We need to clean up our planet before it is too late. Our seas, rivers, landfill sites and overseas forests are full of our waste plastic. If we keep manufacturing more new plastic this problem will continue to grow. At what point do we look at it and say " STOP, THIS IS ENOUGH NOW!"? If we stop the manufacturing of new plastic, and only utilise what we already have (115 years of plastic manufacturing!), we can encourage recycling and the reclamation of the plastic already dumped. We don't want to be without plastic, it has many uses. But we do not need more of it polluting our world. Lets reclaim and reuse that which we already have.

To show you care for the UK’s fauna and flora, and in particular bees and other pollinators who play such an important role in our world and to stop the government gambling with our world by approving the use of harmful pesticides.

This week it was revealed that the Director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, is in advanced talks with BP about renewing their sponsorship deal. It’s vital that we don’t let another five years of BP sponsorship of the British Museum - or even a new ‘BP wing’ as part of its $1bn redevelopment plan - go ahead. It’s time that the British Museum picks a side on climate change, and stops sending the message to its visitors, especially young people, that fossil fuels can be a part of a liveable future. The plans to renew the sponsorship come as BP announces obscene profits, while people in the UK are being forced to choose between heating and eating, and the company admits it will continue to drill for new oil and gas for decades to come, despite the climate emergency. The trustees have a legal duty to protect the reputation of the museum. They must step in now, following in the footsteps of other major cultural institutions, and drop BP as a sponsor.

On 30th July 2020, hedgehogs were added to the Red List for British mammals and classified as vulnerable to extinction. The Dartford Hedgehog Project and wonderful hedgehog groups across the country are doing their upmost to help this species recover, by raising awareness of their needs, encouraging communities to allow access through hedgehog highways, provide shelter and suitable food - such as dry kitten food with a high meat percentage. This has had a positive impact in urban areas, however there is still a long way to go! Also, sadly, well meaning people are buying products labelled as specialist hedgehog food, but as food for wildlife is currently completely unregulated, this can lead to deadly consequences for hedgehogs. A lot of the food supposedly designed for them contains ingredients such as wheat, calci worms, meal worms, fruit, sunflower seeds, nuts or oats. Eating too much of this causes teeth issues and metabolic bone disease in hedgehogs. This is a debilitating condition that eventually leads to an agonising death. It is simply unacceptable that products that can cause such harm are currently allowed to be sold freely! We are therefore calling on the government to bring in regulations to the sale of food specifically labelled as suitable for Hedgehogs! Written by Green Party Cllr Laura Edie, On behalf of Dartford Hedgehog Project.

The waste is damaging the world and this has to be solved by everyone in the 'waste chain' being responsible for their part. Retailers are major players yet they pass the buck to consumers. Lets make that stop.

CALL ON BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL TO STOP INVESTING IN FOSSIL FUELS The British public generally are rightly worried about climate change and biodiversity loss. But do you know that UK pension funds enable more CO2 than the entire UK carbon footprint? Halting the extraction and expansion of fossil fuels is a matter of survival for us all. Our local leaders must act now. They may say they do better to stay invested with fossil fuel companies and challenge them from the inside, to transition into more sustainable activities. But, “shareholder engagement with fossil fuel companies has not, and will not, lead to change on the scale and in the timeframe necessary” . (Quigley et al, 2021)* We call on Buckinghamshire to stop financing fossil fuels. Start financing a sustainable future. *https://www.cam.ac.uk/sites/www.cam.ac.uk/files/sm6_divestment_report.pdf

As far as we know, we are the only creatures in the universe who currently understand something of its existence. It would be a shame if that capacity were lost due to something we had it in our power to fix. More concisely, if you have children, you will want to leave them a world in which our civilisation can continue to thrive and produce new wonders.

While we accept that the council erected this fence with good intentions it became clear quite soon after that it was not required. Other areas of the park have been open for a long time and it seems this fence is just a leftover. It has though, a detrimental effect on park goers and should be removed forthwith and not be linked to any subsequent decisions over opening the paddling pool.

Everyone concerned by the climate crisis can sign this petition. If a truly vast number of us, tens of millions, do, then this petition will be a very powerful tool to be weilded in parliament against the appalling inaction.

The Epona has already polluted Lydney harbour with a fuel Spillage, nobody knows what else could leak out of her at anytime. Another spillage from the vessel could have massive environmental consequences and pose a big risk to nature and wildlife.

We have already lost a third of the bee population in this country, there are many crops that rely on pollinators and not only commercially grown crops but also in gardens and allotments across the Nation. Even a very small amount of this insecticide getting into wildflowers can cause devastation to the bee population

There are very few places left in Newark where wildlife can be experienced in such abundance, making the lake an intimate and life-changing place for adults and children who visit. Our birdlife is in serious decline too. - Populations of UK native birds are 11% lower than they were in 1970. - Balderton Lake is an important site for Kingfishers. These small unmistakable bright blue and orange birds fish from riverside perches. They are listed as a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, meaning no activity which could disturb them between March-August is allowed. - Due to populations severely declining in Britain or because they are considered under threat of global extinction, the red list of Britain’s most endangered birds has recently increased to 70 species. - Iconic birds to Balderton Lake including swift, housemartins, starling, mistle thrush, house and tree sparrows are on the 'Birds of Conservation Concern' red list. - Birds on the amber list including greylag goose, mallard, woodpigeon, sparrowhawk, wren and song thrush have all been recorded feeding, nesting, residing on and visiting Balderton Lake. Further concerns we have on YMCA using the lake for leisure activities - Habitat will be destroyed and removed to provide the infrastructure and access to the water at peg 16, including storage facilities. - To access peg 16, people will have to carry boats across a busy Sustrans cycle route – posing a significant hazard to users and cyclists. - Water sports will have a detrimental effect on the habitat and wildlife using the site. - Water sports will create noise pollution and water disturbance to residents and visitors of the current tranquil site. - The quality of the water is not safe enough for canoeists due to high levels of excretion from the waterfowl, fish and small mammals that live in and on the banks of the lake. Please sign our petition calling on Balderton Parish Council to save our important wildlife legacy, for both the wonderful species that depend on this habitat and residents and visitors who value this tranquil site at the heart of Newark. This petition is supported by residents of Balderton (Save our Wildlife and Nature – SWAN). As well as signing this petition we also encourage you to write your concerns to Balderton Parish Council.