James Balog's TED talk

Following our sucessful showing of 'Chasing Ice' at the Astor here is Photographer James Balog's TED talk:



Link is http://www.ted.com/talks/james_balog_time_lapse_proof_of_extreme_ice_loss.html

'Chasing Ice' - Witness Climate Change happening

One film to definately see in 2013 ....

Acclaimed photographer James Balog was once a skeptic about climate change. But through his Extreme Ice Survey, he discovers undeniable evidence of our changing planet. In Chasing Ice, Balog deploys revolutionary time-lapse cameras to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers. His hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate.

Traveling with a team of young adventurers across the brutal Arctic, Balog risks his career and his well-being in pursuit of the biggest story facing humanity. As the debate polarizes America, and the intensity of natural disasters ramps up globally, Chasing Ice depicts a heroic photojournalist on a mission to deliver fragile hope to our carbon-powered planet.



http://youtu.be/VIdkgZVGhWc

Website site - http://chasingice.co.uk/about 

Climate Change beyond dangerous...

Prof Kevin Anderson of the Tyndall Centre in Manchester online lecture 'Climate Change beyond dangerous'

Professor Kevin Anderson - Climate Change: Going Beyond Dangerous

View another webinar from DFID

http://www.slideshare.net/DFID/professor-kevin-anderson-climate-change-going-beyond-dangerous

No backtracking on climate targets

Campaign against Climate Change www.campaigncc.org

No backtracking on climate targets!

EMERGENCY DEMO

Next week: Monday 16th
8.00 am at Lib Dem HQ, at 4 Cowley Street, Westminster – map here.

Demand the Lib Dems stand up for their environmental principles! Or are they just poodles to the Tory right?

8.45 am Move on to Downing Street

Demand that Cameron stick by all he argued for when he supported the Climate Act. Or was that all just green posturing? Is this the most green-backtracking government ever?

This looks like crunch time for this government, and for the country on whether we will have any meaningful targets on emission cuts, or whether they will be watered down in the interests of the business lobby and short term economic interest every time…

See:

www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/09/climate-defining-green-moment-cameron

www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/09/friends-earth-ipcc-proposals-policy

www.monbiot.com/2011/05/09/shaking-the-tree/

www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/may/09/vince-cable-chris-huhne-carbon-emissions

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13343055

The crucial decision will be taken at a meeting on Monday… hence the timing of this demo

Never mind that the targets - even before they are watered down - are not stringent enough in the light of the latest science, anyway. Never mind that the UK’s whole carbon-cutting strategy will rapidly unravel once regular budgets for cutting emissions like this are not maintained. Never mind that delaying emissions cuts risks putting a fatal amount of carbon in the atmosphere before we ever get to making those cuts anyway. Never mind that the fate of billions hangs on us actually getting to grips with the climate crisis and making it our number one priority. Never mind that we will never be able to influence other countries effectively if here at home we are seen to put our own economic welfare before the global environment we share with the rest of the world….

…still it looks like short sighted, short term, economic considerations are threatening to take us down the path to misery and suffering on a colossal, unimaginable, scale…

Don’t let them get away with this, without any visible opposition! Join us outside the Lib Dem HQ and Downing Street on Monday morning!

Check the website for updates: www.campaigncc.org

PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

WWF resigns from Zero Carbon taskforce ... is the government ducking climate change

 There has been a number of backwards steps in the last couple of weeks by this 'greenist of governments'. On Friday the WWF resigned from the Government's Zero Carbon taskforce because of weakening of the defination of 'Zero Carbon Home' (read more here).

At the same time the climate change campaigning group 38 degrees has issued another very successful online campaigns (re-printed below).

Several supporters have written to local MPs about they concerns. On the 16th April there is bicycle lobby starting in Dover and going to Canterbury by local coalition of East Kent Climate Change groups.


 From 38 degrees
David Cameron has always promised to tackle climate change, but it looks like he might be on the brink of ditching that promise.. We need to move fast to stop that happening.

Government climate change experts are recommending bold but realistic new targets. But hardliners in the Treasury are trying to block their progress. [1] It's being reported that the government is "deeply divided" on what to do next. [2] If we act now, we can make sure the decision goes the right way.

The next two weeks are vital. If Cameron and Clegg are hearing from thousands of us, they'll know that breaking their promises on climate change would mean uproar.

Click here send a message to David Cameron and Nick Clegg: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/action-on-climate-change

Last year Cameron promised to tackle climate change, saying he wanted to lead “the greenest government ever”. [3] It would be a disaster if this promise was broken. If we water down our targets, we won't bring down emissions fast enough to stop dangerous climate change. And if we're watering down our own targets, how can we ever hope to persuade the rest of the world to take action?

It was people power that pushed the last government to agree to set targets to tackle climate change in the first place. [4] It was people power that pushed Cameron and Clegg to promise to make climate change a priority. Now people power can persuade Cameron and Clegg to keep their climate promise.

Email Cameron and Clegg now telling them to accept the expert advice:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/action-on-climate-change

38 Degrees members have a great history of pushing the government to do better on the environment. Back in 2009, thousands of us phoned the then Climate Minister Ed Miliband just before he left for international climate talks. Last month, half a million of us helped stop government plans to sell off our forests. Just two weeks ago, tens of thousands of us voted to keep climate change a priority campaign for 38 Degrees. So now, let's keep up the pressure and make sure Clegg and Cameron know they can't water down our climate targets.

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/action-on-climate-change


Thanks for getting involved,

Johnny, Hannah, David and the 38 Degrees team


Notes:
[1] The really important recommendations are
- A domestic action fourth carbon budget of 1950 MtCO2e
- An indicative 2030 target to reduce emissions by 60% relative to 1990 levels (46% relative to 2009 levels)
- An adjustment of the second and third budgets to reflect the level of ambition in the intended budget for the non-traded sector, giving an economy-wide reduction of 37% in 2020 relative to 1990.
The full report can be seen here: http://www.theccc.org.uk/reports/fourth-carbon-budget

[2] The Guardian reports: "The news comes ahead of a crucial cabinet discussion of the UK's climate change targets beyond 2020. There are still deep divisions between the Department of Energy and Climate Change, which is calling for tough targets to stimulate green growth, and the Treasury and the Department of Business, which argue that the current economic situation calls for less stringent targets in 10 years' time." http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/29/uk-global-green-investment-rankings

[3] http://www.guardian..co.uk/environment/2010/may/14/cameron-wants-greenest-government-ever

[4] http://www.foe.co.uk/news/climate_law_world_first_16014.html

The Big Climate Reconnection April 16th - Route Details

THE BIG CLIMATE RECONNECTION – APRIL 16TH

Route

11.am Ride starts at Dover Priory Railway Station (Rendezvous 1 – the Early Birds). Aim to be there by 10.45 for a prompt start. We will be cycling from Dover to Deal and apart from the accent up the cliff on the alternative wheeling route, the journey to Deal is virtually downhill all the way and follows NCR1.

12.15-12.30pm - Arrive Walmer (Rendezvous 2 – for late joiners)

12.30 Dover and Deal Conservatives, 54 The Strand, Walmer, Kent CT14 7DP. Letter delivered to Kent Conservatives (see Appendix 2)

1pm – Lunch (bring your own)

1.30pm - Out of Deal on miner's cycle path and to end of it where left.  At TJ turn right direction Snowdon and right after 20 yards to Finglesham.  Forwards up hill and down to turn right at Ham Sandwich sign.  Uphill and roads bears left.  Turn right to Blazing Donkey pub. 

Forwards and downhill and up again to crossroads in Eastry. Straight across and down and uphill to crossroads at windswept tree (sic).

Left and then right to Rowley.  Cottages on right and turn left uphill to top and turn left to crossroads.  Turn right and forwards to Wingham road.  At TJ turn right and 20 yards on turn left downhill.  Forwards to Wingham Well to meet main road at The Haywain.  Cycle through pub car park and turn left at pub.  50 yards on turn right and follow up hill to meet Adisham Bekesbourne road.

Turn right and downhill to turn left after Archbishop's Palace to Patrixbourne.  At water splash turn right to mini RAB and left and immediately right up Cycle route 16 to Canterbury. Follow cycle route through Northgate and Pound Lane.

Drop off points along the way as the route touches the railway.

4.00 pm Rendezvous 3  at Guildhall, Westgate Towers, Canterbury. Presentation of pledge to Mayor (see Appendix 1).

4.15 pm – ‘Green Benediction’ by Greenpeace

Additional Logistics

Trains from Canterbury arrive at Dover Priory at 9.48am, 10.27am and 10.48am.

We have a large van which will be following us along the route, just in case anyone needs a rest.

Joining Points

Deal is a good option for those who are slightly uncomfortable in the saddle to return to Canterbury via Dover by train.

Another alternative is for people to catch a train from Dover to Deal and start their cycle ride there.

Spokes will be bringing hand held radios which have a 5 mile range and will be used by the leader and backstop on the ride. Like most Spokes rides we aim to go at the speed of the slowest rider and the speed of the ride will be dictated by the backstop.

Leaving Points

We pass close to Deal, Adisham, Aylesham and Bekesbourne stations for those who want to leave the ride along the way.

Keeping the Lights on -CPRE Protect Kent Videos

Videos from the Protect Kent energy conference "Keeping the Lights On" held at the Pines Calyx, St Margaret's Bay.

Richard Knox-Johnston, Chairman of Protect Kent outlines the challenges:
1)   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0_UATwmTkk&feature=youtu.be&a
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6plDLSNLMo

Sir Crispin Tickell
1)   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIGAjgD3hyw&feature=youtu.be&a 

Alistair Gould (Bay Trust)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXaTuxIk2XQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjIPhzdrMPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vORcB7ygVBc