Environment group celebrates 40th birthday with a gala party

Sheffield Friends of the Earth Press Release

For immediate release
Contact: [Shaun Rumbelow, campaigner, 99999 999999 or xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx]

Environment group celebrates 40th birthday with a gala party

Sheffield Friends of the Earth will celebrate 40 years of environmental campaigning by hosting a gala party at the Showroom on Thursday 16 October from 7.30pm until 11pm.

Jude Warrender, founder of the group in 1974, will start the evening by talking about the group’s work during the 1970s and 1980s.  Shaun Rumbelow, a member since 1992, will continue the 40 year review from the 1990s to the present day. Friends of the Earth’s Executive Director, Andy Atkins, will finish the presentation by looking at what the future has in store for both people and planet.

Jude Warrender said “It’s amazing that 40 years on, the group I set up is still actively campaigning to protect the environment in Sheffield and around the world. We have helped to transform recycling into a mainstream activity and we’ve managed to persuade people not to buy goods made from endangered wildlife.”

Shaun Rumbelow continued, “I was in a pram when Jude set up the group in the 70s so I’m looking forward to finding out about the group’s early history. We hope ex-members and the general public will be able to make it to the event as it will be a fascinating journey looking back at many of our successes from helping to clean up Sheffield’s rivers and improving our air quality to introducing new laws to reduce our impact on climate change.”

The party will continue with a buffet and live music from a local folk band and “What 4” a cappella quartet. The Showroom bar will be open for drinks.

Tickets (price includes buffet) cost £10 and must be bought in advance by 10th October. Full details are available on our website www.sheffieldfoe.co.uk

ENDS

Notes to editor

1. Sheffield Friends of the Earth was formed in February 1974 by Jude Warrender.

2. More information about our 40 years of campaigning can be found in the Star’s Retro feature. http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/nostalgia/retro-a-friend-in-need-to-city-for-40-years-1-6433723

3. Background information for Andy Atkins, Friends of the Earth’s Executive Director.  http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/friends_of_the_earth_appoi_18032008

4. More details about the event can be found on our website www.sheffieldfoe.co.uk or http://sheffieldfoenewsletter.blogspot.co.uk/p/40th-birthday-party.html

5. Pictures of our group’s activities from the past 40 years are available on request.


PRINTED ARTICLES

Sheffield Telegraph - Thursday 18 September 2014

Letter: Lib Dems and the Green Vote

Letters Page Article to Sheffield Telegraph (Sent 22 June 2004)

Lib Dems and the Green Vote

If the Lib Dems want to convince voters that they have sound green credentials and the potential to put them into practice, as stated in last week’s Telegraph, then they will have to try a lot harder than they did at the recent Council elections. Sheffield Friends of the Earth wrote to candidates asking them to support three key environmental policies: a GM free Sheffield, a high quality doorstep recycling service, and better facilities for walking, cycling and public transport. We received support from 23 Green Party candidates, 5 Conservatives, 3 Labour, 2 Independents, 1 Democratic Socialist Alliance, and 1 Lib Dem (thank you, Councillor Ali Qadar!).

We appreciate that elections are a busy time for candidates, so we would like to offer the rest of the Lib Dems another opportunity to tell us where they stand on these three key issues. Sheffield Friends of the Earth want to work with all political parties to promote policies that protect both our local, and global, environment. We support all local Councillors who are prepared to make a real commitment to green policies. Does that include the Lib Dems?

Steve Goodacre

Sheffield Friends of the Earth

Press Release: Sheffield Friends of the Earth - Green Pledges

Press Release

For immediate release: Tuesday 01 June 2004

Sheffield Friends of the Earth - Green Pledges

Sheffield Friends of the Earth are asking candidates in the City Council election on 10th June to sign up to three Green Pledges to ensure that the new council will pursue environmentally friendly policies. Candidates are being asked if they will pledge to:

1.      Push for the Council to make the area GM free

2.      Ensure that everyone gets a high quality doorstep recycling scheme

Promote public transport, walking and cycling, whilst supporting measures to make our streets safer
Steve Goodacre of Sheffield Friends of the Earth said: “We want the City Council to pursue policies that benefit local people and protect the local environment, whilst making our contribution towards addressing global problems, such as climate change. Candidates can show that they are prepared to do this by signing up to these three pledges.”

For more information, contact:

Steve Goodacre 07890 374 154 or 0114 267 0508

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

GM free Sheffield

In March, the Government decided to ignore public opinion and safety concerns and announced its qualified approval for GM maize to be commercially grown in the UK. That decision could have lead to widespread GM contamination of our food, crops and environment. However, the company developing the maize, Bayer, withdrew the crop from the commercial market. Monsanto have since withdrawn worldwide sales of GM wheat.

Although the immediate threat of a GM crop being commercially grown in the UK has subsided, attempts to approve new GM crops and foods have not. Farmers have rejected them and the GM Nation debate showed massive public opposition to GM crops. However, despite Bayer and Monsanto withdrawing some of their products from the market, there's still a lot of marketing applications being presented to the European Commission.

High-quality Doorstep Recycling

Doorstep recycling services vary greatly throughout the UK. In some areas residents have a wide variety of materials collected and in others there is no collection scheme at all. Following the success of Friends of the Earth's Household Waste Recycling Act, all councils will be required to collect at least two recyclable materials from every household by 2010. This is a good minimum standard, but we think they could do much better.

Based upon research by Friends of the Earth across the UK, we have concluded that the features of good practice schemes are:

·         Weekly collection

·         Collection of a wide range of materials

·        Collection of recyclables and rubbish on the same day of the week


Safer Streets and Better Public Transport

Friends of the Earth are one of the groups involved in the Way to Go campaign. We want a transport system that is better for people, better for local neighbourhoods, and better for the environment. This can only be achieved by putting money into small-scale, neighbourhood projects, instead of massive road-building and road-widening projects, such as widening the M1 near Sheffield.

The kind of measures we want to see include:

·         Streets, lanes and paths in good condition, and pleasant for walking

·         A cycle-friendly road network

·         Services and facilities close to people, so they don’t need to drive

·         Networks of bus lanes

·         Safe routes to school

·         Lower speed limits – 20mph in residential streets

·         Quality standards that bus and rail services must meet

Press Release: Commuter Challenge

Press Release - Commuter Challenge

For immediate release: 17th September 2002


Commuter Challenge - Wednesday 18th September
Can you-

Save time and money
Live longer, happier and healthier
Pay less tax
Reduce pollution
Reduce traffic congestion
-all at the same time?

The COMMUTER CHALLENGE will find out. On the morning of Wednesday 18th September teams of commuters from all round Sheffield will travel into the city centre to see who arrives first- motorists, cyclists, public transport users, or pedestrians. We know that cycling and walking are cheaper than driving; that they reduce pollution and congestion; and that the positive health benefits outweigh any risks, but can they really be quicker as well? Join us on Wednesday for the answer.

Given the advantages of cycling, it is surprising that only 1-2% of journeys in Sheffield are made by bike, while other cities manage up to 30%. If more of us cycled we would see benefits for health, the environment, transport and business in Sheffield, and we would leave the roads clear for those who really need to use them.

These are crucial issues for the City Council and Sheffield First, so what are they doing to promote cycling? Well, there are plenty of small projects and enthusiasts working behind the scenes, but the "big hitters" remain silent. At the recent conference to promote Sheffield First plans for the city, attended by Council Leader Jan Wilson, there was no mention, among all the glossy presentations, of simple strategies that could improve our quality of life by promoting cycling.

Cyclists are vulnerable road users and need protection. Sheffield Friends of the Earth want to see our City Council take the lead in promoting and protecting people who want to cycle – giving us a real choice in how we get about.

Liddy Goyder of Sheffield Friends of the Earth said: "The car is not the only option for transport, and certainly not the most sensible. Cycling is cheaper, more reliable and better for the environment. Cycling could solve many of Sheffield’s problems. The City Council should be taking the lead in promoting it."

Details: Commuter Challenge, 8:00 to 8:30am, Wednesday 16th September

Organised by Pedal Pushers.

Note for editors: The will be opportunity for photos, filming and interviews with team members. Friends of the Earth members will be taking part in a team leaving the Closed Shop pub on Commonside, at 8:15am.

Contact: Liddy Goyder or Steve Goodacre

Sheffield Friends of the Earth

steveg@doctors.org.uk 07890 374154

e.goyder@sheffield.ac.uk 0114 222 0873