volcano!!!

Well after several days of peace and tranquillity with the population able to hear bee’s buzzing and birds singing, we are back to the sound of engines crossing the sky to far flung destinations or France.

If you have been in a cave for the last week or so then you wouldn’t know about the Icelandic volcano that has erupted, spewing out enough ash to cover the North Atlantic and Western Europe

The news has been covered in the usually way of saying ‘CHAOS DESCENDS ON BRITAIN’ like our lives were drastically changed and people were running down the streets screaming because of not being able to cope.

Of course some people had the problem of being stuck abroad wanting to come home, they may have complained; but who wouldn’t like extra days of holiday even if it is on uncomfortably airport chairs!

News channels also had the extra problem of not being able to pronounce the Volcano’s name thus it just became the Icelandic Volcano (last time scientists check they was more then one volcano on Iceland) and not Eyjafjallajokull.

What is more interesting about this whole episode is the amount of environmental discussion the volcano has produced.

One point is that, I bet there are scientists somewhere analysing the data collected during those days of grounded planes to do with temperature, CO2 levels and cloud cover; hopefully they will come up with the same results those scientist that did the same thing in America when planes were grounded after 9/11 - results that state. Planes really do add to the climate change issue.

- It’s also good to know that those climate sceptics who believed volcanic eruptions cause more CO2 were proved wrong by Eyjafjallajokull’s activities.

It can also be said that the issue of Britain becoming sustainable and living on home grown crops was raised. Not only were holiday makers disrupted but so was crops like radish and pineapples; stuff with modern technology can be grown here in the UK anyways. Usually 90,000 tons of fruit and veg arrive at Heathrow per year, so much that many of these tons just get thrown away due to rotten. How good would it be to go back to an age where gardens are used as a food source, instead of being full of fanciful plants?

Transport systems have also had a boost; many stranded people are now taking train and boat to reach the UK. Imagine if due to this there is a surge in ‘taking it slow’ travel to Europe at least; after all they is a quote that goes along the lines of ‘it’s the travelling that makes a destination more pleasant’

Maybe the most important aspect is that the disruption adds to the campaign against a third runway at Heathrow. Since Heathrow re-opened I have remembered how loud planes are. For example when I first moved to Twickenham I would wake up whenever a plane was flying low thinking; Jesus it’s going to crash – I got used to the noise and have the option to go back to my home town if I want to hear nature, however many who have been born and breed here, for the first time ever, know what its like to have peace and quiet. There is even a movement to have a ‘plane free day’ once a year just for this factor. http://ow.ly/1B7uL

Of course flight companies say this will cost the economy billions, but hey I’m sure billions of people will be able to cope with that fact for one day.

Now, however we are back to normal – press have moved on to talk about Girls Aloud and flight companies are raking in the money; it would of been good in my mind if Eyjafjallajokull kept on producing ash until real chaos did descend and the newly elect Prime Minister would have to establish sustainability initiatives but alas this time the volcano decide to calm down before a Hollywood produce thought it would make a great movie.

Simon.Howlett

UK Aware and The Climate Summit

On Friday 16th, my day was busy – so busy I only had 5 hours sleep! (I usually live the lifestyle of a cat and sleep constantly)

This is due to an international conference call I willing signed up to help and accidently partake in.  - More on this latter.

for now lets concentrate on the exhibition earlier in the afternoon.

UK Aware as it states within its blurb

‘is the UK's only green and ethical lifestyle exhibition. Providing tips and hints for greener living, and products, services and inspiration which will help you live a more sustainable, greener lifestyle’

Sounds fantastic! i was drawn in automatically and signed up to attend on its first day (plus i got a discount – which also helped)

It took place at Olympia and had over 100 exhibitors (or as the Average Joe calls them – stalls )

Now I can be cynical and talk about how small it was and that they expected footfall of 15, 000 was way of the mark; but that's not positive and it does not help within the movement that I and all these exhibitors care about – being sustainable and ethical, in a world being affected by climate change.

While I was there, I picked up loads of leaflets (don’t worry I will recycle them) some can be looked over by REN to benefit our projects and our borough’s local groups. Some are for my personal use for career purposes and the rest are going to be used to make my housemates more eco-conscious.

Here is a list, link & brief description on those you might find useful.

More Eco Directory full of green, ethical and organic retailers + you earn a % cash back on everything you buy.

See what you are buying into A labelling scheme for businesses that have to go under an evaluation to see if their social, environmental and ethical (SEE) practices are good for the world! 

Green Metropolis a bookstore, in which you sell an unwanted book for £3 or buy a book for £3.75, 5p of this is then donated to the Woodland Trust – a great idea that keeps books out of the recycling bin.

Ecover Started of making detergents and cleaning agents, this has then expanded into helping customers make the whole home eco-friendly as possible.

Appetite For Action I don't know if this has been spread around schools, if parents have had to take letters of their kids explain the scheme; but what it is, is a educational website to help schools tackle sustainability issues via food – Yum!

Action Aid For those campaigners out there, Action Aid are involved in stopping tax dodging by multinational companies, the Robin Hood tax on bankers and making people create events in which there get to wear T-shirts stating ‘Say Bollocks to Poverty.’

The event was Held by Global Action Plan and it has been growing year-by-year. All it needs is more footfall – so watch out for it next year.

Now time for the other thing I was involved in.

The Climate Summit The premise is simple – have a live international video conference involving those involved with Climate change – whether its on a volunteer, religious, media, educational etc.. level.

I became involved in this due to my work with the UKYCC and it lead to me having phone calls at random points of the day from someone in Hawaii! My role was simple - to help those taking part in the conference within London, become settled and ready – problem was I really did not know what I was doing?

I was up till 2am finding out who might be turning up to this conference and finding out where it was meant to take place – worse of all when I turned up at the supposed location, they had never heard of this event even being booked??? Oh and as 6 people were meant to turn up but only  4 did- I then found myself trying to join in on conversations about religion and insurances policies concerning climate change.

The whole event was a shambles – but it was the first of its kind, the main guy in charge hopes one day to get heads of religion and government leaders involved to talk about climate – and I hope it Will happen one day.

The issue is, this debate thing – was kind of like Copenhagen Cop15. In that we had these speakers from around the world who raised they points of views on how religion can play a major role in reducing climate change and how insurance within the western world can be a major drawback on climate initiatives; but they did not suggesting on how to act. Myself and Anna Keenan another youth and a true campaigner, who went on hunger strike throughout Cop15 agreed on this factor and that they were not really interested in our views as being the generation who has to deal with climate change. (just like Cop15 again)

Here is a link to the 90 minute debate – I come in at about 9 minutes and only speak for 2 minutes – because, they are more interested in religion issues then youth. (oh and i wasn't that great at speaking)

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6223746

If you head to 60 minutes you get to hear Anna Keenan, who talks of global conscious, networking and the role of youth. In a realistic world this in turn could of led down a path of conversation figuring out religion and insurance polices relation to the younger generation creating something which then could started to be figured out.

Instead this great idea of getting great minds and people together just turned into a mild coffee shop chat.

Simon.Howlett