| Compassionate supermarket
of the year Good Beach Guide 2006 New Greenpeace film about energy Primark joins Ethical Trading Initiative Sponsored treeplanting in Palestine and more |
Waitrose named compassionate supermarket of the year
For the second year running, Waitrose has been named as the most farm-animal-friendly supermarket in Compassion in World Farming’s ‘Compassionate Supermarket of the Year’ awards. It received 49.3 points out of a possible 60 in a survey to monitor how well animals are reared, transported and slaughtered for the UK’s leading supermarkets. Marks & Spencer came a narrow second with 48 points whilst the Co-op came third with 45 points.
But the survey found that most supermarkets still permit some problem practices such as chickens stocked at densities exceeding government guidelines, tail docking of piglets and factory farming of turkeys and ducks.
You can download the report from the Publications section of the CIWF website or ring 01730 268070.
CIWF have also just published the ‘Guide to Compassionate Food Shopping’ which provides clear information on food labelling and how this relates to farm animal welfare. You can get a copy by telephoning 01730 268070 or by emailing ciwftrust@ciwf.co.uk or as a pdf from www.ciwf.org
Goood Beach Guide 2006
The Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) annual Good Beach Guide
is only available online this year and is at www.goodbeachguide.co.uk.
In 2006, a record number of 500 UK beaches have been recommended for
excellent water quality out of the 800 tested, breaking the previous
record of 453 set in 2004.
The Good Beach Guide is the only comprehensive and independent guide
to the quality of Britain’s coastal bathing waters. It provides
information on water quality and sewage discharges at 1,100 UK beaches,
allowing readers to make the best decision about where to find the UK’s
cleanest bathing sites. The Good Beach Guide also provides information
on lifeguard cover, facilities, activities, access, parking, transport,
an OS map and a photograph for each beach.
What are we waiting for
Greenpeace has launched a new short film, ‘What are we waiting
for?’ answering the crucial energy question that the UK faces:
How to provide the country with a secure energy supply and fight climate
change without re-treading the dangerous and dirty pathway of nuclear
power?
‘What are we waiting for?’ was made by BAFTA award winning
Memory Box Films and takes the viewer on a visual tour of some of the
world’s state of the art decentralised energy projects, in countries
such as Denmark where over 50% of electricity supplies are from decentralised
sources and The Netherlands where the figure is 40%. The film also visits
Woking Borough Council in the UK; a council which has slashed its own
CO2 emissions by 77% by using decentralised energy.
Current centralised methods of energy production in the UK are hugely
inefficient. UK power stations squander two thirds of the energy generated,
wasted in the form of heat in the cooling towers or in long distance
power lines. In contrast, decentralised energy, where generation is
close to demand allows both heat and electricity to be harnessed, and
is vastly more efficient. Decentralised energy offers a system that
is cheaper, less polluting and reduces the UK’s reliance on gas.
It negates any need for new nuclear power stations.
A recent report commissioned by Greenpeace compared two future scenarios
for the UK over the next 20 years, one with the UK taking a decentralised
energy path and one with the UK taking a nuclear power pathway. The
findings show that:
* carbon emissions would be 17% lower under a decentralised energy scenario.
* decentralised energy could reduce UK gas consumption by 14%;
* overall capital costs of decentralised energy would be £1billion
less than the nuclear scenario
Greenpeace’s Executive Director Stephen Tindale said: “This
film points the way to a secure, clean and safe solution to the current
UK energy crisis. It shows the successful reality of an energy supply
structure that can deliver the nearest thing we’ve got to an energy
silver bullet; namely major CO2 reductions, a secure energy supply plus
lower costs. Decentralised energy is the only sane energy choice for
the UK right now.”
Greenpeace hopes that the DVD will be used as a campaign tool and will
send a free copy to any interested readers. Email robin.oakley@uk.greenpeace.org
Primark in, Somerfield out
Leading retailer Primark recently joined the Ethical Trading Initiative
(ETI), an alliance including retailers, trade unions and non-governmental
organisations that aims to promote respect for the rights of poor workers
in factories and farms worldwide. Primark’s decision comes hot
on the heels of our Clothing report (issue 98) which saw Primark near
the bottom of the table. This fact was published by The Independent
newspaper. It is likely that the role that The Independent and Ethical
Consumer played in highlighting Primark’s poor record contributed
to its decision to join the ETI.
Two months earlier, supermarket Somerfield pulled out of the ETI, a
move which has drawn comments that Somerfield, under its new owners,
flamboyant property tycoon and financier Robert Tchenguiz, and venture
capital firm Apax Partners, are more concerned about profits than about
the fair treatment of workers in poor countries.
The ETI say they are frustrated at the slow progress of some retailers
in addressing abuses of workers in overseas factories. The pressure
on retailers to increase margins and sell, for instance, cheap clothes,
is causing a ‘race to the bottom’ of labour standards.
In the next few months the ETI will ask retailers to do more to ensure
the workers linked to their suppliers are treated fairly - or face being
expelled from the organisation. Some of the biggest names in international
retailing are ETI members, including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, the
Body Shop, Monsoon and Asda.
Planting peace in Palestine
Olive Co-operative has just launched ‘Trees For Life - Planting
Peace in Palestine’ which offers the public the opportunity to sponsor
the planting of olive trees in Palestine.
The new trees will try to
offset the destruction wrought in Palestinian olive groves by the Israeli
army and settlers. According to the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem,
over 500,000 olive trees have been destroyed since 2000. Each new tree
sponsored represents a long-term source of income for Palestinian families,
who have been harvesting olive oil, fruit and wood for generations.
The trees will be distributed in Palestine by the Palestine Fair Trade
Association to farmers who follow fair trade guidelines and who will
benefit from future purchases of Palestinian olive oil. £20 will sponsor
five trees. Sponsorship online and by phone is available from Olive
Co-operative, 0161 273 1970.
The Ethical Travel Guide was published in April 2006 and lists over
300 places in 60 countries that benefit local people -directly. From
simple local-style holidays, treks, construction projects in Tibet,
local B&B networks in Brazil, art or culinary holidays, and luxury
retreats, there is something for most tastes and budgets.
The guide is published by Tourism Concern, the UK’s leading sustainable
tourism charity.
Order
the Ethical Travel Guide online for the 10% online discount price
of £11.69 or get
more info about the book. Also available in bookshops or by phone
on 01256 302 699.
Anti-consumer blog
Take a look at www.claudsconsumernomore.blogspot.com
for a Leo Hickman-inspired blog from a woman who tried being anti-consumerist
for a month.
Green.tv
There is now an alternative to mainstream TV in the form of a new green
channel featuring films from the likes of Greenpeace and the Eden Project.
Green.tv is the internet’s
first environmental channel and will showcase films from environmental
groups and independent filmakers.
Grants for low carbon buildings
The government has allocated £80 million worth of funding to support projects seeking to reduce
carbon emissions from buildings through a combination of energy efficiency
measures and the installation of microgeneration technologies, such
as solar pv, wind turbines, small hydro and solar hot water. The Low
Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) replaces DTI’s Clear Skies and
Solar PV programmes and is being run by the Energy Saving Trust.
The LCBP will provide grants for microgeneration technologies for householders,
community organisations, schools, the public sector and businesses.
Householders must already have installed a basic level of energy efficiency
measures before they can apply, such as loft insulation, cavity wall
insulation and low energy light bulbs. Installations must be carried
out by accredited installers so there is no room for DIY.
More info from www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk
or ring 0800 915 0990
