SMOGBUSTERS OUT IN TOTNES!!



Members of the local group dressed as 'Smogbusters' in Totnes recently to urge the public to sign letters to Anthony Steen MP.
Over 200 letters were signed and sent to him asking him to support the Road Traffic Reduction (UK Targets) Bill by signing Early Day Motion No18 and voting in favour of the Bill on 30th January 1998.


STOP THE CLIMATE WRECKERS

Oil and car companies are actively blocking international agreements to help stop climate change through their main lobby group the Global Climate Coalition (GCC).

Please write to the Chief Executives of the five fossil fuel companies below. Ask them to withdraw from the GCC, invest in greener energy sources and support Friends of the Earth's targets for cutting carbon dioxide emissions.

SHELL: Dr Chris Fay, Chief Executive, Shell UK Ltd, Shellmex House, Strand, London, WC2R 0DX.
ESSO: Dr Keith Taylor, Esso Petroleum Co Ltd, Esso House, Ermine Way, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8UX.
TEXACO: Dr Don Bennett, Chairman, Texaco Ltd, 1 West Ferry Circus, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4HA.
FORD: Mr Ian McAllister, Ford Motor Co. Ltd, Central Office, Eagle Way, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 3BW. VAUXHALL: Mr Nick Reilly, Chairman, Vauxhall Motors Ltd, Griffin House, Osbourne Road, Luton, LU1 3YT.


The following is the official Torbay and South Devon FoE letter. You may wish to use some of its contents for your letter.

Dear

You will be aware that between 1st and 12th December 1997 the signatories to the Framework Convention on Climate Change will meet in their third Conference of the Parties (COP3) in Kyoto, Japan. This meeting of governments will attempt to set targets for the reduction of CO2 emissions, a move that is urgently needed if we are to avoid anthropogenically induced global climate change on a catastrophic scale.

The science is sufficiently clear, in December 1995 the IPCC published its Second Assessment Report it concluded that 'the balance of evidence suggests there is a discernible human influence on global climate' as you well know this report was written and reviewed by some 2000 of the worlds leading scientists and experts. Unfortunately certain countries and industrial groupings, because of narrow and short term economic interests, are desperately trying to block any meaningful targets being set for a reduction of CO2 emissions. Your company. as a member of the Global Climate Coalition is a part of the powerful lobby for inaction on this extremely important topic.

I urge you for the sake of humanity to withdraw you company from membership of the GCC and to support instead the proposals being put forward by the Association of Small Island States to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by the year 2005 as a first step.

The public are increasingly becoming aware of this important issue. Ethical consumers will not look favourably on companies who it can be shown have actively been involved in changing the face of the planet in a negative way.

I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your consideration of this important matter.

Yours sincerely.


LOCAL AGENDA 21

Torbay has recently begun the Local Agenda 21 (LA21) process, whereby the Local Authority is supposed to enable a process of consultation and community empowerment. Following the LA21 days in Torbay's three towns, which were well attended, an LA21 network has been formed to take the process forward. The group had open meetings once a month and everyone is welcome to come along. Details of the meetings can be obtained from Torbay's LA21 support officer, Jo Trethewey on (01803) 218837.
So far the network has organised a community composting day on October 12th at Cockington Court, set up a directory of members, written to Torbay Borough Council regarding the setting up of a Transport Forum for Torbay and requested details of a major redevelopment with a view to encouraging community participation in its design.




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