Friday, September 19, 2008

Be unpackaged

Unnecessary packaging forms a huge part of our waste. A new shop in Islington provides a place for you to shop, without the packaging. Just bring your own containers, and fill them up with what you need.

For more information, see http://www.beunpackaged.com/

Watch your Waste Week

"The amount of waste produced in North London, like everywhere, is growing year on year and although recycling it is great, preventing it is even better…"

Camden Council together with the North London Waste Authority are challenging residents to reduce their waste to zero. The challenge forms part of the Watch your Waste Week which is running from 4-12 October.

For more information about the week and the Challenge, including information packs full of useful tips
http://www.nlwa.gov.uk/html/watchyourwasteweek.asp#TheWatchYourWasteChallenge
and
http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/leisure/news/2008/september/watch-your-waste-week.en

Saturday, September 06, 2008

A week of local, organic, unpackaged food

6 – 21 September 2008
Join others for a week of eating only local organic food, free from plastic packaging to demonstrate to Government urgent action is needed to transform our food system. This is a ‘pilot’ in preparation for a bigger week next year!

Most of us would love to eat more locally grown food that has been grown in ways that are good for both our health and the environment. But how many of us feel we could actually do it with our current globalised and industrialised food system? Well three people, all with their different takes on local food, have decided to do just that and are asking you to join them for a week!

Between Saturday 6 and Sunday 21 September, during Organic Food Fortnight and when food is at its most abundant in the UK, we ask you, for one week, to only eat food from a selection of the following sources:

- Organically grown UK food without plastic packaging – if it is organically grown on British soil, it qualifies, but obviously the more local the better. Plastic packaging is out.

- Foraged food – food growing wild and abundantly all over the UK – free rich pickings!

- Self-grown food – any food you, your friends or family have grown.

Visit http://eatthechange.org for more information and advice on how to do it.

Sign up at www.pledgebank.com/eatthechange - if you are taking part please sign up even though we’ve already reached our target so we can show how many people are taking part: we need as many people signed up as possible to make an impact.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Group Meeting

Check our website: www.camdenfoe.org.uk for details of our next meeting.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Carton Recycling in Camden

Camden Council has recently introduced recycling of beverage cartons for residents. Seven collection points have already been set up around the borough where residents can bring their clean, flattened cartons. Camden Friends of the Earth would like to thank the Council for setting up the scheme. Further information, including the location of collection points, can be found on the Camden Council site

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Bag Free Belsize

As part of our campaign on waste, members of Camden Friends of the Earth went out to interview people on the streets of Belsize Park regarding their views on throw-away shopping bags. Shoppers were asked whether they supported the idea of Belsize Park going “Bag Free” and how they think this should be achieved. The majority of shoppers support measures to reduce the use of plastic bags, and wanted this to be carried out by a combination of charging a levy and an area to drop-off and collect old bags.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Public meeting - 13th November

Camden FOE is hosting a public meeting to raise awareness about climate change and to encourage local MPs, Glenda Jackson and Frank Dobson, to back a strong climate change bill.

The bill will be introduced to parliament in November and FOE has concerns that the draft did not include...
- targets that reflected the latest scientific evidence
- the environmental impact of international aviation and shipping
- a requirement for annual reporting

The meeting will take place at Haverstock School, on Haverstock Hill, by Chalk Farm tube, on 13th November from 7.15pm.

Speakers include the 2 local MPs and Carbon Coach, Dave Hampton.

Contact us if you want to find out more.

Bin Bags

Camden Friends of the Earth today responded to London Council’s consultation on throw-out shopping bags.

The group supports the introduction of a levy on all throw out shopping bags, whether paper or plastic, together with restrictions on the types of bags that shops can supply.

Bags use finite resources in their manufacture and distribution. Additionally, on disposal, often after only one use, they create litter, add to the UK’s landfill problems, and endanger wildlife on land and in water. While throw out shopping bags form a small percentage of our waste, such a levy will send a strong message to consumers and businesses about the need to reduce our impact on the environment.

Paper bags are not the answer as lifecycle analysis has shown that their environmental impact, although different to plastic bags, is still damaging. The group believes that the answer is a return to reusable bags, and that we should not wait for this legislation to make that change.

On 17th November the group is holding a joint event with Highgate LEAF (Local Environment Action Forum) to help people make bags. javascript:void(0)Material, sewing machines, and lessons will be provided. Please contact camdenfoe@gmail.com for more information.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Heathrow: Getting local residents voices heard


Last weekend members of Camden FOE joined with Greenpeace, WDM, and the National Trust to ask West London residents for their views on the expansion of Heathrow airport.

As thousands of people gathered at the nearby Climate Camp we wanted to back up their action with evidence of local opinion. A thousand people were questioned, and the results of the poll showed:
- over 95% supported government action to make rail travel a more affordable, easy, and pleasant alternative to air travel within the UK;
- 62% opposed the expansion of Heathrow, with only 24% in favour of the plans (14% were unsure);
- 64% would be willing to holiday more in the UK than abroad to protect their local area from airport expansion, and help combat climate change

Polling was being conducted at locations across West London, including Richmond, Kew, Ealing Broadway, Houslow and Osterley Park: a historic National Trust house, green space and recreational resource for local people., already blighted by aircraft noise and pollution.  Sarah Kramer, MP for Richmond Park was presented with the results at Kew Gardens following polling (pictured). She told us how frustrating it was trying to make her constituents' opposition heard - BAA won't even attend a public meeting to hear their concerns.

Steve Huxton, a volunteer for Camden Friends of the Earth, who assisted with carrying out the poll said “The results of this poll show that people are prepared to change their own travel habits in order to protect the environment, preserve green spaces and tackle climate change.  Government policy needs to catch up with public opinion and  abandon plans for expanding aviation, instead focusing on providing viable alternatives for people’s travel needs.”

Learn more about the issues at http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/transport/case_studies/heathrow.html