The UK government has recently introduced a whole host of measures that reduce subsidies to renewable energy and actively discourage people from going green. The effects of this are massive. Today we heard that Drax, which runs the biggest coal-fired power station in the UK, has been forced to abandon a £1bn carbon technology project that would have captured 90% of the plant’s emissions, and all because the government removed the renewable energy tax exemption which funded the project. This comes as the Chancellor, George Osborne, also unbelievably introduced a £3.9bn carbon tax called the ‘Climate Change Levy’ on wind and solar power and biogas. As these energy sources emit no net carbon, this policy seems absolutely ridiculous. He has also changed Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) so that now a Prius costs just as much as a Porsche. The AA believes this decision will discourage drivers from using less polluting cars. Other bright ideas include destroying the green homes scheme, selling off the green investment bank, and spending £24.5 bn building the new Hinkley point c nuclear power plant out of what experts have called ‘outdated’ and ‘overcomplicated’ technology. Amber Rudd, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, says the subsidy cuts are because they exceeded its £7.6bn budget for renewable energy this summer, and supposedly they will help keep household bills down, but how will increasing tax on greener cars keep families in pocket? How will removing support for green homes today help small businesses to reduce their bills in the future? And how exactly are MPs going to justify this attack on clean energy in the face of the current and future health problems caused by the hydrocarbons that they still continue to subsidise? The UK has always been a world leader in environmental policy, and now the actions of this government are putting our moral and scientific reputation at risk, as well as deterring investors and putting our health at risk. Please sign this petition now to let Amber Rudd and George Osborne know that we won’t put up with it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34319458 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/22/al-gore-puzzled-by-ukcuts-to-renewable-energy-support http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/24/the-9-green-policies-killed-off-by-tory-government http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/21/the-guardian-view-on-hinkley-point-c-overcomplicated-overpriced-and-overdue http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2015/07/decc-amber-rudd-reduces-subsidies-for-renewable-energy/

Nothing is more important for our survival than safe water. It is basic to our health, our children's health, to the production of livestock and crops. The Government has recently granted licenses for Companies to drill for shale gas. Two of these areas cover the West Pennine Moors and parts of Bolton, Chorley and Preston. But this is an issue for domestic and commercial water users across the region. A large part of the land designated for fracking is owned by United Utilities and is the water catchment for the reservoirs at Rivington and Anglezarke. Apart from these areas being valued and visited for their beauty and recreation, they also supply water mainly to Liverpool but also Greater Manchester. Where fracking has occurred in the US & Australia, there has been widespread contamination and depletion of water sources as a result of the fracking process. Risks include carcinogenic chemicals used in the fracking process, the release of methane and also increased radiation. Locally, exploratory drilling resulted in contamination at Barton Moss and on the Fylde. . We all need to know that United Utilities is not only taking seriously the risks posed by fracking, but will take all necessary steps to protect our water.

There is currently no safe way to cycle between Totnes and Newton Abbot. The A381 is the only route over the river Dart and it is simply too dangerous for cyclists. Access to footbridge, the only other bridge over the river, would enable cyclists and walkers to travel safely out of Totnes to the north east and west. This would ease congestion and improve the health and wellbeing of the residents of Totnes and Newton Abbot and all the villages that lie between. In addition, this route would serve to complete the missing link in the National Cycle Network. The route in question is called NCN2 and runs from Dover to St Austell. The missing link lies between Totnes and Newton Abbot. However, Devon County Council want to sign off an alternative route that bypasses Totnes altogether. We believe that this is a huge missed opportunity as it will have a negative impact on the town in the form of lost revenue from cycle tourism. Please help support our campaign by asking Devon Council not to bypass our town but to directly liaise with South Devon Railway to appease their concerns regarding security. The bridge was part funded by public money and is a valuable asset to Totnes and its transport infrastructure. However, it is only being used exclusively for customers of the railway and not for the overall benefit of the community. We need the council to help us convince the railway that we can secure their important tourist attraction and that opening up access to the bridge would actually benefit their business going forward. We have had discussions with both South West Water and the only private landowner involved, and neither have any serious objections to our proposal. Our petition has generated almost 3000 signatures, many with comments expressing the importance of the scheme to the local and wider community. What we are missing is support from Devon Council. We do not need another study, we do not need any more consultants, there are no other routes that offer value for money. Our proposal is a valid practical solution with many benefits to the local community in terms of congestion, health and tourism. Our proposal is backed by the community, Sustains, all the local schools, local businesses, local and regional MP's and is backed by South Hams District Council. We appreciate the cycle path will require an estimated £300,000 (although we believe this estimate to be excessive). We are happy to co-ordinate the funding process going forward, however this option will never come to fruition if we don't get agreement in the first place. So please Devon County Council - please don't sign off the National Cycle Network Route 2 so that it bypasses Totnes. Instead please get on side and help negotiate with the South Devon Railway to open up a public resource for the benefit of us all.

Because we need nature, it doesn't need us, and if we don't act soon it will not only effect future generations, but as we have seen by the sinking of entire Islands, melting of the ice caps, forest fires in Australia, and even floods in our own country it IS already effecting us now. We must take action before it's too late.

The total destruction of the vital environment and large swathes of animal life on earth, caused by the insatiable drives of capitalism threatens the entire bio-diversity of the planet in the long term and the foundations of human civilisation in the short term. Now, that wouldn't be very nice, would it?

This October we urge women and men to join us in removing the pink ribbon blindfold and in asking Breast Cancer Charities to do the same. Why, despite all the money raised, are more and more of us are getting this disease? Is it possible that we’re not being given the full picture on the breast cancer epidemic that has taken us from 1 in 12 chance of a woman getting the disease in her lifetime in 1995 to a 1 in 8 chance today? Why are Breast Cancer Charities refusing to acknowledge the environmental and occupational risk factors for breast cancer, when the evidence is already out there? ALL women need and deserve a full understanding of ALL potential risk factors for the disease that threatens women’s lives and health. Now is the time to question why Breast Cancer Charities continue to focus solely on ‘lifestyle’ risk factors such as diet and exercise, while ignoring the potential 60% of breast cancer cases for which they have no explanation. What about the role of chemical, environmental and occupational exposures in this? Why, when the World Health Organisation states that prevention (which is not the same as early detection) offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer, do we not see this reflected in our cancer plans and strategies? Why is primary prevention (stopping the disease before it starts) not equally addressed along with better treatment and care? Why are those with the power to influence decisions on breast cancer policy not acting on what we already know? Join us this October in removing the pink ribbon blindfold and asking the Breast Cancer Charities the Big Question: WHY they persist in refusing to acknowledge the role of environmental and occupational toxins by ignoring decades of evidence up to the present day on the link between our lifelong (womb to grave) exposures to toxins and the escalating incidence of breast cancer? Actions: There are various actions you can take: 1. Join us in removing the pink ribbon blindfold on the 1st of October for the social media launch of our campaign. Do your own action in a group or individually - take a photo removing the blindfold and share on your Facebook page or via social media twitter - @pink_prevention Instagram - pink_to_prevention Flickr group - From Pink to Prevention. 2. Sign our petition, and share widely. 3. Get your organisation to sign up to our statement - www.frompinktoprevention.org 4. Write to your Breast Cancer Charity to ask them the big question. Please send us a copy of their response. See a sample letter on our website. www.frompinktoprevention.org 5. Visit our Facebook page for poster to share: https://www.facebook.com/FromPinktoPrevention 6. World Health Organisation Asturias Declaration: http://www.who.int/phe/news/events/international_conference/Call_for_action_en.pdf 7. For more information on the evidence linking breast cancer and environmental and occupational risk factors: http://www.frompinktoprevention.org/resources/scientific-evidence/ 8. Pink Ribbon Blindfold picture Copyright to Mark Chilvers, thank you to Unison for the use of the picture. Concept by Helen Lynn.

The Paris Climate Change talks start on 30th November. We REALLY are, all in this together. Our Council and every one of us - needs to work towards changing our unsustainable life-styles; in order to protect areas and countries -that are vulnerable to flooding; and the whole eco-system overheating: a threat not just to people, but all living creatures. I am volunteering to co-ordinate 7-10 days, of focused activity in BANES: talks, debates, demonstrations, information-stalls,a Green Fair(?) and generally encouraging discussion and action plans - leading up to Bath Climate Change Day on Sunday 29th November. All groups who can relate to this aim - please contact me with ideas and offers of help. Children's involvement welcome - 'It's their planet'! (eg/ schools and clubs making animal masks of favourite animals that would be threatened by climate change (and it won't be just polar bears folks) - for a Chronicle photo-spread? There is also a need for child-friendly information; that is constructive and 'hopeful' - 'Scary' is a turn-off! I am co-ordinating an anti-clash diary, and posting the final diary of events - mid- November. I've booked a Climate Change information board at the Central Library - 2nd-7th November

Around 3pm on 4th September 2015 the Danish armed warship HDMS Knud Rasmussen entered Lerwick harbour and took the small boat Echo aboard before leaving for the Faroe islands half an hour later. The Echo had been seized from the Dutch-registered Sea Shepherd ship Sam Simon on 1 September by Lerwick police at the request of the Danish authorities, in response to a letter of request issued by the Faroese chief of police on 22August. The seizure followed the small boat’s involvement in the defense of 61 pilot whales at a grindadráp at Sandavágur on 12 August. On Thursday police informed Sea Shepherd’s lawyers that the Echo would be held for a week, giving the lawyers time to appeal the seizure but the Danish authorities fast tracked the extradition and the Scottish police released the boat to the Danish vessel. Insisting the small boat be returned to Lerwick at least until the appeal process is completed is an important signal to the Faroe Islands and their Danish protectors that they cannot ride roughshod over the justice system of another country without consequence.

Brighton now ranks 302nd out of 326 councils for its recycling record. Recent changes even reduced the number of items that can be recycled! Brighton residents pay handsomely for their council tax with the right systems in place green waste could be composted commercially and may even bring in some revenue. Other councils around the country can do it, why can't ours

The Blue Fin Tuna is one of the worlds most beautiful, large and yet endangered fish species. During August 2015 a shoal of upto 500 blue fin tuna was spotted off the coast of Cornwall.Due to their high demand as a good delicacy each fish could be worth over a million pounds. Current EU legislation whilst prohibiting UK fishermen from landing the Blue Fin Tuna permits French, Spanish and other European trawlers to land these fish. With warming of the worlds oceans the blue fin is being spotted more frequently in UK waters. Large industrial trawlers could decimate their numbers in hours. The UK government should push the EU to make UK waters a protected zone banning the fishing of blue fin. the will send a message to the world of the importance of marine conservation and that the UK and EU wish to make real progress in protecting the blue fin.

When an application for planning permission is refused by the local planning authority, an appeal can be made to the Secretary of State against the decision. However if planning permission is granted either by the local authority or by the Secretary of State (who has no local knowledge) there is no right of appeal. This blatant inequality needs to be removed. In our area there have been totally inappropriate speculative housing developments, granted to a big national builder, when the company appealed to the Secretary of state, after the local planning department deemed the development unsustainable. Currently a planning application for a large housing estate on the field similar to the one shown is going to appeal All we are asking is the same right of appeal for local people as is already given to developers, against a a planning decision with which they are not happy.

Evolution by natural selection is one of the most important scientific theories of all time. It explains how living organisms evolve over generations and create new species. Amazingly, not one but two British scientists had this idea roughly at the same time. They both had astounding adventures and suffered great hardship in their search for the truth and yet the contribution made by Wallace has largely been forgotten! It is time for that wrong to be righted by adding Wallace's portrait next to his friend and fellow adventurer, Charles Darwin. There is still time before the ten pound note is redesigned in 2017 and the belated addition would help educate the general public of the truth behind Evolution. London's Natural History Museum have had the vision to belatedly add a portrait of Wallace next to Darwin's statue so I hope the Bank of England will also have that same vision and courage to act. A wrong not righted becomes an injustice!