SMOG-ASBORD SPECIAL - the BBC’s “Top Gear” was criticized this week for car stunts that were seen to be disrespectful to The Cenotaph. Duh! Cars speed past this every day. What was disrespectful (if you saw the TV footage), was the huge amount of toxic fumes the stunt car was emitting – didn’t come across any mention of that in the press - although Jeremy Corbyn did raise in Parliament the fact that half a million will die if UK fails to meet its air pollution targets. Today’s Guardian 17 March, p.25 has an article about Mexico City banning 1 million cars in smog alert – the country’s first in eleven years
www.guardian.co.uk and guess what folks, according to Yahoo News, there is a huge cloud of smoke from France that is set to engulf the UK. Asthmatics have been warned to be aware of high pollution levels in urban areas because of “still weather”.
IN THE PRESS – Could it be coincidence or a sign of “contagious combustion” in reaction to the Budget, that both this week’s
Hackney Gazette, p.14 “Car bursts into flames in Old Street”
www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news and the
Waltham Forest Guardian “Car bursts into flames on North Circular”
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/ have a similar stories? Other stories I’ve spotted this week in the
Waltham Forest Gazette new section are: more protests against “Mini Holland” by traders and residents of the Forest Road area and a story about a change in water level in Herony Pond in Wanstead, which wildlife experts say made it easier for a dog to kill a swan.
The Guardian’s G2 section, 17 March, p.2. has a story about the consequences to wildlife of using creatures to mark occasions e.g. using white doves at weddings.
CROSSRAIL II - well I think it is a toss-up as to what this line will be called. My shortlist includes: Duke of Edinburgh Line (favourite because it will be a “cross” line); Boris Line, Osborne Line or maybe Adonis Line. Shall we start a competition? However, if you want to find out the latest such as the feedback from recent consultation see
www.crossrail2.co.ukOLYMPICOPOLIS - last week we directed you to this
Evening Standard story SLM members have been pouring over this in more detail in an a “Spot the Difference” sort of way and conclude that the details shown in this article are more or less identical to the original plan from 2009. I can give you the answers on the difference (please read upside down because I can’t do it on t’computer) 1. There are two new tower blocks 2. Sustainable green features seemed to have been airbrushed out...
TREE FACT – SLM are still supporting our local tree
@tfortysix and @GreenpeaceUK have tweeted to share some useful research on why planting more trees can reduce flooding.
ISSUES TO RAISE AT NEXT LVRPA WORKSHOP – a reminder, that this takes place
on Saturday 30th April from 1.00-3.00 p.m. at The Waterworks, Lea Bridge Road. SLM are gathering various questions to ask the Lea Valley Regional Park Authority such as: “Who is in charge of the habitats included in the boundaries of sites that have been acquired by the new Trust”? “What has happened to Park-watch” and “Can we stop the June mowing”?
RECOMMENDED VIEWING - if you missed the excellent BBC1 programme on Tuesday night “The Estate We’re In”, I would thoroughly recommend watching it (with a hanky at the ready), on the BBC IPlayer It featured an estate in Barnet but was very similar to recent events on Woodberry Down (another council estate backing on to a reservoir). People sometimes accuse groups like SLM of putting green space ahead of providing homes. We are not against housing but we are against the cynical profiteering of developers, the problems with the planning system and the social cleansing that this programme illustrates so well and why we should all oppose the upcoming Housing Bill. The battles of affordable housing and the availability of green space are pitched with the same opponents.
EVENTSFuture date for your diaries, there will be an Abney Park Spring Open Day on Saturday 28 May from 12.00-4.00 p.m.
Next
SLM meeting on MONDAY 4 APRIL at the Princess of Wales pub on Lea Bridge Road. Come along.
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