Friends of the Earth Scotland’s supporters’ magazineIssue 55 Autumn / Winter 2010

WHAT ON EARTH Help

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An ideal Christmas gift! Order yours today at infinitsolarbags.com/FOTES.htm

Infinit Solar Charging Backpack, who are supplying two backpacks for our Prize Draw, have a special offer for our readers.

Richard Wilkinson, author of The Spirit Level, will talk about why more equal societies will always do better.

A limited number of places are available to FoES members only so please register quickly as places will book up fast.

16 November 2010 | 18.30-20.00University of Edinburgh Business School, 29 Buccleuch Place Edinburgh, EH8 9JS

LECTURE

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Contents

WHAT ON EARTH

From the Climate front Delivering joined-up climate policy will take tough decisions.

International news and politics Korea, Pakistan, and planning ahead for next year’s Holyrood elections.

One year on since Climate Act We take a look at what happens next.

Music company raises cash for the planet A member’s company raises a staggering £16,000 for us.

Clean up RBS As part of a coalition we managed to get RBS to at least listen.

Access to environmental justice We think environmental justice should be a human right.

Inside life An insider’s look at the Climate Camp in Edinburgh.

Local groups news We’ve been cycling around Grangemouth, led by star activist Norman Philip.

Can fashion be green?Green is in, but is it fashionable?

Eyewitness accountHow New Orleans is coping after the oil disaster.

ReviewsKatherine Hibbert’s “Free”, and a recycling guide.

Community fundraising and outreachSee how you can get involved.

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AUTUMN/ WINTER 2010What on Earth 55

Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoES) is:Scotland’s leading environmental •campaigning organisation

An independent Scottish charity •with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland

Part of the largest grassroots •environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 77 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups - covering every continent.

Our vision is of a world where everyone can enjoy a healthy environment and a fair share of the earth’s resources.

Friends of the Earth Scotland is an independent Scottish charity SC003442.

What on Earth is published by and copyrighted to: Friends of the Earth Scotland5 Rose Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PRT: 0131 243 2700E: info@foe-scotland.org.ukW: www.foe-scotland.org.uk

Editor: Davina ShiellDeputy editor and picture research: Per FischerDesign: www.squareink.co.ukAdvertising: Kash Bhattacharya Tel: 0797 100 3132Cover Photo: Catherine Aitken handbag featuring in our Green Fashion Show p17

The views expressed in What on Earth are not necessarily those of Friends of the Earth Scotland. FoES accepts no liability for errors, omissions or incorrect data in advertisements.

Printed on Revive Pure Natural Silk made from 100% post consumer waste

RE-USE AND SPREAD THE WORDWhen you have finished with this magazine, save it or pass it on to friends, a doctor’s surgery, school, student union, library or café. As a last resort recycle it.

countrywashitwiththeworstfloodsin80years.Nordidit stop Russian President Dmitry Medvedev from joining the dots: “what is happening now in our central regions is evidence of global climate change, because we have never in our history faced such weather conditions.”

These natural events highlight the importance of climate justice,while the political fallout from them should provide a much-needed new impetus to global climate negotiations. But if we are to win broader public and political support for a just global climate deal in a time of economic recession and uncertainty, our job as climate campaigners is not to scare people with ever more worrying accounts of the impacts of climate change. Rather it is to explain how tackling climate change can improve our mental and physical health, increase equality, and quality of life, while providing sustainable and meaningful jobs.

Delivering joined-up climate policy is no easy matter. It will take tough decisions. The Royal Bank of Scotland claims it would harm its ability to repay the public money used to bail it out if it was forced to prioritise lending to green businesses and technologies. But without elevated investment those sectors will not create the new jobs and sales needed to restore economic health.

Similarly,proponentsofthenewcoalfiredpowerstationatHunterston argue it will help us develop carbon capture and storage. The world needs that technology. But the cost of a majornewcoal-firedpowerstationwouldbetosacrificetheexample Scotland can set to the world by implementing our world-leading Climate Act in fair and green ways. While such examples are so thin on the ground – and investments in carbon capture much more widespread, even in China – such asacrificeshouldbeunthinkable.

Duncan McLaren, Chief Executive

UnprecedentedfloodinginPakistan.Heat-wavesandwildfiresin Russia. More evidence of rapid melting of the Greenland ice. There’s been little good news on the climate front recently, perhaps with the exception of the Australian election in which voters turned to the Green Party in large numbers following the Labour Government’s failure to deliver its climate pledges.

Such signs of a political shift to take climate change seriously remain rare. Despite positive rhetoric and manifesto promises, the new coalition government at Westminster is decimating climateand sustainability programmes along with everything else. Eventheirflagshipcommitmenttoatoughemissionsperformancestandard for new power stations has been put into question.

Yet the reality of climate change seems ever grimmer. We knowthattheworld’sweathernowreflectsahuman-alteredglobalclimate:wejustcan’tsaywithcertaintythatanyspecificweather event is the direct result of climate change. But that hasn’t stopped the Environment Minister of Pakistan from saying “Climate change with all its severity and unpredictability has become a reality for 170 million Pakistanis” after the

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View from the Street

In this edition, we look into how to look stylish without harming the planet or supporting companies that abuse labour rights. We’realsorunningourfirstevergreenfashionshowaspartofour fundraising month in November.

There’s something for everyone in our fundraising month. Sign your place of work up to do a green dress down day, or hold a clothes or a book swap. If you are a teacher, please encourage your class to get sponsored to do something green for a day or a week. Find out how you can get involved at planetpassion.org.ukW

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Flood survivor Fatama, with her children near Dubair in northernPakistan. Photo: Chris Herlinger/Church World Service (CWS)

We’ve also got a sneak peak at our election campaign. May 2011 may seem like far away, but it’s not when you need to influencepartypolitics!Wealsogiveyouarundownofourtwo new campaigns – Access to Justice and Clean up RBS. If you were wondering what happened to that Climate Change Actwearesoproudof,thenflickinsidetopage4.

I hope you enjoy the magazine. I welcome any comments, so please email me at dshiell@foe-scotland.org.uk

With best wishes, Davina Shiell, Editor

FROM THE CLIMATE FRONT

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International News and Politics

INTERNATIONAL NEWs ANd POLITICs

Election Fever

WHAT YOU CAN DOKeep in touch with what you can do in the run up to the election foe-scotland.org.uk/election

Read our alternative manifesto foe-scotland.org.uk/Eleven_for_11

Our Parliamentary Officer, Francis Stuart, takes a look at what we are planning ahead of the next Holyrood elections on Thursday 5 May 2011.

Electionsareakeytimetoinfluencepoliticalpartiesandwehavea track record of getting results. As the journalist Iain MacWhirter wrote following the publication of the SNP’s 2007 manifesto, their

Korean activists occupy Four Rivers construction sitesFoE activists occupied two dam construction sites in Korea for more than 20 days this Summer, braving torrid sun and torrential rain, until their food ran out. The activists are trying to halt a Government project that will see 16 new dams and almost 700 km of dredging on the four largest rivers in Korea. The works will destroy wetlands, threaten endangered migratorybirds,damagefisheriesandpollutedrinkingwatersources relied on by millions of Koreans.

Big victory in campaign for water rightsOn28JulytheUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyrecogniseda human right of access to clean water and sanitation. The resolution – backed by Friends of the Earth International and othercampaigngroups-alsocallsforfinancialresourcesandtechnology transfer to scale up global efforts to provide safe, clean,accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.

promise of a Climate Change Act with emissions cuts of 3% per year ‘could have been written by Friends of the Earth.’ While we subsequentlyhadtofightforstrongtargets,theverypublicationand passage of the Scottish Climate Change Bill was, at least in part, because we asked for it. A key tool to get political parties to listen to you is through an ‘alternative manifesto’. Our ‘Eleven for 11’ manifesto lists a set of 11 asks for the next Scottish Parliament, including:

A green procurement bill•An environmental rights bill•Green tax reform•Decarbonisation of Scotland’s energy system•Waste reduction targets•Increased investment in public transport•A genuine commitment to climate justice. •

We have also been working with other members of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) coalition to produce an SCCS manifesto. ‘From rhetoric to reality: A manifesto for climate action’ includes some of our asks plus demands for:

Increasedinvestmentinenergyefficiency•Investment in peatlands restoration•Regulation to lower certain speed limits to 50mph.•

Pakistan floods ‘unprecedented’– and linked to climate change

by the UNWhile it remains impossible to saythatthesefloodsarethedirect result of climate change, the United Nation’s unanimous resolution to strengthen emergency relief to Pakistan noted that the unprecedented floodsreflected“theadverseimpact of climate change and the growing vulnerability of countries to climate change.”A CWS food distribution site.

Photo: Chris Herlinger

WHAT YOU CAN DOTo donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal call 0370 60 60 900 or visit dec.org.uk

Scottish Parliament.

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Annual TargetsThe Act required the Scottish Government to set annual targets for reducing climate change emissions, which had to be agreed by Parliament by 1 June 2010. The Scottish Government did this in April and, while the targets added up to a 42% emissions cut by 2020, they were very weak over the firstthreeyears(2010-2013).Labour,theLibDemsandtheGreens joined forces to vote down the annual targets that the SNP Government proposed.

In response to this defeat the Government has set up a cross party working group to look at what level of targets to set and the policies required in the short term to deliver them. We have been feeding into this group and hope the new targets broughtbackwillreflectthedesireforstrongeractioninthenext few years.

Climate Delivery PlanThe Government is also required to publish their action plan showing how these targets will be met. Once published, we will be examining it to ensure it is as strong as ambitious as it needs to be.

Climate Change Duty on Public BodiesOne of the main successes we achieved along with other members of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland coalition was a general duty on public bodies to consider climate change in everything they do. This duty comes into force from 1 January 2011, and the Scottish Government is preparing guidance to help public bodies comply with this.

Energy Efficiency Action PlanSince 2004, Governments of various different colours have beenpromisingacomprehensiveEnergyEfficiencyActionPlan.The Climate Act requires this to be in place by Summer 2011.

Meeting the 42% targetsAmbitious climate protection measures can deliver mutiple benefits,accordingtoournewresearchreport‘42%Better.’

Spending cuts are dominating politics, and it is critical that Governmentspendingdeliversefficientlyandeffectively.Fortunately it seems that spending on the delivery of our climate change targets would also help improve public health, stimulate the economy and reduce poverty.

For example, tackling fuel poverty through improving insulation has been shown to reduce the number of children and working adults taking time off for illness by 15 and 25% respectively. People with dry, warm homes and no worries about fuel bills have better mental health too. One estimate suggests that eliminatingfuelpovertyinScotlandwouldprevent180,000cases of anxiety and depression each year, as well as directly reducing material poverty.

Improvingtheenergyefficiencyofourhomesisalsofarbetter for employment than building new fossil fuel fuel power stations. The proposed new coal plant at Hunterston would employ 160 people in the long term. Including construction jobs it might create 25 jobs per terawatt hour (TWh) of electricity generated. Energy conservation would generate 370 jobs per TWh, including indirect effects. Implementing the

Over a year since the Act was passed, Francis Stuart and Duncan McLaren take a look at where we are and what needs to happen next.

Mass lobby at the Scottish Parliament 2009.

sCOTLANd’s WORLd LEAdINg CLIMATE LAW - ONE yEAR ON

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ScottishEnergyEfficiencyActionPlanhasbeenestimatedtogenerate over 10,000 direct jobs for ten years.

Increasing the share of journeys undertaken by walking, cycling and public transport to 50% (the same as in the Netherlands) could cut obesity rates in Scotland in half, with massive savings to the National Health Service in Scotland, which already spends around £170 million a year tackling obesity or health problems – such as heart disease - caused as a direct result. Improving cycling rates alone to Dutch levels

could save up to 1,600 lives a year as a result of the net health benefitsofgreaterphysicalactivity.

Improving public transport would also be good for jobs. A £140 million bus scrappage scheme could safeguard up to 4500 jobs within the bus industry, at plants such as Alexander Dennis’ Bus Body Group in Falkirk. Lower polluting, more reliablebuseswouldbeaparticularbenefitforpoorerinhabitants of Scotland’s cities, the vast majority of whom do not own cars.

Friends of the Earth Scotland is leading the charge to make the case for ambitious climate protection measures in Scotland. As this research shows, such action can deliver multiplebenefits.Atatimeofbudgetconstraints,suchactionmust be a priority for support, with cuts focused instead on spending that would have negative side effects on society, health or the environment – such as the new Forth Crossing.

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Climate News

‘One estimate suggests that eliminating fuel poverty in Scotland would prevent 180,000 cases of anxiety and depression each year, as well as directly reducing material poverty.’

WHAT YOU CAN DOFind out more at foe-scotland.org.uk/young. Email Mirella to get involved mdejonge@foe-scotland.org.uk

WHAT YOU CAN DORead the ‘42% Better’ report at foe-scotland.org.uk/42percent-report

OfficevolunteerMirelladeJonge traveled to Bonn during the climate talks and is now setting up a Young Friends of the Earth Scotland network.

In June this year, 15 members of Young Friends of the Earth Europe met up in Bonn to share information, skills andideas.Withrepresentativesfromfivecountriespresent, we spent a few days together learning about climate justice and developing our campaigning skills.

Our meeting was timed to coincide with the UNFCCC climate talks, so we were also able to use the opportunity to put our skills to use. We took part in a collective action against the omission of the Cochabamba People’s Agreement from the UNFCCC meeting agenda, and ran a workshop for international young people at Klimaforum, the alternative climate talks.

Organisations and individuals from all over the world had converged on Bonn for the UNFCCC talks. We took part in the climate camp and were inspired by the diversity of those present. You don’t have to look very hard to see that this is a truly global issue, with people from every continent coming together to make our voices heard.

We would love for more people in Scotland to have the chance to experience Young Friends of the Earth Europe and the international movement, so we have launched YoungFriendsoftheEarthScotlandforpeopleaged18-30.

yOUNg FRIENds OF THE EARTH sCOTLANd Is bORN

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In May we held our Annual General Meeting, which is open to all members every year. Motions were passed on carbon offsetting, local groups, renewables and Beauly Denny, Scottish Elections 2011 and UK election outcomes.

Find out more about the motions passed at the 2010 AGM at foe-scotland.org.uk/agm2010

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Leave a long lasting legacy to the environmentThis year we received £34,000 from one kind donor who chose to remember us in their will. We are enormously grateful for this legacy, which is enabling us to continue our work despite the economic downturn. We also receive smaller legacies, which are a huge helpastheyenableustousethemoneyflexiblywhereit is needed the most at the time.

Leaving us a gift in your will can help us to continue campaigning to protect the environment for generations to come. Please consider us when writing or updating your will.

To request a brochure on leaving a legacy please contact Vicki Bradley on 0131 243 2724 or email vbradley@foe-scotland.org.uk

WIN A LUxURy bREAk FOR TWO! (WORTH £700)

Our first prize is a luxury break for two in Scotland’s first Green Spa at the Apex Dundee City Quay hotel (worth £700) apexhotels.co.uk

Our second prize is a beautiful original painting of Brig O’Balgowie by Scottish artist Leo du Feu (worth £500) leodufeu.co.uk

We have lots of other prizes, including natural cosmetics,

family rail travel, B & B accommodation, a case of fruit wine, eco-cleaning products and much more.

By buying or selling our prize draw tickets you are ensuring that 100% of the money raised will go directly toward our activities to promote a clean, healthy environment for all.

There is a special prize for the person who sells the most tickets, so start selling soon!

Ticket stubs must be returned to us by Friday 3 December 2010 to be included in the draw, which takes place on Tuesday December 2010.

Buy your tickets online at foe-scotland.org.uk/prizedraw or contact Vicki Bradley on 0131 243 2724 to order a book of raffle tickets.

Many thanks to all the companies that kindly donated the prizes.

We want to hear your views about Friends of the Earth Scotland and our campaigns.

Please complete our Supporter Survey at http://bit.ly/boirmk or complete the paper version included with this copy of WoE.

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Climate Champion

What on Earth: When and how did you set up Camel Audio?

Ben Gillett: Back in 2000, I was writing music and playing live in a few clubs round Edinburgh, and I wanted a certain type of effectformybasslines.SinceIcouldn’tfindanythingouttherethat would do the job and I knew how to program, I created an effect called ‘CamelPhat’. CamelPhat is still in use today by lots of musicians around the world - you’ve probably heard it infilmsoundtracksandallsortsofelectronicmusic.Twoyearslater, I gave up my job and tried to create something more ambitious. After a year of living on very little and working 70 hoursaweek,Ireleasedourfirstsynthesizer‘Cameleon’.

WoE: What inspired you to raise funds for Friends of the Earth?

BG: My dad devoted most of his life to helping to look after our planet, and I’ve ended up spending most of mine on the less noblecauseofmakingsoftwarethatcreatesweirdnoises!

I was keen to support Friends of the Earth in particular, because I believe you are one of the leading charities workingtoinfluencegovernmentpolicyonthecrucialissuessurrounding climate change.

WoE: Tell us more about 1% for the Planet and how you got involved in that.

BG: 1% for the Planet is an alliance of businesses committed to giving at least 1% of their sales to environmental charities. I had been thinking about the question of how a company could do something environmentally and socially useful, when I saw a ‘1% for the Planet’ logo on the back of a Jack Johnson

album. As a result I found out more and Camel Audio was one ofthefirstcompaniestojoinintheUK.Therearenowover1,200membersin38countriesworldwide.

WoE: What would you say to other entrepreneurs who are wondering whether they should give something back?

BG: I would strongly encourage other companies to give something back to society and the planet. Very frequently doing the right thing by your conscience also turns out to be the right thing for your business. I highly recommend reading ‘LetMyPeopleGoSurfing’-itsaboutfarmorethanjustgiving money to charity. I’ll leave you with a quote from Yvon Chouinard who says it all far better than I could:

“Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers? Shareholders? Employees? We would argue that it’s none of the above. Fundamentally, businesses are responsible to their resource base. Without a healthy environment there are no shareholders, no employees, no customers and no business.”

WHAT YOU CAN DOFind out more about 1% for the Planet at onepercentfortheplanet.org

Hold a Green Dress Down Day at your place or work planetpassion.org.uk

If you or your company is interested in donating to Friends of the Earth Scotland please contact Davina Shiell on 0131 243 2705 or dshiell@foe-scotland.org.uk

Staff from Camel Audio with FoES Chief Executive Duncan McLaren and Chair Chris Revie

Ben Gillett has been a member of Friends of the Earth Scotland since 2007. Through his online music company, Camel Audio, he raised £16,000 for Friends of the Earth by donating 50% of the proceeds from a new product. Through their membership of 1% for the Planet, earlier in the year Camel Audio donated £4000 to us. We have nominated Ben as our Climate Champion for 2010.

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Campaign NewsW

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The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is one of the biggest funders of environmentally damaging projects, such as coal firedpowerstations,oildrillingandtarsandsextraction.Theseprojectsmightoffergoodfinancialreturnsintheshortterm,but they leave a legacy of destruction of our environment and our climate, and often involve serious human rights abuses.

Power to the peopleRBSisnow83%ownedbytheGovernment,andthatmeansthe taxpayer is the majority shareholder. Despite this, ordinary UK taxpayers weren’t invited to RBS’s AGM this year to have a say in how the bank invests our money. So we decided to holdourownalternativePeople’sAGM!

With a coalition of organisations including Amnesty International,Platform, People & Planet, SEAD and the World Development Movement, we held a week of action in April around the RBS AGM in Edinburgh, culminating in our own alternative AGM. At the People’s AGM we heard from Eriel Deranger of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, a community who are experiencingfirsthandthecatastrophiceffectsofexploitingCanada’s tar sands

The UK Government has spent billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money bailing out banks sincethefinancialcrisisof2008.Thebanksfailedinlargepartbecausetheirinvestmentstrategieswereflawed.

Eriel said: “UK taxpayers have a right to know how their moneyisbeingspent.RBSiscurrentlyfinancingthelargestand most destructive industrial project on the planet destroying my people, my community and my traditional lands. With strong government leadership the bank should be adopting strong policies that respect free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous communities and ensures the protection of the environment and water.”

RBS were clearly rattled by the level of activity around the AGM and we were invited to meet with RBS Chair Sir Philip Hampton to discuss our concerns. Our Chief Executive, Duncan McLaren, was frustrated by the banks effort to pass the buck: “Our involvement in tar sands is so minute, we scarcely even know what it is”, said Philip Hampton at one point.

Summing up after the meeting, Duncan said, “It’s not a campaign victory, but it is a very real crack in the corporate armor. Sir Phillip promised our suggestions would be seriously considered by a Board committee. We’ve targeted RBS because we want the sector to change, not just one bank. This meeting offered some hope, but was a real reminder of the dramatic culture change needed.”

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Campaign News

WHAT YOU CAN DOEmail the Chancellor demanding that he puts pressure on RBS to invest in a socially and environmentally responsible way at bit.ly/9Gyzte

Read our report, ‘Make it happen: From Oyal Bank of Scotland to Royal Bank of Sustainability’ detailing why RBS should be transformed into a Green Investment Bank online at foe-scotland.org.uk/oyalbankofscotland

Switch to a more ethical bank, and write to RBS to tell themwhy.Findoutmoreaboutethicalfinanceatfoe-scotland.org.uk/ethicalfinance

What’s the problem with tar sands?Vast quantities of oil rich bitumen, or ‘tar sands’, lie under the boreal forests of Alberta in Canada. Oil companies have been aware of its presence for a century, but until recently they lay untouchedasitwastooexpensiveanddifficulttoextractthem.As conventional oil sources have dried up, tar sands have become increasingly more attractive to the oil companies.

Extracting oil from tar sands is more expensive and more carbon intensive than other kinds of oil production because of the extra energy involved in the mining process. During the excavation process bitumen is extracted and upgraded into crude. Once the bitumen is extracted it still needs additional treatments to create a lighter product to enable transportation via pipelines. Huge efforts yield small results: approximately two tonnes of tar sand has to be processed in order to gain onebarrelofoil.Therearesignificantdisagreementsin

We want to ensure that communities are properly informed about

and consulted on new developments, such as the construction of power stations, roads, bridges and golf courses. We are campaigning

to break down the barriers that prevent individuals and organisations from

contesting decisions that will have a serious impact on the environment.

In our campaign so far we have:Spoken to several key MSPs and planned a stakeholder •conference

Researched how environmental justice legislation works in •other countries and how it could be implemented in Scotland

Collected 1000 signed campaign cards, adding names to •our petition asking the Scottish Parliament to investigate the barriers to standing up for the environment.

estimating the increased emissions intensity when compared with traditional oil extraction: pro tar sand sources claim a 10-15% increase, with environmentalists maintain that it can be as high as 300%.

A healthy environment is a basic right to which we are all entitled, and should all be able to defend. Our Access to Environmental Justice campaign is aiming to secure legal changes to ensure that standing up for our environment is seen as a fundamental human right, in the same way as freedom of information rights are now recognised.

What are the barriers to environmental justice in Scotland?1. You have to know that a decision has been made or development planned that might threaten the environment. European law requires that communities are properly informed and consulted about developments in their area, but many people have had experiences where this hasn’t been the case.

2. You have to be able to work out what environmental damage the development might result in. This often involves reading technical reports or trying to prove a multi-national company hasn’t done their homework.

3. You have to find a lawyer who is prepared to help you. Youwillthenhavetofindthemoneytoprovetothecourtthatyou can pay both your costs and - in case you lose - the other side’s costs as well, even if they are a multi-million pound company. This means taking an enormous personal risk.

4. Finally, you have to prove you have ‘standing,’ which means showing that you will be personally affected by the development. Laws on ‘standing’ are complicated and very literal, preventing the impacts of climate change on all of us beingseenassufficientinterestforstanding.

Guest feature

Aweekafteritallfinished,manyshowersandpropernight’ssleeps later, and I’m still feeling a bit exhausted by the Climate Campexperience.Butitwasreallyworthit!Forfivenights,800peoplecampedinthebackgardenofRBS’sstate-of-the-art headquarters on the outskirts of Edinburgh. We were there to take action against RBS using the billions it got in the bailouttofinancesomeofthedirtiestfossilfuelcompaniesin the world. We were also practicing sustainable living, experimenting with direct democracy and slowly building a social movement of people across the UK with the skills, the connections and the commitment to take radical action on the root causes of climate change.

Totakeoverthesite,80peopleswarmedoutofvariouscornersofthefieldanderectedmetaltripodstopreventthepolice or RBS security from being able to drive any vehicles ontoit.Overthenext48hours,hundredsmorepeoplearrivedand together we constructed a fully functional eco-camp site. The infrastructure included marquees that could hold hundreds for the workshops and discussions, four different kitchens to feed the ravenous masses, solar panels, two wind turbines, compost toilets, a make-shift TV studio, a communicationsstructuretohookupeveryonestaffingthevarious gates, and a ‘well being’ tent.

All sorts of creative and effective actions happened during the camp. My personal favourite was that of the ‘trojan pig’. Activists made a two metre long RBS piggy bank that they carried to the front steps of Cairn Energy, a Scottish oil company that hasbeenfinancedbyRBSandiscurrentlydrillingoffshorein unsafe conditions in the Arctic. When the pig got to its destination, the cork was taken out of its bottom and 70 litres of an oil-like substance (molasses) spilled all over the front steps of the building. Campaigners also super-glued themselves to various RBS branches, performed Lady Gaga songs with RBS-themed lyrics and dropped banners around the city.

The down side was that a lot of the press coverage and public feeling got tarnished by police allegations that we were responsible for an oil slick on a main road. In previous year’s camps, there has often been a smear story created by the media or the police to discredit the camp, and it appears that

Peter McDonnell was part of the Climate Camp that took place in Edinburgh in August.

this was this year’s example. We have written to the police demanding an apology for these unfounded allegations, and investigativejournalistsarecurrentlysniffingaroundtofindoutwhat really happened.

The camp itself is only a temporary and very visible manifestation of all the organising and agitation that goes on the whole year round. Hopefully, people will have taken away some of the inspiration and education from the camp, not to mention the useful connections, to keep things bubbling in their local communities - whether that’s opposing the new coal plant at Hunterston in Scotland, or targeting BP’s sponsorship oftheTateinLondon.Andofcourse,wearen’tfinishedwithRBSjustyet!

WHAT YOU CAN DOFollow Climate Camp on Twitter - @climatecamp or become a fan of Camp for Climate Action on Facebook

Sign up to the weekly e-newsletter at climatecamp.org.ukView videos of camp life and the various actions at http://climatecamp.tvW

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Climate Camp welcome tent

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Local Groups

In June, local group members and activists made their way from across Scotland to Stirling for our annual campaigners’ meet up. Saturday was spent getting up to date on campaigns, exchanging ideas, playing games and learning new skills.

On Sunday the group made their way to Polmont for the Carbon Cycle Ride – an educational bike tour around Grangemouth, Scotland’s oil and petrochemicals centre, led by our Star Activist Norman.

Hannah Kitchen reports on the bike ride around Grangemouth.There are moments as a campaigner when the abstract ideas I think about a lot of the time are suddenly there in front of me, as complex, real and slightly scary realities. This was one of those

Norman has shown passion, creativity and hard work in campaigning for environmental justice for many years.

As well as running the FoE Falkirk group, Norman has organised river clean ups with young people, been on protests across Europe and has taken groups on a tour of Grangemouth by bike.

Norman is always an inspirational person to talk to, because of his genuine concern for his local community, as well as people suffering from environmental injustice across the world. Thanks Norman!

Star Activist – Norman Phillip

HannahKitchen,ActivismandLocalGroupsDevelopmentOfficer,reportsonthelatestactivity from across Scotland.

WHAT YOU CAN DORead blogs by Norman and the rest of the Falkirk group at http://foefalkirk.blogspot.com

Do you know a star activist? Send your nominations to our Activism and LocalGroupsOfficer,HannahKitchen,at hkitchen@foe-scotland.org.uk

Tesco shoppers and staff were confronted with the reality of supermarket waste when members of FoE Stirling covered themselves with two weeks worth of packaging and paraded outside the store handing out advice about reducing waste.

Group members Emma France and Claire Ritchie were raising awareness about the excess packaging that supermarkets use, much of which can not be recycled.

They got some great media coverage with radio interviews and a photo in the

local paper. Emma followed up the action with a letter to the Chief Executive of Tesco Stirling, asking him to address the store’s excessive use of packaging.

Stirling group wear waste on their sleeves

Campaigners get together for learning and action

moments – the small blue box that is the sixth biggest polluter in Scotland, quietly pumping out fumes; the hundreds of pipes processing oil from deep in the earth, risking catastrophes like the Gulf of Mexico spill each time it’s extracted.

As much as I reacted against the ugliness and destruction of the place, I also knew I had no right. So many things I use and enjoy come from oil. The reality of our lives mean that places like this have to exist – we just don’t see it most of the time, and therefore consider the cost reasonable.

However, we can work towards a lifestyle that isn’t so reliant on it. And as we do, we can also peacefully challenge the companies that are profiting from it, and try to resist their hold on our lives and environment. The experience definitely inspired me to do both of these things with renewed energy.

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Lifestyle FeatureW

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Like many women around the world, I like clothes and take pride in what I wear. YetI’mfindingitincreasinglydifficulttoreconcile this interest with my concern for the environment, as well as for the rights of the workers who produce the fashion items that so many of us crave.

I’ve never been a fan of cheap, low quality fashion – when I was17Iworkedinahigh-streetstoreandfoundtheiroutfitsfellapartafterthefirstwash.Eversincethen,Ihavechosentopurchase fewer but higher quality items that last me for years.

Disposable fashionBut I know that there are many wardrobes packed with cheap disposable items that were worn once, if ever, and others that are discarded because the season has passed. The cost to the environment and to humans is enormous. According to governmentfigures,theclothingandtextilessectorintheUKalone produces around 3.1m tonnes of CO2, two million tonnes of waste and 70m tonnes of waste water each year.

Labour rightsDespite many campaigns over the years, there are still widespread issues of labour rights being abused by clothing

Davina Shiell reports

manufacturers. The Observer recently reported on a sweatshop scandal involving Marks and Spencer, Next and Gap, whose suppliers in India were found to be failing to live up to the ethical standards that the high street chains were promoting.

The trend for disposable fashion has made the situation worse.Inthepastfiveyears,withtheriseofPrimark,H&M,TK Maxx and supermarket fashion ranges, the price of clothing in the UK has dropped by up to 25%. The amount we buy has increased by 40% to more than 2 million tonnes a year. Textiles have become the fastest growing waste product in the UK, with 74% of the clothes we buy each year ending upinlandfill.Cheapclothestendtobemadeofman-madefibressuchaspolyester,viscoseandacrylicblends,whichoften can’t be recycled. Cotton that is not organic also uses large amounts of pesticides that causes pollution and harms the health of workers.

IfeelsatisfiedtosaythatIdon’tshopinthesestores.YetI’malso sure there are a lot of wardrobes that are greener than mine – until recently I bought most of my clothes new. But I have discovered some real gems out there – a vintage frock I bought for £5 at an antiques fair in Inverness, a barely worn Coastcardiganfor£8fromeBay,andanewTedBakerdressfor £25 from a charity shop.

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Lifestyle Feature

While I try to make my wardrobe more sustainable, I keep askingmyself: can fashion truly be green? Surely by its very nature it can’t be as it demands that we buy new items all the time tomake sure we are ‘on trend’? Or are we changing our habits so that increasingly being green is seen as being fashionable?

Greening the fashion industryThe fashion industry itself is making moves to change, with designers such as Stella McCartney taking a lead in setting the green agenda for the cat walks. This year’s New York Fashion Week announced it would be carbon neutral, and featured a top designer making clothes out of Tupperware. The London College of Fashion recognises the ‘unsustainability’ of the current model of fashion and has set up a Centre for Sustainable Fashion to teach the next generation of designers about sustainable materials and processes as well as transparency and fairness in the manufacturing process.

The College’s Business Support Manager, Alex McIntosh, arguesthat “brands need to create products that have value that goes beyond a competitive price point. We need to stop looking at sustainability as something that is separate from fashion or as some kind of inconvenient add on and start seeing it as a key strand in design thinking and product development.”

Green fashion = styleThe change is also being driven by individuals. 34-year-oldChristine Wilson, an avid follower of ‘green’ clothes since she was a teenager, thinks it is more about style than fashion. Sittinginher1950soutfit,featuringaredfeltcircleskirt(£5on

eBay) with a pair of shoesthat cost £4 from a vintage stall, Christine exudes elegance and glamour. “People who choose to shop from vintage and charity shops have their own uniquelook.Bydefinitionthat makes them more stylish,” she says.

At least 50% of Christine’s wardrobe is second hand – from charity and vintage shops, e-bay and clothes

swap parties. When buying new, Christine opts for fair trade, organic cotton suppliers, such as Monkey Genes and People Tree. Christine says “It’s not just green, it’s also sensible. We live in a consumer culture where people buy cheap, low quality items that won’t last. But my other driver is the ethical dimension. More importantly, when I see jeans retailing new for £5, I know that someone somewhere is being exploited to make them,’’ she says.

Charity shopsThere’s also been a move by charity shops to set up boutiques, with Save the Children and Oxfam establishing high end shops promoted by celebrities selling designer and quality goods. The recently opened Mary’s Living and Giving ShopforSavetheChildrenintheaffluentareaofStockbridgein Edinburgh is doing a roaring trade. The charity shop is fortunate to have the backing of television presenter Mary Portas, with Grazia magazine donating stock that has been brieflywornonfashionshoots.

Shop manager Barbara Williams says that “People are happy to donate us their high value items as they know they are going to a good home and will get a good price. If you’re donating an item that you bought for £200 then you want to see it fetching £40 or £50, even if you’re not getting the money yourself.

“Mary’s ethos is to be shopping neutral – if you buy something from the shop, donate something at the same time,” Barbara adds.

I now frequent Mary’s Living and Giving Shop much more than my old high street haunts. I’m also getting quite competitive at findinghighqualitybargainsone-bay.I’munlikelytogiveupmy taste in certain brands, but at least by buying them second hand I know that I’m doing something to cut down on waste and consumerism – and it’s saving me a fortune too.

WHAT YOU CAN DOWe are holding a Green Fashion Show to showcase second hand, vintage, ethically and locally made clothing and accessories on 10 November in Edinburgh. Buy your tickets today by calling 0131 243 2700 or online at foe-scotland.org.uk/fashionshow

Share your views at foe-scotland.org.uk.org.uk/greenfashion

Mary Portas in the Save the Children boutique

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InterviewW

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Amanda Boyden: Our local news recently informed us that a government study shows that 75% of the oil is gone. Yes, just “gone.” What’s most interesting is that the percentage includes disappeared statistics. Disappeared oil. How’s that for a concept? Just how much oil has sunk to the bottom of the Gulf in sticky masses treated with dispersants, and just how muchfloatingcrudehassaturatedthebeaches—well,thoseare numbers nobody knows. My guess is that BP is thrilled with the study. “Gone” easily enough becomes “cleaned up” inmostpeople’sminds.Sufficeittosay,wedon’tbelieveanybody’s getting the whole story.

What on Earth: There’s a lot of talk in Scotland about ‘green jobs’ and we know our renewable energy sector has enormous potential. Is there a moodinLouisianaforfindingawaytomoveawayfrom oil?

AB: I’m sorry to say that, in my opinion, the state as a whole seems more interested in quickly repairing what already existed, more so than biting the bullet and deciding that we need to make laborious, long-term changes away from what brought us to this horrible juncture. Louisiana is an incredibly impoverished state in many ways, and I think that when people have so little to begin with, it feels far more imperative to them to get back working on the rigs again or in their boats shrimping than it is to plan 20 years or more into the indeterminate future.

Personally,Ifindthegeneralviewdepressing.That’snottosay, however, that nobody here in America gives a damn. From grassroots organisations on up, people are choosing to place a steady gaze on the possibility of a cleaner, safer, healthier future. My husband Joseph and I, for example,

Author and lecturer in English literature Amanda Boyden grew up in Chicago. After traveling around the USA as a trapeze artist and chauffeur (amongst other professions), she moved to New Orleans to study creative writing. Like many visitors, she was entranced and has made the ‘Crescent City’ her home. We asked her how New Orleans is coping in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

“Stand up against the oil conglomerates in your own backyard, and Americans might just follow your lead. We are certainly, if nothing else, competitive by nature. Do something wiser and better than we’re managing, and I’d bet we’ll take note.”

alongside some of our neighbours, are looking into solar panels for our homes.

WoE: What can we in Scotland do to help New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf States recover?

Stand up against the oil conglomerates in your own backyard, and Americans might just follow your lead. We are certainly, if nothing else, competitive by nature. Do something wiser and better than we’re managing, and I’d bet we’ll take note.

Amanda Boyden is the author of Babylon Rolling and Pretty Little Dirty, both are available from the Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Amazon Eco-store at astore.amazon.co.uk/frieoftheeart-21

EyEWITNEss ACCOUNT

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Book Reviews and Staff News

WHAT YOU CAN DOReaders of What on Earth can order Recycle - The Essential Guide at a 40% discount (£11.97 plus p&p) by emailing jess@blackdogonline.com, with their delivery address and quoting ‘Friends of the Earth Scotland Offer’ as the subject of their email.

Recycle - The Essential Guide, by Lucy SiegleISBN 1907317023, 978-1907317026 At Friends of the Earth Scotland we focus on the top of the waste hierarchy, which means we prioritise reducing waste, then re-using and lastly recycling. So, an essential guide to recycling may not seem like the obvious choice for a recommendation. However, this book is actually very clever. Recycling is something we all do, and a phrase and concept we are all familiar with. ‘Recycle’ uses that familiarity and then subtly suggests ways to recycle that we would actually term closer to re-use or reduce. As well as ideas for how to ‘upcycle’ (which we would call re-using), it is hugely informative in the chapters describing what actually happens to your waste when you do recycle.

Free: Adventures on the Margins of a Wasteful Society, by Kataharine Hibbert ISBN 0091932734, 978-0091932732Struggling to motivate herself and let go from her job, Katharine Hibbert gave up everything - her rentedflat,herdebitcardsandher travel pass. She spent a year living off the food, clothes, and household items that would otherwisegotolandfill,andshelivedinsquatsformedfromempty buildings.

Katharine learned that the pace of life slows down when you don’t have to obey the call of the 9-5, and that communities support each other more when they have to rely on each other rather than reaching for their wallets.

It’s hard not to feel angry reading about the wasteful nature of our society, but Katharine’s generosity of spirit and hopeful attitude shine through, making ‘Free’ an inspiring read.

Many of you will recognise Vicki Bradley, ourSupporterDevelopmentOfficer,who has recently celebrated her 20 year anniversary of working at FoES.

sTAFF NEWs

Vicki said “Over the years we have accomplished some amazing successes, but it is only because of the generous loyalty of our supporters that we have made so many achievements. We value every member for their contribution, but I would like to particularly thank those members who have been supporting us for many years, some of whom joined evenbeforeIstarted!Ihopewewillcontinue to have the loyal support of our long term and newer members for a very long time.

“There are still many issues to tackle but I know that with your support we can achieve them. I look forward to seeing this dedicated and fantastic organisation succeed for the next 20 years.”

New Energy and Finance CampaignerThanks to funding from the European Climate Foundation we have employed Beth Stratford as part time Energy and Finance Campaigner to co-ordinate our new Low Carbon Power campaign. Beth comes to us from the 10:10 campaign, workedontheAgeofStupidfilm,andhascome to Edinburgh to study a Masters in Environmental Economics.

Vicki celebrates 20 years at FoES!

Community fundraising and outreachW

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John Fellows admits that he has had “a longstandingaffinitywith eating all of the pies” So at the beginning of 2010

heresolvedtobecomefitterandhealthierand signed up to run the Edinburgh Half Marathon to raise funds for Friends of the Earth Scotland.

A trip to the gym revealed to John that some serious training would be needed ashecouldonlyrunforfiveminutesbefore stopping for breath. However,

RUNNINg FOR yOUR ENvIRONMENTEdinburgh Half Marathon

Thanks to the Scottish Government’s Third Sector fund, we have been able to employ Zoe Furnivall to raise funds and our profile through outreach, events and partnerships with schools, ethical businesses and community groups.

Get in touch with Zoe today to discuss any of the activities below on 0131 243 2713 or zfurnivall@foe-scotland.org.uk

WHAT YOU CAN DOIf John has inspired you to dig out your trainers, dust them off and support the work that we do, you can sign up now for the Edinburgh Half Marathon 2011 at foe-scotland.org.uk/halfmarathon In 2010 we raised £4000 with 10 runners –helpustodoubleourtargetfor2011!

three weeks and several training sessionslater he was able to run for 15 minutes.

John set an initial target of £300 and set up a Facebook and Virgin Money Giving page. He went with the theory of asking a lot of people for a small amount of money. Soon afterwards, he raised his target to £900 to keep himself and his supporters motivated. He sent regular updates keeping everyone informed of his progress.

AllthetraininghadthebenefitofhelpingJohn achieve his aim of becoming healthier,as he lost around 3 stone in the build up

totherace.On18April2010aleaner,fitterJohntooktothestreetsofEdinburgh.He not only accomplished his goal of completing the 13.1 miles, but he did it in a fantastic time of 2 hours 17 minutes.

Many thanks to our 12 cyclists who participated in our Fife Challenge bike ride in September. So far we have raised over£3800andthemoneyisstillcoming.

We would like to say thank you to all of our outreach volunteers who haveattended events and festivals throughout the summer, talking to people aboutour campaigns and promoting membership.It has been a great summer, despite the rain and a few waterlogged tents,

Weareholdingourfirsteverfundraisingmonth this November. Please help us to raise funds to continue campaigning on the issues that concern you the most.

We are keen to hear from:Schools and youth groups•Places of work•

Find out more on the opposite page. We will provide speakers, fundraising advice and sponsorship forms.

WHAT YOU CAN DOPlease support our Fundraising Month by signing up your place of work or school and by coming along to the events we have organised - such as our green fashion show and a dinner at Henderson’s in Edinburgh.planetpassion.org.uk

WHAT YOU CAN DOFind out more and register to become a volunteer at foe-scotland.org.uk/volunteering

WHAT YOU CAN DONext Summer we are planning a sponsoredhike and another bike ride. Contact Zoe and you will be sent details soon.

FRIENds OF THE EARTH sCOTLANd MONTH

sUMMER OUTREACH vOLUNTEERINg

CyCLINg FOR yOUR ENvIRONMENT

and we have gained a lot of support at EcoFusion, T in the Park, The Big Tent and Traquair Fair.

We need volunteers across Scotland who can help with:

Outreach •Giving talks•Placing collecting cans in the local area•Organising and participating in street •collections

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SCHOOLS AND YOUNG PEOPLERaise funds and raise awareness. Sign up your school, after school club, youth club, Brownies or

Scouts group to our first ever educational fundraiser for young people.

Young people raise sponsorship for taking up a green activity, such as walking to school, composting, reducing energy or growing plants.

PLACES OF WORKSign your place of work up to do a green dress down day, with staff donating £1 to dress in vintage, second hand, ethically made or green coloured clothing.

Alternative fundraising activities include a clothes swap (swishing), book swap or cake sale.

OCEAN TERMINAL COLLECTIONEdinburgh, 6-7 November 2010Can you donate 2 hours of your time to help us raise vital funds for our campaigning work?

GREEN FASHION SHOWVoodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, 7pmWednesday 10 November, £15 Featuring vintage, second-hand, locally and ethically made clothing, hats and handbags.

Designers include Bill Baber Knitwear, Fabhatrix Godiva and Coco Ribbon Hair. Price includes a glass of wine and a belly dancing performance

FUNDRAISING DINNERHenderson’s, 94 Hanover Street,

Edinburgh. Tuesday 23 November, 7pm, £15 Choice of two main courses and two desserts.All vegetarian and vegan.

www.planetpassion.org.ukContact Zoe on 0131 243 2713 or at zfurnivall@foe-scotland.org.uk