bee action plan), we’ve had some more good news here in Birmingham. Namely, that all the projects we funded with last year’s comedy gig, There’s Something Funny in the Honey, are buzzing forward. Readers will remember from our June/July issue that the first of these projects, the Jubilee Bee Garden in Balsall Heath, was opened in May by local MP Roger Godsiff. We’re also making great progress on the other two projects funded by the gig; our bee-friendly area here at The Warehouse, (read Ben Mabbett’s Warehouse News for more details on this and the garden tidy up), which has started attracting Bees even before being finished, and a Foraging Necklace being set-up by Highbury Community Orchard in Highbury Park. The Foraging Necklace has been planted over the past few months, and when complete will provide a habitat and corridor for both wild bees and the honey bees based in the hives in Higbury Park. By the time you read this, the Foraging Necklace will have been opened at the Honey Fun Day event in Highbury Park. I’m sure you will be able to read more about how this fun-filled day of activity went on our website or in the next issue of the newsletter! It’s really exciting to have helped create a bee habitat in
one of Birmingham’s fantastic parks, where it can be enjoyed by the whole community. Being based in the city-centre means that our bee-friendly area at The Warehouse, although small can provide a vital habitat for bees in a built-up urban environment. Adding to our desire for The Warehouse to be the little green community in the big city! The three of our bee worlds coming on-stream couldn’t come at a better time for bees. These, and the larger Nature Improvement Areas being set-up by the Wildlife Trust and their partners, are showing what we can do on a practical level to help pollinators and really help bees in our city. However, it is vital that alongside this practical action, we have the right policies in place to really help bees in Birmingham and across the UK. This is why Lord DeMauley’s announcement on 28th June was so vital. However, we also need to make sure that the promised Pollinator Strategy really does what’s needed to help bees and other pollinators. So watch out for the consultation, and make sure you demand that it is as strong as possible to protect our buzzy fuzzy friends! Julien Pritchard
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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: .........
peddling for laughs (continued from front page) This time we have another incredible line-up to entertain you. You will have seen our celebrity local comedian, Barbara Nice, on the billboards all around town urging you to go online. Now, she wants you to go online to book for our 2nd comedy gig. Barbara Nice is the creation of Janice Connolly and tours the country helping everyone see the funny side of life as an ordinary Kings Heath housewife. We are thrilled to have her support for the gig: “It’s a great pleasure to be compering The Friends of the Earth comedy fundraiser at The Glee Club” said Barbara. “It’s wonderful to see cycling growing in popularity across the city and “Pedalling for laughs “ is going to be a Raleigh good night ( see what I did there ? ) x “ We are also delighted to have the support of nationally known Adam Kay, a doctor who decided that making people laugh with songs and comedy was the best medicine he could offer. James Cook starred in our first gig and we’re pleased to have his support again, together with Stella Graham and Steve Day. This time we will be raising funds for local projects that will get more people cycling or walking, so helping to reduce the high levels of airpollution in Birmingham as part of our major campaign, Let’s Get Moving. Birmingham is widely regarded as the second most polluted city in the country and we think a solution lies in making it easier and safer for people to get on their bikes or walk, particularly for short journeys. It’s great news that the City Council was awarded a
“It’s a great pleasure to be compering The Friends of the Earth comedy fundraiser. Pedalling for laughs “ is going to be a Raleigh good night ... X” central government grant of £17m for cycling recently and we want to do our bit to help the Council build on that investment by giving you a bit of a giggle. So, why not get yourselves into gear and be ready to wheel on down to ‘Pedalling for Laughs!’ now. Tickets are £12 from the Glee Club [http://www.glee.co.uk/performers/ pedalling-for-laughs.htm ] but if you book before 18 October they’re only £10 each (use promocode CYKL when booking). Students get in for £8 with a valid student card. We’re also offering a free ticket for every 10 booked so why not get your friends and family along for what promises to be a spoketacularly good night! To get your free place, you must ring the Glee Club on 0871 472 0400 to make your group booking.
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peddling for laughs (continued from page 13) Please note: we accept no responsibility for the quality of the puns..... Here’s a bit more about our joke pedallars who will be raising the (handle) bar on the night:
Our fabulous compere Barbara Nice (@BarbaraNice). Barbara as in Streisand, Nice as in biscuit, is delighted to be Pedalling for Laughs for us. Barbara is a much loved circuit headline act and tours the country with her one woman show. Having swapped the joys of Tupperware and Poundstretchers, she loves nothing better than getting her audience laughing with her about the ordinary things of life and, oh yes, watch out..... she’s prone to a bit of stage diving too! “As hilarious as it’s possible to get.” The Scotsman. Starring Adam Kay (@amateuradam) frontman of legendary musical comedy act, Amateur Transplants, with a string of sell-out tours and Edinburgh Fringes to his name - as well as 20 million
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YouTube hits (including the London Underground Song). Our star songster says: “I recycle and I’m vegetarian so whilst I’m not officially a Friend of the Earth I’d like to think of myself as a colleague of the Earth. I am however an enemy of the moon.”
With James Cook (@jamescook) who was brilliant last time and we’re delighted that he’s supporting us again. Not to be confused with the explorer,
base player for the Arctic Monkeys or character in Skins, James is well-known for his particular brand of witty banter.
Stella Graham (@StellaGraham) who is a naturally funny stand-up comedian and writer, with great gags and killer banter. Ballsy, intelligent and inappropriate, no subject is off limits. Charming, and not entirely ladylike, all punchlines connect with a
She owns a bike and rides it occasionally – BFoE think that counts!
resounding thud! She owns a bike and rides it occasionally – BFoE think that counts! “Fun and original... everything a good comedian should be: selfassured, likeable and, crucially, funny Broadway Baby” **** - Fringe Guru.
Steve Day (@TheRealSteveDay) who describes himself as Britain’s only deaf comedian, if there are any others he hasn’t heard. Actually there are a couple of others who have started since he wrote that joke, but it’s only a joke after all. Married with five children, a fact nothing to do with not being able to hear the word ‘No’, Steve has been described as ‘warm and witty’ by the Scotsman. “A very different kind of comedy ... something which Day seems particularly proud of, and so he should be” - Three Weeks. Sandie Gay
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Birmingham’ s cycling revolution In the middle of August it was announced that Birmingham was successful in bidding for £17 million to make Birmingham a better city for cycling. Birmingham City Council have vowed to add another £7million in funding for cycling in Birmingham meaning that the city will spend £24 million. The Council has a deadline of two years to spend the money, which will result in urgency to deliver the improvements. I had taken a keen interest in the bid from the city council for this pot of money. Birmingham was in competition with other cities including Manchester and Bristol. I attended the consultation for the bid before it was submitted. The bid was split into 5 sections, representing the different parts of the city. These areas are the city centre, south, north, east and west. There were 5 tables; each table displayed the plans for a different part of the city. Improvements are marked for each part of the city by creating different types of cycle paths for the city. One of them is to create arterial routes along the main roads like the Bristol Road or the main road of Bordesley Green. These would have fast routes leading into the city centre. A second route of parallel routes would be created that would be away from heavy traffic. Parts of the canal network would be revamped to make them cycle friendly. There would also be an increase in the
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number of off road cycle paths. On top of all of this the bid was to help make the city centre easier to cycle across. Before the bid results were announced there was concern amongst the cycling community that Birmingham would not be successful in the bid. Thankfully Birmingham won £17 million from it and will have £7 million added to it from the council. This £24 million can have a real impact. The plans already mentioned could have a great impact on cycling in the city. The city centre is practically impossible to cycle across. Birmingham has a great cycle route that is popular in the Rea Valley Route, but that only serves a small section of the Brummie population. Personally I prefer to cycle on the roads and on main roads because that is the
quickest way to reach a destination. I would like work to be done on making junctions safer. Different cyclists have different needs. We need a variety of options for cycling to help make cycling viable for commuters and those who want to cycle for leisure. £24 million will be able to make a difference, but the money is not enough to be able to turn Birmingham into an actual cycle friendly city. Birmingham was recently ranked the worst city in the UK for cycling. Approximately 1% of commuter journeys are made by bicycle, which again is one of the worst percentages in the UK for a major city. Other cities including London and Bristol have managed to vastly increase cycling by investing heavily in cycling infrastructure. £24 million is a good start but will not change the culture of transport in Birmingham. Birmingham is notoriously reliant on the car, but
we are a growing city and the costs, the pollution and the safety issues that come with too many cars on the road make cycling an attractive proposition. Cycling is cheap, environmentally friendly and can help fight against the obesity crisis. On top of this cycling infrastructure is vastly cheaper than infrastructure for cars. £24 million would not build a main road. Road building budgets are measured in billions whilst cycling infrastructure is measured in millions. If we spent more on cycling we would be a more sustainable city. £24 million is a good start for Birmingham but for any real, lasting change we need to continue beyond these two years of funding for a long period of time. BFOE welcomes this new funding and will push for more past the two years as part of our Let’s Get Moving campaign. Shaz Rahman
appeal for volunteers BFoE are looking for enthusiastic, outgoing individuals to help build support and raise awareness for our campaigns. In particular our new local campaign; Let’s Get Moving. 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. The work will be based in the Warehouse as well as out and about in Birmingham and the surrounding area.
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air pollution monitoring Last month, the Government released a consultation on the subject of air quality in the UK. This couldn’t have been more apt timing with our air pollution campaign getting underway but unfortunately the Government’s aims seem to be quite different to ours. Not only did they release this consultation, conveniently for them, at a time when many are on vacation, but the content consists essentially of proposals to reduce, or scrap completely the need for monitoring and reporting on air quality in relation to EU standards throughout the UK, it instead focuses upon action, though what exactly ‘action’ means is very unclear.
The Government has proposed four possible options1 for changing 1. Consultation with full options mentioned above can be found on https://consult.defra.gov.uk Direct link: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/ communications/https-consult-defra-govuk-laqm_review/supporting_documents/
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local air quality management and significantly none of the options call for an increase in monitoring on either a local or national level. Options 1 and 2 are vague but could remove the need to carry out further assessments – though further assessments are deemed as fundamental to the development of an action plan. Options 3 and 4 would involve scrapping air quality management areas and/ or all separate local air quality management duties and, in line with the harsh attitudes of the current government, they prefer option 3. Option 3 claims to want to cut red tape, but puts all responsibility for action onto local authorities, even though the Government is committed to cutting their funding whilst removing the requirements for them to monitor. This will have the obvious result that issues like air quality monitoring will slip down the priority list and no doubt become ‘economically unfeasible in the current climate.’ The consultation is vague and contradictory on how the proposals will match with the ultimate goals of increasing air quality whilst reducing monitoring. We firmly believe that it is impossible to manage a problem unless you properly measure it and therefore the proposal for increased action on a local level with removal of monitoring requirements appears counter-productive. We responded by reiterating that Consultation%20doc%20%20LAQM%20 review.pdf
air pollution is estimated to cost Birmingham’s health service £182 million per year whilst causing up to 50,000 premature deaths per year in the UK2. There are continuous references in the document to air quality monitoring putting a ‘burden’ onto local authorities and industry. It should be seen as precisely the opposite in an urban environment and in a country where a significant portion of public wealth is used to take care of public health, and 2. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee 2010
where fines from the EU are also likely if air quality is not taken care of properly. Monitoring air quality, and therefore being able to tackle it properly, will save the NHS millions and increase economic efficiency in all sorts of ways (for example, reducing congestion and producing a healthier environment for education and personal development), so these plans are just about the ultimate in short-term thinking. Adam McCusker
getting Britain cycling It’s no accident that our Let’s Get Moving campaign is calling for Birmingham City Council to aim for a 10% cycling journey target, and for them to secure £10 per head per year investment in cycling for at least 10 years. These are the recommendations of the AllParty Cycling Group “Get Britain Cycling” report, endorsed by 100 MPs at a Parliamentary Debate on Monday 2nd September. It was a shame that no Birmingham MPs could attend the debate, although Richard Burden, MP for Northfield, sent us an email supporting the motion and apologising for not being able to
attend. The standard of the debate was generally high and it was good that there appeared to be some level of consensus on what is needed to get Britain cycling. It was great to see so many MPs attend and endorse the motion. However, while it’s nice to see a back-bench debate back the report, what really need is for the government to actually commit to providing this level of funding. This would also have an impact locally, making it easier for Birmingham City Council to secure the funding necessary to make Birmingham a cycling-friendly city, reducing traffic and improving the quality of our air. Julien Pritchard
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put your money where your ethics are as you might think and there’s a really great guide on http://www. moveyourmoney.org.uk/how-do-imove-my-money for anyone who wants to move their bank account.
Even the greenest of us sometimes put off certain decisions that are as powerful a way of showing our opinions as campaigning – consumer power. It took me a while to break with the bank I was with from my student days and had never given me any problems in terms of service, but I knew that their ethics were appalling and I felt deeply uncomfortable with that. I no longer wanted my money to support a bank that invests in Vedanta Resources plc, Royal Dutch Shell plc, and notorious mining company Rio Tinto, so I made the move. Switching was not nearly as hard
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As well as current accounts, many of us also have some kind of savings for the future, be it ISAs, other investments or pensions. It’s very possible that once again this money is funding exactly the types of things we completely object to and would campaign against normally. Instead, these investments could and should be funding low carbon companies and infrastructure, not fuelling the carbon bubble that, as well as being damaging to the environment, is not a safe way of investing funds. When companies are holding assets that are fossil fuel reserves, that are ‘unburnable’ if we are to stay within planetary boundaries, then this means another crash is inevitable. Currently, the values placed on fossil fuel companies are based on the future development of those reserves. When governments take action to limit carbon emissions, it will stop the burning of those reserves, and therefore the value of those companies will fall as their assets will be worthless. Surely there will not be a bailout of all the people clinging to a future based on fossil-fuelled planetary destruction! Look at http://www.shareaction. org/ for more information on how to invest wisely for the planet’s, as well as your, future. Joe Peacock
volunteer spotlight Julien Pritchard interviews Sandie Gay
What have you learnt from volunteering with BFoE?
How long have you been volunteering with BFoE? Since May of this year What do you do here? I’m organising BFoE’s 2nd comedy gig, Pedalling for Laughs! as part of the main campaign, Let’s Get Moving What do you like about working here? I’ve enjoyed meeting the volunteers and understanding the ethos of FoE. I’ve enjoyed managing the comedy gig, it’s been a great opportunity and not something that I thought I would ever be involved in doing.
A lot more about the issues that have an impact on the environment and the challenges that BFoE address through campaigning. Also, a lot more about working with other volunteers. What do you think is the most important environmental issue and why? The amount of packaging there is and the waste we create, and the cost of dealing with it. Recycling is fine, although it has its own problems, but it would be better to create less waste in the first place. What’s your best green tip/ advice? Carry a reusable shopping bag with you so you don’t need to use plastic carrier bags.
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diary Campaign Meetings - mondays 7.30pm 7th October - General meeting 10th October - Strategy meeting 14th October - Action meeting 21st October - Action meeting 28th October - Action meeting 4th November - General meeting 11th November - Action meeting 18th November - Action meeting 25th November - Action meeting
Other Events 19th October: Global Frackdown Day of Action 19th October: Apple Day - Martineau Gardens 11am - 3pm 20th November: “Peddaling for Laughs” - The Glee Club doors open 6.45pm, last entry 7.30pm 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 Jewellery Quarter: 3rd Saturday of the month 10am-3pm Stirchley Community Market: No market in October or November
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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:
Aviation: Adam McCusker
- 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: - Lobbying - Education - Empowering others to take action - Participation and representation through public fora
Climate Change & Energy: Jacob Williams Biodiversity: Rebecca Pollard Transport: Adam McCusker Waste & Recycling: John Newson Planning: Benjamin Mabbett Newsletter Editors: Catherine Palgrave Steven D Quirke Zoe Wright Website Editor: Philip Burrows Fundraising & Membership Co-ordinator: Shajidur Rahman Stalls & Event Co-ordinator: Samuel Jones Talks: Jacob Williams, Rebecca Pollard & others All enquiries and callers welcome.
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