Local Environmental Group Celebrates 40th Birthday with Free Film Festival

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release
Contact: [Shaun Rumbelow, Sheffield Friends of the Earth Spokesperson, 99999 999999 or xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx]

Local Environmental Group Celebrates 40th Birthday with Free Film Festival
Sheffield Friends of the Earth is celebrating 40 years of environmental campaigning by organising a free month long film festival at the University of Sheffield’s Arts Tower from Thursday 8th May.

Members of the public are invited to watch a range of films including “Trashed”, “Gasland2”, “More Than Honey” and “A Fierce Green Fire”. A short video of our 40 year history will be screened before each film.

Sheffield Friends of the Earth’s spokesperson, Shaun Rumbelow, said “We are delighted to invite members of the public to our free film festival to celebrate 40 years of protecting the environment.  With celebrities like Robert Redford, Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep narrating the films we are sure this event will be popular”.

Shaun continued, “At the moment our group is campaigning against fracking in the local region so we are really pleased to be showing Gasland2. It will help the public discover what has happened to people’s lives and the environment where fracking has already taken place”.

A long standing member of the group for over 20 years, Shaun Rumbelow said, “Our own film celebrating 40 years of campaigning looks back at the work we have done to make Sheffield and the world around us a better place, from saving the whales and wild animals to reducing air pollution in Sheffield and providing better recycling facilities.”

The films will be shown on the following dates in the University of Sheffield’s Arts Tower, Lecture Theatre 3. Doors open at 5.30pm for screenings to start at 6pm.
Thu 8 May - Gasland 2
Thu 15 May - Trashed
Thu 22 May - A Fierce Green Fire
Thu 29 May - More Than Honey

More details about the films and the event can be found on the Sheffield Friends of the Earth website. www.sheffieldfoe.co.uk

ENDS
 
Notes for Editors
Gasland 2
In this explosive follow-up to his Oscar-nominated film Gasland, filmmaker Josh Fox uses his trademark dark humour to take a deeper, broader look at the dangers of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the controversial method of extracting natural gas and oil, now occurring on a global level (in 32 countries worldwide). Gasland 2, shows how the stakes have been raised on all sides in one of the most important environmental issues facing our nation today. The film argues that the gas industry’s portrayal of natural gas as a clean and safe alternative to oil is a myth and that fracked wells inevitably leak over time, contaminating water and air, hurting families, and endangering the earth’s climate with the potent greenhouse gas, methane. In addition the film looks at how the powerful oil and gas industries are in Fox's words "contaminating our democracy".

Trashed
We buy it, we bury it, we burn it and then we ignore it. Does anyone think about what happens to all the trash we produce? We keep making things that do not break down. We have all heard these horrifying facts before, but with Jeremy Irons as our guide, we discover what happens to the billion or so tons of waste that goes unaccounted for each year. On a boat in the North Pacific he faces the reality of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the effect of plastic waste on marine life. We learn that chlorinated dioxins and other man-made Persistent Organic Pollutants are attracted to the plastic fragments. These are eaten by fish, which absorb the toxins. We then eat the fish, accumulating more poisonous chemicals in our already burdened bodies. Meanwhile, global warming, accelerated by these emissions from landfill and incineration, is melting the ice-caps and releasing decades of these old poisons, which had been stored in the ice, back into the sea. And we learn that some of the solutions are as frightening and toxic as the problem itself.

A Fierce Green Fire
The Battle for a Living Planet is the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement – grassroots and global activism spanning fifty years from conservation to climate change. Narrated by Robert Redford, Ashley Judd, Van Jones, Isabel Allende and Meryl Streep, the film premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2012, has won acclaim at festivals around the world.

More Than Honey
More Than Honey brings sharply into focus our current bee crisis where numerous colonies of bees have been decimated throughout the world with 50% to 90% of bees having disappeared over the past 15 years. With one in three mouthfuls of the food we eat and 80% of plant species dependent on pollination, the honey bee is as indispensable to the economy as it is to man’s survival

PRINTED ARTICLES

Sheffield Star - Wednesday 30 April 2014

Litter pick in Ecclesall Road

Press Release:  3rd September 2013

Sheffield Friends of the Earth cleaned up the area at the bottom of Ecclesall Road on Tuesday September 3rd, filling 12 large black bin bags, which they then delivered to Amey's offices. Friends of the Earth contacted Amey, the company that is supposed to keep Sheffield's streets clean, in the early summer to complain about the large amount of litter that had accumulated in the vegetation in this area. In response,  Amey then cleaned it up, but on inspection it was clear that they had missed quite a lot. The rubbish consisted mainly of food and drinks containers, some of which had clearly been there for months or even years.

It would be helpful if more bins were installed in this area, if more people used them and if the government introduced a bottle deposit-refund scheme, so that people were paid for returning empty bottles – as used to happen in the past. The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England recently launched the UK Deposit Alliance, which is campaigning for the introduction of a deposit-refund system for drinks containers, like the scheme that has been in operation in Germany for ten years.

The article was printed in the star:

Turning up the heat on Sheffield

Press Release:  23rd March 2013

Turning up the heat on Sheffield - Voters get the chance to ask their energy questions

Sheffield residents braved the adverse weather conditions to attend a public meeting at The Circle on Rockingham Lane yesterday evening. They were invited to put questions to Clive Betts MP (Labour), Cllr Joe Otten (LibDem) and a panel of speakers, Simon Bowens (Friends of the Earth), Craig Jackson (SYHA LiveGreen) and Emma Bridge (Sheffield Renewables), about rocketing fuel bills, green jobs and climate change.

The event, on the theme of ‘Energy we can all afford’, was organised by Sheffield Friends of the Earth in collaboration with Sheffield Campaign Against Climate Change.  It comes as MPs debate the Energy Bill in Parliament to determine how the UK sources its electricity for the next generation – as households feel the pinch of winter energy bills.

Maureen from Sheffield Friends of the Earth said: “Increasing costly fossil fuels and poorly insulated homes in Sheffield are driving climate change and making it harder for people to afford fuel bills – but there is an alternative.

“The Government should switch the UK to clean British energy from our wind, sun and waves, and use money raised from carbon taxes to better insulate our homes – this will stabilise bills and create new jobs across South Yorkshire.

“Clive Betts has agreed to back an amendment to the Energy Bill so that it includes a target to clean up our electricity by 2030 – this will give renewable energy firms the confidence to invest.  We also need Nick Clegg to back this amendment in line with Liberal Democrat policy.”

Jenny Patient and Lauren Dixon of Sheffield Campaign Against Climate Change very ably chaired the meeting.

For more details of the meeting see: www.sheffieldfoe.co.uk

Contact details:

Maureen Edwards

Coordinator of Sheffield Friends of the Earth

4 Rainbow Way, Sheffield S12 4BJ

Tel: 0114 2511764

Mobile: 0750 239 7110

e-mail: med4u@hotmail.co.uk

Simon Bowens (Friends of the Earth), Craig Jackson (SYHA LiveGreen), Cllr Joe Otten (LibDem), Clive Betts MP (Labour) and Emma Bridge (Sheffield Renewables)

Craig Jackson (SYHA LiveGreen), Cllr Joe Otten (LibDem), Clive Betts MP (Labour) and Jenny Patient (Sheffield Campaign Against Climate Change) 

Cllr Joe Otten (LibDem) and Clive Betts MP

Letter: To Frack or not to Frack

Maureen has written a letter about the lifting of the ban in Lancashire and the tax subsidy. The Sheffield Telegraph published it on Thursday 10th January under the heading of 'Question of frack or not to frack'.

To Frack or not to Frack?

Fracking has raised its head above the parapet once more, not only because the ban has been lifted but also the taxpayer is to subsidise it. So once again Cuadrilla will be allowed to Frack rocks in Lancashire near Blackpool. So what is ‘Fracking’?

Fracking (or ‘fracturing’ in full) is the exploration and extraction of coal bed methane, shale oil or shale gas. Hydraulic fracturing uses pressurised fluid to free trapped gas. Wells are drilled and the fracking fluid injected into them under high pressure to crack the rock. This can cause minor earthquakes and requires huge volumes of water. It is thought that the fracking process could potentially introduce harmful chemicals into the water table and therefore into the water supplies for the city and surrounding area.

The government says this could lead to lower gas prices but the fact is that Fracking is an expensive process. There is a glut of gas in the USA at the moment so low prices are leading to Fracking wells shutting down. Gas production in these wells drops off sharply after a few months. After a year, it may be down 75% and after 18 months, it may be down 90%. Refracking or drilling another well will then have to take place to continue supply, incurring greater cost. It is therefore not about having one well in the locality but there are new wells popping up year on year. It is estimated that following the ‘Dash for gas’, which entails generating much of our electricity from gas, will lead to at least a £600 increase in our fuel bills due to carbon tax and increased gas prices.

That aside the global scientific community is in agreement that our current level of greenhouse gas emissions will lead to catastrophic results for every person on the planet. These results are already being seen. The ‘Dash for gas’ can only escalate UK emissions.

Surely the answer to our problem is to invest in renewables, which could impact heavily in Sheffield with its engineering base providing jobs and leading the way in this growing market. The opposition to wind turbines may be solved by community projects where locals profit from the development rather than the large energy companies. While this may involve investment now the rewards in free energy will increase year on year and we won’t be drowning in the mire!

Sheffield could be asked to give licences to companies for the exploration of coal bed methane. Sheffield Climate Alliance has started a petition to make Sheffield a ‘Frack free zone’ which may be found on their website: http://www.sheffieldclimatealliance.net/. I hope you decide to say ‘no’ to Fracking and sign the petition. For more information go to http://frack-off.org.uk

Yours sincerely
Maureen Edwards

Sheffield Friends of the Earth

Press Release: Paul Blomfield MP endorses Sheffield Friends of the Earth’s call for more green jobs

PRESS RELEASE: Paul Blomfield MP endorses Sheffield Friends of the Earth’s call for more green jobs

Paul Blomfield MP endorses Sheffield Friends of the Earth’s call for more green jobs. He agrees that ‘Green is working’ - recent figures from the Green Alliance show that there are almost one million jobs already in the low carbon-sector.

We are calling on the Government to block the Chancellor’s expensive dash-for-gas, which would see us hooked on costly and dirty imported gas and undermine investment in renewables. Instead the Government should use the Energy Bill to develop more home-grown clean power from our wind, sea and sun, which boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

Sheffield Friends of the Earth spokesperson Maureen Edwards said:
“Green is working – while the UK struggles in a double-dip recession the low-carbon sector is growing, paving the way to new jobs.

“Many more jobs and business opportunities could be created here in Sheffield if Ministers give the green light to renewable energy.

“We want Nick Clegg to make sure that the Government resists George Osborne’s attempts to keep Britain hooked on costly foreign gas.

The majority of the public want their homes to be powered by clean British energy from our sun, wind and sea.”

Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, said:
“I’m backing the Green is Working campaign and want to see the Government put much greater emphasis on creating green jobs. By doing this we can rebalance our economy away from the City of London and tackle climate change at the same time. 

“Investing in clean renewable energy the UK would create thousands more green manufacturing jobs. The Government could also create green jobs by doing more to improve energy efficiency in homes, buildings and transport systems.”

A Populus poll commissioned by Friends of the Earth in September revealed that 72% of people in Yorkshire and Humberside think that the Energy Bill should give a high priority to renewable energy.

The Bill is being debated in Parliament from this November and will determine how the UK is powered for the next 20 years.

Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to include a target to green UK electricity by 2030 – as recommended by the independent Committee on Climate Change.

ENDS



Notes to editor:
1. The Green Alliance report ‘Green economy: a UK success story’ is available to download from:
http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/grea_p.aspx?id=6629 

2. Populus interviewed over 2000 adults in Great Britain between 19 and 21 September 2012. The poll for Friends of the Earth showed that 72% of people in the UK think the Energy Bill should give high priority to renewable energy (72% in Yorkshire and Humberside).

3. Government figures released in September showed that over three quarters of the public (77%) back renewable energy for providing our electricity, fuel and heat. For more information see http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/stats/6410-decc-public-att-track-surv-wave2-summary.pdf .

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