Fortnightly Bin Collections

At a time of increased political apathy one issue has the residents of Walsall up in arms. The topic: fortnightly bin collections. For some reason the Borough's bin collections appears to have become a local human rights issue, with visions of horror such as maggots, the potential advent of bubonic plague, and maybe even mutant life forms growing in your wheelie bin.

The tabloids have continued to scaremonger with stories of people getting infections from dealing with their rubbish although I am highly suspicious as to how they came to this conclusion. A large petition was handed in at the town hall and the lead story in our local paper this week was that plans to implement fortnightly bin collections have been scrapped.The article stated that when surveyed, two thirds of Walsall residents were against fortnightly collections.

No details were given about how the survey was conducted, over what period and who was involved, and as a resident I would have liked to have had my say. I wonder if anything was done to reassure people about what the service would mean? Maybe more information on composting and recycling could have been given.

The issue could have even been tied in with an increase in what is collected in our recycling bins (currently neither plastic of any kind, or glass are collected). I feel this is a wasted opportunity which could have been dealt with as a really positive thing. Instead people are frightened and feel that they are facing a reduction in service to which they have predictably responded "no way, I pay for that" without considering the wider issues.
Sarah Wiley

Friends of the Earth Conference Fun

The weekend before last was Friends of the Earth's annual Local
Groups Conference at Reading University, which some of use from BFoE
attended - in fact it was our largest ever contingent - 11 people in
total! The weekend consisted of workshops, seminars, talks,
presentations and debates, as well as a few socials of course!

Tony Jupiter (Executive Director of FoE) spoke a couple of times,
given an overview of the last year. I found him a particularly
engaging speaker. He talked about our success over the past year
with the Big Ask campaign, which has resulted in the Draft Climate
Change Bill from the Government, which should be transformed into law
by early next year. He also pointed out that whilst it's great news
we've come so far, so quickly, we still need to keep up the pressure
on MPs to ensure that the final legislation is strong and meaningful.

A first this year was a guest visit from Hillary Benn (the current
serving Environment Minister), who gave a speech to the conference.
He encouraged us (and the environmental campaign movement as a whole)
to keep asking questions and putting pressure on the Government,
because it does help drive awareness and policy forward. Despite
this encouragement, he did dodge a few issues in the question and
answer session. Most notable was the exclusion of international
aviation emissions from the Draft Climate Change Bill, although he
did raise a chuckle at the question; "isn't not counting aviation
emissions a bit like going on a diet, and not counting the chocolate
bars?"

I also went on a workshop on low carbon homes, which was very
interesting. As people may have heard, the Government is to insist
on all new houses build from 2016 onwards being zero carbon homes.
Great stuff you may think, but we found out that 25% of all U.K
carbon emissions come from households (rising to 50% including
personal transport), and that by 2050 there will be a 23% increase in
the number of households, but 87% of all homes will be ones that are
with us today! Clearly the new zero carbon homes are to be welcomed,
but what is the Government doing about all our existing carbon
spewing homes? Not a lot it would seem!

To round off, there was also the annual Earthmovers awards, where we
heard all about the fantastic local groups, campaigns and people that
are part of the Friends of the Earth network. BFoE was even
nominated for Group of the Year (many thanks to Louise Hazan the
Midlands Network Developer for nominating us), but alas, we were
beaten to it by Leicester FoE - maybe next year ehh! But
nevertheless, it was great to see some well deserved awards handed
out, by none other than FoE's Hugh Ellis, who always manages to raise
a few laughs with the audience.

We all had a great time, learnt new things, and although feeling a
little tired by the end of it, we're positive and ready for another
year of worthwhile campaigning!

Ben Mabbett

Climate camp: police standards of a banana republic?

At this years recent climate camp at Heathrow, activists from around the country gathered to protest over the proposed third runway expansion. I joined them in their protest against the third runaway and against the destruction of the planet that we are all witnessing.

There was a heavy police presence at the climate camp, many protestors complained of police attempts to harass and intimidate the campaigners. Police were using anti-terror laws to stop and search protestors. I myself was detained under the terrorism act and searched, my camera taken off me. The police literally attacked me for my camera, four of them grabbed my arms in an attempt separate the camera from my grasp. They were unable to since I am extremely strong – it’s down to my mums chapattis- finally after negotiating with them, they let me go and I gave then my camera because they told me I had to under the terrorism act. The police proceeded to delete some of my pictures. I told the police I was a journalist but they carried on anyway and when they finally handed back my camera, the police denied deleting any pictures! When reading through my form that the police handed me, the reason stated for me being stopped was ‘fits profile’ when writing this the officer stopped and showed hesitation but then continued adding ’of protestors at climate camp’. It seems that the government and police fear eco-terrorists, this would explain the use of draconian laws to stop and harass climate camp campaigners.

However there was a friendly atmosphere within the camp and the mood remained up beat. We were joined by the independent journalist Johann Harri, and the author George Monbiot. Workshops ranged from activism to super gluing techniques. One of the workshops that was well attended was the ‘faith and environmentalism’ workshop which was run by Ifees (Islamic foundation for ecological and environmental studies). People were intrigued to how religion and spirituality can play a role in environmental activism.

The climate camp was more than just compost toilets, tents and vegan food, it had a very serious message. Activists recognise that climate change is just a number of problems that we are facing at this current point in time. As governments spend billions on war, leaving peoples to suffer with the consequences of depleted uranium, where corporations are able to act with impunity, there seems to be no accountability to the people of this world. At the climate camp many activists acknowledged that the root cause of all our problems is Capitalism. In my opinion, it is the capitalist market that allows corporations to influence and control governments, allowing them to pollute the Earth. It is the capitalist system that breeds the oppression and injustice around the world. We are witnessing a battle for the world’s resources. The world is running out of oil and there is an ever increasing demand for clean drinking water. We must first acknowledge the threat that we are facing as a society and human race, and then set out to tackle the root causes.

All in all, I enjoyed my self, and will defiantly be attending the next climate camp, that is as long as I am not detained or arrested for fitting the ‘profile’. Perhaps the Muslim community was just a testing ground for the anti-terror laws the real target was any voices of dissent – activists of any kind.

Assed

Out of the armchair (2nd hand of course)...

In the last few months I have decided to increase my support for environmental issues beyond being an armchair supporter,(mind you even that's second hand so I'm trying) and have started attending Friends of the Earth meetings and getting involved with campaigns and events. Something I hadn't reckoned on as part of my Foe participation was the overwhelming volume of emails I would receive and whilst making me feel quite popular my inbox is feeling the strain. One email was about a transport survey by Transport 2000 which I decided to take the time to fill in. I am sometimes a bit reticent to fill in endless surveys, questionnaires and petitions when I never seem to find out the outcomes of these , but as my husbands bike had been stolen from our local train station I had an axe to grind. Especially as in the words of a high street bank advert he was told "it doesn't work like that" when he asked if the CCTV footage of the "secure " bike facilities where his bike had been kept would be viewed. Ooh it still rankles can you tell. Anyhow back to the point. On Friday morning I was eating my museli and reading the Walsall Chronicle when would you believe my comments were listed on the front page under the headline "Station Listed Amongst Worst." Ok my description was "One woman said" , but I know its me, and how exciting to know that all this information we give actually goes somewhere. So does this mean I'll be more receptive to those clipboard wielding types on the high street hmmm maybe just maybe as long as: it isn't raining, my bags aren't too heavy, I'm not running late for work.

Sarah Wiley

Flooding... nothing but despair?

Thought I'd write something as I work at the Environment Agency so
I've been on the inside of one of the organisations dealing with the
recent horrendous floods in Warwickshire, Worcestershire and of course
Gloucestershire (which fell within our area). Fortunately for me, I'm
not actually in the flood team or I'd be walking around, like they are,
with large bags under my eyes! However because of the sheer scale, we
still got involved, helping to man the control centre in Gloucester and
supplying information about flooded sites, which might need to be
monitored for pollution.

Having seen the hours people were putting in, it was sad and
frustrating to see how quickly the criticisms began (a press ritual).
This was rainfall on a ridiculous scale and I suspect that no amount of
planning and response could have averted all flooding. There were also
the bizarre stories such as the people who tried to steal temporary
flood barriers, while they were still up and holding back the water.
What were they thinking? One of the reasons that the barriers for Upton
are kept some distance away is because people try to steal them for
scrap so they have to be kept at a centralised secure depot. It's quite
depressing really.

So now the worst seems over. Hopefully planners will rethink approaches
to developing on flood-risk land and hopefully far more money will now
come from government to spend on flood defences.

So that's work, but on the campaigning side, awful as it's been for
those affected, I'm hoping it's a wake up call to the government (and a
lot of the public) that climate change is costly in many ways. Will it
finally sink in that money spent now to minimise climate change will be
money saved in the long run? If it doesn't, then I really will
despair.

Kate Nancarrow

Global Company seen from the inside... stuck in the past

I went for a job interview recently. The particular company has operations in the US and UK and is the world’s largest retailer in its field. It sells relatively small but valuable items through several chains of retailers, and by mail order.

The job was advertised as ‘Environmental Administrator’. It should, it transpired, have read ‘Environmental/Insurance Administrator. This was, apparently, due to an HR error.

The ‘environmental’ part of the job – the lesser part as it turned out – was principally concerned with waste recycling notes, and the maintenance of databases on greenhouse gas emissions, energy usage, and fuel used by the 200 strong company vehicle fleet. As distribution is handled by a courier firm, I could not determine exactly what these vehicles are used for.

The interviewer was very frank with me. The board was only as interested in the environment as it had to be to avoid getting fined. To date, the company had done only the minimum it legally had to do and no more. It was, I was told, likely that a more progressive environmental policy would be developed, but I was left with the impression that this was mainly to avoid any adverse publicity.

I asked if the job might involve presentations to parts of the company on issues such as energy saving, for example. I was told I could try but the board would not be very receptive. Apparently there were members of board who would fight tooth and nail against any environmental initiatives not essential to prevent prosecution. The interviewer told me that he could get any idea past the board providing he could show it would turn a profit in twelve months.

The job description mentioned liaising with NGOs. The primary reason for this, it was explained, was to keep them off the company’s back and stop them imposing fines.

The company’s website says that they seek to uphold their environmental principles and have, in the last few years, developed and tested environmental performance indicators. The US part of company recently carried out an energy audit and has begun retro-fitting premises with energy efficient light fittings.

I commented that this seemed to be a lead that UK operations needed to follow. It seems, however, that the UK and US parts of company ‘don’t really talk to each other that much’ so this is unlikely. What I was told during this interview certainly belied the impression given by the company’s website when explaining how it addresses its environmental responsibilities.

This all left me very dubious about the value of working for a company with such an attitude. I thought about it overnight, then rang them the next morning and told them to take me off the candidate list. This was the trigger for coming along to my first Birmingham Friends of the Earth meeting.

Derek

CLEAN MEDINA CAMPAIGN

Making Muslim Brum Beautiful!

Swathes of Brum can be and sometimes are categorized as “inner city squalor” comprising entire neighbourhoods of industrial age terrace houses. Each street sports its own stylistic variation in design, brickwork and Victorian fantasia, yet all are tantalisingly the same to all but the connoisseur or those that live there. In their ensemble they constitute a kind of national heritage of working class typicality. A museum of the mundane. Most of these same neighbourhoods, abandoned by the working class of pre-war Britain, are now occupied by post-empire immigrants, the majority of whom are from the Muslim world.

Birmingham boasts large communities of Pakistanis, Bengalis, Yemenis, Somalis, North African and other Asian inhabitants. Together they make an impressive global Muslim mix. A ghetto, if you see it that way, but remarkably multilingual, multicultural and multicoloured, broadly united (or factionalised) in a common religion. The community is now well into its second generation. The sons and daughters of the factory workers who came to Britain and built the numerous mosques of the city are now often as well or better educated than their English peers and are perfectly in tune with the here and now in urban UK. As Brummy as the rest in their own way, they mostly hold tight to their Muslim identities. It is these same young people who make the Clean Medina Campaign.

“Muslim” Brum is notoriously strewn with litter: Haram horrible and nothing to be proud of. “…You wouldn’t think that keeping clean is part of Iman (faith) and that we’re supposed to be Khalifah of our patch and watch it nice; Keep it clean, keep it green….” Proclaims the rapper in the film

The Green Medina campaign intends to prompt a self generating and self sustained movement to clean up the dirty, haram horrible inner city areas of Birmingham all which happen to be predominantly Muslim areas. At present every one blames every one else for the swirling rubbish. The council blames the people and the people blame the council. The “Clean Medina” Campaign is a spontaneous people’s “Just do it!” effort. The film of the campaign intends to pull the triggers of people- motivation which hopefully will make the campaign self sustaining. Shift the Muslim mindset from houseproud to streetproud. Bash the trash! Our Medina will be cleaner! Allah Akbar!

The campaign is designed to appeal to the Muslim psyche. Islamic principles and imagery constitute both motivation and modus operandi. Indeed the great cleanup is presented as a veritable jihad. At the same time a very contemporary “living in the UK” look is retained, designed especially to appeal to young people, “defending their patch”

From the concept of a “clean Medina” the campaign goes further to become a “Green Medina” campaign as the tidying up gears up into recycling. In an area by area, street by street approach, the mosques become the focal points of both tidying up and recycling operations. Operations are organized on a mosque by mosque basis: Friday preaching, followed by Sunday Standby!....Action! . Each clean up operation is filmed, and becomes mini festival.

The campaign derives its momentum from the principle that an event or a campaign is no more – nor less – than what the media says of it. Accordingly the media products (i.e. the proposed film and related media products, music, jingles and slogans for use on local radio promotions, posters and printed materials, etc) are being prepared first. As the film is about the campaign the campaign has to be “engineered” appropriately in order to be filmable. It might be unclear from the outside whether “Clean Medina” is a grass roots operation which is being portrayed in a film or that the entire operation is nothing more than a contrived film set. Both angles, of course, are true, until the campaign gains its own momentum as outside media and bodies begin to take an interest. The media thus produced serves to enhance the momentum of the campaign and its tone. At the same time cleaning up and recycling become “the thing to do” for Muslims. It is particularly young people who are targeted.

The Launching operation will hopefully be ready to go by late August. A film set is set up in the street, outside Birmirmingham's oldest neighbourhood mosque in Sommerville Road, Small Heath. With all the paraphernalia of performers, props, cameras, extras, “cast of thousands” fully choreographed, Smollywood-style(Small Heath) a litter-picking battle scene will take place before the cameras and your eyes. As recycling bays and wheelie bins are rolled in front of the mosque, the battle for Brum will unfold in the immediate neighbourhood on the streets and on the pavements and on the front yards of houses. Of course the entire “cast” takes part followed by multiple camera teams. The tone is ‘hip hop’ and stylish. Rappers rap, choruses chant and egg on, rhythms trance and dance the street warriors. As each house front is cleaned, campaign publicity is slipped through the letter box, which exhorts the householder to send recyclables to the mosque, where recycling bins will have already been installed. Food will be served on set for stars, unit, all comers, long beards and the beardless. We’ll keep you in touch for the day a week or so in advance. Watch this space! Come! Enjoy! Pray for good weather.

Ayman Ahwal, 12th July 2007