singing the ancestors, singing the land

We’ve tried everything we can to ensure that we are not forced to contribute to any animal testing, from petitioning parliament to direct action, but REACH is barrelling ahead without much public awareness and our ingredients suppliers may be forced to contribute to animal tests by law.

REACHing for Lush | The Druid Network

All of us who oppose animal testing need to be made aware of the implications of new ’safety’ regulations, particularly as it affects many ethically bsed cosmetic companies such as Lush. Full article quoted below:

As a fan of Lush, I have loved the fact that their products are cruelty free. None of the ingredients or final products are tested on animals. Yet, this may all change, due to a new EU legislation.

REACH, the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals, came into being in June 2007. The purpose of REACH is to establish safety for humans from the 30,000 chemicals that are currently on the market. Sadly, tests will not be carried out on humans – even though they are intended for “our safety”.

Toxicity tests of these chemicals will be applied to guinea pigs, rabbits, rats and mice to see whether they are harmful to humans. Unbelievably dishonourable, I know. Companies have until 2018 to prove to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) that chemicals they are importing, or new chemicals that they are creating, are safe for us. The word chemical is not merely restricted to strange compounds that one cannot even pronounce – it can be a natural ingredient, in such products as can be found in the Lush range. BUAV (the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection) estimate that up to 13 million animals will be poisoned and killed in these tests.

Amendments have been made to the REACH legislation, through the efforts of BUAV and other organisations. Yet this is not nearly enough. Data sharing has been exceedingly successful, opening up the data files from companies that have manufactured their own chemicals and making these tests transparent to all other organisations, so that other animals need not suffer to repeat these cruel tests. Companies withheld such information in the past, not wanting the competition to have access to their hard work. The past may not be changed, but the future is still in our hands.

Before the amendments were made to REACH, estimated numbers of animals that would have been affected by the testing were in the region of 38-45 million. Although the numbers have since been reduced to 8-13 million, that is still 8-13 million animals that need to be saved. Read more

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After many years of working for big business, chasing profit for shareholders, I moved on via a few years in the NHS, to working for The Co-operative movement, and last night while spending a few minutes wthcing televison I was lucky enough to see the latest advertisment for the group. I am not often moved to actually write about such an event, but this video is, for me, special and made me feel very proud to work for such an organisation. The video can be seen on the website here:

http://www.co-operative.coop/aboutus/

or here at The Guardian newspaper

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2009/feb/16/bob-dylan-co-op-ad

Quote from The Cooperative Blowing in the Wind | The Inspiration Room™ | Daily:

The Cooperative in the UK has launched a 2:30 TV advert featuring “Blowing In the wind”, sung by Bob Dylan. The television commercial, developed by McCann Erickson, London, shows dandelion seeds floating across the UK and Africa, symbolising the many ways in which the company’s ethical work is “good for everyone”.

The “Blowing in the Wind” TV advertisement, aired for the first time during Coronation Street on February 16, points to The Cooperative’s agricultural work, operation of eight wind turbines, sponsorship of walking bus schemes for children, funding of research into global climate change, use of responsible sources of fish, carbon offsetting and engagement in Fairtrade practices.

A voiceover runs: “From community projects to a share of the profits, renewable energy to Fairtrade products, the Co-operative believe that when the benefits are passed around it’s good for everyone.”

Music is the track, “Blowing in the Wind”, released on 1962 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Unfortunately, as copyright is held by Warner Music Group, the video cannot be seen (and heard) on YouTube.

View the ad at The Cooperative and The Guardian.

Bob Dylan has rarely allowed the use of his material for a UK commercial. He apparently made an exception in this case because of the connection with ethical and fair-trade approach to business.

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I came across this article purely by chance. Though it is now a few weeks old it seems too important for it to be lost amongst other stories grabbing the headlines:

3rd September, 2007

The Wildlife Trusts’ voiced concern today amid fears that wildlife could suffer as a result of plans to remove the set-aside requirement for agricultural land.

Under current legislation a percentage of a farm’s land must be left fallow, known as ‘set-aside’. Current EU set-aside targets stand at 8%.

However, in response to rising food prices, a 0% set-aside target has been proposed, from October this year, by the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Mariann Fischer-Boel. The Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) is currently considering whether any mitigating environmental requirements might need to be introduced, in the short term, if the European Commission’s proposed 0% level of set-aside is agreed for 2008. The Wildlife Trusts are pressing Defra to determine this with some urgency.

Set-aside was first introduced in the early 1990’s as a means of dealing with over-production, and controlling the supply, of cereals. But conservationists and landowners recognise it has also delivered many environmental benefits. If fully implemented the 0% proposal could result in up to 400,000 hectares of set-aside being removed from the countryside. Included in this figure are more than 100,000 hectares of field margins, buffer zones and small fields – vital refuges for wildlife.

• Studies have shown set-aside has become an important habitat for endangered birds and insects.
• Farmland birds such as skylarks, whose numbers have been in steep decline, benefit from the supplies of wild seed in set-aside land.
• The natural regeneration of wild plants in spring and early summer also provides ideal habitat and food sources for a wide range of wildlife including many birds, small mammals like brown hares and field mice and insects such as bumblebees.
• The reduced use of fertilisers and pesticide on set-aside has benefits for wildlife while improving water quality by reducing diffuse pollution.
• Under set-aside, fallow areas can provide connectivity corridors for species across large areas of land, mitigating the effect of climate change as wildlife is forced to adapt and move.

John Cousins, The Wildlife Trusts’ head of agricultural policy, said:

“The overnight loss of hundreds of thousands of hectares of set-aside could have serious consequences for wildlife. These plans jeopardise commitments from the European Union to halting biodiversity loss by 2010.

“Farmers have done a fantastic job benefiting the environment through management of set-aside land. We need to continue to provide environmental fallow areas such as buffer zones and 6m field margins as vital habitat for endangered wildlife. We want to work together with Defra and farmers to help find mechanisms to keep the biodiversity benefits accrued through set-aside.

“If set-aside is to be phased out under the Common Agricultural Policy it must be done so gradually. We must ensure that gains for farmland biodiversity are not lost whilst taking into account the need to provide realistic support for farmers to deliver such environmental benefits. The Wildlife Trusts believe this can be achieved through modification to existing measures such as Cross Compliance.”

More Information
For further information please contact:

Adam Cormack, communications & campaigns officer Tel: 01636 670075 Mob: 07824 846204 Email: acormack@wildlifetrusts.org

Anna Guthrie, senior press officer Tel: 01636 670075 Mob: 07887 754659 Email: aguthrie@wildlifetrusts.org
Original article: http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=news:archive&id=2080
See also: http://www.ukagriculture.com/pdfs/life%20after%20set-aside.pdf

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It has been a strange few days down here – though what I am feeling is simply the ripples of change and the spirals of life and death that surround us all.

You see, just over a week ago I received a phone call from the daughter of a member of the Grove I used to run when living in Oxfordshire. Her father had died, unexpectedly, while on holiday abroad and she was getting in touch to ask if I would hold his Rite of Passing. It was only a year or so ago that the person concerned had asked me to do that very thing, and whilst he was older than most Grove members, he was still fit and lively with a deep intelligence, and inquisitive mind and utterly determined in all he did. He had attended one of my courses and I had grown to like him very much. Having agreed with him that I would hold his rite, the opportunity to sit down and discuss exactly what he wanted, as is so common, never happened. So to discover that he had died so suddenly, so quickly, was a deep shock to me. I will miss him.

Then on the same day I heard of Luciano Pavarotti’s death. This time much a more ‘public’ and expected death as he had been suffering from pancreatic cancer for a long while. Nonetheless, it was still something that affected me, having loved his voice, his passion, his zest for life (and sharing his love of football!) for many a year.

And now I hear of the death of Anita Roddick, a businesswoman I have admired for very many years, and who I tried to emulate in all I did within my retail career – and emulate, in some ways, beyond my retailing career too. Way back in 1991 I read her autobiography – Body and Soul and was struck by her desire and sheer bloody mindedness; for her, business and ethics were inseparable, as they were and still are to me. At the time I had been working for some deeply unethical companies and she was a guiding light for me and for many others….

Of course she wasn’t perfect – who is? – and in later years made some mistakes, not least (in my opinion) selling her Body Shop to L’Oreal. Technically it was the shareholders who made that decision, but I have no doubt without Anita backing the deal, it would never have gone through. But that, I think, misses the point about who she was, and what she stood for. Her campaigning, her fearless attitude, her determination and her efforts to bring environmental and ethical concerns to the forefront of business are what she will be – and should be – remembered for.

So, no more heroes? Perhaps it simply reflects my age, and my own life that I find it harder to find individuals who inspire quite so deeply these days- with a few notable exceptions. I hope that is the case, and that the heroes are still out there somewhere, waiting for me to discover them

Other link:
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/what-you-can-do/anita-the-trailblazer-20070911

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This feels important. I intend to be there, and so I share it here:

We are planning a demonstration regarding the proposed building of 80,000 homes in the South Hampshire area. This is 14% of the allocation for the entire South East.

Not only would this be environmentally abhorrent, we believe it is not even totally necessary, considering the vast numbers of already vacant properties. Whilst utilising these vacant properties would not completely eradicate the need for new build, it would make a huge dent in the number of new build homes needed.

Many local groups are already campaigning over this issue, and while we are not officially linked with any of them, we urge anyone with an interest to join the demo.

It is to be held in Funtley, on Saturday 10th of March, 12-4 p.m. We want, and need, as many people as possible to come along.

Please feel free to contact us for further details.

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