The Environment Agency
is included in The Times 2009 Top 50 Places
Where Women Want to Work.
Now in its third
year, the Times Top 50 has become a reliable
and trusted reference for women seeking
to choose the right employer.
The Top 50 recognised
trends in recruiting high performing women,
female-friendly benefits and reducing corporate
jargon making positions more attractive
by explaining “what’s in it for you”.
“The environment doesn't
discriminate, neither do we. “
Environment Agency Wales
employs 35 women in senior management posts.
Women within the Agency have roles that
provide challenging and rewarding careers.
Women already work across the Environment
Agency in a variety of roles ranging from
directors all the way through to hands-on
'outdoor' jobs which are traditionally attractive
to men.
Mandy Murray, Human
Resources Manager for Wales said:
‘Women are now in a
position to choose a career that reflects
their values as well as supports their professional
development.
Environment Agency Wales
is aware that talented and experienced people
have a choice, so we make sure that we can
offer the right mix of challenge, opportunity
and support to recruit the best person for
the job and keep them.”
‘Don’t just recycle,
cycle’, says Bishop
What: Photo opportunity - Faith in nature
When: 8 October 2009 – 09.00hrs
Where: Lincoln cathedral, west front entrance
Get ‘on yer’ bike’ to
help the Environment. That is the message
from the Bishop of Lincoln.
The Right Revd Dr John
Saxbee will be using pedal power to travel
to the Environment Agency’s Faith In Nature
2 event at the Epic Centre, Lincolnshire
Showground, on Thursday.
The Bishop is joining
a group of people from Transition Lincolnshire
who will be cycling from Lincoln Cathedral
to the Epic Centre to highlight just one
way in which people of all faiths can help
the environment.
Bishop John said: "Pedal
power is not only good for the environment,
but it might do me some good as well, so
I am looking forward to pedalling my way
to this important and ground-breaking conference!"
The cyclists will be
meeting at the cathedral’s west front entrance
at 9am on Thursday ready to set off to the
Epic Centre at 9.15am. This will allow time
for riders of all abilities to arrive at
the Epic Centre in time for the start of
Faith In Nature 2 at 10am.
And the cycle ride is
open to everyone, not just those people
who are attending the event.
Janita Elton, of the
Environment Agency, said: “Everyone is welcome
to take part. Cycling, rather than travelling
by car, is a positive way to help the environment
and that is what Faith In Nature 2 is all
about.”
Faith In Nature 2 follows
from the highly-successful Faith In Nature
debate which was held at the cathedral last
year.
The event, hosted by
the Environment Agency and Lincolnshire
Chaplaincy Services, aims to give faith
and community groups practical advice on
how to develop environmental projects.
More than 20 faith,
community and school groups have signed
up for the event which is taking place between10am
and 4pm.
Martin Palmer, who has
written a number of books on religion and
the environment, is a regular on BBC Radio
4’s In Our Time and hosts a series on local
history for Anglia TV, will be one of the
guest speakers on the day.
Janita said: ““Faith
and community groups have the potential
to bring about real environmental change
within their local areas. Faith In Nature
2 will help them to achieve this.”
Environment Agency Chairman
calls for global leaders to attend Copenhagen
Lord Chris Smith, Chairman of the Environment
Agency has called for Heads of State and
Government to attend the Copenhagen Climate
Change Summit in December.
“Only with the attendance
of world leaders can an effective global
agreement on climate change be reached”,
said Lord Smith.
This call came at the conclusion of a two
day meeting, which brought together environmental
regulators from around the world to discuss
the practical challenges in implementing
the agreements which will be reached at
the Copenhagen summit in December.
Chairing the meeting, Lord Chris Smith said
that it is vital that Heads of State and
Government recognise the urgency and importance
of reaching a global agreement on climate
change. This, he said, can only be achieved
if governments set aside partisan politics
and enter a constructive dialogue.
“There must be an urgent and renewed focus
on our biggest long term challenge, climate
change. The Copenhagen climate change conference,
in just six week’s time, is arguably the
most important global summit in decades.
It is one of the world’s last opportunities
to avert a truly unmanageable degree of
climate change.
“A two-degree temperature rise would bring
difficulties enough. There would be more
floods, and more droughts. More extremes
of weather. River flows in the south and
east of England could be down by more than
a half in the summer months. Sea levels
would rise by around a third of a metre.
Patterns of agricultural production would
change, and species would migrate northwards
with the temperature.
“But a four-degree rise would be catastrophic.
Around the world, land and cities would
be inundated. Agricultural land would become
arid. Water would run out in many places.
Entire populations would have to move. It
is simply imperative that we do everything
we can to prevent this from happening.
“Each of the organisations involved in today’s
discussions has its own particular economic,
social and geographical challenges, unique
to its country. However our discussions
centred on the way in which we can all play
a role in helping to implement any international
climate change agreement that emerges from
Copenhagen, and the strength and experience
we can draw from each other.
“One of the tragedies of climate change
is that the risk is borne disproportionately
by poor nations and communities – those
who have contributed least to the causes
of climate change, and have the lowest capacity
to adapt to it.
“This meeting was the start of a dialogue
to help the developing world to increase
its capacity in environmental regulation
so that countries can meet their carbon
reduction targets while still growing their
economies, building green societies from
fresh.
“As we head towards Copenhagen, I urge governments
to recognise, for all our sakes, the urgency
and importance of reaching a good global
agreement. They should set aside partisan
politics, and learn from the spirit of cooperation
shown by our international colleagues over
the past two days at Windsor.
“It is vital that Heads of State and of
Government go in person to Copenhagen rather
than leave it to other Ministers and officials.
These Heads must go determined to make genuine
agreements for change. Not everything has
to be agreed all at once. But they should
map out a clear path, agree on the direction,
and make a real start. Then we can get to
work to implement it.”
The two day meeting at St George’s House
in Windsor Castle was organised by the Environment
Agency and Global Climate Network, which
is an alliance of nine influential think
tanks from developed and developing countries
committed to action on climate change. Its
secretariat is provided by the Institute
for Public Policy Research (IPPR), based
in London.
The meeting brought
together senior representatives from environmental
protection agencies and ministries of counties
including the USA, Australia, Brazil, South
Korea, Indonesia, Algeria and Uganda.
+ More
Environment Agency warning
keep out of the River Trent in Staffordshire
The Environment Agency
is issuing a warning for people and animals
to keep out of the River Trent between Stoke
on Trent and Yoxall, as a precaution, following
a pollution incident that has rendered the
river water a potential health risk.
This is due to untreated
sewage and cyanide at levels that are potentially
a cause for concern, especially with regard
to fish, wildlife and animals. Thousands
of fish have already died.
The warning to stay
out of the river applies to everyone, including
farmers, anglers, dog walkers, boaters and
anyone using the river for work or pleasure.
We have also received
advice from the Food Standards Agency that
people should stop extracting water temporarily
so water should not be taken out of the
river for any reason.
It is also important
to keep all animals away from the water
including, for example, farm animals and
dogs.
We are tracking the
pollution as it moves downstream. It is
likely to travel downstream of Yoxall tomorrow,
reaching Burton on Trent area late tomorrow
afternoon by which time it will have been
diluted so the risk may well have reduced.
We will be issuing an update in the morning.
Officers are monitoring
the situation. We have launched an investigation
into the cause of the pollution but we cannot
discuss this for legal reasons.
