Dear all,

welcome to another “in-between” email bulletin of Manchester Climate Fortnightly. The next MCFly will be published on Sunday March 22nd.

Dates for your diary-

Saturday April 4th

Chorlton Green Festival, St Clements Church

http://greenchorlton.org.uk/

Launch of “Call to Real Action”

Monday 6^th April from 7pm at Cafe Nexus, Dale St

http://www.calltorealaction.wordpress.com

a) Local news

CBI regional director Damian Waters was at the at Natural Economy Northwest's 
first Green Lecture in Liverpool. North West Business Insider quotes him as saying
 "It is frustrating in Manchester when you look out over the city – there are 22 hectares of rooftops
that could be greened, and by doing that people's view of the city would change. But where's the impetus to get it done? I want a world-class North West economy and we can't get there without a world-class environment.": "It is frustrating in Manchester when you look out over the city – there are 22 hectares of rooftops that could be greened, and by doing that people's view of the city would change. But where's the impetus to get it done? I want a world-class North West economy and we can't get there without a world-class environment."

Covanta Energy, a global operator of energy from waste plants, plans to spend £200m building a new plant at the Midpoint 18 development in Middlewich, Cheshire. They've submitted a planning application to Cheshire County Council. In other energy news, TEG Group, a provider of specialised plant and equipment for the composting of organic waste, is teaming up with a German company called UTS Biogastechnik to develop anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities in the UK. In other other energy news, Penrith-based renewables company Sundog Energy will work with green electricity provider Good Energy, leading to Sundog's
solar energy systems being promoted to all Good Energy customers across the UK.

March 13  Peel Media, part of Peel Group, claims using the Manchester Ship Canal instead of the
motorway to transport 75 tonnes of paving to its Media City UK development on Salford Quays could mean a total saving of around 53 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

b) Upcoming local events

Weds March 18

Business Breakfast: Climate Change - You Should Care!
Time: 7.45am - 9.30am
Price: Members £20 + VAT, Non-members £30 + VAT
Venue: IoD hub, Peter House, Manchester M1 5AN

http://www.iod.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/GBP/DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=VHQBX810gHeg6YTJodMLyWW0xgRy-Z4yL9k=?ProductSKU=N569031&ChannelID=5&MenuID=43

Weds March 18

DECC WORKSHOPS

Venue: The MacDonald Manchester, London Road, Piccadilly, M1 2PG
These workshops will take place between 9:30am - 4:30pm and will cover:
* The Community Energy Saving Programme: targeting, delivery model,scoring and measures
* The Heat and Energy Saving Strategy: the longer-term ambition, including the whole-house approach, future delivery models, and community engagement
* The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target: 20% increase in the overall target and proposed new measures
deccmanchester@jcconferences.co.uk

Weds 18 at 7pm "Steady-State Economics" discussion at University of Manchester Students' Union

Fri 20, 10.30am – 3.30pm Sustainable Spaces event Bridge-5 Mill, Ancoats. Morag Rose, 0161 277 1039

Fri 20 Sustainable Schools at the heart of sustainable communities. Friends Meeting House, 12.00-16.00. Free, but book through www.dep.org.uk

Sat/Sun March 21/2 Solar Hot Water course at Hulme Garden Centre. Lee Rose of Norfolk Solar, the top solar hot water tutor in the UK, will cover the theory of solar hot water systems, and practical demonstrations of how to install your own system. £100

100. international news stories of interest/importance

In Copenhagen, scientists meet to discuss the latest evidence of a warming world. The report that they released two years ago is shown to have underestimated the speed of the changes we are seeing, especially with regard to melting icecaps and vulnerable rainforests.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7940532.stm

500. "other stuff"

Lord Stern on global warming: It's even worse than I thought
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/lord-stern-on-global-warming-its-even-worse-than-i-thought-1643957.html

WWF's “Earth Hour” takes place on Saturday 28 March from 8.30pm. The idea is that people switch off their lights for an hour. Spinningfields Management Company and Manchester's Pub and Club Network have joined forces to encourage businesses to take part.

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