That time of year again. Wet, getting colder and leaves coming off the trees! It must be Winter Time again in UK.
Last week enjoyed a walk around Mapledurham, the sun was shining then for a couple of hours before completely disappearing!
Plenty of lovely birds on our walk and many Red Kites very high up in the sky.
Reading Green Party's Campaign under way to get more 20mph limit on roads in Reading.
With Caversham roads very snarled up because of the Whitchurch Bridge closure for 6 months, we are having to deal with more traffic coming this way!
We had one dead swan two weeks ago on the Reading Bridge in Reading. It was awful to see, its outstretched wings flat on the main road and traffic diverted around until the authorities could come and deal with it. Very sad to see these beautiful creatures lying still on the ground like that.
With the proposed new pedestrian bridge, which I opposed, because of it not being in keeping with the other two bridges and also the close proximity of the Reading Bridge and the erosion on to much loved green space that we call Christchurch Meadows!
Our green spaces in Reading are getting gobbled up at a rate this past year in Reading!! Allotments in Tilehurst going, Allotments by Cow Lane went last year and even Maidenhead have increased their Allotments there, what are we doing??? Getting rid of them and still building!!
When this new pedestrian bridge is built and the usage isn't clear, because of the width of the bridge, you cannot cycle, walk and have disabled people use this all at the same time? So bad planning on someones part! But the real effect of this proposed bridge will be clear in time, with the local wildlife there probably being disturbed and will move up stream, which will be a shame because there is lots of inhabitants there at the moment where the bridge may be built.
Swans and Geese also need a lot of room to take off into flight and there may be a problem with injuries to these creatures if a bridge with beams coming off of it, the creatures fly into it and get hurt.
So did the planners think of these points?
Such a shame that all this consultation and investigation into new bridge over the Thames has come at a huge waste of time and money and there were many objections but the decision was passed anyway!
On my newsletter just out, 20's Plenty, Arthur Clark closure takes us backwards and Going Potty over Potholes!
I have been campaigning for 20mph in residential areas in Caversham.
After several accidents locally and increase in traffic coming through Caversham, the need for safer crossings and the much needed repairing of many roads after the winter, there has been lots to do to get things done.
Please support our on line petition http://chn.ge/1fz3sGG
The closure of the Arthur Clark Home and Day Care Centre there at the top of St Peter's Avenue, was shocking and against petition of many signatures and against the wishes of the local community.
With our elderly population increasing, these services are vital instead of closure!
There is hope that the Home will now be a community asset and I look forward to this venture leading way towards keeping this service North of Reading.
With the bad weather earlier this year, the road surfaces around Caversham has been extreme to say the least and whilst cycling two months ago near Caversham Court, I personally witnessed one older lady with a zimmer frame having to walk into the main A road, because of a local person parking on the pavement and then lorries (at the same spot - because of holes in the road) going into the middle of the road to avoid these holes, but endangering all those at the time!!
After writing twice on this subject this past two months, I am so glad my efforts paid off and two weeks ago the Council have implemented new signage on St Peters Hill and road surface and keep clear signs on this busy road finally DONE!
Greens doing it for Safety in Caversham.
Recently we have been involved in campaigning to preserve wildlife habitats on View Island, a much loved green area and eco-system for wildlife in Reading, lobbied to tackle air pollution, supported campaign for protection of Bees, implemented much needed white lines on busy Reading Bridge in March this year, helped with tree planting and Thames21 in their efforts to clear out the Danall in Christchurch Meadows and finally, lobbied for extra primary and secondary school places in Reading.
To get involved:
Contact jenny@readinggreenparty.org.uk
Friday, 21 June 2013
Green views today in Reading.
On the front page of Chronicle in Reading, The Green Councillor, Rob White reported to have done over 400 case studies for residents etc. Very hard working Rob. Well done.
If you are out and about in Caversham, don't forget www.beatthestreet.co.uk collect points for walking or cycling.
I walked 10 miles this morning and enjoyed a stop in Prospect Park today in Tilehurst. The www.rsme.co.uk local minature railway club there enjoyed a function with parents and children and so enjoyed waving at them on the trains.
It took me back to Brighton, my God Father was patron of Brighton and Hove Minature Railway there and he also made his own steam engine from stratch! It runs in the family - engineering...
Back in Caversham two residents have concerns about planning locally, so been researching and addressing their problems with the Council.
Proposed extra leisure facilities in local Meadows - will mean loss of valuable green spaces we are losing in Reading.
Nationally, items today in press:
UK reaps Swiss Banks windfall tax, Hunt backs CQC cover up and Turkey's EU membership big falters.
But the big question is: How Trees save our lives, below... item from US.
I love being Green.
Study: Trees save at least a life a year in each of 10 major U.S. cities
Keith WagnerThese trees in Central Park are doing their arboreal best to save the lives of New Yorkers.
Next time you hug a city-dwelling tree, be sure to whisper quiet thanks for the lives it is helping to save.
Researchers recently calculated that urban forests help save one or more people from dying every year in each of 10 major cities studied.
Trees growing in cities help clean the air of fine particulate air pollution — soot, smoke, dust, dirt — that can lodge in human lungs and cause health problems. Trees clear 71 tons of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from Atlanta’s air annually. And they suck up enough pollution to save seven or eight lives every year in New York City.
These are the findings of researchers with the U.S. Forest Service and Davey Institute, published in the journal Environmental Pollution [PDF]. They calculated the health and economic benefits of air-cleansing urban forests in 10 U.S. cities and found that trees save lives, reduce hospital visits, and reduce the number of days taken off work. They do that mainly by sucking pollutants out of the air. Economic benefits, mostly from reduced mortality, ranged from $1.1 million a year in Syracuse, N.Y., to $60.1 million a year in New York City.
Overall, the greatest effect of trees on reducing health impacts of PM2.5 occurred in New York due to its relatively large human population and the trees’ moderately high removal rate and reduction in pollution concentration. The greatest overall removal by trees was in Atlanta due to its relatively high percent tree cover and PM2.5 concentrations.
And these findings cover only the effects of cleaning up fine particulate pollution. The study didn’t investigate the economic and life-giving benefits of trees sucking up larger soot particles, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, or other types of air pollution.
“This research clearly illustrates that America’s urban forests are critical capital investments helping produce clear air and water; reduce energy costs; and, making cities more livable,” Forest Service researcher Michael Rains said in the press release.
The study comes after some of the researchers’ Forest Service colleagues discovered a correlation between loss of trees and higher human death rates, which they described in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. As we told you last week, the scientists found that the more trees there are in an area, the less likely people there are to die.
More hugs for trees, please.
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Coronation Meadows, Badger Culls and today is World Environmental Day!! Well what a lot to take in!
We now have Coronation Meadows across the UK. Fantastic. Reading has three meadows, although Christchurch Meadows might be having too much leisure facilities on there, which is worrying.
I mentioned crazy golf but to have several facilities on a meadow where we already have large children's playground is pushing it! So looking out for more wildflower areas on this meadow please.
I have mentioned last year that the TB problem, could have been helped by vaccinating half the badgers and most surely nature would have helped with next generations? But to cull so many of these beautiful and timid creatures is surely so harsh and the reports suggest other facts not just Badgers to blame!
Environmental Day in the World. Well two items caught my eye. MPs looking at the blight of Factory Farming, which is step in right direction and to have over 100 Meadows listed, is so green!!
As Champion for the RSPB in UK, was in London over a month ago now with the Parliamentary Advisers, the day was very productive and many species of birds especially this year with the bad wet weather we endured almost past Spring... many birds have been in decline.
Last week I read a tip about helping birds in our gardens and one was to put out human hair for the birds to add to their nests. I did this very thing!! And two weeks later, the hair ball was in the garden lawn and thought, well no bird has taken it yet, when a heard a bird call and looked, it was a large great tit and it promptly swooped down and picked up my hair ball in its beak and flew off!! Well I never!!
So spring has finally sprung and today being 20degrees, my water butt will soon be empty!!
more to come from Caversham by the River Thames..
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
The Conservation Volunteers www.tcv.org.uk
Want to get out and about in UK and help nature??
Green Places are necessary for emotional, physical and social well-being.
Park, fields and woods are great places to give young people learning opportunities that they cannot get in a classroom setting.
They're great places for exercise and physical activity - helping people get fit and feel good.
They're great for growing fresh, healthy food and bringing people together to share the work and share the harvest.
A well-used green place is a classroom, a gym, a playground and a sanctuary. It is a place that is good for people as well as for wildlife.
"The Conservation Volunteers are the unsung heroes of the environment.
Who does the back breaking work?
The Conservation Volunteers - we all owe them a great debt in my view." Sir David Attenborough,
Vice President.
Update on local issues from Green Lady
TVP - Briants Avenue, Caversham speeding at all times of the day - Local Councilor to look at 20mph for this busy road.
As we have had a fatality two years ago here and many elderly residents are asking me to have this section reduced or a crossing because they find it difficult to get across this busy road.
Still campaigning for improvements in this area.
Children's Festival this sat 11 - 4pm bring brollies but have a good time.
St John's Church Gosbrook Road this sat - 1 - 4pm - May Fair
If you care about your environment - shop local.
Greens call for 20mph in built up areas for safety.
Blocked drains, more places for school children needed but no space except small portacabins on much needed playing fields!!!, seeing that 10,000 playing fields have been sold off from 1979 - 1997 ( uk nat ecosystems 2011) Lack of bees in area.
Friday, 10 May 2013
SAVE KINGS MEADOW BATHS
In Reading we have a lovely old building and a recreation ground called Kings Meadow. This meadow or recreation ground.. it was given to Reading by George Palmer many years ago.
The Baths were first used in 1885!
We are campaigning to save the historic listed building from development.
Please go to www.kingsmeadowbaths.org.uk and sign e-petition and give if you can.
OMG Found this photo of myself and my young son who is doing his Duke of Edinburgh Award now...
Go Edward...
Hes into mechanics, trains, planes and anything that moves.
And is a DJ...
Don't you just love reminiscing...
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Because of more children's places needed at our schools,
Micklands Primary School has application put in Mar 2013, for 1 double classroom and 1 four classroom unit, demountable.
They do have beautiful large grounds and helped many years there with my son, clearing out the copse and helping with things.
I do hope these classrooms are not too big for the school though?
Between 1979 and 1997 - 10,000 playing fields have been sold off - (uk national ecosystem assessment - june 2011).
We need our green and pleasant spaces to live and grow.
Lets help reverse the balance of building without care.
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Join in and feel good..
The Conservation Volunteers Group, reclaiming Green Places since 1959.
www.tvcorg.uk
Around one third of the UK's natural assets - including green spaces, rivers, wetlands and important wildlife habitats - are in danger of being lost to development or degraded through neglect.
Green Places are being threatened.
10,000 playing fields sold off between 1979 and 1997
only 10% of the UK's allotments remain
(from UK National Ecosystem Assessment, June 2011)
The UK does a great job of protecting the very best of its green places National Parks, historic houses and gardens, and important nature reserves all have special planning protection - and the bonus of well-funded organisations to take care of them.
But the everyday green places that people use are more vulnerable. Places like playing fields, allotments, and local parks do not have special protection. They are all under threat at a time when local councils are cutting budgets.
Communities are being overlooked
Neglecting green places is a false economy. It's bad for local neighbourhoods - and the poorest communities get hit the hardest.
When routine maintenance is reduced, open areas become overgrown, rubbish starts to pile up and footpaths become choked. A general air of neglect encourages vandalism and graffiti. And before long, a once-loved open space starts to become a magnet for anti-social behaviour, and a cost to society.
In the poorest neighbourhoods, neglect of local green places can really hurt. The effect on children in particular, is damaging. Without safe and welcoming places to play, children are held back in their social, physical and educational development.
Green Places are necessary for emotional, physical and social well-being.
Parks, fields and woods are great places to give young people learning opportunities that they cannot get in a classroom setting.
They're great places for exercise and physical activity - helping people get fit and feel good.
They're great for growing fresh, healthy food - and bringing people together to share the work and share the harvest.
A well--used green place is a classroom, a gym, a playground and a sanctuary. It is a place that is good for people as well as for wildlife.
So more to do then, but for our next generations to enjoy...
Weather held off for Tree Planting today, slight wind but nothing like yesterdays gales! Volunteers from Caversham Globe and myself planted around 8 trees, including horse chestnut and firs.
Badger Cull in UK going ahead.
These beautiful creatures should have been vaccinated instead.
The cost was high to vaccinate - so wasn't on the agenda.
But to vaccinate half the badgers would have a way forward for this problem rather than high cost of the cull which is shameful on these creatures and some scientists also believe TB coming from other wildlife not just badgers.
No balance for problem here.
Saturday, 5 January 2013
Wildlife crime unit faces extinction!
The NWCU is a strategic police unit, based in Livingston in Scotland, which collates intelligence and enforcement activity about wildlife crime across all British police forces. Recently it has run major operations concerning badger-baiting, the smuggling of reptiles and amphibians, and the persecution of raptors: no fewer than 633 birds of prey, from golden eagles to buzzards, were illegally poisoned between 2002 and 2011.
The Green MP Caroline Lucas said yesterday: "With wildlife crime on the increase, the refusal of ministers – particularly those at the Home Office – to recognize the severity of the problem and safeguard the NWCU is completely unforgivable."
