In praise of...tap water

Drinking tap water cuts both your bills and your carbon footprint - and more of us should be drinking it wherever we are, including in restaurants, at work and at home! Just look at these killer facts (provided by Wessex Water's website):

*Bottled water costs 500 times more than tap water.

*One in five people are too embarrassed to ask for tap water in a restaurant.

*The average person drinks 37.6 litres of bottled water each year.

*2.7 million tonnes of plastic are used to bottle water each year.

*22 million tonnes of bottled water are transferred from country to country each year.

*Three out of four plastic water bottles are still not recycled.

*Bottled water has a carbon footprint up to 300 times higher than tap water.

More action on climate change from councils - give them power and responsibility

Very happy to support this Friends of the Earth campaign to get the Government to give councils the power and responsibility to do more about climate change. I sent off their suggested email to John Denham MP, the current Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

________________________________________________________________

The UK is committed to achieving CO2 emissions reductions of 34% by 2020. To do so will require radical action by local authorities in their areas.

I support the Government's view that local authorities should have a greater role in tackling climate change.

But I believe that this greater role means that all local authorities should have more responsibility for tackling climate change in their area. At the moment, only a few local authorities are taking real action, and most local authorities are doing very little.

The Government must set the bottom line for councils. There must be a mechanism ensuring a minimum standard of action on climate change for every local authority - so each has short term targets, or local carbon budgets, to reduce the emissions in its area in line with the latest science.

Each council should produce a plan of how to make the emissions cuts, and they should not be achieved through offsetting - either trading between councils and businesses, or buying international carbon credits.

Not acting can no longer be an option for any council if we are to meet the UK's climate targets and avoid dangerous climate change.

Local authorities need more support from national government as well. I support the following proposals:

- A requirement for all local authorities to prepare a plan setting out how they will reduce the carbon emissions in their local area (in line with the Climate Change Act targets and carbon budgets)

- A new regional technical advice body on Climate Change to help provide the information-base for action on climate change at local level.

- Giving councils the flexibilty to use innovative mechanisms for positive climate solutions.

- A strong role for local authorities in coordinating funding streams e.g. more jurisdiction in working with energy suppliers, and for energy suppliers to supply data to local authorities on energy use.

- More community engagement in developing local climate solutions The best councils moving ahead isn't enough. We don't have time for partial measures. According to the IPCC, world emissions have to peak by 2015 to give any chance of avoiding a 2 degree temperature rise. All the latest science suggests even this may be too optimistic.

This is a shared responsibility. All local authorities need to act, not just the minority that are currently seriously prioritising the issue.

Today is Earth Overshoot Day 09 (ecological debt for the rest of the year)

News from the Global Footprinting Network that today is Earth Overshoot Day '09. This means that 'Just like any country, company, or household, nature has a budget – it can only produce so much resources and absorb so much waste each year. The problem is, our demand on nature exceeds its capacity to generate resources and absorb CO2,a condition known as ecological overshoot. We now use a year’s worth of capacity in less than 10 months. Our calculations show that if we continue with business as usual, according to moderate U.N. projections, in less than 25 years humanity will require the regenerative capacity of two planets– a level of demand that is likely to be physically impossible to meet.'

Blog Action Day 15 Otober 09: Climate Change

Just signed up again for Blog Action Day. The more people get involved the better!!

News on rethinking how we assess and measure progress

These two pieces of news, on rethinking GDP (which happens to be the topic I completed my MSc dissertation on in 1998/9) and establishing new eco footprint standards, from the Global Footprint Network could turn out to be very important for our future:

Sarkozy Urges GDP Rethink

Global Footprint Network Comments on Stiglitz Report

During the year and a half since French President Nicolas Sarkozy established the Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress, it has focused on one challenge: How can we move beyond GDP to broader measures of a nation’s economic, social and environmental well-being?

Global Footprint Network applauds this effort and congratulates the Commission for taking a crucial step toward answering that question through its release of the Stiglitz Report. The report synthesizes the complex field of economic performance and social progress indicators and substantiates the voices of early pioneers like Hazel Henderson and Hermann Daly.
With this report, there is now wide agreement that humanity’s success in the 21st century depends largely on robust navigational tools. The report has built a productive platform for further discussions. However, there is still much work to do. The report points out that there is no consensus yet as to which indicators provide the greatest value, and how they should be applied in guiding public policy.
More >

RESEARCH AND STANDARDS UPDATE

New Footprint Standards Released

Global Footprint Network is pleased to announce the release of the Ecological Footprint Standards 2009. This document builds on the first set of internationally recognized Ecological Footprint Standards, released in 2006, and includes key updates – such as, for the first time, providing guidelines and standards for product and organizational Footprint assessments.

To protect the green belt, or not to protect the green belt...

I totally agree with letter writer Nicola Harold that we must act urgently to save our green spaces (‘Time to save green spaces is running out’, Post, Sept 21 2009). I have to say that the fight for green spaces is not helped by those politicians who, it appears, face in two opposing directions. We need clarity of principle, policy and action but aren't getting it.

I recently asked Lib Dem Councillor Jon Rogers Bristol’s Executive Member for Transport and Sustainability whether large scale development should be be permitted on green belt land around Bristol…He replied, ‘My colleagues and I have campaigned and won in the recent election with a pledge to “fight the loss of Green Belt” and that remains our policy.’

However, Lib Dem leader of Bristol City Council, Barbara Janke has given her wholeheated and active support to the idea of building a new Bristol City football stadium. Where? In the green belt that separates Long Ashton from Bristol!!

So, what happened to fighting the loss of green belt?? They want to have their cake and eat it!

Lament for St Peter's in Knowle? Andy Sheppard plays in call for hospice to stay open

This from the Save Our Hospice group I'm active in (15 Addison Road, Victoria Park, Bristol, BS3 4QH, saveourhospice@hotmail.co.uk):

Press release:

Andy Sheppard plays in call for hospice to stay open

Renowned jazz musician, Andy Sheppard, is supporting the campaigning group urging St Peter’s Hospice not to close their hospice in Knowle. He will accompany members of the local group, Save Our Hospice, when they present a petition to Keith Bonham, MBE, the Chair of the Trustees, at St Peter’s Hospice, Charlton Road, Brentry on Tuesday, 22nd September, at 5.30pm.

Together with many other well-known musicians, Andy Sheppard is very aware of the excellent care provided by the hospice in Knowle, because of his working association and friendship with Heloise Osborne, a long-time producer of jazz concerts, tours and festivals, who died there last November. Nod Knowles, Chief Executive of Bath’s International Music Festival and another close friend and colleague of Heloise Osborne’s said today: “The hospice meant so much to Heloise – it helped her with essential care and effective pain relief and provided friendship and shared understanding with other terminally ill patients in the day centre. Crucially, because it was in South Bristol, she and her loved ones were able to get there without too much difficulty.”

As St Peter’s Hospice have already decided to close the hospice in Knowle, Andy Sheppard will be playing a lament on his saxophone for all the people who may be denied specialist in-patient pain relief and hospice care as a result of this decision. Save Our Hospice invite you to photograph, film and listen to Andy’s playing.

Save Our Hospice has written to all the Trustees urging them to reconsider their decision, and the letter has been tabled for discussion at the Trusteees’ quarterly meeting next Tuesday.

Paula Davis, a member of Save Our Hospice, says: “£300,000 is what is required to repair the Knowle hospice and bring it up to standard. Once gone, it will cost many millions to launch a new hospice in South Bristol and it will probably never be replaced. This is a valuable resource and we really cannot afford to lose 10 hospice beds, especially when the Bristol PCT has set a target of reducing the number of people who die in hospital unnecessarily by 10% each year for the next three years. Where will these people go if they require specialist care? Come on St Peter’s Trustees and Chief Executive! Start an emergency fundraising appeal and we will all support you. It’s easier to keep the Knowle hospice than to start again.”

For further information please ring 07929 897149 or email saveourhospice@hotmail.co.uk to speak to:

Paula Davis
Or
Glenn Vowles
Or
Dr Chris Fox, a GP in south Bristol supporting the campaign

*Online version of our petition to be presented along with our paper version: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-our-hospice/

The value of North Street's local shops

Excellent film!! It gives a clear voice to loads of people and makes a clear, strong case. Will people from certain quarters automatically criticise this in the same way they automatically criticise their 'political campaigner' stereotype??

Lord Mayor of Bristol and MPs form giant human clock for Bristol ‘Global Climate Wake Up Call’

MPs and Councillors certainly need to wake up and act on climate issues - along with the rest of us!! This from Oxfam South West:

At 12:18 pm on 21st September, Oxfam South West is hosting the Bristol ‘Global Climate Wake Up Call’ at Arnolfini as part of a global wave, starting from New York, to wake the world up to the urgency of action on climate change.

A giant human clock, formed by the Lord Mayor of Bristol Christopher Davies, local MPs, councillors, Unaiti Jaime of Oxfam Mozambique, and climate change campaigners will ring out at 12:18 to mark the Bristol ‘Wake Up Call’. The call is drawing the worlds’ attention to the 12th month and the 18th day when the vital Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, which opens on 7th December, is scheduled to finish.

“This event is part of a worldwide wake up call which is thrilling in its variety,” says Roger James of Oxfam South West. “A gathering in Ethiopia will beat drums to sound the alarm, monks will chant prayers. People everywhere, from Bristol to Buenos Aires, will sound alarms on their mobile phones, flood their governments with phone calls and make a tremendous noise at 12:18 pm local time to push for action on climate change.”

The images, sounds, and videos from around the globe will be stitched together overnight for presentation to world leaders the next day at the United Nations to press the urgency of securing a fair and safe global climate change deal.

Oxfam South West is teaming up with Arnolfini, which is presenting 100 Days of exhibitions, performances, screenings and debates around issues of climate change to mark the countdown to the Climate Change Summit opening in Copenhagen.

“We are delighted to team with up with Arnolfini to mark the global countdown to the world’s most significant climate change conference in history,” says Roger James.

At the event, Unaiti Jaime, who is the gender equality officer at Oxfam Mozambique, will talk about her experience of climate change and will be celebrating Bristol’s twinning with Beira in Mozambique, as well as Bristol’s leadership in climate change action.

Other guest speakers include the Lord Mayor of Bristol Christopher Davies, Arnolfini director Tom Trevor, and Roger James of Oxfam South West.

ENDS

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:

Karen Lindsay
Oxfam Media and Campaigns South West
0117 916 6477 / mailto:klindsay@oxfam.org.uk

Notes to editors:

More on the Global Climate Wake Up Call can be found at the following link: http://tcktcktck.org/stories/campaign-stories/its-time-wake-world

Information on Arnolfini’s 100 days can be found here: http://www.arnolfini.org.uk/news

Oxfam works with others to overcome poverty and suffering.

Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International and a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 612172.
Registered office: Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 2JY.
A registered charity in England and Wales (no 202918) and Scotland (SCO 039042)

...the crust presented by the life of lies.../A Beautiful Lie

While I was clearing out some paperwork the other day I came across a print out of an email with the quote below from The Power of the Powerless by writer, former dissident and politician Vaclav Havel. Its a great piece of writing that makes me think of how industrial society and our rapidly industrialising world have yet to confront the truth of climate change and act accordingly.

For the crust presented by the life of lies is made of strange stuff. As long as it seals off hermetically the entire society, it appears to be made of stone. But the moment someone breaks through in one place, when one person cries out, 'The emperor is naked!' - when a single person breaks the rules of the game, thus exposing it as a game - everything suddenly appears in another light and the whole crust seems then to be made of a tissue on the point of tearing and disintegrating uncontrollably.

My daughter had the song A Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds to Mars playing at the time. They seem to go together so I've paired them here. See what you think.

Climate tipping point...

Many thanks to Graham Davey for passing on the link to this excellent animation. The website a page with the full script of the film plus supporting references.

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.
It turns out that the way we have been calculating the future impacts of climate change up to now has been missing a really important piece of the picture. It seems we are now dangerously close to the tipping point in the world's climate system; this is the point of no return, after which truly catastrophic changes become inevitable

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.

Caroline Lucas...to become the Green MP for Brighton Pavillion

News from the Greens: Caroline Lucas officially launched her bid last night to become the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, at a special event held at Brighton's
Fabrica Gallery.

Dr Lucas, who is also leader of the Green Party and a Green MEP, used
a speech at the event - hosted by BBC Radio 4's Marcus Brigstocke - to
unveil core Green Party campaigning themes around the economy and
public services.

In a stinging attack on the Government, the speech highlighted
Labour's poor handling of the current economic crisis and its
systematic failure to regulate the activities of banks and other
financial institutions.

Highlighting issues of concern both at a national level and specific
to Brighton and Hove, Dr Lucas also used the speech to reinforce the
Green Party's commitment to building a fairer society and to tackling
a spiralling inequality that sees as many as one in five UK children
living in poverty.

Caroline Lucas said: "In recent years the Green Party has gone from
strength to strength, securing unprecedented victories in both the
European Elections and local by-elections, and now we intend to secure
the first Green seat in Westminster for Brighton Pavilion.

She added: "Greens are about delivering a dynamic economy, and one
that benefits people waiting tables at restaurants in Preston Street,
or those working in Brighton and Hove's unique digital media sector -
not just a handful of people in the Square Mile.

"Greens are also about defending the Royal Sussex hospital as a local,
free-at-the-point-of-delivery public service - so that everyone can
access decent healthcare, and so that we aren't paying extortionate
fees to private shareholders."

She continued: "With the economy and public services in crisis, and
traditional Westminster politics perpetually mired in sleaze, only the
Green Party offers the people of Brighton and Hove - and beyond - a
future built around honest politics and common sense policies."

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/10-09-2009-Lucas-campaign-launch-for-Brighton-Pavilion.html

Free Eco Team training event, 26 Sept, Bristol

Received the email below today and am passing on the message to those who follow this blog, as promised:

Dear Sir or Madam

Global Action Plan is an environmental charity that delivers tangible environmental, social and financial improvements by working practically and creatively with hundreds of thousands of people from all sections of society. In homes, the workplace, schools and the wider community we help to make the small changes that have a big impact on the things that matter.

Global Action Plan's EcoTeams programme helps households to reduce their impact on the environment and to save money. EcoTeams are groups of 6-8 people who meet once a month for approximately 5 months. At each meeting, EcoTeam participants decide together on the environmental actions that they are able and willing to do at home, and share experiences of the actions they have already taken.

Currently we are running a major national project with the goal to reach a minimum of 20,000 households over the next 2 years. In order to achieve that goal we will be running a free training event in Bristol on the 26th of September 2009.

Please find attached further details concerning this. [*See below]

We would be very happy if you could help spreading the information throughout the community and promoting signing up for the event. Would it be possible for us to post an entry in your Blog?
Kind Regards
Nicole Linke

___________________________________________________________________

*Invitation to become an EcoTeam leader

Come and join the 20,000 households across England taking part in EcoTeams.

We are offering you the opportunity to attend one of our free events and receive training to become an EcoTeam leader. You will learn how to set up your own EcoTeam, how to tackle your environmental footprint and just why it is so important.

EcoTeams are groups of people – neighbours, friends, colleagues – who work together to make positive changes; from minimising the energy they use to cutting down on the stuff they throw away.

With the support of a trained team leader, team members agree their own goals and how to achieve them. At the end of the exercise, they can measure how their actions have benefitted both the environment and their pockets.

A household taking part typically:

· reduces CO2 emissions by 16.6%
· reduces heating energy consumption by 21%
· reduces rubbish by 20%
· reduces water use by 15%
· reduces energy & water bills by £170 a year

We are currently running training events in:

London 5th September 2009

Bristol 26th September 2009

Leeds 7th November 2009

Further venues and dates to be added soon.

Register for an event or join online anywhere in the UK at http://www.ecoteams.org.uk/

Significant stats (3): International Aid $120bn/yr; Revenue lost to developing countries $160bn/yr

That's $40 billion arrears to poor countries due to international tax dodging! Extreme poverty could be tackled with this money!! Join me in the Outlandish Revenue Service and do something about this. Send a letter to Chancellor Alistair Darling with some 'final demands' in it.

Imposed goals or goals that emerge from the community?

I'm off to the Knowle West Futures Conference at The Park in Daventry Rd tomorrow representing the perspective of the Sustainable Knowle group I coordinate (I also have a strong personal interest as I'm from this area and because I'm now lecturing in environmental decision making in addition to my usual environmental science/technology/studies lecturing work). My key hope is that what happens in Knowle West emerges from the work of the community and not due to a set of goals that come from outside, though the signs are not good on this. There is a good deal about the regeneration of Knowle West isues on the council website (here and here especially). The conference organisers say,

'We would like to invite you to take an active part in shaping the future of Knowle West. The Knowle West Futures conference is the first in aseries of events where we from Urban Initiatives, working on behalf of Bristol City Council, need your ideas, knowledge and feedback to make the best possible plan for Knowle West.'

*

It will be a busy day as there is a lot on the agenda and many interrelated issues will arise, including issues of green space use that were not discussed at the local Area Green Space Plan meetings and issues of decision making processes...(Knowle and Windmill Hill wards were discussed at several meetings but we were told by council officers that consideration of Filwood ward would have to wait - so Filwood's green spaces are not being dealt with by the same process as the other two Neighbourhood Partnership wards).

Climate change...after all is only weather (?)

The appropriately named Bob Bull, thinks climate change is just 'hype' (‘Don’t believe all that climate change hype’, Post, September 2). But something that has been repeatedly subject to rigorous scientific investigation in ever more sophisticated ways, scrutinised and debated by all manner of people over decades, surely has to be much, much more than the promotion, advertisement and exaggerated claims that Bob says it is! I guess this is the same Bob Bull that is Bristol spokeman of the Association of British Drivers and that his interest is unduly colouring his ‘interpretation’ of the facts – he refers to ‘political zealots’ taking over but through his own words shows that there are such zealots on all sides of the climate debate!

It could be that Bob does not bother with science and the facts at all. How else could he come up with the phrase ‘…climate change, which after all is only weather.’ ? If he bothered to look it up he’d find that weather is the state of our atmosphere short term whereas climate is a long term view of weather patterns. This is a distinction that is crucially important to understanding climate change. The fact that Bob does not understand this fully explains why he feels able to give the statement ‘temperatures have not risen since 2002’ as good evidence against global warming. If what he said was true it would not be relevant because it’s the long term pattern that we should be concerned with. In any case both the NASA and Met Office websites agree that the ten warmest years since modern records began have all occurred since 1997!!

Not only is Bob wrong in thinking that climate and weather are the same, he is also obviously wrong to say its ‘only weather’ and ‘weather is weather’. The weather and how it changes is crucial to: water supplies, including flooding and droughts; crop yields, including food and timber supplies & food availability to raise animals; health and disease, including aspects like rate of spread and heat stress; energy consumption eg for air conditioning; tourism levels; rates of coastal erosion; occurrence and severity of impact of air pollution such as photochemical smog; and more!!

Finally Bob’s view is that ‘green’ and ‘climate change’ campaigns impoverish the world. However, I’d point out that there few if any governments around the world are genuinely green and tackling climate change – and its very much our persistence with the current greed-based, un-green economic system that has brought both economic booms and busts and serious environmental degradation requiring urgent action!

We need more hospice facilities not fewer!

Pat Simmons letter (‘Its not sentimental, but practical to keep hospice’, Open Lines, Friday August 28) was absolutely spot on – and was also very moving. Wanting to keep a fantastic facility like St Peter’s Hospice open in Knowle is indeed about practicalities not sentiment. As Pat points out the location of St Peter’s enabled easy and fast access for her (it has done for many over the years). We need more of such facilities not fewer. I’m afraid we cannot currently regard health provision in Britain as fully ‘cradle to grave’ - but this is what we need.

Like Pat I’m also very puzzled by the sudden-ness and speed of the decision. It was announced in the media and now we are, very sadly, already close to the point of complete closure. Little or no broad-based consultation was, as far as I am aware, sought or undertaken by those taking the decision at St Peter’s – yet they are funded by public donations and do receive large sums for some of their work from the NHS.

Despite a very well supported petition (http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-our-hospice/ ) and public meeting on the matter there is no sign of them changing their minds or even delaying to re-examine their options and talk properly with the wider community and with elected representatives about funding, keeping the Knowle facility open or establishing an alternative locally.

It strange to me that no fundraising campaign was launched. I cannot understand how a building relatively recently refurbished - in the late 1990’s I think – now needs so much spent on it. Was the refurbishment badly done? Has planned maintenance not be properly carried out?

I very strongly support getting away from ever-larger, more centralised institutions. I thought St Peter’s supported this thinking. However, it does not look this way now and South Bristol, lacking in health facilities already, may lose a valuable asset. If it can be established and widely agreed that the Knowle site is too big an annual drain on resources why not invest the considerable income that would result from the sale of the site in a new local facility?

I worry that this may well be a case of ‘you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til its gone’.

Significant stats (2): UK population reached 61.4 million in 2008

...having grown 408,000 in the previous year at a rate of 0.7%. More than two million people have been added to the UK population in the last seven years, and our numbers have increased by more than a fifth since 1950 - in less than a lifetime, in one of the most densely populated countries in the world. At a recent growth rate of 0.6% a year, population would reach 100 million before the end of this century, passing 200 million soon after 2200. The most recent projections exceeded the previous four: on 23 October 2007 2006-based population projections released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed expected population growth of nearly 17 million (more than two Londons) to 77.2 million in 2050, and on 19 November 2008 migration figures for 2007 revealed a near record net inward flow of 237,000 people, pushing up population growth to a staggering 434,554. Although a third* of the public believe population growth to be the most serious threat to the future wellbeing of Britain, no political party has a clear policy to reverse it. Act now. Call for an population policy - stabilisation and gradual decrease by 2050. See Fertility, Migration, OPT Policies, OPT Population policy projections and Briefings and Submissions for population policy alternatives.

(The above from the Optimum Population Trust).

More on the issue:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/baby-boom-drives-british-population-to-record-high-1778384.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6098326/Baby-boom-sees-UK-population-pass-61-million.html

Sustainable Knowle, neighbourhood transition group: origins, plans, hopes, fears…

If not me, then who? If not now, then when? Its been like that with me all through my adult life, thus my involvement in forming and coordinating Sustainable Knowle, a neighbourhood Transition group working for sustainability and improved quality of life in Bristol.

As well as working for Green political change I want to be part of creating moves towards sustainability now. The Transition movement is about working with others to create such change in the local community and so last year I placed this pledge ‘I will start a group called the Campaign for the Achievement of a Sustainable Knowle (CASK) in my area of Bristol but only if 10 other local people will do the same.’ on the PledgeBank website http://www.pledgebank.com/. I gave the pledge a year to gain support but in less than half that time it was successful and Sustainable Knowle was formed.

Sustainable Knowle aims to assess the local area and establish exactly what changes are needed to make it environmentally and socially sustainable. It wants to find effective and practical ways to achieve those changes in the interest of the security, stability and quality of life. These are likely to include: much better cycling and pedestrian provision; protecting, enhancing and if possible increasing open, green, natural spaces; the retention and improvement of locally available facilities, services, and jobs; education for sustainable living; local energy saving and the micro-generation of energy; more local, ethical and organic food availability; home and allotment grown food; higher land, air, water and environmental quality; people taking personal responsibility to be more environmentally-friendly; broad based public participation in community life…

The group made somewhat gradual beginnings in terms of face to face meeting, with a few people meeting informally for coffee initially. Regular meetings are now ongoing though, the group has a website (http://sustainableknowle.blogspot.com/) and is building links. Areas of activity have been and are: input into the council’s green space plans; campaigning to stop a local pub from being turned into a Tesco Express; litter picking; input into council consultations on environmental noise; support for the 20’s Plenty campaign for a default 20mph speed limit….

We have grown from 10 to 16 in number and hope for more publicity and growth. Sustaining activity when we all have family and work commitments has be an ongoing concern for us though – what we do is sensitive to slight changes in the personal circumstances of a relatively small number. We hope that more specific projects will get off the ground and spark others. Resources, physical and financial, are a constraint though – we are short of time compared to the opportunities and to the amount of work to be done!! We each need and want balanced lives but also need and want to work for positive overall green outcomes, both measured and judged. Relative unresponsiveness and the lack of coherent plans on an adequate scale from councils and Government is not helping the transition to sustainability however – people are ahead of the politicians!!

[This article originally appeared, edited slightly, in The Spark magazine earlier this summer]

Why people dont act on climate change

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327185.900-comment-why-people-dont-act-on-climate-change.html?full=true Great article written by George Marshall.

Ask three questions, get zero answers!! A perfect combination of ignorance and dismissiveness!!

I've been investigating the environmental decision making surrounding the introduction of corn starch bags into Bristol's food waste recycling system for a while. Recently I put the three questions below to the Cabinet. I received just one response - and that did not give the information requested!

The figures given by Cllr Hopkins are certainly not carbon footprint figures and I am still looking into what they actually imply. He completely ignores my second question about other environmental impacts (carbon footprints make up less than half the total environmental impact of a product). He also completely ignores my third question which asks about economic as well as environmental assessment. Despite not backing anything he says with anything like full and accurate facts Cllr Hopkins still asserts 'this shows that there will be an overall positive impact to the environment.'!! A perfect combination of ignorance and dismissiveness.

C3. Glenn Vowles to ask Gary Hopkins, Executive Member for Environment and Community Safety

Environmental decision making and corn starch bags

In a debate on Cllr Bolton’s blog I said ‘…the decision on the [corn starch] bags has been taken without full information being sought! This is irrational. Environmental decision making should be put on a firm evidence-based process. This has not been done by any party running the council…’ to which you Cllr Hopkins replied ‘I do not base my judgements on guesses but on evidence’. My subsequent request for data on the total environmental impacts of the corn starch bags in this debate was not replied to and so I doubt that full information has in fact been sought.

Q1. What figures does the council have for the carbon footprint of these corn starch bags, in order to assess whether they more than make up for their carbon cost?

Q2. What figures does the council have for any other environmental costs the corn starch bags may have eg water footprint, land take, biodiversity impacts?

Q3. Can you outline if/how you intend to quantitatively and fully assess the net effects of corn starch bag introduction: on the environment; on the economics of waste management for Bristol?

C3. Reply:
For the plans we have regarding potential roll out of corn starch liners across Bristol, the environmental costs of liner production is summarised as:
- 45t of bags will need to divert 540t - 1125t of organic waste from landfill to make the CO2 equivalent net saving, which will require approximately 3% increase in organic recycling. This is a very realistic estimate.

In summary this shows that there will be an overall positive impact to the environment.

For clarity, this calculation does not take into account the further expected reduction in waste arisings, as previous evidence has shown that when residents start recycling food waste for the first time, they are surprised at the amount they throw away which tends to make them reduce their waste in the future.

Significant stat (1): 16% of 16-24 yr olds not in education, training or employment

Abject Labour Govt failure - official figures show that one in six 16 to 24 yr olds (959,000 people) are NEETs (not in education, employment or training). The numbers of young people not working or in school, college or university have been on the rise for some time and are now at record levels - they are 100,000 higher this year than last year. They may well rise further (and pass the 1 million mark) within months.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/labours-lost-generation-one-in-six-young-people-do-nothing-1773805.html

Support the petition asking the Prime Minister to apologize for the prosecution of Alan Turing for being gay that led to his untimely death

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/turing/ - signed this petition today after seeing a story in The Independent detailing Richard Dawkins call for an apology for Turing. The petition details say...

Alan Turing was the greatest computer scientist ever born in Britain. He laid the foundations of computing, helped break the Nazi Enigma code and told us how to tell whether a machine could think.

He was also gay. He was prosecuted for being gay, chemically castrated as a 'cure', and took his own life, aged 41.

The British Government should apologize to Alan Turing for his treatment and recognize that his work created much of the world we live in and saved us from Nazi Germany. And an apology would recognize the tragic consequences of prejudice that ended this man's life and career.

Bristol Schumacher Conference 2009: From the ashes of the crash - Rebuilding with the new economics

Received this from the Schumacher Society:

Following on from the success of last year's Bristol Schumacher Conference, LESS IS MORE Can We Really Live Better By Consuming Less? chaired byJonathon Porritt, this year we are partnering with the New Economics Foundation (nef) and keeping a similar format - three lectures and 2x four workshops.

The Conference will take place at the Council House on Saturday 17 October 2009 - some details are below.

It is advisable to book in advance as last year was sold out before the day.

We would be most grateful if you could forward this email and attached leaflet to any contacts you think might be interested.

FFI or to book tickets:
www.schumacher.org.uk
Tel 0117 903 1081

We do hope you will join us for an inspiring day of lectures and workshopswith such leading edge speakers on such a timely subject.

Laura Hamilton
Schumacher Society marketing volunteer
-------------------------------
The Schumacher Society
The Create Environment Centre
Smeaton Road
Bristol
BS1 6XN
Tel: 0117 9031081
admin@schumacher.org.uk
www.schumacher.org.uk

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Bristol Schumacher Conference 2009

FROM THE ASHES OF THE CRASH - Rebuilding with the new economics
Saturday 17 October 2009 Council House, Bristol, BS1 5TR

CHAIR Stewart Wallis - nef Executive Director

LECTURES

Dr. Jayati Ghosh - Professor of Economics, New Delhi
THE MARKET THAT FAILED

Andrew Simms - nef Policy Director
THE TERRIBLE FREEDOM BEFORE DUSK

Stacy Mitchell - Researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, USA
A NEW DEAL FOR LOCAL ECONOMIES

WORKSHOPS

a. David Boyle (editor, Radical Economics)
Reinventing money

b.. John Christensen (Tax Justice Network uk)
The attack on democracy: tax havens as the engines of chaos

c. Liz Cox (nef) & Ciaran Mundy (Transition Bristol)
Transition to a low carbon high well being future

d. Nick Robins (HSBC), James Vaccaro (Triodos) & Mark Mansley (Rathbone Greenbank Investments)
Investing in a low carbon economy

Guest Artist Rory McLeod

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The Schumacher Society in partnership with nef (new economics foundation)
Sponsors Rathbone Greenbank Investments & Triodos Bank
FFI & tickets
www.schumacher.org.uk
Tel 0117 903 1081

Who supports a new BCFC stadium if funded by selling Ashton Gate to Tesco??

Very, very interesting - and highly convenient - assertion by Bristol City FC Chief Executive Colin Sexstone reported in todays Post. He asserts that there is a 'silent majority' in favour of the proposed new Bristol City stadium funded by selling the Ashton Gate ground to Tesco. There is little or no evidence to support this assertion that I'm aware of. By definition we dont know the
view(s) those who are silent hold !!!

Bearing in mind that there are many people who dont want our green belt built over, good numbers may still support a new stadium for Bristol City - but not at the cost of having a Tesco at Aston Gate!! My supporting evidence? Number who have to date signed the petition against Tesco at Ashton Gate 772 - number who have signed the petition in support of Tesco at Ashton gate 105.

If there is a 'silent majority' in favour of or against anything, anywhere I'd urge them to get as involved as they possibly can, getting together with like-minded people where appropriate -politicians and other decision makers at all levels have been left to get on with things far too much and would benefit greatly from high levels of public scrutiny and participation.

Bristol's green belt: protected? Or disappearing under mass house building, another major road, a new football stadium and an expanded airport?

Many are campaigning for the green belt around Bristol to be protected and to mean something! There are various threats: many, many thousands of houses; the ring road; expanding the airport; building a new footbal stadium...Here's the response I got from Bristol City Council's Lib Dem Cabinet to two questions I recently put:

C2. Glenn Vowles to ask Jon Rogers Executive Member for Transport and Sustainability

Development on green belt land

Q1. Should large scale development be permitted on green belt land around Bristol, whether the development impinges on green belt in whole or part?

C2.Q1 Reply:
The issue of use of Green Belt is a complex one. My colleagues and I have campaigned and won in the recent election with a pledge to “fight the loss of Green Belt” and that remains our policy.

We are also considering the Multi-Area Agreement MAA at the meeting today, and you will see our heavily caveated concerns about the possible imposition of a Regional Spatial Strategy RSS, requiring development with which we would not agree. In particular, the housing targets in the draft RSS from the Secretary of State do not appear to be backed by evidence. These are concerns shared with our neighbouring authorities, and we need to be very mindful that such decisions could be taken out of our control.

We have repeatedly stated that we wish to develop urban sites and brownfield sites and avoid development on Green Belt. All developments need to be of the best sustainable design and infrastructure.

It is also important that the Bristol Development Framework BDF gets approved (which it'll only do if it articulates with the RSS) as without it, we have 12 year old development control policies which say nothing about sustainability.

Officers have asked that I point out that development on the Green Belt is guided by national, regional and local policy. Regional planning guidance sets the framework for Green Belt policy, including the direction of long term development. Government guidance set out in PPG2: Green Belts considers that once the general extent of Green Belt has been approved it should only be altered in exceptional circumstances.

The Council is producing a series of planning documents known as the Bristol Development Framework which will guide development over the next 20 years. The Core Strategy is the first of these documents and it must be in conformity with the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). The RSS proposes urban extensions within the Green Belt to the south east and south west of Bristol to help meet the housing requirements of the sub region. These proposals include allocations of 1,500 dwellings within the City boundaries as part of the wider extensions. Therefore, the City Council has to plan for these areas in the Core Strategy.

If the requirement for urban extensions remains in the final version of the RSS then the land required to accommodate the urban extensions will be removed from the Green Belt. The specific areas of Green Belt required to accommodate the urban extensions will be identified on the proposals map accompanying the Site Allocations Development Plan Document. The remaining areas will be protected in the Core Strategy Green Belt policy from inappropriate development (as defined in Planning Policy Guidance 2: Green Belts). The acceptability of development within the Green Belt will depend on the use and form of the proposal as assessed in relation to policy.

Sounds very much like a lot of our green belt will be built over and degraded if national and regional govt get their way.

Q2. If development is permitted on green belt land should the developers plans and designs be required to compensate as much as is practically possible for all the environmental impacts they cause eg through maximising the use of green design, green technology and green schemes?

C2.Q2 Reply:
Yes. Where development in the green belt is found to be acceptable in principle, it will be required to meet the standards of the development plan. The emerging policies set out in the Core Strategy will require development to be built to high environmental standards, maximising energy efficiency and contributing to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Any negative impacts associated with development will require mitigation in accordance with policy requirements.

Its noteworthy that this second answer applies a different - and much lower - standard than the one I refer to in my question. Compensating as much as is practically possible is most certainly not what would result from meeting the standards of the development plan or Core Strategy!!

Invest in stronger regions and local communities rather than subsidise Bristol Airport expansion

Letter objecting to the application to expand Bristol International Airport sent today:

The forecasting process that is behind the planning application to expand Bristol International Airport (ref 09/P/1020/OT2) is highly inaccurate and in any case the wrong approach to take. Projections of passenger numbers look increasingly ridiculous in the light of both economic and environmental contexts. Government is in denial as they persist with their forecast figures for more flying, modified only slightly. Generally the air travel industry is, in contrast, more realistic: in the last year or so numbers using UK airports fell by 6.4 million (13%) according to Civil Aviation Authority figures; the head of easyJet, Andy Harrison, told journalist and campaigner George Monbiot that ‘there was no point in expanding airports outside the south-east because the demand wouldn’t materialise’.

The forecasting process and plans for airport expansion are hopelessly out of tune with environmental targets. In the Climate Change Act the UK sets a target of reducing carbon emissions from 1990 levels by at least 80% by 2050 – this reduction cannot be achieved if we keep expanding air travel. Such legislation, if it is to mean anything in practice, means we should be backcasting instead of forecasting, that is plan out how to achieve the scenario that is necessary and desirable by working back to determine the actions we need to take from now. Bristol airport flights already produce a ‘city scale’ half a millions tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions which we should be reducing eg by refusing planning permission to expand airport capacity.

Bristol International Airport already has significant negative impacts on people, the economy and the environment. Noise levels and noise event frequency should be cut from current levels. Parking in the green belt for cars is already significant, money lost to the region is high as many more people take their money abroad to spend than arrive here to spend (£700 million per yr is lost in UK as a whole), traffic levels on local roads are already at far too high a level. All of this points to refusing planning permission for airport expansion and moving to a different, green pattern of economic and social development focussed on building strong regions and local communities.

Many in the industry feel the 13% drop in numbers using UK airports is not just a short term trend and that expansion plans are thus not viable. Airport operator BAA has delayed its plans for a second runway at Stansted for example. British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair want BAA reduce the £900m Gatwick upgrade because they have serious doubts about the business case. National and regional government has been attempting to accelerate any natural trend for people to fly more despite its warm words on fighting climate change. In the past ten years government agencies have spent £80m on helping private enterprise to increase the number of flights. The South West Regional Development Agency has spent £19m on extending the airport terminals at Bristol and Bournemouth, aircraft parking at Exeter and airport works at Plymouth and Newquay. This has encouraged people to fly – and at the same time government have allowed train travel to become far too expensive and lacking in the most efficient technology. Its time this pattern of subsidy for air travel is reversed and with the South West Regional development Agency saying ‘The relationship between high growth sectors in the region and air travel appears to be weak’ and with their board agreeing not ‘to make any further investment in airports for the purpose of increased passenger capacity’ perhaps they are on board for another, greener pattern of development now.

The economics of expanding air travel are dubious eg in 2007, before the airline crisis began, total air transport turnover in the UK was £20bn. Aviation accounted for 0.78% of total business turnover, a smaller proportion than the machinery rental sector, according to government statistics!! The chief executive of the International Air Transport Association was quoted in The Guardian as saying, “Business habits are changing and corporate travel budgets have been slashed. Video conferencing is now a stronger competitor.” This comment is in tune with building a more sustainable future – be part of this by refusing the application to expand Bristol International Airport.

Safer Medicines Campaign: scientifically compare animal experimentation against human biology-based tests

I sent a postcard from the Safer Medicines Campaign to my MP Kerry McCarthy today. This campaign is an independent patient safety organisation of doctors and scientists whose concern is whether animal testing, today, is more harmful than helpful to public health and safety. [Their] goal is to protect human health by promoting human-specific medical research. The wording on the postcard is as follows:

Please sign EDM 569, which calls for an unprecedented comparison of currently required animal tests with a set of human biology-based tests, to see which is more predictive of safety for patients.

EDM 569 does not seek to ban any animal tests but merely to assess them scientifically.

A million Britons are hospitalised by prescription medicines every year, costing the NHS £2 billion (Sarah Boseley, The Guardian, 3 April 2008). These figures must be improved. There is evidence that human biology-based technologies may be more predictive of safety for humans: hence the need for a scientific comparison.

The End of the Line: major film on the impact of overfishing

Received from Wilf Mound, Bristol Greenpeace:

MUST SEE FILM 2009
"THE END OF THE LINE" - NO FISH after 2048 ?
@ THE WATERSHED 3pm SATURDAY 15th & SUNDAY 16th AUGUST

£3:50p Box Office: 0117 927 5100

Rupert Murray UK '09 Ihr 26mins Imagine an ocean without fish. The first major feature documentary film revealing the impact of overfishing, The End of the Line examines the imminent extinction of bluefin tuna brought on by increasing Western demand for sushi, the impact on marine life resulting in huge overpopulation of jellyfish, and the profound implications of a future world with no fish which could come as soon as 2048.

Filmed across the world - from the Straits of Gibraltar to the coasts of Senegal and Alaska to the Tokyo fish market -featuring top scientists, indigenous fishermen and fisheries enforcement officials, this disturbing and powerful film is a wake-up call to the world. Introduced by Wilf Mound, Chair of Bristol Greenpeace group.

nohiggsboson@hotmail.co.uk T= 0117 927 6322


PLEASE ONLY eat sustainably caught fish

CALL on politicians to respect the science* and cut the fishing fleets

JOIN the campaign for Marine Reserves and responsible fishing

SEE : www.greenpeace.org/oceans


"THE END OF THE LINE" film amplifies the GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL campaign for MARINE RESERVES.


The Ocean's resources can no longer be regarded as limitless –
THERE ARE NOT PLENTY MORE FISH IN THE SEA !!!


"THE END OF THE LINE" examines what we are doing in our relentless technology-efficient quest to catch some fish, and points the finger at the politicians, corporations & chefs who are to blame.


*eg: Boris WORM et al "Impacts of Biodiversity loss on Ocean Ecosystem services" [SCIENCE V314 No 5800 pp787-790 3rd NOV 2006];

& GRAHAM, EVANS & RUSS "The effects of marine reserve protection on the trophic relationships of reef fishes on the Great Barrier Reef [Environmental Conservation (2003) 30:200-208 Cambridge University Press ].

20's Plenty for Us: new blog site

New Blog site from the 20's Plenty for Us campaign which is 'working with local campaigns throughout the UK to implement 20 mph as the correct speed limit for residential streets.' They will be using this Blog for the various comments made to campaigns during their work.

http://www.20splentyforus.blogspot.com/

Loss of quality of life in Redcatch Rd/Axbridge Rd/Friendship Rd neighbourhood

Its already been reported that Tesco's application to build a car park over part of the Friendship Inn garden was finally given planning permission by Bristol City Council. The pub will now rapidly be converted to a Tesco Express. Based on the rough notes I made this is what I said in person to the planning committee in addition to my written statement:

Here we are again. A whole range of people in very large numbers have expressed concern and opposition. Council strategies state the aim of improving neighbourhood quality of life and building a greener city but this plan, which would worsen both, could be given permission! You can ensure this does not happen by refusing permission.

Here we go again in a period when people want real and proper democracy (government by the people for the people) after expenses scandals that have brought politics in general to an even lower ebb than usual. Really listen to the people and you do your bit to boost politics. Really listen to the people and you'd reject this plan.

I note that members of the public dont get equal time and facilities when responding to planning applications compared to councillors and officers. I note that very often developers get lots of time and access to officers and councillors about their plans (including in this case, where inferior plans went back and forth between the council and Tesco) - this should give this committee all the more reason to give real weight to the number and range of people opposed to this plan from the public.

The councillors on the committee did not listen to the people - those from Labour (Sean Beynon and Colin Smith) gave particular support to Tesco's plans . Planning rules are truly out of date and badly out of tune with council policies, especially on quality of life and sustainability. The committee made their decision on a very narrow basis indeed, paying little or no heed to the context of the application and implications of giving permission. Another neighbourhood will lose quality of life and green character as a result and Knowle's local shopping will be disrpted by a giant supermarket chain with an anti-competitive attitude. It may not end here because several local people are wondering what plans Tesco might have for that part of the pub garden that wont be covered by the car park (room for expansion? room for a petrol station? room for...?).

The Bill for the choices we make

Interesting clip. Strike a chord with anyone??

Sustainable Communities Act successes

I'm very pleased to have received the email below today showing that two of the 22 proposals I submitted to Bristol City Council's Sustainable Communities Act process have been successful, passing the various tests (see the proposals described after the email). It will be very interesting to see what the Local Govt Association make of them.

Dear Ms White and Mr Vowles,

I'm writing to let you know that following decision at the Council's Cabinet meeting last night. I am pleased to say your joint proposal regarding reducing commercial and industrial waste and the seprate one submitted by you individally Mr Vowles on statutory biodiversity/ecofootprint data in planning applications have been submitted to the Local Government Association Selector Panel today.

We would like to thank you for your input to this process so far and will let you know as soon as we have further information from the LGA on the progress of these and other proposals the Council has submitted.

Kind regards,
Deborah

Deborah Kinghorn
Policy Officer
Deputy Chief Executive's Unit
Bristol City Council
0117 92 22792

1.The proposal is to establish statutory biodiversity/eco footprint data in planning applications.

Submission of ‘before and after’ biodiversity and eco-footprint data to be a compulsory part of all planning applications – the data to be a statutory consideration for all planning committees.

The proposal would improve the eco-footprint of new development. In theory it should lead to an increase in resource supporting biodiversity, reduce the contribution new development has on climate change, might boost the local economy through local supply, improve the resource efficiency of the development.

People submitting planning applications for new development would need guidance on how to undertake this and what would be required. Therefore Officers and Members of the Council would also need training and guidance in order to implement this proposal successfully.
It would require a change in legislation to become mandatory.

2.Reduce commercial and industrial waste.

Give local authorities the responsibility for managing all commercial and industrial waste to ensure that the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle can be applied to commercial and industrial waste as well as municipal waste.

If local authorities are given this responsibility, establish a national indicator for waste minimisation that covers commercial and municipal sectors.

Municipal waste only accounts for 15% waste and Commercial and Industrial accounts for 39% with construction and demolition 46%. (WEP Joint waste strategy paper)

There is currently little influence on the commercial and industrial sector to minimise waste through the three Rs , reduce, reuse, and recycle. The main influence is the financial cost which is not prohibitive enough to encourage minimisation of waste to landfill.

If local authorities are responsible for the whole waste stream, it will enable waste to be tackled in a more joined up way and with more regard for the environment. Commercial and Industrial waste tends to have fewer waste streams and can often be easily recycled.

Save St Peter's Hospice in Knowle: online version of petition

You can now sign the St Peter's Hospice petition online by clicking the link below:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-our-hospice/

St Peter's Hospice, Knowle: petition opposing closure

I'm helping the campaign to keep St Peter's Hospice in Knowle from closure. Having already written to St Peter's Director of Patient Care I will also be attending, and helping to publicise, the public meeting at Windmill Hill City Farm this Friday (see details in the post below this one or click on the image, left) and helping to collect signatures on a paper petition that reads as below (copies available from me, or by phoning the number below if you'd like to help - I'm hoping to have the petition available to sign electronically within a few days and will post details here):

We, the undersigned, believe that the decision to close the hospice in South Bristol with the loss of ten beds in September will result in many terminally ill people being denied a specialist in-patient pain relief service and being left to die on busy hospital wards. We cannot understand why there has been no emergency appeal to save this essential service.

We call upon St Peter’s Hospice, Bristol Primary Care Trust and United Bristol Hospital Trust to consult the people of South Bristol about these plans and to work together to ensure that a full hospice service remains available in South Bristol.

If you are signing this petition, please tick if you want to help with this campaign. Please return the completed form to: Save Our Hospice, 15 Addison Rd, Victoria Park, Bristol BS3 4QH. To contact us, phone 07929 897149 or email: saveourhospice@hotmail.co.uk

St Peter's Hospice: public meeting about the proposed closure in Knowle

World Cup games in Bristol: case against

A powerful case against the World Cup coming to Bristol has been outlined by the Bristol Blogger! The financial case for having World Cup games in Bristol appears to be very shaky indeed !

And of course there is the environmental case against: loss of green belt land to build the BCFC stadium that is essential to staging World Cup football in the city; stimulus to further loss of green belt land as development fills in much of the space in and around the new stadium and roads; large carbon footprint and other environmental impacts in constructing and operating the new stadium (neither BCFC not the council have fully committed themselves to the principle of any development fully compensating for total impacts); large increase in Bristol’s eco-footprint from developments that follow the new stadium. Many people in Ashton Vale and Long Ashton will be seriously impacted by a new stadium.

Can someone demonstrate net economic and environmental benefits to me?? I’d need to see this before I can support the World Cup bid. Several statements by local politicians and others would seem to presume that a new stadium for BCFC at Long Ashton is automatically highly likely and desirable. It isn’t. Has it been forgotten that building on green belt land is not really supposed to happen at all, unless circumstances are exceptional. Is it the view of all the big political parties in Bristol that the circumstances are exceptional?

Have BCFC come up with a new stadium design and construction process that is truly innovative and green (efficient, renewably powered, carbon neutral…and more), so much so that it can be quantitatively shown that most aspects of environmental impact have been fully compensated for?? Did they exhaust the options for redeveloping Ashton Gate, a ground with so much heritage value??

These are the considerations that I’ve had in mind for some time. Any administration running Bristol that considers itself green should have these considerations in mind. Have we forgotten our green capital ambitions?? Since the start of the new stadium process greens have contributed to the BCFC consultation, urging the use of green designs, processes and technologies – we will continue to make such points throughout the planning process.