A few years ago the City Council’s “Green City Team” (since abolished) promised councillors on the relevant scrutiny committee that the Council would organise five events for the following year’s “Green Week”. It organised…. none, and wouldn’t admit that, so Manchester Climate Monthly put together a Freedom of Information Act request. This is fairly typical for the incompetents who run the City Council. Fortunately there are still pockets of competence elsewhere in this city. One of them, if coming first in a People and Planet league table on more than one occasion is any indication, is Manchester Metropolitan University. Here’s an email they sent me.
Manchester Metropolitan University has once again been awarded 1st Place in the People & planet University League based on ethical & environmental performance, we are proud to be involved in their national Go Green Week.
SEEG will be supporting various events throughout the week (12th-16th February), Click here to see the full calendar of events, where you book on to numerous sessions through Eventbrite. The activities aim to educate and inspire you to take action on environmental issues such as Climate Change and plastic pollution.
Clicking “here” takes you to this list of events –
lease see activities you can get involved in below. These are open to all staff & students at Manchester Met unless stated otherwise, registeration is via Eventbrite.
CPR Training. Monday 12th February. Hourly (10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm) Business School Room 3.05.
Thanks to Give It, Don’t Bin It!, our student move out campaign raising money for the British Heart Foundation, the BHF are offering free CPR training for staff and students at Manchester Met. Every year 30,000 people in the UK have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but the survival rate is less than 1 in 10. The BHF is on a mission to change that by creating a Nation of Lifesavers where everyone knows how to save a life. Sign up for Free CPR training today. Register for one of the sessions via Eventbrite.
Film Screening: Before the Flood. Monday 12th Feb (2- 3.45pm) Business School LT G34.
If you could know the truth about the threat of climate change, would you want to know? Before the Flood, presented by National Geographic, features Leonardo DiCaprio on a journey as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, traveling to five continents and the Arctic to witness climate change first-hand. Free screening, open to all, sign up here.
Recycling Game. Monday 12th Feb (12 – 2pm) Business School.
At Manchester Met, we have committed to recycling 60% of all waste by 2020. To get there, we need your help to reduce contamination and recycle right on campus. During Go Green Week, our Sustainability Ambassadors will be around campus testing staff and students, playing our recycling game. Visit their stall, play the game, test your knowledge and receive a free sustainability –themed gift. No need to register, just visit our stand near the main entrance.
Film Screening: A Plastic Ocean. Tuesday 13th Feb (12.30 – 1.00pm) Business School LT G34.
In the centre of the Pacific Ocean gyre our researchers found more plastic than plankton. A Plastic Ocean documents the newest science, proving how plastics, once they enter the oceans, break up into small particulates that enter the food chain where they attract toxins like a magnet. These toxins are stored in seafood’s fatty tissue, and eventually are consumed by us. Free screening, open to all, sign up here.
Robert Angus Smith Energy Centre Guided Tour. Tuesday 13th Feb (12.30 – 1.30pm) Meet at Brooks Reception.
Our Energy Centre at Birley uses Combined Heat and Power (CHP), water storage and boiler systems to provide heating and hot water to the campus. Join our guided tour to learn how our innovative technologies help us to generate our own heating, drinking water and electricity reducing costs and our carbon emissions. Open to all, sign up here.
Celebration: 1st Place University League. Wednesday 14th Feb (12 – 2pm) Business School North Atrium.
This year we can again celebrate being top of the People & Planet University League. Assessed on a range of environmental and ethical factors, management practices and policies, and performance in carbon reduction, energy sources, waste and recycling, and water reduction, we have climbed from 91st position in 2007 to top of the table in 2013 and back there this year. Join us in celebrating our achievement and all the hard work that goes into being a leading sustainable university, with a locally-sourced lunch and sustainability showcase. Open to all, sign up here.
Basic Bike Maintenance. Wednesday 14th Feb (12.30 – 2.30pm) The Union, Main Hall.
Making sure your bicycle is kept in good working order is as important as your riding skills. The ‘basic’ maintenance course is a practical session led by experts. You’ll be taught how to carry out checks and repairs on your bike, keeping you safe while saving you time and money. Delivered by Transport for Greater Manchester. MMU staff & students only, sign up here.
Smart Cities – Presented by Siemens & Triangulum. Wednesday 14th Feb (2 – 3.30pm) Business School G27.
How are cities going to work in the future? How does a city get its energy and reduce emissions? Find out more at this seminar from Siemens’ Global Centre of Competence for Cities & Triangulum the EU Horizon 2020 lighthouse project – looking for solutions for the city of tomorrow, developing smart urban districts. Speaker: Mark Jenkinson, Siemens. Part of the Smart Energy seminar series. Open to all, sign up here.
Green Drinks. Wednesday 14th Feb (5pm until late) Sand Bar.
Green Drinks Manchester is an informal monthly gathering featuring guest speakers networking and opportunities for collaboration. Aimed at anyone with a passion for environmental issues. Join us for an informal drink just look out for the Green Flag!
As well as the usual informal networking this event will also give the opportunity to give your opinions about what you want from a green, zero carbon city. This will feed into Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham’s Green Summit for Greater Manchester which aims to inform a new environmental vision for the city region. More details can be found here.
Carbon Literacy Training for Staff. Thursday 15th Feb (1 – 5pm) Business School Room 3.01.
Are you worried about climate change and want to find out ways you can act on it? Want to improve skills to live and work more sustainably? For the first time, we are offering this opportunity to staff as a trial with the hope of offering it to all University staff in the future. This session is for staff only, if you are a student interested in becoming Carbon Literate visit www.mmu.ac.uk/carbonliteracy. Staff members can register here.
Recycling Game. Friday 16th Feb. Brooks.
At Manchester Met we have committed to recycling 60% of all waste by 2020. To get there we need your help to reduce contamination and recycle right on campus. During Go Green Week, our Sustainability Ambassadors will be around campus testing staff and students, playing our recycling game. Visit their stall, play the game, test your knowledge and receive a free sustainability–themed gift. No need to register, just visit our stand near the main entrance.
Film Screening: What the health. Friday 16th Feb (2- 3.45pm) Business School LT G33.
What the Health is the ground-breaking follow-up film from the creators of the award-winning documentary Cowspiracy. The film exposes the collusion and corruption in government and big business that is costing us trillions of healthcare dollar, and keeping us sick. Open to all, register here.
manchester climate monthly 
Hi Marc, Thanks again for excellent information. The following are some of my replies to the Green Summit questionnaire. You are welcome to comment on, criticise, use or ignore them. Best wishes and good researching, John and Pauline Preserve life on Earth graysonjohn44@yahoo.co.uk Andy Burnham, Mayor of GreaterManchester, has announced a Green Summit to be held on 21 March 2018. Attendance will be by invitation only. Preliminary listening eventsare being held around Greater Manchester with the intention offorwarding the results of them to the Summit. The Mayor is supportedby the leaders of the ten councils which make up Greater Manchester. These are my replies to the online questionnaire. REPLIESTO ANDY BURNHAM’S QUESTIONNAIRE RE GREEN SUMMIT(Thefirst 9 questions were graphical and would not copy) 10.Briefly describe what an environmental vision for Greater Manchestershould contain… Everyonewould have a home which would be well insulated and easy to keepwarm, with a very low risk of flooding or storm damage; it would be asafe home and suitable for more than one generation to live in at thesame time; it would also be accessible and suitable for disabledpeople, including the blind or those with poor sight. Workerswould be able to travel to work easily and cheaply by publictransport which did not cause any emissions of greenhouse gases. Employerswould have charging points for electric vehicles and would haveenvironmental protection as one of their main business targets. Schoolswould include in their curriculums: guarding against pollution andharmful chemicals, building physics, cooking healthy meals, growingfood, and recycling; they would discourage unnecessary car journeysto schools and encourage ‘walking buses’ for children going to schooland going home. Localauthorities would expand the provision of pedestrian zones andallotments and continue to encourage people to be active and to livehealthy lifestyles; they would also actively encourage owners of alltypes of vehicles to switch to non-polluting ones; also activelydiscourage polluting vehicles from driving near to children,especially schools during term-time. Retailerswould set realistic but challenging targets for eliminating products,including foods and drinks, which are harmful to health; also theywould eliminate packaging which cannot be recycled in collaborationwith the manufacturers. 11.I think the biggest environmental priority to tackle is…Bothmitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change.
12.Please tell us what you think will make a positive change to a betterenvironment for Greater Manchester…Amass refurbishment of the building stock, especially housing, to makeit energy-efficient, well ventilated, safe and suitable for allgenerations, treating the most energy-inefficient homes first. Thiswould eliminate indoor air pollution including mould spores fromun-insulated or poorly insulated walls made damp by condensation. Itshould be done in large enough lots to be done efficiently, but insmall enough lots to enable SME builders to take part. Apre-condition would be that all the builders and their workers wouldneed to be re-trained in low-energy building methods and materials,preferably to the Passivhaus building standard. (This is the onlyremaining certified, science-based, building standard in Britain.) Themost efficient method would be to move the whole population of astreet to temporary but suitable accommodation during theconstruction work. Both the training and the actual refurbishmentwould take many years, so it is essential to start now. TheGMCA, supported by the constituent authorities, would have to secureadequate funding from Central Government specifically for thisprogramme. Most people who own their homes will not be able toafford to pay for most of the cost themselves; local authoritieswould be responsible for their own buildings as at present; theowners of private buildings – residential, commercial and industrialwould be responsible for their own buildings, but should have theright to state help if in genuine need. 13.The one thing I would like the Mayor to do is…Beopen and honest about the seriousness of climate change and theurgency of tackling it. 14.I will support the Mayor’s aspiration to create a greener future by…Doingwhatever I can to achieve these objectives. John Grayson 7 2 18