Llangollen & District Friends of the Earth | Cyfeillion y Ddaear Llangollen a'r Rhanbarth

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  • Panorama climate change walk

    Panorama climate change walk

    I am belatedly posting these photos from November. Thanks to Adrian for the photos.

    These photos were taken on our Climate walk. As we walked through the bitter cold and stunning scenery we discussed various aspects of climate change, the environment and possible future campaigns.

    We were also treated to a fascinating talk about the prehistoric history of the valley from Adrian a local geologist. A great day out, thanks to Mike for organising it all!

    [slickr-flickr tag=”panorama” items=”16″ type=”gallery”]

  • Llangollen FoE Poster

    Llangollen FoE Poster

    If you have been into town recently, maybe you spotted one of our new posters. If you did you were lucky as so far there are only four posters in the whole town!

    Help us recruit new members by improving our poster coverage. Either request a poster from Warren or print your own copy, then simply put it up on a noticeboard of your choosing. A quick, simple and hopefully effective action. Thank you!

    Click here to download a printable version of the poster.

  • Lighter later

    Lighter later

    What a difference an hour makes! Did anyone else feel the benefit of retrieving our stolen hour? An extra hour makes doing all those little jobs outside so much more possible. Shifting the clocks forward by one hour throughout the year has multiple benefits, for us humans and for the environment. To find out more click here: http://www.lighterlater.org/

  • Students Celebrate Recycling Success with Llangollen Friends of the Earth

    Llangollen Friends of the Earth teamed up with Ysgol Dinas Bran today to urge the Government to boost recycling in order to halve the rubbish which people have to put into their black bin bags.

     

    Pupils at Ysgol Dinas Bran in Llangollen took part by each taking home a bag to fill with unwanted textiles, children’s books and leather goods.  Amanda Edwards, teacher and vice-chair of Dinas Bran Eco-Council said “Many of items which the children have collected, such as shoes, are not in good enough condition to take into the charity shops.  As Denbighshire Council does not currently offer textile recycling in its door-to-door collections, most of what we’ve collected would have just been thrown away”.

    The school is also paid per tonne of recycled goods they collect, meaning that as well as stopping items being unnecessarily thrown away, this project also has the added bonus of generating an income for the school.  Amanda Edwards went on to say “The collection is still ongoing, and we would welcome any members of the public who would like to drop off unwanted textiles, leather goods or children’s books into our main reception”.

    Kay Polley from Llangollen Friends of the Earth said “This is a great example of how people want to do more recycling, but often don’t have the opportunity to do so.  This is why we are urging Government to do more so that we can halve ‘black bag’ waste my 2020”.

    Local politicians have also been showing their support for the campaign.  Susan Elan Jones, MP for Clwyd South said “Recycling is so important, and this project is fantastic as there is an added incentive for the school.  We can all definitely do more, but currently there are disparities between different councils, meaning some people are able to recycle more than others”.  

    Eleanor Burnham, AM for North Wales also noted this fact when she said “I appreciate that it can be difficult for some people where door-to-door collections do not take as much recycling as in other areas”.  The AM also went on to say that as she is lucky enough to live close to recycling facilities, she has recently been making use of these amenities in order to reduce her own household rubbish. She added “It’s up to all of us to do our best”.

  • April Meeting of Llangollen FoE – 7.30, Wynnstay Arms Hotel

  • National recycling action

  • Supermarkets are so 20th century

    “Supermarket are so 20th century” is an excellent article written by local freelance writer, Phil Thane. His article was published in the March edition of the Llangollen News. You can read the complete article here.

    Phil makes the point that a supermarket in Llangollen is not an inevitabilty,

    “One reason some people believe this development is inevitable is a belief that it’s ‘council policy’. Others tell you there’s a report that says ‘Llangollen needs a supermarket’, so the council have to permit one. Neither is true.”

    Phil points out that supermarkets do not increase the net job count. This is something that has been reported in the press recently.

    “If 150 are ever employed in a supermarket in Llangollen it will be because 150 fewer people are employed in other shops.”

    On ambience,

    Tourism is the major industry of North Wales, and a major source of employment in Llangollen. There is more to being a tourism than scenery and catering. Ambience counts for a lot, and Llangollen’s is good. No-one wants to wander along a high street that looks exactly like the one they left behind. Ours is different. Where else in the UK do you see tourists lining up to take pictures outside a greengrocer’s shop? Telling their children, “We used to have shops like this when I was your age.”? They spend their money in the cafés and giftshops but a vibrant town centre is part of the experience.

    The complete article is available on Phil’s website, click here.

  • Town plan survey results

    Results from the Town Plan survey are now available on-line. For Llangollen FoE these results can help us target future action, so that we can deliver results on issues that local people really care about.

    The question was asked, “Which of the following aspects are most important to you about living in Llangollen?” 87% of respondents selected, “The surrounding countryside”. This shows clearly how much residents value the natural environment in which they live.

    Another interesting result came from the question, “In your opinion, which of the following environmental initiatives are of most importance to you in Llangollen?”

    Energy saving initiatives 42%, Micro-generation (e.g. solar power, wind turbines) 20%, Water saving measures 18%, More recycling litter bins in town centre 45%, Increasing the availability of allotments 19%, None of the above are important to me 8%.

    Have a look at the results yourself at; www.llangollentowncouncil.co.uk

  • Welcome!

    Welcome to the brand new Llangollen Friends of the Earth blog! This is a space for members to share ideas and opinions, to celebrate success and publicise up coming opportunities for action.

    Comments are very welcome from all readers. If Llangollen FoE members would like to contribute, then please get in touch with Warren.