A letter in the Bracknell Standard of 4 December asked how we all know that global warming is a fact. Well all the independent scientific studies over the last 20 years say so (the latest, last week, was about the melting of the glaciers in Switzerland). Even David Bellamy has now stopped being a denier and his strange opinion in the past was never scientifically supportable.

The scientific studies, including the UN International Panel on Climate Change, base their evidence on measurement. For example: ice-core records show the variation in yearly temperatures, most glaciers on the planet are now shorter than before, the width of tree rings (including those that have been long dead and preserved in peaty bogs), corals (which like trees grow a new ring every year, bigger in warmer years than colder ones) and most strangely the pollen count of dead vegetation in mud at the bottom of lakes.

The really detailed measurements, however, have been made of the change in maximum and minimum temperatures at the same places all over the world every day for very many years. Readers will be familiar with the white slatted boxes standing four feet off the ground called Stevenson screens. These were designed 150 years ago and the instruments they contain provide daily readings of temperature and humidity. These prove it is getting hotter much too quickly.

The scientific community has been unanimous in its pessimism. They say it will soon be too late to prevent the removal of most human life on the planet. The key conference is in a year’s time in Copenhagen. The politicians of the world must take action to prevent runaway global warming for the sake of future generations.

David Young

The Green Party General Election candidate for Bracknell.

Morning After Pill

I refer to the letter from the Pro Life Alliance in the Bracknell News of 11 December. This condemned the use of the morning-after pill. Now I accept that many people have religious views on this and I have no wish to criticise them, merely to point out that the useof the pill is legally allowed by Parliament.

The world's population increases by one and a half million every week, that's births less deaths. Throughout their lives, all these extra people will be using up resources of fossil-fuel energy that are irreplacable. How are all these extra mouths to be fed? And of course we must avoid runaway global warming. There are lots of questions to be asked, and few answers available.

The population of the planet has tripled in my lifetime. It just cannot go on like this. Preventing unwanted embryos turning into unwanted children can only be a good thing for the planet and its occupants. Surely we have a duty to future generations not to leave a devastated world behind us.

David Young
The Green Party General Election candidate for Bracknell.

VAT cut?

I am shocked that so many businesses and local shops have chosen not to pass on to customers the recent VAT cut of 2.5%. They have decided to increase their prices instead. Of course purchasers don't notice but as taxpayers we will all have to meet the cost of the increased profit by the enterprises concerned. The Government will receive less revenue and so, in time, we will all have to find the balance through increased taxes.

I call for publicity for local organisations that have reduced their prices to benefit their customers and UK taxpayers.

David Young
The Green Party General Election candidate for Bracknell.

Climate Change and the Empathy Defecit

Roman Krznaric argues for a revolution in empathy to tackle climate change.

‘We seem to be suffering from an empathy deficit – our ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, to see the world through those who are different from us.’ – Barack Obama

Occasionally – just occasionally – a mainstream politician says something that is both original and useful. This is the case with Barack Obama’s views on empathy. In a thousand speeches, and in his book The Audacity of Hope, he has put cultivating empathy – learning to see the world from the perspective of others – at the centre of his moral and political vision.

Read more here:
Climate Denial.org

Bracknell Bandstand: 13th December 2008

From Bracknell Friends of the Earth...


Dear Local FOE Activist Friends,

As you know we are booked to be on the bandstand in Bracknell on the 13th from 10am to at least 2pm weather permitting.

I suggest we aim to start setting up at 9.00. If all goes well with good public interest we may stay longer, weather permitting.

I spoke to Nick Mercer of www.c-realevents.demon.co.uk fame on Friday, and confirmed that he will come with his pedal generators, and hopefully Anita as an assistant, although as usual we must be expected to help them set up, supervise the machinery with them now and then ,and help them pack up.

The basic aim is to engage the public on the subject of Climate Change, and Renewable Energy in particular- as a major main part of the solution, by way of the usual familiar Christmas themes.

Unless anyone has any better ideas, the basic plan is to have a real Christmas tree in a pot with LED lights on it driven by one pedal generator, another pedal generator to power a music machine which will produce Christmas carols, and another generator for whatever the kids want.to try out - but particularly to power at least one appropriate bin liner monster.

The Recyclops one we have is less appropriate for the basic theme, so we wont use that.

The Climate Change one sure is on message still - and it can be used.
But I think John said he wont be available on the day, since it is a Saturday (It would be great if you could be there John, even just for the morning!!) and so he has volunteered to make us up a new monster based on the renewables theme. John, I don't know if you can get large yellow bin bags for the basic material but that would be good since it is the colour of the sun, and all it needs is a suitable big happy face stuck on it and some labels like WIND, WAVE, SOLAR PANELS, BIOFUELS, CSP, CCS etc or whatever you fancy. I have seen white bags.and silver bags but not yellow though. I wonder of we could actually make up a round sun shaped monster in yellow somehow if we can just get some yellow polythene sheeting?
Do have a look at our website John - I dont think you have seen our bin liner monsters in action have you? See picture at bottom of home page.
http://bracknell-foe.makingithappen.co.uk/

If you pop round to see Nick I am sure he can blow one up to show you how they work.

Silvia is painting the rest of the plywood wall I made up with red bricks and varnishing them so that it will take graffiti and be weatherproof.
Siliva has suggested re-running the biofuels free-entry competition from the big day out in July and I do think that is appropriate and would be an added attraction, so I assume she will also try and organise some sponsors for the prizes again.

I will supply and bring the Christmas tree and the pot, and bring the usual table an FOE tablecloth and appropriate FOE literature etc., since I am the only one with large enough transport.

(Nick has a enough on his plate with the pedal generators! I trust he can provide lights and some carol music on a music cassette or something.)
Finally, I promised you some green wigs or hats to brighten up our Black "prophets of doom" FOE cagoules!

Just leave that up to me. I will hand them out on the day. Do please wear your cream FOE T-shirts under your cagoule to display now and then if it is not too cold to give people a quick flash of the green FOE logo & creamy colour!

Bright green stockings might be a good idea on the ladies?

Bright green trousers on the boys?

I have some green waterproof overtrousers and may need them anyway if it rains a lot!!

I can't find any green noses. Red ones would do to pick up on the "Rudolph" aspect of Christmas I guess!

Or yellow to pick up on the renewable energy theme of the sun?

These noses are pretty uncomfortable things to wear anyway, so this is an optional extra, if you want to provide and wear your own.

You can also do your own thing to attract attention with a mask and face paints etc if you want. I can get face paints and make up cheap or even for free from my wife's shop.

Just let me know!.

All best
Bill Dowling
FoE

Less Ice - a letter to the Bracknell Standard

I note your correspondent in the Bracknell Standard of 13 November claims that data published by the University of Illinois shows that global warming is contrived.

I have looked at the website he gave and have not found what he claims. For example the website has a heading that your correspondent seems to have missed: "Recent dramatic loss of multi year sea ice."

The figures from 2007 and 2008 show why world scientists and the UN are so concerned. Then the Arctic ice cap was 36% and 33% less in area than the average figure for the years 1979 to 2006. (It is this earlier period covered by much of the Illinois website.)

May I point out that many miilions of temperature readings have been taken to show that there has been a worrying rise in atmospheric temperature all over the world in the last 100 years. The scientists are only stating what we all know.

In Antarctica the Larsen B ice shelf had a larger area than Somerset. During autumn 2002, it all totally melted. This has exposed all the glaciers behind it to the warmer sea. If all the Pine Island/Thwaites glaciers now melt, together with the ice they drain from the interior, then the global sea level will rise approximately 1.5 metres. Do readers care if this floods some Pacific Islands? or parts of Bangladesh? or Venice? or some of London?

The loss of ice, glaciers, snow etc also means there is less whiteness to reflect the sun. The exposed earth absorbs the sun's heat. Thus contributes to global warming. The danger is that the permafrosts of Alaska, Canada and Siberia will melt and thus release huge amounts of carbon dioxide and methane that has been hidden for millions of years.

If this awful event happens, the earth's temperature will rise so high that human life would become impossible except in the newly exposed lands near the two poles. Our great grandchildren will be lucky, or perhaps unlucky, if they are some of the few survivors.

The politicians should ensure by world agreement that in future we burn much less fossil fuel and use renewable sources of energy instead.

David Young
The Green Party General Election candidate for Bracknell.

An Idea For Housing

Every few weeks there seems to be an item in the Bracknell Standard where residents or politicians are opposing new housing locally. Nevertheless Cllr Bettison spoke last week of the housing crisis. There will soon be 5 million people in this country on local authority or housing association lists. They need homes. The requirement for more dwellings is caused by an increasing population as we live longer and the sad fact that more relationships are breaking down. The recession will also add to homelessness.

Additional housing could be built on rural land, which will probably be needed for food production as the world population still increases by one and a half million every week, or near existing properties, which can threaten local infrastructure. I propose a third way.

The Halifax has stated it knows of 290,000 private properties that have been empty for at least 6 months out of the last 12. Surely a partial solution to the housing shortage is for local authorities to purchase (under existing powers) private properties that have been empty for a long time and improve them with increased insulation and energy efficiency. That is good for the planet.

Local building firms would take on extra staff who would otherwise be unemployed. The enhanced homes could then be rented, or sold at a profit, so all residents would pay less Council Tax. We would all win; nobody would lose.

David Young
The Green Party General Election candidate for Bracknell.