Inclusion in this calendar is NOT a guarantee of quality. If we think something is extremely likely to be worth your time, then we will put a little “thumbs up” icons next to it. We a) are maybe prejudiced about some groups [e.g. shameless self-promoters!, b) have specific criteria about usefulness and c) could be wrong.
Sat 23rd Feb, 11am-4pm. Fracking Training Day. Friends of the Earth are running this at Green Fish Resource Centre, 46-50 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LE. This is about how to use the planning system to oppose fracking in your local area and how to get your council to adopt a frack-free policy. For more info, email helen.rimmer@foe.co.uk
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 Workshop on governance, transport policy and carbon reduction
Thursday 28 February 2013, 6.30pm – 8.30pm Annual North West Transportation Lecture Humanities Bridgeford Street Building, Cordingley Lecture Theatre.
Presented by: Ed Cox, Director, IPPR North and Greg Marsden, Director, ITS Leeds
The Annual North West Transportation Lecture will discuss the changing role of governance and its impact within the transport industry. This will draw on the experiences of the two event speakers and cover some of the implications for the future of transport operations and delivery.
Thurs 28th. Geek Fun at Madlab!
BEEN AND DONE
Tuesday 5th, 7.00–9.00pm — and the same time each following Tuesday — Manchester Green Party and Manchester Young Greens members, friends and supporters meet at Kro Bar, 325 Oxford Road (opposite the University of Manchester students union building). There’s no agenda — just meet, talk, share information & ideas.
Weds 6th, 10am Economy Scrutiny Committee meeting of Manchester City Council. Won’t include agenda item on “Greening the GM Strategy” but WILL have a bit of a discussion about when to schedule more work on “Steady State Economics.” Manchester Town Hall
Weds 6th, 2pm Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee meeting, Manchester Town Hall
Wednesday , . – .pm “Responsible innovation and
geoengineering research. A social experiment”
Room ., th Floor, MBS Harold Hankins Building
Jack Stilgoe
Lecturer in Social Studies of Science,
Department of Science and Technology Studies
University College London, UK
Scientists in the emerging and highly politicised area of geoengineering are struggling to make sense of their responsibilities. Geoengineering presents profound questions about not just the products of innovation, conventionally understood through risk assessment, but also the processes and the purposes of research. Geoengineering has become a new test case for upstream public engagement and research governance. I will talk about the work I have been doing with UK scientists who proposed the first outdoor trial of Solar Radiation Management Technology and the stakeholders who challenged them.
Thurs 7th Local bioeconomies: Can we drive cottage industries with DIY biology tools?
Mon 11th, 7pm AGM of Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign at Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, M2 5NS, close to Manchester Town Hall.
Tues 12, 6.45pm to 9pm Manchester Friends of the Earth Full Group Meeting, Greenfish Resource Centre, Oldham St. http://manchesterfoe.org.uk/
Tuesday 12th, 7.00–9.00pm — and the same time each following Tuesday — Manchester Green Party and Manchester Young Greens members, friends and supporters meet at Kro Bar, 325 Oxford Road (opposite the University of Manchester students union building). There’s no agenda — just meet, talk, share information & ideas.
Weds 13, 6pm ‘Does the UK have a credible Strategy for Energy: What is the Future of Nuclear Power?’ Professor Martin Freer
The UK faces a major challenge in reshaping its energy portfolio to meet climate change targets, replacing oil and coal and the existing nuclear power stations. Renewables will be part of the picture but are expensive and involve the simultaneous construction of back-up power systems. The development of shale gas resources could place the UK in the top twenty nations in terms of reserves and might suggest that gas should be the solution but carbon capture and storage remains problematic. It would thus seem there is an important role for nuclear power (if acceptable to public opinion post-Fukushima) but the time-scales are very challenging.
ManDec – Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
3rd Floor University of Manchester Dental Hospital
Higher Cambridge Street
Manchester
M15 6FH
Friday 15th – Monday 18th February.
A national weekend of assemblies and action Nationwide! Organise your own assembly in your area…
Join and share the Facebook event. Click here.
Visit fuelpovertyaction.org.uk
Twitter: @FuelPovAction
Facebook: facebook.com/fuelpovertyaction
Email us at fuelpovertyaction@gmail.com
Tel: 07586 482 157
16th Commercial Organic Veg Growing starts. Contact Kindling Trust for more info
Tues 19th, “Wangari Maathai – some lessons from the Global South for a Steady State Manchester” Judith Emmanuel of Steady State Manchester. Castle Hotel, Oldham St.
Tuesday 19th, 7.00–9.00pm — and the same time each following Tuesday — Manchester Green Party and Manchester Young Greens members, friends and supporters meet at Kro Bar, 325 Oxford Road (opposite the University of Manchester students union building). There’s no agenda — just meet, talk, share information & ideas.
Tues 19th, 7pm to 9pm Transition Moss Side showing “The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil” The Phil Martin Centre, 137-139 Princess Road. contact trasitionmossside@gmail.com for more information
Tues 19th, 7pm to 9pm Anti-fracking meeting at Friends Meeting House
Wednesday 20th, 4:00-5:30pm, ‘Belligerent urbanism: time to create a new policy narrative’ Neil McInroy, Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES)
1.69/1.70, Humanities Bridgeford Street
Planning and Environmental Management Seminar Series
Weds 20th 6.30 to 8.30pm Friends of the Earth bee campaigning meeting.
“As you may have read in the media and through FOE, things are buzzing on the bee campaign with many MPs backing Friends of the Earth’s call for a National Bee Action Plan and several high street companies banning neo-nicotinoids from their pesticide range.
To keep the momentum going the group are holding a meeting this Wednesday to update people on this year’s plan for the campaign and to start organising for stalls and hopefully a bee friendly wild flower meadow.
“We will be building a bee costume and making bee ‘hotels’ as well as looking at the new bee resources available from FOE this year.
“If you would like to find out more and get involved please join us!”
Green Fish Resource Centre, 46-50 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LE
More info: Contact stephanielynch86@googlemail.com
Weds 20th. First meeting of “Econowhat?” Getting involved in the Manchester ‘econowhat?’ reading group will help you understand the basics of the financial crisis and what that means for social justice in the UK and the rest of the world.
Fri 22nd, 10.45pm “Take Notice” reading on book at bedtime, Radio 4. From Adam Thorpe’s short story in a forthcoming collection called “Beacons” (to be launched on Thurs 7th March, here in Manchester!!
manchester climate monthly 