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NEWS

Here is a flavour of this months news - for the full stories, reports and background go to our website:

CLIMATE MARCH: Green party activists from across the County joined the Climate Change march in London on Saturday with well over 6,000 others - while in Stroud in the rain campaigners turned out with a 6 foot diameter balloon.

WEST PAPUA FLAG: Green action in Stroud High Street

CASHES GREEN HOSPITAL SITE: Greens have written to Ministers following news that English Partnerships have reversed their support for the project

STROUD TOWN CARBON CUTTING PLAN: The town council has revealed its own 'carbon footprint' and has pledged to reduce it's emissions of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide by 20% by 2010.

FOIE GRAS: GREEN WELCOMES BAN AT RESTAURANT: See Philip Booths' comment re Bearlands Restaurant.

NO TO MONSTER INCINERATOR: Chris Harmer and Sarah Lunnon both write about our County waste policy.

GREEN KNIGHT CHARGES INTO EUROPEAN ELECTIONS: Ricky Knight selected as number one candidate in Euro elections in Spring 2009

VOTING SYSTEM NEEDS REFORM: Martin Whiteside writes about blue saloons, red jags, yellow bandwagons and green bicycles in response to Kenneth Clarkes recent visit to Stroud

PLUS: Fuel protesters, another Stroud Green letter in the Local Government Association magazine - this time on 20 mph, latest on calls by Slad Brook Action Group, Green concern re canal route, Cllr John Nicholson raises concerns re Planning documents, Green support for Nympsfield turbine and finally Horsley Parish Council Chair and Green party candidate for Nailsworth, Chris Harmer hit the front pages on The Citizen with plans for a 'Cat Cam' in local woods. His interest developed after he saw a big cat the size of a Great Dane: the 'cams' will be installed as part of a piece of research into trying to understand more.

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PLUS THE BLOGS

Ruscombe Green: http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.com/
with nearly 60 entries this month - here's a few:
Success at getting Stratford Road Bus shelter
21 County groups sign petition against Staverton Airport expansion
Transition Stroud on LSP Think Tank
Compulsory reading for 3 year olds
Burma: boycott of Lonely Planet to continue
'Guardians of Power' - a must read
GM wheat and Prof King - plus a GM petition
Greens leadership motion
Dentistry magazine talking nonsense
A million signatures wanted to stop whaling
Why Labour backed away from supermarket carparking charges?
Saami Homeland forests
Plus local ward issues like Tricorn House, a potential wall collapse, a right-of-way issue, Cashes Green hospital site, Cashes Green mobile phone mast, Ruscombe brook latest, Puckshole reopening, Ruscombe musician's bid for number one hit, A46, bank at Ash Lane, sewage at Dudbridge and more.

Molly Scott Cato's blog - the peoples choice for the countries  number one Green blog - read her thoughts on the recent Bali conference, the 'political not banking crisis' plus PFIs and 'buy now, pay later for public services'. See:http://gaianeconomics.blogspot.com/

Read Jonathon Porritt's blog - also on Bali - strongly critical - plus on Hilary Benn and China at:
http://www.jonathonporritt.com/pages/

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QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"This world will collapse under the weight of chronic injustice unless we campaign for a more sustainable future."
Sir Jonathon Porritt

"We are not for names, nor men, nor titles of Government, nor are we for this party nor against the other but we are for justice and mercy and truth and peace and true freedom, that these may be exalted in our nation, and that goodness,righteousness, meekness, temperance, peace and unity with God, and with one another, that these things may abound."
Edward Burroughs, 1659 - from 'Quaker Faith and Practice'

"We experience the revolt of our own nature as our body’s painful rebellion against repressing social and cultural conditions. … Much of the experience of depression that is widespread within Western culture can, for instance, also be read as a revolt of nature, our bodies saying “no” to the crushing demands and abuses of modern life."
Andy Fisher

"The alarming prevalence of the virulent E. coli 0157 in our food system is due to an animal industry allowed to raise cattle in stressful environments on unnatural diets. Allowing such practices to continue while burdening produce growers with the impossible task of sterilizing their farms is folly beyond belief."
Tom Willey, an organic vegetable producer with T & D Willey Farms in Madera, CA

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ONLINE FILMS:

Grand prize winner of the "60 Seconds to Save the Earth" Ecospot Contest - Dave Schlafman for his video entitled Sky is Falling. Watch it now at:
http://current.com/items/87610321_ecospot_grand_prize_winner_sky_is_falling

Excellent film for anyone doubting the need for action on climate change:
http://www.slide.com/r/xN4fBDutzj8kpOpIj2wP6hd8OWa7XooN

Great little film about waste:
http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Stroudie folk reciting their poetry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cDM_m7NyS8

'Spiderman' climbs for the climate:
http://video.news.sky.com/skynews/video/?&videoSourceID=1297533

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EVENTS:

Friday 25th January 2008  - Cafe Discussion - possibly on waste - topic to be confirmed. Open to anyone - 7.30 to 9.30pm at Star Anise Arts Cafe at the Painswick Inn, Gloucester Street, Stroud. See website for report of Novembers' discussion on transport.

Details of Gloucestershire Green party meetings can be got from John Marjoram on 01453 751189. This Green news service first established on 13th November 2001. To subscribe or unsubscribe to GNN visit the Gloucestershire Green party website and to contribute to this news service contact the editor Philip Booth on  press@glosgreenparty.org.uk