Category: Environment

Manifestos that support the ecology of the planet

Woodland Trust: The Forest Manifesto

Woodland Trust: The Forest Manifesto

Creator: Woodland Trust is a UK based organisation with a vision to see a country rich in native woods and trees enjoyed and valued by everyone

Purpose: This manifesto is to tell the Government what is needed to manage England’s forest and drum up public support to make it happen.

The Forest Manifesto

• Our ancient woods are fully protected

• New woods are created to provide a complete life support system for people and wildlife

• Public support for trees and woods inspires a new connection with the natural world.

Our objectives:

• New and strengthened forms of protection for ancient woodland (it’s astounding that there are no protective legal designations to prevent damage and development for 85% of this irreplaceable habitat, our equivalent of the rainforests)

• A government commitment to restore all 35,000 hectares of planted ancient woods in their ownership (their restoration would be one of the most important contributions to nature conservation in England)

• A government commitment to woodland creation and a target of 15,000ha per annum in the Natural Environment White Paper (planting rates in England declined from 6,500ha in 1992 to just 2,300ha in 2010 and with only 8% of England covered by forests, we are almost at the bottom of the European league table on forest cover)

• Every child should have the chance to plant a tree as part of their education.

Source

Reference Article and source of Manifesto pdf: http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2072672/woodland-trust-calls-government-backed-carbon-scheme-grow-trees

Organization website: woodlandtrust.org.uk

Simple Shoes Manifesto

Creator: Simple Shoes – shoe geeks making a new shoe-topia!

Purpose: 100% sustainable shoes for a Happy Planet

Simple Shoes Manifesto

With all the over-built, over-hyped products out there, it’s pretty hard to ?nd sustainable shoes that you can live with. So we started Simple, your stereotypical, anti-stereotype brand offering good shoes and a big dose of reality.

About a gazillion pairs later… give or take a few… we’ve managed to learn a few things. Well, actually a lot of things. And none more important than this: HOW we make our shoes is just as important as WHY we make them. That means finding more sustainable ways of doing business so we can make a gazillion more.

Which pretty much is where we are today… at the crossroads of here and now, aware of our responsibility to the planet while trying to pay the bills. The nice little shoe company getting in touch with its inner hippie.

Simple Shoes Manifesto

Source

About Us: http://www.simpleshoes.com/info/index.aspx?g=info

Manifesto: http://www.simpleshoes.com/info/manifesto.aspx?g=info

Video Story: http://www.simpleshoes.com/info/storySimple.aspx

Renewable UK Cymru: Renewable Energy Manifesto

Renewable Energy Manifesto

Creator: RenewableUK Cymru is a part of the UK’s leading renewable energy trade association and represents the wind and marine renewables industries in Wales.

Purpose: This manifesto sets out what the industry believes is required to help achieve renewable energy targets, so that Wales becomes more sustainable.

Renewable Energy Manifesto – Key Targets 2011

Overview

1. Meet (in full) 2010 renewable energy targets as soon as possible, by providing leadership and facilitating the removal of obstacles.

2. Commit to achieving new renewable energy targets set by the Low Carbon Revolution Policy Statement, by fully exploiting renewable energy technologies, including mature technologies such as onshore wind that are ready and waiting to be deployed.

Economic, Environmental and Social Contribution

1. Commit funds and support to develop Welsh ports.

2. Focus business support on renewables investment.

3. Standardise Welsh route-of-entry for skills training.

4. Work with industry to establish minimum requirements for community benefit funds.

Onshore Wind

1. Produce onshore delivery plan, with WAG taking a visible lead to deliver policy.

2. Revisit TAN 8, protecting existing development areas, whilst identifying new areas.

3. Show clear planning assumption in favour of proposed developments within SSA’s.

4. Do not allow major changes to identified boundaries.

5. Provide resources and support tools from WAG (e.g. senior official) to help LPA’s deliver “local” schemes.

6. Transfer any further devolved powers to WAG rather than LPA’s.

7. Decision on associated development powers to be called in by WAG.

Offshore Wind

1. Produce offshore wind delivery plan showing how WAG can assist the commissioning of offshore wind farms.

2. Sustainability Committee to scrutinise Minister and industry as to the rate of offshore energy delivery.

3. Ensure that MCZ’s do not unnecessarily impair or restrict capacity of marine renewable energy sites.

4. WAG Marine Unit to be adequately resourced and have the necessary expertise.

Wave and Tidal

1. Produce delivery plan showing how to achieve ambitious WAG targets for wave and tidal technologies.

2. Explore possibilities to introduce alternative marine technologies in the Severn Estuary.

3. Leasing round to be brought forward by The Crown Estate for wave and tidal areas.

4. Ensure adequate resources and expertise for WAG Marine Unit.

5. Maximise EU funds for R&D and for testing sites for marine renewable technologies.

Source

Press Release: http://www.bwea.com/media/news/articles/pr20110419.html

Download Manifesto: http://www.bwea.com/ref/reports-and-studies.html

Related Manifestos

The Green Living Manifesto

The Green Living Manifesto

Creators: Greg Searle with Geof Syphers, Rodney Wilts and Geneva Guerin

Purpose: To promote green lifestyles over grey lifestyles.

Manifesto

The Green Living Manifesto – Self-Evident Truths

1. Communities are people, not buildings.

2. Communities will change when the people living in them change.

3. At least half of human impact on the planet comes from our lifestyles – the choices we make every day. Where, and how, we travel. What we eat. What we wear. The stuff we buy, and how we get rid of that stuff when we’re done with it.

4. These lifestyle choices are not made in a vacuum. They are made in communities, and are influenced by community design and buildings.

5. The way we’ve designed our cities and buildings in the past has created a template for living that most people follow without much thought, and that template makes it inconvenient to live sustainably.

6. Those of us who plan, design, finance, insure, build, sell, lease, manage and maintain the places we live in have tremendous influence to change this template, and to make it easier for people to change their lifestyles.

7. Some of us have been pre-occupied with making buildings, streets, and infrastructure that use building materials, water, and energy in smarter ways. We call ourselves “green professionals”. We call our movement the “green building movement.” But we now recognize that the biggest problems are fundamentally social ones.

8. Since buildings and technology represent only half of the problem and half of the solution, clearly the present green building movement doesn’t go far enough

9. All across our cities, entrepreneurs and environmental groups are emerging with solutions to specific challenges of our unsustainable lifestyles – car-sharing companies, local food advocates, re-use innovators. But most of these green lifestyle initiatives are not joined up with the green building movement, or each other.

10. We urgently need an umbrella movement that will bring us all together to create and operate truly sustainable communities with intent. The time has come to apply the vast ingenuity of the green building movement to making green lifestyles just as convenient as “grey lifestyles”. The time has come to broaden our design teams, to bring green lifestyle experts to the table.

11. We cannot wait for someone else to bring us all together. We are the ones we have been waiting for.

Sources

Complete Manifesto: http://www.greenmanifesto.org/

Platform 21: The Repair Manifesto

Platform 21's Repair Manifesto

Creator: Platform 21
Purpose: Stop recycling and start repairing. It’s better for the environment and resource use.

Manifesto

1. Make your products live longer!

Repairing means taking the opportunity to give your product a second life. Don’t ditch it, stitch it! Don’t end it, mend it! Repairing is not anti-consumption. It is anti- needlessly throwing things away.

2. Things should be designed so that they can be repaired.

Product designers: Make your products repairable. Share clear, understandable information about DIY repairs. Consumers: Buy things you know can be repaired, or else find out why they don’t exist. Be critical and inquisitive.

3. Repair is not replacement.

Replacement is throwing away the broken bit. This is NOT the kind of repair that we’re talking about.

4. What doesn’t kill it makes it stronger.

Every time we repair something, we add to its potential, its history, its soul and its
inherent beauty.

5. Repairing is a creative challenge.

Making repairs is good for the imagination. Using new techniques, tools and materials ushers in possibility rather than dead ends.

6. Repair survives fashion.

Repair is not about styling or trends. There are no due-dates for repairable items.

7. To repair is to discover.

As you fix objects, you’ll learn amazing things about how they actually work. Or don’t work.

8. Repair – even in good times!

If you think this manifesto has to do with the recession, forget it. This isn’t about money, it’s about a mentality.

9. Repaired things are unique.

Even fakes become originals when you repair them.

10. Repairing is about independence.

Don’t be a slave to technology – be its master. If it’s broken, fix it and make it better. And if you’re a master, empower others.

11. You can repair anything, even a plastic bag.

But we’d recommend getting a bag that will last longer, and then repairing it if necessary.

Stop Recycling. Start Repairing.

Sources

Source : http://www.platform21.nl/page/4315/en

The Repair Manifesto lands in Melbourne (July 2011)

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Related: I Fix It Repair Manifesto