Spring 2006 Newsletter
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The following articles are reproduced from the Spring 2006 newsletter, and so any information within this page is correct only as of March 2006. For the latest up-to-date information, please visit the relevant campaign pages using the menu on the left, or by clicking on the image alongside the title of each article. |
Love Your Bike
Forget the miserable Manchester winter... it's spring! And it's time to rekindle a love affair - one that loves you back in so many ways. Graeme explains why...
Love your Bike is a major new MFoE campaign. On the 21st March, we'll be unveiling some clever and thought provoking adverts on Manchester billboards and bus backs.
In conjunction with Manchester City Council, Creative Concern and Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign, we'll be reawakening the city to cycling, arguing that, by loving your bike, you love your body, your wallet and every minute. Look out also for a brand new website www.loveyourbike.org (will be up ready for the 21st), colourful postcards and discounts in loads of shops (please see website). There has never been a better time to take up, or return to, cycling.
Some cycling and health facts
Travelling by
bike instead of car for a third of all short journeys would reduce national
heart disease rates by 5 to 10%.
Those who do
not cycle to work experience a 39% higher mortality rate than those
who do, regardless of whether or not they cycle or take part in other
physical activities.
A 15 minute
bike ride to and from work five times a week burns off the equivalent
of 11 pounds of fat in a year.
A conservative
estimate of energy use is 300 calories per hour - about the same as
aerobics!
Regular cyclists
enjoy a fitness level equal to that of a person 10 years younger.
Cyclists and
pedestrians actually absorb lower levels of pollutants from traffic
fumes than car drivers.
The average
UK resident spends 9 days a year in a car.
Cycling at least
20 miles a week reduces the risk of heart disease to less than half
that for non-cyclists who take no other exercise.
Campaign Launch 21st March 2006
We'll be launching the campaign on the morning of 21st March. If you'd like to be involved in a cycle ride and photo shoot on the morning, please get in touch with Graeme (details below).
What's it like cycling in Manchester?
We want to record experiences of cycling in Manchester so we can call for improvements where they are needed. On the Love Your BIke website you'll find ways to feed back to us, your employer and the council.
(Sustainable) Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds may be expensive, but they shouldn't cost lives....
Shoppers in Manchester have been asked to put pressure on retailers to ensure that the sale and trade in diamonds is not used to fund armed conflict and prolong civil war. Campaigners from the Manchester Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth groups took to the streets in February to target romantic shoppers who might be looking for that special gift just before Valentine's Day. They talked with consumers and handed out free brochures to guide shoppers through the issues around conflict diamonds.
Conflict diamonds are those sold in order to fund armed conflict and civil war. Warlords and rebel groups have used billions of dollars of profits from the sale of diamonds from the mines they control to buy arms and fund devastating wars in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sierra Leone. Many of these conflicts have used child soldiers.
Whilst the wars in Angola and Sierra Leone are now over, and fighting in the DRC has decreased, the problem of conflict diamonds hasn't gone away. Diamonds mined in rebel-held areas in Cote d'Ivoire, a West African country in the midst of a volatile conflict, are reaching the international diamond market. Conflict diamonds from Liberia are also being smuggled into neighbouring countries and exported as part of the legitimate diamond trade.
A report out in November of last year, from the organisation Global Witness - which researches and campaigns to expose the link between exploitation of natural resources, environmental destruction and human rights abuses - found that the international certification scheme set up to combat the trade in conflict diamonds, the Kimberley Process, was falling short in its aims.
The scheme was founded in response to a long-standing international campaign and media attention on the consequences of the trade in conflict diamonds. All participating governments (a total of 69, including Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire) are required to issue certificates, guaranteeing diamonds as conflict free, to accompany all shipments of rough diamonds to and from participating countries. However, poor border controls, inadequate oversight of diamond traders, and corruption, are leading to too many diamonds being smuggled out by armed groups and finding their way into international markets. Whilst it is impossible to eliminate all smuggling, Global Witness argues that the Kimberley Process can and must do better to ensure that the system of internal controls put in place by participants are strong enough to prevent trading in conflict and illicit diamonds, and will be putting pressure on governments during the Process's first review during 2006.
To support the Kimberley Process, all sectors of the diamond industry also agreed to a voluntary system of warranties to ensure diamonds continue to be tracked right up to the point of sale. All invoices for the sale of jewellery containing diamonds should now include a written guarantee that states they are conflict free. This should mean that retailers should be able to show consumers that the diamonds they are selling have come from conflict-free sources.
In 2004 Amnesty and Global Witness conducted a survey of UK diamond jewellers to see whether they were implementing what they had agreed to. Unfortunately whilst some efforts had been made, only 18% of the stores surveyed could provide a copy of their conflict diamonds policy and 22% said they had no policy at all. Campaigners want consumers to put pressure on retailers and make sure they can give assurances that their diamonds are conflict free.
The Amnesty and Global Witness guide, entitled 'Are you looking for
the perfect diamond?', is short and easy to use and recommends that
as well as the usual 4C's of Colour, Cut, Clarity and Carat, shoppers
should also ask about Conflict before making their purchase. It can
be read online
at www.globalwitness.org.
Diamonds are a once in a lifetime purchase - the shoppers questioned in Manchester did not want this special gift to be related to the pain and suffering of others. Amnesty and Global Witness are making it easy for shoppers to find out if the jeweller they choose is committed to conflict free. Diamonds may be expensive but they shouldn't cost lives.
When Ali Met Tony
Manchester FoE's Ali takes the Big Ask campaign direct to the Prime Minister...
Ali was invited to the Labour party conference on 10th February as part of the launch of the Let's Talk initiative, a forum for community members to talk with Government ministers. At the end of the evening session, which saw a number of focus groups discussing the challenges to the community and voluntary sector and how government can support them, the Prime Minister Tony Blair entered and spent some time chatting to the delegates.
As he was about to leave, Ali seized the opportunity to ask Mr Blair if he had time for a quick question on climate change, and was rather surprised when the Prime Minister replied "Follow me". Ali followed him from the room, surrounded by cameras and security guards, and waited in the foyer, expecting to be ushered away at any minute, while Mr Blair consulted his aides. The Prime Minister then turned to Ali. Ali started gently by congratulating Mr Blair for taking a lead on climate change, supporting the Kyoto agreement and lobbying the US to cut their emissions (although it has to be said that Ali is not actually that impressed with what's happened.) Ali raised concerns about recent increases in emissions and asked him what he thought of Friends of the Earth's proposed climate change bill which requires annual cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr Blair replied that he's not a fan of annual targets because greenhouse gases can 'fluctuate wildly from year to year', and so he preferred 5 or 10-year targets. Ali pointed out that this is not a valid argument because the key to the bill is having a steady downward trend in emissions; although emissions can fluctuate, the key is having year-on-year improvements in order to meet the longer-term targets. Mr Blair's response was that he wasn't aware of the full details of the proposed bill but said, 'The good news is, we are going to meet our Kyoto targets.'
Ali pointed out that this is a matter of opinion, because emissions have risen since Labour came to power and the UK is definitely not going to meet the UK Government target of a 20% reduction by 2010. Ali also expressed his concern about the impact of the Aviation White Paper and suggested that the planned growth in aviation will give us no chance of meeting our longer-term targets. At this point the PM made his excuses and disappeared into his private function room.
Want to ask the Big Ask?
To find out more, go to www.thebigask.com, where you can email your MP and ask them if they are supporting the Climate Change Bill. Manchester Friends of the Earth aim to visit all the MPs in Greater Manchester to lobby them in person. Please contact ali@manchesterfoe.org.uk if you'd like to help.
Supermarkets v Orang-Utans: Round 1
Would you refuse to help this orang-utan? Many supermarkets still do...
Concerted pressure from Friends of the Earth campaigners all over the country is having a positive effect on companies' approach to buying palm oil. The palm oil industry is responsible for massive rainforest destruction in south east Asia which is driving orangutans towards extinction. Following the action taken by members of local Friends of the Earth groups last year (see our website for details), many supermarkets have now agreed to join the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The first to respond was Co-op, followed by Asda, Boots and Waitrose. Sainsburys and Marks and Spencer have also assured Friends of the Earth that they are in the process of applying to join the RSPO.
Unfortunately, Tescos, Somerfield, Morrisons and Iceland still refuse to join. So we held another day of action on Saturday 25th February. We asked members of the public to sign postcards to their MPs asking them to support the idea that companies should be made more responsible for their impact on society and the environment. So far the work of Friends of the Earth and other groups supporting the Corporate Responsibility campaign has led to over 190 MPs supporting the motion but we want to get even more support so that it becomes legally binding.
Ask your MP to sign EDM 697 by going to www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/corporates/action.htm:
"That this House believes companies are critical in achieving the aims of sustainable development and to making poverty history, but that in order to be able to do so their freedom to operate must be balanced with clear responsibilities to society and the environment; and urges the Government to enshrine in new company law a duty for directors to identify, consider, act and report on any negative social and environmental impacts caused by a company's activities in the UK or overseas."
For more information about this campaign, please contact: sam@manchesterfoe.org.uk.
Every Little Hurts
Paul on his visits to Burnage, before and after Tesco arrived...
Each year more people choose not to shop at supermarkets. As the evidence mounts that they reduce choice and quality of food and drive UK farmers out of business, Tesco still controls nearly a third of the UK grocery market and intends to grow. One argument the supermarkets always make is that they create jobs, but many others suggest that independent traders employ more people per pound of turnover than the supermarkets and that the supermarkets actually depress the local economy. A study by the New Economics Foundation suggested that each £1 spent at a local business is worth £1.78 to the local economy but only 36p if spent in a business owned outside the area.
So when Tesco recently won planning permission for a new 24 hour store in Burnage only a mile from the large 24 hour Didsbury Tesco, Manchester Friends of the Earth decided this was a good opportunity to find out just what impact the ever-growing number of supermarkets is having.
In our first visit, one day before the store opened, we found nearly 60 businesses in a half mile stretch providing a very wide range of services that all had different opinions on the new store. Feelings ranged from horror to happiness as some shopkeepers expected more people would walk past and generate business for them.
Just six months on and with the release of High Street 2015, a parliamentary report calling for controls on the supermarkets and the grocery sector, we visited again to see what had changed. There were still the same businesses but none had a positive view of the store. Two traders now thought they would close. Several had found turnover halve since the store opened and one store, California Wines, opposite the new store had closed half of the shop.
One shop owner was happy to diversify and compete but asked "How can I compete when Tesco can sell cheaper than I can buy at the wholesaler?"
“It is unfair that they can offer free parking. Our passing trade has fallen as people drive past to Tesco,” said a local butcher.
And at Broomhall Domestic Appliances, who hadn't anticipated being affected by the Tesco store, they said, "We can offer repairs and services and hold a wide range but Tesco stocks just one model of Dyson vacuum and can undercut us so we have lost customers. If they start to sell domestic appliances it will devastate our business."
It appears that in only six months independent businesses in Burnage are being driven under by the distorting effect Tesco can have with free parking and massive buying power.
So is it true that the supermarkets create more jobs? The evidence in Burnage suggests that at least some jobs at the local traders will be lost and since independent traders in Britain employ more people per pound of turnover than the supermarkets it looks like the local economy will suffer at the hands of Tesco.
Manchester Friends of the Earth will carry on tracking the impact of Burnage Tesco so if you would like to get involved in this or campaign on Real Food in Manchester contact paul@manchesterfoe.org.uk.
A Walk on the Kerbside
Lynda talks to Manchester City Council's principal waste strategy officer, Gary Donoghue...
Why aren't businesses offered a free recycling service?
We're responsible for looking after municipal or household waste - not business waste. Businesses have to pay for their waste disposal so they can use whoever they want to get rid of their waste. Homeowners pay council tax - why should they subsidise businesses?
What domestic recycling facilities exist at present?
We provide a weekly refuse service to 200,000 properties as well as a number of recycling facilities: over 100 bring sites, plus fortnightly kerbside collections using boxes for paper, glass, cans and textiles and four-weekly twin-bin services for paper, glass and cans, to 100,000 properties. We also provide a bulky waste collection and 70% of that material is recycled.
Do you plan to introduce a kerbside scheme for flats?
We've identified about 30,000 flats which require further recycling services. We want to provide a mini bring site for each one. We've done a pilot covering 1,700 properties and that's worked quite well. We are hoping that funding approval for this should be given in April.
What future targets has Manchester City Council set for recycling?
By the end of this financial year, we're aiming to reach 18%. We've set targets of 23% for 2006-7, and 28% for 2007-8. That takes us to 30% in 2010 when the Landfill Directive kicks in - that requires us to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by 75% on 1995 levels.
Will Manchester residents be able to recycle tetrapaks and batteries in the future?
There is an organisation in Fife that will accept tetrapaks but we have to pay for the collection, the container and the logistics. We are working on a way that we can provide facilities and once we have confirmed costs we'll take that further. The problem with batteries is that if you collect them altogether in a bin, they become hazardous waste and have to be dealt with under hazardous waste legislation, which means it would cost around £600 per tonne to recycle batteries. We have to weigh that up against using that money to get extra properties onto the kerbside collection scheme.
When will we be able to recycle plastics?
At present we have to collect all materials separately. However, there is the possibility of building a facility which can separate mixed waste, so we can collect all materials mixed, except paper, and take them to a plant, where they are split off into constituent parts. That is an 18-month build and we can't get plastic onto the kerbside until we get this equipment.
Green Gold
Biodiesel comes to Manchester...
Green Gold Biodiesel, a Manchester-based co-operative, has recently opened the first biodiesel forecourt in Manchester, selling green diesel at the pump.
Biodiesel is made mainly from vegetable oil and is largely a renewable fuel. It has significantly fewer emissions of carbon dioxide than standard diesel and is recycling what is essentially a waste product.
Any diesel engine can run on B5 (a blend of 5% biodiesel) without affecting the warranty. In Germany, biodiesel has been widely available for several years. It is tried, tested, safe and reliable, and all taxes are paid. Your vehicle could run on between 5% and 100% biodiesel depending on age and model without the need for any conversion.
Green Gold Biodiesel already have and will continue to stock 'Basic 5' which is 5% biodiesel: 95% regular diesel. Does 5% make a real difference? To understand the significance of the figure just imagine a 5% payrise, or losing 5% of your body weight. You could be reducing your dependence on petrochemicals by 5%, The lubricating qualities of Basic 5 also prolong the life of your engine. Green Gold's customers report a increase in miles per litre using the fuel. To buy B100, the 100% biodiesel option you will need to become a member of Green Gold Biodiesel - membership is £10/year for individuals.
Eight Things You Should Know About Green Gold Biodiesel
1) Green Gold's B5 fuel can be used in ANY diesel vehicle without affecting the warranty.
2) There is no need to convert your vehicle to use biodiesel and biodiesel can be mixed in ANY ratio with normal diesel.
3) Your company can set up a credit account with Green Gold and we can offer a discount for fleet users.
4) Biodiesel is a fuel made primarily from vegetable oil, and because it comes from plants it is a largely renewable fuel - unlike mineral diesel.
5) Biodiesel produces between 30% and 80% less carbon dioxide than mineral diesel.
6) Their biodiesel comes from used cooking oil and virgin rape seed oil. Rix Biodiesel in Hull is our supplier of B5.
7) You may have read that biodiesel can be made from palm oil, produced at the expense of tropical rainforest. Green Gold are opposed to this for ecological and quality reasons and have already refused to buy fuel from a UK supplier because of this.
8) Green Gold is literally yards from Manchester Piccadilly station and very easy to find...
Opening Times
Monday -Friday: 8.00am - 6.00pm
Saturday: 1.00pm - 5.00pm
Sunday: Closed
Green Gold Biodiesel is located at 100 Fairfield Street, just yards from Piccadilly Station.
Is Nuclear The Answer?
It seems too good to be true. That's because it is...
We don't like to be negative here at MFoE, but the nuclear industry is pressing its case so persistently, that we need to be continuously pointing out that it is wrong. Here are a few reminders that are worth bearing in mind when considering renewable energy developments.
The cost of
nuclear energy production is roughly twice that of land and wind, per
unit of energy.
Doubling the
amount of nuclear power generation in the UK would only reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by 8%.
With the domestic
sector (home heating and electricity) causing about one third of greenhouse
gas emissions, it's better to have conservation measures.
We still do
not know what to do with the nuclear waste we already have, let alone
any amount of extra waste.
Despite what
the nuclear power industry claims, the new generation of nuclear power
plants do leave a legacy of dangerous radioactive waste for thousands
of years.
The most authoritative
study for the UK suggests nuclear would produce about 50 per cent more
global warming emissions than wind power.
There are no
domestic sources of uranium. We need to still rely on foreign countries.
Just A Minute!
The stars of that well known Radio 4 show gave their insights on being environmentally friendly during a show in February. We give a few responses...
A large compost heap is the best thing to have at the bottom of your garden... (Graham Norton)
This is an excellent way to reduce your eco-footprint as less of the waste from your household has to be trucked around the country just to be turned into methane in landfill. And it is also a great way to save money. If you are a gardener you can forget about paying for compost and can have your garden blooming in no time... you can even bury coffee grounds and tea bags direct into a trench to grow on top of.
The best way to be environmentally friendly is not to throw anything away but what I've found is that that turns your own personal environment into a sort of living hell. Soon you're lying on a big case of bottles... (stopped due to hesitation) Graham Norton
Time to get doorstep recycling!
Rhino dung can be made into paper. It's not a very pleasant letter to get but still you know you've done your bit... (Clement Freud - stopped by Paul Merton saying it's the Rhino that's done his bit)
We have nothing to add!
Buy a bike, get knocked off it and insist on being buried in a cardboard coffin, there you've done your bit... Jenny Eclaire
The number of cyclists killed in road traffic crashes in 2000 was 125. That year there were over 45,000 deaths from heart disease attributable to physical inactivity. Cyclists generally have a fitness rate of someone ten years younger than them... (see page 3) But very funny anyway.
More about green burials, just in case, at www.naturalendings.co.uk.
Season's Eatings!
One Parsnip and Hazelnut Risotto, coming up...
March is a great month. The weather is picking up so UK salads can be grown undercover but the weather is still cold so you can have heart and cockle warming meals like this. Making this at home I use all organic ingredients except where a locally grown alternative is available. At the moment all of the fresh produce is in season so a UK source should be available.
| Ingredient |
Supermarket
|
Organic Grocery
|
| 2 large parsnips, diced |
£1.53
|
£0.76
|
| Half a carrot diced |
£0.10
|
£0.08
|
| 1 large leek diced |
£0.88
|
£0.36
|
| 4 cloves of garlic finely sliced |
£0.03
|
£0.03
|
| 4 dried apricots finely sliced |
£0.10
|
£0.05
|
| 125g butter |
£0.48
|
£0.96
|
| 320g Arborio or Carnaroli Rice |
£0.55*
|
£1.63
|
| Olive oil |
£0.08 s
|
£0.07
|
| ½ cup of white wine |
£0.36* s
|
£0.59
|
| 8 whole hazelnuts |
£0.29* s
|
£0.42
|
| Mixed salad leaves |
£1.63 (for 200g) s
|
£2.41
|
| Pumpkin seeds |
£0.10
|
£0.04
|
| Red Wine Vinegar |
£0.03* s
|
£0.02
|
| Total |
£6.16
|
£7.42
|
* = own-label product, s = no organic option
This should provide 3 large or 4 small servings.
So here our co-operatively run, environmentally friendly stores come in just over a pound more expensive than the international, environmentally un-friendly 'Super'store. It isn't just about cost though: the extra pound pays for the peace of mind that your food miles are hundreds if not thousands of times lower and the ecofootprint of your meal is much, much smaller- visit the www.realfoodguide.org.uk to find out more about why the locally sourced, organic, Fairtrade and GM-Free option is the obvious choice.
1) Add the olive oil and half the butter to the pan and put the heat on low, when the butter has melted add the leek, garlic and apricot and keep stirring until the leek has turned translucent.
2) This should take 5 mins. Now add the parsnip and carrot and the brandy, stir around and put the lid on.
3) In the meantime heat a pan with no oil and add the hazelnuts. Keep them moving until they are browned on all sides (careful not to burn them). Transfer them to a pestle and mortar and grind to a reasonably fine powder. Keep checking the parsnips to make sure they aren't sticking.
4) After 3 or 4 minutes take the lid off the parsnip and leek, add the hazelnut and give things a good stir.
5) Add the rice and the remainder of the butter and keep stirring. While you are stirring fill the kettle and boil some water. When the rice is coated in butter start adding the water bit by bit. It's important to take time over this stage - it is the slow addition of water with stirring that will give the creamy consistency we want.
6) This can continue until the risotto is approaching a thick consistency which could be 20 minutes or so- if the rice isn't quite cooked pop the lid on and leave it on low and keep checking the rice.
7) About 5 minutes before you want to serve. Take it off the heat and stir in some grated parmesan.
The first of the UK salads are coming in now so the perfect accompaniment is some mixed salad leaves, with toasted pumpkin seeds, olive oil and vinegar.
Notes
1) Supermarket prices were obtained from tesco.com and are an average of the prices for the 'Big Four' as on the site.
2) Where there was a choice the cheapest options available at each store were chosen.
3) At the Organic Grocery store all veg was labeled with country of origin and was grown in the UK. It was not possible to obtain the country of origin of the supermarket options in all cases.
Take Action!
If you have...
...0 minutes
Then you need to make more time in your life... Why not combine commuting with exercise by cycling to work!
...15 minutes
Then visit our new loveyourbike.org website (from 21st March) to plan your route to work...
...30 minutes
Then visit one of our discount-giving bike shops (see loveyourbike.org) and get your bike checked out and fully equipped!
For more money- & planet-saving tips, visit www.savecashsaveplanet.org.