Rather than lots of information, this page has details of what we've done recently so you can get some idea of what we do. Please do contact us if you wish to get in touch with our lead campaigners to find out more.
SPRING 2012: BioDiversity
What does local biodiversity mean to you? Badgers boldly bustling about Bilton? Barn Owls and Bats in Brownsover? Birds in Brandon? Bloody Nosed Beetles? Well, it certainly includes protecting all those local species and any Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and we want to encourage a local perspective on biodiversity.
So, what does spring mean to you? ...Bunnies? ...Butterflies? This spring Rugby FoE are concentrating on the iconic Bees and their habitats. We are buzzing to link up with other actively bee-friendly local groups as bees are a key indicator of the state of our biodiversity, yet bees are in trouble. Bee populations are in serious decline for a number of reasons, including a severe loss of their habitat and so we aim to encourage more people take some sort of action to improve local biodiversity or prevent its deterioration.
SUMMER 2011: Warwickshire Wind Farm
In the summer of 2011 we were campaigning to support the application for Bransford Bridge windfarm near Churchover. The deadline for responses and representations as part of the consultation was extended to Thursday 20th July. Sadly, the planning officer's 34-page report recommended refusal and a disappointing decision was made on the grounds of its potential impact on views despite its clear fit with policy. Please continue to support this project. Let us hope that a revised application can be submitted soon and that this can be the first proper Wind Farm success in Warwickshire.
WINTER 10 / 2011 ongoing: Solar Panels
We held a talk for people thinking of putting solar panels on their properties on what is happening locally in your community to save you money installing solar panels by helping you group together to get a better price and share costs. We're aiming for a dozen clusters of properties getting together to install about a hundred solar systems in Rugby over the next year.
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Meanwhile, see our local case study on renewable energy generation telling the story of a dozen photovoltaic solar panels fitted to a roof in Rugby. You will be able to follow its progress on our website. |
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WINTER 09 / SPRING 10: Food Chain
Herds of cows launched the MOOvement for rainforest-free meat and dairy. The MOOvement to promote Rainforest-Free Food continued to build. Local FoE groups lobbied MPs in the Fix the Food Chain Day of Action. However, on 12th November only 62 MPs were in favour of having a vote on the Sustainable Livestock Bill and 29 weren't, so as the total was less than 100 MPs, there was no vote. Frustrating as the vote was 38 supporters short. Many MPs were thwarted by it being Friday and procedural quirks delaying proceedings. However, despite losing the vote on the new meat and dairy law the campaign goes on. The National Farmers Union has called the Bill "admirable" and even the Government themselves know that growing soy for animal feed is wiping out vast swathes of South American habitat - and agree it is a problem.
SUMMER 2009: Food Chain
Few people realise that the meat and dairy industry causes more climate-changing emissions than every plane, train and car on the planet. But a hidden chain stretches from UK factory farms to the rainforests of South America, where huge soy plantations are wiping out wildlife and making climate change worse. Our Food Chain campaign exposes the devastating impact of factory-farmed meat and dairy, and challenges MPs to change the deal behind our meals. |
The Government urgently needs to:
Help us fix the Food Chain: Rugby FoE are asking you to get your MP behind a vision of farming that feeds the world without ripping up the rainforest.
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Help us fix the Food Chain: Rugby FoE are asking you to get your MP behind a vision of farming that feeds the world without ripping up the rainforest. |
WINTER 08 / SPRING 09: Renewables
AUTUMN 2008: Renewables
Gordon Brown and his government should not allow the EU Renewables Directive to be weakened below 20% of EU energy from renewable sources by 2020. As things stand the renewables industry needs a major boost, but currently the figure for renewable energy in the UK stands at less than 2%, so we need to make a big step up to meet a 15% target by 2020. The EU Energy Council met to discuss the Renewables Directive in October and it should be finalised sometime between the end of 2008 and April 2009. Unfortunately, instead of showing strong support for the target the Government is now seeking "flexibility" which could undermine the target and there is a chance that the decision making on the Renewables Directive could be wrapped up at the Energy Council meeting in December. |  |
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Renewables Day of Action, Saturday 25th October: You can keep the pressure up by asking your MP to help make the target as strong as possible. We need to show the Government that there is real, broad, cross-community support for a strong UK Renewables Strategy. The target should not include renewable energy credits bought from outside the EU, nor Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) from fossil fuel plants, nor large-scale projects that will not finish before 2020. |
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There is also the issue of priority access to the national grid system. On access to the electricity grid, the draft directive said: "Member states shall also provide for priority access to the grid system of electricity produced from renewable energy sources". However, Britain wants to change "shall" to "may" - which experts say would seriously undermine the directive. Please support the petition to Downing Street to impose a minimum feed in tariff for domestic generated electricity.
SUMMER 2008
The Second Reading of the Climate Change Bill took place on 9th June. Its Committee stage started in the House of Commons on Thursday 19th June and was completed on Tuesday 8th July. The Bill can now be debated by all MPs during the decisive Report Stage in October or November. You can keep the pressure up by asking your MP to make the Climate Change Bill as strong as possible.
SPRING 2008
In the next few months (Summer 2008), largely in response to 'The Big Ask', Friends of the Earth's climate campaign, a UK Parliament bill will become the first Climate Change law in the world to set legally binding government targets for carbon emissions. It’s ground-breaking legislation – but something is missing.
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Flying in the face of reason, Gordon Brown and his government are ignoring the UK’s share of international aviation & shipping emissions and have left them out of the law. We’re not saying everyone must stop flying, but it is vital that all carbon emissions are counted. Aviation & shipping must be treated like any other sector of the economy. It is ludicrous and unfair for one industry to be ignored and held apart. |
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Contact your MP and ask them to support The Climate Change Bill EDM 736
On Saturday 5th April Rugby FoE urged Prime Minister Gordon Brown to stop ignoring aviation today. |
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(See a Video Clip from our part in the national Day of Action). |
2007-2008
Current local environmental issues also include the plans for Windfarms nearby. Plans were released in February 2008 for a wind farm near Rugby and the energy firm bidding to develop it pledged that if Daventry District Council granted permission for the site they would put money into a fund for community projects. They held an information day on 26th Feb and also offered villagers the chance to visit one of their other wind farms at Burton Latimer (near Kettering) to help allay any concerns. (See also the RugbyAdvertiser-TV clip {1 minute 39 seconds long}). The plans received a mixed response . Alan Chantler (who is interviewed in the video too) is not convinced - but other villagers dont mind. |
Another company is now looking into the feasibility of a similar development on a site nearby and early findings by Daventry District Council point to wind power being one of the most economically viable options for a renewable energy supply. |
2005
The main campaign for 2005 was Climate Change - we launched the campaign in Rugby at the Spring Fair on May Day. We chatted to lots of people and gave out lots of leaflets about the impending Climate Change. We also demonstrated how electricity can be generated using the Energy Bike which powers a radio when the rider pedals.
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2003-2004
When Friends of the Earth called a Day of Action on GM foods, we decided to take a positive tack and set up a stall outside Marks and Spencer's because they are one of the few retailers to guarantee that their dairy cattle are not fed GM feed. Sadly, we didn't get any press coverage - but lots of interest from the public and these photos.
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2002-2003
Local campaigns included the Anti-Airport Campaign.
