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Campaign News and Updates

The WI has been campaigning on the environment for many years.The first resolution on environmental issues was passed in 1927, calling for action to prevent pollution of our seas. Since then the environment, and tackling climate change has been an important part of the WI's campaigning.

Here is all the news from the campaign:
Climate campaign success: Targets to cut carbon emissions
Last week the Government announced that has accepted the advice of the Committee on Climate Change on the UK’s next carbon budget.
Back in February we asked WI members to lobby the Government to accept this independent advice, and NFWI Chair Ruth Bond co-signed a letter to the Prime Minister, along with many other members of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition.
This announcement is a real success for our climate change campaigning, achieved thanks to the WI members and supporters of many other organisations that called on the Government to take action.
The UK is now the first nation in the world to set legally binding carbon reduction commitments past 2020. The budget will deliver cuts in greenhouse gas emissions of around 50 per cent by 2025 based in 1990 levels.
Thank you to all the WI members who took the time to send a message to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, or who lobbied their own MP on the issue.
NFWI launches Water Survey
In the autumn the NFWI will be building on our environmental work with the launch of a new campaign focused on water.
Water is essential for life but globally one in eight of the world’s population does not have access to clean drinking water.
In the UK, concern about the environmental impact of water extraction from rivers, as well as climate change, are leading to calls for us to rethink the way we value this precious resource.
The first stage of the campaign is a survey to find out members’ views on a whole range of water issues.
The results of the survey will help us feed into the Government’s work on the future of water charging and particularly the new mechanisms proposed to help those who find paying their water bills difficult.
The survey can be downloaded from the green box on the right.
Please do complete and return the survey to Water Survey, 104 New Kings Road, London, SW6 4LY by 1st June 2011. Survey responses will be kept completely anonymous.
Kirton in Lindsey get planting with the Woodland Trust
Kirton in Lindsey WI recently got digging to plant over 100 trees around the town as part of the WI's partnership with the Woodland Trust.
WI member Jennifer Nix applied for the trees for the local community through the Woodland Trust's More Trees More Good scheme.
The pack of Hawthorn, Hazel, Birch, Rowan, Cherry and Dogwood saplings were chosen because they will provide year round colour.
Trees have now been planted at the local primary and secondary school, at the Kirton 'Klassic' Sports Club which now has trees at the edge of their sports field and in areas around the town.
WI members were supported by local Mayor Billy Boyd, as well as other community groups to find locations to plant the trees.
The partnership between the NFWI and Woodland Trust means that WI groups can apply for free packs of trees to plant in their community.
Find out more about the scheme and how to apply at the Woodland Trust’s More Trees More Good website here.
Has your WI successfully applied for trees from the Woodland Trust? Do let the Public Affairs Team know.

Urgent Action: Call on government to uphold the Climate Change Act
When it comes to climate change legislation, the UK is leading the world, thanks to campaigning by WI members and many other organisations.

Over the past few years the WI has been campaigning as part of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, pushing for strong UK targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and joining the UK’s biggest climate march at The Wave to call for international leadership.
In the next two weeks the government will be making a critical decision about the Climate Change Act, and your help will be vital.
Under the Climate Change Act, the UK has a legal target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. To make sure we get there, the government has to set ‘carbon budgets’ for each five year period. Right now the government is considering the latest advice of the independent Committee on Climate Change on the size of the carbon budget in the 2020s.
To hit the 2050 target, the government should accept this advice in full.  This would help deliver investment in clean technology businesses in the UK, create new jobs, build a more efficient economy and improve energy security at a time of rising oil prices.
The decision on the next carbon budget will be made in the next two weeks, so we need you to take action before 14th April.
Please take a minute to remind the Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg of their pledge to make this the ‘greenest Government ever’ – and to ask them to accept the independent advice of the Committee in full.
You can send them a message online via the Stop Climate Chaos website here.
Alternatively, you can send a message via the Prime Minister’s website and the Deputy Prime Minister’s website, or via letter to 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA.
There is a template letter in the downloads box on the right of this page.
Put the spotlight on climate change during Climate Week
The NFWI is supporting Climate Week during March 2011 to shine a spotlight on action to tackle climate change, and inspire more people to do their bit.

Climate Week is a national occasion where schools, charities and businesses will all be holding events to inspire action on climate change.

 WI members have long been at the forefront of action to protect our planet, so the week is an opportunity to further spread the word and explore the challenges ahead.

 WI is encouraging WI members to get involved by holding events in their community. Why not invite your friends to a low carbon lunch? Or hold a candlelit film screening? You could also organise for your WI to visit an eco-home near you.
You can find out more about getting involved here.
WI members get out and about in their local environment during the summer
During the summer of 2010, WI members got up close to nature, protected local woodlands and pledged to eat seasonably as part of the next phase of the environment campaign.
WI members took part in Open Air Laboratories' nature surveying projects, where they tested water, recorded indicator lichens and got up close to earthworms. The results they collected are being fed back to OPAL's scientists as part of their nationwide research programme.
WI members have also pledged to support the Woodland Trust's WoodWatch campaign, to protect their local woodlands. WI members and their local communities are also receiving free packs of trees to plant in community spaces thanks to the Woodland Trust's More Trees More Good scheme. Their scheme has been so successful that it is being extended through 2011. If you are interested in bidding for trees, find out more here.
Through a partnership with Eat Seasonably, WI members and groups have been pledging to eat seasonal food when it is at its best. Eat Seasonably's calendar shows which fruit and vegetables are at their best throughout the year, and gives recipe ideas to use up leftovers and reduce waste.
Local lasses have been supporting Friends of the Earth's Get Serious campaign, to call on their local councils to take action on climate change. The campaign is also calling on the Government to introduce local carbon budgets to drive cuts in emissions at a local level.
WI joins The Wave!
WI members from around the country came together in London on 4 December 2009 to raise awareness about climate change and to call on the UK Government to push a robust, fair and fast deal at the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen. Stop Climate Chaos, the organisers of The Wave, estimated that there were over 40,000 people attending from organisations across the spectrum of civil society.WI members at The Wave - the UK's biggest ever demonstration against climate change
WI members hand in petition to Ed Miliband
1500 members of the WI sent postcards to Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, calling on the Government to take note of the role of gender in climate change. Members called on the Minister to raise the issue of how climate change will affect women differently to men at the Copenhagen climate change talks in December.Ruth Bond (NFWI Chair) and Marylyn Haines-Evans (NFWI Public Affairs Chair) hand over postcard petitions to Ed Miliband MP (Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change).
WI joins 10:10
10:10 is a mass movement that is signing up people and organisations from every corner of British life. From councils and hospitals to faith groups and scout troops, organisations across the country are deciding to get on board at the start of the journey to a low-carbon society.
RUTH BOND represented the NFWI at the September launch of the 10:10 campaign, a new national drive by individuals and organisations aimed at cutting their carbon emissions by 10 per cent during 2010. Organised by the makers of The Age of Stupid, a film about climate change, the launch brought together people from all walks of life to show a commitment to tackling the threat of climate change now. The 10:10 campaign is a chance for members to use their experience of the successful WI Carbon Challenge of 2007 to show others in the community how everyone can tackle climate change in their own homes. It's a chance to demonstrate how women, particularly, can make a difference at this vital time. For more information on getting involved, please visit www.1010uk.org.
Mili-Band around Kingsnorth power station
On 4 July 2009, a group of WI members joined over 1,000 people from across Britain to protest against new dirty coal. The event was created by a coalition of organisations, from the NFWI, to Oxfam, the RSPB, the World Development Movement, the Woodcraft Folk, the National Union of Students and the local Kent branch of Campaign to Protect Rural England. With the sun shining down, participants called on Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, to protect our planet, think about the human impact of climate change and say no to new dirty coal. Kingsnorth in Kent is one of the sites of a proposed new generation of coal fired power stations which will not capture all their emissions. Kingsnorth alone would generate 6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, the equivalent of the poorest 25 developing countries in the world! If we are to protect the poorest citizens on our planet, we must say no to new coal which does not capture all its emissions.
Earth Hour 2009
On Saturday 28 March 2009, WIs around the country took part in Earth Hour, switching their lights off for an hour in a show of solidarity with an estimated one billion people around the world. Whilst raising awareness about climate change, members brought together people from their community to mark the occasion and discuss the issues involved. East End WI held a picnic in St Barnabus church to mark the event, with acoustic music played by President Niki Stevens, a music quiz and an Earth cake lit up with candles. In Cambridge federation, a bring and share party was held in the eco-friendly federation office, with participants discussing various issues about climate change and the way it impacted on women's lives.
Climate Change Act - 2008
As part of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, the WI was a key voice in calling for the bill to be strengthened as it went through Parliament. We succeeded in increasing the 2050 carbon reduction target from 60% to 80%, introducing annual milestones within that, and the inclusion of aviation and shipping emissions in the targets.
Carbon Challenge - results announced at 2008 AGM
Over 12,000 participants signed up to take part in the challenge to reduce their carbon footprint by 20% over the course of the project. The savings achieved were equivalent to filling the Royal Albert Hall 108 times with CO2 or driving 2,300 times around the world in an average car.
Love Food Champions- 2008
As part of the Love Food Hate Waste campaign which was run across the UK by WRAP, WI members worked in teams to increase awareness of the impact of food waste. The results were impressive - participants managed to more than halve the food waste they produced during the project.
Packaging campaign - 2006
WI members around the UK descended onto their local supermarket to return unnecessary packaging and make a statement about the wasteful way in which food is packaged in the UK. Through this campaign, the WI led the call for supermarkets to discourage the use of plastic bags.
Eco Teams, part of the 90@90 project - commenced in 2005
160 members were trained as community leaders on environmental issues, and then used those skills to facilitate change within households and communities. Over 1,000 households were recruited to take part, making pledges to reduce their consumption and change their consumer habits.
Through the leadership of WI members, over the course of one year we saved:
  • the equivalent weight of more than 31 Mini Coopers in waste;
  • enough water to fill the O2 arena just over six times;
  • the equivalent of 4,000 London bendy buses full of CO2 from direct household energy consumption.