35 Years of Environmental Injustice in Bhopal

On the night of 2nd December, 1984 a leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals from the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) pesticide plant in Bhopal, resulted in the exposure of hundreds of thousands of people. Over the next few days up to 8,000 people died and the case is counted as the worst industrial disaster in human history. According to the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB), more than 150,000 gas victims are chronically ill, and 50,000 or so are too sick to even work for a living. Till date, more than 25,000 have died as a result of exposure to the poison gases. The toxic wastes that lie strewn in and around the factory has leaked its poisons into the groundwater.

We can never allow the conditions which resulted in this disaster not here not anywhere

In 2009 Friends of the Earth Falkirk co-hosted an event with environmental, union and academic activists in Grangemouth. Norman and Jessica attended the memorial at the Dow Chemical plant, which has now been demolished. Dharmesh Shah come all the way from India to Grangemouth this weekend to attend the event. 

The 26-year old Indian campaigner was outraged that the Dow Chemical Company appeared to have washed its hands of the terrible disaster at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, 25 years ago next month. So he attend the protest today at the US multinational’s newly acquired Scottish factory in Wholeflats Road.

“We have not learnt the lessons we should have done, so it’s just a matter of time before another Bhopal happens because big companies have shown that they don’t respect human life,” he told the Sunday Herald. 

“There are still communities living around chemical plants, and companies are sending all their dangerous products to India, where the safety regulations are weak.”

Divest Falkirk

Climate Emergency The Time is Now- Ban Fracking!

 An informal evening hosted by Friends of the Earth Falkirk 

Thursday 30 May, Sewing Centre, Callendar Square, Falkirk, Just off the High Street. 7.30 9.30 Tea and Coffee and vegan soup will be served. 

All welcome

An opportunity to get an update from local and national anti -fracking groups as we complete the journey from a moratorium on fracking, through the planning system, to a full legal ban in Scotland.  

Mary Church, Friends of the Earth Scotland and Donald Campbell, The Broad Alliance will provide an updates before a discussion and catch up between groups with a common goal to bring the fracking debate in Scotland to a legal end

Youth Climate Strike at the Scottish Parliament

These two young people were involved in clearing and planting our community gardens 8 years ago and the stars of our three community garden videos. Now they have taken part in the most amazing global climate movement,the Youth Climate Strike, at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. Standing side by side with young people from across Scotland to remind the adults and politicians that it is their furure we are ruining and a call for immediate action! Taking a day of school to take action.They will be catching the 8:24 from Falkirk Grahamston to Edinburgh Waverley this coming Friday 22nd March.If any young people want to join them!

We are so proud of these two and all the young people across Scotland and the globe who are making the adults aware that this is the generation who are not prepared to accept the current shortsighted policies on climate change.
Another example that the community gardens have been growing environmental activists at the same time as local food.

Uprooted in Falkirk ​

We have now been made aware that the solicitors who allowed us to use the Bean Row Garden to grow vegetables for the past eight years have handed over their keys to a property developer and our gardens, both Bean Row and Kings Court, will be fenced off and turned into a building site. 

The Bean Row Garden was an essential element of Friends of the Earth Falkirk putting down roots in Falkirk. Both literally, we grow food for annual celebration Soup and Stovies Community Meal, and metaphorically, we were a group who were prepared to get our hands dirty and show a long term commitment to out area.

The efforts we have all put into Bean Row, and the other four gardens around the town centre, have resulted in recognition from RHS It's Your Neighbourhood Award with at least 4 Outstanding Awards over the years including 2018.

Over the past 8 years we have had a number of volunteers who give their labour and a number of members who have donate plants.  There has been  two amazing woman who have kept us right in the growing front, Corrie and Jean,  With Corrie moving down south Jean has been the growing guru who has kept the gardening team right.

Right from the start the harvest has always been the main ingredients of our Soup and Stovie community meal. Early own rhubarb was planted and rhubarb crumble has been the dessert for the majority of meals. Soup and Stovies has always been vegetarian and for the past 3 years have been totally vegan. The first crop to be planted was Broad Beans, what else could it have been on Bean Row. One memorable year we had a abundance of beans and broad bean homous was on the menu that year. 

We will have a soup and stovies this year. Hopefully, if not on Bean Row- as near as possible, to celebrate local food and volunteering. At the last meeting we looked at what options we have. The gardens all started off as part of a litter campaign so we will ensure that we do some Litter Picks in Spring to keep up the tradition. We may look at another pocket of land either for growing food or for guerrilla gardening- who knows were the next stage of the journey will lead.

Still 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 and transport and local issues such as food, litter and transport