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CONTACT
Magyar Természetvédők Szövetsége
Address: Üllői út 91/b,
Budapest 1091 - Hungary
Tel.: (1) 216-7297
Telefax: (1) 216-7295
info@mtvsz.hu |
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Climate change
 Hungary significantly contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions steadily increasing on the global level, leading to climate change (emissions: 150% of global average). Besides industry, agriculture, transport, households become main emitters directly or indirectly. Heating, lighting, running hot water, use of household appliances use energy primarily made by burning fossil fuels that cause significant GHG emissions. Freak and extreme weather conditions caused by climate change are already threatening our everyday lives.
The aim of National Society of Conservationists - Friends of the Earth Hungary (NSC –FoE Hu) is to increase climate-awareness. Climate change is a global problem, but effective information, education for climate awareness starts at the local level, involving the local community and its environment. Thus we inform the wide public in close co-operation with our regional and local member groups, about the triggering causes and possible effects. We especially deal with the measures that us everyday people can do to mitigate climate change, so how to cut our GHG emissions in everyday life.
In order to achieve these, we:
· Continuously follow up and participate in forming the EU climate policy and international climate negotiations, in co-operation with Friends of the Earth
· Organise awareness-raising campaigns regularly, p.eg. climate action weeks in Budapest and in numerous rural cities, actions in summer festivals and in other events (information stands, publications, climate messages)
· Organise interactive educational games and school lessons, lectures about climate change for children, as part of our environmental education programme
· Workshops: we publish position papers, give opinions about strategic documents, organise climate conferences and meetings, inform about climate news in our newsletter
For further information: Alexa Botar, alexa@mtvsz.hu
NEWSAutumn 2008: Climate Alarm – let’s have a Hungarian climate law by 2010!
On the rainy Mobility Week in mid-September 2008 the NSC - Friends of the Earth Hungary launched its Big Ask campaign called „Climate Alarm” for an effective climate law. Their law concept paper includes cutting Hungarian fossil energy use by 1% year-on-year, driven by an integrated economic tool. The climate law idea was welcomed: just on the launch 6 MPs from 4 parliamentary parties signed up to support it and on the Car Free Day the environmental minister (see on the pic) also did so!
The „Climate Alarm” campaign is on an action tour betwen 16 Sept. and 2 Oct. in 11 Hungarian cities. Within 1 week more than a thousand people supported the campaign by signing the giant postcards at the actions. The campaign eye-catchers including the „memento of the last snowman”, the info posters about how to save energy at home and "climate games" for kids are highly popular. See the action pics here (www.mtvsz.hu/ English – Gallery, just click to get high res.) and the campaign webpage (soon in English as well). The campaign is part of the European Big ASk campaign: www.thebigask.eu
March 2008: Decisionmakers agree on a national climate change strategy - supporting FoE HU action Responding to NGOs and scientists urging, Hungary understood the need of a national climate strategy. FoE Hungary continuously helped the process with opinion papers and public actions. We successfully lobbied to get our points included into the strategy text. As one of the final stages, on 4th March 2008 we arranged a street action in front of the Parliament just before the MPs started to discuss the Strategy itself. At the action we spoke up for the Climate Strategy, which is one of the best policy document in the past few years. All the relevant decisionmakers were there and were given our opinion papers: the environmental minister, the spokesperson of the Parliament and high-level representatives of all the five parties in Hungary. All demonstrated cooperation in this issue. To symbolise the consensus they planted together a tree aside the Parliament building.
In mid-March the Strategy was adopted without any changes by the Parliament, which now means a good framework for the implementation.
Young climate guards were awarded by Friends of the Earth HungaryOn the 3th anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol on 16 February 2008, Friends of the Earth Hungary evaulated its climate awareness environmental education program 2007 called ’Climate Guard’ and distributed useful prizes amongst the best teams.
 The aim of the program was to make students more aware about climate and energy use through activities.
In 50 primary and secondary schools across the country voluntary student teams measured and surveyed the energy&water use and other relevant characteristics of their own schools. Using these data they also proposed detailed solutions – in behavior and with tools- how to spare energy and emissions in the school. All the work was compiled into a team report evaluated by the Friends of the Earth Hungary. The best teams were awarded with a free summer environmental camp, all teams received useful environmental education materials and videos.
Due to the success of the ’Climate Guard’ program it will continue this autumn, and more and more schools wish to join.
Hungary, Parliament: Giant climate mosaic and 100 green activists urging radical climate strategy What is it: 1500 painted wooden tiles forming the colourful mosaic map of Hungary in 25 x 15 m size and 100 local green activists from all corners of Hungary in front of the Hungarian Parliament? Answer: the closing of the NSC-FoE Hungary ’Climate protection now’ campaign 2007 on the rainy 9th November. The participating regional member groups organised alltogether 75 public actions in 27 Hungarian cities, where NSC-FoE Hungary met ten thousands of people who supported the campaign by painting climate messages and signing petition postcards. On the closing also a climate petition was handed to the Speaker of the House, the Minister for Environment and representatives of all parties in parliament. The petition signed by 63 NGOs and the postcards demanded the same: Hungarian citizens want more commitment and structure-changing concrete steps from national decision-makers and urge a radical national climate change strategy.
Pics: climate action 9 Nov 2007 pics (click on pic to get a downloadable high resolution version!)
Insulate your house properly and it pays back!
It is worth insulating your house! – proved the Ice Cube action organised by the Friends of the Earth Hungary in spring 2007 in 3 Hungarian cities including Budapest. Early April activists with building experts insulated a giant 1,5 tons ice cube in 40 cm house insulation material (special polystyrene) in each city in open air, modelling a well-insulated passive house understandably for everyone. A passive house needs only 1/10 energy of a normal house; it is passive since it does not need active heating-cooling systems. On World Environment Day FoE Hungary has revealed how much energy and money people can save by proper house insulation, at the closing the Ice Cube action. 75% of the ice has remained after 2 months! Then it melt in 1 day. A bicycle and energy-awareness presents were distributed.
Kicking off EU stars action 
Budapest saw the first national launch of the big FoE Europe action with giant EU stars on February 7th, 2007. The stars were fully covered by the signatures of 1000 Hungarian citizens supporting a sustainable energy future for Europe.
The speaker of the Hungarian Parliament, the environment minister, 2 Hungarian MEPs and MPs from almost every party also signed the stars, calling for a stop to climate change, energy waste and an enhanced use of renewables. FoE Hungary - with 20 activists - brought these stars to Brussels for the Giant EU Energy Flag action on March 9th.
See pictures on Giant EU energy flag action gallery with FoE HU activists
and on Hungarian 'EU stars' - local action gallery
(Click on the pictures to enlarge them)
Contact: Alexa Botar, FoE Hungary, alexa@mtvsz.hu
Past actions:
Climate Deal action 2006: info and sending your own deal: www.foeeurope.org/climatedeal
Hungarian climate deal action week (11-21 Sept 2006) pictures: http://www.mtvsz.hu/fotogaleria.php
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Think globally, act locally.
(Rene Dubois, 1981)
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