The aim of the session is to prepare locals for such emergencies and how to reduce the risk.

The session, set to take place on 27^th February 2010 at Hall green library, is the Birmingham resilience group’s answer to monitoring a potential rise in floods in local areas. The environment agency is also on the case to inform people about how to deal with the crisis of flooding.

Ed Witton of Birmingham resilience said:

“The session is being held because we know the floods are going to happen, so we are just rolling up our sleeves up and getting locals to take responsibility and understand what preparation needs to be done.”

The Environment agency website states that over 5 million people in England and Wales live and work in properties that are at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea.

The sudden lock down and preparation for flooding leads us to wonder to what extent climate change is affecting the situation as it recognised as ‘is now widely accepted as one of the greatest challenges we all face.’

We are already aware of the huge changes to our climate with average winter rainfall increase by 18%, and by up to 30% more on the wettest day. However floods won’t be an issue all year round as average summer temperatures are said to increase by 3.7°C/6.66ºF and average summer rainfall to reduce by 20%. It’s clear that 2010 will continue to experience severe weather as climate change closes in on us.

Be Birmingham and Birmingham City Council are involved in trying to encourage the community to solve the problem while Birmingham resilience and the environment agency will be there to advise and inform through the changes we may have to endure.

If you are interested in gaining advice on what to do in the case of a flood pop down to Hall green library Saturday 27^th Feb between 11am – 3pm for an insight.

Visit Birmingham resilience for more information.

Universities within Birmingham are set to get involved with promoting and hosting the week by joining campaigns and hosting their own events relating to this years theme, ‘Fall in love with your climate.’

The week is hosted by one of the largest student networks, People and Planet, across the nation and gives the chance for students to get in touch with their green side and involve themselves and their institutions in fighting against environmental issues.

Carbon speed dating events will take place amongst Universities, colleges and schools across the UK in order to raise awareness and celebrate the fact that green week is followed by Valentine’s day.

Climate change is an important issue this year due to the failure of world leaders to form a binding international agreement during the December meetings in Copenhagen.

Birmingham City University People and Planet members are planning their contribution to Go Green Week through hosting a ‘Swap Shop’ which aims to get students swapping normal products for Fairtrade products.

People and planet describe the swap as: “a way of showing people that by making simple changes, switching one product for another, our lifestyles can have a great impact on the lives of disadvantaged farmers.”

Aaron Cardford-Hamlin of BCU people and planet told us that the swap shop is set to go ahead on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Go Green week in the Student Union at City North campus in Perry Barr.

Aston University’s People and Planet group are also set to get involved with green week after already doing their bit towards climate change just last December.

Aston Business School was involved in discussions of how Business schools can help fight against climate change in the futur

Members of the People and Planet group at The University of Birmingham are also getting prepared to go all out with campaigns for the week and are currently deciding which charity to donate proceeds to when they are done.

People and Planet have organised a fully equipped and detailed pack to help all students make the most of the week, including at 10:10 campaign as well as carbon speed dating and swap shops.

The 10:10 campaign aims to get emissions cut by 10 per cent in a year in order to prove that we really can help stop climate change.

Show your dedication to Go Green Week by joining Birmingham students and cutting carbon emissions by showing your climate some love.

On Thursday evening the team will be showing 2008’s hit film ‘The Age of Stupid’ which aims to challenge the way we think about the future of our planet and what effect climate change will have.

Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated future world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance? 

The film is bound to raise awareness amongst guests about what we should be doing in order to spare our grandchildren from living in such a world.

Following the screening, Northfield Ecocentre will also be offering a ‘Climate Question & Answer session’ with Richard Burden MP for Northfield, Sandy Taylor Head of Climate Change and Sustainability for Birmingham City Council and Joe Peacock of Birmingham Friends of the Earth.

The audience will have the chance to pick the brains of these guest speakers and find out what is being done to combat climate change in Northfield and wider Birmingham.

Georgia Stokes, Manager of Northfield Ecocentre said: “Since the global premier of ‘The Age of Stupid’ it has often been said that everyone should see this film. We can’t see climate change happening on a daily basis so it’s easy to ignore. ‘The Age of Stupid’ shows us what the future of the world could become if we keep on ignoring it.

“As The Archivist [Pete Posthelwaite] says in the film “We wouldn’t be the first life form to make itself extinct. But what would be unique about us is that we did it knowingly. What does that say about us?”’

Oscar-nominated writer of Shadowlands and Gladiator William Nicholson, has commented n the effects of the film. He said: “I hate this film. I felt as if I was watching all my own excuses for not doing anything about climate change being stripped away from me. And it’s tender and funny and wise as well. Can I just pretend I never saw it?”

The viewing will give you the chance to form an opinion on the issues raised in the film and find out what changes need to be made to your lifestyle and how you can do this. Or if you just fancy quizzing the guest speakers and finding out what is already being done to tackle the climate change problem then come along and get in on the action!

The event is free and takes place on 21/01/10 at 7:30pm at the centre in Northfield. Booking is essential as places are filling up fast so call 0121 448 0119 or email enquiries@northfieldecocentre.org to book your place now.

Don’t miss your chance to be in the know about what’s happening on our planet and what the future holds.

Birmingham Friends of the earth, alongside Chris Duggan from GreenBrum, hosted the Copenhagen canal vigil gathering last Saturday.

The gathering, which took place near Brindley Place, was open to any members of the public who wished to show their support.

The event began around 6:00pm and involved the lighting of candles with attendees stood on and alongside boats, dedicating the evening to their passion for positive results at Copenhagen.

Aldo Mussi from Birmingham Friends of the Earth was one of the various people who were present during the event. Aldo said:

“What was striking and pleasing was the number of members of the public who spontaneously decided to join in just as they were walking past.

This was a beautiful and poignant way for people of all ages to show how concerned they are about the effects of climate change.”

BFOE are also set to host a green Christmas Fair taking place this coming Saturday, which aims to encourage people to do this year’s festive season in true ‘green’ style.

See http://birminghamfoe.blogspot.com/ for more details.

Green societies and eco friendly warriors gathered up to approximately 50,000 protestors in the capital city for the long awaited Wave. All marchers had the same general hope to speak to those in power and have their say on what the outcome of the UN climate change negotiations in Copenhagen should be.

Organisations from the West Midlands helped to build up the numbers making it the biggest UK climate change march ever. Local organisations included Birmingham Friends of the earth, Oxfam Midland group, The Diocese of Birmingham and Northfield eco centre, who Birmingham Recycled travelled with.

MP Ed Miliband (Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change) was present during the march and took part in private climate talks after the big ‘Wave’ in Westminster at 3 pm.

The event certainly grabbed the attention of on lookers and created a huge racket throughout London with roads boarded off for us to walk our miles. However I feel it is worth asking the vital question that we are now left with. What difference did the Wave make?

Dedicated Oxfam activist Charli Livingstone took saving the earth to the extreme by cycling from Birmingham to London just to attend the event. Charli said:

“I cycled to London because I care passionately about the impact that climate change is having right now on the world’s poorest people.

I even got to meet the Prime Minister and tell him why I decided to attend The Wave.

I believe that we needed to show this type of public support. It sent the UK Government a very clear message that we are watching and making sure that they put pressure on the European Union for a strong deal in Copenhagen.”

Ian Sullivan, an online campaigner at Oxfam, spoke of the Wave saying:

“For me, this is about justice.

There’s plenty more campaigning to do before and after Copenhagen.

We can, we must, keep the pressure on our representatives in Copenhagen over the next couple of weeks, but as the tension around the debating table rises, Gordon Brown and others would do well to heed the words of some of the youngest voices in The Wave.”

It appears the event has given a positive nudge to Gordon Brown as he is now ‘urging world leaders to give their promises at Copenhagen the full weight of international law within six months.’

The prime minister himself wrote an article for the Guardian saying: “Over the next two weeks we have the chance to come together, as a truly global community, to take the first decisive action needed to change its course.”

Ruth Davis from RSPB (Royal society of the protection of Birds) had clear idea of what she wanted the outcome of the protest to be during her public speech before the march.

She said: “Today were sending our leaders out there to demand a binding ambitious fair global deal but tomorrow and next year when those leaders come home its time for us to hold them to account for every single ton of carbon that they put in the atmosphere. “We will never be silenced, we will never go away.”

There is a clear determination for leaders and organisations to make a difference and come out on top after the Copenhagen Conference. It allows us to consider what the Wave achieved, which I would argue was a strong message to leaders about what this earth and the rest of the world needs and what we need to do to provide this. There are no ends to the dedication that came from the huge crowd, which is sure to carry on through years to come.

Check back on Birmingham Recycled for photos and Podcast Episode 9 from The Wave.

Birmingham Recycled highlights of The Wave from Natalie Adcock on Vimeo.

Host Malcolm Currie from Globally Local started off the night by introducing the present organisations at the event and told us the evening would consist of.

As it was the second date of the monthly event Malcolm purposely did not organise a guest speaker as a way to get people chatting and sharing their passions about how they lead a ‘green’ lifestyle.

Guests including members from Birmingham Friends of the earth, Transition Birmingham and other vegan and eco friendly locals swapped stories and shared ideas about up coming events over Christmas.

The group discussed future event ‘Green Rambles’ which will consist of a series of walks open to all people interested in ‘green’ issues. The walks set up by Harry Eyles are set to take place on the second Saturday of every month and will be between 3 – 6 miles long. Many different locations mostly dotted around the West Midlands have already been chosen as perfect destinations for the walks to take place.

Harry said: “Anyone is welcome to join us on the walks! We’ll stop for lunch in the middle of the day and admire the view.”

Other discussion topics included the COPENHAGEN Conference and the up and coming ‘WAVE’ set to take place on Saturday in London. A number of green drinkers including myself and Natalie on behalf of Birmingham recycled are planning to attend the event.

Leaflets for Christmas events were also passed around including the Cruelty free Christmas fair, which will aim to inform the public of what presents are ok to buy your loved ones without damaging the environment and causing cruelty to animals. The good news is one of these presents includes chocolate! This event is set to take place at All Saints Church Hall in Kings Heath on Saturday 12^th December from 10:30am – 3pm.

The hottest topic of the night was regarding last month’s guest speaker Tom Baker who rounded up a large crowd to discuss his business Loaf online. Tom, who has recently left his job with the NHS in order to dedicate all his time into the website, was described as ‘very brave’ by the group of green drinkers.

Tom is now running Loaf online on a day-to-day basis and setting up local baking classes in order to teach citizens how to make healthy sourdough bread.

The next green drinks is set to take place on 2^nd January and is sure to start the new year with new interesting topic discussions and another guest speaker!

For more information on attending ‘Green rambles’ contact Harry Eyles 0121 353 2442. Visit www.loafonline.co.uk for more information on Loaf Online and Tom Baker.

Host Andy Pryke got the group talking and sharing their opinions on the main topic of discussion – consumerism and the negative effect it has on society and the environment.

The group was made up of ten eager participants including member Joe Peacock, as well as myself.

Andy, who has been an organiser for ‘Buy nothing day’ for ten years, triggered the discussion, saying: ‘We are the richest people of our time, we have everything we need and we just want more.’

The topic discussion was chosen in relation to the lead up to ‘Buy nothing day,’ which took place on Saturday. It is a cause which aims to get the public to take a break from shopping and spending and enjoy the earth for what it is.

Andy and the gang shared different views on how they think consumerism effects society and how reducing ‘mindless consumerism’ may be a start to its improvement.

Pictures and cartoons were passed around with anecdotes of what consumerism in Britain does to us. One cartoon represented the circulation of consumerism which suggested our routine of life is based on ‘work harder, earn more money, keep going, buy more things.’

Surveys and statistics show that 20% of the population consume 80% of retail based products, which allowed me to consider to what extent we live in a country which consists of ‘an entire economy based on endless consumption’

From an environmental perspective it is the excess packaging and imports form all over the world that are having a negative impact. Andy’s aim behind the discussion and ‘Buy nothing day’ is to create awareness of what we buy and how buying more local, essential products will have such a positive impact.

Andy said: “It’s not just about buying nothing; it’s about thinking what you buy.”

Joe Peacock shared with the group: “I get my ink cartridges refilled to save packaging.

“Choice is one of the worst things environmentally. People are uninformed. A choice that is uninformed is not a choice.”

The group discussed how advertising is a large factor in increasing and continuing the circulation of consumption.

Andy said: “Advertising was a tax on products. If a product is so good we wouldn’t need to advertise it.”

Surveys suggest that people value Christmas gifts 20% less than gifts we buy for ourselves. It does pose a question of whether we should bother buying someone something that they may just return or put at the back of their wardrobe never to look at it again.

Andy said: “People do understand that they are buying tat and giving it away and getting in debt. They are aware of it but they keep doing it.”

I have to say it was a discussion worth hearing. It made me want to go through all my clothes that I don’t wear and give them to Oxfam. It’s easy in today’s society to forget what is important and get sucked in by advertising and ‘quality of life’ goods, especially this close to Christmas.

However in Western society, which is so highly built on quality of life and material possessions, how easy could it be to try and make everyone stop and tell the difference between what they need and what they want?

It’s not an easy task as consuming anything is all part of the routine and everyday life, but this doesn’t mean that things can’t begin to change.

Friends of the earth aim to make us realise that there is more to life than constant spending, a tough thing to do while we are all currently composing our Christmas lists!

There’s nothing wrong with treating the people who you love to a sentimental gift, after all it is the thought that counts. Maybe what is important to remember when your Christmas shopping is how a certain product will benefit somebody’s lifestyle and is it worth your hard earned cash?

Don’t stop the ‘necessary’ consumption just stop the ‘mindless’ consumption.

To find out more about how ‘Buy Nothing Day’ went and Birmingham Friends of the Earth visit: http://birminghamfoe.blogspot.com/

The evening, hosted by Malcolm Currie of Globally Local, was a success, gathering a number of people from different organisations under the same roof to share their thoughts and learn new things about being green.

Organisations such as, Green Party, Vegan society, Sustainable living, Birmingham friends of the earth, Oxfam and Transition Birmingham all had representatives present to have a chat about their work and interests, sample some food and listen to what guest speaker Tom Baker had to say.

The event, hosted at Locanta restaurant, took its green theme very seriously, offering a menu of vegetarian dishes on a recycled green paper menu made from green wash, instantly showing dedication to saving the environment!

The atmosphere was a conversational and lively one, which was boosted by the introduction of Tom who got the crowd talking even more. He introduced his theme ‘Bread in the environment, towards a greener loaf’ and spoke of his passion for bread making and how he aims to increase localisation of bread crafting and bakeries in Birmingham.

Tom, who is a nutritionist for the NHS as well as running his own business ‘Loaf online,’ intrigued the audience with facts of our general bread consumption, stating that 76% of us eat bread everyday and that only 5% of us eat bread of craft bakery.

He also claimed that 99% of bread that we can buy in the UK is transported and with 9 million loafs being transported every day, we are sure to filling ourselves up with the unnatural kind, which is full of additives. Tom said:

“You only need four ingredients to make natural bread, which is flour, water, salt and yeast.

“Bakeries used to be at the heart of the local economy, I would like to see more craft bakeries finally do something for the planet.”

Toms insight to the bread making world and his motivation to cut ‘the food miles’ had people asking questions and sharing opinions for over half an hour. Guests were keen to find out more about bread making and how it is done. Tom added:

“How long does it take to make a loaf of bread? If it’s more than three hours you’re getting close to having real bread. If it is less then it probably contains additives.”

He generated a barrel of laughs within the room when claiming:

“There are currently 7 million bread makers in this country not being used.”

He gave an example of a successful group titled the Oxford Bread Group, which are currently the most well established bread making group in the UK. Their aim is to stop people buying cheap additive full bread from Tesco, and start enjoying the privileges of a real cared for loaf of bread.

After Tom’s talk the atmosphere continued to be friendly and welcoming, with people wandering around the room generating critical conversations with strangers and learning new things about being green. The monthly event is sure to continue to be a success in future months, with confirmation of Marc Reeves, Editor of the Birmingham Post, set to be a future guest speaker.

Green drinks will take place on the first Tuesday of every month at Locanta and welcomes anyone who wants to put their mind to good use and learn more about the environment we live in and how to improve it!

The ‘Love food hate waste’ campaign are attempting to encourage household owners to use the food we have by offering a guide of how we can use leftovers.

A Birmingham Friends of the earth article outlines the statistics showing how severe the problem is. They said:

“Wasted food costs the average household throws out £420 of good food a year. For the average family with children it’s higher at £610.

“Researchers found that more than half of the food thrown out was still edible, is bought and simply left unused or untouched.”

Not only is this a huge waste of money, especially with grocery prices on the increase, but it is also means that we are having a negative impact on our so very precious planet earth!

Food waste is affecting the air we breathe by adding in polluting gases, which is bad for the environments natural atmosphere. Disposing of £1 billion worth of food every year releases methane, which has been described as one of the most potent greenhouse gases.

Birmingham Friends of the earth used WRAP’s calculations to show that stopping the waste of good food could avoid 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents from being emitted each year.

A source for WRAP said:

“Since the launch of the Love Food Hate Waste campaign in 2007, research shows that 1.8 million more UK households are now taking steps to cut back on the amount of food they throw away, resulting in an overall saving of £296 million a year, stopping 137,000 tonnes of food being thrown away. This prevents 600,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases being emitted, which is the same carbon impact as taking 100,000 return flights to Australia out of the skies.” 

It’s good to see people have been making the effort to reduce the problem, which is why we shouldn’t stop there! Get your Tupperware boxes out and keep eating, not wasting.

The event, which was held at Birmingham NEC, has been confirmed as the number one recycling and waste management exhibition in the UK. This year it had its highest number of visitors and exhibitors since its launch over a decade ago. Visiting demand has increased by 10% in comparison to the first exhibition and 8% since last year.

A RWM press source said: “A total of 9,781 people visited RWM 09 at the Birmingham NEC from 15 to 17 September. Stand space was sold out with over 500 exhibitors and over half have already rebooked for 2010.”

http://www.rwmexhibition.com/page.cfm/T=m/Action=Press/PressID=162

This seems to be good news for the environment as more people are getting involved and becoming interested in exhibiting waste and recycling!

Event organisers are impressed with the turn out of the three exhibition days as RWM popularity is continuing to increase despite the current recession. Event director Gerry Sherwood said: “RWM has grown consistently over the last five years and against the background of a general economic downturn we still saw substantially more visitors and exhibitors than ever this year.”

Companies who specialise in waste and recycling attended the event hoping to learn new ways to improve their company and see what advice RWM had to offer. These companies included Helesi, JMC Recyling and Recresco.

Recresco national sales manager, Fraser Macintyre said:  “This is the best RWM in the ten years we’ve been attending. I can’t fault it. Even on the last day it’s been very, very lively. Visitors from the local authority sector have been plentiful and we’ve got some great quality leads.”

Some of the most popular seminars that were given in the event were hosted by top supermarket representatives, Asda, Sainsbury and Marks & Spencer.

2009’s RWM was also presenting its first ever ‘tweet-up’ to visitors which was hosted by communications technology specialists Dig A Crusher. Sean Heron, the company’s managing director, justified the tweet-up saying: “There is a growing community of waste management and recycling industry professionals on Twitter and we became aware that a number of them were planning to use the RWM exhibition as a meeting point,”

http://dig-a-screener.com/tag/rwm-2009/

Make sure you’ve got your ticket for next year’s exhibition taking place 14^th – 16^th September, which is already under preparation!

For more info visit: www.rwmexhibition.com