MCFly 025- AFSL job

Action for Sustainable Living is looking for "self-motivated Freelance Education Officers" to deliver their schools support programme A Few Small Steps (AFSS) around Greater Manchester from September 2009. Through classroom & after-school activities, work with student councils, staff and volunteers,the programme will help to develop a 'whole school' approach to sustainability on campus, within the curriculum and across the school community. Salary will be £20,573 pro rata (£10.55 per hour/£84.40 per full day)and will be paid on a per project basis. Email schools@afsl.org.uk for a full job pack Closing date for applications is 5pm Thursday June 18, with interviews Friday June 26.

MCFly 25- other leads

Call to Real Action update

The next meeting of the group is on Tues June 16 at the Friends Meeting House. For more info, http://calltorealaction.wordpress.com

More SUV Tyre Deflation

Anonymous climate activists have once again targeted around 4x4 vehicles, this time in the Chorlton area. On April 23,they deflated tyres on 80 cars - without doing any damage to them, they insist - in a bid to raise awareness of their damaging impact on the planet. MCFLy has nothing to do with this, but has posted their press release here: http://tinyurl.com/qr8hyl

Climate Camp Update

One summer, three climate camps; Scotland (3-9 August), Wales (13-16 August) and London (27 August - 2 Sept). Each camp weaves 4 key themes: education, direct action, sustainable living, and building a movement to tackle climate change. To find out more about the camps, come to Jabez Clegg on Thursday June 9 from 7pm until 9pm (Dover St, opposite University of Manchester Students' Union). For more information 0161 275 2938 or manchester@climatecamp.org.uk.

MCFly 025- Bonn Chance, Mes Amis

Bonn Chance, mes amis

This December, our species has one last drink at the Last Chance Saloon. In Copenhagen, from the 7th to 18th, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change grinds into its fifteenth year, with a meeting that aims to replace the “Kyoto Protocol.” The governments of the world - with business, pressure groups and civil society looking on - need to convince the new kids in the carbon emissions game – especially China - to commit to deep cuts.

This will only happen if the US, European Union and other long-term polluters, show willing with cuts of their own and pony up real money for countries already suffering the effects of climate change. In the run up to the Copenhagen meeting, the negotiating texts are being hammered out behind closed doors and at meetings like the Bonn “SBI/SBSTA” meetings, which run from June 1-12. http://unfccc.int/meetings/sb30/items/4842.php

At this meeting the – deep breath – “Ad Hoc Working Group on Long Term Co-operation Action under the Convention” will be meeting for the sixth time. The AWG-LCA is seen by many as a key group because it contains the United States, which has never signed up to the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 agreement that committed rich countries to token emissions cuts.

For daily updates from Bonn, see www.iisd.ca/climate/sb30

MCFly 025- Living CO2mmunities

Living CO2mmunities

A Low Carbon Communities Event

Monday 29 June 2009

Manchester City Council is holding a free event for people who want to be part of the solution to climate change. As they ask in the invite: "Could you inspire and lead people in your neighbourhood to reduce the city's carbon footprint and make climate change action part of our everyday lives?"

It takes place on Monday June 29 at Manchester Town Hall from 4pm to 8pm. "There will be loads of information about climate change and carbon foot printing, how you and your community can get involved in becoming low carbon as well as workshops on how to apply for funding and filling in application forms."

To register for this free event go to http://livingcommunities.eventbrite.com

or contact Jon Littler on 0161 953 2733 or email campaigns.team@manchester.gov.uk

MCFly is One! Birthday party Tues June 2nd

MCFly is One*!

Come help us celebrate at the Sandbar, Grosvenor St on Tuesday 2nd June from 8pm

* MCFly is actually celebrating its 25th issue. Since it comes out every fortnight, that's is only 50 weeks, not 52. Journalists, ya just can't trust them.

More SUV tyre-deflating in South Manchester

Most of what you read in the newspaper is just
regurgitated press releases.
MCFly is taking the process to its logical
end-point by simply reprinting this, which
appeared in our in-box today...

"Manchester activists deflate SUV tyres

"A group of concerned Manchester residents deflated the tyres of a number of
Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV's) last night to protest their contribution to
climate change, oil consumption and road traffic accidents. Around 80
vehicles in the Chorlton area were targetted. The tyres were let down and
not slashed, this was done without any damage to the tyres.

"Given the threat of climate change and the governments inaction in dealing
with it, the group say that direct action such as this is, unfortunately,
necessary. Large SUV's contribution to climate change is more than the
average car as they emit substantially more greenhouse gases. These large
vehicles also have higher consumption and therefore require more oil: a
finite resource which many conflicts are required to secure access to.

"This issue is not just about climate change and world conflicts, SUV's are a
serious safety hazard. Road traffic statistics have shown that in car
collisions involving SUV's, people in the other car are 6 times more likely
to die than if they had collided with an average car, and furthermore SUV's
are twice as likely to be fatal in collisions with pedestrians.

"James, a member of the group, said, “These vehicles are totally unsuitable
for the city, they're dangerous, polluting and an unnecessary status symbol.
They should not be on our city roads.”

"Large SUVs are a symbol of excessive consumerism and due to a wide range of
issues, driving one in urban areas constitutes anti-social behaviour to
which we are all vulnerable."

MCFly 024- Environment Commission gets cracking at last

The Greater Manchester “Environment Commission” (see previous MCFlys and www.manchesterclimatefortnightly.info/ bluffersguide.html) finally met as a complete body on Thursday May 14 . All the elected and appointed members were there (as was a MCFly reporter). On the agenda was the 'Energy Plan', the future of the Manchester Climate Change Agency and investment into Manchester's environmental organisations. After a presentation by Mike Reardon, (of the Commission's transition team) about the commission's outline and aims, the AGMA-based 'Energy Plan' was proposed.

As part of the European Union “Partnership Energy Planning as a tool for realising European Sustainable Energy Communities” (PEPESEC) scheme, the Plan basically suggested that Manchester follow the Swedish model for energy planning. This model rejects the 'wires, kits and cables' approach and instead calls for an understanding of energy supply as a 'system' which needs wider co-ordination and planning. The Commissioners seemed rather sceptical of this idea, stating that this would need a wide base of consensual stakeholder support- something which is clearly lacking as it currently stands. Lynda Shillaw, Managing Director of the Cooperative Group Property, also remarked that they needed a clearer and more cohesive message to get the suppliers to change their strategic direction. Finally, commissioners voiced concerns that they didn't want their projects to be limited by PEPESEC and so they should be setting their objectives independently of this project.

Next on the agenda was the Climate Change Agency. Many commissioners seemed to value the importance of this delivery structure but were keen to learn from the mistakes of London's Climate Change Agency. They were informed that Eversheds consultancy which put together the report on Manchester's CCA had in fact worked closely with London CCA to identify and avoid potential pitfalls. Commissioners suggested that a representative come along to the next meeting- Monday June 8- and give a presentation on the important issues to make sure that they are learning from London's CCA mistakes.

Finally Walter Menzies, chief executive of the Mersey Basin Campaign, gave a quick overview of Manchester's Environmental Organisations and concluded that although many were skilled campaigners there was a lack of organisation or coordination amongst them. He cautioned that whilst they could do without a new layer of bureaucracy, they would benefit from real leadership and direction. In response to the disorganised nature of public investment in environmental organisations, commissioners highlighted the need for more intelligent deployment of public money in the future and suggested that investment should follow strategic aims.

Overall the first meeting of the Environment Commission was promising, with Commissioners really taking the task at hand seriously and suggesting practical ways to fulfil their ambitious role.