Water returns and Severn Trent set to be fined for leaks

This afternoon there have been reports of Randwick folk getting their water back - an hour ago it gushed from my own taps in Bread Street - wonderful! Although it is still not drinkable and free supplies of bottled water will still be given out.

Photo: Turkish water being given out free: goodness knows where else all the water is coming from

It is ironic to hear that Severn Trent, who have been unable to supply customers with mains water because of floods, could this week be punished for failing to curb leaks sufficiently. Ofwat, the industry regulator, is planning to impose a multi-million pound penalty on the company.

Photo: Tewkesbury floods

The regulator has the powers to impose a fine of 10 per cent of Severn Trent's turnover from water services ie more than £50m. However the regulator is understood to be seeking an agreement for the company to pay an even greater amount to replace pipes - possibly double that figure - the cash would then benefit customers rather than the Treasury. The problem is that the expenditure must come from shareholders' reserves and will not be recoverable through price rises - does this mean shareholders profits might be damaged?

Photo: Marc Beswethherwick, Wallington floods

Ofwat had been planning to reveal leakage figures for the water company on Monday, but has delayed the announcement, partly because of the floods and the minor task of handing out 5m litres of bottled water a day, repairing Mythe and using tankers to fill 1,800 bowsers parked throughout the area.

Ofwat is also planning to fine Severn Trent for providing misleading customer-performance data. Plus there will also be an additional penalty imposed on the company when the Serious Fraud Office completes its investigation into false leakage figures given to the regulator before 2005.

For many previous posts re floods click on 'floods' label below - and Glos Green party initial response here.

Lastly a leaflet is being circulated by Severn Trent Water regarding the fact that supplies are being reinstated, but should not be used for drinking. The problem is that this leaflet is being delivered in areas where supplies have not been affected. The District Council have had an extra 300 phone calls already from people concerned and an increase on demands on bottled water supplies. The advice is clear - if your supply has not been affected, you should continue using it as normal.

A carbon-lite life is a happier life

New research shows Britain is worse at translating its use of natural resources into long and happy lives for its people than two-thirds of its European counterparts. It also shows we are burning up more fossil fuels for less "wellbeing" than we did 40 years ago.

The New Economics Foundation (nef) last week published a Happy Planet Index that ranks European countries according to a combination of life expectancy, life satisfaction and carbon footprint. It shows no link between the amount of resources a country consumes per head and the wellbeing of its population.

In the report Britain lies 21st out of 30 countries on nef's measure, because it has one of the highest per capita carbon footprints, behind only Luxembourg, Estonia and Finland, but only mid-table scores for both life expectancy and satisfaction. Iceland tops the Happy Planet index for Europe thanks to abundant renewable natural resources and high-ranking scores on the two happiness measures. Northern European countries such as Denmark and Sweden are highly efficient at treading lightly but happily on Earth.

"These findings question what the economy is there for. What is the point if we burn vast quantities of fossil fuels to make, buy and consume ever more stuff, without noticeably benefiting our wellbeing?"
Andrew Simms, NEF's policy director

If everyone in the world consumed at the same rate as Britain today, it would take about three planets like Earth to give the necessary resources. Yet I was interested to read that almost a third of respondents to a recent BBC poll said they would prefer to live in the 1960s than today.

As nef shows in their look at 34,000 Europeans a sense of wellbeing was determined largely by income equality, trust within the population and voluntary and political engagement. The report called for a three-pronged attack to make Europe deliver a better, carbon efficient, quality of life.

Governments should set legally binding targets for carbon reduction in each country to meet the EU's aim of limiting global temperature rises to below 2C above pre-industrial level. Policymakers should also work to reverse growing inequality in income, education, health and social opportunity. And employers must be encouraged to promote flexible working and allow staff to develop full lives outside the workplace, the study urged. It concluded: "Rather than turn the clock back, we need to look to a post-consumption era that is aware of the false promise of materialism and utilises wealth and technology to deliver more efficiency, rather than just more."

"Countries like Iceland, the highest scoring nation on our Index clearly show that happiness doesn't have to cost the earth. Iceland's combination of strong social policies and extensive use of renewable energy demonstrate that living within our environmental means doesn't mean sacrificing human well-being - in fact, it could even make us happier. By learning from the differences between European countries and by copying the best practices, we believe it will be possible to both greatly reduce our carbon footprint, and increase our well-being."
Nic Marks, founder of nef's Centre for well-being

"Our economy has been binge-drinking fossil fuels for decades. But not only has this been wrecking the environment we all depend on, it's not been making us any happier either. Gordon Brown needs to set the UK in a new direction - where the aim of Government is to improve the quality of people's lives, without costing the earth. This means an explicit focus on the type of economy we have, not just its size - we need low-carbon and high-happiness as goals for our society, not just ramped-up GDP."
Simon Bullock, economy campaigner for Friends of the Earth

Let us hope that these findings undermine fears that reducing carbon emissions in the battle against global warming will destroy hard-won gains in the developed world's quality of life since the Second World War. See nef report here

Water supplies begin to return but not here yet

Huge relief as new floods did not materialise after rain which was less than feared - and it is great news that progress at Mythe has been good - water is starting to be pumped again - for the majority of homes reconnection is still several days away as 1,200 miles of water pipes still needed to be re-filled and water will not be drinkable initially.

Photos: bowser spotting! The first pic of 2 bowsers outside the Slavery Arch and Mathews Way (an area which by all accounts still has water).

All this is a little ironic as this area finally gets its bowsers - some in places they were meant to be but others seemed to be extras plonked down even in places which apparently have water. At least we'll have use of them for a while and we still don't know how soon water will return.

Meanwhile volunteers were being sought to man the bottled water give-aways in the area.

How high did the water flow?
Evesham: whole town centre submerged up to one metre under water, but water peaks in many places were impressive. Norms for British Summer are 50 to 70 cm above the sea level but in:
- Worcester 5.30m
- Upton-on-Severn 5.93m
- Gloucester 4.92m

How many properties flooded in Gloucestershire?
550 Tewkesbury
200 Stroud
125 Cheltenham
1,350 Gloucester City
Many farms and businesses also effected - across the country this summer monsoon-like conditions have done £5 billion of damage to 50,000 British homes and businesses.

Who lost power?
Castle Meads substation left 48,000 homes without power for a period of time while Walham which supplies 500 to 600,000 homes was just saved by temporary flood barrier just 5cm higher than the water.

And water?
350,000 homes without water and many hundreds of bowsers - how many I'm not sure we'll ever know as they appeared in some places they weren't meant to and never got to other sites. Some rarely got refilled while others remained pretty full.

Where did the word bowser come from?
Read Mollys article here and stuff about resilience of communities.

Who will pay for flood prevention measures needed?
Consumers are expected to foot the bill for flood prevention measures, yet the water companies have failed to invest enough in infrastructure, such as drainage systems, which could have lessened the impact. This could be hard to bear when coupled with other facts like:
- almost half of Britain's flood defence systems are not up to the required standard. Infact since 2000 there have been 25 separate reports from government bodies and parliamentary committees advising how to reduce flood risks and the way they are handled. Yet despite this, the National Audit Office has revealed that only 57 per cent of Britain's flood defence systems are in ''target condition'';
- funding for these systems is almost £200 million below necessary;
- the Government has been warned repeatedly that the UK does not have the capacity to respond to a major flood;
- fire fighters and Armed Services were initially forced to stand idly by while agencies squabbled over who was responsible for what.
- under a deal with the industry regulator, Ofwat, the water companies were supposed to spend £4.3 billion on infrastructure in 2005-2006. Instead, in a cost-cutting exercise, they invested only £3.4 billion.

It has all contributed to the current chaos and confusion: made all the more infuriating by the fact that when floods last created chaos, in the autumn of 2000, the shambolic response was heavily criticised by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which said such mismanagement could only be resolved in future by giving overall responsibility to the Environment Agency. It was never done.

At least most can claim insurance?

The local paper had someone whining that if these floods had happened in a Third World country then there would be a massive fund raising effort and the Government would be sending wads of our cash. A little out of perspective perhaps?? Yes the floods have been hugely traumatic for many and there is no way I wish to belittle the loss of a home but mercifully few lives have been lost - the vast majority of people will get their carpets and fridges back on insurance - very few have apparently not got some sort of insurance - in contrast millions have been hit by floods in SE Asia - over 650 dead and 452,000 homes flooded in China alone.

Click on 'floods' label to see more about floods locally.

Residents urged to make the most of rain: Daddy couldn't find me a Bowser

With bowsers still not in places we've been promised the news is that heavy rain is predicted for Gloucestershire on Saturday. I've just seen a news release from Stroud District Council urging residents who are without mains water to capture rainwater so that it can be used to help them cope whilst they are without supplies - see below - but also remember many of the springs in the area can also be used to help flush loos etc (see previous blogs for details).

Anne McKenzie, Co-ordination Team Manager for the council, said: “We’d urge people to collect rainwater in buckets, washing-up bowls, paddling pools and anything else that can capture it. Rainwater is ideal to flush the toilet.”

The council’s guidance during the water shortage is to make sure that people continue to flush their toilets using “grey water” and to use toilet cleaner. Grey water is water such as used bath water and washing up water. Toilets can be flushed in the following ways:
- by putting used (grey) water or rainwater into your cistern and flushing as normal
- by pouring used (grey) water or rainwater direct into the bowl – from a height sufficient to flush it through

Meanwhile a friend sent this below - to the tune "Daddy wouldn't buy me a Bow wow" - he's after more verses!

Daddy couldn't find me a Bowser
and mummy couldn't find one either
Its big and blue and fat
S.T told us where its at
But we cannot find their Bow-wow-ser

A second Community Supported Agriculture project for Stroud

There has been lots of work since the beginning of the year to create a second Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project - this one based at Stroud Slad Farm on the south side of the Slad Valley.

Photo: Like Farmers markets (photos), allotments and Community Farm Trusts CSAs' do more than just provide local food.

The essence of a CSA (see more about the original Stroud CSA here) is that the community and farmers meet half way to share rewards and risks and ensure the viability of local farming, local food supply and local employment. When talking climate change or peak oil the solutions are clear in terms of food: we must start producing it locally - it is very inspiring to see this group start up this project - Stroud leading the way that others will follow.

Stroud Slad Farm Community (SSFC) is now in full swing and what is now needed is for locals and their friends to take the opportunity of having locally grown, seasonal organic veg delivered to you. You can choose to have £9 or £4.50 worth of veg a week.

As with all community projects, this one will stand or fall on the commitment from the community. We are confident that SSFC has a bright future if that commitment is forthcoming. If interested please get in touch by emailing: ssfc@cooptel.net

Puckshole: Vigilante road clearers stalled and road could be closed for months

Vigilante road clearers were hoping to bring some cheer to local residents and clear the mudslide from Puckshole (for more photos see one of my blog entries for 22nd July).

Photo: Puckshole road closed

These heroic folk even had a digger but sadly as they investigated it became apparent the site is quite unstable. I also got today this email from Highways in response to my query re the road - I did note in my email to them that I guessed it would not be a priority - sadly it looks like it will be a long while before the road reopens:

We are aware of the problem, but at the moment we are concentrating on the emergency itself. Our workforce has been fully tied up in protecting Walham, Mythe etc. delivering portaloos etc. and reopening the major network.

The land that has slipped belongs to the property the drive leads to and is ultimately their responsibility. We will be making contact as soon as possible, but at the moment this is not a priority. We have not cleared the road, as this may lead to further slippage, which could worsen the situation, especially with more heavy rainfall forecast this weekend.

Under no circumstances should anyone attempt to clear the road, as they will not only endanger themselves, but anyone who later attempted to pass through. I arranged for some stone to be placed over the mud to create a walkway on Monday, and I am happy to top this up if needed, as infill actually makes it more stable. Realistically we are talking months, but I can't say for sure until we can get it checked out in more detail.

Water and extra plastic recycling arrives: well some

The good news is that bottled water can now be got locally at Randwick Scout Hut and Whiteshill Village Hall: free to local residents - and first bowser arrives but not to a listed site?!

Photos: Whiteshill Village Hall, Randwick Scout Hut and the bowser at Double Spout, Ruscombe

The Whiteshill Village Hall being visible on the main road is doing vigourous trade and already has had a lorry top up supplies - David Drew MP visited there this morning to help deliveries to less able. The Randwick site however is turning over very slowly - but they did note they have an outside tap - metered but working and would let people fill up limited amounts. Both sites are both meant to be there until 5 and open each day while supplies last.

As for bowsers? Well I'm told none are in Whiteshill and I didn't see any but I did discover one at Double Spout on the Ruscombe Road. Not sure why it is there as this was not one of the sites listed by Severn Trent (see earlier blog) - and it's not getting much use. As for the Randwick bowsers (Carpenters Arms and Vine Tree) they apparently weren't there this morning: are they now?

Recycle your plastic water bottles? Hundreds of thousands of extra plastic bottles have been used to distribute water so the District have arranged for special recycling facilities to be made available for these extra bottles. The following plastic water bottle recycling banks are the nearest to us and will be open from 3.30pm today:

- Sainsbury's Dudbridge
- Tesco Stratford Rd
- London Road Car Park

Severn Trent profits but still no bowsers

Around 15,000 people in Stroud District from Hardwicke across to Chalford are without a water supply (plus of course another 115,000 across the rest of the County).

Photo: There was an amazing rainbow over Ruscombe yesterday

For those of us without water and indeed the many who are in worse situations it comes a little hard to learn that profits for the company this year will be nearly £300 million - thats' £1.1 billion in profits in 5 years - last year alone £580 million was handed over to shareholders.

Promises made by Severn Trent about providing bowsers and replenishing them have not materialised. Severn Trent clearly have lessons to learn from this - as probably we all do - of 59 bowsers promised for the affected area in Stroud District, less than 50% have been provided and around half of those provided have no water now.

Delivery of bowsers has also been fraught with difficulties: some bowsers have been placed in areas that have tap water while one apparently insisted on touring Chalford for 2 hours despite the village not having a bowser at that time and it could have spent more time refilling bowsers that are empty.

Stroud District Council have apparently intervened as they are "no longer willing for this chaotic and demoralising situation to continue" - and offered Severn Trent that staff will 'ride shotgun' on vehicles to guide them to the right locations. This will save them time and help them deliver their promise. It is indeed wholly unacceptable that since Monday many households have had no water.

Heres a bit from the Districts update bulletin about some of what they are doing:

• Continuing to take water to vulnerable and elderly people in the area - we have been doing this since Monday when the water supply began to run out
• Organising the distribution of bottled water from six supermarkets and garden centres that we set up and staffed
• Offering everyone in the affected area free shower facilities at Stratford Park Leisure Centre and Dursley Pool. Stonehouse Town Council will be offering similar facilities from their Oldends Lane building from Friday
• Providing 20 bottled water distribution points at village and community halls within the affected area
• Continuing to operate our customer service centre for telephone enquiries until 9pm and from 7am
• Providing up to date information on our websitewww.stroud.gov.uk
• Working closely with parish councils and voluntary organisations on distributing bottled water and meeting the needs of vulnerable people
• Ensuring staff and their families in the affected area can fill water bottles and take showers at Ebley Mill

Volunteers called for

The District Council are calling for more volunteers as the emergency runs into the weekend. Although they are being careful about the hours worked in a shift, staff currently involved need to have a break.

Free showers

Water free at Randwick Scout hut today until it runs out - still haven't managed to pick any up yet but I'm quite excited - I'm going out today to my partners daughters' in Paganhill for a shower - Puckshole still closed so its the long way round but I'm getting a lift - still unwell - indeed a rough night but still better off than all those poor folk without homes.

Hey and the news is that free showers are being made available - if you are without water and would like a shower, visit the following facilities. Take along proof of address to make sure that you get it for FREE.

• Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AF
• Dursley Pool, Castle Street, Dursley, GL11 4BS
• Pavilion Oldends Lane, Stonehouse, GL10 2DG

Opening times are:

• Stratford Park: Mondays to Friday 7.00am-11.00pm, Saturdays and Sundays 7.30am-10.00pm
• Dursley Pool: Monday to Friday 6:30am-8:30pm, Saturday 8:00am-7:00pm, Sunday 7:15am-4:00pm
• Oldends Lane: Everyday 12:00pm - 7:00pm, for more information please call 07855 721544. Volunteers are also needed if you would like to help out please call Stonehouse Town Council 01453 822070 (9am - 5pm).

Could reeds be the new pipes?

A friend just forwarded this news item re Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems from the BBC yesterday about sewage and drainage - see it here - at last this issue is making the national news. As regular blog readers will know I've been banging on about this since this blog began - see some previous entries re SUDS here.

The BBC diagram gives neat summary of many of the issues we face with the Ruscombe Brook but are also part of the wider reasons why the floods are so bad. Vast quantities of water should soak away into water tables rather than being fed into brooks ands rivers that can't cope in extreme weather - and indeed in not so extreme weather.

1 Most old drains combine foul and surface water, which in heavy rain overflows into rivers

2 Interceptor sewers can collect this overflow and divert to treatment works before it reaches rivers

3 Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems mimic natural drainage, slowing water flow and reducing the amount running off into drains

4 Disposing of unsuitable material into sewers via toilets and sinks can cause waste to back up and overflow

5 Fat traps can intercept some of the offending material from commercial premises

6 Reducing water consumption not only helps the environment but reduces load on the sewerage system

7 Paving over gardens prevents water draining into the ground, adding to pressure on the system caused by rain "run-off"

Will it really be 14 days until we have water?

'Water, water, everywhere, But not a drop to drink.'

That quote comes from the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge - when the Ancient Mariner is stuck in the middle
of the sea but seemed to fit with all these floods.

Our MP David Drew has rightly been calling for some answers. Here is what he said yesterday before Gordon Brown visited:
"I thank my right hon. Friend and all the other Ministers for the interest that they have taken in Gloucestershire. I pay due regard to the emergency services for the superb work that they have undertaken, and I pass on my commiserations to my colleagues in the county and all their constituents. However, can it be right that we are told that it will take 14 days to get back our main drinking supplies? There is much misinformation about who is off the mains supply and who is likely to be off. All the businesses, farms and individual households want some certainty. It cannot be the case that we must wait so long in this day and age because of the present crisis. For some time Severn Trent has needed to understand that it must act more quickly. I hope my right hon. Friend will make sure that that happens."

Gordon Brown replied: "Let me join my hon. Friend in expressing my sympathy to all the people in the Gloucester, Tewkesbury and related areas who have suffered an enormous amount of inconvenience as a result of the storms and then the floods. I also pay tribute to the emergency services—the police, the fire services, the Army and all those who have worked to try to get supplies into the areas and to make sure that the utilities are back serving the people. My hon. Friend is right that Mythe water station failed. He is right that we would like it back in use as quickly as possible. He is also right that all the civil engineering capacity that can be brought to bear is being brought to bear. The water works were polluted. There is, therefore, a danger that the water pouring out from there would contaminate local people. We have made it clear to the Severn water company that it has to provide the bowsers for the area. Nine hundred have already been provided, and 900 will be provided within the next day. Drinking water is being provided through the retail stores. I think that the company has discharged its duty in ensuring that that water is available. Obviously we want Mythe water station back as quickly as possible. I will visit the area later today, and I have invited the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson) and Gloucestershire Members on both sides of the House to join me on that visit, when we will see at first hand how things are progressing. I think that the House owes a debt of gratitude to all the emergency services, and we will do everything we can to get supplies restored as quickly as possible."

While it does appear that our Government is starting to take the floods seriously I can't say this has been the case in the past - it has ignored advice about building on flood plains and has failed to take Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) seriously (see my extensive correspondence on this - most recent 20th June 2007) - both these measures would have gone a long way to protecting properties and water supplies - although I'm not for one moment saying there would not have still been serious problems. Even the governments' latest Code for Sustainable Buildings fails to compel builders to provide 'gray water' recycling for flushing toilets and chemical farming is subsidised when organic farming uses less water. Infact on Stroud District Council I must have raised the issue of SUDS at least 40 times in connection with planning applications.

"The Government does not want to connect the floods to global warming for fear of being exposed in the itsy-bitsy bikini of its own half-hearted policy."
Writer Will Self

It is also time to take flood defences more seriously - funding was cut last year although that has now been reversed but no increase until year 3 - a country planning to spend a minimum of £30bn on a missile system conceived as defence against the Soviet Union can afford to spend serious money against endemic flooding. This will mean some tough decisions about which areas to prioritise and how we can start to use flood plains in the ways they used to be used - to soak up excess water. Plus putting in place ways to 'bleed' rivers further up so that not all the water comes down at once.

And what about compensation for floods? Again big numbers get talked about but the reality is that compensation is unlikely to be sufficient. How much bigger will Glos tax payers Council tax bills be as a result of the floods?

And what about power? I and 599,000 others have been threatened with the loss of power if the substation floods. This is yet another case for decentralised power sources and local grids that Greens have been pushing for years. Denmark already has 50% supplied like this - sadly our government has so far not been supportive of this. I am not convinced this will make them understand? The massive power cuts a few years ago in US cities that left 50 million without power did not seem to wake them up either...

....Anyway the Government are right to look now to better coordination with the Environment Agency - but they were planning funding cuts to the EA - in fact the Tories at the last election were openly talking of cut backs to the EA. We need to remove such threats and reinvest in the EA. David Cameron didn't go that far but did say yesterday: "Looking to the future and how we minimise the risk of future flooding, at least five times in the past decade the House has been told that co-ordination between the Environment Agency and local councils needs to improve. I welcome the review that the Prime Minister has set up. Can he confirm that it will look into co-ordination to ensure that this time it really is delivered, and will he ensure that we do everything possible to protect key infrastructure in the future?"

I'm still in bed but couldn't resist a rant - flu is probably not making me so coherent - it is not really any point seeking to put blame on one body or person - basically we are not in control and nevre really have been - It was nobody's fault, and yet it was everybody's.....

The solutions - or at least part of the solutions - to these problems Greens have been talking about for years - hey and I haven't even got onto the lack of action to tackle climate change - this Government has been great on the rhetoric but completely failing when it comes to policies - emissions are up in the last 10 years yet we have to cut by 90% by 2050. Let us hope this wake up call does just that and really wakes everyone up to the realities of the future.

Anyhow all this has got my temperature up - and no shower for 14 days.....at least communities are pulling together in wonderful ways and I've had many phonecalls from people with ideas and/or offers of help - even a call from Spain wanting confirmation of news reports they were getting - hopefully pointed some in various directions - but it highlights the need for us to build stronger communities so that we can face such events in the future - do we really know who in our communities need help? And if we need help are we able to ask? And ask who? By all accounts hearing a scientist yesterday this will not be a freak event there will be many of these as climate change takes hold.

Hey and Puckshole is still closed and I have no news of when it might open - have contacted Highways but understandably they are slightly busy....

Still no bowsers

Still no bowsers in Randwick or Whiteshill - Severn Trent do not appear to know what is going on re the bowsers.

Photo: Pinched from BBC Glos website

I contacted the District Council earlier today to see if they could apply some pressure - residents can also phone the 'bowser' line 0800 032 0142. It seems all the initial bowsers obtained have been allocated to flood areas but that has left us in this area without any water for a couple of days.

Even the planned locations of bowsers are not very satisfactory (see previous posts re floods by clicking on 'floods' label below). Most of the village of Ruscombe is without one - the nearest two being the Chapel at the end of Lower Street and then the Vine Tree in Randwick. Whiteshill and Parish Council have requested another in Bread Street at Laburnam Cresent to address this - I've sent an email making the same point to the District Council who are collating info on bowser locations.

Reuben Wyatt from the mobile police station has been delivering bottled water for pensioners in Whiteshill, and now brought another batch up to Randwick. Those in touch with care services have already had deliveries earlier in the week. There have also been offers of help with laundry from a couple in Stonehouse.

I've also only just come across a freephone number for housebound people to ring if they need water delivery - 0800 092 0410. See previous posts re floods for info about springs etc but be particularly cautious as flooding leads to additional contamination.

Meanwhile the District Council has better info than many other websites about what is really going on - see website here.

Flood update: plus bowser locations

Latest bits of news:

- The plan to construct 22-miles of temporary water mains to enable water to be pumped from outside the county in an effort to restore essential supplies will not be going ahead. Apparently the reason is the traffic disruption it will cause on the M5 and the resources required to implement it. Reports note that other options are currently being explored which will provide the same degree of benefit without the undue impact on traffic and already severely stretched resources.

- The substation at Castlemeads has been switched off due to flooding. The decision to terminate the supply in a controlled manner was made for safety reasons due to a sudden surge in the flood water. It has affected 48,000 homes in the Gloucestershire area - the other substation workers and the Navy are still fighting to protect - if that goes down it means 600,000 homes without electricity. Reports are so far positive although at one point yesterday floodwaters were within 2 inches of breaching.

- Whiteshill water supply is rumoured to be a burst water main - if this is the case it may well be restored very soon - however it still looks like 2 weeks without water in Randwick and other areas.

- Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish have already given in a list of 12 or so names of people needing help while Randwick are in the process of building a list - if in doubt please give names of vulnerable people to District Council as I am sure these wont be complete lists and circumstances change constantly. Neighbours are being very wonderful and helping out in many areas - this is hopefully a good excuse if ever people needed one to knock on doors locally to see if all are OK.

Areas without water in Stroud:

Bisley with Lypiatt
Chalford (part)
Cranham
Eastcombe
Farmhill
Hardwicke (part)
Harescombe
Miserden
Oakridge
Paganhill (part)
Painswick
Pitchcombe
Randwick
Slad
Thrupp
Uplands
Upton St Leonards (part)
Whiteshill and Ruscombe

Bowser locations:

These are the locations - but apparently many including Randwick and Whiteshill ones are still not in place. Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish have also sought a bowser for Bread Street as there are many properties between The Chapel in Ruscombe and the Vine Tree in Randwick - we'll see:

• Chalford Hill, Eastcombe, Bisley,Oakridge Lynch, Whiteway, Quarhouse
Lamb Inn, Eastcombe
O/S No 25, Foxes Cl, Manor Village, Eastcombe
O/S No 27, Freame Cl, Manor Village, Eastcombe
Lay By.Thomas Keble School, Eastcombe
The Willows, Limekiln Ln, Watery Ln, Bisley
Highfield Sports Gr.Highfield Way,France Lynch
Butchers Arms, Oakridge Lynch,
Adj. Prv, The Green, Peyton Pl, Quarhouse
St Marys Church, Bisley
Village Hall, Manor St, Bisley
Adj. Avalon, Whiteway, Miserden
Upper Througham Fm, Througham
• Cranham
Prinknash Park, Painswick Rd
The Black Horse pub
Cranham C Of E Primary, Cranham, Painswick
• Painswick
Opp. Reservoir Golf Club, Course Rd
Car Park, Stroud Rd
Painswick Primary School, Churchill Wy
St Marys Church, Victoria St
Butchers Arms, Sheepscombe
Woolpack Inn, Slad
• Stroud (Uplands, Brownshill, Bussage, Edge, Pitchcombe, Whiteshill, Westrip, Randwick, Farmhill)
O/S No.4, Keats Gardens, Farmhill
Allen Dr, Paganhill
Opp. No. 4, Swift Hill View
Junc Peghouse Rise, Folly Lane, Uplands
Edge Church, Edge
Entrance To Manor Fm, Pitchcombe
Adj. To Prv (Church), Main Rd, Whiteshill
Primary School, Whiteshill
Chapel Hall, The Throat, Whiteshill
Vine Tree Inn, Randwick
The Carpenters Arms, Westrip
On Verge, The Green, Bussage
Opp. The Old Post Office, Brownshill, Nr Stroud
Bussage C Of E Primary, Bussage, Nr Stroud
O/S No.4, Keats Gardens, Farmhill, Stroud
Allen Dr, Paganhill, Stroud
O/S No.35 Maple Dr, Maple Dr, Whiteshill
Adj. Avalon, Whiteway, Miserden
• Upton St Leonards
The Ashpath, Churchfield Rd
Stats Orchard, Woodland Green
Rance Pitch, High St
Perry Orchard Estate, East Of High St
Port Way, Valley La
Kings Head pub, Upton Hill
Hotel, Upton Hill
Upton Junior School
Bowden Hall
Stanley Rd
Budlea Cl
Brow Rd
Fox Cl
Ramada Hotel, Bondend Rd

Do you need water locally?

I've received several offers from people who have local springs in Randwick, Ruscombe and further afield who would be happy to let others have some of the water (apparently needs boiling to drink). For water from farm in Foxmoor Lane call Julia Currie on 01453 764376 - for others please call me on 755451 and leave a message - I'm sleeping lots with flu - interestingly my partners daughter has this theory that there is a particular strain of flu that only men get - Man Flu - in her experience men seem to suffer so much more when they get flu.......it is true I do feel very very rough.....

Photo:Randwick Village Spring near School

Anyhow there are also the various village springs - which I would be happy to use for washing and the loo but not advised for drinking - infact one of those in Ruscombe has again been found to have eColi. I don't yet have news on bowsers but certainly many homes in the area now have no water. Also as noted on previous recent posts do let District Council know if you know anyone who is vulnerable in the light of the floods and lack of water.

Association of Green Councillors meet in London

The Association of Green Councillors' annual conference this year was Friday at the Local Government House, Smith Square, just down from the House of Commons then Saturday at Camden Town Hall.

Friday was hosted by the Local Government Association Independent Group - see my news release here. Three Greens from Stroud District Council were among those attending.

The conference kicked off with LGA Chief Executive, Paul Coen (pictured right), welcoming delegates and giving the opening speech. One of the first things he noted was that this group of a 100 or so Green delegates must be the youngest ever group to grace this venue. To me that is a sad reflection on the state of our politics when young people don't wish to participate...there is currently a Councillors Commission which is looking and barriers and incentives to becoming a councillor. I made a submission a couple of weeks ago raising various points including:
- Proportional representation is essential to ensure more voices are represented
- Decentralisation of powers: seeing people being able to make the local changes that are needed.
- Scrutiny, Cabinet and indeed all committees are increasingly demanding more knowledge and skills. If this comes with increased local powers then we need to reward this financially and provide training so that we can improve local services.

Anyhow I am getting side tracked - after Paul we then had another excellent session - "Climate Change and Local Authorities" - with Green MEP - Jean Lambert, Green London Assembly Member - Cllr Jenny Jones AM and Cllr Andy Cooper - Kirklees. Followed by Q and A.

We have heard many exciting examples of Green party action in local authorities. How Greens on the London Assembly hold the balance of power so Ken Livingstone needs them - hence £150m going to tackling climate change and more - read Green news release at the time here.

We also heard from Andy Cooper (pictured left giving his talk, "Only the Green Party can save us now!"), a Green party councillor in Kirklees who negotiated a £21 million funding from various sources to provide free cavity wall and loft insulation to 40,000 properties.

This is just the sort of scheme that makes sense: it cuts householder bills by an average £150 each year, an estimated £4.5 million will annually go back into the community rather than to power companies, a jobs boost for the local economy, it tackles fuel poverty and will be the largest carbon saving project in the country.

Andy also shared much more like Kirklees now has 5% of the countries solar panels plus a £3m householder renewable energy fund (poss plus another £3m) - basically it is a revolving fund that you pay back when your home is sold. They also have the first LA Budget that takes account of carbon. Plus lots more......

There were many other sessions including a look at Local Government Reforms by Paul Wheeler, Leadership Centre for Local Government. Green approaches to crime, Influencing Local Development Frameworks, Making best use of Scrutiny, and Working with the major parties.

After my many hours due to the floods trying to get back to Stroud by train from London (see previous post) it is ironic that one of the issues we were discussing at the conference was the failure by many councils to resist building on flood plains and the lack of a serious commitment nationally to Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems - which are now mandatory in countries like Scotland and Ireland. Let us hope the recent disasters make people listen more closely to the solutions we need to put in place.

Of course there was also time to talk and catch up news from fellow Green councillors around the country - including a trip to the pub - although I missed the curry night.

One slightly shocking thing to hear was about the 'dirty tricks' of other parties - this picture of a Labour newspaper shows them celebrating their win to get cotton bags - yet it was part of a Green party project and a Green party amendment to the Budget. Then again it's good they are wanting to sing green ideas out!

Similarly this picture is of the front page of their newsheet saying 'Greens backed tree massacre' - it couldn't be further from truth - so what to do - I was pleased to hear Greens there did not respond in kind but instead made a statement on the back page of one of their leaflets reassuring people that they did not back the massacre. See Ladywell Green comment on that incident here.

Ethical shopping: just another way to show your wealth?

See excellent article from Monbiot here - he says much of what I've thought for a while.

Photo: a couple of years back I got to be one of the first in the country to see this car - it is the first production car to run on bioethanol (see blog entries elsewhere on the problems of that) and lets face it it is still a car - this is not going to lead to 90% cut in emissions by 2050.

Flu, floods and no water

Great!! I've been in bed last couple of days and am v grotty indeed with flu and now no water - got the message below too late to get more than a trickle of water into a pan.

Photos: Used to illustrate flooding if we don't tackle climate change.

Apparently it is expected to last 7 to 10 days! Parts of Stroud are also likely to be effected. Some 350,000 homes are expected to be without water and some 600,000 could lose electricity if flood waters rise to hit the substation - apparently quite possible at this time despite the Navy being called in to protect it. Tewkesbury remains cut off, surrounded by water. So at least even with flu and no water I'm better off than many who have seen their homes and livelihoods flooded.

Photo: Bowser in Churchdown (taken from BBC website)

We have been advised by Severn Trent Water that there is a likelihood of a progressive loss of water supply in the following areas: Bisley, Oakridge, Cranham, Painswick, Miserden, Whiteshill, Cranham, Randwick, Haresfield, Eastington, Frampton, Arlingham, Slimbridge. We understand that the areas immediately surrounding Gloucester are already off. This is due to the fact that the reservoir at Churchdown is now empty; the only water now in the system is that in the pipes. Unfortunately, Severn Trent Water (STW) cannot predict how long this will last. In the event of loss of supply, STW can be expected to set up on-street bowsers. Our concern is to ensure that vulnerable residents have water until this happens and that they can then get access to them. We obviously know the location of sheltered schemes etc; our particular concern is for isolated residents.

Photo: Cheltenham Station - no wonder I couldn't get a train through on that line on Saturday!

Do please contact the Council for advice if you know of vulnerable or isolated residents. Meanwhile the Director of Public Health for Gloucestershire Dr Shona Arora advised:

• Wear wellingtons to wade through the flood water and keep children from playing in it to minimise any risk of infection
• Boil all bowser water as a precaution and use it to make up infant formula
• Flush the toilet less often and try to use grey water including flood water for this
• Main hospitals are functioning, although Tewskebury Hospital has been partially evacuated
• Most GP surgeries are functioning

Watch aerial footage of waterworks on BBC here.

Honour the elders

Love the water butts in this old photo - pinched from another blog here that has lots more re the 'Cottage Homes for Aged Persons Bill, 1912' - so many of the solutions we need are from yesteryears - at least water butts are once again returning.

Photo: Nelson Mandela bust in South Bank, London

It is also refreshing to see the launch of elders by Nelson Mandela and others. Mandela said at the opening the Elders could prove effective in "working objectively and without any personal or vested interest" in dealing with seemingly intractable problems where others fail because of "political, economic and geographic constraints...This group can speak freely and boldly, working both publicly and behind the scenes on whatever actions need to be taken."

Then again will this be an excuse for the likes of older statesmen to strut their stuff still more with out-of-touch ideas and worse?

See more re Elders here: http://www.theelders.org

Plus of course groups like Transition Towns already have written in to their steps that a key point in transition to a different society is that elders should be honoured. Indeed for those of us born in the 1960s when the cheap oil party was in full swing, it is very hard to picture a life with less oil. Indeed with the exception of the oil crises of the 70s we've had more energy year on year than previous years.

Rob Hopkins writes: "In order to rebuild that picture of a lower energy society, we have to engage with those who directly remember the transition to the age of Cheap Oil, especially the period between 1930 and 1960. While you clearly want to avoid any sense that what you are advocating is ‘going back’ or ‘returning’ to some dim distant past, there is much to be learnt from how things were done, what the invisible connections between the different elements of society were and how daily life was supported. Finding out all of this can be deeply illuminating, and can lead to our feeling much more connected to the place we are developing our Transition Town projects."

C&C correspondence continues: does Defra understand SP?

A slightly frustrating response below from Defra re Simultaneous Policy (see my Blog entry on 22nd May for last letter on this). I'm beginning to wonder if they understand how SP works! Below the response is my reply back to Defra.

Photo: Rainbow over Bread Street: sometimes wonder if I'm chasing a rainbow with SP but over the years things have moved significantly - yes still a long way to go but it has come further than I ever imagined - no doubt because it makes so much sense - and is fair!

Certainly the Government seem to be shifting on Contraction and Convergence - and with a Green party suggestion even Stroud District Council mentioned C&C in it's response to the Climate Change Bill (see my blog on 23rd June 2007). Ian Pearson, the Minister responsible wrote in a letter last month: "Certain aspects of Contraction and Convergence are appealing, including the identification of a fixed level for stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations, and comprehensive global participation. Any framework that incorporates long term targets can offer countries greater certainty about their national targets and provide a clear signal to allow business to plan ahead and help drive investment in new and better technologies. The principle of equity is extremely important to all countries but in particular developing countries and a number of countries have expressed an interest in using per capita emissions as a basis for assigning responsibility for future action. Some developing countries, in particular, India, have advocated the Contraction and Convergence model. Equally, other countries have shown interest in alternative frameworks...."

It is also good to see the Minister talking more on equity as the recent draft Climate Change Bill did not really cover this issue: see questions 14 and 16 in the local Green party's response to the Bill.

Reply from Customer Contact Unit, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Dear Cllr Booth

contraction and convergence - Thank you for your email of 13 July regarding my previous letter. I am sorry that there were technical problems. Below is the information I sent you:

The UK government is also looking for the best possible framework through which to address climate change. As part of our internal deliberations we are considering in detail contraction and convergence, along with 3 or 4 other frameworks, in terms of the emissions reductions delivered and the economic costs related to each one and their overall acceptability to our international partners. The work that we have done on these key frameworks suggests that for each one, there will be advantages and disadvantages for individual countries and groups of countries and that no framework will provide only advantages for all.

The UK would consider global acceptability to be an essential feature of any future regime and so it is unlikely that we would be willing to sign up to any framework on a unilateral or even partially multilateral basis, such as that which you suggest in relation to simultaneous policy. As you recognize, we cannot ignore the international context of this problem. Without participation by all parties we will not be able to stabilize the climate. A key part of the UK strategy is, therefore, to work extensively with other parties both through the formal UNFCCC process and through informal discussions to identify a way forward that would be acceptable to all. Although there is some agreement about the key elements that need to be addressed and plenty of ideas forthcoming in relation to these elements of a framework, there is still some way to go in building the level of consensus within the international community that would be required to agree on a framework for the way forward.

Given this international situation, we consider that it is essential to listen to other parties, in particular in the developing world, and to encourage them to put forward ideas about what sort of framework would best allow them to grow their economies in an environmentally sustainable way. Within the framework of the UNFCCC negotiations the two approaches that have so far been put forward are the Brazilian historical responsibility proposal and the South African ideas on Sustainable Development Policies and Measures mentioned in our previous correspondence with you.

We believe that it is the right approach to give consideration to the concerns of all parties and this is why we support discussions on all of these ideas within the forum of the UNFCCC. I hope that this letter addresses your concerns and there are no problems reading it. Yours sincerely

My reply today: Thank you very much for your reply. However it is not correct to suggest that simultaneous policy is unilateral; its whole purpose is to achieve multilateral agreement in as short a time as possible. I stress that it can work in parallel with the conventional international negotiation process.

I am deeply concerned that HMG's insistence on 100% global agreement can only serve to put off the time for global action on global warming into the indefinite future. The rationality of some rulers is of questionable quality. Remember President Mbeki’s denial of HIV as the cause of AIDS? Will UK really hang back if Burma, North Korea, Zimbabwe or other "rogue states" refuse to sign? Surely you will agree that to insist on 100% agreement is unrealistic, and that a reasonable target should be set instead? Cllr Philip Booth

Heavy rainfall is result of climate change: community resilience is answer

Photo: Slad Road in Stroud under feet of water: Coop, GP surgery and Pharmacy nearly flooded to ceilings

The Independent today notes a major new scientific study that shows the heavier rainfall in Britain is being caused by climate change.

The details are below but perhaps a key issue that comes out of all this is what Molly Scott Cato writes in her letter to the SNJ today....."However good the official response, there is only so much that politicians and emergency planners can do. We are going to have to learn to rely on ourselves and each other more and more in the coming years. Building up resilient local economies and strengthening our communities is the most positive route we can take to protect ourselves against the effects of climate change."

Infact coming home on those various trains - see previous blog item - I read a review of the new book by Thomas Homer-Dixon entitled: "The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity and the Renewal of Civilisation" (This link also has excerpts and a short video although I couldn't get it to work).

The apocalyptic picture painted in this book is grounded in much research - he argues that life is going to get very much harder for everyone. The reasons for this pessimistic outlook include most of what Greens have been banging on about for years - population growth (or differences in population growth rates between rich and poor countries), climate change and the increasing scarcity of high-quality energy sources such as oil.

Homer-Dixon also looks at other threats that tend could exacerbate the effects of the ones mentioned above. Again Greens have been trying to highlight these issues like the rising connectivity of our technological and transport networks, which increases the risk that a failure in one part of a system will cascade further and faster to other parts of the system.

Similarly energy grids - during the past decade, regional electricity production and distribution systems have been increasingly integrated- yet the result is that whole networks can collapse, as happened in the American power meltdown of 2003 in which 50 million people were affected, and the recent European blackout in 2006, in which millions of Belgian, French, Italian and Spanish homes were left in the dark. This is one of the many key reasons Greens want to see localised energy production/grids.

Anyway reflecting the point Molly made above - it's too late to avert disaster so the most sensible strategy is to be prepared. As Homer-Dixon points out, the idea of making our technological and social systems more resilient, so they can deal more successfully with future disasters, is hardly addressed by governments. To Greens this is all about building stronger local communities and economies - surely that is just commonsense?

In looking up Homer-Dixon I also came across the Utopia project in the Highlands - read more here - it is an experiment with volunteers to figure out how life in Britain will be affected by climate change and the end of cheap oil during the next few decades - Dylan Evans who set the project up also writes a column in The Times about their experiences - to me it is projects like this and our own Transition Stroud that will help build what is needed to make the difference.

Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor of The Independent writes in todays paper:

More intense rainstorms across parts of the northern hemisphere are being generated by man-made global warming, the study has established for the first time ­ an effect which has long been predicted but never before proved. The study's findings will be all the more dramatic for being disclosed as Britain struggles to recover from the phenomenal drenching of the past few days, during which more than a month's worth of rain fell in a few hours in some places, and floods forced thousands from their homes.

The "major rainfall event" of last Friday ­ fully predicted as such by the Met Office ­ has given the country a quite exceptional battering, with the Thames still rising. In Gloucester water levels had reached 34 feet, just 12 inches below flood defences ­ the same level as during the flood of 1947 ­ although a police spokesman said last night that the River Severn had stopped rising.

Last night vast areas of the country around Gloucestershire and Worcestershire were still inundated, large numbers of people in temporary accommodation, transport links were widely disrupted, and yet more householders were standing by to be flooded in their turn, in one of the biggest civil emergencies Britain has seen. About 150,000 residents in Gloucestershire were left without drinking water when the Mythe Water Treatment Works in Tewkesbury became inoperable after flooding. Another 200,000 people are at risk of losing their supplies. The water shortages may last until Wednesday and 600 water tanks were being drafted to the area.

Panic buying of bottled water was reported, with supermarkets selling out of stocks, and there were contamination problems in south London, where 80,000 households and businesses in the Sutton area were advised to boil their water after rain got into a tank. Yet another potential danger was from car thieves; West Mercia police warned drivers who had abandoned their cars in the floodwater to collect them quickly to prevent theft.

The Great Flood of July is all the more remarkable for following right on from the Great Flood of June, which caused similar havoc in northern towns such as Doncaster and Hull, after a similar series of astonishingly torrential downpours on 24 June. Meteorologists agree that the miserably wet British summer of 2007 has generally been caused by a southward shift towards Britain of the jetstream, the high-level airflow that brings depressions eastwards across the Atlantic. This is fairly normal. But debate is going on about whether climate change may be responsible for the intensity of the two freak rainfall episodes, which have caused flooding the like of which has never been seen in many places. This is because the computer models used to predict the future course of global warming all show heavier rainfall, and indeed, "extreme rainfall events", as one of its principal consequences.

The new study, carried out jointly by several national climate research institutes using their supercomputer climate models, including the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office, does not prove that any one event, including the rain of the past few days in Britain, is climate-change related. But it certainly supports the idea, by showing that in recent decades rainfall has increased over several areas of the world, including the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere, and linking this directly, for the first time, to global warming caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases.

The study is being published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, and its details are under embargo and cannot be reported until then. But its main findings have caused a stir, and are being freely discussed by climate scientists in the Met Office, the Hadley Centre and the Department for Environment For Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. One source familiar with the study's conclusions said: "What this does is establish for the first time that there is a distinct 'human fingerprint' in the changes in precipitation patterns ­ the increases in rainfall ­ observed in the northern hemisphere mid-latitudes, which includes Britain. "

That means, it is not just the climate's natural variability which has caused the increases, but there is a detectable human cause ­ climate change, caused by our greenhouse gas emissions. The 'human fingerprint' has been detected before in temperature rises, but never before in rainfall. So this is very significant. Some people would argue that you can't take a single event and pin that on climate change, but what happened in Britain last Friday fits quite easily with these conclusions. It does seem to have a certain resonance with what they're finding in this research."

The Hadley Centre lead scientist involved with the study was Dr Peter Stott, who specialises in finding "human fingerprints" ­ sometimes referred to as anthropogenic signals ­ on the changing climate. Last September Dr Stott, who was not available for comment yesterday, published research showing that the climate of central England had warmed by a full degree Celsius in the past 40 years, and that this could be directly linked to human causes ­ the first time that man-made climate change had been identified at such a local level. The human fingerprint is detected by making computer simulations of the recent past climate, with and without emissions of greenhouse gases ­ and then comparing the results with what has actually been observed in the real world. In Dr Stott's research, and in the study to be published on Wednesday, the observed rises in temperature and rainfall could be clearly accounted for by the scenario in which emissions were prominent.

The conclusions of the new rainfall study are regarded as all the more robust as they are the joint work of several major national climate research bodies, led by Environment Canada, with each using its own supercomputer climate model. Global warming is likely to lead to higher rainfall because a warming atmosphere contains more water vapour and more energy. Since climate prediction began 20 years ago, heavier rainfall over Britain has been a consistent theme.

Flooding and a nightmare journey from London

Yesterday I had to make my way back from a national Green party councillors conference in London (ironically one we had been discussing floods at!). I spent 7 hours, 5 trains and 3 buses getting back and on several occasions along the route (in Reading and Bristol) was told I would need to stay the night in a local B&B.

Photos: Paddington Station when it reopened and below tube stations on Friday.

I've enclosed a couple of photos from the tube journey the previous day that was equally terrible: 15 Tube stations and 3 tube lines closed (all seemed to be the ones I needed to go to or travel through). Those tubes and trains that did run were unbearable full and stations on occasions became dangerously overcrowded. Some of my fellow travellers had experienced much worse journeys like one man who spent 26 hours trying to travel from London to Cheltenham. He had had to sleep in Paddington station that closed on Friday - and also saw shops flooded.

Here in Stroud by all accounts there were also many roads closed and homes flooded - the cost of storms in the last 3 weeks have been put at £15Bn so far. Gloucester Fire Service attended 1,800 incidents in 24 hours (nearly 25% of their normal annual incident rate!).

The local press asked yesterday for a comment - in my haste I said the stuff below - clearly there is lots more I could have said - let's hope these floods really wake people up - maybe planning will even listen to me more on Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems which I have been pushing for months and months!!

Comment to press:

"Many people have faced horrendous journeys and worse still seen their homes and businesses flooded. The message of these rains could not be clearer - decisive, effective action to reduce climate change is needed now along with action to prepare properly for flooding. While the other parties want to carry on building roads and subsiding more and more air travel, the Greens are the only party that will set tough targets to reduce climate pollution year after year.

Photo: mild flooding at Ebley a few weeks ago - this time the flooding was much more serious: bypass closed and all fields underwater

"Our government has been a leader in rhetoric on climate change, but an extraordinary failure in terms of policy. Extremes of climate are only set to get worse and will increasingly severely damage economies. We know what we have to do. We need proper plans to reduce flooding and deep cuts in our emissions: a managed mass withdrawal from fossil fuels, no less. This is nothing short of a war, but instead of tanks we need clean energy. Sweden for example has a plan to get out of oil within 15 years. It is possible but we must have leadership from our government."

I should note that extreme events have always occurred but this should be a warning re climate change as all the scientists say we can expect more of these extreme events.

The other lesson here is that a large number of the households affected are relatively new build in flood plains. Local councillors would appear in some areas to have been putting the profits of developers before the safety of house buyers? Is it fair now that we should be subsidising out of the public purse repairs to such homes - ie effectively allowing developers to keep their profits and take absolutely no responsibility for wrongly siting their buildings? Then again if the Government had put in place proper legislation that Greens have been requesting for years re restrictions of new build on flood plains then we wouldn't be in such a mess.

See also the last post re flooding of Ruscombe Brook at Puckshole.

Puckshole still closed due to heavy rain causing another landslide

No blog posts for several days as I've been at a Green Councillors conference at the Local Government Association in London - more of that in coming days and also the nightmare journey home by many trains and buses yesterday.

However I wanted to post these photos of the road closure at Puckshole - taken yesterday you can see the second landslide down the slope from the Folley Farm drive - plus below the drives of several other houses washed away - at one point over 50cm depth of drive has disappeared. Goodness knows what impact all this silt and soil will all have on the brook further downstream? And how have the sewers coped?

The last photo in this series is the road down to Puckshole still running with water - although access to the lane and those houses was more clear - earlier they had been completely cut off as the brook filled the lane.

I suspect this damage is very minor compared to many other sites in Stroud and beyond - I hear Slad Road has again been hit bad with homes flooded.

I hope all this will lead to more interest in how we manage our water and climate change - already been asked for quotes by press but it is hard to focus on such issues at this time when many still face the misery of nightmare journeys, flooded homes and all....more of that in coming posts but too tired to do much today!!

Threats to library services and latest on Painswick

Library cartoon strip from: www.unshelved.com

Bad news for the library service - the local newspapers are warning that the axe might fall on some of our County libraries - see Citizen report here. This blog entry looks at an update on Painswick library and the broader picture re libraries plus includes mobile library times for this area.

Locally I am very concerned by the County plans - a consultation is due to start on 20th August - let us hope it is an opportunity rather than an excuse to make more cuts - I have to agree with Liberal Dem leader Coun Jeremy Hilton, who says: "The new strategy for libraries is a backward step. They plan to keep the service at the two-star rating of adequate. This shows a complete lack of ambition - we should be striving for a four-star service of excellent. No new libraries are to be built other than finishing off projects started by the Liberal Democrats in the previous administration. Library hours will stay the same, whereas we would be extending opening hours, including opening more libraries on a Sunday."

Painswick library update

See 'Library' label below for various previous blogs on this topic including getting the save the library campaign into an international magazine.

The District Council at Cabinet last week approved a £20,000 grant towards the Painswick Gateway project (see previous blogs for info on the Gateway Project) - it still has to go to Full Council but with Cabinet approval it looks set to go through. While I support the Gateway project I have to say I am deeply concerned by the failure of the County Council to come up with more funds.

Why are the District effectively subsidising a service that should be provided by the County? Maybe there is a good reason but I am yet to hear it! This also happened in 2002 when the Council made a £40,000 capital contribution to the development of a new Dursley Library and continues to invest revenue resources in order to secure a staff presence at the facility.

I would like to hear a lot more noise about why the County are not properly investing in library services before I feel comfortable with District Council money being spent like this. Of course it is a hugely valuable and important project....anyhow here's some of the background info....

Background taken from Stroud District Council Cabinet papers:

During 2005 Gloucestershire County Council reviewed the long-term provision of Libraries within the County. It was subsequently decided that Painswick Library would close during 2009. In April 2006 a ‘Friends of Painswick Library’ (FPL) was established with the aim of retaining the library service and examining how the Stroud Road building could be better integrated with the assets managed by St Mary’s Church (to the rear of the Library) for the benefit of the village as a whole. In June 2006 4 members of FPL formed a core group to research the matter further and report their findings to the Parish Council and community. In September 2006 the Core Group concluded that the community of Painswick should seek to purchase and reunite the various buildings mentioned above for a wide range of community and other uses which would bring social and economic benefits to Painswick. It also recommended that an independent charitable Trust be established to negotiate the purchase of the buildings from the County Council, oversee the regeneration of the site and operate the new facility in due course. The Parish Council and community supported the recommendation and the County Council confirmed in April 2007 that it would be happy to work with a Village Trust.

The Village Trust is currently being set up legally and negotiations with the County Council are about to commence. The Community has already raised significant resources in order to contribute toward the purchase price. The Council has also been invited to make a contribution towards the purchase of the building and to contribute on-going revenue in order to secure a service presence in the new facility. Such a decision would be consistent with the approach taken at Dursley Library and other community facilities.

The project has already been offered revenue support of up to £1,000 from within existing budgets, to match fund that pledged by the Parish Council, and to be used for initial surveys. The Trust have also be advised that any future requests for funding from the Council, over and above the initial £20,000, will need to be considered through future rounds of the Village Hall and Community Building Scheme. Talks about a customer service presence within any new facility and securing the current Tourist Information point are being taken forward by the Strategic Heads of Customer Services and Regeneration and Culture respectively.

The national picture

Nationally the picture is also not looking great with fears that Gordon Brown's cuts to arts funding will damage the country's leading museums, libraries and archives. See Observer article here. Plus public spending by Councils is about to be squeezed - see here local Green party comment last week.

20 years ago the library service in Councils was one of the most vibrant of services - "the university of the street corner" writes John Whelan (Lambeth's opposition Conservative leader). Libraries lent some 600 million books a year but over the past 10 years book issues have declined by 40% while high street book selling has boomed. The amount spent on books by Councils has fallen each year in the last 10 years and now stands at £90 million.

Restoration is possible - the whole service only costs the country £1 billion a year in England to run, but we need to restore book collections, library opening times and repair dilapidated buildings. Where that is happening the results are clear: library use in Richmond is up 13%, in Newquay 97%, while in Kent children's book readership is up 50% and even in Dursley where the new library has opened figures are good.

So why have libraries been run down allowed to become run down? And why is the County not suggesting investment? John Whelan suggests that at a meeting this year at the Smith Institute with leading lights in the libraries debate the suggestion was that elected members - library policy makers - are to blame - sometimes they showed they held libraries in low esteem. Here were some of the other comments about elected members:

- Ignorance - while some were passionate about libraries they were not familiar with details or able to vision the future.
- Failure to listen - some failed to listen to Officers prefering outside organisations
- Responsibilities - who should encourage councillors to understand more and become prop-library people? One Council leader in London recently proudly boasted that he was a "Philistine about libraries" - maybe they will listen when it hits their CPA scores (targets to show how good Councils are compared to others)?

If people are voting with their feet and not going to libraries then the profession must perhaps also share some blame? But not too much as the evidence of continually being squeezed financially and in other ways is not a conducive environment for development. One other aspect I've not mentioned in this entry but have in other blogs, is the role of private companies in our libraries - for example companies like Civica are keen to see more outsourcing and privatisation of our public services - still more worrying is that Civica reported that the hand of private equity was felt - a hostile takeover bid from an unnamed private equity firm....none of this is good news for developing good quality public services.....

It is clear people value their libraries. Some areas are investing in many new and exciting ways: Cumbria County Council is embracing new technology to ensure that residents in rural areas can order library books from their corner shop. In a deprived area of Hackney people queue for the library to open while in Havering a massive refurb programme is linking all libraries to the arts agenda and contain one-stop shops for accessing Council services.

We also see Tim Coates, a former Waterstones managing director on the lecture circuit about libraries - he suggests significant savings are possible from libraries due to unwarranted overheads like library indexing services and poor supply chain management. He asks why Waterstones can buy a book for £10 but libraries pay £20 for the same book? As John Whelan notes Tim Coates "believes that libraries could be more welcoming by using shop fitters, yes, like Waterstones."

Anyhow I await with interest the nature of the County consultation and also hope that support for the Painswick Gateway project continues to come in.

Five Valleys Mobile Library

Photo: Mobile library service in Bread Street

Meanwhile while I was writing this by coincidence someone asked me today what were the times of our mobile library service. So here they are:

Based at Stroud Library Tel (01453) 751651 Fax (01453) 762060
Route C - alternate Wednesdays - Mobile stops at:

Duderstadt Close, Paganhill 9.10 to 9.40 am
Humphries Close, Randwick 10.55 to 11.10am
Bread St, Ruscombe 11.20 to 11.35am
Carpenters Arms, Westrip 11.45 to 12 noon
Victory Road, Whiteshill 1.50 to 2.20pm
St. Paul's Church, Whiteshill 2.25 to 2.45pm
Maple Drive, Whiteshill 2.45 to 3pm

Read more about Gloucestershire libraries

Library Club for Housebound

And don't forget there is also a meeting at Stroud library on the last Wednesday of each month 11 to 12.30 for housebound - free door-to-door community transport plus tea and coffee. Next dates 25th July and 26th Sept - book a place with Village Agent Pam Thorne on 07776245791.

Parkway shelved: a victory for commonsense

The Green party alone of all the political parties in the County has opposed the Parkway project - at last the County has seen sense and listened to the vast majority of people who opposed this scheme. See our most recent press release on this which was covered last week.

See Citizen report here. And Green party comment here about the need to shelve more than just the train station.

Organic farming can feed the world

A new University of Michigan study indicates that organic farming is more productive than chemical and energy intensive industrial agriculture.

Photos: River Severn taken a month ago

In fact it shows that organic farming can yield up to three times as much food as conventional farming in developing countries, and holds its own against standard methods in rich countries.

This report adds weight to what we already know - indeed reports years ago were saying the very same as this....Researchers in this study note 293 examples in previous studies that corroborate the fact that organic farming is better than conventional, but pointed out that biased studies funded by chemical producers have clouded the public's understanding of the issue. They said their findings contradict arguments that organic farming - which excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides - is not as efficient as conventional techniques.

Corporate agribusiness has spent decades repeating the mantra that chemical intensive agriculture is necessary to feed the world. But according to the new report, "Model estimates indicate that organic methods could produce enough food on a global per capita basis to sustain the current human population, and potentially an even larger population, without increasing the agricultural land base."

Ivette Perfecto, a professor at the University of Michigan, said of the study, "My hope is that we can finally put a nail in the coffin of the idea that you can't produce enough food through organic agriculture."

Read more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5996.cfm

All this came out when I read that the National Academy of Sciences had dropped a bombshell on the agri-toxics lobby in June when it published a study indicating that pesticides are actually decreasing crop yields by one-third. Specifically, pesticides are killing important bacteria in the soil that naturally produce a useable form of nitrogen for plants, a necessary fertilizer. As the use of chemical pesticides has increased in the U.S., soil bacteria have been dramatically reduced, thereby creating an insatiable demand for petroleum-based fertilizers. In contrast, organic farming promotes a healthy living soil with increased crop yields.
see more here.

British hypocrisy over arms sales to Burma and 3 cheers to Rough Guides

A new report shows that European Union and US companies are involved in the production of military helicopters likely to be sold to Burma (also known as Myanmar). See BBC news item and link to report here. Nine human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Campaign against Arms Trade (UK), commissioned the report entitled “Indian helicopters for Myanmar (Burma) making a mockery of the EU arms embargo.”

The EU embargo explicitly states that no military equipment should be supplied, either directly or indirectly, for use in Burma. What's the point in having an arms embargo if it is not going to be implemented or enforced? To allow this sale to go ahead is basically indirectly propping up one of the world's most brutal regimes. Do we not ever learn?

Let us not forget that Burmas brutal dictatorship:
- forces around 8 million people to build roads, railways and other projects. Forced labourers face punishments including beatings, torture, rape and murder.
- forces more than 50,000 children to become soldiers : a greater number than any other country in the world.
- has 'ethnically cleansed' over half a million minority peoples.
- has refused to hand power to Aung San Suu Kyi's Party, the National League for Democracy : which won 82% of the seats in Burma's 1990 election.
- has made Burma the world's leading producer of heroin and opium.

The European Green party have published a press release on yesterdays report re Burma. EGP Co-spokesperson Ulrike Lunacek said: “The European Union imposed an arms embargo on Burma in 1988 and this embargo was renewed as recently as 2006. However, according to this new report, companies from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom, as well as the United States, have been involved in the manufacture of the AHL helicopters which were supplied to the Indian army in conjunction with the Indian conglomerate Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. If, as appears highly likely, the Indian government supplies some of these helicopters to Burma, then the EU’s arms embargo will have been shown to be so weak that it will no longer be credible. Indeed, as the report says, such a sale would “make a mockery of the EU arms embargo.”

EGP Co-spokesperson Philippe Lamberts continued: “We in the European Green Party will be putting pressure on the EU to ensure that it tightens up its arms embargo against Myanmar. We also call on the European companies involved in the manufacture of the AHL helicopters to respond in an open and transparent manner to requests from human rights organisations for clarification in this matter, and to tighten up their own procedures so that third-party sales of arms to oppressive regimes like that of Burma can be avoided.”

Don't visit Burma

Back in 1985 before the call for a boycott on travel to Burma I was fortunate to spend some time there and since then have been an active campaigner on this issue. Key campaigns have been writing to numerous holiday and clothing companies and Total Oil - the campaigns had many successes and led to many of those companies withdrawing from Burma. However one noteable company that has refused to budge is Lonely Planet.

As part of the Tourism Boycott, the Burma Campaign has been calling for a consumer boycott of Lonely Planet guide books until the company withdraws its guide to Burma. Lonely Planet publishes a guide to Myanmar (Burma) and actively promotes tourism to Burma, despite knowing the many ways that tourism lends support to the brutal dictatorship in Burma.

In contrast, the publisher Rough Guides has adopted an ethical stance with regard to Burma:
"There are occasional instances where any benefits (from tourism) are overshadowed by the nature of the social and political climate. Apartheid South Africa was an example. Burma, with its brutal dictatorship, state control of the economy and forced labour used to build its tourist infrastructure, is another. As long as the military regime remains in power and Aung San Suu Kyi - leader of the democratically elected National League for Democracy - requests that tourists do not visit, Rough Guides will not publish a guide to the country."

I used to always buy Lonely Planet after developing an affection for them when I spent many months traveling around India after my postgrad Social Work qualification back in 85. Now I never do - their position is utterly indefensible in my view. Shame on them. You can email Lonely Planet here to tell them what you think.

See also recent campaign sending pineapples to the Government - I never even received an acknowledgement when I sent my tin.

Have you signed the pledge yet?

The Live Earth Pledge was launched during the recent concerts - 2 billion people saw the concerts - I wasn't amongst them but they clearly raised the issue of climate change to an even wider audience. There have been various actions to encourage people to think more about their emissions - one of the widest has been the Live Earth Pledge:
www.liveearthpledge.org/

I PLEDGE: 1.To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth; 2.To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become "carbon neutral;" 3.To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2; 4.To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation; 5.To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal; 6.To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and, 7.To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.

Clearly the most important of these is getting Government to act as without it personal measures taken are not going to be enough - one concern re the pledge is the strong support for offsetting - there is still no quality control on offsetting yet and many schemes are to say the least dubious and possibly do more harm than good - see my blog entry for a discussion on 23rd February 2007. That is not to say there is not a role for off-setting....

One thing that is also worth noting is that Al Gore is supporting Green Party policy of a 90% UK cut in CO2 emissions and although not directly in the words Contraction and Convergence principles it is a clear indication of his support for Green party rather than any of the other grey parties in the UK who are still failing to call for the changes we need - let alone have the policies to tackle climate change.

Tomorrow: an hour of peace and healing

I got sent email below and happily give it room in this blog:

Photos: Meditation Centre being built in woods at Hawkwood (volunteers to help build wanted)

I am writing to let you know about a day in July that will be dedicated to world peace and healing of our beloved planet. Many of us are feeling overwhelmed by all the news and stories of violence, war and environmental loss. It is dispiriting to not know where to begin to make some kind of positive difference.

This invitation is to share one hour on July 17 at 11:11 GMT dedicated to positive thought and energy toward world peace and healing. This can be expressed in any form which resonates with your method of creativity, spirituality, religious or personal beliefs. Collective thought and intention can be a powerful force. It may possibly help shift the fear and despair that has become so pervasive in our world. Each one of us is a unique being, a life force with the potential to bring about positive change. That we are alive now at this time in history is an honor and a gift. Share your blessings and commitment to the connection of all life by being a part of this hour of collective positive thought!

"Fire the Grid" Project was started by Shelley Yates of Canada . You can read her personal story of what inspired her and find out more about the project at the website (plus a great music soundtrack while you read): http://www.firethegrid.org/eng/home-fr-eng.htm

Britain could be carbon-free by 2030

Britain could become a ‘carbon-free’ country in just twenty years, according to a new report published by the Wales-based Centre for Alternative Technology. This adds weight to what many Greens have been saying for years....

Photo: No need for coal-fired power stations: sadly the Government looks set to approve new ones in coming weeks

The authors call for a reduction in demand for electricity in ‘energy obese Britain’ of 50 per cent by 2027. This would be incentivised through an international carbon budget passed down to consumers in the form of carbon ‘credit cards’ – tradable quotas for carbon which would decrease in quantity year-on-year. The strategy also calls for wholesale shift in transportation fuels away from hydrocarbons such as petrol and diesel, and towards electricity. A change in our diet, away from meat and dairy products and towards locally produced cereals, is also critical in reducing energy use.

Nuclear power is dismissed as politically and technologically ‘brittle’, and its place would be taken by a massive increase in off-shore wind power, tidal generation, the use of biomass crops, such as switchgrass, the inclusion of solar panels in new buildings, and a mandatory use of the ‘waste’ heat generated when producing electricity. The variable demand for electricity, which varies from hour-to-hour as well as month-to-month, would be smoothed out through a combination of electrical, and water storage solutions, as well as ‘intelligent appliances’, which shut-down when they detect that the grid is at peak load.

Zero Carbon Britain is available to download as a pdf here

Nuke press releases that I've not written

Hey the last couple of weeks has continued to throw up stuff re Oldbury (use search facility to find previous blog entries) but there have also been many other possible stories. I would love to have time to write more news releases for local press re nuclear but there just isn't enough time in each day! And sadly they also don't seems so interested in the stories unless directly related to local issue.

Photo: Science Museum exhibit in London

Anyhow I did send a news release out re Gordon Brown's extraordinary comments re nuclear. See it here. You really would have thought they would have learnt their lesson on something as obvious and important as this - it also increases cynicism about consultation. They claim to launch a new consultation yet they really have made up their minds. It makes me wonder if I should bother with the consultations launched on nuclear waste and energy?

Anyhow here's a reasonable report by a group of experts to download here on nuclear and below a few items of news from last week or so that I've not turned into news releases - it really makes you wonder why some want to go down nuclear route:

- The barrister investigating the removal of body parts from Sellafield workers and those at other nuclear plants over 30 years said that he expected the number of cases would rise beyond the 65 already disclosed by BNFL. See The Guardian and previous news release re Oldbury - we still don't know if Oldbury was involved.

- Dounreay operators have been fined £15,000 for a series of health and safety failings that led to a worker breathing in plutonium.

- The Nuclear bomb convoys that regularly pass through Scotland have suffered 67 safety incidents over the past seven years, sparking fears of a "catastrophic" accident. Lists obtained by the Sunday Herald from the Ministry of Defence reveal details of dozens of mechanical faults and equipment failures since 2000, as well as delays and diversions caused by anti-nuclear protests. Incidents include numerous fuel leaks, a series of broken valves and several instances of engine and brake overheating. In October 2003, an axle began smoking due to "excessive use of wheel brakes" coming down a steep hill.

- THORP has been put on trial following the serious radioactive liquor leak which has left Sellafield’s troubled flagship plant virtually shutdown for nearly three years with the loss of many millions of pounds worth of valuable reprocessing income. Thorp is being allowed to start a trial of serious operations again by its owners, the NDA. The final consent is subject to performance over the next few weeks. First material to be treated is the massive amount of liquor which spilled in the leak which went undetected for eight months - there were over 100 warnings about the leak that were ignored and management were found to be 'complacent' despite previous incidents. Most of the 800 or so Thorp operators are working normally again. Some have had to undergo “behavioural” training as a result of the leak. The NDA is banking on Thorp and Mox to make profits to offset the huge costs of Sellafield’s decommissioning otherwise a shadow will hang over the future of the two big production plants. See Whitehaven News 12th July 2007

- A powerful earthquake rattled Japan on Monday killing two people and injuring more than 260 as it toppled houses, triggered mudslides and set off a blaze at a nuclear power plant.

- When the US deployed nuclear missiles in England during the cold war, it did so despite safety warnings from UK government scientists, New Scientist has learned. Between 1983 and 1991, the US stationed 96 nuclear-tipped cruise missiles at Greenham Common in Berkshire. Now, previously top secret reports released to New Scientist by the UK’s Ministry of Defence under freedom of information legislation show that the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston had estimated that 10 million people, including the population of London, could have been exposed to an “inhalation hazard” from plutonium if warheads exploded or caught fire. See New Scientist, 11 July 2007

67% want no action to cut aviation development

I've just added a blog item on the Transition Stroud blog re a meeting last week of the Business and Government Group - see here. One of the questions we posed was how to tackle business on this issue - the proposed expansion at Staverton airport was one example. Are businesses in support of this? Are they aware of the impact of aviation?

Photo: Transition Stroud sub-group meeting last week

Certainly our government has failed dismally to get across the urgency. This can be seen in a poll by The Citizen and Echo that shows that 67% of people consider no action should be taken to cut the development of air travel. The paper rang today for a quote which I enclose below - but we need much more than a few quotes in the papers if we are to bring about real change.

The Transition Stroud group has some interesting ideas about the way forward: more to share here in the future - also welcome any support, thoughts etc.

Comment for local press:

I hope this poll is not a reflection of the general populations views because if it is, it shows we still all have much work to do. Oil is already becoming more expensive as reserves are reduced and the science of climate change is clear. We cannot countenance any further expansion of aviation: it is the economics of the madhouse to suggest otherwise. If aviation is allowed to grow at current projections it will account for all permitted greenhouse gas emissions, across all sectors, by 2045.

Our Government rather than listen to its own scientists prefers to massively subsidise the industry and plans expansion of airports. World Development Movement calculates that this years subsidy to UK aviation is £10.4 billion! The average salary of passengers using British airports is £48,000 and the proportion of lower income households who fly has shrunk since 2000 despite prices falling. We should also not forget that the people who are being hit first and hardest by climate change are among the poorest on earth.

The changes ahead mean that nothing short of a new human era is in the making. The choices we make now will determine whether the birthing is successful. People are starting to recognise the need for urgent action on climate change, but we still haven't created a positive debate to ensure everyone understands why change is needed. Brown or Cameron cannot even pretend to be green or fit to run our economy until they recognise basic economic realities and end aviation expansion. We urgently need some more green voices being heard if we are to bring about the changes needed.

Guilt-free shopping at last?

The poem below was written by Danny Chivers (see video of poem at his 'MySpace' here and his blog here) - the poem also appears in a book of poetry celebrating the 10th anniversary of Corporate Watch.

The poem has been circulated on some Green party email lists and Danny Chivers has kindly given me permission to reproduce it here. The photo I took recently of a Shopping Mall sign seemed to fit with this poem! It is quite extraodinary and an indication of how far we still need to travel - indeed as Danny in the poem says, we need to tackle head-on our rush to Consumaggedon. He suggests this link here for info about green consumerism.

"Don't Buy It"

I’ve always been seen
As a little bit green
In my cosy, middle-class social scene
Ever since I made that lentil stew
For Abigail’s birthday do
Wore Birkenstocks to Brina’s wedding
And got those rainforest patterns for the children’s bedding.
My friends all think it’s nonsense
But I’m proud to be their conscience;
Their commitment may be scanty
But my bottles of Chianti
Ride the back seat of the Mazda to the bottle bank at Asda.
And the second home in Rome has such amazing double glazing!

But that young fellow on Newsnight
Keeps talking ‘bout the planet’s plight
And I get a niggling feeling I’m not doing this quite right,
Driving to the protests in the seven seater,
Discussing climate change under the patio heater.
I turn on Radio 4
It’s ‘You and Yours’
(which I adore)
But they’re discussing what’s in store
For the planet, with Jude Law
Whose made a film about a war.
And then they interview Al Gore
And I realise in an instant that I should be doing more.

Thank goodness ‘In Style’ magazine
Has a special pull-out section: 20 tips on going green.
And it turns out the solution
To global destitution,
Exponential air pollution,
Endless wars of retribution,
Isn’t global revolution,
Power devolution,
Wealth redistribution,
Or the long-overdue reform of some of our fundamentally compromised international institutions:
Don’t listen to ‘experts’ who dare to proclaim
That our crazy mass consumption levels might just be to blame;
For everything you need to know
About economic policy just ask Bono.
He knows the way out of this fix:
SHOPPING; It’s the new politics!

To halt our mad rush to consume our blissful way to eco-doom,
To build a world not based on greed for things that we don’t really need.
The answer is – you’ll never guess -
We’ll shop our way out of this mess!

Anyone who’s got the gumption
Can do “ethical consumption”
And thus turn the global tables
Buying things with pretty labels.

So now all my silk pyjamas
Come with shots of smiling farmers.
Our sound system’s been upgraded
But the box was fairly traded.
As I sit beside the hot tub to remove my sandals
I breathe the guilt-relieving perfume of organic scented candles
They grew these pears with love and care, 5000 miles away
And I got these natural shampoos on the flight back from Bombay

The local shops are closing down
But there’s no need to panic:
That big new Sainsbury’s, out of town,
Does everything organic.

I’ve even managed to persuade my crazy uncle Rhys, he’s
Using eco-friendly bullets now to hunt endangered species.

As for the global warming warnings,
Here’s what I can do:
Plant a few plantations
For the carbon sequestration
(Based on flimsy calculations)
Strip the native vegetation,
Shift the local population
To some piece of desolation barely fit for habitation
And with misery and poverty: ‘offset’ my CO2.

Now, please don’t think this poem’s unfair,
I’m not saying it’s wrong to care,
To think about the things you buy,
To ask who made them, how and why:
But if you’re promised cheap salvation,
Easy wealth for every nation,
An end to global poverty!
Avert climate catastrophe!
It’s easy – it will be enough
To simply buy more of our stuff.
Don’t buy it – try to understand,
We need to change far more than just our washing powder brand.
The answers to our global woes
Won’t be found with shiny logos on a special aisle at Tesco’s.
We need to tackle head-on
Our rush to Consumaggedon.
Leave the shopping in your trolley
And resist this global folly.
We’ll fight back! – we’ll all play a part,
There’s much to do, but here’s a start:

To keep humanity on the map
Please, just stop buying
So much crap

Samosas, strawberries and cow milking at the convent

Yesterday afternoon More Hall Convent, Randwick opened its doors for a garden party.

Here are some of the photos of the afternoon there - cream teas, the chance to play skittles, listen to a couple of bands, Lucky Dip, plants, strawberries and cream, samosas (possibly the best I've ever tasted - had to take several home to eat that evening, now wish I'd bought the lot!)....

...anyhow it was good to meet people including various neighbours and a couple who had moved into Townsend 2 weeks ago from Bristol.

The woman in this photo here is former Whiteshill Councillor Eileen Lister. I was able to have a brief talk with her about how things have changed since she was on the Council.



The photo of me with the cow - well it was Jane Godsells cow - a Westrip resident famous for her cheeses - shes also a Parish councillor and does in fact have many cows - I first met her some years ago when she opened her farm for a visit - and also helped demonstrate against supermarket milk prices.

Anyhow the idea of the cow in the photo was to see how much water you could milk in 30 seconds - when I left at 4.15 I was still winning with 700ml despite a false start!

Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish meeting

Todays blog readers will see I've been trying to catch up on recent meetings - Thursday was the Parish meeting and again as minutes will be posted on the Parish website I wont go into details. Here's a few bits:

Photo: Tried to take a photo of myself arriving at village hall!

- A new Parish councillor was appointed as no election was called - he made an inspiring presentation about his involvement in our community and hopes for the future - he is Greg Dance, a Whiteshill resident and WRAP member with a keen interest in issues around climate change.
- The County has completed it's trial on switching lighting off between midnight and 5 am in a couple of locations and are now inviting others to also participate. As someone who has campaigned on this I am delighted that the Parish have agreed to look into it further - see my blog on 8th October 2006.
- A bus shelter has been proposed for near the Chapel on Ruscombe road: further investigations are underway.
- The Parish are proposing a September meeting to look at traffic issues like the 20 mpg and possibilities of Shared Spaces approach.
- Lower Street remains closed but work is due to begin as soon as planning permission is gained.
- the Parish agreed to seek more info re the Neighbourhood Energy scheme - formerly Parish Power - this is something I consider could have a big impact in making people think about how they use energy - the Parish however are right to seek more info as the letter sent was very poor in details.

School success

Must also mention Whiteshill School - saw them in the Carnival in Stroud but sadly missed all 105 children parade with samba and more through the village streets to celebrate their Artsmark gold award - a huge achievement - well done to all indeed. They had picked the award up in Weston-Super-Mare earlier in the week.

Sausage Sizzle before new Code of Conduct for councillors

Wednesday night I had a meeting on the new Code of Conduct for councillors - 2 hours at Ebley Mill while the sun shone outside - I arrived there smelling of smoke as I'd just spent time at the Woodcraft Folk's Summer Sausage Sizzle (see photos) - what a great local event - only just managed to grab a veggie sausage before I had to leave as it took ages to get the fires going.

I went as part of Willow Elfins accompanied by my partners 6 year old granddaughter - it used to be the Randwick Woodcraft Folk group but had to move to Uplands - anyhow it is lots of fun. There were at least 4 other groups there each with their own fire and sausages.

However I was going to pass comment in this blog on the new Code - clearly it is a useful clarification and update for councillors about what is a personal or prejudicial interest, what has to be declared, when and if we can still vote or talk on a specific item. The Code also removes some of the rules which have stood in the way of councillors acting as advocates for their local communities...plus a wonderful list of 'motherhood-and-apple-pie' qualities that are expected from councillors...but again isn't this still central government telling local authorities how to run their shows?

All Parish councillors will also need to become aware of these new rules - quite an undertaking and cost to publish the glossy A4 booklets and training etc. And hey it's a sunny evening now so this is quite enough of this blog entry - infact will anyone want to read about a Code of Conduct for councillors???

Ruscombe Brook update

Tuesday night there was a Ruscombe Brook Action Group meeting. Minutes will be out soon but here are a few of the issues raised (with cake):

Photo: Ismaila and Helen earlier in year at The Lawns

1. Update on the poaching in Ruscombe Valley - see blog entry for 6th July for full story
2. Update on Ismaila - second lot of sampling been done - Ecoli in one of the springs at Ruscombe - more to feedback later - see blogs on 12th and 30th May re Ismaila
3. Cashes Green Fun Day on 12th August - we're planning an RBAG stall to share initial thoughts re brook plans with other members of community.
4. Severn Trent have confirmed that the leaflet we have designed with them will be ready next week - we need to plan delivery of it. Offers welcomed!
5. Should we join Waterkeepers? We are exploring options - the Thames Canalkeeper are the only UK group so far.
6. Report back on flooding at Puckshole recently and a possible Slad Brook Action Group forming after they had a meeting following houses being flooded there.
7. A SVP group will do some grass cutting at Hamwell Leaze.
8. Responses re Memo of Cooperation (this is the document that looks at how we will work with others to bring about changes - see blog on 6th June). This is an update from various groups:

1. British Waterways: "While I fully support the aims of the Memorandum and we will, I hope and am sure, continue to work together on projects relating to the canal such as the Local Heritage Initiative Project, the proposed work is outside British Waterways’ remit. I need to concentrate our limited resources on the restoration itself and then the future operation and maintenance of the canal itself. We do, of course, have an interest in the quality of water entering the canal and as such British Waterways can continue to be a stakeholder but I cannot promise much involvement. Where we have information or data that will assist RBAG in its aims I am quite happy to make that available to you where practicable. In the short term I look forward to continuing to work with you on the Lawns and with the Cotswold Canals Trust on the Local Heritage Initiative Project."
2. Stroud Town Council: signature received
3. Randwick Parish Council: agreement made at Parish meeting 21st June
4. Highways: replied and are looking into it
5. EA: no reply
6. Cainscross Parish: signature received
7. Community Land Trust: awaiting confirmation
8. Vision 21: hopefully confirmation imminent
9. Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust: no reply
10. Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Council: Environment sub-group to look at it and report to next meeting
11. District Council: still awaiting final confirmation
12. Severn Trent: acknowledged receipt

Green push to green Council

Another meeting I've not mentioned yet was some Green councillors (incl myself) meeting with one of the key officers to look at progress with the Environment Strategy. The Environment Strategy is in place but there is much still needed if we are to realise it's ambitions.

Photo: Time for the pedal-powered washing machine? This was at the Ragged Hedge Fair last year outside Cirencester.

It was a useful meeting and we got into discussions about a huge range of issues. To give a flavour of the meeting and some of the issues we raised I'll list a few here - it was pleasing to hear that the Officer was prepared to take all these ideas and more back to explore further:

- Ways of measuring progress, particularly in relation to CO2. Various ways are being developed nationally and unless we adopt one we will not be able to see if we really can cut CO2 emissions 3% each year as planned.
- Appropriate targets in relation to recent IPCC evidence - the 3% is clearly inadequate in terms of new evidence: the independent Climate Change Panel being established will review the figures when it meets hopefully by Sept/Oct.
-Regeneration dept, shift to focus on CO2 emission cuts - the Regen dept should be about long-term liveability and creating sustainable communities - there are concerns from others that regeneration can be more about "beautification, with an element of social engineering", rather than providing spaces that work for existing communities and do not simply displace existing problems.
- Council tax? Can Discretionary relief be used to promote CO2 cuts? The Government has no plans to link the level of council tax that someone pays with how energy efficient their property is. Council tax is based on the value of a home and as we know all homes are placed in one of eight valuation bands based on their open market value on 1 April 1991. Adding energy efficient measures such as solar panels or wind turbines will not affect the current council tax banding of a property. If a property is sold, improvements may have an effect but only if they are such that they move the value of the property into the next band. Some local authorities have provided a one-off 'rebate' on council tax bills for council tax payers who take certain measures to improve energy efficiency in their homes. Could Stroud explore this?
- Free insulation - I've mentioned this before - a scheme to provide free insulation (cavity wall and loft) to over 30,000 homes has been agreed in Kirklees - The £14million scheme initiated by the Green party will ensure that many households across Kirklees receive around £400 worth of insulation measures free of charge. The scheme will see £6million of Kirklees funding matched by a similar amount from Scottish Power under their Energy Efficiency Commitment monies. Households benefitting from the scheme will see their fuel bills reduce by an average £150 following installation of the measures at a time of high fuel prices and growing concern about greenhouse gas emissions. In total it is expected that at least £4.5 million will go back into the local economy each year rather than into the coffers of energy companies. This scheme has national significance. In addition to huge carbon savings it will achieve, it is the first scheme in the country that gives free insulation to residents whatever their circumstances. Again let's see Stroud go down this route.
- Eco boxes on Council papers - all Council policy papers that come to committees have boxes for financial and legal implications - we would like to see one introduced re a carbon assessment of Council projects/proposals.

All this was very positive but one of the people present was prepared to wager a bet, that Stroud District's emissions would not have gone down within 5 years. His claim was that with the patterns of consumption like the monstrous surge in electrical gadgets - especially widescreen energy-eating TVs - we would barely be standing still.

No one was prepared to accept his challenge.

Recycling in Stroud: where are we going?

I've not had time to keep this blog up to date recently with all the meetings. Some might say already there are too many entries each day and that perhaps I don't need to keep it up to date??! Anyhow I did want to touch on a Green party meeting last week when we invited one of the Council's officers to share the Council's policies re waste and recycling.

Photo: Stone circle made of fridges, Sante Fe

I've adapted the minutes of the meeting kindly put together by Rosie, the Green party's Secretary. I've turned them into questions which will hopefully give a flavour and also answer some of those questions that get posed regularly....I've also added some comments in green but each of the topics could be an essay in itself so it is really only a taster and all rather hurriedly thrown together - am happy to explain more if people email me or leave a comment on this blog.

For me the meeting was useful in helping the Green District Council group focus on the areas that need more action: infact we are working on a paper at the moment.

Does the District Council do enough to encourage people to be committed recyclers? Can we expect the County to be fined?

Photo: What a waste: no proper furniture recycling in the District (see below link to meetings I've had re this issue).

SDC has up to now been one of the leading recyclers in the country, with a comprehensive kerbside collection, and was regarded by many as a green Council. However, it was conceded that there was a long way for the District to go, and said that this year and next people would be targeted to encourage their neighbours to recycle more, therefore utilising existing capacity. The Government is under a lot of pressure from the EU over biowaste diversion, with targets now set for Local Authorities to divert biowaste from landfill. 68% of an average household bin consists of potentially biodegradable materials. The onus is now on the County Councils to reach biodegradable waste targets and they are liable to large fines if these targets are not met. The first target year for this is to be 2010, and Councils will be fined £150 per tonne over the target figure. Local Authorites are starting to look at waste in terms of carbon footprint rather than recycling rates.

Britain is very much the 'dirty man' of Europe with 7 million more tonnes going to landfill than any other EU country. Other countries are doing better - our Government has let us down badly - the goal should be that practically everything produced will be re-used or recycled, and not incinerated or sent to landfill. Already, New Zealand, Western Australia, California, Toronto and even a couple of English local authorities have adopted a target of Zero Waste by 2020. If we go whole-heartedly for recycling, re-use and waste minimisation, the health problems associated with landfill sites and incinerators will soon become a thing of the past.

A large part of the problem for the District is the failure of our Government to move on excess packaging, have proper targets and develop markets for recycling etc etc. SDC has not met their Government targets for recycling for 2007 - they could have done this by collecting garden waste - but see below - it was right not to go that route. However I am, still disappointed that very little has changed in terms of recycling collection in the last few years. Figures are static: yes there are enormous problems especially in finding markets for waste collected but bolder moves could be made in tackling supermarkets, promoting community composting, kitchen waste etc. However one statistic that looks better is that householders waste does not appear to be rising in Stroud like some areas: we are composting, reusing and recycling more.

What about garden waste?

The District Council recognises this issue and tries to divert as much biodegradable waste as possible. It was observed that garden waste should be home composted if possible rather than being collected, but some Councils like the Forest of Dean collect it because they can quickly increase recycling targets massively. Yet the whole waste stream is also increased massively leading to more collections etc. SDC have not done this, but reached a rate of 23.5 % without including garden waste.

SDC do provide pre-paid garden waste bags but the contents are landfilled as there is no takers for the waste at present. At the moment no more than 400 tonnes of garden waste was currently going to landfill, which SDC considered a good figure. Cotswold District Council collection scheme was not a successful way of dealing with garden waste, when measured in kilos per household that were collected.

The District should be applauded for not going down the garden waste route. Their 23.5% figure is good for dry recyclables but there are still others doing better and we should be doubling that much sooner than planned.

What about kitchen waste collection?

SDC are now looking at food waste diversion, with a trial in the Stanleys of weekly collections for kitchen waste and dry recyclables, with residual waste being collected fortnightly. In terms of collection dry waste would be divided up into dry recyclables and residual waste, while kitchen waste would be dealt with by the use of bins with lockable lids. Food would be collected in kitchen caddies with three biodegradable liners provided each week, and when a liner was full it would be emptied into the bin outside, which would then be collected. In-vessel composting would be used in order to kill any pathogens, and all food waste, both animal and vegetable, could be collected and processed in this way.

Weekly collections will get around opposition from people who dislike smell. It will be interesting to see how this develops - it has taken far too long to get this pilot off the ground - mainly it has to be said due to problems outside the Districts control.

In Bristol (where a food waste collection scheme was in use) everything that used to be home-composted now goes into food bins, so home-composting had actually been reduced. How can we stop that here?

It is inevitable under such a scheme.

What about labels on the food bins reminding people to compost vegetable and garden matter?

Why not more plastics? And cardboard?

The reason plastics (other than bottles) were not collected is because there is no market for them. Some types of plastics have low productivity, or a combination of polymers, or are contaminated with food, and so do not represent quality materials. Plastic bottles are usually sent abroad. Councils have to give the reprocessors, especially paper merchants, what they want, and a collection of materials together is generally unacceptable. With regard to cardboard, there are different types of cardboard that have to be sent to different places. The whole picture regarding plastics and cardboard was complicated as they come in many forms and types and so cannot necessarily be lumped together.

Why aren't black bags biodegradable?

Plastic black sacks which go out are non-biodegradable and cost 3p each, whereas with a biodegradable alternative the cost would be three times as high.

See my blog 1st Nov re why SDC say they have to deliver each week a bin bag rather than a packet of them each 3 months or so.

What fuel is used by collection lorries?

There is to be a new fleet of refuse vehicles in SDC in 2009 which run on biodiesel.

I have concerns even though SDC plan to use local supplies - See my blog on 9th May 2007 re biofuels and why they are not as good as some think.

Have you tackled supermarkets on their packaging?

Packaging was recognised as a serious issue and a discussion took place on how supermarkets and other retailers can be encouraged to reduce their packaging or to use packaging that can be dealt with within the District.

Many countries, like Germany, have also successfully introduced legislation to restrict unnecessary packaging while our supermarkets seem to package stuff even more. There are some initiatives that are to be welcomed but I would like to see SDC take more of a lead on this - maybe meet supermarket managers? Or perhaps publicly support Mayor Marjoram's call for no more plastic bags - see a recent letter of mine re bags. Whilst the impact of reduced plastic bag use on CO2 emissions might be negligable it is a very useful awareness raising exercise. Everything we do has impact and implications. Thinking through the act of using and abusing plastic bags is one way to learn to take more responsibility for our individual actions and to live more lightly on the planet. Not just an end in itself but a first step on a new path.

Is incineration on the cards?

It was confirmed that the County Council had not completely ruled out the use of incineration.

I am very concerned by this and am at present trying to find out more. Greens are wholly opposed to incineration, although there is possibly a place for a v small amount of waste going to pyrolasis. We have written much in past on this - see for example recent report here and campaign to stop Newhaven incinerator which plans to send it's waste to Gloucestershire.

How can we encourage more composting?

Photo: Bisley Community Compost scheme

SDC are working with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust on the idea of "compost champions".

See also more here re Bisley's community composting scheme. This idea should be being promoted much more.

What about Tetra Paks?

Tetra Pak bins were to be introduced to local authorities and will be emptied free of charge; five sites were to be found for these within SDC.

This will hopefully please a Randwick resident that has been lobbying SDC on this - see here.

Business waste? What else?

The 'y-waste' social enterprise scheme was now up and running for business waste. It would be good to see more people recognise achievements locally and support SDCs moves to encourage higher recycling rates.

Business waste needs considerably more attention - more government action - also tackling consumerism is a huge key issue and needs addressing in many different ways: tool share ideas and freecycle networks, more encouragement to support charity shops and car boots, more furniture recycling and....well I'll write more on that another time.....

Do we need streetpanthers in Stroud?

Over in Greece, a new organisation called Streetpanthers has been in operation since last December, fighting for the rights of pedestrians. Beginning with just 10 members, they have already grown to include 2,000 'friends', and are hoping to hit 10,000 by the end of the year. Any car parked badly blocking pavements or crossings gets a sticker on their windscreen. Scroll down on their website to find English.

In a similar vein in Norwich, Streetpanthers have created a series of stickers to highlight anti-social and illegal parking, and their dedicated sticker-ers have already managed to dispatch nearly 100,000!

After trying to move along a pavement in Stroud the other day I wished I'd had several of those stickers for cars that made progress with a wheelchair virtually impossible.

Peak Oil: radio 4 play tonight

A headline from The Independent this week said: "Energy watchdog warns of supply crunch within five years" (10 July 2007).

Photos: Peak Oil ad and below Bristol airport fuel lorry

Here is some of what the article said:

The world faces an oil supply crunch with prices poised to soar to new all-time highs over the next five years, a report from the International Energy Agency warned yesterday. In its Medium-Term Oil Market report the Paris-based organisation predicted that demand would rise by 2.2 per cent a year between 2007 and 2012 as the world's economy expands at about 4.5 per cent a year. The demand will be driven by the fast-growing economies of Asia and the Middle East, where the thirst for black gold will grow more than three times faster than the 30 industrialised members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. That is because several countries in those regions are set to break the $3,000 per capita income level, when consumers can afford to buy energy-consuming products such as cars and white goods.

The IEA's report said: "Despite four years of high oil prices, this report sees increasing market tightness beyond 2010. It is possible that the supply crunch could be deferred - but not by much." It continues: "The potential effects of a combination of low Opec spare capacity and slow non-Opec production growth are of significant concern - all the more so when considered alongside tightness in other hydrocarbons, particularly the natural gas market."

IEA's head of oil industry and markets division Lawrence Eagles warned: "The results of our analysis are quite strong. Something needs to happen. Either we need to have more supplies coming on stream, or we need to have lower demand growth." The IEA has also warned that additional global refining capacity over the next five years will not match earlier expectations as a result of rising costs and a shortage of engineers. This will delay construction.

To me it is still astonishing that there is not more proper discussion about this issue: click on the Peak Oil label below this entry for more info. The problem seems to be being pushed under the carpet - the trouble is it is now becoming too obvious to try and hide any longer. It is great that the issue is getting air time on radio 4 in the Friday Play: I'll catch up with it sometime this week.

Tonight the 21:00 Friday Play with part two next Friday is "A Second to Midnight": A contemporary thriller set in Nigeria: Western Governments and global oil companies have long predicted that the 'Peak', when oil reserves become finite and the markets begin
to panic, is as far off as 2030. But oil company geologist Dr Rob Turner wrote a report trashing this timescale, saying that we had already reached the 'Peak'. But then he was forced to bury it. Listen here for 7 days after if you miss on radio.

Hands off Iran

Blair and now Brown claim we need a resurgence in nuclear power, yet they deny Iran's sovereign claim to nuclear technology and threaten war. Iran has no need for nuclear power - renewables in contrast are safe and offer enormous potential - but how can Blair or Brown tell them not to go for them if we are going to go nuclear?

Apart from new nuke reactors Brown wants to replace Trident with more nuclear arsenal claiming we may face a nuclear threat in the future. Iran faces one today. They are surrounded by US forces in 11 neighbouring countries, stealth bombers on British Diego Garcia and at Fairford and two battle carrier groups in the Gulf. The Americans can deliver 20,000 missiles on Iran in one sortie and have invaded two neighbours - Iraq and Afghanistan. The Israelis - another nuclear power - join them in threatening imminent attack on Iran. Iran must not get hold of nuclear weapons, but who are we to tell them? If Blair or Brown were in power in Tehran they would have got them years ago.

The US sabre-rattling over Iran is not only serious and disturbing, but also has uncanny resonance with the lead-up to the Iraq war - a war where the Iraqi civilian death toll has now reached a staggering 655,000 - at least I note Australia have last week admitted the war was about oil! See Paul Rogers latest comment on the Iraq war on Open Democracy here.

Any attack on Iran would bring yet more misery and disaster and have economic, environmental and security repercussions worldwide. It is great to hear that Iran has agreed to lift the three-month ban on visits by UN weapons inspectors to a main nuclear plant - we now need Western powers to respond.....

It seems that at least US citizens aren't now buying George Bush's previous rationale for attacking Iran, i.e. its alleged – but definitely unproven – intention to build nuclear weapons. So now the US hawks have come up with another excuse: "We must strike because Iranians are killing our soldiers in Iraq." (http://tinyurl.com/2j3jrk). As with weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, little real evidence has been produced to justify this accusation, but the US Senate has still voted unanimously to condemn Iran. Senator Joe Lieberman said: "This is a warning to the Iranians that whatever differences divide us politically here in Washington, we stand united against these outrageous attacks.''

All this sabre-rattling means it is all the more important to maintain the pressure on Gordon Brown for Britain to oppose any attack on Iran.

There are a couple of actions to take:

- sign Stop the War letter to Gordon Brown
- sign Hands Off the People of Iran petition

See Pilger on Iran from 13th April 2007 here.

Locally Greens have raised the issue of Iran with various letters and press releases - sadly earlier in the year both Labour and Tories refused to sign a letter urging dialogue not war in Iraq. It remains a dangerous situation which the mainstream media tend to only cover if a new issue arises - infact last year when Greens reported fears about renewed bomber activity at Fairford I had a call from Gulf News - did manage to get that story in the Wilts and Glos Standard but papers this side of Gloucestershire were not interested - not a local issue.....having said that they have published a few...enough before I'm off on a ramble....time for my tea.

Blair's new role a gift to al-Qaida?

Tony Blair's new role as peace envoy in the middle east, representing the US, EU, Russia and UN was welcomed by the US and Israel. Some of the region's authoritarian regimes like Egypt and Jordan will accept it but probably the warmest welcome will come from al-Qaida.

Photos: Bibury swans: nothing to do with this blog entry but looked good a couple of weeks ago.

This is surely a great gift. This high-profile figure with his unwavering support for the unjust war in Iraq and intimate association with the enemy in Washington has been launched into the Muslim and Arab heartland. Despite Blair's impressive role in helping to bring peace in Northern Ireland, this will be seen as the west continuing support for Israel and not seeking a genuine peace settlement with the Palestinians. Blair cannot possibly be taken seriously by much of the middle east, let alone amongst the more radical factions.

The US continues it's substantial arms sales to Israel, abundant military aid, joint weapons projects and joint counterinsurgency training for Israeli and American troops. Israel presides over an unlawful occupation of Palestine which leads to state-sponsored terrorism and systemic human rights abuses against Palestinians. We are long overdue the time that Israel should conform to all previous UN security council resolutions and end the occupation.

Blair has shown only too often that he is unwilling or unable to stand up to the US: if his new role is to be successful he will need to learn how to do that.

Government refuses to allow more than 10% CO2 reduction on new developments?

Our District Council has finally printed it's Draft Supplementary Planning Advice on Renewable Energy on our Council website.

At last there is a proposal for new developments to have 10% reduction in CO2 emissions on 1000m2 or 10 residential units. This is in my view is much too low - but it is a start.

Greens have been seeking such advice for years - and repeatedly written letters and asked formal questions to Council (see example here). Even the cross-party Development Control Committee, that I used to sit on, has been making increasingly vocal complaints about how they cannot insist on green measures for new developments. If this advice goes through, as I fully expect it to, then it will at least start to change the climate - but why so long to wait for this??

In my efforts to try and increase the figure from 10% to something more significant I entered into correspondence with officers and others. I enclose below a very edited summary of some of the points made to give some indication about why the District does not feel able to go for a higher figure. I would welcome more advice and comments but from what Officers and others are saying it is a brave Council (or foolish) that defies the Government and tries to implement it's own Planning Advice above the 10%. Below all that is some further correspondence over Building Regulations.

Stop press: 17th July - information coming in about how we can still possibly go down the Woking route - more on this blog site very soon. Meanwhile the Cabinet member has called it in to be looked at by Scrutiny Committee: good on her - it seems all are working to get best result - but this legislation is not the easiest to work around.

In Green are my emails and blue are some of the responses from officers and others: please bear in mind these are very edited, but hopefully still give the jist of the debate:

As noted at the Environment policy evening for new councillors the Government has set a much-welcomed target of new housing developments to be carbon neutral by 2016. In the light of this, Stroud's proposed Draft Supplementary Planning Advice recommendations of 10% reduction in CO2 emissions on 1000m2 or 10 residential units seems much too low. If we are to reach carbon neutral by 2016 and help tackle Climate change and Peak Oil then we need to make bolder steps now. 2016 is not far away!

Councils already operating at 10% are looking to improve significantly. Woking for example is looking at a 40% reduction in emissions against current building regs. Woking LDF (set to be adopted next year) proposes: Development will be refused unless it:
- achieves a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions (against current building regs)
- is carbon neutral (greenfield sites)
- adapts to climate change impacts in design of buildings and open spaces
- provides a sustainable water management system (runoff and potable water)

Household extensions:
- extensions to existing buildings will be required to meet best practice for energy efficiency

I consider this is the route Stroud should go - the expertise to build carbon neutral homes was developed years ago and there are some fine examples around the country that show it works.

I realise this is only a draft proposal so no doubt you are considering various options. For example if a bigger figure for reduction is not seen possible now then one other way forward might be a staged introduction: demanding 10% now, 30% in 2 years etc. This would at least give time to developers and send a strong message about the District's intentions and hopefully encourage and support the development of more 'green' businesses locally. This is a good opportunity to build a more sustainable District but as noted I would strongly argue that we need to be bolder We need to start building homes that are fit for at least the next 50 years rather than the current poor standards.

As I understand the target set by government (2016) it is not for implementation via the planning system and this SPA's main purpose is to use in the determination of planning applications. The draft supplement to PPS1 (as detailed in the appendix to the SPA) specifically advises against Local Authorities setting their own targets above 10%. It is clear that government policy is intending to enforce building performance measures through part L of the building regulations, not through planning policy, and has outlined the stepped increase towards carbon neutrality by 2016 as you describe.

It is possible that the target in the SPA will not be developed in to an SPD as the requirement in the building regs will take over. The SPD may develop in to a document that deals with the planning implications of achieving the part L target i.e. materials, design, orientation etc and the need for these to be considered early in the planning process.

Unless the draft PPS1 changes, I would suggest Woking will not be successful with their LDD that sets a 40% target above current part L. If it is successful I imagine it will be because part L is likely to have been revised by then and Woking's policy will therefore be consistent with it, but why have planning policy that duplicates the building regulations? Government advice has previously been not to duplicate controls. The energy performance of buildings has historically been managed via the building regulations and it appears that this is set to continue.

If we ignore the supplement to PPS1 and refuse planning applications on the basis that they are not meeting SDC's own target we will not be able to defend cases at appeal and such refusals are highly likely to be considered unreasonable by an inspector.

You note that the draft PPS1 advises against setting our own targets above 10% - as noted at the Policy Panel this would appear to be a serious interference with local authorities own decisions to be bolder - particularly in the absence of action by the Government?

However the words used in the Guidance are that 'local authorities are recommended not to set their own arbitary targets'. We could surely argue that we are not seeking an arbitary target but one which is not only realistic and necessary if we are to tackle climate change? 10% is clearly very much too low in the light of the IPCC reports which apparently this weekare viewed by a NASA team as being 'absurdly optimistic'.

This week we also hear disturbingly that the Government is apparently aware that target cuts of 60% by 2050 is too little too late but fears losing the support of the Confederation of British Industry if it acts. Already we see our Government refusing to adopt the EU target of 20% renewables by 2020. It is vital we see some leadership on this critical issue. As one commentator put it 'we need a government that fears planetary meltdown more than it fears the CBI.'

As you will know the PPS1 Consultation document notes:
Planning authorities should ..engage constructively and imaginatively with developers to encourage the delivery of sustainable buildings...

...Higher standards for new homes are set out in the Code for Sustainable Homes.Where planning authorities wish to require higher levels of building performance, because of local development or site specific opportunities, the expected local approach should be set out in advance in a development plan document.

For new homes, local standards should be based on the Code for Sustainable Homes.

... In considering and justifying a local approach, planning authorities should (focus on) securing an earlier application of higher levels of performance of nationally described standards, for example by expecting identified development proposals to be delivered at higher levels of the Code for Sustainable Homes...

Surely this leaves us more room to move to higher targets? Locally there is strong support that we need bold action: the consultation around the Environment Strategy supports this view. The recent Richard Heinberg presentation only adds support to the need to act. There could also be considerable advantage to local construction companies and developers in getting ahead of the curve and meeting tomorrows targets today.

Woking and others in the past have argued effectively that their targets are needed. Are there reasons as to why this is not possible for us?At the very least could we not be noting in this document that our targets will increase? The consultation planning policy statement notes the need for 'a clear and realistic timeline' for new standards to be applied.

I understand from Thamesway Ltd that Woking are proceeding with their 40% target: it would also appear that they have evidence to support this action and are very confident of winning any appeal. Would it be possible to talk further with them about what might be possible?

An additional issue was raised by another councillor who said that we don't want more than 10% as we have significant areas of AONB. It should be noted that firstly the vast majority of measures needed to secure these targets do not need to have any serious visual impact or indeed in many cases any visual impact - and unless we act there will not be any AONB left.

I do understand the reasoning behind the proposals put forward in this paper - councils wanting to lead on this issue do not appear to have been given an easy way forward. As you note there is the likelihood that building regs will take over (this area is after all usually the preserve of building regs). However I nevertheless would like to see a more bold statement even if this is eventually superceded by building regs in the future. If other Councils are seeking this route is it not something we could do?

We need to consider the target in the context of supplementary planning advice which is not a document that has much statutory weight, if we are to go above 10% then this would need to be in the context of a document that has been through the full process and is site specific to enable it to become a Local Development Document. If we chose to go above 10% in this advice it would devalue it as a planning tool as it only has any weight by virtue of its reference to the draft legislation. With respect to the PPS1 quotes, my comments are in pale blue.......

Planning authorities should ..engage constructively and imaginatively with developers to encourage the delivery of sustainable buildings. I agree wholeheartedly, this will be an important part of the SPA in having the debate early in the planning process as efficiency measures are likely to impact on design, siting and materials. Obviously if the buildings are efficient as a consequence of their design materials and siting then it is far easier to generate a 10% reduction from on site Renewables.

...Higher standards for new homes are set out in the Code for Sustainable Homes. Where planning authorities wish to require higher levels of building performance, because of local development or site specific opportunities, the expected local approach should be set out in advance in a development plan document. This is in reference to individual opportunities which would be an issue to be taken up in policies that relate to specific sites or locations i.e. next to a weir or next to an existing district heating system which is capable of extension. The 10% is the limit to a broad expectation but does not stop a higher expectation (to be set out in a DPD) where site specific circumstances can be justified.

For new homes,local standards should be based on the Code for Sustainable Homes. This is only where local development or site specific factors apply and not intended to be across the whole district.

You missed a bit from the quote... In considering and justifying a local approach, planning authorities should (focus on) SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND securing an earlier application of higher levels of performance of nationally described standards, for example by expecting identified development proposals to be delivered at higher levels of the Code for Sustainable Homes...

also.......Para 31 prior to Para 32 that you mention above states that Planning authorities should not need, however to devise their own standards for the environmental performance of individual buildings as these are set out nationally through the building regulations.

Within Para 32 'avoid setting out across broad areas requirements for specific performance measures for buildings'. I am assuming that this would be anything over 10%.

When we get elected as councillors few of us can claim to be experts and it is always a challenge to get a grasp of a subject and try to push forward policy. This correspondence has been frustrating and highlights again how controlling central government appears to be. Interestingly a comment from another Green party councillor on one of our email lists highlighted some of my own concerns. She writes:

My big, big concern over leaving this concept of zero carbon to govt is its way of calculating the figures! The last change to building regs was going to give us new builds that were 40% better, the govt (eventually) admitted that the final regs would only give 25% better, but in fact if you talk to AECB etc the actual figures are much much lower. And this is after they kicked out the recommendation that if you applied for building regs for an extension you would need to spend 10% of the extensions costs on bringing the rest of your home towards current building regs standard!

And this doesn't include renovation. Now when an extension becomes a major renovation is a hard line to draw, but with most of our current leaky homes still being here in 2016, I can't see that a few govt standard zero homes will make much difference. REquiring renovations to go the root of MVHR, esp when so many of these renovations feature internal bathrooms and kitchens which have ot be vented anyway!

And don't forget their hasty withdrawal of the "Codes for homes" one of the few chances to get to people when they but a new home and are then very likely to be thinking of new work to that building.

Last year I read George Monbiot's article re Building Inspectors - it is worth a read - as it highlights the terrible situation we are in when it comes to Building Regs - an issue I also raised with our District's Planning department. See article here. It starts:

For 21 years builders in this country have been legally bound to construct homes which conserve energy. The building regulations tell them how much insulation they must use, what kind of windows they must fit and how good their draught-proofing will be. Guess how many builders have been prosecuted in that period for non-compliance. I won’t keep you in suspense. The answer is none.

There could be only one good reason for this: that they are building houses so well that enforcement is unnecessary. But a study conducted by the Building Research Establishment, looking at just one factor (the rate at which cold air leaks in) found that 43% of the new houses it checked should have been failed by the inspectors(3). All of them had been passed. In some homes the requisite amount of insulation had been left in the lofts, but it was still tied up in bales(4). No one has been prosecuted because no one gives a damn.

A new survey of the people who are supposed to enforce our building rules–building control officers–published this month by the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes found that they treat the energy rules as a joke(5). Part of the problem is that since their profession was deregulated, many of them are involved in a standing conflict of interest. In the past, building control officers were employed by the council. Today builders hire "approved inspectors" to certify their houses. If the inspectors are too tough, they won’t be hired again. As the major parties compete to cut red tape, businesses are seldom prosecuted for anything, let alone such a petty misdemeanor as killing the planet.

Even if the officers wanted to enforce the rules, it is hard to see how they could. They inspect homes only towards the end of construction, when it is too late to see what’s inside the walls.....

In Stroud the Council retains some Building Inspectors but developers can happily choose to go to a private company. Here's a comment from a planner:

The approved inspector (AI) system is one based on risk assessment, that is to say, the risk of an owner suing the builder, and through contract, the AI. The risk equates to premiums, which are passed on inevitably to the purchaser. An interesting element is that in many case the insurance cover is limited, as is the liability of the AI (being a limited company).

Where the failure, fault and compensation are easy to assign the system would appear to be acceptable to the parties involved. My worry, and that of other local authority employed surveyors is that when the issue is involves the national priorities such as energy conservation and security of supply, an insurance based system may not be suitable. Whilst I cannot see central government pulling back from the competition in building control services, it is my opinion that local authorities who take energy conservation seriously, review their ability to compete in the market.

Anyhow I'll finish there for now as I've written much more than intended but as noted I would welcome advice and comments if there are those who can see a way through this.

Yet another problem at Oldbury nuke

A couple of days ago I learnt that Oldbury nuclear power station was forced to shut down at the beginning of this month due to problems with a turbine linked to the reactor - work by Stop Hinkley led to todays news release here following Cllr Martin Whitesides' interview this afternoon by BBC. INfact this is likely to be the first report of this incident on the web.

Photos: Above view from Haresfield Beacon across Stonehouse to Oldbury in the distance - see zoom photo below for closer look (plant to right).

This incident follows the recent fire at the plant that shut it down, info coming to light about safety concerns, management of the plant by a company that has never run nukes and 2 years of closure to one reactor due to problems with the corroded core and 11 months to the other which is still closed.

We have seen an extraodinary catalogue of problems at Oldbury nuke: this latest closure due to a turbine problem is yet another sign that the power station is worn out and a safety risk.
It seems to many that an industry that hasn't even the cash to dismantle its defunct reactors is trying dangerously hard to still make some money from this 39 year old dinosaur.

Four nukes a week needed!!

All this is of concern as the Government still plans to build new nukes - I hope they rethink and look at the evidence of their own advisors that tell them not to build more. An interesting report by the Oxford Research Group has also just come out adding weight to what in my view is already a more than strong argument - they say that we would need four nuclear power stations to be built every week from now on if nuclear power is to play a serious role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

The group attacked the idea of a huge growth in nuclear power as 'beyond the capacity of the industry', and concluded that such a programme would 'stretch the International Atomic Energy Agency to breaking point' just in terms of monitoring and safeguards. The report argues that for nuclear power to be a significant part of our future energy mix, it would have to supply one-third of our electricity by 2075. This would mean an unfeasible building programme of four new power stations every month worldwide for the next 70 years. They conclude: 'Unless it can be demonstrated with certainty that nuclear power can make a major contribution to global co2 mitigation, nuclear power should be taken out of the mix.'

Nuclear is just not the answer to climate change. In the UK nukes provide less than 20% of electricity, but only about 8% of total energy. We cannot wait 10 years plus to build nukes. The government's own Performance and Innovation Unit warned that supporting nuclear could set back better, smaller-scale alternatives which could turn every home and business into a climate-friendly power station. The industry's own figures, even at current rates of use, show reserves of high-grade uranium ore will not last out this century. At best nukes would make only a minimal contribution to climate change.

Nuclear is a Safe Bet Now

I read this claim recently in one of the local papers and just off the top of my head I could think of many examples that would give cause for concern - here's a few:

- at Sellafield 20 tonnes of highly radioactive acid leaked unnoticed for 9 months, - 355 Welsh farms are still subject to Emergency Orders because of Chernobyl and farms in Norway, - BNFL has been found guilty of systematically falsifying safety records, - repeated evidence of cancer clusters around nuclear plants, - some 30 accidents a year involving nuclear trains in Britain - contract workers at Sellafield have been told to cover up forearms as seagull droppings were radioactive!

Dounreay nuclear site staff found plutonium in a manhole a couple of weeks ago. I am so not convinced by the industry's record on safety. Anyhow that is perhaps for another blog entry another time...

What about fusion?

This is another issue sometimes raised - basically ITER is experimental... if everything works (and that's a big if) the experiment might generate a bit of electricity by 2030. Commercial plant by 2050 is extremely optimistic. There are still big breakthru's required in particular they've not really worked out how, once you've got a stable plasma, you can usefully get energy out of it. Problems focus around development of new materials able to withstand the extreme physical conditions near the plasma. For timescale see: http://www.iter.org/Future-beyond.htm

Fusion is a long long way off even at the most optimistic we're talking towards the end of the century before it can contribute significant amounts of power globally.

Anyhow enough on nuclear I have a meeting to go to...

Pull that ragwort out?

The RSPCA is reminding horse and livestock owners of the dangers of ragwort - I would have thought most don't need reminding but apparently the RSPCA regularly gets reports of horses in fields where it is growing - indeed it always surprises me how many people still don't know about this ‘yellow peril’.

Photo: Wardens out yesterday at Haresfield Beacon pulling up ragwort and below ragwort.

This tall yellow-flowering perennial weed causes irreversible damage to the liver, resulting in an extremely painful death for horses and livestock. Animals may lose weight and condition, suffer depression, loss of appetite, constipation, sunburn and jaundice. In many cases, it can be fatal. Eating this highly toxic weed now can be dangerous but even towards the end of summer as pastures die out it is often mistakenly dried in hay where it is still dangerous.

Ragwort needs to be dealt with every year so pulling it up is the only effective way of preventing animals becoming ill or dying. Ideally the plant should not be allowed to seed, as each plant can produce thousands of seeds.

Pull it up now anywhere near animals graze - but some conservationists argue not everywhere? This plant is the only food of the Cinnabar moth - for more on that see here:
http://www.ragwort-uk.com/plague_cause.html

District commitment to canal cycle route

The first 100 days of the Council's Environment Strategy is to be reviewed tonight along with their 20 pledges. I've much to say on the matter and will hopefully come back to that - but time limited now so wanted to pick up on the canal multiuser trail proposed for Brimscombe/ Thrupp into Stroud as a local resident just asked me about that...

Photo: Not a local example of great cycle route!

I am pleased to say there is a commitment by the Council in their 20 pledges to ensure that 'the value of the canal Corridor as a green transport route is capitalised.' I have to say I am pleased as at one point it looked doubtful about the extent of support.

Indeed I enclose bits below of a letter I sent last November to the Cabinet member responsible. I still have concerns about the type of route we will eventually see but at least there is a very clear commitment. Here was my email:

I note there appears to be at present insufficient funding available or allocated to creating a multiuser trail along the canal suitable and safe for walkers, wheelchairs and commuting cyclists. From my conversation with you it appears that this is unlikely to change. I recognise there are huge difficulties in putting together a project like this, but we are very keen to see if we can find a way forward. Apols for delay in getting back to you but I've had the flu and am only just now resurfacing! Here are some thoughts.

As noted before it is the Green party's view that a multiuser trail is one of the key fundamental benefits of the canal regeneration. Many reasons like increasingly congested roads have meant fewer people cycling than in the past. Nationally the number of cycle trips has reduced by 20% over a decade (i). It is clear for many reasons, not least climate change, congestion and health issues, that we need to increase cycling (ii). The canal route being flat and following the valley into Stroud provides a huge opportunity. Cyclists could potentially make up one of the largest group of users of the canal.

Clearly this multiuser trail would also fit extremely well with the aims of SDC's environmental strategy and indeed many other strategies, both local and national, to increase cycling. Indeed the Local Plan already commits SDC to increasing cycle trips in the District.

I have now looked at the HLF bid and would agree with Cllr Martin Whiteside that a cycle route appears to be more than an aspiration. The HLF bid makes significant references to improved cycle commuting that would be a product of regeneration resulting from the bid (iii). If it had been only an aspiration I would have thought this would have been spelt out as such. Andrew Stumpf, Regeneration Manager (South) has also acknowledged that the HLF bid does promise a safe managed multiuser trail suitable for walking and cycling for leisure and commuting purposes - although he noted 'buts' and said the bid needs to be read as a whole.

Clearly the exact nature of the trail and where it goes is still open to interpretation. I do understand there is limited money. Delivery is therefore more than a tricky issue for the partnership. However I do not want to see this aim lost. I hope you agree.

In the light of all this I am therefore seeking ways forward. As a first step I am seeking assurances on behalf of myself and other Green party councillors, that:

1. The partnership, including BW, is committed to being transparent and inclusive about the difficult decisions that need to be taken due to the shortage of funds. That way we can build-up community ownership of the process, rather that disappointment and opposition - which may jeopardize future funding applications for further regeneration phases.

2. That a multiuser trail suitable for commuting by cyclists is still planned and that any work being done on the canal takes this into account. This will involve a number of issues like:
- how we can make the proposed track(s) safe and pleasant for the different users.
- where a joint trail isn't possible a braided route could be found in some of those cases.
- in some places creating 'an excellent standard track' may not be possible during the 1a phase. What are the minimum standards for 'suitablity for commuting' and how do we achieve them throughout (as well as suitability for other users)? How do we engineer the 1a phase so as to move up to 'excellent' as early as possible and with minimum additional costs?
- gates and other barriers have been suggested to deter high speed commuters and encourage them to use other routes like the A419. This does not appear to be the right way forward.
- a 1.2m multi-user tral is neither safe nor suitable for combined walking, wheelchairs, fishermen and commuting cyclists. In some bits it will be difficult to avoid this. However for much of the route it should be possible to do better with clever design, appropriate 'braiding', probably relatively modest additional expenditure and in some cases very limited additional purchase of land that has limited other use. We welcome that so far planning applications are for 1.6m but this will not be sufficient in many sections: what is best/safest/possible is clearly very dependent on the particular locality.
- the canal route re Capel Mill will have implications for funding: if a non-tip route is chosen more funds maybe possible.

3. SDC will ensure that the Partnership sees the multiuser trail as a priority for funding for any further development/next stage of development.

Andrew Stumpf has consistently said he wants community agreement before planning applications go in. I fully support this and much has been achieved already raising awareness in the local communities. However we still need to see how users can be more involved in planning. I am sure there are creative ways of achieving the best possible cycling and walking provision that will put together the successful results we all seek.

I welcome your thoughts on the best way forward. I don't believe this is an issue that will go away - there are many strong feelings about this - but I am very sure that if we work together we can have a better understanding of the current constraints and opportunities and come to solutions that are in the communities best interests.

Would a meeting be the best way forward? I am sure it will be useful to look at these issues with all parties including British Waterways, Cycle groups and others.

All the best - Philip

Cllr Philip Booth

Notes: (i) Dept of Transport: National Statistics 2005. (ii) It is worth mentioning new research published by sustainable transport charity Sustrans has shown the economic benefits of a number of local walking and cycling schemes demonstrate that every £1 spent on a route generates a benefit worth £20. This is compared to the slimmer average return of other transport schemes such as rail and roads, which is typically £3 for every £1 spent. Sustrans used the same appraisal process applied to road schemes, and found that cycling and walking schemes are far better value for money: See http://sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1158137684156 See other benefits at: http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1159797704234 (iii) The press release also makes reference to the multi-user trail: "Today's award, applied for by British Waterways on behalf of the Cotswold Canals Partnership, represents a major boost to the area and will act as a catalyst for inward investment and regeneration. The project will conserve 30 historic structures, including bridges and locks, and help to protect rare species including bats, water vole and crayfish. It will attract an estimated 215,000 extra visitors and create 600 jobs by 2014 and create a 10 mile trail for walkers, angler, cyclists, wheelchair users and pushchairs allowing a large and diverse number of people to learn and discover more about our waterways and their history."

Local vicarage leads to Synod question

Blog readers will have followed my anger at the pulling down of the vicarage in Cashes Green (use search facility to see previous entries and photos) - as a result the Diocese kindly invited me to speak at one of their meetings top explain more - see 23rd May blog - and that has led to a question to the Synod - see below - not quite the commitment I am seeking but a step towards significant improvements. There is still the question of other properties they are developing on their land. I enclose also below my note to the Church seeking the best way forward on that.

Gloucester Diocesan Synod: 13th June 2007

Question: "Hearing that the Diocese of Chester has built a new carbon-neutral vicarage in Bramwell near Stockport, I would like to know why this diocese has not done the same with the new vicarage in Cainscross."

Answer: "The property in question is in the village of Bramhall, Cheshire and was built by the Diocese of Chester incorporating a number of sustainable construction features – specifically, voltaic solar panels on the roof and a grey water recycling system. It is not, however, carbon neutral. The Houses Committee adopted an Environmental Policy in December 2006, committing the Diocese to the adoption of best practice in sustainable construction wherever practicable. To date this has entailed: the installation of condensing boilers; high standards of insulation; the use of low energy lighting; water saving measures; the use of re-cycled materials and of locally sourced building supplies.

"The new vicarage at Cainscross adheres to these principles, although the scope of what can be achieved to produce a carbon neutral building is limited by other uses on the site and the presence of existing service infrastructure from the previous development. Nevertheless, the new house does incorporate new features, such as rainwater harvesting, high insulation values and underfloor heating.

"For the future, the Property Department is looking at further innovations including solar panels, wind turbines, solar tubes etc. Designs for a new vicarage at Bream incorporate a ground source heat exchange pump. We will continue to explore other sustainability features within the constraints of limited financial resources and what is practicable to impose on incumbents in order to move closer to a neutral carbon footprint."

There was also a supplementary question on the monitoring of energy consumption in vicarages which did not elicit a very definite answer. Full minutes of synod should eventually appear here: http://www.glosdioc.org.uk/Home/Reports/reports.htm

Follow-up note to Church: Just a note to thank Jim and others for pushing this issue and for letting me speak at your meeting. It is very positive that more is happening re vicarages but I am still concerned about other properties that are developed on land owned or sold by the church. What ways can we work to best bring about the change needed? I would welcome your thoughts about what the next step should be.

Lastly congrats on the 'Measuring the Footprint' work - let us hope that leads to significant changes. All the best - Philip

Gloucestershire Rainbow Day 2007, flags and pansies

This year's 2nd annual pride is set to be to bigger and better than last years. There will be a whole day and night's worth of entertainment to keep everyone amused on 11th August 2007. Last year Greens were the only political party presence, I hope that more groups will join this year. See my blog report on the day here (Apols but font size of this blog entry wont obey me today).

Photo: last years march: me holding the banner - think you can see my hand!

Last year the County Council flew the Rainbow flag - possibly the first County in the country - in talking to County Council officers that attended the march I urged that it would be great if all the District Councils also flew the flag next year (ie this year). I wrote to Stroud District after that event and am pleased to hear they will be flying the flag at Ebley Mill.

It then occurred to me that few people will see it there so I also tried to get Stroud Town Council to fly the flag but they don't have a flag pole - this led to me suggesting to the District that the Sub Rooms in Stroud might also fly - I heard this week that they will. Great stuff.

Gloucester City has also signed up for a flag - the other 4 councils haven't responded officially yet but I hear that they all intend to fly the flag: Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Cotswolds and Forest of Dean.

It is great to see support for this day. Europride last year in London saw over half a million people march, in part to highlight how Governments are failing to protect individuals and fully adhere to anti-discrimination legislation. Change is coming - the Royal Navy were officially amongst the marchers then - but more is needed.

Many gay people experience discrimination - take for example our workplaces and in schools some children face homophobic bullying. Our government also deports gay and lesbian asylum seekers who have fled jail, rape and torture to countries where they face jail or worse just for their sexuality. In some countries to be gay is a death sentence.

The Gloucestershire Rainbow Day is about raising awareness of continuing homophobia in the County and further afield. This is a hugely positive move to help us our society become more equal and show more respect to all and I will be supporting it again this year. Join us for the fun - see more details on the Gloucestershire Rainbow Day website here (and programme below):
http://www.gloucestershirepride.org.uk/index.html

Meanwhile yesterday I heard from a friend re the Pansy Project (and blog here)- an ongoing web based installation by Paul Harfleet where pansies are planted and photographed in locations where homophobic incidents have occurred. Take a look at his website - Paul has taken the project to a range of locations from Manchester, New York, Margate, the South Bank and Camden. Paul Harfleet's work is becoming increasingly well-known. He and his artists' space, Apartment, recently featured in an article in The Guardian.

So far the programme is as follows:

Pride Parade through Gloucester City Centre - Midday

The parade will assemble outside Shire Hall for speeches by local and national dignitaries at around 12.30pm before marching off to Llanthony priory through town. Bring your family and friends and wear something colourful! Music for the parade will be provided by the Severn Sound Black Thunders.

Afternoon In the Park - Midday - 5.00pm

Immediately after the parade the park at Llanthony Priory will be open where there will be stalls to browse around, a licensed bar, food outlets and entertainment on the stage with a mixture of entertainment and music from the Servern Sound team. Why not bring along a rug and hopefully enjoy chilling out in the sun. This event is totally free, but any change you may have in your pockets will be gratefully received towards running costs.

Party at the Guild Hall - 5.00pm - 2.00am

The Guild Hall will open at 5pm when the park will close. The main bar will be open and we intend to show a selection of films and entertainment in the cinema up until 10pm. The party will start to warm up straight away in the main hall. We have DJ's for the duration of the party and some really great acts to keep everyone entertained.
Early Bird Tickets are available at a reduced price of £10 per adult and £5 per child under 16. Ticket prices will be £15 for adults and £7.50 for children on the door. Latest News: We have already confirmed loads of top acts for both the park and the Guildhall, follow the links above for the very latest information.

Flying is the new smoking: ecoescapes are part of answer?

Just had a call from a friend who pointed out that there was a great advert in The Independent today from: www.enoughsenough.org - they apparently are urging us all to email Gordon Brown re aviation. You can do that here. It also allows you to sign up with them - and encourage others to do likewise. See Independent front page here and download the advert here:
http://www.enoughsenough.org/gb.pdf

These adverts I've added to this blog entry, "Flying is the new smoking", also come from the www.enoughsenough.org
website and make the point about flying all too clear. We have to stop and use the alternatives.

Another good website is Lo-costAir.com - they remind us of the figures (infact Green party research I think if I remember correctly shows these figures are now an underestimate now) - anyhow:

You pay the aviation industry £173 every year...It is widely reported that aviation pays no tax on fuel and no VAT. WDM calculates that the net impact of these factors results in an effective subsidy to UK aviation in 2007 of £10.4 billion....so that the richest 18% of the UK can enjoy cheap flights...The average salary of passengers using British airports is £48,000.... which cause climate change that hits the poorest people in the world.

So what to do?

Well I recently came across this ecoescape website - they seek to contribute to the ‘information ecology’ about environmental change by providing info to help people make informed decisions about their travel options - they are not seeking a "a forced march to eco-utopia" but rather they seek to put the information in the tourist’s hand and say "now it’s your turn."

This is OK but we mustn't forget this will only appeal to a small section of the population: Tourism Concern has been, for many years, highlighting the issues around tourism. Yet the situation is getting worse with evermore lo-cost travel. Personal resposibilities can only go so far we must have action by our Governments - as I quote often there is just a handful of years in which to act - we cannot wait for all to change their views. Nevertheless as I've said before greens have failed to get across the fact that more often than not the green alternatives are often better....

Heres stuff below from the ecoescape website about their philosophy and a useful chart that makes us think more about travel and why we need to. Infact for me the one thing that this website fails to give enough emphasis to, is a look at why we need to escape in the first place...yes escape is fine but maybe we need to also look about how we are spending the rest of our lives?? Perhaps if we made some changes there we would not need to escape so much?

This is an area I have had long to think about - chronic illness meant that I was unable to travel like I did many years ago - now on top of that I have an awareness about climate change...... I can see all the wisdom in my words about looking at reasons for wanting to escape but that doesn't necessarily make it easier!!!

"Rather than simply deny the impulse to travel and explore the planet, ecoescape harnesses the urge and directs it towards ‘responsible escapism’. By responsible escapism we mean encouraging everyone to look more closely at local opportunities to escape the daily grind. We all need escapism from time to time, so rather than falling into the hands of pre-packaged, shrink wrapped commodity tourism, ecoescape offers a potential for change.

"That is a change in the way we understand travel, an opportunity to transform from tourist-consumer into tourist-producer. This implies a shift in keeping with other social changes which place more of an emphasis on the individual’s ability to make decisions for themselves, independently of so called ‘expert knowledge’. ecoescape aims to convert the status of the tourist from reckless hedonist into responsible eco-citizen.

"We think travel and wellbeing are inseparable. At the most basic level, we all want to just get away and may forget the destruction this brings. Our travels are subject to delay and are often rushed. One way out of this is to go on tours, but these restrict our freedom. Another option is just pure escapism and getting 'out of it'. Once the hangover wears off, we may be seduced by boutique hotels and chic hideaways. But soon the need for a more playful and active experience takes over. At this stage, we might choose a slower, more relaxed and balanced holiday. Finally we may combine all of these travel experiences and modes of wellbeing to search out an ecoescape. That is becoming more caring about our choice of travel and tourism whilst also developing a more mindful approach to ourselves and how we interact with the planet. In two words: responsible escapism."

All this brings me to a question about encouraging tourism in Stroud valleys. The District Council at the moment are looking at greening and promoting tourism - but is that really the way forward when we don't need more low paid jobs and there is already a shortage of affordable housing - we don't want more of our homes bought up to be used as holiday lets or second homes - perhaps the greenest way forward would be not to promote tourism here?

The Green Tourism Business Scheme for example which is often held up as a good example is a good start point but it clearly does not address any of the main social and economic structural issues behind our unsustainable life-styles. For example, it is focussed on practices rather than on underlying issues and personal values. It does not empower people to think about the problem for themselves - it gives them a checklist and a badge - it just doesn't go anywhere near deep enough. A company can go through the checklist, achieve a gold standard but be nowhere near sustainable - the absolute maximum you can achieve through the scheme is nowhere near best practice for sustainability, although it is a small step in the right direction. We need a much larger structural shift in the strategic direction of tourism including marketing and industry-wide training.

I think I'll leave this to discuss another time!!

Petition for less clouds!

I guess is not everyday that you'll find The Cloud Appreciation Society petitioning for LESS clouds, but that is exactly what they have just done on the Governments' website. They are calling on the Prime Minister to use air-traffic management to keep European aircraft outside of contrail-forming regions of the atmosphere. Reducing contrails (ie the long man-made clouds that form behind high altitude planes) would bring an immediate reduction in high clouds with a corresponding immediate decrease in global warming.

This petition at least might be a different way to get people to think about the consequences of flying! While shifting some flights around could have a significant effect on reducing climate change, the real action we need to take is to not expand flying and look at ways we can reduce it.

Heres what the Cloud Appreciation Society say:

Hot moist gases from jet exhausts cool very rapidly as they mix with air at higher altitudes and this results in the formation of ice crystals. When the air is cold and moist enough, these ice crystals will be spread by the wind, gathering water vapour and growing. After 9/11 all commercial flights were grounded for three days. Various lines of research have led to the conclusion that aviation-induced cloud, which is thin and high in the atmosphere, is a more significant factor in global warming than the CO2 emissions from the flights. Thin cloud lets the warmth of the sun through but insulates at night, giving overall warming. Recent research conducted at Imperial College London shows that minor changes in flight paths can reduce contrail formation with only a small fuel and time penalty. Operational changes that avoid contrail formation can immediately reduce the associated climatic impacts.

There does seem to be a growing body of evidence to suggest that contrails result in increased levels of high cloud, which tend to trap in the sun's heat, increasing surface temperatures in the regions they cover. Lower clouds have the opposite effect - of reflecting away much of the sun's radiation. Indeed, the effect of all cloud types taken as a whole, seems to be a cooling one. The tendency of contrails to spread out and lead to increased levels of high, 'cirriform' clouds is in danger of distorting this effect. Aircraft do not always need to fly at contrail-producing altitudes. It might be possible to limit cruising altitudes with air-traffic ceilings based on the
atmospheric conditions, in order to reduce the effects of cloud formation without overly increasing fuel consumption.

For details of petition see: http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/attention/

For more details of the Cloud Appreciation Society go to their website - also some great photos like the one above: http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/

And we haven't even got to Chemtrails - for more on that go to my blog entry on 13th March 2007.

Stop next UK Census being run by an arms company

The next UK Census will be in 2011. Please sign the petition below to help the Green Party stop it being run by an arms company with close links to the United States government.

The process of running the 2011 Census will be contracted out by the Office of National Statistics to a private company. One of the two contractors in the final round of selection is the arms company Lockheed Martin, 80% of whose business is with the US Department of Defense and other Federal Government agencies.

"Lockheed Martin doesn't run the United States. But it does help run a breathtakingly big part of it."
New York Times profile of the company in 2004 opening sentence

This might concern you because:

- The Census rules mean that every household will be legally obliged to provide a wide range of personal information that will be handled by the chosen contractor.

- Lockheed Martin also produces missiles and land mines which are being used in Afghanistan and Iraq and which are illegal in many countries.

- They also focus on intelligence and surveillance work and boast of their ability to provide 'integrated threat information' that combines information from many different sources.

- New questions in the 2011 Census will include information about income and place of birth, as well as existing questions about languages spoken in the household and many other personal details.

- This information would be very useful to Lockheed Martin's intelligence work, and fears that the data might not be safe could lead to many people not filling in their Census forms.

There is still time to stop this happening and we are not calling for a boycott of the Census at this stage. Before the final decisions on the contract are made, write to your MPs to express your concern, and sign our petition opposing LM's involvement at:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/census-alert/

Lots more interesting information at our campaign website: www.censusalert.org.uk

Largest political grouping looking at Peak Oil

Just wanted to mention this good news - last week on Tuesday - Tony Blair’s last full day as Prime Minister - the All Party Parliamentary Group on Peak Oil and Gas (APPGOPO) held its inaugural Annual General Meeting, ensuring hopefully that the issue of declining global oil supplies will feature much more prominently in Parliament in the Gordon Brown era.

APPGs are composed of politicians from all political parties and have members from the House of Commons and the House of Lords. APPGOPO will enable interested MPs and Lords to discuss Peak Oil and all its surrounding issues. The interest by MPs and Lords in Peak Oil, and indeed the All Party Parliamentary Group, was much higher than expected - still only 20 MPs and Lords but significant. This apparently also makes it the largest political grouping looking at Peak Oil in the world!!

Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming, who has been vocal on this issue since becoming an MP, was elected as Chair, while Colin Challen MP, highly respected for his work on pushing the issue of Climate Change with the APPGCC, and Lord Robin Teverson took the positions of Vice Chair. Labour MP Austin Mitchell, with 30 years of Parliamentary experience, took the position of Secretary, while Mark Williams, Liberal Democrat MP for Ceredigion, was elected Treasurer. David Drew, our MP in Stroud was also present - great stuff - he also heard the recent Heinberg talk and was talking about getting Heinberg to meet with MPs - that would be great. More Parliamentarians have offered their support for the group, but could not attend.

Further info: The AGM also established the initial parameters for its mission. It will use available Parliamentary processes to raise the issue, and there is likely to be regular meetings, open to the public, discussing the issue. The first APPGOPO event may take place before the end of July. The group wants to look at the technological and geological issues, the geopolitical issues, the government viewpoints and those of the industry, the impact of alternative fuels such as biofuels, how peak oil and climate change relate, and mitigation and solution options. Although the group will not produce its own prediction for the date of Peak Oil, it will analyse the various predictions that exist.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Peak Oil and Gas is the result of several months work of collaboration between PowerSwitch.org.uk, The Oil Depletion Analysis Centre (ODAC), and John Hemming MP. Although it has no formal powers, and receives no funding, this group is a vital step in raising the necessary awareness of the issue, from which a rational response to the challenges can come. Educating key decision makers and challenging established views on the issue is a task this group must, and can, achieve. The formation group also provides further evidence that Peak Oil is far removed from the days of being a fringe subject. Many of those concerned about the impending decline of global oil supplies may take hope that a significant group of their representatives are finally going to speak about the Peak openly in the corridors of power.

Stroud: first Council to give away energy saver light bulbs to its tenants

All 5,265 council properties in Stroud District are being given this month six bulbs while tenants at smaller sheltered housing units will each receive four bulbs.

Photo: above me delivering 240 light bulbs in Matthews Way and below - getting ready in the Maypole Hall: volunteers Ron, Pam Thorne and Jane Cant.

Today I've volunteered to deliver the bulbs - well only 240 in Matthews Way area. Their are only a handful of Council properties in Randwick and Ruscombe with some 30 plus in Whiteshill. Delivery was already planned for that so I got part of the Matthews Way area in Paganhill - an area I know well as my partners daughter lived there until last week.

Stroud District is apparently the first council anywhere to run a scheme like this: it is estimated that households can save up to £55 a year by fitting energy saver bulbs - and they last up to 10 times longer. The figures suggest that changing just one ordinary light bulb to an energy efficient alternative can save a typical house £9 per year - which when multiplied across the UK's 26 million households would add up to a massive £312 million saving.

I have to say I have some doubts about those figures but nevertheless it is an important step in not only raising awareness around climate change but also hopefully making a move to tackle fuel poverty.

Powergen has provided the bulbs as part of its responsibilities to increase energy efficiency. In other areas there have also been innovative schemes - one I have been trying to get Stroud interested in is the ground-breaking free insulation (cavity wall and loft) to over 30,000 homes in Kirklees. This £14million scheme was initiated by the Green party and will ensure that many households across Kirklees receive around £400 worth of insulation measures free of charge!!

More info re Kirklees: The scheme will see £6million of Kirklees funding matched by a similar amount from Scottish Power under their Energy Efficiency Commitment monies. Households benefitting from the scheme will see their fuel bills reduce by an average £150 following installation of the measures at a time of high fuel prices and growing concern about greenhouse gas emissions. In total it is expected that at least £4.5 million will go back into the local economy each year rather than into the coffers of energy companies. This scheme has national significance. In addition to huge carbon savings it will achieve, it is the first scheme in the country that gives free insulation to residents whatever their circumstances.

Photos: above a car full of light bulbs and below Pam Thorne, the local Village Agent who helped delivery in the area.

This month our district council also launches a new Tenants Energy Network (TEN). This group of volunteer tenants will help others make the best use of energy, keep fuel bills down, maintain a comfortable temperature in the home and reduce condensation. TEN has produced an information leaflet on saving energy, which we were handing out today with the light bulbs.

The free bulbs made the front page of the SNJ a couple of weeks ago: interestingly it was a group of Tory councillors photographed rather than getting a cross-party group with those of us who volunteered to help - and in my case in a Tory ward! Ah well that sounds like sour grapes but I do get fed up with how so much of what we do gets politicised - and good on the Council for this initiative which like the insulation scheme makes sense in terms of immediate financial gains and emissions cuts.

Next week I'm meeting some of the officers to discuss further how the Environment strategy is being implemented and where there is room to push harder: the steps we are taking are still tiny compared to what is needed but it it is a start - and a good one.

Golliwogs: not just innocent children's play things

Heres my letter to The Citizen today:

An anonymous writer passionately suggests there is nothing racist about Gollywogs that were first created in 1895 by Florence Upton (5/07/07). Surely to criticise these "black-faced, goggle-eyed" images is political correctness at its worst? This is just a doll?

Yet the Golliwog was created during a racist era: a caricature of American black faced minstrels - in effect, the caricature of a caricature which was a demeaning image of black people. Later Golliwogs often reflected negative beliefs about Blacks as thieves, miscreants and incompetents.

Enid Blyton's books are particularly insensitive: in 'Here Comes Noddy Again', a Golliwog asks the hero for help, then steals his car. In another 'The Three Golliwogs' the Gollywogs sing the 'Ten Little Nigger Boys': a childrens poem about the death of ten Black children one-by-one.

There is also little doubt that the words associated with Golliwog, like Golly, Wog, and Golliwog, itself, are often used as racial slurs. Finally, the interest in the Golliwog is found primarily amongst adults not children: some are nostalgic, others have financial interests.

To present them as just innocent children's play things is suppressing the real history.

Philip Booth

Photos above and left:

1. Upton's Golliwogg and friends in The Adventures of two Dutch Dolls And A Golliwogg, published in 1895. Most often shown in children's books, it was often described as "a horrid sight, the blackest gnome." This image from here.

2. Golliwog ceramic just like one I remember having as a child.

3. Robertson's jam who refused to remove image despite protests and then came out with a statement that there was no link between black people and Golliwogs.

Poaching tackled in Ruscombe valley!

Now I'm not talking game or fish - or even a bit of cattle rustling in our valley. This is cattle poaching and it's been a problem. Not a big problem but a problem nevertheless.

Photo: Cattle poaching

I have to say I'd never come across it until a couple of years ago - then I helped set up the Ruscombe Brook Action Group and as blog readers will know it's been a wonderful adventure and learning process - I've learnt lots (see my blog article on 5th Jan 2007 for a summary) - and one of the things I've learnt about is cattle poaching...now the dictionary says poaching is: "To make (land) muddy or broken up by trampling."

And well cattle they like a drink and go down to the brook to have one - the trouble is that their hoofs make a mess and stir up the mud on the banks - especially when its wet - this leads to erosion of the top soil - sometimes quite severe - this soil makes it's way into the brook and has according to some of our water specialists been leading to areas where the brook gets silted up.

Photo: Fencing the brook off is part of the solution

One area this silting has occurred particularly is at the Lawns where the lake was dredged some 10 to 15 years ago and had silted so badly that it was until early this year only a few inches deep - British Waterways have removed a large part of the silt as part of their plans to improve water quality coming into the canal - this blog has much to say on all that but click on 'The Lawns' link below if you want more. Basically British Waterways have dealt with the problem but not the causes of the silting...

Cattle poaching has only one small part to play - the repeated sewage overflows have also played a part. There also appears to have been a new spring appear or maybe with the different weather an old spring has moved and now comes out half way up a bank. This led to part of a field getting very muddy indeed.

Anyhow when it was found that the cattle poaching was taking place in Ruscombe the District Councils Drainage Officer, Bob Nightingale offered some help to find possible solutions. There was talk of Defra grants and all sorts but I have to say my experience with Defra on the telephone around this topic was that they were singularly unhelpful and indeed gave what I now consider to be wrong advice.....

Photo: Creating a harder-standing but permeable area where cattle can reach the brook but not lead to soil erosion

...anyhow one option is to put in water troughs and fence off the brook. This was strongly resisted by the two landowners we had contact with, as both are organic. I understand troughs can lead to increased likelihood of diseases being passed on.

Photo: Another view of new cattle poaching solution

Other possibilities to reduce the poaching were discussed by the owner of the field near Puckshole. You will see the solution from these photos I took a couple of weeks ago just after it was put in. The brook has been fenced off to reduce large areas of soil being trampled and a harder surface has been provided where the cattle can come down to drink - this significantly reduces the mud.

Clearly no system like this will be full proof but I applaud the landowner for taking these measures at her own expense to help improve our brook. Lastly let me finish with this photo below of Dog poaching!!

Photo: Mud stirred up by an enthusiastic dog who climbed in and out of the water stirring it up: not sure if Defra will be able to help with some answers to this particular problem?

Porritt's 62,000 air miles are a distraction

Jonathon Porritt, environmental campaigner and local Green party member was challenged by the press for having flown more than 62,000 miles in the past year.

Porritts' 42 flights include trips to Aberdeen and Belfast as well as European destinations, and places further afield such as Cape Town in South Africa and Vancouver in Canada. As a local Green the Gloucestershire Echo asked me to comment. I did (see here for news release) and to be fair the paper didn't go down the usual route of shooting down the 'green hero'. It was a more balanced look which allowed me to make my comment that: "The debate about Jonathan Porritt is a distraction, what we really need to focus on is that our Government still hasn't grasped the urgency or the need for radical changes."

The coverage re this reminded me of Al Gore getting the rap over his emissions (see my blog on 7th March 2007) - he was being nothing like as responsible as Porritt - but again to focus on that distracts from the main message and infact I used some of that blog entry to respond to the Echo - Ken Livingstone was another to get attacked in the press over his emissions - all this is a sharp contrast to the press calling Branson and Bush eco-warriers - see more that at my blog on 13th Feb 2007.

Anyhow as Jonathan Porritt pointed out all the flights were taken in his capacity as founder director of Forum for the Future, co-director of The Prince of Wales's Business & the Environment Programme and chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission.

Mr Porritt revealed the statistics on his website after a question from the public was posted. He states: ".... I believe any activists/champions in this area need to be up-front about their own carbon footprint. There are no personal flights included .... as I have taken none. There are many times in the year when I have little choice other than to fly. I have spent 35 years getting quite good at articulating this sustainability stuff and (hopefully) inspiring others to get things sorted out themselves. I am nearly 57 years old now, and have decided to just 'go for it' for the next three years, to help press every influential button I can during that time. So, once I have judged that an opportunity is worth pursuing strategically, then how I get there is a secondary - albeit still very important issue. When I can use video-conferencing, I do. When I can use the train in the UK, and time allows, I always do. I don't have a car. Do I feel guilty about all that? Absolutely not. Do I feel responsible for making sure that decisions are taken conscientiously and that the resulting impacts are managed properly? Absolutely!"

Of course people need to take responsibility - but as I noted before it is much more important that the Government takes a lead. Individual actions to tackle climate change are great but will never go far enough. The present rate of growth in air traffic is unsustainable - hence Green challenges to airport expansions like at Staverton and Bristol (see elsewhere in this blog - click 'Airport' label below). The truth of it is that we must cancel all airport expansions.

We need action to make those who pollute pay for their damage and 'green' choices to be made easier if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change: travelling the same journey by train would have meant 17 times fewer CO2 emissions. A weekend in Prague should not be cheaper than a weekend in Bournemouth.

As I said in my news release: "Green campaigners constantly risk accusations of being hypocrites. Yet life is full of grey areas and being pure and virtuous is never as easy, nor perhaps even as desirable, as it might appear. We have seen climate change campaigners like Ken Livingstone and Al Gore similarly have their CO2 emissions challenged. It seems that if you can smear the person, then you can also undermine the message. Such smears can damage: prominent people who might support green causes don't speak out for fear of having their supermarket bills fished out of their bin. Indeed every time a 'green hero' is shot down in flames, we all feel that little bit more cynical about our politicians and leaders. Meanwhile greenhouse gas emissions continue to soar. As Climate Change author Mark Lynas wrote: 'Being a purist may be comforting, but it is unlikely to change the world.'"

All this debate got me thinking about just before Christmas when I was asked to comment on Mr Wakeford, a top adviser to Tony Blair on sustainable development (Read that news release here). He was accused of undermining government policy on curbing aviation pollution after it was revealed that he makes a 500-mile round trip by jet from Birmingham to Edinburgh each week. Commuting each week is a little different to someone going to key conferences or events.

As the IPCC and others have said we have only a matter of a handfull of years in which to act. We need radical changes. All credit to Jonathan Porritt for being one of the country's leading green thinkers, promoters and more - who is clearly doing all he can to make a difference.

Cllr Sybil Bruce

Earlier today I heard the sad news that Cllr Sybil Bruce died yesterday. Flags were a half mast at Ebley Mill today as a mark of respect.

Sybil Bruce was the former chair of Stroud District Council - spoken highly of by all parties as being excellent in her chairing and fair to all - she was a Conservative who was first elected to the Council in 1983 and was also a Gloucestershire County Councillor, Nailsworth Town Councillor, Friend of Stroud Hospital and member of the Cotswold Canals Trust.

I first met her last year when I was a newly elected councillor and she kindly invited me in to her office at Ebley Mill so that we could get to know each other better. I ended up being there two and a half hours talking non-stop together. She shared some of her thoughts about how Councils worked best and listened well when I talked about the urgency I consider that we need to give to tackling climate change.

I will miss her warmth, interest and genuine commitment to improving our communities. I wish her family well. I know she will be sorely missed.

Dog poo more important than climate change

This week I've had a couple of evening Green party meetings. One of those was starting to look at next years elections - yes we start early to plan - but there is always never enough time to do all we want - anyhow some Greens were keen to see us lead again on climate change - pointing out that we are the only party that has policies to tackle climate change (confirmed by a recent Friends of the Earth study in Scotland).

Photo: Climate Change march, London 2005

However while this clearly is a critical issue despite all the progress we have made over the last couple of years, a recent poll showed the British public believes the effects of global warming on the climate are not as bad as politicians and scientists claim - ughggggrh and other similar noises....

Responsibility must lie with some key corporations like Exxon, the media with some of their outrageous programmes like the Channel 4 Global Warming Swindle casting doubt (see my blog on 14th March 2007 for detailed comment on that one), politicians being too afraid to tackle vested interests, scientists and Greens failure to get message across....I could go on.....

Anyhow this Ipsos Mori poll of 2,032 adults - interviewed between 14 and 20 June - and found 56% believed scientists were still questioning climate change. The survey suggested that terrorism, graffiti, crime and dog mess were all of more concern than climate change.

Dog poo!!????!!!!!

This only serves to highlight how much more work we need to do and the importance of relating this issue to the local and what people can understand.

One of the other findings in the poll was that there was a feeling the problem was exaggerated to make money! Make money - who? The green industries? No more likely wicked Government's excuse to tax more - this is perhaps an indication of how poor we view our government and politicians? At least very few people actually reject out of hand the idea the climate is changing or that humans have had at least some part to play in this.

The Royal Society responded to the poll saying most climate scientists believed humans were having an "unprecedented" effect on climate:

"People should not be misled by those that exploit the complexity of the issue, seeking to distort the science, seeking to distort the science and deny the seriousness of the potential consequences of climate change. The science very clearly points towards the need for us all - nations, businesses and individuals - to do as much as possible, as soon as possible, to avoid the worst consequences of a changing climate."
Sir David Read, Royal Society

Anyhow on top of that poll I had a comment thrown at me from someone who ought to know better saying climate change is a middle class issue. Is it really so that people still can't see that it is the poor that get hit hardest - you can't have environmental justice without social justice - all that bull about Greens only being concerned about the environment....

OK so back to the election campaign? Well more news on that over the coming year - and certainly we wont be forgetting climate change. One fellow Green, when asked his thoughts, said: "Ask yourself this, what would the polar bears want us to do?"

A great question to make us think. Suggestions welcomed!!

One piece of news related to all this talk re climate change is that the Stroud team that won the national competition re climate change were off to Svalbard yesterday - see Citizen report here. See my blog entry on 29th March 2007 for info on their Enuffometer and link to their website - they very effectively demonstrated the amount of CO2 used by using balloons including a giant 6ft by 6 ft balloon which held 1kg of CO2.

Their Enuffometer and these balloons are clearly a great way to help people connect with the amounts of energy they are using. See their blog here.

Anyhow as I close this post I hear that its now official - it was the wettest June for almost 150 years: an average of 140mm of rain fell across England and Wales - twice the long-term average. Not sure we need the Met Office to tell us that!

Whiteshill School carnival triumph and other triumphs

Still ploughing through piles of emails but wanted to catch up with some of what has been happening - wanted to particularly mention the amazing carnival in Stroud on Saturday - that included the whole of Whiteshill School who helped make costumes - 4 other Primary schools were also involved (see Citizen report here).

Also while we are on Whiteshill School I've been meaning to report that their Forest School has started up - Class 1 have been to the forest classroom several times and had great fun learning in the outdoors. They will continue to visit every Thursday and will be continuing this into Year 1, joining the new intake Reception children.

This Forest School is a fantastic opportunity for children and really gives them an enhanced learning opportunity - and the first in Gloucestershire. Well done to all. See my previous blogs on 14th July 2006 about this project getting started and on 2nd October 2007 re the importance of play in nature - see also research at end of blog item re Hamwell Leaze on 8th June 2007 - that shows that if you want your children to grow up to actively care about the environment, give them plenty of time to play in the *wild* before they're 11 years old.

I am cross that I didn't mention the carnival and Forest School successes to the headmaster when he called very briefly at my house today for my signature to support another school project - I'll email them!

As many will know Whiteshill School is in the process of major development works - all are looking forward to the improved facilities in September - for now they face seriously restricted space and continual noise of excavation, lorries and pneumatic drilling. Other news to mention is that Friends of Whiteshill School now have their own website - see here.

Lastly for this blog a quick mention re the exhibition at Stroud College - I got there last night to see some friends work there - worth a visit - and noticed various local people's contributions!

Eko Noiz launched

I've been off line for a few days due to technical problems - ploughing through 200 plus emails - including one from Marianne from Eko Noiz who wanted me to promote a new website. I don't normally do this as there are too many to promote - but this new London-based eco-activist t-shirt label looks interesting. They have already formed associations with various organisations like The Soil Association, CND, Permaculture Association and WWF so that they can channel funds into their projects. The website has some informative facts sections and they are hoping to develop it further - liked there one on hemp. Visit their website on www.ekonoiz.com and see what you think - could be one to watch.