Stafford and Stone
Liberal Democrats

On Friday, the Liberal Democrats, led by Deputy Leader Jo Swinson, marched with hundreds of thousands of people against President Trump.

Jo Swinson speaking at the March against Trump

Introduction by Wera Hobhouse, MP.

Wera first met Vince at Green conference in Rochdale in 2005 so she was clear Vince has the skill of explaining complicated things to us and that he has a long track record on Environmental issues.

Vince speaks:

Thanks Wera. Wera is a tremendous addition to our party.

A new report from researchers at Oxford University and the Swiss agricultural research institute Agroscope provide a comprehensive database on the environmental impacts of almost 40,000 farms and 1,600 processing plants and retailers. The database is design to inform policy makers on how production practices and local geographies lead to different environmental impacts for 40 major foods. Producers have a profound impact on CO2 equivalent of the same product. For example, high-impact beef producers create 105kg of CO2 equivalent and use 370m2 of land per 100grams of protein while low-impact producers can use 12 to 50 time fewer resources to obtain the same result. By way of comparison, low-impact plant-based proteins such as beans and peas can create just 0.3kg of CO2 equivalents (including processing, packaging and transport) to produce the same 100grams of protein. On just one square meter of land!

Scotland now produces more than twice as much renewable energy as it consumes.

Between 2016 and 2017 the amount of power produced by the industry grew by 26%.

In 2017 the country's fleet of hydro, wind, solar, biomass, tidal and green gas generators

produced almost 25 terawatt hours. Scotland produces 25% of all UK renewable electricity.

The Togo government has launched an energy policy to provide universal access to electricity by 2030.

The strategy which will transform lives in nearly 1,000 communities, relies heavily on solar energy.

Solar kit company Greenlight Planet has won a tender to distribute 300,000 units over the next three years.

Fake Facts

When my dad wants facts he still marches down to the public library because he doesn't trust the internet. If a fact is published in a book you can at least have confidence that it won't disappear in 35 minutes' time. Facts are a sandwich found on the middle shelf in the fridge. How long has it been there? Does it smell funny? Is it homemade or from a reputable supplier? Facts are fashion accessories. Do I look cooler with this one or that one? Can I wear it in public or is it only for wearing at home on the sofa in front of the TV?

In the next few days, MPs will vote on the Customs (Taxation) and Trade Bills. These bills will be both pivotal to our future relationship with the EU and a battleground for parliamentary democracy itself.

The Chequers deal is a total fudge. The plan requires the UK to be the EU's policeman and follow its rules on goods and state aid. Meanwhile, the services sector would be left to flounder. We have absolutely no guarantee that the EU would accept such a deal.

• Editorial - Fake News -
• SHORTS: Universal access to electricity for Togo + Conservation Success + Ink from Diesel Exhaust + Plastic Odyssey + Scotland's renewables
• True cost of food -
• Vince Cable speech to GLD Nottingham Conference, May2018
• Plastic Love by Christian Vassie
• Sea Power by Julian
• Light by Steve Bolter
• Traffic Surveys by Graham Neale
• Shampoo by Christian Vassie
• Ed Davey speech at GLD Nottingham Conference, May2018
• Keith Melton GLD Nottingham Conference, May2018
• U.S. Cities go Renewable
• EU Transport

• Chair's briefing

Some of you may have seen links to my recent Blog posts in the GLD Facebook page, but when we discussed this recently at the GLD exec, it was suggested it may be appropriate to briefly make the link here in a short signpost article in case others may wish to access them. There are three linked posts looking at Climate change and environmental issues and relating them to our current (and possible new?!) relationship with the EU. They have all been in July, so here is the link to all three. Enjoy...