Rosy outlook for Bristol green spaces??

Bristol City Council Cabinet letter of response to my green spaces petition is below. I should first point out a number of things in response to the letter (bit of a rant coming I'm afraid as I found the letter patronising and infuriating, as scrolling down and scanning through it will quickly demonstrate to you!!).

I've made no statements at all that indicate that I recognise the importance of the Parks and Green Spaces Strategy, except in the negative sense that it legitimises flogging land, though you could be forgiven for thinking I had looking at the letter's beginning. I have read all the relevant documents and understand them at least as well as, if not better than, Cllr Rosalie Walker. Its always a useful argument tactic to just tell your opponent they simply dont understand or are not aware (too stupid, too lazy...not labels that stick well to an academic egghead like me), though its not aimed at genuine debate (which would have involved Rosalie in the very hard task of explaining for instance how flogging off land to be covered in concrete helps rainwater management...).

I'm much more interested in what the council actually has done and is doing than what some documents say (though she fails to comment on the councils past record). I'm at a loss to see how flogging land can be consistent with council policies on health and wellbeing, climate change, rainwater management, biodiversity...none of which are likely to be improved due to green land becoming tarmac/concrete...

I simply dont believe that no-one at the council has looked at where land might be sold off - how did they come up with figures like 90 acres or the previous 200 acres if they have not looked and estimated? How genuine is the Area Green Space Plans process if the council already has a very good idea what it wants to flog and where?

As for being committed to not selling higher value land, what about planning to flog off strips of green space near/on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path for housing development, using technicalities as an excuse?

As for the Parks and Green Spaces strategy being popular, well I seriously doubt that the council has measured this fairly via its 'consultation' processes - I'm sure that investment in parks is something people want but I'm also confident that people dont want land flogged off to a sales target!

____________________________________________________________________

Dear Mr Vowles

E-petition – Protect and enhance green spaces instead of flogging 90 acres to developers

Thank you for using the council’s e-petition processes to contribute to the debate about the Parks and Green Spaces Strategy. I am pleased that you and fellow petitioners recognise the vital importance of this new policy framework for the city’s green spaces, which was adopted by the Cabinet in February this year. It would appear however that you have not read the strategy, or indeed if you have, not understood how the council intends to approach the admittedly complex issues over land disposal. Indeed you do not appear to have read nor understood the wider green space policy imperatives around health, climate change, biodiversity etc which underpin the proposed 20 year investment programme – and where the council, yourself and most of the petitioners are fully in agreement. I am of course assuming you are aware that the approved strategy and numerous background documents are available at http://www.bristol.gov.uk.parkstrategy/.

Regarding your concern over the lack of evidence to justify land disposals in the form of maps, lists and debate, I refer you to page 36 of the adopted strategy which explains how the council is interpreting value and states that this will drive any future decision on the potential disposal of ‘low value green space’. This page includes the following…….

“…value will, therefore, be assessed at the stage when Area Green Space Plans are being drawn up and sites are being identified as possible candidates for change of use/type or disposal.”

Page 44 further explains the process of producing Area Green Space Plans and includes the following….

“…This strategy document is not the end of the decision making process or to community involvement in what happens at the local level. We will develop “Area Green Space Plans” in consultation with local people and ward councillors, making specific proposals to improve quality and facilities and provide the parks people need in their local area……..Part of the analysis for producing Area Green Space Plans will be an assessment of value of those spaces identified as candidates for change of use or disposal.”

Further information on value assessment can also be found in appendix 5 of the strategy. If you would like to know more about the programme to produce Area Green Space Plans please email richard.fletcher@bristol.gov.uk who would be pleased to send you more information.

With regard to your concerns that the council will keep selling higher value green space to raise funding, the strategy also covers this in some detail. On page 42 concerning ‘resources’, this section summarises the ambitious investment plans for the city’s parks and green spaces which by the way attracted overwhelming support during last summer’s comprehensive public consultation.With an estimated £87m needing to be raised over the next 20 years to bring the green spaces up to a ‘good’ standard, an estimated £41m of this would be raised from property disposals, with 70% of the capital receipts reinvested in the strategy. This section goes on to state…..

“…The achievement of the strategy will be geared to the pace at which capital can be generated; this is why disposal of some land is essential if its ambitious quality improvements are to be realised. It is important to emphasise that it is not the intention of the council to keep selling land until the funding requirements of the strategy are achieved, irrespective of the importance and ‘value’ of the space to the community. On the contrary, should there be insufficient ‘low value’, marginal land available once the area planning process has been concluded, the council will review the ambitions of the strategy and consider alternative funding sources.”

This means that if the Area Green Space Plans do not identify 90 acres of ‘low value’ space that higher value land will not be sold to achieve any area or funding targets.

I hope that this to some extent eases your concerns over the way the strategy is going to be delivered. We appreciate that some residents feel that every square metre of green space needs to be protected at all costs – however our research and consultation has demonstrated that a large majority are more concerned to see the quality of our parks and green spaces improved and that a small loss of quantity to help raise funding for this purpose, and to release land for essential needs such as affordable housing, is a compromise worth making and in the wider public interest.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Rosalie Walker

Executive Member for Culture and Healthy Communities

Darling, you need to do much more

Chancellor Alistair Darling's moves to help the economy eg homes under £175,000 exempt from 1% tax (for a year) are very unlikely help much, both in terms of numbers of people and the extent of help. The scale of his action is basically much too small and narrow. One article in The Guardian says,

'But if Gordon Brown and his beleaguered chancellor were hoping their £600m initiative would reinvigorate the moribund housing market - and kickstart Labour's much-trailed autumn economic "relaunch" - observers yesterday gave a muted response to the measure they predicted would have only a minimal impact on the housing crisis.'

I think he should look at all the proposals in the 'Green New Deal' and take on a much bolder and bigger approach, addressing the whole range of very pressing economic issues. This would eg include 'Reining in reckless aspects of the finance sector - but making low-cost capital available to fund the UK's green economic shift'.

No to merging Ilminster and Connaught Schools; reject the approach of the Primary School Review

Two very clear and strong reasons why I am vigorously opposed to the merger of Ilminster School, where I went, and Connaught School, where my mum went, in Knowle/Knowle West and have from the beginning been opposed to the whole approach, creating fewer and bigger schools outlined in the current Primary School review being done by Bristol City Council. First, the letter above from today's Bristol Evening Post ' Why smaller schools are better', written by Gil Osman, which outlines why, educationally and socially, smaller schools are better.

Second, this story from the same paper on the same day 'Failing Bristol schools should be closed' which begins, 'A Government official has recommended Bristol City Council closes all its poor-performing primary schools.' This is an apalling and outrageous statement from a remote and anonymous official - what does this person really know about the needs and wishes of the local children, their families and communities and of the schools and their employees?? How is this approach supposed to motivate and support those teaching and those taught? The story goes on to illustrate well just how tightly central govt controls and directs what councils can do by attaching strict criteria to be met when applying for govt money. We need to stand up for local democracy and local communities and oppose diktats.

Green space flog off: so it goes...

Great post over on the Green Bristol Blog about the flogging off of strips green land next to/on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path. Further commented upon on the Bristol Blogger site. I dont trust the city council one bit with the future of city green spaces.

Gordon Brown: talk to the nation on climate change...

Just signed the petition organised by the Let's Talk Gordon 'the campaign for the Prime Minister to make a televised address to the nation on climate change'. I hope you will sign up too. Its a big concern that Government have just not prioritised climate change and lead the way in engaging councils, businesses, and individual people about urgent, coordinated, coherent, large scale action.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/letstalk/

We dont have much time to get real and proper conversation going about what Government at all levels, businesses and individuals need to be (urgently) doing and on what scale:

http://www.onehundredmonths.org/

It would be great if you could complete this online energy survey too. You'd be supplying just the kind of information currently needed. 'Digital Environment Home Energy Management System... DEHEMs is looking to improve domestic energy efficiency and reduce household emissions by developing and testing an energy monitoring and display system for homes. The project partnership includes a mix of European Local Authorities, businesses and Universities. As part of the development process we would like to gain an understanding of what people are currently thinking and doing with regard to energy use.'

http://survey.dehems.org/index.php?sid=95613&lang=en

Bristol City Council Leadership Crisis

'Bristol City Council could be left leaderless because of in-fighting between the three main parties...' reports the Bristol Evening Post. It seems to me that there are some pretty big personality clashes to add to the party political differences. These have developed and deepened over some considerable time as the petty and unethical squabbling has gone on. People involved dont seem to be big enough rise above these. The 'advice' given by national party figures/structures may also worsen chances of cooperation as the big parties focus on winning certain parliamentary seats, local wards and also getting MEPs elected. The problem to be solved according to Lab, Lib and Tory parties is how to get elected and stay in office and not transport, education, the local economy and environment....

In my view it would help a great deal if we elected the whole council all in one go. Stalemate seems to me to be more likely if we go on electing just a third of the council at any one time.

'On yer bike' - Ok say growing numbers

Very interesting report in todays local paper revealing an important and encouraging trend. Investing in stronger local communities, generating local jobs, would make a significant contribution to solving transport, pollution, climate change, health and other problems given the proportion of people that seem to be prepared to change to cycling.

Bristol bus fare hike

Great, just when we need extra incentives to use the buses they bring in yet another price hike! An extra 6% on average, starting this Sunday according to the local press. Add to this the fact that they have also reduced services eg the number 89 in Leinster Ave, Knowle and you see the sorry state of Bristol public transport.

Buses can and should be a key aspect of a sustainable, greener transport system but we need lower prices and more and better quality services. Community ownership and control of local transport is needed. Govt and council should invest, invest, invest here.

Bus campaigning news: http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/campaigns/public_transport/buses/blog

Environment Agency boss bashes barrage

Powerful opposition to a huge, fixed Severn Barrage from the new man in charge on the Environment Agency (reported here). Lord Smith (Labour's Chris Smith, formerly in the Blair Cabinet as Culture, Media and Sport Secretary) talked of the barrage: destroying fish stocks; wrecking bird habitats; threatening beautiful coastlines; causing many people to be evacuated; having major environmental downsides. Well said Chris! Former Environment Agency boss Baroness Young feels that a barrage across the irreplaceable estuary habitat could set a precedent, leading to similarly protected sites across Europe being at risk. Well said again! What worries me is that none of this is really news - these things were being said twenty or more yrs ago but it has not stopped people in Govt and others of various political persuasions from favouring a barrage!! This is only the environmental aspect; there is a huge and powerful energy strategy, technological and economic case against too.

Mongolian Greens Leader and many others arrested

According to blog reports, on August 5th, Ms. Saruul Agvaandorj, leader of the Mongolian Green Movement, and Mr. Arslan Gombosuren, leader of the Just Society Front, were arrested while participating in a peaceful protest.

They were protesting the detention of hundreds of people who contested the June 29th Mongolian elections. See here for further details.

Please sign the petition asking the Mongolian authorities to release Saruul, Arslan and all other held unjustly:

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1488/t/689/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=437

Full text of letter to the Mongolian Ambassador from the Greens Caroline Lucas calling for people to be freed:

Mr Dalrai Davaasambuu
Ambassador
Embassy of Mongolia
7 Kensington Court
London W8 5DL

18 August 2008

Dear Mr Davaasambuu,

I am writing to you from the Green Party of England and Wales to request the immediate release from detention of our colleagues, Ms Saruul Agvaandorj, leader of the Mongolian Green Movement, and Mr Arslan Gombosuren, leader of the Just Society Front, who were arrested in Mongolia on 5th August while participating in a peaceful protest.

Ms Agvaandorj and Mr Gobosuren were demonstrating peacefully and silently, alongside families of detainees, for the release of the hundreds of other protesters who have been held since June, after protesting about the conduct of national elections. We join our colleagues in also urging you to press for the immediate release of these prisoners.

The right to peaceful protest is a legal cornerstone of any democracy. In contrast, the detention of peaceful protestors is an unacceptable abuse of power, wherever it occurs.

The arrest and detention of peaceful protestors is something every country that claims to uphold human rights should reject. The government of Mongolia should ensure protest and free speech are welcomed not restricted on the streets of your country.

I urge you to act quickly to release all the detainees.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas MEP
Principal Speaker, Green Party of England and Wales

Blog Action Day 2008, Oct 15, on poverty

Just visited the Blog Action Day 2008 site to register this blog as a participant. This year the action day is all about poverty. I'm happy to promote the event and hope many other bloggers will join in, as they did for last year's day on the environment.

Imposed mass housebuilding makes no sense

Very striking front page image and story in todays Bristol Evening Post. This centrally imposed mass house building move (36,500 inside Bristol's boundary and tens of thousands more around the city) makes no sense at all from a sustainability point of view. Even if the houses themselves were all zero carbon, the land take, resources used in construction, and all the consequent impacts of population increase (forecast to be 30% higher by 2030 in and around Bristol) will significantly raise the local footprint.

Best science and economics tells us we need to be significantly lowering our social and environmental impacts but massive population increase, massive land take for housing and infrastructure and all the pressures on transport, job availability and so on, make this even more difficult than it already was.

Green Party Leader and Deputy Leader Election

I've long argued that the Greens have needed a leader. Its a very strong signal that the Green Party intends to be much more focussed on, organised for and oriented towards its primary goals, that it will elect its very first Leader and Deputy Leader this Sept. Winning elections at all levels will be much more likely and will take the Green cause forward more than anything.



I cast my vote for Caroline Lucas MEP for Leader and Councillor Adrian Ramsay for Deputy Leader the other day and hope, as I think is very likely, that other Greens will do likewise. Caroline and Adrian have the skills, experience and broad appeal needed to take the Greens further and faster. Both are in a very strong position to become MPs at the next election, in Brighton and Norwich respectively (http://www.greensforparliament.org.uk/Home.html), another excellent reason to vote for them as Leader and Deputy.

Find out more about Caroline Lucas here and Adrian Ramsay here.

An introduction to green Bristol

Copy of article just drafted for Suit Yourself magazine, comments welcomed:

Bristol has 450 parks and green spaces totalling over 1300 hectares. Millions visit these each year. Loads of events take place in them. Green spaces are one of the city’s most valued features; one of the most obvious ways you can argue it is, in a relative sense, green. No other city in England has as much green space.

There’s plenty of green space just outside the city boundaries, within easy reach, eg Ashton Court. As in many parts of the country green spaces are threatened by development. Bristol City Council has agreed a strategy to sell off of 2.4% of city green space. The future of green space is a key ongoing issue when there are plans to build many thousands of houses both within and around the city as well as a ring road around South Bristol. Bristol is a very popular place to live. Its population is currently forecast to rise by over 30% by 2031, exerting very significant additional social and environmental pressure at a time we need to cut it.

Bristol is also relatively green as a city as it gained its first Green Councillor, Charlie Bolton, in Southville, a few years ago. About time many would say, given the large number of organisations promoting respect and care for the environment that have for years been Bristol-based (CREATE Centre; City Farms; Transition Bristol; Farmers Market; Slow Food Market; local food advocates like the Better Food Company; Community Recycling Network; City Car Club…). What better example than the BBC Natural History Unit in Clifton, one key organisation behind June’s Festival of Nature and October’s Wildscreen the world's largest and most prestigious international wildlife and environmental film festival. The unit is responsible for world class television like Blue Planet and Planet Earth…playing a huge part in raising green awareness (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/).

Leading sustainable transport charity Sustrans, has, from its central Bristol HQ, been closely involved in some of the most discussed and controversial local issues this year. Bristol City Council had planned to build a bus rapid transit route over the Bristol to Bath Railway Path, the UK’s most popular cycle path, also used by a large variety of local walkers, until a 10,000 signature petition and a motion to the council from Green Councillor Charlie Bolton helped to cause a rethink. Going ahead with the plan might well have messed up the council’s bid to become the UK’s first ‘Cycling City’, which was ultimately successful. The council will have tens of millions to spend, wisely one hopes, on cycling.

Sustrans and other local greens, such as those at the Bristol Cycling Campaign or Bristol Friends of the Earth will continue activity on cycling but also on Bristol’s many transport problems. One of the major ways in which Bristol is very far from being green is the poor quality public transport (bus and train firm Firstbus are hardly fondly regarded locally!). Partly as a result Bristol’s air quality and noise levels can be poor at times and the city contribution to climate change needs to be cut by a factor of ten over the coming decades to approach sustainable levels! One small success of late is the rail service improvement on the ‘Severn Beach’ line – it’s a quick, efficient way to get around certain parts of the city, such as from Montpelier or Stapleton Road to Clifton.

There is ongoing scrutiny of how green Bristol actually is in a relative and absolute sense, eg whether or not it decides to mass incinerate much of its waste . The Bristol Partnership, the council working together with businesses, voluntary and community groups, has ambitions for the city to become a green capital ‘a low carbon city with balanced and sustainable communities enjoying a high quality of life’.

The eleven green objectives are commendable; leading Bristol-based organic food charity the Soil Association a leading light behind the September’s Organic Food Festival, is no doubt pleased to see the objective seven ‘healthier, locally produced food’ but the tension between green objectives and the Bristol Partnership’s other ambitions are great, in particular its economic thinking, which is still based on economic growth and a consumer society when environmental resources are finite. Bristol’s major current development is the huge new shopping area Cabot Circus. Green economics guru EF Schumacher, whose work is celebrated here every October at the Schumacher Lectures is probably turning in his grave.

Olympic-size pool yes - but keep local pools like Jubilee in Knowle too

Copy of my letter, published in the Bristol Evening Post on Friday 8 Aug:

A new olympic-sized pool at Hengrove Park, would be great, but we should also be retaining local facilities such as Jubilee Pool in Knowle and others. Whilst campaigning as the Green candidate for Knowle in the last local elections I received a letter from local Labour campaigners stating that Jubilee Pool should stay open but now the Labour Cabinet running Bristol are set to close it once Hengrove Park is developed ('Bristol swimming pools axed for new leisure centre', Post, 5 Aug)!!

We need more sources of healthy exercise not less. Local facilities are an important community feature, especially for those who find it most difficult to travel, such as the elderly and families with young children. Its also more polluting if people have to travel further to a more remote pool as its beyond walking distance for many and they will tend to go by car.

I'd also like to see renewable energy systems used in the new leisure centre, especially to heat the water in the new pool (which would otherwise consume a massive amount of polluting and non-renewable fuel). I've written to the council making enquiries about this twice but have not even received an acknowledgement from them.

Oath of allegiance to the Queen: MPs and others should have the option of swearing allegiance to their constituents instead!!

According to today's Mail Online:

' A group of MPs are campaigning to scrap their traditional oath of allegiance to the Queen, the Mail can reveal. The declaration has been sworn by those joining or returning to Parliament for more than 500 years. But 22 MPs from all three main parties say their 'principal duty' should be to represent the people who voted for them - not the monarch. They want the Commons and the Lords to be allowed to swear allegiance to their 'constituents and the nation' instead...'

Good luck to them! MP's, Lords and anyone else who currently is required to swear this: 'I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.' (unless they are atheists in which case they leave out the God stuff and substitute 'solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm') should be given the option of an oath that does not involve monarchy and does involve the people they represent. We are supposed to be a democracy after all, including those who are republicans.

Charles Darwin: Genius

Professor Yaffle from Bagpuss he may resemble (according to the Guardian tv guide this week), but Professor Richard Dawkins new tv series 'The Genius of Charles Darwin' is well worth watching. Genius is very apt indeed as the theory of evolution by natural selection continues to explain a very large mountain of facts, including masses of genetics that Darwin would have loved to ponder but of course new nothing about! The clip below features Dawkins attempting to open the minds of some young people to basing their views on the best available evidence.

Knowle West Media Centre Events/News

Received from Makala Cheung:

Here’s the latest from Knowle West Media Centre August 2008.

You’re welcome to share any or all of the content with contacts, or to
get in touch if you’d like to know more about any of the items.

EVENTS / GET INVOLVED

Special screening

Special screening of two short films from Moving Image's recent
partnership projects with BBC Face2Face and the Tor Programme, at KWMC
in the Studio on 27th August at 5.30pm

Tabard Crusader is a satirical look at how far one charity worker will
go to help his subjects…whilst making a tidy profit.

Light and Dark is about two filmmakers, Michael Smith and Tom Stubbs
and their friends 'Graham Lightside’ and 'The Dark Fox'.

RSVP: Penny Evans penny@kwmc.org.uk

Eco Detectives

Digital media and eco group for young people 16-20 years old in South
Bristol, Wednesday evenings at the Knowle West Media Centre.

Eco Detectives explore travel and sustainability, visiting people and
places close to Bristol. Using digital media technologies we will
communicate our findings far and wide. We will also create our own eco/
media-conference linked to the Schumacher Conference "Less is More".

Contact: Jim O’Shaughnessy tel/text: 07726 335899 jim@kwmc.org.uk
George Rose tel/text: 07810 441470 georgerose@kwmc.org.uk

A partnership project between Knowle West Media Centre and The
Schumacher Society.


Knowle West Arts Trail

Knowle West Media Centre will open its doors for The Knowle West Arts
Trail on Saturday September 13th 10am-4pm. Photography, animation and
moving image from the community will be on display, the environmental
team will also be organising a recycled sculpture.

Arts Trail venues also include St Barnabus church and green including
artist stalls and Angels dance performance, Café Carmel, Restore, and
the convent on Filwood Broadway. There will also be a street
exhibition of photography along Daventry Road and Leinster Avenue. A
horse and cart will transport visitors between St Barnabus Church and
KWMC.

Connaught School pupils have been taking photographs of the Northern
Slopes (an important habitat for mini-beasts and flowers), which will
be exhibited as part of the Arts Trail. Plus, Secret Gardens of Knowle
West will include 16 households along Leinster Avenue and Daventry
Road will have their back gardens photographed, and exhibited on front
gates as part of the arts trail and will also be used to create a
Knowle West calendar for 2009.

The Arts Trail received £500 from Neighbourhood Management to fund the
publicity, being designed by KWMC Design.

KWMC Contact: Nicky Williams 0117 353 2745 nicky@kwmc.org.uk

‘Back in the Day’ returns to KWMC

The Amazing Archive Exhibition ‘Back in the Day’, returns to the
Knowle West Media Centre on Saturday 13th September for the first
Knowle West Arts Trail. If you are interested in becoming involved as
a volunteer to help with creating a living archive for Knowle West
please contact us.

The exhibition has been well received at the Bristol City Records
Office. The young people involved in the project met the Lord Mayor
at the press review on Monday 14th July where they received
commendations for their excellent work.

Contact: Nicky Williams 0117 353 2745 nicky@kwmc.org.uk,
Or call KWMC’s main line - 0117 903 044
Funded by the Young Roots Heritage Lottery Fund and managed by Knowle
West Media Centre.

Silverscreen goes to Weston

Silverscreen, the monthly film club for people over 50 based in South
Bristol, will be traveling to The Playhouse in Weston-Super-Mare to
watch the Bucket List, Tuesday 12th August. Tickets cost £7.00, lunch
and coach included in price.

Contact: Katie 0117 903 0444 katie@kwmc.org.uk
Or for more info please visit http://www.kwmc.org.uk/

Nlarge

NLARGE, our young photographers group have just launched their brand
new website at http://www.nlargephotography.co.uk/. Please check out the site
and have a look at their great new photos. The group has just
finished a commission for White Design Architects, and is completing a
project with the new Merchants Academy School in Withywood. Their
photographs of the new academy will be on display at the official
launch on September 22nd. To commission Nlarge or enquire about
joining please contact us.

Contact: Nicky Williams 0117 353 2745 nicky@kwmc.org.uk
http://www.nlargephotography.co.uk/

NEWS & UPDATES

Graphic Designer

Salary £14,420-£18,282 pro rata
Part time and flexible working negotiable

Thriving media centre is looking for a Graphic Designer to become part
of a growing design department. You will have proven ability and
experience of design project delivery with a comprehensive knowledge
of InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator as well as Quark XPress.
Your role will be to work on design projects from conception through
to completion, as well as managing projects of your own.

Closing date 22nd August at 5pm, Interviews 29th August.

Contact: Katie Taylor for an application pack - email: katie@kwmc.org.uk
More info: http://www.kwmc.org.uk/

Artists Residency

Artist Beth Hamer will be launching the "Bikeshed" on August 11th with
events including a picnic, taking place at community garden sites
around Knowle West. The tool shed on a tricycle was made for Community
Gardener, Mil Lusk during Beth’s residency in July.

Artist Charlie Baker from URBED, in Manchester will be coming in the
first week of September to work with young people and the community
imagining what the future might look like, and building a model of
something that might one day occupy a space in Knowle West. The four-
day residency will involve looking at public spaces for inspiration,
collecting materials for production, reusing scrap and waste
materials, and looking at bike and solar powered objects such as
toasters.

Digital Neighbourhoods Programme

The Digital Neighbourhoods vision is for South Bristol to become a
state of the art digital city. This is very ambitious and will take
time! The programme will work to get more local people using computers
and taking advantage of the Internet, it will encourage local
businesses to offer their services via the Internet and will work with
Bristol City Council to develop new ways to provide their services.

The programme will work to develop good local support services to help
advise, train and fix problems. In the background we will be trying to
influence development to provide top quality digital infrastructure to
provide fast connections. The key to all of this is getting people
involved so we will be running some interesting projects over the next
few months.

For more information or to get involved contact Makala
Cheung or Dylan Martlew.

Contact: Dylan: 0117 903 0444 (ext.215)
Makala 0117 353 2895 / email makala@kwmc.org.uk

Office Space with Business Support

KWMC and BRAVE are teaming up to offer a Business Support Package for
new and emerging creative businesses. We are able to offer a unique
space in a brand new environmentally friendly media centre with one-to-
one business advice in association with Business Link, networking
opportunities and business mentoring. Services include manned
reception, broadband access, telephone system, lifts, car parking and
access to meeting rooms.

Business Support Package is £110.00 per month.
More info: http://www.kwmc.org.uk/

Contact: Katie Taylor 0117 903 0444 (ext 201) katie@kwmc.org.uk

KWMC Photography work with Museum of Bristol

Knowle West Media Centre will be working with the Museum of Bristol to
create photography content for the new museum when it opens in Spring
2011. A series of photography workshops with community groups will
take place around the city in late 2008. The aim is to uncover and
explore the places of importance and significance in the city's
neighbourhoods.

To find out more or get involved contact us.
Contact: Nicky Williams 0117 353 2745 nicky@kwmc.org.uk

South West Screen’s Virtual Voices

Four young people and two media associates were asked to run one of
the workshops 'Voices, Stories and Campaigns; how to develop ideas and
points of view into media' at the Virtual Voices conference, July 10th.
Davina, one of the young people, said: "Myself, Marcus and Chanel
were young facilitators for the workshop. We worked with a group of
professional adults to produce a pod cast about what they thought was
important to young people. The adults said that they had gained
something from our workshop, which was actually knowing what was
important to young people! As a young person I felt the workshop went
really well and that young people may now have the confidence to speak
up and discuss their passion for media without feeling as if they are
being judged by a professional."

More info: http://www.swscreen.co.uk/News/258.aspx
Contact: Penny Evans 0117 377 2828 / penny@kwmc.org.uk

Managed Workspace…only 2 units left!

Rent a managed workspace unit in our classy new purpose built, climate
friendly HQ. With access to meeting rooms, edit suites and fully
equipped training rooms this is an offer not to be missed.
Also as part of the managed workspace package Business Link are
offering FREE 6 & 12 monthly business advice sessions that are
tailored to each individuals need. Managed Workspace is from £310.00
per month. Call now for more information.

Contact: Katie Taylor 0117 903 0444 (ext 201) katie@kwmc.org.uk

EQUIPMENT / ROOMS / SERVICES FOR HIRE

K West at KWMC have a wide range of facilities for hire including 2
large meeting rooms, a 70-seater studio, edit suites and 2 high-end
training rooms. We also offer catering packages at very reasonable
rates.

Contact: Katie Taylor 0117 903 0444 (ext 201) katie@kwmc.org.uk

KWMC Design offers design services from leaflets, brochures, branding,
and logo design, to web design, and animation. Print work is produced
with high quality recycled paper and vegetable inks.

Contact: Romy Purshouse 0117 353 2746 romy@kwmc.org.uk
Link: http://www.kwmc.org.uk/index.php?department=2

KWMC Photography delivers a wide range of creative programmes for all
ages. We can offer workshops to schools, community groups and other
organisations in photography and digital media.

Contact: Nicky Williams 0117 353 2745 nicky@kwmc.org.uk
Link: http://www.kwmc.org.uk/index.php?department=4

KWMC Moving Image develops innovative and experimental film making
projects with young people and the wider community. We take on
commissions for clients from both corporate and public sector
organisations.

Contact: Penny Evans 0117 377 2828 / penny@kwmc.org.uk
Link: http://www.kwmc.org.uk/index.php?department=3

EXTRA INFO

Reminders of our new contact details
Main switchboard: 0117 903 0444
New email-style: name@kwmc.org.uk
New address: Knowle West Media Centre, Leinster Avenue,
Knowle West, Bristol, BS4 1NL

Next bulletins

Our plan is to issue e-bulletins at the start of each month. If you
know of any colleagues who ought to be on our mailing list, please
forward their details, or ask them to get in touch.

Makala Cheung
Digital Neighbourhoods & Communications Coordinator
Direct line: 0117 3532895
Main tel: 0117 9030444
http://www.kwmc.org.uk/
Knowle West Media Centre
Leinster Avenue, Knowle West,
Bristol BS4 1 NL
Company No. 4358350,
Charity No. 1092375
Fax: 01179030 445

Windfall tax the massive profits of oil and gas companies - part of a 'Green New Deal' to tackle the credit crunch, oil price hike and climate crisis

Oil and gas companies have in recent days announced a huge rise in profits. Frankly I think the level of their profits, £6.7billion first half profits from BP and £4 billion three month profits from Shell, is obscene particuarly at this time of rising food and fuel prices. We need money to invest in making our society more efficient, renewable, green, fair and healthy and so why the Government have not put a windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas companies beats me. A windfall profits tax is certainly part of Green economic plans, including some detailed and ongoing work on a 'Green New Deal', to tackle the credit crunch, soaring oil price and the climate crisis. Its poor leadership for the Government not to take this step.

Mass incineration of waste for Bristol? Its living in the past.

The decision by a council committee yesterday to debate Bristol’s waste strategy more fully is most welcome. I was one of several people/groups who put in a statement to the committee. Those who feel incinerating waste is a good idea are living in the past.

Its vitally important to get decisions on waste right as the consequences, financially and environmentally, will last for several decades. Deciding in haste to build a mass incinerator would be a very backward step – it would demand to be fed with many thousands of tonnes of waste for several decades and is by far the worst option in terms of its very high contribution to climate change.

Bristol’s Labour administration have reacted to the decision for more debate not with rational comment but with the scare tactic that we may lose out on money because of ‘delay’ (‘Waste plan delay could cost £200m’, Bristol Evening Post, 30 July). Its not delay its democracy and concern not to land Bristol with a bad deal.

Love is a human right - oppose homophobia.

Human rights campaigner and fellow Green Peter Tatchell, who has previously attempted a citizens arrest on Robert Mugabe for human rights violations, has again been making headlines with his work (see the extract below from the Belfast Telegraph). I think he is a very courageous man and I very strongly agree with the stand he has taken - love him or hate him he has highlighted a serious homophobia problem yet again, this time in part through giving the Amnesty International Pride Lecture, as part of the Belfast Pride festival being held this week.


A Northern Ireland MP who branded homosexuality an abomination should resign, a gay rights activist said last night.

Peter Tatchell said Iris Robinson would have faced calls for her head had she criticised any other minority in similar terms.

The Strangford DUP MP has defended her assertions with her Christianity.

Mr Tatchell said: “There is no doubt that if Iris Robinson had made those remarks about the black or the Jewish community she would have been outed from public office and forced to resign.

“People would have said that such comments are totally unacceptable.

“The fact that many are making excuses for people saying that her conscience or religion gives her an excuse for making these remarks I find unconscionable.”


More on/about Peter Tatchell and his work here and here.

Huge Scottish Nationalist win over Gordon Brown's Labour

Well done you scots!!

(image from Lakelander's site)

While I'm using Lakelander's image of one Labour leader I must show you his very amusing Tony Blair/Radovan Karadzic combination in a post entitled 'Notorious war criminal to stand trial'.

Subsidised booze for MPs (in unlicensed bars with no restrictions on hours)!!!!

Great posts on this issue on the Guido Fawkes and the Bristol Blogger sites.

What breathtaking hypocrisy we get from our MPs!!

Malago Greenway e-petition

Please consider signing the petition to prevent a Bus Rapid Transit Route running over the biodiverse green space that is the Malago Greenway. http://epetitions.bristol.gov.uk/petition.php?id=206

Renewable energy systems planned for Hengrove Park developments, especially the Olympic-sized pool???

Its today been reported that 'Bristol to get new Olympic-sized swimming pool' (Bristol Evening Post). Somewhat sensationally done since we've known about the proposed developments at Hengrove Park for some time now (see previous post on the issue here).



New health, education and leisure facilities, especially the big pool, are great, but we should also be retaining local facilities such as Jubilee Pool in Knowle and others (and I dont agree with the PFI method of financing this development). I agree with Simon Wilkins, club coach of Bristol North Swimming Club, who said, in the Bristol Evening Post that he

...felt that the new pool would be a boost to the city, but would not compensate for the loss of so many other pools in Bristol.

He said: “It is a great idea to have a 50m pool in the area.

“Bristol really should have had a 50m pool 10 years ago.

“It has been a long time coming, and hopefully it will attract bigger competitions and more swimming to the city.

“But the number of pools being built does not compensate for the number that have been shut down in recent years.”

We need more sources of healthy exercise not less. Local facilities are an important community feature, especially for those who find it most difficult to travel, such as the elderly and families with young children.

I'd also like to see renewable energy systems used in the new leisure centre, especially to heat the water in the new pool (which would otherwise consume a massive amount of polluting and non-renewable fuel). I've sent the email enquiry copied below to the City Council Sustainable Projects Team (hengrovepark@bristol.gov.uk) and will post again on any reply I get (I had no reply to my last enquiry on this topic):

Can you tell me if there are any plans for the use of renewable energy systems in any of the developments planned for Hengrove Park? The glossy leaflet I received describing the development some time ago refers to 'the highest level of design and sustainability standards' and so I'm hopeful that you may be able to answer positively. It seems to me that the heating the very large amount of water in the proposed swimming pool would be ideally suited to renewable energy and would otherwise consume a very large amount of polluting fossil fuel. Hope you can help.

Money saved and choices gained through energy thrift

In times of rising prices its always nice to save some money, so I was very pleased to be able to contact my electricity and gas supplier (RSPB Energy) this morning and arrange for/confirm: a reduction in my monthly gas and electricity payments; a refund into my bank account of the balance of the two accounts. This is all basically down to being very heavily insulated and highly energy conscious (helped a little in recent months by being part of the Knowle West Carbon Makeover project). Far from affecting what I'm able to do its given me additional choices due to a little more money being available. For me its never acceptable to waste resources where avoidable, whether they cost a little or a lot, though no doubt many more people are now looking for savings due to the additional motivation from rising prices.

The reality of violent crime

I'm for putting a lot more resources into crime prevention and restorative justice processes, whatever the crime but in particular violent crime.

Government is due to announce new measures to tackle knife crime next week. Use of restorative justice processes has increased in recent yrs though they very often still not available as an option in many situations. They are pretty popular with victims of crime and they work (see http://www.restorativejustice.org.uk/for more).

We need to get people who commit knife/gun crime to confront reality, realise what they have done to all those who've suffered due to their actions. Where appropriate get them meeting face to face with victims, their families and others in communities who've suffered.

Get them to take compensatory action as far as is possible, as part of their sentence. It might sometimes be appropriate to get them working with teachers and pupils in schools or talking with key groups in communities. Its the beginning to positive change in the criminal and it can help victims and communities .



Its wrong-doing on a different level of course, but whilst teaching I've seen a lot of success with this kind of approach applied to bullying in schools.

A kind of local community level restorative justice project was being initiated in Knowle West this yr but with the loss of Neighbourhood Renewal Funding, money for it may be in short supply now.

Less than 200 days and he wont be President...unless...

' Goodbye from the worlds biggest polluter' said George W Bush. But is it?

For the good of all earth this evil thing must be cast into the fires of Mount Doom….oh, and throw the ring in as well.
(Several other great captions on this site).

By the way, isnt there only one person who could wear the ring and remain visible??

Motoring: cheaper now than in 1988 ! Sure helps to explain ongoing climate change, road deaths, air pollution, congestion, parking chaos...doesn't it.

The RAC's annual report on motoring shows that '...it now costs 18% less in real terms to buy and run a car, including fuel costs (and 28% cheaper excluding fuel costs), than in 1988.' (see reports here and here). This is despite the large and rapid recent rise in fuel prices, though figures I dug up on the history of petrol prices show that even these aren't that unprecedented. I've long been pointing out that motoring has become cheaper not more expensive and made the point again in the recent debate online about residents parking (in fact seeing the RAC figures reported today sent me hunting through my archive of old news clippings - thus the two scanned illustrations in this post). Contrary to the facts most car owners (60% according to the RAC) think motoring costs have risen, though their view has probably been skewed a lot by sudden fuel cost increases.

Cheaper motoring is why we have more people than ever owning a car and more two car and three car households. One report on the RAC pronouncements says '...the number of households with a car has grown 39% over the past two decades from 14 million to 19.5 million. The number of households with two or more cars has almost doubled from 4.3 million to 8.4 million, and the number of drivers has increased to 33.7 million from 26.1 million.'

Not only has motoring become cheaper but at the same time travelling by bus and train has become very much more expensive (by around 50% in real terms has been reported - see here for an example). The fall in the cost of motoring is not news to me. The rise in the cost of public transport isn't either (I remember quoting a 50-70% rise in bus/train travel costs from the Dept of the Environment graph, scanned in here, when campaigning in the 1990's for instance).

It should be no surprise to anyone, given this key incentive to own and run a car (along with key factors such as cheap flights...) and disincentive to take the bus or train, that we are continuing to fail to address: climate change; air pollution; noise pollution; land take for roads; congestion; parking chaos; deaths on the road...and more. Carbon dioxide emissions are 1-2% higher now than when the current Labour Govt came to power, they plan to build hundreds of miles of new roads, plan to widen motorways and are seeking a delay in meeting the latest EU air quality requirements.

People are still highly attached to their cars. The govt see this of course and are wary of upsetting voters (Gordon Brown may abandon or delay the planned 2p rise in fuel duty just before the Glasgow East by-election for instance). Few issues stir people up, as recent debates and demos show, more than the cost of fuel or the cost of parking...Seems to me that far too many people (politicians and the public) are not facing the truth either about the reality and urgency of issues like climate change or about what the cost of their motoring is or what it should be. The incentives are upside down - we need much cheaper public transport and much more expensive motoring.

No leadership on climate change, food and fuel prices...from G8 summit

The story goes that Nero fiddled whilst Rome burned in the great fire of AD 64. Its not a story however that our leaders at the G8 summit are neglecting priorities whilst the Earth hots up due to climate change (see clip above). It was sickening to see them all planting trees in their suits at today's photo opportunity for the media.

The so-called leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States at the G8 summit aren't in fact leading at all: their proposed 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions is conditional on action from developing countries like China, India and Brazil and so nothing at all may happen in practice; the % is in any case too low compared to what the scientists at the IPCC say is needed; the cut apparently would be from emissions levels in year 2000 and not from lower 1990 levels which would be tougher (IPCC called for cuts from 1990 levels); no targets for reductions between now and 2050 were agreed and so there is nothing by which to measure if we are on track even if actual reductions were seriously attempted (little sign of this anyway).

They dont seem to have connected climate change with food and fuel prices and short/medium/long term economic stability either, saying that they remained positive about the long term resilience of their economies. They have not to date explained what is causing high food and fuel prices, have offered no plan for solving problems and achieving a stable, secure and affordable future and are highly suspect on aid/development committments, especially on Africa. The summit goes on...but what is it achieving??

Why is thrift far less common these days? Why is there so much waste?

So, Gordon Brown has finally woken up to the fact that we waste massive amounts of food. Speaking as someone who, unless ill, never leaves food and hates waste of all sorts (its part my nature and part the way I was brought up I think), I agree that the situation is indeed atrocious.

I've read what he has said today (see here, here, and here) but have yet to see a list of actions he will now take to ensure that his Government are taking all the appropriate action they can on this. Is he just lecturing? Wanting to appear to be doing something? Or is there more?

Its bizarre isn't it that there is so much concern about rising petrol and diesel prices and yet there is so much speeding, erratic driving and poor car maintenance, which raises fuel consumption, costing the driver more. Gas and electricity prices are rising but many of us still waste energy, dont switch off and have not adequately insulated. Likewise there is concern about rising food prices but 33% of the food we buy is thrown away (equivalent to one bag in every three).

Of course not all those who complain of or worry about rising prices will also be wasteful but levels of fuel, energy and food waste are so high that there must be a good deal of hypocrisy out there. My view is that this is a problem of plenty and of affluence - where shortage and poverty are greatest waste is highly likely to be smallest, but shortage/poverty is generally not the case now and so wasteful habits and cultures have grown.

I have to say that, though I'm not a fan of big supermarkets, I dont fully buy the argument, common in the media today, that supermarkets are largely to blame for food waste. They are a part of the problem certainly but for me there are waste and efficiency issues all the way along the food chain from soil to plate to soil again and each of us must take some responsibility. Now I'm lecturing...so feel free to put me straight if my attitude is not justified !!

Great tips and advice on cutting food waste, saving money and enjoying food from here:
http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Message from Spiderman

Received this message (below) today from Spiderman. Please do all you can to call for tough, urgent action on climate change.

My Friend,

Our climb for the climate continues.

Today the G8 meet in Japan for days of more talk on global warming. Sadly, the chances of them agreeing to any kind of target is very low.

That's why I am climbing in Germany, where the G8 met last year.Since then, Germany have become one of the world leaders, by setting a 40% emissions reduction target by 2020. It's brave,ambitious and essential.

We need world leaders, not world losers. My climb today is to remind the rest of the G8 of Germany's brave target and to remind them that global warming kills more people than a 9/11 everyweek. And of course to remind them that The Solution Is Simple:

1 - Stop Cutting Down Trees. Plant More Trees.

2 - Make Everything Energy Efficient.

3 - Only Make Clean Energy.

My heartfelt thanks go to the thousands of you who have already sent messages via our website

-http://www.thesolutionissimple.org/

...Together our message is stronger and by the time the critical global warming summit takes place in Copenhagen 2009, our number and our message will be undeniable.

You are world leaders and we climb on.

My deepest thanks.

Alain Robert

Spiderman

Save Grove Woods protest tomorrow

As you will know if you've read previous posts relating to trees and/or the city council, I have little faith in a lot of what they do and decide on, particularly with respect to trees. I've signed the petition to save Grove woods and sent in an objection to plans. Thought I'd also pass on details about this protest against the council decision to allow 27 trees to be cut down (albeit a bit last minute!).

"Mourn for decision to destroy 27 trees" tomorrow.

Event: Mourn for decision to destroy 27 trees"show of strength"

What: Protest

Host: Save Grove woods, Snuff Mills, Bristol

When: Tomorrow, July 7 at 5:30pm

Where: Snuff Mills Car park (no 4 and 5 buses have stops nearby))

Further information: http://snuffmills.blogspot.com/

Petition: http://epetitions.bristol.gov.uk/petition.php?id=194

Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35773226840&ref=mf

The working class are more environmentalist than the middle class...

As someone with very strong working class roots I get very cheesed off with the standard 'criticism' that environmentalism is just for the well-off, a middle-class luxury. This is rubbish. Just look at the environmental activity at the Knowle West Media Centre for instance, as well as my own 25 yr history of activity (see here), the rise in the green vote across Bristol South (including 15.6% of the vote in Knowle itself in 2007) as well as the latest poll data (below). The Bristol Blogger often trots out a class-based criticism of greens, so I sent him the message below this morning.

Blogger - sounds like that Mark Lynas is having a go at you and others who share your view when he says,

'Environmentalists are constantly accused of being middle-class lifestyle faddists, who don't understand the day-to-day financial pressures faced by "ordinary" working people. But the number of people who thought that environment should be the government's priority rather than the economy was substantially higher (56%) among the lower income, less well-educated DE demographic than among the better-off ABs (47%). Lower-income social groups also have a much lighter environmental footprint overall: only 42% of DEs took a foreign holiday over the last three years, whilst 77% of ABs did. Better-off people also own more cars, as you might expect – only 5% of DEs have three or more cars, whilst 15% of ABs do.

So perhaps anti-environmental class warriors like the editors of Spiked need to find a new cause to champion. The working-class people who they claim "can't afford to be concerned about climate change" actually care more about the future of the planet than the rich – and are doing a lot less damage to boot. So next time you hear someone defending motorway expansion or cheap flights on behalf of the British poor, ask yourself the question: whose side are they really on?'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/02/climatechange.scienceofclimatechange

As a very active environmentalist who was born, brought up and educated in Knowle West and who still lives in Knowle I think Mark Lynas has a strong point. The figures in the poll back him up.

Stop the scandal of MPs pay and expenses: find out what MPs needs are and meet them, no more and no less

I strongly object to the way MPs pay and expenses are handled. Its not independent and its not ethical by any acceptable standard (see 'MPs scrap plan to cut expenses', Bristol Evening Post, 4 July). We need to stop the scandal of MPs pay and expenses: find out what MPs needs are and meet them, no more and no less.

I recently posted about the work of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation who looked at what various categories of people need in order to live at an acceptable standard and participate in UK society. I propose that this sort of method should be applied to all MPs, including members of the Government - get a fair, independent body to examine what is needed for MPs to do their jobs well and also live decent, reasonably rounded lives and pay them and/or provide them with appropriate facilities as required.

If I was ever elected as an MP (I wish!!) I would certainly work on this basis, whether or not this kind of system was the official one. Are any local MPs willing to have an independent body go over what their actual needs are? Are they happy that the following will still be happening (as listed by The Guardian) after the recent House of Commons vote:

• MPs can continue to claim for furniture and household goods for their second homes, known as the "John Lewis list" as the Commons only authorises payments in line with the prices charged by that retailer;
• Additional costs allowance will remain, and not become an overnight expenses allowance with a £19,600 ceiling;
• No outside audit of MPs' expenses;
• No receipts for claims under £25;
• Claims for outer London MPs will not be cut.

Jamie Cooper, Campaign for Justice

If you are on Facebook please consider joining the Campaign for Justice group to get fair and just treatment for local teenager Jamie Cooper and all military service personnel. Whether its the way people are treated after getting injured or when disabled, or suffering a range of conditions as a result of service, or what they are paid, or how they are sometimes (mal)treated during training, or how they are housed or how they are equipped...they are getting a very raw deal.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=51988570337

You could always join Facebook specifically to support this campaign. Find out more from this report in todays local paper ('Facebook support for Bristol soldier', Bristol Evening Post, 3 July). Jamie cant even get a council tax reduction from Bristol City Council at the moment.

Needs and luxuries: what are they??

Really interesting work by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on the minimum needed for a decent life in the UK, where the standard of living is acceptable and people are able to participate in society. It shows, not surprisingly, that we need to do much more to raise the income of those on the lowest levels, with the BBC website saying:

'According to the calculations, a single person working full-time would need to earn £6.88 an hour to reach the weekly minimum standard - which is more than the current statutory minimum wage of £5.52.

A single person on Income Support would get less than half this amount.

An out-of-work family would get in state benefits two-thirds of what the JRF regarded as the minimum requirement, but pensioners on Pension Credit reached an acceptable level of income, the charity said.'

All this at a time when the gap between lowest and highest incomes is high and growing - under a Labour Govt! There are more rich and super-rich people than ever. I'm certainly in favour of raising the minimum wage and I'd like to see wealth radically redistributed by taxing the wealthiest more. This is fair and just. I'm for meeting everyone's needs, a key pillar of sustainability, putting needs before wants and for narrowing the income gap and so the Joseph Rowntree Foundation work is of real interest. I'd also like to see us measuring poverty in a different way, not least because of the outcome of this research which seems to establish what a decent life is in a much more rounded way. Interesting that it concluded that a car was not a necessity unless living in a rural area.

Climate change denial

More climate change denial in my local paper, via the letters page this time...

Michael Maddock is wrong in his assessment of the evidence on climate change ('Exploding the myth on climate change', Bristol Evening Post Open Lines, 1 July). Climate change is not a myth as the headline suggests it is. In fact the (Nobel Prize winning) UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (http://www.ipcc.ch/) does exactly as he suggests scientists should. It continually looks at all the latest and most expert scientific research on climate change. It then periodically issues major assessment reports containing the best available evidence. There have been four assessment reports so far and its fair to say that each time a new report has come out the evidence has pointed out even more strongly the fact that human-caused climate change is real, serious, and requiring urgent action from everyone, lead by governments. What more could we all want than that??

Contrary to what Michael says, many scientists clearly do not state that climate change is not caused by carbon dioxide. If they did it would be in the IPCC reports. In fact what the scientists say is the complete opposite! Its not true to say that warming always happens first, followed by carbon dioxide rise. It has sometimes happened this way but it also, as now, happens the other way around, with carbon dioxide emissions rising, followed by warming. This is a natural feature of the tightly coupled systems that affect our climate. What it points to of course is that the warming we are causing now with our carbon dioxide emissions, will itself go on to cause even more warming on top of warming caused by further carbon dioxide emissions! There are several mechanisms by which it will do this eg warming melts ice/snow, which means the white area reflecting energy back into space is lower, which means more energy is absorbed, causing warming...This feedback effect amplifies human impact along with others.

Scientists will continue to question, investigate, and gather evidence as Michael suggests they should. What concerns me greatly is that Michael, and many others with him, are, despite the very strong evidence, in denial about climate change (see http://climatedenial.org/ ). The sooner we face up to the facts the better. Time is slipping away and it will get harder and harder to reduce the worst effects of climate change the longer we put off what we all know we have to do ie adopt efficient, renewable lifestyles that stay within environmental limits, something that will also make our lives more affordable as it means bigs cuts in our use of increasingly expensive oil.

Residents parking schemes: clear net benefits

I've been contributing to the local online debate about the Bristol residents parking scheme - arguing in favour. Its been pretty lively on both the Bristol Blogger's and on Councillor Charlie Bolton's site, though I'm not so sure that the range of people taking part has gone that far beyond the usual suspects. Circumstances within Bristol eg the poor state of public transport and the nature of the scheme itself are not ideal, but my view is that there are still clear net benefits for neighbourhoods (see the council information leaflet here).

I'm interested to see that Knowle Councillor Gary Hopkins has spoken out against residents parking on the Bristol Blogger site, despite the environmental and safety gains which result. There are many factors in favour of residents parking, not least putting off commuters who currently are encouraged by the availability of parking to drive into the city, causing a wide range of problems: congestion; air pollution; stress; road safety issues; climate change; police/ambulance/fire service access problems; disability access issues, and more. All of which will have a bigger impact on the poorer and more vulnerable people than on the rich.

Any feedback on what I've said on this issue is most welcome of course.