On Thursday 20th August the Lord Mayor Naomi Long met representatives from Belfast Friends of the Earth to demonstrate her support behind their new campaign, “Belfast Cycle City”. She received a copy of their cycling vision for Belfast and gave it her backing.

The campaign calls for every Belfast City Councillor to support the vision of Belfast as one of the top 10 cycling cities in the UK by 2020.

To accomplish this, Belfast Friends of the Earth are urging Belfast City Councillors to take three actions:

• create a new ten year Belfast Cycle Strategy from 2010 to 2020
• set a 10% target for all trips by bicycle in the city by 2020
• request increased government spending on cycling to £15 per person, in line with cycle-orientated English cities.

Belfast Friends of the Earth Co-ordinator Andrew McMurray : “ The public response to our campaign so far has been really encouraging; thousands of hits to our website and hundreds of signatures in support of our campaign asks. The Lord Mayor’s public support affirms her commitment to a sustainable Belfast, reducing congestion, combating climate change and improving public health. We hope the rest of the City Council will now so the same and press for a Belfast Cycle City”.

Belfast Lord Mayor Naomi Long : “I am very pleased to support the Belfast Cycle City campaign. I believe that cycling represents part of a positive, progressive transport solution for Belfast and I would encourage my fellow councillors to get behind the campaign too. As well as infrastructure improvements, we need to engage with communities on this issue and make cycling in Belfast a safe, healthy and enjoyable activity for all.”

For more information on the campaign, please visit belfastcyclecity.org.uk or contact belfastfoe@googlemail.com.

[Northern Ireland Environment Minister] Sammy Wilson’s decision to ban a TV advertisement on climate change provoked outrage, but Ballymena’s very own dedicated green activist – the Baglady would like to thank the Environment Minister.

“The Environment Minister has provoked debate up and down the country… but… his actions and comments are unacceptable in this day and age when the evidence to support climate change is overwhelming. This man is supposed to be in charge of environmental issues here in Northern Ireland.”

Original story at Ballymena Times.

For more information on the Sammy Wilson story, see the Green Party Northern Ireland website.

See the rest here.

Thanks to Sue for the link.

The Green Party has accused NILGA and ARC 21 of trying to introduce incineration into Northern Ireland by stealth using PPS18, by describing the burning of municipal waste as a renewable energy.

Green Party Down District Cllr Cadogan Enright said: “If the people of Northern Ireland knew that PPS18 included the fast tracking of incineration then they would reject the document immediately. If the burning of municipal waste falls within the remit of PPS18 the overall document will lose credibility. Burning municipal waste is not a renewable energy.”

The Green Party has also criticized the document for failing to include small scale wind turbines, tidal and wave energy, rain water harvesting and grey water recycling – all widely accepted renewable energy methods.

Cllr Enright said: “The people of Northern Ireland have not been properly informed about the impact of PPS18 if the document allows the burning of municipal waste to be classed as renewable energy. If approved, planning applications for incinerators will be fast tracked through the Planning Service. I challenge NILGA and ARC 21 to find any community in Northern Ireland which would welcome an incinerator. The people of North Belfast have rejected it for the North Foreshore and the people of Glenavy are rejecting it too. Time the politicians caught up with public opinion.”

Read more at the Greens’ website.

My name’s Lionel Smith and I’ve just set up a website with the aim of addressing that pernickety problem of plastic that is already in the environment and draping the mountains, beaches, deserts and headgerows. I’m thrilled everyone is focussing in stopping the dreaded single use bag but I’ve seen little on the problem of what to do abouth the stuff that’s already out there.

I can back in November last year from travelling on a year out, and on my first day back bought the web address http://www.24hoursonplanetearth.com and set about getting it up and running to fund the removal of plastic in the environment. I was a bit out of touch with the plastic bag issue at home and it’s been amazing to see all the recent news and publicity, I wish I knew how to tap in to it all.

The site I’ve got running has been up for 3 weeks and had supporters register from the USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Maylasia, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Denmark, Greece, Norway and Peru so far.

Lionel’s aim is this: to collect 24 hours of the most moving music the world has ever known. The collection then will be used to help create a charitable trust that will fund the picking up and removal of plastic from the environment for recycling and reuse.

Go register your vote now!: 24 Hours on Planet Earth.

Gordon Brown has made some very important observations. He is beginning to sound like a father as well as a politician. This is what we so desperately need from all of our elected representatives, and right across the community.

Gordon Brown said: “I am convinced we need to act – and the time to act is now…. if government compulsion is needed to make the change, we will take the necessary steps.

“We do not take such steps lightly – but the damage single-use plastic bags inflict on the environment is such that strong action must be taken.

“The important thing is to come up with a scheme that will be of most benefit, most quickly – and ideally at the same time secure funds for organisations that help protect our environment.”

Baglady added:

Mr Brown said he was reminded of the scale of the problem every week when he saw the number of bags supplied with his family shopping.

I am just wondering if he has noticed the amount of other packaging we are paying for, and how much needless plastic is being inflicted on the planet we are supposed to share with zillions of other species.

I also wonder if he’s noticed the distance our foods travel, or where our ‘recycled’ rubbish goes.