Southampton Sustainability Forum

[ December 4, 2008; 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ] Come along to our annual festive event, Green Drinks. There will be a free finger buffet and a quiz.

Thursday 4th December
Upstairs at The Orange Rooms
1 Vernon Walk
Southampton
SO15 2EJ

Pick Your Cotton Carefully !
One-Day Conference  on  Saturday 25 October 2008, 10am – 4pm
at Southampton Solent University Conference Centre

Cotton has been used to make textiles for over 5,000 years and it still provides nearly half of all fibre needs worldwide.  It fuelled the industrial revolution in this country and “put the USA on the map”.  We all wear it, daily, but how much do we know about this plant and its importance to our history and our future?  There is growing awareness of the environmental challenges it poses (cotton uses a quarter of the world’s insecticides), and of the cotton garment industry adopting some of the most unethical trade practices on the planet.  We may struggle to take a stand, but are bewildered by the profusion of labels making “eco”, “green”, “ethical” and “fair trade” claims for textiles.

The Conference on Picking Your Cotton Carefully will be held in the Southampton Solent University Conference Centre, 157-187 Above Bar Street, in the heart of the city, within easy walking distance of the Central Station and Bus Terminus.

The Conference will be opened by John Denham MP, with contributions from experts on the ethics and practicalities of the cotton industry:

-Damien Sanfilippo, Cotton Project Coordinator, Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN),
-Jenny Ricks, Corporates Campaigner of ActionAid UK, who will speak about ActionAid’s “Who Pays?” supermarkets campaign, with particular focus on cotton garment manufacture,
-Monica Philbrick of the Traidcraft Producers’ Support Team,
-Christine Gent of IFAT – the International Fair Trade Association.

Other activities include:

-A Cotton Fair with display and sale of organic fairly-traded cotton garments,
-Cotton spinning and hand-loom weaving, by the Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers,
-A Display of the History of the Cotton Industry,
-Optional Short Films (”Moral Fibre: Organic Cotton” and “White Gold”)
-A one-hour Discussion with the audience.

Further details and registration forms from cotton-conf@fair-trade-southampton.org.uk

There is wheel-chair access.  The entrance charge is £3
For more information contact: www.fair-trade-southampton.org.uk

What is it?

In all the march will last 80 days and cover 1,000 miles. It will see marchers from rich countries and poor spread the cut the carbon message, and calling on the government to commit to cutting the UK’s emissions by at least 80% by 2050.
The Cut the Carbon march aims to raise awareness all over the UK of the fact that climate change is not just a forecast. It is happening now and millions of poor people are suffering.

The march started in Bangor, N Ireland on 14 July, and will eventually snake its way to the London Stock Exchange by 2 October. There will also be several major rallies and smaller local events along the way.

How you can get involved

There are lots of ways to get involved, however much or little time you’ve got.
First of all, though, make sure you stay up to date. The best way to do this is by joining the Cut the Carbon march group on social networking site, Facebook.

You can also find out what’s happening near you via the campaigns site, Pressureworks.

For more info: www.christianaid.org.uk/

Take part in a local event in Southampton!

24th September 1pm lunchtime tree planting event with Bishop Paul at the Peace Fountain, East (Andrews) Park.
Bring a picnic!