link to FoE Manchester Plastic Free Christmas Newsletter

Friends of the Earth Manchester have devoted their December newsletter to support a plastic free Christmas open to access their PDF Manchester Newsletter.

Don't Waste Christmas

Seasonal Greetings.
Slow Down at Christmas

Be Creative    
Shop local/Shop Fairtrade

 

Don't Waste Christmas!
Reduce and reuse wrapping paper.

Why don't you be creative and make some personalised gifts for friends and family.

Avoid food waste-don't buy too much food. 
Visit Love Food Hate Waste website
www.scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com

Buy locally grown, organic or fairtrade produce for your Christmas meal.

Take your own shopping bag when Christmas – refuse plastic bags

Exchange recycled, home-made or charity Christmas cards

Be safe and save energy by switching off Christmas Tree Lights overnight.



www.foefalkirk.blogspot.com

Rooted in Falkirk 

Friends of the Earth Falkirk is a local group of Friends of the Earth Scotland. Local volunteers campaign on international issues such as climate change and environmental justice, national issues such as waste, energy, Unconventional Gas and transport and local issues such as food, litter and cycling.

Link to Just Transition film with Grangemouth towards the end

https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2018/11/09/a-just-transition-from-fossil-fuels-to-environmental-justice/

Outstanding Award from Its your Community for our Community Gardens in Falkirk

Soup and Stovies 2018

Friends of the Earth Falkirk had its annual Soup and Stovies lunch on Saturday 18 August at our Bean Row community garden. The event is a celebration of community volunteering and sharing of the vegetable plot harvest. Thanks for the food contribution for the three course vegan meal. Every course had some ingredients from under our feet at Bean Row.

Bean Row Urban Community Garden- The Big Dig

The weather forecast hadn't been promising but the day dawned mild and dry, perfect conditions for our 2018 Big Dig. We dug over the dormant soil, weeding and tidying as we went along, and prepared the soil for the planting of our potatoes and broad beans.

There was some discussion about the use of chicken pellets to fertilise the garden, but with gentle persuasion from Jean, and the addition of the rich brown earth from our very own on-site compost bin, our vegan principles were pacified!

Jean had chitted some early Rocket potatoes along with main crop Pink for Apple and Maris Piper. Norman dug a trench parallel to the fence and carried out the honours. Sandra prepared an area adjacent to the potatoes where she planted the broad beans - all the planting being carried out under the guidance of experienced gardener Jean.

We then split the crown of the rhubarb and removed the section nearest the wall to prevent the roots from becoming restricted by the barrier.

Norman had very kindly brought tea, coffee and scones which were most welcome at this point, and sustained us long enough to tidy the rest of the garden.

As ever, we enjoyed chatting with passers-by who stopped to ask about our endeavours, we are always pleased to be able to show what can be accomplished in our urban vegetable plot. 

Sandra 

Air Quality Figures for Falkirk

The, now annual, revelation from Friends of the Earth Scotland in the Sunday Herald of the most polluted streets does not have a Falkirk street in either of the top ten worst offenders for NO2 or for Particular matter. see link to Sunday Herald article here. Emilia Hanna, Air Quality Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland have provided us with more detail from the results to enable us to explore the air quality issues in Falkirk.

A polluting, often gridlocked, stretch of Falkirk streets should be no surprise to Falkirk drivers. Main Street, Bainsford is the 12th biggest polluter in Scotland for Particulate Matter at 15.5 micrograms per cubic metre The street which leads to Main Street on the way into and out of Falkirk to the North is Graham's Road, the 16th biggest polluter for Particulate Matter at 14.5 micrograms per cubic metre. As the road gets narrower on Main Street the concentration is higher.

West Bridge, Falkirk has regularly been recorded within the worst offenders and is currently sitting at the 15th biggest NO2 polluter in Scotland. hardly a situation the town can be proud of.