Comment
by Andy Wells
Potential Lammas resident
I’ve always had strong feelings and views about mans relationship
with the environment and, to this end pursued a career as an environmental
engineer in the hope that I could make a difference. To a degree
I have been had some successes over the years but, over time,
have felt it increasingly difficult to reconcile my core beliefs
with what is possible in the traditional working environment.
Environmental terms and phrases have become part if our everyday
language and the law makers and corporations use them liberally
when developing policy and, of course, making headlines. However,
despite the use of such terms I cannot escape the fact that, at
best, the status quo is maintained but now has a self-satisfied
green tinge. If anything, the situation has got worse. The onset
of globalisation appears to allow the developed nations to export
their environmental liabilities to the majority world whilst at
the same time boosting profits and improving their green image
at home. It’s a pity about the social impacts of large-scale
job losses as production moves abroad but hey that’s the
price of progress. Now the oils running out and it’s suddenly
costing more to import what we used to make and grow ourselves.
It has become increasingly clear that the pattern of development
chosen in the West is not, to borrow a phrase, sustainable. Somebody
should be doing something about it. They should be looking for
alternatives. But who is somebody? Who are they?
And so to Lammas. I guess that somebody has to be us. If not
us, then who? It might work, it might not but let’s at least
see what is possible.
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Lammas News
Planning
We are hoping for a decision on July 31st. Quite what that decision
will be we do not know at the moment, in part because every time
we speak to the planners they give us a different story.
Lammas AGM Gathering
Despite the weather, the AGM was a great success. This was in
part down to Cassie’s yurt and in part to a spirit of commitment
and intent.
For some pictures visit here
Living in the future
For the latest episode in the living in the future series, visit
undercurrents
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Quote of the month
Paul: Trust in the process Simon.
Simon: I trust in the process to look after
its own interests and the preservation of the status quo.
After all it's part of that tried and tested process that has
brought us climate change, deforestation, mass extinction, so
why not now
autonomous low consumption ecovillages....
....on a less cynical note, Simon recently visited Manchester
University's 'Future Ethics' Conference about climate change,
apocalyptic rhetoric and political action. You can see him explaining
why access to land is a key issue on youtube.
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Low-Impact News
Welsh Low Impact Policy on the horizon
We are getting there folks! Congratulations to all of those who
have written to the Welsh Assembly Government to urge them to
include Low Impact Development (LID) in their forthcoming revision
of TAN 6! Whilst TAN 6 is STILL not quite out for public consultation,
ANOTHER document has recently come out looking at how to sustainably
meet rural housing needs. The exciting thing is that it includes
mention of LID for the first time in a Welsh planning policy context
and asks YOU what you think of LID – should we have LID
policy across Wales? If so what should it look like?!
Everyone is encouraged to respond to this document asking for
LID to be included. Deadline Oct 10th but why not write now.
It’s all available here.
Climate Camp
4 – 11th August, Kingsnorth Power Station, Kent
Visit www.climatecamp.org.uke
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