MCFly 029- Green Scheme leads to MORE emissions!

July 13 A Berlin brothel has created a discount scheme for "green" punters, as a way of swelling profits during the recession. Thomas Goetz, owner of the "Maison d'envie," told Reuters news agency that "customers who arrive on bicycle or who can prove they took public transportation get a 5-euro ($7) discount from the usual 70-euro ($100) fee for 45 minute sessions." The scheme is working. "We have around 3-5 new customers coming in daily to take advantage of the discount," he said, adding the green rebate has helped alleviate traffic and parking congestion in the neighborhood.

MCFly can think of several reasons "why not in Manchester."

MCFly 029- Coping with Copenhagen

Afterplay on the G8 summit in Italy

Fiona Harvey of the FT reckons “the point of this meeting was never going to be the declaration at the end of it. The real prize was that Mr Obama sat in a room with other leaders (excluding China, which could not be helped) and impressed on them his determination to make a deal at Copenhagen in the hope that they would transmit a similar level of will to their negotiators.Whether that strategy was a success or failure we will know in December.” Meanwhile, the head of the IPCC, Dr Rajendra Pachauri, has said that the leaders disregarded the IPCC's findings that emissions will have to peak in 2015 and then rapidly decline to avert the worst consequences of climate change.

Activist plans This November activists will be joining together to call for climate justice, using the hunger strike as a rarely-employed but powerful form of peaceful, non-violent protest. We are from all walks of life, including students, teachers, NGO directors, clergy and retirees. www.climatejusticefast.com. Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that a network of radical green groups is planning to disrupt the COP 15 by invading the conference centre and occupying it for a day. Climate Justice Action has said it hopes to mobilise up to 15,000 protesters to storm the Copenhagen climate summit and a large carbon dioxide emitter nearby.

Here in Manchester, Stop Climate Chaos bods have met twice with Manchester City Council, and announcements will be made soon. Richard Leese, leader of the Council, will be attending a few days of the Copenhagen conference (MCFly hopes he gets a window seat on the train, to check out the lovely French/Belgian/ Dutch/German/Danish/German/Dutch/Belgian/French countryside.)

Manchester Climate Forum is holding a “now that we've marched, what next?” meeting on Tuesday Dec 8 at the Friends Meeting House.

UN-animity July 23 The UNs top climate official, Yvo De Boer, has said that the richest nations will have to put $10bn on the table during the Copenhagen climate change summit. He insisted the burden of climate change must be shared and that the money would help developing countries.

And in “WHEW!You can stop campaigning, the world's saved” news, five top UN officials have added their names to an online petition urging world leaders to “Seal the Deal” at Copenhagen.

MCFly 029- Writing Group reports #1

Writing Groups reports

Buildings- productive first meeting July 24. Read our reporter's account at

http://manchesterclimatefortnightly.blogspot.com/2009/07/buildings-writing-group-lays-firm.html

Sustainable Consumption- meets Thursday August 6th

Green and Blue Spaces- met on Tuesday July 21 and "captured some great ideas and activity and have given ourselves a strong footing to ensure that the CCAP responds to adaptation priorities, in addition to its focus on delivering mitigation outcomes."

Transport- meets July 29. First draft of participants included 15 men and ... no women.

Energy- has not yet had a date appointed.

MCFly 029- Action Plan Update #3

Action Plan Update #3 Days between July 26 and November 18 = 115

The writing groups for the Action Plan are being established. Some have already met (see below).

Richard Leese has yet again gone out of his way to say that the target of a million tonnes of C02 less per year by 2020 (roughly a 30% cut) is a minimum, not a ceiling. Someone really should take him up on this offer. The other point, being emphasised by all three Richards (Leese, Cowell and Sharland) is that the Action Plan is not a "final document." It will be revised and toughened and made better. Indeed, at the recent Environmental Advisory Panel, one experienced panellist raised concerns about how much could realistically be written by September.

The Action Plan will mostly be about mitigation (reducing emissions), though there is a sense among those writing it that adaptation is going to have to get more than a passing mention. There are, of course, many unresolved questions here-

who is going to be revising the document in the month of October, under what criteria? Will there be a "final view" for the writers before it goes to the Executive on November 18? How will the document be released- in what formats, with what kind of launch event(s)? Will the lessons of the "Call to Action" be learnt? What are the mechanisms for engaging with "stakeholders" and improving the document in 2010 and 2011? What 'groundwork' needs to be laid down now? Just for starters...

MCFly 029- Climate Youth Conference in Manchester

On Monday October 19, Oxfam is hosting a free "Active Global Citizenship" conference. 25 schools from the North of England can send 4 students and one teacher each to a day of workshops and discussions about climate, Copenhagen and campaigning. For more information, contact Jo-Anne Witcombe, Regional Youth and Schools Campaigner 0161 234 2793 jwitcombe@oxfam.org.uk

MCFly 029- Wind and Workers

The Danish wind power company Vestas is shutting down a wind turbine factory, ending six hundred very green jobs. The Isle of Wight factory is, at time of going to press, occupied, and a campaign to pressure the Government to step in has been launched. A Vestas worker will be speaking at a public meeting organised by the Campaign against Climate Change; Tues 28 July from 7pm at the Mechanics Institute, Princess St.

MCFly 029- All Power to the... Council?

Manchester and Leeds recently got new powers - as “city-regions.” Announced at the Budget in April, it wasn't clear if this was another Westminster PR stunt about “de-centralising” or a real deal. According to a blog post by the Manchester Evening News journo who broke the story, (David Ottewell), it may be the latter. And crucially, number 7 of the ten 'work streams' is “Rapid transition to a low carbon economy” which 'will involve retro-fitting existing buildings and AGMA taking greater control over the energy with which it is supplied.' Watch this space.

Meanwhile the new Communities secretary, John Denham, has announced a consultation in which councils are "asked to tell the government what new powers they need to mount more effective climate change work." It runs until October 2, and MCFly will be reporting on Mancunian responses and the outcome.

www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/localdemocracyconsultation