Friday, May 26, 2006

Nuclear.....going out with a bang!

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Supporting the rural environment

The Affordable Rural Housing Commission has recently suggested that more tax is raised on second home owners as a way of funding homes for first time buyers in rural areas. First time buyers have been priced out of their village by second home buyers and by rural home owners frustrating the planning process for new build. This shows the selfish aspect of the capitalist system failing the system as a whole. Rural first time buyers are important for filling rural job vacancies which in turn supports the rural economy, which in itself supports and supplies the cities with goods and services. Such a tax on second home owners is way overdue. More information from;
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/mortgages/article.html?in_article_id=409149&in_page_id=8

Thursday, May 18, 2006

The struggle for 'green' politics in Africa


Photo; http://www.gorilla-haven.org/ghpinkie.htm

The following link has an article about the struggle within a number of African countries to centralize the issue of the environment by forming 'green' parties or groups. This is a fairly new movement for some and is seen as a way to promote more democracy without the tribal bias. See; http://www.global.greens.org.au/cameroon.html . Apart from intimidation from the authorities their main problem is funding. Western agencies and NGOs could do more to link up and help these groups. It would help them tackle problems on the ground within their countries in their own manner and design.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Nuclear or renewables........a local example.



An interesting live example of a battle between local residents, who are against a wind farm being planned for their quiet rural area and national energy policy, which is looking to increase renewables within the UK as part of carbon emissions reduction targets. The residents' website is here http://www.bradwell.info/ . Please note that more information is available from their 'old' website link at the bottom of their new webpage, which is currently being added to.

For the view from the company proposing the development see; http://www.natwindpower.co.uk/bradwell/index.asp . The debate is real and current. The area is amazingly quiet and the little church within the area very important. These are only too points of course. Residents have been happy it would seem to have had the Bradwell nuclear power station in their midst (now closed).