Victory For Anti-Incinerator Campaign in Notts

Pickles rejects Sherwood Forest incinerator

Following a public inquiry, the Secretary of State Eric Pickles has refused planning permission for Veolia’s proposed 180,000 tonne waste incinerator in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire. The public inquiry, which was presided over by Inspector Rupert Grantham, opened in October 2009 and was adjourned twice at the request of Veolia to allow them time to submit further evidence.

The greenfield site, owned by UK Coal and subject to a planning condition requiring restoration to heathland and woodland, is in the heart of Sherwood Forest, and is used by rare and protected bird species such as woodlark and nightjar.

Local campaign group People Against Incineration (PAIN) were joined by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Newark & Sherwood District Council in opposing the application at the public inquiry. There was also a community evening where local residents voiced their opposition to the incinerator.

In the Planning Inspector’s view: “...Veolia have failed to show use of the Rufford facility would not prejudice further movement up the waste hierarchy...Recognition that the site is not previously developed land would have ruled it out at an early stage in the site selection process. I have also identified significant shortcomings in the subsequent assessment of this and other shortlisted sites. To my mind, the appraisal of alternative sites has not been robust”.

PAIN’s Chairman, Bernard Thompson, said: “This is a happy day for the people of Rainworth, and for all who care about Sherwood Forest. I would like to thank everyone involved. Local support remained solid over many years of campaigning. We have utmost respect for the Planning Inspector, Mr Rupert Grantham, who treated all parties fairly and arrived at the right conclusion.”

Shlomo Dowen, who gave evidence on behalf of PAIN at the inquiry, said: “It is unfortunate that Veolia and Nottinghamshire County Council have squandered so much time and public money on this misadventure. Now that this distraction is over PAIN looks forward to working with our County Council to ensure that Nottinghamshire’s ever-decreasing quantity of waste is managed sustainably.”

Newark & Sherwood District Councillor Linda Tift said: “I am overjoyed to hear that this beloved site will be protected from development. The site is clearly important to nature conservation and is surrounded by Sites of Special Scientific Interest. I hope that UK Coal will now honour their promise to return the site to heathland so that the community’s vision for the area to be restored and included in a Sherwood Forest Regional Park can be realised.”

WASTE GIANT FAILS TO OVERTURN PUBLIC RIGHT TO KNOW

SECOND VICTORY FOR LOCAL RESIDENT IN LANDMARK SECRECY COURT BATTLE WITH WASTE GIANT

The multinational waste company Veolia Environmental Services today lost its Appeal against a High Court ruling which ordered it to release details of its £850 million waste management contract with its waste partner Nottinghamshire County Council to local residents .

This is the latest in a long line of cases in which information Veolia has tried to withhold has been forcibly made public. The judgement, confirmed by the Court of Appeal, set an important precedent for local authorities with immediate impacts for other councils around the country.

Veolia initiated the case, asking the High Court to judicially review Nottinghamshire County Council’s decision to release details of its multi-million pound waste management contract following a request by local resident and waste campaigner Shlomo Dowen, of People Against Incineration (PAIN), under local authority audit laws. The High Court ordered Veolia to release the information, and the Court of Appeal has upheld the High Court’s broad interpretation of the right of access to information under the audit laws. The Court of Appeal added a qualification that where the information is commercially confidential the authority must still release it where it is in the public interest to do so.

Mr Dowen was represented by lawyers from Friends of the Earth’s Rights and Justice Centre and Timothy Pitt-Payne QC at the Appeal, which was heard in July.

Information released following the High Court judgement showed how much money Veolia has been charging the local council for each method of waste treatment, such as landfill, incineration, recycling and composting, and helped show whether or not the local authority is getting value for money. As a direct result of the release of the information, the district auditors carried out several investigations, and will release their report following the judgement today.

The High Court case spawned a facebook page, and resulted in similar requests for waste contract details from Local Authorities in: Shropshire; Nottinghamshire; Leicestershire; Newcastle; Dudley; Hull; East Yorkshire; Derby; Bristol; Gloucestershire; and Warwickshire.

The case joins a series of blows for incineration in the UK.

Shlomo Dowen said:

“Truth is the best friend of every anti-incineration campaigner. Information that has been released to campaigners provides a valuable, powerful and effective resource. We have used this information to help District Auditors' investigations, for planning objections, and in public inquiries with great success. Such information is an antidote to the industry's propaganda. This decision will be celebrated, again, by campaigners throughout the UK. And of course, the implications for accountability go well beyond waste campaigning."

Friends of the Earth Lawyer acting for Mr Dowen, Laura Gyte, said:

“The Court of Appeal have confirmed the victory in this case for freedom of information and the residents of Nottinghamshire.

“Veolia was forced to come clean about its waste disposal contract and allow council tax payers to see how vast sums of their money is being spent, and how their rubbish is being disposed of.

“We are disappointed that the Court of Appeal implied a qualification on commercial confidentiality – in our view this is a matter for Parliament to decide upon – but it is important that even where commercial confidentiality is claimed, the audit laws mean that public authorities must still disclose the information where it is in the public interest to do so.”

For the past six years Veolia has been embroiled in a controversial attempt to build a waste incinerator in Sherwood Forest. A public inquiry was held in Rainworth near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The public inquiry, which opened on 6 October 2009 and came to an end on 26 October 2010, involved Veolia, Nottinghamshire County Council, Natural England, Newark & Sherwood District Council, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, and the local anti-incineration campaign group PAIN. A decision on Veolia's proposed Sherwood Forest incinerator is expected in 2011.

Notts Incinerator Inquiry Postponed!

In a dramatic move the Nottinghamshire Incinerator Public Inquiry has been adjourned until April 13th 2010 and will now run for 4 weeks instead of 3 weeks.
Here's hoping that Veolia might think it is too much hassle or NCC might walk away.

On Wednesday 14th. October, the Public Open Forum will not now be needed. However, PAIN has decided to keep this date in place in order to update members.

The PAIN meeting is at
Rainworth Methodist Church Hall,
Southwell Road East,
Rainworth,
Notts
NG21 0BN
on Wednesday 14th October. 6.30 for 7pm. Cake will be available!

Victory over Veolia!

Good news!
The giant multinational waste, transport, water and services conglomerate Veolia has been defeated in its' attempts to withhold important information from local anti-incinerator activists and Council Tax Payers in Nottinghamshire. The decision of the High Court on 1st October is a landmark decision and a victory for dynamic PAIN* and UKWIN* activist Shlomo Dowen and Friends of the Earth in the UK who supported the case against Veolia.

The court case came about when activists sought to see details of the fantastically expensive waste contract signed between Veolia and Notts County Council under regulations governing local government auditing. Under these rules members of the public are allowed to see Council accounts and financial details during the audit process. Veolia sought an injunction against anyone seeing details relating to the County Waste Contract which includes the controversial incinerator plans for Rainworth in Sherwood Forest.

This led to the farcical situation of Notts County Council, (aware of their legal duties and the likelihood of them loosing a challenge if they complied with the wishes of Veolia) confronting their favoured contractor in court.

This is all a good omen for the Public Inquiry into Veolia's White Elephant Notts Incinerator (improved waste treatment technology and increasing recycling rates are already making it increasingly obsolescent before it even has final approval - the argument for an alternative waste strategy strengthens by the day) - the Inquiry starts in Rainworth next Tuesday and the public have their right to have their say on 14th October in the evening session of the Inquiry at Rainworth Methodist Hall.

Well done to Shlomo, PAIN, UKWIN and FOE and good luck for the Inquiry!



Notes
* PAIN - People Against Incineration - local Notts campaign against projected Veolia incinerator in Sherwood Forest.
* UKWIN - National anti-incinerator network, UK Without Incineration.

Quick Weekly Links

A very busy week this week, so just time for a few links that might be of interest.

Matt Sellwood has put a draft of his forthcoming pamphlet on Greens and The Left in Britain on his blog and is requesting comments - read it here.
Matt also has video of Mark Thomas' contribution to the Put People First Rally that I mentioned in my last blog entry - good rabble rousing stuff, with humour. A report and pics from the march and rally on the Lenin's Tomb blog here. Joseph Healy's reflections here.

Meanwhile, some interesting links from Jim's Daily (Maybe) blog here.

In other news this week (as the Two Ronnies used to say!)a big victory for the anti-incineration movement in Cornwall.

The RMT are balloting for strike action on the London Underground in a battle against job cuts, a pay freeze and management bullying.

Information here on another story I have covered previously - latest developments in the battle to defend the William Morris gallery in Walthamstow.

Finally, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) issued a report on "The Financial and Economic Crisis: A Decent Work Response," which examines current rescue efforts in 32 countries, including all members of the G20, and notes that demographic projections suggest that nearly 90 million net new jobs would be needed over 2009-2010 to absorb new entrants in the labor market and avoid a prolonged jobs gap. The study calls for enhanced cooperation among key international organizations and a reprioritization between these goals, to, inter alia: pave the way for a green economy; and enhance the Green Jobs agenda, considering that green technologies tend to be more job-rich than their carbon-intensive counterparts. A more sceptical view on likely "green bailout plans" from India here.

Weekly Links 16/03/2009

Just to vary things a bit I think we will have an ABC of links this week!

A is for
Airport Expansion, which will actually destroy jobs, says a new report.
B is for
Blackpool, location of the Green Party of England and Wales conference this coming weekend.
C is for
The CNT Spanish anarcho-syndicalist union now in dispute with Ryanair.
D is for
The New Depression, a word now being heard more frequently.
E is for
Evolution - elaborated by Charles Darwin, whose bi-centenary we are celebrating this year
F is for
The Israeli Far Right, who have just joined the Government coalition there.
G is for
Greece, where "Scotland Yard" have been called in to support the tottering regime.
H is for
Maura Harrington, an environmentalist protester languishing in Ireland's notorious Mountjoy Jail.
I is for
Ireland, and its' diaspora, preparing for St Patrick's Day.
J is for
Jury Team - the latest "independent" effort to shake up British Politics.
K is for
Korea, where violations of Labour Rights are increasing.
L is for
Low Carbon Lifestyle, a blog which reported on the "Age Of Stupid" film premiere.
M is for
Montreal which saw small scale rioting at the weekend, following a march against Police brutality.
N is for
Next Left Notes, always an interesting read.
O is for
Oceans, which are apparently becoming more acidic.
P is for
Paris, which will be the place where the action is on Thursday 19th March, with a General Strike in France.
Q is for
The Queen, whose website efforts have spurred Republicans to revamp their own site.
R is for
The Russians, who as ever "are coming" and in the case of the Evening Standard have arrived! Strange Days indeed!
S is for
"Squadism" which is how Andy Newman of Socialist Unity Blog describes recent events in Leigh
T is for
Terror, which brought peace protesters onto the streets of Belfast and elsewhere.
U is for
UKWIN - the UK without Incineration Network, who are holding their annual gathering in Nottingham this weekend.
V is for
The Very Public Sociologist who this week listed some "blogs you may have missed"
W is for
Wales where a story about bullying in the Army is unfolding.
X is for
X? X marks the spot, dark matter wise.... (That was a difficult one!)
Y is for
Youth unemployment - continued rises likely to be reported this Wednesday.
Z is for
Z Net, which I have not visited for a while, but looks very comprehensive these days.

US Anti-Incineration Academic To Speak In Shrewsbury

Incineration: an unacceptable practice in the 21st Century
A public talk by Paul Connett

Paul Connett is a Professor of Environmental Chemistry at St Lawrence
University, New York State, USA

The talk will take place:
Friday 27 March, 7.30 pm
Alington Hall, Shrewsbury School,
SHREWSBURY SY3 7BA

Planning applications have been received for burner-incinerators at Battlefield, Shrewsbury and Granville, Telford.

Find out from a renowned international expert why incineration as a form of waste management is the worst possible option for our communities.
Discover the sustainable, cheaper and safer alternatives.

For more information contact:
safe_waste_shropshire@yahoo.com or

Telford PAIN info@telfordpain.co.uk

Visit www.safewasteshropshire.co.uk and www.telfordpain.co.uk

Weekly Links 22/02/2009

International
Internationally the political temperature continues to rise, particularly for the Sarkozy regime in France, in Ireland, where 100,000 took to the streets and the inspiring Waterford occupation continues, in Latvia where the government has just fallen, and around the world as governments and their finances begin to look increasingly wobbly.


British Politics
The PCS union is mobilising around the proposed Labour Governmnent Welfare "reforms", with a lobby planned for next week.

Also this week, the Independent revealed the sorry tale of the possible destination of large quantities of British toxic waste.

On his Euro election blog this week, Derek Wall reports on the nasty effects of some EU policies on peasants and workers in Colombia.

There was a good turnout of Greens from London area (with some good work in achieving this from Green Left and the Campaign Against Climate Change)at the Downing Street demo last week against Heathrow expansion.

Peace
More details came out this week on the potentially disastrous crash between British and French nuclear submarines in the Atlantic. BBC report here and CND commentary here.

Gender Politics
For readers in England I have received the following about forthcoming events in Wolverhampton for International Women's Week -

A unique opportunity to listen to two prominent women leaders will take place in Wolverhampton on 12th March 2009. Ludmila Ermakova: Director and founder of the Crisis Centre “Ekaterina”, Ekaterinburg, Russia and Mavluda Shirinova: Director and founder of the Socio-Economic Development Centre “SABR”, Samarkand, Uzbekistan will be presenting their work together for the first time. You will also have the opportunity to listen to a contribution from Natalia Sukhareva, Head of the Sverdlovsk Regional Guild of Lawyers and her colleague Marina Zakharova, who were the first women in Russia to develop a training programme on domestic violence for lawyers.

The presentations will provide an opportunity to discuss the development of services for women abroad as well as debate and bring women’s issues to the forefront. The presentation is organised by The Haven Wolverhampton which has worked in partnership with the above organisations for over a decade and helped to support their work with vulnerable women and children (read more on http://www.havenrefuge.org.uk/International/International.htm).

The presentation will take place on 12th March 2009, from 1.00pm-4.00pm at the Light House Media Centre, Fryer Street, Wolverhampton. The event is free and open to anyone who wishes to learn more about women’s organisations in post-Soviet society. The presentations will be in Russian and in English. Please hurry, as places are limited.

On the same day the Light House will be hosting The Women’s Fair (11am-4pm) organised by WOW, The Haven Wolverhampton, YWCA and V Involved. This is a free event entitled ‘What Women Want’ which will include information stands, workshops covering everything from self defence and confidence building to pampering sessions, a children’s area and a large number of stalls from local groups and organisations. Free snacks and drinks will be provided. What’s more, the night will be rounded off with an evening of comedy from some of the UK best comediennes, courtesy of the Light House.

The events will take place as part of the City celebrations for International Women’s Week 2009 which was supported and managed by Wolverhampton City Council. All International Women’s Week events taking place in Wolverhampton are included in a programme which has been published by Wolverhampton City Council.

A Sherwood Forest Incinerator? Act On January 9th!

A Sherwood Forest Incinerator?
Act On January 9th!
Let Notts County Council Know How You Feel About It!
Following unanimous rejection by the planning committee of Newark and Sherwood District Council the plans of Veolia to build an incinerator near Rainworth in Sherwood Forest is before Nottinghamshire County Council on Friday 9th January.

PAIN (People Against Incineration) are calling for people to mobilise and let the County Councillors know how we feel about their dash to unsustainable and polluting incineration at a totally unsuitable site. The meeting is at County Hall, West Bridgford from 10.30am on Friday 9th January.

Here is the website of UKWIN (UK Without Incineration Network) for more info on incineration, the campaigns against it and the alternatives.

Local MP Paddy Tipping is believed to be calling for the decision on the incinerator to be called in by the Secretary of State as it seems a nonsense that such an important and controversial decision should be made by members of the very Council who have set up and agreed the local waste agreement and signed the multi-million pound contract for waste services with Veolia.

Whatever happens on the 9th and immediately afterwards the campaign against Veolia and their plans will continue in defence of the health of the population, the ecosystems of Sherwood Forest and the local SSIs and in favour of a sustainable and progressive waste strategy which does not cover the waste of millions of tonnes of recyclables and masses of heat energy with the figleaf of a little bit of (electricity-only) energy recovery!

Sherwood Forest Incinerator - Round One To The Anti-Incinerator Campaign

A notable success has been scored by those campaigning against the plans of waste multinational Veolia and Notts County Council to build an incinerator at Rainworth in Sherwood Forest. The local Chad newspaper reports the decision of Newark and Sherwood Council Planners to vote against the incinerator plans. The County Council have the final decision, but this District opposition means that a public enquiry or "call in" are now far more likely and the arm of the anti-incineration campaigners is strengthened. It is notable that the planners opposition centred on the feeble nature of claims of sustainability and "energy from waste" in light of the electricity-generating-only (non CHP) plans. The Veolia plans are outdated already and measure up badly against alternatives including those involving various kinds of anaerobic digestion and mechanical/biological treatment.

COUNCILLORS have tonight (Tuesday) unanimously rejected major plans for a waste incinerator in Rainworth — after concerns were raised about its environmental impact.
Members of Newark & Sherwood District Council's planning committee said they could not support proposals by Veolia Environmental Services for the facility at the former Rufford Colliery.

Their decision to object to the plans came after a protest this morning by members of People Against Incineration (PAIN) at a site visit by councillors, where campaigners released black balloons to show the carbon footprint the incinerator could have.

Local residents turned out in force with banners to make their views known about the plans and the protest went ahead peacefully, although police were called to the scene.

Planning officers at the district council recommended committee members object to the incinerator because of concerns about its carbon emissions and building the facility on greenfield land.

The authority will send its views to Nottinghamshire County Council which is expected to make a decision on the plans next month, although the decision could then be called in by the Secretary of State for a public inquiry.

More, including video, here.

Weekly Links 01/12/2008

World AIDS Day
Today is World AIDS Day. The Guardian has a moving series of photos and information.

The famous Magnum Photos agency dispatched its photographers around the globe to capture images of people living with HIV/Aids to mark World Aids Day today. Magnum's Access to Life photographs went on show in Washington DC earlier this year before being displayed in locations around the world

Peter Tatchell comments on one aspect of continuing prejudice on CIF today.

Anti-incinerator campaign
The campaign against the incinerator planned for Rainworth within Sherwood Forest in Central England steps up this week with campaigning around the planning committee stages. People Against Incineration (PAIN) are calling for good turns outs to their coming protests and meetings. This is from the campaign organisers:

PLEASE PASS THIS ROUND!

Further evidence [available upon request] has recently come to light proving that if not for our previous efforts, a waste incinerator would have been built in Forest Town. Now we need your help to win again!

Help us prevent a waste incinerator being built in Sherwood Forest (Rainworth, on the outskirts of Mansfield).

Join with fellow demonstrators next Tuesday (9th December) for the Sherwood Forest Protests Against Incineration

People Against Incineration (PAIN), the group formed to take over from Mansfield Against incineration (MAIN), are organising two anti-incineration protest demonstrations to take place on Tuesday 9th December 2008 to correspond with Newark & Sherwood District Council's Planning Committee meeting where the Council's incinerator consultation response will be decided.

PAIN is putting out the call to all anti-incineration campaigners to join the peaceful fun in Sherwood Forest, with a morning protest during the Planning Committee's site visit to the Old Rufford Colliery Car Park, Rainworth (11.15-12.30), followed by an afternoon demonstration at the Newark & Sherwood District Council offices at Kelham Hall (protest from 3 – 4 pm, incinerator application to be considered 4 – 6 pm), and hopefully evening celebrations!

A meeting will be held by PAIN on Thursday 4th December, from 7:30 pm in the Phoenix Suite at Rainworth Village Hall, Kirklington Road to discuss plans for the protest demonstrations.

Campaign organiser Linda Tift says:

"We know it's a difficult time of the year with much to do and many commitments to meet, but this is the moment we have all been worked towards for the last 3 years. Time spent making our voices heard now will be an investment in the future for both us and our families. Bring your kids. This is a lesson in democracy and the power of the people they will never learn so well in school! Bring your granny, your neighbours, the window cleaner and the plumber..."

Media
Various interesting articles in the Comment is Free/Soundings "Who Owns The Progressive Future" series this week, including pieces by radical artist John Jordan, Middlesex Uni Academic Jo Littler and Green Party of England and Wales Leader, Caroline Lucas.
Activist Jordan is particularly sceptical about versions of a "Green New Deal", but could be surprised to find that considerable numbers of left wing Greens might sympathize with most of his criticisms of some versions of a "Green New Deal", but might question the lack of any clearly defined agents of change in his proposed alternative that seems to look to those outside society or at the margins rather than organised workers or accountable community delegates. The typical rabid rightist trolls infest the comments sections under the articles as usual I am afraid, but there is the odd bit of constructive debate.

Lefty Green Bloggings
Former Green Principal Speaker Derek Wall had an article on indigenous struggles published in the Morning Star newspaper last week.
The Green Party Trade Union Blog has a response to the proposed British Government Welfare "reforms" from Alan Wheatley and Anne Gray.
Jim comments on the troubles of Lib Dem leader Clegg at Daily (Maybe) as does Peter Cranie.
Meanwhile Matt S has started a much needed debate on the left and anti-social behaviour at his Anglo-Buddhist Combine blog.

Waste Company Errors Undermine Case For Incinerator

This is the latest from PAIN (People Against Incineration) fighting plans of Nottinghamshire County Council/Veolia for a County Incinerator in Sherwood Forest at Rainworth near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire:

Veolia got their sums wrong

Serious mathematical errors have embarrassed Veolia, undermining their application for a waste incinerator. When these mistakes are corrected, Veolia's own Carbon Analysis report, produced by Veolia's consultants RPS, shows that incineration is about the worst of a range of options in terms of climate change, and not the best as Veolia claimed.

Climate change is described as an "overriding material planning consideration" ever since the Government issued Planning Policy Statement 1 (Supplement) in December 2007. Veolia's original application failed to address the climate change impacts of their proposals, so in May 2008 Nottinghamshire County Council planners wrote to Veolia asking for them to assess carbon balance of incineration compared with other waste management options.

In an independent report commissioned by the local campaign group People Against Incineration (PAIN), Public Interest Consultant Alan Watson writes: [Veolia's analysis] "...contains some basic errors that are so serious that it cannot be relied upon to support the applicant's case...When Table 4 is checked on a spreadsheet it can be seen that whilst the results for the incinerator are correct, ALL the comparative MBT [an alternative to incineration] results include serious errors". When all of the errors have been corrected the report shows that "Over a 25-year period...the additional climate change damage caused by the incinerator would therefore be more than £57 million".

Shlomo Dowen, of PAIN's Legal & Research Team, says: "This is just what PAIN needed to accompany our latest 150 pages of planning objections. We expect the climate change report to be an important document for submission to the forthcoming Public Inquiry into the controversial Sherwood Forest (Rainworth) incinerator proposals".

PAIN calls upon Veolia and Nottinghamshire county council to withdraw their application and engage with the community to develop mutually acceptable sustainable waste management solutions that place greater emphasis on reducing, reusing and recycling discarded material.

Weekly Links 05/10/2008

The Economic Crisis
Iceland is in difficulty (It is a measure of the size of the issue that I am talking about the country here, not the store)

British Politics
In an act of staggering indifference towards the views of electors, (or staggering ignorance) Gordon Brown has brought back one of the most hated people in political life, Peter Mandelson, to be his Business Minister during the current crisis. Mandelson, who was "safely" out of mainstream British political life as a European Commissioner (Where he was concentrating on screwing the people of developing nations for the benefit of neo-liberal capitalist globalisation), is to be made a Lord so that he can enter the government. After incredulity has come a wave of ridicule - including this thread in the Guardian with hilarious comment after comment on New Labour lackey Derek Draper's article saying that Mandelson's return is "a good thing". I suppose we should be grateful that Brown has at least given us all a good laugh in these gloomy times.
Meanwhile comes the news that thousands more Post Offices could be at risk due to the possibility of losing benefits and pensions contracts.

Child Poverty
The demo on child poverty took place in London yesterday.
Earlier in the week, ex-Labour Minister Clare Short condemned the government's record on tackling poverty.

Environment
Two stories of interest on pollution and climate change - one that some rivers might run dry once the warmer summers kick in (I know, warmer summers might seem appealing after the wash outs of the last two years in Britain!) - and secondly, concerns regarding the health and pollution implications of a planned plant that would burn a third of North East Scotland's rubbish. Meanwhile the UKWIN (UK without incineration network) and it's articulate and well informed public face Shlomo Dowen have been in the news following an Audit Commission report casting doubt on the wisdom and practicality of the government's waste strategy.

Fellow Bloggers
James Caspell of La Lutte Continue! reports that a South London meeting is planned for 22nd October to start one of the suggested local expressions of the recently developed Convention of The Left.
Jim at Daily (Maybe) commented on the US "bankers bailout" this week and has also come up with "Seven Commandments of Blogging".

Weekly Links 21/09/2008

British Politics
It is the annual Party conference of the ruling Labour Party in Manchester this week - long term Labour MP and media personality Diane Abbott explains why she won't be going here.

John McDonnell MP reports on his hopes for the parallel Convention of the Left.

On the same site David Lowry has an article on the nuclear commitments of the Prime Minister.

Red Pepper have established a blog for the Convention of the Left.

Human Rights
Peter Tatchell has alerted us to several significant cases of human rights abuses in recent days. First he had an article in the New Statesman on the situation with Balochistan activists in Pakistan and the UK. Secondly he had an article on low caste Dalit people in India on the Guardian Comment pages. Finally he alerted us to an urgent action alert over the treatment of sexual minorities in Uganda.

Another Green activist has alerted us to the case of Annociate Nimpagaritse, who has been in danger of being deported to a very hazardous situation in Burundi.

On 29th September Mark Thomas has a Book Launch with Amnesty International of his new book, Belching Out The Devil - Global Adventures With Coca Cola.

Green Issues
Helpful news items from EUWID, a site that gives news for the recycling industry - a study has shown that recycling PET plastic bottles is much more environmentally friendly than incinerating them.

On the same site, news that the European recycling rate for paper and board has now hit 64.5%, on course for the 66% by 2010 target that the industry set itself. Good news for all those campaigning on these issues, but we need to keep up the work and pressure for higher rates of recycling in the UK.

Unions and Work
The Communications Workers Union (CWU) report for the UNI global union network on their action at the 2008 European Call Centre Awards Ceremony.

International
Greek ecosocialists (working within the broad left electoral coalition SYRIZA)have organized and now have an excellent website in several languages.

I have had the following solidarity request from the IWW International Solidarity Commission -

Dear friends and comrades,

For two week in late-April and early-May four members of the Industrial Workers of the World traveled to Haiti to meet with labor leaders and document the plight of the Haitian working class. During our trip we encountered a Haiti still reeling from food riots which had gripped it just weeks prior. We found the workers and organizers that we met with to be extremely competent and passionate, but almost completely immobilized by a severe lack of resources.

Now a new crisis grips the Haitian people in the form of over a thousand dead and one million out of a total population nine million people displaced as a result of the recent hurricanes which have battered the island.

Haiti's government struggles to respond to what can only be called a humanitarian disaster, but no longer has the infrastructure after years of brutally enforced hollowing out as a result of neo-liberal economic policies. With the shell of the government unable to respond, and profoundly corrupt and bloated NGOs unable deliver aid to where it is needed, the best hope for Haiti lies in the response of citizens and organizers who live and work in the country.

The Haitians themselves have the skills, the energy, and the organization to accomplish this task, what they lack is the resources.
We are making this urgent appeal for aid in order to help those we met in Haiti, who hosted us in their homes, who fed us when they were hungry, who showed us that they have the know-how and the energy, they just need the resources to get the job done. The International Solidarity Commission of the IWW has established a fund to help get money and aid to the people on the ground that need it most. Please send your donations to
*IWW Haiti Fund c/o General Headquarters
PO Box 23085,
Cincinnati OH 45223*
USA

A Green Answers Scargill And Monbiot

Last week I posted on the exchange between Arthur Scargill and George Monbiot on the Guardian website. Dave Howells, A Green Party Trade Union Group member from Gower has written a letter in response which he also circulated on the Green Party Trade Union Group E-list in case it did not get printed, so I am publishing it here. I do not agree with every point, but it is closer to my viewpoint than the arguments of Monbiot and Scargill.

To the Guardian -

Clean coal is a mirage.

Re Arthur Scargill's letter in support of coal (Guardian 8th Aug), no matter what the government's intentions, and George Monbiot's possible resignations about our energy situation, the future of nuclear power is hugely doubtful.
The answer to global warming is not nuclear power, because it is a massive, centralised and hugely expensive technology. It is aimed at perpetuating business-as-usual, ie. generating massive amounts of energy to enable us to carry on with our present lifestyle aimed at achieving "Progress" by means of eternal economic growth.

On pragmatic grounds the economic downturn is making such investments look increasingly risky, and so less likely. Investments are huge, and the payback time is a long way off. The world is slipping into economic slowdown while the cost of resources is increasing. Also, any large increase in nuclear generating capacity worldwide would mean even greater demand for uranium, and there are strictly limited reserves of this.

I have no reason to dispute Arthur's financial arguments, and the usual fiasco of the public eventually being made to foot huge bills to make the best of technological nightmares and writing off misguided private/political financial misjudgements. I agree with him too on the matter of nuclear waste still remaining an unsolved problem. Indeed, it is now looking overwhelmingly likely that, after all these years, there is really no solution. We are faced with the prospect that species of life that come and go on this planet from now on will have to live with this stuff for geological time.

I agree with Arthur too that we are sinking into an economic and political crisis of an unprecedented scale. Underneath the daily news of credit crunches, mortgages, employment and oil prices lies the increasingly voiced grassroots fear that the end of our current industrial lifestyle might wellbe much closer than is being publicly recognised. Our political system seems helpless in the face of this, and any form of competent leadership appropriate to the situation is completely absent.

I agree with him too that, for all the bad political decisions made in the past, the UK still sits on vast quantities of unexploited coal. I also agree with him that the UK has never had an integrated energy policy: when energy was cheap and in seemingly inexhaustible supply we never needed to.

However, I must fundamentally disagree with Arthur that coal can answer all our "needs" without causing harm to the environment. In his eyes the simple answer is to capture carbon dioxide produced by power stations and bury it.
However, if one looks at this claim realistically it quickly becomes unfeasible - or at least deeply dubious. In fact it seems that the idea is now failing.

As Arthur noted, only some 20 percent of the CO2 we produce comes from power stations. Secondly, most power stations are situated nowhere near any rock formations that would be suitable for burying the gas. Those that might be would find collection and pumping costs very large - indeed taking a sizeable percentage of the energy produced by the power station itself. The safety issues of burying the gas in or near any residential areas hardly bear thinking about. CO2 is colourless and odourless, and spending two minutes just breathing that would probably prove lethal.

Some may point to a few schemes already in operation. However, these are very few, overstated, and not at all representative of any broad commercial application. For instance, the hydrogen scheme in Peterhead, Scotland is planned in order to maintain pressure in a depleting North Sea oilfield, with the aim of wringing out as much oil as possible (and thus maximising financial returns for BP and Rio Tinto - with government backing).

At this point I feel that Arthur's letter becomes very misleading. His statement that "all existing and new coal-fired power stations should be fitted with clean coal technology - including carbon capture that would remove all CO2" could easily give the reader the impression that carbon capture is with us, and no obstacle to progress any more. That is most definitely not so. In fact the technology has not been developed at all yet, and there are no real genuine examples of it at all - anywhere in the world. But as usual promises abound, and dreams of widespread application are getting well out of step with reality.

UK energy policy has been talked about at length, but the pressure for business-as-usual remains as intense as ever - like a wolf in sheep's clothing. At the very least, any government that is serious about global warming would prohibit the building of any further coal and hydrocarbon power stations, and any other coal-processing industries (hydrogen,petrochemicals, etc), unless demonstrably workable carbon burial, specific to that project, is completely built in to the scheme from the very outset. Empty promises of retrospective bolt-on bits must be strictly not allowed.
We have to stop living on false promises.
Yours sincerely
Dave Howells
Green Party, Gower

Weekly Links - 18/08/2008

Environmental Campaigns
Friends of The Earth in Britain have updated their anti-incineration web pages which now include a link to an interactive map showing 150 locations nominated as possible sites for the proposed 80 new incinerators around the UK, and a draft protest letter - all here
As FOE say, the incinerators will waste valuable resources and contribute to emissions. What is more, many will be energy inefficient by not making use of the heat energy in CHP arrangements.

Unions and work
The TUC's handbook for union green workplace representatives is now available online here - http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/gogreenatwork.pdf

The TUC is also supporting a World Day for Decent Work that is taking place on Tuesday 7th October.

The Institute of Employment Rights is running a conference to update activists and union lawyers on changes in employment law on 15th October in London - more here.

Blogs
The Inveresk Street Ingrate blog has some William Morris resources including a downloadable talk given in 1982 by Steve Coleman. All this here.

James at La Lutte Continue blog reported on one of the examples of over zealous policing at the climate camp last week.

Socialist Unity Blog has pics and details of the anti-fascist mobilisation in Derbyshire at the weekend, and an article by Louise on the latest from the DWP.

A Very Public Sociologist blog also has a report from the Derbyshire demo.

On his blog Nation of Duncan, Duncan Money discusses a recent IWCA document on Economics and Immigration.

The GPTU blog has a post on the actions being taken against the Mugabe regime by South African union COSATU and others.

Blue Green Earth/ESEI blog has an interesting post on Sci Fi utopias.

Dave Osler commented that the "Left doesn't have to take sides" on the Georgia/Russia conflict on his blog Daves Part and sparked a debate in his comments section.

Lenin's Tomb blog has some interesting stats on social and economic conditions in the USA.

Jim has launched another "Best Green Blogs" thing on his Daily (Maybe) blog.


The Left
The programme is now availble for The Convention of The Left, running alongside the stage managed Labour Party private-lobbying-festival, sorry, "conference", in Manchester in September. Manchester Green Party are running a session on Transport at the Convention of the Left. All the sessions are discussions so the named contributors won't be giving a talk but will be expected to lead the discussion.

Weekly Links - 22/06/2008

UK Politics News Stories
Lots of interesting, if sometimes a little depressing, stuff being reported this week. It seems all the millions spent by the climate change denial industry and the busy beaver efforts of their conspiracist right-wing errand boys on blogs and comments sections have not been in vain as a majority of Brits still "doubt the evidence" on climate change. Semi-reasonable comment (albeit from his establishment viewpoint) from Andrew Rawnsley here, but as usual the cynics, pessimists, liars and fascists are out in force on the comments section.

Meanwhile there is to be a much trumpeted "Green Energy Push" in Britain, but George Monbiot has picked out some of the flaws in the plan and its likely implementation. One thing I picked out was the lack of mention of the potential use of biogas from anaerobic digestion of food waste etc - let us hope that this is not a further signal of government "capture" by the big waste companies eager to incinerate 50% of Britain's waste and call this "sustainable" and "green" energy from waste. These firms have just managed to get the tame elements of the EU to pass legislation favourable to their plans in the face of Green opposition.

UK Royal financial reports are due out in the next few days, with the monarchist spin machine presenting it as "value for money" - the campaign group Republic is ready with the facts and arguments for an end to expensive and undemocratic hereditary offices of state. Republic are also running a campaign to challenge the oath of allegiance to the monarch.

Industrial
It is the British Isles Regional Organising Committee (BIROC) of the Industrial Workers Of the World (IWW) meeting this weekend, with preparations well under way for the international General Assembly of the IWW in London at the end of August. Before then, Wobblies internationally will be involved in a mobilisation to highlight the union-busting tactics of Starbucks. IWW members at Starbucks branches in the US have been under attack and now the IWW is linking up for action with the Spanish CNT union and the international organisation they are affiliated to the IWA/AIT (International Workers' Association) as a CNT member in Sevilla has been fired for union activity. The day of action is scheduled for July 5th.

It was the British public services union, Unison, conference this week and as well as warning the governing Labour Party over local government workers' pay they passed a motion on the situation in Palestine.

The RMT (transport) union has its' conference in Nottingham this week and there is a fringe meeting put together by the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Group at 1.10pm at the Rope Walk Pub on Derby Road.

Green Issues


Despite all the campaigning by green groups over battery recycling the British authorities have failed to act and now face penalties under new EU legislation.

There is impressive mobilising and campaigning going on against incineration in various parts of the world, including the Basque country where 2000 demonstrated on the streets of San Sebastian last week. There was also a protest in Barcelona, Catalonia, where three weeks ago 1,000 people marched against a project from the Lafarge cement plant to burn different types of waste, including sewage sludge, tyres and solvents. The local "platform" against incineration also collected 6,200 signatures against this project.

Human Rights
The campaign for the freeing of Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine continues, with a new petition. The speech given by actor Danny Glover at a vigil for the campaigner, and for freedom for Haiti is on You Tube here.

There is a demo supporting the long suffering opposition to the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe in London on Monday 23rd June. More from Action For Southern Africa here.

Blogs

Aled has a blog piece on Paul Mobbs' Energy Beyond Oil.

Derek reports that the Greens are likely to run a candidate in the Howden and Haltemprice by-election to give a voice to all those who support the former MP's stance on 42 days detention but vigourously oppose him on just about everything else and so could not bring themselves to vote for him. By voting Green people will be able to register opposition to the detention without trial moves without allowing a socially reactionary and economically neo-liberal Tory to present his party as the sole guardian of our rights and liberties. Elsewhere, Labour Left Dave Osler has taken Tony Benn to task for backing the Tory campaign.

Jack Ray is following the European football, Liam MacUaid and Dave Osler reflect on the anti-fascist event in London on Saturday, and the Socialist Unity blog reports on a call for the abolition of prescription charges.

Press Release From People Against Incineration, Notts

This is the latest press release I have received from People Against Incineration - PAIN - the anti-incinerator group based in Rainworth in Nottinghamshire:

Incinerator threat to human health for miles around

Nearly 200 people packed into the Rainworth Village Hall on Wednesday night (12th March) to hear Dr. Dick van Steenis talk about health problems caused by waste incinerators. The event was organised by the Rainworth-based People Against incineration (PAIN). Dr. van Steenis explained how the proposed incinerator would cause premature death and serious illness, including asthma, clinical depression and heart problems.

A scientist and medical doctor with decades of experience told the audience that incineration is not the best available method for dealing with waste. He pointed to studies from DEFRA and others showing that the tiny particles (between 1 - 2 microns) have been proven to cause a range of fatal illnesses, and even the most modern incinerators are not equipped with filters capable of capturing these microscopic particles. These life-threatening emissions are strictly controlled in other countries, including the US since 1997, but are currently unregulated and unmeasured in the UK.

Dr. van Steenis urged the Public health director, Chris Kenny, not to sign any documents that would allow an incinerator to be built. “This would be like signing a death warrant for the very people whose health he is paid and legally obliged to protect” says van Steenis.

PAIN members and supporters were told of a Harvard university study showing that health damage is spread over a 7-mile area for every 100 feet of chimney. Veolia’s proposals would endanger the health of anyone living or working within 17-miles of Rainworth.

The entire presentation, along with the extended question and answer session, was recorded to be made available as a DVD. If you are interested, please contact shlomo.dowen@p-a-in.co.uk

The event attracted much-needed donations and many new members to the local anti-incineration campaign group. PAIN Membership Secretary, Newark and Sherwood District Councillor, Allen Tift, said: “The group is just getting into its stride, growing stronger by the day. Our arguments are getting stronger too, thanks to the hard work of our legal and research team and the information provided by knowledgeable guest speakers like Dick van Steenis”.

PAIN’s next meeting, open to the public, takes place on Thursday 20th March from 7PM at The Potters, Kirklington Road, Rainworth. All are welcome to attend.

A petition has recently been started on the subject of PM 2.5 and below particles here - http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/AirQuality/

Dodgy Lib Dem Deeds In Nottinghamshire

Liberal "Democrat" councillors in Ashfield have agreed a plan to build a "refuse derived power station" (i.e. waste that has been formed into "briquettes") in Kirkby-in-Ashfield using their delegated powers and avoiding public scrutiny and the planning committee. Is this the true face of Clegg's new Orange-Book-rightist dominated Lib Dems revealed?

The waste incinerator cum power station is planned to incinerate 72,000 tonnes of "briquetted" waste per year and put the population and environment both locally and downwind at risk. This is of course in addition to the 180,000 to 210,000 tonne per year County incinerator planned for the old Rufford Colliery and the existing Eastcroft incinerator in Nottingham. Notts could become an incineration hotspot!

Alarmingly, the first person to comment on the local Chad newspaper website was a representative of the local BNP, so it seems as well as bringing local democracy into disrepute councillors Smith and Madden are also giving succour and ammunition to democracy's enemies.

Read the first report of the horrible story here

PAIN (fighting the Rufford proposals and having a meeting this Wednesday 12th at 7pm at Rainworth Village Hall with speaker Dr van Steenis), NAIL (fighting Eastcroft) and principled members of the anti-landfill campaign in Ashfield (those who also oppose the false solution of incineration) must come together to fight for a sensible waste policy and oppose those politicians who are suspiciously close to the profiteering waste companies.

No Incinerator In Sherwood Forest!

I mentioned the planned incinerator that Veolia are hoping to build in Nottinghamshire as part of the Notts CC Waste PFI in my weekly links on 25th February. PAIN, (http://www.p-a-in.co.uk/) the group leading the local campaign against the proposals are stepping up their work with a meeting to be addressed by the high profile anti-air pollution campaigner Dr Dick van Steenis.
The meeting is scheduled for 7pm at Rainworth Village Hall on Wednesday 12th March, all welcome.

Some of Dr van Steenis' work can be found at UK Health Research
PAIN have just submitted their comprehensive planning objection.
The planned incinerator would be situated in the heart of Sherwood Forest - the Major Oak, Edwinstowe, Center Parcs and other main tourist attractions would be immediately downwind. This at a time when Nottinghamshire's elected reps are licking their wounds over losing out to Sustrans in a major funding bid, and still seeking to establish Nottinghamshire's most famous area as one of the country's major conservation and "eco-tourism" areas.

The only note of caution to PAIN would be to treat cautiously the support (welcome as it is on an individual level) of climate change deniers such as David Bellamy, and note that Dr van Steenis' work is also carried on the site of "Country Doctor" David Roberts, who is another denier prone to veering into reactionary Vernon Coleman territory. Health experts and botanists pronouncements on meteorology and climate science should be given the same amount of weight as those of other people who have no particular expertise in the field - i.e uninformed opinion. On climate change, I will stick with the overwhelming majority of peer-reviewed scientists in the field. I will listen to medical doctors on health and epidemiology. The fact remains that majority relevant scientific opinion is that increased CO2 emissions are a bad thing, and this is an additional reason to object to the projected large expansion of incineration as opposed to proper development of alternatives like anaerobic digestion.