Pride flag not flown!

Last year

The Rainbow flag has been flown at Ebley Mill every year since 2006 in recognition of Gloucestershire Pride. So why was it not in June this year? I wrote seeking an explanation as I had sent an email requesting the flag - as I have done every year. Well it seems an administrative error was made and the flag did not get flown.

Last year

I have now received assurances that this will not happen again. A new system has been put in place to ensure the error will not reoccur. There is no question that the District Council does not support the Pride event. Indeed Stroud along with Glos County were one of the first in the country to fly the Pride flag in a non-metropolitan area outside.

Anyhow if you missed it see my video of the Glos Pride event here.

More quotes

Some more quotes that inspire and made me think, smile or cringe - for more click on the 'label' below. Photo: Ruscombe

"The world was not given to us by our parents; it was loaned to us by our children". Kenyan proverb

“To be conscious in our world today is to be aware of vast suffering and unprecedented peril… The feelings that assail us now cannot be equated with ancient dreads of mortality… Their source lies less in concerns for the personal self than in apprehensions of collective suffering - of what happens to our own and other species, to the legacy of our ancestors, to unborn generations… That pain is the price of consciousness in a threatening and suffering world. It is not only natural, it is an absolutely necessary component of our collective healing. As in all organisms, pain has a purpose: it is a warning signal, designed to trigger remedial action. The problem, therefore, lies not with our pain for the world, but in our repression of it." Joanna Macy and Molly Young Brown

“Too many of your richest people are getting away without paying much tax at all – and that’s not fair”
David Cameron (April 5th, 2011) Unfortunately he was only talking about Pakistan, not Britain.


‘If the only prayer you ever said was thank you, it would be enough’
Meister Eckhart

"Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist." Kenneth Boulding, economist


"I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
but because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."
E.E.Hale

European Food Sovereignty movement

I saw a while back that the Women's Environmental Movement (WEN) and War on Want are interested in supporting a European Food Sovereignty movement. This is all about taking back control of food and agricultural processes through grassroots action and linking up with ordinary citizens in the global South.

The movement ties in with other groups around the world fighting to democratise food and agricultural systems. This all sounds good stuff - and fits with alot of what many of us are trying to achieve locally - the recent Edible Open Gardens was about trying to encourage more people to grow their own food - see more about why we opened the gardens here.

The food sovereignty movement is framed around six key (and totally sensible) principles, established by citizens worldwide and named after a legendary Malian peasant woman farmer, Nyelini. For more information about this new project click here: http://nyeleni2011.net/

WEN write: "It sounds ambitious – but it’s not impossible. At the launch of the UK side of the movement last month, Canadian activists explained how they created Canada’s first-ever citizen-led national food policy, despite having only one paid member of staff with the bulk of the work carried out by ordinary citizens giving their time for free. They gained a lot of media exposure, are now taken seriously by government agencies, and are beginning to exert leverage when it comes to food issues."

This project deserves lots of support so please give consideration to supporting it.

Stroud Apple Town

Stroud becoming an Apple Town seems to be an idea that has touched many people. Interestingly it was discuss by Green District councillors last October at our three days away - we talked about the ways we could re-orchard Stroud so this project is timely. It also fits with the Down to Earth project to look at Fruit and nuts locally - see here.

Photo: Humphreys End Orchard - see here apple picking last year


I missed the first meeting in May at the Exchange in Stroud which brought together people interested in the concept of Stroud becoming an Apple Town. There were some notes made at the meeting and I share some of them here (click read more) as they have been passed far and wide in an effort to see what else might be going on locally...do let them know if something is missing or you think you can help.

Update on Ruscombe Valley Action Group

Threatened fields

The Ruscombe Valley Action Group (RVAG) was set up in response to the appalling land banking that took place several years ago now (click on label below to learn more).  The Parish responded immediately by monitoring the site, objecting to any planning applications and working with Stroud District Council to get an Article 4 notice put on the land to prevent any activity taking place without planning consent. 

As the Parish Council have said we need to maintain vigilance on these fields in our valley, particularly with planning constraints potentially being relaxed. If you see anything odd please do notify the parish clerk.

As reported in the WaRbler, when we first established the group a number of people and the Parish Council gave money to us to enable actions to be taken. In the intervening time three of the four signatories of the account that was set up have moved from the village, so it was thought prudent to transfer the remaining amount, just over £240, to a designated account held by the Parish Council.  This will safeguard its accessibility and the ability of the parish to still make use of the donations for the purpose they were originally given.

Ruscombe Valley Action Group can still be convened if anything untoward should occur. The Ruscombe Brook Action Group also continue to do regular walks to check on the land.

Meet your blobman and cut carbon

Some 6 weeks ago 10:10's new carbon-cutting website was launched. It is designed to make it easy, fun and social to understand and reduce your carbon footprint, compare yourself with friends, and call for wider solutions to climate change. The idea is to meet your Blobman, tot up your footprint, win some medals and invite some Facebook friends. The site is continually being developed with new features. See it for yourself at: http://my.1010uk.org/intro

Capitalism: A Love Story

A few days ago I blogged on the dire economic situation we are in - well I have also just seen Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story - it takes a rather depressing look at power in the US - corporate finance and more. Why is the American dream looking more like a nightmare as families pay the price with their jobs, their homes and their savings? However the 2 hours are completely watchable as humour and the inspiring tales of people fighting back left me with hope that the fight back can happen. See film at: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/capitalism-love-story/

Some inspirational renewable projects

Poppy field near Cirencester

Here are a few sites that give info re community projects...

Link for Westmill voices and their wind turbine project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwOYU6qireY 

Link to Transition Wadebridge for another great video: http://www.wren.uk.com/

Baywind community wind turbine project (largest community power in UK):
http://www.baywind.co.uk/baywind_aboutus.asp?ID=ABT4&catID=2

See more about Norwich's creation of a "Norfolk Energy Services Company": http://www.greenparty.org.uk/localsites/norwich/news/2011-02-22-energy-scheme-will-reduce-cuts.html

Link to see more about the community-owned solar power in Lewes, with a goal to make Lewes entirely powered by renewables by 2030: http://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/news/fund_raising_begins_for_uks_first_community-owned_power_station5478/

Gloucester City Works solar project - there was a meeting last month which was about moving this project forward: http://gloucester.solar.coop/

YouTube: second film of inspirational gardens from Edible Open Gardens weekend

This is the second film I've put together about Stroud's Edible Open Gardens with photos and some video clips of the gardens and people who made it possible. See also the films I made of the workshops on chicken keeping and composting plus the launch film with clips about various good organisations in Stroud (see 'Videos' in headline above).

Ex-Mayor and now Independent District Councillor, Andy Reed, sent me this comment on the event: "Just to say fabulous edible garden weekend - congrats to all involved. Have posted two articles on my blog gushing praise - everyone we spoke to said it was fab. Have added a link to your vid which I enjoyed. Guerilla gardens in Washpool was cool. Sugley farm was divine. The Italian garden in Stroud shows what can be grown with lots of practice! Do it all again next year please - you can quote me on that!" See his blogs on the weekend here and here.

Latest Magnus and Granny episode

Some might remember the first episode of this great series - see here - well here is an even more enchanting story.

Stroud's Edible Open Gardens Composting demo on video

Here is the latest film I've put together from film clips of this workshop. The need to grow more food locally was again brought home to me in an Observer article last weekend here.

Average supermarket baskets are up 6% on last year and rising much faster here than any other rich country (double US and EU!). It seems supermarkets who control 80% of food sales are taking advantage of consumers here - less than 25% of the rise is due to commodity price rises. On top of that the news is that cereal prices are expected to be at least 20% higher than the last decade while meat will be 30% higher. The Government has argued food prices will remain low but the latest trends call for a significant rethink with as always the poor being hit hardest.

Stroud Valleys Water Forum

This Thursday the Forum met at Ebley Mill and we had feedback from all the local action groups, my recent visit to Wessex Water, stuff on River Trusts (see below), Brigend's on-going challenges re flood measures proposed there for householders and we also had a presentation from Water 21 and a lengthy discussion re Slad where the EA have pulled out funding flood measures they had promised. We also heard about the hydro scheme at Dudbridge - see previous blog here - more support needed to make it happen.

Well I can't cover all that so a little on Slad and River Trusts as I have a busy day ahead....

Photo: Hydro scheme with fish route

Slad brook

The EA are offering Individual Flood Protection measures - see here - but I understand only 8 households have taken them up out of 83 threatened with flooding. I fear the EA are looking at individual measures because it is the easy option whereas attenuation up the valley could potentially reduced flooding very significantly. The EA have not ruled out flood alleviation but have reduced the £3m to £500,000 of which they say they have already spent a large sum on consultation etc. I have to say the grounds do not seem to stack up for reducing the money - a long hard look at the figures is needed and how the decisions have been made - we hope to have the EA to our next meeting - they have attended in the past and it would be great to get an update as this all seems to be going on a long time since the 2007 floods! The good news is that legislation means community groups views have to be taken into account.

River Trusts

Well this charitable group looks to get the best for our rivers - see their website here: http://www.associationofriverstrusts.org.uk/about/art_history_objectives.htm

We heard from one of our new members who told us a little about how the Trusts work. The Severn already has a Trust so we hope to invite them up as it maybe poss to join them? Or would it be better to have one for the Frome catchment? Then again maybe we have not got the resources to follow that route? It needs some exploring but would have the potential to bring in more resources and hopefully get better decisions made locally.

Fairford protestors news release

Click read more for the press release that I was sent from the Fairford protesters - a protest I have been covering on this blog. I would welcome answers to the challenges the protesters pose to the arms industry? How do they counter arguments that depleted uranium breaches the Geneva conventions?

Randwick allotments and Finn's Way update

Well at Randwick Parish Council meeting this evening there was lots on the agenda - I gave a report back re District Council stuff and caught up on progress re various projects. I thought in this blog I would look at two items....

Photos: Finn's Way

First allotments - at last we have reached the magic number of 6 residents interested in an allotment. This evening the Parish set up a work party, on which I will sit, to look at where they might be able to go.  This is exciting stuff - when we first set up Whiteshill and Ruscombe allotments few came forward until we had the site then 20 names came out of nowhere - see my film of the allotments here. If you are in Randwick or nearby then write to the Randwick Parish Council Clerk to express interest.

One site that seems to be ruled out (due to the covenant) as a possibility for allotments is Finn's Way - the Parish Council are in the process of taking over ownership from a trust. It will come with a lump sum that I am keen to see invested locally - poss more solar on Randwick Village Hall - win win in that the returns look good  and the income could be used to fund maintenance of Finn's Way. Although not sure if the Parish will go down that route....

Cotswold Canal Trust latest news

Ruscombe photographer Mike Gallagher has recently been writing lots for the Cotswold Canal Trust. You can see his various reports on their website: www.cotswoldcanals.com/pages/latest-news.php

It is exciting to see the canal progress - yes still lots to go but significant steps forward - some great paths have been created along stretches of the canal and work will begin very soon on the replacement of two former swing bridges over the canal – Stonehouse Ocean and Chestnut Lane, Stroud. At the Ocean site, a new hand-operated swing bridge will be installed; work having been delayed to allow a wedding to take place on 30th July! While Chestnut Lane will see a full 44 tonne electro-hydraulic bridge.

The website has details - also on the website there is the webcam of the Brewery Bridge construction - the bridge is meant to open today. I also discovered that when the flag is flying the Wallbridge Lock Visitor Centre is open! Worth a visit to find out more about the whole project.

Lastly the first big festival on the canal is due to be held on June 2,3 & 4 next year on Marling School Playing Field. The section of canal from Wallbridge to Stonehouse will by then be restored, and the event is also the 2012 Inland Waterways Association Trailboat Festival and CCT 40th birthday celebrations. Small boats will be operating along the canal offering trips, and they plan to have a horse drawn trip boat. Of course the project will not be completed by then as there is still much to do - not least Brimscombe Port and the developments proposed there.

More action needed to end fuel poverty

I recently chaired a Task and finish Scrutiny group into fuel poverty - see here.  Well today there was an excellent letter in The Guardian from Friends of the Earth and others challenging the government. I thought it was so good that I copied below and tweeted on it! Caroline Lucas was amongst those MPs calling for changes to improve the Bill. Here it is:

We hope that, like us, the government found the news that 5.5m households are now in fuel poverty both shocking and distressing (Report, 14 July). The response to this news must be a change of policy direction.

The Warm Front scheme, funding grants for energy efficiency, has been cut by two-thirds and will end in 2013. It will be the first time in over 30 years the UK has been without a publicly funded energyenergy bill will set up the energy company obligation to tackle fuel poverty. It should be focused on vulnerable and low-income households and communities. But even with this focus it is likely to be insufficient. Contributions from the exchequer, including revenues from carbon taxes, must be urgently considered to increase the scale of the scheme. The energy bill also introduces a minimum energy-efficiency standard for rented homes from 2018. While welcome in principle, this is two years after the target to end fuel poverty. One hundred and eighty MPs have called for it to be introduced in 2016.

Radically increasing energy efficiency of the housing stock is the only long-term solution to fuel poverty. Efforts to do this must move much faster, but it will still take years, so greater help with the cost of energy bills is essential. Those in and vulnerable to fuel poverty must not fear the coming winter. The Warm Home Discount, currently restricted to pensioners, must be expanded to include low-income families and those with a disability or long-term health condition.

These policies will not end fuel poverty; the government needs to develop a full roadmap to do that. They will, however, mark a shift from the current course, which will see ever greater numbers of households unable to afford to heat their homes as fuel prices rise. We believe it is time for a new start to end fuel poverty, and that doing so will bring dramatic social, economic and environmental benefits.

Craig Bennett Friends of the Earth, Mike O'Connor Consumer Focus, Michelle Mitchell Age UK, Neil Coyle Disability Alliance, Brendan Barber General secretary, TUC, Dave Prentis General secretary, Unison, Andrew Warren Association for the Conservation of Energy, Mike Hobday Macmillan Cancer Support, Jenny Saunders National Energy Action, Bob Smytherman Federation of Private Residents' Associations

Stroud FM: new website

In studio with Woodcraft Folk

Stroud FM have a new website and it is easier than ever to listen online or your mobile: http://www.stroudfm.co.uk/

I can't believe it is now two and a half years old. I don't get to listen lots but several times every week - I do if I am in the car locally or occasionally at home like now! It has some amazing quality stuff - I didn't think I even liked Country music until I listened to 'Sandrine's Country Folk', Transition Stroud have a slot 2-4 on Friday afternoons and Drivetime always has loads of local stuff. Of course there is also lots of stuff like mobiles going off in the studio unexpectedly, the odd silence or miss started track but less of that than in the past and that is surely part of the charm? I love the enthusiasm and celebration of local stuff.

Advertising is also pretty cheap for what you get so if you are a business or planning an event get in touch with them. A big thanks to all those volunteers who make it work.

Trip to Bath for Wessex Water's Stakeholder Assembly

Yesterday I went to Bath for Wessex Water's Stakeholder Assembly - I have been Stroud District Council's representative for a number of years. In addition to an update on a whole range of Wessex Water's activities there was also a presentation by Jonathon Porritt (who is a non-executive Director of the company) plus new stakeholder groups which I am hopeful offer a greater chance for engagement.

Anyhow Porritt did not shy away from talking about the seriousness of the challenges ahead - in particular how politicians seem to be failing us and unable to take the steps that are needed - it seems that it is only some businesses and civil society that are taking the devastating science of climate change seriously.


New stakeholder groups

One issue I have raised before with Wessex water is that while I am very impressed with their engagement with customers the style of previous meetings were more presentation than any real engagement. To their credit they have taken on board those concerns - indeed I am sure they recognised that themselves, and they have set up a new system of engagement. At this meeting there were all sorts of groups including the CAB, Age UK, NFU, Country Land and Business Association, Consumer Council for Water and many more plus of course various elected representatives from across the Wessex region.

Anyhow there are now three stakeholder groups, 'Services and planning' and 'Environment' and the one I sit on, 'Customers and Communities' - this will look at all aspects of customer engagement - first up issues we raised included social tariffs, private sewers and the accessibility of literature. So if you are in Stroud District and receive Wessex Water and have an issue do please contact me.

Social tariffs

This stakeholders group has already considered Social Tariffs - an issue I have discussed previously on this blog. Wessex have taken the lead in this area and commissioned research which will be available very soon. Defra recently issued a consultation on "Affordable water" which included some thoughts about guidance on social tariffs : www.defra.gov.uk/consult/water-affordability-1104/ The Green Party have made some comments - see here - and I highlighted to the group the recently published report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that considered "water poverty" (ie when households spend 3% or more of their income on water bills).

The report, 'Vulnerability to Heat Waves and Drought: Adaptation to Climate Change', by the environmental consultancy AEA and a team from the University of Surrey, warns that water is becoming scarce as a result of climate change and increased consumer demand - no surprise there.  An estimated four million households in the UK are already "water poor", according to the report, and the situation is likely to worsen, with bills predicted to rise by 5% a year for some customers. In our next meeting in October we will look at this issue further.

Fairford protest update

See here Kevin's blog on the Fairford protest - it has some videos of the protest which handed out 10,000 leaflets highlighting depleted uranium use by A-10 planes which were on show at the Tattoo - and see here my previous blog on the first days' protesting.

Protest at County incinerator plans

Yesterday Stroud District Green Party's county and district councillors demonstrated their opposition to the proposed mass-burn incinerator at Javelin Park during the public consultation (see left). At the consultation over 4 days there was a County stall and the final two bidders for the £500 million county council contract - over a 100 people had gone through yesterday during the day alone.


As regular blog readers will know Greens have long called for an efficient waste strategy, based on maximum recycling and the least environmentally damaging technology to disposes of the residual (see our policy here). Mass Burn Incineration will not meet either of these objectives. I wont go over all the arguments here again but did want to do a quick blog on where we are.....

You can see here my letter to local press in April on this. I also noted that: "In 2006 at a meeting attended by Cllr Sarah Lunnon, Stan Waddington proclaimed there would be no incineration in Gloucestershire." Sadly he has not kept this promise. It seems the County Tories are also not going along with the advice from their National Party which seemed to be giving a clear steer away from incineration - see here.

A Mass Burn Incinerator is really not a big cuddly green renewable power station as some have suggested. At a maximum 40% efficiency the majority of the potential energy shoved into the pit will be wasted, and that’s not counting the energy used to make the objects being roasted. The government predicts that waste production is falling, how can such a technology can be part of sustainable recycling plan.

County Councillor Sarah Lunnon noted that waste from Commercial and Industrial users has already fallen massively in the county. If due to continued government and county actions waste continues to fall and recycle rates really do hit 70% she predict that in the near future, long before the end of the 25 year Incinerator contract that the county council will either reduce recycling initiatives or be forced to buy waste to feed the Beast of Javelin Park.



Lack of clear info

One worrying point was the lack of clear information from the exhibition portacabins - for example will the County be fined if they don't produce the waste? One company said yes the other said they would absorb the costs. Clearly the details are not out but it is worrying that such basic info is not available. One company also said they were not aware of food waste collection in the District. This was surely their time to impress us - well that company certainly failed. There was also disagreement between the two about how little waste they could run their incinerators on - one said 50% the other thought that unlikely.  Greens also challenged some of the figures available - one of the two bidders claimed "a 66% reduction in greenhouse gases" but this was a bit of a nonsense figure based on food waste going to landfill and not on projections if recycling increases.


It was at least reassuring that County Officers were well informed and willing to engage. I also raised the issue of the AD plant - see blog previously here - and why they might be blocking it - well I welcomed that they had not thrown the idea out and it was still a possibility.

Have campaigners had an influence on plans?

We should at least be please that the recycling target is now 70% not 60% as it was in some of the original proposals. This is significant and means the incinerator will be small - well it is still monster size (see left) but small by comparison. This is significant as the County could have gone for a much larger plant - and we should note that 70% recycling will not be easy - this country has messed about not tackling waste for so long - look at other countries recycling systems - still a significant proportion of Gloucestershire do not even recycle. What incentives will we need?

Another win is that provision has been made in this contract for the heat to be used - this would significantly improve the plans but doesn't get away from all the other concerns about burning resources we need and lack of flexibility etc - and where is the plan - of course this is a chicken and egg situation but work needs to happen now. Could Huntsgrove developments take the heat? Or what else?

Where next?

The Government cancellation of PFI's should have been the nail in the coffin for this project. You can see Green party policy here - it has the arguments about why we reject mass burn incineration - it has for example been best practice from PFI awards to go for MBT (mechanical biological treatment) as it has both better recovery of resources AND lower capital expenditure than mass burn incineration. MBT is an automated process which separates recyclates (typically at least metals and glass, and biologicals) from the residual “black bag” waste.

There has been much to be dismayed about over the years in this waste debate - how can it take so long - I remember discussions 10 years ago and we still have no solution built - there has also been much to be concerned about - at one point the County seemed to doctor the responses to waste to reduce residents concerns over sustainability - it took ages to get hold of documents which in the end Greens published on their website here. David Drew, then MP, also raised an EDM in the House re concerns - see here. Indeed the concerns are that the whole process could lead to a Judicial Review - Greens have raised this in the past - see here. We have to wait and see but the campaign groups continue and had people at a stall the whole time the consultation was running over the last few days.

Senior doctors join Greens in calling for rethink on GCC investment in tobacco

Greens have raised the issue of our County investing in the tobacco industry - see here. Well Gloucestershire now holds a massive £16.9m on the industry!!!! Well today doctors have joined in criticising these Councils who invest in tobacco - see Guardian today here.

"I am shocked by the size and extent of south-west local government pension investments in the tobacco industry and I am sure many of those contributing to the funds, as well as those receiving local government pensions, will be as well. If it were my pension contributions being invested in an industry whose only product line killed people in the numbers that die from tobacco, I would be absolutely horrified. As a doctor I think it would be completely unethical to have any part in it." Dr Gabriel Scally, the NHS regional director of public health for the south-west.

Well said indeed. It seems GCC might even be doing a rethink. How on earth can we have public health strategies that say don't smoke yet we invest in that industry? What an outrage. Last time Greens raised this, some councillors even mocked the suggestion of a more ethical finance policy - well now as senior doctors join the calls the pressure is on for a rethink. Is it not just common sense?

YouTube: Stroud's Edible Open Gardens' 'Chicken Keeping workshop' highlights.

Apols if editing loses some of the info and sense but it was hard to distill a fascinating 45 mins into ten minutes. This was one of the various free workshops over the weekend of Transition Stroud's Edible Open Gardens weekend. 

See more about the weekend and meet many of the participants on another video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk0NVJ2orNM
See also launch video with stalls and interviews with various local food organisations: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBSlhrGMYWI

Fairford Tattoo: protesters hand out thousands of leaflets

Some will remember I noted the Sponsored cycle ride at Fairford to raise awareness about the Tattoo and the very considerable concerns many of us have plus to raise money for victims of depleted uranium - see my blog here and about the petition here calling on the police to investigate the A10s (see more below). Well below is the report last night on Indymedia. I have also spoken with one of the protesters who said the event was wholly peaceful and that the police enabled the protest in a supportive manner.

Protesters pitched up at the gates to the Fairford Air Tattoo today as part of a weekends protest against an event that glorifies war and corporate excess and are set to distribute tens of thousands of leaflets. The protests have targeted the enormous greenhouse gas emissions from the event and how it negates the efforts that thousands of other responsible citizens are making across Gloucestershire to cut their own carbon footprint.

They have also protested against the presence of the American A-10 ground attack plane that was on display. The A-10 is designed specifically to fire depleted uranium shells. This has resulted in thousands of deformed babies being born across Iraq along with a massive risk in childhood cancers. A-10 have also been deployed in Libya.

The use of depleted uranium is a violation of the Geneva Convention and protestors have demanded that Gloucestershire police investigate the pilots. However Gloucestershire Police have advised that this is beyond their jurisdiction.

They have also protested against the presence of Saudi Arabia, whose Hawk Jet display team is present. Saudi Arabia is currently violating human rights in Bahrain and Yemen and at the show corporations are actively trying to sell more high technology weaponry to them. Saudi Arabia also has the audacity to demand a slice of the $100 billion fund set aside for climate change adaption, despite it lobbing against climate change agreements and squandering its resources on air displays around the world.

Protesters would like to thank the police for their concern that these vital issues being raised may have put us in danger and the protection that they provided.  Protests will continue tomorrow.

Closure of immigration advice: shocking denial of rights

SchNEWS reported this week on the closure of the Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) on Monday
(11th), following new legislation denying legal aid for all immigration cases. I've already expressed grave concerns about the loss of legal aid to many groups of people - this is another shocking denial of rights. It means hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers will now be without legal support. How on earth can we force back folk to torture and persecution, or not support those denied access to their children or made homeless. It is vital we get the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill thrown out.

Here is what SchNEWS writes:

The service had been running for 35 years from London and regional offices, with 300 employees. At the time of the shock closure - which staff discovered via notices on doors when they turned up for work - there were 650 active cases. Claimants are now being told to ask courts for their hearings to be delayed and to find themselves alternative legal representation.


The charity's collapse into administration is the latest assault on migrants facing deportation, stuck in a legal system designed to encourage failure. Three quarters of asylum claims are refused by the Home Office - but of those who can appeal, a quarter of the rash and politically-motivated decisions are overturned at Independent Tribunal. For the government, it's easier to just shut 'em up and send 'em packing than follow through on their hollow commitments to access to justice and human rights.


In June 2010 the then biggest refugee legal service, Refugee and Migrant Justice, was forced to close despite being owed £1.8million by the government in legal aid dough for concluded cases. Amongst the thousands of asylum seekers left out in the cold were hundreds of children alone in the UK and trafficking victims.  Click Read More to see the rest.

Are we days away from a second, deeper global crisis?

I read this yesterday in Larry Elliott's article here: "Privately, some senior bankers are saying that Europe has a matter of days to get its act together before an implosion of the single currency triggers a second phase to the global financial crisis. Be clear: were that to happen it would make the recession of 2008-09 seem mild by comparison."


It’s hard to believe as Compass write, "that three years after the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression; which resulted in tax-payers bailing out Britain’s banks to the tune of £850BN that so little has changed. Even Mervyn King the Governor of the Bank of England said recently that “Of all the many ways of organising banking, the worst is the one we have today.”"

The Independent Commission on Banking led by Sir John Vickers, which has been charged with the task of coming up with a range of recommendations for the Government to adopt is coming under intense lobbying from the banking sector. In essence they are using bailout money to lobby for the right to be bailed out again. Compass are asking folk to write to the Commission here with their three suggested proposals:http://action.compassonline.org.uk/vickers

Well we are certainly in a mess - I am not sure even those measures go far enough - a Positive Money video shows the extent of the challenge - see 3mins of it here. I am seeing if Transition Stroud might be able to show the whole film in the Autumn - hope that is not too late!

Whiteshill and Ruscombe Shop: Runner Up in best community facility

Village Hall

On Thursday evening I had a training session in how to manage emails at Ebley Mill - it was a surprisingly useful hour from local company, emailogic. Did you know that email steals 31 minutes from each person in an organisation each day - I think it is probably higher for me! Anyhow after the course that is the average amount of time saved by people looking at their emails. I am looking to cut down on my 100 plus emails each day....

Anyhow after that I joined the Parish Council meeting - was delighted to hear from Cllr Ness Price who was attending, the same evening, the Vibrant village awards 2011 in Moreton in the Marsh. She was very pleased to accept the award for runner up in best community facility for the Whiteshill and Ruscombe village shop. Well done to them all indeed. The runner up prize is £100 which I am sure the Village shop will be pleased to receive. Bisley won overall vibrant village 2011 which is good as it also in the Stroud district.

Also at the Parish last night was a farewell to John Rogers who stepped down from being a councillor and Chair of the Parish Council. He has played a crucial role in developing our community and will be sorely missed - everyone wished him well - and he has a wonderful photo by local artist Mike Gallagher to remember us by.

Delay caused by Judicial Review is fault of GCC

I read in local papers about a couple of library community groups saying they don't welcome the delay caused by the legal challenge. I wonder if really this is the case? A few months delay they say looses momentum re volunteers. Well if they can't manage a few months delay then one has to question whether the project is sustainable at all. Managing volunteers over many years is a challenge that needs creativity, energy, stamina and lots more; it is not something to take on lightly.

I therefore was delighted to see this response below by one of the campaigners - it is a good summary of the issues. The delay caused by the Judicial Review is absolutely right. We need to ensure that the county are acting within the law and indeed the very fact that a Judicial Review has been granted indicates there is a case to answer - such reviews are not granted lightly. It is the County who have caused the delay by, what many of us see as, inadequate consultation and plans that don't take full account of the more vulnerable members of our communities. Click on Read more to see the letter.

Nuclear update: windfall tax and Oldbury offline

Reactor 2 at Oldbury has been closed after 43 years - but we now hear that the remaining nuclear reactor at Oldbury has been shut down after problems with a refuelling machine. Reactor 1 at the South Gloucestershire plant is expected to stay offline for about three weeks.  Greens consider it should stay off line for ever - this blog has covered the risks noted by Independent Nuclear scientists of continuing to try and eek out every last drop of energy from this ailing dinosaur.

This week Caroline Lucas called for a windfall tax on nuclear as she condemned plans for subsidies for nuclear. This was in response to the Government outlining further details of its proposed Electricity Market Reform (EMR) - billed as the biggest shake-up of the British electricity market since privatisation in 1990.

Click Read More to see Caroline's response to the announcement in the House of Commons by the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne.

£1.28m public money being spent to push GM wheat

Non-Gm potatoes grown in my allotment

In the UK previous efforts to develop GM wheat had been abandoned due to strong market rejection.  However Rothamsted Research, who carried out field trials for GM wheat in 1998-2001, have now applied for a field trial of the GM wheat in 2012 and 2013 on its Hertfordshire farm. This is despite major wheat exporting countries like Australia and Canada having said they won’t use GM wheat as there’s no market.

The Forest Friends of the Earth newsletter this month alerted me to the details. Click read more to see the details based on that article.

Totally enchanting video: Magnus and Granny 'Granny's Pet'

Here is a great story for children - and adults - by my wonderful and talented cousin Jo. I helped with some of the editing - already many comments received on the original version. This is an updated version and only just released. Comments welcomed!

"Enchanting, wonderful"


"Made us laugh and laugh"


Special, quirky, different and very entertaining - look forward to the next one"

Highlights of Stroud's Edible Open Gardens weekend

A look at Transition Stroud's Edible Open Gardens weekend - meeting some of the people and a taster of some of the 37 gardens and workshops last weekend. We can't possibly show all the wonders and hope to produce a couple more YouTubes with more video clips and photos available soon. Please do let us know if there are mistakes or omissions as this has been hurriedly put together from numerous video clips. Click on the YouTube symbol to open in YouTube. See also here the launch weekend video with various food organisations.

Dismay at cabinet advice on road safety

20 is Plenty is OK but what we need are mandatory schemes

The Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership and Cllr Will Windsor-Clive, GCC cabinet member issued a press release last week and oh how they got it wrong again. See here their release on road safety for children during the light summer evenings. It is very frustrating as once again the messages are aimed in the wrong direction.

Our Green County Councillor Sarah Lunnon (Stroud East) sums it up when she says: "Pedestrians and children are shown as being the most vulnerable on the roads, yet all of the safety messages are aimed at them, not at those who actually hit them with a tonne of solid metal moving at high speeds in residential areas. If you hit soft human flesh, 30mph is fast even if it is the speed limit."

The council's advice did not include any tips for motorists.

Of course the solution is to introduce 20mph speed limit across the county in residential areas - Green party policy and something this blog has pushed and pushed. A starting point to make our streets, villages and towns safer would be blanket 20mph zones so that children can cycle and move around their local area. Yet our GCC Cabinet member doesn't seem to understand and by many accounts seems to dismiss even the idea of a blanket 20 mph.

Sarah Lunnon said in response to the press release: "Given the higher proportion of children making up the road casualties why is Will Windsor-Clive refusing to consider blanket 20mph? It's simple, easy to understand and no enforcement is needed to reduce speeds. How many more injured children does he need? The penalty for children being on holiday should not be serious injury or death."

Ask MP to say no to Murdoch on Wednesday

There's going to be a vote in Parliament this Wednesday on Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB power grab. I've just emailed Neil Carmichael MP asking him to vote no. The past weeks revelations are shocking even to those of us who didn't have a great opinion of Murdoch papers. Control of BSkyB would mean yet more power for Murdoch - how much he wants it is shown by the termination of the News of the World as a move to try and stem the criticisms.

I had just emailed Neil when I came across an email from a local campaigner who was urging the same and more. He wrote: "Like many millions of English Citizens you will have been disgusted by the revelations about the News of the World's abuse of power against ordinary citizens caught up in the media storm of the loss of a loved one. This is nothing new the gutter press has been in the last chance saloon since the Second World War and the time for root and branch reform and regulation cannot come a day too soon to protect and safeguards the rights and freedoms of individual citizens. There have been far to many inquiries and investigations and the time is now for decisive action.".

He went onto urge three things:

1) Be a responsible consumer  and in particular Don't buy the Sun, News of the World, Times and Sunday Times and cancel your Sky subscription.
2) Write to the Jeremy Darroch the Chief Executive of B Sky B  at Grant Way Isleworth,Middlesex TW7 5QD  urging British Sky Broadcasting to take active steps to oppose the take over by News International/ News Corporation and to remove directors associated with those companies from the Board of B Sky B.
3) Write to your MP urging him or her to request the Government to legislate on the basis of the 1992 Freedom and Responsibility of the Press Bill and also encourage Ofcom to remove B Sky B's broadcasting licences. Or as I note it's easy to email your MP with the 38 degrees campaign - it only takes less than 2 minutes: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/stand-up-to-murdoch

Glos Libraries on BBC Politics: politicians cannot be above the law

I was forwarded the link below to the BBC Politics West show earlier today - there is a good piece that opens with the question about who should be making the decisions - councils or courts. It looks at Glos libraries and the Dursey Training Unit - both on hold - the libraries due to court action and the centre due to GCC rethinking. A great interview with Demelza for the library campaign and Chris Pockett in Dursley plus two interviews with Public Interest Lawyers. See more here on earlier blog re Judicial Review.

It also showed GCC Leader Hawthorne being interviewed on BBC Radio Glos as well as a 1 to 1 and described him as being "vexed". His arguments sounded weak particularly when the show finished with the arguments by Chelt MP Martin Horwood - he was interviewed in the studio and was 100% in support of the libraries Judicial Review saying that if GCC had got it right in the first place in relation to the 1964 Act, equalities and regarding consultation this would not have happened. He said the laws were made by politicians, and therefore politicians should respect them. Thanks to Martin and others for challenging these cuts. Click on 51 minutes into the show and watch for about 8 minutes:
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b012bqtm/The_Politics_Show_West_10_07_2011/

Fantastic day in Edible Open Gardens

See programme for tomorrow here:
http://edibleopengardens.org.uk/

Yes I have had lots of fun and learnt lots about food growing - the heavy rain may have discouraged some but there was still a very steady flow of visitors to the gardens and allotments - and when the sun came out many people seemed to appear. I loved the hospitality of all the garden owners and willingness to share - hopefully a Youtube will be on it's way in the coming couple of weeks.

Already people are asking if we will organise again next year!  We will see - we have one more day to go and then a party for garden owners to share their experiences but certainly today has been a wonderful celebration of food growing.

Photos: top from Summer Street Allotments and bottom from Bisley Old Road Allotments

Not the 'greenest ever' government

A while back I wrote a letter to the press saying blue and yellow does not make green - see here - well the latest vote in the EU along with the launch of Energy National Policy statements by the Coalition only add fuel to that view. See my letter to press below but also take action re Energy Policy by sending an email to your MP here.

Dear Sir/Madam,

On Tuesday our Tory MEPs defied the government and voted against 30 per cent cut in emissions. 16 Conservatives voted against tougher action to cut carbon emissions only 2 supported it. The vote was lost by 9 votes. Every EU government, but Poland supported more ambitious climate action. Why have our MEPs let us down?

This is a significant failure to bring environmental and economic benefits to countries across Europe. Tackling climate change helps the economy and creates jobs. The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research indicates that a 30 per cent target could increase economic output by 0.6 per cent and create six million European jobs by 2020. Indeed many companies last month called for the 30% target, as being good for investment and likely to reduce EU oil and gas imports by euro 45.5 billion by 2020. Christian Aid, Oxfam, Greenpeace, WWF and Green Alliance had also all written to the Prime Minister supporting the cuts.

The Coalition even made a statement to support higher EU greenhouse gas emissions targets, but when it came to the crunch the Conservatives were not willing to commit. Meanwhile the Government has just published it's National Policy Statements on Energy and, without changes, these will lock us into a high carbon future. This is certainly not the 'greenest ever' government that we were promised.

As Christian Aid said: "It’s disappointing news, but the campaign continues."

Cllr Philip Booth, Stroud District councillor for Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe ward (Green Party),

Stroud against the gyratory

BBC pic of new bridge under construction

There has been much debate in the local papers about the approach to Stroud at Wallbridge - where the new Brewery Bridge is due to open very soon. This point should encourage access into the town and not be a racetrack acting as a dangerous barrier to the future development of Stroud. Greens have long supported the local pressure group, Stroud Against the Gyratory. By closing the temporary road once the new Stroud Brewery Bridge is open, a pleasant public space could be created that would encourage people to slow down and relax rather than pass through.

As County Cllr Sarah Lunnon (Stroud East) said to press in response to the latest suggestions to support keeping both bridges open: "We need to ensure safe access into Stroud, build beautiful places, not scare people away. All over country small towns with big fast roads in the centre just wither and die. I don't want to see that happen to Stroud."

The current set-up is very unpleasant for pedestrians and cyclists, and there doesn't seem to be much improvement once the new bridge is open. I like many others think that if we close the current temporary road and revert to the old system it would greatly improve the experience of entering Stroud. There is also news that a restaurant is to open in July at the old hotel by Cheapside - we could create a wonderful peaceful space that people would be drawn to: would you rather eat a meal and have a coffee looking out over a square and canal or with cars racing past right in front of you? Closing the road can surely only enhance that area -  and bring more jobs.

NHS: must make it to 64th birthday!

So it is now 63 years since the NHS was created. Only 20 MPs have so far pledged to protect the NHS. The moves to introduce competition are a serious mistake - the changes announced by the Government do not go far enough - see here previous comments. Indeed the main thrust of the moves to competition seem to be there with just a few word changes. You can email your MP from this campaign website here.  Please also consider emailing comments to the committee before 14th July: scrutiny@parliament.uk

Here are some of the Green Party's views on approach to health:

Service not a market: Successive governments have turned the NHS into a market with hospitals and other providers competing against each other. This is wrong and that health care should be a service, not a market. Just as Wales and Scotland have done, we would scrap the market approach to health care returning the focus to service and saving around £5 billion annually.

Local accountability: Local people have little say in their NHS. We need to make the NHS directly accountable to local government. If councillors acted against the interests of local people they can be voted out of office. We also need to ensure that local accountability does not mean a postcode lottery by introducing a requirement for core services and treatments to be provided.

Privatisation: We are opposed to the privatisation of health services.

Prescriptions and dentistry: We need to make these free (which would only cost the government about £3bn). They are essential aspects of health care and charging for them breaks the founding principle of the NHS that it should be free at point of need. Charges prevent some people accessing health care when they need it.

Prevention: more emphasis on prevention.

Up next is an adaptable letter from the NHS Support Federation which I think is a very good summary of issues relating to competition that could go to the Committee. Click on Read more to see.

Email for justice over legal aid

Sound Off for Justice image

We lost the last vote in parliament about cuts to legal aid by 83 votes.  See my previous blog here. opposing the Legal Aid, Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders Bill. Please consider signing the petition here: http://soundoffforjustice.org/


It is just not true that "we have the most expensive legal system in the world" - see here and the facts here. This week we now have calls for an inquiry into news hacking. Great, but how will the victims of hacking fund their cases with the government cuts in legal aid? As Sound Off for Justice say: "It's one thing to know that you were hacked, but it is another thing to fund a case so you have access to justice".

Even if the victims win, under the Jackson reforms, the government will take 25% of any compensation they receive. This is just not fair.

EU climate vote: Tory shame

So Tory MEPs defied the government and voted against CO2 cuts. On Tuesday 16 Conservative Euro MPs voted against tougher action to cut carbon emissions. The vote was lost by 9 votes.

I blogged on this recently when I learnt that our own SW Tories incl Julie Girling were amongst those intending to defy the computer.

It’s seriously disappointing news indeed. The UK government has already backed a 30% target, and last week every EU government but Poland supported more ambitious climate action. When Giles Chichester Tory MEP replied saying he could not support the move, his email was really not clear. I wrote back saying: "I do not fully understand your position. Why are you not supporting your own leader’s policy which is part of the coalition agreement? 70 top businesses have already supported stiffer cuts that will ultimately help measures to drive green growth and create millions of new jobs in Europe's clean industries. Christian Aid, Oxfam, Greenpeace, WWF and Green Alliance have all written to the Prime Minister supporting 30 per cent cuts in European emissions by 2020. How can you not see the urgency and the need for the EU to lead by example?"

I had a reply from Martin Callanan MEP instead repeating what had been said earlier. In my view their arguments do not even begin to stack up and it is shameful that the Tory move has led to the failure to support this legislation. We need to be on a war footing in terms of climate change - see previous blog here.

At least Lib Dem Graham Watson supported the cut. In his email to me he wrote: "It is disappointing that my Conservative and UKIP colleagues in the South West appear to have chosen not to support the reduction. It is well known that there are climate change deniers within the ranks of their respective parties and it appears that they are beginning to get the upper hand on these issues. The Conservative MEPs have also come under criticism for not supporting their own leader’s policy, which is part of the coalition agreement."

Heated outdoor pool would save councils £1.2 million

Stratford Park

Now that Stroud’s outdoor swimming pool is open for the summer season, Green Party councillors in Stroud have released a press release and detailed report saying there is a green way to heat the pool and spare the shivers of the district’s swimmers. By installing an anaerobic digester that would generate electricity and heat by burning gas generated from food waste, the pool could be heated at no cost to the council or the environment.

At a recent meeting of its Energy Advisory Panel, Stroud District Council presented a study which showed that the scheme was entirely feasible. At that time, it gained cross-party support. Unfortunately, Gloucestershire County Council (GCC), which currently deals with Stroud's food waste, is blocking the plan.

Stroud District Councillor Simon Pickering (Slade ward) said: “A digester would allow the council to deal with its own green waste, it would bring in a significant annual income to the council, it would provide free heating for Stratford Park, the museum and Stroud College, as well as heating for the outdoor pool. The plan could potentially also save the county council money, so we believe that it is perverse that they are blocking the plan.”

Based on council figures, Stroud District Green Party believes an anaerobic digester would save the district council £470,000 annually. GCC would pay the district council an additional £100,000 to collect food waste. Meanwhile, GCC could save £640,000 per year, mostly in landfill fees.

Green Party County Councillor Sarah Lunnon (Stroud East) said: “With potential savings for both councils of over £1.2 million and energy generated from waste that would otherwise end up in landfill, we believe this plan makes economic and environmental sense."

The plan for an AD plant was made public in a blog by Independent councillor Andy Reed - see here. It does seem right as the figures have been calculated and discussed and the public should have their say. It seems extraordinary that the County is blocking a plan that clearly economically benefits local people and cuts CO2 emissions. It is time for a debate.

Greens ask: who's making the decisions on council?

Ebley Mill viewed from Randwick

Last night there was an almost empty agenda for the full council meeting. It makes one wonder who is making the decisions, as it doesn't seem to be the elected members in the council chamber. First in this post is comments by Greens to the press re the agenda which John Marjoram also raised during the evening - then later on in this blog is info on the motion re SNJ and other stuff that evening.

Here is what Cllr John Marjoram (Trinity ward) had to say: "There is one single item on the agenda, the appointment of a monitoring officer. Who is conducting the council's business and making the decisions if not the councillors? We really are left at a loss about our democracy if everything is
being decided by a shady cabal behind closed doors. There are huge issues facing Stroud District and yet when we meet we are left to discuss the appointment of an officer; it would be a farce if it wasn't so serious."

Cllr Catherine Farrell (Nailsworth) added: "What a huge waste of money and resources to discuss one minor issue. Councillors will be paid expenses to travel to Ebley Mill from across the district, which wastes both energy and money. With officers, there will be around 50 people at the meeting: it
hardly seems a good use of money in these straitened times. This council has serious work to do and as Greens we are eager to address the cuts imposed on our district by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government. There are also important issues of improving how we manage and reduce our waste and how we create more jobs. There is plenty that needs to be done!"

SNJ motion

A motion was put to Council expressing concerns re the SNJ and Gazette reporters moving to Tetbury and calling for the company to relook at it - see my previous blog here - there was much debate but with the exception of three Conservatives the motion calling for a rethink was passed. The arguments to me are so straight forward - a local paper must for example have reporters who are approachable and available to the local community - we are very lucky in this area to have some excellent reporters who are committed to Stroud - a move to Tetbury risks cutting those links - folk will not be able to drop in with adverts or obituaries or tell thos elittle bits of news. Indeed in many areas papers are getting even more local - Randwick of course has had the weekly Randwick Runner with 300 or so issues for decades - and we are very fortunate to have that place to share community news. Of course there are economic considerations but go cut those links will be newspaper suicide.

Click read more to see more about Council

GCC face High Court Judicial Review

Today the courts decided that Gloucestershre County Council will face a High Court Judicial Review on its 'destructive library proposals' on 28 and 29 September. The injunction that stops libraries closing (including mobile libraries) remains in place.

Update 9pm: I understand that permission for judicial review was granted on all three of the grounds put forward by the counsel speaking on behalf of Public Interest Lawyers and the claimant; 1. Failure to consider the statutory requirements of the 1964 Public Libraries Act, 2. Failure to conduct proper equality impact assessment, 3. Failure to consult adequately. The campaign group, who are not bringing this court action, issued a statement outside the court: "We are really pleased with the outcome of today's hearing and look forward to the proper scrutiny of GCC's plans for our library service in court. This scrutiny has never been allowed within GCC's own procedures, where party politics has appeared to be prioritised before the needs and concerns of service users - including some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. However, as Gloucestershire taxpayers, we regret the expense that may now be incurred by the county, which could have been avoided if only GCC had paused in their plans and listened to and engaged meaningfully with service users, and at central government level if DCMS and Ed Vaizey had fulfilled their duty to superintend. Public libraries are facing unprecedented cuts and closures nationwide, and we hope that other authorities will note the outcome of today's hearing when formulating their own plans for the future of their library services." 

Why we need to grow more food locally

Last weekend we made a video of the Edible Open Gardens launch - see here - this weekend the 37 edible gardens will be open - see here. I can't wait - but this blog has a video made for Transition Forest Row looking at the need to grow more food locally and some of the different ways that can happen in a community. Similar to our video it includes CSA farms and more.

Burma: please support this campaign

Here is a campaign email below from Avaaz - supported by The Cooperative campaigns team. I hope as many as poss will support this. The future of Aung San Suu Kyi and her movement for democracy in Burma is hanging in the balance. Here is the email:

Suu Kyi has bravely called on the military regime to free the thousands of monks and peaceful activists still held in horrific prisons, some in cramped dog cages. Unprecedentedly, thousands of Burmese have risked their own safety to join her call for freedom through an online petition! Yesterday, the regime issued an ominous warning to Suu Kyi – and the Generals may be deciding right now between dialogue or another brutal crackdown.

This could come down to us. Activists in Burma have appealed to the world for help, saying that pressure from the international community is crucial to preventing violence and freeing political prisoners. Let's stand with Suu Kyi and the brave Burmese, sign on to their petition, and send it to the EU, India and other key governments who can press the regime. Sign below and forward this email to build our outcry: http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_aung_san_suu_kyi/?vl
Click read more to see more

Coalition: 'no subsidy for reactors' yet that is what they are doing - email now!

This might be our last chance to have a say on whether or not new reactors are built. There will be vote on whether to accept the Energy National Policy Statements, which designate eight sites as 'suitable' for new reactors,  sometime before the summer recess which starts on 19th July. An individual letter sent by post will probably carry more weight, but you could also send an editable letter from here. See also latest re how Oldbury plans below look set to be scuppered.

The Coalition Agreement was clear - new reactors should only proceed without public subsidy. It's now clear new reactors will not be built without some form of subsidy. The Government is planning to "rig the carbon trading market" and increase electricity bills, subsidising nuclear power by the back door. It is also planning to limit nuclear operators' liability for nuclear accidents representing a subsidy of up to £2 per unit of electricity on insurance premiums. The Government is also planning to cap nuclear operators' waste disposal costs, saving them up to £427 million per reactor.There are alternatives to nuclear that this blog has covered many times before. See more about campaign : http://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/npscampaign.php

Oldbury latest

Meanwhile in many of the papers their are reports that E.ON and RWE npower are to walk away from their commitment to build two new nuclear power plants. A decision by E.ON and RWE to abandon plans build reactors at Wylfa on Anglesey and Oldbury on the River Severn could halt plans for nukes there. Süddeutsche Zeitung, the German newspaper, reported that the giant German utilities have all but abandoned their British nuclear joint venture, Horizon. In The Times there is a quote from a manager saying that E.ON and RWE have concluded that the investments, which were understood to tally up at £17 billion, were too expensive. Horizon was already due to have started awarding contracts around Wylfa this year.

You can download last months excellent UK NuClear News here:
http://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/nuclearnews/NuClearNewsNo30.pdf 

Water extraction damaging rivers

Frome near Stonehouse

The Independent on Sunday had an article noting a study says extraction from our rivers by water companies is causing harm; "causing environmental damage, death to wildlife and the build-up of chemicals that upset fragile aquatic ecosystems". Even before the dry spring demands have caused water levels to drop. Indeed a year ago I raised this issue on this blog - see here.

The report by by Dr Simon Less, a former director of Ofwat, says that current abstraction by firms from rivers and groundwater sources is so high that it would take the equivalent of 23 million people to stop using water every day to get back to environmentally sustainable levels. Without action current practices will cause "serious damage to river and wetland ecologies". Only 15 per cent of the country's river network is in a condition to support a "healthy ecosystem".

A White Paper to be published in November is expected to propose smart metering in homes. Of course more charges for abstraction could mean higher bills for consumers. Already average water bills are set to rise by around 4.6 per cent to £356 this year. Click on read more to see more incl recent Green party news release re low income households and water.

Big Butterfly Count starts on 16th

In previous years I've participated in the Big Butterfly Count - see for example last year here - well this year it will be even bigger as it is extended over two weeks. You can count butterflies as many times as you like from 16 to 31 July. See Butterfly Conservation here. Each 15 minute count will contribute to our knowledge of butterflies and help us target work to protect them – so the more counts you do in different places, the more useful the results will be. Spreading the word to family, friends and neighbours will also be a huge help in making Big Butterfly Count the biggest butterfly event in the world.

Meanwhile back in May i got sent the above photo a Green Hairstreak as it was spotted in the clearing where we have been doing conservation work.  See the film about the work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7xjHnME3z4

Also spotted was the Holly Blue and Speckled Wood as well as Peacock and the small Orange Underwing moth which feeds on Silver Birch and is quite rare.

Glos libraries campaign make Channel 4 news

If you missed it you can catch up on the Channel Four News item about the legal challenge from Saturday here. In addition to Lechlade speaking out against Cllr Hawthorne's claims that people want to run their own libraries (which he again claims in the Channel Four News piece). Newnham Library Group have also written a blog post stating:  "Mark Hawthorne said that community groups are ‘excited’ to be given the ‘opportunity’ to take on their libraries, and that these groups are ‘frustrated’ at the disruption that the legal challenge may cause to these plans. This is DEFINITELY not the case with Newnham nor, we’re sure, with other communities in the same position. We have submitted a business plan to run the branch as a community library, fearing that we would otherwise have no library at all, but Newnham residents would much rather the library stayed within the County Council system"

The court hearing will be 7th July at the Birmingham Civil Justice Centre.

Make a submission to panel on our forests

A while back I blogged on the review of our forests - See here my comments. Well there is still time to make comments and it seems our forests could still be at risk. As noted when the government abandoned their forest sell-off plans, they said they'd set up an “independent panel of experts” to help decide the future of our woodlands. Now, the panel is up and running but as campaign group 38 degrees say: "we know they answer to the same minister who cooked up the plans to sell the forests in the first place. So, although the panel could make sensible plans for our woodlands’ future, they could be under pressure to rubber-stamp more sell-offs. Together, we can stop that happening."

We have until the end of July to answer their questions about our woodlands. Can you take 2 minutes to answer the panel's questions now? A flood of messages will show the panel that the public wants our forests protected, not sold off to private companies. 38 degrees will collect answers submitted on their site, and hand them over to the panel as a huge, people-powered message - protect our forests:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/forests-panel

Stroud's Edible Open Gardens launch video

Here is a video of the Edible Open Gardens launch in Stroud yesterday that I have put together to advertise the weekend of 35 open edible gardens, guided walks and workshops on 9th/10th July 2011. It is all about growing more food locally. In this video we hear about the event and from local food organisations. See details about the weekend at: www.edibleopengardens.org.uk