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The Big One was organised by Extinction Rebellion (XR) and joined by environmental organisations from across the UK, to make clear to the Government that UK people expect them to protect the planet.
As the climate emergency worsens, our government is going the wrong way – cutting taxes on domestic flights, and opening up new areas for oil and gas fields. Its plans for cutting carbon don’t even match its own legal targets. We need a massive show of public dissent, and The Big One was part of that push. Extinction Rebellion initiated the series of protests from 21st to 24th April 2023 and was supported by dozens of other environmental and social justice organisations.
For instance, environmental charities Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Earth Day; health groups NHS Workers Say No and Greener Practice; justice groups Global Justice Now, Black Lives Matter local groups, Don’t Pay UK; global peace movement Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND); trade union PCS Union; are just a few of the organisations that supported The Big One. Though Just Stop Oil was just one of the participants the main media coverage of the evnt was whether they would cause any disruption to the Marathon on the 23rd. When it became apparent that there would be no disruption media interest in the programme’s attempt to stem damage to the planet subsidied.
Local Haringey Groups included the Muswell Hill Sustainability Group (MHSG), XR Muswell Hill, the Haringey Labour Climate Action Group , and XRHaringey.
The programme included speakers, interactive activities, assemblies, marches and lobbying of MPs with the demand to STOP FOSSIL FUEL EXPANSION and TO INVOLVE THE PUBLIC.
Friday was the day to go to Government Departments to tell them to protect the planet.
Saturday was Earth Day, and some activities were captured here:
🍃 #NoNatureNoFuture!
— XRUK_Actions (@XRUK_Actions) April 30, 2023
🔊Thousands march on #EarthDay2023
#TheBigOne in London 👀@XRUK_Live pic.twitter.com/5HPcg48CgtSunday was the day of the London Marathon and runners, most of whom were supporting good causes were cheered on by XR and the other groups.
Monday was the day to tell those in power to STOP FOSSIL FUEL EXPANSION and CONSULT THE PUBLIC. There was a procession to hand letters about the overcapacity of planned incinerators to Rishi Sunak and Government Department. The Haringey Labour Climate Action group met with their Hornsey and Wood Green MP, Catherine West to discuss how Labour could act on the Climate and Ecological crisis.
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- Red Rebels silent emotions
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- The Treasury gambles on an overheated planet
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- Green Wraiths for a Green Earth
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- Tree Protectors in action
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- Banshees against incineration
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- Tufton St firms finance disaster
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Haringey officials came along to George Meehan House in Wood Green on 4th April to tell the Haringey Climate Forum about their Housing work.
New council housing. Jack Goulde of Housing Delivery Team reported that 3,000 homes to be built by 2031, in context of 12,500 households on waiting list. So far all on brownfield sites though this could change. Working towards Passivhaus certification for zero carbon, but not all possible due to orientation. Also including trees and green spaces, bike storage etc. The scheme has been dependent on GLA financial support.
Click here for the presentation ‘New Era for Haringey Council Home Building’
•By end of April, Haringey will have started 39 projects, 195 homes complete (500 by 1/4/24), 2037 under construction.
•66% will be 2 or more bed, 25% will be 3-4, 20% will be accessible. Average so far 85% reduced Carbon from Bldg Regs, and from now on should be near 100%. Edith Road is first zero-C development, also has green space and food growing area.
•Also repurposing eg Finsbury Road shop.
•Haringey Council is now a leading example in London, and trying to use example to influence private developers too.
•Woodridings Court will be modular homes, built in factory, achieves faster, cleaner construction – piloting this with 7 other boroughs.
•Engaging tenants is crucial in understanding how new homes work.
•Cost premium ca 10% for zero carbon.
•There will be post-occupancy evaluation re energy use. Etude is the contractor for this.
•New build uses little heat, but does use some, and hot water. Decision on whether this should be DEN or ASHP is made for each site.Council retrofit programme Gill Cox/Alfie Peacock reported that the programme is for 15,000 council-owned and 4,000 leasehold properties. This was largely as set out in the report adopted in January – tackling with worst homes first, using early ones as pilots for later ones, aiming to cut carbon and bills. To open the presentation click here.
•Aiming for EPC B by 2041.
•It would be possible to cut carbon alone by electrifying all heating but this would raise bills, so need insulation.
•Will be phasing out gas heating from 2026.
•Co-design with tenants, people need to understand why gas is going.
•Also need ventilation to address damp.
•Funded from Housing Revenue Account and using that to leverage external funds. Turner & Townsend is doing the surveys. Hope to have better data by end 2023/24.
•Replacement heating will be from DEN on some large sites, but could be ASHP or things like NexGen radiant heating. Will also go for solar PV where feasible.
•Early sites – Coldfall Estate, and 71 homes in N17.
•Current gas contract expires in 2 years so need plan.
•Risks – not hitting timeline; rising costs for each materials; conservation areas and planning eg where need to raise ridge heights.
•Four members of staff being trained in sustainable retrofit, working with SMEs and CONEL to get more local businesses involved and expand skillbase.DEN update. Joe Baker set out current plans. The DEN will be initially based on new developments and would also displace gas from existing estates eg Broadwater Farm. For the presentation click here.
Haringey’s 12th Annual Carbon Report – Joe Baker went through the figures for decarbonisation in Haringey from 2005 to 2020 and some of the activities that happened in 2022. For the presentation click here.
New Climate Action Unit for Haringey – Joe Baker explained the proposed structure, with a Corporate wing chaired by a Director or AD, and a Community Wing that the Forum would be involved with. This should be agreed soon and set up by late summer. Ideas welcomed on how it could operate. A new officer post has been secured and is being recruited to.
GoGreen/Big Green Week. Sonja and Pamela – this year aims to cover whole of June, include a Community Energy Empowerment Day, green skills day with CONEL. Tree event will be put back to autumn when planting appropriate. Everyone invited to join in, organise events and get them listed in the programme.
Ally Pally – Mark Evison reported that they had secured £85k for feasibility study on reducing carbon emissions, and work starts 5 April. We all look forward to seeing what emerges. This could include solar PV.
The Big One demos 21-24 April. All encouraged to publicise and attend. Quentin to send info to Sydney for HCF website. Could we encourage councillors who cycle, to cycle to Westminster for the event?
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Haringey Council and its Parks
Local green groups were well represented at the talk by Paul Ely, Parks and Green Spaces Strategy project manager (PGSS) and Cllr Mike Hakata to encourage Haringey residents to take part in the Parks consultation – ending on 27th Nov 2022.
They presented these slides Parks and Greenspaces Strategy for the Haringey Climate forum
The attendees were given copies of the ‘People Need Parks’ booklet – Haringey’s Parks and Greenspaces strategy.
The Parks consultation – closing on 27th Nov 2022
Haringey’s Parks consultation page – see here, has a list of all the supporting documents – see here including
- Biodiversity Action Plan (PDF, 1.3MB)
- Tree and Woodland Plan (PDF, 854KB)
- Watercourse and Flood Risk Plan (PDF, 364KB)
The questions asked in the formal Parks survey are here and the specific actions proposed are in the Action Plan here. As well as (or instead of) completing the survey, Haringey residents are invited to email comments on topics to do with Parks to Paul Ely Paul.Ely@haringey.gov.uk
The Draft response from Tottenham & Wood Green Friends of the Earth here was distributed and the link provided to the Haringey Tree Defenders Vision Doc here.
Paul Ely’s notes from the meeting are here.
Quentin Given’s notes from the meeting:
- Over 300 responses so far to consultation
- Banners and events in parks and libraries
- Aim to have all zero-emissions vehicles by 2027 and achieve EPC E at least, and C or better if possible, for buildings.
- Appointing an environment manager to drive the process
- Target to achieve 30 canopy cover in all wards
- 10,000 new trees
- Recognise the climate services that trees and green spaces provide
- Was 2 tree officers, now 6 and will be 7 with one dedicated to planting projects
- Getting Rewild London money for ancient woodland management, and develop new management plans
- SINC process feeds into planning, gives sites protection from development
- Haringey is the only borough currently increasing number of SINCs
- Tottenham Green Chain will link to Moselle Catchment Champion Cllr Sue Jameson
- New budget for design of pocket parks
- Want to make sure new borough Plan pushes boundaries of what we can demand from developers including re front gardens
- Herbicides – aiming to phase out where possible, using Foam Stream on EV by 2023, and electric root treatment
- Community weeding pilots instead of glyphosate
- Inviting proposals for new wildflower sites
- Big issue of diesel vehicles and generators in events, plus the impact of 250,000 people at events in Finsbury Park this summer
- Plastic cups in cafes
- Need to sign up to London-wide approach re trees and insurance
- Need more on protecting mature trees, tree mapping, bigger tree pits with planting around them
- Lots of TPOs but many trees have been removed, no monitoring
- Should be porous surface around tree pits
- Housing and Regen is determined to achieve council housing target but may be possible to save green spaces from them
- Front gardens, what are the rules and can they be tightened/enforced?
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Greenwash – subversion or ignorance?
The term “Greenwash” hides, literally, a multitude of sins against the climate and ecological crisis that confronts civilisation. From climate denial, through flawed carbon accounting to evasive language and head in the sand policy failures: how do we respond?
Enfield and Haringey are two of the Boroughs owning the North London Waste Authority, which owns London Energy and Enfield Council owns Enegetik which provides electricity and heat from the rebuilt Edmonton Incinerator to Enfield, and potentially Haringey and Hackney. In the 2022 Great Big Green Week speakers from Encaf and Haringey Climate Forum explored the phenomenon of ‘Greenwash’ and whether it might affect important local decisions. It used proposals for heat network as an example to consider how to spot greenwashing, how it affects us and what we can do.
The event opened with an inspiring message from Joel Bravette – Greenwash, blackwash….all washing: the best detergent is light. Joel Bravette is a professinal speaker, former trustee of the Vegan Society, current ambassador for “Made in Hackney” and (some say) social and climate alarmist!
Sydney Charles then explored “Greenwashing in North London – who to believe? – how it affects Council tax, how it affects pollution and how it affects the planet”
Vicki Pite (EnCaf) presented “Challenging and regulating greenwash”
Click on the pic for the slides to hear what Greenwashing is, the Competition Markets Authority protection for bought goods, legal challenges against false claims and an egregious example of local greenwashing.Francis Sealey’s key interview was with Georgia Elliot-Smith BEng, MIEMA, CEnv about District Networks – good or bad? and the effect of Greenwash on decision makers. Georgia Elliot-Smith is the Managing Director of sustainability consultancy Element Four, and has actively campaigned against the environmental damage caused by the Edmonton incinerator.
Francis Sealey then promoted the EnCaf next events on 29th Sept and 5th Oct “Health Climate Action and Enfield Community Hubs – a joint project by EnCaf and Enfield Racial Equality Council”
Francis Sealey chaired the audience discussion: Are councils affected by Greenwash when making decisions?
Regarding heat networks, Sydney Charles showed some slides on heat networks that had gone wrong – often with serious financial and sometimes prosecution consequences.
Click on pic to see some cautionery tales of heat networks with very bad outcomes. Bad for taxpayers and bad for the residents who receive the heat. And bad for local democracy.Summary
Decision makers are not experts so have to choose whether to believe compelling information they are given or seek independent advice. The discussion went full circle back to the introduction.
Wherever we encounter attempts to divert the attention of decision makers from the interests of the public – via all channels and cherry picking loopholes and irrelevancies we need to shine light!
(click on the pic to see how carbon accounting allows claims about 28,000 tonnes of CO2 when 700,000 tonnes are emitted)-
Haringey Roundtable on the Edmonton Incinerator
Click for the video of the roundtable meeting of the 10th Dec 2021 at the Cypriot Centre:
IN ATTENDANCE
Chairing: Cllr Mike Hakata, a Haringey NLWA Board member (North London Waste Authority)
Cllr Isidorso Dikides, a Haringey NLWA Board member
Martin Capstick MD NLWA
David Cullen Programme Director NLHPP (North London Heat and Power Programme)
Arup lead on Carbon Capture Readiness
NLHPP Technical leadHaringey residents and members of anti Edmonton incinerator campaign groups
PURPOSE OF THE ROUNDTABLE
Mike Hakata opened the roundtable, saying that this was a forum to address the concerns of the campaigners publicly.
TOPICS & TIMINGS
Rembrandt Koppellaar @8.15 CO2 and Air Pollution
Sydney Charles @51.27 Volume and Capacity
Helen Mayer – @ 1.24.40 Carbon Capture and Storage
Rembrandt Koppelaar @ 1.45 Alternative Technologies
Mike Hakata closed the roundtable @2.10, saying that there would be ongoing discussions.
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credit to AILTV (Africans In London TV) for photos
Haringey people gathered on the first day of COP26 in Finsbury Park to talk about our wonderful planet and the lack of ambition from World Leaders at the COP.
It was opened by Ganja of the Enfield peoples Theatre with the rap below about exploitation and eco socialism.
David Lammy MP for Tottenham then spoke about the importance of COP26 and the messages he planned to take to Glasgow from Haringey.
The Mayor of Haringey Adam Jogee formally opened the event, talking about the importance of local action as well as Government action.
Cllr Mike Hakata, deputy leader and cabinet member for the Environment launched the Haringey Carbon Community Fund £90,000 will be available from April 2022 to local community groups for applications up till 7th Jan 2022. See here for full information and application forms. Cllr Hakata also spoke about Haringey’s forest programme.
The people at the festival were asked to post a message to COP on a board and to talk to other visitors about just one Country they cared about to learn more about reasons why pledges going into COP26 were insufficient. This built on the Haringey COP26 challenge.
Children had been asked to submit art work illustrating their love for the world and Cllr Mike Hakata presented the awards for the two joint winners.
Elena of the Enfield People’s Theatre gave a performance of ‘Emergency’ and Ganja rapped about climate change and cutting down trees before the close.
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The people at the festival sent messages on posters, post-its and by public discourse to COP26.
• BE RADICAL. SHOW THE DECISIVE ACTION WE NEED.
• UK. Lead by example. 1. No cheap home flights. No coal from Cumbria. No Cambo oil. 2. Green jobs, more training for retrofit and renewables installed.
• No more coal in Cumbria. No cheap domestic flights. Do the right thing.
• I want a message of hope and opportunity (we can do this together)
• Take care of the next generations
• Young people like myself would like a hethyer [sic] planet (aged 7)
CC aged 7 
• Dear COP26 delegates. Listen to the science. Make change happen now before it is far more disruptive for everyone
• UK Government. Listen to the science on best way to handle waste. Stop new capacity whether private, public, approved on data from the mists of time
• BE BRAVE. ACT NOW. Capitalism isn’t worth it!
Emergency
I am sorry my friends
I didn’t want to startle you, when you were having such a fine time, but this is an emergency
Your house is all on fire, and if we do not rise up now all this will turn to ashes
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I am sorry my friends
I didn’t want to startle you, when you were having such a fine time, but this is an emergency
Your house is all on fire, and if we do not rise up now all this will turn to ashes
I am sorry my friends
I didn’t want to trouble you when you were having such a hard time, but this is an emergency
The waters are all climbing and so we have to rise up now or we will soon be drowning
I am sorry my friends
That we have all been arguing and now are nearly out of time.
But this is an emergency. They’ll be no food for eating and so we have to rise up now or this night will be for fighting
I’m sorry my children.
I didn’t want to frighten you, and this is no home ghost story. This is an emergency
Our leaders have all failed us, so we have to rise up now and join the rebellion
And so we have to rise up now and form the rebellionhttps://soundcloud.com/blythehart/emergency (Blythe Pepino for Extinction Rebellion)
Drilling for oil, and digging for coal, and now they also fracking for shale/
Nationwide, in the countryside, they cut the whole forest down, yeah it’s ecocide!
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Little Maia: Daddy, what is climate change?
Verse 1
In the cities and the towns they cut down the trees, in Enfield they cut down the trees!
In Euston, they cut down the trees! in Islington, they cut down the trees!
In Wandsworth, they cut down the trees, E’ywhere in London, they cut down the trees!
Black power fist salute to activists, who resist, and fight back the wickedness!
Drilling for oil, and digging for coal, and now they also fracking for shale/
Nationwide, in the countryside, they cut the whole forest down, yeah it’s ecocide!
For the badgers and the fox, ecocide! For the bats and newts, ecocide!
For the birds and the bees, ecocide! they’re at war with animals, yeah it’s ecocide!
In Africa, they massacre! Shell murder ogoni in Niger Delta!
In Africa, they massacre! they coming for Khoisan Okavango Delta!
Masai, Hadza, Pygmy, San. Khoikhoi, Doma, Ogoni, Dan.
Masai, Hadza, Pygmy, San. Khoikhoi, Doma, Ogoni, Dan.
How many people on earth indigenous? Less than 5%.
How much of the world’s biodiversity they protect? Nearly 80%
Frontline, defending the earth! Getting murdered for defending the earth!
Black power fist salute indigenous caretakers of the nature, stewards of the earth/
In Africa, they massacre! Shell murder ogoni in Niger Delta!
In Africa, they massacre! they coming for Khoisan Okavango Delta!
Metal, mineral, copper, tin, iron,coltan, nickel, lumber, gold, diamond,
Drilling for oil, and digging for coal, is killing the world, and it’s killing us all!
Masai, Hadza, Pygmy, San. Khoikhoi, Doma, Ogoni, Dan.
In Africa, they massacre! they coming for Khoisan Okavango Delta!
For elephant and rhino, ecocide! Zebra, giraffe, ecocide!
Tigers and lions, ecocide! They’re at war with animals, yeah it’s ecocide!
Verse 2
In Bangladesh, water been rising! Been flooding! People been drowning!
Now all across the world, water rising! Water flooding, people drowning!
India drowning, China drowning! Afghanistan, Pakistan, Japan, drowning!
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan drowning! Nepal, Iran and Yemen, drowning!
In Bangladesh, water been rising! Been flooding! People been drowning!
Now all across the world, water rising! Water Flooding, people drowning!
Philippines drowning, Australia drowning, Niger, Turkey, e’ywhere drowning
Germany drowning, Belgium drowning, Just the other day London was drowning!
Ocean is crying! Ocean is dying! Coral reef bleached, ocean is dying!
Acidification deoxygenation! Industrial waste, the ocean is dying!
For the dolphins and whales, ecocide! Sharks and the fish, ecocide!
Octopus and squid, ecocide! The seafood industry is, ecocide!
Melting melting, the ice is melting! Ocean oil spilling and arctic oil drilling?
Polar caps bout to collapse! Ocean oil spilling and arctic oil drilling?
For the walrus and the seals, ecocide! For the Arctic fox, ecocide!
Polar bear and penguin, ecocide! They’re at war with animals, yeah it’s ecocide!
In Amazonia, it’s a massacre! Guarani, Yanomami, Kayapo masacre!
Tikuna, Awa, Akuntsu, massacre! Arawete, Maku, Kaxinawa massacre!
Frontline, defending the earth! Getting murdered for defending the earth!
Black power fist salute indigenous caretakers of the nature, stewards of the earth!
How many people on earth indigenous? Less than 5%.
How much of the world’s biodiversity they protect? Nearly 80%
Frontline, defending the earth! Getting murdered for defending the earth!
Black power fist salute indigenous caretakers of the nature, stewards of the earth!
Verse 3
Jaguar, panther, puma, sloth,, tamarin, capuchin, paca, blue frog,
Capybara, anaconda iguana, ocelot,, opossum, oncilla, macaw, marmosot.
In Amazonia so many animals, scientists don’t even know most the animals!
capitalism at war with the animals, intentionally killing home of the animals!
Metal, mineral, copper, tin, iron,, coltan, nickel, lumber, gold, diamond,
Drilling for oil, and digging for coal! They’ll burn the whole forest down just to grow beef cows!
Serious, they lit the Amazon on fire! While the rest of the world burn wildfire!
They’ll burn it down just to grow beef cows, while the rest of the world burn wildfire!
Burning, burning, the forests are burning! all around the world, the forests are burning!
Canada is burning, USA burning! Argentinia and Russia are burning!
South Africa and India burning! Algeria, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece burning!
Italy burning, everywhere burning! Ain’t nowhere safe, yeah the fire is coming!
These capitalist, imperialist, colonialist alliance of tyrants,
Are murderous murderers who are murdering mother earth,
These capitalist, conservative, fascist ecocide alliance of tyrants,
Are murderous murderers who are murdering mother earth,
They criminalise environmentalists! They criminalise, the indigenous!
They criminalise, the global south! They criminalise, the working class!
Capitalists, are the villains! Colonialists, are the villains!
Imperialists, are the villains! … WE are the resistance!
Black power fist salute to activists, who resist! Fight back the wickedness!!!Ganja can be contacted via twitter @aka_Ganja
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Conservativism [spit in disgust],
Never been about nature conservation,
Always been about nature exploitation,
Always be about people exploitation.Liberalism,
Greenwash capitalism,
Is environmental destruction
Disguised as environmentalism.Moderates and centrists,
Sitting on fences,
Being neutral in situations of injustice,
Is just taking side of the oppressors!
So, if you’re not explicitly leftist…
You’re actually rightwing in practice.The future that’s coming is climate armageddon,
Nightmare dystopia, war, disaster, famine.
Climate migration WILL push the rightwing to fascism,
And the only solution, ecosocialism!
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“The age of incineration is over“
North London groups concerned about the plans to build a bigger incinerator at the site of the existing Edmonton incinerator marched to the site on 25th Sept from Edmonton Green station.
It was part of the Stop the Burn campaign promoted by XR Zero Waste. They called on the national government to introduce a moratorium on the construction of incinerators for burning non-hazardous waste, as was passed was passed in Wales in March.
They also demanded that existing plants publicly report on all the toxins they emit, including ultrafine particulate matter, NOx, dioxins, furans, and heavy metals.
The North London part of the protest focussed on the replacement of the existing Edmonton incinerator with a much bigger incinerator in 2027.
The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) is responsible for the waste in 7 London Boroughs and decided back in 2015 how to maximise incineration in North London from 2027 for fifty years. Although there have been many changes since then, they are proceeding with the old plan, managed by the North London Heat and Power Programme
Work on the Resource and Recycling Centre is underway and the contract to build a new incinerator is due to be decided soon.
Representatives from Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest Councils make the decisions for the NLWA, which is owned publicly by the 7 Boroughs. For their details click here
Politicians are being lobbied to speak out against the outdated, costly and damaging concept for the Edmonton site. They have been send briefs on Cost and Ownership Over Capacity and Emissions (Carbon and Pollutants) listing the issues and the changes since the original plans were designed.
Although some politicians are sympathetic it is not clear whether the NLWA board members from the Boroughs will ask for a reassessment to focus the plans on maximum recycling and minimum emissions, or whether they continue to make the assumptions that are baked into their plans.
Reports in local papers included the Ham and High, the Islington Gazette, the Enfield Dispatch and the Enfield Independent.
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- Details of the North London march
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- Current technology could be used instead of incineration
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- The plans choose to burn everything from black bags instead of retrieving valuable recycling material
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- The green claims ignore the emissions from burning biogenic feedstock
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- Acciona is the only company left in the tender for the incinerator
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The meeting, on zoom, was chaired by Quentin Given, convenor of the Haringey Climate Forum. And the recording is here Passcode: 5dQyE^aN
The event covered:
1. What is Haringey Council doing:
– Gill Cox (Haringey Council – Fuel Poverty Officer) – The Council Energy Strategy of retrofitting our social housing estate. Slides are here.
– Rana Rehman (Homes for Haringey – Project Officer) – to talk about Haringey work using Energiesprong with views from the tenants on energy efficiency etc. For slides request from info@haringeyclimateforum.org
– Suzanne Kimman (Haringey Council – Climate Change Officer) The emerging planning policies to aid retrofitting.
There were also updates on:
– Green Homes Grants in Haringey / Happy Energy offer – Introduction and access to this funding.
– Solar Together for London – Update on the figures for Haringey.
2. Private sector homes
• Josie Evetts from Ecofurb. Slides are here
• Nadia Smith from Future Fit Homes – (Future Fit Homes are now offering their retrofit advice service to Haringey residents). Slides are here.
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Highgate Eco Pop-up and Mini TED Talks
Click here for the interview with Emily Reader, the Eco Pop-up hostA Highgate Eco Pop-up popped up in the foyer of Lauderdale House and sometimes on the Lawn – except when rain stopped play on the Monday. There were posters and flyers on a full range of Eco themes – Electricity, Buildings & Heat, Biodiversity, Transport, Politics, Communities & Councils etc as shown below. Highgate straddles both Camden and Haringey, so material for both was displayed.
The event was sponsored by the Transition Networks Bounce Forward Programme with the National Lottery and by Transition Highgate – looking for new members. Click for Transition Highgate wanting more members
Highgate’s MiniTED talks
On the summer evening of the 23rd it held a ‘miniTED talks picnic’ with these speakers:
- Flo Cullen – The Future for Young People
- Sian Berry London Assembly Member – The Story of Solar
- Maggy Mead King – Walking and Cycling around Highgate
- Georgia Elliott-Smith – Anti incinerator campaign
- Giovanna Iozzi – Biodiversity and the Parkland Walk
- Sydney Charles with Tanuja Pandit Community Solar in North London
- Jane Leggett – Rebel against Extinction
By the end of the week visitors had voted for the top actions for Highgate to address the climate and ecological emergencies and how they could make a difference.
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- Electricity
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- Buildings and Heat
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- Global Context
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- Growing and Biodiversity
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- Communities and Councils
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- Politics, Economis and Ethics
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- Transport and Health
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- What you can do
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Haringey Biodoversity Plan meeting – 17 May 2021
The coronavirus lockdown has shown how important our parks and open spaces are, especially for people with no garden of their own – and that’s a lot of people living in Haringey, especially in the east of the borough.
It is important to relax amongst trees and wildflowers and hear birdsong and buzzing bees; so it’s good news that Haringey Council is working on a new plan for local nature. The Biodiversity Action Plan will come out for consultation in a few months. It will give high priority to accessing nature, involving people in learning about, and looking after, our local wildlife.
At a well-attended meeting in May 2021 convened by Haringey Climate Forum, we heard from the council about how their new plan will put big emphasis on getting benefits for nature from new developments, whether that be mini-parks, tree planting or green roofs (or all three).
We were told that protecting designated sites of nature importance in Haringey, from big sites like Queens Wood and Tottenham Marshes and cemetery to the smaller sites like Harringay Stadium Slopes, will be a high priority, and that there will also be focus on creating wildlife corridors between existing green spaces. This could mean working with residents to create passages for hedgehogs between gardens, nest boxes and wildlife ponds in areas that sit between parks and other open spaces. This should also mean support for things like the Cloud Garden project in Bruce Grove.
Trees and woodlands will have their own plan to protect the existing stock of trees on streets and parks, involving local people in looking after them, especially if we have more long, hot dry spells in summer.
The council acknowledged that ten years of austerity have left Haringey like many other boroughs under-resourced to meet our expectations; as a result, community efforts are needed too.
At the meeting Sally Haywill of Lordship Rec spoke about the great work they have done, involving a wide range of people in planting trees, and creating rich grassland meadows. Ferry Lane Estate was also highlighted for its tree-planting and watering, wildflower meadows and hedges.
We face both a climate emergency and an ecological emergency, with wildlife disappearing across the world, and this is reflected locally with a number of bird species no longer breeding in the borough, hedgehogs hugely declined, and moth populations collapsing. That is why Haringey Climate Forum is inviting people who would like to become part of a borough-wide nature network to get in touch.
E-mail info@haringeyclimateforum.org.uk and ask to be added to the list.
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Haringey Clean Air Webinar – 6 February 2021
This was one of a series of regular events to raise awareness of the effects of pollution on all.
Speakers
Dr Gary Fuller – Breathe London – Monitoring London’s Polluted Air, Sources and Solutions
Senior Lecturer in Air Quality Measurement, Imperial College, Public Health
Zak Bond – The Health Impacts of Air Pollution
Policy & Public Affairs Officer, Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation
Andrea Lee – Why do we need tougher air quality targets and legislation to protect people’s health?
Campaigns and Policy Manager, Clean Air, Client Earth
Contact haringeycleanair@gmail.com with any queries.
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The zoom meeting was well attended. See here for the notes.
The Agenda was:
- Carbon reduction in planning decisions
- Viability in planning decisions
- Training and development – Planning Sub-Committee
and other topics that were raised included the use of Feed In Tariff income for residents benefits, the new Local Plan, the carbon implications of demolition, biodiversity, the Edmonton Incinerator and the walking and Cycling plan.
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The zoom meeting was very well attended. A quick summary of the opportunity to claim 2/3 of up to £5,000 (100% of £10,000 for those on benefits) for energy saving work to your own or rented home is available to download here: Takeaway sheet v1
The slides and further information are available at https://highgatesociety.com/place/sustainable-living/retrofit-your-highgate-home/.
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The full report is Haringey Clean Air Group People’s Assembly Report.
Key suggestions from participants were:
– support should be given first to those areas in most social need
– Haringey Council should be a driver and exemplar of change through
– raising public awareness eg through schools and social media to create a shared vision
– further People’s Assemblies and neighbourhood meetings on eg the Edmonton Incinerator
– support for a transition away from fossil fuels and reduced car use
– an electric transition for private, public and commercial vehicles
– incentives for local businesses to go green
– enforcement of anti-pollution laws
– monitoring of air quality and live data alerts to residents and workers
-TfL and Mayor of London have major roles in planning and coordinating for the whole area eg cycle routes, low traffic neighbourhoods, expansion of the ULEZ, subsided public transport.