The usual BPEC services & information can still be found on our regular website www.bpec.org, or you can take a look at our Facebook page here

As well as all this we are still happy for you to give us a call or drop into the centre in Brighton. Contact details on our website as usual.

Presently, national politics isn’t functioning because all governments are threatened by global big business stating that tough regulation will mean jobs and money moving to other, more business-friendly countries. Therefore, demanding change, especially at the national level, is no longer enough on its own. We recognise that ‘international economic competition’ is the underlying problem restricting all governments from acting in the best interest of their citizens and the environment. On moral grounds, ‘international economic competition’ should no longer be accepted as the way things are. How else can or should international competition be overcome, other than by co-operative people power? Therefore global grassroots co-operation is the logical, moral and holistic response.

This is why Simpol “Adopters” around the world are organising the power of our votes to drive governments to work together, therefore solving the cause of the urgent global interconnected security problems, problems such as climate change, bio-diversity loss, unfair economics and war. Simpol aims to encourage strength in numbers to drive the globalisation of peace, justice, sustainability and prosperity.

“Not everybody can be leader, but everybody can be an intermediary.” Theodore Zeldin

Simpol is the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation. Our route to “Global People Power” begins by Adopting Simpol and voting in a new way. Adopting means automatically informing your MP (and MP candidates at election time), that those politicians who sign the Simpol “Pledge” win Adopters votes and those who do not, lose them. In this way Adopters drive politicians of all parties – within reason – to co-operate. Adopters ultimately choose which candidates they vote for, but if the politicians don’t Pledge, they can only pretend to have the means to solve global problems.

24 UK MPs have already Pledged to work cooperatively with governments across the world. There are thousands of Simpol Adopters in over 70 countries. Join the movement for change and come to Brighton Simpol Group meet every 3rd Thursday of the month, 7.30pm to 9pm at BPEC.

Adopters also design Simpol’s global policies in a transparent open-source way, free from corporate influence. When all or sufficient nations have signed up to Simpol, the global policies will be approved by Adopters. The policies will then be implemented by national governments simultaneously and in a fair-for-all way. We also seek to work alongside and link together other specialist NGOs to discern which policies need a global response and which do not, thus hastening the implementation of both. So, alongside the vital campaigns you already support, please support Simpol too. The sooner we all agree to work together, for the common good, to take control using the power we already have available to us, the sooner we can solve the cause of global problems.

What does Noam Chomsky say about Simpol? – “It’s ambitious and provocative. Can it work? Certainly worth a serious try.” www.simpol.org

A wealth of scientific evidence points to the link between our carbon dioxide emissions and rapid global climate change. To tackle this as a matter of urgency we are all urged to keep our CO2 output as low as possible and conserve energy within the home. Meanwhile, many stores and restaurants are wasting energy by keeping doors open at all times. Why should retail outlets get away with squandering large amounts of energy by heating the street in the winter and letting out air conditioning in the summer?

Close the Door, and this energy waste is ended immediately. By joining the Close the Door campaign, retailers can make a significant contribution to reducing their overall environmental footprint while lowering their own business costs.

Find out more here on the closethedoor website

Elm Grove First School
Elm Grove
Worthing
West Sussex
BN11 5LQ
Tel: 01903 249387

Take a look at these links to see how others have gone about the challenge before.
recycled bottle greenhouse
how to make a bottle greenhouse
bottled greenhouse project

Some see nuclear power as an important ‘tool in the box’ to limit carbon emissions and stop climate change. It’s more like a spanner in the works. Nuclear power is inadequate, unnecessary as well as dangerous. It’s also a hugely expensive distraction from work to limit the impacts of climate change.

Can nuclear power stop climate change?
Much is made of nuclear power being essential for tacking climate change because it is CO2 free, but even at the most optimistic build rate, 10 new reactors by 2025, the UK’s carbon emissions would be cut by just four per cent. The UK has a binding target of a 34 per cent cut by 2020, meaning that new nuclear’s ability to help meet our obligations is tiny.

We only have so much time and money to spend and must prioritise those technologies with the greatest potential to meet our energy needs and cut emissions. Energy efficiency, renewable energy and cleaner use of fossil fuels like state of the art combined heat and power stations offer solutions on the scale and timeframe we need to cut emissions. These options are challenging and require support and concerted government effort to deliver (just like nuclear power), but with that support this mix has the potential to deliver reliable low carbon energy quicker, cheaper and more effectively than nuclear electric.

Greenpeace is campaigning for a low carbon economy that maximises energy efficiency and puts clean energy at its heart.

Can we keep the lights on without nuclear power?
Since it is likely that not a single new reactor will come into operation over the next decade, new nuclear power can make no obvious contribution to our electricity supply until years after any potential ‘energy gap’ would need to be dealt with.

Rather than concentrating on getting nuclear on-stream at some point after 2020, the government should be focussing on all the sensible alternatives that already exist and can close any energy gap, cut emissions and move us towards a clean energy future. Large scale electricity generation could be met by developing many different cleaner alternatives, including combined heat and power (CHP), using fossil fuels more efficiently and cleanly, and renewable electricity generation such as wind, wave and tidal power.

If we focused on energy efficiency alone, the single most cost-effective way of making deep cuts to our greenhouse gas emissions, it would help the climate and deliver substantial economic savings at the same time. Supporting the growth in industries that use the power of the wind, waves and sun will not only power our country but also create jobs, new businesses and help make Britain a world-leader in cutting edge 21st century technologies.

A major study by consultants McKinsey, scientists at Imperial College London and partners in the energy industry showed that it’s entirely possible to have 80 per cent renewable power in Europe by 2050, at the same price and as reliable as energy today. If we used all of these technologies, most of them already at our disposal, we would secure both the climate and our energy supply. All without the need for new nuclear.

Nuclear power as part of the mix?
The problem with including nuclear power as part of a diversified energy system is that it could undermine the solutions that can deliver energy and emissions cuts quicker and cheaper.

New nuclear will lock us into the same old inflexible, inefficient and outdated energy system we’ve had for years. Such a system, with nuclear at its heart, has almost no room for effective, cutting edge and flexible technologies like wind power and CHP. New nuclear also means that the more cost effective, readily available alternatives above would be hindered because making nuclear a reality requires every ounce of financial, regulatory and political will on the part of the government. Major utilities EDF and Eon have admitted that nuclear power and major new renewable energy developments cannot coexist. They say they would scale back renewable energy investment to accommodate nuclear.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency are booming in other countries. These technologies could be the cornerstone of a green economic recovery in the UK, secure our power and offer a springboard for greater emission reductions in future. Even though we have an abundance of wind and waves and the engineering skill to deliver renewable energy expansion, we are falling well behind other countries, including China and the US, and are not reaping the benefits because this is not a focus or priority for the UK government. There is a danger that much of the economic benefits of renewable energy will go abroad whilst we continue to focus on fostering nuclear power.

And then there’s the waste…
Nuclear waste is produced at every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium mining and enrichment, to reactor operation and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. Much of this nuclear waste will remain hazardous for hundreds of thousands of years.

The current “solution” for dealing with highly radioactive nuclear waste involves burying it in deep underground sites. Whether the storage containers, the store itself, or the surrounding rocks will offer enough protection to stop radioactivity from escaping in the long-term is impossible to predict. To give you an idea of the scale of the problem, if the people who build the pyramids had used them to store radioactive waste, today it’d only be 2% of the way through the time it would need to be stored securely. That’s a major commitment that we’d be making on behalf of our children’s children, and their children’s children, and their…

And we already have huge amounts of radioactive waste in Britain that we have no idea how to deal with in the long-term. If ten new nuclear plants are built the waste they create would increase the overall radioactivity of this country’s atomic legacy by three times.

Click here if you want more background about the issues involved in Nuclear Power and the Greenpeace perspective.

It’s easy to get caught up in the whirl of parties, presents, mulled wine and food. But many people end the holiday season questioning why it hasn’t quite measured up to their expectations. Where was the festive cheer and good will to all men? What happened to enjoying quality time with family or friends? Did we really spend that much? And where can we recycle the tree this year?

It’s definitely got us thinking at BPEC – so we’ve come up with our own Advent Calender, a check-list of 25 easy, practical things to do for a merry, peaceful and sustainable Christmas. Try a few of these and we reckon your Christmas will be a cracker!

#1 Buy secondhand gifts: it reduces the environmental impact of production, transportation and packaging. You can find good stuff at charity shops and vintage clothing shops. Or shop ‘n’ swap online at Freecycle – www.freecycle.org.uk or eBay – www.ebay.co.uk.

#2 Try not to waste it: The average family wastes a third of the food they buy. Every Christmas we throw away 4,200 tons of aluminium foil. If you can’t re-use the foil for cooking, try to recycle it. Use crockery instead of disposable plates and cups. Reward the washers-up with a treat!

#3 Get some advice: download the helpful “How to Have a Better Xmas” from LifeSquared or go on one of their workshops www.lifesquared.org.uk http://lifesquared.org.uk/publications

#4 Buy seasonal, buy local: Reduce your Xmas carbon footprint by shopping for locally made and grown produce from local shops, farm shops and farmers’ markets. Keep it close to home.

#5 Smell good with a clean conscience: If you give toiletries or cosmetics as gifts, choose natural essential oils or organic toiletries, or cosmetics which haven’t been tested on animals.

#6 Clever Christmas Cards: It’s easy to make your own, just cut out pictures from old cards or magazines and stick them on bright coloured paper. Or if you’re buying, choose recycled paper and charity cards so every penny you spend is counting.

#7 Get Tree Smart: If you buy a tree, ditch the plastic and get a real one in a pot and keep it for next year or replant it. You could also get creative with evergreens and branches from your local park, or use a holly or bay tree.

#8 D.I.Y. Decorations: kids love making their own and taking some time to do something creative is good for grown-ups too. Use recycled card or almunium from drinks cans. Or make salt dough shapes and hang them all on your tree. http://kids.creativity-portal.com/d/recipes/salt.dough.shtml

#9 Take a Time Out: No point in getting to the end of the holidays without some down time. Why not go for a walk in the park – or get out into the countryside? Or just curl up somewhere peaceful with a book or something good on the stereo.

#10 Be fair: Buy Christmas food, wine and presents with the FairTrade label on it, it guarantees workers have been fairly rewarded for their labour.

#11 Turn out the light: Remember to turn off Christmas tree lights when you are not around, or fit a timer. If buying new lights, look for LED ones, which last longer and are more energy-efficient.

#12 Seek out 3 wise men or women: This is a time of year for reflection and celebration, with not just Christmas but also the Islamic New Year, Hannukah and the Solstice being celebrated. Why not find out more from colleagues, friends and neighbours about why this time of year is special to them?

#13 Getting to know you: Christmas can be a lonely time of year for many people. Invite someone you know is on their own round for a mince-pie, or stop and say hello to those folks in the hall you only usually nod to.

#14 It’s the thought that counts: Why not make something for someone your love? There are lots of ideas online – http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Christmas-Gifts And lots of great books that’ll give you ideas.

#15 L.O.L. That’s the Local Organic Lunch! Here’s an idea … could you source ALL the food for your festive feast from local shops and farms? Or go Organic and pick one or two special things, for an extra environmentally tasty and healthy Christmas meal.

#16 Secret Santa: This is great for groups of friends or large families – agree a budget, pick another person’s name from a hat and then only buy or make a present for that person.

#17 Gifts that keep on giving: Why not buy a practical gift for those less fortunate like a share in a well, or grain for farming. Visit www.practicalpresents.org or www.oxfam.org.uk/shop Or you can make a difference with www.greenpeacegiving.org.uk

#18 Volunteer: for a local charity or homeless shelter. Many great organisations could do with a few hours of your time and goodwill at this time of year. It’s also a great way to make new friends in your community.

#19 Wrapping it all up: More than 8,000 tons of wrapping paper are used at Christmas then thrown away. Why not recycle yours this year, or make your own from old magazines or newspapers and personalise with potato stamp pictures?

#20 Left someone off your list?: There’s always someone you forget to send a card to. Why not send an E-Card? It’ll be there in a click and if you send all your Christmas Cards this way you can save trees and money.

#21 Become a member: Why not buy someone you love membership of Brighton Peace & Environment Centre? You’ll be supporting a great local charity, and as a thank-you we’ll give you discounts and money off vouchers to buy other great green and ethical gifts.

#22 Recycle: Why not set your family and friends a challenge, and see which of you has the fewest rubbish bags for the bin men after Christmas. Winner gets the left over bottle of wine from New Year!

#23 Take a breath: Is it all getting a bit mad? Stop, look around you, remind yourself what’s important to you at this time of year … and as much as you can … just do that!

#24 Recycle your Christmas Cards: as the last cards land on the mat, find out where you can recycle them in January. Many supermarkets now offer this service, and so does the Woodland Trust.

#25 Tree Heaven: remember most councils have collection areas for Christmas trees which are then turned into wood chip and used by Parks Department. There’s never a recycling point far away from you.

Richard Docwra, from Life2 said, “Xmas can be a special time, but many people think it has become too commercialised and has lost some of its meaning – a bit like life in the modern world generally.”

And the workshop?

“Will help people get in the Xmas spirit,” said Richard. “People will have a chance to explore some of the things that really add meaning and fun to our experience of Xmas – from spending time with people and getting some rest, to trying to waste less and value what we have more. We want people to come away with a range of practical ideas and tips to enable you to have a happy, wise and meaningful festive period!”

And why do we like the sound of all this? Because anything that helps people to have a more sustainable Christmas – for themselves, their families and the planet – sounds like a good thing to us.

The ‘How to have a better Xmas’ Workshop is running in Lewes, East Sussex, on Saturday November 27th from 11-5pm. You can find out more here.
Or download one of their ‘How to have better Xmas‘ books for FREE!

If you have a story to tell, why don’t you share it with us? Perhaps you’re growing your own food, either on an allotment or on your garden or balcony. Maybe you have decided to travel less by car and use more public transport or even cycle around town. It could be that you are more careful when using energy in your home or just worried about extreme weather conditions. Are you involved with a campaign?

We want to hear from you. Send your story and a photo to climateconnections@bpec.org or call us on 01273 766610, we’d love to hear more.

How would you like to exhibit your photographs in an international platform of world-class documentary photography?

FotoDocument is a new arts and education, not-for-profit social enterprise, and it wants your photos for its Fringe Documentary Project. They’re creating an online gallery of photographs highlighting environmental projects from around the world. So if you have photographs showing green initiatives which you feel are inspiring and would like people to know about, send them up to three photographs and they’ll be considered for the FotoDocument’s on-line picture grid.

FotoDocument have already selected nine photographers from seven different countries to produce photo essays which show working solutions to the problems associated with climate change and environmental degradation. Your photos could stand alongside theirs and promote a local project you think is worth shouting about. Find out more by visiting the FotoDocument website.

With all that mud we can’t rely on the fields staying green, so make your festival experience a little greener by taking the eco-friendly coach to Glastonbury festival. Brighton Peace and Environment Centre will once again be running coaches direct from Brighton to the Festival. We’re teaming up with The Big Lemon who run their coaches on 100% locally sourced, recycled vegetable oil. It’s the greenest way to get to the festival by coach and it takes away the stress of driving, arriving and parking, so the festival can start in Brighton!

For more information please look at our website (www.bpec.org/glastonbury), phone 01273 766611 or email bpec.coaches@gmail.com