FOREST PLAN FOR 2012 GUILD

from the Lancashire Evening Post, Wednesday August 19th

2,012 trees could be planted in Preston for the next Guild.
Thousands of trees could be planted in Preston as part of efforts to make the city's Guild celebrations the 'greenest' in history. Talks are taking place to make the 2012 Guild an environmentally friendly event by creating the city's equivalent of a Millennium Forest.
City bosses are in discussions with Friends of the Earth over creating a 'Guild Woodland' featuring 2,012 trees to provide the celebrations with a green legacy.
In Scotland, a Millennium Forest was created from 80 projects across 400 sites across the country.
According to a Preston city council report, around two hectares of private land needs to be sought for the project because patches of council-owned green space in the city are too small.
John Lamb, of Friends of the Earth in Central Lancashire, says if more than one patch of land can be found, more than one forest could be planted.
He added: "We would not necessarily restrict it to one site if we could find more than one two-hectare site. We could have them in the east, west or north of the city so more people can access them."
Local communities and schools would be involved with planting the trees in Guild year.
Council leader Ken Hudson said: "It is almost like when you had the Millennium Forest. I'm not saying we are going to have anything on that scale, but this whole movement is something we want to get involved with."
The Guild Woodland is just one proposal being discussed in a bid to stage a 'Green Guild'.
A Green Guild Manifesto has been drawn up by Friends of the Earth.
Other ideas include 'green' street theatre, a drive to encourage cycling, and launching talks over more park and ride sites around the city. The plans are to be discussed at a meeting of the city council's Guild Committee on Monday.

..and from the Post's Comments column:

"What a legacy this would be for future generations. Preston could become a green and pleasant place with oases of mini forests dotted around its sprawling conurbations."

GET SERIOUS ABOUT CO2

How serious is Lancashire County Council?

from The Lancashire Evening Post, Monday July 20th

Green campaigners have hit out at a plan to scrap Lancashire's climate change fund.
The new county council leader Coun Geoff Driver wants to axe the £250,000-a-year grants to community groups aimed at reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
Instead, the Conservative wants to use the money to improve gullies and drainage across the county to help prevent future flooding.
But Friends of the Earth has joined the Labour opposition group in attacking the plans as "short-sighted" and is demanding that they are reconsidered.
The fund's previous projects have included wind turbine, carbon capture and micro-renewable energy schemes.
Coun Driver said: "Like everybody else I think we should reduce our carbon output, but climate change is already upon us and the people of Lancashire are being flooded out as the gullies cannot drain water away. I think the higher priority is to clean the gullies out.
"All we are doing with that £250,000 climate change grant money is making a political gesture and while we are doing it people are being flooded out."
But Marion Seed, joint co-ordinator of the Central Lancashire Friends of the Earth, said: "Some of our leaders are more concerned about whether they will get elected tomorrow rather than whether people will have a chance against climate change.
"I do regret that there is this either/or thing going on. Improving gullies and drains is necessary but we really should not be dismissing climate change.
"Measures to stop climate change should not be seen as an extra and should be part of the budget to help people within the community to do something.
"It's a great shame that he (Coun Driver) is thinking like that."
Labour Coun Jennifer Mein, opposition leader at Lancashire County Council, said: "I tend to feel the same as Friends of the Earth.
"If Coun Driver wants to put extra money into gully cleaning, there are other resources and money available to do that.
"He is being very short-sighted in taking away this climate change fund as we need to encourage the public generally to make an effort to reduce the effect of climate change and every small step is important."
The climate change fund has given out thousands to groups through the county's Lancashire Local groups.
These include Broughton Pre-School, which won £11,830 to pay for underfloor and attic space insulation and new wall cladding.

AGAIN - HOW SERIOUS IS LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL?
Call for vegetarian food foiled
from The Lancashire Evening Post, October 5th

Tories at County Hall have been accused of going cold on climate change after rejecting a notice of motion from the Liberal Democrats. The ruling Conservative group and the BNP defeated a motion to promote eating a meat-free meal each week in a battle against climate change.

The motion claimed the idea would help reduce the demand for clearing vast swathes of the Amazon rainforest to grow crops and keep livestock to feed the demand for cheap meat.

Lib Dem County Coun Bill Winlow said: "There is a direct relationship between what we eat and the environment.

"By failing to support this motion and by slashing the budget for the climate change fund, all on the same day, reflects a complete lack of commitment from the Tories on the challenges of climate change."