The plans for the Brent Cross Cricklewood development are full of
utter 'greenwash', seeking to create a false impression about the
environmental sustainability of this multi-billion pound project.
For a start, these plans should be thrown out completely unless the
development partners pledge to make the whole site carbon neutral.
The proposed buildings are likely to exist for several decades at
least and there is no way whatsoever that the British government will
achieve its aim of a 60 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by
2050 if concrete giants like the Brent Cross shopping centre are still
belching out carbon dioxide from heating, lighting and air
conditioning.
This scheme is an ideal opportunity to install energy conservation
measures and sustainable power facilities right from the beginning.
There is plenty of scope on the site for enough wind turbines, solar
arrays and ground source heat pumps to make the whole area carbon
positive, never mind carbon neutral.
So why aren't they doing it? As well as benefitting the environment,
carbon neutrality would save money for the people who live in the new
town and for the businesses, as their energy bills would be much lower
– they might even make money by feeding electricity back into the
grid.
Can it be that the developers are more interested in building cheaply
than in saving on running costs for the future occupants of the homes
and commercial buildings?
Secondly, at a time when neighbourhood shopping areas are under threat
all over London from post office closure, cut backs to libraries and
the marginal viability of many small shops and pubs, Barnet Council
should be studying the likely impact of Brent Cross Cricklewood on
other shopping areas in the borough.
For make no mistake, the scheme is not just about new housing and a
so-called town centre, the whole thing is based on "an expanded and
improved shopping centre", with an "enhanced retail offer including
new stores at Brent Cross Shopping Centre", to cite the developers'
own documents.
When the council has assessed the likely impact, it should order the
developers to pay whatever it costs to ensure the sustainability of
Hendon, Golders Green and the other nearby centres: better street
layouts, improved public transport, more greenery, more public
toilets, more benches to rest on or whatever it takes to ensure that
these neighbourhood areas remain available and attractive for local
residents to use.
Council Leader Mike Freer cannot genuinely oppose post office closures
and support sustainable communities at the same time as he is praising
the Brent Cross Cricklewood plans.
As for the transport issues surrounding the new plans, of course there
should be a direct rail link to the expanded shopping centre rather
than more car parking. The developers say they expect cars still to be
the main way that people get there but why is that? People will no
doubt continue to want to shop at Brent Cross but why should they
necessarily go by car? Do people go to Oxford Street by car? Of course
not, because it is properly served by London Underground lines and by
buses.
Monday 31 March 2008
Wednesday 26 March 2008
Save our Post Offices
The threat to shut eight post offices in Barnet borough as part of the planned closure of 171 branches in the London region strikes a blow to the very heart of the Green Party's concept of sustainable communities.
The government should widen the range of official business which can be carried out through post offices, to make them more sustainable.
Post Office Ltd should sharply lower its estimate of what is a reasonable distance for people to walk to a post office, since its current unreasonable limit is being used to justify many of the closures.
Barnet Council should be looking at new ways of keeping its local Post Offices open, as Essex County Council and many other authorities are doing.
We ourselves should be writing to Post Office Ltd to oppose the closure of our local branches and to challenge its individual justifications for shutting each of them.
The eight local branches scheduled for closure are:
Dollis Valley Way, Barnet
Potters Road, Barnet
Cricklewood Lane, Cricklewood
Pennine Parade, Cricklewood
East End Road, East Finchley
High Road, North Finchley
Nether Street, West Finchley
Watford Way, Hendon
to send a protest e-mail direct to Post Office Ltd go to:
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=57600693&mediaId=66300707
Other parties are jumping on the protest bandwagon but the Green Party has always campaigned for the provision of key services such as post offices, libraries and schools within easy walking distance of everyone's home.
The government should widen the range of official business which can be carried out through post offices, to make them more sustainable.
Post Office Ltd should sharply lower its estimate of what is a reasonable distance for people to walk to a post office, since its current unreasonable limit is being used to justify many of the closures.
Barnet Council should be looking at new ways of keeping its local Post Offices open, as Essex County Council and many other authorities are doing.
We ourselves should be writing to Post Office Ltd to oppose the closure of our local branches and to challenge its individual justifications for shutting each of them.
The eight local branches scheduled for closure are:
Dollis Valley Way, Barnet
Potters Road, Barnet
Cricklewood Lane, Cricklewood
Pennine Parade, Cricklewood
East End Road, East Finchley
High Road, North Finchley
Nether Street, West Finchley
Watford Way, Hendon
to send a protest e-mail direct to Post Office Ltd go to:
http://www.postoffice.co.uk
Other parties are jumping on the protest bandwagon but the Green Party has always campaigned for the provision of key services such as post offices, libraries and schools within easy walking distance of everyone's home.
Stadium rot - Brown and Sarkozy's nuclear nonsense
Gordon Brown and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France plan to launch a joint nuclear power programme when they meet at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium today (Thursday 27th Feb) for a Franco-British summit.
Fortunately, Trent Park and Totteridge Fields are safe. There is no prospect whatsoever of a nuclear power station being built in the Barnet or Enfield areas because local rivers like the Lee or Dollis don't have the vast amounts of water that these megaliths require.
The problem is that hardly anywhere else in Britain is suitable for nuclear power plants either, even in the unlikely event of local residents raising no objection.
The government thinks the best places for new nuclear power stations in England are next to existing ones at Sizewell in Suffolk, Dungeness in Kent, Hinkley Point in Somerset and Bradwell in Essex.
However, the four sites are on the coast and owner British Energy admits that all of them require new flood defences to protect them from rising sea levels.
This risk from erosion is just one of a dozen or more reasons why the Green Party thinks the many billions of pounds which new nuclear power plants would cost could be much better spent on energy conservation and developing sustainable energy sources such as wind, solar and marine power.
To cite just one of the other objections, Britain would have to import all the uranium to fuel new reactors, in the absence of any known deposits in this country.
This would put Britain's energy security at risk, especially as some of the biggest uranium mines are in Kazakhstan and Niger, from where it would be hard to guarantee supplies.
Maybe after all someone should run a geiger counter over Trent Park and Totteridge Fields in case there is a lode of uranium underneath... just kidding.
Fortunately, Trent Park and Totteridge Fields are safe. There is no prospect whatsoever of a nuclear power station being built in the Barnet or Enfield areas because local rivers like the Lee or Dollis don't have the vast amounts of water that these megaliths require.
The problem is that hardly anywhere else in Britain is suitable for nuclear power plants either, even in the unlikely event of local residents raising no objection.
The government thinks the best places for new nuclear power stations in England are next to existing ones at Sizewell in Suffolk, Dungeness in Kent, Hinkley Point in Somerset and Bradwell in Essex.
However, the four sites are on the coast and owner British Energy admits that all of them require new flood defences to protect them from rising sea levels.
This risk from erosion is just one of a dozen or more reasons why the Green Party thinks the many billions of pounds which new nuclear power plants would cost could be much better spent on energy conservation and developing sustainable energy sources such as wind, solar and marine power.
To cite just one of the other objections, Britain would have to import all the uranium to fuel new reactors, in the absence of any known deposits in this country.
This would put Britain's energy security at risk, especially as some of the biggest uranium mines are in Kazakhstan and Niger, from where it would be hard to guarantee supplies.
Maybe after all someone should run a geiger counter over Trent Park and Totteridge Fields in case there is a lode of uranium underneath... just kidding.
Wednesday 30 January 2008
Slow down those Barnet roadhogs!
Barnet Green Party has written to Council Leader Mike Freer urging him to introduce 20 mph as the default speed limit on residential roads in Barnet.
This is following a pledge by Transport for London to provide support for boroughs which bring in the limit.
A 20 mph speed limit would be particularly welcome on those many roads, such as Ridgeview Road in Whetstone, which have been without any traffic calming measures since the speed humps were ripped up against residents' wishes a couple of years ago. This was done following Councillor Brian Coleman's pledge to remove all speed humps in the borough.
In addition to improving road safety, the introduction of 20 mph as the standard speed limit would reduce the incentive for drivers to use side roads as short cuts or rat runs, which is what many residential roads have become as as legacy of Coleman's campaign.
By reducing people's fear of being hit by fast-moving traffic, the limit could also encourage local people to cycle or to walk more, for instance when taking their children to and from school.
Mr Freer replied to say that he is waiting for for information about TfL's scheme but did not commit himself to any action.
Thursday 17 January 2008
French govt snaps up UK wave power technology
French state-controlled electricity company EDF - the world's biggest operator of nuclear power plants - has recognised the value of a UK wave power company. See contract announcement below.
What a pity that no British company had the foresight to buy the licence for this technology.
EDF Energies Nouvelles collaboration and investment
Renewable Energy Holdings plc (AIM: REH), the investor and operator of proven
and innovative renewable energy technologies, is pleased to announce that the
Company has entered into a collaboration agreement ("Collaboration Agreement")
with EDF Energies Nouvelles SA ("EDF EN") relating to REH's CETO wave power
technology. This follows the announcement of 27 July 2007 that the companies
had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding.
The terms of the Collaboration Agreement will permit EDF EN exclusively to
develop offshore wave power projects in the Northern Hemisphere and at Reunion
Island in the Indian Ocean (together, the "Territory of Exclusivity"), using
REH's proprietary CETO wave power technology. Further information on the terms
of the Collaboration Agreement is set out in the Appendix to this announcement.
In addition, also as announced on 27 July 2007, under the terms of the
Collaboration Agreement EDF EN has today invested a total of #3.0 million in
REH.
Mike Proffitt, Chief Executive Officer of REH, commented:
"We are very pleased indeed to have concluded our CETO Collaboration Agreement
with EDF EN and we look forward to working with them to develop CETO wave power
projects across the Northern Hemisphere.
"EDF EN's interest in the CETO wave power technology demonstrates that the CETO
wave energy device has an exciting commercial future ahead and the potential to
be a global success."
Paris Mouratoglou, Chairman of EDF Energies Nouvelles, said:
"EDF Energies Nouvelles is committed to develop new renewable energy
technologies. The wave energy potential is very significant and has been
identified as one of our future sources for growth. We are delighted to announce
the signing of our final agreement with REH and look forward to a successful
development of the promising CETO technology."
EDF EN's #3.0 million investment in REH is structured as follows:
1. EDF EN has subscribed #1.5 million for 3.0 million new ordinary shares
of 1 pence each in REH ("New Ordinary Shares") at a price of 50 pence per new
ordinary share (the "Equity Payment"). The Equity Payment which has been paid
into an escrow account administered by REH's solicitors, Herbert Smith LLP, is
held to the account of REH and will be released to REH upon the following
milestones in the commercial development of CETO being achieved:
Overall Equity Milestone definition Equity Payment New Ordinary
milestone released from Shares
escrow attributable to
milestone
1 Three CETO II units having been installed #500,000 1,000,000
and connected through the joint off-shore
pipeline into the on-shore collection
system.
2 30 days of performance data collection of #500,000 1,000,000
the total system (three CETO II units)
having been completed.
3 CETO III prototype unit has been #500,000 1,000,000
manufactured and is ready to ship ex works.
What a pity that no British company had the foresight to buy the licence for this technology.
EDF Energies Nouvelles collaboration and investment
Renewable Energy Holdings plc (AIM: REH), the investor and operator of proven
and innovative renewable energy technologies, is pleased to announce that the
Company has entered into a collaboration agreement ("Collaboration Agreement")
with EDF Energies Nouvelles SA ("EDF EN") relating to REH's CETO wave power
technology. This follows the announcement of 27 July 2007 that the companies
had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding.
The terms of the Collaboration Agreement will permit EDF EN exclusively to
develop offshore wave power projects in the Northern Hemisphere and at Reunion
Island in the Indian Ocean (together, the "Territory of Exclusivity"), using
REH's proprietary CETO wave power technology. Further information on the terms
of the Collaboration Agreement is set out in the Appendix to this announcement.
In addition, also as announced on 27 July 2007, under the terms of the
Collaboration Agreement EDF EN has today invested a total of #3.0 million in
REH.
Mike Proffitt, Chief Executive Officer of REH, commented:
"We are very pleased indeed to have concluded our CETO Collaboration Agreement
with EDF EN and we look forward to working with them to develop CETO wave power
projects across the Northern Hemisphere.
"EDF EN's interest in the CETO wave power technology demonstrates that the CETO
wave energy device has an exciting commercial future ahead and the potential to
be a global success."
Paris Mouratoglou, Chairman of EDF Energies Nouvelles, said:
"EDF Energies Nouvelles is committed to develop new renewable energy
technologies. The wave energy potential is very significant and has been
identified as one of our future sources for growth. We are delighted to announce
the signing of our final agreement with REH and look forward to a successful
development of the promising CETO technology."
EDF EN's #3.0 million investment in REH is structured as follows:
1. EDF EN has subscribed #1.5 million for 3.0 million new ordinary shares
of 1 pence each in REH ("New Ordinary Shares") at a price of 50 pence per new
ordinary share (the "Equity Payment"). The Equity Payment which has been paid
into an escrow account administered by REH's solicitors, Herbert Smith LLP, is
held to the account of REH and will be released to REH upon the following
milestones in the commercial development of CETO being achieved:
Overall Equity Milestone definition Equity Payment New Ordinary
milestone released from Shares
escrow attributable to
milestone
1 Three CETO II units having been installed #500,000 1,000,000
and connected through the joint off-shore
pipeline into the on-shore collection
system.
2 30 days of performance data collection of #500,000 1,000,000
the total system (three CETO II units)
having been completed.
3 CETO III prototype unit has been #500,000 1,000,000
manufactured and is ready to ship ex works.
Monday 7 January 2008
Wind power pays better than weapons
Money invested in weapons maker BAE Systems would have more than doubled in value last year if investors had sold their shares and bought stock in wind turbine makers instead.
BAE Systems gained 16 pct in 2007 but Vestas Wind Systems, the world's largest wind turbine maker, saw its shares soar 131 pct, taking its market value to a mighty 13.4 billion euros, fast catching BAE.
Fund managers can no longer claim that they can't invest ethically because they get better returns in unethical stocks such as BAE. In fact that excuse has been false for a number of years.
BAE's recovery takes the shares only fractionally above above where they were 10 years ago, whereas investments in Vestas have multiplied 33 fold in value since the company was first listed in May 1998.
Of course not all ethical or environmental stocks have had as a stellar a trajectory as Vestas but in recent years the sector has consistently performed as well as or better than the broad market. Over the past five years the Stoxx European sustainability index has climbed 61 pct, compared with a 46 pct gain by the Stoxx 50 index of European blue chip companies.
Even in Britain alone, where the ethical and environmental sector is relatively small because of lack of government encouragement, the FTSE4Good UK 50 index has kept pace with the benchmark FTSE 100 both during 2007 and over the past five years as a whole.
According to the Campaign Against the Arms Trade, Barnet Council's pension fund held shares worth £3,255,178 in BAE Systems in mid-2007. I once again call on the fund's managers to sell that immoral stake and invest the money in ethical companies.
There is every prospect that 'green' industries will continue to grow strongly in Europe as governments step up their spending so that 20 pct of energy comes from renewable sources by 2020, a target agreed by all 27 European Union countries including Britain.
Germany has already created an estimated 200,000 jobs in industries that help fight climate change and Britain could do the same if the government and investment managers such as those who control Barnet Council's pension fund woke up to the economic opportunities of these new technologies.
BAE itself should convert its factories to the manufacture of wind turbines, solar panels and marine power machinery. 'British Airpower Equipment' could even end up making more money than the group does from its current evil products.
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