2006: The Year the Climate Changed

In 2006, the climate changed, as it always does physically - getting warmer, getting cooler, getting dryer and getting wetter, more in some places and less in others. But the trend that has been with us for the last century continues - the earth is getting warmer, and the pace is picking up, and as the pace picks up, it will take more effort to put the brakes on as climate change begins to speed away into the distance.

At the same time, more people, including the Conservatives under Green Dave, church leaders, conservationists such as David Attenborough, more Americans including Al Gore, driven by simply bucketloads of hard science, are asking the big question - what are we doing about climate change? (and is it enough?) The political climate is also changing, even if Bush remains stubbornly resistant - and climate change is moving into the mainstream. The Guardian's John Vidal offers a similar and more in-depth analysis to these thoughts on a busy 2006.

Highlights (if you can call them that) from December:
Just yesterday, it was reported that a huge chunk (66 square miles) of an ice shelf that was part of Ellesmere Island, Canada, broke off and began to float off into the open sea. It happened in August 2005 but was only recently detected upon reviewing satellite imagery, which leaves you wondering how many other signs like this we're missing....

....new measurements on the rate of decline of Arctic sea ice (est. at -8.59% per decade), with the observation that the Arctic will be free of summer ice by 2040. There is a cool animation from the US National Center for Atmospheric Research illustrating changes until 2040...

....revised calculations that suggest that potential future sea-level rises have been underestimated, and that sea levels could rise by 59% more that previously thought...

....less snowfall for skiing on Europe's Alpine peaks, the weaknesses of the EU's ETS for carbon emissions, the fallacies of 'carbon-neutrality' and offsets, more on airport runway expansion, climate effects on other species and Miliband's carbon credit card mooted again, and finally (take a deep breath)...

...2006 may be Britain's warmest year ever-recorded, according to the Met Office and Hadley Centre - some 0.21C warmer than the previous records, that can only be explained by anthropogenic climate change.

Richard Black, the BBC's Environment correspondent, has a good piece summarizing political shifts on climate change in 2006. At the end of every year I rub my eyes and think 'was that another whole year gone just like that?' but then also think 'that's been a pretty long year where a lot has happened', and his summary 'Rhetoric up, action down' (which I urge you to read) is in that same spirit.

We have to do more in 2007 - make it our common resolution. Happy New Year!

The Rhino Army

Who needs those wishy-washy 'scientific' approaches to conservation? Park rangers in Virunda national reserve, DR Congo are adopting a new way to defend the endangered rhino - with heavy machine guns, jeeps and elite training from former British special services troops and EU funding.

By the way, whenever you do buy lined notepads of paper - look out for 'Rhino' brand notepads that say 'protect the rhino' or something like that - a small percentage of the price goes to rhino conservation funds.

The Vice-Chancellor Doesn't Fly

It's a bird, no it's a plane, no it's the...Vice-Chancellor! This is from a Freedom of Information request that I submitted in early November, and here's the gist:

The Vice-Chancellor of UWA has not taken any flights on university-related business since end-September 2004 to end-September 2006 (the time of two full academic years - my first two years here). I wanted to find out if he had been jetting all over the place (and especially to other UK destinations and Western Europe, which are the most avoidable to fly to and the most inefficient in terms of carbon emissions - climate change) on my fees and public money and impressively, it turns out that he hasn't. Good for him - well done that he's been able to successfully discharge his duties without having to chalk up air miles.

The Freedom of Information Act came into effect at the beginning of 2005 and provides anyone (that's you) or any organisation, with the right to request information from a public body - government departments, the NHS, local councils - and in this case here, publicly-funded universities. These public bodies must respond within twenty working days or give a reason why they cannot respond within that timeframe. The Act is regulated by (and appeals are made to) the Information Commissioner - an independent government watchdog. Certain exemptions apply - for comercially sensitive information or in the interests of 'national security'.

Still, there have been a string of reports in recent months on what is seen as Government attempts to restrict the use of the FoI Act through increased charges for providing documentation and on who can access the Act's provisions - 'serial' users, i.e. journalists, being restricted. The Guardian has a useful section on articles and commentary relating to the FoI Act

Off for the Holidays!

Just a quick note to say that things will be fairly quiet for the next few weeks (as they already have been for the last week) as I'll be back home, pigging out on food and drink and plenty of unproductive days.

There will be a few posts here on various issues - there are a few things that slipped through my mind at the time and never got posted - so do check back every now and then for the mundane.

But what you can do while/if you're home - make an appointment to go see your elected Member of Parliament or Assembly Member/Member of the Scottish Parliament! They'll obviously have a few days off for Christmas/New Year but I would expect that they'll be spending more time than normal in the constituency while Parliament has its Christmas break too! Take the opportunity to visit them and talk to them about any issues that you want to - from national policy on climate change, international trade negotiations, Lebanon, Darfur, post offices, aviation, railways and privatization, the NHS, proportional representation (STV) - just about anything. Raise the issue with them and you may be surprised at what they're willing to do - at most, they'll say that they don't agree - but they never like saying that, so it's worth a shot.

You can find your MP at www.upmystreet.com or www.theyworkforyou.com and call their local constituency office for surgery times and dates.

Have a jolly green holiday season!

Do Brown and Green Mix?

An Eurostar ad on Thursday's pre-budget report brought a chuckle to my face - it's main slogan was 'Gordon Green'. How have I not thought of that before...

The Chancellor's pre-budget report has been disappointing precisely because it has come on the heels of the Stern Review. The Guardian's leader article in today's paper begins aptly, "As words echo, they can start to ring hollow." I think the 'tinkering around the edges' assessment is right - the headline statistics are the increases in fuel tax and flight tax - which would add estimated average costs of 20 pounds a year for motorists and a 7% (5 pound) increase for short-haul flights. On the latter, this stands in stark contrast to surveying which suggests that something more drastic - a 28% tax increase closer to 20 pounds - would have a tangible effect of encouraging four out of ten passengers not to fly. Genuine freedom of choice is an illusion - we choose from the options that are presented to us, and it is the responsibility of government to present options that reflect public interest, rather than a slavish adherence to the principle of the freedom to choose. We have a number of freedoms that we are entitled to - but I really don't think that the freedom to fly is one of them. Where are the signals to encourage proper, environmentally-responsible behaviour?

At the same time, though, I'm mindful that at least the circumstances and the context in which we live mean that climate change remains near the top of the political agenda and something that the mainstream parties cannot ignore. The Tories and the Lib Dems have stolen the environmental spotlight from Labour, and in doing so, cast a bit more light on the Green Party too, which in turn puts a bit more pressure back on Labour. As more people talk about how we respond to climate change, a greater diversity of opinion emerges - I don't and won't agree with all of it, but ifwe're not on the same page, at least we're reading the same book and arguing over it.

I also listened to a podcast of a Tony Benn interview this morning. The thought that has remained in my head through the day - 'All progress comes from underneath,' and so we press on, doing what we believe in, doing the right thing towards a better world that may or may not happen in my lifetime - but everything begins somewhere, and behind the crashing of each wave on the seafront is the motion and the cycles that began hundreds of miles offshore.

Petition on Cardigan Bay Oil/Gas Drilling

You may not have been previously aware that the DTI is currently considering application to explore and drill for oil/gas in Cardigan Bay - home to the bottlenose dolphin.

Not only is Cardigan Bay a designated Special Area of Conservation (a designation of European-level significance), there is only one other area of the UK where bottlenose dolphins are resident - Moray Firth in Scotland. This is a species listed in Annex II of the 1994 EC Habitats Directive, highlighting its special conservation needs and value. Oil and gas drilling in a conservation area is the antithesis of the world that we want to see - instead, the potential for ecotourism and renewables has yet to be properly realized.

A petition to the Prime Minister (see earlier post on petitioning Tony) is available to sign here. The basic text reads:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Prevent the selling of licences for oil and gas drilling in Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation, in the 24th round of offshore oil and gas licensing, due to: the potential damage to the resident dolphin population, as well as grey seals, harbour porpoises, and other rare wildlife; the impact on the tourism industry based in west Wales; and the visual impact on an area of scenic beauty.

"The Department for Trade and Industry is considering selling licenses for oil and gas exploration, in an area which has a resident bottlenose dolphin population and is therefore protected by law."

For more background on drilling in Cardigan Bay, I wrote a draft summary background paper on the subject for Friends of the Earth Cymru during the summer, which you're welcome to read if you want to - just email me.

I Like My Locally-Produced Welsh Beef

The vegetarians among you make not enjoy the subject matter of this post, but I've just found out that all meat that is used by UWA Hospitality Services comes from local Welsh farmers and cattle.

A flyer for Nosh Da - the late-night burger/pizza thing by Cwrt Mawr - popped through my door recently, including a line 'Locally-Made Char-Grilled Welsh Beef Burgers). That caught my attention - I think that part of achieving genuine sustainability is drawing upon the strengths of the local environment, and food (and food miles) is a key part of that.

It boggles the mind to read about lamb from New Zealand being air-freighted from half-way around the world to your supermarket, or tons of British tomatoes being exported to Germany while tons of German tomatoes are imported into the UK. The environmental and social costs of transport are rarely apropriately reflected in the actual price you pay for your food.

I asked Hospitality Services about this with a tinge of cynicism, I'll admit. After all, a Tesco in Bangor was criticized during the summer for advertising as 'local' any food from Wales, which would include food from South Wales, despite produce from across the border near Liverpool actually travelling less than food from the Vale of Glamorgan would.

Nevertheless, UWA Hospitality Services, I'm told, source all their meat(not just for Nosh Da) from a local butcher, Rob Rattray. He has a shop in Aber, on Chalybeate Street with an elegant blue frontage and recently won a national (Wales) award for the quality of the produce available. The main processing facility is in New Cross, Ceredigion (not far outside Aberystwyth, to the south-east). In this case it's probably not more than 5 to 10 miles away.

Why is this significant? Firstly, the distance over which food has to be transported - from farm to plate - is greatly reduced. This means less carbon dioxide emissions (contributing to climate change) and less carbon monoxide from the trucks themselves. Secondly, local farmers - in this case Rob Rattray - and the local community benefits from this trading relationship. Money spent on this produce is going back into the local economy, supporting employment and locally-based economic activity (rather than big, faceless chain stores based at the other end of the country). The money, essentially, stays longer in the area. Thirdly, local produce encourages seasonality - having the same produce available year round may be 'nice', but does little to our understanding and enjoyment of food. Having the same produce the whole year round dulls variety and doesn't give you anything to look forward to. Finally, this is a tangible demonstration of the value of procurement and giving something back to the local community - big purchasers, such as UWA, are able to dramatically boost local sustainability, encourage greener behaviour and set an example through its procurement choices.

A final word on local food - you can do it too! There's a good farmer's market along North Parade every first and third Saturday of the month, packed with local farmers bringing their own produce (jams, vegetables, meat (try the wild boar burgers for three pounds), bread, etc) to market, and there are places in town that expressly stock local food (Treehouse on Baker Street, for starters)

And, if you've not nothing better to do and food miles excite your imagination (as they do mine), there is an interesting DEFRA (Dept of Env, Food and Rural Affairs)-commissioned report on "The Validity of Food Miles as an indicator of Sustainable Development." The Farmer's Weekly magazine is also running a campaign billed 'Local Food is Miles Better'.

If this isn't enough, there was an exchange at the National Assembly for Wales a few weeks back between Mick Bates, AM for Montgomeryshire and First Minister Rhodri Morgan during First Minister's Questions on food miles (go to page 27).

Ahead of the Curve?

From today's Guardian - Firms face compulsory carbon quotas:

"Many of the UK's big businesses - including supermarkets, banks, universities, hotel chains, hospitals and government departments - would be forced to sign up to a carbon-trading scheme under proposals being drafted by ministers.

The scheme has received an initial enthusiastic response from some of the companies, government sources said last night, and may prove to be a central feature of a climate change bill in the spring.

The proposed system would require firms either to reduce their emissions or buy permits from other companies, giving them the right to pollute above their agreed ceiling. The plan, to be outlined today, would bind 5,000 companies and organisations not included in an EU-wide trading scheme..."

Now if that's not a reason to Go Green - that if you don't cut carbon emissions now voluntarily, legislation will make you do it anway later on - I don't know what is.

Starting to Save Energy

I've just been informed that as a continuation of the Carbon Trust Higher Education scheme that the University was part of, funding has now been approved for an Energy Manager (based within the Estates Dept) on a six-month contract! I understand that the Energy Manager will mostly be conducting detailed costings and the necessary groundwork for various efficiency projects around campus - eg. detection lighting in halls, biomass boilers in buildings - so while I wouldn't expect much to physically change on campus soon, when these plans are complete the green button can be hit to start implementing these - saving the University money and cutting carbon emissions!

In a second bit of good news, a project funded by WAG (Welsh Assembly Government) and HEFCW (Higher Education Funding Council for Wales) is also getting underway in terms of remote metering for university buildings - so that we will be able to tell how much electricity the Interpol building, Student Union building, etc is using without having to troop out to the site to take a direct reading.

Why is this significant? This offers an straightforward, time-saving way to tell how much different buildings and departments are using in terms of electricity and energy - and so we can try and see who's profligate and wasteful or clean and efficient! I understand that this will take a few months to complete, but look out for the naming and shaming towards the end of the year (yes, I know that different subjects use different amount of energy - sciences vs. humanities - but we'll figure something out (suggestions most welcome) to apropriately compare energy usage and who's contributing the most to the melting of the polar ice caps.

Fairtrade University?

Fairtrade towns, cities, churches, even countries...so what's different about a Fairtrade University?

Here are the five conditions that need to be met in order to 'be' a Fairtrade University

• The Student Union and the university authorities both create a Fairtrade policy incorporating these five goals.
  
• Fairtrade foods are made available for sale in all campus shops. Fairtrade foods are used in all cafés/restaurants/bars on campus. Where this is not possible, there is a commitment to begin to use Fairtrade foods in these establishments as soon as it becomes possible to do so.
  
• Fairtrade foods (for example, coffee and tea) are served at all meetings hosted by the university and the SU, and are served in all university and SU management offices.
  
• There is a commitment to campaign for increased Fairtrade consumption on campus.
  
• Set up a Fairtrade Steering Group.

Why Fairtrade? Fairtrade delivers a better, fairer deal for farmers through long-term contracts that offer stability and security, bringing labour and environmental standards up instead of pushing them down, and guaranteeing a price so that the farmer isn't left struggling if the market crashes. Furthermore, a social premium is included so that farmers get a bonus to spend on a long-term investment project - education for their children, setting up a local health clinic, improving roads and so forth.

Contact Charlotte (cel4@aber.ac.uk), the Fairtrade coordinator, to get involved!!

Here are some pictures from universities that have been there and done that on Fairtrade (and we're not one of them!!). Oxford Brookes was the first to get Fairtrade University status and Swansea University are the only HE institution in Wales to have Fairtrade status.

Edinburgh University Vice-Chancellor and Student Union President







The cafe at Leeds University - Fairtrade vending machines, little packs of Fairtrade sugar, piles of Fairtrade snack bars...I thought I was in paradise compared to the struggle for Fairtrade here in Aber.

Ditching Plastic Bags

This Monday, at the Guild General Meeting at 6.15pm in The Joint, in the Union, I will be proposing a motion, seconded by Jenny from The Ethical Living Liason (TELL), for the Union shop to start charging for giving out plastic bags.

This would be a 5p charge for every plastic bag that a person takes with them, and the funds raised will go back into campaigning for environmental improvements in the Union and elsewhere on campus.

Plastic bags, in short, are the scourge of every environmentalist. Why? They are light, not easily recyclable, take hundreds of years to degrade, and are recklessly given away by shops for you to advertise where you've just bought whatever it is you've bought. Plastic bags are, as Michael Carmichael described it, humanity's worst invention. What I'll say on Monday evening will draw a lot on his essay in the November edition of The Ecologist - and the enduring characteristic of human forgetfulness associated with plastic bags.

We forget to bring our own bags when we go shopping. We forget that we already have dozens of bags stuffed in the cupboard under the sink and we don't need another one that 'may come in handy'. We forget that plastic is an oil-based material, and that oil isn't an infinite resource. We forget that all kinds of wildlife, especially marine animals, easily mistake plastic bags for food, and try to eat them - leading to their death. We forget that they don't decompose. We forget that if they are burnt they release all kinds of noxious fumes and chemicals.

So the 5p charge is really about helping people to remember. In my dream world, when people have to add 5p to their bill, they'll recall all these reasons and resolve never to take another bag. In reality, I think when most people have to add 5p to their bill, they'll scowl, be pissed off for a while....and pledge that they'll never be conned again and have to take another bag. Of course, the point is that most people won't have to add 5p because they won't take a bag. The point of the charge isn't to raise money, but to encourage greener behaviour.

This charge is about making it easy to be green, and making green the default option. No longer will only those for whom the environment is front-and-center say 'no bags, please', but everyone will, by default, be saying 'no bags, please' . You'll no longer have to fuss around and stop the shop assistant from shovelling the notepad and chocolate bar into a plastic bag. In the great scheme of things, this charge is about one small shop in a big big world. But every bag matters, and everytime resources are wasted, it matters. If it is a drop in the bucket, enough drops will fill up the bucket and cause it to overflow.

Other countries and societies have already begun to fill the bucket. In Ireland, a 15 euro cent tax on plastic bags saw consumption cut by 95% in the first year alone. In Bangladesh, they've been banned completely because they clog up the drainage system, contributing to more flooding in an already low-lying country. Across much of Europe, plastic bag charges are the norm rather than the exception. And the bucket is being filled by charges and taxes, rather than voluntary action, which is likely to be only limited to the green minority.

Do the green thing. Say no to the free plastic bag. Be at the GM Monday evening (please).

Petitioning Tony

I heard about this when the Queen's Speech came out mid-November, but have only just wandered on it properly - an e-petition site for the Prime Minister where anyone can create petitions and sign petitions to Tony Blair.

And yes, in case you were wondering, I have signed the petition that reads
"we the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stand on his head and juggle ice-cream", because 'if he's not going to resign, the least he can do is provide us with some entertainment'. 1426 signatures at time of writing and the deadline for when the petition closes is August 2007.

Funnily enough, I've also found out more about how you can actually deliver petitions to 10 or 11 Downing Street itself - you have to do it through your MP who will liase with the police and arrange for a small group of constituents to go to the Prime Minister's door itself.

Unfortunately, Tony won't come out and ask you to come in for a cup of tea - the website guidance reads "The Prime Minister never meets petitioners - even if they are cute children or war veterans." Since I'm neither, I don't fancy my chances.