PFE Monthly Meeting 7 6 2020 MINUTES

Good evening Everyone,

Please read, share ... and watch out for the significance of numbers on groynes (!)

Best wishes,

Oliver

1) Present: Oliver Sterno. Sue Dixon (Minute taker), David Stopp, Nelson Kay, Sally Mildner, Gonzalo Alvarez, Nihal Sinnadurai, Chris Hunnisett, Peter Diplock, Jane Wilde. 2) Apologies: Mark Cotman, Alison & Don Selmes, Sue Burton, Sarah Wall, Hilary Bainbridge 3) Matters arising: Covid-19 motion to the Council regarding Covid-19 release celebrations and PFE. Oliver’s blog on this subject has been published on the EANN website https://ecoactioneb.co.uk/blog. The Eastbourne Eco Action Network has both community volunteers and borough councillors. 4) Norm: beach cleaning volunteer Norm moved to Eastbourne almost 3 months ago and has taken upon himself the task of clearing the rubbish from the beach at between Cow Gap and Seven Sisters which can only  be accessed at low tide and is a dangerous area as it is under the cliffs. Organised beachcleans cannot take place there for safety reasons. Norm cannot bring all the rubbish collected up to the path and is therefore storing it on the beach so it does not get washed back into the sea.  There are proposals to bring a boat to the beach to remove the rubbish. Oliver has met with him and supports him in his endeavours. Norm has set up a website  http://bhassexplore.com and  is  looking for further support and funding.  Gonzalo suggested that a regular survey of what is found on the beaches in the Marine Conservation  Zones Beachy Head West and East should be carried out. Cow Gap is Beachy Head East but Norm does collect data on the rubbish found. Strandliners collect the data in  the Hastings area  https://strandliner.wordpress.com/ Oliver will contact the Plastic Free Community leaders within our locality of Sussex about this. Sally added that there could be more publicity via the Herald regarding the greater amount of litter being left on the beach and elsewhere at present.  5)Website: SEA ~Survival Equals Action: https://oliver-sterno.wixsite.com/survivalequalsaction this was the original website created by Oliver before setting up Plastic Free Eastbourne. However, as the campaign has succeeded in achieving the initial aim of Plastic Free Status for Eastbourne and embraces the target to become Carbon Neutral by 2030 and the Climate Emergency, it is proposed that the Survival Equals Action website should provide a forum for the different campaigns and links as follows:  ~ SEA ~ Survival Equals Action Facebook ~ Plastic Free Eastbourne ~ Plastic Free Eastbourne Facebook ~ Plastic Free Communities in our locality of Sussex ~ Refill Eastbourne and Refill South East ~ Refill Eastbourne Facebook ~ Eastbourne Eco Action Network ~ Wildtribe Heroes sales of Ellie Jackson educational books ~ fundraiser ~ Fundraisers. Currently Co-Op Local Good Cause (£2876.35 paid in so far since October 2019 ~ ends October 2020); Tesco via Groundwork donated £1166 from their tokens collection; Eastbourne local Lottery currently pays in about £13 each month from ticket sales using our campaign as the chosen local good cause. Waitrose Community Good Cause is hopefully supporting our campaign during June; others in the pipeline. ~ Events calendar, e.g. for Mucky Mermaids beach cleans ~ Weekly blog ~ Publicity and Entertainment Page: David Stopp campaigning songs with links to YouTube, “comic corner”, clips of TV and Radio coverage ~ Marine Conservation Society ~ Surfers Against Sewage  The group supported this decision. Gareth Slade has kindly volunteered to host the website free of charge. A current PFE Champion is also considering sponsoring the website.  6) Current actions: ~ Webinar: Vegware and Paper Round on 27th May “ Collecting Compostable Packaging In London, Brighton & Sussex” ~https://www.paper-round.co.uk/blog/view/paper-round-and-vegware-have-joined-forces-to-create-a-compostables-recycling-service-in-london-south-east Oliver reported back on this development. Peter commented that EBC would be interested in further information and Jane Wilde, who has extensive experience in this field, joined the meeting and will liaise further with Oliver. It was agreed this should be promoted by PFE. ~ arrange a community beach clean – This will take place over the 10th,11th,12th of July with Friday 10th as usual being available for educational groups. The plan is that small groups of no larger than 6 will, observing correct social distancing, select an area of beach between two nominated groynes and clean this only, thus reducing risk. A full Covid 19 risk assessment will be in place.  David told the group that Band of Brothers wish to participate again and could be given 3 of the beach areas. Sally observed that there might not be much rubbish on one individual beach area.  7) AOB:  ~ Gonzalo reported that the South Coast UNA summit which would have been in preparation for  COP26 in Glasgow, has been cancelled but networking with other UNA branches will still take place. Gonzalo has been invited to Sweden to give a presentation on climate change and will report back to PFE. Miles asked Gonzalo to write a blog for EEAN. ~ Nihal drew attention to articles in Physics World 5th May 2020. The articles on page 35 were 'Plastic that doesn't cost the Earth' by Anna Demming, and on page 40 'The search for the missing plastic' by Marric Stephens. He is a supporter of 4Ocean - a global initiative started by young men in the USA to scour the oceans and retrieve plastic debris - and believes that PFE can become even more effective by teaming with other such global organisations. The whole will be greater than the parts. We should also join with national organisations to emphasise important messages that seem to have disappeared, such as 'Keep Britain Tidy' and 'Keep the Oceans Clean'. People visit websites after they receive prompts such as e-News or other news as a trigger. ~ Nelson described his graphic novel project Kulo Luna on the theme of Ocean Awareness and his hope that local schools and colleges will support this. Nelson will have a specific slot at the next meeting to explain his work on hydrogen car batteries.  ~ Chris outlined the charitable work of TubbsComputers which distributes computers to those in need and also the progress on the venture to recycle plastic waste into 3D filament.  ~ Oliver drew attention to the Big Compost Experiment www.bigcompostexperiment.org.uk Oliver closed the meeting by remarking that the Covid 19 pandemic could prompt greater collaboration in responding to the Global Heating Pandemic and learning lessons for a better future.  8) next meeting Sunday July 5th 7pm via Zoom