Greenwash New Year

Happy new year!

Did you see the echo tonight talking about the battle for cardiff council and the parties manifestos.... how green are they ...plenty of greenwash there. Where are the Green party?

Battle to stop incinerator is stepped up but not in Cardiff - A PUBLIC meeting has been organised by residents fighting plans to build a massive £140 million waste incinerator. Viridor Waste Management is set to submit ...

www.climatechangewales.org.uk Wow!! No mention of open cast mining at Ffos y Fran, East Merthyr on the Go green online A CLIMATE change website for Welsh people launched by Environment Minister Jane Davidson. Read
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2007/12/31/go-green-online-91466-20298932/

Ffos-y-Fran Wales Dirty Deal

MERTHYR’S MONSTER MINE OCCUPIED
In the early hours of 5th December over 30 activists from around Wales joined local residents to occupy the site of the open cast mine at Ffos-y-Frân, near Merthyr Climbing on & chaining themselves to bulldozers & heavy machinery they’ve stopped excavation work on what is an extremely environmentally damaging project. As one of those involved said: “Coal is the filthiestfuel known to man & projects like this mine could destroy all our chances of tacklingglobal warming. The battle over this hilltop in Wales is a fight for the stability of the global climate & it epitomises this government’s hypocrisy on climate change.” Campaigners have stated they intend to do everything they can to stop this project.
Read Monbiot and how the Welsh government and Rhodri Morgan sold out

World's greenest cities

Way to go Cardiff!!!

Do You Live in One of the World's 15 Greenest Cities? by Grist Magazine

Here's the top 15 cities and few runners up who have made the most impressive strides toward eco-friendliness and sustainability.

City Hall protest - Elgan we came to support you!

A few turned out (see above) but I fear they were drowned out by the schools protests and insole court protest. In the end Elgan resigned rather than sit through an hours character assassination so the motion was withdrawn. Labour did raise the issue of reopening Wood St/St Mary's to private vehicles immediately following the vote a few months ago however. Senior Officers advise against it on safety grounds so that looks set to be the 'battle' for the next few months."

Improve cycling for commuters in Cardiff, keep Bute Park open later
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/butepark/

Transport councillor quits

'I tried my best’ says transport chaos councillor

THE senior councillor who presided over a series of transport blunders today sensationally quit Cardiff council’s executive -– just 24 hours before he faced a motion of no confidence. Read

on: Sustrans Connect2 and Pont y Werin have won the Big Lottery Fund’s: The People’s £50 Million contest!

Name:	Connect2 Pont y Werin
Type:	Common Interest - Travel
Description:	Sustrans Connect2 and Pont y Werin have won the Big Lottery Fund’s: The People’s £50 Million contest! The proposed cycle and footbridge over the River Ely will improve sustainable access for commuters, residents and tourists travelling between Cardiff and Penarth. The link will also provide a sustainable transport route to and from the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay which will become an increasingly popular destination as the Ice Rink, Swimming pool and other leisure facilities are due to open over the next few years. The 140 metre bridge will also link up to cycle routes throughout the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff. The Connect2 UK-wide project will now improve local travel for everyday journeys in 79 communities across the UK. Pont y Werin is now set to receive £1.15m towards it becoming a reality. Thank you for supporting and voting Connect2 and Pont y Werin!

Rhodri Morgan Greenwash

Monbiot.com

Rigged Posted: 11 Dec 2007 01:36 AM CST The climate talks are a stitch-up, as no one is talking about supply

Welsh Green Wash - Rhodri Morgan Shame as Welsh assembly give go ahead for the biggest blot on the landscape in modern times. How could they?

"The pit at Ffos-y-fran received planning permission after two ministers in the Westminster government jumped up and down on Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister in Wales. Stephen Timms at the department of trade and industry listed the benefits of the scheme and demanded that the application “hodriis resolved with the minimum of further delay” His successor, Mike O’Brien, warned of dire consequences if the pit was not granted permission. The coal extracted from Ffos-y-fran alone will produce 29.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide: equivalent, according to the latest figures from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to the sustainable emissions of 55m people for one year.

Last year British planning authorities considered twelve new applications for opencast coal mines. They approved all but two of them. Two weeks ago Hazel Blears, the secretary of state in charge of planning, overruled Northumberland County Council to grant permission for an opencast mine at Shotton, on the grounds that the scheme (which will produce 9.3m tonnes of CO2(6)) is “environmentally acceptable”

vote to support St Mary street Pedestranisation!!!

Well have you ever heard of a scheme to pedestranise not being successful? However the echo has a question- has st mary st pedestranisation been a sucess? YES

Give us a chance ....hardly finished yet!

ring to say YES 08716 930013
facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17842248648

Traffic trial’s cost is £580k – so far

Dec 10 2007 by Phillip Nifield, South Wales Echo

TAX-PAYERS have forked out almost £600,000 on the controversial trial traffic shake-up in Cardiff’s St Mary Street, it has been revealed.

Figures released by Cardiff council show that an initial £400,000 was initially spent on changes which led to the banning of private vehicles from the street in August.

Since October another £180,000 has been forked out to alter the two-way traffic system, which has included removing a concrete barrier in part of the street and giving more room to pedestrians.

If the part-pedestrian scheme is made permanent, the final £3.25m bill to transform the environment of the street will come from Welsh Assembly Government and council funds.

This will include putting trees, shrubs and seating in the street and extending pavements permanently, opening the way for street cafes.

The details of the bill were released just three days before Councillor Elgan Morgan, the Liberal Democrats’ executive member for transport, faces a no confidence motion from Labour over the handling of his portfolio, including the St Mary Street experiment.

Cardiff’s council executive is to be given a detailed report early in January on the St Mary Street scheme. This will include recommendations on whether to open the lower end of the street to restore the link between the city centre and Cardiff Bay.

John Adams, of Ashtons fishmonger’s in Cardiff Market, attacked the cost, declaring: “We all assumed that the experiment was going to be a simple low-cost one. The figure of £580,000 is nothing more than gross extravagance of ratepayers’ money.”

John Munton, deputy chairman of Cardiff East Neighbourhood Watch, said he was concerned about the amount of traffic congestion on the reduced lanes.

“My concern is that in the event of an emergency it could be difficult for an ambulance to get through St Mary Street.”

But support for the scheme came from Julie Eynon, of Canton, who said: “I love the changes in St Mary Street. There has been a big improvement in the street for pedestrians and it is easier to cross the road.”

Cardiff council said much of the money spent so far would not be abortive whether the scheme was made permanent or not. Much of the work, such as road signs, would be recycled.

A council spokeswoman added: “The St Mary Street and High Street improvement works are experimental and have required the council to seek the views of the public and key stakeholders on the various options for moving forward. Often these differ and as a result different areas of the scheme are altered as an experiment, to see if such changes could become features if the permanent scheme goes ahead.”

phillip.nifield@mediawales.co.uk

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http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2007/12/10/traffic-trial-s-cost-is-580k-so-far-91466-20229436/

more greenwash- UK CO2 emissions UP not down

Not in the least surprising as those of us campaigning for environmentally friendly policy are aware..So what has Julie morgan MP to say to this and is she still boasting about Browns actions on CO2?

Britain is responsible for hundreds of millions more tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions than official figures admit, according to a new report that undermines UK claims to lead the world on action against global warming. The analysis says pollution from aviation, shipping, overseas trade and tourism, which are not measured in the official figures, means that UK carbon consumption has risen significantly over the past decade, and that the government's claims to have tackled global warming are an "illusion".

Guardian 10th Dec 2007

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/dec/10/carbonemissions.climatechange

Times 10th Dec 2007

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3025988.ece

Climate news

Climate
An innovative new campaign is to be launched in Scotland this week to help communities take action to cut the pollution that causes global warming. Scottish Education for Action and Development (SEAD), a campaign group based in Edinburgh, will be unveiling ‘Switch on to Climate Change’, a grassroots programme encouraging people to combat global warming in their areas. Instead of urging a series of individual actions like fitting low-energy light bulbs, the campaign will back collective action, and warn against “false solutions” like carbon trading and offsetting.Sunday Herald 9th Dec 2007http://www.robedwards.com/2007/12/community-actio.html

Britain is running out of renewable energy as a surge in demand from businesses has outstripped electricity by wind farms, hydropower and waste gas burning. Interest in cutting carbon has far exceeded new supplies of zero-carbon power - creating a potential headache for companies which have pledged to become 'carbon neutral'. Observer 9th Dec 2007 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/dec/09/renewableenergy.windpower

Britain is to embark on a wind power revolution that will produce enough electricity to power every home in the country, ministers will reveal tomorrow. The Independent on Sunday has learnt that, in an astonishing U-turn, the Secretary of State for Business, John Hutton, will announce that he is opening up the seas around Britain to wind farms in the biggest ever renewable energy initiative. Only weeks ago he was resisting a major expansion of renewable sources, on the grounds that it would interfere with plans to build new nuclear power stations.

Independent on Sunday 9th Dec 2007 http://environment.independent.co.uk/green_living/article3236132.ece

Nothing in this sorry story has been so shameful as Britain's failure to exploit renewable energy. Its winds, waves and tides make up the richest resource of non-polluting power in Europe, yet we are second to bottom of the continental league table in expoliting it. For decades a recalcitrant, blindly pro-nuclear treacle layer in the old Department of Tade and Industy frustrated all attempts to expand it properly. Just weeks ago they were at it again - reincarnated in John Hutton's department- lobbying to scrap European targets for renewables on the grounds that they would impede the advance of the atom. Gordon Brown did well to face them down and insist that Britain retained and met the targets.He has done even better in following through, first with plans to exploit all forms of tidal energy - announced in last month's green speech - and now with setting in motion this expansion of offshore wind. This is more like the Gordon Brown w! e thought we were getting this summer, before this autumn's wobbles and weaknesses.

Independent on Sunday 9th Dec 2007
http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article3236068.ece

Cardiff Council shame as they move dormice to build a car park!

Can anyone explain to me how Cardiff Council can move these dormice?
Park-Ride Plan to Be Not So Dormouse Friendly - Science - RedOrbit

A 1,000-space park-and-ride site proposed alongside Cardiff's Eastern Avenue is set to be given the backing of planners - although protected dormice will not be disturbed. (really ...not until they wake up!!!) Work on the Llanrumney side of the A48 near the Pentwyn Interchange is not due to start until the second half of next year because the dormice on the land are hibernating.
A council spokeswoman said there were plans to make alternative space available for the rodents, a European-protected species, including the planting of so-called "dormice-friendly" vegetation
A council spokeswoman said there were plans to make alternative space available for the rodents, a European-protected species, including the planting of so-called "dormice-friendly" vegetation...

Previously this story Park-and-ride plans held up by dormice! looked good for the dormice...
Sep 11 2007 by Ben Glaze, South Wales Echo
A 1,500-SPACE park-and-ride scheme has been delayed after environmental experts discovered rare dormice. The Echo revealed plans for the £4.1m project off the A48 Eastern Avenue at the Pentwyn Interchange on the outskirts of Cardiff in January, but the proposals have suffered a setback thanks to the little rodents.
Cardiff council hoped the giant car park, on the Llanrumney side of Eastern Avenue, would be ready by April and slash the volume of cars pouring into the city centre.

http://www.welshwildlife.org/SouthWalesDormouseSurvey_en.link
South Wales Dormouse Survey

Bridgend Council faces a court hearing over clearance work on a protected site for dormice, police confirm.Url/Source: : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/south_east/7069714.stm
A friend tells me "I have been told seem to remember reading a story recently about a road development in N.Ireland that was going to disturb some protected bats. What they did was build a de-luxe new specially heated synthetic bat-home for the bats at a significant cost (tens of thousands of pounds)The problem was, no-one consulted the bats who decided to find new nesting sites in completely different places in derelict buildings so the bat home was a complete waste of money in every sense except that it meant the development could go ahead .....This idea of buliding what is perceived as a dormice friendly area may parralel the above i.e. the development is allowed to go ahead but the dormice just scatter to different areas entirely where they may or may not survive. Likely Outcome : money wasted and species diminished

Cardiff Greens - If this saves just one childs life it will be worth it!

‘If this saves just one child’s life then it will be worth it...’

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2007/11/30/if-this-saves-just-one-child-s-life-then-it-will-be-worth-it-91466-20183897/

Nov 30 2007 by Phillip Nifield, South Wales Echo

GREEN campaigners have launched a drive for 20mph speed limits to be introduced across Cardiff.

Cardiff Green Party’s “20’s Plenty” campaign is aimed at persuading the city’s council to follow the lead of authorities such as Portsmouth, where 85 per cent of its residential roads will have the reduced speed limit by the end of this year.

Parents living in the Canton area have given their support to efforts to slow down traffic on residential streets.

Jake Griffiths, secretary of Cardiff Green Party, said: “Most of us want to live in a quiet, pleasant street, a safe street in which children can play out alone.

“Nobody wants to live in a hostile street which you cannot walk across thanks to fast-moving traffic or one that is an occasional racetrack.

“When traffic is slowed, existing 20mph zones show that people begin to enjoy their environments and use local amenities more.

“If this campaign results in the saving of child’s life or from having a serious accident in Cardiff it will have been worth it.

“It could also significantly improve the prospect of Cardiff being able to achieve its target of increasing people cycling in the city and reducing the levels of childhood obesity.”

Mum Sarah Manners, who has boys aged three and eight and lives in Canton, said: “I think it is long overdue and would support it.

“Child safety is really important. Certainly vehicles speeding through residential streets does not encourage parents to let their children walk to school, although I do.

“We need tightening up on speed limits and stiffer penalties for those who break them.”

Fellow Canton mum Eirian Rees, who also has two children, added: “I live in a block end street, but we still get motorists reversing down at high speed in frustration when they find they cannot get through. Action is needed to slow down traffic.”

phillip.nifield@mediawales.co.uk

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/

Green wash from Julie Morgan

I couldn't see any support from Julie Morgan MP there at all even if you presume she wrote it herself. Patronising twaddle!

Why can't she say I support all those who wrote to me concerned about our planet and what exactly she supports and what ACTION she is going to take. You could fall into the trap of wishful thinking and falling for politicians spin - she has responded in this way to the huge number of cards/letters from constituents and I dare say this is much the same as the letter she send them individually and so she appears to commiserate without commmitting to anything and leaving out those vital ACTION points?!

She does slag off lib dems in Cardiff for the lowest rates of recycling when the labour party were in power for many years before and are working with the lib dems ...it is only under the lib dems that we get recycling bins for garden rubbish so they have done something. The new labour party in Cardiff was opposing reorganising High Street - St Mary Street and higher parking charges. It costs £3.00 for a day BUS ticket in Cardiff - more from outside Cardiff and they reduce the day parking charge from £5.00 down to £3.00 making it cheaper to drive in and park! What sort of policy is that?

Note that the NEW LABOUR group on Cardiff council demanded immediate changes to the “ill-thought-out” St Mary Street traffic ban. Cardiff council’s New Labour leader, John Sheppard, said the ban was “badly-timed, ill-thought-out and has been the subject o

http://inconsiderateparking.blogspot.com/2007/09/new-labour-turn-its-back-on-cleaner-and.html

Ask what she drives?Does her office recycle anything as I know for a fact they didn't - She could recycle the large number of newspapers and magazines that she gets - shred paper - use recycled paper in the office, not use plastic bags etc so why not visit her office with an environmental audit and check out her green credentials? Perhaps she will invite you to her home to view her green life style!?

Julie praises gordon browns leadership on environmental policy? Is this the same person who because more people want to use the railway supports charges going up and if more people want to fly we should be building and expanding Heathrow? Not to mention suporting building more roads and nuclear power stations? What sort of leadership is that?

After all as she quoted Ghandi ..SHE should be the change in her own world e.g at home and at the office.

The new labour party is responsible for appalling huge open cast mining in Merthyr yards from peoples homes, as they supported and lobbied for it.

New Labour, New Environment? -report slams Labour’s green claims 20.07.07 New Labour New Environment?

Outdated figures have been hiding the full extent of climate change. But I am still advocating action, and not despair George Monbiot Tuesday December 4, 2007 The Guardian

The government proposes to cut the UK's carbon emissions by 60% by 2050. This target is based on a report published in 2000. That report was based on an assessment published in 1995, which drew on scientific papers published a few years earlier. The UK's policy, in other words, is based on papers some 15 years old.www.monbiot.com

British Energy draws up new reactor plans Guardian Unlimited, Wednesday November 28 2007 Terry Macalister

British Energy is looking at building four nuclear power plants at its sites in the south of England. But it admitted flood defences would be needed to protect them from rising sea levels. Sizewell in Suffolk, Dungeness in Kent, Hinkley Point in Somerset and Bradwell in Essex are the preferred sites for the new reactors. British Energy said it had already reached agreement (...)

(...) own carbon reduction targets". The report comes barely a week after Gordon Brown said Britain was committed to the European Union target of (...)

Goron brown as Chancellor failed to make any significant contribution to reducing UK carbon dioxide emissions.

• In the eight years before Labour came to power green taxes (as a percentage of overall taxes) rose from 7.8% to 9.4 %. But by 2005 (the latest year which information is available) Gordon Brown had let this percentage fall to 7.7 %.
• The Chancellor abandoned the Fuel Price Escalator (an above inflation increase in fuel tax) and has frequently frozen duty on fuel. In December last year, the Government admitted that the cost of motoring has fallen in real terms by over 8% since it came to power. Meanwhile the cost of public transport has risen: bus fares by 14 % and rail fares by 5 %.
• Meanwhile carbon dioxide emissions have risen under Labour, despite repeated manifesto promises of substantial cuts. The Government's target of a 20 per cent cut in carbon dioxide (based on 1990 levels) by 2010, will not be met.

FOE ..He must demonstrate that he has the political courage to lead the UK towards a low carbon economy. And he can start by making it cheaper and easier for people to cut their emissions. This must include cutting road tax for more of the most fuel efficient cars and substantially increasing it for gas-guzzlers, and a package of measures that provides strong financial incentives for householders to save energy and cut emissions. We need action not words."