Glyphosate-based herbicides such as Round Up and Touch down pose a real risk to the public, our environment and horticultural workers. Calderdale’s Wildflower areas have all been treated with glyphosate to prepare for new seeds. This is irresponsible towards our people and insects. Roundup kills beneficial insects, it has been proven to cause mortality of live beneficial species including bees, thrichgramma, predatory mites, lacewings, ladybugs, and predatory beetles. Glyphosate in soil takes 140 days to break down to half its toxicity and will continue to be taken up by plants from the soil for 2 years and longer. It’s toxic to earthworms and inhibits mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi are essential for tree health, collecting nutrients and water to feed their host plant and protecting tree roots from harmful fungi and root rot diseases. Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that it was “probably carcinogenic”. Recently a break through court case against Monsanto was won by a man who developed cancer after using Roundup. He was awarded $289 million in damages. We know that in Hebden Bridge, Calderdale Council have sprayed Glyphosate each year on the following sites: Calder Holmes Park - wildflowers lawn Stubbings wharf – Heptonstall Turning circle wildflowers microsite Oldgate – wildflowers lawns In 2016 Calderdale Council announced a plan to reduce the use of glyphosate by 15% year, however figures show that in 2017 the amount used increased. Other councils now use the eco-friendly alternatives such as non-toxic Foamstream.

We want to safeguard our public spaces and local wildlife for all generations and encourage biodiversity in our environment by eliminating the use of pesticides in the Wychavon District. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 350,000 people die every year from acute pesticide poisoning. Moreover, this figure does not include deaths from cancer or other chronic diseases caused by pesticide exposure. Glyphosphate has been identified and declared by the WHO to 'probably' cause cancer, but it has also been linked to infertility problems, respiratory issues and birth defects. Whilst Glyphosphate has more publicly been subject to scrutiny, in the most recent UK-wide survey, there were a reported 38 different types of pesticide used in the towns and cities of the UK. Pesticides can also easily contaminate the air, ground and water having a devastating effect on our local wildlife (insects, birds, animals and aquatic life) and the environment. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are also suffering severe population losses too. There is a wealth of information and research available from other controlled studies to show that it is possible to control unwanted weeds and pests with pesticide-free methods. One of these adopted by other UK councils is the use of Hot Foam. This has been put into place by Lewes District Council, Wadebridge town, Glastonbury council and Hammersmith and Fulham. So, why not Wychavon, too? We want our children, families, pets and visitors to our local parks and public places to be able to live, work and play in these areas safely without the risk of exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. More information can be found on the Pesticide Actions Network UK website: http://www.pan-uk.org

Noise from motorcycles and sports cars have increased in London over the last decade. Leaving your window open on a sunny night is no longer an option for people who don't want to be woken up by someone who has intentionally made their motorbike/car noisier than it needs to be. Motorcyclists with loud exhausts wear especially designed ear plugs to protect their hearing from their own exhaust pipes. But pedestrians, cyclists, children and old people simply have to put up with with it. You may know the feeling, as you walk along the street, suddenly the loud bang of a motorbike or sports-car revs up right behind you from nowhere. That feeling is the stress hormone cortisol being released into your blood stream. Research from universities including Oxford and Imperial College has found that that unnecessary stress from traffic noise has become one of the country's most significant urban health threats, increasing the prevalence of heart disease, stroke and even diabetes. This is all the more frustrating because the motorbikes and cars that are making the most noise were built to regulation with mufflers, and then illegally modified to make them as noisy as possible. This is not just an avoidable problem, it's a problem that has been deliberately created just because a few people like it at the expense of everybody else's mental and physical health.

A number of cities, counties, states and countries throughout the world have taken steps to either restrict or ban glyphosate the active ingredient in weed killer (such as Roundup). Glyphosate has been designated as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO). It has also been linked to the decline in populations of the honey bee and other insects. Some of us remember when driving our windscreen would be covered with insects. It is now well documented that we are facing an enormous loss of insect life in the UK, some estimate an 80% loss in the last 30 years. This is due to pollution, loss of habitat, global warming and particularly to the over-use of pesticides/insecticides. The glyphosate used in weed killer has been linked to a decline in insect populations including our pollinators. We understand that on average four times yearly, Reading Borough Council sprays glyphosate weed killer around our park benches and at the base of many of our parkland trees and trees around our town. We, the undersigned would like Reading Borough Council to cease the use of Glyphosate products and allow weeds to grow around the base of trees as have they have for millennia as part of natural biodiversity and to use the money saved by doing this to use alternative methods for cutting back grasses close to park benches.

Global Warming is the most important issue of our time! It effects our lives. It effects our children’s lives. It’s effects the future of the world. We need to act now, before it’s too late! We’ve been given this incredible gift that is our planet, don’t go throwing it away now.

It has become harder and harder to be an ethical consumer when it comes to packaging. Even fruit and veg is packed in plastic punnets most of the time. There are several, biodegradable alternatives to the plastic packaging used by the big supermarkets for their own brand items. Too much emphasis is put on customers and their duty to make the right choice. This is impossible when there is no choice presented. The banning of free plastic carriers bags has shown how big an impact can be made when those who create and sell the problem take a measure of responsibility.

Micro plastics has a negative effect on wildlife and the environment

At present a large proportion of food packaging does not provide the consumer with recycling imformation either on the plastic tray, or the accompaning paper information. This lack of information means that a lot of recyclable plastic still goes to landfill. Conversely consumers may be presenting plastics for recycling having assumed them as recyclable when they are not.

Every council have differing recycling plans , all very confusing inconstant and inefficient , in cost and what gets recycled , So one template rolled out across will sort this out once and for all , winners the environment, nature , us , collection template , followed by new packaging laws

This is important as it not only strips away poor, endangered animals habitats but also increases deforestation greatly. Did you know that over 50,000 orangutans have died recently on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra due to palm oil deforestation.

I work in a shop and am horrified by the number of people asking for plastic carriers, sometimes just for one small item. We don't even charge them as we are too small. Multiply our shop by all the shops who give or even sell plastic carrier bags and the impact on the environment is immense. Many people now carry their own cloth bags and if plastic bags were not freely available, everyone else would learn very quickly, to do the same.

To protect the health of those who do not smoke