Walmer Picnic On The Green

‘Deal With It’ joined lots of other community groups for the annual ‘Community Picnic on Walmer Green’ and enjoyed a beautiful sunny day on Saturday 8 August.

As this was a free event, it was a great opportunity for community groups to advertise themselves and to recruit new members. Vicki, with help from husband Tony, had put together a board with photos showing all the things that ‘Deal With It’ had done and was joined on the stall by Rosie and Becky. We gave out numerous leaflets and even managed to sell some of our cotton bags! We had a very interesting visit from Luci Ransome from Transition Scotland, in the area visiting family, who will come and talk to us when she visits again in September.

Other ‘green groups’ present were Rippledown Environmental Centre and Friends of the Earth and there was plenty of interest from visitors to the stalls.

Many people had come along to the green, in large family groups, bringing picnics with them, attracted by the lovely weather, music from the Kingsdown Band and other attractions. A very good afternoon was had by all.

A Request from Ed

Ed says:

In December, world leaders will meet at Copenhagen to decide on a make or break agreement on Climate Change.

But this isn’t about what other politicians and I will be doing there - this is about you.

I'll be pushing for clear action to get a global climate deal that's ambitious, effective and fair. This means ambitious cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, keeping countries to their word and supporting poorer countries in adapting to climate change.

But the efforts of those of us at the summit will be all the more potent with the backing of real voices demanding action.

Please pledge your support for a deal at Copenhagen below

Thank you
Ed

Click on the link below to pledge your support

http://www.labour.org.uk/copenhagen_pledge

'Cashback' Pledge for Green Power

Households which contribute electricity to the National Grid are to receive payments under a new government scheme. Communities will be encouraged to generate wind, water and solar power, and be paid for how much they produce. Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said the project would "help create the clean energy of the future".He denied reports the government's energy strategy would cost each UK family £230 a year but admitted there would be "upward pressures" on prices.

He said the "high-carbon route" would mean a greater dependence on imports and exposure to price fluctuations, while the alternative "low carbon future" - which he said was "the right way to go" - would mean "mean some costs to transition".He added: "Individuals and communities can both play their part in the kind of clean energy revolution that we need."

At present, anyone in the UK who feeds electricity into the National Grid can get a reduction on their fuel bills through smart meters.Similar "clean energy cash back" schemes already operate in 19 European countries including Germany.

Critics warn that small-scale production is expensive and projects may require government subsidy.In Germany, whole towns have grouped together to buy wind turbines, build biomass plants and erect solar panels.They are then paid a guaranteed fixed price for every kilowatt hour of energy they produce - a higher sum than for electricity made from fossil fuels in traditional power stations.Three wind turbines can make £15,000 a year for a single village.Since so-called "feed-in tariffs" were introduced in Germany, some 400,000 homes,particularly in the sunnier south of the country, have installed solar panels.But the government has had to subsidise such projects in order to keep them viable.At present, only about 2% of Britain's energy comes from renewable sources, but the government has pledged to increase that to 15% within the next 12 years.

see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8146318.stm for original article.

'Celebrate Your Deal'

The autumn winds of October will herald the hottest event of the DWI calender. It's time to get ready for the first 'Celebrate Your Deal' - a show that will bring together all that's great about Deal. 'Local' and 'Sustainable' are the key themes and the event will raise awareness of what sustainability means and why it's important for happy, thriving communities. The Landmark Centre, Deal's buzzing community space plays host for the day to all sorts of independant businesses, local producers, artists, musicians and community groups. They'll all be there, showing off their wares, demonstrating their skills and getting to know their public even better.

This is a free event that will be a great day out for the whole family. The Landmark is a huge venue and we'll be making full use of it, with all the spaces chock full of things to see, do, buy and try - they'll be free samples in the food hall, fun workshops, a mini-cinema, live music, thought provoking presentations and demonstrations by the experts ...from bee-keeping to bike maintenance to jewellery making.

We've already started the search for stallholders and community groups. If you would like to be part of making a great day happen, get involved and get in touch celebrateyourdeal@yahoo.co.uk

Recession Bites

Click on the links below to read and watch very interesting BBC articles on how the recession is affecting the way we shop for food. Do our concerns about the environment, climate change, fairtrade, health and animal welfare go out the window when times are tough?

News article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8124352.stm

TV Programme:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lk4cd/Money_Programme_2009_Gregg_Wallaces_Recession_Bites/

The Supermarkets - "Doing the Right Thing"?

Marks & Spencer has recently launched a national advertising campaign pushing its £200m ethical plan and chiding rivals for giving up on "fashionable" eco-policies due to the recession.

The national press and internet campaign, "Doing the Right Thing" trumpets the key tenets of its £200m five-year ethical trading initiative, called Plan A, a five-year 100-point 'eco' plan" which includes becoming carbon-neutral by 2012."It's the only way to do business," insists the company. "There is no Plan B."

The retailer said that it has achieved 39 of the 100 commitments outlined in the plan and that the £200m cost has been more than offset by savings made through policy changes relating to energy efficiency and waste.

So should we be applauding M&S and other supermarket chains as the new friends of the Earth? The environment is certainly a big seller for them and there is no doubt that these large chains can affect the buying habits of a wider public with their glossy campaigns. But can we trust them and their motives?

The slow change in attitude from the supermarkets over the decades must surely be partly thanks to consumer pressure, environmental campaigning and government legislation. However, it is also the rise of corporate social responsibility that leads many supermarkets to make claims that they are setting higher standards for themselves than any government would dare to impose through regulation. Marks and Spencer, for example, has promised to become carbon neutral and to cease sending waste to landfill by 2012, and to stop stocking any fish, wood or paper which has not been sustainably sourced. Tesco promises to attach a carbon label to all its goods. These standards, moreover, are rather higher than those the British government sets for itself. M&S has pledged to use carbon offsets (paying other people to make cuts on its behalf) only as “a last resort”.The government uses them as a first resort.

So these days, are the campaigners and the politicians redundant? Not a bit of it. The corporate social responsibilities adopted by any company are only voluntary - just because they set high standards or make lofty promises it does not necessarily follow that they will deliver on them. It must fall to the government and the public to hold retailers to account.

Sir Terry Leahy, CEO of Tesco has said that he aims to cut the distance that Tesco’s products travel, especially by air. He will also switch some of Tesco’s road freight (he did not say how much) to rail. But he said nothing about reducing the journeys made by his customers. Shopping accounts for 20% of car journeys in the UK. By closing their out-of-town stores and replacing them with warehouses and deliveries, the supermarket chains could both reduce the energy costs of their buildings and (according to government figures) cut the traffic caused by shopping by 70%.

And what of the dominance of the superstores? The Competition Commission is investigating the “land bank” accumulated by Tesco - a huge portfolio of sites on which the company appears to be sitting until it can obtain planning permission. Many of them are out of town. If Tesco develops them, it will drag even more cars onto the road. Out-of-town shopping is incompatible with sustainability.

One decision the big supermarkets will not make voluntarily is to relax their grip on local economies. It will always be harder for small businesses to work with the supermarket bullies than with the local baker or butcher; Tesco’s economy will continue to favour the big, distant supplier over the man down the road. And what of the sense of community independent small shops help to foster, which encourages people to make their friends close to home? If so-called 'love miles', those essential (emotionally at least) journeys to far-flung friends and family, are the most intractable cause of climate change, we need to start cultivating as much community spirit as we can.

In any case, shouldn't we be trying to consume less? Less is the one thing the superstores cannot sell us.

The big retailers are competing to convince us that they are greener than their rivals, and this should make us glad. But we still need governments, and we still need campaigners.

See the M&S campaign for yourself at http://plana.marksandspencer.com/

This article is a summary of a collection of articles written by George Monbiot, Fred Pearce and Mark Sweeney.

It's Good To Talk

On Tuesday 23rd June 'Deal With It' members met with Gwyn Prosser MP to lobby him on climate change and environmental issues.

Deal's MP, who has campaigned with Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, met members of the group in Trinity Church, where a wide range of questions were raised around the topics of climate change and resource depletion and the corresponding local and global consequences.

Speaking after the meeting Gwyn said:

"We had a friendly and lively exchange on a whole series of subjects which varied from waste recycling and plastic bags to Heathrow expansion and public transport in Deal. We didn't reach full agreement on all the issues but I've promised to take their message back to Government and I readily agreed to meet with them again.

"I think it's fair to say that we agreed that while the Government had made big strides in some areas to address global warming there was lots more to do and we all looked forward to achieving a global deal at the Copenhagen Summit in December."

What A Makey-Do!

Come to Sandwich Guildhall on Saurday 11th July for a day of craft workshops, hands-on activities and handmade goodies for all ages.

The event is supported by BASH - Bringing Alive Sandwich Heritage, a not-for-profit group of volunteers that include teachers, artists and craftspeople, youth workers and individuals with an interest in history, heritage and culture.The BASH committee works alongside community groups and the STARR regeneration group to deliver projects in the town.

Bring the whole family and shop, create, relax and eat cake in the company of other relaxed crafty types.

If you're one of the first through the doors at 10a.m you'll receive a wonderful goodie bag.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry - It's Festival Time

Kent’s best festival, ‘Lounge On The Farm’ returns for it’s fourth outing on the weekend of 10-12th July 2009. Set in the idyllic surroundings of Merton Farm in Canterbury, ‘Lounge On The Farm’s rustic charms will play host to 160 bands spread across 6 stages, from local heroes to renowned heavy hitters.

The festival is about having fun, good tunes, local food, drinks in the sunshine and above all has something for everyone who appreciates a good musical cocktail and a lot of laughs among friends.

LOTF is a local festival aiming to involve as many local businesses, community groups, artists and producers, in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint and promote local sustainability. A wonderful selection of local foods will be on sale over the weekend, meaning less food miles. The organisers have also got their eye on green travel. Shuttle buses from both of Canterbury's train stations will be provided and there will be secure parking for bicycles.

It's very much a family festival and it's not just about music - there will be a whole field dedicated to theatre, cinema, green issues and kids' stuff. Transition City Canterbury will be represented, as will Canterbury Greenpeace. So come along and bring your best mate, your favourite auntie, all the kids and granddad and get ready for lounging on the farm!

http://www.loungeonthefarm.co.uk/

Rainforest Robbery

The island of Madagascar is a veritable Noah's Ark of biodiversity, and this natural wealth is the country's primary treasure and opportunity for future ecologically sustainable development. The Korean company Daewoo Logistics intends to lease half the agricultural land in Madagascar for 99 years, industrially producing maize and palm oil on 1.3 million hectares that are now biodiversity rich rainforests and gardens. There already exists a severe food crisis nationally and local peoples, who are soon to be dispossessed from their land, are protesting, causing a major government crisis.

If you want to tell Daewoo that the people of Madagascar have spoken,and to shove off and leave Madagascar's rainforests, peoples and land alone click on the following link to find out how.

http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/ueberuns.php

Join the Mili-Band

News from Canterbury Greenpeace

On 4 July, thousands of people from the UK will come together to form a human band, surrounding Kingsnorth power station in Kent, in opposition to building a new coal-fired power plant. This event is called the ‘Mili-Band'.

We’ve made huge progress on the coal campaign in the last few weeks with Climate and Energy Minister Ed Miliband finally ruling out any new coal fired power stations that don’t capture a proportion of their carbon. However, with this new proposal he’s not gone nearly far enough. The next few months will be crucial in persuading Ed to go all the way.

People gathering on 4 July are from a diverse range of communities and organisations, including Oxfam (who are co-ordinating the event), Christian Aid, People and Planet, The Women’s Institute, the World Development Movement, National Union of Students, Woodcraft Folk, RSPB and Greenpeace. This will be a low-arrest risk event!

We can pick up a free shuttle bus to the site from outside Rochester train station in Kent between 9.30 and 11am but we must arrive at Kingsnorth by 11.30am so we would want to arrive at Rochester at about 10.30, as it is a bit of a walk to the power station from Kingsnorth village.

These events are a lot of fun, bring a picnic.

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/
http://www.greenpeaceactive.org.uk/

New Urbanism

The Age of Stupid

Deal With It are proud to bring you a screening of The Age of Stupid on Friday 22nd May at the Pines Calyx, St Margaret's Bay, (near Deal) CT15 6DZ.

The film stars Pete Postlethwaite as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking back at archive footage from 2007 and asking: why didn't we stop climate change when we had the chance? Take a look at the trailer:

The Age of Stupid: final trailer Feb 2009 from Age of Stupid on Vimeo.

The £450,000 budget for the film was raised by 'crowd-funding' - selling shares to individuals and groups - and is therefore completely independent.

The venue, Pines Calyx, is home to one of the UK's most sustainable conference buildings. Tickets are a very modest £3.00 and doors and bar open at 6pm. Bring a picnic to enjoy in the beautiful 6 acre gardens that surround the venue. The film starts at 7pm and will be followed by a question and answer session by guest speakers and a live webcast featuring the director of the film, Franny Armstrong, Nicholas Stern and George Monbiot.

See http://www.ageofstupid.com/ for more info.

Canterbury Looks Forward to the Future

Get over to Canterbury for 'Preparing for a Sustainable Future’. It's set to be a really inspiring evening with top speakers and lively discussion. Take the opportunity to meet up with the members of Transition City Canterbury.

Speakers:

Caroline Lucas MEP and leader of the Green Party

Ben Stewart of Greenpeace on Kingsnorth

Patrick Holden of the Soil Association

Paul Mobbs on Peak Oil

7.00 p.m. 18th May 2009

St. Peter’s Methodist Church, High Street, Canterbury
(near Oxfam bookshop)

http://www.transitioncitycanterbury.blogspot.com/

Transition Times

Click on the image to read a recent article from The Times on one man's journey to Transition.

Green new deal?

Below is a shortened version of an article from yesterday's Guardian by Andrew Simms, author of 'Do Good Lives Have To Cost The Earth' and Policy Director and head of the New Economic Foundation's Climate Change programme. Click on the title to see the full article.

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The UK economy faces a triple crunch: a recession triggered by a major credit crisis, the looming reality of runaway climate change and critical resource depletion. As a result we face serious challenges to our livelihoods and increasing threats to our fuel and food security.

Whatever the mistakes that allowed this situation to arise, there is growing international consensus that the best way out is via a green new deal policy package. Parts of the UK economy are in freefall with unemployment rising rapidly. At the same time, with less than 100 months to go before the world enters a new, more dangerous phase of global warming, there is an urgent need for the rapid environmental transformation of the economy.

A green new deal demands a comprehensive array of new checks and balances on the financial sector and a range of new economic instruments ranging from new bonds to business incentives and taxes.

But what is the government actually doing that is new and additional to stimulate the economy by spending on the environment? Spending included in the green stimulus package of the government's pre-budget report of £100m is astonishingly small compared with other recent spending commitments, at just 0.6% of the UK's £20bn recovery plan. This key element makes up just 0.0083% of UK GDP. In stark contrast, in the wake of the banking crisis nearly 20% of UK GDP has been provided to support the financial sector and the stimulus package allocates £2.3bn to the car industry.

Estimates for necessary new annual spending on environmental economic stimulus and transformation range from £11bn, according to Lord Stern, to £50bn, according to the Green New Deal Group.

With the G20 taking place at the moment, the government needs to understand that true international leadership means putting the UK on course to climate safety. That will deliver inspiration to other countries, make the necessary changes and help ensure the UK's own climate and energy security.

The overwhelming benefits of this course makes the government's reluctance to act hard to understand. How often in politics does a triple win opportunity emerge? If they don't take it, they really are not fit to govern.

10 Ways to save the world

Click on the title to see last Sunday's article from The Independant.

Poetry in Transition

Poet and broadcaster Matt Harvey takes a sympathetic look at the Transition Town movement. He talks to Transition Town movers and shakers in Totnes, Stroud and Brixton, including Rob Hopkins, author of the Transition Town Handbook, and shares his discoveries with a live Wondermentalist audience in Totnes...

Keep It Local

A spoof Tesco ad from Friends of the Earth highlighting the destructive effect of supermarkets on local shops.

'Sustainable Communities Explored'

On Wednesday 8th April the Carbon Free Group will host the 'Sustainable Communities Explored' event at the Pines Calyx, an award-winning eco conference centre situated in a stunning cliff-top garden location near Dover in Kent.

There has been a lot of talk in the past 12 months about building sustainable communities, particularly as food and fuel prices steadily escalate, but the realities of the challenges involved are rarely addressed in any depth. This event is about learning from people with real-life experience of creating sustainable communities; it is about understanding what works and what doesn't; it is about sharing pragmatic solutions and it's about being inspired by what has already been achieved by others.

The day will focus on examples of successful sustainable community development in the UK. Topics to be explored include local economic systems and currencies, housing/community building, co-housing, rural sustainable land use and food cultivation training. A number of communities will also be looked at from the perspective of how they function, how they are managed, what they are like to actually live in and what they can teach us. St Margaret's-at-Cliffe, the village where the event is being held, will be discussed as a case study of a community transitioning to a sustainable future.

A small number of places for this event are available at the special rate of £65+VAT to Deal With It members. If you are interested in attending at a reduced cost please contact dealwithittoday@yahoo.co.uk in the first instance. The event is aimed at both those with professional involvement in the field of sustainability, and also individuals interested in learning more about a topic that has increasing relevance in all aspects of today's society.