tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283886692012-05-26T09:48:42.438+01:00Ruscombe GreenThis is the views and comments of Philip Booth, a Green party District councillor for Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe near Stroud, Gloucestershire. Use the search facility above to find a particular issue. Over 3,500 unique visitors a month to this blog - thanks!Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3488125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-82236480395579180732012-05-26T09:48:00.004+01:002012-05-26T09:48:42.447+01:002012-05-26T09:48:42.447+01:00Nuclear meltdown: Fukishima global riskI blogged and sent letter to press about our nuclear policy being in meltdown (see here) but it seems Fukushima is far from sorted and we may well see a serious meltdown - various news agencies are reporting the extreme risks - see for example here and here.
A nuclear inspector has just said that the fate of Japan and much of the world depends on Fukushima's Reactor Number 4. If this damaged Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-47822887813903656082012-05-24T23:02:00.004+01:002012-05-24T23:02:38.715+01:002012-05-24T23:02:38.715+01:00Full Council AGM, Future Now and Youth Film Festival
Always liked this view of building by station
Back from the SDC AGM that was largely postponed from last week - this evening was not a lot of excitement - indeed most were aware that Greens, Lib Dems and Labour were developing an agreement which means we now formally run the Council.
Greens take a Cabinet post - or rather Executive post for Environment - Simon Pickering is stepping into that Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-8565461623753646452012-05-23T08:00:00.000+01:002012-05-23T08:00:15.113+01:002012-05-23T08:00:15.113+01:00Game Over for the ClimateI read earlier this week 'Game Over for the Climate' by James Hansen in the New York Times - he directs the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. It was depressing as Hansen says: "President Obama speaks of a “planet in peril,” but he does not provide the leadership needed to change the world’s course." We urgently need that leadership.
GLOBAL warming isn’t a prediction. It is happening. Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-45104759342665588022012-05-22T07:30:00.000+01:002012-05-22T07:30:01.444+01:002012-05-22T07:30:01.444+01:00Whiteshill and Ruscombe Village Diamond Jubilee party
Last years win in Tug o'War
Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Events Group
will be holding a 50’s theme Diamond Jubilee Village Party on Sat 2nd
June from 2-10:30 pm at Whiteshill Playing Field.
At last year’s Royal Wedding village event we had a visitor intake of
around four hundred. With an extended programme and timetable, we hope
to significantly increase that figure for celebrating the Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-79015865655812160132012-05-21T17:24:00.001+01:002012-05-21T17:28:32.915+01:002012-05-21T17:28:32.915+01:00Glos NHS Anti-Privatisation Battle heats up
Here is press release from campaign website below - at last all our campaigning is paying off:
GLOUCESTERSHIRE ANTI-PRIVATISATION BATTLE HEATS UP
LOCAL CAMPAIGN IS FRONTLINE IN BATTLE FOR FUTURE OF NHS
Having forced
Gloucestershire health bosses to scrap previous outsourcing plans,
through six months of campaigning (1) and Judicial Review proceedings
(2), anti-cuts groups across the Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-13148101788829282692012-05-21T07:00:00.000+01:002012-05-21T07:00:03.279+01:002012-05-21T07:00:03.279+01:00Crown Prosecution drops Marjoram census case
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mso-font-signature:0 0 65536 0 -Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-23345714729160302462012-05-20T06:30:00.000+01:002012-05-20T06:30:00.753+01:002012-05-20T06:30:00.753+01:00My district councillor report for Parish AGM meetings
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@font-facePhilip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-3910026950911823552012-05-19T09:59:00.000+01:002012-05-19T09:59:02.236+01:002012-05-19T09:59:02.236+01:00Help Save Captain Watson from Extradition to Costa Rica!
From Sea Shepherd website
In shocking news, German officials have decided to proceed with the
extradition of Captain Watson to Costa Rica - Captain Watson has been Sea Shepherd's captain for 31 years, has run for Parliament in Canada for the Green Party.
Statement from Captain Watson: In our efforts to defend the lives of whales, dolphins, seals,
sharks, and fish we have made some Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-47946801986488667442012-05-19T09:00:00.000+01:002012-05-19T09:00:02.712+01:002012-05-19T09:00:02.712+01:00Nuclear energy policy is in meltdown
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Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-5679469764181022302012-05-18T14:15:00.000+01:002012-05-18T14:15:50.266+01:002012-05-18T14:15:50.266+01:00Incinerator objections hidden
Protest at incinerator plans
My recent letter to the press re incineration here has been making headlines in the Waste Management trade news - see here.
I wanted to note that Stroud District Green Party have submitted our objections to the incinerator a wee while ago - they are now on our website here. However they are still not on the county website - indeed I emailed the County a while ago Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-5598156241975645472012-05-18T14:03:00.001+01:002012-05-18T14:03:21.865+01:002012-05-18T14:03:21.865+01:00Last night at District CouncilI've had a fair few queries about last night....Well in short it looks like some new administration is set to take over control of Stroud District Council from the Tories. At the Council’s AGM last night Geoff Wheeler (Labour) was voted in as the new leader - the Tories have been in full control since 2000. The Administration looks like it may now consist of Labour, LibDems and Greens. However Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-31923537188490085562012-05-17T08:13:00.000+01:002012-05-17T08:13:00.110+01:002012-05-17T08:13:00.110+01:00Brimscombe's Help a Hedgehog Hospital: 3 min film
Selsey Common
Tonight is District Council AGM and may well be very interesting as the Conservatives no longer hold a majority. More of that after the meeting...
Here is a short film about the Help a Hedgehog Hospital who had a stall at the Wap on Saturday.http://stroudcommunity.tv/help-a-hedgehog-hospital-brimscombe-randwick-wap/The main film of the Wap that I made has now had over 100 views Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-41370239193744022962012-05-16T07:00:00.000+01:002012-05-16T07:00:02.139+01:002012-05-16T07:00:02.139+01:00See film and sign petition to eradicate ecocideI've just uploaded a couple of days ago a short film about the letter being sent to David Cameron to get him to go to Rio and get international law to eradicate ecocide. See film and link to sign petition at:
http://stroudcommunity.tv/rolls-to-rio/Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-10346364751168912112012-05-15T06:00:00.000+01:002012-05-15T06:00:01.809+01:002012-05-15T06:00:01.809+01:00Randwick Wap film: interviews, procession, cheese rolling and more
Big thanks to all the comments so far about the film I put together at this weekend's Wap - another triumph for the community - amazing how people pulled together to make the day happen. See film at: http://stroudcommunity.tv/randwick-wap-2012/
A couple more films of Wap coming soon!Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-78350499047117074642012-05-14T11:36:00.002+01:002012-05-14T11:36:30.063+01:002012-05-14T11:36:30.063+01:00'Superfast' Broadband update - could be good news!!!
Ruscombe Valley
Big thanks to Ben for a comment alerting me to the latest Broadband news for this area....see my blog post a long while back here - since then there has been much work campaigning and lobbying for change from many groups in the county
'Superfast' broadband has come to
Stroud. OpenReach have already begun accepting orders for those cabinets
which have already been installed Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-39505348537367152202012-05-13T19:32:00.000+01:002012-05-13T22:28:10.583+01:002012-05-13T22:28:10.583+01:00Open Studios weekend: 3 local artists
Wap movie coming very soon but this blog entry is about the wonderful, wonderful Open Studios that were this weekend and will be again on 19th and 20th May. Well I managed to get around a few between various other bits and pieces including catching up on the allotment....see http://www.sva.org.uk/ for full programme...
Photos: all with kind permission of artists - apols for layout but pics Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-42968988905328011702012-05-12T09:00:00.000+01:002012-05-12T09:00:00.494+01:002012-05-12T09:00:00.494+01:00Glos Old Spot comes to Fuzzies
View from top of Ash Lane - not far from Fuzzies
Today the Wap in Randwick - starts at 1.00 plus of course loads of Open Studios....but for this blog entry it's pigs...
Julia Currie writes in the Randwick Runner:
Very soon Randwick residents will be able to order truly local Gloucester Old Spot pork products from pigs soon to be moved to the Fuzzies at the top of Sandpits Lane. Popes pigs, Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-59135615465461080102012-05-11T07:00:00.000+01:002012-05-11T07:00:04.806+01:002012-05-11T07:00:04.806+01:00Letter calling on County to listen re waste
Protest last year
This week I wrote to Neil Carmichael seeking his support for MBT now that he has come out against an incinerator. I hope he will be able to support this - meanwhile I've also sent the letter below to local press.
Dear Sir/Madam,It was great to read that Neil Carmichael MP has come out in opposition to a Mass Burn Incinerator at Javelin Park. His concern regarding the Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-91669774585382775802012-05-10T08:00:00.001+01:002012-05-10T08:00:52.506+01:002012-05-10T08:00:52.506+01:00Rob Hopkins on Transition TotnesHere's a 20 minute video of Rob Hopkins talking about Transition Totnes - some of the ideas we've already long developed in Stroud but there's loads more we could be doing...do you feel inspired to get involved - already this year a number of new projects like developing a Food Strategy for the District with a focus on actions, the Yes project working with all schools in the District, plus old Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-28505413965565736462012-05-09T18:16:00.001+01:002012-05-09T18:19:20.938+01:002012-05-09T18:19:20.938+01:00Queens speech: 'deafening silence' over climate crisis
Ruscombe valley
Here's Caroline Lucas' comment on todays speech:
- Green MP slams absence of leadership to address climate change and manage transition to a green economy
- Welcomes Water White Paper but calls for more powers to hold water companies to account
The Government has squandered a vital opportunity to put action to tackle climate change and the growing environmental crisis at the Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-88789319216402407992012-05-08T07:00:00.000+01:002012-05-08T07:00:04.641+01:002012-05-08T07:00:04.641+01:00Children of the Elements
Communicating sustainability is a huge challenge - I get all sorts of cold calling emails from various projects and proposals for me to highlight on this blog. I have to say I could fill every day with several such entries but most get deleted....however here's one that interested me more....a brother and a sister working on an interactive children's story for iPads: Children of the Elements.
Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-36785603357937848402012-05-07T17:00:00.000+01:002012-05-07T17:05:22.152+01:002012-05-07T17:05:22.152+01:00Diary date: Badgers meetings 25th May and 2nd June
View from Selsey across to Ruscombe
A wee while ago we had the District Council meeting where along with many others I spoke against badger culling - the motion was passed - see more details here. Well coming up are two public meetings - see details below:
The next Coffee House Discussion, complete with coffee (of course!), all kinds of other drinks and scrumptious cakes, is at Star Anise Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-84259821044894828352012-05-07T12:58:00.002+01:002012-05-07T12:58:44.749+01:002012-05-07T12:58:44.749+01:00Bumblebee Nest Box designs that work
From George Pilkington's website, 'Nurturing Nature'
I know a couple of people who have been given bumblebee boxes for Christmas presents in an effort to support populations of bumblebees - all good stuff but neither of them had bumblebees take up residence....
Well I was recently sent a link to the website. 'Nurturing Nature' where two years of research shows why some of those boxes are notPhilip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-2531169260214489492012-05-06T13:22:00.002+01:002012-05-06T13:22:54.027+01:002012-05-06T13:22:54.027+01:00Election results
View of Ebley Mill from near Ash Lane
Very disappointing to lose Nailsworth Green councillor on Friday - the swing to Labour meant Tories slipped in - plus Lib Dems stood for the first time in years - I have no doubt we will win the seat back. Overall Greens were up 11 councillors across the country - and Jenny Jones beat the Lib Dems into third place in the London Mayoral elections! Great Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28388669.post-68184530684336955772012-05-02T08:00:00.000+01:002012-05-02T08:00:56.352+01:002012-05-02T08:00:56.352+01:00Glos Broadband survey resultsThe Borders Broadband project is using
Government and local authority funding to attract commercial telecoms
suppliers to provide the infrastructure for high-speed internet
services. Well the results of the Broadband survey are out - see more at: http://www.gfirstbroadband.co.uk/#anchor
See my some of my previous blogs on this here.
In Gloucestershire, 5,960 questionnaires were completed. Philip Boothnoreply@blogger.com0