Forum & News Items:
- for thought, comment & debate

1) Why eating less meat could cut global
    warming
2) Greenpeace light bulb action
3) Exeter Climate Action Newsletter # 50
4) Exeter Climate Action Newsletter #48

1) Why eating less meat could cut global warming
What you choose to put on your plate can have a huge impact on the planet, reports Juliette Jowit

Food blog: Can your diet help combat climate change?
The Observer Sunday November 11 2007
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/nov/11/
food.climatechange

It seems a surprising suggestion. Can it be true that what we put on our dinner plates could have an effect on global warming? It appears so. A new report is to warn the livestock industry generates 8 per cent of all UK greenhouse gas emissions - but that eating some meat is good for the planet. It will also say organic farming may be no better than intensive methods for reducing emissions, though organic practices have other advantages.

The report, which aims to be the most comprehensive study of the subject yet completed, claims a vegetarian diet including cheese, butter and milk would probably not noticeably reduce carbon emissions because dairy cows are a major source of the biggest greenhouse gas pollution from livestock - the methane released when cattle burp.

A vegan diet would be better, but it would ignore some benefits of rearing grazing animals, said Tara Garnett, from the Food Climate Research Network at Surrey University, who wrote the report. 'A little bit of livestock production is probably a good thing for the environment,' she said. 'Livestock provide a very important service in terms of maintaining landscape and soil quality and maintaining biodiversity: you get different animals grazing at different levels and if you didn't have them you'd have a very different landscape.'

Garnett said further research was needed to work out how much less meat should be eaten, but the report suggested it would be 'considerably less'. Next year Compassion in World Farming, an animal welfare group, will launch a fresh campaign urging people to eat less meat.

The growing environmental concerns about meat come at a time of rising health worries: as well as warnings of an epidemic of obesity, the World Cancer Research Fund recently said eating red meat even in small quantities can increase the risk of several cancers.

'All the different strands are building up: lots more information on diet, lots more information on livestock production, and the climate statistics... so we're making a strong case for reducing meat production and consumption,' said Joyce D'Silva, Compassion's ambassador.

Britons eat an average of 82g of protein a day, of which about 50g is from meat - equivalent to a chicken breast and a lamb chop. The figure is relatively low for a developed country, but higher than developing nations and 25-50 per cent above the World Health Organisation recommendation. This adds up, for the UK, to a total of more than 1m tonnes of beef, 1.3m tonnes of pork and bacon, 1.8m tonnes of poultry, nearly 400,000 tonnes of lamb and mutton, plus 13m tonnes of milk, cheese and other dairy products eaten every year.

Vegetarians and some environmentalists have warned for years about the environmental benefits of eating less or no meat, but as incomes have grown the average Briton eats 50 per cent more meat than four decades ago and global consumption is forecast to double by 2050, says Compassion.

Earlier this year, the Vegetarian Society claimed livestock generate nearly one fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than transport. However, there is disagreement on the benefits of giving up meat: the figures, measured in 'carbon dioxide equivalent' to allow comparison of different greenhouse gases, range from a difference of 0.4 tonnes between a diet high in meat and vegetarian diets, to several times that figure, said Dave Hampton, a carbon reduction expert.

The Food Climate Research Centre report claims to study the subject more comprehensively by including full 'life cycle' analysis of meat production, from the fertiliser for feed to transport from the farm, and the carbon 'cost' of producing alternatives to meat and other animal products like leather and wool.

Garnett concludes that to reduce carbon emissions consumers need to eat less, but changes can also be made to production. Emissions from organic farming were 'unlikely to differ much' from intensive farming. Instead, the report recommends 'marginal livestock rearing', which would see animals grazed only on land which could not be used for other purposes, but warns meat prices would have to rise to help support farmers and the rural economy.

The Meat and Livestock Commission said there could be other ways to reduce the carbon footprint of meat eating, including using more UK-produced food which did not have to be transported as far and changing the diet of cows, which could reduce methane output by half.

The Vegetarian Society said it wanted to draw attention to the benefits of eating less meat, but it also recommended people chose seasonal, local and organic products to have the biggest impact.

The Soil Association, which represents the organic industry, disputed the idea it was not more climate-friendly, saying that a study for Defra showed organic production led to a 26 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from agriculture.

To help consumers wade through the confusing advice, Hampton says people who want to reduce emissions should first buy local food that does not need to be transported and choose organic produce and reduce meat and dairy foods.

'A person switching from highest to lowest impact for a year can save 1-2 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent - the same annual saving as conserving £300 worth of gas on heating, [or] cutting down 5,000 miles a year in an average car, [or] avoiding one return flight to Europe,' he added.

Eating less meat alone would not be enough for many people, warned Hampton: 'For a well-off professional with above average disposable income, no amount of vegetarian or vegan eating, recycling, organic local produce or packaging avoidance will make any shrinkage of our shadow. Flying time, petrol spend and energy bills will predominate.'

2) Greenpeace light bulb action

 GREENPEACE “LIGHT BRIGADE” IN ACTION ACROSS BRITAIN AS WOOLWORTHS ARE TOLD: STOP SELLING POWER CRAZY BULBS 14^th July 2007

Environmental group demand end to sale of incandescent lightbulbs; new league table reveals which retailer is UK’s worst at helping customers tackle climate change.

The Greenpeace “Light Brigade” is carrying out a national day of action today against the high street chain Woolworths. The environmental group is protesting at the retailer’s continued failure to promote efficient alternatives to power hungry, incandescent lightbulbs.

Activists at seven locations across Britain have taken hundreds of incandescent bulbs off the shelves, locked them up in modified shopping trolleys and chained themselves and the bulbs to store entrances. Outside these stores shoppers are being offered free efficient compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and are being asked to lend their support to the campaign.

Woolworths have come bottom of a new Greenpeace league table, also published today, which looks at how soon retailers are prepared to stop selling old fashioned incandescent bulbs. Woolworths have refused even to set a date, and the table shows how they are not doing nearly enough to help their customers make the changes necessary to tackle climate change. They stand accused of selling climate wrecking products that will cost their customers more in the long term.

The Light Brigade, who operate under the motto Carpe Lumen, are in action at seven locations across Britain - in Cardiff, Southampton, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Leeds. Their aim is to pressure Woolworths into removing “power crazy” incandescent bulbs by the end of 2007.

Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Laura Yates , who is in London, said: “We’re here to seize the light - Woolworths are refusing to remove these power crazy bulbs from the shelves, so we’re doing it for them. The Greenpeace light brigade is also offering people free energy efficient bulbs to show how simple the solutions are.  If they want to be seen as a 21st century company Woolworths need to accept that consumers care  about climate change and take a lead on the issue. Right now they’re lagging far behind their competitors.”

The activists chained to the bulbs are demanding to speak with the CEO of Woolworths, Trevor-Bish Jones, to ask why one of the country’s most famous retailers is living in the dark ages on energy efficiency. The incandescent lightbulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879, the same year that Frank Woolworth opened his first store in theUnited States.

The Government is calling on all retailers to enter into a voluntary agreement to remove inefficient bulbs from sale by 2011. Woolworths have not even committed to this date, and Greenpeace say that they could set the trend for other retailers to follow.

Laura Yates continued:
Just how many years does it take to change a lightbulb? Woolworths haven’t even named a date, even though other companies like Currys are there already. If all retailers took this simple action the UK could save enough energy to shut two whole power stations.”

Currys promised in April not to sell any more incandescent bulbs after their current stock has run out, and other retailers have promised to remove the bulbs from them shelves before 2011. Habitat has committed to end sales of incandescent bulbs by 2009, while the Co-op is piloting a removal scheme in 2007. 

For more details, the league table and the full report go to:
www.greenpeace. org.uk

3)  Exeter Climate Action Newsletter #50

 Overheating Britain:
- The winter of 2006/2007 was the UK's second hottest ever.
- Autumn 2006 was the hottest ever.
- July 2006 was the hottest ever month.
- The hottest ever 12 month period was 1 May 2006 to 1 May 2007

There are 4 items in this newsletter:
  1.. Taking part in the Climate Change Bill Consultation.
  2.. Incinerator Campaign.
  3.. Objecting to the Incinerator.
  4.. Distributing postcards for Incinerator Campaign.

  1.. Taking part in the Climate Change Bill Consultation:
This action will take about 10 minutes.

In 2006, 130,000 people supported the FoE Big Ask campaign to persuade the government to introduce a Climate Change Bill.
Last November the government agreed plans for the Climate Change Bill. This was an excellent campaign, and Exeter Climate Action must celebrate playing our part in making it happen.

However, there is more work to be done. The government’s draft bill is too weak. It proposes ridiculously long 5 year targets, and the overall target is far too complacent. We now need to push for a stronger Climate Bill, which will have a real impact on stopping climate change.

The government has a consultation on the Climate Change Bill which has a deadline of 12^th June. So we have 6 weeks to make an impact for a stronger Bill. The more people responding to the consultation, the more likely the government will be forced to change the Bill. I am hoping that most of you on the email list will respond in one of 3 ways:
1. Online using the FoE 30 Second individual online response:
http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/
press_for_change/climate_bill/index.html
2. Online using the DEFRA On-line form:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/
climatechange-bill
3. By Post to: Patrick Erwin/Jame Hardy, Climate Change Legislation Team, Area 4/F5, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6DE.
To help you we have produced a web-page that gives suggested answers: log on to www.exeterfoe.org.uk and follow the link to “Climate Change Bill Consultation Guide”.

2.. Incinerator Campaign:
Throughout the summer, campaigning will be dominated by the Incinerator. I make no apology for this. If the incinerator is built, then it will soak up 45% of Exeter’s target CO2 emissions by 2030. It will destroy our endeavours of achieving a Low Carbon Exeter.

Viridor, Devon’s Waste Management contractor, have applied for planning permission from Devon County Council to build a 60,000 tonne “energy from waste” incinerator in Marsh Barton next to Exeter’s Valley Park. It will emit 45,000 tonnes of CO2 every year, whereas an alternative policy of reducing waste, maximising recycling and using composting and anaerobic digestion to deal with the leftover waste will actually reduce CO2 emissions by 8,000 tonnes a year.
Furthermore, since Exeter only produces 35,000 tonnes of leftover waste a year, a 60,000 tonne incinerator is clearly going to undermine initiatives to improve waste minimisation and recycling rates.

Independent reports say that incineration is the worst way to deal with our waste.

There is a likelihood that the Planning Meeting for the Incinerator will be held on the 18^th July. We therefore need to get our objections in by the 8^th July. There is the possibility, that the application could go to the next meeting, which is on the 5^th September, but it’s best not to rely on that date.

3.. Objecting to the Incinerator:
This action will take about 5 or 10 minutes.

We must therefore object in our hundreds (even thousands) if we are to stop this disastrous incinerator. So my next request from you is to send a letter of objection to Devon County Council.
To help you there is a suggested letter of objection on our “Ban the Burner” website: http://www.eclipse.co.uk/exeter/burner which you can use as the basis for your letter. It would be best to use your own words, but if you are short of time, use the letter as it is.

4.. Distributing postcards for Incinerator Campaign:
This action could take as long as you like.

We have 10,000 specially designed postcards to distribute to households in Exeter. These postcards can then be sent direct to Devon County Council, and will act as objections to the Incinerator. It’s going to be a challenge to distribute them all. We need all the help we can get. If you have an hour or so free to distribute postcards in your street, or you area, please let me know. I will get the postcards to you, all you have to do is to spend a balmy evening strolling through your neighbourhood, distributing the cards.

I have said it before, and will say it again: please don’t imagine that this is something that you can leave to others to do, because it is probably the case that they - in turn - will be thinking that this is something that you will do. So many actions fail to succeed, because we don’t think this is our own personal responsibility.At some point we need to make a personal stand.

This is our last chance to stop the incinerator. We must take it now.

Maurice
Co-ordinator - Exeter Climate Action
07801 136937
exeter.foe@eclipse.co.uk
www.exeterclimateaction.org.uk

See also:
  www.foe.co.uk
  www.greenpeace.org.uk
  www.risingtide.org.uk
  www.airportwatch.org.uk
  www.transport2000.org.uk
  www.stopclimatechaos.org
  www.climateaction.co.uk
  www.campaigncc.org
  www.peopleandplanet.org
  www.greenparty.org.uk
  www.stopesso.com
  www.airportpledge.org.uk
  www.stopurban4x4s.org.uk
  www.roadblock.org.uk
  www.optimumpopulation.org

 4)  Exeter Climate Action Newsletter #48 

Hi all,
When the chancellor of the exchequer starts talking about green taxation, you could be forgiven in thinking that maybe, just maybe, something amazing might happen in the budget. So all the more disappointing when it doesn't happen.
Ah well, another year will have to pass.
 
There are 3 items in this weeks newsletter:
1.. Low Carbon Communities.
2.. Low Carbon Exeter.
3.. The 100^th Monkey Syndrome.

1.. Low Carbon Communities:
Wouldn’t it be great if the politicians, recognising that climate chaos is imminent, actually made decisions that would genuinely move us towards a Low Carbon Economy?
I am sure that they are frightened of losing votes, and therefore sooth us with warm words that they have everything under control. So our governments carry on building roads, expanding airports, and boosting economic growth, whilst neglecting the important decisions on green taxation, and investing in energy efficiency and the renewables.

It is hardly surprising, then, that UK CO2 emissions have risen steadily over the last 4 years. You wonder just how bad it has to get before our government acts.
That is why - despite government inaction - up and down the country, citizens are taking unilateral action to create Low Carbon Communities.

Initiatives like Ashton Hayes 'Going Carbon Neutral' (in Cheshire) and Chew Magna 'Go Zero' (in Somerset) are well known communities that have started in the last 2 years. But Devon itself is a county with more Low Carbon Communities than most. The Transition Towns movement has now spawned 5 towns in Devon (Totnes, Ashburton, Ivybridge, Moretonhampstead and Ottery St Mary). In addition we have Bovey Climate Action, Chagford Action for Sustainable Energy and Crediton Climate Action. And I expect there are many more just starting up that we may not have heard of. And of course, in Exeter, we have Low Carbon Exeter.

I thus thought that it would be a useful idea to create a web directory of Low Carbon Communities in Devon, so that we can share ideas, progress and mutual support.  This will appear on the Low Carbon Exeter website in the next week or so. www.lowcarbonexeter.org.uk 
If anyone knows of any Low Carbon Communities in Devon not mentioned above, please let me know and I can add them to the list. 

2.. Low Carbon Exeter:
The next meeting of Low Carbon Exeter is this Friday (30^th March)
at St Sidwells Centre. 7pm to 9pm.
On the agenda is the sketching out of our Low Carbon Action Plan, and proposals for Climate Month in September or October.If there is something else you would like to add to the agenda, please let me know. 

3.. The 100^th Monkey Syndrome:
I expect that many of you will have heard of this true story, but I think it bears repeating, so here goes....

In 1952, on the island of Koshima, scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkey liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but they found the dirt unpleasant. An 18-month-old female named Imo found she could solve the problem by washing the potatoes in a nearby stream. She taught this trick to her mother. Her playmates also learned this new way and they taught their mothers too.

This cultural innovation was gradually picked up by various monkeys before the eyes of the scientists. Between 1952 and 1958 all the young monkeys learned to wash the sandy sweet potatoes to make them more palatable. Only the adults who imitated their children learned this social improvement. Other adults kept eating the dirty sweet potatoes.

Then something startling took place. In the autumn of 1958, a certain number of Koshima monkeys were washing sweet potatoes -- the exact number is not known. Let us suppose that when the sun rose one morning there were 99 monkeys on Koshima Island who had learned to wash their sweet potatoes. Let's further suppose that later that morning, the hundredth monkey learned to wash potatoes.

THEN IT HAPPENED! By that evening almost everyone in the tribe was washing sweet potatoes before eating them. The added energy of this hundredth monkey somehow created an ideological breakthrough!

But notice: A most surprising thing observed by these scientists was that the habit of washing sweet potatoes then jumped over the sea... Colonies of monkeys on other islands and the mainland troop of monkeys at Takasakiyama began washing their sweet potatoes.

Thus, when a certain critical number achieves an awareness, this new awareness may be communicated from mind to mind. Although the exact number may vary, this Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon means that when only a limited number of people know of a new way, it may remain the conscious property of these people. But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up by almost everyone! 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

My feeling is that we are getting close to the 100th Monkey discovering the truth about climate change. 
We will be required to provide support, help and assistance to many people wishing to take on the challenge of Low Carbon Living.

Maurice

Co-ordinator - Exeter Climate Action
07801 136937
exeter.foe@eclipse.co.uk
www.exeterclimateaction.org.uk