2012 - 2013 Yearly Review

Clean British Energy Campaign
This has mainly focused on people signing postcards to urge the government to invest in renewables rather than following a ‘Dash for gas’.  If gas fired power stations were built it would mean the UK would not achieve it’s Climate Change targets, it would mean less green jobs and higher fuel bills as gas prices continue to rise.  People were also encouraged to earn a CBE certificate by switching to a power company that invests in renewables such as Ecotricity or Good Energy.  A petition to make Sheffield a Frack-free city was started with Sheffield Climate Alliance.  A photo stunt entitled ‘Green is working’ to promote green jobs was held in October.  A display of photographs featuring Renewable Energy was set up in the Town Hall foyer in December.

‘Energy we can all afford’ public meeting – Clive Betts MP (Labour), Cllr Joe Otten (LibDem) Simon Bowen (FoE) Craig Jackson (SYHA & LiveGreen) and Emma Bridge (Sheffield Renewables) answered questions from the public about the rocketing fuel bills, green jobs and climate change.  The meeting held at The Circle on Rockingham Lane, was organised by Sheffield Friends of the Earth in collaboration with Sheffield Campaign Against Climate Change.  It was held despite heavy snowfall and hope it influences Decarbonisation targets being included in the Energy Bill.

The Bee Cause
In July we held a Bee Breakfast with Meg Munn MP & Cllr Isabel Bowler and were featured on Radio Sheffield by Paulette Edwards.  In September Cllr Jillian Creasy and Cllr Sylvia Anginotti attended a Bee Walk.  There was a petition for a National Bee Action Plan and cards for people to sign.  Free seeds, wildflower posters and booklets made this a very popular campaign.  A bee map where people had marked their bee friendly gardens was displayed in the Town Hall foyer in September.  The group are currently searching for a site to plant a bee meadow in Sheffield.

Make it Better Campaign
Some smart phones contain tin which comes from Bangka Island in Indonesia causing devastation of the environment.  E-mails were sent to Samsung and Apple.


Litter Pick
We conducted our litter pick on Penistone Road on the Jubilee Holiday Tuesday 5th June 2012.  We wore masks of the Royal Family and were featured in the Sheffield Star newspaper.

Free Green Film Festival
As a result of a ‘buy two get one free’ offer at Dogwoof films, we showed ‘The Island President’, a very recently released film, on 30th May 2012.

The latest film festival will take place in the Spring 2013 with four films being shown on successive Wednesdays at the Red Deer pub beginning with Blue Gold on 17th April.

Stalls
We have run 9 stalls at: Environment Week, National Climate Jobs Caravan, the Green Fair, Firth Park Festival, Lowedges Festival, Ecclesfield Gala, Sheffield Food Festival, Riverlution and Peace and Craft Fair

Facebook, Twitter and Website
Sheffield FoE now has an active presence on Facebook and Twitter thanks to John who tweets and posts regularly.  Shaun has radically updated the website so it has a fresh modern feel.

Speakers
Dave Berry from Sheffield Renewables spoke at the September meeting about the share offer.  As a result of this it was decided that Sheffield FoE should buy a share.  Malcolm Lee of Sheffield Forgemasters spoke at the February meeting on the subject of ‘A Manufacturing Perspective on UK & EU Climate Change Policy’

Training
Members have attended various training sessions including the FoE Northern Gathering at Haworth, Local Groups' Conference in London, Planning Masterclass (Richard) and the Bee Prepared Day in Darlington.  There were also more varied local training days such as Planning and Sustainable Housing.

Other Actions

• Gerry attended the ‘Broomhill Air Quality Symposium’ on 21st April 2012.  
• Richard reported on his visit to the Garden Organic AGM at the May meeting.
• Liddy helped out on 15th September on a Greenpeace stall to lobby MPs about the Electricity Market Reform Bill.
• Richard attended the Sheffield Food Conference on 13th September and wrote a short report.
• Maureen wrote in support of Holbrook Biomass plant providing it is locally sourced.
• We opposed the RecyCoal planning application with a draft letter of objection being circulated among members.  Unfortunately this was passed at the January planning meeting. 
• Met with Cllr Jack Scott in October to discuss SCC environmental policy.
• We opposed the widening of the Incinerator’s resource base to as far away as Newark.  A sample bullet pointed letter was circulated among members for them to lodge their objections.
• Maureen’s letter about fracking was featured in January 10th Sheffield Telegraph.
• John talked to Sheffield Rotary Club about Sheffield FoE on 12th February
• Beatrice and John lobbied David Blunkett on 9th March about putting pressure on the government about the Energy Bill

Parkwood Landfill Campaign

I’m writing to you on behalf of a group of local tenants, residents and businesses starting to feel and see the environmental impacts that landfill has on people, wildlife and industry.  Parkwood Springs Landfill Site is one of the largest landfill sites in Europe, situated near the heart of Sheffield, where large amounts of household and industrial wastes are deposited.  Local people complained so much about dust, odours, nuisance and health issues that a health survey was commissioned, though this is still not finished and many of the previously reported problems still keep reoccurring.

With all the aforementioned information we were astonished to learn, the Environment Agency granted a new permit allowing 650,000 tonnes of inert and active waste (incinerator ash and fine dust compounds, which can be treated toxic wastes) to be deposited per annum totalling 8,910,000 cubic metres.  This will produce a huge mountain of waste, which according to one spokesperson for Viridor the operators of Parkwood Springs Landfill Site will result in gas being released until 2046.  

Viridor have two planning applications 05/00956/FUL and 05/00959/FUL these are for a gas utilisation plant, leachate treatment plant (leachate is created when water runs through a landfill site) and expansion plans.  So far, we have collected over 2500 signatures, names and numerous objections and most are lodged with Mr V Faulkner at Howden House.

We know people want a reduction in landfill, so we must find alternatives for this to become reality and we are beginning a Green and Organic Waste Awareness Campaign.  30% of household waste is green and organic, so if every household recycles these types of waste in the many ways available that would mark a huge turnaround in attitudes and move a step closer towards making landfill and incineration redundant.

Many local authorities provide community-recycling points, though some go further by providing green bins or bags, for each household.  High quality compost can easily be made from green and organic waste, so people could start their own recycling scheme with the added benefits of lush gardens.  Compost bins can be purchased from most DIY stores and filled with: grass cuttings, leaves, cardboard, paper, fruit and vegetable peel, tea bags, rabbit and hamster droppings…  Maintenance is very low just requiring turning with a garden fork once a week and adding water if the heap appears dry.  There are a few items, which must not be added such as fish and meat, cooked foods, cat and dog droppings, exceptionally woody plants and oils.  The next time you have a cup of  tea or portion of vegetables please consider where the waste goes and encourage recycling. 

Best wishes and please email if you support our Green and Organic Waste Awareness Campaign.
Paul Antcliffe,

Parkwood Concerned Tenants, Residents and Businesses Group

What is Zero Waste?

The article below was written by Maureen Edwards for the Sheffield Star. It was published on Thursday 29th May 2003.

I am Maureen Edwards the Sheffield Friends of the Earth Waste Co-ordinator, talking about zero waste, an ideal that we should all be working towards. In everything we do we generate waste. Zero waste does not mean that we will no longer produce waste but that this is kept to a minimum and recycled or reused. Reducing the packaging on goods and ensuring those used can be recycled is one way forward.
The old fashioned paper bags, made from a renewable source (trees), and having the advantage of being easily recycled or biodegraded, are far more environmentally friendly than plastic. Plastic packaging varies so much in content it is difficult to manufacture a quality-recycled product from the mixed materials. Carrying shopping home in bags manufactured to last several years rather than days, would also reduce the amount of waste.

Why should we be bothered about achieving zero waste? At the moment we are using up the Earth's valuable resources at an alarming rate. The careless disposal of the resulting products is also causing problems. By taking steps to recycle these materials, not only are the disposal problems solved but some resources will be left for future generations. What right do we have to fritter away these valuable materials?

Kitchen and garden waste represent about 20% of household waste and can easily be composted to produce a rich soil dressing. The household collection of such waste is problematic but several areas have successfully set up systems. The new blue bin scheme presently being rolled out across the city by ONYX to recycle paper and card, is the first step forward towards zero waste. It is to be hoped that the scheme will quickly be developed to include cans, glass, plastics, fabrics and kitchen and garden waste. Once a quality weekly doorstep recycling service has been set up, the collection of other 'residual' waste can be reduced to fortnightly. By using this system, recycling rates of about 30% can be very easily achieved.

Waste strategies should be flexible to allow for changes in legislation. Legislation can help ensure that everyone plays their part in reducing waste, so we need to be able to respond to new laws. Large scale, mass burn incinerators such as the one planned at Bernard Road, are too inflexible and long term. The mechanical biological treatment of mixed waste is far more flexible and ensures recycling of a far higher proportion of the residual waste. Although ideally recycling at source is preferable, until a high quality doorstep recycling service is available to the citizens of Sheffield, mechanical biological treatment of waste is the safest option. The incinerator may well become uneconomic to run in about 10 years due to European anti-incineration legislation.

As an individual with a wish to work towards zero waste, you will already be recycling a great deal of household waste and hopefully be able to compost kitchen and garden waste. Any large items will be disposed of through charities such as RECLAIM. You take your own bags when you go shopping and do not buy products with too much packaging. You are helping to reduce Sheffield's waste disposal bill and protecting our environment.

Door Step Recycling – One Step Closer

Late last year 20 MPs were given the chance of each introducing a Bill to Parliament. Friends of the Earth decided to ask the MPs to adopt the Door Step Recycling Bill. If passed as a new law it would see the introduction of special bins at each home in the country for collecting different recyclable materials.

As Richard Allan Lib Dem MP for Sheffield Hallam was one of the selected twenty, several local group members wrote letters asking for his support. Richard replied to Sheffield Friends of the Earth with a positive and encouraging letter. A copy of the Richard Allan’s letter is available on our website at:
mysite.freeserve.com/sheffieldfoe

The Bill was actually introduced to Parliament by Joan Ruddock Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford so Richard Allan was able to vote for a different Bill. In January, Friends of the Earth will be doing more lobbying work to get the Bill passed as a new Law.

Door Step Recycling Facts:

A majority of 330 MPs signed EDM 186 and EDM 46 in support of doorstep recycling nation-wide
9/10 people in England and Wales would recycle if it was made easier an Environment Agency survey revealed in May this year

The expansion of recycling would provide tens of thousands of jobs, reduce demand for raw materials, cut emissions of Greenhouse gases and reduce pressure for unpopular and environmentally damaging new landfill sites and incinerators. It would also mean we could catch up with recycling levels of our European neighbours.

The Doorstep Recycling Bill, sponsored by Joan Ruddock MP, calls for local authorities to provide a doorstep recycling and composting service to every household by 2010 and for more money to provide this service. The Bill is essential to increase our recycling rate from a miserable 12% to the 50% already achieved by many European countries

It has the support of a majority of MPs, 150 local authorities and over100 organisations, including Friends of the Earth, the Community Recycling Network, Greenpeace, Help the Aged and Unison. The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit published its review of the current waste strategy in November 2002. The review provides a welcome boost to waste minimisation and recycling but it fails on several accounts:            

1. It does not put a brake on the building of massive incinerator
2. It does not provide enough money for recycling.
3. It does not set a statutory target of 50% recycling by 2010

Parkwood Landfill Campaign Autumn 2002

Parkwood landfill site is situated in a residential area of North Sheffield. It is licensed to accept mixed domestic and industrial waste, including special or hazardous waste. This includes cyanide, arsenic, asbestos, heavy metals, dioxins and vinyl chloride. A recent audit by the Environment Agency documented a catalogue of toxic spillage’s and safety hazards at the site. A cross party working group is currently preparing a report for Sheffield City Council which should be published in September 2002.

Friends of the Earth oppose landfill sites for the following reasons:

• Landfill sites encourage the "throw-away society" and waste of the earth’s resources 
• Landfill sites can cause serious pollution of rivers, streams and groundwaters 
• Landfill sites generate gases, particularly methane, which is an important greenhouse gas, contributing to climate change 
• The options for waste disposal have been ordered to form a "hierarchy of waste" – landfill is the worst option. We should be reducing, reusing and recycling our waste 
• Landfill creates nuisances and risks for the local environment- health risks, traffic, pests, noise, litter and smells 

The recent campaign against the Bernard Road incinerator has focussed attention onto Parkwood Landfill Site. The problems of landfill are sometimes used to justify incineration as being the lesser of two evils. However, the process of incineration produces toxic fly ash that has to be dumped in landfill sites, including Parkwood. So incineration cannot provide an alternative to landfill.

Only reducing, reusing and recycling our waste can reduce the need for landfill. Sheffield currently recycles 5% of it’s waste – a pathetic amount compared to countries like Switzerland where over 50% is recycled.
Sheffield Friends of the Earth support the Parkwood Landfill Action Group in their aims to-

• Close Parkwood Landfill 
• Remove planning permission for landfill at Parkwood 
• Ensure the land is made safe and developed for the benefit of the local community 

For more information, check the Parkwood Landfill Action Group web site- http://www.shefinfo.org.uk/parkwood/index.htm