ONLY PLANET
Manchester
Specific Questions on
food, waste, transport, energy and housing

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You're probably very interested in one of the five following topics- food, waste, transport, energy, housing.  Maybe more than one!
We'd like to have the right questions for the book- though we've probably not got the resources to get all the 'right' answers into the first edition.

So, could you look at the specific questions below, and see if there's anything that we're missing.

For each section take it as a given that we are going to try to answer the following questions-
a) how big a carbon emissions impact is there from this at a national and Manchester level?
b) what other impacts are there (social, other environmental)
c) what is national policy on this issue?
d) what is the council's policy on this.
e) if someone wants to do something about this, what help does the council offer?
f) what community groups/charities/NGOs are already doing something on this- what are their national and Manchester contact details
g) how do the poor/vulnerable suffer from this in ways distinct from other sectors of the community.
h) (how) will it change due to climate change?
e) what are some of the best sources of reliable information on this. Are there any great books/articles/groups that act as guides?
f) what cities should Manchester be copying (where is the "best practice"?)
g) who are the adversaries and what tactcis will they use first off?

Food
What is the picture on allotments and community gardens. How to get them. Vandalism?
Is it worth going veggie, going vegan?  What groups exist?
Can we encourage home compost systems? Can we use of these to generate energy/heat water etc.
Food waste collection- who does it.
What counts as 'good' energy from waste (e.g. Anaerobic digestion of food waste) or 'bad' energy from waste (e..g burning of RDF)?
What is the risk of de-incentivising recycling/waste minimisation?:
How can households could be given grants to grow their own food
What are schools/community groups
Where are Manchester's  places of most deprivation and fresh food deserts?
Should each local area/ward/estate has community garden/smallholding for fresh produce/chicken for eggs? Use of waste food
Would aquaponics to become sustainable and self sufficient

Waste
What is the current state of play (new contract at GMWDA level) What is coming?
What role, therefore, for campaigners?
What is the difference between increasing recycling and "zero-waste"
How do we encourage reduction and re-use ahead of recycling? [Deposits for return and re-use of bottles? And local bottle 'rejuvenation' plant?]
Should there be one national bottle?
Ban plastic bottles in Manchester? But what about the weight of alternatives in terms of transportation
What waste taxes exist?
Who does food waste collection
Human waste, compost loos etc

Transport
The TiF bid and its implications
Amsterdam- cycle share/free schemes
Businesses- how can they be encouraged to encourage cycling?
Are thereGrants to people to buy bike
Where can you rent bikes
How do we get need more secure bike parking, more cycle stands
How do we get priority cycle routes (Where bikes have priority over cars)
Who is taking forward dedicated cycle lanes in Manchester?
Can we do more to develop safe cycling groups?
What lessons can be learned from “Love your bike”
(How) can we push Greater Manchester MPs to introduce pro-cyclist legislation

Energy
Where/how does Manchester currently get its energy?
What are the plans for Manchester's energy supply (coal, gas, CHP)
What are the easy wins on radically reducing energy CONSUMPTION (never mind how it's generated!)
Community owned renewables? Torr Mills. Is community owned CHP effective at driving down emissions?
Locally community-owned energy generation (e.g. EG. CHP, Wind, Solar)
Can these schemes be instigated locally (neighbourhood/ward) or does it need to be top down?
Solar- how realistic for home installation in Manchester?  Help available?
Which green energy is most cost effective and suitable for Manchester, and which is cleanest? Where can we get this info?
Who can provide training and education programe?
Is there community enthusiasm? Hulme?

Housing
Retrofitting- who is doing what
Do we mean insulation?If so, who funds it and where does the money come from
Who must take the initiative? Council? Landlords? Homeowners? Companies?
Can it be locally applied without National Legislation?
Could the Warm Houses and Energy Efficiency Act be cited to kick this off?
Whole-house, whole-flat refurbishing is very expensive (£40k in some cases) and even more low/zero carbon performance. Therefore (again!) who funds
(MCC already give interest free loans for energy efficiency through “Care and Repair”)