Green jobs - or dangerous green wash? Zoom meeting 6.30pm July 4th on Zoom

 

Campaign Against Climate Change Meeting July 4th, 2023 6:30 PM  to 8PM on ZOOM

BOOK

Speakers: Ellen Robottom, Campaign against Climate Change trade union group, 

 

Stuart Boothman, Stop Burning Trees Coalition,

 

Don Naylor, HyNot (campaigning against HyNet greenwash and the Whitby hydrogen village) 

 

Claire James, Campaign against Climate Change 

 

Greenwash is not always easy to challenge: the claims to offer climate solutions; the PR offensive in local communities; and promises of 'green jobs' that in reality are neither as numerous or as environmentally friendly as promised. But whether it’s a ‘zero carbon’ coal mine, heating homes with hydrogen, importing wood to burn in power stations, ‘sustainable aviation growth’ or offsetting, there are common themes that can enable a reality check on greenwash claims and misleading jobs promises. In this meeting we'll aim to draw these out with the aims of challenging greenwash more effectively, supporting local campaigns, and working towards a genuine Just Transition.

Brent to stand in solidarity with youth climate activists on September 20th - please join in

“This is not a single-generation job. It’s humanity’s job... Let’s all join together, with your neighbours, co-workers, friends, family and go out on to the streets to make your voices heard and make this a turning point in our history.” Greta Thunberg and 46 youth activists from the international school strike movement

Local environmental activists, including Friends of the Earth and Divest Brent; trade unionists, politicians and parents are planning to answer the call from Greta Thunberg and other youth activists  adults to support the global climate youth movement by assembling at Brent Civic Centre at 9.30am on Friday September 20th in a display of support and solidarity. There will be a wide range of speakers united in recognising the urgent need to address the climate emergency.

Brent Council has given permission for staff to join the rally for 30 minutes as long as they seek their manager's permission and there is minimal impact on service provision.
Brent recently adopted a motion declaring a Climate Emergency and is planning to set up a a Citizens' Panel on Climate in October,

Brent National Education Union is urging its members to take creative action on the day:

After the rally many activists and supporters will move on the Central London to join the youth strikers at Mill Bank:

Further information:

UK Student Climate Network

Campaign Against Climate Change

Friends of the Earth

Barry Gardiner among the speakers at Jobs and Climate Conference on Saturday

Tickets are still available for this important conference in central London. Go to LINK.

Tackling the climate crisis needs workers to build a world fit for the future. Yet the narrative of 'jobs versus environment' is still heard across the political spectrum, derailing the action we urgently need.

This conference, organised by the Campaign against Climate Change Trade Union Group, aims to challenge the false choice of good jobs versus the environment. Instead of settling for this, there is both an urgent need for action on climate change and a real opportunity for trade unionists to be at the forefront of campaigning for a transition. One which puts the needs of the planet, decent jobs and social justice at the top of the political agenda.

The conference, for trade unionists and others interested in the issues, will be an opportunity to hear from trade unionists, scientists, environmental activists and others about the issues; and to learn from grassroots action today as well as debating a vision for the future.

Speakers include:

Barry Gardiner - Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade and Shadow Minister for International Climate Change, Chris Baugh - Dep Gen Sec PCS , Sarah Woolley - BFAWU, Caroline Russell - Green Party London Assembly Member, Liz Hutchins - FOE, Professor Joanna Haigh - Grantham Institute, Suzanne Jeffery - Chair CACC, Asad Rehman - Executive Director War on Want, Mika Minio-Paluello - Platform, Wilf Sullivan - Race Equality Officer TUC, Tahir Latif - (Aviation group PCS), Duncan Law - Biofuelwatch, Kim Hunter - Frack Free Scarborough, Tina Louise Rothery - Lancashire Anti-Fracking Nanas, Graham Petersen - Greener Jobs Alliance, Sam Mason - PCS, Allison Roche - UNISON, ACTS Unite, Jonathan Neale - Global Climate Jobs, Dave King - New Lucas Plan Group, Lauren Jones - Sheffield Climate Alliance, Paul Allen - Centre for Alternative Technology, Sarah Pearce, UNISON

Registration: 10am-10.45am, conference start 10.45, conference finish 5pm

Two Plenary Sessions:
1. Jobs versus the Environment, challenging a false choice.
2. Planning for a just transition - a future which doesn't cost the earth

Workshops include:

• Climate Change: What's happening to our climate and why this is an issue
• One Million Climate Jobs: Planning for a national Climate Service
• Climate Refugees: Campaigning within the trade unions
• Just Transition: Challenging the Government's Clean Growth Strategy
• A New Lucas Plan: Popular Planning for Social Need
• Jobs and Climate: Debates in the movement
• Food and agriculture: Planning for a healthy sustainable future
• Women and Climate: In the frontline
• Workplace Environmental Reps: Organising in the workplace
• Energy Democracy: How can trade unions 'resist, reclaim, restructure' the energy system?

Marching Backwards: Putting the pressure on the government to act on climate change

London's Climate weekend brings out the Greens

A lovely September afternoon brought thousands on to London streets today to put pressure on governments to take action on climate change.  The demonstration coincided with others taking place in cities throughout the world.

The Green Party was particularly prominent alongside Friend sof the Earth and other environmental actvists. The demonstration included many family groups and was marked by a relaxed, friendly and very creative atmosphere.

For why we should be concerned about Climate Change read this: LINK

On Saturday, as a member of the Green Party Trade Union Group and Chair of Brent Campaign Against Climate Change, I attended the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Group conference: For A Future That Doesn't Cost the Earth: The International Fight For Climate Jobs.

With the miracle that is Skype, we heard from Fernando Losada, Director of Environmental Health and Climate Justic at National Nurses United, speaking from New York.  He talked about the work of the climate justrice movement in shifting the stance of trade unions, where the American Federation of Labour often allied themselves with oil and fracking businesses in order to protect  or create jobs large infrastructue jobs..

The movement had challenged this and their arguments for socially useful jobs had been partially successful - AFL statements in favour of big energy projects had become less bold.  One of the big battles will be over the latest phase of the Keystone Pipeline LINK

Organising this weekend's demonstration had galvanised some local unions to take a positive position that contrasted with that of their union nationally, creating dialogue about the climate change issue. Some local unions had endorsed the march forcing their national leadership to also back it.

Kjersti Barsok, Vice President, Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Oslo) concentrated on their national campaign to reduce oil use which had in the 2013 Oil Alliance united 100 organisations in its demands.  This was very much a 'climate solution from below' campaign and included a  national petition to reduce oil production at source. The campaign had made links with popular movements and with May Day rallies but also put forward demands to protect workers during transition.

Dipti Bhatnagar, Friends of the Earth Internmational and Justica Ambiental addressed the conference from Mozambique via Skype. She said that many national governments and the UN had been 'captured' by corporates. The battle  was to reclaim them: 'they mist listen to the people and not to the polluters'.

Phil Pearson, TUC Senior Policy Officer for Climate Change and Energy,  suggested that TTIP was in conflict with the  UN Commission on Climate Change's argument for growth compatible with reducing climate change.  However the latter's  10 point plan was purely voluntary whereas as TTIP states combatting climate change should not restrict economic growth.

He argued that climate change measures need to be regulated on the basis of the rights of citizens but there are currently no legal machanisms in this regard. But there are regulations in place in the interests of trade,

The conference saw the launch of the new edition of  the pamphlet  One Million Climate Jobs.  Written by a group of trade unionists, environmental activists and experts it sets out in great detail  the nature of the problem and sector by sector the jobs that could be created, Practical, rather than  polemical, it is a useful tool for trade unionists working in their union to get the issue of climate change taken seriously.

Join the People's Climate March on Sunday

The World Leaders' Climate Summit in New York this September will be a key moment in the fight against climate change. The march organised in New York aims to be the biggest climate demonstration the US has ever seen, and over 900 solidarity events are planned globally on the same weekend.

The Campaign against Climate Change is helping to organise the People's Climate March in London along with many other organisations including Avaaz, 350.org, UKYCC, People & Planet, Operation Noah, Wake Up London, Oxfam, Art Not Oil, BP or not BP, CAFOD, UCL Students' Union, Greenpeace UK, Rising Tide...

Join the March! 12:30 pm Temple Place (Embankment) – Sunday Sept 21st

12.15pm - Multi-faith gathering in Victoria Embankment Gardens
1pm - March sets off. Just join the throng or march along with the Fossil Free bloc, the families and children bloc, the 'BP or not BP' Viking longship, the trade union bloc, the Bike bloc, the Queer bloc...
1.45-2.45pm - Rally in Parliament Square

Campaign Against Climate Change Conference Saturday September 20th at London Met

Saturday 20th September 2014 12.00-17.00
 Tower Building, London Metropolitan University, Holloway Road, London, N7 8DB (directly across the road from Holloway Road tube station)

During a weekend of international climate change protest, the Campaign against Climate Change Trade Union Group will be launching the new edition of the influential "One Million Climate Jobs" booklet, and making links with activists in other countries.

Key speakers include Kjersti Bartos, Vice-President of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, Fernando Losado from the US Nursing Union, and Philip Pearson, the TUC's senior officer for energy and climate change. Speakers from NUS and People & Planet will lead a workshop on "Students, Environment and Climate Jobs". There will also be Skype links with representatives of the Climate Jobs movement in South Africa and some of the US and British trade unionists who will be on the New York "People's Climate March" on September 21st.

Book your place online

Join the Facebook event

Conference Timetable

12.00 – 12.30: Registration

12.30 – 12.40: Conference opening

12.40 – 2.00: Opening plenary: "The International Fight for Climate Jobs"

Speakers:

Kjersti Barsok, Vice-President, Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Oslo)
Fernando Losada, National Nurses United trade union, USA (by Skype)
Philip Pearson, TUC Senior Policy Officer for Climate Change and Energy
Dipti Bhatnagar, Friends of the Earth International, Mozambique (by Skype)
Jonathan Neale, Editor, “One Million Climate Jobs” Report

2.00 – 2.15 Break

2.15 – 3.45 Workshops:

a) "Unpacking Climate Jobs"
Lead speakers: contributors to “One Million Climate Jobs” report

b) "Building a Better Future by Campaigning for Climate Jobs"
Lead speakers:
Clara Paillard, PCS Green Rep and NW TUC
Ken Montague, Secretary, CACCTU

c) "Students, Environment, and Climate jobs"
Lead speakers:
Laura Williams, Project Officer – Green Impact, NUS
Andrew Taylor, People & Planet

3.45 - 4.00 Break

4.00 - 5.30 Closing Plenary: "Time to Act on Climate Change!"

Speakers:
Chris Baugh (Assistant General Secretary, PCS) on the New York “People’s Climate March” (by Skype)
Maxime Coombes (ATTAC, France) on mobilising for the Paris 2015 COP
Suzanne Jeffery (Chair, CACCTU) on the UK “Time to Act!” campaign.

Natalie Bennett: 'We are at a big change, a leap, in politics'

Natalie Bennett speaking at the Ecosocialism: Fracking, Climate and Revoution conference on Saturday whcih was organised by Socialist Resistance and Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century.

 

A particular strong speech was made by Fiona Brookes of the Campaign Against Climate Change

Climate Change - Deadlier than the Deficit

On a wet and windy Westminster night a banner was briefly unfurled yesterday outside Parliament reading 'CLIMATE CHANGE - DEADLIER THAN THE DEFICIT'. We were demonstrating against the Energy Bill which despite Coalition PR gives the go-ahead for nuclear and fracking and does nothing to support green solutions to the energy and climate change crisis.

John McDonnell MP addressed the demonstrators from various campaigning groups and I spoke as a member of the Green Party and Campaign Against Climate Change on the need for a restructuring of the economy and a defence of the welfare state.. The recently formed Campaign Against Fuel Poverty made the connection between fuel poverty and child poverty.

Scenes from the Climate Change March

Green Party stall at Grosvenor Square

Laying the pipeline from US Embassy to Canadian Embassy

International support

At Wesminster

The fracking rig is erected outside Parliament

Natalie Bennett's speech at Climate Change Rally

ARCTIC ICE CAP MELT - VITAL MEETING WEDNESDAY

London Public Meeting Wednesday 26th September  7pm

  Indian YMCA, 41 Fitzroy Square, London WC1 (Great Portland Street, Warren Street or Goodge Street tubes) 

 With Professor Peter Wadhams, Head of the Polar Oceans Physics Group at Cambridge University and John Vidal, Guardian Environment Correspondent (just back from a trip on the Greenpeace ship to the Arctic) To be sure of a place you can now register in advance for this meeting HERE

 Organised by the Campaign against Climate Change with the Arctic Methane Emergency Group 

The Arctic ice cap is disappearing before our eyes: this is the first large scale unmistakable impact of climate change, clearly visible from space. The Arctic sea-ice broke an all time record for lowest ever extent on Friday 24th August (after breaking several other records according to other methodologies of measurement by other scientific institutions etc…). This was a bombshell because it was nearly a month before you would expect the ice to reach its seasonal minimum – it is still decreasing now and we can expect it to continue decreasing until around mid September. (so we should probably have a good idea of the absolute minimum by the time of this meeting). 

What does this mean for our estimates of when the Arctic will be completely ice-free at the end of the summer?

What will be the consequences when this happens?

How will it affect the Arctic biosphere, its animals its indigenous people? 

More to the point how will it affect the rest of the world, global weather patterns  and the agriculture and food supplies dependent on those? 

What about the melting of the permafrost? How fast will that happen and how much will that accelerate global warming? 

What about the methane hydrates under the Arctic ocean?. How suddenly might they be released? Are we looking at apocalypse tomorrow? 

Professor Wadhams is a leading expert on sea ice. Whilst the forecasts of the IPCC for instance have been left well behind he has been at the forefront of those in the scientific community predicting a rapid disappearance of Arctic sea ice. In his own words : 

For 40 years I have been measuring sea ice thickness in the Arctic from UK submarines. I first detected substantial thinning in 1990, and since the most recent submarine voyage in 2007 I have been warning that the combination of sea ice retreat and a massive amount of thinning will lead to the disappearance of the summer sea ice by as early as 2015. Despite the fact that this is a simple extrapolation of a clear and measured trend I have been vilified by scientific colleagues for making such a seemingly radical prediction. I am pleased to see these same colleagues now jumping on the bandwagon and supporting my prediction

Come to this meeting to find out how significant what we are now seeing really is – and what the future might hold.

The Big Crunch on Climate Targets

As the government's position on climate change targets remained confused after differing reports over the weekend, protesters gathered outsiide Lib Dem Head Quarters at 8am this morning to deliver the following letter to Nick Clegg:

We in the Campaign against Climate Change organised a demonstration outside your party headquarters on hearing the news that there could be a risk that recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change might not be accepted. We are still dismayed at the position reportedly taken by Vince Cable on this issue.

However we are relieved to hear that the government has now decided to accept the recommendations of the independent committee for the 2023-27 carbon budget – because to allow short term economic considerations to take precedence over the Committee’s recommendations at this stage, would have set a precedent that could have effectively undermined the whole of the UK’s emissions reduction program.

Nevertheless we feel it will be a big mistake to disregard or delay acceptance of the Committee’s recommendation for a cut of 60% by 2030 (we would say at least) and even more important the recommendation to tighten up the nearer term targets (2013 to 2023) because above all we need strong action as soon as possible.

Further to that we would like to take this opportunity to warn you that the recommendations of the Committee are still in themselves insufficient, and to demand yet more robust action on climate. We appreciate how difficult this is to achieve politically but we believe there can be nothing more compelling than the spectre of a climate catastrophe that could kill billions. Our reasons for believing that the recommendations of the Committee are inadequate include three main considerations.

First, the recommendations include an increase in agro-fuels – that is biofuels produced through intensive agriculture. Already the increased demand for agrofuels is boosting the rate of deforestation and destructive land use change in Indonesia, South America and other places. In climate change terms we believe the increase in use of agrofuels will do substantially more harm than good. So called sustainability criteria are ineffective and probably unworkable on the real world.

Second, the Committee do not take into account the UK emissions that have effectively been outsourced to countries like China as they feed our increased demand for consumer goods.

Third, the targets enshrined in the Climate Act are now themselves, inadequate in the light of the latest climate science and represent un an acceptable level of risk. There is a good chance they would be insufficient to prevent a catastrophic destabilisation of global climate that would be devastating for human populations around the world, especially, and most immediately, the poorest and most vulnerable. This is the clear implication of those at the sharp end of climate change research like Professor Kevin Anderson of the Tyndall Centre who suggests that we should be aiming at something more like a 10% cut in emissions per year1, or Doctor James Hansen who heads NASA’s research effort on climate change and who says that two degrees of warming represents too great a risk.

We could add to that a fourth, namely that the international situation around the climate negotiations currently looks bleak, so that there is an even greater need to set a conspicuously bold example to break the deadlock and move things forward.

We therefore believe that the quite unprecedented situation that we find ourselves in amounts to a global emergency and requires a quantum leap in the scale of our response, over and above what the Committee on Climate change are currently recommending. The Campaign against Climate Change, for instance, are calling for an end to agro-fuel use, ten per cent cuts in emissions per year and a more or less fully decarbonised economy in a “Zero Carbon Britain” by 2030.

To do any less is still to court disaster.

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