World Ecology Newswire Archive

Rochdale Councillors vote unanimously against Countryside Properties and MMC Estates road closure:

In their bid to build over 600 homes and a children’s nursery on the site of the world’s largest asbestos textile factory, Countryside Properties and MMC Estates have just run into more problems:

oil giant Shell is causing more 'concern' over it's drilling plans for gas on Sakhalin,Russia. Just across from
Japan.... (Was it ever thus?..)

May Day versus McCarthy era like "Loyalty Day" opened a UN Conference against Nuclear Weapons that seemed doomed by ambiguities and lack of reportage from its very start… including vagueUS intentions towards peace contrasted by recent trends and “nuclearised” weapons that support pre emptive strikes. Meanwhile, Israel still vague about possessing nuclear weapons adds to its crimes against humanity in the Occupied Territories by dumping its waste on someone else’s homeland.

With the onset of summer and the possibility of hot, dry weather, official concern has been raised about large piles of crushed rubble on the site of the former Turner Brothers asbestos factory in the Spodden Valley, Rochdale.

In an unprecedented move, asbestos victims and asbestos environmental concerns have just been made the subject of a Maiden Speech in Parliament.

The controversial planning application for 600 houses at the former Turner & Newall Asbestos factory in the Spodden Valley was addressed in the maiden speech of Rochdale’s new MP Paul Rowen.

Here are some of the excerpts: (as reported at:  http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/News/news.asp?ID=624 )

Car addicted twat Jeremy Clarkson chained himself to a London Bus in attempt to ridicule eco protestors.

So it begins... (FBI reeckon eco warriors are worse than
anyone else)

Hereby more photographs from the action of the indigenous peoples that
continues today with 500 Tupinikim and Guarani participating.
Aracruz will go to court, according to their comments in the media
yesterday.
More news later on.

Article on the forests of silence follows.

Forests of Silence—Terra de Resistancia

On Wednesday the 16th of February 2005 the Kyoto Protocol came into effect. As well as attempting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the international agreement also aims to offset carbon pollution through sequestration methods known as clean development mechanisms.

One of the CDM’s included in the Kyoto Protocol are so called planted forests. All over the world, millions of hectares of living trees are being planted or planted. As well as providing rich industrialised countries with valuable resources such as paper pulp, these ‘planted forests' also theoretically absorb carbon from the atmosphere and are a major market mechanism for combating climate change.

Advance: 18 – 20th May 2005

SPEAKERS IN LONDON TO CALL FOR END TO ABUSE OF UK DEVELOPMENT AID*

Campaigners from Ghana, Nigeria, Georgia and Guatemala arrive in London this week to call on the UK Government to stop funding oil, gas and mining projects through development aid. The visit comes ahead of the crucial G8 meeting in July, when leaders will discuss issues of poverty and climate change.

35 Greenpeace activists have locked on to a land rover production line in an SUV factory in Solihull.

This Sunday 15th May at 2pm Spodden Valley campaigners are to meet at the concrete blocks on Dell Rd/Woodlands Rd in the Spodden Valley, Rochdale.

Thieaim is to walk the short distacnce on the public path ans cycle path of Woodlands Rd to where woodland was destroyed a year ago to the day.

To find out more about the environmental corporate vandalism that happened on 15/16th May 2004 go to

www.Spodden-Valley.co.uk/beforeandafter.htm

This might be the last chance to people may have to walk and cycle there for years…

According to Radio Z, quoting The Guardian and The Times a part of the Sellafield nuclear plant had to be shut down after a acident.
200 t of highly deadly plutonium have leaked out of a pipeline.
The level for plutonium to be deadly is said to be in the area of milligrams.
Tis news come at a time when the British government is planing to expand the nuclear programm.

Within the next few weeks, oil from the Caspian will start flowing into a 1,762 kilometres long pipeline.

The pipeline will run from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, via near Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and across eastern Turkey to the port of Ceyhan, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline is being built by a consortium of companies led by energy giant BP.

The Save Spodden Valley campaign has seen a letter dated 10th September 2004 sent to the owners of the TBA site confirming exposed asbestos in the Spodden Valley. Until late February 2005, Countryside Properties appeared adamant that there was no exposed asbestos on the land owned by MMC Developments Ltd/ Rathbone Jersey Ltd.

General Election Candidates Lorna Fitzsimons (Labour) and Paul Rowen (Lib Dem) have both supported calls for a permanent memorial to all those who have suffered as a result of asbestos exposure. The pledge was made as dozens of people attended a candlelit vigil outside Rochdale Town Hall for International Workers' Memorial Day.

Okay, it was perhaps the longest banner drop in the history of banner drops (over 8 hours to unfurl) but it was worth it...

A candlelit vigil is to be held outside Rochdale Town Hall on Thursday 28th April from 8pm. Organised by Greater Manchester hazards Centre, this is to commemorate Workers’ Memorial Day. Its purpose is to remember all those who have died in Rochdale, Britain and throughout the world as a result of their work.

Spodden Valley, Rochdale:

Official concern has been raised about large piles of crushed rubble on the site of the former Turner Brothers asbestos factory.

letter from a friend travelling in South America; concerning a settlement of the Movimento Sem Terra (MST, landless workers' movement) in Brasil that is fighting the growing ecological menace of eucalytpus monoculture as part of their own struggle for land and justice. We all need to know about this situation, and they all need our support. thanks.

At the rampART - 15-17 Rampart Street, London E1 2LA
Friday 22nd from 8pm to 11pm