APRIL 2020
News
All of us at St. Albans Friends of the Earth hope that you are well, and that you are coping in these difficult times.
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You may not have space in your life at the moment for full on environmental campaigning, so we've put together a few things that you may find help you feel a little more positive and engaged. And, if you've got kids at home, the activities are great for kids too.
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But first, it would be great to get together online to say hi and share some ideas. Please take a moment to fill in this quick poll to say what would be best for you, or send your feedback or ideas to stalbansfoe@hotmail.com
Watch "The Story of Plastic" on Wednesday 13th May
Join us on Wednesday 13th May at 7.00pm to watch for free "The Story of Plastic" and stay afterwards for a panel discussion.
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The Story of Plastic takes a sweeping look at the man-made crisis of plastic pollution and the worldwide effect it has on the health of our planet and the people who inhabit it. With engaging original animation, archival industry footage beginning in the 1930s, and first-person accounts of the unfolding emergency, the film distills a complex problem that is increasingly affecting the planet’s and its residents’ well-being.
This brand new film explores the global waste disaster of plastic and the vast plastics industry linked to Big Oil, Big Tobacco and more.
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The post-film panel discussion will be joined by:
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Daisy Cooper MP for St Albans
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Amanda Yorwerth from St. Albans Friends of the Earth
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Jeremy Silverstone from St Albans Greenpeace
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Gail Jackson from Sustainable St Albans charity
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WATCH WITH US
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Get tickets now to watch the film
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24 hours before the screening you will be sent the link to the film and the link to the post film discussion Zoom meeting
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Watch the film online with us on Wed 13th May at 7pm
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Straight after the film join our Zoom online panel discussion at 8.35pm - with Daisy Cooper MP for St Albans, and local speakers.
Sustainable St Albans has organised this online screening in partnership with St.Albans Friends of the Earth, and St Albans Greenpeace.
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Register for free now and join in on Wednesday 13th May at 7.00pm.
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Stop Trump's Toxic Trade Deal
Donald Trump wants a toxic trade deal with the UK. And UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss is keen to start negotiations as soon as she can, despite the pandemic.
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If the deal is rushed through, we could see our food full of GMs or pesticides that are banned in this country, or pumped full of unnecessary antibiotics. It could also affect our ability to tackle climate change. Now is certainly not the time to be embarking on such important negotiations.
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Please sign the open letter to Trade Secretary Liz Truss. Ask her to halt the trade negotiations and tell the US that our health and environment come first.
Tweet for Trees
Despite the pandemic, the Forestry Minister Zac Goldsmith is keen to launch the English Tree Strategy soon, which will determine how many trees we grow in England over the next few years.
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We want to show him and the government how much public support there is for doubling tree cover.
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Over 120,000 people have signed our petition to double tree cover which is amazing. As Zac Goldsmith is an avid user of Twitter, the first thing that we can do is to tweet at him to tell him about our petition and to ask him to set a target to double tree cover in the upcoming strategy.
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Here are a few sample tweets but feel free to adapt these as you see fit:
If you aren't on Twitter (perhaps make it a lockdown ambition to give it a try? There's a few tips here) there will be an opportunity to feed in to the strategy once the consultation is published.
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Watch this space for more when it's available - and follow @stalbansfoe on Twitter in the meantime.
No Mow May
The clue is in the title - leave your mower in the shed for just one month and see what happens.
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Research done by the charity Plantlife shows that simple changes in mowing can result in enough nectar for ten times more bees and other pollinators.
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It's easy and fun to join in this nationwide experiment:
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Simply leave your mower in the shed for No Mow May and let the flowers grow.
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From 23rd May to 31st May take part in Every Flower Counts by counting the number of flowers in a random square metre of your lawn. The animation here shows what to do.
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Enter your counts on the website and instantly receive your very own Personal Nectar Score, showing how much nectar is being produced by the flowers on your lawn and how many bees it can support.
Let's take it easy, watch the flowers grow and hear the bees buzz!
And finally... Get active on social media
If you've not joined the St.Albans Friends of the Earth Facebook Group yet, then there's no time like the present.
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And get on Twitter to find us at @stalbansfoe
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If you're really keen, then get some top tips to be really effective on social media here.