*Newsflash* - Welsh government pledges to use wool in public buildings. Please add your signature so that English, Scottish and Northern Irish governments follow the Welsh government's lead. https://www.farminguk.com/news/welsh-government-pledges-to-use-wool-in-public-buildings_56471.html?fbclid=iwar1ggxqeqvhx5nqqmdkge0av06mzro-qcmbsl-l9iue51rfbtdlukgu4zyq These 1000 wool fleeces are about to be incorporated into the manure heap. What a waste of a once valuable resource. A sustainable product that could be used to insulate homes for all government grant supported buildings. Sheep farmers receive less for their wool than the cost of shearing the sheep. Last year David Jones, who is pictured with his wool above, received 28p a fleece and paid the shearer £1. This year the value it set to drop by at least half. Hence he and many other farmer's across the country, decision to plough their wool into the fields as fertiliser. Last week Stuart Fletcher a farmer from East Sussex posted a similar photo on Facebook and to date has had nearly 2 million views and tens of thousands of 'likes', 'shares' and 'comments'. When asked as to why Stuart posted this photo, he said "because is made me sad". https://www.facebook.com/Fletchersflock/posts/1671402433029379 Wool is sustainable, fire-retardant, bio-degradable, and the most efficient form of insulation. On the 1st January 2021 sheep farmers may be further affected by possible new tariffs on sheep meat of at least 40%. Currently over half our sheep exports go to the EU and will never be substituted by trade deals with the USA or Japan, for example. Sheep farmers' incomes are being squeezed at every point. This Campaign has now been endorsed by; NFU NFU Scotland NFU Cymru Ulster Farmers Union British Wool (formerly The British Wool Marketing Board) National Sheep Association The Campaign for Wool - patron HRH The Prince of Wales Country Landowners Association Tenant Farmers Association Please sign this petition, because; - We want to revive our wool manufacturing industries, - We want to make this government use our money to insulate our buildings with a home-grown sustainable product, - We want to help sheep farmers make a decent income from their fleeces, - We want to create manufacturing jobs, - We want to maintain the upland landscape, - We want to put a smile back on Stuart's and other sheep farmers face's. Royal endorsement of wool - HRH the Prince of Wales stated “Wool is a product that the most brilliant boffin in the most hi-tech laboratory could never create.” And “it is important to remind people of how valuable and sustainable wool is as a fibre and as a natural material”. Links BBC News - Chancellor announces £2Bn of grants for home owners to install energy saving improvements. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53313640 NZ Campaign Newshub (New Zealand) article https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/rural/2020/07/govt-accused-of-greenwashing-over-failure-to-use-kiwi-wool-in-public-buildings.html The Shropshire Star https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/farming/2020/07/20/low-cost-of-wool-forces-shropshire-farmer-to-use-fleeces-for-compost/

We cannot continue to accept that our community suffers from heavy traffic, associated pollution any longer and need change. The west side of Hither Green / Catford North cell area could be a pleasant place to live and work but it continues to be blighted by: • Heavy traffic / congestion with associated pollution • Use as a cut through / rat-run between Lewisham High Street and the South Circular (and vice versa) Having seen other schemes and potential associated benefits - we would also like an LTN / HNS to: • increase physical activity through more walking and cycling • provide safer streets for our residents and particularly our children • significantly reduce non-residential traffic through our community • deliver improved air quality • benefit our local businesses • support LB Lewishams environmental objectives Please sign this petition to help make our community a Low Traffic Neighbourhood and to become a safer, more pedestrian / cycling / family friendly place to live, work and shop. Note: The proposal for the HGW Low Traffic Neighbourhood is below. https://tinyurl.com/yyshvvfl The Green X's relate to the proposal for HGW LTN - Click for a description of what they represent The Grey / Purple Xs' relate to existing filters in HGW / Lewisham Lee Green LTN

Raw sewage flowing into the rivers and into our seas means that large areas of the United Kingdom are unsuitable for swimming and watersports as well as having a huge effect on the wildlife on the rivers and seas which has a knock on effect to the overall health of our ecosystem. Where we live in Scotland we regularly see sanitary towels amongst other waste all over the beach on rainy days straight from CSO's and into the river.

Glasgow City Centre is seriously lacking in green spaces. A City Park, built a mere 5 minutes’ walk from George Square, surrounded by lovely local cafés and restaurants, will be an invaluable boost to our wonderful city.  Merchant City & Trongate Community Council (MCTCC), following the withdrawal of a Planning Application for an hotel at the Ingram Street Car Park, agreed that a City Park would be the best use of this site. A City Park on this site would protect the beautiful world-renowned Fruitmarket Mural by Smug, which has become a much-visited sight of the city, and the existing stunning mature cherry and chestnut trees. With both a world-renowned piece of art and existing mature trees, this site could be an oasis of peace and beauty in a historic part of Glasgow. The City Park would be entirely inclusive, open for residents, visitors, tourists and the wider general public. People could simply relax in nature, rest, read, meet up, mix, chat, walk the dog or play games. All right in the City Centre of Glasgow.

Some of the rubbish scenes in our cities and beaches over this past week have been so upsetting and distressing to see whilst we are in a Pandemic. Big fines and urging people to take their rubbish with them would be a good way to earn money and on the spot fines to shame people who are fly tipping or littering is so important. Only one year since Blue planet and David Attenborough talking at Glastonbury we have to stop the waste, clean the environment and dispose of our rubbish properly for the sake of our seas, creatures and future.

As reported by Chris Packham and The Countryfile magazine - ' The Wildlife Trusts consisting of 46 nature charities across the UK — have been left reeling from the damage caused by an increased number of visitors to reserves as a result of lockdown restrictions being eased, combined with warmer weather. The organisation reported a huge increase in damage to its reserves and the wildlife that lives there' ...dogs have killed ground-nesting birds, rare plants disturbed or destroyed through dog faeces.

The people of Johnstown have for a long time opposed the landfill, pointing out many times that it is dangerously close to a residential area. We have now been proven correct with the dangerous levels of pollution released. Many people pay for a home with outdoor space and were unable to use the entirety of their property while being denied clean safe air to breathe.

due to how close proximity of the farms to the river , the birds deposit their phosphate-rich excrement across the ground, and the rain potentially flushes this into streams and eventually the Wye. The phosphates then trigger algae blooms when the sun comes out. Oxygen is removed from the water and plants and fish will die off. We cannot allow the ecological destruction of the wye and it’s decline in wildlife happen !

Wandsworth Common is a huge, beautiful space enjoyed by so many, and has been especially important to us all during lockdown. But it is now being regularly trashed with industrial amounts of litter left by huge crowds of people who leave their plastic bottles, beer cans, pizza boxes and coffee cups for someone else to clean up at our cost. On my morning walks it is truly heart-breaking to see so much rubbish dumped on this beautiful space. And just as saddening that the council or the police do nothing to enforce responsible behaviour. A council worker told me he collects one-and-a-half truckloads of rubbish every morning (see picture) just from the part of the common opposite Bellevue Road! If authorities were on site to enforce the £100 fixed penalty notices for littering, the council's coffers would be full in no time! Further, if people had to pay a deposit of 50p or a £1 for their pizza box or plastic beer cup when buying them from the businesses on Bellevue Road, that would strongly encourage them to return them rather than dump them on the common.

Ahead of hosting the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow in 2021, the UK must lead the world by ensuring our recovery gets us on track to net-zero emissions and limits the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees C. Our best chance of building a resilient economy goes hand in hand with tackling climate change. We are ready to play our part, and we call on you to join us.

A third of British wild bees and hoverflies are in decline, according to a study in 2019. If current trends continue, some species will be lost from Britain altogether, the scientists say. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47698294 The new analyses provide further evidence of the serious, long-term and ongoing decline of UK butterflies, with 70% of species declining in occurrence (based on the BNM distribution data) and 57% declining in abundance (based on the UKBMS) since 1976. Source: Butterfly Conservation. If we want to protect the local ecosystem, we must re-introduce habitats. The Runnymede roundabout, and the surrounding verges, provide an excellent starting point, while also saving the Council money through a reduced mowing schedule.

On 2nd October Cumbria County Council voted once again to approve the first deep coal mine in the UK in 30 years. We assume that this vote will require ratification given that the Secretary of State had delivered a holding direction asking you not to approve the decision until his say so. We urge you not to ratify the decision. Nowhere in the UK has there been deep mining in over 30 years. The good news is that there is now a renewed opportunity for the County Council to overturn their previous terrible decision. Granting permission for a new coking coal mine under the Irish Sea would fly in the face of the Council's own climate, environment and health commitments. What are people saying? Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk This coal mine would be situated at the beginning of the world famous Coast to Coast walk at St Bees Head "I have the pleasure of enjoying the first small section of Wainwright’s coast to coast on my doorstep. A tourist asset that you should protect. I am appalled that Cumbria County Council (CCC) has allowed this green space in Pow Beck to come under threat with a large coal yard." Martin Kendall- Local Resident High Costs of Production "I was astonished to see a proposal to open a deep coal mine in a coalfield which had high costs of production and at a time when the climate emergency demands the phasing out of coal". Robert Wharton. Operational Research Scientist with National Coal Board 1967 to 73. Former consultant with KPMG often advising clients on the viability of investment projects. Sellafield is just 5 miles away. "Jem Bendell, the author of the widely read paper Deep Adaptation points to the very real danger of human extinction from nuclear catastrophes, due to societal collapse as a result of climate chaos. However, to date, nuclear catastrophes have all taken place in highly organised societies which have made bad decisions. This proposed new coal mine so near Sellafield must rate as the worst decision yet". Marianne Birkby - Radiation Free Lakeland Impacts of Climate Change "Extinction Rebellion West Cumbria is appalled at the recent decision by Cumbria County Council to ratify their decision to open a new deep coal mine. The impacts of climate change are being felt by communities across the planet. Decisions such as this can no longer be seen in isolation and must be challenged." XR West Cumbria Ecological and Economic Damage, Human Suffering and Loss of Life “If it proceeds, the mine is likely to result over its lifetime in greenhouse gas emissions amounting to something of the order of one year of UK national emissions. The impacts of these emissions could include considerable ecological and economic damage, as well as human suffering and loss of life.” Laurence Michaelis Expert Reviewer for the IPCC Adverse Effect on Nesting Seabirds "Disturbance of nesting seabirds during construction and operation... The development has the potential to have an adverse effect upon the St Bees Head SSSI through disturbance to both breeding and wintering birds during construction and operation." RSPB “Offshore Subsidence – resuspension and dispersal of radioactive contaminants. The documentation has confirmed to NWIFCA that a risk of subsidence exists and therefore there remains an overwhelming concern over the potential for disturbance and resuspension of radioactive contaminants and sediments.” North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority