Tell council bosses how to tackle climate crisis
ON October 10, to mark the threemonth anniversary of the city council’s declaration of a climate emergency, we released a report about what action the council had taken.
The report was based on Freedom of Information Act requests, and was titled ‘Dead Tortoise Society.’ It made depressing reading: on almost half of the 23 elements in the declaration, there was no action. On several others there was very slow action. On the question of re-examining the 2038 zero-carbon target in an open and transparent process by the end of the year, the council seems to have done less than nothing
We are writing another report. We want people’s ideas about what the council could do – with zero money (while they have £37m to buy a retail park and turn it into a car park, they have no money for the climate emergency).
We are asking what the council could do between now and Christmas, and then New Year’s Day to April 2020. What would you like to see individual councillors doing? We also want to know what you (as an individual or as part of an organisation) pledge to do in the same periods.
Send your ideas to us at climateemergencymanchester@ gmail.net by Saturday at noon. The report will be released – and sent to councillors – next Monday. Marc Hudson, on behalf of Climate Emergency Manchester
How do we stop attacks?
THE Arndale attack may make us confront something all of us would rather ignore.
The peace slogans, prayer vigils and community bonding we do after each terror attack won’t stop extremists like Somalis Yasseen and Hassan etc. planning the next one.
It would be more effective if local and national media outlets held police and politicians to account on their record of preventing these attacks, rather than bombarding us with pictures of vigils and ceremonies! D A Clarke, Hulme
Referendum for EU states
I HAVE read and listened to various opinions concerning Brexit both for and against.
I actually voted to join the EEC because I considered it to be a sensible way for the six nations to trade economically and frugally. What has happened over the last 40 years is that many countries who hadn’t got the financial wherewithall to become part of the “club” were allowed to join by people who were empire building.
Everybody appears to be asking for another referendum.
I would like to suggest that any referendum is not held just in the UK but across all the countries of the EU, paid for by the EU Commission asking them what they would like.
They should be given all the facts of the wasted money that is spent by the commission and MEPs.
Also ask the EU why their accounts have not been signed off after audit for over 18 years. If the EU was a trading company they would have had to have been declared bankrupt,
The idea of European trading bloc is a very good ambition, however it does now appear to me that the original platform for this aspiration has been lost in the overweening ambition of a few unaccountable people. Brenda Brown, via email
We are freer in the EU
I agree with F. Alf. (Viewpoints,
October 10) who asks fair questions to which the following responses relating to trade and Brexit may be made to counterballance those of dogmatic Brexiteers.
It may seem paradoxical to some, but we are freer in the EU and benefiting from its regulations.
Corporate interests and lobbyists are already muscling in on politicians to ensure their need to present ‘success.’ Ask yourself, if you or your team have been consulted or listened to by those pushing Brexit – or has it been the transnational big business interests of the likes of Amazon and Google getting access to Ministers?
Are your profits and problems being supported, or is fear of international business litigation dictating a hands-off approach potentially wiping out your livelihood?
Are we seeing a bright clean future – or more of the dirty pollution (moral and physical) of reckless backing of business-asusuals such as fracking – despite its unsustainability.
US industrial agribusiness make no bones about their different philosophy- do we want hormone and antibiotic dosed meat from unhealthy animals undercutting high standards? Do we want GM foodstuffs in our foodchain, leading to it being excluded from EU markets?
EU funds have provided fantastic support, resources and helped develop infrastructure in our country.
However, plans to drop taxes favour those who are paying higher taxes because they already have a high income.
And do we want to win a race to the bottom with the loss of employment standards and regulation that has led to massively increased life expectancy within a lifetime?
De-regulation favours the rich and is exploitative.
Perhaps that’s why some politicians want Brexit? Giles Farmer, Salford