Archives – November, 2009
On the doorstep we often find that when climate change issues are brought up it goes over most people’s heads and they respond with glazed eyes. So it was with keenness that I went along to the Beethoven Centre in the heart of Queen’s Park for a evening entitled “Save Money, Save the Planet” on Wednesday evening.
There, to a full house, I saw a very a different approach to these issues and one that many of those in the audience responded to very well. Residents received energy saving advice, found out how to take advantage of the local car sharing club and learnt how others are making environmentally friendly life changes such as taking up composting. This while being entertained by the Paddington Academy’s Eco Team and marvelling at the Queen’s Park children’s play on “Thinking global, acting local”.
While the next few weeks are going to be dominated by nations negotiating at the Copenhagen Summit over targets for CO2 emissions and in all probability not getting very far, it’s worth reminding ourselves what the campaign against climate change means on the doorstep of homes in wards like Queen’s Park.
So well done to the Queen’s Park Forum.
November 20, 2009
With Leroy Rosenior and Zesh Rehman at the SRtRC launch
I was very pleased to host the launch of Show Racism the Red Card’s new campaign office in London and the South-East at a well-attended event in London’s Living Room at City Hall on Wednesday night. I look forward to SRtRC bringing their successful anti-racist work with young people here from their base in the North East.
Most fans judge players by the colour of their jersey and not their skin, yet we are in danger of the seeing the beautiful game taken over by the likes of the English Defence League, who are misusing football to incite hatred. SRtRC’s campaign promotes the true spirit of football – respect, multiculturalism and diversity.
This will be well reflected at the World Cup next year in South Africa, as well as illustrated every weekend up and down the country in the Premiership and Championship games. And remember London won the 2012 Olympics on this basis as well.
On the back of this launch, l am glad to see that the Islam Channel and Eastern Eye have also picked up on the issue.
November 9, 2009
On the evening of 29 October, l went to the Whitechapel Art Gallery in London’s East End to participate in a roundtable discussion hosted by the European Action Group on Climate Change, which brings together Bangladeshi people living in Europe to campaign about the impact of climate change on their original homeland. This is clearly an issue that we can all get together on and lobby for action both by the UK government and by others among the conference of the parties in the lead-up to the Copenhagen meeting in December.
In the discussion I reiterated what l have said before, namely that l was pessimistic about Copenhagen but optimistic about the role of cities in acting together across the world. I pointed out that after the Bush administration refused to sign up to the Kyoto agreement on climate change many cities across the United States went ahead and signed on their own behalf.
With 50 per cent of humanity living in cities now and 75% of all emissions coming from cities, in the end it is the actions they take that will make the difference. Rapidly growing cities such as Dhaka need to find ways of contributing to action to tackle climate change, as it is crucial for their own survival – for, if the Tibetan glaciers melt, then the majority of cities right across Asia will be without a reliable water supply and suffer severe floods.
On the back of all this interest, the London Assembly’s Environment Committee has agreed to work with Oxfam on a London Climate Hearing, which will be held on 26 November at 6.30pm in City Hall.
I also hope to be involved in organising other events on the impact of climate change in Bangladesh, for example with Frank Dobson MP, either before or after the Copenhagen conference. So watch this space if you are interested in opportunities to participate in this discourse on an issue that will be decisive for our future.
November 9, 2009
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On the doorstep we often find that when climate change issues are brought up it goes over most people’s heads and they respond with glazed eyes. So it was with keenness that I went along to the Beethoven Centre in the heart of Queen’s Park for a evening entitled “Save Money, Save the Planet” on Wednesday evening.
