10.2.08

February FOE Meeting

Monday 26th February 2008 7.30-9.30- Christian Centre

James Curran will give a presentation about his about his new environmentally-aware shop in Glasgow, Entrading, 88 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 2QZ, on the corner of Hope Street.

www.entrading.co.uk 0141 332 2424

Crew Update (Communities Reducing Excess Waste)


As part of the CREW initiative Corrie Cuthbertson has been involved in a number of forums to try and spread the message of waste minimisation.

As part of a Falkirk Council initiative Corrie has been involved in looking at the possibilities of finding a community to pilot a Plastic Bag Free Zone. This has involved looking at initiatives with examples of good practice and researching the range of alternatives available.

Corrie tried to investigate the possibility of reintroducing reusable glass milk bottles into stores in the Falkirk area. As someone, who still has her milk delivered in a glass bottle to her door, she was surprised to discover that there is currently no capacity in the local dairy market to reintroducing glass milk bottles into local shops.

1.2.08

Falkirk MPs sign up to the BIG ASK campaign

The morning after the Bali UN climate change talks ended without setting strong reduction targets due to pressure from the US negotiators, local campaigners visited Michael Connarty MP to ask for him to support strong reduction targets in the UK climate change bill. On Saturday 14th December 2007 members of Friends of the Earth Falkirk delivered postcards from local constituents asking for a climate change bill strong enough to meet the climate challenge.

The group were delighted that Mr Connarty signed their Big Ask Pledge and agreed to support the Friends of the Earth call for 80% cuts in UK carbon reductions by 2050, annual milestones for reductions and the law strengthened to include the UK’s share of international emissions from aviation and shipping.

Michael showed his ongoing commitment by signing an Early Day Motion (EDM) tabled by Nigel Griffiths in January 2008 on the Climate Change Bill. The EDM welcomes the Bill, but points out the United Nations Development Programmes recent conclusions that the targets are not ambitious enough and that leaving out international aviation and shipping weaken the Bill considerably, and calls for the Bill to be amended.

Eric Joyce MP was also visited by FoE Falkirk as part of the Big Ask campaign and he agreed to sign up to the demands. He offered to come and meet the local FoE group to discuss the issues, but unfortunately this had to be postponed due to his commitments in parliament.

PULP FICTIONS Saturday 2nd February

Secrets of the paper industry exposed (and what we can do about it)
Keynote speaker Mandy Haggith, author of the forthcoming book ‘Paper Trails’, will explain how we can limit the environmental and social costs of an industry that in many parts of the world has cleared ancient forests to make way for industrial plantations, displaced local communities, endangered wildlife, used massive amounts of energy and caused substantial pollution.

Other contributors will outline the state of recycling and waste reduction today in Scotland and how they are currently promoted.

This event is being held at the Christian Centre Glebe St Falkirk