Take One Action: See the Change

Mohatma Gandhi famously said “Be the change you want to see in the world”, but the UK’s leading internationalist film festival wants to inspire you first, enabling you to see the change you want to be in the world. 

The festival celebrates great films shining a light on powerful stories of global concern and includes over 40 events and workshops at the Edinburgh Filmhouse and Glasgow Film Theatre. It runs from Monday 19 September to Sunday 2 October 2011.

The fun kicked off this evening at the Royal Botanic Gardens with a bike-powered exclusive UK preview of Burning Ice (celebs KT Tunstall and Jarvis Cocker are thrown together on a boat in the arctic to discover whether communicating about climate change is a science or an art).

Tomorrow night (20^th September) in the Botanics, it's a bike powered UK Premiere of Homegrown.  One ordinary family gets “off grid” completely by harvesting over 6000 pounds of food and oil in their back yard. We're delighted to have Observalot's Mark Davidson reviewing the bike powered cinema action for GreenerLeith, blog to follow!

Festival director Simon Bateson said:

“Our fourth festival is undoubtedly our best line-up so far, with a timely focus on international land rights, climate change and media in an age of globalisation. We’re fired up from training young programmers from across Scotland earlier this month, and now we have ten days of films and events to get our own generation out of their seats!”

Free talks and workshops accompanying the screenings are also aplenty, including a Beginner’s Guide to Campaigning (Edinburgh 1 October, Glasgow 2 October), a conversation event with Zoya Phan, the UK’s most prolific Burmese activist, author and TED fellow, and an event drawing together the screenings about land rights on Sunday 2 October with music from West Papuan group The Lani Singers and speakers including Scots land expert Andy Wightman (The Poor Had No Lawyers).

The festival closes with exclusive screenings and director Q&As for You’ve Been Trumped (30 September, Edinburgh 2 October) introduced with original live music from new Scottish folk hero Karine Polwart. This brings events full circle, as Take One Action has already been busily touring Scotland with this astonishing film about Donald Trump’s controversial golf development, and will be showing it at Parliament for MSPs during the festival [Weds 14 Sept].

See www.takeoneaction.org.uk for the full festival programme.

Image credit: Take one action film festivals 

Forth Energy kick Leith Biomass plant into the long grass

An artists impression of the biomass plant, made using Google Earth. This view looks down Constitution Street from a tall building.If you take a look at the Forth Energy website, there's nothing on it to indicate that their plans for a giant power plant that they propose to build on Leith Docks have been put on the back burner.

Indeed, the firm has been busy of late, churning out glossy PR brochures for the other biomass plants they propose in other parts of Scotland called things like, ahem, "Greener Grangemouth." The brochures contain the same virtually meaningless pledges on fuel sources and questionable carbon savings claims that their planning applications do.

The only change now is that they've got some titles that imply in some way that they're part of an environmental organisation. Although imitation is the greatest form of flattery, as you can imagine, we've had some of Scotland's finest legal minds poised to sue for trademark infringement the moment Forth Energy publish their equivalent, "Greener Leith," newsletter for weeks. But for some reason it hasn't happened.

Recently, local MSP Malcolm Chisholm shed some light on the apparent delay at a Leith Links Community Council meeting. He said he'd managed to meet with Charles Hammond, head of Forth Ports and he confirmed that the Leith Biomass plant will be the last to be pursued by Forth Energy (Forth energy is part owned by Forth Ports).

Not only that, Mr Hammond apparently told Malcolm Chisholm that the council will not now consider the planning application in December as we'd previously be led to believe, but "later." Given that every single candidate in the recent City Centre by-election said that they'd vote against the Leith biomass plant proposals, it's probably an astute move on their part to push consideration of the proposal beyond May - as they may be hoping to avoid the proposal becoming a political issue in the next Scottish Local elections.

Judging by the way the politics is playing out, this would seem unlikely. We've already seen that the Leith Biomass plant remains a critical local issue, in large part due to the sterling efforts of the No Leith Biomass campaigners. But it's not just a local issue - the questionable environmental wisdom of burning lots of imported timber just to generate electricity is rising up both the policy and political agendas throughout the UK. 

Recently, the independent statutory body set up by the UK government to advise Westminster and the devolved administrations on climate change issues, The Committee on Climate Change, released a report that was pretty skeptical of using biomass for power generation in the way that Forth Energy proposes to do.

You can read their whole report below:

CCC_The Renewable Energy Review

This report, suggests that biomass should not be used for power generation without being fitted with Carbon Capture and Storage technology (which currently doesn't exist) and is probably not a good use of scarce global biomass resources.

This report has not gone unnoticed in Scotland. SNP MSP for the Falkirk area, Angus MacDonald ("Greener Grangemouth" is in his constituency) has submitted this motion in the Holyrood parliament:

Motion S4M-00748 - Angus MacDonald ( Falkirk East ) ( Scottish National Party ) : UK Committee on Climate Change Comments on Biomass

That the Parliament notes the recent publication by the influential UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC) of its review of the potential for renewable energy development; in particular notes its comments on biomass, including its preliminary conclusion that without CCS (carbon capture and storage), biomass would probably be of more value when used outside the power sector"; considers that this conclusion runs counter to Forth Energy's large-scale biomass proposals in Grangemouth, Rosyth, Dundee and Leith; welcomes the Scottish Government's preference for biomass to be deployed in heat-only or combined heat and power schemes, generally prioritised in off gas-grid areas, at a scale appropriate to make best use of both the available heat and local supply; looks forward to the CCC's more detailed assessment of biomass later in 2011, and calls on Scottish ministers to reject Forth Energy's proposals that require ministerial consent.

That motion is interesting as it explicitly calls on the Scottish Government proposals to deny Forth Energy consent for all four of their proposed large biomass plants.

Another recent motion at Holyrood may also be of interest too. Several Edinburgh MSP's have backed this one, which gives support to a planned protest march against the Biomass proposals later this month.

Motion S4M-00616 - Jim Eadie ( Edinburgh Southern ) ( Scottish National Party ) : Moving Planet March

That the Parliament supports the Moving Planet march and rally on Saturday 24 September 2011, called by the international non-governmental organisation, 350.org, to mark the Global Day of Climate Action; notes that 350.org calls for a sustainable energy future for the world at 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is what many scientists consider to be the safe upper limit; notes that the event will coincide with the world car-free day and that it will aim to put pressure on global leaders to commit to reducing CO2 levels in advance of the UN Climate Summit in Durban, South Africa, in November 2011, and welcomes the parallel aim of this event, to draw attention to opposition to the proposed Forth Energy biomass plant at Leith Docks.

Despite all this Forth Energy insist the Leith Biomass plan is still on the table. If you wish to support the campaigners who are trying to put the Leith Biomass plan in the long grass permanently, and you were wondering what else you can do now that you've put in your objection to the Leith Biomass plant, you can do these two things:

1. Use www.writetothem.com and urge your all your local MSP's - especially your list MSP's - to support both of these motions. Malcolm Chisholm, constituency MSP for Leith, has signed both, but there are still some list MSPs who have not.

2. Take part in the planned protest event on the 24th of September. You can find out more about the event here.

Leith Rocks: A Geological Tour of Leith

If you can't see the map above click-here to see a full screen version.

Join us on an audio geological tour of Leith with local Geologist Angus Miller. 

What are those lumps on Leith Links? Meet a volcano in Lochend Park, find out when and why Stockbridge was submerged and the story behind our very own river, The Water of Leith. If that doesn’t ‘rock’ your boat, find out what Edinburgh buildings are made of, meet glacial erratic boulder Keith and find our fossilised forests. There's even ROCK music composed especially for your podcast satisfaction.

Use the map to find your nearest rock highlights. Just click on the tour stops, press play and enjoy the audio. If you're not sure where to start, location 1 is an introduction to the tour. Spring is a great time of year to say hello to the rocks on your doorstep. It’s time to rock and stroll.

Coming soon: Leith Rocks the outakes - audio

Thanks to Ally Tibbitt for working out how to build the Leith Rocks map and to our people's award winner and local Geologist Angus Miller and to Alan Parkinson for the ROCK music.

Image: Credit Angus Miller (it's Keith 3 years ago)

You may also like to check out our new Leith Story Map that shows more of our multi-media content on a map.

This weeks Leith biomass roundup

Half way through the window for public consultation on the Forth Energy biomass plant, there are so many things to report that this post has become a bit of a round-up.

As we posted previously, one Edinburgh resident who opposes the plant put together a Google Earth mock-up of the plant, based on the dimensions, and the graphics provided by Forth Energy in their planning application. The idea being that anyone with access to the program could see how the plant would look from anywhere - even space. A few locals then used this to come up with their own user generated images.

This week, the Google Earth file has been used in a new way. A supporter of the No Leith Biomass campaign has produced this 'fly-through' using Google Earth, and added some captions to provide people with more information on the plant. You can view it below:

Proposed Biomass Power Station Leith, Edinburgh February 2011 from EM 9o7 on Vimeo.

Meanwhile, I followed up one of the points made by at last weeks Leith Biomass public meeting, over how the plant would be connected to the grid - and the possible travel disruption this could cause. You can read the response from local business groups and Forth Energy on the North Edinburgh STV website.

A day later, a three person team of senior staff from Forth Energy were said to be sent home 'with their tails between their legs' from a meeting at the Mal Maison hotel after strong criticism from members of the Friends of the Water of Leith Basin group.

The No Leith Biomass campaign, who say that 'hundreds' of objections have already been sent to the Scottish Government, has also produced a campaign Twibbon. Meanwhile more and more people continue to use the #leithbiomass hashtag on Twitter to share campaign updates and information and nearly 800 people have signed the online petition.

In the last couple of weeks, the political mood has continued to shift against the proposals too. The Edinburgh Green Party has voted to oppose the plant, The Leith branch of the SNP has voted to oppose the plant and Shiela Gilmore MP had this to say on her blog, after joining her Labour colleague Malcolm Chisholm MSP at the No Leith Biomass demonstration last week: 

‘The plans just don’t add up; at a meeting last week, residents were shushed when organisers tried to claim the greater efficiencies would come thanks to the municipal heating system. This municipal heating system is at present an idea that will only be developed when consent is granted, so, efficiency of this green ‘renewable’ plant will be around 30-40%, similar to existing electricity plants.

‘Further still, in 40 years time, when Forth Ports have finished regenerating the area, the plant area will be again be redeveloped, without a plant to supply a municipal heating system!'

‘We need to reduce carbon emissions and use the resources that we have in Scotland. Sourcing the wood chippings from around the world is not green, nor is ferrying waste and ash through the already clogged roads in Edinburgh East.'

‘I’m with the campaigners on this one; the plant is too big, in the wrong place, and it is not green.’

The No Leith Biomass group plan to take the campaign to Holyrood next. There will be a demonstration on Thursday the 24th of February. If you want to go, meet at 12 as the demo is planned to run for an hour 12.30 - 1.30pm.

You can find out more about the No Leith Biomass campaign at www.noleithbiomass.org.uk

New policy suggests Forth Energy biomass plants are not needed

Less than 10 days ago, the Scottish Government quietly released a new policy document on thermal energy generation. The paper - Draft Electricity Generation Policy Statement 2010: Scotland – A Low Carbon Society - seems to point to the direction of Scottish Government thinking, both on large thermal electrcity generating plants - and biomass. What does this mean for Leith? Well despite considerable local opposition, Forth Energy remain resolute in pursuing a planning application for a huge inefficient power plant on Leith Docks.

The new policy paper, in the matter of fact language favoured by seasoned government mandarins, reads as though it is squarely aimed at Forth Energy - and undermines the case they make for their plant in a number of ways. 

Firstly, Forth Energy have been known to claim that these plants are needed to provide 'base load,' reliable power for the national grid. Yet, this paper predicts that by 2030, the renewables sector will have expanded so quickly, and diversified so much, that these power plants just won't be needed to perform this type of role.

Indeed, this article in The Herald explains that, even going by conservative estimates, existing power plants will be able to provide all the 2.5GW of baseload power that will be needed by 2030.

And secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the whole section on Biomass seems to explicitly rule out the type of utility scale, electricity only, plants that Forth Energy are proposing to build. In the policy summary on page ten it is written in highlighted text:

"The Scottish Government would prefer to see biomass deployed in heat-only or combined heat and power schemes, off gas-grid, at a scale appropriate to make best use of both the available heat, and of local supply."

This policy announcement is the latest installment in a story that suggests Forth Energy are rapidly losing the argument over whether these Biomass plants are worth building - and worthy of millilons of pounds of public subsidy. However, despite vocal local opposition, cross party concern over the environmental impact of the plants, concern from industry that the plants will actually cost more jobs than they will generate, holes appearing in the Forth Energy environmental claims, an ever growing petition with hundreds of signatures - and an acknowledgement from the Managing Director that he couldn't identify a single organisation that supports his proposals -  the company seems determined to continue to push their plan through the planning system. This is unfortunate - as there is an alternative that lots more people would support.

If you support the No Leith Biomass campaign - then you should check out their website at www.noleithbiomass.org.uk

The images in this post are taken from materials drawn up by Forth Energy themselves, and used in the last round of public exhibtions they put on. Which one of the views above would it be physically impossible to see in 'real life'?

Climate camp targets Forth Energy

You may not agree with their methods, but there might well be some truth behind their message. Today, a small group of climate camp activists 'occupied' the Forth Energy offices on Leith Docks to highlight the environmental problems that large scale biomass plants, like the one Forth Energy propose to build on Leith Docks, could cause. You can see them in the photo slideshow by Calvinsimages, below:

In a statement the protestors said:

"If built these power stations will mean even more wood imports from abroad and even more destruction of rainforests and old growth forests to be replaced with plantations of eucalyptus in places like South America. For example, the smokestack CO2 emissions from a biomass power station are commonly around 1.5 times greater than those from a coal power station with the same energy output. In addition to harming the global climate, these power stations will severely impact the health of the communities where they are built. All biomass burning releases significant quantities of nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Such pollution increases the risks of respiratory diseases, heart disease, cancer and premature mortatily including infant mortality and miscarriage. Leith power station alone would generate nitrogen oxide and particulates equivalent to 100,000 more cars while Edinburgh and Grangemouth power stations are 200m to the nearest home and Dundee power station just 100m"

A full planning application for the proposal is due to be submitted "within weeks," with Forth Energy apparently determined to ignore widely held local concerns over the scale and location of the plant.

The plant will burn around 1.3 million tonnes of wood that is to be shipped to Leith from foreign countries. Although Forth Ports have given a wooly commitment to source the fuel from "sustainable" sources, to date, the company has refused our calls for full public disclosure of their fuel sources on an annual basis, nor will they commit to using wood from forests that have been independently certified by the FSC - despite using the FSC logo in their presentation to councillors in Dundee (You can see the slide in question here)

Given that the Leith plant is likely to attract around £40million worth of public subsidy for each year of its operation, it is hardly surprising that some people feel very strongly that large scale Biomass is a poor use of tax payers money.

Wake up, Freak Out

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.

The people behind this animated short film believe that climate change isn't just about polar bears anymore. They believe we need to do more than just change our lifestyle if we're going to tackle climate change, because irreversible climate change might be coming sooner than we think. What do you think?

More information about the animation at www.wakeupfreakout.org/