The proposed 72% allotment rent hike in Barry and Rhoose will mean many poorer allotment holders, who have often tended their plot for many years, will be forced to surrender their allotment due to the increased cost. We believe that this level of rent rise is not proportionate with other council charge increases such as car parking, council house rents or council tax and will hurt those on the lowest incomes most. Allotments have never been meant to be rented at an economic rent, they were and are a social and environmental benefit. Increasing rents in line with inflation would be reasonable but making allotment holders plug council finances is simply wrong. The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales)Act 2015 sets out a clear obligation for public bodies to enable positive change that leads to a more resilient, sustainable, secure and healthy Wales. The Guidence for local Authorities, Town & Community Councils issued by the Welsh Government clearly states on page 8 under Costs and charges: "The rent charged for an allotment plot 'shall be let at such rent as a tenant may reasonably be expected to pay for the land' (Allotments Act 1950 section 10). While the temptation may be to increase rents to cover the cost of providing allotments, this may exclude the very people who need them most. Rents should be in line with the national average of approximately £45 a year for a full plot(correct as at April 2020) and its at the authority's discretion if they have concessionary rates." The Vale of Glamorgan Council has declared both Climate and Nature emergencies. Allotments contribute to both climate by growing local food in a sustainable way and nature by providing green spaces where wildlife can find food, shelter and breeding sites. Many allotments have ponds and honey bees both of which are vital for healthy ecosystems. Although allotments will always be mainly used for growing food, they have other social and environmental benefits. They are great places for healthy exercise, providing good opportunities for socialising, and puts us in touch with nature. Please do not make our allotments only affordable to the wealthy!

Potatoes, apples, bananas, carrots and onions are the top five most wasted fruit & veg products in UK households. Over a one-year period, it is estimated that selling these five items loose (unpackaged) would: – Prevent an estimated 1.7 billion pieces of plastic packaging from being thrown away – Avoid over 77,000 tonnes of food waste by allowing people to buy the exact amount they need – Save shoppers a combined total of over £85m in uneaten food Removing plastic packaging from these five fruit & veg products is not only a simple, effective and proven way to reduce the effects of the plastic problem, but it can also cut food waste and save us money. Right now, the industry still argues that plastic packaging protects our food in transit, extends freshness, prevents spoilage and reduces waste. Something isn’t adding up… France has already banned 30 fruits and vegetables from being wrapped in plastic packaging. This year, Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg will join them. It’s time for the UK to do the same. Potatoes, apples, bananas, carrots and onions are often available loose in supermarkets alongside their packaged counterparts. We want them loose, and only loose. Add your name today and call on supermarkets to increase the availability and affordability of packaging-free fruit & veg so that all of us can #ChooseLoose. You can find out more about the #ChooseLoose campaign along with our Facts and FAQs >> http://www.chooseloose.org Figures obtained from WRAP for this campaign

When you became the Duke of Cornwall, you inherited a vast landed estate. Sadly, much of this land contains damaged habitats and is lacking the rich biodiversity it could have. A huge amount of Duchy land falls within Britain’s ecologically significant ‘rainforest zone’. The lost potential of this land can be seen in the awe-inspiring fragments at Wistman’s Wood and Black Tor Copse (areas festooned with lichens and soaked in mythology). We urge you to allow these fragments to regenerate and spread. Rewilding our rainforests - letting trees regrow and reintroducing lost species - is also a brilliant way to fight the climate crisis because this land absorbs and stores carbon from our atmosphere, helping to lower global temperatures. As well as NGOs like the Wildlife Trust, farmers, landowners, and communities across Devon are already starting work to restore temperate rainforests and, around the country, millions of nature loving Brits are doing whatever they can for wildlife. Will you join them and help bring back Britain's rainforests? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wild Card is a grassroots campaign calling on the UK's biggest landowners to rewild. To find out more go to www.wildcard.land

There are 18 trees on the green at Morten Close, and they comprise ecologically valuable specimens, including a large group of Norway Maples, a mature Oak and mature Ash tree. 11 of these are to be removed under present plans, including all the Norway Maples. The amount of green space will be reduced by more than 70%, with the two broad roads constricted to a single narrow entry. In a climate emergency, we can no longer afford this way of developing. Removing the trees will have several negative consequences: - They are a biodiverse habitat supporting insects and birds. - They are a major carbon store and once cut down, this carbon is lost to the environment. - They have been on this site for many years, and in some cases decades. - Replacing them with new trees, even semi-mature ones, is a costly and wasteful option. It will be many years until they “make up” the carbon and biodiversity toll. - They form part of a natural landscape close to the hearts of Clapham Park residents. It is five years since the planning application was first written for Clapham Park. Since then, climate change has worsened. It is now acknowledged that we are undergoing an existential threat. Lambeth Council recognised this by declaring an ecological emergency in January 2019. Lambeth’s Climate Action Plan makes the priority of green space abundantly clear: Green infrastructure, just like traditional forms of infrastructure, provides essential support to every living being on the planet. Trees, shrubs and plants absorb carbon dioxide and pollutant gases, purifying the air we breathe. Green spaces slow the rate of water runoff, reducing pressure on drainage systems and regulating flooding. Urban greenery provide habitats for birds, insects and other species and cools surrounding areas, providing relief from hotter temperatures. The present plans mean losing a large proportion (>70%) of the green space and over 60% of the tree coverage. We can no longer afford to be going backwards on our commitment to green infrastructure.

Every year countless people become sick. Water polluted with sewage causes gastroenteritis, stomach upsets, ear, nose and throat infections, eye infections and in severe cases hospitalisations. It also also incredibly damaging for local wildlife, sea grass meadows, fish populations etc. See these articles for more info https://news.sky.com/story/sewage-pumped-into-sea-turns-idyllic-cornwall-cove-brown-in-dramatic-footage-described-as-shocking-12735013#:~:text=%22We%20saw%20370%2C000%20sewage%20discharges,blue%20spaces%2C%22%20she%20added. https://www.sas.org.uk/news/evidence-of-illegal-sewage-discharges-are-revealed-in-our-2022-water-quality-report/ Film by https://www.tinandcopper.co.uk/ - https://tinandcopper.co.uk/surfers-against-sewage/

To protect and preserve the ancient Parish of Ifield for present and future generations to enjoy.

Plymouth City Council are about to hack down approx 130 trees that run along Armada Way, Plymouth, Devon. There is a huge outcry from the public, yet their cries of sheer horror at the thought of losing all the beautiful trees are falling on deaf ears. The council are going to destroy the habitat/home of many birds, animals and insects, not to mention the enjoyment of all who visit and live there. Please, please can this be investigated. Trees, birds, animals and the very air that we breathe is so important to our lives. The council. in my opinion is causing wilful damage and destruction to our beautiful city all in the name of progress. How on earth can this be deemed as progress?

When permission was granted by the Welsh Government in 2005, the local community in Merthyr Tydfil, who had fought the proposal fiercely, were promised that mining would end after 15 years, on 6th September 2022 and that restoration of the land would be complete a few years later. Yet it’s reported that coal mining hasn’t stopped, ruining the long-awaited peace for the local community who can see and hear the coal mine from their homes. And now the mining company has applied to expand the coal mine by 9 months, and has said it will apply for a further 3 years of coal mining, (and who knows what beyond that...?). This will not only fuel climate change by nearly 6 million tonnes of CO2 and 16,000 tonnes of methane, but inflict further explosive blasting, noise and dust pollution on nearby residents. On top of this, the long-awaited restoration of the land, will be pushed back by years, with concerns that it will never happen. *********************** Pam mae hyn yn bwysig? Pan roddwyd caniatâd gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn 2005, cafodd y gymuned leol ym Merthyr Tudful, a oedd wedi brwydro’n ffyrnig yn erbyn y cynnig, addewid y byddai mwyngloddio’n dod i ben ar ôl 15 mlynedd, ar 6ed Medi 2022 ac y byddai’r gwaith o adfer y tir wedi’i gwblhau ychydig flynyddoedd yn ddiweddarach. Ond adroddir nad yw mwyngloddio glo wedi dod i ben, gan ddifetha’r heddwch hir-ddisgwyliedig i’r gymuned leol sy’n gallu gweld a chlywed y pwll glo o’u cartrefi. Ac yn awr mae'r cwmni mwyngloddio wedi gwneud cais i ehangu'r pwll glo am 9 mis, ac wedi dweud y bydd yn ceisio am 3 blynedd arall o gloddio am lo, (a phwy a ŵyr beth y tu hwnt i hynny...?). Bydd hyn nid yn unig yn hybu newid yn yr hinsawdd gan bron i 6 miliwn tunnell o CO2 a 16,000 tunnell o fethan, ond hefyd yn achosi dioddefaint i’r trigolion cyfagos trwy’r ffrwydradau pellach, llygredd sŵn a llwch. Ar ben hyn, bydd y gwaith adfer hir-ddisgwyliedig ar y tir yn cael ei wthio yn ôl gan flynyddoedd, gyda phryderon na fydd byth yn digwydd.

I think "growing" insects is the sufficient condition of private citizens DOING SOMETHING of real eco-value FOR ALMOST ZERO MONETARY OUTLAY.

None of these actions would require significant investment, in fact these are very simple and cost effective steps for the University to undertake. They would however deliver a big return in value. The University's now defunct Sustainability Strategy states: "Even in this urban setting we can make a real difference in terms of biodiversity. And this can also reap benefits – improved health and wellbeing, education, volunteering opportunities, a reduction in flooding and an enhanced image can all be realised through a thriving natural environment". A positive change for wildlife will make the campus a beautiful and inspiring place to work and study. Doing more for nature on campus would be a win-win scenario for wildlife, staff and students. We call on the Vice Chancellor, Simone Buitendijk, and the University of Leeds to take action now. The world is in the midst of a biodiversity crisis. 70 of our British bird species are red listed. Numbers of pollinators and other flying invertebrates are crashing. The University of Leeds' own research has documented this and raised the alarm. Yet despite having a biodiversity plan, the main University campus remains a hostile environment for wildlife. The University's token efforts to support biodiversity are well meaning but effectively amount to little more than institutional green washing. Here are 4 concrete examples of the University's failure to take biodiversity seriously: Wild Peregrine Falcons have been present since 2015 and have nested successfully several times on the Parkinson Tower. Yet anti-pigeon netting was only partially removed when a social media storm about Falcons trapped under the netting forced the University to take action. The Peregrine Falcon is a Schedule 1 species, meaning it has the highest degree of protection in law. 3 dead Peregrine Falcons were found under the nets. A remaining piece of netting has not been removed despite promises made in June. An Ecology student studying at the University of Leeds found possible Pyramidal Orchids growing on a small area of grass on campus. He notified Estates and the Sustainability Department. Despite this, the Orchids were strimmed. In Spring 2021 the University gardeners were seen cutting down all the bushes and scrub in St George's Fields on campus. The University's Biodiversity Action Plan congratulates itself (100% score) for "planting of native tree and shrub species" and "improve the biodiversity value of hedgerows on campus" yet existing scrub has regularly been removed - even in the nesting season. The Roger Stevens pond was "rewilded" in a fantastic effort to turn this concrete pond into a place for wildlife. But a member of the Estates team has been regularly adding non-native fish - a guaranteed way of removing natural invertebrates and destroying the wildlife. The dragonflies touted in a message from the University on social media, are rarely present. The University Biodiversity Action Plan reveals a score of 0% for "Protect areas important to local or campus biodiversity". In a single statement this reveals that the University is almost completely failing in its commitment to nature. The Sustainability Department have an array of green initiatives but without serious support from the rest of the University, their well intentioned efforts amount to little more than institutional green washing. It is unacceptable for the University to use these token steps for wildlife as a box ticking exercise to avoid taking genuine action.

From kick-abouts in the park, to Premier League derby days and the World Cup Final, football’s a game of courage, teamwork and fierce loyalty. And with its ability to capture the hearts and minds of billions of fans across every corner of the globe, football has an unrivalled opportunity to lead and inspire action to protect and improve the world we live in by harnessing the values that make it the beautiful game. When it comes to climate change, that opportunity is one we can’t afford to pass up. Record-breaking heat waves, flooding and poor air quality are already impacting the sport we love and depriving both young players and fans of a future in which football thrives. Without ambitious and immediate action, climate change’s grip on football’s future will tighten. Globally, we have seen sporting events and tournaments postponed due to extreme heat, players withdrawing because of the dangers of pollution and heat exhaustion, and the legacies of international sporting events vanishing as climate change creates conditions that make sport impossible to play. Climate change is the opponent we must tackle - and we’re already deep into extra time. Whatever shirt we wear or chant we sing, we’ve got everything to gain from taking action. That’s why at the World Cup - the biggest stage in world football - we want to see real leadership from our governing bodies, using football’s unrivalled platform to set the bar for future tournaments. But, instead of taking this golden chance, FIFA’s currently set itself up to miss its best shot at goal. In just a couple of weeks, the FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar will kick off. The tournament has been labelled as the first “fully carbon neutral FIFA World Cup tournament”, meaning its overall impact on the planet should be zero. But that’s not true. In reality, FIFA’s sustainability strategy for the Qatar World Cup rests on flawed carbon calculations, questionable offsetting practices, and shifting the responsibility onto fans rather than shouldering it themselves. As criticism mounts around shameful human rights violations in Qatar, carbon neutrality claims are being used as a distraction. Players, fans and the planet deserve better. Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time, with action taken this decade defining the future of the planet - and FIFA is well placed to lead by example. With its enormous global profile at the very top of international football, FIFA has an unmatched opportunity to provide leadership where we need it most. A report from Carbon Market Watch earlier this year casts serious doubt over FIFA’s claims of carbon-neutrality, and questions the quality, transparency and integrity of the offsetting practices put in place for the World Cup in Qatar. This petition is for football fans, players, clubs and organisations to call on FIFA to withdraw their claims around carbon neutrality and take a more robust and responsible approach to future World Cups, only using offsets as a last resort. #FIFAComeClean

We have all seen the effects of increasing temperatures here in the UK. Our weather is more volatile, as evidenced by the increasing number of floods, droughts, storms and heatwaves we are suffering. This is replicated all over the world and people are dying from the inaction, when there is overwhelming evidence of the man-made nature of the threat. We can mitigate it and adapt to the consequences, but we must act now. We need our Prime Minister to lead the UK negotiating team at COP27 and ensure the UK meets the commitments it made in The Paris Agreement.