News
Breaking News Waste and Consumerism - Responses to the South London Waste Plan were submitted on Friday 16th (deadline) on behalf of Kingston FOE and Kingston Anti Incineration Network - A strong theme of the response was application of the precautionary approach with regard to air polluntion, toxicity and human health and the failure to progress on plastics recycling and other alternatives to incineration.
Local resident wins landmark secrecy court battle with waste giant VEOLIA HAS FAILED TO SUPPRESS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW IN ITS HIGH COURT CASE.....See the UKWIN site for more info.
SITA AND VEOLIA ARE BOTH TAKING COUNCILS TO COURT. Veolia were recently in Court against Nottinghamshire to prevent the Council disclosing information to the public, hot on their heels.... SITA have just taken action against Manchester - because they didnt get the waste contract - and they are arguing that the Council didnt choose the most economic contractor........shame they dont realise there's a bit more to it - like quality of service! All an example of how dangerous these waste giants are.
- KFOE members are planning a shipment to Freetown, Sierra Leone - target date May 2010 - Resources from the generous members of Kingston Freecycle will be included in a ground breaking endeavour linking local community action with what could become Africa's green gateway at the Freetown docks in Sierra Leone. Contact Penny for more information and if you can donate to support a new independent organisation aimed at helping Freetown's indigenous community to provide community based infrastructure for food and other sustainable development and regulation. The ex dockyard container that Hull FOE our colleagues and friends financed in 2008 (complete generosity as FOE groups do not have a lot of money) is now with FOESL for use as a medical clinic...... our project work includes some basic health support via organics which we hope will be included .... we have some of the stock already growing with FOESL. Work on diet will also have overlaps with health issues.
Biofuels..... Kingston FOE supports the messages of the campaign group Food Not Fuel see link http://sites.google.com/site/foodnotfuelorg/ and is working with Friends of the Earth Sierra Leone on these issues. For further info see previous news stories:
1) January 2008 biofuels stories:
FOE Europe have put out a press release about this - EU Commissioners sound warning over agrofuels
2) The Royal Society have put out a report criticising the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, saying it will fail to deliver greenhouse gas savings and could be environmentally damaging - see Government needs to drive biofuels in right direction warns Royal Society
EU rethinks biofuels guidelines. Two EU Commissioners (Dimas, Env and Michel, Development) have expressed concern about biofuels.
The Royal Society have put out a report criticising the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, saying it will fail to deliver greenhouse gas savings and could be environmentally damaging - see Government needs to drive biofuels in right direction warns Royal Society
Green lifestyle: Government must do more. The Government must do more to help people live greener lives, Friends of the Earth says (FOE Press release, 2 November 2007)
Millions face Heathrow ban as injunction attempts to block peaceful protest. Heathrow airport is going to court next week in an attempt to ban environmental campaigners from the airport, parts of the rail network and sections of the M25 and M4 motorways. The ban aims to shut down a planned peaceful protest against the expansion of Heathrow airport from 14-21 August 2007 (FOE press release, 27 July 2007)
Billions face climate change risk. Billions of people face shortages of food and water and increased risk of flooding, experts at a major climate change conference have warned.(BBC website, 6 April 2007)
