Hi all,
if you’re interested in democracy and cancelled elections and so on, you probably want to read this post. And then you can decide if you’re going to a) send letters [of our devising or your own – it’s a free country!] or else b) decide it’s all too much effort.
See you at the coalface. And don’t forget, tonight (6pm) you can come along to a free screening of “Soylent Green”, organised by MCFly and “Trauma“, an MMU film group. To be followed the following Monday (4th March) by the classic “The Day the Earth Caught Fire” and the week after (Mon 11th) by “Mindwalk”. All to be followed by conversations at a nearby pub (the Sandbar). Details here.
Finally, you might consider signing this petition to get EDF to drop their chilling threat to sue 21 activists who occupied a (not-yet-in-use) power station last year.
Arwa Aburawa and Marc Hudson
Coming up this week
Mon 25th, 6pm Showing of “Soylent Green” as part of the Manchester Climate Monthly film festival, in conjunction with “Trauma” John Dalton Building, Chester Street. More details here.
Monday (25th, 7.30pm BBC TV & Radio have undertaken an investigation programme into wood recycling in the North West and are asking whether the authorities are doing enough to protect the public from the dust emissions. Tune in to BBC Radio Manchester (95.1FM or online) and also Inside Out (BBC1 or BBC HD) at 7:30pm on Monday (25th February).
Thursday, 28 February 2013, 10am to 5pm, GETTING TO ZERO: International Perspectives on Low Carbon Housing University of Manchester
Low and zero carbon housing has emerged as an icon of European policy ambition to reduce national carbon emissions. In response, policymakers have devised regulations and incentive programmes while urban development actors have translated these measures into economic models, marketing strategies, and new housing typologies. The aim of this one-day workshop is to compare and contrast the formulation, interpretation, and translation of low carbon residential strategies in different national contexts. Using a sociotechnical understanding of development and design, researchers will present their findings on low and zero carbon housing in Denmark, Norway, Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
The workshop will include presentations from Harald Rohracher (Linköping University), Eli Støa (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Michael Ornetzeder (Austrian Academy of Sciences), Maj-Britt Quitzau and Jens Stissing Jensen (Aalborg University Copenhagen), Simon Guy and Andrew Karvonen (University of Manchester), and Heather Lovell (University of Edinburgh).
This event is part of the Zero Carbon Habitation research project and the Sustainable Practices Research Group (www.sprg.ac.uk). It is funded by the Economic & Social Research Council, the Scottish Government, and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.
This event is free. Please RSVP with Susan Stubbs s.stubbs@manchester.ac.uk by 21 February.
Thurs 28th (daytime) Workshop on governance, transport policy and carbon reduction
Thurs 28th 7pm Geek Fun at Madlab!
Stories you may have missed on the MCFly website
- Steering Group strikes again: “Stakeholder” “Conference” #epicfailing #Manchester #climate #farce #acertainfuture
- Newsflash! “Siberian wind will strip away your layers of tawdry self-delusion, says Met Office”
- PRESS RELEASE: Latest Alexandra Park Developments
- Upcoming Event: Free Energy Efficiency training for Third Sector and Not-for-Profit organisations #Manchester #climate
- New (draft) video on #Manchester #climate “history” – please critique
- PMT #8: Tell us what you would like to see MCFly do more of and less of?
- Event Report: Ragged University on #food, #Manchester, #climate change and, yes, marijuana
- Interview with Cassie Norman* of Save Alexandra Park Trees #Manchester #biodiversity #campaigning – er, Nolan!!
- Upcoming Event: Beacons (short stories about #climate) launch in #Manchester Thurs 7th March
Local
National
The FT reports that “UK green technology faltering, says EEF Group [The Manufacturers Organisation] warns that country risks losing entire sectors and urges ministers to set out ‘vision’ to give clarity and predictability that businesses needs”
International
Thousands Descend on Washington DC to Pressure Obama to Keep His Climate Change Promise
This is interesting: “The French have just passed a law on the lighting of non-residential buildings.
“Beginning on July 1, it requires shops and offices in France to turn off their lights one hour after the last worker leaves a building. All shop window displays will be turned off at 1 a.m. Shop windows may only be lit from 7 a.m. or an hour before opening time.
“Necessary public lighting will not be lit before sunset. Exceptions will be made during Christmas and other significant events, as well as in some tourist and cultural areas.
“This is expected to save about two terawatt-hours of electricity every year, about the same as the annual consumption of 750,000 households. Based on the average UK electricity bill that would equal £842.25 million.
“It will also prevent the release of about 250,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The French Environment Minister, Delphine Batho, hopes that the decree will change the public’s attitude towards energy-saving practices and make France a pioneer in preventing light pollution.”
Things to read while the algae grows on your fur (None of it is cheerful)
manchester climate monthly 