Category Archives: Uncategorized

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER – READ THIS CLIMATE CHANGE BOOK!

Are you overwhelmed by the amount of information on  the climate and ecological crisis we are now all experiencing but want to know the  key facts and, more importantly, what  the solutions are?  Then read this book;

Simply Climate Change

by Professor Frans Berkhout. Professor of Environment, Society and Climate   at Kings College London and others. Published by Dorling Kindersley  published November 2021.  ISBN 978-0 2415-1607-2. Price £9.99.

This 160 page book can easily be read in just a few evenings because it contains impactive diagrams and visuals on every  page with only a small amount of text to get the most  important points across in a way that is easily understandable.   Readers will very quickly understand the science behind  climate change, its impacts, the speed and scale of the changes climate change is causing and how we can all make a contribution to avoid the worst impacts of global heating .

 

 

Meeting on ‘How can Derby City Council tackle the climate crisis? ‘

We all know that the threat of climate breakdown is real and will have enormous consequences in all sorts of ways.
 
Derby Climate Coalition is holding a face-to-face meeting 
  at St Peters Church, St Peters Street, Derby, 7:00 pm on Tuesday October the third – 
which will give us an opportunity to talk with elected members and officers from Derby City Council about what the Council is planning to do to tackle the carbon emissions across the city. It is not about the Council’s own carbon footprint (which is less than two per cent of the city emissions), nor is it about what individuals can do about their own carbon footprint. 

Here is the agenda 

  • The vision for Derby
  • The city’s   carbon emissions
  • The proposed sustainability and environment board
  • The A38 and the Council  
  • The climate forum  

These topics will be introduced by  
Carmel Swan, the member of the Cabinet responsible for climate and transport 
Rachel North, Deputy Chief Executive of the Council  

Other officers, and hopefully councillors, will be in attendance.  
 
Places will be limited. So please book a place here

Refreshments available from 6.30 pm.

 

YOUR DERBY CITY COUNCIL IS CRITICAL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

Our Government’s own advisors on the climate crisis, the Climate Change Committee(CCC) have repeatedly stressed how important our local councils are  in the fight to reverse the climate change we are now all experiencing with July 2023 just the latest example as the hottest month ever recorded globally. 

In 2021 in it Net ZeroStrategy, our  Government said that “devolved and local government(councils) play an essential role in meeting national net zero ambitions” because it “is best placed to integrate activity on the ground” and to inspire “action by, local businesses, communities, and civil society”.

According to the CCC, councils, including Derby,  have either direct power or some influence  over roughly one third of all climate changing greenhouse gas emissions in their local area.   Thats  control or influence over more than 4 million tonnes of the 13.7 million tonnes of  carbon dioxide and other climate changing gases released every year in  Derby.  

So we should  be drawing our council’s attention to examples of the imaginative,  practical and  effective actions being taken by other councils in the UK to cut greenhouse gas emissions and save their citizens money.  These councils are achieving this  despite the lack of money and powers from central government to do so.  Friends of the Earth have compiled case studies showing what these councils have achieved.  To be inspired, go to;

https://groups.friendsoftheearth.uk/resources/councils-tackling-climate-chaos

So we should be asking our own council what they are doing to help us all contribute to making  the drastic cuts in emissions scientists say we need to make by 2030 to avoid catastrophic climate change. – and save us money, now and in the future!    You can do this by responding to the consultation Derby City Council have launched at; 

https://letstalk.derby.gov.uk/climate-change-background

 

sTOP THE A38 Derby Junctions road expansion

After the approval of the A38 Derby Junctions road expansion on the 18th August, we’re preparing to challenge it again to halt this harmful and unnecessary project.

 

Thank you to everyone who signed this petition. We started this petition 3 years ago when the A38 expansion was in the examination phase prior to approval. We handed the petition to Derby City Council and the Department for Transport who both dismissed it. It was our legal challenge in 2021 which stopped this destructive scheme and now the Government has pushed it through the again, we’re challenging it again. 

Continue reading sTOP THE A38 Derby Junctions road expansion

DEFEND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST

THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY AND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST
An online meeting on Tues 11 July 7.30 pm with

·        Tom Davies, Amnesty International

·        Mair Bain, local climate activist

·        Matt Foot, socialist lawyer

 

ALL WELCOME BUT REGISTRATION NEEDED

 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER




The climate emergency needs immediate action at a governmental level. Governments are usually focussed on short term measures and usually only take action on longer term issues following pressure from outside.

 

The ability to engage in direct action is a vital component of a functioning democracy, providing a platform for all citizens to demand accountability and change.

Irrespective of whether one agrees with every protest by environmental activists, the right to protest is under threat. Recent changes to UK legislation threaten this democratic right and hinder progress on urgent environmental issues.

Come and join the online discussion organised by Derbyshire Climate Coalition and Amnesty International . 

THE CLIMATE FRESK WORKSHOP


Thursday 22nd June at Derby Quad
10:20 – 13:30

Want to help tackle climate change but don’t
have the time to become a climate scientist?

In just three hours, the collaborative
Climate Fresk workshop will teach you the
fundamental science behind climate
change and empower you to take actionTo find out more about Climate Fresk go to climatefresk.org
Supported by Derby Climate Coalition.

To book a place   click here

Public Meeting: “Building the climate movement and reaching beyond”

You are invited to a Zoom meeting organised by Derbyshire Climate Coalition
Monday 6 March; 07:00 – 8.30 pm
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtf-CqqD0iE9dzoiU6EdJq4ShIAyjHftD6

This meeting will start by discussing the arrangements and nature of the planned Extinction Rebellion protest in London on April 21, then will lead into an exploration of the role of non-violent direct action and then into a general discussion about movements from below. There will be contributions from Adrian Howlett  from XR, somebody from Just Stop Oil, Peter Robinson, from Derbyshire Climate Coalition and a Trade Unionist.

 

A38 Chaos

Object to the A38 road development around Derby

 

Central Government and Derby City Council have both declared climate emergencies. It is known that traffic volumes must be reduced drastically, and if this achieved, additional road capacity will be unnecessary.

Trees are important because they take carbon dioxide out of the air, and play a role in removing other pollutants produced by vehicles. Mature trees cannot easily be replaced.

Local people will experience major congestion problems accompanied by high levels of air pollution.

 

Sign the 38 Degrees petition 

Join the protest at the Ministry hearings. February 18 , 9:15  to 10 am, outside the Stuart hotel, 119 London Rd, DE1 2 QR

 

see https://www.a38derbychaos.org/

What can Councils do?

Friends of the Earth have created an amazing resource called “How climate friendly is your area?” and all you have to do is enter your postcode to see the results for your community.   

They have also published a climate action plan template for Local Councils, please publicise, hopefully you’ll all find it useful, see https://takeclimateaction.uk/climate-action/get-your-council-adopt-our-climate-action-plan