CPRE take on landbanking campaign

Blog readers will know that 2 years ago the Ruscombe valley was parcelled into house-size plots and sold to over 180 people - see some of the previous landbanking items by clicking here and scrolling down to find links.

Photo: View across to Whiteshill showing a small part of the fields sold to landbankers

The Ruscombe Valley Action Group still meets regularly and wants to ensure this doesn't happen elsewhere - members have been in correspondence with the CPRE and various other national groups. Initially it seemed few were interested in this practice, we have therefore been delighted that CPRE have taken up the campaign - before Christmas they launched a news release plus a report and accompanying articles to national press. If Australia can prevent this activity then we should be able to in this country.

Listen to You and Yours programme on landbanking here.

Here is their release:

LANDBANKERS SELLING RURAL ENGLAND BY THE POUND

Countryside campaigners CPRE [1] today (Friday) launch a campaign against a growing carve up of England’s countryside. It leaves fields and woods at risk of being disfigured and neglected. [2]

Small investors from across the globe are being sold plots of rural land on hundreds of sites across England in order to build homes on them. Their chances of success are very low and their ‘investments’ are likely to fail, because permission to develop cannot be obtained on the great majority of the land.

But that has not stopped more than two dozen separate ‘landbanking’ operations from using glossy advertising and high pressure sales techniques to lure in gullible investors. CPRE fears top economist Kate Barker’s review of planning, commissioned by HM Treasury and published last week, could pour fuel on the flames of small investor landbanking. [3] She called for a major review of Green Belt boundaries across England. Landbanking operators may use this to advertise hundreds more plots on Green Belt land for sale, claiming their protected status may soon be lost following the Barker review.

See our briefing The Great Landbanking Carve Up

CPRE is combining with MPs from all parties to call for the Government to clamp down on the schemes. Greg Mulholland, Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West, has today issued an Early Day Motion supporting our campaign. [4]

CPRE has found nearly 30 operators involved in buying up land in open countryside and subdividing it into small plots, sometimes with stakes and fences. They then market the plots, mostly via the Internet, as having potential for development, with inflated prices to match.

Yet they do not have the necessary authorisation they need, both from planning authorities and the Financial Services Authority, to realise the potential they refer to – and little hope of ever getting it. Many use seductive but highly questionable claims to suck in investors from all over the globe. [5]

CPRE has surveyed the activities of these companies and found some 200 separate sites across England’s countryside are affected. [6] Once subdivided and sold, the sites are at risk of being disfigured or neglected. [7]

The Government has recently proposed a small change in planning law to prevent the landbanking operators from subdividing land into small plots with unsightly fences and posts. CPRE welcomes the proposal, but on its own it will not be enough to tackle the growing problem. [8]

Much more needs to be done across Government. Councils need to be able to remove fences and stakes already in place, and Government urgently needs to use the powers it has in company and property law to curtail the landbanking operations.

Mark Prisk MP (Conservative, Hertford and Stortford) said: ‘It’s high time the Government acted. In Hertfordshire and across the UK, this landbanking is bad for our countryside and even worse for people tempted to speculate.’

Colin Challen MP (Labour, Morley and Rothwell) said: ‘The trend towards speculative landbanking needs to be arrested, and I hope that the collapse recently of a landbanking company will make people think twice about this capricious threat to our Green Belt. At a time when market pressure, as opposed to sound planning policy, appears to be the preferred post-Barker approach to housing supply, we need to carefully consider who would actually benefit. Landbanking should be discouraged – it is speculation against the countryside.’

Greg Mulholland MP said: ‘Ordinary people are being ripped off and at the same time landbanking scams are causing real distress to many local communities who are worried that important local sites, including in Green Belt land, will be built on. It is time the Government tackled this, to stop people being conned and to protect Green Belt land for future generations to enjoy.’

Paul Miner, CPRE’s Planning Campaigner, said: ‘In Australia they have clear laws to stop this practice and are using them. [9] We shouldn’t have to tolerate it here either. The Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Trade and Industry, the Financial Services Authority and the Office of Fair Trading need to work together and stamp it out completely.’ [10]

Faecal coliform in Ruscombe Spring

Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Council test the water yearly at Middlespring - the photo is of the report - apols as it appears too small to read - basically reasonably OK except a faecal coliform in the Spring. This is worrying as it is before the Spring runs through the valley and certainly makes the Spring water unfit for human consumption.

The Parish will be writing to SDC - but I was also asked to seek advice from the Ruscombe Brook Action Group members. I am awaiting replies - is this the result of a leaking sewage pipe or sceptic tank or cattle or what? There also appear to be no tests for pesticides or herbicides. I've also just sent a handful more of emails to seek further information about the best way forward - it all lends support for the partnership we are hoping to develop to look at all issues along the brook.

Last chance to email Competition Commission re Tesco

Just sent a news release re Tesco and the Competition Commission - read that here and take a moment to send an email using the Tescopoly website here.

All the evidence indicates that if we don't act soon we will loose even more of our farms - see some of our recent campaigns on this issue here.

Green Reading List Blog launched

A lazyish day today eating more mince pies, catching up on emails and reading - always enjoy Resurgence and Ecologist. Infact read an article in The Ecologist that links nicely to my Blog below about the rise digital TV and other gadgets. This article, the Electric Cabaret looks at other consequences of our high-tech media age - how work-home boundaries are blurred, roles are blurred and the impact on our relationships....sadly all too many of those gadgets will have found their ways into homes this Christmas - read Molly's Blog on Christmas which is a useful reminder about how this sacred festival has been corrupted.

...but I'm getting side-tracked here this Blog entry is really about a new project - a "Green Reading List Blog" - that has just been started - it is described as "an informal and personal contribution to the Green Party" by a Green party member. The idea is that people visit the blog and post their suggestions for categories, books or web based information in the comments boxes.

Photo: view of Randwick from top of Ash Lane, looking across to Whiteshill in the distance

These will then update as frequently as necessary so that the newest post shows the reading list as it currently stands. The site is here: http://paulfr0st.wordpress.com/

This seems a very useful project as many is the time I'm asked what Green books are good to read. This list is very much in it's early days - suspect when the list gets longer it'll need to 'weight' some of the suggestions or make more subdivisions - also need to get the list out more - Wikipedia, Greensworld, blogs etc. Maybe we can also add a few key Greens to list their favorites?

Here are my essential additions that I'll forward to the list for inclusion:

A great look at what's wrong and the ways forward - "Green Alternatives to Globalisation, A Manifesto" by Michael Woodin and Caroline Lucas, Pluto Press 2004 ISBN 0745319327

A much-needed spiritual element - "The Compassionate Revolution, Radical Politics and Buddhism" by David Edwards, Green Books 1998 ISBN 1870098706

An easy starter on key issues - "The Little Earth Book" by James Bruges various editions Alistair Sawday Publishing Co Ltd ISBN 1901970310

I also think it would be great to have a fiction section - and possibly poetry and more - but certainly there are many great novels that help us vision a Green world - if you do decide to add a section here's many people's favorite:

"Woman On the Edge of Time" by Marge Piercy 1976 (2000). Woman on the Edge of Time. London: The Women's Press. ISBN 0-7043-4656-7

What would your suggestions be?

Catch up on local news: film nights, PO raid and Lawns

Several local news items

Photo: View across to Bread Street from Ruscombe this afternoon

Randwick Film nights: The SNJ this week carries a story about the recent Randwick film nights - I sadly missed them - several people have told me how good they were - included a look at the Wap 33 years ago when the festival was revived - the first Randwick Mayor, the late Jim Turner had three of his sons in the audience.

There was also a film about the Woodchester pavement from 1973 when it was uncovered - I saw the replica made of this - wasn't expecting much but have to say even the replica was amazing - it has been on show locally at the Prinknash Abbey - see also BBC report re Prinknash Abbey.

Paganhill Post Office raided: Police are still hunting raiders who made a hole in a wall in an attempt to burgle the Paganhill post office at the Maypole Community Centre, in Stratford Road. The culprits apparently broke into the hall before gaining entry to the post office, but while they did get into the Post office nothing was stolen from the premises. Anyone with information about the break-in is urged to contact Gloucestershire police on 0845 090 1234, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Some good news is that the Paganhill Post Office is now getting used more - there were serious worries as after it moved trade dropped off to an unsustainable level - I think nobody knew it was there - however trade has picked up and it is now a going concern. However like all small post offices it faces many threats and some have said already it could be one of the ones listed for closure if we are not careful. Readers of this Blog will know I have been deeply unhappy about the whole process - Greens campaigned vigourously to try and ensure Tesco kept the Post Office in their store like in Nailsworth - too readily people accepted their refusal - read previous blogs here (it will come up with previous blogs and this one) - and see letter to SNJ at the time here.

Lawns work: Many will have noticed that work has begun on the ambitious plans to transform the Lake at The Lawns, just off Cainscross roundabout. The Ruscombe Brook Action Group has campaigned long and hard to get reed beds put in to help improve water quality - the brook ends up in that lake before going into the canal - I've attended a fair few meetings and while I am not wholly happy with the outcome it is better than original proposals and does have reed beds.

Some £35,000 worth of funding will go into dredging the lake, building up banks and more. The Stroud Community Land Trust who now manage the area, plan to turn it into a new space for wildlife and the community. The area, as locals will know, has fallen into disrepair over more than a decade. The two-hectare site, which lies in the shadow of Tricorn House, was formerly the garden of a large house known as The Lawns. Boasting a large lake, a flowing brook and hundreds of mature trees, the site has been described by residents as an oasis in an urban jungle. The house was bought by the county council and then demolished to make way for the new road. The old gardens remain, but in recent years the amount of litter, dogs mess and vandalism, along with the poor condition of many of the trees and the silting up of the lake, has meant many local people have stopped using it.

Blair advisor's plane commuting wakes me

I hope all Blog readers have had a good Christmas - I had planned a few days of quiet after the wonderfulnessness of family and friends but was awoken yesterday from the land of mince pies, crackers, wrapping paper and fairy lights by the Western Daily Press...well it was after 11.00 in the morning...

Photo: Standish Woods on Christmas Eve

The paper were after a comment on Blair's Sustainability advisor who commutes from Winchcombe near Cheltenham to Scotland every week by plane....you can read my comment here. There was part of me that cursed this advisor for leading to this phone call that woke me from my Christmas relaxations - but it was also good that the paper is asking for Green party comments on such matters - after all the polls show our support is growing - and there seems to be among many a recognition we need some radical changes if we are to really tackle climate change...the other parties are still not coming up with the policies that the scientists say we need.

Anyhow that aside this Sustainability advisor, Richard Wakeford, is asking for trouble commuting to Scotland and at the same time putting his name to reports that call on the rest of us to 'take responsibility for promoting sustainability in our own lives' - this is just the sort of thing that gets up people's noses. He argues family reasons keep him in Cheltenham but then why take the job - surely there are people capable in Scotland - indeed I know a few myself who would happily give Mr Blair advice!

Mr Wakeford may well be doing everything possible in the rest of his life to offset the plane emissions - solar on his house, shopping local etc etc - but that really is not the point - even travelling by train would mean 17 times less emissions - the Government must lead on this and it can't have it's top bods preaching to us then not following their advice - it makes a complete mockery and does nothing to encourage the rest of us to take action.

Mr Wakeford is further evidence of the need for urgent action by the Government - if he can't tackle his emissions then it should be clear to all that we need the Government to lead. Anyhow read the Western Daily story here - apparently front page - wish I'de been more awake as can think of allsorts more I would have liked to say!

Christmas greetings to all

Just a note to wish all seasonal greetings - back with the Blog after Christmas!

Re-double the Kemble-Swindon line

If you have a moment do please send Network Rail an email saying you support plans to re-double the line from Kemble to Swindon. The proposal to redouble the Swindon-Kemble single line is listed in Network Rail's Business Plan 2006 as infrastructure investment under consideration by Network Rail. The more people that write in support the more they will hopefully take this proposal seriously. If you prefer to write their address is Network Rail, 125 House, 1 Gloucester Street, Swindon, SN1 1GW

Night bus and Christmas recycling

Don't forget the Stroud Night Bus this holiday season - times and routes here. And a great idea to have these beer mats (see photo) in the pubs advertising these buses.

And think about Christmas recycling...in less than two hours the UK produces enough waste to fill the Albert Hall, and that’s not including the wrapping paper, decorations and empty bottles generated during the festive season!

Trees - Stroud District Council's usual recycling collection service for Christmas Trees will be in operation between Friday 29th December and Monday 15th January 2007. Large skips will be located throughout the District - our nearest one will be Cainscross Council Car Park or Focus in Rodborough. Trees will be taken away for shredding and composted locally. Skips will be removed from Monday 15th January 2007

Cards - Christmas cards can be taken to Tesco and W.H. Smith from 1st January.

Kerbside box - And don't forget the kerbside recycling service includes the collection of household non-rechargeable batteries, please bag separately at top of box.

Cardboard - Banks for the recycling of cardboard are located at Council Car park Cainscross.

Helpline for info: 01453 754424

Wifi, Digital, plasma screens and more: what are the dangers?

A local campaigner contacted me recently to see if I knew anything about the impacts of new technologies are having on our environment.

Photo: sunrise over Whiteshill earlier this week

Total energy use by home electronics rose by 30% between 1999 and 2005 from 0.6 to 0.8 MWh. The switch to digital TV is adding to the increase and will lead to even more significant increases - 22% of people now listen to the radio through their digital TV to avoid also buying a radio. This is releasing an extra 190,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. The switch to digital will also lead to more consumerism - more buying and more waste as old radios and TVs get ditched.

Plasma screens will make it worse still - in August it was reported that the demand for plasma screen TVs is creating an energy demand requiring two new nuclear power stations.....

Interestingly though Ethical Consumer researchers found with computers that the choice between a conventional, bulky cathode ray tube (CRT) and a flat screen monitor is probably the single most effective and easy environmental choice you can make when buying a new desktop computer. The biggest advantage is energy use, according to the report's authors. Less energy is needed to manufacture a flat screen, and LCD monitors operate on around half the energy of conventional ones. They also give off less heat, which can dry up the surrounding environment. In addition, flat screens emit less radiation, contain fewer hazardous and non-renewable materials and use a smaller quantity of ozone depleting chemicals, which contribute to global warming. Although flat screens do tend to be more expensive than conventional monitors, the cost can be recouped over the long term through lower energy use, and flat panels last around three years longer than CRT monitors.

And at least now there is a growing awareness about putting stuff on stand-by: most appliances on standby use 85% or more of the power they would use when switched on!! The Guardian recently reported that UK computer equipment left on at weekends and at night emits as much carbon in a year as 120,000 4x4s!! In our crazy world some of that equipment is left on 24/7 because anti-virus programs apparently need to be constantly updated - surely this needs looking at!

There are also concerns about Wi-Fi safety.

A Canadian university has limited Wi-Fi networks on campus because the long-term safety of the technology is "unproven". Read more about this here. Meanwhile an elementary school district outside Chicago has been sued for installing a wireless computer network by parents worried that exposure to the network's radio waves could harm their children. Read more here.

When I raised this issue with a colleage they said: "We should not be against all transmitters but limit them to very low powers. It will be far safer to use a wifi than a mobile phone." I hope he is right! Certainly we are not doing enough to raise awareness about mobile phone dangers - Greens have repeatedly tried to get this issue more on the agenda locally and nationally. See latest letter to press on this here.

So where does that leave us? Well I would welcome more info on this - is there anyone who could add something to this?

Fat traps, relining sewers, manholes and misconnections

Over the last weeks, as Secretary of the Ruscombe Brook Action Group, I've had various correspondence with Severn Trent water over the sewage system in this area. Things are still moving ahead in a very positive way - there seem to be a huge number of issues we are looking at at the moment - heres' a sample of them to update you:

1. Fat trap distribution

We have started distributing these locally and hopefully the local press will also cover the story - see my blog (18th December) below about fighting the fat. Photo of me with 150 plus fat traps.

2. Leaflet

We have agreement now to produce 1,000 joint leaflets with Severn Trent - have been trying to agree text - nearly there - then hopefully we can deliver to the local area.

3. Manholes, outflows, relining and other works

We now have plans of manhole covers and outflows - Severn Trent also now have a plan to do some spot relining of the sewers - they are looking at the moment at budgets and how soon the work can start. RBAG are asking for more info about where this is planned. We have also raised concerns about the bolted manhole covers - that is not a solution to the problem. The shattering of the concrete/brick base around a manhole would seem to confirm our view! To seal it again would not seem useful without other actions. We want to be reassured that the relining will also be designed to tackle that problem.

4. Misconnections

The photo shows what happens when people have misconnected washing machines to pipes that run straight into the stream rather than the sewer. Severn Trent have been checking one area - visiting every house - they are down to the last 9 to check.

5. Developing a partnership

As noted before we now have a brief for undertaking the work to create a plan for the brook. We also have an offer of £2,500 plus to create this plan - it will look at the priorities and where best to spend money to tackle the problems along the whole length - clearly part of the brief will be to work with stakeholders like landowners. I am in the process of setting a meeting up at Ebley Mill with Officers of the Council, other councillors and more for the end of January. We hope to establish some form of partnership so that all parties can have a say. Clearly when the research has been undertaken and projects identified, prioritised and costed then we can look at funding issues with all the parties and more.

6. Sewage on your lawn

I have had a fair bit of contact with a householder in the area who has seen sewage repeatedly overflow onto his front lawn - over 14 occasions - Severn Trent have more recently tried to regularly jet the sewers but contractors have not been good at coming on time and clearly this is not a solution. There was another major incident a couple of weeks ago and Severn Trent and others came out for a site visit. The proposal is to put a non-return valve on the pipe but no-one is clear what the effects of this might be - will it lead to pipes shattering underground due to massive pressure, or build up in someone elses property, or further blockages in this householders home?? I will be writing a letter to express my concern about this - it seems because the sewage only floods around the house and front and back doors that it is not a priority for capital expenditure to sort the problem. We'll see.

Randwick woods and the campsite: come to a meeting or telephone your thoughts

Many will know that the Cotswold Way campsite in Randwick woods closed this year following repeated vandalism, noise and other problems. To me this is a huge shame as the campsite offered walkers and others a place for the night.

Photo: woods yesterday bathed in winter sun

Randwick Parish Council has taken the initiative to look at this further. Last night they invited representatives from other local Parish councils and the National Trust to look at why the site closed and whether there was an option of reopening the site. Parish councillors noted that since the closure people had been camping on various private land in the area and causing a number of problems.

The lack of other campsites in the area compounds the problem - and the canal developments and the need to be encouraging more local sustainable tourism all add support to the arguments in favour of reopening the site.

So should the site reopen?

Well clearly the problems a few residents faced from noise and vandalism on a repeated and sustained basis over months was wholly unacceptable. If we are to consider the site reopening - and I am very much in favour of that move - then we need to be absolutely sure that such problems like this do not arise again.

So what are the options?

Photo: more of woods yesterday

The Parish meeting came up with various possibilities and lots of questions. Could the site be run commercially or part-commercially? Would fees from the site pay for a warden to visit regularly? Could a warden be employed locally? Could funds be found to improve the site to reduce vandalism? Could the police be more involved to ensure that raves like those at Ash Lane don't occur? Would Stroud District Council, the National Trust and other groups put money into making this a local community resource? Could other local groups be involved including young people to help improve and maintain the site?

So what is the next step?

I am hoping to arrange a meeting to discuss this - I've provisionally booked Thursday 18th January 6.30pm to 7.10 at the Village Hall as a time for residents to come forward and share thoughts, fears, hopes and ideas about the possibilities of reopening the campsite. The Parish Council meet at 7.15 and as always that is open to the public and there is a slot for the public to ask questions or raise issues if they like. I will confirm this meeting time on this Blog when I know the hall is free. MEETING POSTPONED: Parish Council will let us know of new date - but in meantime please send comments re campsite.

I am also happy to talk or meet with others to discuss the best ways forward if you can't make that meeting. This is not easy and we have to be very clear we need to find a way that does not lead to further serious problems for residents in that area. Please phone me, Philip Booth, on 01453 755451 to share your thoughts.

National Trust woods - some brief background info

It was great to hear from the National Trust a bit about the history of the local woods. Here is some of what they said...In the 1930s a local committee started buying up bits of land locally: over the years they managed to buy some 27 pieces of land and during the 1940s to 60s they replanted the woods like the Standish woods which were felled during the wars. The local committee handed over the land to the National Trust but continued to manage it and organise all the work needed.

Then in the late 1970s the National Trust employed the first warden, Harry Hayward who sadly died last year. He was in post for 10 to 15 years: now the National Trust have a team of wardens to manage a massive 4,500 acres of land locally that includes Woodchester Park and the Commons. Michelle Oliver who was at the Parish meeting with her boss the Head Warden, David Armstrong, is the officer responsible for our area.

There are many stories of how well Harry managed the woods and started the campsite in the 1980s for walkers - it was on a site that had started to be used as landfill and was only a wee way away from the Cotswold Way. It had no parking, a pit for a loo and water was available until that was vandalised about 7 years ago and not replaced.

The Cotswold Way for those not familiar is a long distance walking trail that runs between the city of Bath in the south, and the town of Chipping Campden in the north.The trail is approximately 100 miles long, and runs for most of its length on the Cotswold escarpment. It has been in existence for over 30 years and has recently been approved as a National Trail. This designation is special - making the trail one of only thirteen trails to be made into National Trails in England in the past 50 years.

After Harry left it was harder for the National Trust to manage the site: he lived there and was able to visit very regularly and attend to any difficulties. The problems however were mainly litter and minor difficulties but then about 3 years ago the more serious problems began: parties, raves and vandalism that spread from the site to neighbouring properties. 2 years ago the problems became even more frequent. The police also said they had not got the resources to keep policing this site.

Early this year the NT decided the only option they had was closure. They have operated a licence system so that groups can still book the site but no one has taken up this offer - if this route is to be pursued then we need much better publicity of this scheme.

Although the site was supposedly closed, the summer still saw people camping there regularly and also many reports of people now camping in other parts of the area on local farmland. This has led to a number of problems.

As noted above the community now needs to consider what is the best way forward. Should we try and tackle the problems and restore this campsite or should we look for other solutions? Clearly the campers are still wanting places to camp so what can we do to help local landowners who are now facing problems? Do come to the meeting to make your views known.

Other issues?

It was also interesting to learn about the ancient monuments like the Long Barrow in the National Trust woods. These are sadly being damaged by mountain bikers and boarders (see photo) - this is most likely ignorance of the monuments rather than anything intentional. The National Trust have already started to look at ways to make people more aware about these local monuments so that the accidental damage can be stopped. This seems a great opportunity to celebrate more our local heritage. How best can these monuments be made more of a feature? Do we need information boards? Perhaps some fencing or some trees removed?

Various other issues were also discussed like how the areas are maintained and the plans for some limited stone wall repairs. The Trust have also offered to talk to local groups and schools.

Bristol airport: news at the moment is as good as we could have hoped

First of all tomorrow is the LAST DAY to submit your response to North Somerset Council on the BIA expansion Master Plan. If you haven't responded yet, please do so NOW! Details are on the campaigning website. See link to Stroud District Green party's submission here.

Photo: Bristol Airport fuel

The special meeting held by North Somerset Council's Strategic, Planning and Economic Development panel (SPED) was yesterday. I have a report that the meeting started uncomfortably with BIA being given an uninterrupted 30 minutes to give its case and other groups having to fight to even speak for 3 minutes each (at the beginning of the meeting they were told they wouldn't be allowed even this, but councillors rebelled and the chair relented). Despite this, it was apparently a very one-sided affair with only one other person speaking in favour of expansion. At the end a resolution was passed 3-1 (with several abstentions) that the P&R committee "should not accept the master plan until full and independent reports had been prepared on all 5 areas mentioned", these being:
1) surface access, parking, traffic
2) climate change, biodiversity, pollution
3) economics case
4) physical changes to the airport eg terminal building etc
5) policy background

This is as good as we could have hoped for - but we must insist that all of these reports are in-depth, independent, transparent and if possible scoped with our cooperation, and be prepared and published well before ANY decision is made upon the Master Plan. This is all huge progress. Let's hope 2007 will bring success!

Petition to protect European public services

Collecting some greenery in the Slad valley this afternoon - for Christmas - my it was beautiful in the woods. Back in time for some tea before Parish meeting tonight. But hey if you have a moment do please sign this petition....

The European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC) have launched a Europe-wide petition to protect and strengthen public services that are vital to the wellbeing of all European Citizens. They are under threat from corporations and possible new legislation. We have already seen the threats in this country growing - huge sums of money are going to private companies and shareholders rather than being invested in patient care.

This petition is timely in calling on us all to act to ensure everyone has access to good health care, schools and quality public services now and in the future. It is essential that the public interest is seen as more important than open markets and by reaching the target of one million signatures on the petition, the European Commission will see there is a public demand for action.”

You can read more and sign the petition at www.petitionpublicservice.eu

Ruscombe Green linked to New Statesman

Hey, hey, hey we really are going up in the world - this 'Ruscombe Green' blog now has a link on the New Statesman website as one of three Green Blogs attached to the Blog of Principal speaker for the Green party - see Sian Berry's Blog here.

Have to say that publication isn't one I get regularly but the last copies I did get show they are really looking at issues like climate change in more depth and from different angles than most of the other similar publications. I am not yet convinced this is a trully 'green' publication but theres lots to get ones teeth into. This latest issue for example looks at how the government has been disguising the quantity of greenhouse gases that we create with our flights to and from the UK plus why the chancellor will not become a green premier and an article I enjoyed (particularly after the entry below re Baron Booth of Bread Street) looking at how the loans for peerages inquiry has exploded the myth of the British honesty gene. See the New Statesman website for more.

GM Potato trials and chemicals legislation

Have been meaning to write a letter to press on this since the announcement a couple of weeks ago - see here my letter. It is, as I say in the letter, extraordinary that the Government is still pushing ahead on GM despite such massive opposition - and the evidence of concerns about GM continue to grow despite the fact that worldwide GM is celebrating it's billionth acre of GM crops.

There are numerous examples and research to back up that claim - I wont go into them here otherthan to mention briefly a couple that were in the news - 'superweeds' - a huge problem in some countries now like Canada - and they were even found after the UK trials - the result of GM oilseed rape cross-breeding with a common weed in farm scale trials, making a genetically modified new breed of charlock, previously thought to be safe from mutation. This version of the common weed, found alongside oilseed rape in the UK and mainland Europe, is resistant to the weed killer used in the GM trial and confirmed as containing the gene inserted into the GM oilseed rape.

If GM oilseed rape was grown commercially, herbicide-resistant weeds could become widespread. Farmers would then have to use more and more damaging toxins to get rid of them, with all the associated knock-on effects on the environment. Infact across the world there is growing pest resistance to GM crops like GM cotton in Gujarat reported a week or so ago.

The yields are also not what many had hoped - just last month it was report that a new wave of farmer suicides in Maharashtra is being directly attributed to the huge losses made by farmers lured into growing GM cotton by promises of bumper harvests.

Without the slightest hint of irony, the Minister for Environment said that new potato trials were necessary to establish independent evidence, because otherwise, "we ... leave ourselves open to pressure from commercial companies, for example, and we are not going to bow to that."

Infact yesterday I also wrote a letter about this Government and how they gave into the chemical industry over new EU legislation to protect us from known dangerous chemicals in our environment. See that letter here. It seems that there are all too many examples around. I doubt press will publish them both - perhaps I would have done better to combine the two issues into one letter?

Notable historic quote:

"Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job."
Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications. "Playing God in the Garden" New York Times Magazine, October 25, 1998.

Ten Lords a lending and Baron Booth of Bread Street

It has been a bad year for British democracy. The 'loans for peerages' affair has highlighted all too clearly why there should be no place for patronage in Parliament. Some will remember the title I bought off the internet from a campaigning group to highlight this dreadful situation - Baron Booth of Bread Street. I even have a 'Certificate of Inauthenticity' (see below) and the money raised by the campaign is being used to challenge this patronage.

An amazing 80 pence in every pound donated to the Labour party comes from people subsequently honoured. This is totally unacceptable in a modern democracy.

Two-thirds of the public supports a predominantly or wholly elected second chamber, yet politicians have fudged this issue for years. Although there are signs that the Government has finally accepted that the second chamber must have some elected members, much more work must be done to ensure that MPs vote for a wholly elected second chamber.

The great card above comes from the Unlock Democracy website - you can send it as an e-card to family and friends to highlight the campaign - the site also has tips for further campaigning.

According to reports (e.g. The Independent): "in an unprecedented move, when MPs vote on the Lords shake-up in the new year, they will rate the different options in order of preference so that one proposal eventually enjoys majority support after second preferences have been redistributed. The method, similar to the alternative vote system used in elections in Australia, will ensure that the Commons reaches a clear view on how the second chamber should be modernised."

So if MPs now think that simple First Past The Post (FPTP) is no longer suited to their needs, are they finally going to see that FPTP is just as ill-suited to the needs of the country and the electorate? Are we perhaps seeing a recognition for the need to change our electoral system to Proportional Representation?

This Labour Government has immense power yet was elected with support from scarcely one in three of those voting and a little over one in five of the total electorate.

It's not surprising that people are unhappy with the voting system. People want to feel their vote has a value. Proportional representation would completely reinvigorate the dynamics of politics in this Country. Indeed a House of Commons elected under PR would not have supported Tony Blair over the war in Iraq. It would also mean Green voices in Westminister representing the views of substantial sections of the electorate....

But enough of this - time to polish my coronet - yes I've discovered allsorts that I never knew about being a Baron - mostly from people who have delighted in taking the mickey - an English Peerage baron is entitled to a coronet bearing 6 silver balls around the rim and in case you need to know how to address ...non-Scottish barons are styled The Right Honourable The Lord [Barony]....

Be a one tonner: tackling your carbon footprint

Over in Cheltenham an indefatigable campaigner, Cathy Green has a new project - it is all about taking responsibility for our personal CO2 emissions and cutting them by 80% - ie going from using 5 tonnes per year to one tonne - but doing it together in a group with others - she is launching the project in February and everyone is invited to go along to find out more.

So how to do it? How can we cut those emissions? Cathy writes:

"The process is very simple and easy to do - all you really need to do is switch to a Green Electricity supplier, insulate your house, cut down the driving and STOP FLYING! Once you have done these actions you will be well on your way to becoming a One Tonner."

You can read more about her project on her Blog.

This local project is a very useful and necessary development - we need to be showing ourselves and others how it can be done - and there is lots of good info out there - there are now loads of websites to help calculate 'carbon footprints'and CO2 emissions - and of course also give advice on how to tackle them.

There is also often conflicting information about how much we actually produce - one of the most recent pieces, a study by the government-funded Carbon Trustputs the annual carbon footprint of the average Briton at 10.92 tons of CO2 - a huge amount but US citizens average 19 tons of CO2 each year (see their great picture left dividing up the proportions of carbon). And as the Carbon Trust say the first step to reducing our emissions is to understand where they come from...

Interestingly the research demonstrates that our leisure and recreation pursuits - activities as diverse as watching a football match or taking a trip to the seaside - account for most of our emissions. Nearly a fifth of the average British citizen's 10.92 tons of CO2 - 1.95 tons - is emitted through recreation and leisure: everything from holiday trips by car and visiting a gym, which has substantial emissions, a trip to a leisure centre where the swimming pool is heated, watching television and enjoying live evening sport under floodlights.

However the importance of minimising carbon emissions from our homes is also reinforced by the figures, which show the average British citizen contributes 1.49 tons of CO2 a year through the heating of his or her home.

In the third category, 1.39 tons of CO2 are generated by food and catering. That includes everything from emissions generated directly by cooking and food use - refrigerating, freezing and cooking - plus the indirect emissions from the production of food and drink products and services. Production includes raw material cultivation, packaging production, manufacturing, distribution, disposal and recycling. Together, the top three categories account for a half of our individual carbon emissions.

An amazing 2kg of carbon can be saved for every journey under three miles for which we walk and don't use the car. Clearly taking public transport is also apart of the answer - sadly it is often poor quality, too infrequent and too expensive - infact I've just written today to Network Rail re the Kemble to Swindon line which urgently needs the single track converted to a double - at last it is on the list of proposals for Network Rail to consider. I'm not yet sure how the consultation works (or doesn't) but I've written to get clarification and lend support to the doubling of the tracks.

Anyhow closer to Stroud than the One Tonner project is the Transition Towns project - see my Blog entry for Wednesday last week. Their website is also growing all the time - and talking of website's we've had a little change around of the Glos Green party's home page - hopefully makes it easier to find what you are looking for - there is also always the search engine.

Cut emissions on new developments

Tonight there was a Planning Policy Panel on 'On-site renewables' - sadly rather poorly attended by councillors - it was, at last, a chance to discuss reducing CO2 emissions in new developments in the District - Stroud, if all goes well could have, in 6 months time, a rule to cut 10% of carbon on developments of around 10 houses - similar to the Merton Rule.

Photo: wind turbine, Lansdown Road, Stroud

About time too - the sad thing is that it looks like we can't go further as national government are setting the guidelines - some of those are good but some restrict us from pushing harder now. Infact many other Councils have been doing great things and encouraging renewables and carbon reductions - Woking, Kirklees, Milton Keynes, Croydon and many more.

Last week the new national Planning Policy Statement on climate change was announced by Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government - it gives welcomed new powers to local authorities and calls for all homes to be carbon-zero in 10 years time - already developers are crying it isn't possible - this is nonsense and the Government mustn't give in - infact if we are to tackle climate change they cannot give in.

However sadly 'giving in' looks like exactly what they have done over the new Code for Sustainable Homes - also announced last week - instead of being mandatory this Code is voluntary! This is little better than useless - the Code has some excellent ways forward but we know it wont be followed by many unless it is mandatory.

We have limited time to make the cuts in carbon dioxide emissions which are needed. As Friends of the Earth said in response to the announcements: "Carbon zero homes could be built now - so why wait ten years before insisting that builders construct them."

Are Labour really tackling climate change?

I was asked this question the otherday in response to last month's Independent newspaper who ran a front page with Tony Blair asking “Who says I’m not Green?” (18 November 2006).

Photo: Mildest December on record

I have to ask can Mr Blair really be serious asking this? Caroline Lucas Green MEP answers:

This is a Prime Minister under whose government greenhouse gases have risen, not fallen; a Prime Minister who has dragged his feet on implementing key European legislation on energy efficiency (and faces being taken to the European Court over it), and one who is presiding over both a 30 billion pound road building scheme, and the biggest expansion of aviation – the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions - in a generation.

The climate measures he has proposed so far are largely timid and ineffectual. For example, his proposal to include aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme could actually result in higher overall emissions.

The problem is that aircraft emissions are between two and four times more damaging to the climate than those from most other industries (due partly to the altitude at which they are emitted, and to the effects of non-CO2 emissions such as nitrogen oxides and condensation trails). As aviation is likely to be a net buyer of permits, ground-level emissions will be replaced by emissions with at least twice the climatic impact. Moreover, the price increase to customers will be negligible, and will fail seriously to reduce aviation growth.

As the European Parliament’s Rapporteur on Aviation and Climate, I have proposed an aviation-only emissions trading scheme, together with parallel taxes to address aviation’s non-CO2 impacts – proposals which have been agreed by my European colleagues, but still opposed by this government. If Blair really wants to be seen as “Green”, he should take his own advice – stop posturing, and urgently introduce practical policies which will really make a difference.

Indeed our Government Ministers (notably Milliband) have for far too long got away with outrageous spin on the UK Governments performance re climate changing emissions. They have done this by using obviously carefully prepared forms of words, mixing statistics in a confusing way and this has been helped by the failure of most journalists to challenge properly.

The most recent "The Environment in your pocket (2006)" published by Defra using the National Statistics office contains data that clearly nails this Government on many of their false claims.

Typical claims from Ministers:

- This Government is a world leader in reducing emissions
- This Government is successfully reducing greenhouse gas emissions and is going to reduce them further

There are 2 main measures of greenhouse gas emissions which Ministers like to confuse. There is the Kyoto basket of 6 gases (which include CO2) and the separate CO2 alone figure. The Defra publication helps put these straight:

The Kyoto basket of 6 greenhouse gasses (as expressed in millions of tonnes CO2 equivalent) has RISEN in the UK since 2003. Most of the reduction towards the Kyoto target of a 12.5% reduction (by 2008/12 on a 1990 base) occured under the Tories before this Government came to power. Although the UK is currently on track to meet Kyoto, if emissions continue to rise it could be a close run thing.

The domestic CO2 alone target reduction of 20% by 2010 on the 1990 base is WELL OFF TARGET. UK CO2 emissions have risen in recent years and are now higher than in 1995. This Government has overseen a rise in CO2 - the single most important greenhouse gas produced by society - and the 5% reduction claimed by Ministers for themselves occured under the Tories.

Whilst there was a long term trend towards lower emissions in several sectors before Labour came to power, that progress has been halted or reversed. Industry CO2 emissions fell fast/steadily until about 2000 but then stopped falling. Domestic CO2 also fell fairly steadily until Labour came to power and is slightly down in recent years but overall is UP since Labour came to power. Other users have flatlined since 2000.

But most worryingly, transport related CO2 has continued its long term rise under Labour (that has occured since 1970 - more than doubling since then). For the first time transport is now the equal largest sector in terms of CO2 emissions.

Douglas Alexander has now announced plans to partially re-regulate the buses, but any positive impact this may have is dwarfed by his commitment to another runway at Heathrow airport and a new runway at Stansted.

Aviation is the fastest growing contributor to climate change and so is a litmus test of any politician's environmental credentials. The Tories, surprise surprise, claim they haven't decided where they stand on this issue, but a stream of government figures and reviews keep reminding us that Labour stand shoulder-to-shoulder with big business on this issue - aviation expansion and unfettered economic growth at any cost.

In contrast the Green Party would use the tax system both to change behaviour and redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor. We do not believe in limitless growth, in part because we recognise that the world has finite resources. We would introduce some eco-taxes, but - unlike other parties - would ensure the revenue raised went directly to providing greener alternatives. Our policy of domestic tradable carbon quotas would be accompanied by a citizen's income - an unconditional, automatic payment to each individual as of right, replacing the unfair benefits system.

U-turn on National Identity Register welcomed but battle not won

This photo is of my sister-in-law and partners' granddaughter playing Hide-and-Seek in Standish woods this weekend - and what a glorious weekend. Possibly a tenuous link to this topic - but often one of the arguments for ID cards is if you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear....

What nonsense - we will be hearing next that spy cameras should be in every room in our homes linked back to the nearest police station - after all alot of crime goes on behind closed doors like child abuse, drug dealing and more. And while we are about it lets have all our mail openned and checked...

The need for privacy has nothing to do with implying we have something to hide or fear - to invade privacy someone should have a really good reason like you were strongly suspected of committing a criminal act. Only out-of-control dictatorial regimes monitor and control citizens all the time just in case a tiny minority get up to mischief. Infact it is more likely innocents who have more to fear as it is terrorists and criminals who are able to find ways around these cards.

Anyhow news that the Government is taking a U-turn on the National Identity Register (NIR) is most welcomed. This would have been the system that recorded everyone’s biometric details in one place - the plan is now to host the information across three existing IT systems. Read the BBC report here: ‘Rethink on ID card computer plan‘.

Whilst this is not yet a halt to the ID cards scheme - the launch for ID cards is still planned to begin in 2009 - the decision to bin the National Identity Register is definitely a start in chipping away a future ‘database state’. The whole project has been ill-conceived from the start and is a huge waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere. Read more about it here, here - and herere last Green party action against ID cards locally. Plus the excellent website with lots of quotes from a Phil Booth who is not me and is no relation but does say lots of wise things - read more about the nonsense arguments that try to justify spendfing vast sums of our money on ID cards at: no2id.net

Help us fight the fat - Brook group gets serious about kitchen fats and detergents

The Ruscombe Brook Action Group have launched a campaign locally with a new leaflet to raise awareness about our sewers (see photo). Although I designed the leaflet based on ideas from the group I can now see allsorts of things I would like to change...mind it took long enough to put that together...

...anyhow we have a 150 fat traps and money-off vouchers which we will be giving away at local schools and to houses along the Ruscombe brook. Below are the quotes given to local press - today I've started giving the fat traps out - more later this week and after Christmas.

Philip Booth, Secretary of the Action group that has campaigned against repeated incidents of raw sewage escaping into the Ruscombe brook, said: "We have found many reasons why local sewers have on occasions overflowed. One aspect that doesn't get enough publicity is that putting cooking fats down our drains can lead to the sewers clogging up. The brook group now have a 150 'fat traps', courtesy of Severn Trent water, to give away. Infact almost any container will do but we are using these traps to highlight the issue - the fats then can be disposed of in household rubbish or better still converted into fat balls for the birds to eat (i)."

Philip Booth said: "Cooking fats are not the only problem: many of the detergents we use in our homes are also high in fats and other ingredients that can harm wildlife (ii). We are very pleased to have had support from Ecotopia in Stroud High Street who stock many environmentally-friendly detergents - on showing one of our leaflets they will offer 15% off detergent-free laundry balls."

Philip Booth said: "We have to start to think differently about our sewers if we want to ensure our countryside is less polluted. Too often the toilet and sewers have been used for items like cotton buds, nappies, sanitary wear, dental floss, medicines and worse (iii). All these can lead to problems. We are hoping our campaign to 'Fight the Fat' will raise awareness of these issues."

Notes:
(i) In the case of fast food establishments and other large fat users RBAG would like to see the fats being collected and used as biofuels rather than flushed away to block our sewers.
(ii) Other problems with detergents include:
- Phosphate based detergents in particular are banned in some countries because they add nutrients to the waste stream which can cause eutrophication (or algae growth) in receiving waters.
- Chlorine products - bleaches - are another problematic waste stream. Most people probably live in the mistaken belief that such products could only have a beneficial effect on the drains, because they kill germs, but this is not the case. With so much organic material and ammonia in sewage, the chlorine products react with these rather than bacteria, which is why chlorine is never added in the early stages of sewage treatment. The problem is that these chlorine based products react with organic chemicals to produce chlorinated organic's - the same group of chemicals as the weedkiller DDT, PCB's and pesticides. They are not biodegradable, they persist in the environment and have a cumulative effect. They are not removed in the sewage treatment process. Many experts predict there will be a general presumption against the use of chlorine products in future, apart from as a residual biocide in the water supply.
(iii) Severn Trent Water is a founder member of the national 'Bag It and Bin It' group which campaigns to raise awareness of the problems that arise from flushing personal and disposable products down the toilet. Plastic or insoluble materials that are disposed of in this manner cause over two-thirds of all blockages of the sewerage system and add to the problems of sewage flowing out into rivers. The 'Bag It and Bin It' campaign aims to prevent sewage related debris from littering British riverbanks and coastlines by educating people not to flush their disposable products down the toilet - urging them instead to 'Bag It and Bin It'. Here are their suggestions:
Cotton buds, Ladies tights, Dental floss
- Dispose of these in the bin along with other household rubbish.
Tampons and applicators
- Wrap well and dispose of in the bin.
Condoms
- Wrap well and dispose of in the bin.
Incontinence pads
- Contact your Local Council or District Nurse Service and request inclusion in what is commonly known as the 'yellow bag' scheme. This scheme delivers and collects yellow bags specifically designed for the safe disposal of incontinence pads.
Sanitary towels
- Special bags for sanitary protection items are available from pharmacies.
Bandages & plasters
- Wrap well and dispose of in the bin.
Disposable nappies
- Wrap well and dispose of in the bin. Before doing so you could flush any human waste down the toilet - but not the nappy itself.
Razors and blades
- Put the used blade inside a rigid container, which you are also throwing into the dustbin. Razor blades should never be flushed down the toilet.
Medicines
- Any unwanted or unused medicines should be returned to your local pharmacy for safe disposal. Do not dispose of medicines with other household waste. Always remember to keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Is Bristol airport getting desperate?

I was sent a letter today by Bristol International Airport which said that "a number of emotive claims about the proposed expansion" were being made and that they would "like to ensure a balanced and informed debate".

This is a little odd - infact in the factsheets they sent to me they failed to address any of the key issues I raised in the Green party's submission to the consultation process. This expansion cannot go ahead if we are serious about climate change - it is as simple as that. You can see my press release just sent by clicking here.

Where is there a biodiesel garage? And is it the answer?

There is a ready supply of 100% biodiesel right here in Stroud. It is, at present, only crop biodiesel imported from Scandinavia but Adrian Lawton, who produces it, has recycled chip oil in the past and might do it again, with adequate support. For more info and where else you can get biodiesel see the Pure Biodiesel Community website at www.purebiodiesel.co.uk

If you have to drive this is a better option - although at the moment it is slightly more complicated than a BP forecourtin Stroud as you will need to get keys organised and serve yourself. See the website for more details.

But while biodiesel is still a better option we should be wary about seeing it as an answer to climate change or Peak Oil - to see more read the article 'Biofuels - Climate curse or cure?'. This shows how we cannot expect the answer to lie in biofuels - we need the land for food - all the more important with population increases and climate changes effecting existing crops - we do not want to see even more of a world where the rich can still drive there 4x4s and the poor starve.

Send fruit to the Government!

There are two campaigns at the moment that have a similarity - both want us to send fruit to the Government.

Photo: Banana leaf reproduced with permission from Charles Roffeys' collection.

Burma's democracy movement has called for targeted economic sanctions against the regime in Burma, which spends up to half its budget on the military and is possibly the worst dictatorship n the World - but instead of stopping companies investing in the oil, gas and timber sectors in Burma, where the regime earns most of its money, British and European companies are banned from investing in a pineapple juice factory and a few other minor companies. This is surely a joke. Britain is ranked as the second largest source of approved investment in Burma, but the government refuses to ban companies from investing there. To highlight just how ridiculous the UK and EU sanctions are, Greens have joined campaigners in posting pineapples - fresh, dried or tinned - to Margaret Beckett, the British Foreign Secretary, and calling on her to unilaterally ban new investment in Burma. The USA banned new investment back in 1997. Britain must now ban new investment in Burma. The Citizen kindly covered the story yesterday. I've long been a member of the Burma Action Campaign and been involved in many of their letter-writing campaigns.

I first got interested after I was fortunate to visit the country in 1986 for a week - at that time that was the maximum allowed - and it was before the current boycott of visiting the country was called by Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Tourism provides the dictatorship in Burma with millions of pounds every year. Forced labour has been used to develop many tourist facilities. I have also joined their campaign to boycott Lonely Planet guides for their extraordinary stance of encouraging tourism to Burma against the wishes of the democratically elected leaders....anyhow the Burma Action Campaign has had much success in stopping travel companies going there are and also publishes a Dirty List of companies that still trade there. A great example of where people pulling together can bring about change - we now need our Government to listen. You can also send a pineapple to:

Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Foreign Secretary,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
King Charles St,
London SW1A 2AH

More about that campaign here. Incidently apols for text fonts going hay-wire in this post - they wont respond to me!

The other campaign is to send a banana to Tony Blair after campaigners felt that Blair's Banana Republic was created on Thursday 14th December 2006. It came into existance, they say, when the rule of law was abolished in the UK, and replaced by the law according to politicians.....this all relates to the decision over the Saudi defence probe - the investigation by the Serious Fraud Office into BAe Systems plc concerning payments made in relation to the Al Yamamah programme with Saudi Arabia has been discontinued - the last letter re this from Gloucestershire Greens was back in January. It does seem clear that Saudis have encouraged Britain to drop the case - it is also extraordinary that we continue to sell arms to them - there is no way that could fit with any ethical foreign policy.

Indeed an ICM opinion poll commissioned by the One World Trust, Democratic Audit, and the Federal Trust in January 2006, found 83% of the UK population were against arms and military exports to countries which violated their citizens’ human rights (though being reminded that exports were important to the UK economy and jobs - which I would dispute!).

With the recent decision to end investigations, the conditions under which some of these arms deals are secured, will now remain excluded from adequate parliamentary and public scutiny.

Send those bananas and pineapples!!

Add your name to the 'Wall of Shame'

After scribbling the last blog on homelessness I thought I should also make this entry. Shelter is calling on Gordon Brown to fund an extra 20,000 social rented homes each year in a bid to end the housing crisis. To get his attention, they built a 30-metre wall on London's South Bank and asked people to sign it. You can add your name to the Wall of Shame here.

Homeless in Whiteshill: the South West's housing timebomb

Yesterday I got a phonecall from someone who has no home - the third person in our ward that has contacted me since I was elected in May - we really cannot underestimate the impact this can have on a person. It is true most people registered homeless are not actually on the streets but the toll that 'sofa surfing' takes on relationships, work possibilities and health are enormous.

Years ago as a Social Worker in London I often had the unhappy task of trying to help people fleeing violent relationships and exploitative landlords or who had lost their homes due to a whole host of reasons - I don't have the figures to hand but a huge percentage are people who have been in the forces often suffering from their experiences of war - and of course a high percentage also have mental health problems - indeed with the stresses of such living it would be surprising if people did not.

What sort of society are we? To me it is utterly outrageous we cannot find homes for people - look at the wealth around us - money for wars, renewing Trident, £300,000 bonuses for corporate 'leaders', second-homes, massive corporate profits - we are one of the wealthiest nations but the rich get richer and the poor get poorer - in our District the number of people registered homeless is steadly rising. Inequality in a society has a negative impact - it is in our interests to create a fairer society.

On current rates anyone on the register with a place further down the list than 20 basically wont get a home for years - if ever. All I can do is check people have the points they should have and know where they can get further advice - but it all stinks - basically there is not much out there - the private-rented sector is shrinking and there are fewer opportunities if anything.

But what we are seeing here is the same across much of the South West. We are the only region in England with above average house prices but below average incomes. We are the most unaffordable region in the UK to buy a home - house prices are 9.3 times average incomes and by 2011 average house prices will rise from the current £200,000 to more than £280,000 - a further whopping great 40% rise.

Affording a home at the cheapest end of the market requires income of £25,557 - 67% higher than average. House prices have already risen 164% since 1997 - yet incomes have only gone up 20%. Housing waiting lists have gone up across the region by 50% in 5 years with the 'Right to Buy' Council houses still having an impact on reducing the number of homes available.

Affordable housing makes up only 16% of all homes produced - on averahe each local authority gained just 12 new affordable homes after 'Right to Buy'. Despite extra investment over last 2 years we are still only producing half the affordable homes we need.

Research shows this all means - more overcrowding, poorer health, lower education attainments, restrictions on social mobility and employment prospects.It also affects the individuals quality of life, the regions economic prospects, leads to outward migration of young people, pressure on services and causes unbalanced communities - particularly in rural areas.

We have a housing timebomb. It is time politicians took this issue seriously.

Capitalist mantras

I came across this cartoon some weeks ago and then found it again today. It fits well with my 'advert' here for Stroud-based Molly Scott Cato's Blog about Green Economics.

Greens have been seen by some as negative and not putting forward alternatives - I certainly find it a challenge to write to the press about an issue in less than 250 words - often saying why something is not working takes nearly all the space meaning there is little room to present the green alternative/vision - but it is just not true to say those green alternatives are not there...we are virtually the only party with a philosophical basis to our policies - and do not consider policies in isolation - when we look at health policies we look at all aspects from food additives and chemicals in the environment to transport policies to how drug companies operate etc - and as Molly writes in another Blog:

"Such a vision offers greater community and personal satisfaction: a world where conviviality replaces consumption, where local identity replaces global trade, and where community spirit replaces brand loyalty."

See also a Comment I wrote for The Citizen earlier this year - things are definiately changing - there are many positive signs around - see earlier Blog re Transition Towns, the national poll increases in those saying they will vote Green and the medias greater willingness to tackle these issues etc etc. Yes I know we still have a long way to go but we are at last talking about the alternatives and options - Milliband even mentions tradeable personal carbon allowances, our Council is at last talking renewable energies, carbon neutral homes is also on the menu...

Anyhow in Molly's most recent piece she has a bit on capitalist mantras - that's what I was intending to write about but seem to have got side-tracked above - I strongly recommend reading her full Blog (12th Dec 2006) which talks about how capitalism isn't just a powerful economic system but also a system of ideas - here are some she picked out with some alternatives.

There is no such thing as a free lunch → Food is for sharing
You can’t get something for nothing → Unless you are a shareholder or landowner
Everybody has a price → Generosity is its own reward
Time is money → My time is my own
Nothing in life is free → The best things in life are free
Money makes the world go round → Love makes the world go round
We need to protect our wealth → We need to rely on the love of others
If it isn’t hurting it isn’t working → If I can’t dance I don’t want to be part of your revolution

She is urging people to make further suggestions.