newsletterApril - May 2013

the future of waste

Continued on Page 14

Birmingham could see a big change in the way it deals with household waste.

The City Council is considering what to do when its 25 year contract with waste giant Veolia expires in 2018. We see this as a once-in-a-generation chance to put in place a sustainable waste system. Members of Birmingham Friends of the Earth have made a submission to the scrutiny committee. BFoE has had a unique role being independent and focussed on the overall health of people and the environment. The councillors are now taking this issue very seriously and we feel that we

Birmingham friends of the earth

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contents

3 - campaign’s digest

5 - in the media

7 - Warehouse news

8 - guest article - Active Travel Champions

9 - celebrating Pat Knowles and Peter Sturgeon

10 - saving Birmingham wholesale market

11 - beyond energy we can all afford

13 - become a supporter...

14 - the future of waste (continued from front page)

17 - return of the bee cause

18 - the big green debate - should charities try to achieve their aims through lobbying or direct action?

20 - away day at Waseley Hills country park

21 - volunteer spotlight

22 - diary

23 - contacts

Hello and welcome to the latest Campaigns’ Digest. It’s been a busy couple of months, with our Energy We Can All Afford panel discussion, as well as our first stalls of the year and the Away Day to strategize for our new local campaign: Let’s Get Moving. As usual, if there’s anything that catches your eye then please get in touch to get involved!

Energy & Climate Change

Our Energy We Can All Afford event was a great success. Between 70 and 80 people attended the event, co-organised with the University of Birmingham People & Planet Society, which featured some very interesting discussion and a high level of debate. We’ve now moved on to trying to get our MPs to sign and vote for the decarbonisation target amendment to the Energy Bill. See the Clean British

Energy article for full details of the latest in the campaign.

The other recent news was the attempt by EDF to sue the No Dash for Gas protesters for £5 million for their occupation of West Burton Power Station in November. Friends of the Earth and other NGOs were concerned that the legal threat could lead to many more such legal threats by companies, and therefore deter future activists from exercising their democratic right to protest. After quick but very successful campaigning by a cross-section of civil society organisations, EDF have now withdrawn their threat of legal action. The protesters still face criminal charges and possible jail terms. With the sentencing for the majority of the protesters on the 20th March having been put back a couple of months, we shall be watching this story with interest.

Transport

Since going to press for the last issue, we submitted our response to Centro’s New Transport Prospectus (both of which you can access from our website). We highlighted the need to have more ambitious modal shift targets and to prioritise particular infrastructure projects in what was a very aspirational document.

Since the last issue we’ve also had our Away Day to strategize for the new campaign, and have decided to focus on walking and cycling as a way of reducing traffic levels and improving air quality. More about this in the article by Adam McCusker.

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campaigns’ digest

Birmingham City Council are trying to start a cycling revolution! Which means they are applying for a ‘Cycle City Ambition Grant’ from the Government which they will use to fund what they are calling the ‘Big Cycle Plan’; a 20 year plan to improve cycling infrastructure and increase uptake of cycling in Birmingham. They are asking for people to sign online to show their support for Birmingham’s bid, you can sign up and find more information here: www.birmingham.gov.uk/bcr. It’s important that they can show there is a lot of public support for the plan in order to increase their chances of winning the bid.

Waste

We submitted our response to the Waste Scrutiny’s call for evidence for the inquiry, really emphasising the point that the end of the waste incinerator contract with Veolia in 2018 is an opportunity to design a really sustainable waste collection system. John Newson outlines how this could be done in our main article. We will be attending the waste inquiry meetings going forward and highlighting how ambitious the city could really be!

Planning

The Stirchley ASDA saga rumbles on with the planning appeal going to a Public Inquiry, which starts on 8th May and will last around 10 days. Needless to say we will be continuing to watch this proposal with interest.

The City Council have announced plans

for the city centre based wholesale markets to be moved to Witton or Washwood Heath in 2016. However, there is also an option to redevelop the current site, and a number of groups, including Birmingham Friends of the Earth, are arguing that this is by far the best option. You can read more about this issue in the article by Michaela Hodges.

Biodiversity

At a special meeting in January, we decided to fund three projects with the money raised from There’s Something Funny in the Honey. One is for a bee-friendly area being set up by Balsall Heath is Our Planet at a Jubilee Garden in Balsall Heath, the second is for a bee-friendly foraging corridor in Highbury Park being organised by Highbury Community Orchard, and finally one is for bee-friendly wildflower plants on the wall of our very own Warehouse! We’re looking forward to seeing these projects develop, and you can find out about how we’re planning to promote them in our article on bees by Rebecca Pollard.

At the West Midlands Friends of the Earth Regional Gathering on Saturday 2nd March, we all got buzzy with training and planning around the Bee Cause in 2013. We now feel energised about the campaign going forward and are looking forward to getting our MPs to support the bees! Again, see the Bee Cause article for more information about what we have planned!

Julien Pritchard

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campaigns’ digest

Even without John Newson’s one man bin-bag mission dominating the headlines as in the last issue, we’ve still managed to get some media coverage about the issues we care about and are working on at the moment. First up was an article in the Birmingham Mail, which had a write-up about our Energy We Can All Afford panel discussion. The article gave a short review of the event as well as a quote from me about how it went and what was discussed.

Around the same time I was contacted by a journalism student at BCU, who was working on a waste story, in particular the Council’s proposals to charge for green waste collection. I gave a quote to the effect that although we understand the economic difficulties of the Council, charging for green waste is hardly going to encourage an increase in recycling rates. I also said it would be useful to see all of the Council’s expenditure on waste and see where waste could potentially be a revenue earner for them.

Little did I know that this student was going to get his article into the Birmingham Mail, which was a feature about how Birmingham had come bottom of the West Midlands waste recycling league. This led to me being interviewed alongside Councillor James McKay on Adrian Goldberg’s BBC WM phone-in show, when they picked up the story! This is the first time I have been interviewed with an “opponent”. I made the point that if we really want to up the recycling rate, then

we need a collection system that is fit for purpose; we need to take advantage of the fact that the incineration contract is up in 2018 and we need to have food collection.

With more action around Clean British Energy and the Bee Cause to come in the next few months, as well as our own new campaign, you can be sure that we’ll be in the news again very soon!

Julien Pritchard

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in the media

Little did I know that this student was going to get his article into the Birmingham Mail

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Sales, service, repairs, accessories. Bikes also built to your own specifications.

Open Monday & Wednesday to Saturday, 10am-5pm

0121 633 0730

SPROCKETCycles

Established over 15 years ago in the Friends of the Earth Building in Birmingham The Warehouse Café has a reputation as a quality provider of vegetarian and vegan food in Birmingham.

“Real people serving real food with local, organic and fair trade leading the way” Guardian Unlimited.

To see the delicious menu go to www.thewarehousecafe.com

For bookings and enquires

Telephone 0121 633 0261

Email info@thewarehousecafe.com

• 100% vegetarian and vegan;• A large selection of organic

and fairtrade products, most supplied and delivered by a workers co-operative;

• Vegan owners - no meat or dairy products sold.

Open • Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat

10am - 5:30pm,• Thurs 10am - 6:30pm,• Sun 11am - 3pm.

The shops and companies here have all come together because they are dedicated to working towards a healthier, more organic city.

So if you want to help make Birmingham a cleaner, greener place to live, or you just want to eat some good vegetarian food, then come to The Warehouse and see what’s going on.

warehouse

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warehouse news

We have always run our building ‘The Warehouse’ according to our principles of positive environmental change. One of the ways we do this is by having tenants that share our mission and I am delighted to announce that we have found three new organisations that fit snugly into this criteria.

The previous owners of The Warehouse Café decided to move onto pastures new at the start of the year, leaving us to find someone new. After a long and intensive process we have selected an organisation that is ready to take over. The cafe will now be run as a social enterprise to promote sustainable food, and has been setup by the head chef of the former cafe Robert Grzesik and passionate foodie and environmentalist Mohini Howard.

Since the previous tenants shut on the 15th Feb, we have been working hard to refurbish the premises, making them better than ever.

Absence has made the stomach grow hungrier though and we are looking forward to it re-opening on the 1st May.

We have been big fans of The Energy Saving Co-operative for a while now and were delighted when they approached us to enquire about premises. They are on the front line of efforts to tackle climate change, helping people to insulate their homes and generate their own energy.

Last, but not least, we have Let’s Grow Together; an environmental education group, dedicated to working with schools to help kids get outdoors, value wildlife, and reduce waste at home and at school.

The most exciting thing about all these new groups coming together is the synergy. We all work better when we share our knowledge and expertise.

Phil Burrows

We all work better when we share our knowledge and expertise.

Have you ever wondered what practical steps you could take to encourage more people to walk and cycle for more of their everyday journeys? Sometimes it only takes a few simple steps of support and encouragement to make a difference. With this thought in mind, in Feb 2012, the Sustrans Active Travel Champion project was launched, recruiting enthusiastic volunteers to give travel advice, help people plan routes and overcome common barriers to cycling or walking. Active Travel Champions are friendly and approachable, trained specifically to offer personalised travel advice and communicate the benefits of active travel.

If you are enthusiastic about cycling or walking we’d love you to get involved and help us spread the word. The role is flexible and fun with lots of opportunities across Birmingham and the West Midlands. There are lots of easy ways to get involved, whether you want to help out on a small scale or take a more

active role. Full training, support and resources are provided.

As a champion you can volunteer within your workplace, community or school. Some of the ways volunteers can get involved are:

• Planning and organising group rides or walks

• Giving travel advice and talks

• Setting up bike user/cycle commuter groups

• Holding an information stall/creating an information display

• And we always welcome new ideas from our volunteers

It is a rewarding role where you can make a real difference to people’s lives and environments. One champion inspired three generations of the same family to take up cycling, after her colleague was inspired by the champion’s visible enthusiasm of her daily commute by bike. The champion helped her colleague buy a bike and showed her a quiet route to work. The seemingly simple act of support and encouragement proved infectious and within months her colleague’s granddad, mother and children all started cycling again. Champions may not always see the results, yet for many without the act of a nearby champion they may never have taken that step to transform their journeys.

For more information or details of the next champion induction please contact: lisa.hartley@sustrans.org.uk or call 0121 633 5517.

Lisa Hartley

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guest article - Active Travel Champions

During February, two dedicated campaigners who knew The Warehouse well passed away.

Pat Knowles was a stalwart and tenacious peace, justice and environmental campaigner. She took us all to task on many an occasion and put many of us to shame by her incisive analysis and passion, with which she would urge us to take on the impossible and work outside of the boundaries of agreed priorities and strategies. If no one stood up for this or that issue NOW then it would be too late!

Her celebration in Selly Oak on March 6th brought together numerous people who had worked with her over the years. A private person, who never talked about herself but always of issues and events that affected the most vulnerable in society both at home and abroad.

Peter Sturgeon first popped

into the Warehouse during the campaign against the Kidderminster, Blakedown and Hagley (KBH) Bypass. He was then coordinator of Go for Green: a bunch of folks who were taking on the Government and the tarmac laying business community over the Western Orbital Motorway (WOM).

It was due to Peter and others that FoE local groups from around the conurbation established our West Midlands Transport Campaign (WMTC). He was a longstanding supporter of the Campaign to Protect Rural England and helped ensure close working relations between anti-roads campaigners across the region. Peter became ever more annoyed with the road-building leviathan within the DfT that he persuaded many on the route of the WOM to move from a position of supporting an alternative route to the DfT proposals to outright objecting to the principle of a road to the West of the conurbation. His great legacy is that so far neither the KBH nor the WOM have been built.

His celebration was held in Stourbridge and at his home in Belbroughton on February 25th.

Being able to know and work with these two inspiring and dedicated campaigners was a privilege. It just proves the importance of The Warehouse in providing us with a place at which we can talk through the threats to our combined survival on this fragile planet, as well as to plan and roll out campaigns.

Chris Crean

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celebrating Pat Knowles and Peter Sturgeon

Being able to know and work with these two inspiring and dedicated campaigners was a privilege.

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saving birmingham wholesale marketThe City Council have unveiled plans to move Birmingham’s wholesale markets, currently located in the city centre, to Witton or Washwood Heath in 2016. However, there is another option, the Council’s Governance, Resources & Member Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s report on the subject recommended that the Wholesale Market’s are redeveloped, but stay at their current site. This is the option that Birmingham needs!

It is vital to Birmingham’s independent food supply chains that the wholesale markets remain at their central site, neighbouring the retail markets, and being central for their diversity of customers and employees. Localise West Midlands recently studied the Birmingham Wholesale markets as good practice in community-scale economic activity. The findings are clear that economies built on local ownership and control and on smaller businesses are more successful in traditional economic terms as well as better for social concepts like quality of life.

In addition to strengthening Birmingham’s local food supply chains, the wholesale markets also contribute to social and economic inclusion. This is partly in the sense that through the neighbouring retail markets they provide cheap high quality foods for the local community; overheads and thus prices are low at the Bull Ring, making it a major contributor to healthy food access and social inclusion in the city centre. The Wholesale Markets also contribute heavily to employment, providing a major local source of recruitment especially from areas of high unemployment. They offer an effective opportunity for people who haven’t done well at school or those from “less socially

acceptable” backgrounds: in comparison with many training programmes they provide ‘real’ manual work with a degree of security, flexibility and mutual respect.

Moving the markets out of the city would change how the markets’ finances work, as rents and service charges would rise and require capital outlay. Some of their current efficiency and little need for borrowing would be lost. As such, attempts to relocate or move the markets would be disastrous to the local community especially in terms of social and economic inclusion and local food supply chains. The Council might propose mitigation measures such as providing collective goods transport from the out-of-centre site for the retail markets and other customers, but it is debatable how long revenue funding for this would last and how practical an option it would be.

There is an option to redevelop the current site keeping the wholesale markets, with new and exciting food-focused uses around them. The proposal for a smaller and more streamlined wholesale function within a mixed use development and still bordering the vital retail markets would maintain, and enhance, the ability of the wholesale markets to benefit the local community and strengthen its local economy. This would support medium and long term economic success and yet still bring short-term financial benefits for a cash-strapped local authority.

The proposal for keeping the Wholesale Markets where they belong, in the city centre at the heart of a food-related new development, really is a win-win situation. Not only this, but the wider

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National Friends of the Earth’s campaign Clean British Energy (CBE) is entering a critical stage. The Energy Bill going through parliament has been read. An amendment has been tabled by Tim Yeo, a Conservative MP, and Barry Gardiner MP, who is from the Labour Party. The amendment known as the ‘Green Jobs amendment’ asks amongst other things, for a decarbonisation target to be put into the Energy Bill. We need as many MPs as possible to sign this amendment to get it through.

A decarbonisation target would prevent energy companies building new fossil fuel power stations known as the ‘dash for gas’. It would also encourage investors, providing a stable economic environment for investors to support profitable renewable energy projects, creating thousands of jobs.

In Birmingham we’re well underway in doing our part. We recently worked with the University of Birmingham’s People and Planet group to put on a public meeting called ‘Energy We Can All Afford’. Over 70 people attended

beyond energy we can all afford

community has been very supportive of the markets remaining where they are, for example through the signing of a petition of well over 20,000 signatures in support of the markets remaining on their current site. This is the largest petition ever delivered to Birmingham’s electoral officers. Not only this, but in a recent development the retail market traders have now consulted legal advice and are to pose a challenge to the

move, saying that they were not properly consulted, and we will be watching this with interest.

You can keep up to date with the developments on this issue and show support by liking the ‘Friends of The Bull Ring Market’ page on Facebook.Michaela Hodges

as well as our speakers: Rosemary Coyne, a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham, Lorraine Gumbs from Warm Zones, Guy Shrubsole from Friends of the Earth, Selly Oak MP Steve McCabe and Graeme Brown from the Birmingham Post as Chair.

We asked the panelists the question: “If you could make one change to current energy policy, locally or nationally. What would it be and why?” before giving the audience the opportunity to ask any questions of their own. All the panelists gave really informative answers and spoke with passion.

There was also a great variety in the answers. Rosemary and Lorraine looked at fuel poverty, with Rosemary concentrating on local projects, and Lorraine expressing that more government funding needs to be made available and more needs to be done to keep energy bill costs from continuing to rise.

Guy and Steve focused on the political side of the story with regards to the Energy Bill. Both of them initially stating that a decarbonsisation target was needed in the Energy Bill. With Guy then branching out to talk about the UK’s renewable resources such as: offshore wind, wave and tidal. Steve then talked more upon the need for the energy market to be more competitive (99% of households’ energy are provided by the big six energy companies).

Moving on to the discussion part of the evening, there was a lot of talk on the Government’s Green

Deal. We were also lucky to have some very knowledgeable audience members, who mentioned some of the emerging technologies in the industry. Guy Shrubsole also briefly spoke about the Energy Bill Revolution that this meeting was a part of. This campaign calls for carbon taxes to be used on home energy efficiency measures to combat fuel poverty, which ended with a lot of nodding heads by all who were there.

It was a great event and for a more in depth description of the night, visit our website where we have a review.

The meeting has led nicely onto our next goal, getting Birmingham’s MPs to sign and vote for the “green jobs” amendment. To do this, we need their constituents to pressure their MPs to sign the amendment and vote for a decarbonisation target. We recently got Liberal Democrat John Hemming MP to sign the amendment, which was a big win for us. As this is a cross party amendment, which the government does not support, it is vital that we get a coalition of MPs onside and turning up on the day to vote it through. We encourage everyone to write to their MPs to see if they have signed up and ask them to do so if not.

Please email jacob@birminghamfoe.org.uk if you want any help contacting your MP and also to let us know of any responses you get.

Jacob Williams

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beyond energy we can all afford continued.....

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We are the only organisation in Birmingham that campaigns on Climate Change, Transport, Local Shops, Planning, Waste and Recycling.You can help us to do this in a number of ways;1.) By taking part in our campaigns2.) By joining us3.) BothWhichever route you decide, you are helping to change your environment for the better. Making sure that those who pollute, monopolise or despoil locally, nationally or internationally are accountable. There are four ways to join us...

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are being listened to, as indeed we were a year ago.

Of the waste collected by the City Council almost 70% is burned. Incineration produces a huge environmental footprint, so this technology is everywhere opposed by Friends of the Earth, as a movement1. Local groups have had some successes around the Midlands in opposing new incinerator plans. BFoE opposed the building of the incinerator at Tyseley in the 1990s, because we argued it would divert the city from recycling and would misuse our wastes by treating them as ‘fuel’. Since then £30 million a year has been spent on ‘waste 1 In Your Backyard website details for Veolia waste disposal plant Tyseley

disposal’, which the Council can no longer afford.

Wastes are not really the problem, nor are people, rather we have a system that is organised on the wrong principles. Waste is burned because the incinerator must be fed, not because the waste is useless and truly “residual”. In the resource-scarce 21st century almost all waste has some value. Waste paper is worth £85 a tonne. Recyclers have to import waste because the incinerator is burning the material that they need. We argue that Birmingham should move from a model of “paying to dispose” to one of “collecting to sell”.

A choice must be made. The target of 60% recycling and composting set by the 2012 Waste Scrutiny can never be achieved if we continue the mass burning of waste. We call upon the Council to declare a target of “no incineration of mixed refuse in air” and a date for achieving this.

Up in smoke

The scrutiny process has looked at the future of Veolia’s Tyseley incinerator, which dominates East Birmingham. At the end of the contract, it will become the property of the Council. We think it will be a liability rather than an asset. There will be the maintenance costs of an ageing plant. As the city’s recycling rate rises, more and more rubbish will have to be imported to keep it running and cover its running costs. The rubbish ‘fuel’ is vastly expensive, as it costs the Council

the future of waste continued

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millions to collect it from every home.

The Council will become in 2018 the owner of the largest emitter in Birmingham of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide: Tyseley emitted 321,810 tonnes of C02 in 20112 according to the Environment Agency. We say it will be impossible to meet the City Council’s CO2 reduction target of 60% by 2026 if the city’s waste continues to be turned into air pollution. National and EU targets will require increasing regulation of waste burning if CO2 is to be cut as science says is required. Burning rubbish is a very dirty and inefficient way to produce electricity. The plant is in the wrong location for the waste heat to be piped to large users. As a power station, it is a disaster.

Breathing rubbish

Burning anything on a large scale in a city must be bad for people’s health. People in East Birmingham have a shorter life expectancy by some years than other parts of the city and although this cannot be definitely linked to the incinerator, much evidence of the health effects of incineration have come to light, since it was built3. Since the City

2 In Your Backyard website details for Veolia waste disposal plant Tyseley 3 The Health Effects of Waste Incinerators 4th Report of the British Society for Ecological Medicine Second Edition June 2008 Dr Jeremy Thompson and Dr Honor Anthony www.ecomed.org.uk

Council is now responsible for public health, we are calling on them to investigate the health effects of incineration.

Dioxins are a carcinogen, and levels are rising as the proportion of plastics in waste increases. The bursts of pollution whenever the plant starts up are a particular concern. Smoky particulates are another issue, being additional to those from diesel vehicles. They are accompanied by nitrogen oxide, hydrogen chloride and other irritating chemicals. Birmingham as a city is exceeding its limits on

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nitrogen dioxide NO24. 2013 is the “Year of Air” and the EU is reviewing the limits, which are likely to be reduced in line with World Health organisation advice5. Running the incinerator at full capacity, which will be required on economic grounds, is likely to be impossible within health and environment limits.

Waste Savers

Fortunately we do not have to choose between burning wastes and burying them. We are calling upon Birmingham City Council to develop a new approach as “Birmingham Waste Savers”. As the largest local authority in Europe, the size of seven London boroughs, Birmingham can be in the driving seat and design the future waste industry.

The collection system creates the waste stream; it should be designed backwards to produce outputs that have value. The coming change from bags to bins gives a great opportunity to design for less rubbish and to collect wastes you actually want.

The key point is to separate at source the biodegradable waste that may rot and smell, from the other items that can be stored in the home or the bin. The former can be used via “anaerobic digestion” to make biogas, which does not produce problematic emissions. The gas can be injected into the main or 4 Air Quality Action Plan 2011 BCC5 Review of Evidence on Health Aspects of Air Pollution WHO 2013

used for combined heat and power in buildings. The Tyseley plant could become a site for composting or anaerobic digestion for sorting and storing wastes, perhaps a ‘wood station’ chipping for fuel.

This leaves clean materials that can be reused or recycled. The city’s 60% recycling target can be just a beginning, since there are authorities in Britain past 70% and aiming for 80%. A lot of second hand goods can be recovered by local projects and sold to low income families instead of being burned.

Ultimately, there will always be some problem wastes. Aston University’s European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) has demonstrated a pioneering plant using pyrolysis and gasification to reduce any carbon-based waste including mixed plastics into oil, gas and biochar. This yields much more useful energy than burning waste and could even be zero carbon6.

We encourage Birmingham to adopt the aim of A Zero Waste City, and look forward to seeing how Birmingham will make this happen! If you’d like to find out more about Birmingham’s waste systems and how they can be more sustainable, then get in touch: campaigns@birminghamfoe.org.uk

John Newson

6 EBRI http://www1.aston.ac.uk/ebri

the future of waste continued

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return of the bee cause

The Bee Cause is buzzing back into 2013!

Bee Cause is Friends of the Earth’s campaign to save British bees, which are in decline due to factors such as disease, chemicals and habitat loss. The campaign is asking David Cameron for a Bee Action Plan to protect the 267 species of bees and their habitat. It has also been showing what people can do in their local area, such as planting bee-friendly wildflowers or making a bee hotel.

With much success already behind the Bee Cause, such as the removal of pesticides containing neonicotinoid (harmful to bees) from the shelves of major garden centres, Friends of the Earth are determined for 2013 to be the year of the bee!

Birmingham Friends of the Earth kicked-off our Bee Cause campaigning with a successful stall at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Sustainability Fair. We experienced overwhelming support for the cause, with loads of postcards signed and queues of people wanting to find out more! We’re now planning events for the National Day of Action for the Bee Cause on the 18th May.

As a result of BFoE’s brilliant comedy gig last Autumn, ‘There’s Something Funny in the Honey’, we were able to fund three fantastic bee-friendly projects in Birmingham. One of these

projects, a ‘Balsall Heath Is Our Planet’ project to create a Bee Garden in the already established Jubilee Garden, is set for a grand opening on the National Day of Action. The garden has been created by volunteers at Balsall Heath Forum and we are hoping to have a local representative to open the Bee Garden and show further support for the cause!

The day will also include Bee Walks down the Rea Valley, where there are plans for a much larger bee friendly project, as well as viewing the beautiful bee-friendly plants in the Bee Garden. This is set to be a wonderful event and we would love to see as many people as possible there!

The other two projects include a bee-friendly foraging necklace in Highbury Park being set up by Highbury Orchard Community, which will create a bee-friendly corridor across the Park and is kick-starting this Easter. The final project is for bee-friendly climbing wildflower plants outside our very own building, The Warehouse, which we will also be getting ready soon!

We will keep you updated on the progress on these exciting projects in future newsletters, so watch this space. All three projects will have opportunities for volunteers, so if you would like to get involved in this or any of BFoE’s campaigning on the Bee Cause then get in touch with Bex at rebecca@birminghamfoe.org.uk.

Rebecca Pollard

THE BEE CAUSE

Welcome to the Big Green Debate! This time we are considering campaigning tactics, with Jacob Williams making the case for direct action, and John Heritage presenting the pro-lobbying lobby!

Please note that there may be a certain level of devil’s advocate in this debate, and the views expressed may not be the real opinions of the writers.

Join the debate: If you’ve got questions or comments on the Big Green Debate email campaigns@birminghamfoe.org.uk. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Julien Pritchard

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the big green debate:

Should charities try to achieve their aims through lobbying or direct action?

lobbyingThe debate about direct action versus more subtle methods is not new. A variety of groups throughout history have tried each tactic, with perhaps the most famous conflict being between the suffragists and suffragettes. In all these cases the question is, what were they trying to achieve? Or, rather, who were they trying to appeal to? This question is important because whichever method is taken, the objective is to convince the other side that your opinion is the correct one, in the hope that your campaign will be acted upon. The environmental movement is certainly not removed from these questions, with organisations such as Green-peace and P.E.T.A. on the side of direct action and FoE and the WWF focussing more on lobbying.

Greenpeace’s stance appeals strongly to those who already believe in the environmental challenges facing us

direct actionSometimes being involved in a campaign can feel like being bullied by the big guy at school. You know it’s not right, and you fell you don’t deserve to be in this situation. Then you realise that you have two options: Report the bully to an adult and hope they will do something, or fight back.

Looking at campaigning, whilst I respect that working through legal channels to pass laws and legislation is often the goal of a campaign, it is incredibly difficult to get Parliament on side. With the amount of money companies with ‘an interest’ can throw at lobbying politicians, they have a massive say into what is passed.

Let’s look at the ‘No Dash for Gas’ example. There is a lot of good work going on in the background with the Energy Bill going through Parliament to prevent a dash for gas by Osborne. But who is aware of this? Why should the Government listen to a small group

of educated people, when they should be representing the views of the whole country, as well as companies suggest-ing what they do over a glass of wine and a steak? This is when direct action plays its part.

When those protesters shut down that power station they achieved two very important victories. One was that they showed the energy companies and the Government that they could not get away with what they were doing, that if they were doing something morally wrong, then there are people out there who will try their hardest to stop them. The second win was that in doing such an impressive and big stunt, they instantly got more media coverage in the national press than most NGO’s could ever dream of. With this they got the whole nation talking about energy generation and created an avenue for other organisations to inform members of the public, who may not have known what is going on in the country.

Money speaks. Actions speak louder than words. The pen is mightier than the sword. Having both trumps all. (Disclaimer: The author does not encourage violence, and is very aware of the cheesiness of the last paragraph.)

Jacob Williams

and their strategy does raise the profile of their organisation internationally. However, as we have seen with the EDF protestors, companies and govern-ments do not react well to direct action, peaceful or not. Nor were the public particularly pleased about Greenpeace’s blockading of petrol stations last year (Guardian, 16/07/12, http://bit.ly/MxXeIk). While public disruptions and subsequent campaigner convictions are normally justified by campaigners as a small price to pay given the risks we face, the public at large often remain unconvinced and refuse their support accordingly.

No, the ruling class and general public deal in facts, hard, cold and on paper. In the current economic climate, the currency of governmental persuasion is currency. We might not like it, but George Osborne is never going to be convinced by a closed power station any more than the EDF directors. He might, however, be convinced by the costs of environmental devastation or benefits of green growth (estimat-ed to have added 0.5% to GDP in 2012 http://bit.ly/PjCyv5). It is in the pursuit of persuasive facts we should be focussing our energies, as it is only through these that the people who (unfortunately) matter will ultimately be convinced.

John Heritage

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what were they trying to

achieve?

...or fight back.

direct action continued lobbying continued

On Saturday 9th March, Birmingham Friends of the Earth decided to get out of our natural inner-city habitat and go on a trip to Waseley Hills Country Park, albeit to sit down in a meeting room and plan out the new ‘Let’s Get Moving’ campaign, facil-itated by Jenny Thatcher from the activism team at national Friends of the Earth. Just as the Waseley Hills is a watershed between the Trent and Severn drainage basins, the group hoped our major brainstorming session would be a watershed moment for Let’s Get Moving.

The campaign was always intended to be a transport campaign, but BFoE decided pretty early on that it was important to make a link between air pollution and poor transport options by demonstrating the health and economic problems caused by the particularly poor quality of Birmingham’s air.

To make the campaign clearer and more focused, we tried to look back and run through exactly who to target with a transport campaign. We drew up a list of winners and losers, did a SWOT analysis (our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats), and then tried to filter down our long list of objectives.

In the end, we decided that focusing on cycling and walking was the best option and our aim became: “To improve active transport provision in Birmingham in order to improve air quality.” Our primary goals are to putt a target into Birmingham’s cycle strategy, increase spending on cycling infrastructure in Birmingham, enforce bus & cycle lanes and promote cycling and walking as travel choices. As part of this we also aim to fund and promote a totemic cycling project.

Adam McCusker

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away day at waseley hills country park

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Julien Pritchard interviews Jacob Williams

How long have you been involved with BFoE?

I think about 9 months.

How did you find out about BFoE?

By not listening to my parents and talking to strangers in Birmingham who happened to be associated with BFOE. Pointing me in their direction.

What do you do here?

I’m the lead campaigner on Energy & Climate Change, which involves a lot of annoying the local MPs as well as recently organizing a public meeting at the University of Birmingham.

What do you like about working here?

You get to meet a lot of new interesting people from all over. Being involved has also led to some fantastic opportunities both within BFoE and through the people you meet.

What have you learnt from volunteering with BFoE?

I’ve learnt a lot about environmental issues and how politics in the UK works. The best thing I’ve learnt, though, is about all the other amazing organisations in Birmingham that I wasn’t aware of before.

What do you think is the most important environmental issue and why?

Not strictly environmental but in my opinion the biggest issue is the mindset of humanity. With the majority of people seemingly too apathetic to do anything but moan about their lives. It’s difficult to get the large-scale change we need, when most of the population quite simply don’t care.

What’s your best green tip/advice?

Be cheap. You save money, eat healthier, get fitter and help the planet. What’s not to like!

volunteer spotlight

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diary

Campaign Meetings - mondays 7.30pm8th April: General meeting

15th April: No meeting due to Sustainability Forum (see below)

22nd April: Action Meeting

29th April: Action Meeting

13th May: General Meeting

20th May: Action Meeting

Other Events6th April: Birmingham Friends of the Earth stall in Solihull to lobby Lorely Burt

9th April: Green Drinks – Locanta Restaurant Ludgate Hill

15th April: Sustainability Forum, 6.30-8.45pm- Banqueting Suite, Council House (to register your attendance: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/sustainability)

18th May: National Day of Action for the Bee Cause (details of Birmingham Friends of the Earth wildflower planting events to be announced, for more details or to get involved email campaigns@birminghamfoe.org.uk)

See Northfield Eco Centre (www.northfieldecocentre.org) & Birmingham Environment Education Project (www.BirminghamEnvironment.org) for more events and workshops

Farmers’ MarketsBirmingham University: 4th Wednesday of the month 9am-2pm Harborne: 2nd Saturday of the month 9am-2pm Kings Heath: 1st Saturday of the month 9am-3:30pm Kings Norton: 2nd Saturday of the month 9am-2pm Moseley: 4th Saturday of the month 9am-3pm New Street: 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month 10am-4pm Solihull: 1st Friday of the month 9am-5pm Sutton Coldfield: 2nd Friday of the month 9am-3pm Jewellery Quarter: 3rd Saturday of the month 10am-3pm Stirchley Community Market: Taking a break until March

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contacts

Contact us:Friends of the Earth (Birmingham) The Warehouse 54-57 Allison Street Birmingham B5 5TH

Tel: (0121) 632 6909 Fax: (0121) 643 3122

E-mail: info@birminghamfoe.org.uk

Web: www.birminghamfoe.org.uk

Friends of the Earth is:- The largest international network

of environmental groups in the world, represented in 72 countries.

- One of the UK’s leading enviromental pressure groups.

- A unique network of campaigning local groups, working in more than 200 communities in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

- Over 90% of its funds come from its supporters.

Birmingham FoE:Campaigns at a local level to effect environmental change (in ways which feed into national and international policy) through:

- Lobbying

- Education

- Empowering others to take action

- Participation and representation through public fora

Chair: Benjamin MabbettCampaigns Co-ordinator: Roxanne Green & Robert PassCampaigns Support Worker: Julien PritchardGeneral Manager: Philip BurrowsTreasurer: Margaret LynchAviation: Adam McCuskerClimate Change & Energy: Jacob WilliamsPlanning: Benjamin MabbettTransport: Adam McCuskerWaste & Recycling: John NewsonNewsletter Editors: Michaela Hodges Steven D Quirke Zoe WrightWebsite Editor: Philip BurrowsFundraising & Membership Co-ordinator:Shajidur RahmanCommunications OfficerMichaela HodgesTalks: Julien Pritchard and othersAll enquiries and callers welcome.Find us on page 74 of the B’hamA-Z, grid ref: 4A