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Current Govt Consultations

B. Do you like GM crops? deadline (18 July 2003)

SEERA's draft waste strategy:

http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/regional_policies/planning/waste_strat.html

The South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) is seeking feedback from individuals, councils, groups and all interested parties to its incinerator friendly draft waste strategy. You can probably find a copy in your local library or download it or order it (£15!)from the SEERA website http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/regional_policies/planning/waste_strat.html

No Time to Waste. Regional Waste Management Strategy Consultation Draft. March 2003. ISBN 0-9543059-7-3

Deadline for responses 23 June 2003

My notes on the document (Peter Richardson):

Pros. Recognises the importance of waste reduction and reuse (page 7). Stresses the principle of local 'self sufficiency' for local authorities responsible for waste management (except that they must continue importing London waste) (page 9). Says priority should go to recycling and composting (p. 12).

Cons. Says that 'energy from waste' (i.e. incineration of rubbish) is a necessary part of the waste management strategy:

"Recycling and composting cannot, by themselves, meet even the minimum targets for change. A mixture of mechanised and biological treatment and facilities to generate energy from waste will therefore also be required. The draft policies encourage the development of advanced techniques and the selective use of energy from waste plants as part of an integrated approach to waste management in order to encourage recycling, composting, and combined heat and power wherever possible." (page 9)

The introduction (p. 6) points out that local people object strongly to landfill sites being created near them. It fails to point out that incinerators are equally or possibly more unpopular.

The glossary (p. 121) has a reassuring entry about the less harmful Incinerator Bottom Ash, but no matching entry for the highly toxic Top Ash or Fly Ash that incinerators produce in huge quantities.

Says that hundreds of waste sites will need to be built, some on green belt land (p. 10).

The document is specifically asking for views not on the issue of incinerators but on whether you favour a regional waste policy which just tries to meet statutory targets for recycling, or a waste policy that tries to exceed the targets. The appropriate answer, in our view, is to exceed the targets (as decided by various Zero Waste councils including MK) but to steer completely away from incineration (as voiced by over 7000 local people in the largest ever MK planning objection last October).

http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/regional_policies/planning/waste_strat.html

Email your feeback to: secretariat@southeast-ra.gov.uk

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Not sure about incinerators?

If you burn waste, firstly you can never reuse or recycle it, and secondly you're manufacturing air pollution, including dioxins, from it. Yuk.

Did you know that we can currently recycle 70% of waste (but don't), and that the remainder (we and others think) should be dried/shredded/pre-rotted then landfilled. This mechanical-biological-treatment (MBT) process stops landfills making global-warming methane gas and offensive smells. With some legislation-led changes in recycling technology and markets, and product design, the UK could soon get to 95 or 100% reuse, recycling and composting. Landfilling a small amount of non-smelly treated waste should just be a temporary measure on the road to total recycling. This is not green scotch mist. MK Council and several others in the UK (including Braintree and Bath and North East Somerset) have signed up to the 'Zero Waste Charter' which says exactly this.

Public debate (government consultation) on genetically modified crops:

http://www.gmnation.org.uk/

Online feedback form (no email address for feedback) at

http://www.gmnation.org.uk/dz_08/form01.asp

deadline for responses 18 July 2003