Bountiful Bristol Bulletin

As many of you will know, this July between the 7th and the 9th the G8; representatives from the world’s eight most powerful industrialized (primarily Western) nation-states; will meet near Lake Toya in Hokkaido, Japan, do discuss how best to continue robbing our earth, scorching our skies and ravaging human communities and eco-systems alike in the name of their own profit and power.

For those of us unable or unwilling to travel to Japan to mobilize against the G8’s policies (more…)

A chance to hear nationally and internationally acclaimed speakers,
plus workshop time to meet local people who have visited Palestine.
This conference is unique in the UK - Not to be missed!

SATURDAY 26th APRIL
BRISTOL NAKBA-60 CONFERENCE
10.30am til 5.00pm at Malcolm X Centre, City Road, St Pauls, Bristol.
Headline speakers include: (more…)

After about half a year, the new, orginal BB Bulletin logo has finally gone live!

It’s been a collaberative effort, so our thanks to Lizzie & Andy, Geoff at Rainbow Press, Per-a top-GROFUN pioneer and myself for the final version! Personally, I think it looks great and captures the potential of this city, the friendliness and the colour!  What do others say? Yay or nay? Would love to hear…….comments anyone?

This country feels cramped to me…whether at this weekends wonderful St Pauls Carnival, on the number 339 bus, at The Farmers Market, in Broadmead, at St Andrews park on a sunny day-I feel hemmed in-like I cant breathe! I keep coming back in my mind to our ‘population growth crisis’ as a large, oft skirted-around elephant in the room. I keep wondering when those with more profile, more media clout, will address the subject and talk honestly about means of controlling our collective natural urge most of us have to pro-create, usually ‘in multiples’. Then today I cast an inquistive eye over Paul Kingsnorth’s excellent Know Your Place blog to find a link to this piece, from a recent Guardian.

I dont need to add to it. You will read it if you are interested. I include it here with the hope of generating some thoughts or debate. Nothing more for now.

Thursday 14th June 7.30pm
“Worn Again - Shoes for the Future”

Speakers:
Mike Corbett, Worn Again
Venue: 7G, 10-12 Picton Street, Montpelier, BS6 5QA

How do you turn car tyres and t-shirts into shoes? Locally based designer Mike Corbett give an insight in the process of designing his amazing 99% recycled shoes. He will be bringing along a selection of works in progress as well some finished products.

Friends of the Earth Bristol will be asking for the lights to go out on 4th April 2007 all over Bristol.

We’re not suggesting we go back to the Dark Ages - let’s just give the planet a break.

‘Blackout Bristol’ is particularly aimed at big offices where interior and exterior lights are left on all night, every night. We understand that some must be left on for safety and security reasons, but the vast majority could - and should - be turned off after office hours to cut back on energy demand and reduce CO2 emissions.

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be putting together a list of the worst-offending buildings in Bristol - and would like your help.

Do you live near an office that is lit up like a Christmas tree even though it’s 11pm on a Sunday night? Or do you work in one?

Please circulate this website to your friends in Bristol and ask them to submit their nominations for the worst offenders.

I am really pleased to welcome you to our new Bountiful Bristol Bulletin blog.

Please visit ‘3B’s’ frequently, feed it with your news; views and visions and help feritilize the site for future organic developments. It is OURS for progressive and transgrssive networking purposes; for inspiration and encouragement; for education and amusement. It could grow into a really productive hot house for anyone concerned with reestablishing some sanity into our society. A place to grow roots as a launch for our star-reaching endeavours. Dont forget to put the blog in your bookmarks or save the RSS feed into a tab so you can be kept informed of new posts coming in etc.

Swing by often, sniff the flowers, be inspired and spread the love!

Enjoy the site but remember it’s for all of us so please feel free to contribute anything you think adds richness to the soil. (Go easy on the shit though……..!)

*start walking and cycling more*I will eat more natural and healthy food*love*don’t have a car*grow own food*cut down food miles*don’t use supermarkets*wood burner in home instead of central heating*switch to green electricity provider like ecotricity*recycle, reuse, reduce*be vegan*I’ll learn more practical skills like growing&preserving food and permaculture*I’ll carry on spreading the word and showing the DVD End of Suburbia to friends*I could stop using supermarkets*stop buying so much crap*natural medicine*more low tech living*live very very simply*re-learn life*reduce my ecological footprint*become anarchoprimitivist*don’t have kids*make/grow your own stuff*become vegetarian*find out facts*educate others*but land on high ground as a coop of course)*stop shopping at supermarkets cos its convenient*I am starting to teach people what to do, how not to panic and how to become independent*grow my own food*take responsibility for my own actions*spread the word*use less resources*campaign for change*don’t use supermarkets*educate*healing, meditation, group work, network*sort out practical energy and food supplies*consume less*prepare mentally to do things for myself*give more love*carry on studying holistic medicine*live by example*learn to maintain my bike*learn self-sufficiency*grow veg*oxon!*spread the word*learn a practical, applicable skill*reduce reliance on energy*pull together and start looking after and helping one another*join the Bristol Permaculture Group*talk to eachother: be creative and generous*no air travel*learn how to live*education*learn skills I’ll need*prepare mentally to do things for myself*

ONE THING BRISTOL CAN DO…

*pedestrianize the city centre*educate about this issue in schools*improve public transport-integrated transport eg buses that allow you to take your bike on*build energy efficient houses*subsidise local food initiatives*tax relief for cyclists and pedestrians who commute to work and school*incentives to cycle*take land from cattle and let people grow vegetables for villages*trams*encourage local shopping; local walking etc*install micro generation on each public building eg.solar, wind etc*use council tax more imaginatively and greenly*trams*veg box scheme*more car boot sales*more garage sales*public awareness of issue*encourage local people to find local solutions*prioritise ‘Education for Sustainability’*improve the transport system ie. better for bikes and horsedrawn*water conservation*Bristol City Council should change all their public transport services to green fuels and carry adverts for the situation facing us ie Peak Oil rather than buying stuff!*sort out the public transport*brew more ‘Black Rat’ cider locally*grow veg on all common land such as Horfield Common, The Downs and Blaise etc*we could be an example to other citites aiming for least energy, waste, building on the eco-organic scene*advertise on billboards to turn off stand by*use my bike even more*keep challenging my kid’s school to Get Real*eat more local*

WHAT CAN THE GOVERNMENT DO?

*a beautiful energy efficient, cycle friendly, pedestrian friendly inclusive public transport system*the government should start planning for the future with local energy bases*stop building more suburbs*make this global situation more explicit*implement restrictions on big corporations*tax aircraft fuel*enforce corporate social responsibility*get out of Iraq*stop war mongering and concentrate on protecting what little arable land we have left ie. stop building on it!*they are a waste of space and should let the people get on with it!*recycle all waste*promote local learning musical instruments, cooking, gardening, growing & preserving, organic sustainable food, in schools, evening classes for adults*sack them all and devolve representation to local community*trade should favour fewer food miles*stop messing with global & national control of people and help sort out local areas*government could collapse and let us do it ourselves*contraction and convergence*improve public transport and stop being so ignorant to global warming*subsidize public transport not nuclear energy*encourage/set up community agriculture projects and reduce reliance on imported products*get real*withdraw from Iraq*change tax basis from tax on work and products (ie income tax and VAT) to tax on energy use*become more efficient*cheaper to employ people rather than use machines*huge incentives to go to organic for farmers-CAP used to favour micro-production and to introduce diversity*slowly dismantle national and international power supply replace with local power production*tax airports/planes/car loads*

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS?

*We can do it!*It’s all about love innit?*some of us will survive*I think this is really exciting, possibly scar, but the power of people pulling together can sort this out*the sooner oil production peaks the better!*the world will become polarized between people who understand what’s going on and people who live in denial (to which someone else added ‘de nile will dry up’!!)

Dearest friends and associates and generally great people I know in some way or another, welcome to my blog, as some of you will know I am freshly landed here in bristol to plant a seed. i feel that if i tell all my friends i am planting this seed I wont lunch-out the watering, so to speak.

Thus, i do hereby declare that I, nadia am launching the GROFUN community food growing pilot here in Bristol. may GROFUN sprout and flourish and much help be unearthed

Let GROFUN not be rubbish let tasty crops be birthed! may communities be nourished let us all see our own worth.” you know, within a couple of hours of moving here I already had my first enthusiastic GROFUN grower and she has a roof top garden space that is a total blank canvas. but best of all, she lives right next door!

If anyone else wants to read the proposal or find out what roles need filling, please get in touch soon. Meanwhile keep visiting my blog. I promise it’ll be worth it. blessings on all you bountiful beings