Chris asked me to write a Blog about my two weeks here at BFOE.
In the weeks coming upto my work experience I was a little apprehensive about the whole thing, worrying whether people would be friendly towards me, and whether I would fit in.
On Monday morning I was welcomed by Tamsin who I had met a while before then. Throughout the day I noticed how relaxed the enviroment was to work in and felt a little more comfortable.
Everyone here is so passionate about their work and it is really inspiring. If I've had any queries or wasnt sure about something, or even wanted to know about something, then I would ask someone who would explain exactly what it was I wanted to know, without hesitation or being distracted. I've found that the people here are all so friendly and make time to talk me through jobs they want me to do, or even things they're doing themselves.
Throughout my two weeks I've done four different painting jobs. I hope it's brightened the place up a little!
I found the whole idea of coming out for two weeks on my own, without my friends a rather daunting thought. After spending all of mytime here at BFOE I have become more relaxed and a lot less nervous. If the atmosphere here is the same in any working enviroment then I would gladly leave school now to be at work!
The people here are literally the nicest, friendliest group of people I think I've ever met. I honestly mean that too! Everyone here has accepted me and tried to make me feel welcome. Even the customers are extremely friendly.
I will miss it here and thats all I have to say except thank you to everyone for having me and looking after me!
Friday, 25 May 2007
Thursday, 17 May 2007
Plastic and the Albatross
Last week there was another depressing wildlife programme about the destruction of the once paradise islands of Hawaii. The most worrying thing however was what was floating in the seas around the islands. It was found that thousands of young albatrosses were dying because a large part of their diet was plastic. There was a display laid out on a beach of the plastic objects found in the stomachs of dead baby albatrosses - i cant remmber all of them but there were 50+ plastic lighters, hundreds of plastic utensils, plastic toys and all sorts of flotsam of our disposable culture. there is a very real chance that plastic alone could cause the extinction of that particular species.
Meanwhile in the playing field next to my house, every weekend i pick up the left overs from the football games and teen drinking binges. i clean a small area behind one football net and often collect 50+ bottles 20+ cans and a variety of less recyclable detritis. Its not as if there aren't solutions like bins...(duuurr!) but surely making all drink containers returnable is the answer - because even if the serial litterers cant be arsed, there is an army of small kids and sad old gits like me who could make a small fortune collecting and returning bottles and tins; and they go straight back to the maufacturer via the retailer (if you can go straight back somewhere via somewhere else that is..!)
Anyway whatever gets your goat dont just get angry, get active!
nigel baker
Meanwhile in the playing field next to my house, every weekend i pick up the left overs from the football games and teen drinking binges. i clean a small area behind one football net and often collect 50+ bottles 20+ cans and a variety of less recyclable detritis. Its not as if there aren't solutions like bins...(duuurr!) but surely making all drink containers returnable is the answer - because even if the serial litterers cant be arsed, there is an army of small kids and sad old gits like me who could make a small fortune collecting and returning bottles and tins; and they go straight back to the maufacturer via the retailer (if you can go straight back somewhere via somewhere else that is..!)
Anyway whatever gets your goat dont just get angry, get active!
nigel baker
Friday, 20 April 2007
Environment or Creation?
This is my first post on the B'ham FoE blog, a nice new tool. Hopefully over time it'll be clear to readers of this blog that 'treehuggers' come in different shades, flavours, ages and persuasions so if you care about our shared planet (Environment or Creation?), then do consider coming along to our regular meetings and add your 2p (or 2 pounds, or a prayer ...).
Personally I'm most excited about B'ham FoE's campaign on Faith & Climate Change, including a major project on 'Climate Change Ambassadors'. The dream is to get an Ambassador at every place of worship in Birmingham (but who says we have to stop there?) ... Hindu temple, Sikh gurdwara, Jewish synagogue, Christian church, Muslim mosque, etc, etc..., we have it all in diverse Brum. I think it's a great project for the planet (or do we call it Environment, Creation?), a great project for community cohesion (as Ambassadors from different backgrounds exchange experience), and a great new way to help people realign their daily lives with their faith values. We're currently in the process or recruiting someone to coordinate this exciting new development within B'ham FoE (with thanks to BEP funding) and the aim is to start with 10-15 Ambassadors. They'll get all the support possible: latest info on the state of the planet, what is possible to be done in their place of worship without wrecking planet or purse, get togethers to share what works and doesn't to convince a congregation and hopefully along the lines also see that what we share is so much more than what divides us.
I believe everybody wishes generations after them the best on this Earth, but how often do we actually think about what that requires from us? It's not about going 'back to the cave age' and doing without any comforts, but it does take more than a prayer. The science can be complicated (especially when does who want to distract us from the truth get involved!), but you can leave that aside and just do what is good and be happy (waste not, want not; or as I like to be reminded "Eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for God loves not wasters." Qur'an, 7:31). Try it this upcoming 'national downshifting week' starting this Saturday ... just shift down 1 gear at a time, trying to become angelic overnight is the sure way to kill your intention and efforts.
You can make a difference, together we can change the world (or was it Environment, Creation?)! Or as Confucius reminds us: "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated".
In peace, Rianne
PS: 3 May is local election day. Don't forget to use that opportunity to elect those you think will support implementation of your priorities of a greener, cleaner, more sustainable Brum!
Personally I'm most excited about B'ham FoE's campaign on Faith & Climate Change, including a major project on 'Climate Change Ambassadors'. The dream is to get an Ambassador at every place of worship in Birmingham (but who says we have to stop there?) ... Hindu temple, Sikh gurdwara, Jewish synagogue, Christian church, Muslim mosque, etc, etc..., we have it all in diverse Brum. I think it's a great project for the planet (or do we call it Environment, Creation?), a great project for community cohesion (as Ambassadors from different backgrounds exchange experience), and a great new way to help people realign their daily lives with their faith values. We're currently in the process or recruiting someone to coordinate this exciting new development within B'ham FoE (with thanks to BEP funding) and the aim is to start with 10-15 Ambassadors. They'll get all the support possible: latest info on the state of the planet, what is possible to be done in their place of worship without wrecking planet or purse, get togethers to share what works and doesn't to convince a congregation and hopefully along the lines also see that what we share is so much more than what divides us.
I believe everybody wishes generations after them the best on this Earth, but how often do we actually think about what that requires from us? It's not about going 'back to the cave age' and doing without any comforts, but it does take more than a prayer. The science can be complicated (especially when does who want to distract us from the truth get involved!), but you can leave that aside and just do what is good and be happy (waste not, want not; or as I like to be reminded "Eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for God loves not wasters." Qur'an, 7:31). Try it this upcoming 'national downshifting week' starting this Saturday ... just shift down 1 gear at a time, trying to become angelic overnight is the sure way to kill your intention and efforts.
You can make a difference, together we can change the world (or was it Environment, Creation?)! Or as Confucius reminds us: "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated".
In peace, Rianne
PS: 3 May is local election day. Don't forget to use that opportunity to elect those you think will support implementation of your priorities of a greener, cleaner, more sustainable Brum!
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
On loan from Manchester FoE
First impressions of Birmingham FOE
As everyone knows as a student you have incredibly short holidays...so I thought I would use mine to do something more interesting and worthwhile than the usual minimum wage office job. I didn't really know what to expect when I made my way here on Monday morning, I knew there was an actual office and that people worked for Birmingham FOE full time. it was an exciting prospect to really devote 7 or 8 hours a day to thinking, reading and commenting about environmental issues something I usually don't have enough time for.
The building was surprising, I'm not sure how I imagined it but it really is a warehouse. so many areas to explore, a child would have great fun playing hide and seek in here...and discover a ghost in a hidden corner. (or a badger costume!)
Chris introduced me to everyone and they all seemed delighted to have me here, definitely made me feel welcome and involved. Margaret's cake also deserves a mention, with real lemon juice and zest! Scrumptious. I have also enjoyed trying all the different herbal/fruit teas, coincides well with my current no-caffeine experiment.
I knew Monday would be a long day, with the meeting in the evening, but it just flew by!
Learning how to write press releases was definitely beneficial and I really enjoyed that. Although I am in Manchester FOE I am quite new to all this, many gaps in my environmental knowledge wanting to be filled. Once again friends of this earth have been more than happy to help me out. Reading the climate change strategy and researching for information on waste and recycling has been demanding but brilliant to be able to understand it, particularly all the % targets/achievements that are so eagerly used. Chris has answered all my questions no matter how ridiculous!
My first week at BFOE has been great, I have been spending time on various different things and generally getting used to how it all works here. There are so many different projects on the go, much to learn but I already feel more 'in the know' and that I am contributing, in some way, to the campaigns. I'm really looking forward to the next two weeks!
Jules Niehoegen (on loan from Manchester FOE)
As everyone knows as a student you have incredibly short holidays...so I thought I would use mine to do something more interesting and worthwhile than the usual minimum wage office job. I didn't really know what to expect when I made my way here on Monday morning, I knew there was an actual office and that people worked for Birmingham FOE full time. it was an exciting prospect to really devote 7 or 8 hours a day to thinking, reading and commenting about environmental issues something I usually don't have enough time for.
The building was surprising, I'm not sure how I imagined it but it really is a warehouse. so many areas to explore, a child would have great fun playing hide and seek in here...and discover a ghost in a hidden corner. (or a badger costume!)
Chris introduced me to everyone and they all seemed delighted to have me here, definitely made me feel welcome and involved. Margaret's cake also deserves a mention, with real lemon juice and zest! Scrumptious. I have also enjoyed trying all the different herbal/fruit teas, coincides well with my current no-caffeine experiment.
I knew Monday would be a long day, with the meeting in the evening, but it just flew by!
Learning how to write press releases was definitely beneficial and I really enjoyed that. Although I am in Manchester FOE I am quite new to all this, many gaps in my environmental knowledge wanting to be filled. Once again friends of this earth have been more than happy to help me out. Reading the climate change strategy and researching for information on waste and recycling has been demanding but brilliant to be able to understand it, particularly all the % targets/achievements that are so eagerly used. Chris has answered all my questions no matter how ridiculous!
My first week at BFOE has been great, I have been spending time on various different things and generally getting used to how it all works here. There are so many different projects on the go, much to learn but I already feel more 'in the know' and that I am contributing, in some way, to the campaigns. I'm really looking forward to the next two weeks!
Jules Niehoegen (on loan from Manchester FOE)
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
Great Climate Change Swindle
To anybody who didn't watch the Great Climate Change Swindle program two weeks ago you may be thinking the title of todays blog relates to the meagre green budget. If you did watch the program though, it may have come as a suprise to you that anthropogenic climate change doesn't actually exist. To anybody that reads the Canada Post, it will not have come as a suprise at all. For years we have been told that Climate Change isn't happening, but very few people know why, and now thanks to a Marxist the light has been revealed to us, in the same way we were enlightened to get Breast Implants (I know i have mine).
Okay, this really kicked off in the media, there wasn't a day last week when i wasn't woken up in the morning by John Humphries (Today Program on Radio 4), talking about the Great Climate Change Swindle. One morning I believe it was the Producer of the program (Hamish Mykura) who woke me, proclaiming that the program was a mere polemic that represented the minority of scientists, although after trawling through the net, i couldn't find any evidence of Channel 4 advertising it as such, nor any mention of its polemical status in the program. Instead i would refer to the programin the same way that one of its participants Carl Wunsch (Professor of Physical Oceanography, MIT) did;
"Channel 4 now says they were making a film in a series of "polemics". There is nothing in the communication we had (much of it on the telephone or with the film crew on the day they were in Boston) that suggested they were making a film that was one-sided, anti-educational, and misleading. I took them at face value---clearly a great error. I knew I had no control over the actual content, but it never occurred to me that I was dealing with people who already had a reputation for distortion and exaggeration."
The whole letter can be found here
Anyway, I thought this would be a great chance to put an overview out, giving you many of the debunkings of the debunking. I can't tell you how sad it makes me hearing people at work telling me climate change doesn't exist because of evidence put forward by old papers that have since been proven wrong by peer reviewed papers.
First up is the George Monbiot's article in the Guardian yesterday (if you haven't read his book yet, i can recommend it), i like the point about cherry-picking results, and feel like writing a paper on how i am the worlds greatest athlete. Hamish Mykura, has written a response to this in todays Guardian , i will write more on this at the weekend, when i have time to take a look at the papers cited.
Secondly, we are back to www.realclimate.org which is science news tastic, the particular article of relevance is Swindled!
This is a direct response to the program;
http://green.itweek.co.uk/2007/03/what_firms_shou.html
This is what the majority of climate change scientists believe about Solar Flaring (difficult to read, but worth it);
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=412
This is how to counter arguments about climate change;
http://gristmill.grist.org/skeptics
And this is where the agenda should be;
http://www.turnuptheheat.org/
The others are the articles published in the broadsheets, the Guardian here, the Independent here and the Times here.
So what can you do about it? Complain to these guys , seriously, the program was totally biased and irresponsible, in fact send this email to everyone that has watched this program.
Enjoy reading and/or complaining, and remember, next time you run a stall, you will most likely be asked these questions, do you have the rhetoric?
Phil Burrows
Okay, this really kicked off in the media, there wasn't a day last week when i wasn't woken up in the morning by John Humphries (Today Program on Radio 4), talking about the Great Climate Change Swindle. One morning I believe it was the Producer of the program (Hamish Mykura) who woke me, proclaiming that the program was a mere polemic that represented the minority of scientists, although after trawling through the net, i couldn't find any evidence of Channel 4 advertising it as such, nor any mention of its polemical status in the program. Instead i would refer to the programin the same way that one of its participants Carl Wunsch (Professor of Physical Oceanography, MIT) did;
"Channel 4 now says they were making a film in a series of "polemics". There is nothing in the communication we had (much of it on the telephone or with the film crew on the day they were in Boston) that suggested they were making a film that was one-sided, anti-educational, and misleading. I took them at face value---clearly a great error. I knew I had no control over the actual content, but it never occurred to me that I was dealing with people who already had a reputation for distortion and exaggeration."
The whole letter can be found here
Anyway, I thought this would be a great chance to put an overview out, giving you many of the debunkings of the debunking. I can't tell you how sad it makes me hearing people at work telling me climate change doesn't exist because of evidence put forward by old papers that have since been proven wrong by peer reviewed papers.
First up is the George Monbiot's article in the Guardian yesterday (if you haven't read his book yet, i can recommend it), i like the point about cherry-picking results, and feel like writing a paper on how i am the worlds greatest athlete. Hamish Mykura, has written a response to this in todays Guardian , i will write more on this at the weekend, when i have time to take a look at the papers cited.
Secondly, we are back to www.realclimate.org which is science news tastic, the particular article of relevance is Swindled!
This is a direct response to the program;
http://green.itweek.co.uk/2007/03/what_firms_shou.html
This is what the majority of climate change scientists believe about Solar Flaring (difficult to read, but worth it);
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=412
This is how to counter arguments about climate change;
http://gristmill.grist.org/skeptics
And this is where the agenda should be;
http://www.turnuptheheat.org/
The others are the articles published in the broadsheets, the Guardian here, the Independent here and the Times here.
So what can you do about it? Complain to these guys , seriously, the program was totally biased and irresponsible, in fact send this email to everyone that has watched this program.
Enjoy reading and/or complaining, and remember, next time you run a stall, you will most likely be asked these questions, do you have the rhetoric?
Phil Burrows
Birmingham Climate Change Strategy
Birmingham Strategic Partnership's public consultation on the draft Birmingham Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan ends on 31st March 2007 - next week!!
You can view a pdf of the draft Strategy document and complete the electronic questionnaire - or just pledge your support for the principle of a climate change strategy for the city - at the BSP website, www.bhamsp.org.uk/html/ClimateChange.php. Alternatively, you can send your comments to:
James Botham
Birmingham Strategic Partnership
26 Waterloo Street
Birmingham
B2 5TJ
Fax: 0121 303 9492 E-mail: supportofficer1@bhamsp.org.uk
James
You can view a pdf of the draft Strategy document and complete the electronic questionnaire - or just pledge your support for the principle of a climate change strategy for the city - at the BSP website, www.bhamsp.org.uk/html/ClimateChange.php. Alternatively, you can send your comments to:
James Botham
Birmingham Strategic Partnership
26 Waterloo Street
Birmingham
B2 5TJ
Fax: 0121 303 9492 E-mail: supportofficer1@bhamsp.org.uk
James
Monday, 19 March 2007
Urban wind turbine for Kings Norton
I was really pleased to go to Primrose Hill Primary School in Kings Norton last Thursday where they unveiled their new very fancy wind turbine.
Primrose Hill School is within the Three Estates area of Kings Norton and its intake generally goes not have a privileged intake, although to go that school, I reckon the school makes up for it. I would have loved to have spent my primary school days there.
This is no toy wind turbine - this is pretty big: 50 feet tall (15 metres in new money?) and 8 foot blades (2.5 metres) in length. It is enough to provide a third of all the school's energy needs and is connected to the national grid so no electricity generated at night, for example, is lost.
What's so impressive though is not that some Government officer went to the school and told them they want to put a turbine there. It was the School's own staff, Head Teacher and Chair of Governors (Birmingham Friends of the Earth's own Nigel Baker) who pushed this forward. With the help of Phil Beardmore, Mandy Ross and others from the Birmingham Sustainable Energy Partnership, Primrose Hill got a 50% grant from the Government. This left some serious fundraising to do at the school. Despite not being in a wealthy area, the school managed it. All credit to them.
On the launch day itself, teacher Eleanor Hoad organised a fantastic energy bazaar with various organisations coming along and lots of interactive activities set up to capture children's imagingation and teach them about the environment at the same time. To be honest, our stall, manned by myself, was pretty lost when other people had fancy light boxes, free chocolate, paddling pools and bikes to power machines. It was still worthwhile though and engaged people in an area we generally don't go to with street stalls. The bazaar glamourised renewable energy as it should be.
Local MP Lynne Jones, who has often supported Birmingham FoE in the past, gave a great speech about the importance of developing energy efficient schools as they are the foundations of the future and renewable energy is an essential part of that! She urged the school to go further and become carbon neutral. It just happens that the school is already looking into getting solar photovoltaics!
This school has cut carbon emissions by around 33% in one year. Suddenly makes Friends of the Earth's "Big Ask" for 3% cuts in emissions per year on a national basis seem very possible!
All credit has to go to Primrose Hill for their initiative, leadership and creating such a prominent and positive symbol that the Three Estates area and school children can be proud of.
Chris Williams
Primrose Hill School is within the Three Estates area of Kings Norton and its intake generally goes not have a privileged intake, although to go that school, I reckon the school makes up for it. I would have loved to have spent my primary school days there.
This is no toy wind turbine - this is pretty big: 50 feet tall (15 metres in new money?) and 8 foot blades (2.5 metres) in length. It is enough to provide a third of all the school's energy needs and is connected to the national grid so no electricity generated at night, for example, is lost.
What's so impressive though is not that some Government officer went to the school and told them they want to put a turbine there. It was the School's own staff, Head Teacher and Chair of Governors (Birmingham Friends of the Earth's own Nigel Baker) who pushed this forward. With the help of Phil Beardmore, Mandy Ross and others from the Birmingham Sustainable Energy Partnership, Primrose Hill got a 50% grant from the Government. This left some serious fundraising to do at the school. Despite not being in a wealthy area, the school managed it. All credit to them.
On the launch day itself, teacher Eleanor Hoad organised a fantastic energy bazaar with various organisations coming along and lots of interactive activities set up to capture children's imagingation and teach them about the environment at the same time. To be honest, our stall, manned by myself, was pretty lost when other people had fancy light boxes, free chocolate, paddling pools and bikes to power machines. It was still worthwhile though and engaged people in an area we generally don't go to with street stalls. The bazaar glamourised renewable energy as it should be.
Local MP Lynne Jones, who has often supported Birmingham FoE in the past, gave a great speech about the importance of developing energy efficient schools as they are the foundations of the future and renewable energy is an essential part of that! She urged the school to go further and become carbon neutral. It just happens that the school is already looking into getting solar photovoltaics!
This school has cut carbon emissions by around 33% in one year. Suddenly makes Friends of the Earth's "Big Ask" for 3% cuts in emissions per year on a national basis seem very possible!
All credit has to go to Primrose Hill for their initiative, leadership and creating such a prominent and positive symbol that the Three Estates area and school children can be proud of.
Chris Williams
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