Something for the Weekend 21 September 2012 #Manchester #Climate

Posted on September 21, 2012 by arwafreelance

To get your weekend off to a start- a bad joke.

Why did Cinderella get kicked off the softball team?
She kept running away from the ball.

And this weekend:
Sat 22nd – Sun 23rd, Didsbury Dinners “Food Trail” event, in, well, Didsbury. During trail weekend there’ll be open doors and activities (including cookery demonstrations, apple harvesting, preserve making etc) at various sites, including the new community gardens and orchard. Local eateries will be joining in too – watch this space…

Didsbury Dinners’ team of twelve Volunteer Community Cookery Champions will be on hand to offer support throughout the weekend, so if you’d like a free cookery demonstration or workshop on site, just drop us a line to community.cooking@yahoo.co.uk

Didsbury Dinners can also help you out by supplying local, seasonal food from their community gardens for a nominal fee (simply give them a donation for however much you think it’s worth!). The idea of the trail is to bring the messages in Didsbury Dinners: The Low-Carbon Community Cookbook to life – to showcase the many great projects there are on our doorsteps, and encourage people to support local, seasonal food. More details here: http://www.didsburylife.com/news/712/didsbury-food-trail-22nd-and-23rd-september.html 

Saturday 22, 7:00pm Jess Gold and the Animated Earth Concert Event for Manchester Peace Festival at Hulme Hall, Claremont Resource Centre, Rolls Crescent, Hulme M15 5FS. £8 (waged) £6 (conc). Family friendly and fully accessible. Tickets from 0161 273 8283 gmdcnd@gn.apc.org

Big Green Machine presents Jess Gold’s Animated Earth Concert. Jess and her band will launch her album ‘Project Earth Rock’ by playing the first ever UK concert tour of unashamedly eco-focused songs performed with the intention of making people feel good. During the show Danny Fenster will bring to life audience offerings with the creation of a unique satirical cartoon.

If you know of otherweekend events that are about “climate” (and that includes food growing, or cycling or whatever), then let us know and we can include them in future “Something for the Weekend”s…

And if you know any jokes of the high standard we’ve used so far, please submit ’em.

Posted in Something for the Weekend | Leave a comment

Class and climate activism – readers’ opinions sought

Posted on September 21, 2012 by manchesterclimatemonthly
As part of our “re-imaging activism” work, we have been looking at the ways issues such as race, gender and age play out in the climate change movement in Manchester. We’ve had some interesting insights from various campaigners about the distinct advantages of getting older, the lack of mothers in the movement ,and why climate change meetings are still so white.
The upcoming (October) print edition will be looking at the way class shapes the climate change movement. To get the conversation going I want to ask our readers about their views on class and climate change. Do they think that class still matters? Is the climate change movement doing enough to engage with the working class – who, after all, will be worst hit by the impacts of climate change and the least able/prepared to deal with it? Can we really expect poorer people to make the drastic changes to their lifestyles that we want? Should we be trying to learn from those with smaller carbon footprint (i.e the working class)? Do middle-class campaigners really represent the ideal green lifestyle? What about the richest in our society – what role do that have to play?
Your thoughts and ideas please! The most interesting will even make it to our October print edition.
 You can put them in the comments box below, or email them to me at mcmonthly@gmail.com
Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Upcoming event: Northern Activism summit (Oxfam), Sat 29th September

Posted on September 20, 2012 by manchesterclimatemonthly

This from Oxfam –

“We have great stuff ready for you and managed to arrange interesting and exciting speakers from local food-related organisations including the Kindling trust and climate friendly food.

A quick reminder – we will start at 11.00 so if you can arrive at 10.45that would be great – you can have some tea, coffee and biscuits before we get started at 11.00.

The event is takingplace at the Greenfish Centre, on Oldham street,which is just ten minutes away from Manchester Piccadilly train station. (We have attached some directions for you here.)

When you arrive you need to buzz the Oxfam office. If no one is responding (we will, though) you can give us a ring on 07775 410536.

We will prepare a vegetarian lunch for you as well as a few biscuits etc. If anyone would like to get baking and share their cooking with others, you’d be more than welcome.

The training bit of our session finishes at four but it would be great if you could stay longer and socialise! We would go for a drink or something like that and have a chance to spend some time together, enjoy each other and share our plans and ideas!

More on issues of the day:

·        How to nominate your food heroes – and a chance to meet some of ours!

·        A chance to try making a short film clip interview and think about what makes for a good film clip.

·        We be merry and think how we can use the labour party conference as an opportunity to further the Robin Hood Tax campaign (especially using social media)

·        We will learn more and get creative about the new Land Grab Freeze campaign (as part of the wider Grow campaign) that’s due to launch on 4th October. Could we land grab a football pitch?

If you have any other questions or queries please get in touch – otherwise we are looking forward to seeing you on Saturday. There are still a couple of places available if you have any friends who might be interested in joining us too!

Also, if for you cannot make it, for whatever reason, please let us know a.s.a.p. so we don’t get too much food (we hate food waste!).

Thanks

Nicola Sansom
Activism and Community Campaigner (North of England)

I work part time – normally Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

Oxfam Campaigns I Greenfish Resource Centre I 46-50 Oldham Street I Manchester I M4 1LE

01612 342786 (Manchester office) / 07775 410536 (Mobile)

Join our facebook group! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=77997019329&ref=ts

Follow us on twitter http://www.twitter.com/oxfamnortheng

Follow our blog http://www.oxfam.org.uk/northengland

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Youtube: “The horticulturalist channel. tv” – how about a #Manchester equivalent?!

Posted on September 20, 2012 by manchesterclimatemonthly

This food-focused youtube channel looks professional without being intimidating, friendly and regular.

My only question is – how do we get enough Manchester food growers together, with the right skills, to have a specifically Manchester-focused food-growing channel? Ideas welcome!!

Posted in Food, youtubes | Leave a comment

They’re de-paving a parking lot and putting up a paradise – #Manchester FoE, 21st Friday

Posted on September 19, 2012 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Shameless cut and paste below of a Manchester Friends of the Earth press release about something happening in the Northern Quarter on Friday.

PARK(ing) Day: Want fifty shades of green, not fifty shades of grey?

On Friday 21st September, Manchester Friends of the Earth is inviting people to join with citizens in cities around the world who will be temporarily transforming metered parking spaces into public parks and other social spaces, as part of international “PARK(ing) Day” [1].

Once again, Manchester Friends of the Earth members will be redesigning car parking spaces in Manchester city centre into picnic parks complete with “grass”, plants, deckchairs, tea, cupcakes and sparkling conversation [Ed. Is this right?]

The group have also launched a PARK(ing) Day photo competition asking people to send in their creative, colourful photo messages, showing their support for green space in Greater Manchester. There are some great prizes from Redeye the Photography Network and Unicorn Co-operative Grocery. The photo competition runs until 30th September. See www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/parking for more details.

The aim is to encourage people to imagine how much better our cities could be if they had fewer spaces for cars and more room for people. The Manchester group will be in good company: the 2011 PARK(ing) Day included over 975 installations in more than 162 cities on six continents.

Over the last fifty years our cities have been developed to make more and more space for the car. Supermarkets and malls, with massive car parks, have often overpowered local businesses in city locations. At the same time our streets have become noisy, polluted and unpleasant.[2] These policies have high costs in terms of air pollution, congestion and health.[3] PARK(ing) Day highlights the need to make our streets more attractive for residents and visitors, and improve the environment for businesses.

Catherine Thomson, Manchester Friends of the Earth Co-ordinator said:

“Imagine if our cities had fewer spaces for cars and more room for people. We are inviting people to help us make parking spaces more sociable, fun and colourful. Join us on the day or send us a photo of how people can help make grey spaces become green”.

Disclaimer: MCFly co-editor Marc Hudson, is, for his sins, a member of Manchester FoE.

Oh, and the song that inspired the blog post title is cool.

As is this one!

Posted in Transport | Tagged | 2 Comments

#Manchester Evening News letter: “Climate change will only increase food poverty”

Posted on September 19, 2012 by manchesterclimatemonthly

The Manchester Evening News has been running a harrowing series on food poverty. On Tuesday 18th September it published a letter pointing out that things will get worse thanks to climate change, and that we better start growing more food now.

And here are links to those organisations;-
Didsbury Dinners
Moss Side Community Allotment
Real Food Wythenshawe
Land Army
Food Futures
Cracking Good Food.

Posted in Food | Tagged | 1 Comment

Job Alert: “Learning Centre Manager” at Incredible Edible Todmorden

Posted on September 17, 2012 by manchesterclimatemonthly

a repost from environmentjob.co.uk

Learning Centre Manager

Organisation: Incredible Edible Growing Ltd
Salary: £30,000
Location: Todmorden
Hours: Full Time
Position type: Paid
Contract: Fixed Term Contract
Closing date: Sat 29 September 12
Website: www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk
Contact name: Nick Green
Contact telephone: 07985 150296
Contact email: nik639@googlemail.com

A spinoff social enterprise of Incredible Edible Todmorden

Post: Learning Centre Manager at Incredible Edible Growing’s Walsden site

Help us make a real difference to our community through the work of this innovative growing project. You will take a lead role in continuing to develop a one-acre growing site and managing a team to inspire and motivate young people to learn about growing food and developing personal and business skills. You will consolidate the work done to date and will have the opportunity to shape an innovative new social enterprise and to experiment with new ways of working.

Incredible Edible Growing Ltd is a not for profit company set up to: provide inspiration, education and training in the skills of sustainable food production; generate income from products and services related to food production and environmental sustainability; provide a route for young people from education into business by providing work placements and apprenticeships.

Salary: £24,000 – £30,000 based on skills and experience
Hours: 37 hours, with some work evenings, weekends and public holidays expected.
Contract: Fixed term contract, funded for 3 years.
Location: Walsden, Todmorden, West Yorkshire
Reporting to: Chairman, Board of Trustees, Incredible Edible Growing Ltd.

You will be responsible for:
Managing staff, apprentices and volunteers
Working with external partners, including private, public and voluntary sector bodies, as well as the Incredible Edible Todmorden organisation.

Your experience will include:

  • Business experience – ideally growing and selling food
  • Managing staff, apprentices and volunteers
  • Working with young people and hard to reach groups
  • Managing projects to deliver outcomes on time and within budget.

Applications: Please download Job Description and Application form from
http://www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk/blogs/another-incredible-job (click on the ‘More information’ link)

The application should be returned to Nick Green, Chairman, Incredible Edible Growing Ltd to Nik639@googlemail.com by noon on 29th September. Interviews will be held at Walsden on 9th October 2012.
CRB Checks will be required

Please mention environmentjob.co.uk when responding to this ad.

Posted in Job Alert | Tagged | Leave a comment

Video: Crash test dummy philosophises about risk, climate change

Posted on September 17, 2012 by manchesterclimatemonthly

So, have stumbled upon an “animation” programme on the Interwebs that could become strangely addictive. It’s called xtranormal.com, and it lets you make animated films from a reasonably broad range of options. Here’s a very quick one I made, using up all the free credit you get when you sign up for an account.

And if it’s not above, you can find it via this link.

Posted in humour, youtubes | Tagged | Leave a comment

#Manchester #climate nuggets September 17 2012

Posted on September 17, 2012 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Hi all,

the “Steady State Manchester” project continues apace, with work on the economy, practical solidarity, education and “culture” sections moving along nicely. Very shortly the date and venue for the launch event will be announced.  Watch this space. In the meantime, if you want to get involved in anyway, at whatever level, please email steadystatemanchester@gmail.com
Meanwhile, a mere two years after being given a video camera for his thirty-something birthday (cough cough), MCFly co-editor Marc Hudson is starting to use the darned thing – the footage of this video about Moss Side Community Allotment is taken with it (the editing and production is by Terry Egan of reelmcr

Arwa Aburawa and Marc Hudson

Contents
Coming up this week
Stories you may have missed
Lessons we like to pretend we’ve learnt
Other things of note

Coming up this week

Thu 20th, 7.00pm until 8.30pm Manchester Friends of the Earth Climate Subgroup Meeting
“Our monthly climate subgroup meeting at which we’ll be planning next steps on the Clean British Energy campaign and our local campaign to engage businesses with Manchester’s climate change plan, A Certain Future. If you’d like to join us, please call/text Ali on 07786 090520 so we know to expect you. Green Fish Resource Centre, 46-50 Oldham St, Manchester, M4 1LE, UK”

Thursday 20th, 6.30pm Action for Sustainable Living social at Font Bar in Fallowfield. All past, present and potential volunteers and friends are very welcome to attend. A You-Tube eco video party is planned for this month’s social.

Thursday 20, 7pm until 9pm Sustainable Housing Movie Night: The Street that cut everything
34 Finchley Road, Fallowfield, M14 6FH Manchester, United Kingdom
For those of you who’d like to meet some like-minded people, learn something new and get involved with the Sustainable Housing community in some way – we will be showing sustainability-related movies fortnightly.
THIS WEEKS MOVIE/ TV SHOW The Street That Cut Everything
See the clip here – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00h0scj

Fri 21st International Park(ing) Day, Manchester.
“This Friday marks Park(ing) Day – a day for people to claim back the space in their cities taken up with car parking spaces and raise awareness of the need for more green space. As well as holding a photo competition, (which will run until the 30th September, see ‘Actions’ for details)- Friends of the Earth will be taking up residence, for the second year running, in a car parking space in the Northern Quarter- to serve tea and cakes, and to chat with people passing by about the importance of green space and less cars in urban environments. All completely legal and great fun!
“Join us if you can! We need help with cupcake making, setting up or just turning up for tea and chatting to us.Please contact cat@manchesterfoe.org.uk or 07956577206 if you want more info or want to get involved!”

Stories you may have missed on the MCFly website

Lessons we like to pretend we have learnt
Start.  Just start.

Other things of note (other than the Arctic death spiral)
There’s a survey to gauge attitude to community renewable energy in Bury & north Mcr. surveymonkey.com/s/KZ3SP73

Posted in Weekly bulletins | Leave a comment

Video: “Growing Community – Moss Side Community Allotment”

Posted on September 16, 2012 by manchesterclimatemonthly

A short and inspiring film about why people have become involved in the Moss Side Community Allotment and what they have gotten from their involvement.  Wonky camera work from Marc Hudson, but saved by stellar editing and production by Terry Egan, of reelmcr.  With thanks to all the people who agreed to be interviewed, and all those who have worked on the allotment over the last months.

Posted in Food, Fun, inspire, youtubes | Tagged , | Leave a comment