Bike Friday – encouraging Manchester to get on their bikes.

Check Out Bike Friday's Website for more Info

Cycling in Manchester can be daunting to newcomers and inexperienced cyclists alike.

However, thanks to a group of experienced cyclists attempts are being made to change that. Part of the Love your Bike campaign, bike riders of all levels of experience take to the streets of Manchester for a monthly commute to work.

The scheme, coordinated by Manchester Friends of the Earth’s, aims to give people an opportunity to get on their bike but also offer support to those who need it. This Friday (and every last Friday of the month excluding December) sees the group starting off in 6 locations around Greater Manchester, travelling on arterial roads the groups aim to collectively  arrive in the city centre at 8.30am.

It’s obvious from the start, group leaders are aware of their responsibilites and the feelings of both cyclists and other road users alike. One point they make is, “It is entirely law-abiding – we do not try to slow down the traffic.” For those needing help for the homeward journey, the groups can also make arrangements to support you too. You can also have a look at the website’s handy Pocket Guide to Cycling leaflet, which is very helpful to cyclists old and new.

Personally, I think this is a brilliant scheme and I’m very happy to see other cyclists willing to encourage new people to use Manchester’s streets safely and confidently. From personal experience, avoiding using a bicycle to get around due to being scared of injury and high levels of traffic is something of a theme I’ve come across so often from friends in the city. Schemes such as Bike Friday is a great way of showing support to new cyclists wanting to take the first steps into a rewarding, enjoyable and eco-friendly mode of transport.

The event is held on the last Friday of every month and group leaders are easily contactable with questions. So there’s nothing stopping you-love your bike and love Manchester!

Ed

Useful Links
Bike Friday Web Page
Bike Friday Facebook Page
Cycling GM

MMU’s Hulme Campus- plans for a greener university.

Manchester Metropolitan University is set to lead the way for greener, eco-friendly sustainable campuses in a time where academic institutions need not only watch their financial spending but their environmental commitments also.

It’s clear from the outset that environmental sustainability is one of the main themes MMU’s planned new £120 million campus in Hulme, south of the city centre. Not just short term reductions are on the agenda – long running issues of sustainability within an urban environment are part of the bigger picture, as laid out in their Strategic Framework.

Whilst the university is sceptical the new campus would help immediately achieve their aims of zero carbon, water and waste impacts it is easy to recognise the potential of such a project to contribute to Manchester becoming a zero-waste city.

Looking through one of the most interesting commitments in my view is to reducing all unwanted material being sent to landfill, with implications for full university-wide application. Through the building of the  new campus MMU will conduct a,

“detailed analysis of supply chains and operational practices, with the emphasis being placed on reduction of inputs without compromising efficiency.”

This isn’t just for your every-day materials but also for much bigger things and being able to meet long-term requirements- such as avoiding the demolition of buildings and making sure supply networks can handle any change in its usage and requirements.

A sustainable transport plan will aim to reduce the use of cars, and put the emphasis on cycling or walking. Schemes such as Nottingham Trent’s Ucycle has shown to have a very positive impact on increasing the use of greener transport across universities, would such an idea work in Manchester?

It all sounds very impressive, but is it possible?

We’re still not in the best of times to be building great big buildings and with possible large fluctuations in the cost of construction iand other related services s there any guarantee from MMU to stand by theses commitments if the going gets tough?

I guess we can only wait and see.

Ed

Vertical Farming – A new and original approach to food production being taken in our city.

“Vertical farming”- sounds slightly odd, doesn’t it? Think of it like applying the same logic behind building a block of flats instead of a row of houses to agriculture. It’s an idea with international recognition, but what’s Manchester got to do with it?

The concept, strongly and vocally backed by Dr Dickson Despommier, a professor at Columbia University, who believes it is a plausible and viable solution to ever-increasing urban populations and meeting food demand. His website claims that 80% of suitable land is in use, and you don’t need to be that sharp with maths realise that could be a problem.

The question beckons; faced with a limited potential for expansion using mainstream methods, what do we do?

Well, how about we do the same for farming that we do for housing? Indoor farming has been used for centuries; it’s not a new idea. Perhaps it just needs a fresh take on the concept?

So we build up? Sounds like a plan. But is it the only option? Can’t we take the zero-waste approach to this? Why not reuse and recycle somewhere for our new farm?

As alluded to at the beginning of this piece, Manchester does indeed have a role to play. The BBC reported this last week on plans to re-use a derelict office block in Wythenshawe and turn it into a Despommier-inspired 8-storey high vertical greenhouse.

In a pioneering application of the vertical farm thinking, Alpha House (as it was known) will be transformed into Alpha Farm for the 2013 Manchester International Festival, producing all sorts from leaf and root vegetables. There’s also very exciting plans afoot to accommodate fish, bees and even hens across the building.

What a truly original and inspiring idea. We’ve all seen some of the old office blocks scattered around the city- time we started re-using them! Through creating more locally grown, fresher produce we could really unlock the potential of this idea. With proper support and backing vertical farms could be a way of supporting local economies and communities whilst creating jobs throughout the city.

What about all those harmful pesticides and fertilisers? Well, done in a controlled and closed environment using organic methods would theoretically reduces their usage to zero. Through the use of aeroponics, aquaponics and hydroponics harnesses the power to recycle water, reduce soil erosion and protecting the wider ecosystem.

Of course there are downsides; it’s a new technique with limited practical testing (especially on a large-scale), old buildings may need substantial refurbishment to be suitable for growing crops and the local infrastructure may not support agricultural production.

But in my opinion, you’ve got to put the effort in to reap the rewards. Of course its not as simple as throwing a few grow-bags down in an empty office block but as a long-term alternative I think the effort should be made to support such as initiative.

This is the point where Manchester truly has the potential to be front-runners in a new and exciting venture.

It seems that soon gone are the days of having a window box with a few vegetables in it… now the sky’s the limit!  

Ed

PS: Have a look at this video for more about vertical farming.

It’s good bike from me, and it’s good bike from him.

It’s a long running theme that cycling is a money saver: no petrol costs along with relatively low maintenance and repair costs.

But is it just a financial decision?

It seems like Maxton Walker (Guardian 7/7/2011), through focussing on a purely financial incentive for cycling is missing the bigger picture.

He seems to criticise the cycling way of life for not being as cheap as it seems once you factor in all the other associated costs. Despite this, and according to his own calculations, he still would save about £450 per year if he chose a bike over a bus!! And who really cares if it takes a little longer? Surely we’re not in that much of a rush?

But is money the only thing you should be concerned about? There are so many wider benefits to cycling!!

• Less air and noise pollution
• An improved urban environment
• Physical and mental health will improve dramatically.
• Lower healthcare costs in the long term for yourself and others
• More accessibly in rural areas (and in many urban areas too!)

To name but a few…

Cycling isn’t just an exercise on how to save on the pennies, it’s a way to improve your life and the lives of those around you. I’m a passionate cyclist. Have you met anyone who is a “passionate bus passenger”?!
It’s clean, sustainable and fun. 

Ask me which I’d prefer and I’ll say bikes over busses, every time.

Ed

Climate Week – What’s On?

Greetings,

EMERGE will be at Brazennose House West this week hosting a series of events for Climate Week.

Tuesday is Fareshare day. There is an opportunity to get involved in a cookery demo on Tuesday lunchtime and there will be a chance to find out all about Fareshares activities at 4pm.

We will be offering companies free taster sessions of our Zero Waste consultancy on Wednesday and Thursday.

Friday will see us ‘relaunch’ EMERGE. Come and join us for some lunch and to find out about the great work the REAL skills team have been doing with volunteers and educating young people about the 3Rs. The unveiling of the vehicles will take place on Albert Square, the other activities will be at Brazennose St.

Here’s the schedule:

Monday 21st:
Exhibition 11am – 6.30pm

Tuesday 22nd: Fareshare Day
Drop In 10.30am – 6.30pm
Love Food Hate Waste Cookery demo 12 – 2pm
Presentations and cocktails 4 – 6pm

Wednesday 23rd:
Exhibition 11am – 6.30pm
Zero waste taster session: lunchtime, early evening (flexible)

Thursday 24th:
Exhibition 11am – 6.30pm
Zero waste taster session: lunchtime, early evening (flexible)

Friday 25th: Re-launch
Vehicle unveiling (Albert Sq) 11am – 12pm
Lunch 12 – 2pm
REAL Skills education and volunteering celebration 2 – 4pm

Onwards & upwards!

Joe

ecofocused.com

EMERGE – Climate Week Events

NEWSFLASH: EMERGE is running a series of events to celibrate Climate Week, these will include an exhibition, a day to promote our FareShare depot and a relaunch of our range of recycling services. For a breakdown of the events please Click Here.

How To: Green Valentines

Hello Everyone!

Councillor Neil Swannick, Chairman of the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) has put together five hints for ensuring an environmentally friendly Valentine’s Day.

• Try thinking of something original to do on Valentine’s Day. A picnic in the park (or on the living room floor if the February weather is a bit nippy) with your other half’s favourite nibbles.
• If you buy flowers look for those that are locally grown. Often flowers can be flown thousands of miles before they are given as a gift, and will not last very long.
• Get creative with your gifts. If your other half has been meaning to have photographs printed for a while, do it for them and put them into a nice photo album or frame.
• Buy cards made from recycled paper and make sure that they are recycled afterwards.
• For something a bit different, name a star after your loved one or dedicate a tree to them and help the Woodland Trust restore the UK’s native woodland heritage.

EMERGE Recycling

UK Achieves 40% Recycling Rates.

Greetings,

I just read a fantastic report published by Defra, which shows that the UK’s recycling rates are now pushing past 40%! this is obviously fantastic news as it shows the progress we are making as a nation towards our environmental and sustainability targets.

For an indepth review of the report, take a look at this article by letsrecycle.com which breaks it down in great detail.

It’s certainly one step in the right direction!

EMERGE Recycling

What a Waste of Resources – Nimrod Aircrafts Scrapped

Greetings,

Dismantling of nine multimillion pound Nimrod aircraft is underway at BAE in Stockport I learned from the BBC yesterday.

Having cost the taxpayer £4Bn !!!!! and having taken 1800 people 10 years to design and build the aircraft will never fly and are now being taken apart and scrapped.

The aircraft were due to be handed over to the RAF and go into service next year but in a bid to save £2Bn over the next 10 years the project was cancelled in the spending review last October.

I am not a fan of planes in general, they produce far too much pollution and should be phased out asap in my opinion.

However, the sight of these great feats of modern engineering being reduced to scrap before even being allowed to leave the runway is truly very sad. What a terrible, terrible waste of resources. I truly feel very sorry for the men and women who have worked on that project.

Onwards & upwards!

Joe

My blog: ecofocused.com

Manchester to lead Electric Car revolution?

It looks like Manchester is going to again be at the forefront of environmental techonology in the UK. £7m plans are in place to built a network of 300 charging points for electric vehicles, allowing them to be topped up with a 100 mile range from a single charge.

Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond seemed very pleased as he declared that we can now all have “all the convenience of the car, without the carbon“. Now call me sceptical but I’m pretty sure that the electricity to drive these vehicles has to be produced from somewhere and until the network of nuclear stations the government has proposed is in place, we’re still going to be putting this extra power demand through coal-fired power stations. (Source: MEN)

Cutting edge? Yes. Carbon free? Not yet.

EMERGE Recycling