Bristol Lib Dem cuts in support for public transport

FERRY and rail services will be affected by one of the biggest shake-ups of taxpayer-funded public transport Bristol has seen.

Bristol City Council is putting all of its subsidised transport services out to tender from next month, inviting companies to bid for the right to run them.

The Evening Post revealed how this would affect local bus services last week, but it will also affect a number of ferry and rail services that serve the city.

The council part-funds the Bristol Ferry Boat Company weekday commuter service between Cascade Steps and Hotwells Road; the cross-harbour ferry between the ss Great Britain and Porto Quay; and the Severn Beach rail line between Severn Beach and Temple Meads...

Bristol's transport boss Cllr Gary Hopkins says this not about cuts. The Post story says the council would like to cut its support for train, ferry and bus services by this move. Something's got to give somewhere if support is cut, so does Cllr Hopkins want to correct his statement or does he not bother with logic much??

Government at all levels should ensure the incentives are right for all modes of transport and should ensure that the price we all pay for travelling reflects its total net cost ie accounting for external costs and benefits as well as private costs and benefits. This would mean that clean, efficient and safer, more sustainable transport would be cheapest, so improving the incentives to use it and putting all transport on a rational footing. As it is now dirty, unhealthy, unsafe, inefficient transport modes like cars and lorries are wrongly given priority.

Pope Benedict's State Visit this Sept

Yesterday's BBC news stated that the Pope's visit in Sept will cost UK taxpayers £12 million - not the main reason I'm against honouring him with a Sate Visit but it adds to the load in this time of cuts and job losses! Passing this on: Protest the Pope public meeting - 12 August. Join us in opposing the Pope's intolerant policies: Thursday 12 August 7.30pm, Richmond Library, Old Town Hall, Whittaker Ave, Richmond, TW9 1TP (nearest station: Richmond underground and national rail). All welcome.

The Pope's first event in London, on the 17 September, will be at St Mary's University College in Twickenham, south west London. The pontiff will talk about his views on education, which have included his support for separate faith schools and the right of these schools to discriminate in their admissions policy and their recruitment of staff.

"The Protest the Pope campaign rejects the promotion of religiously segregated education. We believe in the right of all children to an unbiased education, where school admission policies are non-discriminatory and where there is no discrimination in recruitment and employment," said Protest the Pope spokesperson, the human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.

"Protest the Pope is supporting a coalition of local groups and people, based in south west London, who have organised a public meeting to express their disagreement with Pope Benedict's opposition to women's rights, gay equality, fertility treatment for childless couples, embryonic stem cell research and the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV," added Mr Tatchell.

The public meeting will take place this Thursday 12 August at Richmond Library, Old Town Hall, Whittaker Ave, Richmond, TW9 1TP. It will start at 7.30pm, with speeches from spokespersons for the Protest the Pope campaign, followed by a Q and A. The meeting is open to the public. All welcome.

The speakers are:

David Pollock, President of the European Humanist Federation, will talk about the Catholic Church's influence at European level as a result of the Lisbon treaty.

Keith Porteous Wood, Chief Executive of the National Secular Society, will talk about the pressure growing at the United Nations on the Vatican, which is failing to produce a report on child protection...

Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, will talk about the "Protest the Pope" Campaign and the six main reasons why we are against against honouring Joseph Ratzinger with a State Visit.

Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner, will talk about Catholic dissent from the Pope's hardline, intolerant opposition to liberation theology, women's rights, gay equality, contraception, fertility treatment, embryonic stem cell research and the Pope's collusion with Holocaust deniers and appeasers.

See the Facebook event for more information and to tell us you're coming! Note: The main entrance to the Old Town Hall is from Whittaker Avenue, up a flight of stone steps. The building has disabled access off Whittaker Avenue, next to the entrance to the Information Centre.

More information:Peter Tatchell - 0207 403 1790

Marco Tranchino - 07806 647 903

If you would like to contact Peter Tatchell, please email peter@petertatchell.net

www.petertatchell.net

You can follow Peter on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PeterTatchell or join the Peter Tatchell Human Rights Campaign Facebook group at

http://tinyurl.com/cj9y6sPETERTATCHELLHUMANRIGHTSFUND(PTHRF)

Donations are requested to help fund Peter Tatchell's campaigns promoting human rights, democracy, LGBT freedom and global justice. Peter depends entirely on donations from supporters and well-wishers to finance his campaigns. Please donate generously to the PTHRF.

To make a donation via PayPal - or to download a donation form or a standing order mandate - go to Donations at: www.tatchellrightsfund.org/donations.htm. Please make cheques payable to: "Peter Tatchell Human Rights Fund". Send to: PTHRF, PO Box 35253, London E1 4YFFor information about Peter Tatchell's campaigns: http://www.petertatchell.net/

GAS generated at a sewage works in Avonmouth has been used to power a car.

GAS generated at a sewage works in Avonmouth has been used to power a car. It is believed the modified Volks- wagen Beetle, called the Bio-Bug, is the first vehicle in the UK to run on biogas from sewage sludge...

Interesting development. Its always worth putting such things into context. In this story what caught my attention most was this line,

'...The company claims waste flushed down the toilets of just 70 homes in Bristol would be enough to power it for a year, based on an annual mileage of 10,000 miles...'

Assuming these figures are accurate they give us a clear idea just how many UK cars could in theory be run on methane from UK human sewage ie a very small percentage of the total that currently exists. There are other non-fossil fuel sources of methane...animal waste, food waste of course but we are still talking about small numbers of vehicles potentially - unless we can get people to produce more sewage (after all Parliament manages to produce far more than its fair share).

Bristol Lib Dem broken promise on better transport for all

THE majority of fares are set to go up on First buses in Bristol from this Sunday.

Compare this to the Bristol Liberal Democrat 'six to fix' promise number one - Cut congestion - better transport for all.

After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Asia, World - The Independent

After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Asia, World - The Independent

An exhibition documenting the impact of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II opens in London today.

Stopped clocks, flattened clothing, the charred contents of a tin lunchbox and a mangled glass bottle are among artefacts recovered from the wreckage of the two Japanese cities and brought to the UK for the first time to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the attacks.

The exhibition brings together first hand accounts of what took place on the 6th and 9th of August 1945 with objects representing the 340,000 people killed when the United States dropped two atomic bombs- events which led to Japan’s surrender from the war only days later...

Its the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima tomorrow and Nagasaki on 9th Aug. We then demonstrated the capability and willingness to deploy atomic weapons of mass destruction in a war situation, mass killing non-combatants on a scale and with a speed previously unmatched. We can kill on an even bigger scale now (there's 'progress' for you) and continue to regard the threat of mass destruction as acceptable and worth spending billions on to update systems. Presumeably the [growing number of] countries in possession of nuclear weapons are all willing to use them in certain circumstances. We cannot escape the consequences of our ethical choices - so lets hope nuclear disarmament proceeds ever more effectively and rapidly.

BRISTOL City Council should know whether it can swap bendy buses for a light tram system by the autumn.

BRISTOL City Council should know whether it can swap bendy buses for a light tram system by the autumn.

I've long argued that Ultra Light Rail (ULR) is a far better public transport technology choice than bendy buses. If the council do go for ULR this would be an improvement to local public transport plans - still issues about the system not being properly integrated, fairly priced, sustainably fuelled, on appropriate routes etc...

BRISTOL City Council should know whether it can swap bendy buses for a light tram system by the autumn.

Ultra Light Rail is essentially a tram that can run on branch rail lines and roads, is environmentally friendly and does not require electrification.

Unlike trams, the tracks can be laid down on road surfaces, which means roads don't have to be dug up to make it work, and overhead electric cables are not needed.

Currently the West of England Partnership – which includes the city council and its three neighbouring local authorities – has government funding bids in for £288 million of bendy bus routes across Bristol...

justfortheloveofit.org | Promoting Skillsharing | Learn Skills, share tools, save money and make great new friends

justfortheloveofit.org Promoting Skillsharing Learn Skills, share tools, save money and make great new friends

Very interesting comments on a key debate.

Nuclear New Build proposals in England and Wales: Have Your Say

Received the information below * from the Environment Agency. I'll be taking part in the consulation process and hope many others do likewise. No more nuclear stations should be built and existing ones phased out. Nuclear and its waste is environmentally, socially and economically unsustainable - we should be going for efficiency and renewables.

*Why are we writing to you?
The UK needs new and replacement energy infrastructure that can provide secure, reliable, low carbon electricity. The 2008 Nuclear White Paper said that nuclear power could play a vital role in this. Power companies are now planning to build new nuclear power stations in England and Wales and two sites potentially suitable are at Hinkley Point and Oldbury . We would like to tell you about our role in this process and highlight an opportunity for you to tell us what you think of the designs and our findings so far.

What is happening?
We regulate the nuclear industry on environmental matters and are currently working with the Health and Safety Executive to make sure that any new nuclear power stations would meet high standards of safety, security, environmental protection and waste management. Together we have implemented a new approach called ‘Generic Design Assessment’ (GDA) and have been assessing two new reactor designs from an early stage, in advance of site specific proposals coming forward. This enables us to identify any problems and influence the design at an early stage, before any major construction begins. We are currently assessing two different reactor designs: Westinghouse’s AP1000™ and the Areva/EDF designed UK EPR™.

What next?
As part of our GDA process, we are conducting a consultation on our findings so far. The consultation recently began on 28 June and will last sixteen weeks, closing on 18 October. We welcome your views. At the close of the consultation we will carefully consider the comments received before we reach a final decision on the acceptability of each of the two designs. We intend to publish the key issues raised during our consultation before the end of the year and to come to a view about the acceptability of the designs in June next year.

If a developer comes forward with proposals for a new nuclear power station at a specific site, they will still need to apply for and obtain all the safety, security, environmental, planning and other permits that are required before development can proceed. When considering any future applications for site specific environmental permits we will take into account all the work we have done on GDA.

How can you get involved?
You can take part by visiting the Environment Agency consultation on-line at:
http://www.consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/portal/ho/nuclear/gdahttps://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/portal
You can call 08708 506 506* and ask for a consultation document, or
send an email to: gda@environment-agency.gov.uk and request the consultation papers.
* Approximate call costs: 8p plus 6p per minute (standard landline). Please note charges will vary across telephone providers.

Free independent legal advice on: housing; employment; benefits; debt; discrimination; education...

Passing on this recently received Advice Network press release: Need free, independent, high-quality legal advice? A new local website shows you how to get the help you need.

Advice agencies across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset have collaborated on a new website, which is launched today, to help the public find the right help at the right time.

The new site – advicewest.org.uk – has been created using funding from the Big Lottery Fund by Advice Centres for Avon, a network of organisations who offer free, confidential, independent and impartial advice to anyone who needs it on a wide range of topics such as housing, debt, benefits, consumer issues, education and employment.

In the current difficult economic climate, with many people losing their homes, struggling with debts and entering the benefit system for the first time, accurate and timely legal advice can be the difference between someone’s life falling apart and them being able to manage their problems. The new website aims to help people find the right agency for their problem by letting them search through all of the local organisations for the one that covers the right area of law and is most convenient for them to visit or contact. All of the agencies in the directory offer free, confidential advice in accessible locations across the region, meaning that the public should never have to go too far to get the help they need.

‘Modern life is complex,’ said Jane Emanuel, a project worker at the Advice Network, ‘and it is important that people know where to look for help. The website helps people get to the right place without delay because getting the right advice quickly can make all the difference.’

For people who just need information and self-help materials there are plenty of resources on the site for people to make a vital start in bringing their situation under control. Our advice to the people of Bristol and surrounding areas is this: don’t ignore your problems, get help to deal with them now. Advicewest.org.uk can be your first step.’

ENDS

Notes for editors:
1 – Advice Centres for Avon has been in existence as an informal network since the mid-1980’s.
2 – Member agencies raise more than £8,000,000 per year in additional income for clients across the region, money that is spent locally supporting local economies.
3 – The Advice Network project is a three-year project to promote, defend and improve advice services across the region, running from 2009 - 2012.
--
Ben Sansum
Project Worker
Advice Network
84-88 Colston Street
Bristol BS1 5BB
0117 929 2153

Contact: Ben Sansum or Jane Emanuel
ben@advicenetwork.org.uk
jane@advicenetwork.org.uk

Nailing the Lib Dems (Jonathon Porritt)

Nailing the Lib Dems (Jonathon Porritt)

...Sticking to the environment / SD bit for now, Lib Dem performance to date has been poor to very poor. Not having a Liberal Democrat Minister inside Defra is proving particularly problematic. Claims that Defra will be enhancing its capability to promote sustainable development are, as yet, entirely unsubstantiated, and the likely outcome of further cuts in Defra is that SD capability will be even further hammered come the Comprehensive Spending Review this Autumn...

Corporate Social Irresponsibility

How do you spell Corporate Social Irresponsibility:

T R A F I G U R A

A Dutch court has found multinational Trafigura guilty of illegally exporting toxic waste from Amsterdam and concealing the nature of the cargo.

In 2006, Trafigura transported waste alleged to have been involved in the injury of thousands of people in Ivory Coast. Trafigura denied any wrongdoing.

It expressed disappointment in the ruling and is considering an appeal. The firm was fined 1m euros (£836,894) for its ship, the Probo Koala, transiting Amsterdam with its cargo.

The ship then went on to unload its cargo in Ivory Coast.

"It is a good thing that they have been found guilty but it would be even better if they were sent to jail” Guy Oulla Alleged waste victim

Trafigura employee Naeem Ahmed, who was involved in the ship's operation in Amsterdam, was fined 25,000 euros and the captain of the Probo Koala, 46-year-old Sergiy Chertov, was sentenced to a five-year suspended jail term.

This is the first time Trafigura has faced criminal charges since the toxic waste scandal unfolded in Ivory Coast's commercial capital, Abidjan, in 2006.

Trafigura, an oil trading company, initially tried to clean up low-grade oil by tipping caustic soda into the hold of the Probo Koala. The company tried to unload the waste in Amsterdam for treatment, declaring it as "harmless slops".

When the treatment company came back with a higher price for cleaning the waste, the cargo was shipped to Africa where it ended up in Abidjan to be handled at a much lower rate....

The full BBC report here.

Trains and transport hub not bendy buses

I've been to a lot of meetings about bus rapid transit. The more I went to and the more questions I asked the more I realised just how poor the plans are - and that's as a person very strongly in favour of more, better and cheaper public transport. No surprise then that I agree very strongly with this latest press release from Bristol South Green Party and admire the work of Cllr Tess Green, green activist Pete Goodwin and others:

Bendybus is just a vanity project, say Greens

Threats to government funding for Bristol's first bus rapid transit route hasn't yet stopped the council spending on it. At the council meeting earlier this month, only one member voted against.

That member was Southville's Cllr Tess Green. She believes that even if it does win government cash, the new concrete guided bus route into the city from Long Ashton will be a white elephant. She says money would be better spent on schemes that could really make a difference - like light rail from Portishead into the city centre, or a first-class transport hub for all of Bristol at Temple Meads. Now she's lobbying the Department for Transport to explain her concerns.

Bristol South Green Party, meanwhile, has joined Tess and other local organisations in asking the government to refuse an order allowing it to go ahead.

"We've been studying the case made for this first bendy-bus route" said spokesman Pete Goodwin, "and find it doesn't do what it says on the tin. Traffic and congestion in the next twenty years get much worse with or without the bendy- bus. All this project does is encourage more commuting by road from North Somerset. They've conveniently forgotten about climate change, peak oil, and the awful congestion that we already suffer."

"This is a reckless waste of public money at a time when much more vital services are being cut, and community assets are being sold off. So far as we can see, it's just another part of the council's bid to turn the Green Belt around Ashton Vale into a big sports and entertainment venue, it serves no other major purpose. That makes it more a vanity project, at the cost of real public services."

ENDS
Note: The formal objections from Cllr Green and from the Bristol South party to the Bus Rapid Transit project can be read here .

BBC News - Peter Tatchell confronts BNP's Nick Griffin

BBC News - Peter Tatchell confronts BNP's Nick Griffin

Why wont this nazi answer Peter's questions? He owes voters answers?

PLANS for a £92-million football stadium in Bristol have been thrown into disarray after councillors refused permission for a new Sainsbury's superstore at Ashton Gate.

PLANS for a £92-million football stadium in Bristol have been thrown into disarray after councillors refused permission for a new Sainsbury's superstore at Ashton Gate.

This is a good decision. Its proposed that the stadium would be in the green belt where its building would be very likely to stimulate many other damaging developments and further loss of green belt land. The proposed Sainsbury's is huge and would be very damaging both to the environment and to the existing community of small shops and businesses locally. There's been a lot of froth and hype surrounding the benefits of a new stadium, huge supermarket and the mere possibility of a few world cup games being played in Bristol - and few well established hard facts on net benefits. Big business and big money people have for once not got all their own way, though there may well be an appeal of course.

Epetitioner: Save Our Swimming e-petition

Epetitioner - Save our swimming

Status: collecting signatures - please sign it!!!

Petition
The new Tory Lib Dem Government has cut ALL free swimming for under 16s and over 60s in Bristol.Last year 177,000 under 16s and 79,000 over 60s swims took up the Labour government’s free fitness offer. There was a 400% increase in swims for older people and 27% increase for young people. Swimming has undisputed health benefits and gives confidence to young swimmers.The Labour government grant was £317,000. Lib Dem run Newcastle has saved their free swimming. Why can’t Bristol City Council find this money from other savings and save our free swimming?

Free swimming is a great preventive health care aproach, cutting the need to spend money on people who become ill!!

UK sustainability watchdog to be axed | Environment | The Guardian

UK sustainability watchdog to be axed Environment The Guardian

...The plan to scrap the Sustainable Development Commission is – ironically – scheduled to be unveiled on the same day that the agency will release its annual report into green improvements to the government's operations. This lists tens of millions of pounds worth of savings from fuel costs, water, waste and other things. Many of the changes were prompted by advice from the SDC which has staff of around 60 and a budget of just under £3m...

So much for the Tories and Lib Dems being green and putting sustainability at the heart of governing the country - the claim always was rubbish and here is yet more evidence.

Peru tries to expel 'incendiary gringo priest' - Channel 4 News

What a man! This is religion not about believing, writing and saying good things but in doing good and living a good life. Peru tries to expel 'incendiary gringo priest' - Channel 4 News

Brother Paul McAuley is a hero among the indigenous tribes ofthe Peruvian Amazon, but the 62-year-old missionary from Portsmouth has made such a nuisance of himself in his campaign for tribal rights that Peru's government has ordered his expulsion, writes Jonathan Rugman.

"If I have to go, I'll get carried out," he told me last week. "I won't resist because I respect Peruvian law, but I won’t have the energy to take any steps to walk. That would be to betray these people."...

...It was Brother Paul who in 2008 filmed video pictures of the River Tigre, blackened by clouds of billowing oil, and he has asked the Peruvian authorities to investigate.

And it was Brother Paul who in the same year obtained a chilling video – which he passed to Channel 4 News - of a man apparently tortured and killed after demonstrating for native rights.

"The death of the native has never been investigated," he said. "We have been going on for two years and we know nothing about how he died."

The Catholic missionary lists his main achievements as helping overturn possible 20 year jail sentences facing Indian protestors, and obliging the government to conduct environmental and social studies before forestry logging concessions are awarded; though he says Peru's President, Alan Garcia, has refused to sign that pledge into law.

The Peruvian press has called Brother Paul a "white terrorist", and an "incendiary gringo priest", and the campaigning charity that Brother Paul founded is certainly causing a rumble in the jungle...

Mabinogogiblog: In Rwanda, Green politician is murdered. Lobby the Commonwealth

Mabinogogiblog: In Rwanda, Green politician is murdered. Lobby the Commonwealth

Another Green World: Let Iroquois Lacrosse Team play in the UK!

Another Green World: Let Iroquois Lacrosse Team play in the UK!

Art against oil...

Art activists did another dramatic 'oil slick' performance at the BP-sponsored British Museum today. Short video (above), pictures and backstory here...

http://just-do-it.org.uk/oil-spill-at-the-british-museum

Save Bristol Green Spaces

Save Bristol Green Spaces - spreading the word about signing this petition (please click on the link and sign up)

We, the undersigned, strongly oppose the plans to build an excessive number of houses across Bristol North West on open space which is of very great value to the local community, under the Council's housing consultation and allocation.

'Conspiracy theories finally laid to rest' by report on leaked climate change emails

Scientists involved in last year's "climategate" leaked emails controversy, which added to scepticism about the science of global warming, were not open enough with their data and unhelpful with requests for information, an independent review of the affair found yesterday.

They and their institution, the University of East Anglia (UEA), did not embrace the "spirit of openness" enshrined in the Freedom of Information Act, according to a long-awaited report into their conduct carried out by a panel of senior academics.

However, the review found that the researchers concerned, led by the Director of UEA's world-renowned Climatic Research Unit (CRU), Professor Phil Jones, could not be faulted for their "rigour and honesty as scientists", and there was no evidence that they had behaved in a way that might undermine the conclusions of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

(from The Independent)

Let's talk: Transport Matters | Travel+

Let's talk: Transport Matters Travel+

The West of England Councils are working together to produce a new transport plan for the area.

Transport is an important issue, affecting everyone, and we want your views on it.

A SOLAR and pedal-powered party takes place at Bristol's Create Centre on Saturday.

A SOLAR and pedal-powered party takes place at Bristol's Create Centre on Saturday.

The theme of the 'Saturday Sun-day' party is low-carbon living, and there will be a whole host of free hands-on activities, workshops and demos to get people thinking about greener living and help them to 'reduce the use'.

Bristol City Council leader, Councillor Barbara Janke, said: "To make sure we meet our ambitions to be the UK's Green Capital, we need to inspire Bristol people in their communities to make changes to the way they live their lives.

"I hope the event will help people to understand more and find creative ways of signing up to a greener lifestyle."

Children can crawl inside an enormous inflatable 'Explorer Dome' to find out all about earth. They'll also have the chance to make a solar-powered boat, create a recycled mural, and decorate their bikes with the help of local artists, ready for September's Bristol Cycle Carnival.

Story sessions and craft activities will be run throughout the day in Create's brand new library space.
Bristol City Football Club will be supporting the event and sending along a player to sign autographs and take part in some footie fun in the afternoon.

Bite-sized eco-home workshops will offer practical advice on insulating your home, choosing renewable energy and monitoring energy use.

There will also be live music and food and drink.

The Saturday Sun-day is from 10am to 5pm at Create, Smeaton Road, Spike Island, Bristol. Entry is free. To find out more, visit www.createbristol.org.

Bristol City Council parks and green spaces sell-off

Its International Year of Biodiversity this year and what does our so-called green city want to do? Flog off some of our parks and green spaces! Given the very strong reaction from the public to this council plan from all over the city it would be undemocratic to continue with it – in fact they should be planning to increase green spaces wherever it is possible to do so as there is a value to them well beyond cash.

There are leisure, tourism, recreational, entertainment, sporting and health benefits in open, green spaces. Green spaces also help attract and keep businesses and help them to attract and retain the staff they need. There are key ecological and environmental function benefits eg storm water drainage and thus flood protection, as the land soaks up, temporarily stores and then gradually releases rain; taking carbon dioxide from the air, helping to fight climate change; provision of wildlife habitat and food supply, which aids biodiversity.

In an urban area open, green spaces are vital to the quality of our lives, offering relief from the all too common congestion and other negative effects of development. They are a way of connecting with and appreciating the natural world – vital to wellbeing and to encouraging respect for nature. We sorely need this respect in order to build the green attitudes needed to fight extremely serious environmental (and thus security) threats. We would do well to remember that even the scrubbiest, scruffiest bit of land (called poor quality, low productivity, marginal or ‘surplus’ by Bristol City Council) will absorb, store and gradually release rain, absorb carbon and other pollutants, grow wildflowers, provide a perch and perhaps some food for birds, and provide people with a feeling of space.

The Bristol Evening Post is absolutely right to speak out against these plans (‘Council must see bigger picture’, Post June 29) stating that green spaces are ‘not simply there for this generation’ and that we are merely ‘custodians of these open spaces’. I am working with the newly elected Green Councillor for Southville Tess Green following through on the 338 signature e-petition I submitted to the council when the Parks and Green Spaces policy was much discussed back in 2008. They failed to listen then but I hope they will now change their minds in response both to very strong public feeling and to the very clear multiple environmental, economic and social benefits.

Bioblitz Bristol

Passing this on: Discovering Places Mini BioBlitz, Brandon Hill, 24th July 2010

The Mini BioBlitz is a 3 hour wildlife survey of Brandon Hill running from 12-3pm on Saturday 24th July (see attached poster). We are inviting you and your community groups, family and friends to come and join in and see what different species you can find in the park. Scientists and naturalists from across the region will be on hand to help you identify what you find, tell you more about the region’s species, and give you ‘top tips’ for enjoying wildlife in Bristol.

We are hoping that with your help we can find over 100 different species in just 3 hours. This event is free, fun, educational and exploratory and for more information email Charlotte@bnhc.org.uk or visit www.bioblitzuk.org.uk
______________________________
Penny Starr
Director, Festival of Nature

Budget for people and planet?

Spot the serious green measures in this week's budget? There weren't any! The budget showed no respect for our real wealth and was unfair both for present and future generations. The VAT rise, benefit cuts , public sector freeze, govt departmental budget cuts of 25%, and failure to begin planning for and investing in a greener society will all hit the people, communities and the environment that is our real wealth. In 1997 Robert Costanza estimated that the total value of all our planet's ecosystem goods and services was a massive US $33 trillion - that's US $ 33,000,000,000,000, greater than the economic growth of the all the world' economies combined! Well worth protecting I'd say. There are huge problems with producing such estimates of course - is it water or diamonds that are more valuable to thirsty and hungry people? A subject I will return to I'm sure. If you accept the premises and methodology you are also likely to accept that this US $33 trillion figure is a vast underestimate!

http://www.teebweb.org/Home/tabid/924/language/en-US/Default.aspx

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v387/n6630/abs/387253a0.html

http://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/polasky.html

http://www.grist.org/article/what2/

BP: Biodiversity Poisoner

Some very creative redesigns of the BP logo here, well worth a look.

Government 'action' on biodiversity?

A sixth mass extinction of species is underway according to those scientists who study this field. Even Bjorn Lomborg said in his book The Skeptical Environmentalist that the current/recent extinction rate is high (his figure = 0.014 % of species per year, compared to the background/natural extinction rate of 0.0001% per year ie even a 'sceptic' says it is 140 times greater). Large numbers of scientists put the extinction rate at ten or even a hundred times Lomborg's figure, which is why they talk of a sixth mass extinction: being underway; being very rapid compared to previous mass extinctions (see image, click to enlarge); being caused largely by human activities, especially since industrialisation.

Given this, how are our government reacting? What are they doing/planning to do? Not that much - certainly not enough! You can scour over this speech by the new Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman but you wont find much about action on biodiversity apart from acknowledging interdependence and generalities on wanting to make things better (the emphasis is in fact distinctly on other matters, like money). Lets hope that this is just down to it being early days for the new government. Spelman's department, defra, said this very recently about UK biodiversity assessments /measurements,

Of the 34 component measures within the indicators, over the long-term 10 have shown deterioration, 9 have shown improvement, 2 have shown little or no overall change, 12 had insufficient data for an assessment, and 1 is provided for contextual information and is therefore not assessed.

Not good. Note that by over the long term they appear to mean from the 1970s on! Figures comparing current biodiversity with pre-Second World War, pre- First World War or even pre-industrial levels would be very interesting, though the further back in time we go the harder it is to get reliable data. I'm not that impressed by the current way we gather, treat and use data either.

http://www.jncc.gov.uk/biyp/

http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/files/2010/05/1905biodiversity.pdf

Food security and the variety of life

Ask local and national govt about biodiversity and they will talk about species and habitats. Fine as far as it goes, there’s much to be done about both and too little action being taken. I’ve talked about loss of species previously. According to The Ecologist since the Second World War our country has lost 95% of flower-rich meadows, 30% of ancient woodland and 80% of lowland grassland. We’ve lost many thousands of miles of hedgerow, home to a significant proportion of our plants,mammals, bird, butterflies.... The World Resources Institute say that the worlds forest cover has shrunk by as much as half, that 58% of coral reefs are threatened, that two thirds of cropland suffers soil degradation to some degree. You dont hear enough about biodiversity at the genetic level though – and that’s vital to human welbeing, not least because it gives plant and animal breeders a resource to draw on to feed the world.

Within each species and sub-species exists a unique pool of genetic codes. This pool has enabled plants and animals to adjust to change ie its evolved by natural selection. This diversity is what gives our food its flavour, food value, resistance to disease, adaptability... We are allowing this pool – an invaluable resource - to diminish, cutting what we can draw on to develop plants and animals for food in the face of environmental change. Two very common foods –potatoes and wheat - illustrate the situation well.

The original home of the potato is the Andes, South America. Breeders are continually looking there for new genetic material – but as natural and semi-natural areas are cleared, built on, farmed and so on the range of genetic material is decreasing. Andean farmers have increasingly been encouraged to discard old potato varieties for newer, higher productivity ones. Artificial gene banks of seeds and living material are likely to be no substitute for the real thing! There is enormous value in preserving and growing traditional varieties and in protecting natural areas, preserving genetic material where it has developed.

Giant and powerful agrochemical and agribusiness interests are disregarding biodiversity, at genetic, species, habitat and ecosystem levels - and dominating the seed trade. Reducing variety – ideally to a few patentable, single-season, expensive cross-breeds, dependent on fertilisers and pesticides – makes sense and makes money for giant transnational companies. Those who dominate the seed trade also make the chemicals! Where they once used to be varied, wheat and corn aren’t so now - 30% of the worlds wheat comes from one parent plant and 70% of the corn comes from six parent plants. Narrow genetic variation means lower food security because in the event of plant pests/diseases successfully attacking wheat/corn we could lose a big chunk of what is grown.

Gardens and wildlife: biodiversity 'begins at home'

There are around 15 million gardens in Britain and those in England cover an area larger than all nature reserves. Gardens often support more variety of life than the green belt and have long been vastly underrated and underemphasised in biodiversity action planning! Help protect the variety of plant and animal life and gain pleasure by:
* digging and maintaining a pond in your garden – even a small, basic one will attract all sorts of wildlife
*make a small log/twig pile in a garden corner – lichens and fungi may grow, bugs and frogs will make a home and hibernate there
*leave a small, confined part of your garden to grow wild – plants like nettles and brambles are a haven for wildlife
*look into putting up bird, bat and bug boxes...

Excellent and detailed list of tips on gardening for wildlife here from Natural England.

British animals we've made extinct

There are plenty of reports about species made extinct and those threatened with extinction from around the globe. Here I just want to give a few examples of some animals we've made extinct from Britain (sample pictured - click to enlarge).

As Britain's human population grew and its agriculture, communities, society and then enentually the industrialised economy developed we have lost, amongst many others: the Wolf (late 1600s in England, 1743 in Scotland) due to hunting; the Brown Bear (during the 1100s, perhaps earlier) due to habitat loss and persecution by hunting; the Wild Boar (the true British Boar by the 1400s and reintroduced types by the end of the 1800s) due to hunting for sport and food as well as loss of forest habitat; the Reindeer (extinct according to some sources by 6000 BC though there are reports of Reindeer in Scotland until 1100 or 1300 depnding on which source you trust!); Aurochs (extinct in Britain perhaps 1000 or 2000 BC and lost from all of Europe during the 1600s) due mostly to habitat destruction; Beavers (mostly gone by the 1300s, may have survived in small pockets until the 1600s, perhaps later) due to heavy trapping for pelts plus loss of range and habitat; the Crane (by around the 1660s) due to taking for food as it was a great delicacy in medieval times; the Great Bustard (by around 1832) due to habitat loss and hunting; the Black Tern (by the mid/late 1800s as a breeding bird) due to draining fens; the English Large Copper butterfly (during the 1860s) due to fen drainage; the Mazarine Blue butterfly (in the early 1900s) due to loss of its habitat and food supply; the Black-veined White butterfly (during the 1920s) due to habitat disturbance and destruction...More recently losses include: the Greater mouse-eared bat in 1990; the Burbot in 1972; the Pool Frog during the 1990s; the Mining Bee in 1934; the Digger Wasp around 1950; the Essex Emerald Moth in 1991; the Vipers Bugloss Moth in 1977; the Dainty and the Norfolk Damselfly and the Orange-spotted Emerald Dragonfly all during the 1950s...

There have been attempts at reintroduction, including for some of the species I've named but the scale is generally small and success can be patchy. Britain's environment has changed a good deal since many species have gone. There are fans of the Wolf, many of whom argue for serious debate on their reintroduction in the Scottish Highlands. The Wild Boar was repeatedly reintroduced for hunting/food until the late 1800s and due to escapes from captivity there are several pretty healthy wild populations in Britain now. Reindeer reintroduction to Scotland began in the Cairngorms in the 1950s and has been successful on a small scale. There have been and are attempts at planned Beaver reintroduction and Natural England are studying the issue. An attempt to reintroduce the Great Bustard to Salisbury Plain in the 1970's was unsuccessful but recent attempts with this species has been much more fruitful, with a few years of successful breeding and increasing nesting. A tiny number of Cranes struggled to sustain itself in Norfolk in the 1980s but there are now efforts at reintroduction. The Black Tern can be seen again as summer visitor and birds have fledged here from the 1960s on. A European sub-species of the Large Copper butterfly was reintroduced in the 1920s. Stray specimens of the Black-veined White butterfly have occasionally reached southern Britain from the Continent.

Diverse and unified; different and equal; changing and constant

Behind the idea of growth and progress is out of date, straight line, mechanistic, scientific and technical thinking based on the philosophy of breaking things down and analysing them in isolation. This stresses qualities that help us distinguish between people and things. It portrays difference and diversity as opposite, antagonistic, negating extremes: natural v social; human v animal; economy v environment; mind v matter; female v male; black v white; heterosexual v homosexual; old v young; science v art; left v right; objective v subjective; dynamic changes v stability...

This has its place and its usefulness but its very often an either/or trap that is at odds with reality. It is preventing us from acting on the fact that uniqueness, diversity and difference are vital, connected, complementary qualities. Reality is interdependence – the natural and social, human and animal, economic and environmental and so on, are both unique and part of the whole simultaneously. The social emerges from the natural. This is what we are learning from joined up thinking - systems thinking - that is a feature of the newer, fast developing branches of science such as ecology.

The value of diversity and difference can and should be emphasised to counter the trend to political, economic, social and cultural uniformity. Diversity within and between species, habitats and ecosystems brings multiple interactions, with species compensating for each other in the face of change. Avoiding confusion, ie differentiating what is not different and identifying what is not identical, is vital. Difference stressed at the expense of and devoid of solidarity, cooperation and connection can become magnified, resulting in: neglect; blame; anxiety; racism; sexism; abuse; and oppression.

Awareness of this issue that results in action would mean better decision making, better problem solving and better ability to take opportunities. Connections would be recognised and accounted for and complexity better managed.

For the moment though we persist with predominantly straight line thinking: the more economic growth the merrier; its the amount that counts; not much of a selective, controlled approach or much breadth or subtlety in the way we think through, measure and assess growth and progess. High growth, high energy and resource use (especially non-renewables), high waste and pollution, loss of biodiversity (such as the species we've made extinct - sample pictured) – damage to the quality, security and stability of human life.

The case for protecting our closest animal relations - and so protecting ourselves

The image and letter [left, click to enlarge] was first published in the Bristol Evening Post in April 2004 - I'm still putting the same arguments now. Protect biodiversity and we protect ourselves.

Biodiversity: threats to

There's only so much of our planet to go around and so as the human population has accelerated in growth and as human consumption has increased - and intensified per person especially in the rich world - so biodiversity has declined. Its estimated that there are 1.4 to 1.7 million living species that we have named and described and that there may be as many as 10 or even 100 million species in total - and we are responsible for hundreds of extinctions, more likely thousands if you count in species we did not even know existed.
*
We hunt species directly - for food or medicine or sport - cutting numbers and sometimes wiping out, as with the dodo, or nearly wiping out species, as with the blue whale. We take large areas of land, wiping out habitats and ecosystems eg by deforestation, wetland drainage...to create farmland, mine resources, build roads, airports, towns and cities...We dig and drill into the ground and under the sea to extract resources, like coal, oil and gas, that have taken millions of years to form. We consume the resources we've extracted and pour waste and pollution into the air, oceans and onto land.
*
We grow our economies as fast as we can - that's how we measure our progress, by the increase in gross domestic product (GDP). GDP treats loss of biodiversity and loss of ecosystems and the services provided as a benefit not a cost eg the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or the Exxon Valdez disaster or all the other oil spills are counted not as a cost but as a benefit - yet we are in truth impoverished by it.
*
I've previously posted on the gross deficiencies of GDP as an indicator here and on the need for a new kind of economics here. See here for the wiki entry on why GDP is very bad as an indicator of general welfare and wellbeing.

Biodiversity matters because...

Biodiversity [life in all its variety] should be valued for reasons of: ethics; aesthetics; ecology; education; recreation; economics; and the resilience that comes from diversity in systems. I suppose preserving biodiversity basically comes down to the fact that it exists, the fact that we like it - and the fact that we need it.

Lets focus in on how and why we need it - and in fact cant live without it! Basic life support systems - those that process our water, soil and air - require varied forms of life, so this alone makes biodiversity essential.

What follows is a list of just some of the uses humans make of biodiversity directly - it shows that it is the source of our resources and the basis of our lives: wheat, rice, potatoes, vegetables, meats and the other stuff we eat; construction materials like wood and bamboo from plants; cotton, paper, linen, and wool from fibre producing plants and animals; renewable fuels, like coppiced willow; latex from rubber trees to make tyres and condoms; ornamental plants for our gardens; tropical fish as pets; large natural/seminatural areas for eco-tourism; many species used as biological pest control for our crops eg ladybirds; reeds beds that clean up sewage-contaminated water; many pharmaceuticals, now synthesised, but originating in natural products eg aspirin from willows and penicillin from fungi...[many of these are pictured, click to enlarge].

Biodiversity is...

Its International Year of Biodiversity this year so I'm going to do a series of articles on biodiversity in the run up to and a little beyond World Environment Day tomorrow. I've posted on topics relating to biodiversity many times before, notably here summarising the range of reasons why we should protect life in all its diversity and here illustrating the incredible variety of life to be found just within common fruit and vegetables, using the carrot as an example (click on the label biodiversity in the right hand column if you want to browse through my posts on this topic).
*

Some are unsure what is meant by biodiversity and it is all too often spoken of and explained as if its just about the range of species - its about so much more than that! This first post in the series thus gives my definition. Modern science has been and is learning about joined up - systems - thinking . Biodiversity is thus about the genetic variation within species, the range of all species, the interrelationships between species and between those species and their habitat(s) and the variety of habitats and ecosystems. Lets not forget that human beings are included in this of course and that the living world is tightly coupled to and dependent on the non-living ie water, rocks, air and so on. In short biodiversity is nature as a whole - and its the source of our resources and the basis of our lives - see biodiversity sample in the image above (click to enlarge).

*

The level of biodiversity is a key measure of how sustainable human society is - and should feature at least as much as the often discussed carbon emissions as an indicator. If biodiversity is high then we are much more likely to have: protected natural assets; kept ecosystems healthy; retained regenerative capacity; maintained the ability to deliver goods and services; kept wastes and pollutants below environmental capacity for safe processing.

Fears over feuding families scupper school merger plan | Bristol news

Fears over feuding families scupper school merger plan Bristol news

PLANS for a £6 million new primary school in Knowle West have been dropped after concerns a merged school may bring "warring" families together.
An independent report said the proposal to shut Ilminster Avenue and Connaught primaries and merge them in a new building was a bad idea.
The merger plan was announced two years ago in the council's Primary Review. People in the area immediately opposed the scheme, and eventually the council decided to commission consultants Cambridge Education to help find a way forward.
In their 90-page report, the consultants were critical of the proposal for many reasons.

Hardly a fair and balanced choice of headline by the Evening Post (which is also unfairly subheaded 'Scheme dropped after warning over tensions') but it suits the stereotype of Knowle West they always seem to have in mind. The consultants - very significantly - also said that the scheme would leave the area without enough primary school places and that not enough money had been allocated to building the proposed single, larger school. Also pretty significanly they outlined further community uses for the existing school buildings and proposed that such changes to schooling need local community support - but the Post chose to put the spotlight elsewhere. Its great that the merger idea has been dropped but why did the council have to employ consultants to reach this conclusion - why did they not listen to locals and campaigners instead?

Nuclear station wants an extension to make more cash

Nuclear station wants an extension to make more cash

Oldbury nuclear power station is set to continue operating into next year despite previous plans to shut it down within months, it has emerged.

Officials are requesting a "fairly short" extension to its lifespan, which would generate cash that could be off-set against a £4 billion hole in the national decommissioning budget revealed yesterday by the Government.

Oldbury was due to be decommissioned in 2008 after operating for 41 years but was then given permission to run until this year.

Oldbury nuclear station has already been allowed to operate for longer than originally envisaged and designed for. This report does not tell us how much longer they are now asking for and the reason - financial - is hardly right-headed. One nuclear station operating for a 'fairly short' time is hardly likely to make much of a dent in the £4 billion black hole in the nuclear decommissiong budget. That there is such a large financial hole for such a vital operation is in itself disturbing - and adds weight to arguments against nuclear power.

Science cafes on climate, biodiversity and energy next week

Passing this message on: As part of the Festival of Nature, there are four science cafes in Bristol next week, Monday to Thursday, at various venues. All are free, starting at the usual time of 8pm. No booking is needed.

-----------------

Monday 7 June at the Tobacco Factory, Raleigh Road, Southville, BS3 1T

How will humans change when the climate does?
　
Scientists seek to understand nature; philosophers and economists explain human culture. Our combined knowledge has vastly increased, but has control of our world advanced?

This discussion will explore connections between the 'producers' and the 'users' of environmental change research to inform real-world environmental decision-making on many scales.

The speaker is Sarah Cornell
For more information email:

dane.comerford@bristol.ac.uk

-----------------
Tuesday 8 June at At-Bristol, Anchor Road, BS1 5DB

Geoengineering the climate: A brave new world?
　
Even very substantial cuts in carbon dioxide emissions are unlikely to prevent 'dangerous' climate change, so what other choices are available? This event will discuss alternative engineering options for cooling the planet and explore the risks of not tackling ocean acidification.

Speaker: Andy Ridgwell and Daniela Schmidt
For more information, email: john.polatch@at-bristol.org.uk, or tel: 0117 915 7120
-----------------
Wednesday 9 June at the Bristol County Sports Club, 40 Colston Street, BS1 5AE

The rise of the Peregrine: A recovering population
　
As the peregrine falcon spreads into our towns and cities, how will the species fare in the future? This event will consider the consequences of reintroducing birds in other European countries to bolster their populations. The persecution of birds of prey is on the rise. How can we manage their survival?

Speaker is Ed Drewitt -

http://eddrewitt.co.uk
For more information email: bristolsciencecafe@googlemail.com [Image] Bristol County Sports Club, 40 Colston Street.
-----------------
Thursday 10 June at the Watershed, 1 Canon's Road, Harbourside, BS1 5TX

A sea of energy
　
Energy is everywhere: it escapes from buildings; it changes form; it can be captured. But how do we do it? Join in discussions of how small devices can be powered from captured energy and how renewable energy could revolutionise our lives without some of us even noticing.

Speakers: Stephen Burrow, Jeremey King and David Drury
For more information email: dane.comerford@bristol.ac.uk

Bristol feminists hit back over Dita von Teese criticism, burlesque | Bristol Evening Post

Bristol feminists hit back over Dita von Teese criticism, burlesque Bristol Evening Post

Caroline Lucas | My maiden speech in Parliament

Caroline Lucas My maiden speech in Parliament

Thingloop: share more, consume less, save money

Just heard about the Bristol-based web startup, thingloop, aimed at enhancing community/shared life by enabling people to share their stuff more easily within their social network. Its based on the belief that by sharing our possessions we could significantly reduce the amount of unnecessary consumption of goods, and save ourselves money in the process.

It's a free service, and readers might be interested in thingloop, as an aid in reducing their environmental impacts. If you are interested but still unsure why not look over their website or contact thingloop and ask them any questions you may have.

You can follow/support thingloop on Facebook and/or on Twitter.

Synthia: life, dont talk to me about life

I've been following the reporting on Synthia, the so-called 'synthetic lifeform' or 'synthetic cell'. There's a lot of hype surrounding it, its creators, its promises and its dangers. Its very early days with this science and even earlier days in terms of applying the science ie technological uses - time for us to fully assess what it is and how we best employ it I hope.

Some impressive science is involved but its not really fully 'life made in the lab' because a naturally-occurring microbe, minus its genome, is used as the host and though the genome then inserted is synthetic it needed both yeast and E.coli to be used as part of the production of longer DNA sequences.

The term 'life' has been applied with little or no reference the fact that there is huge debate about what life is. There is still a challenge for scientists and philosophers to define life in unequivocal terms. Defining life is difficult —in part— because life is a process, not a pure substance. Any definition must be sufficiently broad to encompass all life with which we are familiar, and it should be sufficiently general that, with it, scientists would not miss life that may be fundamentally different from earthly life...(more).

There's been talk of a 'new industrial revolution', bringing together together biology and engineering, using 'synthetic life' to clean up oil pollution and nuclear waste, taking climate changing human carbon emissions from the air, producing biofuels and new vaccines - and even human body parts! Interesting choice of problems caused by industrial revolution(s) that will be 'solved' by purely technical means due to another industrial revolution. Purely technical 'solutions' are all too often no solution at all - remember the technical promise of an 'unsinkable' Titanic, nuclear electricity 'too cheap to meter', freedom of movement via cars tempered by congestion and pollution, nuclear weapons that would deter still ever-present wars.

Technology certainly has a role to play in solving problems - we need it but it should meet the definition of being the practical means to live decently. We should be asking ourselves what proposed technologies are and undertake a rounded assessment of technical capabilities and limitations, cost-effectiveness and impact on working lives and various systems and environments now and on into the future. We need to question technical developments at the earliest possible opportunity as opposed to regarding them as unstoppable drivers of 'progress'. Unconditional surrender to inventions and novelties would mean we had no regard for any possible social, economic and environmental consequences. We need to consider - in a systemic and systematic way - how scientific and technical change can be best harnessed for individual, community, social and environmental good - but we are currently very poor indeed at this task!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10138849.stm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/susanwatts/2010/05/assessing_the_impact_of_venter.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/7751164/We-need-a-real-debate-about-Synthia.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7758242/Environmentalists-fight-to-keep-synthetic-life-in-lab.html

Green MP's alternative Queen's Speech - Channel 4 News

Green MP's alternative Queen's Speech - Channel 4 News

Caroline Lucas | Caroline swears oath of allegiance to Brighton constituents

Caroline Lucas Caroline swears oath of allegiance to Brighton constituents

Stockwood Pete: Whitehall puts the South Bristol Link on hold

Stockwood Pete: Whitehall puts the South Bristol Link on hold

Gender equality policy vs practice on Bristol City Council

…a striptease by burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese…celebrity stripper performed a 10-minute routine…ended with her wearing nipple tassels and a thong at the Bristol Art Gallery and Museum…with her white skin, large breasts and tiny waist, she conforms to the mainstream stereotype of the sexual woman, the dominant cultural image that leaves ordinary women with low self esteem and anxiety, reaching for the cosmetic surgeon’s knife…

The city council has said it “carefully considered the nature of this private launch party” and is “satisfied” that it was appropriate for this event. Julie Finch, director of the council’s museums and archives, and council chief executive Jan Ormondroyd, were both at last night’s event.
http://pocketvenus.wordpress.com/2010/05/15/burlesque-show-upsets-feminists/
_______________________________________________

‘In order to contextualise the promotion of equality between women and men, we plan to deepen and broaden awareness of gender stereotyping and gender equality and develop understanding of the historical basis of discrimination against women.’

‘We will do this by running a seminar series for our employees.’

Bristol City Council, Gender Equality Scheme And Action Plan, 2007 – 2010, page 19

So, should we expect to see several very senior council employees along with senior councillors in Bristol's Cabinet attending a seminar or two on gender stereotyping? Or alternatively will they be abandoning their Gender Equality Scheme and Action Plan?

Nuclear power: in a nutshell guide

This is a great film project (http://www.tennerfilms.com/) . Tenner Films is an interactive film and online project which looks at the human stories and the issues surrounding nuclear power. Thirteen short films to entertain and encourage debate have been made (the example above is my favourite so far). Eight have now been completed - check them and the rest of the project out and give the makers some feedback!

You can feedback on-line or by emailing abby@tennerfilms.com. If you would like to hear more about the project as it develops you can also join an email list. You can also join the Facebook group and follow Tenner films on Twitter!

Please pass details of this project to anyone who you think may be interested.
http://www.tennerfilms.com/

More on nuclear power:

http://vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com/2008/01/why-am-i-against-nuclear-power.html

http://vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-hinkley-nuclear-plant-likely-to-be.html

http://vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com/2009/03/nuclear-power-too-slow-to-help-solve.html

BBC News - Nick Clegg pledges biggest political reforms since 1832

BBC News - Nick Clegg pledges biggest political reforms since 1832

"The biggest shake up of our democracy since 1832, when the Great Reform Act redrew the boundaries of British democracy, for the first time extending the franchise beyond the landed classes." said Clegg

Well, lets hope so because we certainly need change on this scale. However, Nick Clegg does have a very strong tendency to overstate and exaggerate at times, so we shall have to see what happens in practice.

Bristol Eco Veggie Fayre - The UK's Best Veggie Fayre's - the biggest vegan veggie eco friendly family day out in the UK

Bristol Eco Veggie Fayre - The UK's Best Veggie Fayre's - the biggest vegan veggie eco friendly family day out in the UK

Very interesting and well worth a visit - especially given that the brief now includes wider sustainable living issues.

May 29th and 30th 2010
Show opens Saturday May 29th 11am and closes at 11pm
Sunday May 30th 11am - 9pm

Elections and coalition government

I’d just like to put on public record my thanks to the many hundreds of people who supported my views and campaigning for economic wellbeing, social justice and environmental protection by voting for me as the Green candidate for Bristol East in the general election and for Knowle in the local elections. I’m finding the coalition government election outcome a fascinating one to see developing and unfolding. I have mixed feelings about the coalition because whilst I support the principle and practice of cooperation and consensus decision making between all parties it is very clear that the Liberal-Conservative Government is far from progressive and modern: it is planning both huge cuts in public services and large tax rises; the AV voting system we are to have a referendum on is no more fair and proportional than the current system and just tends to reinforce the status quo power of centre-ground politics; the new Cabinet does not fairly reflect our population eg 83% are male and 65% went to either Oxford or Cambridge; it has no more idea on how to reconcile our economy and society with the environment to build a fair, green and sustainable future than the Blair or Brown Governments.

Bristol's Happiness Lectures tonight

Now in its fifth year, The Bristol Happiness Lectures have established a reputation for being enjoyable, interesting events with leading speakers from positive psychology and the science of wellbeing. Initially developed by Chris Johnstone as part of his positive psychology education programme at Bristol University, past contributors have included Oliver James (2008), Ilona Boniwell (2007) and Raj Persaud (2006).

THE BRISTOL HAPPINESS LECTURES 2010 http://www.chrisjohnstone.info/happiness_lectures.htm
This year’s theme: Positive Psychology Responses to Depression natural ways to improve your mood

Tuesday 18th May 2010 7pm - 10pm

With.... Positive Psychologist Miriam Akhtar, (website: http://www.miriamakhtar.co.uk)
GP/Broadcaster Dr Phil Hammond(website: http://drphilhammond.com/)
and Self-help Author Dr Chris Johnstone(website: http://www.chrisjohnstone.info).
At St George’s Hall, Great George Street, Bristol BS1 5RR Price: £10 / £8 concs