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Sustainable Communities Act!
Campaigning by Local Works has finally born fruit. By October the government will have to invited every local council to submit suggestions of ways in which it can help them and the residents to make their community more sustainable.
The council must ask residents what is needed, through citizens panels and listen to the answers. The government is then required to listen and respond. A real reversal of the power structure -- a bottom-up process rather than top down.
To take advantage of this opportunity we need to get involved in the process and ensure that Havant 'opts in', they don't have to under the act, which will allow them to take over more functions, and the money that goes with them, from central government.
The Act is designed to make communities more sustainable by encouraging local jobs and economic activity. Local jobs involves companies spending a considerable proportion of their turnover in the local economy. Sustainable housing, local food production and reducing traffic are some of the ways the Act can be used. The local authority can use planning policies to increase affordable housing and use the rating system to help small businesses compete with out-of-town hypermarkets.
Havant Borough Council (HBC) has had a 'citizens panel' since 1999. The excellent questionnaire on waste and recycling was a recent consultation. It is now up to concerned groups, such as FoE, to act to make citizens panels effective, ensure they are genuinely inclusive and the results are taken into account.
Sustainable housing
HBC already has good policies on sustainability in new social housing, signing up to the full BREEM standards. It is now up to FoE and other local green groups to get this extended to existing housing, through developing the grants system for insulation for example. Havant FoE intends to make this task its main focus in the coming months. This will be the theme of our stall at he
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Dates and Events
Havant FOE Meetings are now on variable Wednesdays in the month. Please check in the newsletter, on the website or check your email to get the correct day.
July
All month: Emsworth tree exhibition foyer of council offices.
Saturday 12 Cobbett's Rural Ride - cycle ride around the harbour (semi-rural!), for details ring Ray or Sue.
Wednesday 23 Havant Foe meeting, New Nineveh, 11, The Pallant, (round the corner from Waitrose) 7.00: short business meeting, 7.30: edited viewing of film that started the 'ban plastic bags' campaigns, set in Hawaii. Followed by talk and discussion.
August
No Havant group meeting in August
Saturday 9 Vigil at Chichester Cathedral in remembrance of Hiroshima/Nagasaki - SEHPG
Monday 25 (Bank Holiday) : Stall At the Emsworth Show , volunteers needed. This year's theme will be "Greening Your Home"
September
Weds 10 Havant Foe meeting. Planning the October 'Greening Havant' conference.
Fri 12 -Sun 14 FoE Conference, University of Loughborough, see below.
October
One Day conference 'Greening Havant' date & venue to be confirmed.
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Action on Climate Change:
Camp at Kingsnorth Power Station 3-11 August!
This summer the Camp for Climate Action (CCA) will pitch its tents outside Kingsnorth coal-fired power station in Kent for a week of education, sustainable living and direct action. CCA is now part of an international movement, with eight climate camps on four continents planned for this summer. The insane pursuit of economic growth at any cost is to blame for the COČ emissions and ecosystem destruction.
Day of creative direct action against agrofuels
Agrofuels are being supported by UK and EU governments despite being confirmed by the UN reports as a major cause of deforestation and climate change. Millions of hectares of precious climate-stabilising ecosystems being replaced by monoculture crops for fuel to feed our cars.
On Wednesday 6 August people from the camp will meet with many others at the Eros Piccadilly Circus 12.30 pm for a walking tour of the key agrofuel corporate allies. For more information on CCA and the day of action go to: http://www.climatecamp.org.uk
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How to keep your BBQ green
Your first thought is that green BBQ sounds absurd. After all, doesn't it mean setting fire to charcoal laced with an accelerant, or burning gas and creating smoke?
You can avoid most of this with a few fire bricks, a grill from your kitchen oven and genuine charcoal approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Go for the lump sort rather than the briquettes made from compressed coal dust with added chemicals. Britain uses about 50,000 tones of charcoal over the season mostly imported from tropical hardwood forests. Home grown charcoal with the FSC logo is available from local stores. Proper charcoal is carbon-neutral, so it puts back into the atmosphere the CO2 that the tree absorbed during its life. Firelighters mean more chemicals so use tightly rolled up newspaper or some dry bracken or tinder from the garden. Give the instant BBQ from supermarkets the widest birth. The aluminum tray is theoretically recyclable but usually too contaminated with burnt food for processing.
A re-useable BBQ galvanized bucket would be better if its portability you're after.
Avoid buying meats that have been dipped or coated with various flavours. The best marinades and sauces are home made and you know what goes in them. Buy your meat locally and unpackaged-it will taste better and you won't pay for unwanted packaging.
Ray Cobbett
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