Calderdale Friends of the Earth
Calderdale Friends of
the Earth
- We are the local group in Calderdale linked to national Friends of the Earth and its campaigns # And here's a list of all our local campaigns # You can contact us by email or tel: 01422 845061 We meet every 3rd Wednesday (Jan-July; Sept-Nov) at 7.30pm in the White Lion, Hebden Bridge (location: put the postcode HX7 8EX into GoogleMap). Everyone welcome, members or non-members # Download our monthly newsletter - April 06 and Archive - or send an email to subscribe
- WHAT'S
NEW! April 2006 # Press releases
from national
FOE
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Friends of the Earth propose 'Big Push' to tackle climate change Meeting: Wednesday 17th May 7.30pm White Lion, Hebden Bridge UK climate change emissions are now rising again, not falling as they should be! Yet recent developments in climate change science all point towards the need to take increasingly effective and early action to limit emissions - in this country and globally. So just how should we get the UK back on track? And who should take responsibility for making things happen? Friends of the Earth is leading the way in proposing, and organising, the answer to these questions. We are now is getting ready to introduce into Parliament this autumn our Climate Change Bill which will force the government to make annual 3% emissions reductions - every year, and down to the 60% reduction target in 2050. FOE has already got more than half the total of MPs (an unprecedented number) to sign up to the principles behind the Bill (including our two Calderdale MPs Chris McCafferty and Linda Riordan), with more and more organisations supporting the idea. Whate we need now is a 'Big Push' behind our 'Big Ask' campaign - to push the Climate Change Bill into the Queen's speech (and therefore into the government programme) and then to push it through Parliament. Are you concerned about climate change? Do you want to help out and make a difference? If so, come along to our meeting this Wednesday - or send us an email . You will get a briefing on the recent research undertaken for Friends of the Earth by one of the UK's leading science organisations, the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research - and can then join us in planning our Calderdale 'Big Push' campaign. Our first day of action is Saturday 17th June, and a national programme of activity is already planned for the rest of 2006. Over the same period, FOE will also be campaigning hard for a much tougher approach to climate change in our new Regional Plan) Every one is welcome, FOE members or non-members alike. Download
a poster to advertise the meeting!
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- Any local environmental problems? - contact us and we'll try and help or or give advice. And if you're concerned about your environment - local to global - why not join us and take part in our many campaigns. You don't have to come to meetings or join our days of action; you can stay in touch and campaign from your own home! Contact our membership officer for details about all the benefits of joining FOE.
Last updated 11/05
Nov/Dec
2005 'Recycle for Calderdale' look up your collection
date - new postcode finder #
20th Dec Halifax Courier Up
to 35p more on bus fares & 23rd Dec Why
don't the buses turn up #
regional Climate Change Action Plan
launched - 9th Dec # 25th
Nov Halifax Courier 'Carry
on building - Calderdale's house building boom is set to increase
further – if regional planners have their way' #
11th Nov Todmorden News Friends
of the Earth take orangutans campaign to supermarkets
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# Both local MPs Chris McCafferty and Linda Riordan are supporting the Friends of the Earth campaign to require government to deliver annual % reductions in CC emissions.
# The Yorkshire region leads the way in promoting CC reduction at a regional level, and Friends of the Earth is closely involved in that work. 9th December: Regional Climate Change Action Plan launched in Leeds.
# Links to: the Friends of the Earth campaigns (including our 'Big Ask' campaign, and action you can take); the national Stop Climate Chaos coalition; and for uptodate news about climate change.
#
... for all the Friends of the Earth briefings
on climate change & energy (including our Submission
to Govt about what its 2005 Climate Change Programme should do).
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# Todmorden News 11th Nov Friends of the Earth take orangutans campaign to supermarkets Our press release
# On 29th October 2005 we joined the national FOE Day of Action to draw attention to the fact that the unsustainable sourcing of palm oil, present in about one in ten supermarket foods, is responsible for the destruction of the rainforest habitat in Indonesia and Malaysia of the orangutan, threatening this great ape with extinction within a decade.
Our tour of Calderdale supermarkets was a great success. There was a lot of interest from shoppers, bearing in mind that almost everybody would have no idea what palm oil is, where it is to be found, and the impact it is having on the rainforests and orangutans.
Our thanks also to Linda Riordan MP for Halifax who joined us at the Tesco superstore, and offered her further assistance in Parliament because she is particularly concerned about animal rights. Chris McCafferty MP also gave us a statement in support
At the five supermarkets we visited we were met with a mixed reception: Sainsbury's were as nice as pie, Asda relented and allowed us to hand out leaflets outside the store (it's their private property), but Tesco King Cross and Asda asked us to leave after a certain amount of time. But this couldn't happen at Tesco Market Street Halifax because we were on the public highway. At each store, we handed in a letter asking the manager to take up with their head office their company's responsibility to source palm oil sustainably.
# ...
for all the Friends of the Earth briefings
on Orangutangs and Palm oil
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Timber
# Linked
to our 'Orangutan campaign' is our work on sustainable timber. We
have surveyed nearly 50 outlets for timber products in Calderdale to establish
whether they have a sustainable source for the timber they sell, either
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified or recycled. The results
of the survey show a significant and encouraging increase in outlets thought
to sell some sustainable timber. You can consult the list of stores
when you are considering purchasing timber; and contact
us if you have something to add to the survey.
#
NEW See our February 06 press
release and all this the information on the website
of Calderdale FOE Timber campaigner Malcolm Stroud. Contact Malcolm
# This
year we have been campaigning against the Council's decision to remove
an important section of buslane on Huddersfield Road, in the teeth of opposition
from everyone else (even their own officers objected!) and without having
any evidence to justify their decision. November
2005 Calderdale Council has to declare an Air Quality Management
Area on Huddersfield Road - because of rising traffic pollution - as we
said they would have to.
NEW Feb 2006
7th Feb Halifax Courier Fury
over new bus lane plan The extensive package of new bus lanes
and other bus priority measures was approved by the Calderdale Cabinet
Mon 13th, and we have sent a congratulatory message of support. This
vindicates our campaign against buslane removal last year
# Here we go again ... after working away, largely in secret, to implement a new road junction scheme at Hipperholme that would have flattened the surrounding area, the Council had to abandon their plans earlier this year when costs soared from the original £1.25million ... to £4million ... and finally to £6-7million. Now, what turns up in the Provisional Local Transport Plan 2006-11 (page 3-20), but proposals for another hugely expensive road scheme, this time at Church Street, Halifax. Ostensibly costing £2million, we have already found out that the actual cost is £4million (the 2nd half of the expenditure would be incurred after 2011), all of which would be taken away from better value and better performing local safey and management schemes across all of Calderdale. We'll be investigating further and campaigning hard against this waste of money.
# 10th Feb Halifax Courier New speed limits will be brought in on busy roads # 2nd Feb Extra carriages for the Calder Valley rail line, courtesy of Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency #
#
... for all the Friends of the Earth briefings
on transport; and for uptodate
news about transport.
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# We gave our general support to the Harlequin composting scheme at Sharneyford, Todmorden, which has now been approved by the Council and which will provide 50,000 tonnes composting capacity in Calderdale, after having listened to both sides of the argument about the planning application, and despite a certain amount of disinformation about the scheme.
... for all the Friends of the
Earth briefings
on waste & recycling
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... for the Friends of the Earth
webpages
on planning
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... for all the Friends of the
Earth briefings
on food & GM
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Alternative
Technology Centre Just re-opened with its newlook 'One Planet'
exhibition; home also for the Yorkshire
Renewable Energy Network and Suschool
Calderdale
Council: Sustainable Development Unit - now working on the Calderdale
Council and district wide climate change strategies.
Green
Business Network Not-for-profit business support organisation
delivering environmental advice and projects
Green
ISP - committed to promoting and encouraging the awareness of
energy efficient technology
Gibson
Mill National Trust property near Hebden Bridge, newly converted
as a sustainability
showcase.
Suma
UK's largest independent wholesaler and distributor of quality vegetarian,
fairly traded, organic and natural foods.
Treesponsibility
Not-for profit community group, with a developing tree-planting programme
(60,000 trees and hedge so far, more in 2006) Has just launched CO2mmitment
- a network of climate-aware businesses and organisations in or near
the Upper Calder Valley.
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2006
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2005
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October
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May
April
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