Eco chit chat

In the present economic mayhem we could all do with some

Good News about Money!

Hull FOE is to send £2000 to Friends of the Earth Sierra Leone towards the cost of creating a medical centre. FOESL are a very practical group who run small businesses and allotments. Olatunjie Johnson, their coordinator explained that when their members and families are ill they not only cannot work or grow food, they also have to pay for medical treatment. They want their own facilities so they can get treatment quickly. They hope to get a second hand shipping container from the docks and convert it to a clinic.

We are able to make the donation from funds built up over several years. Our main fundraising event is, of course, the Green Fair which this year is on Saturday 22^nd November at the Spring Bank Community Centre. Please display the poster and bring people along. We already have several interesting new stalls this year, and bookings are coming in quickly, so if you've been meaning to reserve a stall, get your form and cheque in to us as soon as possible or you may find yourselves literally out in the cold! As ever, we greatly welcome offers to distribute posters and flyers, help set up, play music, bake cakes, help with children's activities, be on the Hull FOE stall, or wash up. Is there a First Aider out there who would be willing to be on call if needed? Booking forms and all info from Hilary or Sue [see back page]

We are keeping to our low admission charge of 10p but this year we are also asking for people to bring donations of tinned or packet food for our near neighbours 167 Centre on Spring Bank who help people of many nationalities on very low incomes.

One group has found a way of helping people without needing money! See 'Give and Take'.

CHEF were thinking of other ways people could save money and the planet at the same time. Ideas included:

• Growing some of your own food on allotment or garden.
• Taking a wheeled shopping bag to the local shops instead of driving to the supermarket.
• Rediscovering local tourist attractions instead of going away on holiday.
• Recycling your old mobile for cash [see www.moneyforoldmobiles.co.uk].
• Getting free or grant-aided insulation [contact Warmzone on 01482 612638 or 300300]

I'm sure you can think of more.

We have to make sure the government doesn't use the economic difficulties as an excuse to wriggle out of their commitment to deliver 15% of our energy from renewable sources by 2020. Away from the public gaze, they have been pushing for get out clauses, such as counting investment in projects overseas even though these projects have no impact on our own domestic emissions. Genuine renewable energy industries in this country could create many jobs. If you have a postcard with this newsletter, send it to FOE to forward on to your MP.

Renewable energy has created a new feature on the Hull skyline in the shape of the slender blades of the Croda wind turbine. They went up, came down and went up again. Hope they are now working OK.

There is news too of efforts to harness tidal power in the Humber, showing that this does not have to involve huge and disruptive barrages.

Tidal power had certainly washed up a lot of rubbish at Spurn Point where Lee-ann, her son Bill, and I took part in the Marine Conservation Society's survey and clean up in September. There were an awful lot of shards of plastic cups and bits of nylon rope. Perhaps we will get more of us along to help next year.

We have had a good crop of courgettes [and marrows when we forgot them] in our raised beds on the HFOE allotment. There is plenty of work still to do and we'd welcome more helpers. Over 20 people came to the barbeque and were able to appreciate David's work with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's tree nursery, the wildlife garden and the NHS funded orchard.

Finally, if you are still wondering where to put any money you have got, the Ecology Building Society and Tridios Bank at least tell you who they are lending to and what they are doing with the money, the Credit Union [www.hullandeycu.co.uk] are local people lending to local people, and the Beverley Building Society came out as prudent in a recent survey in the Guardian