Getting to know Bristol Friends of the Earth
Posted on: 21 Feb 2018Bristol Friends of the Earth is an active local group of the international environmental organisation Friends of the Earth. They are currently involved in campaigns on:
Air Quality (main current local group campaign)
Sustainable Food (Flexi Bristol, UN Year of Pulses)
Energy Efficiency (Heatview thermal imaging leading to energy saving)
Maintaining environmental protections through Brexit
Nature & bees
Fossil Free Divestment
We caught up with them to discuss their aims for Bristol, why the council needs to do more, the devestating impact of dirty air in the city, the great work that they are doing, who they are involved with and how we can get involved ourselves to help the pressing environmental issues post Brexit.
Explain a bit about what you guys aim to do?
Our main campaigning focus at present is to help Bristol get clean air - at least within legal limits - which, at the moment are routinely being exceeded. In order to achieve this, it’s necessary to take ambitious action to curb the use of diesel vehicles in the city, which at the moment are responsible for 96% of the total emissions of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) from vehicles in the centre of Bristol. These are the cause of high roadside Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) emissions. The best way (according to Bristol City Council’s own feasibility study) of tackling this is to implement a large charging Clean Air Zone (CAZ) targeting only the most polluting vehicles. We’re currently engaging with residents in some of Bristol’s most polluted areas to hear their thoughts and see what level of citizen support exists for ambitious action to tackle this problem of dirty air in the city. At the moment, it’s contributing to the death of 5 Bristolians a week, according to 'Health Impacts of Air Pollution in Bristol' report by Air Quality Consultants, Feb 2017. It’s also having a severe detrimental impact the wellbeing of all Bristolians - especially the young and old, and is placing more of a burden on the NHS. For a healthy city, Bristol City Council be brave, bold and take the steps that will actually help solve the problem and not just pay lip service to it.
How can people get involved to help the cause?
Share your thoughts by taking our air quality survey and share it with your friends and family.
You can take part in the survey here.
Get in touch with your local councillors and the Mayor to express support for a large charging Clean Air Zone that includes all vehicles. Do this by visiting our campaign website and using our online action tool here.
Get involved in Bristol Friends of the Earth’s community engagement activities in Easton and Lawrence Hill by emailing bristolairquality@gmail.com.
Become a citizen scientist by ordering our Clean Air Kit to monitor air pollution near you.
Spark a discussion. Share information online and with friends and family, and engage with other residents locally.
Employees – Ask your employer if they’re considering any measures to improve air quality – such as incentivising lift shares, introducing bike to work schemes and additional parking charges etc.
Parents – Ask your children’s head teacher to order our Clean Air Schools pack.
When are your next public meetings coming up?
Please see our website for information on Bristol Friends of the Earth public meetings. For updates on the clean air campaign meet ups and events, click here.
How have you implemented your plans to lobby the council?
We’re in discussions with the council about the development of their local clean air plan, which they are required to produce by the end of 2018. The data gathered from our survey will be shared with the council to bring a community voice into the decision-making process. We’re concerned that a Bristol City Council Cabinet decision on 6 March 2018 will rule out a Large Clean Air Zone, which is the most effective option for improving public health in Bristol. We’re also concerned that public consultation on this issue won’t happen until all of the options have been narrowed down to a single, preferred option. We think it’s crucial that Bristolians have the chance to have their say now.
What other organisations do you work with?
We’re fortunate to work with a range of social change organisations in Bristol and beyond. On our clean air campaign, we’re collaborating with some fantastic allies, including Bristol Green Capital Partnership, Up Our Street, and the wonderful Green & Black Ambassadors of Ujima Radio. We have also been working closely with Peoples Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC) to raise awareness through alternative mediums - keep an eye out for our incoming visual display in the Bear Pit. We’re always up for exploring opportunities for joint working , so please get in touch if you’re interested by emailing bristolairquality@gmail.com.
How can high emissions from Bristol buses be reduced?
We feel that the aim must be for the bus fleet to be entirely hydrogen, electric, or hybrid powered.
Do you feel that environmental issues have become very uncertain post-Brexit?
We would say that environment issues and concerns are hardly even on the Brexit agenda, which focuses on trade and economic self-interest. Many of our major environmental protections have come from the EU, such as the Air Quality Directive 2008. The measures that will survive post-Brexit in relation to e.g. climate change, wildlife and air pollution are very uncertain. There is the very real fear and possibility that certain actors will use Brexit as an excuse to revive a previous government that drives to deregulate and create conditions that are much more attractive for big business but much worse for the environment.
How important is it – now more than ever – to be campaigning hard to maintain environmental protections?
It is always extraordinarily important to be campaigning hard to maintain environmental protections. Human-made climate change is bringing about more and more disruption and displacement around the world, where a major city like Capetown has run out of water. 2015, 2016, and 2017 were in succession the hottest years ever recorded. Our oceans are warming and becoming acidified. This is our future we’re talking about, and let’s not forget that a long-term healthy economy is reliant on a healthy environment. Short term gain might be achieved by deregulation, but the country will suffer massively in the long run. Brexit could very well be a watershed moment, and it is crucial that whatever happens, our environment wins out. Because it is only upon a healthy environment that we can build a healthy economy and long-term prosperity.
Are there opportunities for young people to get involved?
Absolutely! Our My World, My Home project involves building the campaigning skills of students at City of Bristol Further Education College. They’re really fired up about air pollution right now. If you’re aged 18 or over, you can join Bristol Friends of the Earth and/or volunteer with Friends of the Earth England, Wales & Northern Ireland (the national organisation) at our office in Brunswick Court. We most definitely need people of all ages to get as involved as they can. We’ll always try to work with you to help you develop your interests, skills and capabilities to protect our environment and everyone who depends on it (that’s all of us by the way). If you’re younger than 18, don’t let this stop you - please get in touch and we can explore ways for you to get involved.
Tell us a little bit about the recent survey that you are running, why is it important for people to partake?
We’re hoping that the results of this survey will inform decision-making by Bristol City Council. We’re also hoping to see popular support for an ambitious plan- namely, the introduction of a large charging CAZ into the city. We also want to make sure that any action taken by Bristol City Council doesn’t detrimentally impact the more disadvantaged sections of society. So we’re asking questions about what sort of measures people would need to ensure that the Charging Clean Air zone could be implemented fairly and affordably. Air pollution is an inequality issue. It hits the poorest hardest, when most of the pollution is created by more affluent drivers. 28.9% of households in Bristol don’t own a car, and in some parts of the city this is even higher (36.8% in Easton, 56.2% in Lawrence Hill). Let’s remember, the ultimate aim is clean air for all. We want to help make this a reality by supporting everyone to do the right thing.
What is the survey focused on more specifically?
It’s aim is to gauge people’s understanding of the air pollution issue in Bristol, whether they’re impacted, how they feel about options for tackling it and what they might do differently if a CAZ were to be implemented. Check out the survey questions here to find out more!
When are you expecting to hear from the council with regards to the survey?
We’re analysing the results as they come in and hoping to share these publicly before the Council’s deadline to make the decision on avenues to take on air pollution in the city. This has thankfully just been postponed, so the beginning of March 2018. Bristol City Council Cabinet decision that will narrow options down on 6 March 2018. Find out more about that decision here. You can watch the meeting in person from the public gallery in City Hall, or follow on the live webcast and if you’re on twitter you can tweet along using the #BristolLive hashtag. You might also be interested in Bristol City Council's guide to having your say at their meetings, which you can check out here. Council meeting papers are published 5 working days before meetings so we’ll have to wait until the end of February to see the latest plans.
Article by:
Hannah recently graduated with a degree in English with Writing. She is an avid writer, freelancer and creative. She is currently writing her first full-length novel and a collection of poetry. Always out and about in Bristol's music scene, she attends music events on a weekly basis.
