#PeoplesMarchRD for jobs, justice and the climate

Sister March for jobs, justice and the climate **Save the Date 30 April, Sunday**


We warmly welcome you to participate in the Reading People’s March for jobs, justice and the climate on Saturday 30th April.
 
Climate change. WE #RESIST. WE #BUILD. WE #RISE.
 
We are a group of extraordinary and ordinary people who believe that now is the time to #ActOnClimate Change. We want to encourage leaders throughout the world at #COP23 arranged by Fiji in Bonn to go beyond binding decisions on Climate Change.
What will happen at the event?
We will march on Sunday 30th to show support for the People’s Climate Movement and for the international summit in Bonn 6-17 November 2017. We want to encourage ambitious action on CLIMATE CHANGE to avert a global crisis. We want Reading to be part of a giant global movement for change. We want a more just, more equitable and healthier world for us all.
 
We will walk through Reading town centre with a stop outside the Civic Centre. The walk starts at 12pm at Redlands Road (The Museum of English Rural Life) and the route includes six stop offs, one at the Civic Centre, before finishing up outside Reading Town Hall.


The INVITATION and the ROUTE: http://media1.tvb-climatechallenge.org.uk/2017/04/RPM_2017_Invitation.pdf
“Walk with us on Sunday 30th from 12pm. Assemble 11.30 at Redlands Road to March for climate, jobs, and justice. You can also join in at any of the points A-F along the route.” Rules to abide with hosting a joint People’s Climate March http://media1.tvb-climatechallenge.org.uk/2017/04/Host-Guidelines.pdf


From the Town Hall we walk towards Forbury Gardens for a well-deserved honourable www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk -picnic on the grass. There will be a climate stall will with information as part of the climate rally.

 

By marching we will attract media attention hours before Trump’s 100th day in office, giving the event special importance. WE NEED local and global leaders to know that WE INSIST they should take ambitious action on CLIMATE CHANGE to avert a global crisis.

 
In #Togethernessship, we are more powerful than anyone possibly imagine. Whatever happens in the US, WE CAN, and WE WILL, build the future from here, resilient, fairer and more humane. As well, an emergency adaptation #DRR – Disaster, Risk, Reduction and restoration plan for every city essential to be implemented in local legislation #UCEEP

#WHYIMARCH

People’s Climate Sister Marches – Host Guidelines
http://media1.tvb-climatechallenge.org.uk/2017/04/Host-Guidelines.pdf
#ECO4CLIM_Rdg – climate@readingpeoplesmarch.org

 
Sunday April 30 – Reading
 
? No to dirty energy!
? Yes to renewables!
? Climate jobs now!
? Justice for people!
 
***
? Many more details to come over the coming weeks and months.
 
Organisations supporting the demonstration include:
Climate Change Centre Reading
Ecopreneurs for the Climate in Reading
Greenpeace Reading
Global Justice Reading
Transition Town Reading
Friends of the Earth Reading
Cycle Campaign Reading
Green Party Reading

Continue reading “#PeoplesMarchRD for jobs, justice and the climate”

Invitation Boroughs of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire

Nordic_declarationInvitation to BOBShire’s Capitals‘ Declaration on #ClimateChange 2017

Venue and programme for the workshop need to be set,
Pre-register interest here, BOBShire @ CCCRdg .org .uk

Join the wave of change. Sign the Appel de Paris here, http://www.parispledgeforaction.org/read

Project ideas emerged from breakout groups for each of the following #RE100 challenges:

KIC

  • How to include quality of life (the social dimension) in climate-oriented city solutions
  • How to create incentives for people to choose to be ”climate smart” in their everyday choices
  • How to create city climate targets, measure progress and engage more actors
  • How to remove barriers that enable cities to implement more (and better) testbeds

Check back for more information

/Climate Change Centre Reading

 

Source: reykjavik.is

For immediate Release GaiaDoc.org

For immediate Release

GaiaDoc.org has launched a fit for purpose replacement text for #COP21 #Paris2015 Urgent International Draft

EMERGENCY CLIMATE CHANGE PREVENTION CHARTER (CCPC) .pdf

For-immediate-Release-GaiaDoc

Source: GaiaDoc.org

 

 

Cycle to #COP21 – Ride for #ClimateJusticeJobs and a livable planet #Bike4Climate

BREAKING The date has arrived it’s #TimetoCycle to #COP21

TimetoCycle

Sustainable Transport Now!
System Change Now!

London to Paris, 6th – 10th December 2015

The 21st Conference Of the Parties (COP21) taking place in Paris at the end of 2015 is going to be BIG!
Those in power will gather at this environmental summit but, unfortunately, the hope to get a working and legal binding agreement by the end of it is once again quite small.

We therefore must take the power into our own hands! In hundred of thousands, people will mobilise in Paris to speak out, show solidarity with front line communities already affected by climate change and take action.

What better way to get there than by showing the alternative to our fossil fuel dependent culture?

———- PLAN ———-

Over 5-days and about 200miles, we will cycle from London to Paris starting off with 150 people and building in numbers along the way.

We will be cycling in smaller groups in order to make the ride more feasible and to help develop affinities and trust amongst people. By the end of each day, we will all gather for communal meals, as well as activities and workshops to be able to share our skills and prepare for taking action in Paris.

The Climate Games will be one element and way to take part in the mass day of mobilisation on the 12th December. The cycle ride will therefore provide space and information along the way for you to arrive prepared for your time in Paris.

The ride also has a jump on/jump off system, so if you do not want to or can not take part in the whole ride, you may join some of its sections.

Symbolically, this project will be much more than a cycle ride. By going in to school and social enters before and on the way, we will gather stories and dreams about the effect of climate change on people and how they would imagine a world where we stop it. As messengers of a much broader community, we will bring them to Paris and display them loud and clear.

Whether you are an experienced cyclist or a novice, on an electric bike or a tandem, young or old, there is a place for everyone.

Ride with us for #ClimateJusticeJobs and a livable planet

Find out more through the Time to Cycle website: www.timetocycle.org

#Climat21 #1000initiatives

 

CARFREE LIVING

Logo info CCCRdg

A Monthly Car-Free Work-Day Planet a force forward for #climateaction

Will the president of the European Union ban private cars in the urban environment?
Many people and community groups in transition are positive to this and want to ban private cars in city centres, so the streets will be safer and there will be less damaging pollution.

If all the private cars disappear, there are big plans for how all the space currently taken up by cars can be used for something better with the aim of making much needed urban behavioural change happen.

Mission
How do we allocate and transform public street space in cities and towns into public spaces?
2016 is the time for a more radical approach to end fossil fuels. Our aim is to ban private cars from town/city centres and reallocate road space to active travel such as walking and cycling to reduce congestion and address the damaging health impacts of air pollution, inactivity and obesity. Also, if all private cars were banned 12 days a year would be equal to 12 out of 365 days decrease in world private vehicle gas, petrol and diesel consumption ~ 3%!

The new car free movement
Many of us grew up cycling in the countryside when there were very few cars on the road and have never owned a car. We saw cars as the future, more people = more cars (less air quality), in a limited space, how is this going to work?

Each new road erases the natural world and we believe we have a duty to respect our natural environment. We have not always been sensitive to the damage car culture has on society and our environment. We do not accept that people are killed from air pollution; road casualties, inactivity and obesity are the price we have to pay or collateral damage.

There is a need to establish a platform of decision makers who acknowledge we have all the tools to achieve, implement and conduct. We have support from businesses, even corporations can cope with one CFD per month.

If we can agree to one year of monthly car-free event then we can also tackle the need for radical behaviour change.

Public health reasons to ban private cars in city centres
Great work has been done with Ken Livingstone’s congestion charge initiative in London but over time it clearly has not worked. 2016 is the time for a more radical approach.

Road charging has some benefits but if you raise the charge to the eye watering amounts required to clear traffic, you will end up with just the wealthy able to drive cars in cities. This is already statistically the case and we believe not good for social cohesion. The next stage is to ban private cars in city centres and free up public street space for walking and cycling, the great equalisers.

Ban of cars in all of city centres or just parts of the city?
E.g. London – The 2011 census marked a tipping point in car ownership in Central London. The majority of households for instance in Westminster (63%) The City (69%) Islington (65%) do not own a car.

Car owning households in Central London were now the minority. Finally there was a political opportunity to make the case for a car free London in zones 1 & 2. The picture is different in the outer boroughs where public transport is not as concentrated and journey distance to the centre is longer. Here car ownership is still in the majority.

The project Monthly Car-Free Work-Day Planet does not advocate the banning of public transport and commercial vehicles as they are essential to running the new economy and maintaining the city services. However we do want these modes rationalised, reduced in number and upgraded to the cleanest models available. Costs and availability of licenses would be based on lowest pollution and environmental footprint and whether the license was deemed to be necessary. All vehicles would have to be diesel free and with low emissions. All paved tarmac and stone surfaces would be examined with a view to increasing the green areas and thus air conditioning/micro climate control.

Owning a private car however is not a necessity and private electric cars and scooters don’t address the underlying problems of congestion, road casualties, inactivity and obesity. Clean tech cars may pollute less (silent oil spills!) in the direct environment but the electric grid is only 19% renewables and still polluting elsewhere whether coal and gas emissions or nuclear waste.

E waste from Electric vehicle batteries en masse would present a new challenge for toxic waste and the batteries are very expensive to recycle.

A successful car-free day project is going to study fossil fuels alternatives to the cars that already have private owners
Unfortunately diesel will have to be crushed, a very bad mistake and all who bought into or promoted the switch to diesel will have learnt a difficult lesson, unless diesel cars can be recycled into bikes?

Cleaner models will have some resale value. Perhaps possible to incentivise people to ditch their diesel immediately and join an electric car club or receive a bike.

It is also important to make active travel and public transport as accessible and inclusive as possible for people with disabilities and older people. Active travel benefits a wide range of people; customised cycling bikes promoted by, for instance, Wheels for Wellbeing give a variety of options for many people with disabilities, including hand cycling and assisted.

Being socially inclusive creates a society that is more cohesive.

FIGURES AND KEY FACTS The public space usage of all the empty roads and empty parking space is our common realm and will benefit the general public
Making space on the roads for a quality, safe, inclusive cycling experience is paramount. Whether that is protected lanes, filtered permeable or active travel corridors (whole roads for bikes) is down to what works best in each location.

It also occurred to us that freeing up vast amounts of space used for parking private cars (6.8 million parking spaces in London use up 78.5 km sq, based on minimum parking space) could unlock car parks as brownfield sites for key worker housing, at reasonable rents, linked to their jobs in the vicinity (linked to commuting). A good idea would also be to plant more trees on previously car lined streets.

KEY DRIVERS FOR ACTION Time frame for getting rid of private cars off the roads in city centres

Hopefully we could move fast to ban private diesel in Central London, one years notice; 9500 deaths per year requires a proportionate response.

  • 2 years to ban private diesel in the outer boroughs and commercial diesel in Central London
  • 3 years to ban commercial diesel in the outer boroughs and all private cars from Central London

How to implement a one year trial for a regular Car-free Day on a Workday worldwide? Logistically this is radical change. The city would not be able to build cycling protected lanes on main roads fast enough, but road closures of rat runs as alternative car free cycle routes could be implemented within the time frame and space saved would allow local agriculture to grow urban farming.

How to get around in your city, London
If you are not a car owner you mostly walk in London, with the odd bus and tube for longer journeys. Occasionally you may cycle using a Boris bike or on a friend’s tandem, but as part of the majority that feels very uncomfortable cycling in London with congested streets, mixing with large HGVs and buses and very poor cycling infrastructure.

People would love to cycle more, yet Londoners  live in very small flats so are on the lookout for somewhere practical to park and ride, maybe a folding bike or with a basket, or even a cargo bike combined with safe parking!

Trains are the way forward for longer internal journeys in the UK and we would like to see more investment, more incentives and ultimately prefer railways to be nationalised for the good of the nation rather than for profit. Londoners travel by train mostly out of London. Bike provision on trains is an issue and one that needs addressing.

Inhabitants of London occasionally catch a lift or use taxis where there is little or no public transport provision. There is general sympathy with the ideal that public transport should be a basic human right, but it is difficult in very rural areas. Sharing taxis might provide a more flexible option than buses. The idea of connecting urban areas with dedicated cycle lanes like the proposed HS2 for bikes is very likable.

What should happen to cars outside London?
Outside London we believe the banning of private cars in city centres and banning diesel are important for the health of the urban environment. Prioritising demotorisation and active travel is the way forward for the 21st century.

Nearly half of commuters in the UK live less than 5 miles from their work, an easy distance to cycle. These journeys must be made safe and inclusive to encourage as many people as possible to choose cycling as the healthy option. In the London outer boroughs, 66% of journeys under a mile are made by car.

We are doing something very wrong if it is easier/ more comfortable/cheaper for someone to take the car rather than cycle or walk under one mile.

Cars should never work out cheaper than public transport so taxing car use through fuel or road usage or road tax are all options and ploughing that back into public transport and active travel infrastructure. Residents parking permits need to be at least £1,000 per year (Southampton Central charges) to represent their cost to the public highway.

On long term private cars could potentially be banned everywhere in the UK
Currently most people are living in urban environments, but for those who live in rural areas it is far more difficult to ban private cars. Sharing taxis may provide a more flexible option than bus routes.

There may be long term solutions that can’t be conceived of yet, but if we do maintain some presence of private cars it needs to be done with respect for other road users and we believe presumed liability enshrined in UK law would be the most efficient way of ensuring that.

PLATFORMS AND PROJECTS A Monthly Car-Free Work-Day Planet is part of a wider global movement to go car free in city centres, this will this impact on climate change, direct and indirect
Fantastic global networks of Climate Action, Urban Thinkers, City Planners, Global bikers, Changemakers, Youth forums, Transport Think Thanks etc. 50+ Nations are developing car-free districts in urban areas.
Yes there is a worldwide movement to go car free in Cities that includes politicians and grass roots campaigners, From Al Gore to Richard Branson and even perhaps more unexpectedly Jeremy Clarkson who said ‘Get rid of your car, you don’t need it’ in a recent Sunday Times article. We have the connections to bridge the project and collect 2 million signatures together with organisational support.

This global city trends needs to be addressed with planetary coordination and best way force forward is to bridge incentive for behaviour change. We propose implementing a one year trial for a regular Car-free Day on a Workday worldwide;

Highlighting the third Wednesday of every month through the year as Planet´s Monthly Car-Free Work-Days, 20/5, 17/6, 15/7 etc.

HELP sign the petition here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Changemakers_MONTHLY_CARFREE_WORKDAY_NATIONWIDE

Carsgrey_blue-logo2

Transport and in particular private cars are one of the fastest growing contributors to CO2 emissions. Some predict that 1 billion cars today will rise to 2 billion by 2020. It is crucial and pressing that we curb this rise in car use as well as addressing other contributing factors. Cycling and walking are vital to transforming not just our cities but also our planet.

/Climate Change Centre reading (CCCRdg) supports R V Readhead, Goldsmiths College, U. of London 1996-98 Wants To Be Mayor of London And Ban Private Cars

ICEBIKE.ORG thanks

More information

7 Cities That Are Starting To Go Car-Free – http://www.fastcoexist.com/3040634/7-cities-that-are-starting-to-go-car-free

Paris Will Dramatically Reduce Car Traffic To Fight Air Pollution Emergency –   http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/22/3637317/paris-smog-car-ban/

TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD: THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/7891TRANSFORMING%20OUR%20WORLD.pdf

A Common Approach for developing SDG integrated indicators –  http://www.unep.org/post2015/Portals/50240/Common%20approach%20for%20developing%20SDG%20Integrated%20indicators.pdf

Study on car-free day
http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/raise/publications/2015/regdev/2215.pdf

 

Sharing and mixed use of a human caused economy – where we share as much as possible, from our whole infrastructure to jobs, this happens in the Anthropocene room between public space and cyberspace.

Togethernessship – All about inspiration and agreement, being truly inclusive and Safeguarding the future. The complex nature of our environment makes it hard to focus on preventing GreenHouse Gases, which are directly related to global warming. The downside of the problem is that everything is interlinked and needs to be backtracked http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backcasting, but we have the time scale which is rapidly shrinking, so an agreement at #COP21 in Paris, in December is probably a must.

 

Reading, United Kingdom, August 24, 2015: