Friday 17 January 2014

New Year, Flooding, Rail Prices, Fracking and Spring Flowers!

The New Year has started with a thud.

Residents very cross with high levels of noise from new Reading Station development. To drill, dig and build near homes late at night and very early in the morning, what about good nights sleep while all this is going on?  And who will benefit?  I do hope many people are going to be getting out of their cars and going by train, possibly not because of higher rail fares!!

In Caversham we have been experiencing flooding again. High levels of water across the Christchurch Meadows and many trees damaged due to water logged roots! Why are we still building on floodplains? And if we continue to build into the water table, then this disperses water elsewhere possibly causing flooding where it hasn't been experienced before.

With the change in our weather patterns becoming more extreme, many reports suggest high rate of carbons eg car pollution contributing factor for the change. I have been promoting more cycling for Caversham and the need for 20mph in many areas.
(So pleased to have addressed many issues last year in Caversham for residents as Candidate for Caversham, Reading Green Party.)

The need to address more cheaper Public Transport in UK to get UK moving should be a priority instead we have overcrowded trains and the usual three first class carriages which are usually not used... and ofcourse just after Christmas extra cost of rail travel which restricts many people from being able to visit major landmarks and tourism places in UK.

On the subject of Fracking, which is the extract of shale gas and has been tried in America. The process is you drill down one mile and then drill along to the shale line and extract gas, huge amounts of water are needed to extract this and then a mixture of chemicals and sand are then pumped into the area to fill up the hole where the gas was!!! Ah, but what about all the water that is needed to extract this gas?  Where is all this water going to come from in times of drought in this country? What about gas contamination of our water supply? What about when the sand and chemical mix breaks down in years to come and leaves vast holes everywhere, what if???

If you agree to end Fracking, please write to your MP on faxyourmp.com

We should be promoting hydro and solar more like a lot of other countries. I made my own solar panel in London at Stepney Green City Farm and I had a Somali farmer on the course with me!



Lastly but not least, my spring flowers are just coming through, last week in fact. Lovely to see nature is doing its thing.

If you want to get involved locally in Caversham for Green Issues and interested in Green Party go to www.readinggreenparty.org.uk