Contact your #Manchester (etc) councillors now about Space4cycling… (repost from Mad Cycle Lanes of Manchester)

Posted on May 9, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

from here.

Space4cycling – contact your councillors now!

Help create Space for Cycling by calling on your Councillors to pledge their support for high standards of cycle-friendly planning and design, and the funding needed to deliver this. Cycling needs to become a safe, convenient and enjoyable for people of all ages and backgrounds, for any local journey.

What does Space for Cycling mean?

What Space for Cycling means will depend on the location, with different solutions for major and minor roads and junctions, in urban and rural areas alike. In general though, the answers are covered by the the Space for Cycling campaign’s 6 themes:

  • Protected space on main roads
  • Removing through motor traffic in residential areas
  • Lower speed limits
  • Cycle-friendly town centres
  • Safe routes to school
  • Routes through green spaces

How can you get involved in Space for Cycling?

a) Write to your councillors, demanding space for cycling.

b) Contact GMCC or CTC local campaigner to get involved with the campaign in your area.

c) Join the big ride in Manchester on Saturday 17th May.

 Where does the campaign come from?

The Space for Cycling campaign was originally created by the London Cycling Campaign (LCC). The LCC’s campaign in London is focussed on lobbying candidates in this year’s London borough elections. CTC is taking LCC’s London-born campaign nationwide, working together with the Cyclenation federation of local campaign groups, with funding from the cycle industry’s ‘Bike Hub’ levy, run by the Bicycle Association. The background to the Space for Cycling campaign.

Posted in Campaign Update, Transport | Leave a comment

Repost from #Salford Star: #Fracking prisoner freed, case dropped against another #Manchester

Posted on May 8, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

From the Salford Star

BARTON MOSS POLITICAL PRISONER FREED AND CASE DROPPED AGAINST ANOTHER PROTECTOR

Star date: 8th May 2014

KATE MCCANN FREED ON BAIL AS CASE AGAINST ANOTHER SALFORD ANTI FRACKING PROTECTOR COLLAPSES

Kate McCann, dubbed `fracking’s first political prisoner’, was freed from jail this afternoon as a judge lifted an oppressive six months remand in Birmingham Prison and replaced it with standard bail conditions.

In a dramatic day at Manchester Magistrates Court another protector, Mark Dent, was cleared of `threatening to kill’ a lorry driver and other public order offences as the Crown case collapsed.

Full details here…

Kate McCann Freed Kate McCann Freed Mark Dent Outside Court
click image to enlarge
This afternoon, Kate McCann – `fracking’s first political prisoner’ – was freed from six month’s remand at Birmingham Prison and released on bail after an application at Manchester Crown Court (for further details see previous Salford Star article – click here).

Immediately after Kate was freed he was put on trial at Manchester Magistrates Court for activities at Salford’s Barton Moss anti-fracking protests. The trial continues tomorrow, and tonight his partner, Tammy, posted a message to all their supporters…

“I just want to thank you for all your love and support for myself and Kate and each other…I’m very proud of you all. I’ve seen people find friends, become part of this community albeit online only for some, seen many of you do lovely kind things for people you have never met, seen people stranded assisted to get home, I’ve seen messages communicated to where they need to get to,

“I’ve seen people receive physical, emotional, financial and spiritual assistance. I’ve seen you all growing and bloom and educating yourselves and others. Did I ever tell you how wonderfully beautifully awesome and inspiring you all are? Love u all…”

Meanwhile, in another court at Manchester Magistrates, the Crown case collapsed against Mark Dent, who was charged with `threatening to kill’ a lorry driver delivering to the IGas exploratory drilling site at Barton Moss. The judge ruled that there were `wide inconsistencies’ in the key witness’s statements and thus the prosecution failed to prove its case.

Today has been the second day running that charges relating to Greater Manchester Police arrests on Barton Moss have been thrown out of court (see previous Salford Star article – click here).

“We are extremely happy with the result of this and other cases arising out of the anti fracking protests” says Simon Pook of Robert Lizar Solicitors “It is the right outcome and a victory for the right to peaceful protest and freedom of speech.”

There are over two hundred more Barton Moss cases still to come to court…

Main photo, by Ben Deevoy, shows Kate and Tammy outside the court this afternoon
Posted in Campaign Update, Energy | Leave a comment

Polar Bear Facepalm: That United States #climate impacts report – #predictableresponse

Posted on May 7, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Least difficult prediction ever.

polarbearclimatereportgopped

Posted in International, Polar Bear Facepalm | Leave a comment

Progress Report: Number of “carbon literate” #Manchester councillors surges from 6 to… 6

Posted on May 7, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Back in January an “Open Letter” was signed and sent to Manchester City Council, calling for 9 specific climate actions to happen. One was to get all 96 Councillors on Manchester City Council to become “Carbon Literate”.  Four years after declaring “carbon literacy” to be an Important Thing, the Council had managed to get… 6 of its Councillors through the programme.

So, 3 months later, how much progress has been made.  Erm…

“there are 6 councillors who are Carbon Literate.  The other remaining councillors are completing Part 1, the e-learning package, and are currently booking onto workshops for Part 2.   Dates throughout May and June have been offered for councillors to complete the training.” [email from Councillor Kate Chappell]

Well, it will be interesting to see how many actually take it up in May, since there’s the small matter of elections to contend with.

Perhaps the Executive Members can tell us how they enjoyed their training on their blogs (another of the 9 actions).  No, wait. Three months on, not a single blog has been set up…

 

MCFly says:  Back in the 80s the band Van Halen attracted derision for their “prima donna” antics in demanding that when they were on tour the M and Ms in their lounge not contain any brown ones. [True Story]  This was seen capricious and childish.  But there was actually a method underneath it all – if the organisers couldn’t sort out something that simple, why should they be trusted with dangerous stuff like lighting rigs and electric displays?  Well, it’s the same here – if blogs and internal training are Too Difficult, why should our lords and masters expect to be believed and trusted to do the big stuff (low carbon culture etc)

To save you clicking through the above – here’s the quote from Snopes –
As Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth explained in his autobiography:

Van Halen was the first band to take huge productions into tertiary, third-level markets. We’d pull up with nine eighteen-wheeler trucks, full of gear, where the standard was three trucks, max. And there were many, many technical errors — whether it was the girders couldn’t support the weight, or the flooring would sink in, or the doors weren’t big enough to move the gear through.

The contract rider read like a version of the Chinese Yellow Pages because there was so much equipment, and so many human beings to make it function. So just as a little test, in the technical aspect of the rider, it would say “Article 148: There will be fifteen amperage voltage sockets at twenty-foot spaces, evenly, providing nineteen amperes . . .” This kind of thing. And article number 126, in the middle of nowhere, was: “There will be no brown M&M’s in the backstage area, upon pain of forfeiture of the show, with full compensation.”

So, when I would walk backstage, if I saw a brown M&M in that bowl . . . well, line-check the entire production. Guaranteed you’re going to arrive at a technical error. They didn’t read the contract. Guaranteed you’d run into a problem. Sometimes it would threaten to just destroy the whole show. Something like, literally, life-threatening.

Posted in #mcrclimateplan, Manchester City Council | 1 Comment

Upcoming event: “Buying with a conscience” Monday 19th May, University of #Manchester

Posted on May 6, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

buyingwithaconscience

Posted in academia, Upcoming Events | Leave a comment

Frack Free Greater #Manchester all day event… Sat May 10th

Posted on May 4, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly
Frack Free Greater Manchester all day event… 
Saturday, May 10th at Mechanics Institute, 103 Princess St, Manchester M1 6DD
Fracking is becoming a major issue in British politics  and Greater Manchester has been in the front line with the exploratory drilling by Igas in Salford,  the Barton Moss Protectors Camp set up to oppose it and the many protests including a demonstration of over 1,000 people in Manchester. Come along and find out more!
11am – 1pm:  Public Meeting on Fracking and Climate Change
The protests around Barton Moss and in other areas have highlighted the dangers of the fracking process to the local environment: water,air, landscape, human and animal health could all be at risk. But there is another reason to oppose fracking: it is a fossil fuel and burning it will make climate change worse. How serious are the dangers of climate change? Are we already witnessing it in the recent floods, droughts and hurricanes and what can be done to reduce the rise in global temperatures?
Speakers: 
*Jonathan Neale of the Campaign against Climate Change , author of Stop Global Warming, Change the World
*Climate change scientist Dr Maria Sharmina from Tyndall Centre , University of Manchester
There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.
 2pm: Hustings on Fracking, for and against:  Energy, Jobs and the Environment
In the run-up to local and European elections, we are inviting politicians to put their party’s point of view on fracking..
For example:
*Is the government right to be subsidising companies exploring for shale gas while limiting wind farms and reducing the green levy on our energy bills? Will shale gas (and other forms of “extreme energy”) lead to lower energy bills?
*Do we need shale gas to reduce the UK’s dependency on oil and gas from abroad?
*How many jobs could fracking provide, compared to jobs in green energy and mitigation of climate change?
*Can fracking be safe, or is it bound to lead to poisoning of ground water and destruction of local environments?
*How important is climate change as a factor in energy policy? Should we leave most of the world’s fossil fuel reserves in the ground?
… and any other questions you may want to ask the panel..
Speakers:
Peter Cranie, lead NW candidate for the Green Party in the European elections
Afzal Khan, Manchester City Councillor and Labour candidate in European elections
Victor Chamberlain, Liberal Democrat councillor and environment spokesperson
A Conservative councillor (tbc)
Stephen Hall (Left Unity candidate for Wigan council elections)
Matt Kilsby (candidate for Trades Unionist and Socialist Coalition in Salford Council elections)
UKIP have been invited but have not responded so far
Please come along to hear our expert speakers at 11am and stay for the hustings at 2pm if you can! And bring friends, neighbours, colleagues to learn more about climate change and about fracking.
Posted in Upcoming Events | Leave a comment

Upcoming event in#Manchester: “Ecohome” tours in May…

Posted on May 4, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Ecohome events, tours and open houses – May 2014

Eco-home pioneers throwing open their doors to share tips saving on energy bills. Events, tours and open homes throughout Saturday 17th May, Sunday 18th May, Saturday 24th May and Sunday 25th May 2014

Pioneering householders around Greater Manchester are inviting the general public in to their eco-homes over two weekends, 17th/18th and 24th/25th May, to show off their energy saving improvements and demonstrate the only sure way to cut fuel bills is through using less energy.

Carbon Co-op, are collaborating with Action for Sustainable Living (AfSL) to curate the event which will feature around 40 homes throughout the city region. The weekends will feature pre-booked visits as well as two double decker red bus tours.

See pioneering householders who have installed energy efficient measures such as internal and external insulation, solar panels, new heating systems or triple glazed windows. Pictures of previous tours.

There are two free bus tours taking place. Both tours will last four hours and will visit three different eco-home showcases around Greater Manchester.

BUS TOUR 1: 9.30am-2pm, Saturday 17th May, 2014
Starting from Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station
Book here: http://bigredecobustour.eventbrite.co.uk

BUS TOUR 2: Midday-4.30pm, Saturday 24th May 2014
Starting from Norman Road, opp. Platt Fields, Rusholme
Book here: http://bigredecobustour2.eventbrite.co.uk

OPEN HOMES: There are a variety of open eco-homes around Greater Manchester, more details from the project website: http://carboncoop.greenopenhomes.net
(check back as more homes are added).

Posted in Campaign Update, Upcoming Events | Leave a comment

‘Environment & Me’ photo competition open for entries

Posted on May 4, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

‘Environment & Me’ photo competition open for entries

A new competition from the European Environment Agency (EEA) invites both professional and amateur photographers to capture what the environment means to them. Participants can win cash prizes and their photographs may be used to communicate environmental issues in major EEA reports.

 Image © Marcel Hol

The “Environment & Me” competition covers a huge variety of topics – indeed, anything related to the environment. For example, photographs could illustrate a pollution problem or the beauty of wildlife. Others may take a different angle, looking at unsustainable consumption, a changing landscape or some positive action to reduce environmental impact.

These are just a few options – there are many other ways of showing what Europe’s environment means to you. Participants can find inspiration in the topic areas covered by the EEA website.

The pictures may be used to illustrate environmental issues in EEA publications, including the 2015 edition of the EEA’s flagship State of the Environment Report (SOER), published every five years.

The overall winner will receive € 2000, while second and third prize winners will receive € 1 500 and € 1 000 respectively. Two prizes of € 500 will also be awarded – one to the best photograph from a participant between 18 and 24 years old, and one for the winner of the public choice award, which will be decided by online vote.

The deadline for entries is 30 September 2014.

Posted in Competitions | Leave a comment

Advice about how to engage people on #climate. Useful for #Manchester ?

Posted on May 3, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

via the US-site Climate Access

  • Start with what people love. Our “sense of place” influences how we perceive climate change and that place-based identity is critical to fostering collective action.

  • Share authentic stories. Reach out to individuals in your region who can tell their own stories of how they are experiencing locally observable impacts. Use the NCA to provide scientific context to these accounts.

  • Avoid describing impacts without offering clear actions. Outline concrete ways people can take a meaningful and collaborative role in finding tangible solutions.

 

Posted in Unsolicited advice | Leave a comment

Upcoming Event: Moss Side Community Allotment open day, south #Manchester Mon 5th May

Posted on May 2, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

From 2pm, on Monday 5th May. Fun, connections, local food-growing, community “resilience” etc etc
First the poster, then the inevitable short film.
mosssidecomallot

Posted in Upcoming Events | Leave a comment