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No new opencast coal mines in Durham, UK.No new opencast coal mines have started in England since 2013. Since then the Government has said that it will phase-out coal by 2025. It's vital that we prevent a new mine starting which would cause local and international environmental destruction and which the local community have clearly rejected. Bradley is a greenfield site in County Durham between the villages of Dipton and Leadgate. The site supports a wealth of plants and animals, including Great Crested Newts, badgers, red kites. Banks Group plan to mine 550,000 tonnes of coal from the site, starting work this spring. The Bradley opencast mine is a case where the original decision to grant planning was grossly wrong and the development is likely to damage the wider public interest. Since the planning permission was granted in June 2015 there have been significant changes in national and international policy with regards to coal and climate change. 1) Coal use in the UK has dropped to 7% of the UK’s energy mix compared with 30% in 2014. 2) The government has said it will phase-out coal by 2025. 3) The UK and Canadian governments want to be world leaders with their Powering Past Coal Alliance. 4) The Paris Agreement requires that action is taken to prevent global temperatures from raising by 2 degrees and pursue efforts to keep them from a 1.5 degree raise. Thomas Davison, 28-year-old a resident living 300 metres away from the proposed opencast site said; “Banks' desire to extract 550,000 tonnes of coal is driven by nothing more than profit and not at all by a genuine need for energy. We have moved onto other forms of cleaner energy for the good of our global climate. So why is it worth harming the local wildlife and the local economy for one last money grab?”90,326 of 100,000 SignaturesCreated by Coal Action Network
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SAVE OUR GREENBELTThe Council intend to change the green belt to brown belt in a small quaint rural village at Broomhill in Barnsley. We want to stop the application to build on our green belt. The effect this will have on our village and the abundance of wild life will be catastrophic. Both residents and visitors alike enjoy the countryside that surrounds us from dog walkers, bird watchers to ramblers. Our wild life play a big part in making our village an attraction to all. The influx of traffic and housing would be devastating. We have an abundance of squirrels, rabbits, foxes, owls and bats to name a few not to mention an extremely large variety of birds. The surrounding wetlands attracts, swans, geese, ducks, coots and a variety of other wild life. To build on our green belt would be devastating to the wild life not to mention the residents who have enjoyed the peace and tranquillity of living in the countryside.338 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Sharon Baker
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BIG BUSINESS, SAVE OUR CLIMATE!Big businesses need to take responsibility, and stop harming our climate. Throughout the world more and more wildfires, heatwaves, and floods show that we must take urgent action to achieve a safe and healthy climate. HSBC Unlike some other banks, HSBC invests much less in solar or wind energy, which are now good value. You can switch to a less harmful bank. RWE (Npower) Energy generator and supplier Npower is mostly owned by the huge multination RWE, which uses an awful lot of coal. You can switch to another company which uses clean energy. Danone Danone’s brands – including Evian and Volvic – sell bottles made of unrecycled plastic. Once they shape up and commit to making these changes, we'll target other irresponsible companies – and you can suggest some. By signing and sharing this petition you’re telling businesses they must stop harming our climate NOW. Find out more about CLIMATE SERIOUS and how you can get involved: www.climateserious.org #climateserious2,794 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by 7 Friends of the Earth local groups and UK Youth Climate Coalition
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Save Boston Spa SchoolWe need answers from all parties involved. The school is a big part of our community.577 of 600 SignaturesCreated by Claire Wiggins
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Say NO to building on or near to Flood Plains!!!! In Hale Village & HalebankAs everyone knows if flood plains are built on the water has to divert somewhere else usually with catastrophic results !!! We have seen this over the years where villages have been washed away, animals drowned and homes have been destroyed with flooding !! The Government have told all councils they must provide more homes and totally disregard the dangers and destruction of building on or near flood Plains! This is happening now in Hale Village and Halebank . The Government and Environmental Agency are NOT acknowledging flood plains in our area even though they actually flood!!! We must all fight this immediately before it happens in other areas !!! Please sign the petition telling the Government they can't do this !!!319 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Ann Blundell
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Time to Clean up Scotland's Salmon Farming IndustryMany jobs and much of Scotland's iconic wildlife depend on the health of our coastal environment. But Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy & Connectivity (REC) is determined to expand Scotland’s production of farmed salmon by 2030. This would be an act of sheer recklessness given the grave concerns surrounding the industry as it is practised today. The REC committee will hold an inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland later this year. It is vital that we make our voices heard and let our MSPs know that there can be no expansion of salmon farming without radical reform. Here are the issues at stake: • Scotland's seas are home to incredible wildlife, including wild salmon, sea trout, porpoises, dolphins, whales and seals and are home to a wealth of life on the seabed which is vital to our valuable crab, prawn and lobster fisheries. They are under acute threat because of the harmful impacts of open net salmon farming. • A truly sustainable coastal economy can regenerate around many uses of restored seas and fisheries. Jobs are precious in rural areas. By allowing one industry to pollute the sea, we threaten jobs that use the sea sustainably, such as well-managed fisheries and wildlife tourism. By protecting them, the coastal economy can thrive long term. • Parasitic sea lice, thriving in overcrowded open net salmon pens, are driving wild salmon and sea trout numbers to dangerously low levels. • Toxic chemicals to treat sea lice now exceed safe levels in at least 45 Scottish sea lochs, and studies implicate them in harm to crustaceans and other forms of marine life far from the farm cages. • Some 130 salmon farms on Scotland's west coast use Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs) to scare away seals with loud underwater noises. If the ADDs don’t work, fish farmers are permitted to simply shoot them.These ADDs also affect porpoises, dolphins and whales, even though it is illegal to disturb them. • Now the industry, with the government's support, wants to double its annual production to around 300,000 tonnes of salmon by 2030. The environmental impacts are already dangerous, so if you care about the health of our marine environment, please act now! Tell the Scottish Government that salmon farmers must clean up their act before they are allowed to expand. The Salmon Aquaculture Reform Network Scotland (SARNS) is a growing coalition of community, coastal and environmental groups and concerned individuals from all over the west coast and islands of Scotland. We are campaigning for immediate reform of the salmon farming industry. Find out more here: https://salmonaquaculturescotland.wordpress.com/clean-up-scotlands-unsustainable-fish-farming-industry/ Thank you!3,944 of 4,000 SignaturesCreated by SARNS Salmon Aquaculture Reform Network Scotland
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RIVER ITCHEN - URGENT POLLUTION APPEALBakkavor Alresford Salads have applied to the Environment Agency for a renewal licence to continue to put into the river their daily factory wash down described as TRADE EFFLUENT containing a cocktail of powerful chemicals to replace and supposedly improve on the chlorine based biocide they have been using for years. Their impenetrable application can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/so24-9dz-bakkavor-foods-limited-environmental-permit-application-advertisement This application is important to the river and the environment and raises many questions, some of which are listed below; Is the quality of the river Itchen important? YES. It is protected by being in a Site Special Scientific Interest and has the highest European rating as a Special Area of Conservation. Has the Environment Agency, charged with protection of this pristine and iconic river, been successful over the last twenty years? NO. Alresford Pond is now full of man made chemicals and the Upper Itchen fails water quality objectives under the Water Framework Directive and falls short of conservation objectives under the EU Habitats Directive. How does the Upper Itchen compare with other rivers? VERY BADLY. Directly comparable sampling has shown that the Upper Itchen carries about 5% of the shrimp population in the upper river Meon which has no washing plant. This is indicative of what is happening to all fly and bug life in the Itchen. Is the water quality in the Itchen improving? There is NO EVIDENCE that it is and much evidence of a thirty year uninterrupted decline. Does polluting the river matter? YES. It matters to all aquatic life from sticklebacks to trout and much bird life from king fishers to swifts. Does chlorine discharged from the factory dissipate? YES after years if discontinued. If this licence renewal is refused is there an alternative? YES. The factory should connect to the sewer for all contaminated water. Has the Environment Agency required any other company to do this? YES. The salad washing plant at St Mary Bourne was obliged to make this connection years ago despite the Bourne not having the environmental protection of the Itchen.. Can the company afford the cost of making the connection? YES. The owners Bakkovor, a multinational company, has an income of £1.7billion a year. If the contaminated factory discharge went to the sewer would it resolve the river’s pollution problem? Probably not but it would be a first step. IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS LICENCE SHOULD NOT BE ISSUED BY THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY YOU SHOULD WRITE TO: ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, Permitting and Support Centre, WQ Team, Quadrant 2, 99 Parkway Avenue, SHEFFIELD , S9 4WF Although not directly relevant to this licence you might also ask yourself whether you think that the pesticides, insecticides, fertilizer, soil or whatever, should not be washed off these salad vegetables in the various countries of their origin rather than trucked or flown and trucked to Alresford to be washed into the pure spring water of the River Itchen.7,584 of 8,000 SignaturesCreated by Jim Murray
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UK supermarkets - cut down on plastic packaging.It is now well recognised that single use plastic has become a major threat to global ecosystems especially in the sea. Many of us have been shocked to see films and photographs showing the impact on marine life but also frustrated and helpless when we go shopping to find it impossible to avoid plastic packaging. We are pleased to see that the government is finally talking about reducing plastic but we need action now! Supermarkets are the single biggest source of plastic litter in this country and could move quickly to eliminate huge amounts of it. We therefore call on all supermarket chains to take steps to eliminate this environmental scourge.333 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Jill Coleman
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Keep Bristol's parks advertising freeOur parks are important spaces for our physical and mental wellbeing; places where we go to play, relax, connect with nature and escape the pressures of modern life. We feel that introducing commercial advertising would undermine these emotional, psychological and health benefits – especially in areas where children play. The Council is accepting responses until Monday 29th January 2018. Let's tell them that we want to keep Bristol's parks ad free. To use the terminology in the Council's consultation, we "Strongly Disagree" with Proposal 2 (introducing ads to parks and green spaces). You can see the full consultation here: https://bristol.citizenspace.com/neighbourhoods/parks-and-green-spaces/4,099 of 5,000 SignaturesCreated by Adfree Cities
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Install Pelican Crossings at dangerous junctions in TraffordThese are busy, dangerous junctions with no way of crossing safely apart from dashing across the road. These crossings are particularly dangerous for children, the elderly and people with mobility issues. It's critical that the residents of Trafford are able to cross the road in the safety, knowing the traffic has stopped. There are currently no measures for crossing at these junctions and it's a case of dashing across and risking life when the other cars are turning into the road from the other-side of the junction.247 of 300 SignaturesCreated by Amie Nutt
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Build the world's greenest venue on the site of the Earls Court Masterplan, London.Transport for London’s (TfL) commercial development wing formed a joint venture with Capital & Counties Properties PLC to redevelop the TfL-owned site of the now-demolished Earls Court Exhibition Centre, which forms a large part of the scheme known as the Earls Court Masterplan. Mayor Khan is Chair of Transport for London. Recent press reports range from an enhanced Earls Court Masterplan being brought forward to part of it being sold to a Saudi Arabian investment and property firm. This uncertainty over the future of the site does not help residents and businesses. The West Kensington and Gibbs Green housing estates are threatened with demolition as is the Lillie Bridge depot – all for luxury flats. The destruction of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre has led to the loss of 30% of London’s and 16% of the UK’s vital exhibition space and over £1bn annually to the local and national economy. Londoners were promised that "Earl’s Court will remain the location for a large convention centre or exhibition function" in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s 2015 Consolidated Local Plan. Instead permission was granted last year by the Royal Borough for a 644 sq m cultural venue, like a souped up Starbucks on the site of the iconic Exhibition Centre which was 40,000 sq m! There is no step-free access from the Earl's Court tube station to the development to help those with disabilities. There is no significant destination venue in the current Earls Court Masterplan. When the Earls Court Masterplan is revised, we ask that Mayor Khan supports building the world’s greenest venue which will generate overnight stays and support the night-time economy. Profits from the venue should be used to improve London's transport network and to benefit the common good.1,339 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by Bella Hardwick
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Stop Oil Exploration in the Surrey Hills – AONB. UKLeith Hill is a landmark beauty spot in The Green Belt of the Surrey Hills and is topped by Leith Hill Tower. The tower was built in 1765 by Richard Hull of Leith Hill Place as “a place for people to enjoy the glory of the English countryside”. Hundreds of thousands of people visit this area year round. Walkers, horseback riders, cyclists, motorcyclists, families on a day out, day trip coach tours, tourists and locals. They all come here to do just what Richard Hull hoped his tower would inspire. Oil & gas exploration is a commercial investment in the fossil fuel industry. Bury Hill, Leith Hill and the surrounding countryside are AONB designated sites and in The Green Belt. It is difficult to find land where the legal statutes are more set against industrial and commercial development. Surly sustainable, ethical, recreational and woodland based small businesses would be a better example for you to generate income. Sutton & East Surrey Water have stated that there is a very real risk of contamination to the water supply and the ancient and narrow sunken lanes are not appropriate for industrial HGV traffic. The logistics operation for the traffic management alone will make Coldharbour Lane impassable, causing detours and traffic disruption throughout the surrounding area. The District Council, The County Council, The National Trust and local Parish Councils are against it. For nine years local residents have managed to delay production and opposition is growing as we get national press and media. The amount of activity, the number of HGV journeys and a 35m high derrick in this beautiful landscape will make a travesty of its AONB & Green Belt designations. Exploration and possible extraction of fossil fuels contradicts your mission statement and our international commitment to reduce carbon emissions. If the Forestry Commission is truly the steward for forests and the people, then how can you go against the wishes of the local population and their elected representatives in this way?501 of 600 SignaturesCreated by Phil Jackson
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