News in Brief April 2005

The Big Screen
Members of Sheffield Friends of the Earth and The Green Party were interviewed for a film called Get Over It. The film was produced by a local non-profit film company and explained how communities were devastated by the economic collapse in the 80s. It then went on to show how economic regeneration schemes such as Meadowhall and large supermarket developments can destroy jobs. For more details see www.MediaActivist.com

Just the job
Have you come across the argument that if the proposed incinerator/runway/supermarket you are campaigning against is built, it will create lots of jobs? Or have you ever needed to demonstrate that an alternative sustainable development can create jobs? Our New Economics activity is working on some web pages to provide you with the arguments and case studies on jobs you need to back up your campaign demands.

In order to make this a useful tool we need your help. If you have any examples of job claims by companies, Government or local authorities, if you've submitted any consultation responses on a campaign which have used job arguments, or you have other information relating to employment and developments, then do please email job_args_info@foe.co.uk.

E-Newsletter
Sheffield Friends of the Earth’s Newsletters can now be accessed from our web site in full colour. The web site also provides links to Change Your World, the newsletter for local campaigners.

Electric Car
Our use of roads accounts for nearly a quarter of all the carbon dioxide we in the UK pump into the atmosphere contributing to climate change.  Feelings of guilt led me to ask myself what journeys I need the car for.  Most were about town so an exhaust free electric car was an ideal choice.  I am now the proud owner of a Reva G-wiz  from GoinGreen.  This is both the greenest and the cheapest car on the road.  It costs about 1p per mile to run and is exempt from road tax.  Now I can drive around Sheffield and not feel guilty about the fumes coming from my exhaust or causing climate change.  My electricity comes from a renewable energy supplier.  If you need to use a car about town, electric is the Way-To-Go. See Page 1 for photos
Maureen Edwards

Recent Events:

• Shaun was interviewed for a film and explained how large supermarkets can destroy communities.
• Maureen joined other green groups to protest against Onyx for handing out environmental awards.
• The web site has been redesigned.
• We received a letter from David Blunkett about pesticides. 
• Sent three letters to the Sheffield Star regarding climate change.
• Organised a stall in Sheffield City Centre handing out energy saving light bulbs.
• Displayed an electric car on Fargate as part of drive to educate people about climate change.
• Several members attended the Make Poverty History meetings.
• Group members have been involved with ACT.
• Helped a student journalist with a climate change interview. 
• Protested at the G8 meeting in Derby.

Third World Debt

Jubilee 2000 (J2000) is a concerted international campaign to persuade rich world governments and institutions to remit a proportion of the debt owed to them by developing countries. J2000 is supported by a range of organisations, including trade unions, churches, development agencies and other bodies, such as Friends of the Earth. The key targets are the G8 group of industrial nations and the two international financial institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The principle behind the campaign is that third world countries are being crippled by an inherited burden of debt. To meet repayments, they have to cut back on essential services, such as health and education, which means that the already poor become even poorer. And poverty, of course, is a prime cause of environmental degradation. For example, when marginal land is used for cultivation, desertification or deforestation (leading to loss of topsoil) is a probable result.

Pressure from the agencies has already led to international proposals to reduce the debt burden, specifically to the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) plan. Apart from being too slow, the main criticism of this is that it is designed only to reduce debt to whatever a country can pay; it leaves no surplus in the country’s hand to pay for essential infrastructure or for health and education. The J2000 campaign wants debt remission to address the needs of the poor, rather than those of the creditor nations.

Local campaigning groups have formed a Sheffield J2000 Coalition which meets regularly to forward the campaign. Activities have included arranging transport to the G8 summit in Birmingham and petition signing events in the city centre. Meetings are open to all interested persons. So please come along!

The next meeting is on 7th January at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, 10 St James’ Street, Sheffield.

For more details contact Steve.

Tropical Rainforest Campaign Autumn 1989

Tropical Rainforest Campaign Autumn 1989

An ongoing campaigning area for the group is the lobbying of the council to try to get them to impose a ban on the specification of tropical hardwood timber for construction work and furniture. Recently a resolution has been passed by the Heeley ward of the District Labour Party, calling for action on this front.

This has gone out to all officers of the council  and we are following this up with letters urging the implementation of the resolution  A growing number of councils are stating that they will not allow the use of hardwood and it is unfortunate that our own council appears to be dragging its heels on this issue.

Another angle of our campaign is the lobbying of local retailers of of tropical hardwood products. In this connection, a letter was recently sent to the Sainsbury's Homebase store. In their reply, they fully acknowledged the importance of maintaining the world's tropical rainforests and stated that they are
actively encouraging their timber suppliers to obtain reafforestation guarantees for their products.

However, FOE are still concerned that only 0.2% of tropical hardwoods are harvested on a sustainable basis, and are disappointed that Sainsbury's letter stops short of what we would like to see, which is a commitment to only stock timber that is demonstrably produced in this way.

At the beginning of July, five members of the local group attended the National TRF campaign workshop which was held in Birmingham. Among the many recent developments concerning the rainforests  it is encouraging to note that the stopping of the Power Sector loan to Brazil by the World Bank has opened up a debate as to how this large sum of money should be spent if not on destructive dam projects. FOE have suggested that it be used to tackle the problem of global warming, by promoting energy efficiency and conservation; developing renewable resources, and transferring technological resources and
expertise to the developing world so that they may be able to avoid the pollution effects which have accompanied our own progress towards industrialisation.

On the theme of industrialisation and ensuing environmental disaster, the Brazil Network are holding their national conference in Sheffield on 10 September, focusing on Amazonia. The meeting will be addressed by a number of Brazilian speakers and will include workshops on projects such as Grande Carajas, the rubber tappers movement, debt, tribal people and sustainable development. Pre-booking for the conference is essential as demand is expected to be high. Further information and application forms are obtainable from SCAU, 75 West Street.

As an event associated with the conference FOE are hosting a slide show and talk by Anna Culwick who has worked as a naturalist/photographer in the Tampopata Reserve in the Amazonian forests of Peru. Anna's talk will take place on Friday 29 September at 7.30 pm in the council room at the Montgomery Hall, Surrey Street.

lt will be illustrated with oven 200 original slides and also sound recondings of the regions fascinating wildlife. The evening is open to all so come along and bring your friends. We look forwand to meeting you. If you would like to help in the campaign to save these unique and precious areas of the world, come along to one of our meetings and find out how you can become involved. These will be held at 8 pm in C.V.S. House on the following Wednesdays: 25 Oct. 15 Nov. 13 Dec.

Angela Dignan.