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Whilst
the world's press was gorging on the massive anti-capitalist demonstrations
in Genoa, Italy, a much smaller, more peaceful protest was taking place
in Bonn, Germany. Several thousand FoE activists from across Europe had
gathered at the climate treaty negotiations to send a strong message to
the politicians: Sign up to the Kyoto Protocol, and reduce carbon emissions
Demonstrators had each brought along a wooden plank bearing their own personal message to the negotiators. The planks were used to build a giant "lifeboat", symbolising what we may need if steps are not taken to halt climate change. I took a plank all the way from Bath.
Conspicuously carrying my 1-metre-long plank, I soon spotted someone else doing the same when I got off the Eurostar train in Brussels. (If only it were always so easy to spot like-minded people while travelling!) We had an interesting discussion comparing the environment centres in Bath and in Middleport, Staffordshire.
Gathering
in the centre of Bonn, we rapidly constructed the 30-metre-long boat. We
were shocked to hear the news that a protester had been shot by police
in Genoa the day before. We observed a 1-minute silence. Our demonstration
passed off entirely peacefully. We pushed the boat through the streets
of Bonn, and left it outside the conference centre where the politicians
were meeting. We wanted to remind them that many thousands of people want
to see firm action on climate change.
Later, we heard that an agreement had indeed been reached - albeit in a watered-down version. This is a small step forward. The politicians have had so much difficulty agreeing even to this 5.2% reduction in emissions. Yet this is a trivial amount compared with the 60% which is needed, according to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. This shows the enormous gulf between what the politicians can deliver, and what the environment demands. It is no wonder that many people, such as the protesters who went to Genoa, have lost faith in politicians. Why vote, many people say, when politicians are clearly so ineffective at getting critical things done? If real power lies in the hands of multinational corporations, then, many would argue, why not take our protests directly to them?
Friends of the Earth will ensure that the decision makers - whoever they might be - are kept aware of the needs of the environment. FoE is firmly committed to doing this in an entirely peaceful way.
David Beasley
On the morning of Saturday
14th July, four Bath FoE members were outside the ESSO garage on the Lower
Bristol Road asking drivers to boycott ESSO petrol. Inspired by our magnificent
banner, many cars tooted their support for the boycott ESSO campaign and
leaflets were distributed to the admittedly few pedestrian passers by.
The police turned up, presumably at the behest of the garage, but caused
no violence and dispersed quietly.
Next month on Saturday 29th September, a repeat boycott ESSO performance is planned - this time complete with tiger, courtesy Richard. This time we will probably target the London Road Esso garage but may also take the action to the city centre Please get in touch with me if you can help on the day.
Dave Searby
In the last newsletter, I maligned Sainsburys by suggesting that they sold Esso products. Having checked with them I am delighted with their response:-
"I'm happy to tell you that we do not sell Esso products in our stores or petrol stations. We actively support the Kyoto agreement and we aim to work actively with similarly-minded companies."
Terry
We've been taking
a close look at the revised redevelopment plans for the Southgate area,
which were submitted in June. Although the plans include some improvements
over the previous ones, several significant flaws still remain.
It remains unknown whether the revised arrangements for buses will be able to cope with future demand. Bath FoE have repeatedly called upon the developers to come up with some figures predicting future demand, and the ability of the new bus facilities to cope. In September last year, B&NES passed a motion stating that the redevelopment must be able to accommodate predicted travel volumes for the year 2008. Despite this, the developers have made no attempt to predict future demand, or demonstrate that that the new facilities will meet the needs of public transport users.
The energy use of the redeveloped shopping centre will be four times higher than used at present. This is a massive increase. Compared with emissions from the rest of Bath, it represents an increase of 5% in carbon dioxide emissions. This is a significant increase in the contribution to global warming made by Bath. It makes a mockery of B&NES commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 30%. What is more, the developers have fudged the figures presented in their Environmental Assessment documents: they say the increase is only 1.08%. But they haven't even added up their own numbers properly, and in some places they have used out of date information.
The developers have made some environmental improvements to the scheme, but their continued refusal to make projections of public transport use, and their sloppy and shifty calculations on global warming impact are a great cause for concern.
B&NES will be considering the new plans in the Autumn. They should be taking a very close look at them. We have submitted our comments to help ensure that they don't overlook key environmental factors.
(Our full submission is available on the Bath FoE website, www.bath-foe.org.uk, in the Campaigns section.)
David Beasley
If it seems that levels of a pollutant may exceed the permitted level in an area by 2003 then the council must decide on a strategy to get it to meet the standard. In most areas pollution from traffic has reduced in recent years due to the effect of the introduction of catalytic converters to new vehicles and their filtering of exhaust emissions.
In Bath & N. E. Somerset the levels of Nitrogen Dioxide are likely to exceed the permitted level along a stretch of the A4 at London Road by 2003. Nitrogen Dioxide is a by-product of combustion and is an indicator of levels of motor traffic.
This means that part of this area, at the least, must be declared an 'Air Quality Management area', but the council has the discretion to consult and to declare a wider area for management should local people think that this would be beneficial.
Consultation on this has taken place, partly through leaflets and partly through a Public Meeting in July.
The council will decide the extent of the area in the next couple of months. Following this they will again consult on future actions. Please keep an eye out in the local press and the library for this consultation. If you would like further details then contact me at envolve (01225 787911) or Nicola Courthold in B&NES council, Environmental Health, 10 Bath St., Bath.
Barry Maunder
The GM story
and the pesticide situation are like twin roller coasters, some good news,
some bad. The government's promise of a radical new programme for the countryside
is looking more and more like a gloss job in favour of big business. The
blame intensifies over foot and mouth but the disease continues. We need
to keep vigilant on all fronts to make sure of progress and democracy.
FoE has published a new league table of supermarket champs and chumps regarding the eradication of pesticide residues in the foods they buy. The Co-op comes out top ahead of Waitrose this year, Asda and Tesco are falling behind, Safeway, Somerfield and Aldi have made no progress, Morissons and Netto rate worst. Go to the FoE website and send emails to all the listed supermarkets demanding they do as well as the Co-op. www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/real_food You can also sign up for more news at the site.
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| 1 | Co-op | Leaders |
| 2 | Waitrose | Runners up |
| Marks & Spencer | ||
| 3 | Iceland | Getting there |
| 4 | Sainsbury's | Work to do |
| 5 | Asda | Falling behind |
| Tesco | ||
| 6 | Aldi | Stuck in a rut |
| Safeway | ||
| Somerfield | ||
| 7 | Morrisons | Slackers |
| Netto |
The European Union appears to be tightening its rules regarding separation
of GM and non-GM crops, which is good news. However, the EU Commission
ruled in July that GMOs not authorised in the EU and grown elsewhere, such
as North America, will be tolerated in quantities up to 1% if their presence
is "technically unavoidable". So much for purity! Write to your MEP and
demand this rule be changed. Point out that it is a licence to con the
consumer, and that it is also inconsistent with the separation policy.
Also write to Commissioner Byrne at the EU Commission in Brussels and demand
that consumers be given full information in order to make their choice.
Write to Environment Minister Michael Meacher and Environment Secretary
Margaret Beckett concerning winter trials of GM oilseed rape.
Letter to Commissioner ByrneSusan TraillEuropean Commission
Cabinet of Mr Byrne
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049
Brussels
BelgiumDear Commissioner Byrne
I am writing to object to proposals that allow for the contamination of my food by genetically modified organisms. In particular it is totally unacceptable for food to be contaminated by GMOs that have not even been approved as safe in Europe. Consumer choice and food safety is of paramount importance and these will be seriously undermined.
The european commission has recently adopted a new Deliberate Release Directive after years of negotiations. These new proposals will weaken this before it has even been adopted in Member States. This makes a farce of European legislation that is intended to protect us and our environment. Current legislation also allows for up to 1% contamination of our food from EU-approved GMOs without the food having to be labelled. This too is unacceptable. As a consumer I believe that GMO free should mean GMO free.
I would like your assurances that you will put the safety and consumer wishes of European citizens before the commercial interests of the biotech industry or the USA.
Yours sincerely
In the UK a group
of NGOs has come together to form the Trade Justice Movement, a coalition
concerned about the negative effects of international trade rules on the
poor, the environment and democracy. This should increase the impact of
trade campaigning greatly. By creating a unified platform, the coalition
hopes to express its organisations' common concerns more effectively.
An action designed to put pressure on the UK Government is scheduled for the weekend before the Qatar ministerial. The Trade Justice Movement is organising a Trade Justice carnival in London on 3 November 2001 to bring together everyone campaigning on trade, raise public awareness of the effects of the WTO and gain press coverage of the issues. The event is free, open to everyone wanting to convey concern at the injustice of the present trading regime of the WTO and will be full of colourful costumes, floats, dancing, samba and steel bands, etc. For more details contact the Carnival hotline on 020 7566 1696.
FOE is producing some resources that can be of use for local campaigning:- the Qatar Series, an updated WTO and trade information pack and a local campaigners pack with ideas for activities in the run up to Qatar. I will get copies of these for discussion at our next Bath FOE meeting on 28 August.
Meanwhile, please send the enclosed Trade Justice postcard to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to put pressure on him to call for fundamental changes in the world trade system.
Terry
Here are some plus points of the CI:TE scheme which need repeating. Bath CI:TE project - which includes the busgate - and the pedestrian priority works in Milsom and Green Streets is one of 6 'Trailblazer' projects around the country for the government's 'Clear Zone' projects.
Clear Zones are intended to make places relatively pollution and vehicle free and pedestrian friendly. They aim to link economic and leisure areas and utilise both bus and rail routes.
The aim is to reduce the number of cars in the city centre, protecting it for present and future generations while making it a more pleasant place for people to shop and more able to compete with other shopping centres locally.
The reduction in traffic has reduced air, noise, space and visual pollution in the city centre.
The Bath Street Survey carried out in June reported that 75% of people questioned had found their journey into Bath either 'good' or 'very good'. 26% of those questioned reported their journey was 'very good' compared with 17.3% in the first survey carried out in March, before the introduction of the busgate.
First Bus report that on the new route 13 - which goes through the city centre linking outlying areas - journey times had decreased and passenger numbers had increased.
Reports of reduced trading figures in Bath should be viewed in the context of international visitors to Britain and Bath being down by 19% - something which cannot be blamed on the busgate.
Interestingly enough the 'vociferous' traders from the Walcot Street area have been working with the Council for the last five years on schemes to promote their shopping area. Projects such as including the Blue Badge walking tours to Walcot Street and the City Trail being extended there are now coming to fruition. It is a pity that they cannot adopt a wider view of the benefits of the CI:TE scheme to the city.
Terry
FOE is part of the Hastings Alliance which opposed the bypasses because they would cause huge environmental damage, would not solve transport problems and were unlikely to bring about regeneration. The statement announcing the decision from Transport Minister John Spellar vindicated this campaign:
"The study did not build a convincing regeneration case for the bypasses - it concluded that although the by-passes could possibly help to generate employment in the area this would not necessarily help those in most need. There would be reduced congestion in some areas of the town but the position would get worse in other areas. Against these rather weak arguments we had to place the evidently severe implications for the environment ... whilst transport investment is important to the regeneration of Hastings I do not believe the two by-passes are the solution".
Hopefully this decision is an indication of a renewed environmental commitment from the Government. (But some of us will not be holding our breath).
Terry
I am happy to do
an illustrated talk to any interested groups about my experiences in the
Bahamas on an Earthwatch project as Millennium award winner. I have an
attractive display about coral reefs which are a threatened eco-system
not only in the Bahamas but worldwide.
I will be attending two sustainability conferences this autumn:-
In Hereford, the Soil, Soul and Society conference is from 31 Aug to 2nd Sept with nationally recognised leaders at the 'cutting edge' of new thinking. It is designed to to address economic, social and environmental change and to think how to implement ideas in practical ways.
In Swindon from 13-15th September a Radical Consultation conference at the Pilgrim Centre, an intensive 2-day event with international speakers and workshops focusing on a human-scale approach to the Global Crisis.
At a public meeting on Sept 13th in the Pilgrim Centre [entry £2] there will be a panel discussion on "The Global Crisis: What must we do?" with John Seymour, Zac Goldsmith, Kirkpatrick Sale, John Papworth and Tracy, the Marchioness of Worcester.
I will report on both these conferences in the next Bath FOE newsletter.
Verona
Contact 01225-840072 or veronabass@ukonline.co.uk