Thank you Greg Clarke (Planning Minister): “It [the planning system] has become so complicated that it is actually increasingly a matter for specialists. It is very hard for people in communities to engage with the planning system; to protect the places they want to see protected. So the reason we are making these reforms is that e are transferring the power from the distant unelected bodies to local communities” (Transcript of Radio 2 news bulletin at 8am this morning). This could be tantamount to a match point in the Vale of Glamorgan Public Inquiry!

How can they dismiss the overwhelming will of the community of the Vale now?

The sample size is now a very impressive 300,000 (almost) and it shows that on the basis of policy alone the Green party would actually be the biggest party with 23.67% of the vote overall.

Clicking on the ‘Parties & Policies’ tab reveals that the Green party scores the highest of all on Crime, Education and Environment (three issues that should resonate in Bridgend in the forthcoming local elections). We also come second highest on Democracy, Economy, Health/NHS and Welfare, meaning we score first or second in 7 out of 9 policy areas. (Labour manages 6 out of 9 top two ratings, Lib Dems 3, Tories 2)

Locally, looking at the Bridgend and Ogmore constituencies that make up Bridgend CBC, we come second to Labour in both – about 3 points behind.

I would encourage all to take the survey and vote out of conviction for the policies parties represent.

For those people who feel that Plaid Cymru should not be ignored, you can visit this alternative site: http://www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com/wales.php
The data I have seen would suggest that they would take more from Labour than they would from the Green Party, but their nationalist aspects would also pinch a few from parties like UKIP and the BNP, thereby not having much impact on the overall patterns shown.

Food for thought!

It is anyone’s guess how successful we will be, but success need not be measured purely in terms of seats won. We can already claim a degree of success as there has never been more than one Green Party candidate at previous local elections in Bridgend.

This will be an opportunity to gauge our base level support around the County and a valuable way of raising awareness that the people of Bridgend now have a new, progressive, eco-socialist option to consider.

It is clear that our time is coming. The Green Party currently has 130 councillors across 43 Councils in England & Wales; 10 on three Councils in Scotland and three in Northern Ireland. Just like our MP, MEPs, Scottish MSPs and Irish MLAs and London AMs, wherever Green councillors are elected, they are acknowledged as making a real difference.

All Greens share certain core values. These include:

1. The Earth’s physical resources are finite. We threaten our future if we try to live beyond those means, so we must build a sustainable society that guarantees our long-term future.
2. Every person, in this and future generations, should be entitled to basic material security as of right.
3. Our actions should take account of the well-being of other nations, other species, and future generations. We should not pursue our well-being to the detriment of theirs.
4. A healthy society is based on voluntary co-operation between empowered individuals in a democratic society, free from discrimination whether based on race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion, social origin or any other prejudice.
5. We emphasise democratic participation and accountability by ensuring that decisions are taken at the closest practical level to those affected by them.
6. The success of a society cannot be measured by narrow economic indicators, but should take account of factors affecting the quality of life for all people: personal freedom, social equity, health, happiness and human fulfillment.
7. Electoral politics is not the only way to achieve change in society, and we will use a variety of methods to help effect change, providing those methods do not conflict with our other core principles.

These values are not about short term political goals, but about the long term future we bequeath to our children and grandchildren. The values that the major parties have been living by have created the world, the country, the county and the town we live in today. Do not tell me they could not be so much better.

In standing for elected office we are taking the first steps in presenting a route to a more positive, more hopeful and more sustainable future.

We will flesh out more details of how we would achieve these goals as this and future campaigns unfold.

(National policies are available for all to see and scrutinise here: http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/ )

The main outcome was that we have established what is to be known as the Anti Fracking Network.

The idea I that small local groups like The Vale Says NO! can claim affiliation to this national network as a way of boosting credibility and gaining weight to their activities. It is hoped that this will be particularly useful in our efforts to push for a national moratorium/ban that we all recognise as the main goal.
It is also hoped that the AFN will be a way of connecting groups and sharing experience and resources.
We hope to run regular conference calls for delegates of each group; develop online tools and resources; and issue press releases.

There was a lot of awareness and interest in our experiences here in South Wales, such that the workshops I hosted were very well attended. I co-hosted these sessions with Laura Gyte, who is Friends of the Earth’s in-house solicitor. At about 4’10” we made quite a double act, and she is very keen to help and advise on the Public Inquiry. Tony Bosworth, who is FoE’s chief energy and climate change campaigner, is also following the case with interest and is encouraging Laura’s involvement. It was very encouraging to talk with them. Laura seems to think we still have plenty of scope to develop the case and prevail at the Public Inquiry.

Watch this space!
Andy

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Apologies for Absence
3. Minutes and matters arising
4. Officers’ reports
5. Campaigns update
6. Elections – BCBC 2012
7. Green Wales
8. AOB
9. DoNM

NOTE – Venue is 2 minutes walk from both the Bus and Train stations in Bridgend.
See map: https://bridgendgreens.wordpress.com/2011/07/16/next-meeting

PS – Responses to the survey sent out to members a couple of weeks ago would be very welcome, especially from those of you that do not come to meetings.

We have just days to save the NHS. Opposition from doctors, nurses and patients has rocked the government. Our massive outcry now can persuade undecided members of the House of Lords to say no to the bill on Monday and get the government to publish its report on the risks of these changes. Sign here to save the NHS:

On Tuesday, I was happy to share the platform with a guy called Ed from FRACK OFF (who had come all the way from Brighton with a few colleagues) at a well attended public meeting (70+) held at the Environment Centre in Swansea, sponsored by Swansea FoE and Swansea Green Party.

Between us we ran through the key implications of the mad rush to exploit extreme fuels. Ed focussed on UCG (Underground Coal Gasification) – planned for Swansea Bay – while I focussed on tight gas (such as Shale Gas) – sites to the north of Swansea – which can both involve fracking and whole range of serious consequences.

This was followed by a lively Q&A session which covered issues ranging from CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) to planning issues.

The whole tone of the meeting was about informing people and making clear what we DO know and what we DO NOT know. Both Ed and I tried to keep things factually grounded and rational. It has long been clear to me that there is no need to exaggerate or misrepresent things with these issues. We can leave these tactics to the the ‘other side’ as they get increasingly desperate to secure their crocks of gold at the expense of all of us and future generations.

There was a clear sense that the attendees see the need to oppose all such developments and I challenged them to follow the Lllandow model of grass roots opposition and offered them my support in doing so. I hope someone over there will now pick up and run with it!

On Thursday, Neil, John and I went down to the Windsor Arms in Penarth for a Green Question Time sponsored by Gwyrddio Penarth Greening. This was again a packed room (60+) showing yet again that there is a growing appetite to engage with these issues.

There was a high quality panel (https://bridgendgreens.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/green-question-time-penarth/) that grappled with issues such as renewable energy, fracking, incineration, nuclear power and food. Our very own Pippa Bartolotti was outstanding, showing a passion and knowledge that the other panelists had to acknowledge. Eluned Parrott (Lib Dem AM) and Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru AM) both exhibited a clear commitment to the Green agenda on these issues. David Melding (Con AM) waffled on and sat on the fence most of the time.

Vaughan Gething (Labour AM) was the biggest shock, to me at least, as with only the evidence of their utterances at this event, you would have sworn that he was the Tory!!! At national level this not even remotely surprising any more, but I constantly hear from Labour activists that here in South Wales they still cling to their socialist heritage. Well not in Mr Gething’s case he doesn’t, despite his Union and Co-operative connections. He kept banging on about being ‘honest’ about the shortcomings of renewables and the need for nuclear and the probable need for incineration and the slow gestation of new technologies etc. It would have been nice if he had had the decency to ‘honestly’ say that the reason he thinks all this is because he knows there is no intention of the Labour Party (or any shade of Government likely to gain power) making the commitment and putting in the investment to create the renewable energy infrastructure, that we all know we will have to rely on sooner or later, while we still have the relatively cheap quick fix of fossil fuels to exploit. Shameless and shameful. That he sits on the Environment and Sustainability Committee worries me after this evening. Maybe, as a GMB member, he is hoping to see a big comeback for Boilermakers!!

P.S. One unexpected fun twist was the revelation that Pippa has been starring in Come Dine With Me on Ch4 this week!
Here is the episode where “Pippa Bartolotti hopes to work her magic with an ‘Up-cycling’ dinner party, including locally-sourced vegetarian food, charity shop dress, and fortune-telling with witch doctor’s bones!”
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/come-dine-with-me/4od#3296343

Re the 17th, can we arrange in advance to do an on-camera interview and can you think of any questions that need to be asked but generally don’t get asked about the UK situation?

Paul Littler (Freeworld-Films)

REPLY:

Hi Paul,

Sorry for the delay in responding.

No problem doing and interview. The aspect of all this that I think is being neglected is the issue of democracy and accountability in the planning process. It is the central theme of my submission to the planning inquiry, which I have attached for you.

All the other issues are pretty obvious but the subject of largely polarised opinions.

That there are inherent risks to water supply, health issues, enhanced seismic activity and consequences for global warming (and all that implies) is established.

The extent of these risks is subject to intense debate and largely impossible to assess with any degree of accuracy or certainty due to a whole range of technical issues.

Similarly, the arguments over the economics of the industry are riddled with uncertainty and contorted by vested interests.

It therefore boils down to whether the risks are worth taking or not.

My own position is simple enough on all these matters:

• The risk of groundwater contamination is small in probability terms for each individual borehole, but given the number of boreholes we would be faced with, it is close to an absolute certainty that even with the strictest of regulation, there will be multiple instances of contamination.
• Contamination incidents will probably not show up for a long time and quite possibly not until people start reporting the health consequences. The contamination will be nigh on impossible to predict, control or remedy.
• I have little faith in the industry declaring all chemicals used on every frack, or the regulators being able to monitor this and enforce regulations. The cocktail needs to change on virtually every frack job and most chemicals can only be tested for If declared. It has only been developments in the use of these chemicals to assist the processes involved , alongside directional drilling technology that has enbled to frackers to even comtemplate commercial exploitation of these resources.
• The use of explosives to shatter rock and extend faults, the massive pressures used, and the use of any fluid at all in these cracks and fault lines is all bound to create more seismic activity. I do not think this would ever be serious enough in itself to be a direct threat, but the consequences for borehole and aquifer integrity are a threat – yet again difficult to predict, control or remedy.
• In terms of future needs and energy security, there is no long term future for fossil fuels. They will all run out. The consequences of using them to date have created the global warming consequences that are going to bad enough as it is. Squeezing the last remnants of them out of the earth’s crust only puts off the inevitable day that we have to switch to more sustainable energy sources and exacerbates the adverse consequences of global warming.
• The argument that gas is a cleaner fuel than coal is specious and facile. It ignores the total carbon footprint of exploitatation (this is subject to considerable debate), but also assumes we use gas INSTEAD of coal instead of in addition to coal.

Add this little lot up together and my answer to the big question is NO, the risks simply are not worth taking!!

      

This is the month we act together to make banking better.

If you’ve been thinking about moving your money, now’s the time to get it off the ‘to do’ list and into the diary. Check out some of the inspiring stories from other pledgers on the homepage.

To build support for the campaign and better banking, during Move Your Money month we’ll be:

• Launching a new guide to ethical ISAs to help you find an ISA that works for you and wider society
• Supporting open day events at Credit Unions
• Teaming up with NUS to launch their switching toolkit for Students Unions
• Linking up with interested groups around the country and encouraging local action
• Collecting your best ‘I’m cutting up my card now’ photos
• Collecting signatures for an EDM

In the US it is estimated that 650,000 Americans moved their money in the 4 weeks leading up to ‘Bank Transfer Day’ on Nov 5th 2011. It’s now time for consumers in the UK to act together to create a better banking system!

What you can do

Pledging to move your money is the first step towards building a better, fairer and safer banking sector. The more of us that move our money, the greater the positive impact we can have.

Let your friends, family and colleagues know its time to take action – check out our template emails, flyers and posters.

Email Template:

Dear [insert name – personal emails work best] ,

I just pledged to Move My Money!

In doing so, I chose to make my money work for a banking sector that values ordinary people, small businesses and ethical and social responsibilities – not bulging bonuses, risky speculation, tax avoidance and unethical investments.

I’ll be moving my money on [insert date] . I think you should too!

Find out what all the fuss is about at http://www.moveyourmoney.org.uk

[your name]

In 24 hours, Europe could introduce pollution controls that could stop the flow of Canada’s deadly tar sands oil into the EU. But the UK is moving to block the rules. Only a huge public outcry can save it now. Click below to send an urgent message to the Transport Minister Norman Baker: