Sheffield to switch off for Earth Hour

Published at Forge Today

Sheffield to switch off for Earth Hour

By Sophie Maden
Published: 27/03/2010

Campaigners are hoping darkness will descend upon Sheffield tonight as residents and businesses prepare to switch off their lights to raise awareness about climate change.

The Sheffield is My Planet initiative is encouraging people to take part in the WWF’s worldwide Earth Hour by switching off their lights for an hour from 8.30pm on Saturday, March 27.

As part of the initiative, Sheffield’s Town Hall, Peace Gardens, Wheel and Meadowhall Dome will switch off their lights tonight.

Council Leader Paul Scriven said: "Earth Hour sends a message that it's time to switch to a cleaner, safer, more sustainable future.

“Tackling climate change is a huge challenge but this event shows that when everyone does something small it can have a massive impact.

“Local people have made it clear that they want to take action to preserve our environment, and by switching off a few lights we can all be part of a global phenomenon and send a message to our leaders that it's time to act on climate change.”

The WWF’s Earth Hour demonstration hopes to involve a billion individuals and businesses across the world this year in its energy switch off. Monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building will dim their lights in support.

WWF figures show that that turning devices off at the mains can cut 8% off an annual electricity bill, and quitting standby in the UK would save £700m of energy annually - enough to pay the energy bills of nearly 800,000 homes.

For more information visit the Earth Hour website.

NCTJ Diversity Fund

This is me in an NCTJ press release. It's largely inaccurate but hey...

http://www.nctj.com/news/journalism-diversity-fund-bursaries-available-to-aspiring-journalists.html

GMG Managing Editor Chris Elliott on the future of its axed regionals

On Tuesday 9^th February the Guardian Media Group sold its regional newspapers and Manchester Evening News to Trinity Mirror in a £44.8 million deal. As the former GMG papers face relocation to Oldham, GMG Managing Editor Chris Elliott explains the “brutal” decision.

“The regionals were what held us together,” said Chris Elliott. “The Guardian was never what made us money.”

But then they began to make a loss and would continue to make a loss.”

The deal, due to be completed by the 28 March will see Trinity relocate the papers from their central Manchester home to the group’s Oldham offices.

Moving out of the community

This comes only a year after newspapers such as the Accrington Observer and Rossendale Free Press had their local offices closed and moved to the MEN headquarters at Scott Place, cutting them off from the local community in favour of slashing costs.

Asked about the future these papers face, Chris Elliott said: “They stand a better chance with Trinity than with us or any other company.”

It was a very difficult and maybe a very brutal decision.”

"It may be difficult for a while, but their only chance is with another company.”

The Stealthing craze: have you been caught?

A new craze is sweeping social networking sites involving being photographed behind a person in a mock sexual act – without them noticing.

Over 12,000 people have signed up to Facebook groups about ‘stealthing’or ‘stealth bumming’: a new craze in which unassuming people become the victims of web provoked boredom.

One Facebook group has over 12,000 members and as many photographs of people playing the stealthing game. In one photograph a policeman is even made a target as a girl on a night out strikes a pose behind him.

In bars, at work, even at school, it seems nobody is safe. From students to soldiers, everybody seems to be jumping on the stealthing wagon.

Originating in lads magazines like Zoo and Nuts, the game is seemingly all a bit of fun, but watch out – if a camera flashes behind you, you may just have become the butt of the joke.

The rules of the game are simple, situations must not be set up, there must not be contact with the other person, and they must not catch you doing it. It’s like ninja 101 for sex pests.

An Interview with David Blunkett

On Wednesday 17^th March a group of Sheffield University journalism postgraduates grilled Sheffield Brightside MP David Blunkett on the relationship between politics and the media, the potential downfall of the Labour party, and ‘that woman he loved’.

Speaking to a group of print and broadcast student journalists, Blunkett provided wit, charisma and unexpected charm. He was warm and inviting, openly breaching more intimate topics.

“We live by the sword we die by the sword” he said.

Since my private life became open I think it’s better to own up and to move on.”

Now happily married to a doctor – (“I thought it would help me in old age”) – Blunkett appeared relaxed and open in his continued belief in the Labour Party.

“We need people not just to vote but to get people engaged in politics.”

We need voters to actually get involved in issues like climate change. It means people getting more involved. It is important that we get that across.”

People will have a lot more respect for us if we are closer to them. It’s important we keep our feet on the ground.”

A former Sun columnist, Blunkett believes that not even the tabloid’s continued attacks can shake them.

“The sun set on me when it set on the Labour Party.”

"The world has changed since 1989 when it was ‘the Sun what did it’. Now it’s like a Tory leaflet coming through the door.

People can be influenced but they’re not stupid. They could be a lot more subtle about it.”

What is a threat, however, is the growth of new media and the failings of self-regulation.

“In new media, moderation is important. Otherwise anarchy will overwhelm us."

"The PCC is rubbish. What is going to happen with the so-called new media. We need to ensure that this does not overwhelm us.”

So, despite the scandal of MPs expenses and the dwindling support of the media, what does Blunkett think is the biggest obstacle facing Labour as the elections approach?

“The biggest obstacle is having been in for 13 years and the consequences of the melt down.”

Volunteers in Edale create 100th new woodland

An Edale cottage became the 100^th site to benefit from a Woodland Trust scheme after volunteers planted 1000 trees in its grounds.

Stephen Searle, 59, a doctor, and his occupational therapist wife Joy, 58, got involved in the Trust’s MOREwoods scheme by planting the trees in the field behind their cottage on Hope Road.

The Trust provided the trees and the equipment needed to plant them so that the Searles could organise planting weekends from the 13^th to the 21^st of February.

They were aided over the two weekends by keen volunteers who planted a mixture of ash, oak, rowan, birch, alder, willow and guelder rose trees.

'Serendipity'

Stephen said that finding the scheme was “serendipity”.

“We were interested in trees and in what we can do locally to help. Even 19 years ago we toyed with the idea of planting Christmas trees. Then we stumbled across the Woodland Trust website” he said.

"By planting these trees we are leaving something behind for future generations."

Both he and Joy are members of Sustainable Edale: a group which encourages local people to lead a more environmentally friendly life. The pair have even installed a wind turbine on their property to generate their own energy.

Other members of Sustainable Edale volunteered during the project, whilst the couple’s son, Tom Searle, 21, brought six friends to help from Cambridge University, where he studies Natural Sciences.

Tom said: “I know it sounds a little clichéd now but it’s interesting from a legacy point of view. By planting these trees we are leaving something behind for future generations.”

Benefits for wildlife

"Trees have important environmental benefits and provide shade and shelter for wildlife.”

Debbie Nicholls, PR Assistant for the Woodland Creation Team, was keen to point out the benefits of the scheme for wildlife.

She said: “In years gone by there were far more trees than there are now. Nature is finding it harder to live. Trees have important environmental benefits and provide shade and shelter for wildlife.”

MOREwoods aims to create 750 acres of new woodland across the UK over an estimated 220 sites.

The scheme is available to UK landowners with a minimum of one hectare (2.5 acres). Application details are available via the MOREwoods website.

MOREwoods 100th site - volunteers

Volunteers at the 100th MOREwoods site explain how to plant trees. Images and audio by Sophie Maden.

MOREwoods 100th site: Edale

Video interview with the owners of the 100th site to benefit from the Woodland Trust's MOREwoods scheme.