News, actions & events from Manchester FOE Get involved! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACTIONS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Shell, clean up your mess! (Push Europe) Two years after the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) exposed the systematic contamination of Ogoniland in Nigeria, the oil giant has done almost nothing to address the problem. Call on Shell CEO Peter Voser to clean up his companys mess: pusheurope.org/cleanup/en/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Call for greener pensions (Share Action) Every month millions of us pay into a pension fund. Our money then flows into the stock market - and into companies operating dangerous fossil fuel projects. These fossil fuel projects aren’t just a gamble with our savings, they put our planet at risk. Instead, our pension funds could invest in safe energy, green jobs and a sustainable economy. Its our money they are investing - so weve got a say in where it goes. Take a moment to email your pension fund and demand a safer future for your savings: tinyurl/qgv2b77 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Ask Bermuda to establish the largest marine reserve in the Atlantic (Bermuda Blue Halo / Care2) Bermuda has an opportunity to protect its azure-blue waters by establishing the largest marine reserve in the Atlantic Ocean. The Bermuda government is currently holding a consultation period to ask for comments on this proposal and is interested in hearing from potential future tourists. Please take action today and encourage government officials to be bold and create the largest reserve possible. tinyurl/ocghufz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EVENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wed 6 Nov: MFOE Food social.... beer, wonderful beer And this month…. were getting boozy! For our November social the lovely Johno from the Manchester Home-brew Cooperative is going to head over to Green Fish and give us all a lesson in how to make your own home-brew. At this point you may well be asking, what does getting drunk have to do with being more sustainable? Well, let me tell you! The beer and wine industry use massive amounts of water and chemicals, both of which up the carbon footprint of your average glass of plonk. It can also be difficult to find ethical or sustainable beers and wines, as processes can use lots of sugar as an ingredient (which can be a cash crop), and swim bladders from fish as a filtering agent (which indirectly supports the industrial over fishing of our oceans). Add to that the fact that we import wines and beers from all over the world (upping the food miles) and its a bit of a mine-field. The answer…. brew your own! By learning to make your own beer and wine you can pick your ingredients, even using up gluts of seasonal fruit and veg to make raspberry wine and elderflower champagne. And the carbon footprint of walking from your living room to the cellar to transport your brew is pretty good. Johno will be taking us through the steps required to make wine and beer, with a focus on making fruit and veg based recipes. Hell be showing us the equipment needed and giving us some top tips. Were planning our next few socials now, so if you have any great ideas please get in touch or tell us on the night. We really hope to see you there! If you have any questions please get in touch with Corin - [email protected] or 07912 509 665. When: 7pm-9pm, Wednesday 6th November Where: Green Fish Resource Centre, Oldham Street, Manchester City Centre, M4 1LE More info: manchesterfoe.org.uk/events/event/november-food-social-beer-wonderful-beer/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wed 6 Nov: More Than Honey film screening, Marple A provocative yet touching tale of what may happen if bees become extinct. Beautifully filmed and directed by Markus Imhoof. Featuring a brand new narration from legendary actor John Hurt. When: 7.15 for 7.30pm, Wednesday 6 November Where: Marple Methodist Church, Church Lane, Marple, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 7AY --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thurs 7 Nov: Fracking political lobbying meeting, Green Fish Following on from a Greater Manchester Frack Free meeting last week, well be hosting a session to plan political lobbying activity. If you want to get involved then come along or contact Ali for more information on 07786 090520. When: 7-9pm, Thursday 7 November Where: Green Fish Resource Centre, Oldham Street, Manchester City Centre, M4 1LE --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sat 9 Nov: FOE Land use, food and water workshop, Birmingham Friends of the Earth are hosting a national workshop on land use, food and water for local group members and activists to share ideas and develop campaigns. The aim is to share ideas on campaigning on these topics at a local, regional and national level. A tasty, sustainable lunch and refreshments will be provided. Booking required. Agenda: Intro to day and people Workshop: share what you’re working on locally Workshop: Sustainable diets Sustainable lunch and networking Workshop: Pensions and land grabbing Skillshare: Freedom of Information requests Brainstorm interconnections between groups and issues Wrap up, goodbye When: 10.30am - 5.30pm, Saturday 9 November Where: Carrs Lane Church Centre, Carrs Lane, Birmingham, B4 7SX RSVP: Please email Clare Coatman ([email protected]) with your name, home town/ local group, mobile number, and any dietary/ access requirements. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tue 12 Nov: MFOE full group meeting, Green Fish Our main monthly meeting, all welcome. This month we will focus on looking ahead to 2014... When: 6.45 for 7pm - 9pm, Tuesday 12 November Where: Green Fish Resource Centre, 46-50 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LE More info: Email [email protected] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thu 14 Nov: MFOE climate campaign meeting, Green Fish (TBC) Our monthly climate campaign meeting at which we’ll be planning next steps on our campaigns on fracking and greening rented homes. If you’d like to join us, please text Ali on 07786 090520 so we know to expect you. When: 7pm - 8.30pm, Thursday 14 November Where: Green Fish Resource Centre, 46-50 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LE --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thu 14 Nov: Rethinking Prosperity: Experiments in Local Economics, Bridge 5 Mill The current economic ‘recovery’ offers little to the disadvantaged areas of the North which are likely to fall further behind and Westminster politics is not producing alternative policies which engage local and regional problems. The event is open to those who wish to share ideas and find out how local economy experiments can make a difference. The day will include presentations from a variety of speakers from the North West and beyond. The sessions will focus on particular themes including local procurement, housing retrofit and integrated food experiments. When: 10am - 5pm, Thursday 14 November Where: Bridge 5 Mill, 24 Beswick Street, Ancoats, M4 7HR More info & booking: https://eventbrite/event/8400366723 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ****ADVANCE NOTICE**** Wed 11 Dec: Manchester Friends of the Earth Annual General Meeting (AGM) and End of the Year celebration Please put this date in your diary and join us for either or both of these events. Our AGM will run from 6.30 - 7.30pm at the Green Fish Resource Centre - where we will review our busy and successful year, elect Manchester FOE officers for 2014 and make a few changes to the constitution (we promise there wont be much of this!) We will then head around the corner for a meal and drink at Bakeries Pie and Ale, sitting down for our meal at 8.30pm. Information on volunteer opportunities for 2014 and a booking form for the meal will be circulated very soon. We hope you can make it and look forward to seeing you! Please contact [email protected] for more details. PS You are welcome to join Manchester Friends of the Earth at any time... but to be able to vote at this years AGM you will need to join (or renew your membership) by 10th November. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Owen Paterson has yet to be briefed on climate change by chief scientist (Independent) The Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, has never been briefed on climate change by the Governments chief scientist since taking up his Cabinet post 14 months ago, The Independent has learnt: tinyurl/o7jtqxr ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Environment Agency set to shed 15 per cent of workforce (Business Green) The Environment Agency is shedding 1,700 staff after seeing larger than expected budget cuts imposed by the government: tinyurl/od294gx ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Fracking poses low health risk if operations are well-run, study finds (Guardian) Fracking for shale gas is safe as long as operations are well-regulated and well-run, the main public health watchdog for England said on Thursday, after reviewing evidence from the US on the controversial technology: tinyurl/orq4ht5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Decarbonisation target narrowly defeated in House of Lords vote (Business Green) The government avoided a House of Lords rebellion last night as peers voted by 216 to 202 to defeat an amendment to the Energy Bill that would have required it to introduce a decarbonisation target for the power sector next year: tinyurl/o7jf6ja ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Campaigners warn of new scheme that would allow house-building in biodiverse areas (Independent) The Government has been accused of trying to introduce a policy feared by some to be a back-door licence to trash nature for housing developers: tinyurl/o7jf6ja ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Hinkley Point: nuclear power plant gamble worries economic analysts (Guardian) The governments agreement to underwrite the £16bn Hinkley Point nuclear power station could prove to be economically insane and hugely costly to consumers, City analysts have warned: tinyurl/ncfv9ph ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Are global emissions heading for a permanent slowdown? (Business Green) New report shows rate of increase in CO2 was less than half the average annual increase of last decade, as new figures reveal further expansion in UK renewables tinyurl/qcpojvr ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Join the Campaign Organisers Programme Have you got what it takes to organise a Friends of the Earth campaign? You will have when you join the Friends of the Earth Campaign Organising Programme. Learn the secrets, learn the skills, set up or lead a real Friends of the Earth campaign with a local group, hone your activism skills, meet new like-minded people – and have fun too. The Campaign Organisers Programme is a unique opportunity to learn real world skills with the help and guidance of some of Friends of the Earth’s most successful campaigners – so what are you waiting for? Commit 3 hours a week over the two year programme and you’ll get: An intensive training weekend in winter 2013/14 Ongoing 1:1 telephone support Regular skillshares with other participants £100 to run your first campaign A £50 bursary for travel and accommodation A Friends of the Earth Certificate in Campaign Organising (on completion of the course). Applications are welcome from within and beyond the Friends of the Earth local group network. If you have further questions, or to request a Programme Guide, email [email protected]. To apply, fill in the application form at campaignorganisers.eventbrite (deadline Sun 7 Dec). -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 18:14:51 +0000
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