Currently less than 30% of north London rubbish and only 10% of recyclable plastic is recycled compared to over 60% in the rest of the country: nearly 90% of our black/orange bag rubbish is burnt as “skyfill” in the present old Edmonton incinerator. The NLWA is in charge of this, and our two representative Councillors on their board are Richard Olszewski and Adam Harrison. The seven local authorities are Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest. Camden Council and the UK government have both declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency, and are committed to halting and reversing carbon emissions. This means we cannot go on pouring greenhouse gases and carbon emissions into the air increasing global warming; and toxins and particulates from burning plastic into the air for the local community in Edmonton damaging their health. Instead of taking the opportunity of the current incinerator reaching the end of its days to establish greener solutions to disposing of our domestic and commercial rubbish, the intention is to build an even bigger incinerator which will release 700,000 tons of CO2 a year for 50 years or more. This sustains the creation of garbage and burning plastic, is an inefficient way to generate power and will cost £1.2 billion of taxpayers’ money. We need manufacturers to make less plastic and take responsibility for what they create. We need our rubbish to be responsibly sorted for recycling. In 2015 when the decision was taken, there was not the awareness of the damage the new incinerator would cause, nor meaningful public consultation. It looked like a solution to allowing us to carry on generating waste and polluting the planet. There is no excuse now. This petition calls on Camden Council and our MP to withdraw support for the new Edmonton Incinerator and also to use their influence with the North London Waste Authority (NLWA), the GLA, the UK government: Secretary of State and shadow Secretary, and north London Local Authorities to halt and review the construction of a new incinerator at Edmonton for 2025. The NLWA must carry out a full, statistically reliable, independent environmental and social impact assessment of the proposed new Edmonton incinerator taking account of: a. individual local councils’ climate emergency commitments; b. the UK government’s 2050 net-zero commitment; c. the European exclusion of waste-to-energy incineration from a list of economic activities considered ‘sustainable finance’; d. the expected change in waste streams due to increased recycling rates; e. the potential to use renewable energy rather than burning waste to generate electricity and/or heat; and f. alternatives to incineration and landfill, through a review of best practice from other cities. Any environmental and social impact assessment that has already been carried out is insufficient unless it has taken all of the above points into account.

People are watching with increasing frustration not to mention growing horror as climate emergency resolutions are adopted by councils which leave the door wide open to new nuclear. Would so called 'Small Modular Reactors' at the 'Moorside' site which sits on the floodplain in between Sellafield and the river Ehen, save Cumbria and the planet from burning? All the real life evidence indicates that continuing down the nuclear route with new nuclear such as Hinkley C in Somerset and so called Small Modular Reactors in Cumbria (SMRs look like giant maggots!) would make matters far worse, far faster. There are lots of reasons for this: SMALL MODULAR REACTORS ARE NOTHING NEW- the nuclear wastes from many SMRs are already languishing at Sellafield awaiting 'disposal' in the proposed deep Geological Disposal Facility. These nuclear wastes include research reactors and nuclear submarine reactors built by Rolls Royce. Secondly SMRs WOULD NOT BE LOW CARBON They have the same problems of fossil fuel intensive and toxic uranium mining on the lands of indigenous folk around the world, uranium enrichment at Capenhurst in Cheshire, fuel manufacture at the Springfields Nuclear Fuel plant near Preston and final 'disposal' in an as yet unspecified nuclear dump. This all requires fossil fuel and lots of it. Thirdly new SMRs on the Moorside site (or elsewhere in Cumbria) would be INFINITELY MORE EXPENSIVE to the public purse than alternatives and would detract from the real solutions to the climate emergency, namely a comprehensive energy efficiency programme and the development of renewable energy. Finally, all nuclear power stations including SMRs are uniquely dangerous. So dangerous in fact to all life on planet earth that no insurance company will underwrite them. The public pays time and again. Rolls Royce cars can be insured. Rolls Royce SMR reactors in nuclear submarines are uninsurable. Last year MPs were told "Energy bills in the UK are inflated partly because households are subsidising nuclear submarines." Prof Andy Stirling from Sussex argues that one reason the government is willing to burden householders with the expense of nuclear energy is because it underpins the supply chain and skills base for firms such as Rolls Royce and Babcock that work on nuclear submarines. He said: “It is clear that the costs of maintaining nuclear submarine capabilities are insupportable without parallel consumer-funded civil nuclear infrastructures." Cue the fanfare for Rolls Royce SMRs. Finally, ALL Nuclear power stations including SMRs are NOT RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE. Nuclear power plants function inefficiently or are forced to close during droughts and heatwaves. And many nuclear plants are located along coastlines. As seas rise, coastal nuclear power plants are at-risk from being flooded making them inoperable. Radioactive wastes are in danger of leaking into the oceans. Nuclear power involves major risks, including: a higher probability of serious accidents; a mounting and unsolved radioactive waste problem; and increased nuclear proliferation. Renewable energy risks none of these and does not fuel austerity by massively stealing from the public purse. We urge Cumbria County Council to fully recognise that nuclear power is not the 'solution' and to include a NO NEW NUCLEAR clause in their Climate planning. Anything less than this is totally unacceptable. Notes: Some of the reasons why new nuclear should not be on the table or anywhere near it are outlined in a report which we present to you by the Edinburgh Energy and Environment Consultancy. https://issuu.com/wildart/docs/lancaster_embrace_energy_revolution Energy Bills Subsidise Nuclear Submarines https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48509942 Government in cynical ploy to boost northern election hopes with fanciful smr power plant https://realfeed-intariffs.blogspot.com/2019/08/government-in-cynical-ploy-to-boost_12.html?m=1

We have a mature mixed native hedge over 85 metres long that separates our garden from a bridleway. The hedge consists of hundreds of trees and plants and supports an abundance of wildlife, amongst which are rare, endangered and even protected species such as the hazel dormouse. Hampshire County Council (HCC) have tried to plot the positions of legal boundaries on the ground using an OS map. This is forbidden by law … https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/business-government/tools-support/property-boundaries They say that our hedge is encroaching on a public right of way, when actually the encroachments are leylandii and laurel hedging on the opposite side of the track. Dozens of people have corroborated this fact, plus we have amassed loads of evidence to show that our hedge is within the historic legal boundary, but HCC reject any evidence that goes against their blinkered opinion and are threatening to bulldoze the lot at the end of this month. HCC has declared a climate emergency, “committing to put environmental issues at the heart of everything it does” but ripping out a mixed native hedge flies in the face of this pledge. Dozens of people have already emailed Cllr Edward Heron at [email protected] but he appears unmoved. If HCC carry out their threats, it is going to have a devastating effect on all the wildlife that the hedge supports – and the environment. If you share our concerns about the loss of such an important wildlife habitat please sign this petition.

Sheffield City Council declared a climate emergency in February 2019. Unfortunately, it has not acted as if it is an emergency and has failed to inform the citizens of Sheffield about the extremely serious threat we face.

Sheffield City Council has so far failed to deliver the Citizen's Assembly on the climate emergency that it promised to organise before the end of 2019.

The climate crisis means that government in NI should commit to keeping fossil fuels in the ground. In August last year, earthquakes from fracking in the UK were big enough to damage people's homes. Fossil fuel company Tamboran have an application to start fracking in Co Fermanagh sitting on Diane Dodds desk and if this gets the green light will cause devastation to local communities, nature, people's health and livelihoods. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-48191165

Coca-cola are the biggest plastic polluting company in the world. [1] But today a top executive at the company said people want plastic bottles. Let's tell them this is not what we want. They need to recognise this and lead the way in cutting down single use plastic. [1] Forbes: Coca-Cola Named The World’s Most Polluting Brand in Plastic Waste Audit: https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2019/10/29/coca-cola-named-the-worlds-most-polluting-brand-in-plastic-waste-audit/

Channel 4 have just announced that BP, one of the world’s biggest polluters, will sponsor their Tokyo Paralympic coverage this summer. While the world is facing a climate emergency, Channel 4 should not be entering deals with companies who profit from such disasters. BP is one of the companies most responsible for the climate crisis we’re facing, with Australia burning and species disappearing before our eyes. It is the 11th biggest corporate source of greenhouse emissions in history. By signing a sponsorship deal with BP, Channel 4 are allowing BP to protect and hide behind their brand and image. But huge public pressure from viewers like us could force them to u-turn. Will you add your name now?

This is important because this continues to make a form of Transport which has by far the highest carbon footprint a relatively cheap option. The Government should be subsidising and investing heavily in road and rail based public transport if there is any chance of the UK reaching a carbon neutral target by 2030.

Flying produces the highest amount of emissions of any way to travel, and contributes massively to the climate crisis. Despite this, the government is planning to cut air passenger duty for all flights in a bid to save Flybe, when there are other options on the table. At a time when the government should be trying to cut emissions hugely, this shouldn’t happen. It’s important to save jobs, but there are other options to save Flybe other than giving a tax break to all airlines. Cutting air passenger duty would have long-lasting effects, and increase domestic flights when we should be aiming to reduce them to stop the climate crisis.

Chestnut trees are now on the endangered list, and more must be done to preserve mature trees like this one that can adsorb 1 ton of carbon dioxide in their lifetime, and emit 260 lbs of oxygen a season. Local residents are incensed public amenities have disappeared from the area in recent years, and now want to take a stand to protect this much valued chestnut tree. This chestnut tree was originally planted by the Gibbons family that ran a bakery on the site approx 100 years ago, and this tree is the only surviving feature of 'Old Cowley' and should be protected by a Tree Preservation Order, for the prosperity and amenity of future generations. 1,500 signatures will trigger a extensive debate at Oxford City Council on the Cowley Chestnut Tree.

In 2018, the UK Government gave over £10 billion in subsidies and tax breaks to fossil fuel companies. We often accuse our politicians of doing too little to prevent irreversible, and runaway climate change. The truth is more alarming than that. A significant part of the UK fossil fuel subsidies identified by the commission is the 5% rate of VAT on domestic gas and electricity, cut from the standard 20%. There should be effective taxes placed on the biggest polluters and other measures put in place to ensure people across society have access to affordable, clean energy. The UK government hands over billions to the industries whose activities could render much of the earth inhospitable to human life. It is now universally recognised that climate breakdown poses an existential threat to humanity and habitat worldwide. Failure to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees will trigger crop failures on an unimaginable scale; a huge leap in the number and severity of extreme weather events, be they typhoons, floods, droughts; sea level rise that will engulf vast swathes of the planet; unprecedented migration; new conflict and diseases; and the mass extinction of flora and fauna. Yet 2018 saw a 2.7% increase in carbon emissions, the highest increase ever on record. We are going in the wrong direction, and the UK Government is fanning the flames of this fire. We call on the UK Government to end the fossil fuel subsidy at once.