Winchester Green Party

Winchester Green Party have organised an inspirational event

with 4 of the most engaging and important speakers and environmental campaigners

When: Thursday 11th December  (prompt 7.30 start, finish by 9.30pm)
Where: Winchester Discovery Centre, Jewry Street

On the 11th December at the Discovery Centre is hosting an evening of talks and discussion with some of the country’s leading green thinkers. This is your chance to get involved in a local event about global issues and to ask the questions that are concerning you. The event promises to be a pre-Christmas antidote to the gloomy predictions for the future: come and be inspired!

The four fantastic speakers are:

• Caroline Lucas has recently been elected as the leader of the Green Party and is Green MEP for the South East region and hotly tipped to be the first British Green MP at the next election.
• Tony Juniper is the former director of Friends of the Earth and one of the UK’s best known and respected environmental campaigners.
• Rob Hopkins is the author of the Transition Towns handbook and is a passionate pioneer who has inspired towns across the country to find creative ways to tackle our energy crisis.
• Robert Hutchison is the founder and chair of Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC) and a leading voice in Winchester’s green movement.

Tickets are £3 on the door (including a glass of mullet wine) and seating limited so please contact Alison Craig to reserve yours.

(Letter by local Green Hazel Agombar published in the Hampshire Chronical)

Sir,

I was appalled to read the comments from the chair of New Alresford Town Council - Ken Yeldham, in last week's Hampshire Chronicle (9th October) about the Alresford Greening Campaign. I would like to challenge Mr Yeldham's criticism that the group is 'spitting in the wind'. Firstly Alresford is far from alone. They are one of many, many grassroots group across the UK which are being established to address the issue of climate change. The combined efforts of this are enormous and help to put pressure on the UK government to pass a strong Climate Change Bill. Here just in Winchester we have groups such as Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC) and Friends of the Earth who are working to the same aims.

Secondly, Mr Yeldham trots out the tired arguments about the pollution created by China and India's industrialistion which are used as an excuse for the UK to do nothing. I'm afraid that Mr Yeldham has failed to grasp how interdependent the world is. It is the wealthy countries - mainly Europe and North America - that have caused the problems of global warming, and therefore have the responsibility to take the lead in finding a sustainable way forward. China and India need to develop - we should be promoting the techonologies that enable them to do so without destroying our shared life support systems. Indeed, it will be great for our economy to be at the forefront of developing low carbon technologies.

by Evelyn Parker

Members who listen to Gardeners Question Time will have picked up on the query recently raised about hormone weedkiller residue in farmyard manure affecting some particular plants.

The culprit is thought to be aminopyralid, a hormone-type herbicide which is used on pastures to control weeds. Manure from animals fed on treated pastures contains chemical residues sufficient to damage susceptible crops. Gardeners buying this manure to apply to vegetable crops are coming across abnormal growth, particularly on tomatoes, potatoes and legumes. Symptoms of damage are distorted foliage, cupping of leaves and fern-like foliage. There are no known remedies once damage has occurred, and there is no assurance that affected produce will be safe to eat.

The RHS Horticultural Advisory Service commented that this kind of problem was fairly unusual, and mostly attributed to accidents and carelessness, but instances have risen this year and farmyard manure has been frequently implicated. They recommend that gardeners should seek assurances from their suppliers of manure. Pippa Greenwood, who is a plant pathologist, warned that ground affected by the contaminated manure should not be used for up to two years.

We ourselves came across a similar problem in 1999, and the substance implicated was not FYM but Progrow, the soil improver produced by Hampshire County Council using composted material collected from household collections and stuff taken to the tip. I should add that we have used this product many times and this was the only occasion when we had problems with it.

Winchester Green Party contested 4 Winchester wards in the May 1^st local elections...

In every ward we contested we beat Labour and UKIP!

We're obviously very, very pleased with such a strong result for such a young local party. It's a great start and a great basis for Winchester's our first Green councillor!

Thank you to everyone who voted for us!

The full Winchester district election results are here.

Please read the election statements by our candidates, or find out about our local and national polices.

The Green Party has detailed, compelling policies on every aspect of our society. Read on for more on our local and national polices.

Winchester Green Party will be standing in the May 1^st local elections in the 4 wards listed below. For a statement by each candidate, please click a name and ward:

• Oliver's Battery and Badger Farm - Jim Kirkpatrick
• St. Bartholomew - Jo Woodman
• St. Michael - Alison Craig
• St. Paul - Bridget Leyden

This site, like the Winchester Green Party itself, is brand new and under very active development. We're contesting 4 seats in the forthcoming May local elections: St. Bartholomew, St. Paul, St. Michael, Olivier's Battery and Badger Farm. We have some very experienced members who are active in environmental and social projects across the region. Come back soon, or send us a message if you so wish!