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FRACKING AND PLASTIC...THE LINK!We feel that the experimental fracking process is dangerous there are a host of examples in the USA and Australia where people living near wells have become ill and their environment has been polluted and water supplies poisoned with toxic chemicals. There is an excess of shale gas as is evidenced by the activities of Exxon and Shell who are building multi million dollar plants to produce plastics with the gas. We don't need dirty fossil fuels or more plastic pollution, the link has been established.305 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Woodsetts Against Fracking
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NO WASTE INCINERATOR FOR CAMBRIDGE : PROTECT OUR AIR QUALITY AND HEALTHIf everyone who saw this, signed and shared it would achieve its objective within the hour! NO WASTE INCINERATOR IN CAMBRIDGE: PROTECT OUR AIR QUALITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH Unborn babies, infants and children are most at risk from incinerator emissions research has proven. Waste incinerators are associated with direct causal links to all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and mortality from lung cancer, higher rates of adult and childhood cancer, birth defects, increased respiratory hospital admissions, a range of emotional and behavioural problems in children, learning difficulties, and delinquency, cell level genetic changes which pose a risk to future generations , and in problems in adults including violence, dementia, depression and Parkinson’s disease, after adjustment for other factors. These findings come from a wide variety of peer reviewed research, meta-analysis and reports conducted by The World Health Organisation (WHO), British Heart Foundation, British Lung Foundation, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, The British Society for Ecological Medicine, DEFRA, Asthma UK, Client Earth. All conclude that incinerators should NOT be approved. This directly affects your health and that of your family and friends. Don’t say you weren’t warned! YOUR VOICE MATTERS and IT DOES COUNT. If approved against all advice from world leading environment, climate change and health advisory bodies, Cambridge air pollution WILL increase, forever, with significant and predictable life threatening and life changing health consequences for many, particularly affecting the most vulnerable youngest members of society. Amey Cespa proposes a £200M waste incinerator in Cambridge that will burn 250,000 tonnes commercial and household waste /yr, from 5 counties incl. Isle of Wight (selling surplus to China), fed at this rate minimum to justify investment. AC already provides facilities for waste recycling, composting, landfill and mechanical biological treatment. Yes, it proposes energy for 45,000 homes and 300 jobs during construction and operations but does that justify proven and predictable health effects above? Read them again – all-cause mortality, cancer, mental health, adverse effects in unborn babies, infants and children who by nature are in a biological window of vulnerability. AC submitted their application 20th Dec for a 21 day public consultation, just before the busiest holiday period of the year. They have followed min. statutory requirements to notify the public. For such a major infrastructure application that presents enormous city wide public health and environmental impact, providing 2 short notice site public information meetings (advertised briefly in neighbouring villages) and 2 recent short notice neighbouring parish council meetings, it does appear like AC would rather prefer the application flew very much under the public radar. The UK and Cambridge has a problem with waste management but if incineration is the answer, somebody asked the wrong question. Waste incineration in Cambridge will produce an unprecedented health risk for people living in and around the city, air pollution WILL increase and forever with significant and predictable health consequences. AC cannot guarantee that waste incineration is safe for public health. Toxin emissions and particulate pollution have to go somewhere. EC reports advise reducing NOT increasing air pollution to reduce and prevent land, coast and sea ecosystem damage due to acidification, thus also protecting water, food chains and organic farmers. There is already local evidence of significant health impacts from the AC Cambridge waste management site. 2016- AC was fined by Cambridge magistrates £50,000 for causing sickness and adverse effects on human health, and prior to these incidents, received 3 enforcement notices 2015 by the Environment Agency. ‘AC fined £50,000’ by F Snoad, Cambridge Evening News, Sep 2016. The environment agency continues to receive regular calls reporting problems with air quality relating to this site. Local newspapers have reported ongoing problems with local residents and workers complaining of feeling sick, gagging, wheezing, sore eyes and throats, constant unpleasant smells causing them to have to keep windows shut. ‘The waste park is poisoning us: Cambridgeshire villagers concern at Amey recycling centre’ by Samar Maguire, Cambridge Evening News, Sep 2017. It is enshrined in EC and UK legislation that reducing emissions produces true health benefits, prevents unnecessary burden on healthcare, and protects against the impacts of acid air and water on local and wide ranging ecosystems including land, coast and sea. Costs of incineration, together with research investigating nonstandard emissions from incinerators, has demonstrated that the hazards of incineration are greater than previously realised including that relating to fine and ultrafine particulates. Operating waste incinerators in urban areas results in dangerous health and environmental consequences from both construction and operation. The accumulated evidence on the health risks of incinerators is simply too strong to ignore and their use in Cambridge cannot be justified now that better, cheaper and far less hazardous methods of waste disposal have become available. The planned chimney stack height is out of keeping with surrounding local village architecture and the Fenland landscape: contravening NPPF guidelines. The proposed site is greenfield which will potentially be adjacent to major new residential areas. Waste minimisation, recycling and composting through innovation and behavioural change are the answer not incineration and certainly not in urban areas. Residents of Cambridge have human right to clean air and their health protected.2,517 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by Jude Sutton
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Remove the William Patten school bus stopThe removal of the bus stop is important for several reasons: 1. Pollution levels at the school are over the legal limit. 2. 44% of the pollution at the school comes from buses. And as much as 25% of pollution from buses travelling on their route is caused by them idling at bus stops. The potential for reducing pollution by removing the bus stop is therefore significant. 3. Children are especially vulnerable to the health impacts of air pollution, which include cardio-respiratory illnesses. This is because their immune systems and lungs are still developing. 3. A study has shown that children at school in high-pollution areas are slower to develop cognitively (i.e. their attentiveness, memory and brain development). 4. Removing the bus stop is one of the only ways to reduce the amount of toxic air our children are inhaling. We want action now!512 of 600 SignaturesCreated by Lucy Harbor
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Save Braunton Marshes from being lost before it’s too lateApart from being an example of prime pasture land, the marshes contain a concentrated diverse range of protected British wildlife that is equalled nowhere else in the country. Many of the identified creatures that thrive there are protected by law. Braunton Marshes are a prime example of how traditional farming methods have sustained wildlife for over a century. Grazing Marsh is identified as a priority habitat within the Devon BAP (Biodiversity Action Plans). It is part of our history and heritage, and arguably a habitat of national importance. There are various buildings that are Grade 2 listed on the Marshes. Safe public access to the iconic Crow Point Beach (AONB and SSSI) will be eradicated. This situation has been allowed to escalate to a point where immediate action must now be taken or we lose it forever.3,931 of 4,000 SignaturesCreated by Rozalind Best
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BBC should make Pagan voices heardThe BBC recently published a review of its religious programming however despite getting the views from a range of religious leaders, no Pagans were consulted. Thought for the Day (T4tD) goes out on Radio 4 and despite it being multi-faith it has no Pagan voices on it. According to the 2011 Census, Pagans make up 0.2% of all people in the UK expressing a religion (this will be understated given our natural reluctance to make ourselves know!). By comparison 0.6% identified as Buddhists but had 3% of T4tD broadcasts and 0.7% identified as Jewish with 5% of T4tD broadcasts. It is clear we are being discriminated against. Nature based religions have never had more relevance than now with climate change hurting the world and plastic soup killing our oceans. Human animals are failing to honour Nature despite us being part of her. Having voices in the media that have a different regard to the world of which we are part is more necessary now than ever.2,122 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by Stuart Jeffery
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Save A+M HireA+M Hire is one of the "Big 3" prop houses in Europe and the UK. It supplies period props and dressing for major feature films and TV dramas like ‘Victoria’, ‘The Crown’, ‘Game of Thrones’, the ‘Harry Potter’ films, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘Murder of the Orient Express’ and many more. Due to the fact that HS2 require their premises as a construction site and due to circumstances beyond both A+M’s and HS2’s control A+M has to cease trading. As you may be aware there has been an upsurge in the film industry with companies like Netflix, Amazon and Sony making more and more productions in the UK, not only because of the tax breaks but also because of the facilities and skills we provide. Without A+M, who supply a huge amount of the props that are used in these films and dramas, the supply chain will be broken. Their stock is incalculably valuable, both in monetary terms and historically, irreplaceable and very often unique. It will endanger productions as inevitably the art department costs will soar as items, previously easily hired from A+M, will now have to be sourced from elsewhere, and almost certainly purchased, involving more upfront costs and considerably higher transport costs, both financially and ecologically, and of course, precious time. A+M’s collapse will also put all of their staff out of work, cause production costs to rise, and thus discourage companies to film in the UK and damage the film industry as a whole. This will obviously have a knock-on effect for all of the skilled crew that depend on the industry for their livelihood. We urge you to sign this petition, and hopefully prevent this shocking and debilitating loss to the industry.2,980 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by Dominic Devine
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Restart Birtley Street CleaningWe love living in Gateshead's best kept secret... Birtley! But the streets and pavements of our little town have now gone beyond what is an acceptable level for public health. There are increasing amounts of litter but more worryingly, dog waste. People with buggies are finding it impossible to steer away from unwanted 'deposits' and in the summer when children wear sandals it's nothing short of dangerous. When I asked the local council what could be done I was told cuts to local authority budgets meant a street cleaning service can no longer be provided in the Birtley area. We love living in Birtley - great schools, a bustling high street and amazing people, but the cleanliness of the streets is now unacceptable. As residents, many of us are vigilant and make sure any litter is picked up. But more needs to be done! Will you join me in signing and sharing this petition, as well as doing what we can when we see litter, to make Birtley better?599 of 600 SignaturesCreated by Lindsay Bruce
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Campaign to Save Inchgreen Dry DockPeel Ports are vandalising the facilities at Inchgreen Dry Dock purchased in 2002 from Clydeport. They blew up the cranes in July 2017 claiming it was too costly to service and maintain. No investment has been made in the facility since 2002 and rumour was they wanted to infill the dock and sell the land for housing. They have now confirmed to Inverclyde Council that they are not selling the dock or infilling. The Dry Dock is the second largest in the UK and a major asset for Inverclyde and the west coast. Who are Peel Ports? The Peel Group is constructed like a Russian Doll, a company within a company within a company and so on that produces hundreds of companies. The holding companies are registered in Tax havens, the Isle of Man and the Cayman Islands, owned and controlled by John Whittaker tax exile and his sons through Billown Trust. They own 75% of the parent companies Tokenhouse Ltd, Tokenhouse Investments (Guernsey) Ltd and Peel Port Holdings, the other 25% is owned by a Saudi Arabian conglomerate the Olayan Group. The Peel Group own A&P Group (APG) based at Cammell Lairds in Birkenhead Merseyside and have 4 Dry Docks, they also have dry docks in Falmouth, Tyneside and Teesside, and now control Inchgreen according to their web page. APG have a joint venture with BAE Systems (BAES) and tendering for the Type 31e Frigates (each £250m +) have the same build time as the Type 26 Frigates being built by BAES in Govan and Scotstoun. The Frigates and a £200m BAES investment promised and supported by the Tory Government during the 2014 Independence Referendum did not materialise. Former Tory Defence Secretary of State, Lord Michael Fallon also reduced the build number of Type 26 from 13 to 8, another broken promise and BAES have only been contracted to build 3. Sir John Parker’s 2016 Report ‘The National Shipbuilding Strategy“ has also been used to break promises to Glasgow hence the joint venture, BAES providing Engineering, Design and Systems and APG doing the build in Birkenhead. However this report also suggested that a Regional Industrial Strategy could be developed to build the Type 31e and Clydeside has the capacity. Which begs the question- Did BAES not consider a joint venture with Ferguson’s Marine using Inchgreen and develop a Regional Strategy to build these Frigates? We think not, the joint venture would not like Ferguson’s Marine gaining expertise in MOD work, and APG would prefer their Merseyside investment to benefit. Peel Group have invested over £250m in Cammell Lairds and have grand plans to invest £50 Billion over 50 years in the Atlantic/Ocean Gate Project which covers both sides of River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal, the docks, container facilities, shipyards and riverside developments etc. Their future investment and the millions of public money they receive from the EU, Merseyside & Manchester Local Authorities, Enterprise & Regional Boards and Government is all for the Atlantic/Ocean Gate Project and none for Inchgreen. Merseyside and Manchester newspapers with community groups have asked whether the tax payer is getting value for the vast amounts of public money Peel receive and continue to receive. Their control of the Merseyside waters and coast has been a major concern for some community groups and one ExUrbe produced a critical 2013 report on Peel’s operation - “PEEL AND THE LIVERPOOL CITY REGION”. Peel has no intention of investing in Inchgreen Dry Dock and attracting work or they would not have destroyed the cranes. The Peel Group’s investment strategy is totally focused on Merseyside. However they could be in for another Public Purse payday when the Greenock Ocean Terminal Project under the City Deal gets final business case approval. Estimated costs are £14.793m, £7.193 from the Tax Payer, identified private sector investment £6.1m from Peel and £1.5m from the Dunard Art Fund, to date no contract has been signed or approved. We petition the Scottish Government and Inverclyde Council to bring Inchgreen Dry Dock into Public/Community Ownership for the future prosperity of Inverclyde and its citizens. We now have support from the local political parties Lib Dem’s, SNP, Greens, Labour and most Independent Councillors, local MP & MSPs also Unite and Unison Trade Unions. Our local newspaper the Greenock Telegraph have raised the profile of the Campaign with the Inverclyde public by their many articles on the issue. Copies of the Campaign petition can be obtained by contacting the below or sign online at:- https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/campaign-to-save-inchgreen-dry-dock-1 email: [email protected] Tel 07719 646944 Its important for the future Industrial development of Inverclyde, attract good paid skilled jobs, secure a major asset for the West Coast of Scotland and preserve its shipbuilding heritage.1,689 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by ROBERT BUIRDS
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Start Food Waste Collection In Horsham DistrictWe propose that Horsham District Council provides a food waste collection and anaerobic digestion or in-vessel composting service in Horsham. Our planet is poised on the brink of a severe environmental crisis. The public not only recognises the need to be more environmentally conscious but also environmentally proactive. Change starts with ourselves and our personal choices, but given this facility we could make a difference on a wider scale. The average family wastes on average 20% of the foods they purchase at a cost of £60 a month. 4 million tonnes of unavailable food waste is generated a year from households alone. Not only do we have a moral obligation to reduce waste, it also makes economic sense. It costs less than half to recycle food waste through anaerobic digestion compared to including it with the household waste. This means that recycling food waste would make long-term savings to help protect our critical frontline council services like social care, libraries and schools. Recycling food waste also represents the most sustainable way of extracting value and turning this waste into a resource. The generated electricity from the gas produced during the anaerobic digestion process can either be fed back into the National Grid or perhaps used to provide power for a housing estate for poorer families. The other huge benefit to anaerobic digestion is the reduction of CO2 – every tonne of food waste recycled by anaerobic digestion as an alternative to landfill prevents between 0.5 and 1.0 tonne of CO2 entering the atmosphere. We are aware that the Biffa Brookhurst Wood plant in Warnham currently processes food waste in an Anaerobic Digester however separating waste types at point of collection is the most efficient way of minimising contamination between different waste and maximising the value that can be recovered from each waste. That is why we believe that single stream source segregation of food waste is so important. A Food Waste collection service would surely be welcomed by Horsham residents, especially given the forthcoming cut to general waste collection to every fortnight rather than every week from 5 February 2018. This is part of Horsham District Council’s proposal to reduce the amount of waste we recycle from the current 44% to national target of 50% by 2020. Furthermore as part of a 2015 analysis, Horsham Council found that 28% of what we throw away is food waste. We fully support the Council’s pledge to encourage recycling and reduce general waste. If food waste collection was to be introduced, it would surely be a natural partnership to help residents achieve this goal. We suggest the following steps as a starting point: 1. The council makes contact with large scale in-vessel composting companies, and makes plans for the practicalities of collection, composting, and use of the compost. If necessary, the council can contact other councils who have successfully overcome this issue, for advice. For example: Lewes Council: Matthew Busby, Waste & Recycling Customer Support, Acting Supervisor Surrey County Council: Mike Goodman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning Jason Russell, Deputy Director for Environment & Infrastructure Jacqui Archer, PA and Project Support Officer 2. Once initial planning stages are in place, the new service is announced to the public with details about how to use the service, and the good news about the impact this will have on the environment and economy. 3. Compost collection bins, and compostable bags if needed, are delivered to all the residents in Horsham with instructions on how to use, how the collection service works, and information about where the food waste will go as well as the positive environmental impact. 4. Food waste collection and responsible disposal is rolled out across the Horsham District. 5. Find ways to monitor the food waste scheme, and create a report one year later of the impact this has had in terms of waste reduction and sustainability in Horsham. Share these results with residents to encourage them to continue to use the service. We believe a realistic timeframe for the above to be implemented is by December 2018, and urge the council to rise to this.819 of 1,000 SignaturesCreated by Lucy Holloway
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For Bugs' Sake - Stop Tilbury ExpansionThe former Tilbury Power Station site supports an amazing assemblage of invertebrates, including 159 species of conservation concern and 31 rare or threatened species; among them the Shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum), Blue carpenter bee (Ceratina cyanea), Four-banded weevil-wasp (Cerceris quadricincta), Puff-ball beetle (Caenocara bovistae) and Green malachite beetle (Malachius vulneratus). Over half of high biodiversity potential brownfield sites in the Thames Gateway have been destroyed since 2007, but Tilbury is an exceptionally important site for open mosaic habitat invertebrates. The mix of substrates, including Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA) and Lytag, has fostered the development of the unusual drought stressed grasslands, lichen heaths, and herb and lichen-rich grasslands that support the endangered species. The incredible assemblage of invertebrates currently found on the Tilbury site won’t be able to survive the development. Much positive work is needed to save brownfield biodiversity in the Thames Gateway, but destroying this wildlife jewel will take out one of the last remaining large areas of wildflower rich habitat.75,321 of 100,000 SignaturesCreated by Paul Hetherington
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Bottle Deposit SchemeIt is estimated that at least 8 million tonnes of plastic leak into the ocean every year – which is equivalent to dumping the contents of one rubbish truck into the ocean every minute. This plastic then causes harm to our wildlife, pollutes our water, washes up on our shores and even ends up in our food chain.159 of 200 SignaturesCreated by Bottle-less .
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No Incinerator in Monklands (Monklands Residents Against Pyrolysis Plant)Monklands has one of the highest rates of COPD in the UK and exceptionally high levels of pollution. To operate an incinerator in the middle of where we live, work and where our children attend local schools and nurseries will be detrimental to the health of the most vulnerable in our community. The emissions from this proposed plant will not only disperse in Shawhead and Carnbroe, but also in the wider area covering Airdrie, Bellshill and potentially further. If you live in North Lanarkshire we ask you to sign asap. This is not just for you but for your children and grandchildren.1,985 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by Maggie Proctor
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