After our three bunting stalls, gathering many messages from the people of Brent, we thought we should let Alok Sharma MP know what we had been doing, and something about the messages we had gathered. The following email was sent on Monday 18th October:
Dear Alok Sharma MP,
The final of our stalls making bunting with messages to send to COP26 took place outside the Queens Park Farmers' Market on October 17th.
It was a lively event, with adults and children joining in enthusiastically to decorate bunting pennants which will stay up outside Salusbury School for a while.
Below are some photos from the event, as well as a short video compiled by Martin Francis.
The culmination of our actions leading up to COP26 in Glasgow will be two national Friends of the Earth events – one to support divestment (including Divest Brent) on Wednesday, 3 November and the big Day of Action on Saturday, 6 November.
We would be very pleased if you could make it to one or both events.
November 3rd
On 23rd September Pam Laurance of Brent FoE wrote to Dawn Butler MP drawing attention to the Great Big Green Week 'Explainer' Document.
Here is her response:
Dear Pam Laurance,
Brent Council's Pensions Subcommittee met last night (5th October 2021) and considered the 'Roadmap' to divestment from fossil fuels. Here is Simon Erskine's statement on the decisions they came to, and the next steps that are needed.
Nineteen people turned up for our walk along the Wealdstone Brook and River Brent, looking at the way this natural feature had been built upon and hidden, and highlighting the possible danger of flooding as climate change continues.
Martin Francis pointed out the route of the waterways, sometimes hidden under high tower blocks, with further development ongoing. Some parts of the walk took us through harsh concrete landscapes, some through much more pleasant environments, with well-used open spaces and some attractive meadowland (though in some places it was apparent that the invasive Japanese Knotweed still posed a threat).
The group paused at the pleasant shingle riverbank, where people made paper boats, which were adorned with messages about climate change, and launched into the water. Martin was also on hand to catch the boats downstream in his nets. Other boats made by Cllr Janice Long and Ruth Kitching, will be sent to Glasgow to be incorporated into an installation to be erected outside the COP26 meetings.
Photos below are by Barney Laurance:
Here are some pictures from our stall in Harlesden on 10th September and Wembley on 25th September. Lots of engagement with people of all ages - children were particularly keen to send a message about what should be done to stop climate change. More reporting and pictures at https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2021/09/harlesden-sends-resounding-….
Next stall on October 17th in Queens Park. Details on front page.
A Flood and Nature Walk demonstrating how vulnerable Brent is.
Brent Friends of the Earth will be running a stall where you can write your own message on a bunting triangle which will then be joined with others to make a string of bunting which will be displayed in Harlesden.
In the run -up to COP26 (Conference of the Parties - an International Government Level Conference about Climate Change) Climate Action groups all over the country have been asked to be very active demanding much stronger action to combat Climate Change. Brent FoE has a number of activities plans. (see below OR click 'Read more' at bottom right)
Can you help?
