Brent CCC community briefing: Depletion of the Arctic ice cap

We are writing to ask you to be one of our “invited listeners” for an important community briefing meeting on 21 November.

The purpose of the meeting is to brief councillors, policy-makers, trade unionists, and community leaders on the seriousness of the situation with the depletion of the Arctic ice cap and its possible consequences for people in Brent. The speakers will be:

·         Phil Thornhill from Campaign against Climate Change, who will review the latest scientific evidence of the depletion of Arctic ice and its possible effect on the world’s weather systems

·         Kirtana Chandrasekaran of Friends of the Earth, who will talk about the vulnerability of the world’s food supply

They will also answer any of your questions and open a discussion on what further action we should be taking in Brent.

As you may know, recent reports show that the mass of Arctic ice is 30% of what it was in 1980 and that there will be no Arctic sea ice in the summer months by 2016. This is likely to have a serious impact on world weather patterns, affecting the price of food internationally and increasing the vulnerability of regions of the world already prone to droughts and floods. Some of these regions will be those in which members of the Brent community have family and friends.

We believe that the seriousness of the situation means that we have to assist Brent Council to develop a community response both in terms of measures we can take locally and by way of raising our concerns with our representatives in Parliament.

The meeting will start at 7.30pm on 21 November at the Pakistan Community Centre, Marley Walk, Station Parade, Willesden Green, NW2 4PU (just behind Willesden Green tube station). We do hope you will find time to come along.

Yours sincerely

Lia Colacicco, Co-ordinator, BrentF riends of the Earth, and member of Brent Climate Change Steering Group

Ken Montague, Secretary, Brent Campaign against Climate Change

Tariq Dar, Chairman, Pakistan Community Centre, Willesden

"Restore Kensal Rise Library," UPDATE

This message is from Jodi Gramigni who started the petition "Restore Kensal Rise Library," Dear Supporters, I felt it was essential to provide an update on the developing situation with All Souls College, Oxford, due to inaccurate information being circulated by Thomas Seaman, Estates Bursar and Fellow of All Souls (http://www.all-souls.ox.ac.uk/people.php?personid=61). He has said that the College is giving the library campaign the space that was requested in our bid. This is incorrect. In addition, their offer of support is a fraction of the over £1m in proceeds that they expect to receive for the sale of the building, and is short term, leaving the library to secure resources to pay for commercial rents in perpetuity. An unsustainable proposition due to the very limited size of the space we are being offered. Laura Collignon elaborates: “Just so you all know what this "support" means, All Souls College are selling the building to property developers who will turn it all into flats, except for the old children's section which will be demolished and turned into our new library. That is all we are getting. Oh, and it is suggested that we should pay a market rent for the space we get. And if we don't want to run a library on that basis, apparently they will find someone who will, because we have persuaded them of the importance of a library remaining there!!” https://www.facebook.com/groups/krlibrary/permalink/421730247880408/ All Souls are requiring the Friends of Kensal Rise Library to negotiate directly with the developer Andrew Gillick of Platinum Revolver Ltd, whose proposal includes partial demolition of the existing building which would require a change of use from Brent Planning (http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/platinum-revolver). If this is the College's idea of support, god help us if they turn against us… More details to follow soon. Kind regards, Jodi about.me/jodi/gramigni twitter: @jodigramigni P.S. on a lighter note, please have a look at http://iamkrlibrary.tumblr.com/ to see portraits of the community users of Kensal Rise Library - supporters of the campaign and our historic community building.

Harlesden Town Team call for informed debate on Willesden Junction waste plant

The Harlesden Town Team issued this statement today: A Statement on the Proposed Energy Recovery Centre at Willesden Junction Harlesden Town Team were disappointed to learn about the proposed Energy Recovery Centre at Willesden Junction only after formal consultation by LB Ealing had ended. Although the site is closer to many more Harlesden residents than Ealing ones, Harlesden Town Team were not formally consulted. Brent Council planning officers were notified. At this stage Harlesden Town Team has no view for or against the energy recovery centre. What we seek is an informed debate so that all Harlesden residents who could possibly be affected by the development are informed and their views sought. We expect that this number of households is considerably more than the 1,000 leafleted in the consultation, as the majority of Harlesden (Town)'s 10,000 households are directly down-wind. We recognise the danger of much ill-informed comment that is starting to circulate and we therefore believe that wider explanation and consultation is urgently required. To this end we shall discuss the development proposals at the next Harlesden Town Team meeting on Monday 12th November (Salvation Army Hall, 6.30pm). We expect representative of the developers, Ealing and Brent Council planners and local councillors from East Acton, Kensal Green and Harlesden to attend as well as those Harlesden residents that actually live in Ealing. If, at the end of the meeting, a majority of our members consider it appropriate for the Town Team to take a position, then we shall do so. It is worth noting that, earlier this year, Harlesden Town Team helped facilitate a consultation on changes to Harlesden High Street which covered over 10,000 households and achieved a 10% response rate. Posted by Martin Francis on Wembley Matters

Solidarity action with Eurostrike 14/11/2012

On November 14th there will be general strikes in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and Malta. The ETUC [European Trade Union Confederation] is calling for solidarity action throughout Europe.


In London Coalition of Resistance is organising a protest at the European Commission.


Assemble 5pm - 5:30pm
European Commission
32 Smith Square, City of Westminster, SW1P 3EU
Tubes: St. James's Park / Westminister

 for further details contact  coalitionofresistance@mail.com

Brent Campaign against Climate Change: Open Steering Group Meeting 23rd October

Open Steering Group Meeting

Main agenda item: Climate Emergency and the Arctic Meltdown. Speaker - Phil Thornhill, National Co-ordinator, Campaign against Climate Change
Tuesday 23 October, 7.30pm, Brent Trades and Labour Hall (Apollo Club), 375 High Road, Willesden, NW10 2JR

Dear Friend -

The next meeting of the steering group of Brent Campaign against Climate Change is open to anyone who wants to find out more about the current situation with global warming and our activities locally as a campaign group. Could I invite you to join us on 23rd October and ask you to pass on this e-mail to any of your friends and contacts, or members of your organisation, who might be interested in coming along.

Over the last few years the occurrence of droughts and floods in many parts of the world, including here in Britain, have pushed up food prices and posed even greater dangers for some of the world's poorest people. They suggest that man-made climate change is already something that affects us all, whatever our social background and cultural or religious beliefs. This situation will get worse unless we work together to press the people in power to take the necessary steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels as a matter of urgency. 

Brent Campaign against Climate Change is the local group of the national Campaign against Climate Change. It works to raise public awareness on these issues and lobbies for practical measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our steering group is made up of representatives of different community and faith groups, trade unions and political parties, as well as concerned individuals. We want to increase its representation so that it reflects the whole of the Brent community and is able to operate even more effectively.

If you are able to come along to this meeting, the details are below and in the attached flier, which we hope you will display on notice boards. A map and directions are also attached. If you can't make it this time, please let me know if you'd like to receive further information. If you are member of community organisation, political party, faith group or trade union branch, we would be very happy to send along a speaker to one of your meetings. Please try to get us invited. 

I hope to hear from you, or possibly see you on 23 October.

With best wishes, 

Ken Montague, Secretary: Brent Campaign against Climate Change