Ecologists have expressed their outrage and shock at ecocide being committed on the Bridgewater Canal at Pomona in the name of tow-path “improvement”
Naturalist Ian Boote on manchesterbirding.com says “There has been some “improvements” here in the form of a new tow path which has obliterated all the rare plants on this stretch, losses on this stretch of the Bridgewater Canal tow-path include Ivy Leaved Broomrape, a possible unique site for this plant in Greater Manchester, Deadly Nightshade, very rare in Greater Manchester, Water Dock, Blue Fleabane, Yellow Wort, Bee Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid, Common Eyebright, Common Century, Hemlock Water Dropwort, Common Mullion, Garden angelica, White Campion, Hop Trefoil, Ramping Fumitory, Common Storksbill and Amphibious Bistort”
Ecocide has been committed in the name of “improvements” and more ecocide is being planned for Pomona Docks, a truly disgusting state of affairs, when are our authorities and “business leaders” going to learn about green business practise ?
A rare species of flower, the Cornflower, was located on Pomona Docks on Pomona Day, 13th August
There are two of these spectacular, blue flowers on the north side of Pomona, the site threatened with development, that can also be described as planned eco-cide
The Cornflower (scientific name Centaurea cyanus) is classified as Endangered in the UK, and protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in England and Wales
The Cornflower is classified as a Priority Species on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, is part of the English Nature Species Recovery Programme, and is also part of the Plantlife “Back From The Brink” project
Plantlifes’ “Back From The Brink” project identifies 101 species of flora that we need to stop from extinction! In the United Kingdom the Cornflower has declined from 264 sites to just 3 sites in the last 50 years, therefore, in reaction to this, the conservation charity Plantlife named it as one of the species it would actively work to bring “Back from the Brink”
The most urgent tasks to preserve this plant are to maintain its current range and manage viable populations on all the present sites. Seed has been collected and stored at the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place, part of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This seed may be used for ex-situ propagation and a reintroduction programme if this becomes necessary, a very precarious state for a species that used to be a common sight in the UK
The Cornflower is, along with many other farmland plants, in danger of disappearing through intensive agricultural practise, particularly over-use of herbicides. Although it has declined in north-western Europe, the Cornflower is not considered a threatened species in Europe as a whole, and its stronghold is in the Mediterranean countries. However, in Britain there is now only one persistent and self-sustaining population, in Suffolk, although there are recent records from arable fields in Wiltshire, Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire. There are scattered plants throughout southern England and Wales
Flora enthusiasts from the Manchester area are celebrating the sight of this magnificent and rare flower on our Garden Of Eden, Pomona
Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett, actress Maxine Peake, dj and entrepreneur Dave Haslam, actor John Henshaw, comedian John Thomson and Olympic athlete Linford Christie have all signed up to the Save Pomona campaign to save Pomona Docks, an area of greenspace with big heritage value and high biodiversity levels that many scientists and green entrepreneurs are saying could be an Eden Project For The North, a project that could give the city a profile boost and unite people in the year of Manchester European City Of Science
Two events are being planned to highlight the flora and fauna of Pomona, Bee Real on Saturday 29th August and Focus On Flora on Sunday 30th August
Over 1500 people have signed a petition to save the site, and the Manchester Ship Canal World Heritage Group are in the process of providing Trafford Council with Reports on Ecology, Public Consultation and Alternative Land Use
Manchester European City Of Science Event Says Save Pomona
The Heritage Group is calling for a Public Inquiry into Pomona and urging people to contact Trafford Council with comments and objections, here are the contact details:
Local people, scientists, birdwatchers, journalists and film-makers gathered on Pomona Docks on Saturday 15th August for the inaugural Pomona Festival
A campaign to Save Pomona is gathering pace with hundreds of people signing the change.org petition and visiting the site for a variety of wildlife theme events
Contacts are being made with the original Eden Project in Cornwall for advice and support for Eden Project North at Pomona Docks on Salford Docklands
Pomona is the Goddess of fruit, agriculture, gardens and abundance, and has become a symbol for the people of the Manchester area, of the direction we want the area to go in
Green energy, more habitat for bees and birds, edible landscapes, real action on climate change, permaculture, industry that respects the environment, proper planning for housing, a fracking ban, eco-system services being brought into the mainstream, more environmental education, a green economy, a green city and a green North
Manchester is the European City Of Science and the Manchester Ship Canal World Heritage Group are inviting people to celebrate today at the Pomona Festival at Ordsall Beach from 2pm adjacent to the Big Green Bridge
The Chairman of the Heritage Group says “It’s Manchester and we do things different here, let’s get Manchester up on the map, get people involved in green science, get people talking science and having a chat about what we might be able to achieve”
At the Manchester: A Certain Future Annual General Meeting in Manchester Town Hall, July 2015, Craig Bennett, the new Friends Of The Earth Chief Executive issued Four Challenges For Manchester to become a Green City
If we can have, in the year that Manchester is the European City of Science, a green revolution in the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, it would give a big message, a signal to the world that you can have a green revolution anywhere
Here are the FOUR CHALLENGES
GO FOSSIL FREE
Go from FRACK FREE to FOSSIL FREE, make every home energy efficient, create a Community Renewables Revolution and create ALL power from renewables
PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS
Divestment is a huge issue at the moment, and with the Greater Manchester Pension Fund having dodgy environmental credentials, and worth somewhere in the region of £13.3 billion, it is time for the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to be BOLD and VISIONARY and to fully embrace the global divestment movement, transferring all funds from the GMPF that are in dirty industry to cleaner, greener industry
GREEN ECONOMY
All Industries Need To Be Green, transfer from heavy Industry To LOW CARBON / ZERO CARBON
The Universities have a big part to play and other areas that need to be looked at are Local Enterprise Partnerships and Aviation Policy
MAKE MANCHESTER THE UKs’ HEALTHIEST CITY
Investment in modern, high quality, green jobs and high quality greenspaces
The Northern Spring has taken our time before commenting upon the Labour leadership election to give a fair and balanced view, but it is fair to say that just one candidate has shone a light on the leadership election, Jeremy Corbyn
The Labour Party seems to be re-finding, and re-gaining it’s soul, and on all the big issues, the environment, TTIP, austerity, welfare, equality and fracking, Corbyn has won the debate, with thousands of people signing up to the Labour Party to vote for JC
Corbyn-mania has taken over the country, with venues overflowing with people, and Jeremy Corbyn having to give speeches on the street to people who can’t get into venues because they are too packed!
Jeremy Corbyn is a statesman and makes Cameron, Osborne, Burnham, Cooper and Kendall look like college students on work experience! The UK has given way too much power to “wet behind the ears” middle-aged politicians with little real life experience, and people are looking to an elder politician in Corbyn who has vast experience, knowledge and a wealth of quality political colleagues
People have moved on from “New Labour” and “Cool Britannia”, and more recently, “Blue Labour” and “Cruel Britannia”, and are looking for a new and fresh direction
Liverpool Labour Party sing The Internationale
Jeremy Corbyn speech at Durham Miners Gala, July 2015
Film, What Are Your Three Reasons For Voting For Jeremy Corbyn
Critics who say that Corbyn is a “throwback to the 80’s” are probably throwbacks to the 80’s themselves!! It is a very weak argument that does not recognise that UK politics has changed with the rise of the SNP, Green Party, Plaid Cymru, Left Unity and TUSC, and the presence of more regional parties such as the Northern Party, the North-East Party and Mebyon Kernow
The increase in multi-party politics suggests that Corbyn is the unity candidate, and would be able to work with parties such as the SNP and Green Party in a much more productive manner
Labour Needs To Learn From Syriza, Podemos and SNP
NORTHERN FUTURE
You might expect the Northern Spring, a news channel about the North, to pick a Northern lad – Andy Burnham, but Corbyn has made some of the most astute observations on the North, and Team Corbyns’ paper Northern Future is a first step to creating a fairer, prosperous and more sustainable North
However, the paper Northern Future talks about the “re-industrialising of the North” and this statement does seem one that requires clarification and challenging
The Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is a very important proposed trade deal that many politicians prefer not to talk about, but Corbyn has the firmest stance on TTIP
Jeremy Corbyn is the only candidate who has called for a Fracking Ban, and is therefore the only candidate to have connected the red rose of Labour with the red rose of Frack Free Lancashire
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