Author: Marcella

On Saturday 30th March Zero Waste North West members organised a protest which turned into a lament at the spot of the ecocide of 4 trees (3 very mature trees and one smaller tree a few metres away) behind the Guildhall at Harbour Square.

They left gifts of flowers, art speaking for the trees and sang songs of solidarity, connection and gratitude to the earth. They also left protection orders around the remaining trees. The children joined in the protest at the destructive actions of the DCSDC by wearing animal masks, holding signs such as “No Trees to climb” and drew pictures of birds in their nests who may have chosen these trees to nest in.

We have nothing against the artwork, but we simply believe there are plenty of locations it could have gone without the need to destroy trees.

“Every single tree is a planetary frontline; a call to defend and co-exist.” Peter Doran.

DCSDC was the first Council on the island of Ireland to propose and agree to the Rights of Nature. We are, therefore, shocked by the unnecessary destruction of these trees through a joint decision of the Council and the Department of Infrastructure.
We are further saddened to hear of the cutting down of mature Cherry Trees on the Ebrington site – and we wish to raise this as yet another example of the disregard for the value of trees and nature by our decision-makers.

Maeve O Neill said “It is unacceptable for the Council to be cutting down trees during nesting season. This action completely contradicts any positive climate action the Council are attempting. No doubt they will find justification for their environmental harm but ordinary people see through this. We have so little tree coverage in the Council area. Every tree matters and Council should be leading the way in protection rather than leading the charge in destruction.”

Zero Waste North West are requesting a formal meeting with the relevant council decision-makers to discuss the council’s plan for planting new trees and nurturing established trees(including ancient woodland) in the City and wider District.

We believe, as Peter Doran put it, that “There is literally no substitute for the art of nature”

Exciting training opportunities!

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, a local environmental charity,
in partnership with the Department for Agriculture,
Environment & Rural Affairs, has put together a host of fully funded
training options, to help you with questions on Climate Change.

If you are interested in learning about Climate Change and what you can
do to be part of the solution, take a look at the range of training the
Climate Action team at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful have available,
at no charge.

We offer free training to community groups, with a wide range of
structures to suit your time and interest.

Your Climate Future sessions, offer a quick 30 minute introduction to
climate change followed by guest interviews.

(sign up directly with this link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/your-climate-future-a-guide-for-communities-1992159
[1] )

Climate Smart sessions, offer a one off 1.5 hour training in climate
science and climate action, with future drop in sessions available on a
range of topics.

Carbon Literacy Training, provides an accredited and certified programme
through the Carbon Literacy Project. This can be completed in a short,
modular format and is our most comprehensive training package.

If any of these free training offers interest you, please use the link
below for more details, check available dates and sign up.

https://keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.etinu.net/cgi-bin/generic?instanceID=73

All training programmes are funded by the Department for Agriculture,
Environment & Rural Affairs.

We would like to share this with you all:

“Dear Zero Waste North West,

Extinction Rebellion NI and Fridays for Future NI are inviting you and
your organisation to join us for this year’s Global Climate Strike
happening Friday 15thSeptember on the streets of Belfast City Centre,
marching from Custom House Square to City Hall at 12pm.

People across thousands of towns and cities around the world will march
together to demand a future without fossil fuels. A future that is green
and sustainable for all life on Earth.

This summer has seen unprecedented levels of climate refugees, record
breaking temperatures, wildfires and flooding that have claimed the
lives of hundreds of people and displaced thousands more.

We demand Climate justice which also means social justice, gender
justice and racial justice. A just transition for workers, indigenous
communities, and reparations made for Most Affected People and Areas
(MAPA) by the climate crisis who are also the least responsible for it.

Our clean air, fresh water, and food security are all under threat, even
our right to protest about it.

Northern Ireland has its own role to play in securing a liveable future
by stopping our own greenhouse gas emissions. Ecocide happening here
directly contributes to loss of life globally, such as gold mining,
dumping raw sewage in rivers and lakes, plastic pollution, intensive
farming, bottom trawling, deforestation, emissions from coal, oil, and
gas.

This is a call to action from Indigenous and First Nations, youth
activists, civil society organisations, social movements, feminist and
migrant rights groups, trade unions, faith institutions, academic
centres, health institutions, people of all genders and backgrounds,
everywhere. We need all hands-on deck to win this fight!

Follow FFF on social media @Fridays for Future Northern Ireland or visit
https://fridaysforfuture.org/september15/ for more info.”

If you have a passion for climate action, creativity and having the craic, then come volunteer with The Playhouse’s Artitude Climate Festival on the 24 & 25 June at The Playtrail in Derry-Londonderry.

Over two days you’ll have the opportunity to join a community of like-minded art and nature lovers, supporting us to help festival goers find their way to our brilliant events and keep the beautiful Playtrail woodland free from waste and litter. 

Whether you love nothing better than meeting new people and having the chats, or you’re more at home in quiet spaces with the birds for company, we have something you can get stuck into and we’d love to hear from you.

In return for your time, we’ll provide you with refreshments, meal vouchers, an insider experience of how a festival is run, and hopefully some brand new friends! 

Please take a few minutes to complete this sign up form and one of our team will be in touch very soon. 

Thanks so much!

Team Artitude 

Note: The Playtrail site is fully accessible in the main public areas and we are very happy to talk through how we can meet any access needs to make sure your volunteering experience is a full and comfortable one. 

23rd June 2023 ~ 25th June 2023

A free three day community-led celebration of art, climate action and the circular economy.

Showcasing creative, community-led responses to the climate emergency, the festival is delivered in collaboration with The Gathering, Zero Waste North West (ZWNW), Northern Ireland Resources Network (NIRN), Environmental Justice Network Ireland (EJNI) and Making Relatives – a visit of water and land protectors from Lakota Nation, US.

Emerging from The Playhouse’s Artitude: Climate, Culture and Circularity project, the festival is part of a unique and transformational programme of activity, using the arts and creative practice to engage communities in the DCSDC area in exploring climate action and the circular economy, with a view to encouraging positive behavioural change.

The Playhouse works with partners Zero Waste North West, Northern Ireland Resources Network, Queens University and Derry City and Strabane District Council to use the arts to co-ordinate and deliver the 18 month programme. 

Detailed programme of the festival can be found on the Playhouse webpage.

The BIG FIX is back, and this time it’s even bigger and better! 

Running throughout the whole of May, The BIG FIX has one aim – to fix and breathe new life into as many broken things as possible. 

Repair Cafe Foyle is supporting The BIG FIX 2023 by holding an event on 27th May in the Great Hall
at Ulster University Magee Campus. Visitors are welcome to drop in with broken household items for
our skilled menders to fix. The event will run from 10am – 1pm and free parking is available on site
for the day. There is a lift that takes you to the Great Hall.

Read the full article here.

The U.N. is Negotiating a Treaty that Could Solve the Plastic Problem.

We need governments worldwide to step up to this historic opportunity by listening to the people.

You can sign the petition here.

A large group of parents and babies gathered at the Guildhall on Wednesday, February 22 to mark World Breastfeeding in Public Day.

Link to the article here.

Londonderry environmentalist Monica Downey is a cycling instructor, founder and manager of Life Cycles, and part-time child minder.

Link to the article here.