We live in a plastic world. It’s an extraordinarily useful, versatile, cheap material. It’s everywhere - and it is a growth industry. One in ten barrels of oil is used to create new plastic and production is set to soar in the next 5 years ... contributing massively to climate breakdown. But together, we can make sure we kick our addiction to avoidable single use plastic, and change the system that produces it. That’s why we are part of the national network of Plastic Free Communities, all working on a five point plan to tackle single-use plastic where we live. We need you, our local council, to join us and support us on this journey. It starts here and it starts with us.

Environmental catastrophic implications of the continual deterioration of our waterways. Continual pollution of the sea and its wildlife including fish stock that humans depend on. Health risks to us all both indirectly and directly . Not good enough to continue not improving sewage systems that have been unequivocally identified as unfit for purpose.

On Tuesday 12 October Councillors voted to cut down the trees and replace the grass with tarmac for a proposed extension to the London Road Car Park of net 21 extra spaces. The trees, next to Newark’s public library, are some of the oldest in the town centre. For decades they have provided a leafy welcome to residents and visitors. The area of grass under the trees is one of the last remaining public green spaces close to the town centre. This upsetting decision has been made despite: -Car parking occupancy in Newark is about 60% - A site visit on 24th October 2021 generated 108 bat calls recorded over a 40-minute time frame. The level of Bat activity strongly suggests hibernation roosts in the roof of the building and in the surrounding mature and veteran trees. - The trees are protected by Tree Preservation Orders - A promised car parking review has not yet taken place - A promised public consultation has not taken place - A 2018 petition signed by 1,700 local people the Council opposed the decision - The Council declared a climate emergency in July 2019 - Over 600+ Newark residents and visitors have been peacefully protesting via a family picnic, candlelight vigil and rally in October. To make matters worse, derogatory comments about local campaigners and the trees were caught on microphone at the recent meeting with a council officer saying ‘are the chainsaws on the way’. We understand the council is under pressure to balance the needs of residents and visitors. Our message is - it’s not too late to change your mind. Twentyone parking spaces won’t solve the need for future parking but these trees cannot be replaced in our lifetimes. Nor is there any new green space close to town to replace what is being lost. This decision is a lose-lose for local people. Please sign our petition calling on Newark and Sherwood District Council to keep our urban green space protected for residents and visitors to enjoy for future generations.

The world is addicted to plastic. It's viewed as a useful, versatile, and cheap material - but it comes at a serious expense to our planet. 1 in 10 barrels of oil are currently used to produce new plastic, resulting in serious emissions. And yet, despite facing the harsh reality of climate breakdown, production is set to soar in the next five years. Plastic also contributes to serious ecological degradation: it pollutes natural ecosystems and kills 100 million marine animals per year. All for the convenience of a cheap material? Together, we can break free from our addiction to avoidable single-use plastic, and change the system that produces it. For the sake of all future generations and beings on the planet. That’s why Friends of the River Medway are part of the national network of Plastic Free Communities (as run by Surfers Against Sewage), all working on a five point plan to tackle single-use plastic where we live. We need you, our local council, to join us and support us on this journey. It starts here and it starts with us.

Plastic waste is a massive environmental problem

Pollinators are essential to a healthy countryside and agricultural production, but recent pesticide use has caused a reduction in the overwintering success of honeybee hives, has driven 40% of wild bee species from large areas of the countryside, and has contributed to butterfly declines. This ecological damage reduces pollination services and crop yields. The current pesticide approval process does not protect pollinators. In 2010 the Government concluded that pre-approval tests for pesticides would not protect pollinators, but the UK has yet to introduce any new tests to help ensure that future pesticides are pollinator safe. Current approval tests for pesticides only look at short term effects on Honeybees. While the law says that pesticides that cause unacceptable harm to the environment must not be approved, if new chemicals are approved without adequate data then a blind eye is being turned. Risk assessments of pesticides must be independent and scientific, and the public must have the opportunity to participate in this important environmental decision making. The ‘Protection of pollinators from pesticides’ clause will achieve these outcomes and help to save bees and other insects. The Environment Bill was amended by the House of Lords to include a clause that directly protects our bees and other pollinators. Clause 75 will ensure that the long-term effects on bees and wild pollinators are carefully considered before pesticides are approved for use. We're calling on the government to adopt this clause, without the need for a vote in parliament.

TREES ARE THE LUNGS OF THE PLANET. They help the planet to breathe and we need action NOW. The earth needs a trillion NEW trees. The idea is SIMPLE, AFFORDABLE and HIGHLY EFFECTIVE. By planting this volume of trees we can: - significantly improve air quality absorbing much more Carbon Dioxide across the globe - increase biodiversity - protect nature and wildlife - improve flood prevention - help reduce the impact of major climate events - AND HELP THE PLANET BREATHE BETTER. Waiting for global agreements and innovations takes far too long. Getting countries committed to this can START TO HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT RIGHT NOW.

Time is ticking! We must stop producing so much waste before it's too late. Polystyrene is one of the least recycled plastic types and can easily end up in the rivers, seas and ocean. From there, it travels up the food chain into dolphins, turtles, whales and even humans!

The way the law is structured means that you get up from £400 fines to £2,500 fines for littering. However, there are no laws forcing councils to put recycling bins on high roads. This means that the lack of law is forcing me to break the law. What type of hypocritical society is this? Other people should join for the movement of change and improvement of our local area in terms of litter. As a parent/carer/child, is this something you would want your family to go through? If not, please sign this petition to force Haringey council into putting more bins and help our cause of helping Wood Green become GREATly clean again! I walk through ‘Wood Green High Road’ everyday and I am having to dodge constant litter throwing at an alarming rate. This is not hygienic and could result in diseases spreading.

The destruction of green field sites and natural habitats must be opposed. Local Councils should guard against overdevelopment with private housing and should address the real needs of communities - in our case social housing. New builds which are contrary to the 20 minute neighbourhood policies of National Government should be dismissed. Tree tags now appearing on Wildcat Lane marking those to be cut down by the contractor - no consultation or protection for our precious environment. Brutal development.

Human activity - since the start of the industrial revolution in this country, and especially over the last 30 years - is responsible for the accelerating climate change now evident worldwide. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions are driving the global temperature rise and they should cease. That is why we need zero carbon policies. The WMCA and local authorities should open their doors to the public, welcoming them to join in with the planning. This would accelerate and enhance a just and green transition.

UNIQUELY DANGEROUS COAL MINE This deep coal mine is unlike any other coal mine. It is just five miles from the world’s riskiest nuclear waste site. We urge the Planning Inspector to put earthquake risk and expected subsidence clearly front and centre. It is no accident that it was nuclear safety campaigners, Radiation Free Lakeland who first alerted the nonchalant world in 2017 to the dangers posed by this coal mine. CUMBRIAN MUD PATCH ON THE IRISH SEA BED In addition to induced earthquake risks the mine would be directly below Sellafield’s decades of nuclear waste which have been discharged down pipelines into the Irish Sea and are now largely (but not completely) held in the Cumbrian Mud Patch. Adding vicious insult to injury the CEO of the coal mine, Mark Kirkbride, has been appointed to “Deliver” a deep nuclear dump for the UK government and has already provided preliminary costings of £1.7 Billion just to dig the hole. 1000 METRES DEEP Exploratory boreholes (allowed by County Council under “Permitted Development”) for the coal mine extend to 1000 metres, well below the known coal deposits, through geological faults. The ‘exploratory boreholes’ have already accidentally hit a methane gas pocket in the Irish Sea near Sellafield. MAN MADE EARTHQUAKES It is accepted that coal mining is far worse than fracking for causing earthquakes and man-made earthquakes in former coal mining regions including Cumbria have substantially declined since the stopping of deep coal mining. SECRETIVE NEW LICENCE APPLICATIONS The developers West Cumbria Mining have applied for new licence applications. The public and we presume the Planning Inspector are being denied sight of the new plans. We wonder how the planning inquiry can be at all valid without sight of these new licence applications? PLANNING INQUIRY INTO A DECISION THAT THE COUNCIL WILL NOT DEFEND - IS THIS A FIRST? We are also confused about the rationale for the Inquiry given that the Planning Inspector is looking into a decision by Cumbria County Council, a decision that has since been effectively withdrawn i.e. the Council are not defending their approval of the coal mine and have effectively withdrawn approval. PUT EARTHQUAKE AND SUBSIDENCE FRONT AND CENTRE. Please ensure that earthquake risk is put front and centre of this planning inquiry. Coal mining is far worse than fracking for induced seismicity and Sellafield is just five miles away. To not put earthquake and subsidence front and centre would be to allow the Secretary of State to turn a blind eye to arguably the most damning and dangerous aspects of this coal mine. WHO WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY? The environmental impacts of disturbing the radioactive settlement in the Cumbrian Mud Patch by the "expected subsidence" (West Cumbria Mining) cannot be understated. Who would take the responsibility of cleaning-up the Irish Sea the beaches and 10 miles inland in the worst case scenario which would see the resuspension of several decades of radioactive wastes. Who would take responsibility for induced seismicity resulting from this new coal mine? West Cumbria Mining? The County Council? Sellafield? Induced seismicity could include: *liquefaction of the Sellafield site *widening of undetected cracks in the Magnox Swarf Silos on the Sellafield site "Current leak rates are circa 1.5 – 2.5 m3/d. It is desirable to reduce these as much as possible. At present, it is not possible to determine with certainty the precise location of the leak, or indeed the silo or silos (of the 6) that is leaking." * loss of coolant for high level wastes could impact the whole of Europe. *localised flooding exacerbating corrosion of existing and planned nuclear storage sites at Drigg and the Port of Workington. Anthropomorphic Earthquakes in the UK https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283186824_Anthropogenic_earthquakes_in_the_UK_A_national_baseline_prior_to_shale_exploitation Sellafield's Magnox Swarf Silos' Leaking https://www.gamechangers.technology/challenge/Leak_prevention_or_minimisation Sellafield Radioactive Discharge on the Irish Sea Bed directly beneath the coal mine plan and question of 'Who is Responsible for Safety of the Discharged Nuclear Wastes?' is subject to complaint being dealt with by the Information Commissioner https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/responsibility_for_discharged_ra Coal Authority Licences https://keepcumbriancoalinthehole.wordpress.com/2021/01/18/do-not-rubber-stamp-new-coal-authority-licenses-for-cumbria/ 6th Climate Budget https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/sixth-carbon-budget/ note the Climate Change Committee is appointed by BEIS who have also appointed the Coal Boss, Mark Kirkbride to advise Government (CoRWM) on the 'Delivery of a Geological Disposal Facility" (or more than one). British Geological Society Lack of Testing in West Cumbria https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/west_cumbria_mining_abstraction#incoming-1625582 Who is Responsible for Radioactive Waste on the Irish Sea Bed – Call from Nuclear Free Local Authorities https://www.nuclearpolicy.info/news/nfla-troubled-uk-communities-minister-not-calling-in-decision-deep-underground-coal-mine-west-cumbria/ https://issuu.com/wildart/docs/west_cumbria_mining_-_radiological_implications_of