Campaigns

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Energy and Climate Change

The Big Ask, Friends of the Earth's 2006 climate change campaign, aimed to build support among Members of Parliament and the public for a Climate Change Bill that would commit the Government to 3 per cent year on year reductions in the UK's emissions of carbon dioxide. As part of our ongoing Climate and Energy campaign, Birmingham Friends of the Earth has been lobbying local MPs to support the Climate Change Bill as well as working to promote renewable energy and energy conservation in Birmingham. The Bill has now been announced in last November's Queen's speech, but we will keep an eye on the process throughout 2007 to ensure that the 3 per cent year on year reduction is included in the bill (something PM Tony Blairs currently does not want to support - see Tony Blairs' thoughts on the Big Ask Climate Debate).

Birmingham Friends of the Earth is also working hard on an inovative project called "Faith, Climate Change and Birmingham". Through this project, ambassadors are raising awarness throughout Birmingham communities (Churches, Mosques, Synagogues...) about the challenges of Climate Change. (see more on this project on the dedicated webpages).

BFoE also organise regular speaker events on Climate Change (the next one is on Monday 5th February 2007 in Carrs Lane Church Centre). Three speakers (including Gerry Wolff, Coordinator of TREC-UK) will be talking and answering questions on why Climate Change will affect the poorest people first and what solutions can be found. More informations available from the page: http://www.birminghamfoe.org.uk/Events/Climate_Change_and_Poverty.htm. Check also the Faith and Climate Change diary.

In recent years, we have targeted key 'climate villains' such as oil giants ExxonMobil (Esso), BP and Shell, construction company Amec, and the Motorshow, and in January 2006 we joined forces with the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s to begin a campaign against the proliferation of over-sized gas-guzzlers in the city.

Briefings and other documents

Energy and Climate campaign press releases

• Aviation's tax breaks costing public and environment dear say campaigners (31st March 2006)
• Brown's Budgets fail the green test (31st March 2006)
• Urban 4x4 drivers offered free "Mudwashes" (15th July 2005)
• Election candidates challenged to match green rhetoric with reality (27th April 2005)
• Toyota - putting the 'bull' into Bullring (16th March 2005)
• Local MP joins call for action on climate crisis (1st February 2005)
• A lesson for parents: 4 x 4 = dirty + dangerous (11th January 2005)
• Brummies take the Climate Challenge (9th December 2004)
• Workshop introduces biodiesel, a fuel for the future? (2nd July 2004)
• Alas, poor AMEC: Shakespeare slams company over pipeline (19th August 2003)
• Climate horror show hits E$$O forecourts (30th October 2002)
• Climate chaos at the Motor Show (23rd October 2002)
• Climate chaos at the Motor Show (2nd PR) (23rd October 2002)
• "Forward" march against Esso! (18th June 2002)
• E$$O: No1 Global Warming Villain! (15th May 2002)
• People's Climate Lobby blockade Erdington Esso depot: Esso Petrol Pariah (18th Aug 2001)
• Brummies build Bonn boat: don't sink the climate treaty! (20th July 2001)

Press centre: an archive of Birmingham Friends of the Earth press releases 2000-present

Action Briefing articles 2003-6

• Big Ask Update (December 2006 - January 2007)
• Climate Change and Poverty (December 2006 - January 2007)
• Climate Change Rally, London 4 November 2006 (December 2006 - January 2007)
• Birmingham Climate Change Strategy (Oct 2006 - Nov 2006)
• Are you paying £300 a year for not flying? (Apr - May 2006)
• Sweden sets course for an oil free future (Apr - May 2006)
• Climate Change... 8 things you should know (Apr - May 2006)
• Energy Efficiency in a Spin (around the world) (Feb-Mar 2006)
• March For Climate Action (Feb-Mar 2006)
• Energy Beyond Oil (Feb-Mar 2006)
• The Big Ask 2006
• The Even Bigger Ask (Oct-Nov 2005)
• Transport and Climate Change: An irresistible force meets a lot of movable objects (Oct-Nov 2005)
• Stop Climate Chaos coalition launched (Oct-Nov 2005)
• MPs get the Bill for Climate Change (Aug-Sept 2005)
• Mudwash at the Mailbox: Urban 4x4s get a lick of crud to cover their lack of cred (Aug-Sept 2005)
• Land Rover's 'Climate Crime Scene' (Jun-Jul 2005)
• Tackling climate change in Birmingham and the West Midlands (Jun-Jul 2005)
• Great expectations for Bleak House? (Jun-Jul 2005)
• The climate is changing. It's time to start asking questions. (Jun-Jul 2005)
• Student bangs the drum for biodiesel (Apr-May 2005)
• Warehouse solar power update (Apr-May 2005)
• Energy for the future (Apr-May 2005)
• Clare and Present Danger (Apr-May 2005)
• Toyota: putting the 'bull' into Bullring (Apr-May 2005)
• A lesson for parents: 4 x 4 = dirty + dangerous (Feb-Mar 2005)
• Four-by-fury: Readers respond to 4x4 protest (Feb-Mar 2005)
• What do we have to show for a decade of international action on climate change? (Feb-Mar 2005)
• Climate Challenge: A positive outlook for green electricity (Dec 2004-Jan 2005)
• Join the campaign for community wind power (Oct-Nov 2004)
• Operation Noah ( Aug-Sept 2004)
• Fuel-good factor: the wonders of biodiesel (Aug-Sept 2004)
  
• The Waste-Less Society (June-July 2004)
• Energy Garden Roadshow (June-July 2004)
• Ten ways to take on climate change (June-July 2004)
• Take the Climate Challenge! Switch to Green Energy (June-July 2004)
• Kyoto march: save the climate treaty (Apr-May 2004)
• BSEP: An energy partnership for Birmingham (Feb-Mar 2004)
• Alas, poor AMEC! Baku-Ceyhan pipeline is a Bard business (Oct-Nov 2003)
• AMEC's Bard business (Oct-Nov 2003)
• Ecological footprints: a step in the right direction (Jun-Jul 2003)
• Dateline for the Pipeline - London Baku-Ceyhan demo (Apr-May 2003)
• Something nasty in the pipeline: BP's Baku-Ceyhanigans (Feb-Mar 2003)

More Action Briefing articles in our archive.

Links

• Birmingham Faith and Climate Change
• Friends of the Earth - the Big Ask www.thebigask.com
• Friends of the Earth - climate www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/
• Baku-Ceyhan campaign www.baku.org.uk/
• Rising Tide www.risingtide.org.uk
• Save Energy West Midlands www.savenergy.org
• StopEsso campaign www.stopesso.org/

This page last updated by Jean-Francois (Jeff) Mouhot: 2nd January 2007