Our first mosaic workshop

Last Sunday we got all creative and started decorating the bollards at the Arnot Street site. A huge thanks to Jaine Marriott, our excellant teacher and a fantastic professional mosaic producer (see her website http://www.jainemarriotmosaics.co.uk/ to see her work). Here are some photos of us hard at work. Photos of the results are posted below

Friends of the Earth Falkirk AGM 10th September

The Friends of the Earth Falkirk AGM will be held as part of a day of action on Saturday 10th September 2011. At 11am the group will encourage shoppers at Falkirk High Street to "say NO to plastic bags" by handing out cotton shopping bags in partnership with Falkirk BID. At Lunchtime the group will share a Local lunch with the food sources as local, organic or Fairtrade as possible. The afternoon session will be an opportunity to plan the groups campaigns and events around our usual campaign themes of Waste, Food, Transport, Energy and Environmental Justice.

Bugs arrive on Arnot Street Bollards

ASDA Garden Takes Shape

Friends of the Earth Falkirk planted out their Community Garden at ASDA Falkirk before their August meeting. After a couple of sessions to clear the ASDA site our second garden starts to take shape. The group purchased plants and herbs from the Gartinny Nurseries , which supports Scottish Autism, to create a sensory garden which will hopefully make people think twice about using the garden as a litter bin or an ashtray while waiting for their bus.

Donations to the Orphan Garden

Before the June meeting of Foe Falkirk some of the group meet at the community garden to tidy up the garden. A local resident came to the garden and asked Jessica if we worked for the council. When she said, "no- we are volunteers with Friends of the Earth Falkirk", the gentleman handed over a bag of alcohol. He stated his flat looked over the garden and he appreciates the effort the group has made. That night we also got a donation of wild strawberries from Ronnie, a mutual friend of some of the group.

Later that same week we were donated flowers from Hannia at the Litter Strategy Team. They needed to be planted the evening we got them and we needed water to give them a chance to survive the hot spell we were experiencing. As previously mentioned in the blog there is a local resident with a tap in his garage behind the garden who has shown an interest in the garden. Norman went and spoke to him and we were able to water the new additions the garden. When the man came round he explained that he had already chased someone who had been helping them self to our plants. He didn't give much hope for our new plants not been stolen. Unfortunately some of the new plants have disappeared but there is still plenty of colour to keep the garden looking great.

Cycle Route Litter Pick

In preparation for Bike to Work week Friends of the Earth Falkirk carried out a litter pick at one of the routes to Grangemouth which leads to the Primrose Avenue underpass.


The local group are taking part in a Bike to Work event at Grangemouth town centre on Sunday 26th June at the Transition Town Grangemouth shop. There will be a number of stalls on the day, including FoE Falkirk, as well as bike maintenance and a guided cycle through the town. The event starts at 11am.

Second Garden Identified in Falkirk Town Centre

Friends of the Earth Falkirk have identified our second community garden. Unlike our orphaned land garden at Arnot Street, we know who own this garden. The group will be working with ASDA to try and keep the new site litter free and hopefully brighten up this area of Falkirk.

This is a Garden not and Ashtray

some artwork for our new garden in the town centre

Water

At the start of May I went to the garden with a bag of water to try and save the plants we had planted at the April group meeting. Kevin had been and planted the lavender hedgeand it was great to see the latest development on the site. As it had been dry for a week I started to give everything a fair share of water i had taken with me. One of our neighbours came out and asked where my bike was and asked about the garden- were we the council? When I gave him some information he told me his garage is the one behind the garden and it has a TAP. Did I want to use it. Not only did it have a tap it had a hose and he said it should reach the garden- and it did. So I socked the garden. He said I he would try and give it a water if it stays dry. Result- community participation with the most precious of support- WATER.

Norman

Work continues on the Community Garden

On Saturday 9th April members of the group were reminded that the community garden project is essentially a litter programme. Before the planting could go ahead the site had to be cleared of food rappers and plastic bottles.

Friends of the Earth help with treeplanting in Bonnybridge

On Saturday 26 March members and family of the FOE Falkirk group spent a lovely sunny spring morning helping to plant over 400 trees at the Bonnyfield nature park in Bonnybridge. We transformed the land from the picture on the left to the one on the right

Thanks to Ian Edwards at Falkirk Council and the Bonnyfield group for inviting us along

Orphan Land Project

Friends of the Earth Falkirk have been asked to participate in the Falkirk Council Litter Strategy's Orphan Land Pilot Project. The local Friends of the Earth group have been looking at areas to guerrilla garden and had identified a site on Arnot Sreet in the centre of Falkirk, at the entrance to the Old Polish Club and opposite the Glasgow Buildings Car Park. The site identified fits with the Orphan Land objectives and the local group are happy to take forward their community gardening action as part of the Litter Strategy's pilot project

On Saturday 12th February the group met at the site to discuss the gardening proposals for the coming months.

Merry Christmas from Friends of the Earth Falkirk

As the festive season reaches fever pitch remember that there are ways of reducing the mountains of waste produced at this time of the year. Don't waste Christmas.

• You could reuse and recycle wrapping paper if you need it.
  
• Give homemade cards and gifts to friends and family.
  
• Take your own shopping bags on your last minute shopping or when you go to the January sales.
• Don't cook too much food for the Christmas meal
  

Thrifty Christmas

The local group held a successful event in the Mall in Falkirk on Saturday 6th November to promote the idea that there was another way to prepare for Christmas without unlimited consumption.

Guerrilla Gardening

Guerrilla Gardening in Falkirk- first step Litter Pick of site> FoE Falkirk have an aim of making some of the forgotten patches of land in the area tidier.

A vision for Cycling in Falkirk 2020

Friends of the Earth Falkirk would like to hear what people in Falkirk think would be the best way to tackle the main barriers to cycling in Falkirk over the next 10 years. The event "A vision for Cycling in Falkirk 2020" will be held on Monday 25th October, at the Christian Centre, Glebe Street, Falkirk 7pm to 9.30pm. This would be the first step in starting to collect a vision of what Cycle facilities in Falkirk could be, or should be, in ten years time. The event is free to attend and all contributions will be welcomed.

Getting out on my Bike

Over a year ago I decided to get rid of my car and share a car with my wife. The aim was to share the daily 10 mile return commute to work and on the days I didn't need a car at work I had hoped to cycle. I live near the Union Canal and my workplace is only about 4 miles along the canal- so no excuse really. I wish this article was about how I took to cycling really easy and have been cycling regularly since. However, it is only since the beginning of the year that I have been getting into the habit of cycling and this article is about how I overcame some of the usual barriers to cycling. I make no claims about being a super cyclist, but I have enjoyed cycling more regularly and I would like to encourage as many people to consider cycling.

Inspired by Copenhagen
There were two things which encouraged me to cycle more. Visiting Copenhagen in December with Friends of the Earth Scotland and seeing so many people making the most of the great cycle facilities was the main inspiration to get on my bike more. The second source of encouragement was listening to the Guardian Bike Podcast and reading the newspapers bike blog: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/series/bike-blog

Starting to cycle more during the winter requires a bit of preparation. I have a hybrid bike with full mudguards which makes cycling in the wet a bit more comfortable without water in the face or a streak up the back. As my main cycle is to work I usually wear waterproof over trousers so that I can wear my work clothes to work and not get covered in water or mud. In Copenhagen I liked that people used their bikes with their usual clothing and there wasn't much Lycra on show. There are some tips I have found useful which enables me to cycle to work or a meeting and arrive fresh and clean. I always have a complete set of waterproofs which provides a shell against the rain and wind. I quickly learned that you need to avoid wearing too many layers of clothing even in the winter. Even when it is cold outside you soon heat up when you pick up a bit of speed wearing a waterproof shell. I also bought a couple of bike bags which can be packed up the night before with waterproofs, spare clothes and shoes, ready for the morning cycle. Preparation is key to cycling in the rain or the cold. If there is any excuse not to cycle in the rain it is too easy to jump in a car.

There is research into cycling which shows that cyclists who commute regularly do not get caught in the rain as much as people would think. If your start time can be flexible, by even ten minutes, you can often avoid cycling in the rain. In the first three months of the year, cycling up to four days of the week, I only cycled during a rain shower on three occasions- two of these were cycling to Friends of the Earth events. That is not to say that it only rained three times over these months but when I needed to cycle rain was not an issue. When it has rained I have actually enjoyed the experience of taking on the elements and arriving at my destination dry under my waterproofs. I have not had a puncture yet but I am aware that this will only be a matter of time. I carry a spare inner tube and have already been in a position to share my spare to enable a fellow FoE member to cycle home when his tyre exploded.

When not using the canal paths I have been surprised by the response of fellow road users. I have found car drivers to be considerate and the only criticism so far is that I have often been given too much room on the road and cars have held up traffic waiting behind me. I always wear a hi-vis vest when cycling on the road and use a number of lights at night giving drivers no excuse not to see me. As I prefer to be on the road with cars as little as possible I have worked out a number of regular routes using Callendar Park as a hub to a number of Falkirk destinations.

I have enjoyed cycling and would like to be on my bike more. Promoting cycling will be one of Friends of the Earth Falkirk's local campaign issues this year and we have a number of ideas to encourage people to cycle more. The first is an event where people can bring their underutilised bike and be talked through a check up and given tools and advice to fix any minor repairs or safety concerns. We hope to adopt a couple of cycle routes and ensure they are litter and glass free and we have already had a couple of cycle events which have been good for getting out on our bikes as a group.

Norman's cycle types
1. Be Safe/ Be Seen
Always wear a helmet and hi-viz jacket when cycling on the road. Don't give drivers an excuse not to see you.
Always use lights when cycling at night.
2. Be Prepared
Prepare your waterproofs, lights and tools the night before your commute so you don't have to scrabble about in the morning
3. Choose you own route
You don't have to use the road route- be creative and find your own short cuts and off road options.

Norman Philip

No Lentils this Lent

As one of the group members I'm trying to do something environmental and food based for Lent this year- so my idea was to only eat things from the UK- a big version of the Fife Diet. I've set up a blog to do it so if anyone wants to see how I'm getting on you can click this link to find out.
The idea is to reduce food miles and try and like a bit more sustainably.
This picture is not my family- they are American but they don't eat a whole lot differently to my family.

From Falkirk High to Copenhagen

Once you have campaigned locally and nationally the next stage is the global stage. After a couple of years of campaigning for strong climate legislation between Falkirk High Street and the Scottish Parliament Friends of the Earth Falkirk wanted to take their campaigning to the next level- to the streets of Copenhagen during the UN climate change talks.

In the run-up to a busy month in December, members of Friends of the Earth Falkirk spoke to local residents and local groups to explain the urgent need for a global agreement to tackle climate change and to demand climate justice. Local people, young and old, were asked to contribute to our community banner for the group to take to the Wave, the climate march in Glasgow, and to the Flood, the Friends of the Earth International march in Copenhagen.

Three people from Falkirk joined 30 people from Friends of the Earth Scotland who took the low-carbon route to Copenhagen, two days travel by train and coach across mainland Europe. Corrie Cuthbertson, Norman Philip and Des Tinney, the Falkirk 3, stopped off at the House of Parliament to meet their MP, Eric Joyce, as they passed through London. This provided an opportunity to lobby on both local issues as well as discuss the need for government action on climate change.

The Friends of the Earth International march in Copenhagen on the morning of Saturday 12^th December brought together 5000 FoE activists from across the globe, the majority in blue ponchos, to represent a flood of people demanding climate justice with a single voice. For the Falkirk 3 this was a great inspiration and a reminder of the global network our local group belongs to. The community banner was carried with pride as we flooded through the streets.

In the afternoon we joined the 100,000 strong climate march from the centre of Copenhagen to the conference centre where the climate talks were taking place. Representatives from NGO's, civil society, political parties and the Danish public took to the streets to show the leaders that the people of the world were looking for a global climate agreement. Although the outcomes of the talks were disappointing the politicians could not claim there is not a public mandate for positive action.

Inspired by Copenhagen

The weekend in Copenhagen was an opportunity to hear about so many positive climate solutions which we could promote in Falkirk. On the Sunday there was an international march by the la via campesina, the global peasant movement, which gave a global context to our local food campaign which will be the main focus for the Falkirk group this year. Copenhagen is the cycle capital of the world and every street corner gave us inspirational ideas for what we would like to see in Falkirk. Cycling will definitely be a FoE Falkirk campaign this year. We have come back with so many ideas for this year that you will just have to join our group or attend our events to keep up with the developments. All environmental groups will continue to campaign on climate change and we will be demanding climate justice, with the echo of the chants from the streets of Copenhagen in our ears.

Norman Philip

Check out more photographs at http://www.flickr.com/people/foefalkirk/

http://twitter.com/foeFalkirk

Join us for a walk around the proposed Helix site on Saturday 16 January

This year we would like to try and hold one event a month. These events will be held at the weekends or on evenings and will complement our speakers and campaigns but hopefully add a more relaxed and social element to the group and our campaigning.
The first such event will be a walk of the Helix site on Saturday 16th January.
Many members of the group have concerns over the plans for the Helix development so we thought it would be a good idea to go and see what will be happening and where it will take place to make us more knowledgeable when discussing plans with others.
Meet at the parking space where Etna Road meets the ring road (see http://www.multimap.com/s/jTtvm3iZ) at 9.30m.
Please dress appropriately as we plan to walk through some areas which are not tarmaced and do dress up warm.
If you would like to come by bike and check out the proposed changes to the cycle paths, please do so.

"Friends" of the Earth

When we caught the train in London very Early on the Friday morning we were joined by a Helen Baxendale, who was in the cast of Friends, who travelled with the UK Friends of the Earth Activists and shared our accommodation on a primary school floor.

See photos of the Copenhagen trip at http://www.flickr.com/photos/foefalkirk/

The Falkirk wave banner as part of the Flood march

After the wave we joined the flood

The Friends of the Earth Falkirk Three- Corrie, Des and Norman, returned from Copenhagen after taking part in the Friends of the Earth International "Flood" and a 100, 000 strong Climate Justice March through the streets of the city. Photos and information from the trip will follow just as soon as we catch up with some sleep.

The Wave Glasgow 5.12.2009

Friends of the Earth Falkirk activists joined the thousands of others walk through the streets of Glasgow

Christmas – let’s keep it local this year

Being keen environmentalists, I’m sure you will already be thinking about how to enjoy a green Christmas. You will have ordered your recycled wrapping paper, e-cards and organic turkeys but what about the local element?

I have been thinking about how we all enjoy our local meals on a regular basis and often talk about needing to bring things down to community level. Then Halloween happened and I saw guising replaced with trick or treating, turnips replaced with pumpkins and localism went out the window.

So how can you enjoy a local Christmas?

I guess things don’t get any more local than your own home, so why not make your own presents this year? People always appreciate homemade jams and chutneys, hand-made knitting and sewing, home brews or even tablet and cakes. Do you have any interesting or particularly admired plants that you could split? If this isn’t your thing, why not give your time – offer to walk a friend’s dog for them, babysit or mow their lawn next year.

Then look around Falkirk. The wee farm shop has some great local honey at the moment and the West Carmuirs shop is the perfect place to get all the ingredients for your Christmas dinner (including potatoes grown in the field next to the farm). Remember to use local independent shops and support local charities (including the charity shops which are a real Aladdin’s cave of unusual gifts).

The next level up is Scotland of course and this opens up a lot more possibilities.

Why not enjoy Cairn O’Mohr wine on Christmas day rather than imported varieties ( I highly recommend the sparkling strawberry). For the women in your family, Scotland now has plenty of producers of beauty products (http://www.etsy.com/shop/missballantyne uses lots of organic ingredients and hand-blends her fresh products in small batches – containers can be returned for reuse too) and for men, Scotland has hundreds of whiskey’s to choose from or what about Larbert’s very own brewery. Talking of food, Scotland has a countless number of suppliers of cheese, biscuits, meat, fish...

I’m going to try and source all my gifts from Scotland this year, why don’t you join me?

Corrie Cuthbertson

Up the Canal.... with a paddle!

Dealing with the problem of litter could be described like being up a particular creek without a paddle. However I was involved in a recent litter pick where Action Outdoors in Brightons provided the paddles, the canoes and the litter pickers in an attempt to clean up a stretch of the Union Canal. I joined the Hallglen Youth and Environment Group as they collected bottles, bags, a tyre and a golf trolley while getting to grips with steering a canoe and remembering not to lean too far out the boat and risk falling in the water. Being in a kayak instead of a canoe it was easier for me to turn on the water and I was sent to get the litter left behind by the fleet of canoes.

I was impressed with the enthusiasm of the group who had sharp eyes for litter. Teenagers are often seen as caring less about the environment: That difficult age between the enthusiasm of primary school and the responsibility of adulthood. This group of teenagers were great examples to all ages within their community.

Dawna Chisholm from the Hallglen group said “The young people loved getting out on the water and were very competitive with each other, which was great as we ended up with loads of litter some of which was bizarre, ie a car tyre and golf cart. I wish more people thought the way our young people do, I am sure the fish and wildlife were pleased to see their home a bit cleaner.”

Eliot Sedman from Action Outdoors explained that a number of canoe clubs across Britain have a clean up on the water they use regularly. Hopefully this litter pick will become a
regular occurrence and give people like myself, who walk and cycle along the canal regularly, the opportunity to get involved and give something back to the environment we enjoy. I now know a group of young people who would jump at the chance to do it all again. So I will finish with a quote from one of the young people themselves, “this is peachy when are we coming back”.

By Norman Philip

Secret Penguin Competition

Colony of miniature penguins descends on Scotland Pocket a Penguin today – Save the Human tomorrow. A colony of climate-refugee penguins set off from Scotland’s capital on a brave mission to carry their message of ‘Save the Human’ across the country.

The pocket-sized model penguins are launching a competition with Friends of the Earth Scotland to call on all politicians to pass a strong Scottish Climate Change Bill.
Fifty of the threatened birds are heading to secret locations around the country, five
to the Falkirk area, and are to be found splashing in city centre fountains, enjoying
scenic vistas from on high, or pronouncing their message in busy high streets.
Those lucky enough to befriend a penguin – all individually named – can log onto
www.pocketapenguin.org.uk to find out more about the penguins’ plight - and our own.
They will also have the opportunity to enter a fabulous prize for a bicycle worth £300 from
the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative’s ‘Revolution’ range.

Bowhouse Primary welcome and new champion and make tetrapak wallets

Local CREW champion Lissa gave her first ever public workshop to 26 primary school children in Grangemouth with the help of another group member. The highly enthusiastic eight-year olds proudly showed off their latest project of cars make entirely from scrap. The CREW champions were impressed with their imagination and the wide range of materials used, including remote controls, cars full of shopping and exhaust pipes made from drinking straws.
The kids then split into two teams to see who were the best wicked wasters and who were the SMART (save money and reduce trash) shoppers. The workshop was rounded off with the class making their own wallets from used tetrapak juice cartons. This activity is new on the agenda this year and certainly went down a storm with them as the wallets were quickly filled with dinner money just in time for the lunch break bell.

For more information to request a CREW workshop contact Norman Philip by email. click here.

Monday 18th May Climate Change event

On Monday, 18th May, Friends of the Earth Falkirk is hosting an introduction to the Scottish Climate Change Bill by Cathy Peattie MSP Depute Convener of the Transport, Infrastructure
and Climate Change Committee. Her presentation will be followed by a guide to the Friends of the Earth Scotland Big Ask Scotland Campaign.

Where: Kersiebank Community Centre, Grangemouth 8pm- 9.30pm MAP here
When: Monday 18th May 8pm-9.30pm

Tea/coffee and stall available from 7.30pm.
If transport is an issue please contact us and we will try and help out with transport.

Carbon Capture and Storage

Friends of the Earth groups in Fife and Falkirk welcome the UK
government announcement on 23/4/09 to expand fitting of carbon capture
and storage equipment from one UK coal fired power station to several.
This should mean Longannet becomes one of the first power stations to
be fitted. Given the will this equipment could be fitted to Longannet
by 2013 and, with additional equipment Scottish Power is already
proposing to fit to reduce acid rain emissions, this should provide a
future for the site beyond 2015.

Longannet is not the only large greenhouse gas emitter in the area and
the opportunity should be taken to ensure that the system can
accommodate emissions from Grangemouth at the same time.

In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, this engineering will
provide the UK with the opportunity to become a world leader in
producing the equipment for carbon capture and storage, which would
secure long-term jobs in the UK.

We call on all those with power and influence to ensure the equipment
is fitted to Longannet rapidly and made suitable for Grangemouth to get
economies of scale.

Norman Philip

Monthly Meeting 30th March 2009

Friends of the Earth Falkirk will be holding a Spring Clean Meeting on Monday 30th March, 7.30 to 9.30 at the Christian Centre, Glebe St, Falkirk. Local activists will be encouraged to spring into action and lobby their local MSP's to call for strong legislation as the Climate Change Bill goes through the Scottish Parliament. There will be updates on the three current local group priority campaigns- Big Ask Scotland, CREW waste project and Local Food. The meeting will also have a presentation from Community Green Initiative (CGI) a hands-on, volunteer group working to clean up litter, flytipping and dog fouling in the local villages of Dunipace and Denny.

This will be an open meeting and anyone interested in finding out more about the work of the group is welcome to attend.

AGM and Talk by Friends of the Earth Scotland

Last Monday- 29th September the AGM of FOE Falkirk was held.

First off we had a talk from some of the workers in FOE Scotland- on the waste reduction CREW project and also on some of other work going on behind the scenes in FOE Scotland.

The AGM involved a report back on the groups activities over the year including the packaging reduction campaign, the Fife Diet and Food Discussions and the various fundraising and awareness raising events we have been involved with. Once again our mail fundraising effort has been in second hand books (A good example of reuse in action). We agreed to make a donation to FOE Scotland and to our regular venue with our funds.

The next meeting will involve a local meal (see our previous meal here) and is due on 27th October. Usual Venue. If you want to attend or bring something contact us.

Various members have also been involved in a prototype Transistion Town Falkirk idea. Again if anyone is interested then get in touch here. Email Norman

When Vegetables Attack!

Firstly many thanks to members for taking time out last Saturday to come down and help out at my packaging event.
Also thanks for putting yourself through 2 weeks of shopping at Morrison's.

I think all in all it was a success despite no MSP or coverage in the Herald.
We have yet more names on petitions and I think the manager is realising that we won't go away.
As promised I've produced a draft letter of the key points/questions I want the manager to look at in-store and to raise with head office.

Next FOE Meeting: Monday 30th July 7.30 Christian Centre, Glebe Street Falkirk

I would like to remind everyone about the Packaging Action Day on the 28th June which Corrie emailed everyone about. If you have some time to space it would be great to see you. Meet at Morrison's at 1.45pm.

AT the next FOE MEeting on Friday we hope to show "The 11th Hour" on Monday 30th June.

Leonardo DiCaprio's "The 11th Hour" is a feature length documentary concerning the environmental crises caused by human actions and their impact on the planet. The 11th Hour documents the cumulative impact of these actions upon the planet's life systems and calls for restorative action through a reshaping of human activity.

Hope to see some of you at the next meeting

Norman Philip, Local Group Co-ordinator

*I have also added in an email from Ros Browning, Activism & Volunteer Development Officer, at FoE Scotland.

Hello Everyone,


I'm now starting to think about organising a local groups day for everyone to attend from local groups across Scotland. The day is likely to include staying overnight somewhere to allow for groups from far away to attend.

For the moment, I just need to get an idea of what dates people would prefer. I'm initially thinking a date between 1st-20th August. Please can you pass this email onto ALL your local group members to ask if there are any date in this period that are NOT suitable?

Also, please let me know if people would prefer a weekday or weekend.

The day is going to be a great opportunity to get to know other FoES local groups, and gain ideas and inspiration on everything from local campaigning to running more effective group meetings and increasing your group members. I hope lots of you will make it!


Thanks

Ros

Rosiaina Browning
Activism & Volunteer Development Officer email rbrowning@foe-scotland.org.uk

Packaging Action Day Part 2

As you will probably remember last October I organised a supermarket packaging action at Morrisons in Falkirk as part of Friends of the Earth Scotland's CREW project.

Thanks to everyone who showed up on the day, it was a real success and we managed to get a lot of mentions in local and national media.

Well the time has come to repeat the event. Again groups up and down the country will be organising the same stunt over the same weekend at various locations throughout Scotland for maximum impact and I'd be grateful of your support in the Falkirk area.

The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of the issue of excessive packaging and supermarkets' environmental policies and to urge supermarkets to make changes to their practices of excessive food packaging and inordinate use of plastic bags. Since this is a repeat, it will be interesting to see if Morrisons have implemented any of the changes we called for.

This time round I hope to concentrate on cost as this is at the forefront of everyone's mind now that food and fuel seems to be going up on a weekly basis. Packaging costs households £470 per year – that’s one sixth of the average food budget. We will be calling on supermarkets to reduce the amount of packaging that has to be transported up and down the country, adding to the cost of fuel, and for them to source more food locally so it requires less transport and less protection in the form of packaging.

We will be returning to Morrisons, Hope Street, Falkirk and the date for the action is Saturday 28 June 2008, 2pm.

The plan is for as many people as possible to do their shopping at any Morrisons store in the run-up to the event. I would suggest shopping in the store at least twice prior to the event but feel free to collect excess packaging from 2 full weeks as this is the time period I will be indicating to the manager. The aim is to accumulate a fair amount of excessive packaging - for maximum impact this should be at least 2 carrier bags' worth per person. Do collect it in Morrisons bags to demonstrate that they too contribute to waste.

On the day of the event, we will take the packaging we have collected to the supermarket where we will meet with the manager to return the excess packaging to him and to explain why we are taking this action. Again we will have a petition for the public to sign as this is a good way of getting our message over to shoppers. Hopefully the press and some key local figures (MP, MSPs etc.) will also again attend the event.

There is also an option of dressing up on the day in any way you think demonstrates excess packaging or local food. This is purely optional but if you're feeling creative, please go for it. If anyone wants to dress up as a vegetable or fruit, do let me know as I have a few ideas.

If you are interested in taking part in the event, please get in touch with me and I will send you reminders about when to start collecting waste and when and where we will be meeting. Even if you don't live near a Morrisons store, please do turn up on the day and show your support.

Please also tell any friends and family you think might be interested in taking part or simply turning up on the day.

Corrie Cuthbertson

Notes from 23rd May- Forth Valley Diet evening

After the Fife Diet presentation the previous month the group discussed what a local diet in the Falkirk area would look like. It was agreed that Falkirk would be too small an area to consider for a realistic diet but you would think that the Forth Valley area would be a manageable area. People agreed to bring a dish to the May meeting for a Forth Valley meal.

The Forth Valley Meal

soup: seasonal broth Simon

Simon used a recipe which had a stock from oats (Scottish). He replaced onions with spring onions from his veg box and his butter was scottish rather than local.

starter: rocket and herb salad Annie

Annie had all the leaves in her garden and included her first radish of the year. There was carrots from Plean

main: potato and sorrel bake Corrie

Corrie got a big bag of potatoes from the local farm shop which has lasted for ages and she has been able to share with all her friends. The sorrel, a leaf which tastes of apple) was from her garden. The milk was delivered to her door in a glass bottle by her Slammanan milk man. The butter was from the Bridge of Allan dairy. The dish required some olive oil- allowed in the Fife diet and lemon juice.

dessert: rhubarb Norman

Norman got his rhubarb at the side of a railway line near his house while walking his dog.



drinks: mint tea from Norman's garden

elderberry wine Annie's friend gave her a bottle as a gift

It was agreed that the growing season at the end of May was not the most productive time for local food variety. Norman had tried to find a local farmers shop but the Camelon farm does not open till later in the year and a shop advertised online in California was nowhere to be seen. Corrie had a The Forth Valley Food Link local food directory but this was out of date.

It was agreed to have a Harvest Meal later in the year.

Stall at Falkirk Town Hall Tuesday 24th May- Braveheart Health event

Corrie has arranged for a veg box from Yourlocalfarm.com and will use her Dammhead Organic box to demonstrate local food options which can be delivered locally. Norman has produces a flier to encourage cycling and a write up of the Fife Diet event from last month. The stall will also have the Big Ask materials and postcards.



Yourlocalfarm.co.uk delivers a fruit and vegetable box scheme throughout Central Scotland. From their base at Balquhatstone Mains Farm, Slamannan, yourlocalfarm.co.uk has been providing locally grown vegetables for over six years now.

Initially set up as a ‘local producer’s cooperative’, they have now been organized into ‘yourlocalfarm.co.uk’. Produce in the delivered box is grown on the farm, with a further 11 local, ethical, producers contributing.

Their vegetables are grown using traditional farming methods, with minimal interference. They have as a result been able to become a member of LEAF. As a member of LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) they endeavour to produce and supply wholesome food in an environmentally sustainable manner. What they are unable to grow themselves they source from local farms and small holdings or Glasgow Fruit Market to make up their boxes.

Burning Issues of Group

Norman had participated in a community litter pick in Westquarter and was impressed by the response of the community- both adults and children. He has produced a certificate to send to the school thanking the children for their contribution.

Simon has been thinking about the pace of his life and has looked into going to a four day week at work to enable him to slow down and have more time to do different things.

Corrie went on a cycle round the River Forth and which made her think about the distance things travel. On a days cycle she never passed any anywhere where food was was being produced. The media stories on the cost of food highlights that people are no longer prepared to pay for “proper food” and how can local farmers survive if people don't pay a fair price for food. Through Corrie's work she was involved in a consultation for town centre redevelopment in Falkirk which will be paid for from a local business levy. Corrie was against the proposals but since it was introduced after a vote she has decided to put herself forward for the steering group to try and influence environmental improvements in the town.

Charlie is angered at the hypocrisy of the Daily Mail and their plastic bag campaign while the continue to print prominent climate change denying articles. The 11th Hour was on Channel 4 and Charlie thought it was an informative film and wondered why there was so little publicity for screening.

The group agreed to try and get a copy of the film to show at the next meeting.

Big Ask Update

Corrie has had communication with Eric Joyce MP's office. He has confirmed that he will not be supporting the Big Ask pledges as he does not agree with the annual targets and emission on aviation and shipping.

Tonights meeting: Local Food Meal!

The Friends of the Earth Falkirk meeting on Monday, 7.30 Glebe Street Falkirk will be our follow up to the talk by Mike Small on the Fife Diet.

You can see Norman's report on the fife diet talk here.

The Fife Diet have an amazing post on their blog which shows the differences in food consumption in some families around the world. Be prepared for a shock.

Tonight the group will attempt to have a meal of food exclusively from the Forth Valley area- the Falkirk area was seen as too restrictive. Feel free to bring something along. I have looked out how to make mint tea, have eyed up some rhubarb for a sweet, and will provide a starter once I have worked out my options. The discussion will be on the environmental and social impact of food and how to raise the profile of local food production.

On Tuesday the group will have have a stall at a Healthy Living Event at Falkirk Town Hall- 6.30pm to 9.30pm We hope to have a stand looking at the heath benefits associated with cycling, organic food and local food.If anyone is interested in attending and helping out on the stall, even for a short time, do let me or Corrie know.

A new newsletter will be getting produced over the coming month an any articles would be welcomed.

Norman Philip
Local Group Co-ordinator

Food: Where the personal becomes political

Mike Small gave an inspiring talk on Monday on the Fife Diet project. Next Month the group agreed to make a shared meal of a Forth Valley Diet. There will hopefully be soup, salads and a sweet. Lets see what we can do- all welcome:

Corrie Adds:

Just to follow up from Mondays's meeting, Mike Small from the Fife diet has sent me some recipes for Scottish vegetables that are currently in season:

Parsnip Soup & Baked Eggs and Kale

Mini Pasties with Oatmeal Pastry

Rumbledethumps

Vegetables a la Polonaise


He would welcome feedback on any of the recipes if anyone tries them. Just add this to his website http://fifediet.wordpress.com.

I also promised details of the event we have been invited to later in the month. It is for a charity called Braveheart who support people in the Forth Valley area who have heart problems and to this end they hold a yearly event entitled the "Healthy Living Event". This year's event is taking place on Tuesday 27th May from 6.30pm to 9.30pm in Falkirk Town Hall. It aims to bring in local services and support mechanisms to help people live a healthier lifestyle. Last year's event attracted approximately 200 participants and they hope to build on this. We hope to have a stand looking at the heath benefits associated with cycling, organic food and local food.If anyone is interested in attending and helping out on the stall, even for a short time, do let me know.

Lastly another date for your diary is May 12 when the Falkirk Allotment Society is holding an open meeting on at 7.30 in the Christian Centre, Glebe Street, Falkirk

They will have a display of information they have gathered during their research into allotments over the last year. There are growing levels of interest in allotments in Falkirk and they hope you will join them for some refreshments and a chat.

Corrie

The Falkirk Diet???- Event Monday 28th April

The next Friends of the Earth Falkirk Public Event will be a talk by Mike Small on the Fife Diet on Monday 28th April 2008 at The Christian Centre, Glebe Street, Falkirk @ 7.30pm.

The Fife Diet

Mike Small argues that we should eat local produce and save the planet, an idea that has obliged his family - and a growing number of adherents to his cause - to eat meals of local lamb, pork and a great many dishes based on parsnips, beetroots, kale, potatoes, leeks and all the other root vegetables that typify the agricultural output of this wind-swept corner of Scotland. Learn about the pros and cons of sourcing all his food within a 20 mile radius.
"It's part of our experiment to see if we can do it, how long can we do it for, what it costs, and what the health benefits are. We're not saying we've got all the answers. We've got small children, we work, and we're crap at gardening. We are not The Good Life, but it will just be interesting to see if it can be done. It might be that we can't do it and it ends up that we just buy seasonally and more locally.”
Mike Small, The Guardian November 21 2007


What would a Falkirk Diet look like?
What food would we be able to source within a 20 mile radius and could we sustain a healthy diet?

Radio Link

The documentary “The Carbon Connection” features the people of two towns, one in Brazil and one in Scotland, that are intimately linked by a carbon trading project of BP Scotland. This interview features a conversation with one of those people, Norman Philip of Grangemouth, Scotland talking about some of the real outcomes of carbon trading.

Follow the Links below, to hear the interview, and head here to read more details and watch the documentary.
http://www.celsias.com/2008/03/19/the-celsias-show-2-breakin-the-law-breakin-the-law/

The Big Ask: Saturday 7th April

Gordon Brown- Please don't ignore aviation emissions.

Big Ask Climate Change Debate

On Friday 4 April, Friends of the Earth Falkirk welcomed Stuart Hay, head of campaigns at FoE Scotland and Eric Joyce, Falkirk West MP to a debate on climate change to launch the Big Ask day of action the following day.
The event started with a presentation from Stuart on climate change and how we need tough legislation to prevent the situation spiralling out of control in the future.
This was followed by a lively discussion with Mr Joyce. Members of the local group were saddened to hear of his great enthusiasm for nuclear power and how the present government sees nuclear as the only way in which we can fight climate change rather than investing in renewables and a reduction in consumption.
Everyone present agreed that the key to solving emissions problems lies in changing mindsets and education.
The evening ended with the group handing over postcards to Mr Joyce from his constituents asking him to vote in favour of a tough climate change bill.

The Big Ask Falkirk Event- Friday 4th April

As the Climate Change Bill goes through the parliamentary process The Big Ask campaign will continue to demand tough legislation to reduce the impacts of climate change.

An evening of discussion and film on Friday 4th April at The Christian Centre, Glebe Street, Falkirk at 7.30pm.
There will be a screening of sections of the Inconvenient Truth.

Speakers will include:
Eric Joyce MP
and
Stuart Hay
Head of Campaigns
Friends of the Earth Scotland

Meetings on Week Beginning March 31st

Monday evening 7.30pm at The Christian Centre, Glebe Street, Falkirk
The main topic of discussion will be the Big Ask event this coming weekend.

Friday evening (4th April) 7.30pm at The Christian Centre: Film showing for the Big Ask.

Saturday?? Stay tuned for further information.

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.

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