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Don Foster, Bath's MP, will be there "making a noise" at 12 noon.
Terry
The Earth Summit
is the first major summit dealing with sustainable development since Rio
in 1992. Despite some important achievements, Rio failed to deliver the
real changes necessary to protect the environment for future generations.
Since then, political will has waned, corporate influence has grown and
the poorest have suffered. Will the 2002 Earth Summit succeed where the
1992 Earth Summit failed? Not if the USA gets its way. The Bush administration
has made it clear that it does not want any new global agreements at the
Summit. It is even trying to unravel some of the progress gained over the
last decade. For example it wants to restrict the use of the precautionary
principle in decision making. This principle has been at the centre of
confrontation between the USA and the EU over restrictions on hormone treated
beef and GM food.
The agreement would:
Energy
Oil producing nations - especially Saudi Arabia - do not want energy
to become a major issue at the Summit. They are supported in this by the
USA, which seems intent on deleting any mention of the Kyoto Treaty. The
EU and others are keen to see progress in developing renewable energy,
especially in delivering energy to communities who do not have access to
electricity. Friends of the Earth wants targets and timetables for the
rapid deployment of renewable energy and the phasing out of international
and domestic fossil fuel subsidies. Action on climate change and a shift
from fossil fuels to renewables will be one of the key tests of whether
the Earth Summit has been a success or a failure.
Trade
Trade
will be a major issue at the Earth Summit, with Northern Governments in
particular promoting the World Trade Organisation's (WTO's) liberalising
agenda. Many environment and development groups believe that neo-liberal
economic theory - the world's dominant economic model - is unsustainable.
Instead, Governments should seek to increase economic diversity and ensure
that states retain necessary powers over their domestic economies. They
should reject the strait-jacket of export-led development. The impact of
trade liberalisation on inequality, inequitable consumption levels, food
security and safety, environmental protection and the status of multilateral
environmental agreements should be priority concerns. This issue is one
which divides Governments and civil society. The trade issue which causes
the greatest disagreement is agriculture. Trade liberalisation for agriculture
threatens the livelihoods of subsidence farmers in developing countries
but also the livelihoods of small farmers in the UK and other developed
countries.
Sustainable Consumption and Production
Developed countries are responsible for most of the environmental and
developmental problems faced by the world as a result of the unsustainable
production and consumption patterns of the last two hundred years. Progress
in tackling these issues since the Rio Earth Summit 10 years ago has been
slow. Developing countries naturally expect developed countries to take
action before they commit themselves pursue economic growth in a way which
does not break environmental limits. EU Environment Commissioner Margot
Wallström said in February: "we cannot keep coming back from world
gatherings with impressive commitments and fine words that we then leave
in the corner of our offices to gather dust. Our implementation deficit
will quickly turn into a credibility gap..."
Developed countries must make solid commitments at a domestic and at an international level before the Earth Summit, including timetables, targets and finance. Without the Earth Summit may be little more than an expensive photo opportunity for world leaders. But the omens are not good. At the last preparatory meeting held in New York in April, Governments failed to deliver on the priority task for the meeting to produce a 'Programme of Action'. This was meant to include commitments to action, identify barriers to progress and ways of removing them, and also agree necessary financial support.
Other Issues
Other issues to be discussed at the Earth Summit include:- water, fisheries,
poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, forests , environmental governance, and chemicals.
Trade and food
The promotion of food security, food sovereignty and non-intensive
agriculture are key issues that governments must commit to addressing through
the United Nations.
The Earth Summit should agree that international environmental and social treaties should not be subject to free trade rules and should take precedence over them.
The Earth Summit should not promote the WTO's controversial trade-liberalising agenda and instead should map out a path towards new and sustainable economies.
Climate
Recognise "carbon debt" - industrialised countries have a historical
responsibility to reduce emissions and provide adequate funds to reduce
the vulnerability of affected communities; Mandate negotiators in the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process to define dangerous
climate change,accelerate the next round of emissions reductions and move
towards a system of safe, global per capita emissions limits; Establish
targets and timetables for the rapid deployment of renewable energy and
the phase out of international and domestic fossil fuel subsidies.
Forests and biodiversity
Create a robust mechanism for establishing certification of legality
with independent verification. There are precedents for this, such as the
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Agree that consumer countries must make
it illegal to import illegally sourced timber products.
FOE International's press releases on the Earth Summit http://www.foei.org/media/wssd.html
United Nations website http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/
FOE will be present throughout the Earth Summit in Johannesburg. FOE will launch Radio Earth Summit - an internet radio station which will broadcast in the run up to and during the Summit, and will be building an inspiring art installation, to be erected at the Summit itself. FOE will also be joining the Trade Justice Movement Parliamentary mass lobby of the UK Parliament on June 19th .
The aim is to influence discussions at the upcoming EU heads of state meeting on 20 th /21st June and the G8 meeting on 26th /27th June, as well as the Earth Summit, starting on 26th August.
Radio Earth Summit
FOE will be using Radio Earth Summit, broadcasting via the internet
and via community radio stations, to transmit news about the Earth Summit
across the world and, perhaps more crucially, to provide listeners with
the opportunity to contribute their thoughts, hopes and aspirations for
the Earth Summit in the run up to the event.
Radio Earth Summit will produce a sound-scape of noises collected for the Earth Summit which will be used with FOE International's 'giant and little figures' art installation. The sound-scape will be a mixture of testimonials plus environmental sounds.
The aim of the lobby
is to ensure that every MP knows that there is a massive public mandate
to rewrite international trade rules - and every MP will be asked to take
action for trade justice in the run up to the Earth Summit.
To register and get an information pack with map and programme details send a fax to 01582 438111 or go on-line at www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/sustainable_development/trade_justice_lobby.html
FOE contacts:- 0207490 1692 or 1555
A coach will be going from Bath. To book a place contact Liz Nash 01225 444312 and also please ring Fiona Remnant of Bath Oxfam on 07974 910242 who is keeping account of all those going from Bath.
The lobby will take place outside the Houses of Parliament at 3pm. From 1.30 to 2.30 there will be two simultaneous Trade Justice Movement rallies with major speakers at Emmanuel Centre and Westminster Central Hall. From 4pm onwards there will be more events to inspire, enthuse and encourage!
Terry
We have reiterated our objections to the use of PFA, a waste product. We have also commented that the selection of only comprehensive infill options and excluding targeted options, ie based on distinguishing different levels of hazard across Combe Down, has not taken proper account of either the principles of environmental sustainability, given the proposed 100 year design life, or standard best practice as required by government for scheme evaluation. It fails to focus on minimising resource use and associated risks and disregards the precautionary principle of reversibility, given the environmental risks associated with in-filling.
Apart from the considerable environmental risks associated with comprehensive infill, it seems to us that the cost - (£40m) - will be considered so uneconomic that English Partnerships funding will most likely again not be forthcoming.and that other more cost-effective and environmentally friendly options will need to be considered.
On 8th June a consultation exercise starts on the selection of a work site for the comprehensive infill scheme. Concerned citizens, not only those in Combe Down, need to respond.
Wholesale infill, with or without PFA, is not the answer.
Terry
You could get a head start on National Bike Week (see below) by getting your old bike fixed up at The Wheel Thing cycle festival at Kensington Meadows. (Thursday 6th - Saturday 8th June. ) All sorts of activities here to promote alternative travel based on cycle transport. The festival culminates on Saturday in the Carnival Procession through Bath for "wacky races" in Victoria Park.
On the Sunday sample the temporary pedestrianisation and party atmosphere of Walcot Street on Nation Day.
Sunday 23rd "Cycle with confidence course " For those who wish to develop cycling skills to cope better with traffic on modern roads or for those who haven't got on a bike for years and would appreciate some pointers in an unpressurised environment. 10 am -12.30 pm Charlotte Street Car Park and Victoria Park - £5 for B&NES residents - phone or e-mail me to book 01225 787911 - barrym@envolve.co.uk
Barry Maunder
Eight of us were at
Bath Spa station during the morning rush-hour on Monday 15th April handing
out leaflets to rail passengers asking them to send a text message or write
to Gordon Brown. to urge him to commit much more funding to our railways
in order to provide a real alternative to the car and lorry., We handed
out 500 leaflets in an hour and a half. The public response was very good.
They clearly supported the campaign.
Maybe it was the shock of this "first" text message campaign that really
did for Stephen Byers!
Terry
On Saturday,
18th May, Bath FoE, took part in another very successful ESSO action at
Bath's London Road garage, again jointly with Bath Greenpeace.
Check out the Stop Esso campaign website www.stopesso.com for full details of the campaign and for pictures of the Bath demo go to http://draco.dyndns.org/cgi/stopessoii.cgi
By the way, we have discovered that B&NES Council does not use ESSO. Also the Body Shop supports the boycott. Good for them.
If you know of any other local organisations/businesses which have joined the boycott, please let me know.
Chris Benson 835633
The go ahead follows the submission of a revised set of redevelopment proposals in March. This is the sixth submission since 1997. Bath FoE have provided considerable input into the planning process throughout this time. Our involvement, including written submissions and meetings with the developers, has helped to bring about many improvements to the scheme, including:
Our submissions were praised as "substantial" and "inventive" by B&NES planning officers and councillors.
We challenged the developers to justify their proposals and demonstrate what they were doing to achieve sustainability. We may not have brought about all the changes we sought, but the developers took note of what we said. They told us that our comments on this scheme have influenced the way they are approaching other developments.
It has been a long road since the first plans were submitted in 1997. The developers have always been keen to get approval for the scheme as soon as possible, threatening to pull out if they were refused. But five times they were refused, and over the years the scheme has been steadily improved. All along, we have argued that since this development will dominate the centre of Bath for many decades to come, we should not rush into it. Even if it takes many years, and a lot of haggling over details to come up with a good set of plans, that is better than building in a hurry, and then regretting it 25 years later - like they did last time.
There are still a number of planning details to be ironed out, so construction is not expected to commence until 2004. It will take five years to complete the work, during which time there will be quite a lot of disruption. By 2010 we should know if it has all been worth it!
David Beasley