Havant FOE Newsletter - September 2023

Our Havant Eco-Fair

Date: Saturday 23rd September
Time: 11am – 3pm

Do come to our harvest-themed Eco-Fair at Havant Park

There will be:

• Live Music
• Talks
• Lots of activities for Children
• Eco-Traders
• raffle
• Nature & Sustainability stalls
• Vegan Food
• Bring and Take swishing stall
• Cycling Demos

Come along and join in the fun!

Free admission

Could you help at the Eco-Fair?

If any HFOE supporters could help out for a couple of hours, that would be great. We need people to help set up gazebos etc, guide stall-holders to their sites, deal with queries and keep an eye on things. First Aid skills especially welcome.

If you can help, even for a while, please contact us at [email protected]

Make the polluters pay

Wealthy countries are failing communities on the frontline of the climate emergency who have done the least to cause it.

Despite promises at COP 27, there is no target to timetable to the promised Loss & damage fund. We need one before COP28

The Make the Polluters Pay Coalition is calling for richer countries to accept their responsibilities and to tax the fossil fuel companies to fund loss and damage.

There needs to be an international and properly funded loss and damage fund and realistic taxes on the main polluters – the fossil fuel companies

People from a range of different groups will be getting together for a short rally at noon on Friday 15th September in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth. We plan to send the photo, together with a letter signed by lots of different groups, to all local MPs. Do join us if you can.

Find out more about local plans here

Myth-busting Hydrogen

Date: Wednesday 11th October
Time: 7pm

Join us via Zoom for a discussion on the merits of hydrogen with speaker Mark Hancock from Transition Southampton and Southampton Climate Action Network

Hydrogen production is being promoted by the Government and by the Solent Cluster, but many believe this is a dangerous distraction from attempts to truly combat the climate emergency. The science does not support the route proposed and risks the fossil fuel industry continuing their damaging emissions.

Mark was part of a Hampshire group which prepared a paper for the Solent Cluster. They argue that current plans to promote hydrogen are not going to aid the transition to net zero in the short term  and resources should be directed towards renewable energy and insulation instead.

If you would like a to join in, please contact [email protected] for a link to the merits of hydrogen meeting.

To read more about Myth Busting Hydrogen, Southampton Climate Commision have put together a PDF report you can Download Here

Day of Action on Warm Homes

On 18th November the United for Warm Homes campaign will be holding a nationwide Day of Action. This is going to be a big moment for the campaign.

After spending the last year building support for warm homes in our local communities, we’re now taking our message to politicians.

We’ll be coming together with local partners to call for lower energy bills and warm homes for all, and putting pressure on our politicians to act.

We’re still working out our plans for Havant but it would be great if you could all get a few more people to sign our petition and Ask Alan Mak MP and Flick Drummond MP to take action for warm homes

FOE Webinar on the Public Order Bill

Date: Tuesday 19th September 2023
Time: 7pm to 8.45 pm

The draconian Public Order Act came into force earlier this year.

This new law has significantly expanded police powers, lowered key thresholds for what counts as “serious disruption”, and is designed to dissuade climate activists from protesting.

Come along to this special webinar on protest and the law, which will cover:

• Your right to protest
• Your responsibilities as organisers and participants in protest action
• Tips and guidance for organising protests
• What to do if you’re arrested at a protest

There’ll be time for group discussion, and you’re encouraged to think practically about any upcoming protests you have planned or may be attending.

This session will also include a short briefing about the boycott, divestment and sanctions bill, a government bill that could stop local councils divesting from fossil fuels, during the last 15 minutes of the webinar.

Register here for the Public Order Bill webinar

FOE Resources

Friends of the Earth have excellent resources for councils like their Climate Action Plan for councils which covers a wide range of topics, from housing and nature to waste and recycling and 10 explainer guides that set out how you can get your council to take action across each topic.

We have put links to the most useful publications on the Havant Climate Alliance website

HCA Meetings

We’d love to see more people at our local planning meetings which are held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month via Zoom.

If you would like to join in, please contact [email protected] for a link to our planning meetings.