Birmingham Friends of the Earth

Weekly compilation 27.01.2012

2012-01-27T17:46:00.002Z

Here are the news stories we've gathered through twitter over this week:

Biodiversity
“@PlanBee1: Help Bumblebee Conservation Trust + bumble #bees by filling in a survey about bees visiting your garden: http://svy.mk/xOSkS8"
RT @mwarhurst: "almost everything that is happening on the environment is now happening because of #EU level decisions" http://bit.ly/zQ78sF
RT @pauldezylva: "Bee decline should concern us all, because their wellbeing affects us." #bees http://bit.ly/A0XWji

Energy & Climate Change
Just been sent this poster which will be going up around Birmingham to help people stay warm: http://yfrog.com/klo69zp
Tomorrow we're launching our Close the Door campaign in Kings Heath to get retailers to save energy and money: http://bit.ly/ywvSwg
Read more about our Close the Door campaign here: http://bit.ly/fF3Zcw
RT @dpcarrington: by me: Leaked data: Palm #biodiesel dirtier than fuel from #tarsands http://gu.com/p/353ne/tw #biofuel #oilsands

RT @WoodbrookeUK: Did you know that Woodbrooke now has solar PV panels? Read details in this week's Good Lives blog: http://bit.ly/zrC7Bz

Hydro-power in Wiltshire, Yorkshire, Somerset, Devon – and now Hall Green, Birmingham? http://bit.ly/zxeIhe
RT @BirminghamPress: the realities of a 'low carbon' economy: "What's in it for me?" http://bit.ly/zVDMcw - agree communities need benefits
RT @guardianeco: Climate change: threats and opportunities to the UK - graphic http://gu.com/p/3527e/tf
RT @guardianeco: Climate change set to hit the UK hard and the poorest hardest | Damian Carrington http://gu.com/p/3529y/tf
It would be brilliant if this attempt to reveal where GWPF's funding comes from were successful: http://bit.ly/wvw6b7 via @leohickman
RT @wwwfoecouk: Blog: George has got it wrong on Feed-in Tariffs: What Alan Simpson (former MP) thinks: http://goo.gl/fb/GCmHd
Ask David Cameron for a Bright Solar Future: http://bit.ly/w76Erc
RT @WarwicKnowledge: Climate Change: Going Beyond Dangerous http://bit.ly/w7cVro

Quite impressive nonsense: RT @wwwfoecouk: Blog: Nonsense on stilts: Policy Exchange's numbers don't add up, again: http://goo.gl/fb/XJVxE
RT @olliehayes: Friends of the Earth: Government Loses Appeal Over 'Unlawful' Solar Cuts http://bit.ly/z1lWtN @wwwfoecouk
“Burning crops and breaking rocks: Biofuels, shale gas fracking and other ways NOT to save the planet” http://bit.ly/zsySwY
Excellent blog post for @wwwfoecouk on "What Lord Lawson didn't tell you about shale gas" by @powellds: http://bit.ly/wqZ4lb
Lawson spouting his usual rubbish on climate change in debate with @Tonyjupiter on shale gas 2 hrs 42: bbc.in/wmLPBS via @dpcarrington

Planning
RT @digbeth: New DiG blog post, Statement from Quintain Estates regarding Island House - http://tinyurl.com/87bg2qe #saveislandhouse

Friends of the Earth: Don't let Oliver Letwin bin green regulations http://bit.ly/wuDePs @wwwfoecouk
"Unfortunately, planning process is highly permissive & designed to encourage development" @neilelkes: http://bit.ly/z6JtEQ #saveislandhouse

RT @ReStirredForum: Follow & join the ongoing discussion on Island House on Restirred Form See: http://tinyurl.com/7c8ttdz #saveislandhouse
So, should we organise a 100th birthday party for Island House? It'll be something to celebrate if it reaches it in 2013 #saveislandhouse
RT @birminghampost: Legal contract could save 100-year-old Island House from demolition: http://tinyurl.com/893jbdl #saveislandhouse

RT @digbeth: New DiG blog post, The fight to Save Island House is far from over! - http://tinyurl.com/76ncuw6 #saveislandhouse
MT @paulmdale: Legal conundrum for Brum planners over Island House demolition row. My blog post: http://tinyurl.com/6lub7gp #saveislandhouse
We need to get everyone to object to application 2012/00182/PA to change sec106 planning conditions and allow demolition: #saveislandhouse
Joe's take on what happened in the Planning committee meeting today to #saveislandhouse - confusion reigns: http://bit.ly/AtB6tp
New post on our blog about planning in Birmingham and why it's important to #saveislandhouse not carry on demolishing: http://bit.ly/xpxnhf

A common agenda for retail and wholesale markets: http://bit.ly/yvE4Y7 - good post on the need to work together and promote benefits.
This rubbish about supermarkets helping regeneration: http://bit.ly/ArvUYS Their practices are v damaging 4 suppliers: http://bit.ly/z7uVvY

Transport
RT @AirportWatch: WWF report “Moving on. Why flying less means more for business”: http://bit.ly/yJVPM9 to fly less = saving time & cash.
RT @AirportWatch: Proportion of business passengers fell between 2005 and 2010 at 5 main UK airports. http://bit.ly/w385vT #tourismdeficit
How about a bit of enforcement of parking rules, then? RT @bournvillenews: Police blast lazy parents http://goo.gl/fb/bjwNz

The cost of #HS2 today versus the cost of building the Trent Valley Railway in 1847: http://bit.ly/xYWLuN
RT @RichardHebditch: Government to repeat M6 Toll failure? http://bit.ly/y2Bp7I (blog post from @Roads2Nowhere)
RT @Channel4News: #Fuel supply fears as #oil refinery stops deliveries: http://bit.ly/yc8RHh #Coryton #c4news

Waste & Resource Use
RT @BhamCityCouncil: Green waste collections restart from 06.2.12. You can still recycle your green waste. Here’s how: http://bit.ly/tb47Ge

RT @EBRI_UK: A power plant that is carbon negative? Find out how EBRI are making this a reality in our short video at http://bit.ly/AmBrIg

Parliament calls for urgent measures to halve food wastage in the EU: http://bit.ly/wRouJW
RT @agaqueen: Making AD plants more attractive to small-scale farms | Features | Farmers Guardian: http://bit.ly/wkhrRR
Health Protection Agency confirms new incinerator study into affects on human health: http://bit.ly/xShXnv

Others
Only risks? RT @guardianeco: David Cameron's eco-friendly image risks 'retoxification', warns WWF chief http://bit.ly/zOYS66
.@DowChemical should NOT be 2012 Olympics sponsors until they take responsibility for #Bhopal. Tell @sebcoe to drop Dow http://chn.ge/dowbhopal
We think there needs to be a serious re-think of economics, otherwise @katecooper will be right about mass unemployment http://bit.ly/AwVwe8
RT @pauldezylva: "Capitalism in its current form no longer fits the world around us." World Economic Forum debate Davos http://bbc.in/yBniIO
RT @pauldezylva: Govts may be ambivalent on #sustainability but power behind thrones (World Econonic Forum) seems keen http://ow.ly/8CCBc
We need a supermarket watchdog - urgently: http://bit.ly/z7uVvY

Confusion reigns in the planning committee

2012-01-26T15:26:00.003Z

Well, I've been to a few planning committee meetings in my time, but never anything quite like this.

All the councillors on the committee wanted to save the lovely Island House from demolition. There were some excellent speeches both from those who opposed it from the floor and from councillors, particularly Clancy, Smith and Henley. However, the planning officers seemed determined that there was nothing they could do. The hearing today was only over whether they should have to approve the method of demolition and then what is done afterwards.

There were proposals to say they should agree they need to approve it, but then not approve the conditions for 8 weeks to allow more time for building a case against demolition, but this was another of those cases where the council feared legal costs from a challenge by the developer, so they chickened out.

The biggest saving grace that should play in favour of saving this historic building is a section 106 agreement which the developer signed with the council that they had a duty to retain and renovate it. Follow this link to the consultation or search for 2012/00182/PA on the Birmingham City Council planning website - it is now taking comments as to whether they should alter this agreement on retaining the building and will close on 6th Feb.

Scaffolding is going up around the building as I type, so who knows what will happen in the next few days. Will they just knock it down and pay whatever fine the council imposes? It probably wouldn't be a huge amount for a developer.

Accountability around planning in this country seems rather muddled and it seems agreements are struck behind closed doors that even democratically elected members are unable to do anything about. I hope that the developers don't just rise roughshod over public opinion and legal agreements, but nothing would shock me.

Joe Peacock

Planning - time for some sense

2012-01-25T14:21:00.000Z

Tomorrow, the planning committee will hear an application to demolish one of the last buildings to survive the demolition job that has been BCC's "regeneration" of Eastside.

Flattening Island House for no good reason sends out totally the wrong signal. Eastside has been decimated already and it's time that Birmingham learned a lesson that flattening everything and starting again is not always the best way to go about making places better. We really should not allow one of the last buildings of note there to go, too.
The original Big City Plan had Island House as an important building leading on to the new city park, but things now seem to have changed - why? Is it something to do with HS2?
Luckily, people are kicking up a fuss about this one.

Digbeth Residents are up in arms about it, as are various conservation groups and also Occupy Birmingham, who've done the call to arms above. The hearing is at 11am tomorrow and people will be gathering outside the council house to protest. If you are able to come along and show support, that will be really great.
Only those who have registered to do so may speak at the planning committee meeting, but public may attend.

Joe Peacock

weekly compilation 20.01.12

2012-01-20T17:09:00.000Z

Here's our regular round up of the key stories in the news by campaign areas:

Biodiversity
RT @guardianeco: Conserving biodiversity hotspots 'could bring world's poor $500bn a year' http://gu.com/p/34q5d/tf

Really horrible - ignoring evidence: RT @Earth_News: Badger kill zones revealed: http://bit.ly/we10CF :http://bit.ly/6js1T

RT @SimonBowens: BASF pull GM out of Europe - potentially great news for campaigners against GM potato trials at Hedon: http://bit.ly/zzRvCo
“@Buzz_dont_tweet: '#UKGov must ban neonicotinoids now before further damage is done to our fragile ecosystems' #bees http://bit.ly/wouEyK
RT @foeeurope: Another nail in the coffin for genetically modified foods in Europe as #BASF quits Europe http://bit.ly/ylPlc1 #gmo ^FG

Energy & Climate Change
News just in: Judgement on Govt appeal against High Court solar ruling will be made on Weds 25th January at 10am #FITs
RT @DeborahDoaneWDM: So now high carbon investments are "sub-prime". You have been warned: in @guardian http://bit.ly/zKhKaD

#FF @GreedyLyingBast Greedy Lying Bastards: US filmmaker attacks oil industry gu.com/p/34pe3/tf
Light at end of the tunnel for solar industry: http://bit.ly/zV85s6
RT @dpcarrington: UK: #Wind power passes 6GW in UK, can now supply 3.3m homes http://ow.ly/8zinG >Chief Sec to Treasury calls for more
RT @powellds: Looks like @Policy_Exchange's report is not doing their reputation with Govt economists much good... http://bit.ly/yevLKb
RT @BBCBirmingham: Solar panels are installed on Wolverhampton Civic Centre at a cost of £123,00. http://bbc.in/zbeyLz - good to see.

Planning
RT @CPRE: Want to know how planning works and how to respond to a local application? http://www.planninghelp.org.uk - planning explained.
RT @digbeth: Support @OccupyBrum in their campaign to #saveislandhouse http://www.occupybirmingham.co.uk/save-island-house-digbeth

MT @wwwfoecouk: New roads, nuclear power stations and biomass plants can be stopped. Free training day on 25 February: http://bit.ly/yd4r1E
Brighton and Bolton Councils are investing in their markets . . . Birmingham next? http://bit.ly/ybVli6

Transport
RT @doug_parr: Reduce CO2 emissions and get better school performance from kids. Would beat any Gove initiative. http://bit.ly/xtA4bD

Estuary airport would be an environmental disaster: http://bit.ly/xI9DbC

Thames Estuary would mean no expansion at any other airport if we want to hit legally binding CO2 reduction targets: http://bit.ly/zOZ2nR
Excellent article by John Stewart on Cameron's support for Boris Island Airport: http://bit.ly/AhIieQ #notoaviationexpansion
RT @leftfootfwd @donnahume: FoE: Support solar to help low-income families cut energy bills http://bit.ly/zCUjyn
RT @carbonbrief: A new book suggests climate models inaccurate as they fail to include effects of trees http://bit.ly/wbiL7O via @SciDevNet
New post on the blog about Big Energy Week and what @BCABS5 Birmingham Citizens Advice Bureau are doing to help people: http://bit.ly/z5LxgR
Guard rails on Kings Heath High Street - we say they're a bad idea and other measures should be looked at: http://bit.ly/zocjNm
BAA believes that by 2032 HS2 will cut Heathrow domestic flights. Numbers have been falling for past 10 years, anyway: http://bit.ly/wn0GDY

Waste & Resource Use
RT @EBRI_UK: Biochar is a by-product of the bionergy process which has a number of useful properties. Find out more: http://bit.ly/x5dT0z
RT @gasstreetworks: Oooh Apple are offering you cash for your old tech as part of their new 'reuse or recycle' scheme. http://engt.co/yBMQqJ
Talking Rubbish on the Radio Again - our piece is at 6 mins 30 seconds: http://bbc.in/ymFroW and there's a blog post: http://bit.ly/y7SjWn
RT @EBRI_UK: Check out our latest video on producing bioenergy from waste http://bit.ly/AzCCtu

Others
Govt "takes a step backwards & offers scant hope in facilitating UK’s move to a truly sustainable economic & environmental future" @CIWEM You can read their full report on mainstreaming sustainable development here: http://bit.ly/Ad6arb
RT @birminghampost: Comedian Rob Newman takes part in Birmingham environmental event http://tinyurl.com/7zo69rp

RT @dailybirmingham: Eating Your Greens: The Birmingham Green Restaurant Awards for 2012 have been launched. http://dlvr.it/15zZcp
If you're looking for a short-term part time job getting experience in energy advice, @northfieldeco are recruiting: http://bit.ly/rDIVZI
RT @Localfoodhere: Want to work for HEFF? A full time job vacancy for someone to run our exciting Local Food Store! http://bit.ly/ySXRp0

RT @MikeChilds1: Why I disagree with Fred Pearce and @GeorgeMonbiot on solar & rail http://tinyurl.com/792qd65 (as much as I love them too!)
"A sustainable start to the year at Aston University" and we'll be there as usual: http://bit.ly/xA8t37

Birmingham Citizens Advice Bureau helps people to cut their fuel bills in Big Energy Week

2012-01-17T11:27:00.002Z

As we are well aware through our work on the Final Demand Campaign, rising fuel billsare stretching household finances and people are looking for ways tosave money on their energy bills. Supporter of our campaign, BirminghamCitizens Advice Bureau, is here to help.

They will give practical advice and help throughout BigEnergy Week (16-21 January 2012) to help people cut their fuel billsand get all the financial support they are entitled to. They willalso be putting on a special event at the Tyseley bureau on Thursday19 January (09:30-18:30). Staff will be on hand to help people reducetheir energy bills, and will be signposting those who qualify foradditional support and home improvements.

Financial InclusionManager Florence Betts said: “More andmore people are coming to us for advice on how to spend less on theirfuel bills. Through Big Energy Week we want to tell people that helpis at hand and that there are things they can do to cut their fuelbills.”

Birmingham CitizensAdvice Bureau is urging people to speak to their energy supplier tocheck that they’re getting the best deal and are on the cheapestpayment method - and to save energy by insulating your home – mostenergy companies are offering free and/or discounted insulation.

You could save moreby switching energy suppliers and an accredited switching website canhelp you do this.

Plus it’s important tocheck that you are getting all of the benefits and tax credits thatyou’re entitled to – as you could be missing out on money thatcould make it easier to pay your fuel bill.

You can pick up aleaflet with tips and advice on cutting your fuel bills at BirminghamCitizens Advice Bureau.

Big Energy Week is anadvice campaign coordinated by Citizens Advice to help consumersspend less on heating their home.

A new website –www.bigenergyweek.org.uk- is full of tips on how to cut your energy bills. And as part ofBig Energy Week there will be events up and down the country wherepeople can get practical advice on how they could spend less onheating their home.

We are also continuing to gather support for our campaign for a public enquiry into the power and influence of the ‘big six’ energy companies, to assess whether our current system is fit for purpose to deliver the clean, affordable and secure energy we need. You can sign the petition online here or on paper in the reception of our building.

Joe Peacock

Talking Rubbish on the Radio Again

2012-01-16T15:56:00.000Z

This morning I was asked to go on BBC Radio WM to defend councils' abilities to fine people for not recycling or persistently putting waste in the wrong place after Caroline Spelman said the government were going to put a stop to bin fines.

Up against "Big Brother Watch" (another of those right-wing libertarian organisations set up by Matthew Elliot of Tax Payers' Alliance), I was presented with a view of a world when councils send people out to spy on innocent residents, handing out fixed penalty notices every time a wheelie bin is a couple of inches from where it should be.

Now, going on to defend councils fining people wouldn't be everyone's favourite thing to do, so it was important to make points on cost above all else. Fines are (or certainly should be) a last resort, but the government is just playing to certain parts of the press with this latest announcement.

The real issue should be that we are no longer living in a world where waste management is about disposal. Resources are too valuable for that and prices are going up all the time, so recycling is not just an environmental imperative, but a financial one too. This means that in fiscally stretched times, it is more important than ever that people do recycle and recover value, rather than costing the council more money by chucking everything into the bin to be burnt or buried.

Last week we gave evidence to the scrutiny committee review on this and are very determined that Birmingham should transform services to a "resource recovery system". This means mainly working with communities and companies that can give us the best value and environmental outcomes possible. If fines are removed, it simply gives the wrong message to people about the value of doing the right thing. It should never be near the top of actions to be taken and I think it is very unlikely that it ever is.

People want their streets to be clean and their bills to be lower. Councils need to work together with residents and recycling companies to achieve this, reduce carbon emissions and create jobs.

Joe Peacock

weekly compilation 13.01.12

2012-01-13T18:00:00.000Z

Here's our weekly look at what's been in the news and is relevant to our campaigns interests:

Biodiversity
MT @pauldezylva: Tipping point for honey #bees nears: http://gu.com/p/34kjx/tf - Is a techno-fix ready to pollinate crops when #bees go? No?

RT @PlanBee1: If anyone is worried about wildlife appearing early in their garden, this gives some tips on how to help: http://bit.ly/xwv0Xc

RT @marinetuk: Tuna stocks continue to plunge globally: http://www.marinet.org.uk/latestnews.html#gtsh

RT @purplelionness: http://chn.ge/A7QmRl Petition against Ethiopian Land grab, please sign
RT @pauldezylva: Are #pesticides the cause of the huge decline in #bees after all? http://bit.ly/xMdYa3 via @motherjones
RT @northfieldeco: In Northfield? Love the local park? Info about volunteer projects in Victoria Common, 7pm Wed 11 Jan http://bit.ly/z0FBL9

Energy & Climate Change
RT @neilelkes: Cllrs trying to work out how city will meet ambitious carbon reduction targets by 2026. Not very clear at all from reports.

Our view on what govt should do on solar #FITs as we go to court again! In @guardianeco: http://gu.com/p/34kxz/tf
That does sound good: RT @MikeChilds1: I love how clever and flexible you can be with solar, great example here: tp://tinyurl.com/73cj7nt
Have you got something like this for Brum? MT @Andy2Atkins: Mini Stern review for Low Carbon Leeds region http://bit.ly/y14G2o
RT @leohickman: UK's solar capacity grew 10-fold in 2011 http://bloom.bg/y4yYK6 >>despite FITs mess but from v low base

Average Brit uses a Kenyan’s annual carbon emissions by 13 January: http://bit.ly/zQl8h0
Friday the thirteenth will hopefully be unlucky for the government: http://bit.ly/zsGkcb
All power to the wind – it cuts your electricity bills: http://bit.ly/xhJocw
RT @adamvaughan_uk: Cuadrilla gets licenses to drill for shale gas in Sussex, Surrey and Kent http://tgr.ph/x7F3cC - trouble ahead!!

Planning
Fair trade shop Shared Earth to close Birmingham store as company faces liquidation: http://bit.ly/xqey9p - very sad.
New Eastside "Masterplan" on the Big City Plan website: http://bit.ly/A1zQPa We're looking at it, but would love to hear your thoughts.

Transport
This data blog about savings on journeys times doesn't seem to recognise the time getting to #HS2 station from others: http://bit.ly/yxkb2i

RT @digbeth: New DiG blog post, #HS2 and Digbeth/Eastside - http://tinyurl.com/6wlwaq5
Please stop this awful idea! MT @mullaney3: a short section of railings by Asda, subject to consultation, will be installed by end of March
Evidence about use of railing guards making streets more dangerous courtesy of @livingstreets http://bit.ly/wb4O5A
Lufthansa's bio-fuelled fantasy finally grounded: http://bit.ly/zkNlO5 -we imagine many other similar ones realise it's not sustainable, too
MT @RennieConsult: Short video about why dropped kerbs so important to me & wheelchair users bit.ly/xziRUU - brilliant & parents with prams!
Useful website. This website works out how CO2 from your flight compares to heating, car use, electricity: http://www.thinkbeforeyoufly.com/

MT @guardianeco: Ryanair adds 25p for "eco-looney tax" to fares http://bit.ly/xUxINe - that'll really mess up their "cheap" fares!
RT @jonwalker121: The public consultation into #hs2 came out two to one against the scheme http://twurl.nl/6liufc
Surely not: RT @guardianeco: Airlines could net £1.6bn windfall from EU carbon trading scheme, report says http://bit.ly/x7koa2
RT @birminghampost: Alister Scott Blog: The planning headaches facing HS2 http://bit.ly/zos6Lx - excellent piece highlighting key issues.
Here's our press release on the #HS2 announcement "High Speed? How do we get to the station?": http://bit.ly/ztdLbN
Thought it'd never happen! RT @BirminghamPress: Public transport users finally able to use easier way of buying tickets: http://bit.ly/wXQx1p

Waste & Resource Use
Industry calls for more ambitious Waste Strategy as resource shortages threaten: http://bit.ly/vZF5J9

Others
If you buy this track, we get a share of the profits - enjoy: http://bit.ly/yXx76M
Birmingham: Eco tourism destination for the week! http://bit.ly/y90h4B

Thanks to @SWMtweet for putting up a couple of new volunteer positions with us on their website: http://bit.ly/x3XZQ8 http://bit.ly/zGK0ml

"The Green Economy – which way to look in 2012": http://bit.ly/Aw5BYW - It's clear that we need to explain better economic models.
Good to see @warehousecafeuk and @loafonline getting some recognition for their part in Brum's food renaissance: http://ind.pn/wvhRne
Response by @CraigBennett3 to @GregBarkerMP "environmental Taliban"+ @ZacGoldsmith asking greens to praise Govt: http://tinyurl.com/79drw93

weekly compilation 06.01.2012

2012-01-06T18:00:00.000Z

Here's our first news round up of the new year:

Biodiversity
Tories and Labour renew backing for GM food crops: http://bit.ly/x3mVjo - here's why they're wrong: http://bit.ly/AlwzxS

RT @guardianeco: An early spring may be bad news for honey-poor bees http://gu.com/p/34fah/tf

"I would much rather make films which are simply unadulterated pleasure in the natural world" Attenborough on #climate: http://bit.ly/xmY6yD
Please take action with @marinetuk's campaign to "Help stop fish extinction": http://bit.ly/vW6I19

Energy & Climate Change
RT @wwwfoecouk: Court of Appeal schedules Friday 13th as Judgment Day for #solar battle: http://bit.ly/x5vijX
"the three unlimited sources of wealth we have – people, ingenuity and renewable energy" lovely positive article: http://bit.ly/zD1ns4
Excellent plan - preserving Sarehole Mill's sluice gates and potentially generating electricity: http://bit.ly/xOYQ4S
RT @MikeChilds1: Great post on threat of methane releases at Real Climate http://tinyurl.com/7knqywb basic conclusion it's CO2 that matters
RT @pauldezylva: "Environmental Taliban": lost argument on #planning + cut to #FITs, so #GreenestGovtNever resorts to name calling. Classy
Great news management by the pro-nuclear lobby? http://bit.ly/vVl1YH We certainly hadn't heard that!

Unseasonal activity in Birmingham – and Met Office data: http://bit.ly/sS0rmO - who knows what weather will bring, but global temp rising.
Our first blog post of the new year is about sewage and gas. Start as you mean to go on, eh? http://bit.ly/rC62W8

Planning
Birmingham council: value and nurture the markets – central to the health and vitality of the city: http://bit.ly/urMyqx RT @SamwiseBaggie: RT @MDFOXY
Birmingham folk - please take 5 mins to oppose demolition of Island house -comments here: http://bit.ly/x208Xp

Transport
RT @Roads2Nowhere: An 80 mph public health warning from the BMJ, and call for full details to be released for debate: http://bit.ly/ACSlau
Why do all arguments over #HS2 have to be so simplistic - this route or nothing, wealthy opponents, back yards etc? http://bit.ly/ytORcQ

RT @bbcwm: News: A rail watchdog attacks a 13% increase in a rail fare between Birmingham and London. http://bbc.in/xEV8zE

Very good round up on the @airportwatch site about oil prices and what's happening to them compared to DECC forecasts: http://bit.ly/A0IxVQ
"In 2012, please be considerate to other road and pavement users" (post on @b31voices hyperlocal blog): http://bit.ly/rL9iay
Staycations’ and weak pound have boosted British trade, says Bank of England: http://tgr.ph/tnj4xc - so why encourage more flights abroad?

Bus fares shooting up (20%) due to govt cuts in grants. Why so little outcry over that? http://bit.ly/vlyiKo

Waste & Resource Use
Blog post on @b31voices - Your opportunity to change how rubbish is collected: http://bit.ly/yJX0wi
Please do let your councillor know that we should have a better waste (resource recovery) system in Birmingham: http://bit.ly/wtWzHC
There is a lot less rubbish going to landfill (but way too much being incinerated and not enough re-use/recycling!): http://bit.ly/tYz2zI
Brilliant Christmas video message by @Glosvain to the council about the proposed incinerator: http://youtu.be/vyDGACG3Ilo
Global hunger for plastic packaging leaves waste solution a long way off: http://bit.ly/s028Nq incineration is certainly not the answer!

Others
RT @BirminghamPress: Three workshops in Stirchley Park for local people interested in discussing the park's future. http://bit.ly/x4OAHd

RT @guardianeco: 'Greenest government ever' must do better – but so must green groups, too | Zac Goldsmith http://gu.com/p/34ffx/tf
RT @theneweconomics: Two billion reasons to rethink the economy | Mike Harris http://bit.ly/wtTuC4
New blog post on green new year's resolutions that you could take: http://bit.ly/y6MxAl
RT @MikeChilds1: great blog by @James_BG on the name-calling by @GregBarkerMP in the FT http://tinyurl.com/7ac5coz. Now let's move on.
RT @mwarhurst: New study on sustainable development through left wing and right wing UK political narratives: http://bit.ly/zaKQ8m

Green New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-05T14:46:00.001Z

Have you made a new year's resolution this year? If so, is it one that will benefit the environment as well as yourself?

There's no reason why you couldn't make a late one now if you haven't got round to it yet...

How about one of the following?

Transport

Fly less, or not at all if you can help it. Flying is the most polluting activity a person can take and not doing it will make more impact on reducing your carbon footprint than anything else. The reason why it is only a small proportion of the UK's carbon emissions is because relatively few people do it still.

Drive less. Per mile, driving can also have very high CO2 emissions (although people don't tend to drive as far as they fly). It also has a negative impact on the area in which you live in terms of congestion, air pollution, noise pollution and creating a dangerous environment for pedestrians and cyclists. If you can cycle, walk or take the bus/train, please do. It's good for your health and can also mean lower stress levels than driving in the rush hour.

Waste and Resource Use

Think about buying things with less packaging. Plastic bags are an environmental problem, but then so is the packaging that most food (and other products) is encased in. If you buy fresh fruit and veg to cook from scratch, it almost always has less packaging and you could also make a point by unwrapping things in the shop and leaving the retailer to deal with the waste - they might re-think what they stock then.

Try to find ways to re-use as many things as possible rather than throwing them away or putting them in the recycling. It can be fun to think of new uses for things.

Food

Buy local. Use local independently owned shops/market stalls as much as possible and try to find products that are produced locally, too. The smaller the distance between where things are produced and bought, the better for the environment, generally speaking. Also, eat less meat and dairy, as these foods have a bigger environmental impact.

Energy

Ensure electrical devices are turned off when not in use, both at home and at in the work/study places you go to. Also, make sure you don't leave doors/windows open when the heating's on.

Campaign

Get involved with Birmingham Friends of the Earth and help us to campaign for change and a better environment.

Do you have any other ideas you'd like to share?

A good time to contact your councillor about waste

2012-01-04T15:35:00.000Z

Next week Birmingham Friends of the Earth (along with other interested parties) will be giving evidence to the scrutiny committee's Municipal Waste review.

If you wish to read in detail a lot of the work we've done on this, then it's on our website, but I just want you to grab this opportunity to get your councillor to feed in to this review, too. I have been made aware that councillors have today received details of the terms of reference of the review, so will know it is happening and can respond if they wish.

If you are unhappy with the current system, do not want black bags whose contents get strewn everywhere, would rather we moved away from burning rubbish and creating 280 000 tonnes of CO2 per year from the incinerator to a system where we get maximum value for money out of the resources we have, please contact your councillor today and ask them to put this case.

Email us via campaigns@birminghamfoe.org.uk if you want advice on what to say.

Joe Peacock

Minworth - a source of gas for Birmingham

2012-01-03T10:46:00.001Z

One of the country’s largest sewage works is at Minworth just outside Birmingham. Birmingham is a consumer of energy, much of it gas. Are the two related ? The answer is yes: sewage processing can create methane gas.

An encouraging story from 2011 was an award to CNG Services for Didcot Biomethane to Grid. The achievement that is now a success at the Oxfordshire town of Didcot, better known for its power station cooling towers, is that biomethane is now being injected into the UK gas grid.

Before this project, Didcot was flaring its biogas. Now the gas is cleaned, upgraded, and used. Could Minworth’s managers, Severn Trent Water, consider something like this ?

Comments on this blog are welcome

John Hall

final weekly compilation of 2011

2011-12-22T09:55:00.003Z

Here's our last news round up of 2011:

Energy & Climate Change

Press release up on our website "Government Solar Cuts are Illegal, says High Court": http://bit.ly/sfatcx

So BP is axing all its renewables programmes other than US onshore wind and biofuels (can be worse than fossil fuels):http://bit.ly/rvaQIl

Balsall Heath now has an Energy Plan to create a more energy-efficient neighbourhood, & one that uses energy sources available in the area. You can see the summary of their Energy Plan on the Balsall Heath is Our Planet blog: http://bit.ly/sassGb

RT @wwwfoecouk: Blog: Our solar legal case: why we're in courthttp://bit.ly/s5NCn9

RT @mcrfoe: Anti wind turbine Sunday Times spike own poll that shows public support MORE #windturbines: http://bit.ly/skgR6D

RT @guardianeco: 'Green deal' will fail, government's climate advisers warn http://gu.com/p/348j3/tf - definitely needs more ambition!

RT @dpcarrington: Even Canada's government doesn't believe its own spin on tar sands http://gu.com/p/347g5/tw #tarsands#oilsands

This article has reassured me somewhat about the dangers of methane being released from the oceans: http://bit.ly/uyMi67

Planning

The BeBirmingham Summit report conveniently leaves out a lot of what was said which doesn't fit with council policy: http://bit.ly/cbAnyJ

Good stuff by @bcualisterscott on radio 4 today programme about housing development and the reform of planning law:http://bbc.in/u4H57P

RT @BirminghamPress: Stirchley, is primarily residential area with a declining shopping street-but change is on the wayhttp://bit.ly/tJUjZo

RT @birminghammail: Birmingham Labour MPs demand talks with council leader Mike Whitby over wholesale markets' future:http://dlvr.it/11MKKd

Transport

Historic court ruling today to uphold the EU law to reduce carbon pollution from airplanes: http://bit.ly/tsBQwB - hope for another on FiTs.

RT @jonwalker121: Anti #hs2 protest song Oak Tree Lament at numbers 4 & 5 in HMV download chart, above Coldplay etchttp://twurl.nl/wv8qah

Waste & Recycling

Look forward to campaign on using our resources better next year.@MikeChilds1 reviews a book dealing with such issues:http://bit.ly/u4k1kz

The next Sustainability Forum is on 'Love Where You Live', Wed 25 Jan 2012, Highbury Hall, Birmingham, 18.30 - 20.45.http://www.bebirmingham.org.uk/page.php?id=461

Others

Good Food for Our Money Campaign from Sustain to stop public money being spent on bad food in schools and hospitals:http://bit.ly/s0fia9

Merry Christmas and here's what we've been doing in 2011:http://bit.ly/vHux1Y

RT @mwarhurst: #FOEE - Biodiversity on the brink: Environment ministers fail to tackle global challenges: http://bit.ly/w3nPRO

Highlights of 2011 Part 3

2011-12-20T16:32:00.000Z

The campaign to save environmental protections within the planning system was taken up by many organisations this autumn and we played our part in pointing out the damage that will be done if developers just have free reign to build what they want where they want.

Friends of the Earth gave us the campaign slogan "Talk half as much rubbish" earlier in the year, but we found most people didn't associate David Cameron with their bins (strange as it may seem), so we put our focus on lobbying the council to halve the amount of rubbish. We got about 800 signatures on a petition for food waste collections and better recycling, as well as producing reports on the waste system and the damage done by the incinerator. We are now engaging with the Municipal Waste Review being conducted by the scrutiny committee to whom we'll give evidence in January.

This was the tenth year we've done a Santa Parade in Birmingham for Buy Nothing Day. This year we got a big piece on the radio about consumption and Christmas as well as press coverage and lots of people dancing round the streets with us :-) This video provides pictures from many of those ten years and the radio piece:

As part of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, we always put on events to raise awareness of what is happening amongst the public and politicians. This year it was a screening of the film Dirty Oil at the BMI, followed by a discussion.
The talks in Durban weren't as bad as we feared they might be, but still haven't done anything yet to prevent runaway climate change. Here's Andy Atkins of Friends of the Earth talking about it:

All that makes it even more important that our Final Demand campaign makes a big impact both on the way the energy market is run and the carbon emissions it's responsible for. We are hoping to get thousands of signatures to show the government that people really want a shift in power away from the Big 6 with people taking control over producing their own energy, not just pouring money into shareholders' pockets.

This shot is from Bristol, but we are all ready to hit the streets of Birmingham next year and make a real difference to the carbon emissions of retailers by getting them to close the doors. We have the materials and just need an army of volunteers to go round speaking to shopkeepers. Let us know if you want to help.
The last slide is for our wonderful volunteers, without whom, none of this would happen:

Highlights of 2011 part 2

2011-12-20T15:46:00.000Z

This picture shows a couple of members of The Opera Group, with whom we collaborated on a project to take art out onto the streets and engage with people ahead of their performance at the CBSO concert hall of Seven Angels.

One of the great perks of volunteering for Birmingham Friends of the Earth is the opportunity to get a free ticket to a festival in return for working shifts on our property lockups. The money raised from this is the main reason we can afford to employ a member of staff working on campaigning for all the environmental changes we seek in Birmingham.

It may not be the most glamorous or fun part of campaigning, but responding to consultations is really essential to developing our reputation as a serious organisation whose views carry weight. As well as the core strategy, we have responded to various transport consultations, including on HS2 and aviation and the National Planning Policy Framework. Copies of these can be seen on our website.

The award that we got was largely for the work done by our Faith and Climate Change project, whose funding was unfortunately cut before we received this. There is work under way to develop an even bigger project building on the foundations created to do something across the whole region now.

We won photo of the year for this shot from last year's Santa Parade:

Richard made a totally original acceptance speech that I would love to see taken up by one of the winners at the Oscars next year!

Rossiter's and LOAF did us proud with the food and our volunteers cooked up a storm on the Barbecue for this annual fundraiser that also acts as an awareness-raising event for the benefits of organic food.

Over the summer, we took some time to pause on the active energy campaigning and have a look around the city at what is already happening in the city. We drew up 15 case studies and this information is now proving very useful as we battle cuts to renewable energy subsidies and support for our new campaigns.

In September, for In Town Without My Car Day, we did something practical this year. 5 "Bike Trains" converged on the centre of Birmingham with commuters heading to work. The atmosphere was great and we hope to have inspired a few people to repeat this in 2012. We'd like it to become a regular event to get people building up their confidence for cycling in Birmingham.

Of course, what made it the perfect start to the day was that after burning off all those calories cycling in to work, people were then given a free breakfast to give them the energy to get through to lunch courtesy of three lovely local independent coffee shops.

Highlights of 2011 part 1

2011-12-20T15:04:00.000Z

This has been another great year, in which our campaigners have achieved a lot. Here are some of the highlights.

This picture comes from a session where we were making seed bombs for going out and doing a bit of guerilla gardening - getting plants growing in pieces of wasteland.

And here was another piece of guerilla gardening that we did - planting sunflower seeds around Digbeth. Did you see any growing? There were certainly a few, although not as many as we planted, but it was a good social activity, too.

As a group that believes in the political process and engaging with politicians to win arguments on the evidence base we have, it is important that we speak to politicians in person. This year we have been very active at lobbying in person, as well as sending lots of emails, letters and petitions off.

This photo is from the HS2 debate we put on in partnership with Sustainability West Midlands. We had Christian Wolmar and Mike Geddes speaking against, with Jim Steer and Martin Dyer speaking for it creating a sustainable transport system and more jobs. Adrian Goldberg of BBC radio WM did an excellent job of chairing for us on a night when passion ran high amongst the large audience.

This was from Aston University's Go Green week, where we spoke to students about environmental questions around energy and cold homes - getting them to rate their digs and then created a video of it.

This is one of a few videos we've done this year with the help of Mandy Staunton - thanks to her for all the work she's done on that.

We arranged a Green Spring Fair in May at the Prince of Wales in Moseley, where we also held regular Swap Shops in the first half of the year.

A practical way to reduce waste is to try to find people who want the things you no longer do. The Swap Shop was really successful in this, with all kinds of odd bits of wire and cables finding someone who wanted them when otherwise they would just have been in the bottom of a drawer or gone to waste. There were clothes, bags and books, too.

weekly compilation 16.12.2011

2011-12-16T17:35:00.000Z

Here's our round-up of the stories relating to our campaigns from this week:

Energy & Climate Change
"I suppose there will be some who look more to Nigel Lawson than they do to David Attenborough.. but I doubt it.": http://bit.ly/tV6WZ8 :-)

New article on our website about the @wwfoecouk victory in the high court today on challenging Feed-in-Tariffs review: http://bit.ly/vnbsmb

Excellent! Another blog post by that @powellds who used to be @wee_dave - always a good read, here on energy bills: http://bit.ly/tHUaE9

RT @newscientist: Carbon capture and storage gets a clean bill of health http://bit.ly/vW31HB

RT @dpcarrington: UK #energy bills: here's CCC's report on why "astronomical" rises won't result from green measures http://bit.ly/vzw1fx

RT @leohickman: By me: British public strongly support renewable energy, survey says: http://bit.ly/ufM59V good for #finaldemand campaign

Former FoE energy campaigner was very happy about the Siemens plans for wind turbine factory in Hull. http://bit.ly/u6FaxU

RT @wwwfoecouk: Watch the reaction on #Durban from our executive director @Andy2Atkins http://bit.ly/s8VPpw

New blog post on Saturday's Young Friends of the Earth stunt for Final Demand campaign: http://bit.ly/vK2sSl - the lovely big 6 companies!

RT @AlaaKhourdajie: Durban Climate Agreement: Gap Period in the International Actions and its Economic Implications: http://bit.ly/sT4A1J

RT @orangejon my video's now online of of yesterday's #FinalDemand action, questioning the profits of big 6 - #energy: http://youtu.be/nIZvCGSJflg

Planning
Interesting. Others similar? RT @AcocksGreenFG: 2008 Acocks Green TCM survey: 45% walk to AG centre shops, 28% take bus, 35% use car.

All politicians need to understand about economics of local shops: RT @theneweconomics: Long live the Queen of Shops: http://bit.ly/w4MWHH

RT @RichardHebditch: Decent shopping & streets, not parking what matters for high streets: http://bit.ly/w3DiQk (blog on Mary Portas review)

Transport
RT @rail_media: Acocks Green rail passengers to benefit from lifts http://goo.gl/fb/YbZXB #rail

"Department for Transport’s road plans are a backward step" http://bit.ly/ud1Tec another one by most environmentally destructive govt ever!

Birmingham’s Cross-City line ‘one of the most accessible in the country’ - just a shame no funding for more stations: http://bit.ly/unyj4z

Oh dear. When many people's pay is frozen, bus fares are going up by over 5% again: http://bit.ly/sqx8mo and there's no evening saver!!

New blog post on the cuts to pensioners free travel and whether there's a better solution (eg charging for car parking) http://bit.ly/ukiZcT

RT @sustrans: Cycle like the Danes to cut carbon emissions, says study: http://gu.com/p/343xe/tw via @guardian

Waste & Recycling
Interesting to see how the AD industry copes with these challenges. Birmingham could be planning something soon: http://bit.ly/vbia5d

Article up on our website about the Buy Nothing Day parade. Good to read with only 1 weekend left before xmas: http://bit.ly/rr4u6h

Others
Does anyone think it'd be worth having a Birmingham TV station? Hard to see it being viable financially? http://bbc.in/vEQio1

"Eco-friendly firm Sudscape wins Olympic Village contract" - making pavements out of used car tyres sounds good: http://bit.ly/vHwpRj

Good to see an article focusing on other aspects than just CO2 cuts around Durban talks - biodiversity crucial too: http://ind.pn/sY6C7j

RT @wwwfoecouk: Know any green heroes? Nominate allotment champs & inspiring teachers for @nationaltrust award 16 Jan: http://bit.ly/s75gDm

First Event for Young FoE in Birmingham

2011-12-12T19:07:00.000Z

Last Saturday YoungFriends of the Earth Midlands (people aged 18-30 involved in FoE) metfor its first time ever. For our first action we decided to dress uplike reps from the big six energy companies to thank our faithfulcustomers for their ongoing support, “even though your annual billhas gone up by an average of £500 our shareholders annual paymenthas increased by 150%..... so every cloud.”

Considering this wasthe first time the group had done anything, the turnout wasexcellent. People came from throughout the Midlands (with one notableexception who came from Leeds) to inform people about the Friends ofthe Earth 'Final Demand' campaign. While for the most part peopleunderstood the irony intended in the message, several people didlecture me about the evils of their energy provider and in oneinstance that I should be ashamed of myself! This just helped tobring home how fed up people are with the 'big six' and how urgentlyan enquiry into them is needed.

You can watch thefollowing You-tube clip for a brief snippet of the day.

All things considered, I felt that it was asuccess and I am particularly grateful for those who took part on theday, I just hope the group can continue to flourish into the newyear.

If you wish to getinvolved with Young FoE, please get in touch via campaigns@birminghamfoe.org.uk, so together we can makeour second event just as successful as the first.

Richard Sagar

Cuts, cuts, cuts - pensioners to lose free travel?

2011-12-12T15:35:00.000Z

Aside from whether cutting things is the right approach, if funds have to be found, what about a tax on workplace car parking that is currently a gift ?

Placing a fee on pensioners for West Midlands transport use, in some cases will be a burden on very low income people. With the poor standard of driving and the problems with the elderly having slower reaction times to 'jack the lad' manoeuvres, encouraging the elderly to drive more, may be unwise.

Car parking is not charged at most railway stations but has been funded by all. The person walking to the station is paying the same for the journey ticket as the person driving the same mile. Is this right?

Annual maintenance of each car parking space is between £200 and £400. A charge per use of £1 would not be unreasonable. An annual all car parks sticker would be easier than paying daily.

However, all changes need to bear in mind Air Quality issues - we breathe in the consequence of wrong decisions.

Is there anything else we can do to save money, not encourage more driving and not disadvantage those most in need of subsidised travel?

John Hall

weekly compilation 09.12.11

2011-12-09T18:21:00.000Z

Here are the week's main stories by campaign theme, according to the ones we're working on at the moment:

Energy & Climate Change

A few of our volunteers including @SagarRichard will be on streets tomorrow with a #finaldemand stunt similar to this: youtu.be/aIdFJOEFc44

RT @david_heller: FoE and GP stand with Africa and most vulnerable, oppose corporate polluters (video): http://bit.ly/rNuhqC

RT @guardianeco: Fracking may be causing groundwater pollution, says EPA report http://bit.ly/w3TM7V - Frack Off!! We don't want it here.

If this picture was of a solar panel bursting into flames, it would sum up the government's actions pretty well: http://bit.ly/vnRpDS

RT @wwwfoecouk A great free guide to community energy projects - case studies and advice for local energy solutions: http://bit.ly/tAn71d

RT @guardianeco: 'Patronising and wrong': Frozen Planet scientist refutes Nigel Lawson criticism http://gu.com/p/34x8e/tf

Excellent article by @GeorgeMonbiot in the Spectator rebutting rubbish they published on sea level rises - well done:http://bit.ly/rCic0i

Lord Stern: rich nations should stop subsidising fossil fuel industry:http://bit.ly/tcPszN

RT @newscientist: From #Durban summit: Deforestation contributes twice as much to global warming as was thought:http://bit.ly/t4jVC2 #COP17

RT @guardianeco: UK climate aid 'helps Walmart get cheap wind power' http://gu.com/p/33pfg/tf

RT @ali_mfoe: Not exactly best news to start the week: RT@guardianeco CO2 emissions show record jumphttp://bit.ly/vWwQ8Z #climate #fail

Planning

RT @londoncyclist: £27 million Tesco store a "no go area for cyclists" say campaigners http://ow.ly/7UewZ

New blog post on the Including Women event I was invited to speak at last week in Balsall Heath & neighbourhood plans:http://bit.ly/sxoNl2

Hope a solution can be found to keep wholesale markets where they are - read this by market trader to understand why: http://bit.ly/srIVuv

Can anyone explain why we need to keep building more office space when there's so much sitting empty already? http://bit.ly/rwHGQc

Good meeting on this Tuesday: RT @birminghammail: Report reveals impact loss of Wholesale market could have on city:http://dlvr.it/zDXpl

Transport

RT @centrowm: West Midlands Freight Strategy now out on consultation. See link for details: http://ow.ly/7RttJ

Nice comment on the interchange station - agree: RT @CPRE: . #HS2 - Government considers new high-speed rail tunnel:http://bbc.in/rHb97g

RT @AirportWatch: Government retains current APD distance & class bands - rises 10% in April against industry lobbying:http://bit.ly/rsLnDg

RT @birminghammail: Centro considers scrapping free train and tram travel for pensioners in West Midlands http://dlvr.it/z5dnv

Hope they re-examine more than just one tunnel on #HS2 route, but how it cuts carbon and integrates with rail overall: http://bit.ly/vHJoh1

RT @AirportWatch: Branson hoping for 50% “sustainable” aviation fuels - not defined - by 2020 -which is 8 years ahead.http://bit.ly/ttoUOS

Waste & Recycling

RT @recycle_this: No need for wrapping paper - old pillowcases & clothes upcycled into reusable gift bags 4 xmas - fab!http://is.gd/a0uU3F

On our youtube channel there's a video with the interview Andy did on Buy Nothing Day & pics from last 10 years:http://youtu.be/JN7Ky5VhE9U

New post on the blog about the visit to the recycled paper mill yesterday: http://bit.ly/tvQxiJ

"Strict limits on Pickles' bin fund" - stupid. We understand BCC were hoping to use money for food collections: http://bit.ly/tpISKE

Others

RT @digbeth: New DiG blog post, Digbeth Residents meet with MP Mahmood - http://tinyurl.com/d8gycux

Please help if you can - "Birmingham food banks join forces for major food drive": http://bit.ly/sqlFfR

RT @hellocatfood: The reception at @Bham_FOE is looking rather nice! http://twitpic.com/7pu8pa - it is indeed!

RT @carolinebeavon: Poll: If you can't attend a conference/meeting - what are your preferred online solutions? http://poll.fm/3ezit

Not environmental news, but cultural: RT @AdrianBurrows: A racy little teaser with @notoriouschoir http://youtu.be/4Td2DvHFhmU

RT @buynothingday: The truth about supermarket 'bargains'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16027733

"The most environmentally destructive govt to hold power in this country since modern environmental movement was born" http://bit.ly/vybYzy

Including Women Event and Neighbourhood Planning

2011-12-09T15:39:00.001Z

Last week, I was invited along to an event organised by Including Women in Balsall Heath. Strangely, there were two men there, both called Joe and both with an interest in planning - what does that tell you? Anyway, I was asked to speak about our campaigns from global to local level.
I chose food, because we ran a campaign called Fix The Food Chain last year, which raised awareness of the links between what we eat, deforestation happening in South America, Global injustice and Climate Change. On the local level we have been supportive of grow-sites being developed on small pieces of derelict land in Birmingham, so that people can grow their own food, as well as attempting to protect small independent shops from supermarkets taking over the city.
Also speaking were Val from the History Society who spoke about how the neighbourhood has changed over the years and showing some really interesting pictures to illustrate it and Joe Holyoak who ran a session getting people to think about what they want to go into the neighbourhood plan.

It was great to hear people's views on what they would like to be done differently (even if not everything could be changed by the planning process) and, once again, it showed that the kinds of things we ask for in terms of safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists are actually what people with no environmental agenda also ask for.

I'll be really interested to see what comes out of the Balsall Heath neighbourhood plan. From what was said in this meeting, it's hard to imagine that it'll be as focused as the government wants on encouraging more development and more economic activity, but will be about stopping certain types of development, such as more big "shed" retail developments on the old Joseph Chamberlain site, which is positive as far as we're concerned.
I hope that mixed use and employment land is created within the plan for walkable spaces to provide something for an area with high density housing and high unemployment. I also hope that people learn about the good stuff that already exists within Balsall Heath that needs to be supported while they're having these conversations.

Joe Peacock

Birmingham's 150-year-old recycling centre

2011-12-08T15:08:00.001Z

Yesterday, I was allowed to attend a visit to the paper mill run by Smurfit Kappa along with members of the scrutiny committee of Birmingham City Council. Beforehand, they visited the incinerator in Tyseley (to which I was not allowed to go on the behest of Veolia - wonder why).

As the council delegation was substantially delayed at their incinerator visit, I was able to ask quite a few questions before they got there and found the hosts very obliging and willing to talk about a range of environmental subjects. Mostly, though they were proud to be in this place where recycling has been taking place for about 150 years (there will apparently be some sort of celebration of this next year).

It turns out that they are quite happy with the current system of how paper and card is collected in boxes for kerbside collection, so long as it's not mixed with other recyclable materials (glass, tins plastic). They are happy to take all types of paper and cardboard and it all gets turned into one type of material (the outer layer on cardboard boxes, which you can see here on massive rolls.

I'd never been to a recycling plant before, so to see the scale of it was quite impressive. I realise that there are economies of scale from collecting all types of paper together, but it does seem a bit of a shame that better quality paper all gets turned into the lower grade stuff for cardboard boxes. Is there nowhere in Birmingham that makes recycled office or toilet paper? How far does that have to travel?

We are continuing our work to prepare evidence to give to the committee for the Municipal Waste Review when we want to propose a transformation of what's done in Birmingham and move to a resource recovery economy rather than a waste disposal system. See the articles on our website for more information.

Joe Peacock

Weekly compilation 02.12.11

2011-12-02T17:58:00.001Z

Here is our regular feature with an update of the week's most relevant stories:

Energy & Climate Change

RT @PostBusiness: Thousands of jobs under threat after cuts to solar energy subsidies http://bit.ly/rHUi45 - save them:http://bit.ly/pfkszq

RT @pauldezylva: Queen huddling to keep warm aside, DailyMail #fuelpoverty piece is usual blame #green tax gibberish.http://bit.ly/vEqC2E

Renewables Obligation: No to subsidies for destructive biomass and biofuel electricity: http://bit.ly/rBRmiy #biomassacre

RT @OccupyCOP17: Nnimmo Bassey- #shell acting with impunity, polluting ecosystems globally #cop17act #occupycop17http://yfrog.com/khp96abj

RT @astonishernet: Desmond Tutu and Nnimmo Bassey speeches:"One Planet, one Africa, one people: we have faith."http://bit.ly/vf9E06 #COP17

Thought this was a joke: RT @guardianeco: Qatar wins bid to host 2012 climate talks http://bit.ly/uMfpfE

Has he heard of the Stern review or defra work on value of nature? RSPB shock at Osborne attack on environmental rules:http://ow.ly/1BdqG7

RT @BCABS5: #fuelpoverty data for Birmingham - we have 80 LSOAs where #fuelpoverty is 40% or higher. Critical that this is taken seriously.

The end game in Durban? How developed countries bullied and bribed to try to kill Kyoto: http://bit.ly/vXNeeY

RT @BCABS5 #fuelpoverty needs to be tackled in a co-ordinated way - it's why we support @Bham_FOE's Final Demand campaign: s.coop/7oc9

Planning

If there's a supermarket application you want to fight in your area, look at our handy guide: http://bit.ly/uOEICi

This would be popular, we think: RT @birminghammail: Life-long trader's vision of Birmingham wholesale markets revealedhttp://dlvr.it/yLfzc

There's also a great guest article by Organic Carol on the plans for the markets: http://bit.ly/srIVuv

Transport

If you want to see what we think about local rail and how to help push for better from govt - read this: http://bit.ly/rUmkYB

RT @sustrans: Kids tell us they want to live on traffic-free streets #freerangekids http://bit.ly/syOQpv

RT @RichardHebditch: My blog on what the Autumn Statement tells us (about environment & transport particularly): http://bit.ly/sIYFfO

Only decent bit of news today is the rise in APD that's been announced: http://tgr.ph/s3C86M

RT @Roads2Nowhere: Interactive map of all the schemes in DfT Development Pool -now apparently fully funded by Treasury:http://bit.ly/tgRHEs

The only ones happy are the Tax Payers Alliance: RT@Roads2Nowhere: CPRE: 'Autumn statement a road plan for disaster' http://bit.ly/tMfUdk

Back for good? RT @nxwestmidlands: From Thurs 1 Dec to Sat 31 Dec Evening Saver will return to nxbuses after 6pm £2.50http://ow.ly/7HeSk

RT @Roads2Nowhere: Toll roads and lanes in the UK would be a toxic investment. Read our new briefing to see why:http://bit.ly/tkaWgz

RT @carltonreid: To increase cyclist safety, reduce motor vehicle speeds, says official report for DfT. BikeBiz: http://bit.ly/tvXV45

Waste & Resource Use

Thanks to students from BCU Broadcast Journalism who made this video of our Santa Parade for #buynothingday:http://youtu.be/1ajp6M-0shY

There are a couple of sets of photos from Saturday's #buynothingday Santa Parade on our facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/birminghamfoe

Embarrassing story for Bristol council with its leaves going to landfill in plastic bags: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Bristol-City-Council-bags-leaves-plastic-burial/story-14018529-detail/story.html

Others

Part time post at Project Pigeon in Digbeth would be a lovely job for someone: http://bit.ly/ujgxPa

RT @CraigBennett3: "Osborne: The new enemy of the green movement?" http://ind.pn/uPBh4h A great piece by @mjpmccarthy

RT @SWMtweet: We are looking for a Graduate Communciations Intern, deadline to apply 5th December http://ow.ly/7JIua

RT @CN4B: New Article: New art & community cafe opens in Moseley - http://tinyurl.com/bn4qdzh - Thought it was Balsall Heath. - this is where we're going for the xmas meal.

Excellent blog by @wee_dave on the true awfulness that was George Osborne's #AS2011 http://bit.ly/uT8Ol3

RT @wee_dave: Briefing on the dismal non-green Autumn Statement - and what Osborne should have done instead #AS2011http://bit.ly/sesjPa

Our press response to infrastructure investment plans by Osborne:http://bit.ly/vdpUtg

RT @newoptimists: 10 reasons for collecting info about #foodproduction in #Brum What's missing? http://bit.ly/rs2aDY #opendata #tnofood

weekly compilation 21.11.11

2011-11-21T15:30:00.000Z

Here's our regular feature, which gives you a round up of some of the most relevant news stories to our work picked up from twitter over the last week:

Energy & Climate Change

RT @wwwfoecouk: Greenhouse gas levels hit new high: - we're hurtling towards climate disaster http://goo.gl/fb/iEshg

brilliant RT @wwwfoecouk Cameron's words come back to haunt him as workers respond to plans to kill off #solar industryhttp://bit.ly/tpscle

Npower fined again: Energy company fined over customer complaints http://goo.gl/fb/agPgy

God joins campaign to save solar Feed-in Tariffs (well, the Church of England does) http://bit.ly/vhT8CG

Mass lobby of Parliament on 22nd November in response to #FITchaos - details here http://bit.ly/sEt86e - see you there!

RT @guardianeco: Liberal Democrats prepare to revolt over solar subsidies crackdown http://gu.com/p/33e4c/tf

Has climate economics evolved much since Stern Report? See my blog on @SEIclimate report athttp://www.foe.co.uk/blog/climateeconomics_33362.html

RT @tealgreen68: Ben Goldsmith lays out the general argument for renewables subsidies well in Economist debate:http://econ.st/sUqeTk

RT @wwwfoecouk: Blog: A new word drills its way into our consciousness: 'Fracking' is one of the top words of 2011:http://goo.gl/fb/c4DAT

RT @TreeHugger: Wind Power to be as Cheap as Natural Gas by 2016 http://bit.ly/vo9fUM via @bcmerchant

RT @uSwitchUK: What do you think about #nuclear power?@wwwfoecouk & Nuclear Industry Association put cases forward:http://bit.ly/uyv0Bz

RT @nukereaction: 'Eccentric' nuclear plans threaten UK's part in renewables revolution, expert warns http://bit.ly/uqJhRX

Planning

Localism Bill becomes law: Missed opportunity to plan for a better future http://goo.gl/fb/7bVRv

RT @Roads2Nowhere: Traffic levels are falling. Build on this trend, not on the countryside! http://bit.ly/syUwIU > Or useful city spaces!

Transport

We also used the peak car and falling car usage arguments in our submission on low carbon transport to BCC last week:http://bit.ly/tqO90f

Bitter airline rivals fly the same flag to fight tax rise. APD might rise by 25% in 2012 in Chancellor's budgethttp://www.airportwatch.org.uk/?p=5990

Government must stand firm on Air Passenger Duty: Airlines lobby Ministers for further tax… http://goo.gl/fb/EykMf

Some good news for North Brum: RT @birminghammail Work starts on bike route scheme in Erdington and Sutton Coldfieldhttp://dlvr.it/wcF9v

HT @alexcburrows Absolutely shocking that govt not willing to give money for Midland rail projects, only SE!! http://goo.gl/fb/MUzgS #rail

RT @KingsHeathRF: Next residents' forum meeting 6th Dec at Community Centre - any thoughts on how to improve traffic issues in High Street?

Our press statement about the fuel duty debate is now up on the website: http://bit.ly/uc1Ke3

Waste

RT @wwwfoecouk: Brits bin food worth £12bn each year: 60% fine to eat & rest could feed animals or make compost:http://bit.ly/v3eWIf

Others

We are one with those who raise their voices against corporate greed & who speak out for social equity... #occupy #99% http://goo.gl/52lGb

We have some things to be thankful for. At least our govt would never class pizza as a vegetable, would they? http://bit.ly/vshLnP

RT @AreeqChowdhury:http://www.facebook.com/birminghamfooddrive - Food Poverty Campaign in Birmingham #birminghamfooddrive #teamvgo

RT @theneweconomics The UK's economic problems are domestic, not international: http://bit.ly/tisd6f >that's right- green investment needed.

A Christmas ad to send shivers down your spine. Remember Buy Nothing Day is next Saturday 26th November: youtu.be/b254gjohciI

Just how much meat can eco-citizens eat? http://bit.ly/sYvR1j > No mention here of better farming practices, though.

Event: Greening the Green Deal: 30 Nov 7pm for West Mids communities to feed in to Green Deal consultationhttp://www.greening-campaign.co.uk

HS2 - select committee findings

2011-11-08T10:07:00.000Z

Somehow the transport select committee today gave support for the government's High Speed Rail plans, yet with such caveats that you wonder quite how the overall report they provide can come to that conclusion.

Almost everyone accepts that capacity on the rail network needs to be dealt with and that many rail services across the country fall well the below the standards we would like. What is baffling, however, is that whilst saying;

"A high-speed line operating at less than 250mph may offer greater opportunities for mitigation, as well as an opportunity to follow existing transport corridors.

"We are concerned the decision to build a 250mph line prematurely ruled out other route options."

they still gave the HS2 plan support. Why could they not say "We cannot support it at this design speed and until the issues over the country's transport strategy are resolved"?

I was on the radio this morning and spoke after Louise Ellman (chair of the select committee), who was quite clear that there are no environmental benefits of the scheme and that it will not cut carbon. The report says;

"It is not clear that even the Y-network will substantially reduce demand for domestic aviation.

"HS2 should not be promoted as a carbon-reduction scheme."

yet at this time when we desperately need to be cutting CO2 emissions from transport, they still approved it. Why not say "We cannot support it unless it is part of an overall strategy to cut carbon emissions from transport"?

Friends of the Earth are signed up to the Right Lines Charter along with many other environmental NGOs and this report does seem to endorse a lot of what that says about what the plan should do in order to be a good plan for High Speed Rail, yet it doesn't go far enough.

We need a transport system that is fit for a low carbon future of scarce resources and that means a much better plan than currently exists. I'm glad the the select committee have identified so many the flaws in the government's plan, but wish they had gone further with their recommendations and recognised the value in protecting the environment above the rather dubious job-creation claims.

Joe Peacock

weekly compilation 07.11.2011

2011-11-07T16:30:00.000Z

Here's the regular feature with a compilation of stories we've picked up on twitter. Apologies for not getting it out for a few weeks:

Energy & Climate Change

Friends of the Earth threatens legal challenge over plans to slash solar subsidies: http://bit.ly/slxamT

RT @centre_alt_tech: Five reasons why the feed in tariff cuts are a bad idea http://ow.ly/7ljiH

RT @wwwfoecouk: Blog: Dodgy digits in the fight against renewables: new anti-renewables report ignores cost…http://goo.gl/fb/OdXPX

Taking the fifth option = the utmost selfishness and lack of compassion for fellow human beings: http://bbc.in/vsmzS9

24th Nov, Sutton Coldfield, African Climate Connection talk & free viewing: “Taking Root: The Story of Wangari Maathai”http://bit.ly/szf5zY

RT @wee_dave: FITs takeup to be cut by "up to 92%" by new EPC requirement, confirms Govt http://bit.ly/vwJsZ5

You should read the comments on this website about the effect of the cuts to FiTs and then help with the campaign: http://bit.ly/vayAP2

Have you seen the film Dirty Oil yet? If not there's a free showing on November 29th: http://bit.ly/spp9d2 - we'll be there.

Cameron side-steps call to intervene in solar subsidy fiasco - via@BusinessGreen http://bit.ly/v8aERm #FiTs #stepchange

More proof of why it's madness to be trying to extract shale gas revealed today. This must stop as we have said:http://tinyurl.com/6bhatca

Phil Beardmore of Localise West Mids warns the Green Deal's flaws leave those in fuel poverty worryingly exposedhttp://tiny.cc/53zod

Government Cuts Solar Energy Support – Birmingham Friends Of The Earth Reaction: http://bit.ly/txssp1 Plus great quote from New World Solar

RT @pauldezylva: Warm front: UKGov £10m to fight #fuelpovertyfollows a £235m cut in the same budget. #coldcomforthttp://bit.ly/vSdPC1

Planning

More supermarkets = more deserts: RT @newoptimists Do Birmingham's poorest live in "food deserts" ? http://bit.ly/sQMT7Y #tnofood #brum

‘Ten Steps to Save the Cities’ is something Birmingham City Council and all involved in regeneration should read:http://bit.ly/sL9oYH

Wind turbine plans stuck in system due to air traffic fears can now go ahead due to advances in radar technology: http://tgr.ph/tx22Vf

Transport

This is a massive road-building fund from the government, isn't it?http://bit.ly/sWFp7V Can't see any other transport in there!

Billionaires to be given free carbon allowances to offset green tax on private jets.Strange, unjust but true Telegraphhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/8818995/Billionaires-to-be-given-free-carbon-allowances-to-offset-green-tax-on-private-jets.html

If you want to see @wwwfoecouk's very detailed response to the sustainable aviation consultation, it's available here:http://bit.ly/s1CERM

Thames Estuary #airport plan slammed: http://tinyurl.com/5ve7ap3

RT @BCAWatch: Gatwick chairman says aviation in ‘dialogue of the deaf’ with environmental groups http://j.mp/sfrS4c

Speed cameras are there to enforce the law, not "gold-mines" otherwise there would be a lot more. They cost money:http://bit.ly/uZoKxT

RT @AirportWatch: Labour (Maria Eagle) drops support for Heathrow 3rd runway & unveils new #HS2 route to Birmingham:http://bit.ly/vTjMmf

RT @sustrans: Reducing limits to 20mph could prevent as many as 580 child deaths and serious injuries in UK each year:http://bit.ly/qBhdhe

Waste & Recycling

Recycling rates in England top 40% for the first time, but growth is slowing - we need to talk half as much rubbish: http://bit.ly/rrb0pB

Horrible that they were faced with this dilemma: "flood Heathrow or a river with sewage?" and guess what they chose: http://bit.ly/vP8DkJ

Others

Awful environmentally and ethically: RT @guardianeco: British shoppers bin nearly 10% of weekly shop, figures showhttp://bit.ly/vvScwj

RT @politicsinbrum: Public Debate: ‘A Mayor for Birmingham?’, speakers to include Gisela Stuart MP – Fri Nov 25th – Onneley House, B17 9AA

Excellent! RT @guardianeco Blow for Foston mega pig-farm as plans fail to gain council approval http://bit.ly/s0l7yO #derbyshire

Well worth a read as population hits 7 billion: http://bit.ly/hV0eM0

RT @acroline: Bham City Council have launched their consultation for 2012/13 budget. Have your say on the online surveyhttp://ow.ly/7ei4n

Is Aviation a Net Contributor to the Exchequer?

2011-10-27T17:32:00.000+01:00

Twitter is not the place for complex arguments about economics, but we were challenged by John Morris from Birmingham Airport over what we said in the Birmingham Post about the claims that the airport is good for our economy today.

We have produced an in-depth report for the DfT's consultation on aviation, which revealed that last year aviation was responsible for a net loss of over 85 000 jobs in the region, so obviously they were not happy with such a negative story going in the press at this sensitive time.

John Morris claimed that "aviation is a net contributor to the exchequer, unlike other public transport." so let's examine that a little:

Firstly, the UK needs some aviation so shutting it down does not make sense, but the benefits aviation can yield have already been realised and further expansion yields little extra benefit, but a lot more costs including more noise, more emissions and more outbound tourism. The business benefits are flattening off (as probably evidenced by the business share of passengers dropping as passenger numbers increased overall) but the outbound tourism costs are linear with increase of passengers.

Secondly, let's look at what a "net contributor" is and on what basis this can be claimed. He implies that they receive no revenue from the government but instead pay some tax including APD. However, they also forego payment of tax and duty on fuel, VAT on tickets, and can claim back VAT even though they don't pay it (zero rated rather than VAT exempt). They also receive subsidies in other forms (e.g. they rarely pay for the full costs of extra surface access infrastructure that enables passengers to get to the airport). So they can only be a "net contributor" if you ignore all the ways in which they are not taxed and the ways in which the government pays costs that rightly should be paid for by the aviation industry.

Thirdly, aviation is not a form of public transport by any reasonable definition, so you cannot compare it as like-for-like with trains, trams or buses.

I'm afraid they really don't understand what planet we're on:

Joe Peacock

Selling Christmas Consumption Already!

2011-10-26T15:21:00.000+01:00

There's still a month to go until our annual Santa Parade for Buy Nothing Day, yet already we're seeing horrific amounts of advertising pushing the message of what we need to make us happy.

This advert by Littlewoods really does take the biscuit:

It reminds us that we should be promoting videos like this one from FoE International, which gives a much more realistic translation of what we're being told :

We have been out on the streets of Birmingham doing the Santa Parade for over a decade now and our picture from last year's Buy Nothing Day won us our first ever Earthmover's Award at Friends of the Earth's local groups conference:

As you can see, we have some tried and tested slogans for our placards, but it has been suggested we could crowd-source some more for this year. So if you have any ideas to add to the likes of:
"Money Can Buy You Love"
"Debt; it's what Christmas is all about"
"Buy More Be Happy"
"Work! Spend! Don't Think!"

please add them in the comments or email them to us campaigns@birminghamfoe.org.uk and if you'd like to join us this year, we have loads of Santa outfits, so the more, the merrier!

Joe Peacock

Weekly compilation 21.10.11

2011-10-21T15:50:00.002+01:00

Here is our weekly news update with some of the most relevant stuff we've picked up from twitter:

Energy and Climate Change
Have you signed @wwwfoecouk's petition to stop the energy company rip-off? http://bit.ly/pr0yIl Thought so, but we need a #finaldemand

RT @wwwfoecouk: 2,700 die a yr in cold homeshttp://tgr.ph/nBsGxa. Need inquiry into Big 6 & clean #energyhttp://bit.ly/rdV8sB #FinalDemand

RT @TheNewDeal: Top Climate Change Skeptics Admit Climate Change is Real, Science is Right http://shar.es/bci95 Rt #OWS #p2

For those of you in London or within easy reach, there's a protest against biofuels fuelling climate meltdown tomorrow:http://bit.ly/oh5gow

So if Shell want to keep global temp rise below 2 degrees, are they going to stop core business? http://bit.ly/ni8iy6 Will Tesco change?

RT @the_ecologist: Ignore the sceptics, the 'peak oil brigade' is righthttp://bit.ly/nlg01S #peakoil #climatechange #oiladdiction

RT @MikeChilds1: we need CCS for biomass & air capture if any hope of avoiding dangerous climate change, see http://bit.ly/npb5UP

RT @EnergySvgTrust: Fuel poverty report concerning... Take advantage of free/ subsidised insulation across the UKhttp://cot.ag/nqhTLB

93.8% of respondents to poll on whether Govt is doing enough to bring down household energy prices, agree they're not:http://bit.ly/mV6pJa

RT @pauldezylva: Hot air: #energy summit was a wasted opportunity coming up with nothing new. http://ind.pn/qcqRqM #coldcomfort #fuelpoverty

Sea levels will continue to rise for 500 years: http://bit.ly/o1yTAE

You really should watch the video on the @wwwfoecouk website of Monday's #finaldemand campaign launch: bit.ly/oPaRCr

Planning
We thought the Selly Oak by-pass was attempting to deal with congestion, so why build new development with 1750 car-parking spaces there?

See the plans for Selly Oak regeneration (excluding the promised work to the canal) here and see what you think: http://bit.ly/rtyKmW

So, govt has abolished regional spatial planning strategies and claims their policies will protect green belt! http://bit.ly/n5gwQL

Here councillors talk as if it's happening: RT @Bournvilleward: ASDA drops plans for road entrance on Pershore Roadhttp://bit.ly/p7HX4p

Good write-up of Friday's #savebhammarkets meeting:http://bit.ly/qXGuC2

Transport
"Developing a Sustainable Framework for UK Aviation" - see our response to the consultation: http://bit.ly/po9H4y

This report says 40% of business leaders say airport expansion would have a positive effect - the other 60% don't then:http://bit.ly/o50ZrW

RT @Walkonomics: On days off, William and Kate use bike hire to get around #London http://bit.ly/oUBune #bikeshare #cycling

More rubbish on the need for airports in the UK economy and the huge increase in flights we could suffer in Birmingham:http://bit.ly/pc7r1Z

New guidance on the design of shared space streets:http://bit.ly/nDJPL7

@guardianeco: Will the High Speed 2 rail line reduce emissions?bit.ly/rfJNUn

Good to see that 68% in this poll say there should be no expansion of London airports: http://bit.ly/qINHMo - none here either, please!

If the EU ETS ... forces airlines to reduce their carbon emissions the EU is to be congratulated on a bold move: http://bit.ly/qrCixe

RT @Road_Safety_GB: Concern for cyclists following longer trailer announcement - http://ow.ly/6Ye9s

Hope that Justine Greening is the person to green the transport agenda in the UK - the opposite of Hammond: http://bit.ly/q4LUJa

Waste & Recycling
Has anyone looked at the Birmingham Civic Dashboard and come up with any conclusions about its usefulness? http://bit.ly/r6KXCH

Some good news - it seems people at the council are paying attention to what we're saying about waste: http://bit.ly/nYdgva #halverubbish

Others
New post on the blog about campaigning vs taking part in consultations: http://bit.ly/nWSJqg

Government getting closer to be being "worse than Bush" on the@guardianeco Greenometer now: http://bit.ly/pObKlU

RT @MikeChilds1: nationalise energy companies, insulate homes or scrap green taxes - Telegraph poll; http://tgr.ph/qBWKBg - guess the winner

RT @danielvockins: In case you missed it: Sacha Baron Cohen in character as his latest creation Lord Monckton youtu.be/w833cAs9EN0

RT @loafonline: Wish I could make it to the Edible Eastside opening today: http://bit.ly/njokk7 - yes looks good.

Putting the clocks back is daylight robbery. Let’s have more #daylight in our lives. Join http://www.lighterlater.org via @1010

Consultations and campaigning

2011-10-21T13:50:00.002+01:00

Sometimes I think that my job consists of taking part in one massive great big never-ending consultation. This week we've submitted over 30 pages of work on the National Planning Policy Framework and the Framework for Sustainable Aviation.
I am very lucky to have some great volunteers to call on within our group who have put together some really excellent in-depth work to help in this, but sometimes you wonder whether it's all worth it and whether anybody actually reads what you've spent all those hours working on.
Wouldn't it be better to join the direct action of occupying some public space to make your points, being part of some exciting revolution?
We recently got a quote in the Daily Mail about the biofuels flight at Birmingham airport, but that was probably because of the Plane Stupid protestors who stripped off to make their point.

It brings me to ask "is our campaigning most effective when we're providing detailed evidence in consultations,

or when we're out making a visual point on the streets?"

I guess that you can't do one without the other. If we didn't have the evidence to back up what we're calling for, we couldn't be confident in dressing up to make the point.
I really enjoyed Just Do It but came out of it thinking, "I still don't feel that is the best way of achieving change and I don't want to spend all that time being arrested". Friends of the Earth don't do direct action that breaks the law in this country, but do recognise the value of fun visual street campaigning.
To keep our volunteers engaged, we have to make sure we do some of the fun stuff as well as the in-depth research and engaging with consultations. We just need to find the gaps to fit it in between them all.

Joe Peacock

New Supermarkets vs. Unemployment

2011-10-17T17:17:00.002+01:00

Unemployment in Birmingham is a huge problem. As Paul Dale, Public Affairs Editor of The Birmingham Post, recently said on twitter "Unemployment rate in Brum 12.9 per cent. A human tragedy, and a disgrace."

And he’s not wrong. In the West Midlands alone, unemployment rose by 8,000 (to a total 234,000 people) between June and August this year. (http://tinyurl.com/62peuoz)

Therefore, the fact that the majority of the newly proposed supermarkets are claiming that they will be able to provide thousands of jobs has been a major argument in favour of them. In fact, when looking into their potential development, it is impossible to avoid seeing the huge numbers of jobs they claim they will be offering, pulling people out of unemployment. (See this link for an example - http://tinyurl.com/6hpsxkf)
However, a study has shown that supermarket creation was proven to actually decrease employment. The study, (found here http://tinyurl.com/6ex7m6z), cites Association of Convenience Stores Chief Executive, James Lowman, explaining how “we know all too well the damage that can be done to high streets if the wrong supermarket is built in the wrong place. Local businesses often have to cut staff and some even are forced to close as a result of a new development nearby.” Therefore, the number of opportunities offered by supermarkets is completely negated by the amount of jobs lost when other businesses are overwhelmed.

Considering how big an issue unemployment is currently in Birmingham, the seemingly endless newly proposals of supermarkets/supermarket extensions the result could be catastrophic. More unemployment is absolutely the last thing we want.