The Conservative Government managed to push through a bill through that threatens everyones Human Rights. The right to a fair trial in an open court, a right the Anglo-Saxons introduced and the Normans included in their laws. Now in the 21st Century, while our media concentrated on gay marriage, this backward policy slipped through unnoticed. This country has never been a democracy and is moving further away from ever being one.
On Tuesday (12/02/13) a protester was dragged from a tree by Group 4 staff, causing him to fall against those who had pulled him down. The police then arrested him for assault and detained him. Also, felling continued within 10 metres of people, another breach of Health and Safety at Work Act. It has also been mentioned that all the timber has been sold to Westfields for £10,000. Some of the large mature hardwood trees would fetch more than that alone. So who is profiting from this destruction to a vital part of the City’s lungs?
There will will be a friendly candle-lit vigil around the pond on Sunday 17th 5.00pm – 6.30pm. For anyone who wants to quietly reflect on the trees that have been felled and who want to be surrounded by other understanding folk. This is a chance for like minded members of the community to unite in a peaceful way. Bring your candles, lanterns, and tea lights (small torches will come in handy too).
What Lord Lucas is quite true and it echoes how Microsoft become a monopoly of computer software.
The following is from the UK Tax Justice Campaigns group, forwarded to Taxpayers Against Poverty members by Paul Nicholson
HANSARD TEXT
5.02 pm
Lord Lucas: My Lords, I am a publisher but take a very bleak view of the future of publishing if Amazon goes unchecked – not that it will harm me, but it will kill most of the rest of the industry. Amazon is an amoral monopsony in its growth phase. It is using extremely low margins to drive market share. It is using aggressive tax avoidance to afford those low margins.
It is not just us that it does not pay tax to; it does not pay tax to anybody. It is being allowed by Governments to do this because it is seen as a nice, friendly company to consumers. Indeed, in the days when I shopped with Amazon, I found it a comfortable place to shop but…
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A discussion with Nigel Murphy (Labour councillor for Hulme and the Environment)
I was walking home (16:40, 6/2/13) from the 8th Day along Stretford Road, when I bumped into Nigel Murphy (Labour councillor for Hulme and the Environment). He told me he was waiting for a bus into town because he had been walking all day, then asked how were things with me. I mentioned they were not very good, (there are lots of things like Birley Fields and the lack of action by the council on climate change), especially with things like Alexandria Park. He mentioned people should read what it is really about and not listen to the protesters who are exaggerating the number of trees being felled. I said I had read the aborculturist’s report and that mature (maybe originally planted by the Victorians) were being felled when they were in good condition. I asked about the old green houses, they were not be restored, so how is this restoring the park to it former glory. Nigel replied that he remembered the greenhouses from a kid and walking in the park. And that the park was unsafe to walk in at night, and that this work was to make it safe. It was to make this park fit for today. If that is the case, then surely they have obtained funds falsely from the National Heritage Fund? The National Heritage Fund is about support the restoration of heritage assets and clearly this is not the council’s intention. Those who agreed to the council’s proposals seemed to of forgotten previous projects by the council, such as Piccadilly Gardens. Is that fit for today, what was done to Piccadilly Gardens? Alexandra Park Trees
Why does our media support our arrogant politicians, rather than doing some in depth investigations into an event like Skywalker. Is the media there to investigate and report om matters of importance to the public at large? Or are they just mouth-pieces for the ruling elite, ‘newspeak’?
A little while ago, I wrote two posts analysing the ‘Plebgate’ CCTV footage and showing that the spin put on it by Michael Crick of Channel 4’s Dispatches programme was not consistent with a proper viewing of the video evidence.
Monday night’s further Dispatches programme on Channel 4 was much-trailed and would supposedly ‘reveal’ a conspiracy against former Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell. ‘Surely,’ I thought, ‘if they’re making a new programme about it they must have some further evidence and probably some additional video’. So I was waiting for the programme with substantial interest.
Well, it wasn’t worth the wait. As far as I could see, the show presented nothing new and substantive that actually bears on the issue of whether Mr Mitchell called the officers at the gate ‘plebs’ or used the other phrases such as ‘we run this f***ing country, not you’. There were interviews with people…
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A report that truly reflects the true nature of bio-fuels. They are not renewable and they are not sustainable. They are an excuse for the affulent to continue with their excessively consumptive wasteful lifestyles.
Why Climate Scientists Have Consistently UNDERestimated Key Global Warming Impacts | ThinkProgress
Some of have suggested things will be worse than that suggested, such as the total breakdown of the Gulf Stream, plunging the UK into another Ice Age. Kevin Anderson of the University of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre, spoke at a breakfast at the Rylands Library and spoke at Manchester’s Town Hall on the urgency of reducing our carbon emissions to prevent catastrophic climate change. Which I mention in an earlier post and that to me, the councillors, especially Richard Leese, the leader, did not appear that interested in.
It is also mentioned in this months Manchester Climate Monthly. There is a new research paper recently published that suggests scientist have consistently under-estimated the effects of climate change. And that things are a lot worse than it was ever thought. Though I feel, it is doubtful our politicians will change their attitudes and policies. No doubt, believing they will be okay because they are rich. They may soon find out, they ARE in it with US, and that they cannot eat or drink money: Why Climate Scientists Have Consistently UNDERestimated Key Global Warming Impacts | ThinkProgress.
Manchester City Council’s continuing Ecocide.
With a film crew from BBC Northwest Tonight, around 80 local people of all ages and backgrounds who had gathered to protest against the tree felling, peacefully entered the felling site and succeeded in bringing tree felling works to a halt.
Sadly, all 50 of the healthy Sycamore trees that made up the avenue along Claremont Road have now been cut down. But hundreds more trees are under threat.
The picture below shows how this avenue looked just a few days ago. Many of those present were very upset about the devastation.
BBC Northwest Tonight are featuring the story this evening on BBC 1 at 6.30pm.
Some of those present have this evening set up camp to continue their protest. We wish them the best of luck.
patricktsudlow 