[Netnews-action] being a friend of the Earth

Wed Jul 28 23:25:49 BST 2010

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Manchester Friends of the Earth <office at manchesterfoe.org.uk>
> Date: 25 July 2010 23:12:36 GMT+01:00
> To: mcrfoe_announce at foe.co.uk, greater_manchester_groups at foe.co.uk
> Subject: MFoE_announce: Weekly Digest
> Reply-To: Manchester Friends of the Earth <office at manchesterfoe.org.uk>
> 
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> This email list is for official Manchester FoE announcements only.
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> 
> In this week's digest:
> 
> 1.  Action: Save the buses!
> 
> 2.  Action: Make climate change an issue in local planning
> 
> 3.  Action: Keep endangered swordfish off the counter at Tesco and Sainsburys
> 
> 4.  Action: Stop zero-grazing factory farms opening in Britain
> 
> 5.  Event: 29 Jul: Code for Sustainable Homes – Passivhaus Breakfast
> Debate, CUBE
> 
> 6.  Event: 29 Jul: MFoE Campaigns Meeting, Green Fish
> 
> 7.  Event: 30 Jul: Bike Friday
> 
> 8.  Event: 1 Aug: SkyRide, Castlefield Arena/Eastlands (MFoE stall)
> 
> 9.  Event: 4 Aug: Abundance Trafford meeting, Firswood Community Centre
> 
> 10. Event: 10 Aug: MFoE Full Group Meeting, Green Fish
> 
> 11. Event: 10–12 Sept: FOE Local Groups Conference, University of Reading
> 
> 12. News: Airport goes green (if you don't include the flights!) (MEN)
> 
> 13. News: Work starts at £100m Co-op HQ (MEN)
> 
> 14. News: Trafford house gets retrofitted to become eco-home (Messenger)
> 
> 15. News: Making UK homes energy efficient would cost less than £3,000
> per house, survey claims (Guardian)
> 
> 16. News: Bid to tackle soya cultivation could give Britain greater
> food security (Guardian)
> 
> 17. News: Less than eight years of landfill space left, warn council
> leaders (LGA)
> 
> 18. News: European Parliament bans illegal timber (BBC)
> 
> 19. News: Cows’ Methane Measured Using 'Burp Gun' (BBC)
> 
> 20. Other Item: How to build your own garden in your window
> 
> --- MESSAGE 1 ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Action: Save the buses!
> 
> Please write to your MP and ask him/her to sign an Early Day Motion
> (EDM 402) calling for the Bus Service Operators Grant to be protected.
> 
> http://bettertransport.org.uk/take_action/protect-buses
> 
> --- MESSAGE 2 ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Action: Make climate change an issue in local planning
> 
> Ask the Government to allow local authorities like Bristol City
> Council to use the global impacts of biofuels as a reason to object to
> applications for a biofuel powered electricity generating plants.
> 
> http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/w4bjul2010.php
> 
> --- MESSAGE 3 ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Action: Keep endangered swordfish off the counter at Tesco and Sainsburys
> 
> After a five year break, Sainsbury and Tesco have chosen to feature
> swordfish on their fish counters again. As a result Sainsbury’s stands
> alone with Tesco as the only supermarkets in the UK to sell swordfish
> – a species widely regarded as being threatened. Ask them to remove it
> from their counters.
> 
> http://www.bite-back.com/campaigns/campaign-sainsburys.htm
> 
> http://www.bite-back.com/campaigns/campaign-tesco.htm
> 
> --- MESSAGE 4 ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Action: Stop zero-grazing factory farms opening in Britain
> 
> Big agricultural companies are drawing up plans to open huge US-style
> factory farms for cows in the UK. Cows would be kept inside all year
> and fed on processed feed not grass. Animal and environment groups are
> warning that factory farms of this sort are likely to be bad for
> climate change, bad for cows, and bad for other farmers.
> 
> Let’s put a stop to these plans:
> 
> http://www.38degrees.org.uk/no-megadairies
> 
> --- MESSAGE 5 ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 29 Jul: Code for Sustainable Homes – Passivhaus Breakfast Debate, CUBE
> The North West Construction Knowledge Hub invites you to join them for
> a lively breakfast debate on Thursday 29th July, entitled "Code for
> Sustainable Homes and Passivhaus - are they going in the same
> direction?"
> 
> The Code for Sustainable Homes is the national standard for the
> sustainable design and construction of new homes. The Code measures
> the sustainability of a new home against nine categories of
> sustainable design, uses a one to six star rating system, and sets
> minimum standards for energy and water use at each award level.
> 
> Passivhaus is a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in
> buildings. It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require
> little energy for space heating or cooling.  However, although some
> Passivhaus buildings are costing less than £75 a year in heating
> bills, sometimes they still miss out on gaining the higher levels
> awarded for the Code for Sustainable Homes.
> 
> This debate explores why there seems to be a mismatch, what might
> happen next, and what we in industry need to be aware of when
> commissioning, designing and building high-quality homes.
> 
> Speakers:
> - Gavin Hodgson, European PassivHaus Project Manager, Building
> Research Establishment
> - Chris Herring, Chair, Passivhaus Trust & Director, Green Building Store
> 
> When: 8am for 8.30–10am, Thursday 29 July
> 
> Where: CUBE, 113-115 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 6DW
> 
> Registration: To reserve a place please contact Emma Looskin at
> emma.looskin at ccinw.com
> 
> There is no charge for this event, but please note that, due to
> popularity, places will be allocated on a first come, first served
> basis. There will be an opportunity to view CUBE's Passivhaus
> exhibition during registration and after the debate.
> 
> --- MESSAGE 6 ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 29 Jul: Manchester FoE Campaigns Meeting, Green Fish
> 
> Manchester FoE’s campaigns meeting, at which we split into sub-groups
> to look at our campaigns in more detail. Current campaigns include Get
> Serious About CO2 (extending this campaign to Trafford), Meat Free
> Monday, Fix The Food Chain and Transport.
> 
> When: 6.45 for 7pm, Thursday 29 July
> 
> Where: Green Fish Resource Centre, 46–50 Oldham Street, M4 1LE
> 
> For further information, contact Sarah on 07962 185044.
> 
> --- MESSAGE 7 ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 30 Jul: Bike Friday
> 
> Join in with these ‘led rides’ from locations in Bury, Manchester,
> Salford and Trafford. Rides finish at Exchange Square, Corporation
> Street. All participants will receive free ‘Coffee and Cake’ at the
> Titchy Coffee Co.
> 
> When: 7.40am (Worsley) or 8am (all other rides), Friday 30 July
> 
> Where: Worsley Road/Chatsworth Road, Worsley, M28 2SH (NEW), Stretford
> Mall, Chorlton Library, Withington Library, Prestwich Pizza Express,
> Levenshulme Station.
> 
> Plus a ride from Exchange Square to Northenden leaving at 8.45am
> 
> More info: http://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/lyb/bikefriday.php
> 
> --- MESSAGE 8 ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 1 Aug: SkyRide Manchester: Castlefield Arena and Eastlands (MFoE stall)
> 
> SkyRide is the UK’s leading mass participation cycling event, where
> thousands of people can take to the streets in a safe, traffic-free
> environment to ride a 12km course through the streets of Manchester,
> as many times as they like.
> 
> When: 10am–4pm, Sunday 1 August
> 
> Where: Castlefield Arena, Liverpool Road, M3 4FP; Sportcity,
> Eastlands, Ashton New Road; and a 12km route in between, closed to
> traffic and reserved for cyclists.
> 
> For more information see http://www.goskyride.com/location/manchester/
> 
> For details about Manchester FoE’s stall at the event, or to volunteer
> to help with the stall, please contact Graeme:
> graemesherriff at googlemail.com
> 
> --- MESSAGE 9 ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 4 Aug: Abundance Trafford meeting, Firswood Community Centre
> 
> Abundance Trafford is a new project, which will pick surplus or
> unwanted fruit from gardens and public trees and distribute it to
> disadvantaged local groups and communities in Old Trafford, Stretford
> and Urmston. We are also keen to collect and distribute surplus
> vegetables from allotments.
> 
> When: 7.30pm, Wednesday 4 August
> 
> Where: Firswood Community Centre, Great Stone Road/The Quadrant, M32 8QS
> 
> To get in touch, contact abundancetrafford at gmail.com or 07941 685296.
> 
> --- MESSAGE 10 ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 10 Aug: MFoE Full Group Meeting, Green Fish
> 
> Join us for our full group meeting, with updates on what the group's
> been up to and what we've got planned (and more!)
> 
> When: 6.45 for 7pm, Tuesday 10 August
> 
> Where: Green Fish Resource Centre, 46–50 Oldham Street, M4 1LE
> 
> For further information, contact Sarah on 07962 185044.
> 
> --- MESSAGE 11 --------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 10–12 Sep: FoE Local Groups Conference, University of Reading
> 
> Book your place now for one of the highlights of the year: Friends of
> the Earth's annual local groups conference. This year's theme is
> "Power and Politics - can we create a different environment".  The
> conference will feature guest speakers (including Ken Livingstone),
> seminars, training sessions, the motions debate, lots of opportunities
> to share ideas with staff and other local group members, and the
> Earthmovers Awards,which celebrate the successes that local groups
> have had over the past year - check out the link below for more
> details.
> 
> If you book your place at Conference by 19 July, you can also submit
> your suggestions for workshops and training sessions. The final
> booking deadline is 20 August 2010. And please let us know if you're
> coming so we can keep you updated on our travel plans.
> 
> When: 5.30pm, Friday 10 September – 5pm, Sunday 12 September
> 
> Where: University of Reading
> 
> More info & booking:
> http://www.facebook.com/l/214fdDB_fxI10TD53zimnvJgKuw;www.foe.co.uk/events
> 
> --- MESSAGE 12 --------------------------------------------------------
> 
> News: Airport goes green (if you don't include the flights!) (MEN)
> 
> Manchester Airport's plans to be one of the greenest airports in
> Europe fail to take into account the airport's aircraft movements and
> their CO2 emissions, say Manchester FoE...
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/33s3e4r
> 
> --- MESSAGE 13 --------------------------------------------------------
> 
> News: Work starts at £100m Co-op HQ (MEN)
> 
> Work on the construction of the Co-operative Group's new £100m head
> office in Manchester is now under way...
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/2vm46je
> 
> --- MESSAGE 14 --------------------------------------------------------
> 
> News: Trafford house gets retrofitted to become eco-home (Sale and
> Altrincham Messenger)
> 
> A three-bed terrace in Sale becomes the first Trafford Housing Trust
> property to get an eco retrofit, including solar panels, a heat
> recovery system and a wormery...
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/3a5rkr6
> 
> --- MESSAGE 15 --------------------------------------------------------
> 
> News: Making UK homes energy efficient would cost less than £3,000 per
> house, survey claims (Guardian)
> 
> The majority of the UK's least energy-efficient homes could be brought
> up to near-average green standards for less than £3,000, a new
> analysis claims today...
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/2unsgs3
> 
> --- MESSAGE 16 --------------------------------------------------------
> 
> News: Bid to tackle soya cultivation could give Britain greater food
> security (Guardian)
> 
> MP Robert Flello's private member’s bill promoting sustainable
> agriculture could give Britain greater food security and preserve
> traditional farming systems in South America...
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/2ucjkxv
> 
> --- MESSAGE 17 --------------------------------------------------------
> 
> News: Less than eight years of landfill space left, warn council leaders (LGA)
> 
> Britain will run out of landfill space in less than eight years' time
> unless recycling rates are boosted and the amount of rubbish dumped in
> the ground is reduced, council leaders have warned...
> 
> http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=12349110
> 
> --- MESSAGE 18 --------------------------------------------------------
> 
> News: European Parliament bans illegal timber (BBC)
> 
> From 2012, companies importing timber will need to prove where it came
> from, and will face legal sanctions if they do not comply with the new
> law…
> 
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10557228.stm
> 
> --- MESSAGE 19 --------------------------------------------------------
> 
> News: Cows’ Methane Measured Using 'Burp Gun' (BBC)
> 
> Scientists in Liverpool have been testing how much methane cows
> produce when they burp as part of a research project to find out
> whether anything can be done to reduce the methane cattle produce
> after feeding...
> 
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10550059.stm
> 
> --- MESSAGE 20 --------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Other Item: How to build your own garden in your window
> 
> With WindowfarmsTM you can grow up to 25 types of vegetable --
> lettuce, herbs, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, peppers, kale, small
> squash, edible flowers, and many more-- in a normal 4'x 6' window in
> your home.
> 
> WindowfarmsTM are vertical, hydroponic, modular, low-energy,
> high-yield edible window gardens built using low-impact or recycled
> local materials. Make your own contribution to the green revolution!
> 
> http://www.windowfarms.org/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> If you come across anything of interest for future digests, please add
> it to our wiki at
> http://manchesterfoe.pbworks.com/Content-for-Digests. All
> contributions welcome...
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Manchester Friends of the Earth
> Green Fish Resource Centre, 46-50 Oldham Street, Manchester M4 1LE
> T: 0161 234 2974 (voicemail only)
> E: office at manchesterfoe.org.uk
> W: http://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk
> 
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