White poppies are for peace

Remembrance Day draws near and soon many people will be wearing red poppies in remembrance of those killed in war. There is an alternative symbol which still mourns for the appalling loss of life caused by war but also contains a message of hope: the white poppy.

The white poppy is now produced by the Peace Pledge Union and aims to promote debate on alternatives to war. It is a symbol of grief for everyone harmed by war and a reminder of our inability to prevent war world wide. It represents a commitment to work for a world where conflicts are resolved without violence and with justice.

If you believe that war is not inevitable and that there are better ways to resolve conflicts then  wear your white poppy instead of the blood red poppy – or, as some people do, wear both together.

White poppies can be bought from the Peace Pledge Union at http://www.ppu.org.uk/whitepoppy/index.html

Buses – how do we make them easier to use.

Last weekend I was in Maidstone and went to take the bus home. I was expecting a No. 7 bus to Tonbridge at 12.38pm with a forty minute journey to Tonbridge. At this point the bus was due in just over 8 minutes so I crossed the busy main road to a corner shop to buy a snack, believing I had plenty of time.

As I came out of the shop I saw a bus just leaving the bus stop. After crossing the road (viewing the departing back end of the bus) I asked one of the passengers who had just alighted what the number of the bus was. When she said No.7  I was distraught. No. 7 buses between Maidstone and Tonbridge are only two an hour. I believed I had just missed my bus and would now have to wait half an hour for another bus to Tonbridge and a further forty minutes for my lunch – not a happy prospect.

Furious at the dastardly bus driver for leaving so early I sat at the bus stop and ate my snack. Imagine my surprise when, quarter of an hour later, the No. 7 bus (delayed by about five minutes) turned up at the stop. Had I taken my snack to the nearby park instead of staying at the bus stop I would have missed the bus and 

could have had to wait until 1pm for the next bus to Tonbridge.

My distress at believing I had missed my bus could easily have been avoided by the provision of Real Time Indicators (RTI) at the bus stop to let me know that my No. 7 would, in fact, be along soon. RTI are in operation in Oxford and Brighton to my certain knowledge. The bus stop indicators in Tunbridge Wells and at Kings Hill are not Real Time – they are simply a mechanical repetition of the timetable. Hence the buses which suddenly disappear into thin air. 

Tunbridge Line Commuters has long lobbied for Real Time Indicators in Tonbridge. When will we drag our Kent bus services into the 21^st century and provide this kind of service? So come on councils, wake up and demand this minimal service for bus passengers. How else are we going to encourage people to use buses instead of the excessive car use which is the norm in West Kent?

Tonbridge – tolerant or intolerant?

On 14^th August, the Tonbridge Courier reported that a homosexual couple were being harassed in Tonbridge town centre. Not only were they verbally abused in a manner that was vitriolic but they had also been spat at.

Their friends rallied round and arranged for a Gay Pride demonstration to support them.  Organised at short notice (a week or less) the demonstration attracted a turnout of 170 odd which for a small town like Tonbridge (population approx 36,000 and a high proportion of commuters) is impressive. It was a friendly and happy occasion.

That was the high point – now for the depressing event. A local business man decided he wanted to start a new pro-European Union political party: nothing wrong with that. However, he also expressed a desire to ban homosexuals from membership and to base the party on ‘biblical principles’.

Luckily three of us got letters printed in the local press rejecting his actions and  stressing the tolerant Tonbridge

Extract from my own letter below:

“In 2010 the Human Rights and Equality Commission took the BNP to court for clauses in their constitution which prohibited non-whites from joining their party. The Commission won the case and the BNP were forced to rewrite their constitution. They were also forced to remove the clause which stipulated that party applicants should oppose 'any form of integration or assimilation of ... the indigenous British’. So this means Mr. Hayward will not be able to include homophobic policy aims in his proposed constitution, as such discrimination is not permissible for a political party. 

Acceptance of diversity is normal behaviour and gross intolerance has no place in our town.”

A Civic Arboretum to celebrate our trees?

Sidmouth Town Council in East Devon have declared the entire Town Council area a Civic Arboretum: the first one in the world. The initial idea came from the local Chamber of Commerce. On 10^th May this year a launch event was held to explain the thinking behind the arboretum project. The Civic Arboretum is described as a ‘celebration of our tree heritage, a commitment to plant more trees for future generations and a determination to improve the visual welcome.’  

http://www.sidvaleassociation.org.uk/index.php?mact=CGCalendar,cntnt01,default,0&cntnt01event_id=60&cntnt01display=event&cntnt01returnid=62

The South West Coast national trail includes a walk called Salcombe Hill, which actually encompasses the Sid Valley, a major part of the arboretum, and makes specific mention of the Civic Arboretum, the tree data base and a particularly interesting ancient oak tree visible on the walk.

http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/walksdb/printable-walk/304/

What a wonderful idea! We have a substantial collection of mature trees and new planting in particular in Haysden Country Park. Perhaps we should consider a civic arboretum for Tonbridge – maybe themed along the River Medway or Haysden Country Park. Ideas and comments anyone?

Bamboo – the overlooked sustainable building material?

In this country our main use for bamboo wood is in the garden for hard landscaping, but in most of Asia bamboo is used for serious building. Anyone remember seeing the amazing the bamboo scaffolding in ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’? My husband has seen incredible bamboo scaffolding used to build skyscrapers when living in India.

Bamboo grows fast – just see the clump of black bamboo in my back garden! It uses very few resources in growing, traps carbon and enriches the soil.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/newsfocus/911105-wood-wars-could-bamboo-branch-out-and-revolutionise-construction

You can even invest in Bamboo Bonds from EcoPlanet Bamboo, a British company supporting bamboo plantations in Central America.  For more information, particularly on their ethical polices see:

http://www.ecoplanetbamboo.net/

 

Nicaragua has changed from viewing Bamboo as a weed to be cleared to regarding it as an economical an ecologically beneficial crop.

http://www.alternativeoutlook.co.uk/2012/04/booming-bamboo-the-next-super-material/

 

Bamboo is versatile, once used for building it can be reused and/or sold. It can also be used as a textile fibre. How many greens already have bamboo socks or tee-shirts?

The Ecologist has expressed concerns over the bamboo boom.

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/1033175/bamboo_can_it_live_up_to_the_green_gold_hype.htm

However, they seem mainly linked to the possibility of land grabbing as happened with the new biofuel crops. Currently EcoPlanet Bamboo is committed to growing bamboo on low-yielding degraded grassland and areas where deforestation has had significant negative environmental implications. Fine so far, but if the trend continues will we be looking at a new form of deforestation? Watch this space.