Not long ago it seemed flood control experts were close to mastering the unruly flows funnelling toward Hudson Bay and the Prairie city of Winnipeg. But as more intense and out-of-synch flood events occur, wary cities like Winnipeg continue to depend on
systems and specifications that will soon be out of date. Rivers have impulses that defy many of the basic human assumptions underpinning otherwise
sophisticated technologies. This is the river-city expression of climate change.
In Just One Rain Away Stephanie Kane shows how geoscience, engineering, and law converge to affect flood control in Winnipeg. She questions technicalities
produced and maintained in tandem with settler folkways at the expense of the plural legal cultures of Indigenous nations. The dynamics of this experimental ethnography feel familiar yet strange: here, many of the starring actors are not human. Ice and water – materializing as bodies, elements, and digital signals act with diatoms, diversions, sensors, sandbags, and satellites, looping theories about glacial erratics and feminist science studies into scenes from neighbourhood parks, conferences, survey maps, plays, archival photos, a novel, an emergency press conference, LiDAR images, and a lab experiment in a
bathtub. Through storytelling and environmental analytics, Just One Rain Away provides a starting point for cross-cultural discussions about how expert knowledge an practice should inform egalitarian decision-making about flood control and, more broadly, decolonize current ways of thinking, being, and becoming with rivers.

During the first half of the twentieth century, Canadian fisheries regularly produced more fish than markets could absorb, driving down profits and wages. To address this, both industry and government sought to stimulate domestic consumption via increased
advertising. In Eating the Ocean Brian Payne explores how government-funded marketing called upon Canadian housewives to prepare more seafood meals to improve family health and aid an industry central to Canadian identity and heritage. The goal was first to make seafood a central element of a “wholesome” diet as a solution to a perceived nutritional crisis, and, second, to aid industry recovery and growth while decreasing
Canadian fisheries’ dependency on foreign markets. But fishery managers and policymakers fundamentally miscalculated consumer demand, wrongly assuming that Canadians could and would eat more seafood. Fisheries continued to extract more fish than the environment and the market could sustain, and the collapse of the nation’s fisheries that we are now seeing has as much to do with failed assessments of market demand as it does with faulty extraction practices.
Using internal communications between industry leaders and Ottawa bureaucrats, as well as advertising and promotional material published in the nation’s leading magazines, national and local newspapers, and radio programming, Eating the Ocean traces the
flawed understanding of not only supply but demand, a misguided gamble that caused fisheries to become the most mismanaged resource economy in early-twentieth-century Canada.

A Film from Eve Wood – Edit Director | Devised and Written by Richard and Eve Wood

RUNNING TIME: 117 Minutes CERTIFICATE: 12A | RELEASED IN UK CINEMAS FROM 9TH DECEMBER 2022

SYNOPSIS
The Felling is an epic tale of people power, telling the true story of a small group of
residents in Sheffield who battled to stop a powerful city council and a giant
multinational corporation from chopping down thousands of healthy street trees as part
of a massive £2.2 billion private contract to maintain the city’s highways.
What started as a local protest, soon attracted national and international support. As the
stakes increased with threats of bankruptcy and imprisonment, ordinary citizens were
forced to ask themselves the crucial question: How far am I prepared to go to save a
tree?

This is an extraordinary and shocking first-hand account of what happened on the tree-
lined suburban streets of Sheffield.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT FROM EVE WOOD

I live around the corner from the street featured in the first scene of the film, where, in
2016, seven trees were brutally felled at 5 am in the morning. Two ‘pensioners’ were
arrested as well still in their dressing gowns, of which one ‘pensioner’ Professor Jenny
Hockey, is a good friend of mine. At the time I was too busy to get involved in the
protest myself (which I feel bad about).

The producer and self shooting director of the main footage, Jacqui Bellamy, however did get involved and started filming the protest in January 2017, and kept telling me about it. She had been my sound woman on various occasions. I lent her some equipment and helped with a crowdfunder video to raise money, but that was it as I had my hands full with a full time job and two kids at home. But when I left my job in 2020, Jacqui had finished filming and my production company Sheffield Vision, which I run with my husband Richard Wood, took the film on and I became the edit-director and Editor.

At that point I knew little about the story and did not know how much footage Jacqui had. Looking through the footage together, she talked me through what was happening. The more I saw, the more shocked I became.
I found Jacqui’s bold approach of going straight into the action incredibly brave. She
managed to capture an amazing mix of the disturbing, the comedic, the moving and the
absurd with all the ingredients for a drama.
Richard, producer and writer on Sheffield Vision’s previous music documentaries Made
in Sheffield- The Birth of Electronic Pop and The Beat is the Law -Fanfare for the
Common People, came on board to pull the story together like a fiction drama.
To me it felt like a privilege to be able to work with this unique footage of Jacqui and
other video footage from the campaigners, as well as the amazing contribution of
Sheffield musicians donating their music.
I hope this film shows the arrogance of public bodies and multinationals that seemingly
feel they can get away with misleading the public to protect their own interests at the
expense of innocent people standing up for what they believe in.

CREDITS – The Felling – An Epic Tale of People Power
Key Cast

THE CAMPAIGNERS
Dave Dillner
Paul Brooke
Alison Teal
Chris Rust
Russell Johnson
Calvin Payne
Simon Crump
Alice Fairhall
Justin Buxton
Paul Selby
Benoit Compin
Gary Stimson
Martin Young
Paul Powlesland – Barrister (Pro Bono) for the campaign and Nature rights activist
Baroness Jenny Jones – Green Party member of the House of Lords.

THE OPPOSITION
Paul Billington – then (unelected) Director of Culture and Environment Sheffield City
Council
Darren Butt – then Account Manager for Spanish owned Multinational infrastructure
company AMEY
Brian Lodge – Councillor Sheffield City Council
Julie Dore – then Councillor and Leader of Sheffield City Council
Alan Billings – South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner

CREW
Producer Jacqui Bellamy
Edit Director Eve Wood
Self Shooting Director Jacqui Bellamy
Additional Footage Contributors.
BANAMAN – Urban Archives, Rob McBride, Alan Story, Paul Wiseman, Gary
Stimson, David Glass, BBC News, Sheffield Live! Community TV, BBC Radio
Sheffield (audio).
Mobile Phone Footage Contributors.
Russell, Kaarina, Neil, Isabel, Jan, Dave, Mark, Craig, Devin
Drone Footage Chris Pickering
Photographs Chris Saunders, Jacqui Bellamy, Fran Grace, Deepa Shetty
Camera for Interviews Paul Wiseman, Jim Wraith
Sound Jacqui Bellamy
Written and devised by Richard & Eve Wood
Editor Eve Wood
Motion Graphics Alex Noble
Sound Design Eve Wood
Sound Mastering Alan Smyth at 2Fly Studios
Voice Artists. Gerry Fletcher, Steve Marles
Artwork Ian Anderson in The Designers RepublicTM
Legal Services Tony Morris, Swan Turton LLP
Producer Richard Wood
Executive Producer Gary Stimson
Soundtrack Bands/Artists
Sieben, Rasp, The Cuckoo Clocks, Black Cat White Cat,
Don Valley and the Rotherhides, Rumpus, Benoit,
Mzylkypop featuring Stephen Mallinder
The following artists appear courtesy of the 23 tracks in memory of Paul Bower album,
compiled by Jamie Headcharge.
Adi Newton, Dean Honer, Andy Vonal, Fierce Whirlpool
The Felling | A Sheffield Vision Film 2022.

Geb & Green is the first UK houseplant company to grow at scale without using peat

1 December 2022 – Cambridge, UK – Think your houseplants are already green? Think again. Brand new houseplant grower Geb & Green is on a mission to make houseplants up and down the country even greener, thanks to their plants being grown without using peat right here in the UK.

Geb & Green is the only houseplant company in the UK growing at scale that doesn’t use peat as a growing medium, making sustainable, environmentally friendly plants easily accessible to plant parents who want to make the conscious choice when it comes to their plant babies.

For many of us, choosing to fill our homes with beautiful, lush plants is a way to bring nature inside, improve the quality of the air we breathe and reap the plentiful health, wellness and aesthetic benefits that houseplants provide.

But behind our UK houseplants is an industry that is damaging our environment more than most of us realise. The majority of houseplants sold in the UK are imported as mature plants and grown using peat[i], a natural carbon store that is extracted for use as a growing medium.

Every year in the UK, peatlands release more carbon than all of the HGVs on our roads combined and globally, damaged peatlands are emitting 6% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Suddenly, those beautiful green plants don’t look quite so green.

Will Clayton, one of the founders of Geb & Green, said: “Many people simply don’t know about the negative effect that extracting peat has on our environment and that houseplants are contributing to climate change by using peat as a growing medium.

As a nation we are all becoming so much more conscious of our environmental impact, switching to recyclable materials instead of plastic, driving electric vehicles and being mindful of our carbon footprint, but what lots of people aren’t aware of is that the very item they expect to be green, in fact is quite the opposite.

We set up Geb & Green as we weren’t aware of any UK houseplant grower cultivating plants at scale without using peat as a growing medium and saw an opportunity to make it easier for people to buy UK grown plants and stop damaging our peatlands, which are unfortunately at huge risk.

My family has been in the horticulture industry for 25 years, most recently growing and selling ornamental flowers, but I knew I wanted to put our glasshouses to better use, to grow plants in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way that would make a contribution towards restoring our valuable peatlands. By making one simple change and only buying houseplants grown in the UK without using peat as a growing medium, UK consumers can contribute positively to reducing our carbon emissions.”

Kate Brown, Co-founder and Marketing Director at Geb & Green, said: “As a mum of two young children, the legacy we are leaving for the generations to come is hugely important to me and when I started exploring peat extraction and the use of peat to grow plants, I knew I wanted to be part of Geb & Green’s mission to transform the houseplant industry.

All of Geb & Green’s plants are grown right here in the UK, in a peat free growing medium using environmentally friendly growing techniques to make our plants some of the greenest in the UK. We know that people are passionate about their plants, and with Geb & Green consumers now have a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative when choosing plants for their homes.”

Geb & Green’s houseplants launch in January and will be available to buy online at www.gebandgreen.co.uk.

UK, 29^th November 2022: Bushfired has just launched the first-ever sustainable carbon-neutral charcoal made from the husks of the shea tree. Traditionally, charcoal is made from carbonising wood which means trees are cut down purely to be used for charcoal and which can lead to deforestation.

Derived from the Shea tree, exclusive to its native West Africa, Bushfired is the world’s first and only sustainable charcoal to be produced from the once, discarded husks of the Shea tree fruit. Bushfired uses a process which carbonises the husks from the shea tree to create charcoal, meaning no trees are chopped down.

Bushfired is a new, all-sustainable alternative to traditional charcoal perfect for barbeque grills, outdoor stoves, mobile chimneys, coal ovens, outdoor fire pits and much more. With an average burn time of 4.5hrs, cooking BBQ food and lighting outdoor fire pits for garden parties this winter has never been more sustainable, not to mention cost-effective.

In 2021 Toyin Ariyo founded a skincare company, which uses Shea butter as its primary product. Realising the leftover husks would take years to decompose, while also releasing greenhouse gases into the environment, Toyin discovered the husks could be carbonised during a net zero carbon emission process to form a highly efficient charcoal, with excellent heat output, a long burn time and sustainable properties.

Other key features include:

• Natural soil improver after use.
•  
• Long-lasting (average burn time = 4.5hrs)
• Well-engineered.
• 100% sustainable and eco-friendly.
• Completely traceable from source to end user.

Founder of Bushfired, Toyin Ariyo says:

“Having witnessed first-hand the devastating deforestation of the forests of Nigeria through charcoal production, I was determined to find an alternative to charcoal to protect the planet and create a sustainable fuel choice, which is how Bushfired was created.

Bushfired believes in doing anything it can to support the West African community, in which” 95% of the workers within the Shea industry are women. By increasing the production elements of the Shea tree, we are creating more jobs for the workers to give them and their offspring better life opportunities. The charcoal is fully traceable from the tree through to the workers, which is something we pride ourselves on. We have produced an eco-friendly product, while also helping people.”

Dr. Shaibu Baanni Azumah, Director at Action for Shea Parklands added:“Bushfired’s interest and business model fit into our global agenda of planting and protecting some 8 million shea trees in the next 10 years, helping the environment in general and improving the lives of the communities living within these parklands.”

Bushfired charcoal currently starts at £6.99 for the hookah cubes and £13.99 for the premium long briquettes and is available to pre-order for delivery in the UK and Ireland, from https://www.bushfired.com/.

Price Guide!

Bushfired’s full product carbon neutral charcoal range includes:

Long premium Briquettes – 12 pcs per box (7.5kg) – RRP: £13.99

Hexagon short (36pcs per box) 6kg – RRP: £11.99

Hookah Cubes (64pcs per box) 1KG- RRP: £6.99 

Edwards, one of the largest employers in Somerset, is backing plans to create a traffic-free path to help more of its employees get to and from work more sustainably and safely.

The semiconductor manufacturer has offices and a factory in Clevedon and employs almost 800 people, many local and others from further afield. However, the site is poorly served by public transport. 

Neil Mehta, General Manager, is pioneering several projects to encourage employees to walk or cycle to work as part of the company’s wider strategy to reduce carbon emissions. 

Employees already have access to a ‘cycle to work’ scheme, which includes accessing bicycles through a work-related payment benefit scheme. However encouraging even more staff to cycle means overcoming wider community issues around public transport connectivity.

“We are a big employer in the Clevedon area, and I’m delighted many of our employees do walk to work. Some, like myself, cycle to work but there are some challenges around this,” says Neil. 

To support the community and to provide greater options to employees, Neil has joined the action group which is working to drive the project forward. 

“There is a train station about two miles away (Yatton) which has regular trains for our employees from further afield, such as from Weston Super Mare or Bristol, but there are no public transport links to our site, or nearby from the train station,” Neil said. 

This month, it’s hoped the various parties will agree a plan targeting a 2025 completion.

Cyclist and local resident Sue Cooper leads the action group who are supporting the ambitious plan. She said working with Edwards can only benefit the project.

She said: “We see Edwards as a business partner for our community group and it’s really helpful to have a business like this alongside us. It helps us demonstrate the financial advantages, the community and staff advantages and also could act as a blueprint for other businesses to come alongside as the project moves forward.”

The aim is to create a traffic free route from Clevedon all the way to Yatton and beyond which can be used by walkers, cyclists, runners and wheelchair users. Currently a petition supporting this project  has reached almost 3,000 signatures (link in Editor’s Notes below). 

If the campaign group is successful the new route would pass very close to Yatton Station and Edwards’ premises, therefore cycling to work from the train station would become an option for more staff.

Neil says, “I would love to see the Strawberry Line extended to allow colleagues to take bikes on the train and then cycle the couple of miles to work without feeling vulnerable cycling on a very busy road.”

Edwards is the leading developer and manufacturer of sophisticated vacuum products, exhaust management systems and related value-added services. These are integral to manufacturing processes for semiconductors, flat panel displays, LEDs and solar cells. Its team is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimising impacts on the natural world and environment. Their mission is:

“Edwards, as part of the Atlas Copco Group, has set science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.”

To find out more about Edwards visit https://www.edwardsvacuum.com/en-uk

Since launching my eco kids’ newspaper in January, the hardest part for me has been finding those eco alternatives for parents and children.

I wanted to share with you this Christmas my favourite finds this year! Here are my top ten gift ideas for you and your children this Christmas.

Rowdy Kind Bar: Plastic bottles are our biggest problem, Rowdy have made bath time even more fun for your kids! Swap your bath time plastic with Rowdy Kinds Bars of soaps. www.rowdykind.com

Rudi and Bear: The Ned Collection, these are such a special toy for your children. Each Ned is themed to different topics and times of the year. How cute are these? www.rudiandbear.co.uk

Byo Kits: Make your own kits, eco friendly kids toys that the children can build themselves. All made from eco friendly materials. www.buildyourownkits.com

Play in Choc: As kids we always loved receiving a chocolate treat and a new little toy. I love this new creation, all eco-friendly and sustainably made! A healthier chocolate treat. www.playinchoc.com

The Eco News Kids Christmas Newspaper: We launched this lovely newspaper for your kids to get creative this Christmas, make your own Christmas decorations and complete our wonderful activities. www.theeconews.co.uk/christmas-editions

Seren Dolls: Every little girl dreams of her own special doll, we love the Seren Doll collection and love how they are all handmade from Wales. www.serendolls.com

Flower Guard Books: A wonderful book designed around Endangered animals, a lovely illustration to show children the importance of helping save our planet. www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FlowerGuardBooks

Lanka Kade: Wooden toys over plastic toys! Lanka Kade eco friendly toys are made in the heart of Sri Lanka. Treat your children to a lovely toy collection made from wood. www.lankakade.co.uk

Seedbom: Growing wildflowers is so important for our eco system, we love these seed boms full of wildflower seeds. They are easy for your children to use and they can watch their own little garden grow. www.klaboom.co.uk