Shepway Friends of the Earth Newsletter - Winter 2002

 In this issue:

DIARY DATES

 

Friends of the Earth are working for lasting change on all these vital fronts Genetic Engineering We have long had concerns that genetic modification of food breaks nature’s safety barriers. Now not only has Prince Charles publicly agreed that genetically modified foods reduce consumer choice and damage the environment, but all the major supermarket chains have now banned their use in their own-brand products. Friends of the Earth are calling for a five-year moratorium on their use, and there is increasing public concern about the possible dangers. Nuclear Power After five years of campaigning, we have won our campaign against Nirex’s plans to site a nuclear waste dump at Sellafield. The expansion of civil nuclear power has been discredited and brought to a halt, but there will be more battles to fight to protect local communities and the environment from the possible dangers of nuclear waste Traffic Reduction Our Road Traffic Reduction Act is only a start. We now have to work with government, local councils and industry to develop sustainable transport patterns - including improved public transport, safe cycle routes, improved pedestrian facilities, and new ways of organising work to reduce unnecessary travel. Air Pollution Our recent report Prescription for Change exposed the appalling effects of air pollution, which kills some 10,000 people in England and Wales every year, and helped to alert the public. We now plan to lobby at European level for effective controls over nitrogen dioxide and ozone emissions, and for targets to be set for reducing them. Achieving this may take a great deal of time and effort, but it is essential for the nation’s health. Saving the Forests The recent Presidential decree banning new mahogany logging concessions in Brazil is a welcome step forward, but it is only one step on a long road. Climate change Climate change, caused by increasing levels of carbon dioxide and the release of other ‘greenhouse’ gases into the atmosphere, is a global disaster in the making. We played a big part in drafting the Home Energy Conservation Act, which is helping to reduce emissions. We intend to step up research into practical solutions based on the replacement of fossil fuels by alternatives such as wind, wave and solar power. Cutting down on waste In Britain, we bury 5 million tonnes of paper every year in landfill sites. Not only does this accelerate forest destruction and create growing pressure on land use; it also contributes to global climate change because rotting paper releases methane, a climate-changing gas.

                  

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Telephone (01303) 257046

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