Sign petition to save student

Just had a coffee and a break from reading the mass of emails that came in yesterday while I was at work....

Photo: Keiths Coffee in Cirencester - one of the best places for coffee in Gloucestershire - I even bumped into Princess Anne a long while back getting her coffee in there.

....and returned to computer to find this message below from a Green party colleague:

If you didn't see the Independent today, or know about this case already, then please take a moment to read and consider signing the petition - sometimes these petitions about a specific human rights case can make all the difference. A young man, a student of journalism, is sentenced to death by an Islamic court for downloading a report on women's rights from the internet. The sentence is then upheld by the country's rulers. This is Afghanistan – not in Taliban times but six years after "liberation" and under the democratic rule of the West's ally Hamid Karzai. The fate of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh has led to domestic and international protests, and deepening concern about erosion of civil liberties in Afghanistan. Background stories: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/775972.html http://iwpr.net/?p=arr&s=f&o=342282&apc_state=henh

Petition is here: http://www.independent.co.uk/petition

A-levels in Managing Burger restaurants and privatised GP clinics

OK I blogged too much yesterday but just wanted to cover this - yesterday morning I dashed off a news comment re Government plans for Mc-GCSEs - see here.

Photo: Randwick tree

The Government has given the go-ahead for McDonalds, FlyBe and Network Rail to have branded educational qualifications - this is not healthy as unions and others have pointed out - and risks channelling students into very specific work placements, which could then lock them irreversibly into a trade that may not suit them. Instead we should be seeing investment in a rich and varied vocational training programmes which provide young people with the intellectual stimulation necessary for personal growth, and to increase their job options for the future - not limit them.

However worse still are plans for the health service - already vast junks have been privatised under Labour now Virgin Healthcare, part of Sir Richard Branson's sprawling business empire, has announced that it will be opening the first of six new health centres later this year. The company is encouraging GPs to join the new branded clinics, while retaining their existing contracts. Virgin would manage GP funds for staff and rental costs, and would offer additional, private, services to patients like dentistry and possibly complementary therapies.

Unison commented: "We are absolutely opposed to the move by Virgin Group into GP surgeries .... It is deeply alarming that a private company such as Virgin Group will be marketing its additional services to potentially vulnerable patients when they are in need of medical care as if they were visiting a gym .... [We should not] allow health centres to be run by gym managers."

The union has also made the point that some GPs have failed to meet their patients' needs in areas such as out-of-hours care because they have been acting as private companies and pursuing their own requirements rather than those of their patients.

Don't forget Iraq and Afghanistan

Iraq as noted in a previous post seems to have been forgotten by many papers yet the situation is still dire - although Bush recently declared: "Iraq is now a different place. Levels of violence are significantly reduced. Hope is returning to Baghdad."

Photo: Trees near Haresfield Beacon last weekend

Read more closely and it is a very different story - this blog is put together largely from Stop the War Coalition emails - the residents of the southern outskirts of Baghdad, whose homes were flattened on January 10 will not agree with Bush - US bombers unleashed 40,000 pounds of explosives on them in the biggest aerial attack since March 2003, killing or injuring dozens of civilians, many of them women, children and the elderly. Infact US bombing raids in 2007 have quadrupled compared to 2006, rising from four attacks a week to four attacks a day.

The latest assessment on Iraq finds that 151,000 (between 104,000 and 220,000) people died from violence between March 2003 and June 2006. See the full article re casualty numbers here and why this prestigious new report is the most accurate assessment so far.

In Afghanistan, the situation is also bad - the Washington Post reported recently the number of air strikes doubled in 2007 to a staggering 3,572 - an average of close to 10 per day. In 2005, by comparison, there were around 200 air strikes.

These increasing levels of carnage come from the man who accuses Iran and Syria of "fomenting violence" in the region and whose main purpose in his visit to the Middle East seems to have been to set up arms deals with a number of countries, which will get weapons of mass violence at an estimated cost of 20 billion dollars. Indeed Israel had a $100m arms package confirmed for the latest 'smart' missiles at the very time that its siege of Gaza was facing worldwide condemnation for what UN representatives called "illegal measures and practices against the Palestinian civilian population". See comment in Guardian here re "Iraqis understand that only the departure of the occupiers can let them live in peace."

Stop the War Coalition of which the Green party is part has now joined with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the British Muslim Initiative in calling for a national demonstration
in London on Saturday 15 March - a worldwide day of protest against George Bush's wars on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion. Meanwhile Gordon Brown would like us to forget that British troops are still in Iraq. They are holed up in Basra airport until George Bush lets them leave. Iraquis do not think we are making the situation safer - see this survey here - 86% of respondents believed the British troops have, overall, had a negative effect on the Basra province since March 2003.

Meanwhile more actions and vigils are planned before the March demo - indeed every Saturday in Stroud High Street there is a vigil for peace - and indeed I met a woman a couple on months ago who stands every day in Bristol at a Peace vigil - one important event coming up will be the Hands Off Iraqi Oil national day of action on Saturday 23 February 2008 - although as yet none planned in Gloucestershire on that day. A year ago the Iraqi cabinet approved an oil law which, if passed into law, would allow the likes of Shell, BP and Exxon to take over control of most of Iraq's oil reserves, depriving ordinary Iraqis of scores of billions of dollars. Shell and BP, with the help of the UK Government have been actively pushing for this law and these contracts since 2003. One year on, despite five US administration - and IMF - imposed deadlines, the law is still being contested at every level of Iraqi society.

Stratford Park has legionella

Last night I went swimming with my partner's seven year old daughter at Stratford Park Leisure Centre - the showers weren't working and I had two calls from local residents who were angered that they had not had a discount for their use of the centre and wanting to know when the shower reopens.

Photo: Near Ash Lane

It was only later that I discovered the showers had been closed temporarily following the discovery of traces of the bacteria which causes Legionnaires' disease. Apparently routine samples of water taken on Wednesday, January 16, showed five out of 12 tested positive for the legionella bacteria. Parkwood Leisure who run the centre are disinfecting the water and the system is being upgraded to remove' sections of the pipes where water flow is minimal.

Dave Marshall, speaking for Stroud District Council, which owns the centre, said the decision not to shut was wholly in accordance with the Health and Safety Executive code of practice.

Apparently legionella can only infect people if contaminated water droplets are inhaled. Therefore it was not necessary to close any other outlets such as taps or toilets. Further samples have been taken and the results are being awaited. It is hoped that the showers will re-open Wednesday. I have written an email expressing concerns and also asking about refunds when services are not fully available.

A46: weight limit rejected by County

Last week I had great pleasure in talking to a class at Whiteshill Primary School re the A46 - they were interviewing various local people in a project looking at the impact of the road closure - see my blog from last week - anyhow they also sent the beautiful card pictured to thank me.

Photos; card from Whiteshill School

Just after my meeting news came through that calls by our local Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish and three other Parishes (Painswick, Pitchcombe, and Stroud Town) for a weight limit on the A46 had been rejected. The Parishes said the road's unstable foundations cannot cope with heavy vehicles during storms and believe a reduced weight limit would help avoid future closures - making an exception of access-only and emergency vehicles.

However Gloucestershire County Council doesn't agree. I think they are wrong - not just because of the damage to roads. kerbs and more - at times these lorries are scary and certainly discourage cycling and walking - there is no reason why these huge lorries cannot be diverted around onto motorways and other major roads.

Stroud mayor John Marjoram is quoted in the SNJ saying: "These lorry routes need to be reviewed where they disrupt small communities, damage road foundations and interfere with local traffic."

The A46 is still due to re-open on February 15.

Government fails on plans for electoral reform

The Government's review of electoral systems has at last been published. It arrived last Friday as a mere written ministerial statement - and a shameful response at that - indeed another example of the Government trying to stifle debate and close down opportunities for the public to have their say.

Photo: Big beech trees near Haresfield Beacon - saved as they lie in an area where to cut them down and retrieve the wood would have been difficult

Voting matters and so do the systems used. The Government's press release laughably states
that the "current voting system for UK general elections works well". Maybe for them but not for voters. Where is their willingness to debate the issues?

At least the review has plenty of positives about PR systems and officially at any rate, everything still remains on the table although there were no recommendations in the review and Harriet Harman refuses to commit any Government time for a debate - and there was no process mentioned or offered to continue the debate or keep the process open.

Polly Toynbee wrote in The Guardian: "Alas, in the same week Labour kicked away one great chance to restore some connection between people and politics. Dust was blown off the long-avoided review of electoral systems, which was slid into the House of Commons library on Hain resignation day with no recommendations and only a terse statement: 'The government has no plans to change the voting system for elections to the House of Commons.' So just 8,000 swing voters in key marginals decided this June 2010 election. Too late for Labour to rue the day its miserable tribalism threw away the chance to reshape politics and allow more parties into parliament, wrecking a chance to ally with the Lib Dems. If turnout was dismal in this election, it was hard to detect the difference between parties ya-booing the louder the more they pretended to be the same."

Gordon Brown’s talk of “new politics” was already sounding hollow - this does nothing to convince us he wants change.

Glos biofuel protests at Tesco

On Saturday in Cheltenham campaigners were asking Tesco to stop investing in Greenergy, to come clean about the origin of their biofuels and to stop selling fuels linked to environmental harm and human rights abuses (see photo).

At Stroud Tescos there will be a protest this coming weekend with at least one gorilla suited campaigner. While tomorrow night you can learn more seeing a film at 7:30pm, "Lost in Palm
Oil" showing the effect that EU demand for biofuels is having on the rainforest in Indonesia , followed by a presentation by Biofuelwatch. At the Cheltenham Centre for Change, 30 St Georges Place , Cheltenham GL50 3JZ . Contact Vision 21 on 01242 224321.

Using recycled oils - chip fat and the like is great stuff - even some locally produced sustainable biofuels are OK but internationally biofuels are rapidly threatening our food supply. George
Bush’s rush to fuel cars with ethanol from corn raised the price of the crop as we've noted already on this blog. Corn is a staple food for Mexicans - think tortillas - yum - and price rises can mean that the poor go hungry. George’s decision has already led to 70,000 Mexicans taking to the streets to protest rising prices. This is the cost of using land for feeding cars instead of feeding people. In the UK recent price rises of fundamentals like bread may also be partially attributed to food crops being used for fuel - see article here on this issue from Lester Brown.

Rainforests are being burnt down to make way for vast oil palm plantations. The indigenous former residents of the forest report gross human rights abuses as they are displaced from their land. Biofuels have been marketed as a way of cutting CO2 emissions from transport. However a study by Nobel Prize winning chemist Paul Crutzen has shown that growing and manufacturing rapeseed biodiesel produces emissions up to 70% higher than its oil based counterpart. Palm oil grown on Indonesian peatland rainforest can cause a staggering 36 times more emissions than its fossil fuel equivalent.

The mad burghers of Brussels (the EU) have gifted us the European Biofuels Directive - despite Green MEP's opposition - this has led the UK to introduce the 'Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation' (RTFO) - ie the inclusion of a proportion of biofuel in diesel and petrol compulsory. So, short of selling their vehicles and avoiding all public transport people will have no choice but to use this unsustainable product.

Tesco have been particularly keen to embrace biofuels above and beyond the requirements of the RTFO. Tesco has sold biofuel since 2003 and were the first major retailer to bring biodiesel to drivers around the UK with a national roll-out in April 2004. Since May 2005, Tesco have been selling a 5% bioethanol blend in unleaded petrol at 185 petrol stations. The supermarket giant sources its biofuels from Greenergy BioFuels Lts and holds a 25% steak in the company. Greenergy is buisily building a new refinery and they openly state that they use sugar cane and soya, crops typically grown in Brazil . They also purchase palm oil, probably sourced from countries such as Indonesia and Colombia . Tescos website says: “We are already the UK market leader in biofuels and during 2007 we aim to double the proportion we sell.”

Hardly a boast to be proud of.

Anyway some good news from the EU is that they are waking up to what Green MEPs have been trying to tell them - Caroline Lucas, Green MEP for the South East, has urged the EU’s
Environment Commissioner to make radical changes to the EU’s policy on biofuel
after he admitted that he had largely underestimated the potentially damaging consequences of its production.

In a dramatic change of heart, Commissioner Stavros Dimas backtracked on his previous commitment to the target set by an EU directive which aims to ensure that 10% of road fuels in Europe come from biofuel energy by 2020. However, while Commissioner Dimas stated that it would be better to miss the biofuels target than risk causing irreparable damage to the environment and to affected communities, he refused to lower the target.

Dr Lucas said: “Commissioner Dimas’ contradictory statement clearly demonstrates the EU’s mishandling of biofuel policy. It not only fails to address the gravity of the problems surrounding biofuel production – it also makes a mockery of the EU’s legislative processes by dismissing its own targets as irrelevant. While I welcome the admission that large scale monoculture biofuel is absolutely not the transport industry’s golden ticket in the battle against climate change, it comes too late in the day to prevent the industry from jumping on the biofuels bandwagon. EU policy on biofuel up till now has been misguided at best, and only now does Commisioner Dimas appear to comprehend the stark reality of a mass plant-based energy drive. I wrote to the Commission more than a year ago to raise concerns over the direction of EU policy, urging it to further consider the environmental and social consequences of biofuel production in the developing world. Large-scale generation of biofuels fails to deliver the environmental guarantees we need at home and risks degrading the land in the South which many rely upon for food.”

While testimonies continue to flood in from the parts of the developing world negatively affected by the biofuels industry, a Royal Society report, ‘Sustainable Biofuels’, published last week further hammers home the Green message calling for government regulations to prevent biofuels from harming the natural world and its people. Dr Lucas commenting on the report said: “The Royal Society report gives more weight to increasingly hard-hitting evidence showing that mass biofuels do not provide a sustainable green alternative to fossil fuels, and can in many cases have a severely detrimental effect on local eco-systems. A letter to the European Commission from several Latin American NGOs last year warned that the EU’s rush to develop large scale monoculture biofuel plantations was leading to massive exploitation of entire populations, as well as a plundering of their natural resources. It also effectively gives the green light to biofuel developers to encroach on land which would otherwise be used by local people to grow food. Across Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, monoculture soybean plantations have been the principal cause of large swathes of the rainforest. The widespread production of sugar cane, ethanol and palm oil in the South has also caused outrage amongst local people. Furthermore, agro toxic chemicals used in these plantations are seriously harming the health of affected populations. I call on Commissioner Dimas to urgently rethink the EU’s commitment to its current biofuel policy and not to pass into law the targets which he now admits cannot be achieved sustainably. The EU should actively seek to replace it with a less harmful, more sustainable and more environmentally beneficial alternative.”

All this comes as there is news that the Papua New Guinea Government have decided to shelve plans that would have seen huge areas of rainforest on Woodlark Island logged for oil palm development.

Dr. Derek Wall. one of the Green party's Principal Speakers said: "Agrofuels are a Trojan Horse in the battle against climate change. Some types of biodiesel can actually produce up to 36 times the carbon emissions of ordinary fossil diesel. On top of the destruction of rain forests and ecosystems, agrofuels are precipitating a human rights problem of epic proportions as agrofuel speculators are seizing arable land as well as evicting indigenous peoples from their forest homes - an anticipated 60 million people. This is often a matter of life and death for the world's poorest people, and corporate large scale biofuel investment is causing it."

Shell predicts Peak Oil in 7 years

Regular blog readers will have heard me banging on about Peak Oil - and how while the Government still fails to recognise it at least more folk are accepting it - some experts say we reached Peak Oil last year - but here comes an announcement from Royal Dutch Shell that the World demand for oil and gas will outstrip supply within seven years.

Photo: Haresfield beech

The oil multinational is predicting that conventional supplies will not keep pace with soaring population growth and the rapid pace of economic development. Jeroen van der Veer, the boss of the world’s second-largest oil company, said in an e-mail to the company’s staff this week that output of conventional oil and gas was close to peaking. He wrote: “Shell estimates that after 2015 supplies of easy-to-access oil and gas will no longer keep up with demand.”

See The Times 25th Jan 2008 and see also more info here. Here in Stroud see the Transition Stroud blog for actions we are taking locally to prepare for Peak Oil.

Heathrow consultation: act now

As any regular reader of this blog will have heard me saying it is clear that aviation growth is set to destroy our chance of tackling global warming. It is completely unsustainable and takes us in the opposite direction of the urgently needed low-carbon-economy. Most of my blogs are on the expansion plans of our local airport, Staverton, but this one is on Heathrow - the consultation is still running so I would urge to participate.

Photo: Woods on Saturday near Haresfield Beacon

The campaign group Enough is enough have a new ad running in The Independent and Evening Standard - 'Flightmare on Drowning Street' here. This ad was also meant to run in The Times, but apparently their editor pulled it at the last moment, saying Gordon Brown's salute was too 'Hitler-esque' - this is odd, as The Times printed their Christmas ad featuring the same image of Gordon - see here.

Anyhow the group have kindly put together 20 questions to submit to the Secretary of State - Ruth Kelly, at: heathrowconsultation@dft.gsi.gov.uk

I've enclosed the 20 questions with an extra one that I have submitted - meanwhile Greenpeace have several Saturdays planned in Stroud to leaflet folk re the Heathrow runway. Here's what I submitted:

I write to oppose the unsustainable growth of aviation in the UK, especially the proposed third runway at Heathrow. Below are a series of 20 questions that have been produced by campaigners: they seem to summarise many of the key issues that do not appear to have been fully addressed. I would however like to add the following question:

Some commentators suggest we may have reached 'Peak Oil' this year while others estimate we will reach it in coming years. This will have a significant impact on all economic activity using oil. What account has been taken in the economic calculations relating to Heathrow Airport and future air travel?

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

Twenty key questions:

Have you assessed the climate change impact of the extra three million tonnes per annum of CO2 admissions produced by the third runway alone?

Can you explain why the aviation industry, uniquely, can expect other industries to make its emissions reductions for it?

How do you reconcile the Government's stated objectives for achieving emissions reductions with its advocacy of massive expansion at Heathrow?

The latest noise attitudes survey (ANASE) showed that the same proportion of people previously annoyed by aircraft noise at 57 decibels were now affected at 50 or 51 decibels. Why was this calculation not included in the noise impact assessment and why is the old 57 decibel contour still being used to draw the boundaries of the areas which, you say, are affected by aircraft noise?

While you say that ANASE is flawed, is it not more robust than a study carried out 22 years ago (ANIS) which was never subjected to external review?

How can people sensibly comment on how the proposals will affect them when you are not telling them clearly where new or altered flight paths would go?

Why does your economic assessment not take into account the effective £10billion subsidy the aviation industry receives from not paying tax on fuel and being zero rated for VAT, and the £18billion tourism deficit where UK travellers overseas spend more than visitors to this country?

If the extra 222,000 flights weren't provided at Heathrow can you calculate the impact on the economy if these 'displaced' passengers a) made their overseas journey by rail, b) flew from another London airport or c) stayed in the UK?

Have you assessed the extra capacity that could be provided by high speed rail including the new link from St Pancras?

What benefit to the UK economy is provided by the 35 per cent of passengers at Heathrow who are simply changing planes?

Will you now commission an independent study of the economic impact of Heathrow?

According to your projections, the numbers of people taking public transport to the airport will double to around 38 million by 2030. Numbers travelling by road will also double to 53 million. What new transport schemes will be in place by 2030 and what will be average traffic speeds on the roads?

What new aircraft other than the A380 and 787 will be flying once the third runway opens?

Why was data on aircraft fleet mixes kept secret from local authorities while you were assessing the environmental impacts - yet freely shared with the owners of Heathrow (BAA) who stand to gain most from its expansion?

Has the data provided by BAA including types of aircraft, their noise and air pollution characteristics - and assumptions on airlines' purchasing intentions - been independently vetted?

Can you guarantee that once the third runway is operating the two existing runways will return to segregated mode and restore the relief offered by runway alternation?

Will you guarantee that the third runway - which is already longer than proposed in the Air Transport White Paper - will not be extended again in the future to accommodate larger aircraft?

Will you introduce a requirement to cut back on the number of flights if it becomes clear that air quality and noise limits are being exceeded?

Have you measured the increased risk of air accidents from so many extra flights over London?

Can you explain why you announced your support for the 'Adding capacity at Heathrow' report to the Evening Standard six days before the consultation started?

I look forward to your reply. Thank you.

Nice recommends planning changes

I was delighted to read in The Guardian last week that town planners and architects were told to give pedestrians and cyclists priority over cars in towns, and to design staircases that make people want to use them. Indeed so delighted I forwarded the article direct to the Planning Department that are no doubt aware of it....

At last there are the beginnings of some joined-up thinking - the Green party has for years seen health linked to all other policies like nuclear power, pesticides and transport - here is a glimmer of hope that others are waking up.....The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has departed from its usual remit of advising on NHS treatments to produce guidance on the built environment with regard to health.

The organisation is urging local authorities to crack down on vehicle use, by such means as charging and traffic calming. The guidance was commissioned by the Department of Health, motivated by the obesity, cancers and heart disease that can accompany the sedentary lifestyle.

The Guardian quotes Mike Kelly, director of Nice's centre for public health excellence, saying that inactivity was estimated to cost roughly £8.2bn a year. Sadly Nice guidance is not binding on town planners, but apparently talks have begun with groups that can encourage implementation, and studies have shown there would be considerable savings to the NHS if people were encouraged to walk and cycle. They recommend for example that new offices be linked to walking and cycling networks - something Greens have called for for years.

Phillip Insall, director of Sustrans' Active Travel programme, is a member of the guidance committee. He is also quoted in The Guardian saying that while in Basel, Switzerland, only a quarter of trips in the city were by car “ in a UK city of the same size it is probably two-thirds”.

Conflict of interest over Dursley supermarket plans?

The BBC Radio 4 'You and Yours' programme on Friday led with the concerns of Stroud District Green party councillors over a potential conflict of interest regarding the previous proposals for a Tesco in Dursley......

Photo: View across to near the Beacon, Haresfield

....basically Stroud District Council paid GVA Grimley to market the Dursley site for a supermarket and negotiate with Tesco over that site, yet Tesco is also one of GVA Grimley's clients. No one is saying anything illegal has happened, but it is surely poor practice that property agencies have commercial relationships with both sides when there is a planning application?

Over the weekend and most of this morning I've had a fair few conversations with campaigners and emailed various folk over this issue - plus put a news release together. Read the story here and see why we need more transparency on this issue.

The Citizen's 'Supermarket Sweep' is a mistake

Here is letter below that I sent today - earlier in the week Cllr John Marjoram was quoted in local press expressing dismay at the recent surveys showing that Stroud scored 50.8 in a survey of 55 shops. This puts Stroud in the 'border towns' group, just a few shops away from being registered officially as a 'clone town'.

Photo: Leeks in Farmers Market last weekend

I picked up on that point in the letter and expressed my disappointment that The Citizen was running a weekly article promoting supermarkets - they have been good recently promoting local food so it is worrying to see them change tact. Anyhow here is the letter....

The Citizen continues to lead on promoting local food, however the latest series of weekly articles, "Supermarket Sweep", contradicts that positive move. Why help these environmentally-damaging stores kill-off our local traders? There should be no justification for selling chickens at £1.50 or bottled still mineral water at 37p (21/01/08).

These stores run such 'loss-leaders' to entice the shopper. A recent survey found Tesco Express having a 7.5% higher-priced shopping basket than local shops. Meanwhile the big stores profits go through the roof as they squeeze farmers and producers and encourage ever more pesticide use, to produce those tasteless, blemish-free fruit and veg.

Last week the Citizen ran a story about Greens and traders who fear that Stroud nearly meets the criteria to be registered a 'clone town' (22/01/08). Indeed, in the UK, some 50 specialist shops like butchers and bakers close every week. An increase in chain shops and supermarket shopping risks the unique character of many of our towns and their local economies.

Tesco and the like are surely good enough at advertising their wares without The Citizens help? Indeed they now also have the support from the Government's Competition Commission for still weaker planning rules. This is disgraceful. Those concerned by this threat to our local economies please consider the actions at: <www.tescopoly.org>.

Cllr. Philip Booth, Stroud District Green Party.

Stroud District budget

Thursday night was Budget night - see key issues raised by Greens here - basically a good well-balanced budget better than many other Councils - but like most it fails to give any sense of urgency about the challenges that face us. It is vital we take more serious steps towards developing community resilience and tackling climate change.

Photos: Green group at Pre-Council meeting - sandwiches provided as most come straight from work for the 6pm start - although it did finish 9.30ish - earlier than most Council meetings.

Other issues raised in the budget are the usual Tory question about how much money goes to central government each year from Council rents - basically about £5m - this seems to be a set piece for the press - even Labour don't defend the ruling but called on the Tories to say they would discontinue - sadly the Tories did not state they would. Anyhow it is important issue but oh so tedious.

John Marjoram raised the point that the budget sheets are now so complex that few can understand - even the Cabinet member agreed - it makes it v difficult to scrutinise - there was also the £64,000 question of whether to stop webcasting - as noted in previous blogs I do support it.....but enough of all this it is now a beautiful sunny day and I still have too many emails to reply to......

Ruscombe Brook and L.A. musician Devon Gundry

Tuesday evening saw me doing more leafletting in the wards - hard work in the dark to find some of the letterboxes - anyhow didn't manage to complete the Main Road before joining the Ruscombe Brook Action Group meeting earlier than planned as after we were to be treated to some music.....

Photos: Leafletting at night and below Devon's cd

Anyhow the purpose of the RBAG meeting was to share the outcome of the meeting on 22 December when we created something of an action plan (see earlier blog for details of that) - we talked some around that plus much discussions about other issues like drains and Puckshole which have been raised in this blog over the last week. So I wont dwell on all that....by 9pm it was time for music

Devon Gundry, a musician who lives in LA has been staying in Ruscombe for a few days and the Brook group were joined by him and others after the meeting. He shared some of his own songs and talked about how being a Baha'i inspired him and his music. Devon was wonderfully passionate and energetic with every song he played - some were set to beautiful spiritual words, others he had written himself - we finished with food and talk and even a free cd for some.

See his You Tube videos which include some of his songs and a link to his Myspace site - see here. He is heading back to the States now but says he may return in the future to Stroud as he had such a good welcome here.

What a waste of waste

The more I hear the more I am concerned the County Council are going to make a very bad decision regarding our waste.

Photos: Green District councillors meeting on Monday in Star Anise and below the 'waste cone'

Anyhow on Monday the five Green District councillors met for their regular slot to look at a whole load of issues - waste being one of them - indeed as regular blog readers will know I've been helping put together a policy document - the summary of which I posted on the Glos Green website yesterday.

It is very worrying that all the indications are that the County is moving ever forward towards a monster incinerator at Stonehouse to cope with all the County's waste - there is even the likelihood that they will set ridiculously low targets for recycling like only 50% - other places are already at 70% and more - if we have a low target then we will have to burn for many years stuff we should be recycling - worse still if we don't keep providing the waste the contracts mean we are fined. Anyhow the issue comes to SDC Cabinet on 31st and the good news is that at least in Stroud some sense is prevailing - although not sure how we can stand up to other 5 Districts and County? We will see but Greens will be working hard to ensure no monster incinerator!

See summary of our local Green party policy here and don't forget the Coffee House Discussion tomorrow on waste - see here.

What else was on the agenda at the District councillors meeting?

Lots of stuff - but to give a flavour here were some of the agenda items: the vision thing, Kirklees, SDCs independent Climate Change Panels recommendations and how they will be implemented, a possible Zero Carbon conference, the Planning Document consultations (including Housing Design, Brimscombe, Sustainable Communities Strategy), Canal consultation, SDCs Regeneration Strategy, Shared Spaces Public consultation (Sub rooms 31st Jan), SDC Contract inquiry and the budget - indeed tonight at Full Council is the Councils budget meeting.

Transition Stroud meetings

Another couple of meetings I went to last week and haven't mentioned here on the blog were the Transition Stroud Open meeting - see my full write up here with lots of photos - and a part of the Transition Transport group - I've not managed to get to so many of those meetings as they clashed with others - however they are a very dynamic group that is seriously taking on the challenge of our transport emissions.

Photo: Open meeting last week

Indeed the Transport group are covering so many key issues that it is hard to do justice here - but just to give you a flavour of the discussions....and this really was only part of the discussions...

Travel to work initiatives. It seems likely that the Sustrans initiative at Hucclecote is the same as the GCC travel smart initiative at Quedgley and Hucclecote in which travel information was sent out to households inviting those interested to have someone visit them and discuss their travel needs – an individual travel promotion plan. This was quite successful and led to a fall in car use and an increase in use of public transport. A similar initiative was used in the Worcester Sustainable Travel City initiative (which received national funding). The group are already looking to see if this could happen here.

Wiki Website on transport. The website is slowly getting additional information. The names of who owns which maps needs to be added in, so that people can get hold of them. A new website for TS is proposed, in which there would be editors for each section. More on this as it develops (see also more in my write up of the Open Meeting).

Photo: Horse near Woodchester - only added as thought horse photo might fit with all this talk of transport?

Agreeing priorities. A proposal for using a “change management” approach to agreeing on future priorities was put forward. It was agreed to pursue this.

Writing to companies. SDC is planning a Green Travel Week (16-24 June 2008 – this is almost the same as National Bike Week which is 14-22 June!) in which it will be promoting green travel with schools and companies. Green councillor Sarah Lunnon has also proposed a “district cycle to school week” at the same time. A letterhead/logo is being created so letters are on hold until next meeting.

Cycling Strategy. This is only slowly moving forward and it was felt that the Campaign/Forum will need to apply some pressure to get it moving more in the District.

Electric bikes. It was agreed to check out AtoB to see if they can recommend bikes suitable for the Stroud Valleys. There are hopes for a demo day.

Events for 2008. There are a few dates on the web. A mass cycling event which is scheduled for Sunday 23 September. On 15th June there will be a similar local event cycling from the Subscription Rooms to Chalford. Bike Film Night is on 31 January (7-10pm) at the Sub Rooms - see more details here.

Teenage cycling wear. The issue was raised - a concern about teenagers cycling to school who do not wear any hi-viz clothing because the usual products are not cool. This is particularly true for the darker uniforms. Various people had suggestions and all are asked to send any ideas, web sites etc so that it can be built into the green travel/cycle to school week in June.

Friday night on The Plain

Another item I've not had time to add is this photo from a resident on The Plain in Whiteshill - apparently about 21.30 - police attended - at least no casualties - although if there had of been we might have moved up the priority list for tackling speeds in Whiteshill....15th Feb is the latest date for opening of A46 - bring it on! Although suspect we will still get these nutters driving at speed.

Photo: Next day - thanks to the resident who emailed me with it.

Monthly safe water meeting

Last week forgot to cover on this blog a meeting of the Safe Water Campaign - see write up here - today I was sent a link to a new short You Tube video about a demo against fluoride being added to water in Queensland - it covers some of the key issues - see it here.

Photo: Meeting last week

EU Commission fails on climate change

The European Commission today presented its package of legislative proposals on climate and energy - including emissions trading, renewables and 'effort sharing'. I have to say I was deeply disappointed with the result.

Photo: View from Whiteshill down towards Painswick Valley earlier this week when I was delivering leaflets to the ward

Here is what Green MEP for the South East and Climate Committee Co-ordinator Caroline Lucas said: "It is a serious source of regret that the EU Commission has based its climate package on a mere 20% greenhouse gas reduction by 2020. Member States have committed to a 30% greenhouse gas reduction (which is in line with the reduction scientists agree is the minimum necessary) assuming an international agreement is reached. By setting the bar lower from the outset, the EU is negatively prejudging the outcome of international climate negotiations and sending the wrong signal to the rest of world. Basing the overall emissions cap under the Emissions Trading Scheme on a 20% reduction assumption is the most glaring example of this pessimism. However, it has a knock-on effect across the board, with the UK reduction target of 16% (from 2005 emissions) for non-ETS sectors falling far below what is required to tackle climate change.

"The Commission's pessimism also prevailed in the treatment of energy-intensive sectors under the next round of the Emissions Trading Scheme. There should be no unfair environmental dumping against EU energy-intensive sectors. In exempting these sectors from auctioning until 2020, the Commission is starting from the negative assumption that no other countries will introduce binding measures to reduce emissions from these sectors. This could be circumvented by the use of a climate levy. "

The proposal to include the purchasing of credits from the Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation or other external projects for meeting even this -20% is flawed and inconsistent. Until there is an international post-2012 climate agreement there is no certainty regarding these credits and there would be no legal base for them. In any event, the use of credits should be limited and industries should not be allowed to buy their way out of reductions."

On the proposed legislation for renewable energy Dr Lucas added: "While the overall thrust of the proposed legislation on how the EU should meet its 20% renewable energy target by 2020 is positive, the proposed target for renewables in the UK, at 15%, falls far short of the enormous potential we have. Instead of regarding an expansion in renewable energy as some kind of punitive means of achieving climate goals, the government should acknowledge it as a key means of reducing our dependence on foreign energy and creating jobs in Europe. Crucially, the target is based on final consumption, so energy saving and energy efficiency are central to meeting the target."

Dr Lucas also criticised the specific EU target for agro-fuels, saying: "Despite the cacophony of warnings against an expansion in the use of agro-fuels, the Commission is continuing to bury its head in the sand. Even the Commission's own experts have cautioned that a serious expansion in the use of this generation of 'biofuels' will wreak serious social and environmental damage without delivering any real emissions reductions. The only way to avoid this damage is to scrap the 10% binding target agreed last year and we strongly urge Member States to do so.

"The proposed sustainability criteria are completely inadequate, as well as being enormously difficult to enforce, and it is completely unacceptable that Member States should be prevented from introducing stricter criteria. Moreover, in the short term, the Commission is also refusing to even try to ensure that all biofuel production results in net greenhouse gas savings. Rather than playing with fire, the EU should simply scrap the mandatory 10% target for biofuels."

Is file-swapping stealing?

The Greens/European Free Alliance has a web site and video designed to counter media industry claims that piracy is theft. The "I Wouldn't Steal" campaign argues that downloading movies or music without paying is "fundamentally different from stealing" - by which the group means physical theft of things like purses and cars.

The Green group consider that sharing is fair and that "consumers are willing to pay if offered good quality at a fair price." Media companies - especially the movie studios - have failed to offer viable legal alternatives to piracy. To reform the system, the Greens want to make royalty payments regressive, so that "artists get paid less the zillionth time their song is played than the first time. Frequently played artists will still make more money, but no longer out of proportion." To collect more revenue for artists, the Greens suggest taxing advertising on TV, radio, and billboards, since advertising is a "form of mental pollution" and "corporations should pay for pollution."

That all seems a positive way forward - what do others think?

Torrentfreak, which has covered the campaign, praises the fact that the Greens "stand up for people's right to share culture," while The Pirate Bay is running a "I Wouldn't Steal" logo on its front page. The music and movie industries will no doubt be less convinced by the campaign! In Sweden, seven MPs have recently sent a letter to Expressen in which they called for the decriminalization of file-swapping.

Staverton Airport: Shameful report from Cheltenham's Scrutiny panel

Hey campaigning can be great fun - when it is done in the warmth of a pub - last night I was in Cheltenham anyway for other business so I was able to set up a meeting of a few Staverton Airport campaigners from across the County.

Photo: Dobells pub, Cheltenham last night

There was lots to discuss but the big issue was the recent Scrutiny report see below for that - but other issues discussed included:
- Gloucestershire Greenpeace's campaign in Stroud against the 3rd runway proposal for Heathrow
- the airport's planning applications - still no date - and it is possible that the Airport may complain of non-determination but in my view unlikely as they will only attract even more unwanted attention to themselves.
- how best to continue to highlight the airport's absurd plans: lots of ideas and plans suggested: more on that soon - some exciting stuff so stay tuned!!
- support for a peaceful action from other groups
- setting up a meeting with Philip Taylor, Independent cabinet member for the environment in Gloucester who had expressed opposition to the development - since disciovered that after only several weeks in the job he has resigned for personal reasons.
- the Petition will be given to councils in Tewkesbury, Cheltenham and Gloucester ideally coinciding with full council meetings. Currently Richard has gathered over 60 signatures. Others have not yet started collecting signatures. Download petition here if you are interested in collecting signatures.
- Scrutiny/Cabinet/Council meetings - Scrutiny meetings at Cheltenham and Gloucester are now concluded. The JASWG report will now be forwarded to the Cabinets of each council. We will be working on a report to counter the claims of the JASWG which will include a review of the so-called 'green policy' and flight capping proposals as well as strong arguments against the expansion plan. We also hope to present options on alternative uses of the site but will not commit to a particular option, advocating instead that a more thorough scrutiny of the proposal is necessary - see more below.

Photo: Some of us waiting for others to arrive

Cheltenham Borough's Scrutiny report on the Airport

See the Airport Working Group report here - and see here one campaigner pull it apart here. The scrutiny committee has taken an appallingly ridiculous position and their document is so poorly put together it beggars belief - last week campaigners went to their long-winded Scrutiny meeting to ask a series of questions - we reviewed some of those at our meeting.

One has to ask what are they thinking about when they say that they want the airport to operate with a 'green policy' to reduce its carbon foot print? By how much and in what ways do the council think that the airport can reduce its emissions after this investment of taxpayers monies? Every other airport in the world that has allowed development ends up with more planes operating and more carbon emissions.

If a 'green policy' is really implemented, the only way the airport will reduce its carbon foot print in any significant way is to fly less planes. Given this irrefutable logic how can the report argue that this investment represents value for money?

The Airport's report has just a paragraph on noise yet this is a huge issue - one campaigner reported pedestrians in Cheltenham recently stopping to look up when a loud noisy plane heading for Staverton went overhead. The report also fails to consider any of the negative consequences of the airport.

Ten questions were asked by the public at the Scrutiny meeting (Q&A available on request to me in a pdf). Two representative from Mott MacDonald (Chris Chalk and Graham Ruddock) were present at the meeting, sitting around the table with the Councillors. During the debate there were three dissenting voices on the committee, Cllr Andrew Wall (who was not present, but submitted a written list of objections to the report), Cllr Paul McLain and Cllr Robin McDonald (all three Conservative).

Cllr Steve Jordan (LD), the author of the report, reiterated that the project was about improving safety not expansion (nonsense!). Several point were clarified during the discussions like:

1. The Council providing a loan to the Airport is not likely to count as state aid. This is firstly because the airport is classified by the EU as a regional airport (less than 1 million passengers per year), and is not likely to affect trade between states. Secondly, the loan is being made via the Council to prevent the airport falling into the hands of the banks in the event of the business failing.
2. The airport expansion is funded by a load from the Public Works Board (PWB) via the Council, the approval will have to come from the full Council (not just the Cabinet). [For info, The last time the full Council voted on a motion to support the Airports plans, in October 2006, the motion was passed by 18 votes to 15. With more evidence to support the dissenters another vote could be tighter.]

Voting

1. Cllr McLain firstly proposed the main vote be a recorded vote. This was accepted by the Chairman. He then proposed that the report be amended to state that the EBI committee did not support the airport's business plan. This amendment was rejected.
2. Cllr John Webster (LD) proposed that a cap on the number of flights be imposed on the airport. He suggested that this be set at a level that matched the numbers given in the business plan and would show the public that the safety improvements were not a way of expanding the airport by stealth. After some debate it was decided that the report should be amended to include a flight cap in the 'Green Policy'. This amendment was passed unanimously.
3. The main vote, which was recorded, was passed with two votes against (McLain and MacDonald).

Minority Report

Cllr McLain wanted to submit a 'Minority Report' to the Cabinet to state the position of the Councillors who did not agree with the JASWG report. Legal advice was requested by the chair. The council lawyer indicated that if a minority report was to be produced it would have to present an alternative plan - it could not just state that the objectors did not agree with the report. Although Cllrs Wall & McLean will produce a report, I was not clear whether it will be an official minority report, or just an unofficial report by committee members (which would carry less weight) - it seems from talking to others now that it is not a Minority Report. Cllr Jordan did agree to incorporate the points made by Wall & McLain into the official JASWG report.

Anyhow good on the two councillors who voted against the main Scrutiny report and are planning this alternative - unlike the other official Working group they appear prepared to hear views from people opposed to the Airport growth and take those into account.

See Green party letter here from one campaigner who was at the meeting and below one campaigners letter to the Echo that sums up the situation:

Madam - You have recently published yet more special pleading by supporters of Gloucestershire Airport (January 7 and 8). They talk of "change" and "safety measures", to describe the airport's expansion, and they describe people who point out the bigger picture as anti-progress, Nimbys or dumb for living near an airport. Such lobbying from narrow interest groups is inevitable, as they cling on to what they've got, regardless of its impacts on the world around.

Councillors need to think why so many people now oppose "change" at the airport. The airport shows daily that it has little interest in people's concerns about noise, as jets, planes and helicopters repeatedly invade our lives and disrupt our work. It is inevitable that with an Instrument Landing System and longer runway, the airport will only move one way - bigger and noisier (and more carbon- intensive). People know that the stakes are high and that the brakes must now be put on the airport.

Given this picture, how can it be that the Joint Airport Scrutiny Working Group (of Gloucester and Cheltenham councillors), that has just reported on the airport's plans, seems to have only considered the airport's advice and views of consultants from the aviation world? It is these sources that are quoted.

Yes, the committee's report also suggests a "green policy" for the airport to moderate the undesirable impacts. But what can this possibly amount to? The airport will take every opportunity, year on year, to seek new opportunities, and this will amount to expansion in anyone's book. And just as it does now, the airport will only care about its own clientele.

We should not tolerate such biased and partial work from a committee, working on our behalf on something which affects so many.

Alison Parfitt, Cheltenham.

Whiteshill School interview me over A46

Yesterday I was interviewed by a class at Whiteshill Village School for 40 mins regarding the A46 closure - the children are doing a local project and have interviewed many folk including the postman, village shop, commuters and more.

Photo: Village School yesterday with mural of Ruscombe Brook

Anyhow many spoke passionately and in detail about the effects of the road closure eg: an extra 30 mins each way to school for one child, more dangerous walking and more minor accidents. I hopefully gave satisfactory answers to their numerous questions - see previous blogs re A46 by clicking on the Label below. I did note that I felt the County had responded reasonably well to the traffic problems after the first few very dire days - speed checks, removing parking, traffic lights, signage etc - however I also noted their failure to use it as an opportunity to get people out of their cars - where were the adverts for carshare and public transport - my emails were largely ignored - although First Great Western eventually responded to my emails after 4 months and issued reduced peak travel tickets on the route. Congrats to them and shame on the County.

It was also good to hear at first hand how the children felt about the traffic along the road - and convinces me all the more of the need for a 20 mph - especially when we don't even have proper footpaths - we have already been working on the 20 mph but things move so slow - see Label below for many previous blogs on this issue.

Photo: In places the footpath disappears or narrows to less than a foot wide

I am still informed that 15th Feb is the plan for reopening the A46....Anyhow while at the school I picked up a couple of other issues which I'm following up:

Damage to cars at the Village Shop - apparently at least two recent incidents of damage to cars in the Village shop carpark. One of the school staff expressed a wish for white lines. I noted that that increased the feel of urbanisation of that area and lessened the feel of it being rural. However the Parish were talking of white lines or marks being put on the fence to help cars park. I am now following up with the Parish on this.

Lighting in footpath from school to car park - it was noted it was very dark in that footpath when staff leave the school. However I noted that there was a well lit route around along the road. To me that seems satisfactory but I have raised it with the Parish as they are reviewing street-lighting at the moment.

Recession and housing - the achilles heel of financial markets?

There is now talk of the possibility that first the American, and then the global economy may move into recession and eventually depression. While this downturn will cause a welcome reduction in the global CO2 output, it carries political risks. In depressions, high unemployment causes poverty and disaffection, which can play into the hands of political extremists. We should remember that WWII followed the Depression of the 1930s.

Photo: View from Bread Street

However as well as being a threat, an economic depression also provides an opportunity to green the world economy by a form of Green Keynesianism. A depression may signal the end of the present quasi-free-market system, and out of the ruins we can create a green economy, based on energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability. It also provides an opportunity to stimulate local economies using Local Exchange Trading Schemes, and for experiments in monetary reform.

In Transition Stroud there are moves to look at revitalising our local economy with measures like the Totnes pound - follow the link to see more about this project.
Our Government seems to have ignored the impact housing is having on our economy - perhaps because housing has become a big source of revenue for banks and house owners are delighted by the continued rises in the value of their property - indeed the seemingly inexorable rise of house prices makes bricks and mortar a safe investment.

However with the ‘sub-prime’ mortgage crisis in the USA housing has become what some are calling the achilles heel of the financial markets, creating what has been called ‘the credit crunch’.

Corporate Watch who have a series of articles on this issue write: "Morgan Stanley, the second biggest US securities firm, has lost at least $3.7 billion, and the IMF has downgraded their forecast for US economic growth, largely because of trouble in the housing market and the associated credit problems." The articles also explore the links between the US uproar and the crumbling of Northern Rock, one of the biggest mortgage lenders in the UK. The UKs prompt and collosal action in terms of billions of ££££ of support shows the extent to which the UK government sees housing loan corporations as major props of the UK economy.

A similar reaction to the credit/housing crisis was taken by the European Central Bank, which injected funds into the money markets in the form of many billions of Euros in loans. Corporate Watch comments: "Invariably the mess caused by financial institutions’ speculative bubble has been seen as some kind of natural disaster, and taxpayers’ money has been spent to prop up the system, based on unstable financial corporations. In fact, much of the money these corporations are playing with in the first place comes from ordinary people – with pension companies some of the largest public players in the crisis-hit money markets. As with so much of the current corporate-dominated system, public money is used when companies’ profits are in danger. This current crisis is not, however, a mere teething problem – it indicates very deep problems with a system where by corporate-dominated markets allocate resources as important as housing."

With Stroud and Gloucestershire hit by the latest Regional Spatial Strategy plan (blog coming soon on the latest on that) for yet more thousands of homes to be built here it may seem strange to hear that the Government is paying to pull down houses elsewhere! The Communities and Local Government Minister has confirmed before Christmas last year that one billion pounds will go on the discredited Pathfinder schemes over next three years.

These schemes are based on demolition of existing housing – often Victorian terraced streets – to allow developers to build more lucrative, higher cost, housing. Under the Pathfinder scheme in Oldham, North-West England, ninety homes have been issued with compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) while in Liverpool’s Edge Lane area the Pathfinder companies and the council are pushing on with plans for more CPOs – despite having their last attempts ruled illegal.

The recent Planning Bill has also raised fears that it will allow companies to push through the planing process even quicker, in spite of local concerns - see my comment from last year here.

Anyhow our Governments failure to manage housing has meant increasing homelessness and unaffordablity of homes (unaffordability - what sort of word is that?!) - see a good simple summary on this here.

For a look a bit at Green Economic principles trey here:
http://www.greenhealth.org.uk/GreenEconom.htm

And of course the blog by Molly Scott Cato (from Stroud) - see here:
http://gaianeconomics.blogspot.com/

The Purton Hulks

As a councillor I just heard from an enthusiast - Paul Barnett - he has embarked on a privately funded course of research in order to locate, chart and identify as many of the Purton hulks as possible. Indeed he won the 2007 Award from the Nautical Archaeology Society through its Adopt A Wreck initiative.

Apparently from the waste weir in the north to the Sharpness New Dock entrance in the south, there are some 81 vessels - steel, timber and concrete constructions - the largest collection of this type of craft any where in the U.K. Read Gazette here. He has after 9 years of study identified 76 vessels and is now correlating individual histories for each. This includes overall dimensions, cargoes, trade routes, owners and crew, personal anecdotes and the eventual date and method of abandonment on the wind swept foreshore adjacent to this sleepy hamlet in Gloucestershire.

Paul also has in excess of 600 photographs which chronicle the life and death of each vessel and are catalogued to represent individual vessels afloat/in use, during earlier stages post abandonment and pre decomposition/vandalism/arson/ trophy hunters and finally as they look today. Furthermore and with the use of several sources and modern surveying techniques, he has produced a schematic diagram, which locates each vessel by scale and heading. He hopes to keep the research at the Gloucestershire office of the Sites & Monuments Record - see Pauls' photos of wrecks here.

This is all a fascinating look at life on the Severn - Paul's efforts to document this are to be applauded. Slide show presentations and tour details from 07833 143 231

Did Oil Canals Worsen Katrina's Effects?

I have just had emails from a Green party member researching Hurricane Katrina - interestingly there are 10,000 miles of service canals dug to tap oil and natural gas dart everywhere through the black mangrove shrubs, bird rushes and golden marsh. While they feed America's thirst for energy, it now seems they have also helped to bring its biggest delta to the brink of collapse.

Photo: Copyrighted photo reprinted here with permission of Seattle-based photographer Chris Jordan. See more photos of Katrina.

Since the 1930s, a fifth of the 10,000-square-mile delta has turned into open water, decreasing the delta's economic and ecologic value by as much as $15 billion a year, according to Louisiana State University studies. The rate of land loss is among the highest in the world - it now seems clear that the oil industry played a crucial role in helping to worsen the effects of the $135 billion Katrina disaster - the nation's costliest. See an article by Cain Burdeau here with more info.

This info is very interesting - I had no idea of this factor - although it has always been clear that the devastation of Hurricane Katrina cannot be described as just an unfortunate 'natural' disaster. Scientists have long warned that climate change will create more violent storms and other weather extremes (see recent info here). President Bushs' refusal to address climate change and focus on non-oil based energy perpetuates conditions that make these situations more likely and more deadly - see here calls for action.

Clearly in addition to this info new to me the situation was compounded by Government policies that include: channelling rivers, allowing developers to destroy wetlands, increasing developments in New Orleans despite the city being below sea-level and surrounded on three sides by water, abysmal disaster planning and cutting budgets to fortify levees in order to send engineers to Iraq and cut taxes for the rich. I remember well emails from Greens frustrated by not being allowed to enter the City to help - see here.

For me it is interesting that this info shows how damaging removing the protective mangroves has been - this was also a key factor in making the 2004 Asian Tsunami much worse - see here Greens call for action on shrimp farming - it was found that the loss of the mangroves was one of the reasons for the tsunami having had such a devastating effect; the lack of these protective coastal ecosystems meant the tsunami hit the coast much harder and left very much greater devastation in it's wake. It is our appetite for shrimps that is partly responsible for the loss of over 35% of the world's mangroves in the last 20 years.

One study found shrimp farming accounted for over a third of the mangrove destruction and there are other well documented serious ecological problems associated with shrimp farming. In the light of these facts we wrote to the supermarkets to see if they have reviewed their practices since the tsunami. We have asked a series of questions about the standards used in prawn farming and about the need for Fair trade standards. I have to say the answers were wholly unsatisfactory....but maybe folk reading this blog could consider this issue when thinking about purshasing shrimps?

Randwick Parish Council: drains, lighting and more

I am just back a wee while ago from Randwick woods - all wonderful in the misty afternoon light - anyhow I thought I had better do a quick update re Randwick Parish meeting on Thursday night - I walked up to the Village Hall as usual only to remember on arrival that it was one of the months that the meeting was at the Scout Hall - ****!**!!!****

Photo: View across to Ash Lane

I managed to get there for 7.30 and various items discussed - drains being one of them - it led me to sending another email to Highways - see below (i) - plus the plans to consider turning off some street lights are moving ahead slowly - Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish have already done their consultation on this - anyhow I enclose some useful info below (ii) - also see previous blogs on this topic.

There was also an update re the moves to try and get lower speeds in the Parish - a hand speed gun has already been used with a top speed recorded of 42mph on Blenhiem Pitch - that is seriously fast for that stretch! One person speeding who was stopped by the speed gun folk said: "If I don't go up at that speed I wont get up the Pitch!" Hopefully more speed testing will go-ahead soon - volunteers still being sought! The Sustainable Communities consultation was briefly discussed (more on that v soon) plus the Parish plans to update their procedures. Anyhow minutes will be out soon from the meeting so anyone interested check them out.


(i) Re Drains/Gullies

There seem to have been on-going problems at a number of road drains over recent years in the Randwick area. The levels of rainfall during the last year would seem to indicate very strongly that at several sites the drains are insufficient to cope with the water. This could be due to the lack of regular maintenance or the need to redesign them to cope with larger flows of water/debris etc?

I have had phone calls from several residents about the unsatisfactory state of these drains, although I would like to note that they were attended to very promptly after my phone call to your drains hotline.

In the light of this I would request that the following drains are reviewed to see if they can be improved. There maybe others but these are the ones identified as needing extra work so far:

1. The dip at Humphreys End was nearly a foot deep in water - the drain has now been cleared although debris/sludge etc has been piled up too close to the drain and will no doubt be washed down when we have more rain.
2. Bottom of Redhouse Lane
3. Far Westrip - opposite telephone box
4. Ash Lane
5. Two sites near Court Farm, Randwick

(ii) Street lighting

Essex County Council whom I've mentioned on this blog before are now running 2 trials, across the districts of Maldon and Uttlesford. The sreetlights have individual timers fitted that turn the lights off at local midnight (which is around 1am in summer due to BST).

So far the trials have been successful with little or no evidence of the outbreaks of crime and disorder some had predicted. Not surprising as most crime occurs duing the day and contrary to what many authorities peddle, there is no evidence that lighting per se deters crime.

The bigger issue is safety ie how many people are likely to be about after midnight who would be affected. The advantage of the Essex system is that as lights can be individually controlled, areas where it is known there will be significant numbers of people about late ie train stations, main town centres, or where there is genuine concerns over safety ie a well know accident blackspot or road junction, they can be left on. If the trial is successful it will hopefully be rolled out across Essex. Some parish councils have objected, but many have welcomed the scheme. As Essex has around 150,000 streetlights, the potential energy and cost savings are clearly huge.

There are other counties looking at doing this - Gloucestershire has a number of trials in the pipeline - if Essex is successful it is likely to be followed elsewhere. An alternative is dimming late a night , but this requires certain types of lights to be fitted in the first place. It has been used in Lancashire and there is talk of the Highways Agency using it more widely on the trunk road network - probably using sensors to detect the level of traffic and adjust the lighting levels accordingly.