COUNCIL NEEDS TO BE ’SERIOUS’ ON AIR QUALITY
Green Party are grubby and gimmicky, says Cllr Page
Reading Midweek, April 15 2015
Carly Read
A COUNCILLOR has claimed that reading borough council is “burying its head in the sand” after Friday saw air pollution reach levels so high that the government issued a health warning to residents with heart and lung conditions.
High air pollution across the borough last week resulted in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs warning adults and children suffering from asthma and those receiving care for heart and lung problems not to take on strenuous activity.
And with more air pollution set to hit the Borough tomorrow (Tuesday), Green Party leader Rob Wite said the council should be doing more to tackle the problem.
He said: I think the council need to really try harder to tackle the problem.
He said: “I think the council need to really try a lot harder and do more to make people aware of the invisible killer that is air pollution.
“I think we’re in danger as this problem becomes more prominent in the borough, so the council need to stop burying their heads in the sand because it´s not something that is going away.”
But reading Borough Council´s lead member for strategic environment, planning and transport, Councillor Tony Page claimed the idea of a text alert was nothing more than a “gimmick”
He said: “Rob Wite is talking absolute rubbish, it´s just nonsense. The green Party in Reading are a bunch of grubby little politicians and in fact are the ungreenest of green.
They´re hypocrites because the council is trying to push and promote a more environmentally friendly borough through things like Park and Ride and the greens are opposing these plans and criticizing them for being harmful to the environment.
He added: “The idea of text messaging residents to warn them of air pollution is just a gimmick – a gimmick from the gimmicky Greens – and I can tell you with all confidence that what people want to see is concrete measures put in to place and that´s exactly what we have.”
The council owns three road side units, in Caversham Road, King Road and Oxford road where air pollution data is collected and monitored.
The new warning for this week, issued on Monday morning encourages those at risk, including the elderly, to reduce outdoor activity until normal air levels return on Friday.
Cemetery Junction improvements: campaigner says work has caused inconvenience
Campaigner Tony Warrell takes council to task over £1.5 million road schemes along London Road in East Reading
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/cemetery-junction-improvements-campaigner-says-8926005
Climate Change Centre Reading (CCCRdg): We agree, as usual you never hear back from the council, air pollution in rising emissions from fossil fuels are slowly damaging our health, we need to see a change in fossil fuels. This is the most important reason we 05/12/14 proposed to RBC a Monthly Car-Free Work-Day in Reading, UK.
https://tvb-climatechallenge.org.uk/2014/12/05/reading-petition-monthly-car-free-work-day-placeco2lutions/
Friends of Reading, In solidarity with the French Climate Coalition gathering for climate, level up mobilization, 30 and 31, try to book these two dates for climate activity, why?
The last weekend in May is in the middle of an intense period in terms of international mobilizations, to name a few: the USA, the movement will celebrate the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by a series of actions across the country, Germany, others will mobilize on the sidelines of the G-7, while in France, the World Environment Day (5 June) will mark the start of the tour in tandem 4 places of Alternatiba (180 steps through 5,000 kilometers to engage on climate issues). On the side of the Coalition, we hope that this weekend is an opportunity for the hundreds of existing and emerging dynamics in France to manifest, for the two days of initiatives we will announce our determination to mobilize collectively face the climate emergency, in view of the top of the COP21 and beyond to be a real movement for #climatejustice.
In small or large group, with more or less of organization, I propose us to join in launching our own climate initiative ‘Double Car-Free Days Oxford Rd’,, and ADD/PIN THE EVENT ON THE NATIONAL MAP
#Climat21 #1000initiatives initiatives always start small, but they grow when people like us get involved — Thanks so much
..and Ohh check out Great campaign material to use here http://coalitionclimat21.org/en