Showing posts with label london. Show all posts
Showing posts with label london. Show all posts

Staff of London's City Hall told to roll up their sleeves for the environment

    by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

    London City hall staff are being urged to spend more time out of the office helping to "green and clean" the Capital.

    The volunteering scheme aims set an example to other Londoners and to encourage them to spend at least one day a year doing their bit for organisations that try to protect and enhance the capital's environment.

    Mayor Boris Johnson also pledged that he and his senior advisers will roll up their own sleeves and volunteer.

    The Environment Trust, the London Wildlife Trust and Spitalfields City Farm are among a list of organisations that staff are being encouraged to sign up for.

    "There are an army of marvellous people that are doing a fantastic job to make our local neighbourhoods and green spaces cleaner and more pleasant," Mr Johnson said.

    "I want to see even more Londoners getting involved in those organisations helping to make their environment better,” he said, “and it is only right that me and my senior staff lead by example."

    The London Mayor is rather correct that there are many deserving environmental causes in and around the capital that all could do with some help from volunteers, I am sure. I am also sure than any and all of such help will be greatly appreciated, whether it comes from staff of the Greater London Authority, from staff of other borough councils or generally from other people per se.

    The Environment Trust, which works on social and environmental projects across London, welcomed the announcement, and Jon Aldenton, its chief executive, said that the Trust does welcome all types of active citizenship and that therefore the announcement by the Mayor is great news.

    The Environment Trust's chief executive further said that it is good to hear that the trust's efforts will be aided by this push for even more volunteers. “We have a wide range of exciting hands-on activities for Londoners to get involved with,” he concluded.

    Greater London Authority staff - which does not include those working Transport for London and the London Development Agency - can request up to three days annually to undertake work for voluntary and charitable schemes under an existing scheme.

    If I would not know better and be definitely certain that Mr. Johnson is of the Conservative Party, the Tories, one might think him to be a very left wing politician, as this is nigh on a idea for what was once called “Subtonik”. “Subotnik” was the kind of unpaid community labor that all Soviet citizens were required to perform. Having said that, however, I agree that this is a great idea.

    I am just wondering as to the three days annually that members of staff of the Greater London Authority can claim for doing work for voluntary and charitable schemes. Are we here talking about three days of additional leave so they can do that voluntary work? That is not really volunteering then, is it now?

    However, let's get down to doing things and toll up them sleeves...

    © M Smith (Veshengro), August 2008
    <>

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Staff of London's City Hall told to roll up their sleeves for the environment


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https://national-grid-news.blogspot.com/2008/08/staff-of-london-city-hall-told-to-roll.html


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London's Low Emission Zone Welcomed

    London Mayor Ken Livingstone's introduction of a capital-wide Low Emission Zone (LEZ) has been welcomed by Friends of the Earth.

    The environmental campaign group urged the Mayor to strengthen the initiative and to also drop major road building plans - such as the Thames Gateway Bridge - so that Londoners do not suffer from unacceptable air pollution caused by road traffic. Effects of air pollution include ill health, extra hospital admissions and premature deaths.

    London's single largest source of air pollution is road traffic. The LEZ will only reduce air pollution to below European Union (EU) air quality legal limits in some areas of London, leaving parts of the capital still dangerously polluted. Friends of the Earth called on the Mayor to ensure that the whole of London is brought within legal limits.

    Friends of the Earth London Campaigns Co-ordinator, Jenny Bates said:

    "We congratulate Ken Livingstone on this initiative. The LEZ is exactly the kind of initiative Londoners need to end decades of needless threat to their health from dirty vehicles. But to protect the health of all Londoners the whole of the capital must be brought within legal air quality limits."

    The environmental group argued that the LEZ could be strengthened by the inclusion of emissions from cars. At present only emissions from lorries, buses, coaches, heavier vans and minibuses are included.

    The Mayor could also improve air quality by abandoning large road building schemes. Traffic generated from the proposed Thames Gateway road bridge in east London would mean worse air quality - with one site in Newham exceeding an EU legal limit when it would not if the bridge was not built - something the Inspector at the public inquiry into the scheme said was unacceptable [1].

    Bates added: "The Mayor's road building schemes undermine his efforts to improve air quality in the capital. Building the Thames Gateway bridge would only worsen air quality and traffic congestion there. It's the poorer communities living close to these areas who are set to suffer most. The Mayor has a duty to tackle health inequalities and preventing new building schemes would help to achieve that aim." [2]

    Notes

    [1] The Thames Gateway bridge public inquiry Inspector said in his report, which recommended that planning permission for the scheme be refused, "in an area in which air quality has historically been low, and where it is identified as a current problem, I do not regard that as acceptable"

    More information on the Thames Gateway Bridge

    [2] For information on the Mayor's new powers and duties to tackle health inequalities, gained in the GLA Act 2007
    www.london.gov.uk/mayor/health/strategy/reducing.jsp and
    www.london.gov.uk/mayor/powers/index.jsp

    [3] The London Air Quality Network

    Friends of the Earth

Post Title

London's Low Emission Zone Welcomed


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https://national-grid-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/london-low-emission-zone-welcomed.html


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LONDON AWARE 08 - Event - Advert

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LONDON AWARE 08 - Event - Advert


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https://national-grid-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/london-aware-08-event-advert_02.html


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London's New Year Firework Extravaganza Definitely NOT Green

    The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, who wants to basically force every Londoner into a green, environmentally friendly lifestyle (something, that one must applaud in a way) allows, nevertheless, the use of fireworks to the tune of more than one million pound sterling (US$ 2,000,000 plus) to pollute, with smoke and noise, the London environment on the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2008.

    This definitely is not green nor environmentally friendly. The impact on the London environment will have been enormous with one explosion per second. One can just about imagine the stench of gunpowder that will have been lying over London for hours to come.

    No, I am not a spoilsport nor a killjoy but, aside from the environmental impact a lot of good – for the environment and for other needy causes – could have been done with this over one million pound sterling of, so one can only assume, London Council Tax Payers' money. Am I glad I am no Londoner.

    Just like the annual waste of money for the same things, namely extravagant fireworks, at the occasion of the Thames Day each year, in the days of the GLC. The jump from Red Ken to Green Ken does not appear to have worked that well. Or is it that Mr. Livingstone hopes to go out with a bang, seeing that his job is up for grabs, I understand, this year. Maybe the London electorate will let him know how they fell about the waste of funds that went up in smoke.
    I sure would not vote for him (again) if I were a London voter; for someone who is a “do as I tell you but not as I do” politician. Then again, are not most politicians like that?

    © Michael Smith (Veshengro), January 2008

Post Title

London's New Year Firework Extravaganza Definitely NOT Green


Post URL

https://national-grid-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/london-new-year-firework-extravaganza.html


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