Date in the current year: February 27, 2021

World NGO DayWorld NGO Day is an annual international observance held on February 27. It was established by Marcis Skadmanis, a Latvian-born UK social entrepreneur who is passionate about creating organizations that make a positive contribution towards sustainable innovation and technology.
Non-governmental organizations, commonly referred to as NGOs, are usually nonprofit and sometimes international organizations independent of governments and international governmental organizations. They are active in humanitarian, human rights, social, public policy, environmental, healthcare, educational and other areas.

The term “non-governmental organization” was coined following the establishment of the UNO in 1945, although the history of international NGOs dates back to at least the late 18th century. The definition of “international non-governmental organization” (INGO) was first given in the resolution of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on February 27, 1950.

Marcis Skadmanis established NGO Day in 2009 to raise awareness about the importance of NGOs. A year later, it was officially recognized at the IX Baltic Sea NGO Forum of the Council of the Baltic Sea States. World NGO Day became truly international in 2014, when the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland hosted an official celebration with the support from the UNO, European leaders and international organizations.

Burning trees instead.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/25/drax-scraps-plan-yorkshire-gas-plant-climate-protests

Found this article very interesting and informative.
https://apple.news/ApN7StwPCSNW5nPhPe6PIbQ

Just bought a pair of their Mizzles waterproof shoes. They are really comfortable. Been wearing them barefoot all day.

Has anyone got any recommendations for genuinely green, but nevertheless efficient, washing products? I’ve tried washing nuts and refills of ecover etc but is there anything better out there?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/11/global-salmon-farming-harming-marine-life-and-costing-billions-in-damage

https://theecologist.org/2021/feb/15/green-covid-19-recovery

I think this sounds a lot of fun and very worthwhile - might have applied if we hadn’t left London.
https://www.nationalparkcity.london/rangers

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-56031794

https://www.bbowt.org.uk/blog/matthew-stanton/hs2-one-year

https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/platypus-population-wetlands/?gg_medium=content&gg_source=ars&gg_campaign=dog-crash-reunited-family&gg_content=local

Fingers crossed it works out and more will follow.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56023723

This is NOT an entirely new post. It`s just the first one I`ve come across that mentions Client Earth who`s campaign strategy is to take companies(possibly governments?) to court over their activities. Such a group has been long needed!😀
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/bp-greenwashing-climate-crisis-client-earth-oil-company-a9232986.html?fbclid=IwAR236xZ3ZjleBDvpXSrdMnKnSsdaVoncwouw6g76vOEudMGEPSanfsl741k

There are some inspirational stories here. Amongst the winners is Nemonte Nenquimo, the indigenous Ecuadorian woman who has stood up against her government’s decision to allow exploration and exploitation of her tribal lands for oil and minerals. Her success was one of the good news stories posted yesterday.

https://news.mongabay.com/2020/11/meet-the-2020-goldman-environmental-prize-winners/

Here are some positives to keep us going.
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/top-positive-environmental-stories-from-2020/

Still trying to get my head around this economic model which is designed to enable sustainable living. Find it very interesting.
https://time.com/5930093/amsterdam-doughnut-economics/?

https://www.facebook.com/auxxTV/videos/516972455380566

I’ve certainly struggled. Before the pandemic I’d made big strides in living a more sustainable life. But I have felt a bit overwhelmed lately and know I’ve been buying more things in plastic, buying less local produce, and so on. I obviously haven’t flown anywhere and car driving is minimal but I admit I have lost some of my drive and commitment. Anyone else feel the same?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/21/plans-london-resort-theme-park-kent-marsh-swanscombe-dismay-conservationists

Here’s what Buglife has to say.
https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns/save-swanscombe-marshes/#gf_1

This looks potentially useful. https://diygogo.co.uk/about-us/

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/wildlife-trusts-explore-legal-challenge-government-decision-allow-emergency-use-neonicotinoid

https://www.oddbox.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyqOGi4G87gIVx7LVCh1OCwNtEAAYASAAEgJ4SPD_BwE

Has anyone heard of this scheme, and/or tried it out?
Sounds interesting.

This article is from 2016, but still relevant; I saw a talk on this last week.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-36533155

More good news.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-pakistan-trees-fea/as-a-green-stimulus-pakistan-sets-virus-idled-to-work-planting-trees-idUSKCN22A369

Something more hopeful.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/23/how-wildlife-crossings-are-helping-reindeer-bears-and-even-crabs-aoe

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/22/only-a-third-of-uks-key-fish-populations-are-not-overfished

A template if anyone feels like writing to their MP - add your name and address ( is continued on second post )

Dear .....

As a constituent, I am writing to ask you to vote for changes in the law to ensure enforceable air quality limits to protect the health of our local children and adults.

Air pollution causes 40,000 early deaths at a cost of £20 billion each year according to the Royal College of Physicians. Meanwhile, people spend 90% of their time indoors and are exposed to harmful air-borne chemicals and The Royal College’s report on this makes a powerful case for indoor air quality to also be included in the Environment Bill.

The coroner’s verdict, that air pollution was a cause of the death of 9-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah, underlines the need for these changes.

Therefore, I’m writing to you to ask you to vote for Amendment 2 and New Clause 6 to the Environment Bill, supported by the All Party-Parliamentary Group on Air Pollution, which provide in turn for,

Soil Association meeting on-line, Thursday 21st January 2021, 5.30 - 6.45pm. Here is the link if anybody is interested. You do have to register to be forwarded the link to join.

https://www.crowdcast.io/e/grow-better-together/register

And they cannot resist even this disfunctional,hated technology....
https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/petitions/1231/keep-the-oil-industry-out-of-africas-natural-treasures?mtu=512308082

Dear friends across the UK,

This is urgent! Britain is breaking its promise of better bee protections by allowing a bee-killing poison banned in the EU to be used on our fields!

Just before the 2018 Europe-wide ban on neonicotinoids, Britain U-turned to become a leader on pollinator protection. Then-Environment Secretary Michael Gove even went on record saying the restrictions would be kept in place after leaving the EU. Now the government is opening the back door to pollinator poisons by allowing neonic use on sugar beet. And sugar lobbyists are celebrating!

Let's respond with all our people-power. Avaaz members across the UK and beyond have come together in millions every time a new threat to our bees emerged -- let's quickly build a massive buzz for the bees and when we reach 100.000 voices we'll deliver them in hard-hitting ads to our government. Sign now & share widely:
Protect British bees - stop bee-killing pesticides on our fields!
Bees and other pollinators are already struggling: a third of the UK bee population is thought to have vanished in just a decade. And bee-keepers are raising the alarm that this so-called “emergency authorisation” could last another *two years*!

Meanwhile, the lobbying efforts of some proponents of continued neonic use in the UK were described as ‘incredible’ and kept off social media -- presumably to blindside bee-friends up and down the country.

This isn’t about pitting farmers against environmentalists -- with up to three quarters of our crops dependent on bees and other pollinators, we all need our bees to be safe. And while it’s not even clear whether the virus these neonics are supposed to fight will even hit, we do know that emergency authorisations are a sneaky way to water down the ban on these bee-killers. Let’s tell Secretary Eustice to stick to the promise to keep bee-killers off our fields:
Protect British bees - stop bee-killing pesticides on our fields!
It can feel exhausting that the same battles need to be fought over and over again -- but that’s what our community does: stick up for those who can’t fight for themselves, and call out our governments when they roll back hard-won protections for the bees. With spring just around the corner, let’s get our voices buzzing for bees once more.

With hope,

Antonia, Anneke, Bert and the whole Avaaz team
More information:
Government breaks promise to maintain ban on bee-harming pesticide (The Guardian)
Government to let farmers use bee-killing pesticide banned in EU (The Independent


https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/uk_neonics_loc/?tfLKjlb&v=501652192&cl=17896491628&_checksum=f86e88ff1cdbec91307cb857d95dd3b74fadd679522337b20340ccc7da501a87

Something more positive. There are projects to replant seagrass in areas where it has been destroyed.

However, 150 million tonnes of plastic added to the ocean during each holiday season (just in the Mediterranean) !!!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/15/seagrass-neptune-balls-sieve-millions-of-plastic-particles-from-water-study-finds?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

UK taxpayers subsidising deforestation.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/14/carbon-neutrality-is-a-fairy-tale-how-the-race-for-renewables-is-burning-europes-forests

https://populationmatters.org/news/2021/01/14/humanity-headed-towards-ghastly-future-urgent-warning-top-scientists

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/10/paris-approves-plan-to-turn-champs-elysees-into-extraordinary-garden-anne-hidalgo

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/13/wildlife-rangers-in-uk-jobs-offer-no-bison-experience-required

Some good news (maybe) for balance. Words are cheap - we need action.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/11/50-countries-commit-to-protection-of-30-of-earths-land-and-oceans?CMP=share_btn_tw

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/13/top-scientists-warn-of-ghastly-future-of-mass-extinction-and-climate-disruption-aoe?CMP=share_btn_tw

This seems to be another case of the government saying one thing but doing another. And perhaps another regrettable outcome of Brexit.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/12/loophole-will-let-uk-continue-to-ship-plastic-waste-to-poorer-countries?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/10/who-doesnt-love-a-turtle-the-teenage-boys-on-a-mission-to-rewild-britain-with-reptiles

Lakeland now sell clingfilm that is non-plastic biodegradable.

https://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/book-delivery-to-vulnerable-barking-dagenham-redbridge-6886426

I posted this in my local group but thought it might be of interest here. I see so many books disposed of but this is a lovely idea as it recycles as well as giving pleasure to people.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03625-2

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/08/climate-crisis-experts-2020-joint-hottest-year-ever-recorded?CMP=share_btn_tw

https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-inspiration/get-gardening/how-to-go-plastic-free-in-your-garden

https://www.itallcounts.org/ffi-pangolins?https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itallcounts.org%2Fffi-pangolins%3Faffiliate_id=Facebook_Desktop_Feed&affiliate_sub=6242172841580&fbclid=IwAR07L0QpQ7k12Jk_z7CiehZ4v0986MZKy5SBS5l2cpP-KxcPsMfh5hiC0Vo

https://ktcityfarm.org.uk/
Heard about this on Robert Elms Radio London slot today.

Chris Packham's petition on parliament.uk is gaining support. 1,400 signatures in the last hour. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/563380

Some of these look very interesting. https://blog.feedspot.com/sustainable_living_blogs/

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tree-lovers-around-country-dig-deep-to-save-young-oaks-73p5jnwk6

https://www.circularonline.co.uk/news/change-to-tesco-cheese-packaging-will-save-260-tonnes-of-plastic-annually/

There is a contradiction in the narrative, but it appears part of the saving in plastic material will be achieved by making the current slabs thicker. Removing the re-sealable zip to reduce plastic use sounds good, but if the pack cannot be resealed it may lead to more waste due to the cheese drying out and becoming hard. If that means more packs of cheese will be sold due to the wastage, more plastic packaging will be used, so no saving, only boosted sales.

What struck me was the anticipated saving of 260 tonnes of plastic packaging per annum. If that is the saving, how much is used now? And that is only hard cheese. What about all the other lines and all the other food retailers?