Now I’m back on UK soil and I’m thinking back over the trip and what I have learnt, how I have changed and whether I’m an optimist or a pessimist. Lets see….

Lesson 1: I’m not alone. There are many passionate educated activists from all walks of life who are pushing for change and are willing to get on their bikes and cycle across Denmark in Winter or travel with their own funds to march for Climate justice. Along the route we met many plucky well informed change makers willing to stand up and ask for real deal.

Lesson 2: The best way to communicate is openly and to combine the facts with good storytelling while adding a human element. I certainly feel I have more stories in my catalogue and I’m proud that I made it to Copenhagen. Especially as at times I felt like giving up. Thank goodness for frozen raspberries and the motivating support of Team Carbon Cycle! (I love you Ben, Lorraine and Dougal. It was tough but oh so worth it. Hope you agree!)

Lesson 3: We may never know the total impact of our actions. OK so we raised £2500 for our charities and made a blog – Actions we can easily account for. But hopefully we have change a few hearts and minds or motivated others to reflect on their lifestyles and question where we are going as a race and whether the way we are living is sustainable in the long run.

However we haven’t achieved the fair, ambitious legal deal that we had hoped for. This is shameful and I’m grieving for the people that will lose their homes and way of life due to climate change. I’m grieving for the losses to biodiversity from climate change and environmental destruction. It pains me that that our world leaders do not understand how we are intimately linked and dependent on our environment and the services our natural ecosystems provide. And I feel near powerless to do anything about this apart from keep communicating, keep sharing my thoughts and getting out and about in the world I care deeply about. I do still believe we can create a fairly, cleaner more enlightened society. But Rome wasn’t built in a day.

I’m quietly optimistic. I do think the tide is turning. We are all interconnected. We live in symbiosis with those around us and we are intimately connected to our environment. Nearly every day I meet someone who lifts my spirit sand encourages me to believe that we are creating a new world free from pollution and based on clean green energy from wind, wave and solar. And if we don’t succeed? Well at least I will know I did something.

I intend to celebrate the new and try to keep walking in the light; cheerfully, simply and joyfully.

Climate change – how we have caused it and how we propose to deal with it – is ultimately about resources, rights, and health.

It is about water. It is about food. It is about energy. It is about minerals, timber, and other natural goods and services – Natural Capital.

It is ultimately about who has access to those things, who doesn’t, and why.

In other words: climate change is about humanity. It is about human rights, social egalitarianism, and – simply put – people.

Further reading: Details of an appropriate sustainable energy mix. David McKay is a professor from Cambridge University and now is a government advisor to DECC. http://www.withouthotair.com/synopsis10.pdf

Powering a green planet: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=powering-a-green-planet

Greetings friends and supporters

A new year and unfortunately, yet again we are ‘forced’ into an appeal, this time against the local planning authority’s refusal to allow the project a Poly-tunnel (for the 2nd time) and we very much need letters of support to help win the appeal. This appeal is not a full Public inquiry as before but a hearing, described as ‘an informal across the table discussion’.

The Public cannot attend, unless they are chosen witnesses.

If anyone would like to act as witness because of your own experience of Polytunnels in relation to small scale business or in any other context that is relative, please contact us.

The deadline for submitting letters is 14 January 2010.

Appeal Ref :APP/L3245/A/09/2117970/NWF post 2 copies (addressed to the Inspector) it to:

The Planning Inspectorate
Room 3/22
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Temple Quay
Bristol BS1 6PN

or email : teamp2@pins.gsi.gov.uk

You must include your own postal address when writing or email for your letter to be valid.

The full grounds of appeal are in an attachment, which can be sent to you if you wish to read them to get the full picture.

In short……….

We have applied for permission to erect a polytunnel of 145 square meter in the center of the horticultural area, adjacent to the tool shed and water supply,
. The Poly-tunnel will be used for raising vegetable plants in modules to be grown outside, growing tomatoes, aubergines chilies, sqaushes, cucumbers, salad leaf , Aloe Vera & other Cacti as well as for propagation of trees, soft fruit bushes and perennial herbs.

This will provide a protective environment which is essential to make vegetable production and nursery economically viable, for the following reasons:

It will lengthen the growing season
It will enable cultivation of a wider variety of produce
It will enable viable cultivation at 900 foot above sea level
It will enable viable cultivation in the face of climate change
The produce will be sold in local markets, as well as used to feed people on educational courses throughout the summer, Karuna is now a recognised center within the Permaculture Association LAND project.

We have applied to erect this polytunnel in 2007 and was refused so now we reduced the size of it (by 35 square m) but the refusal is the same.

LPA’s REASONS FOR REFUSAL:

“The siting is in a location visually prominent from the south and remote from the existing approved barn structure on this holding and would therefore be contrary to Policy statement 7 and the Shrewsbury and Atcham borough Local plan Policies LNC3 and LNC9.”

This is entirely unfounded

We contend that the polytunnel would have minimal visual impact from the south.
Photographic evidence will be submitted to illustrate the actual visual impact of the proposed polytunnel. We do not believe that the minimal visual impact is sufficient ground to justify outright refusal of the application.
We would be happy to implement more screening and landscaping to further reduce the visual impact, should this prove necessary in the view of the Inspector.
This is an agro-forestry site and, as such, is in a state of constant change
The rapid growth of many of the trees on the site has substantially reduced the potential visual impact of the proposed polytunnel.
This factor should have been taken into account and addressed by the LPA in determining our most recent application.

The very Polytunnel we are being refused was previously erected by the side of the road, in full view,on a farm a mere mile away.

There it stood in full public view for several years without planning permission, nor did it receive any objections/complaints from the LPA or parish council.

We hope the inspector can understand how disturbing this kind of discrimination can be for us. This surly demonstrates an inconsistency of approach.

*We can not over estimate the importance of the polytunnel to the progress of the karuna Permaculture project, it will give it the means to become so much more productive and economically viable, which is the key factor for the progress of this permaculture project.

If possible, please write a short & powerful letter of support to the above address it will all help to win this silly battle, help simple common sense prevail ….

We are are very disturbed by the LPS’s double standards , nearby, we see much larger Polytunnels being placed in open fields fully which have been fully approved.

If you visited karuna please mention this in the letter and please email/post an extra copy to us.

If you have any questions feel free to call us 01694 751374, please remember the deadline is 14th January.

thank you so much and may the new year bring positive change for us all

Karuna family.

If we do not create our future, our past will create it

This is the back of the banner = Positive TV

50,000 people joined the Wave and called for the Government to take much more urgent and effective action on Climate Change.   I met up with the Lifeline and Positive TV, our sister organisation, on Saturday 5 December in London, UK to help hold the banner.

I'm on the left with the bicycle!

Felix Gonzales, one of the UK filmmakers had the excellent idea to attach the banner to three bicycles.  This made the task of walking from Grosvenor Square to Parliament much easier!  We were even able to give a small boy a lift It also meant that Felix could leave, me, Ollie, Ali and Ben to take care of the banner and film the march in action.  The Lifeline/Positive TV banner was lovingly and expertly made by Morgan, an artist friend of Felix.  I think you will agree that it looks glorious and it definitely got people talking to us.  We were able to share how the lifeline is about connecting visions for a sustainable future and Positive TV is about creating a positive world

Felix in action with Ali and Ben my friends helping (far right)

Lovely wave Ali (centre)

Also there filming was Ruth Evans, the other UK filmmaker and introducing Becky Henderson our new presenter! (Yes, I’m stepping down from the 12 month journey – not an easy decision I can tell you and I’ll share the details in a separate blog

Introducing Becky

Ruth (middle) filming the action

It was amazing to be there and see thousands of people dressed in blue demanding a real deal on climate change.  The talks in Copenhagen start today until 18 December.  The Lifeline will be there filming reports on negotiations and protests from the 11 December.  All the action will be posted to our website as part of our mission to document sustainable action around the world.

Will Copenhagen be the moment when Governments live up to the task to deal with climate change? Pippa Bartolotti from the organisation Coexist outlines some of the issues behind the talks and how we too can make a difference.

Sustainability is the only issue. It’s up to governments and it’s up to the people to sort it out.

When the UK’s House of Commons was debating whether or not to sign up to the 10:10 agreement – i.e. to decrease their organisational carbon footprint by 10% – the debate descended into a party political point scoring exercise which led nowhere and certainly did not lead to a commitment to decrease consumption by 10%. This is arrogance we do not have time for.

Conventional political and economic policies are destroying the very foundations of the well-being of humans and other animals. Our culture is in the grip of a value system which is fundamentally flawed. Humanity has been lording it over the natural environment, blind to the fact that humanity is just another dependent upon it. Soon humanity will be at the mercy of it.

Government policies should see to it that all human activities are indefinitely sustainable and protect the interests of the powerless against the powerful.

The current alarming situation regarding biofuels as a replacement for fossil fuels is merely a symptom of the rot. The clearing of virgin forest for monoculture palm oil production is lunacy. Rain forest is being cleared, ancient wetlands drained and indigenous peoples are being dispossessed of their lands.

Biofuels contribute substantially more to greenhouse gas emissions than is saved by burning slightly less fossil fuels, yet the European demand for biofuels (the EU target is 10% by 2020), coupled with sizable financial incentives to developers, is pushing up commodity prices and encouraging multi-billion dollar investment in infrastructure and refineries linked to large scale deforestation. The impact of this behaviour could be irreversible.

A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in February shows that the climate change we cause today “is largely irreversible for 1,000 years after emissions stop”. Around 40% of the carbon dioxide produced by humans this century will remain in the atmosphere until at least the year 3000. Moreover, thanks to the peculiar ways in which the oceans absorb heat from the atmosphere, global average temperatures are likely to “remain approximately constant … until the end of the millennium despite zero further emissions”.

The Copenhagen summit is squaring up to be yet another talking shop. Government has failed us.

We do not have to add to the problem. Sign up at http://www.1010uk.org/and reduce your own carbon emissions. Where were you when we reached the tipping point? Will you tell your children that you did everything in your power to stop climate change?

Pippa Bartolotti

COEXIST is an ever growing group of people and organisations who believe that true and lasting Peace can only be sustained when economic, social and environmental justice have been achieved.

www.coexister.blogspot.com

Felix, Amy, Netty and Phil

Using round recycled coloured pieces of paper and eco friendly crayons the pupils were asked to think of what things are good for the planet and the sort of perfect world they would like to see.

There was little hesitation as to what to draw and there was a flurry of scenes of forests, wild animals, beautiful ocean views and solar energy panels.

While Felix and Phil filmed these mini utopian dreams come together, Amy lay a string on the table around the whole group. This was to represent the Lifeline the children were creating and to show how everybody and all living things on the planet is connected.

The energy and enthusiasm for the task was quite thrilling and quite an enlightening discussion was recorded for our cameras. We were told that petrol cars should be replaced by solar cars, smoking not only pollutes the air and people’s lungs but is a waste of energy resources and there is no reason why people should be cruel to animals.

And as the school’s green monitor reminded us, we need to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Felix and pupil deep in discussion

At the end of thirty minutes of fun filled drawing it was time to tie the bright mini worlds the children had created to the Lifeline string. Then with the pupils all connected together they carried their artworks to the middle of the school hall for a group photograph and to show the whole world exactly what they think the Lifeline for the future should be.

The pupil’s smart answers and  knowledge for positive solutions is refreshingly exciting. We were truly moved by their discussions and it gave us hope that through initiatives like the Lifeline art programme we can have the vision to adapt our ways for a more sustainable world.

We are currently creating a Lifeline Art’s workshop DVD presentation pack for teachers to link in with their curriculum based studies on environmental issues. This will include all art materials, a step by step plan for running the workshops and discussion points about how to safeguard the environment.

Before we go we would like to say a big thank you to Head Teacher Mrs Mary Westley, the teachers and governors at St Mary’s and most importantly all the children who thrilled us with their smiles and wonderful art.

The artworks are now being collected for a giant art installation to be shown in the future and if you would like to hold your own Lifeline art workshop please contact Netty at artskool08@aol.co.uk

]]> http://blog.thelifeline.tv/?feed=rss2&p=537 4 http://blog.thelifeline.tv/?p=533 http://blog.thelifeline.tv/?p=533#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:31:20 +0000 Melissa Ulto http://blog.thelifeline.tv/?p=533

I’ve been a bit late with vlog updates but here’s another!  From NYC to Ancramdale, NY, to the Woodhull Retreat House!

You can check out how well I’ve pared down to just the basics and what it means to be eco everyday.

Peace,
Melissa

Check out Captain Pete Bouquet’s message to the Lifeline!  He’s the captain of the Esperanza:

Origin

Launched in February 2002, the Esperanza is the latest and largest vessel in the Greenpeace fleet, replacing the now retired Greenpeace. Esperanza (Spanish for “hope”) is the first Greenpeace ship to be named by visitors to our web site.

History

The ship is the fourth of 14 fire-fighting vessels ordered by the Russian government between 1983 and 1987 from Stocznia Polnocna construction yard in Gdansk, Poland. Heavy ice class and speed were one of the requirements.

Click here to read more!

Peace,
Melissa

In our series exploring what on Earth does sustainability mean, Neil Crofts, an experienced business and leadership coach has the answer – being sustainable is down to the choices we all make.

There is a great deal of buzz around the idea of sustainability, so it is probably important that we really understand it. First sustainability is a fact, not a choice. Saying that “sustainability is too expensive” is like saying “breathing is too tiring.” Any activity that is not sustainable will stop. The less sustainable it is, the quicker it will stop.

If we spend more money than we earn, spending will stop. If we take more fish out of the sea than the fish can replace, fishing will stop. If soil erodes faster than it is replaced, farming will stop.

If we put more pollution into the atmosphere than can be taken out, breathing will stop. These are just facts – not choices. Secondly when we talk about sustainability, we are not really talking about saving the planet.

The planet is fine, because it will stop us well before we get the chance to stop it and the longer we continue being unsustainable the more it will hurt. The planet will recover and other species will come to flourish.

When we talk about sustainability, what we are really talking about is sustaining the choice to maintain our lifestyle, because if we push the sustainability pendulum too far we loose that choice. So given that it is our lifestyle that is unsustainable, we have a problem! Perhaps what we need to do is to examine our lifestyle and see what is important and what is not. For example – I think most of us agree that electricity (used wisely) is an important part of our lifestyle – but we are probably not all that bothered that it comes from fossil fuels.

I think most of agree that transport (used wisely) is an important part of our lifestyle – but we are probably not absolutely committed to emitting carbon while we do it. And so on… All we need to do, as a society, is to agree that we do want to have the choice of sustaining our lifestyle and then to agree that we want to find ways to make it so by recognising that sustainability is a fact – not a choice.

Of course, when I say ‘we’ need to make a choice, I actually mean ‘you’ need to make a choice. Because ‘you’ are very much part of “we”. And if ‘you’ don’t make that choice, then ‘we’ can’t.

So – do you?

Neil Crofts

Please check out Neil’s approach to Authentic Business at:

http://www.neilcrofts.com/