Burma: please take action

Just got home this evening and found an invite to appear on World Have Your Say programme on BBC World Service re Burma - however the programme was 18.00 today.

A pity I missed it - although not sure how good I would have been at putting across all the complex issues - one point I would have made was the $83 million level of EU trade (2005) when the regime should be high on the list for sanctions. The Burma Campaign UK have long called for targeted economic sanctions, including an investment ban, a ban on financial transactions, an asset freeze, and a ban on imports of timber and gems.

The news today from Burma is not good - even Brown acknowledged that the death toll is suspected to be much higher than the official figures - but at last he calls for sanctions - but when will there be action? There are also reports of soldiers' mutineering - how many is unknown.

"China is the puppet-master of Burma. The Olympics is the only real lever we have to make China act. The civilised world must seriously consider shunning China by using the Beijing Olympics to send the clear message that such abuses of human rights are not acceptable."
Edward McMillan-Scott, vice-president of the European Parliament

"We still believe that the processes under way in Myanmar do not threaten international and regional peace and security. We expect the country's authorities, as well as the participants in protest marches, to exercise mutual constraint not to allow further destabilisation of the situation."
Russian Foreign Ministry statement

"I extend my support and solidarity with the recent peaceful movement for democracy in Burma. I fully support their call for freedom and democracy and take this opportunity to appeal to freedom-loving people all over the world to support such non-violent movements. Moreover, I wish to convey my sincere appreciation and admiration to the large number of fellow Buddhists monks for advocating democracy and freedom in Burma. As a Buddhist monk, I am appealing to the members of the military regime who believe in Buddhism to act in accordance with the sacred dharma in the spirit of compassion and non-violence. I pray for the success of this peaceful movement and the early release of fellow Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi."
Dalai Lama - Message to Burma

Take action here (and see previous blog entries on Burma):
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/crackdown.php

Don't forget West Papua

On the 14th November a Green party colleague is organising an event at the Space in Stroud to raise awareness about West Papua for the local Amnesty group - it will include one of the key West Papuan leaders, Benny Wenda.

Last time Benny was in Stroud was in 2005 when a local film maker showed some film of West Papua - it was a good evening - at this November meeting there will also be a film - anyhow Benny is a great green radical - I last heard him speak at the Green party Spring conference - we are very fortunate to have the chance again to hear this extraordinary man talk about his extraordinary fight...

At the moment the situation is bad in West Papua - the Free West Papua campaign are getting messages from inside West Papua every day about ordinary Papuan women, men and children being killed, tortured, intimidated and imprisoned by the forces of the Indonesian military occupation. Think Burma (see previous posts on situation there and actions you can take) and that's West Papua under Indonesian colonial rule.

But whilst the US & UK governments are starting to speak out about Burma, they stay silent about Indonesian oppression in West Papua. Why? The simple answer is that they seek to protect Western multi-nationals like BP and Rio Tinto's commercial interests in Indonesian-occupied West Papua.

For the moment it's impossible for the people inside West Papua to campaign peacefully for independence from Indonesia.....unless they want to sign their own death certificate. That's why they need us to speak out on their behalf - to let the leaders of the US & UK know that you're not prepared to stand by and witness the Indonesian military wipe out the indigenous West Papuans from the face of their own Land.

This week I already mentioned Gordon Brown's speech at the Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth - he said: "There is a golden thread of common humanity that across nations and faiths binds us together and it can light the darkest corners of the world. And the message should go out to anyone facing persecution anywhere from Burma to Zimbabwe: human rights are universal and no injustice can last forever."

Please E-MAIL Gordon Brown a message (including your name & address) so that he will listen to the cry of the West Papuans. Go to:
http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page821.asp

And you could also send it to the UK Foreign Secretary, David Miliband MP:
milibandd@parliament.uk

And the Foreign Office Minister, Meg Munn MP:
munnm@parliament.uk

And finally if you're a UK citizen or resident in the UK please sign your name to the Free West Papuan political prisoners PETITION on the 10, Downing Street website:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/FREEWESTPAPUA/

A46: Wades Lane lorries ignore restrictions

More photos from residents of Wades Lane - I sent the note below to Highways and Community Police - this is a dire problem - there do not seem to be any easy answers - I can wholly understand residents deep frustration. I have heard some residents (not in that road) threaten to block the road. Ideas about best ways forward welcomed?

Many thanks for your swift response - especially good re news of Puckshole reopening. However I am not happy that all is being done that could be done regarding Wades Lane area. I have received further photos this morning (taken Wednesday) of a lorry, motorhomes and an accident along the lane - plus reports from two residents who remain very concerned.

The extra slow signs are up but the dire problems persist: motorists are clearly ignoring the signage and travelling too fast and lorries also still use the route. The weight restriction on the bridge appears to be being ignored: is this dangerous? Have traffic lights been considered? A long wait might deter people? However one of the residents who has contacted me considers that traffic lights will simply make this an official rat run? Closure of the road I am sure is not possible or perhaps desirable as other communities would face traffic increases? It seems signage is being ignored but maybe a 'Long Delays' sign could reduce impatience?

Residents do appreciate that this is a nightmare for everybody including the Highways Dept . The road is 60 mph and the quantity of impatient traffic makes this a very dangerous stretch of road. Is there any way of putting in an emergency 20 mph in view of the situation? Please could you also request more police for the busy periods in morning and evening? I hope it will be possible to at least alleviate a little some of the problems here.

Mail centre saved but no Sunday post

Great news - the city's mail centre has been saved from the proposed move to Swindon - am convinced people power won the day - all political colours rose against the proposal and a constant flow of letters to papers, a march and various other moves mean it is now under review. Workers will understandably still have a sense of uncertainty - it looks like common sense has won but we should not lower our guard just yet. See Green campaign letter here and scroll down to my previous blog entry on this on 8th November here. The campaigns website also has news here.

On October 28th, Sunday and bank holiday post collections from boxes will be cut - that is some 288 boxes in Gloucestershire - another erosion of a once great service - Royal Mail say they have to make the cuts to compete with rivals - all in the name of competition....

Should District support local post offices?

The Government plans to close 2,500 post offices by 2009 - a fifth of those left in the UK - this means many post offices in Gloucestershire are under threat. One look at the Government's criteria for closure shows that according to them we have way too many post offices. It is certainly clear many post offices are in trouble:

Here's a quote from a Sub-postmaster to the District Council: "For every 200 pensioners we serve, we make only £15!!"

Last night at a Stroud District Council Policy panel in the Council Chamber at Ebley Mill (pictured above), a presentation of the current situation re post offices was made to councilors - sadly only only 5 0r 6 out of 51 councilors were there. I don't think that reflects the feelings about post offices but rather the frustration at having few powers to change the situation.

As regular readers of this blog will know post offices closures or threats to their closures have been an important local issue - locally Cashes Green Post Office and Whiteshill PO closed despite demonstrations and petitions while Paganhill remained open only due to massive community action and public funds - the other remaining post offices in Cainscross and Ebley have also been threatened with closure and some in the Parish fear they will not survive under this new review. Put 'post office' into search facility above to see previous entries or to see my submission to the Governments consultation click here.

The District Council has given small grants of £500 to village shops and post offices in the past however this scheme ended as £500 was really too little. The Council has also provided professional advice and support - even tried to help set up a forum for village shops and post offices - understandably if you are running one of those you are too tired to then attend an evening meeting - the forum closed but I do wonder if something online maybe possible instead?

Anyhow the Government is set to make an announcement in February and have another 6 week consultation - there is really little that can be done before then. I've written lots before on the flawed nature of the post office closures - the Government seems set on seeing them only as businesses - a complete failure to recognise the social importance they play - and indeed the importance of retaining local services in our challenge to reduce CO2 emissions.

So that leaves us locally with questions to ask - an interesting debate developed at last nights meeting around these issues. Wish I could summarise all but here is a taster...

Why do we want a Post Office? What should a PO provide? What should SDC's role be?

These are not such obvious questions? There is a romance attached to local post offices and retaining them however there is still no question in my mind about the important role they play - over 200 services including many types of banking. Yet local shops also play an important role in communities - too many communities no longer have access to fresh vegetables - or indeed any local food supplies.

Clearly there is a need for wider actions by Government to support local services but to what extent should SDC help local 'businesses'? I asked if there was a way of assessing 'social' or 'environmental' benefits and perhaps on those grounds looking at support - but the whole area is fraught with difficult issues, national policies and more. Certainly SDC should have a role in supporting post offices and village shops to diversify. I want to write lots more on this but have an appointment - will no doubt return in a future blog.

Shameful - Government and EU failing on Burma

Yesterday I wrote a post re the importance of action NOW on Burma - our Government now agrees there needs to be action but they still have not yet taken any. Meanwhile the EU is appearing extraordinarly ‘weak and ineffective’ over the ongoing human rights abuses, ethnic cleansing and violent persecution in Burma.

Here's a quote today from Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas said: “The time for weak words of solidarity is over: and we need some real action now if we are to prevent bloodshed on the scale of 1988, when over 3,000 pro-democracy protestors were killed by the military junta. The reality is the EU has been weak and ineffective on Burma: it hasn’t adopted any measures likely to cause the regime any real hardship, and it has been cutting funding for projects to support human rights and democracy in the country. The EU needs to act – with a complete ban on all new investment, a ban on imports into EU of gems, fossil fuels and timber (the lucrative industries whose revenues fund the military regime), by putting pressure on China to withdraw its financial support for the regime and sponsoring a regional conference on Burma’s future."

The bravery of the thousands of protesters in Burma is incredible - their actions signal that there is deep desire and desperate need for change. For far too long the Burmese people have lived under an appalling regime with no respect for human rights nor human dignity. The companies and countries that are currently trading with Burma should use this time to exert pressure on the Junta regime to stop the oppression and the inhumane treatment of its citizens.

See the previous post for action to Email UN Security Council and here for Burma Campaign who are launching later today a new email campaign. Please make sure you let our Government know they need to take action. Arrests and the first deaths have occurred - see here - we cannot leave it any longer - the international community must lend full support now.

Support for village halls in Stroud

Last night District councilors had a Policy Panel meeting at Ebley Mill to look at Stroud's "Village Hall and Community Buildings Scheme" - this is a grants programme which allocates about £100,000 per year to help halls refurbish.

Photo: Whiteshill Village Hall

Only a handful of councilors attended - disappointing as village halls are the heart of many communities - indeed we should not underestimate their social worth - I applaud the Councils support for these buildings which has led to matched funding coming from many other bodies - indeed SDC has spent £400,000 and this has helped village hall committees pull in matched funds of £2.5 million.

Whitminster and Oakridge village halls were sited as successful schemes - 23 halls have so far received help. A picture of Whiteshill Village Hall during the recent floods was used in the presentation to illustrate the importance of village halls in other community activities like the emergency distribution of water. They haven't received a grant as the hall is in pretty good shape - however Randwick Village Hall are currently in discussions with SDC over a possible grant.

One discussion during the evening was whether SDC should continue funds for refurbishing halls - no one voted against that, a couple wanted more info but the other three (including myself) fully supported the scheme - 2 of those had had money already from the scheme so no advantage to them voting in favour. Clearly this will go through proper channels for a formal vote but I hope the administration continues this support.

It is vital to my mind that halls are pleasant and comfortable places to be - we've all been in halls where are feet freeze and heads burn from overhead heaters - halls that fail loose community groups and revenue - and could end up closing.


I did raise issues of energy efficiency - there is already a scheme - Community Hall Energy Efficiency and Renewables Scheme (CHEERS ) - that aims to give advice and support re this - to me this is a crucial issue - many halls are expensive on energy use and with oil prices forecast to potentially double we need to tackle this - and of course climate change - SDC is committed to tackling this area but I consider that grants should be conditional on insuring the highest efficiency standards.

Another issue raised was about how many village halls are struggling - committees are getting older with no new blood - a village hall network is being set up to help re this - maybe halls could share treasurers or come to other joint solutions?

One point was made that many Parishes only had a revenue of a few thousand pounds so are in a difficult position to start helping village hall committees - worse still they often proudly declared no rise in their precept on the Council tax - while others spend their money on local projects that benefit the community - to me that is how it should be spent.

A46: Wades Lane, Wicks Street and Slad also suffering

The photos here are from a resident in Pitchcombe - she contacted me after the press coverage we have been getting regarding Whiteshill. The traffic problems in Wades Lane and Wicks Street do appear to be very dire -I've added a paragraph to my email today to County - see below.

Meanwhile front page of The Citizen today covers the madness in Slad Road caused by the A46 closure - Green Cllr Lunnon pictured on cover and inside by the road - see here and photo below (although Citizen seem to remove articles quicker now).

See also various previous posts on A46 by putting A46 into search facility above. Updated at 14.30 today with initial response from Highways - more info to follow when available.

Re A46 closure - several issues:

1. Thank you. As I noted to the press and at Saturday's meeting in Whiteshill we have welcomed the efforts of Highways and police to provide relief for residents from the additional extra traffic. The support and thorough interviewing of residents by the Community Police Support Officers at that meeting was also very welcomed. The situation is still dire at times with queues of impatient drivers and cars travelling too fast but the situation has improved since the initial closure - the various measures you have taken like the leaflet to householders, traffic lights at Edge and police presence have been particularly helpful. Please pass on thanks to all involved: it is clear we need to remain aware of this blight on Whiteshill and continue to work to reduce the problem. Just this week the Parish are seeking to have the waste collection time changed to ease flows. Highways response: Thank you, it's good to hear that our efforts are appreciated, even though it sometimes doesn't seem so. We'll keep working at the problems.

2. Wades Lane. I understand some residents have been in touch with Highways over the problems in this Lane and Wicks Street. Some have sent photos to you which I have now also seen. It does appear to be a dire situation making walking dangerous - apparently one older person no longer risks walking up the lane to the bus stop. Incidents of road rage have also been reported, lorries have ignored the HGV signs and residents are very concerned that as the nights draw in, these lanes without lighting will become even more dangerous. This is clearly another challenge with no easy answers. However as a matter of priority I do consider that police presence in this Lane would help: residents report that they have not seen any police there yet. Have other measures also been considered like traffic lights and signs warning of delays to discourage traffic? Highways response: Some extra slow signs have already gone up, and there will be more to follow.

3. Puckshole landslip. Is there an update on when repairs will be completed? Highways response: I'm expecting a start in the next 2 weeks, and completion in about another 2-3 weeks.

4. Carshare and train travel. I initially had helpful responses from First Great Western but it has now gone quiet: to me this remains a perfect opportunity to publicise rail travel and carshare more vigourously to reduce traffic. I am disappointed that the County has not been able to capitalise on this.

5. Longer-term. The meeting last Saturday in Whiteshill re traffic problems was planned before the A46 collapse: residents have been deeply concerned by the speed of traffic and how the road divides the village - particularly children unable to cross the road to use the playground and discouraged from walking to school. You will probably be aware the village was exploring ways with Katie Griffiths and others to slow traffic. They still want to work towards a 20 mph but realise much is needed before that can be achieved. A big concerns is that even when the A46 reopens, Whiteshill and indeed other lanes will continue to have heavier traffic as people learn new routes and sometimes find them easier. We look forward to continued support to tackle the problems in this community.

Easyjet go green?

I was asked yesterday about Easyjet's national campaign last week - their demands for "a more intelligent approach to aviation" - which included scrapping air passenger duty and instead levying tax on the "oldest, dirtiest" aircraft. I wonder if that also means an end to the absurdity of free flights and ridiculously priced flights?

In fact these measures proposed by Easyjet would clearly be in their interests - meeting these demands will mean yet more flights and continued airport expansion. Budget airlines are already fuelling demand, creating new routes and getting people on to those planes - it's also mainly the middle classes who are flying.

The resulting increase in CO2 emissions cannot be mitigated by the improved technology implied by newer, "cleaner" aircraft. Indeed this is yet another case of 'greenwash' by aviation companies. A recent IPCC report confirms this saying that although there was some medium-term potential to mitigate aviation CO2 emissions by tinkering with operations and technology to increase fuel efficiency, any such improvements are "expected to only partially offset the growth of aviation emissions".

The most important question should really be whether the flight would otherwise have been taken. Low-cost airlines may be in their own terms more efficient, you can't claim to be more environmental if you're increasing flights.

Stop Bristol Airport Expansion note that Easyjet's second largest base after Gatwick is at Bristol International Airport and ask that we respond by writing to MPs and local councillors. The Green party here in Gloucestershire have already made several submissions against the airport expansion (see for example here) and would fully support the moves by Stop Bristol Airport Expansion.

They suggest making the following points:
- Environmental taxation needs be increased to suppress demand and should be continued on all flights (including freight and private jets) in the UK;
- The oldest and most polluting aircraft should be banned;
- There must be a halt to all airport expansion plans due to increased noise, road congestion, air and light pollution and loss of green fields to car parking, all of which seriously affect our communities;
- Call for immediate commencement of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme;
- Call for an aviation fuel tax and VAT on air tickets;
- Call for advertisements for air travel to show how much environmental damage is carried out when flying;
- Technological improvements to aircraft will result in a small improvement to efficiency, but will not be delivered soon enough to cut the level of emissions needed to avert dangerous climate change due to the increased demand to fly.

If your MP is Liam Fox or John Penrose, then ask them to support the recently published Conservative Party report "Blueprint for a Green Economy", which calls for a halt to airport expansion in the UK and for greater environmental taxation on all flights, including freight and private jets, among other initiatives.

It is interesting that lots of sectors are now starting to complain about being disproportionately villainised for their carbon emissions. But as one local Green said recently: "this all arises from the mentality that emissions simply need to be reduced "a bit", that everyone only needs to do "their bit". If we look to the science and the actual targets, a UK with a 90% cut in carbon emissions will look drastically different; no sector or lifestyle will be unchanged. At that point, with those reductions, the aviation sector could suddenly find itself responsible for 50% or more of our UK emissions. This whole issue is the flip-side of that saying "There is no silver bullet for Climate Change, only silver buckshot." It would be so much easier if there was a silver bullet, but as green councillors we have to face up to the fact that each green initiative we work for might decrease our local emissions by only a few percent, but if we keep going and tackle all sectors, eventually we'll get to that magic 90%."

Mozzie invasion in Gloucestershire

After the wet, then warm, summer, Britain has faced a mosquito explosion. I've never seen so many in the house - reminds me of some tropical exotic place the way they buzz my ears at night - now I can cope with the biggest of spiders, slugs, slow worms, beatles, wasps - indeed whatever but Mozzies no. They do something to me and I can't rest until I catch every last one of them - whatever the time of the night I'm up and out of bed ready to swat - if I know there is one there I will wait them out.

Thankfully times are not what they used to be - Chaucer and Shakespeare are full of references to mosquitos and their related diseases - apparently in Kent and Essex areas when things got really bad, the hostelries created a spectacularly potent opium-laced beer to help.

The Guardian also recounts that during the closing months of the Great War, a Dr Ronald Ross, winner of the 1902 Nobel prize for medicine for finally demonstrating the link between mosquitoes and malaria, diagnosed the disease in British troops he was tending in Greece and recommended they all be packed off home to Blighty to recuperate. Whoever did the packing failed to follow the good doctor's second recommendation, which was that the soldiers should on no account be billeted in any part of Britain where mosquitoes flourished. Since the marshes of north Kent were positively humming with several million potentially malaria-transmitting mozzies, more than 500 locals duly succumbed to the fevers (though none, happily, died of them).

It seems it is not just here in Gloucestershire the blood-sucking whining beasts are over-running homes - the NHS Direct reports nationwide that phone calls from people inquiring about mosquito bites have soared. Of course things are likely to get worse....

Tony Irwin, curator of natural history at the Castle museum in Norwich and an acknowledged expert on Norfolk's fenland and Broads mosquitoes has said: "It depends how the climate actually changes, but if we are going to be having more wet, warm summers, more pools of stagnant water, that will favour breeding conditions, no question. Likewise, if our winters are going to continue to get milder, then more mosquitoes will survive to breed the following year. The weather could be coming round to favour mosquitoes in a big way, and if we have more mosquitoes, we can probably expect an increase in the diseases they carry."

Apparently there are up to 33 species of mosquito currently indigenous to Britain, 20 of which bite and just five of which are potential transmitters of malaria. Indeed malaria remains one of the world's deadliest diseases, affecting up to 650 million people every year and killing between one and three million, mostly young children. There is no vaccine currently available, and the preventative drugs that must be taken continuously to ward it off - as well as the treatments to cure it - are beyond the budget of almost everyone who lives in the afflicted areas - and I have to say can have nasty side-effects as well as personal experience will attest to.

In the UK with the exception of up to 2,000 cases each year brought back by returning travellers, the disease has been eradicated, thanks partly to aggressive marshland draining and larvae-clearing operations in the past century, but mainly to the fortunate fact that mosquitoes are not actually born with malaria. So with climate change could Britain once again become malarial? In recent years Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan have all seen the return of malaria.

Certainly species that are not native could start breeding here - some also carry other nice diseases like Dengue fever, encephalitis and yellow fever. However at present it seems doctors are confident they can stop them getting a hold here - having said that I read 'Plague's Progress' a while ago and I'm less sure after the arguments in that book....

How to avoid getting bitten - some thoughts from Guardian article

- Heat some citronella oil, if you're sitting outside.
- Eat lots of garlic and take a vitamin B complex works too
- they hate the yeasty smell which is why some recommend eating Marmite
- Soothe the bites by rubbing a little lavender oil on them.
- Crush the leaves of elder trees or yarrow
- Sleep with a mosquito net - Sit in windy areas
- Peat fires
- Mush up big tobacco leaves in water and then rub it on

The time is now for Burma: act to bring change

After decades of military dictatorship, the people of Burma are rising. Marches begun by monks and nuns are snowballing: today 100,000 have taken to the streets of Rangoon.

When the Burmese last marched in 1988, the military massacred thousands. But if the world stands up for the protesters, this time it could be different. Below are some actions you can take and more background info.

Photo Monks demonstrating

Send email to EU President and Gordon Brown here and sign petition to United Nations Security Council members here.

For decades the Burmese dictatorship fought off pressure - imprisoning elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and democracy activists, wiping out thousands of villages in the provinces, bringing miseries from forced labour to refugee camps. One-third of children under 5 now suffer malnutrition; millions are down to one meal a day.

But last Tuesday Buddhist monks and nuns, overwhelmingly respected in Burma, began marching and chanting prayers. The protests spread - now they're growing by tens of thousands every day, as ordinary people, even celebrities and comedians join in. They've broken the chains of fear and given hope to 52 million Burmese. However, this hope is hanging by a thread. While hesitating to attack the respected monks, the regime is reported to be organising violence. Demonstrators have already been beaten, shots have been fired.

This is one of those moments where the world can make the difference: standing shoulder to shoulder with the Burmese people, helping to shine a dissolving light on tyranny. Let the demonstrators know the world is with them. Send email to EU President and Gordon Brown here and sign petition to United Nations Security Council members here.

Many years ago before the tourist boycott I was fortunate enough to visit the country and met many of the people there. Since then I have joined the various campaigns to help the Burmese people - put Burma into search facility above to find previous blog entries on Burma from this last year. I hope very much readers of this blog will be able to support this important action .

Iraq: death toll reaches million

I've just read the latest copy of SchNEWS and their item on Iraq - the death toll in Iraq has now passed the one million mark. Somehow that news was lost in all the hype of the 'surge' and democracy being just around the corner. Here's the bulk of the SchNEWS report:

Opinion Research Business (ORB), BBC Newsnight's chosen pollsters, conducted a survey of 1,500 Iraqi households in August in which people were asked if anyone in the household had died as a result of the conflict since 2003. This is the usual method for assessing the number of deaths in a warzone, and has been used in Darfur and the former Yugoslavia. ORB concludes "Given that from the 2005 census there are a total of 4,050,597 households, this data suggests a total of 1,220,580 deaths since the invasion in 2003. Calculating the affect from the margin of error we believe that the range is a minimum of 733,158 to a maximum of 1,446,063."

Detailed assessments such as those conducted by Iraq Body Count, which rely on deaths being recorded in at least two media sources, typically offer a statistic of around 20% of actual fatalities. In sheer numbers, what is happening in Iraq has now surpassed the horrors of the massacres in Rwanda and is in the same order of magnitude as the great crimes of the twentieth century. And the government response to this is... nothing. The same cynical silence which greeted last year's Lancet report estimating Iraqi deaths at around 600,000.

DOGMAS OF WAR

These figures should be provoking howls of outrage from the liberal press at the bloody mess into which the Iraqi people have been hurled by Bush and the UK government. But as the number of deaths reaches the limits of human imagining, the sheer scale of the carnage prevents understanding. Perhaps the mainstream press over here have given this survey so little attention because the real implication of its horrific contents is that our leaders are out and out war criminals.

The poll also questioned the surviving relatives on the way in which their loved ones were killed. It broke down as 48% gunshot wounds, 20% car bomb, 9% aerial bombardment, 6% accidents and 6% another blast/ordnance. This poll didn't attempt to apportion blame for individual deaths but the earlier Lancet poll showed that 56% of deaths were directly attributable to Coalition forces i.e. that 350,000 were identifiably killed by US or UK armed forces. There's no reason to think that that proportion has changed and, with the 'surge', there's every reason to think it has gone up.

BULLET POINTS

How then is the Coalition accomplishing this carnage? The fact that deaths by shooting are so prevalent demonstrates the close-up nature of the coalition/insurgency conflict. For the past four years, the American military has sent around 1,000 patrols each day into hostile neighbourhoods, looking to capture or kill insurgents. (Since February 2007, this has increased to nearly 5,000 patrols a day, if Iraqi troops participating in the American surge are included).

These patrols are operating in areas where anyone could be an insurgent. If you were patrolling downtown Baghdad, would you take any chances? Their orders are to break down doors, shoot at anything suspicious, and throw grenades into rooms or homes where there is any chance of resistance. If they encounter tangible resistance, they call in artillery and/or air power rather than try to invade a building. If a patrol is ambushed or comes under attack from a roadside bomb, soldiers rely on their superior fire-power to extricate themselves from the situation. According to US military statistics, these patrols currently result in around 3,000 firefights every month, an average of just under 100 per day. The US army is currently firing more bullets than can be manufactured - with that amount of lead flying around, such high levels of civilian casualties seem not implausible but inevitable.

As Coalition troops find it harder to operate on the ground in Iraq, the US are massively expanding their aerial attack capacity. There was a fivefold increase in the amount of munitions dropped on the country in the first six months of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006. Squadrons of attack planes have been added to the in-country fleet. The air reconnaissance arm has almost doubled since last year, with the powerful B1-B bomber recalled to action over the country. The stage is set for an increase in civilian casualties as notoriously indiscriminate US air power is unleashed on the Iraqi people. Air Force planes have struck "factories" producing makeshift bombs, weapons caches uncovered by ground troops and, in one instance, "several houses insurgents were using as fire positions".

Iraq has already become a testing ground for a new breed of remote control or robot aircraft. The MQ-9 "Reaper", already being deployed, is a pilotless aircraft, capable of carrying four Hellfire missiles, plus two 500lb bombs. "It is possible that in our lifetime we will be able to run a war without ever leaving the US," said one colonel in the US Air Force. Hey presto! Remote controlled genocide.

See my recent comment to press on Iraq and Afghanistan here. Is Gordon Brown really just going to keep troops in Iraq to keep Bush happy? What other reason?

'NOT ONE MORE DEATH' - central London demonstration on 8 October - assemble Trafalgar Square, 1pm. See www.stopthewar.org for more.

Whiteshill and Ruscombe street lights off?

Switching off Parish lights after 12.oo midnight to 6 in the morning has been shown in many areas to be popular - saves money and light pollution plus helps reduce CO2 emissions.

See previous blog entries on this for much discussion (some here) - we are now getting closer locally to when we might see action - in the next WaRbler newsletter there will be a plea from the Parish for comments about lights that might need to stay on - the plans looks set to only effect 25 to 30 percent of street lighting as lights near road bumps and at other points need to be on.

Cam village have already got further down the line - switching off lights there is expected to save £4,650 per year and 24 tonnes of CO2 per year.

From talking with local councillors from the Cam area a couple of residents have raised concerns that it could put their safety at risk - each of these cases is being investigated and adjustments may be needed - in fact most crime takes place in day although the public perceives it takes place at night. Apparently a couple of complaints have been from people who are upset they cannot see to go to the loo in the night! Are they serious?

The county council's street-lighting manager Barry Greenaway has said street-lighting accounted for 25% of the total electrical energy consumed by the authority. The County have apparently written to all 160 town and parish councils and to date they've received 50 responses and almost 40 support the project - including Randwick.

It is starnge what you find on the web - here is a site dedicated to street lighting with pics like the one above.

Front page of Citizen: traffic in Whiteshill

Thanks again to The Citizen for highlighting residents concerns - here is their report below - would add link but they seem to be removing older items from their web pages. For more background info put A46 into search facility on this blog.

Indeed yesterday I had another phone call re a dangerous driver locally - told them to contact the police who are usually v good on such matters.

Anyhow v good news is that Government has come up with £10 million towards the £25 m needed for Glos roads after the flood damage - apparently more might be on it's way - David Drew had said this would happen but never sure until it does - too often been disappointed.

RAT-RUN DRIVERS HIT BY SPEED WARNING

Speeding motorists who are using Whiteshill as a rat run have been slapped with warning notices.Altogether 60 drivers have had warning notices after they broke the 30mph limit while using Whiteshill as a short cut around the closed A46 near Stroud.

Police say the notices are the drivers last chance before legal action is taken. Whiteshill residents are furious at the fast moving, heavy traffic through their village. And police spokeswoman Annabel Brittain said: "People have been warned that speeding will not be tolerated through the notices that are now being sent out. Some of the recipients were exceeding 40mph."

She said the roads policing unit had been asked to be at the location to assist with enforcement. "Fines and licence points can be expected by those who don't heed the warning," Ms Brittain said. "Speed causes death on the roads and we will be continuing to focus on this area to ensure the safety of pedestrians, motorists and other road users."

The A46 was shut between Salmon Springs and Pitchcombe after the carriageway subsided following the summer floods. Officially the diversion is along the A419 and the A38 and to Gloucester and Cheltenham. But commuters who know the area are travelling via Whiteshill, prompting angry householders to call for solutions.

Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Council had already been looking into the idea of "shared spaces" to slow down traffic when the A46 collapsed. The council arranged a "traffic coffee morning" on Saturday to look at the issues. Council chairman John Rogers said: "About 20 to 30 people came. Everybody had their opinion recorded. People have to realise they are driving through a community."

Philip Booth, Stroud district councillor for the area, agreed. "This road divides the community. It is a transport corridor. We want to have our village back," Coun Booth added.

Ideas at the coffee morning included improving the margins of the road and using planters to bring back a village feel. Police Community Support Officers also attended with the parish councillors and also noted residents' views. When Whiteshill Primary School resumed after the summer holidays parents became concerned for the pupils' safety. Parents told The Citizen how dangerous the tailbacks of commuters' vehicles were. The A46 repairs are expected to cost up to £1 million and to take months to complete.

Join the Carnival of Green!

I never thought 16 months ago when I started this blog that I would end up mixing with the likes of Blogfish, The Christian Environmentalist, Miss Malaprop, the Evangelical Ecologist, Eco Worrier, City Hippy and the Naked Vegetarian....but well hear I am a fully registered member of the Carnival of Green.

The Carnival of the Green is a weekly blog phenomenon concieved of over pints of beer in London between Al and Nick Aster of TriplePundit almost three years ago.... CityHippy's Al Tepper stepped down after a year of organising and then last November the baton passed to TreeHugger.

It travels from blog to blog every Monday. Green bloggers are signed up to review the week - I'm booked for 29th December 2008! Will I really still be blogging then?? To see who hosts which week go to:
www.treehugger.com/files/2006/11/treehugger_to_b.php

Last weeks summary was the 95th week and hosted by Green Style - see it here. The week before was at Camphor's - see it here. It works by the host picking up good reads but mainly by the bloggers sending stuff in - I've not really got around to that yet - not enough hours in cyberspace.

Hunts Grove latest

Leaders of three political groups on the council have criticised Stroud MP David Drew and Gloucester MP Parmjit Dhanda for mounting a campaign against the Hunts Grove plans to build 1,750 new homes between Gloucester and Stroud. The Citizen quoted myself and the Tories and Lib Dems.

Photo: Randwick woods

The MPs believe the infrastructure does not exist to support a community of that size in Hardwicke and that Stroud's housing allocation is being "dumped" on Gloucester. They have campaigned so that now the proposals have been called in by the Government.

This call-in could cost council taxpayers over £100,000 in staff time, legal costs etc - and is, I consider, highly unlikely to be successful - it does seem to be largely a political move. See news release here with more info about the plans and my full comments - as an aside it was an interesting process getting the joint statement out into the press....anyhow...the Local Plan was agreed and passed unanimously at a meeting of Stroud District Council in 2005. The Hunts Grove allocation has been accepted by the County Council and through the SW Regional Spatial Strategy, after full consultation with all councils and all relevant bodies. To call in now is trampling over local democracy.

It is just crazy to now go over all that again especially as the alternative does not bear thinking about - where in Stroud would we put all those houses???

David Drew is right that dispersal is good to restore local communities - keeping post offices and community shops alive (where they haven't already been shut) to ensure schools and local services keep going etc - however this quantity is not sustainable - 1750 homes - in reality it would mean the Painswick Valley being filled with homes and every village taking many more homes.

Apart from the costs to taxpayers the delay in bringing properties to the market will only serve to boost house-builder’s profits, as fewer homes on the market mean that they can get higher house prices. It will also delay the availability of affordable houses on the site as some 525 were destined to be affordable.

The fault must lie with national policies towards housing - we are still following a ‘predict and provide’ approach to population growth and housing provision instead of addressing strategies required to achieve a stable and sustainable population and affordable housing.

Annual population growth here in the SW is above the English average. By 2028, the South West’s population will have grown by 16%, the second highest increase in the English regions. We need an urgent debate about suitable population levels for different regions of the UK which also considers levels of consumption, material comfort and sustainability, including the UK’s impact on the rest of the world.

Development in the country is skewed towards the South East, and to a lesser extent towards the South West. We need to review this and develop policies for more balance across the whole country - it is madness to be pulling down thousands of houses in one part of the country and building them where there isn't room - or in the case of the SE where there isn't even enough water.

We also forget to consider good designs in helping to encourage people to live in urban areas and accept higher housing density levels. High density can be highly desirable, but it does require good design. This is crucially important not only for the housing itself, but also the public space around and between the high density housing, such as local shopping areas, playspace, parks, green pockets, attractive streets, allotments and accessible countryside. Indeed Cornish villages are among some of the highest density homes and are very popular. See more re Glos Green party views on housing submitted to the RSS here.

Of course there are also issues re second homes, the lack of social housing and more - but I'll save those discussions for another time - Hunts Grove is by no means ideal but it has been through full consultation and was agreed unanimously - the alternatives would be worse.

Coffee morning on Whiteshill traffic

This morning I joined the coffee morning in Whiteshill Village Hall organised by the Parish Council - it was about talking with residents about the local traffic - must have been about 40 people in all - the meeting was arranged before the A46 collapse - but all the more timely due to all the info in the news.

Photos: Coffee Morning, Parish councillors Gerri Kimber (now Dr and also the Parish's Snow Warden with Rebecca Charley, Community Police talking with people

Put A46 into search above for many previous posts on that topic - including an update yesterday (and also use search for other traffic issues - plus see 'labels' below) - the Parish will be putting on their website a summary of residents views plus other info - it was very good to hear at first hand how the A46 is effecting people.

It was also good to hear that while the situation remains dire it is slightly better recently due to measures taken by police and Highways - in terms of traffic the letters sent to residents warning about bad parking does seem to have had an effect in allowing the traffic travel more smoothly - the lights at Edge also mean traffic comes in 'lumps' or waves allowing residents time to get out of their drives and also traffic coming up the hill a chance to move in places where it is single file. Other measures Highways and police have taken have been mentioned in earlier blogs. Infact 2 Police Community Support Officers were there to talk to us about issues - one was particularly good at ensuring she spoke to everyone about the current measures and recorded that info.

Still sadly no action on advertising trains and carshare but I tried to make those points again.

60 people caught speeding

Amazingly some 60 people have been caught so far - exact details available Monday - most will only get warning letters as they were only a little over the speed limit - but it shows the traffic when it moves goes much too fast.

Anyhow I must now take a 7 year old swimming now so no more to write here other than to mention that it is World Car Free Day today - stall in Stroud - see more here. I would have liked to see more re this - one town even turfed several roads temporarily.

Christian Aid tea afternoon

Yesterday I went along to Randwick village Hall where tea, coffee and a wide selection of home-made cakes were being served in aid of Christian Aid. This was one of more than 5,000 tea parties taking place across the UK, and plenty of others further afield - apparently parties are also planned in Sri Lanka and Burundi - also many would be having the same cakes as recipes were supplied.

Photos: Tea Time

It was good to catch up with some people I hadn't seen for a while and hear more about the Parish meeting I missed where residents raised the issue of the Randwick bus - see blog yesterday. Thanks to the organisers Mary and co for the event.

Village Shop break-in

Last night at 2.45am staff were called when the alarm went off - an attempted break-in at the village shop (see photo) - not sure what they were after - no money, DVDs or drink on the site - maybe a craving for a banana and tin of beans - mind those chocolate cakes are good....anyhow repairs are being done and metal reinforcements are planned.

Good news is though that the repairs to the playground are going ahead - indeed new equipment (see photo) - this was after the car careared over the edge from the carpark and into the play equipment earlier in the year.

Green conference last weekend

I wasn't at the Green party conference in Liverpool this last weekend - in fact had a weekend camping in Devon - but have been catching up on conference discussions - read here more re local Greens experience of the conference - had wanted to write lots but time has caught up with me.

Photo: Sunflower in slate

First a good intro are the two speechs by the Principal Speakers - read Derek Walls' speech here and read Sian Berry's speech here (or see her speech on youtube here).

There was of course lots more - especially re updating climate change policies - and also of particular interest to me was a motion passing wide-ranging proposals to restore the strength of Parliament and return the Prime Minister's role to its historical position of primus inter pares (first among equals). The Prime Minister, whose new status would be indicated by a change of name to First Minister, would be elected by a committee with representation from all parties in Parliament. The same system would appoint the Cabinet and exercise key Royal Prerogative powers such as the ability to declare war. This new 'Public Administration and Government' policy pulls together and extends other policies to also hand more power from central government to local authorities, increase the use of directly democratic mechanisms such as referenda, create an elected second chamber to replace the House of Lords.

Dr Derek Wall, Principal Speaker of the Green Party, commented: “We need to restore faith in the democratic system, and to do that we need to break the Presidential stranglehold recent Prime Minister's have acquired over Parliament. These policies are about moving from a top-down approach to a bottom-up one, where democracy is paramount and no vote is wasted.”

A46: open again in New Year?

BBC Glos phoned yesterday for an interview re my suggestion that First Great Western should consider cut price tickets to encourage people off the roads in Whiteshill - I had a favourable response from Customer Services but when the BBC followed up it sounded like the guy who gave that response wasn't authorised to do that - how deeply sad - the BBC decided not to use the interview - see my email to FGW below after other responses to my emails re A46 - which update us a little on where we are with works (use search facility to pick up many previous items re A46).

Photo: Diversion sign

Barry Dare, Leader of the County Council says: "I share your concerns over the difficulties this closure has caused to the local communities concerned. Our officers are continually dealing with the problems caused by the extra traffic, and will be installing some extra traffic calming outside the School, but realistically it will be virtually impossible to change driver habits. With regards to timescale, work is already underway on repairing the road, initial site surveys have been completed, and we have 3 specialist companies to provide solutions and costing for the works. I am hopeful that we will be able to start as soon as November, and weather permitting, be completed shortly in the New Year. I appreciate this may seem a long time to those suffering as a result of the closure, but I can assure you this is a very technically demanding site and we are giving it the utmost priority."

Stan Waddington, Cabinet member at County: "I am well aware of the problems in Whiteshill and last week requested additional policing to curb driver behaviour particularly during school opening and closing times. You will know that County resources are severely stretched this year by the costs incurred in dealing with the floods and the aftermath. So far we have had little or no grant relief from the Government for any of this work and in these circumstances I don't think it appropriate for remaining County budget to be used for cut price rail passes. It might be a suggestion that you could address to David Drew who could attempt to secure central government funds for this."

At the recent meeting re the A46 meeting David Drew made a strong statement to the effect that the speed of traffic through Whiteshill was a major safety concern and nothing should be done that would increase it. John Roberts from Highways supported this and noted that he has had a lot of correspondence on the subject. However in an email to me David Drew disagrees re more money but notes: "When the money is needed it will be there but it is now about prioritising efforts." Not sure what that means as it seems to me money is needed?

Confusion over Flashing speed sign

There is now confusion from Highways over whether Whiteshill might have a flashing speed sign - on my blog on 21st Aug it was noted we did not qualify. However recent communications are not clear about if the Parish purchase one or rent one as planned then are we still allowed to put it up? The Parish are investigating.

Here's my reply today to the County below and below that the email to First Great Western. I've also replied to David Drew.

Email to County:

Stan/Barry - thanks for your replies to my concerns re Whiteshill and the traffic problems there - I have been impressed by the way Highways have taken this issue seriously and made considerable attempts to alleviate the problem. It has been good to see police on the site and good signage however, as I know you know, the situation is still dire. Even before this A46 closure, the traffic on that road divided the community: children cannot use the playground as there is not a safe place to cross. We need traffic calming measures to restore the village to a village and not just a transport corridor.

The rumour about the A46 taking 12 months came from a senior Conservative councillor - I hope that the reopening doesn't take longer than the New Year. I also still hope that there is more we can do in encouraging people to use the bus or train - see my email below to FGW after they seem to pull back from interest in reduced fares.

This to me, seems like it could be a good opportunity to promote public transport and carshare schemes? These are the very things that we must do if we are to tackle climate change. Could not the County also engage with FGW? At the very least signage advertising car share or trains?

Cllr. Philip Booth,
Stroud District councillor for the Randwick, Ruscombe and Whiteshill ward,

Email to FGW:

Re: suggestion of reduced fares on the Stroud to Gloucester route in an effort to alleviate traffic problems resulting from the A46 closure

Thank you for this positive response below from Paul Hoffman at your Customer Services Team. I have not had a reply from the fares and system manager or as yet any other response from you. BBC Radio Gloucestershire phoned me yesterday to interview me re this proposal and I understand from them that they have spoken with someone at FGW who said this Customer Services response was 'unauthorised'. I would welcome clarification.

I was ready to publicly welcome the fact that FGW was looking at this move. No commitment was made in the email I received below but it was good to see that FGW were considering helping. In my view it would be good for villages like Whiteshill who are faced with a massive increase in traffic but also good publicity for yourselves helping people out who are struggling to cope with the A46 closure. It could also hopefully result in more people using the train and of course help tackle climate change emissions.

Only this week you will be aware that the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says it is "very unlikely" we can avoid the 2 degree threshold for dangerous climate change. This is the point many natural systems that sustain life on earth start to die: the Greenland ice sheet melts, coastal cities are flooded, one third of species face extinction, millions face drought and famine and economic turmoil as financial systems react to uncertain times.

Getting more people to use public transport is part of the answer and we are failing on that front. Clearly this is an issue that needs actions by our Government but I would have thought that the A46 closure provided an opportunity to FGW to take more of a lead?

Cllr. Philip Booth,
Stroud District councillor for the Randwick, Ruscombe and Whiteshill ward,

Full Council: renewables, Severn barrage, Painswick and Triservice

Full Council last night and here's a brief summary of some of the issues:

Photo: Council Chamber

- Renewables - the meeting unanimously supported a recommendation regarding Renewable Energy Supplementary Planning Advice. The advice is along the lines of the 'Merton Rule' which requires a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions from on site renewables on new larger developments. This blog has much previous discussion about this - also sent out last night a press release saying why I was reluctant to sign - basically 10% is pathetic but I signed because it is a first step, there is an agreement to review and basically the Council's hands are tied by recent central government guidelines. Greens will be working to see this figure increase - see my press release here with more info.

- Severn barrage - Greens are opposed to the barrage - see recent letter here and also a report on our Glos Green party website - it was good to see that the proposal this evening had been adjusted to call for further investigations into impact of all ways of getting energy from the estuary. We were happy to support that as I am sure if done it will show up the advantages of tidal lagoons and other measures compared to the barrage.

- Painswick Gateway project - See my comments on 18th July blog entry re Painswick Gateway (scroll down) - Greens abstained as I am not convinced that we should be supporting the library service which is a County matter - could this lead to more library closures if teh County think the community and District will pick up the pieces? However it would be proper to support other elements of the project like community rooms etc. I would prefer to see this more explicitly laid out as I think it could lead to problems further down the line....

- Triservice - Last up was a motion re the Triservice - Full Council passed a motion for the Government to scrap plans to close Gloucestershire's Fire Control. After a lively exchange Greens, Conservatives and Lib Dems councillors supported the motion and Labour councillors opposed. Green party policy is about maintaining local services and we were among the first to support retaining Gloucestershires' fire control centre at Quedgeley. I agree with the fire service representatives and experts that the regionalisation of fire control rooms will lead to a poorer service where potentially life-saving local knowledge is no longer available. It is crazy to have a Fire Chief seventy odd miles from his control staff. Plus there are dangers in relying on Satelitte Navigation Systems. This state-of-the-art TriService centre has proven it's worth in the recent floods why change to a centralised system where there is no evidence that it will lead to a better or indeed cheaper service? It was a shame this debate was politicised in the way it was as I am sure anyone watching the webcast would be put off politics altogether.

Update on Randwick bus

As blog readers will know when I first was elected May 2006 a big issue was the fact that the local bus service through the village was stopped. There are many blog entries on this - the reasons, hopes etc - finally all this time on last night the County Council sent a representatitive to the Parish meeting.

Photo: bus from a while back

I was at Full Council so couldn't be there but here is Pam Thorne, the Village Agent's notes (which she kindly let me copy here):

Last night was very worthwhile - 7 bus users turned up and I think Bill Carr from the transport department has got the message! The thing about the no. 37 coming up further (too large) was ruled out but I think he took on board:
• Dial a Ride is great for occasional journeys but they want a regular bus service they can rely on;
• The old route through the Lane would be preferred but the times need to revert to the original timetable - the current company changed it slightly so that the afternoon bus was trying to go through when the mothers were collecting children from school;
• the original bus company were superior in lots of ways (although current drivers are fine) - they were more reliable and had a system for sending alternatives if anything went wrong (the ladies reported lots of non-appearances of buses with the current company - Bill gave them the phone number to always report these 01452 426343;
• a smaller vehicle is needed, and one with easier access;
• any future meetings should be advertised on the bus itself so maximum no of people know about it.

The next step is to follow up and see what the County can come back with - but at least they heard from those bus users.

450 words on Climate Change for The Citizen

It is Climate Friendly Fortnight (15th to 30th September) and the South West Wildlife Trusts and others aim to share ways in which we can rise to the challenge of climate change. I've been asked to write a piece in this coming Saturdays' Citizen. Here's what I sent them:

Photo: Randwick woods

TIME FOR DECISIVE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Future generations, those who survive, will look back at the early 21st century and wonder why we did so little to slow climate change. Never before has a species so minutely monitored its own demise. It's becoming clear with new reports every week that climate change is accelerating and will occur faster and in more unpredictable ways than previously thought.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change this week says it is "very unlikely" we can avoid the 2 degree threshold for dangerous climate change. This is the point many natural systems that sustain life on earth start to die: the Greenland ice sheet melts, Pacific islands disappear, the Great Barrier Reef dies, coastal cities are flooded, one third of species face extinction and millions face drought and famine.

The effects in the 'developed' world will also be dramatic: increased storms and more serious flooding, food shortages as harvests fail and economic turmoil as financial systems react to uncertain times. At three degrees, the Amazon rainforest - the planet's lungs - will die along with much more.

Yet we can still avoid catastrophic change, and there's a chance we can avoid dangerous change. This is a time for heros, not cowards. It's a time to step forward and do your bit and what better time to start than Climate Friendly Fortnight.

There is plenty of advice available. It's possible for each of us to dramatically reduce the emissions for which we are responsible, without significantly reducing our quality of life. What's needed is for individuals and communities to decide to act on the advice that is available.

We also need politicians to act - or we must vote them out. Nine leading environmental organisations said last week that none of the three main parties are providing the leadership and action needed on the environment. We need emissions cuts of 90 per cent by 2030, yet our emissions are still rising, £30 billion is being spent on more roads, aviation subsidises continue and massive airport expansions are planned.

Locally there are signs of understanding but no urgency - still for example we see a failure to condemn Staverton Airport's plans to increase emissions or the Parkway scheme that will increase car use.

We can create a green, fairer future of greater employment, healthier food, stronger communities, warmer homes from better insulation and self-sufficiency in energy instead of fossil fuels from unstable countries. We must tackle climate change but also build resilient communities that will cope with the coming challenges. If enough people lead the way then the politicians will be forced to follow. So this fortnight decide to make a difference and change your life for the better.

Philip Booth, who writes a daily blog on green issues, local and national at:
http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.com/

Whiteshill beats Randwick

Some local bits of Whiteshill news:

- Whiteshill under 12s beat Randwick 4 nil - star player was Tom Parnell
- money is being raised for the vandalised Vestry window at St Paul's Church, Whiteshill - insurance covers the bulk but the excess is still needed and it is also Gift Week where they raise money to cover running costs for the year.
- the replacement swings installation at Whiteshill will begin on Monday 24th September.
- Winners in the North area of District Small Garden competition are Mr and Mrs Field in Victory Road - they also came third overall - I spoke to them today and they said they only decided to enter 2 weeks before the date - a great achievement.

Archbish puts earthly authority ahead of moral principle

Good on Green Party human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell who as hit out at the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, following news that he is to attempt to force US bishops to backtrack on gay rights advances.

Photo: Flag flying on Sub Rooms in Stroud on recent Rainbow Day (see previous blogs for info)

Under pressure from conservative groups within the Anglican Communion, Williams is to ask the Americans to ban openly gay bishops and refuse to celebrate same-sex unions.

Peter Tatchell, who is the Green Party's prospective parliamentary candidate for the constituency of Oxford East, said: "The Archbishop of Canterbury has betrayed his own principles and betrayed the gay community by caving in to pressure from the extreme right-wing of his church. He would not appease a racist or an anti-Semite cleric, so why is he appeasing homophobes within the Anglican Communion? He is allowing the church's agenda to be dictated by the voices of unreason and intolerance. By letting his concern for the unity of the Anglican Communion lead him to reward homophobic tantrums, Williams is putting his own earthly authority ahead of moral principle."

Scientists warn we are now 'very unlikely' to avoid climate catastrophe

For months now it has become increasingly clear that a rise of two degrees centigrade in global temperatures - the point considered to be the threshold for catastrophic climate change which will expose millions to drought, hunger and flooding – is now "very unlikely" to be avoided.

Photo: Graphic from IPCC report

This week that has worryingly been confirmed by the world's leading climate scientists. I find all this deeply frustrating - when on earth are our politicians going to wake up to the urgency of all this?

The Independent today writes:

The latest study from the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) put the inevitability of drastic global warming in the starkest terms yet, stating that major impacts on parts of the world – in particular Africa, Asian river deltas, low-lying islands and the Arctic – are unavoidable and the focus must be on adapting life to survive the most devastating changes.

For more than a decade, EU countries led by Britain have set a rise of two degrees centigrade or less in global temperatures above pre-industrial levels as the benchmark after which the effects of climate become devastating, with crop failures, water shortages, sea-level rises, species extinctions and increased disease.

Two years ago, an authoritative study predicted there could be as little as 10 years before this "tipping point" for global warming was reached, adding a rise of 0.8 degrees had already been reached with further rises already locked in because of the time lag in the way carbon dioxide – the principal greenhouse gas – is absorbed into the atmosphere.

The IPCC said yesterday that the effects of this rise are being felt sooner than anticipated with the poorest countries and the poorest people set to suffer the worst of shifts in rainfall patterns, temperature rises and the viability of agriculture across much of the developing world. In its latest assessment of the progress of climate change, the body said: "If warming is not kept below two degrees centigrade, which will require the strongest mitigation efforts, and currently looks very unlikely to be achieved, the substantial global impacts will occur, such as species extinctions, and millions of people at risk from drought, hunger, flooding." Under the scale of risk used by IPCC, the words "very unlikely" mean there is just a one to 10 per cent chance of limiting the global temperature rise to two degrees centigrade or less.

Professor Martin Parry, a senior Met Office scientist and co-chairman of the IPCC committee which produced the report, said he believed it would now be "very difficult" to achieve the target and that governments need to combine efforts to "mitigate" climate change by reducing CO2 emissions with "adaptation" to tackle active consequences such as crop failure and flooding. Speaking at the Royal Geographical Society, he said: "Ten years ago we were talking about these impacts affecting our children and our grandchildren. Now it is happening to us. Even if we achieve a cap at two degrees, there is a stock of major impacts out there already and that means adaptation. You cannot mitigate your way out of this problem... The choice is between a damaged world or a future with a severely damaged world."

The IPCC assessment states that up to two billion people worldwide will face water shortages and up to 30 per cent of plant and animal species would be put at risk of extinction if the average rise in temperature stabilises at 1.5C to 2.5C. Professor Parry said developed countries needed to help the most affected regions, which include sub-Saharan Africa and major Asian river deltas with improved technology for irrigation, drought-resistant crop strains and building techniques.

Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the IPCC, said that 2015 was the last year in which the world could afford a net rise in greenhouse gas emissions, after which "very sharp reductions" are required. Dr Pachauri said the ability of the world's most populous nations to feed themselves was already under pressure, citing a study in India which showed that peak production of wheat had already been reached in one region. Campaigners said the IPCC findings brought added urgency to the EU's efforts to slash emissions. John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace, said: "The EU needs to adopt a science-based cap on emissions, ditch plans for dirty new coal plants and nuclear power stations that will give tiny emission cuts at enormous and dangerous cost, end aviation expansion and ban wasteful products like incandescent lightbulbs."

Meanwhile across the globe I, like many activists, get daily emails of the fight back and call for action. This morning news that the Canadian government is breaking its own environmental laws, has prompted an urgent last minute action internationally. Last June, their Parliament passed a law confirming a legal obligation to comply with the Kyoto Protocol. However the proposed plan meets Kyoto's targets 13 years too late and it clearly breaks the law. TOMORROW is the deadline for comments admissible in court. Please click below to send a quick message to Environment Minister Baird, and tell everyone you know to act right away:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/canadian_climate_crime/b.php/