Fracking could make drought worse

The technique involves pumping vast quantities of water and chemicals under high-pressure deep underground to fracture rocks and force out gas and oil resources.  With drought officially declared in the South East yesterday and with the prospect of hosepipe bans looming, campaigners say any prospect of fracking should be halted.  To highlight their opposition, anti-fracking campaigners gathered today at Ardingly reservoir in West Sussex, one of the region’s worst affected reservoirs, with its water levels at around two-fifths of what it should be.

Keith Taylor, the Green MEP for the South East, said: ”Given yesterday’s announcement of drought in the region, it’s vital that we do not put our limited water supplies at risk.  In America, the commercial use of fracking to extract shale gas has led to concerns about water contamination and some people have needed to boil their water before drinking.  With water at such a premium in the South East region, we can’t afford to gamble with what little we have. Taking any decision to proceed with fracking without a full understanding of its possible effects is reckless.  That’s why I’m calling for an immediate moratorium on fracking until we understand more fully the environmental impact it can have.”

Vanessa Vine, a school secretary who started the No Fracking in Sussex Facebook campaign, said: ”Hydrofracking not only threatens to contaminate with neurotoxins both our wild water courses and our reservoir and aquifer system, it places huge, utterly unsustainable demand on water supplies, involving extensive countrywide tanker traffic which would further drain resources and impact our emissions.”

The energy company Cuadrilla Resources has permission from West Sussex County Council to conduct exploratory drilling at a site near Balcombe, near Haywards Heath.  The firm has said there were no plans ”at this stage”, or existing regulatory approval, for fracking to take place and any activity would follow consultation with the local community.  However villagers in West Sussex are deeply opposed to any future plans to conduct hydraulic fracturing at the existing well which was drilled unsuccessfully for oil by another energy firm in the 1980s.

Campaigners point to potential risks linked to fracking, including minor earthquakes, the use of chemicals and possible contamination of drinking water.  However, this month a team of Texas scientists reviewed evidence and concluded that fracking cannot be linked directly to reports of groundwater contamination.  The scientists found that many problems attributed to hydraulic fracturing are common to all oil and gas drilling systems.  Many reports of contamination could be traced to above-ground spills or mishandling of wastewater rather than the fracking technique itself, they said.

Source – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/9095723/Fracking-could-make-drought-worse-warn-campaigners.html

Campaign Against Cuts in Northampton

Northampton Alliance to Defend Public Services (NADS) would like to revitalise anti-cuts work in Northampton and wants to try to bring together as many interest groups as possible. There are various groups who are campaigning on single issues which could benefit from meeting together to discuss how to support each other and to devise imaginative ways to draw more people into activities.

The next NADS meeting is tomorrow, Tuesday 14th Feb, at the Old Black Lion from 7:15pm. There is also an open meeting to discuss immediate and longer term responses to local cuts by Northamptonshire County Council and Northampton Borough Council. This takes place on Saturday 18th Feb at the Quaker Meeting House (opposite the back of M&S) at 2pm.

Northamptonshire County Council cuts include £1 million from recycling initiatives over two years. A £1.8 million reduction in care for older people this year. £3 million to be saved for child placements. £12 million to be taken out of adult social care payments over four years. £3.3 million increase adult social care customers will have to pay for support over the next four years. £1 million reduction in the library budget of over the next four years and they are reviewing commissioning, contract monitoring and engagement teams.

Northampton Borough is intending cuts of £1.8 million, including the cut to PCSOs and restructuring of debts which will lead to job losses. These cuts will be very damaging in terms of both services and jobs. Once again the most vulnerable will suffer most. Jobs will be lost at both councils and the voluntary sector will continue to lose income from grants. The budget votes will be on the 23rd February at NCC and on the 29th February at Northampton Borough.

If you can attend on Saturday, please let Northampton Trades Council Secretary, Sarah Ansell, know as soon as possible on 01604 709757 – by 5pm on Tuesday 14th February if you can.

NEW SOLAR SHOCK LEAVES INDUSTRY REEELING – GREEN MP

Responding to the Government’s announcement on solar feed-in tariffs today, Green MP Caroline Lucas said:

“This latest shock for solar shows clearly that the new energy secretary has fallen at the first hurdle.

After the Government’s shambolic handling of solar policy over the past few months, Ed Davey should have made it a priority to delay this policy change and get it right. But yesterday’s announcement once again leaves the industry reeling, with tariff cuts going far deeper than the falling costs of installation warrant.

“While the Government sounds ambitious in its aims, the actual policy looks weak – with Ministers giving themselves the option of changing the tariff every two months.

“The one thing that business needs is certainty, yet these Government cuts are being made so fast that it is destabilising the industry. The proposed tariff cuts also go deeper than the falling costs of installation should warrant.

“While it’s positive that the Government has agreed to drop the qualifying band rate for homes to band D, the announcement yesterday is bad news for the solar companies who have invested this year, and means continuing uncertainty for those want to benefit from this clean renewable energy.”

Serious Questions About UK Energy and Climate Change Policy

With the global climate crisis growing ever more urgent, the sharp rise in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010 is deeply worrying – and raises serious questions about the progress being made in our energy and climate change policy (‘Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions in shock 3.1% rise’, 8 February).

The increase in emissions from home heating is especially alarming when you consider that, by the Government’s own admission, loft lagging will fall by 93% when the Green Deal comes into force. If we are to stand any chance of improving the efficiency of our homes and tackling fuel poverty, the new energy and climate secretary Ed Davey must make it a personal priority to strengthen this weak and underfunded programme so that it actually delivers a good deal for households.

Furthermore, the fact that a six-month shutdown of the Sizewell nuclear reactor was partly to blame for the recorded rise in emissions is yet another reason for the Government to ditch its belief that nuclear can deliver the secure, reliable and low carbon energy we need for the future.

This week, the Bank of England is expected to announce a new batch of quantitative easing to the tune of £50bn or more. A new report from the Green New Deal Group and the Southampton University economics professor who coined the term ‘quantitative easing’, Richard Werner, is calling for such cash to be injected into a programme of green investment to support badly needed renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

Rather than handing the money over to the banks, who then sit on it and refuse to lend, green QE would put money into the wider economy – creating thousands of new jobs, improving energy security and tackling climate change at the same time.

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion.  Green Party

GREEN EURO-MP CALLS ON COUNCIL TO RAISE COSTS FOR LIVE ANIMAL EXPORTERS AT RAMSGATE PORT

Keith Taylor, the Green MEP for Kent and the South East, has called on Thanet Council to raise the fee for boats using Ramsgate port to export live animals. Keith has written to the local authority asking them to increase the fee for exporting animals so that it reflects the additional costs arising from the extra police, staff and security required for this controversial trade.

Keith said, “At the moment these export costs are being covered by the public purse, despite widespread opposition locally and nationally to the practice of exporting live animals. This means that the public are effectively subsidising an activity that’s inhumane, unnecessary and unjustifiable. I hope that Thanet council will endorse a levy that reflects the true costs of this horrific industry”.

Keith recently detailed his concerns about live exports at a public meeting in Broadstairs, along with local MPs and campaigners. He has previously visited Ramsgate to meet with campaigners who are demanding an end to live animal exports from the port. Keith has written to James Paice MP, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, to ask whether DEFRA is adequately monitoring EU transportation standards and whether these standards are being met at Ramsgate port.

At an EU level Keith has written to European Commissioner Dalli to raise his concerns over live animal exports and to ask him to support an eight hour limit on animal transport times, as a step to banning all live exports.

Keith is urging his constituents in the South East to support a Compassion in World Farming campaign (1) which encourages people to write to Thanet Council requesting an increase in the export levy and an end to the inhumane live animal export trade. The charity has recently worked with actress Joanna Lumley to launch a campaign to end live animal exports in 2012.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. To support the Compassion in World Farming campaign, visit http://action.ciwf.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=119&ea.campaign.id=13152

For more information on the work of Keith Taylor MEP, please contact Alice Taylor on 0207 250 8418 or keithpress@greenmeps.org.uk

Follow Keith at @GreenKeithMEP

www.keithtaylormep.org.uk

Controversial anti-counterfeiting agreement must be dropped, Green MEP

Green MEP for London, Jean Lambert, has reacted with dismay at the signing of a controversial agreement by the EU and 22 of its Member States which could potentially impinge the freedom of electronic communication and innovation worldwide.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was created with the aim of establishing international standards on intellectual property rights enforcement, yet will deal with tools targeting internet distribution and information technology, meaning people could be prosecuted for merely sharing a link to a newspaper article or posting a video on YouTube.

The Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament have criticised the decision to proceed with the signing, highlighting persistent concerns about the legality of the deal and its compatibility with EU provisions on fundamental rights [1]. The agreement will now be handed down for ratification by Member States and the European Parliament.

Commenting on the agreement, Jean, a member of the European Parliament Civil Liberties Committee, said: “The Greens in the European Parliament remain absolutely committed to ensuring that this so-called ‘agreement’ is not adopted at the expense of the rights of citizens – ACTA is a threat to our civil liberties and must be rejected. As the European Parliament and national parliaments now have their say as part of the ratification process, the Greens will push to ensure that ACTA is consigned to history.”

Notes to Editor

1. Critics have raised serious doubts about the compatibility of ACTA with EU law, particularly provisions on fundamental rights. For example, ACTA encourages its signatory states to step up co-operation with private actors, such as internet providers, for intellectual property enforcement in the absence of any minimum standards for legal procedures. This opens the door to undermining the basic rights of individuals with no protection for those affected. Experts have also pointed out that ACTA could undermine access to medicines, particularly in developing countries, which are more independent on generics but were not even part of the negotiations.

http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/

Solar Industry Needs to Know the UK Government Can Be Trusted

The solar industry needs to know the UK government can be trusted

If policy can be changed retrospectively, why should business believe that the UK is a safe place to invest?

This week, the government lost its appeal against a judge’s ruling that its move to change the rates for solar feed-in tariffs before the official consultation has ended was “legally flawed”.

The high court ruling is a real victory for the solar industry and for those households, businesses and community projects in my constituency who would have been left high and dry by the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s attempts to apply a retrospective change to the rate.

There has always been widespread acceptance that the tariff would need to be reduced as installation costs fell and economic realities shifted. But the focus of the cross-party and public campaign against the government’s plans has been the speed and scale of the proposed cut, which has already caused huge disruption to the solar industry and the 25,000-plus jobs it has created.

The courts have now twice ruled that these actions were unacceptable. Importantly, the courts have also sought to uphold a key principle about the very nature of government investment policy.

The central question is this: if policy can be changed retrospectively, why should business believe that the UK is a safe place to invest?
Investors need to know whether a government commitment to support them can be trusted, or if retrospective changes can be made at any point after investments start.

A lack of trust is a huge disincentive to invest. The CBI describes the government’s decision to slash subsidies for solar panels as an “own goal”, stating that “moving the goalposts doesn’t just destroy projects and jobs, it creates a mood of uncertainty that puts off investors.”
In light of the court’s decisions and the strong industry calls for certainty, you might expect Decc to want to bring the solar situation to a swift conclusion and do what it can to inspire investor confidence for the future.

But no, Decc has indicated that it intends to stubbornly forge ahead with its ill thought through plans, and take the appeal all the way to the supreme court – wasting time and money in the process.

This means that the many solar PV installers and businesses I have spoken to remain completely in the dark about how they will be affected by the government’s shambolic policy wrangles.

Further, it suggests that Decc doesn’t understand that investors in Britain need to feel confident about the conditions of the market they are entering. They need to know those conditions will not be radically undercut on a political whim.

No wonder we are facing a double-dip recession if this is the message the government is sending out. I thought that Britain was meant to be “open for business”. It seems that some government departments have not read that memo.

The case of solar has implications for all businesses that benefit from any form of governmental support. This could include grants for innovation, research and development, skills training and the establishment of networks.

If the government pursues its solar decision when an entire industry is at stake, why should business believe that government commitments to support research carried out by our universities and colleges will not be withdrawn if market conditions change unexpectedly?

If an appeal is allowed to go ahead, there is a risk that a dangerous precedent will be set.

And while it’s certainly possible to point the finger at the previous Labour government to claim that the solar tariff rates were set too high – that the policy was poorly constructed – it’s clear that, in the here and now, this goes much further than the solar industry.

So we now need to know if the government will accept the high court judgment and fulfil their previous commitments on solar tariffs. Crucially, we also need to know what the implications are for investment security across the whole the UK economy.

Using the courts to try to steam roller through a retrospective policy change that has already been ruled unlawful smacks of total disregard for the industry.

Decc should accept that ministers got it wrong on solar and pull the plug on this legal merry-go-round, which is putting UK jobs and future investment at risk.

Melissa Freeman
Senior Parliamentary Press Officer
Office of Caroline Lucas MP
House of Commons
Email: melissa.freeman@parliament.uk
Website: www.carolinelucas.com

Redwood’s Giving Away Free Tasters Today

Ethical food firm The Redwood Wholefood Company is giving away free tasters of its delicious veggie and vegan foods today.

The multi award winning company, which was recently named the UK’s most ethical vegetarian food company by consumer handbook The Good Shopping Guide, is hosting the ‘open tasting’ day at its factory in Corby.

“We’ll be cooking up all sorts of tasty foods, from pizzas and burgers to hotdogs and wraps,” said Redwood’s Lee Rockingham.

“What we want to do is show shoppers and businesses in our home town just how many different products we produce here and give them the chance to ‘try before they buy’.

“They can pop along any time between 11am and 7pm. Anyone who buys on the day will also get a 15% discount.”

Among the many delicious foods produced by Redwood in the town are tasty meat-free ‘turkey’ roasts, streaky style ‘rashers’, award-winning sausages and dairy-free ‘cheeses’.

There are also gourmet burgers, hotdogs, ‘duck with a Hoisin glaze’ and Southern Fried ‘chicken’, all meat-free of course, as well as dairy-free cheeses and fishless ‘fingers’.

Ideal for vegetarians and vegans, Redwood foods are perfect too for people who are lactose/casein intolerant and anyone who wants to cut down on the amount of meat they eat.

Everything in its range is produced from 100% natural plant-based ingredients and free from meat, egg, dairy, lactose, cholesterol, hydrogenated fats, artificial colours/preservatives and GMOs.

As well as selling through health food shops and selected supermarkets, Redwood also produces foods that are used by supermarkets in ‘own-brand’ ready meals.

The company exports worldwide too.

Redwood’s open tasting day will take place at The Redwood Wholefood Company, Redwood House, Burkitt Rd, Corby, NN17 4DT. Tel: 01536 400557.

About The Redwood Wholefood Company (www.redwoodfoods.co.uk)

Redwood is the leading supplier of vegan foods to the health trade in the UK and is 100% British. Recently rated the country’s most ethical vegetarian foods supplier for the fifth year running by The Ethical Company Organisation, Redwood produces more than 50 different foods under the Vegideli, Cheatin’ and Cheezly brand names at its animal-free factory in Corby, Northamptonshire. Everything in its range is made from 100% natural plant-based ingredients so free from animal ingredients and derivatives as well as cholesterol, artificial colours/preservatives, lactose, hydrogenated fats and GMOs, making them suitable for vegetarians and vegans as well as those looking for healthier and more ethical lifestyles. Widely recognised as one of the most innovative and inspirational vegetarian food companies in the UK, Redwood is renowned for being at the cutting edge of food manufacturing and exports to 18 countries worldwide.

Nuclear waste site fight will continue

Campaigners who want to stop low-level nuclear waste being dumped in the county are to fight on, despite a second legal defeat.

They lost a Court of Appeal battle to stop the waste being dumped near King’s Cliffe.

They had questioned a decision by communities secretary Eric Pickles to allow Augean to dispose radioactive material at the landfill site.

However, the Appeal Court judges upheld the previous decisions which were challenged by King’s Cliffe resident Louise Bowen-West on behalf of the community.

This week’s legal fight has cost the campaigners £5,000.

Clare Langan from campaign group Wastewatchers, said: “We are dreadfully disappointed but we have spoken to our legal team and have been told that the campaign does not have to end here.”

Mr Pickles granted planning permission for the waste to be dumped at King’s Cliffe after a public inquiry in December 2010. Ms Bowen-West tried to block the proposals in the High Court but failed.

At the Court of Appeal this week her barrister Richard Drabble argued that before giving consent Mr Pickles should have ordered an environmental impact study to take account of the effect on the area of the current application and the implications of Augean’s plans to extend the area and life of the site.

An Augean spokesman said: “The court concluded that the secretary of state was reasonable in his decision and that account had appropriately been taken of the future proposals of Augean.”

The company said the Appeal Court rejected applications to appeal to the Supreme Court and deemed there was no legal issue on which the court needed to seek assistance of the European Court of Justice

Written Ministerial Statement from Chris Huhne on Solar PV Feed-in Tariffs

On 31 October 2011, the Government published a consultation on Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV). This was in response to a substantial increase in deployment of PV, prompted by falling prices, with levels at nearly double the original projections for the first two years of the scheme. The consultation set out proposals for responding to these developments, which were putting unsustainable pressure on the budget available for FITs.

The consultation sought views on whether to reduce the generation tariffs available for new solar PV installations to a more financially sustainable level. Among other things, it proposed applying the new generation tariffs from 1 April 2012 to all new solar PV installations with an eligibility date on or after an earlier “reference date”, which we proposed should be 12 December 2011. This reference date proposal has since been challenged by judicial review and the Government has sought an appeal of the decision of the High Court. We are now waiting for a judgment from the Court of Appeal and we cannot be sure of the date on which this will be issued.
We continue to stand by our original proposal. However, I know that the uncertainty while we await the Court’s decision is difficult for the industry. A retention of the 43p tariff could also create substantial risks to the FITs budget if our appeal is unsuccessful. For these reasons, we believe it is prudent to bring forward our decision on one aspect of the consultation: the proposals for new solar PV tariffs.

We are therefore laying before Parliament today some draft licence modifications which, subject to the Parliamentary process set out in the Energy Act 2008, makes provision for a reduced tariff rate (from 1 April 2012 onwards) for new PV installations with an eligibility date on or after 3 March 2012.

If the Court finds in favour of the Government’s appeal, we intend to stand by all our consultation proposals, including an earlier (December) reference date, subject to the Parliamentary procedure and consideration of consultation responses. It is very important that we reserve this as an option because these 43p payments will take a disproportionate share of the budget available for small-scale low-carbon technologies. We want instead to maximise the number of installations that are possible within the available budget rather than use available subsidy to pay a higher tariff to a smaller number of installations.

The consultation closed on 23 December 2011 and over 2,000 consultation responses were received which we have been analysing carefully. We are intending to announce the outcome of the consultation by 9 February 2012, in time for any resulting legislative changes to come into effect from 1 April 2012. Our aim is that this announcement will be accompanied by a set of reform proposals for the next phase of the comprehensive review of the FITs scheme, which will be the subject of a further consultation.

The new generation tariffs set out in the draft licence modifications being laid today are set out in the table below and would apply for all installations with an eligibility date on or after 3 March 2012. Further information on the Government’s response to this aspect of the consultation, together with a summary of the relevant consultation responses, is also being published today on the Department for Energy and Climate Change’s website and will be available from www.decc.gov.uk/FITs.

Band (kW Declared Net Capacity (DNC)	Current generation tariff (p/kWh)	New generation tariff from 1 April 2012 (p/kWh)
≤4kW (new build)	37.8	21.0
≤4kW (retrofit)	43.3	21.0
>4-10kW	37.8	16.8
>10-50kW	32.9	15.2
>50-100kW	19	12.9
>100-150kW	19	12.9
>150-250kW	15	12.9
>250kW-5MW	8.5	8.5
stand alone	8.5	8.5

DECC has today laid before Parliament draft licence modifications which, subject to the Parliamentary process set out in the Energy Act 2008, makes provision for a reduced tariff rate (from 1 April 2012 onwards) for new solar PV installations with an eligibility date on or after 3 March 2012 under the Feed – in Tariffs scheme (FITs).

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said:

“I know this is a difficult time for the sector and I want to do as much as I can to end the current uncertainty created by the legal challenge.

“We must reduce the level of FITs for solar panels as quickly as possible, to protect consumer bills and to avoid bust in the whole Feed-in Tariff budget. We’re appealing against the court ruling that’s challenged our proposal for a December reference date. This remains our aim, and we are waiting for the judgment of the Court of Appeal. But this is too important for us to sit and do nothing while we wait. Today we’re putting in place a contingency that will bring a 21p rate into effect from April for installations from 3 March.

“However, we are still pressing ahead with our appeal and if successful, we retain the option of introducing a December reference date. In the circumstances we believe this gives the industry as much certainty as is possible. And it puts us in a better position to protect the budget for everyone involved.”

Further information on the Government’s response to this aspect of the FITs consultation, together with a summary of the relevant consultation responses, is also being published today on the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s website.

The consultation closed on 23 December 2011 and over 2,000 consultation responses were received which we have been analyzing carefully. We are intending to announce the outcome of the consultation by 9 February 2012, in time for any resulting legislative changes to come into effect from 1 April 2012. Our aim is that this announcement will be accompanied by a set of reform proposals for the next phase of the comprehensive review of the FITs scheme, which will be the subject of a further consultation

Source – BPVA www.bpva.org.uk