Join exciting Endangered in Wanstead campaign to stop biodiversity extinctions

The latest David Attenborough series, Perfect Planet, finished with stark warnings as to how precarious the future looks. The world is now in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, with 500 species of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles on the verge of extinction. Half of all insects are believed to have been lost since 1970 due to the destruction of nature and heavy use of pesticides. The devastation being caused by the way human beings live at the moment is causing untold damage. The green lungs of the planet, such as the Amazon rain forest are rapidly being felled. These precious biodiversity resources cannot be restored in the short term once they have gone. The repercussions for humans are also pretty horrific, with the Covid-19 pandemic an example of what could increasingly happen moving forward, destroying the natural environment around us – so animal life moves closer to humankind. The virus is believed to have come from bats. The Attenbourgh program did though show some signs of hope, where positive developments are contributing to save and develop biodiversity, as well as cut global emissions. One positive development worldwide has been the rewilding movement. This has seen whole areas being returned to more like their natural state, allowed to develop un molested. In places like the Knepp estate in West Sussex, original species like Dartmouth ponies, Tamworth pigs and longhorn cattle have returned and prospered. The work is truly remarkable and is spreading out right across the country. At local level, Redbridge has been seeking to increase the amount of land given to wilding. The growzone initiative started in Wanstead has been one notable success. Now, the extinction threat has been picked up with the new Endangered in Wanstead campaign, highlighting 10 species that are struggling to survive in our local area. The project, organised by Wild Wanstead, the Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group and London Wildlife Trust has singled out the house sparrow, hedgehog, skylark, swift, common toad, pipistrelle bat, smooth newt, tawny mining bee, stag beetle and common blue butterfly as at risk. The campaign will seek to involve local stakeholders to all play a part in preserving and promoting the future existence of these threatened creatures. It is incredible to think how many species that used to be plentiful have diminished. Some 30 or 40 years ago, house sparrows used to be a common sight around Wanstead gardens, now much less so. Then there are the hedgehogs, which are now a rarity. If though we begin to act to help out by creating the sort of environments where these creatures can prosper they can come back. Among the suggestions made are planting more trees and hedges, plant pollinator friendly plants outside, tear up those destructive concreted over drives and pathways, replacing them with lawns and vegetative areas and create log piles in quiet corners. Nest boxes will help the birds, as will sticking to footpaths in areas like Wanstead Flats and Park. The successes of programs to reintroduce birds like the red kite to different parts of the UK shows what can be done, where there is a will there is always a way. So please get behind the Endangered in Wanstead project, in order that we can do our bit to retain and promote such vital biodiversity. More information on Endangered Wanstead can be seen at www.wnstd.com/the10

Covid has shone a light on the inequality of society - post pandemic there must be a genuine levelling up

The Covid pandemic has held up a mirror to our society. The pandemic has exposed the great inequalities that exist, with those living in the poorest areas most savagely hit by the disease. Shamefully, a third of children under 16 in the UK are living under the poverty line - this in the fifth richest economy in the world. Over a million people go to food banks in a country that has more than 150 billionaires residing within its borders. The savagery of the so-called flexible labour market has been exposed for all to see. Those working on zero hours contracts and forced into bogus self-employment status have been those least able to cope. Many working in the care sector are on zero hour contracts, where non-attendance means not getting paid. This has meant some working under such conditions, have avoided being tested for Covid for fear they may have to isolate and so cannot work. The government has been slow to provide the required financial support for people in this type of situation to enable them to isolate. The general health of the nation is something else that has come under scrutiny. Or should that be ill-health? The obesity levels and general unhealthy way of living has meant the UK population has been less robust in resisting the ravages of Covid. We need to live more healthily. The country is now (hopefully) coming out of the Covid crisis. However, lessons need to be learned, with a levelling up of society. The great inequalities need addressing, with a closing of the gap between rich and poor. Fewer billionaires and fewer foodbanks (just to clarify that is fewer food banks because there are fewer hungry people, not fewer food banks per se, as was recently misrepresented in one local publication). Decent jobs with proper terms and conditions. There needs to be an end to the race to the bottom, off loading employers responsibilities on employees via the likes of zero hours contracts and bogus self employment status. Then on health, a much greater investment in the NHS and social care sector, with a far higher value being placed on the heroic people who work in those sectors. Healthier living can also be pursued, with the likes of active travel such as walking and cycling being encouraged. This will also help counter the increasing environmental crisis that comes ever closer. These are just a few ideas, as to how we can help create a more just and equitable world coming out of the pandemic and it is something that needs to begin here at home in Redbridge. Published Wanstead and Woodford Guardian - 18/2/2021

Spinning the vaccine

Interesting to see the government taking credit for the vaccine program, something conducted using the NHS and local authority networks and staff. A marked contrast to the disasterous test and trace system farmed out at great cost to companies in the private sector with little experience of the field. Something to remember when Boris and co attempt to spin the success of the vaccine roll out as cover for their other overwhelming inadequacies in handling this crisis. Published - Evening Standard - 17/2/2021 Independent - 16/2/2021

Masterclass from Jesse Lingard as West Ham destroy Sheffield United (3-0) at the London Stadium

West Ham 3-0 Sheffield United West Ham dominated this game against Sheffield United from start to finish, with the outstanding Jesse Lingard pulling the strings all night. The shame was that the Manchester United loanee did not cap his fine performance with a much deserved goal, though he certainly fashioned a few chances. It looked as though West Ham were set to go ahead as early as the third minute, when Craig Dawson was brought down by Enda Stevens, with a penalty awarded by referee Simon Hooper. However, the decision was over ruled by VAR, after Dawson was found to have been previously in an offside position. A promising partnership seemed to be blossoming between Lingard and Manuel Lanzini, as the two midfielders exchanged passes in rapid fire movements, the first of these seeing keeper Alan Ramsdale beating away a Lingard shot. West Ham took the lead, after a Lingard breakaway, saw an exchange of passes with Jarrod Bowen that put the former in on goal. The resulting foul by Chris Basham on Lingard, saw Declan Rice convert the penalty. Sheffield United could have been back in the game just after the break when a point blank header from David McGoldrick deflected off home defender Ben Johnson but keeper Lukasz Fabianski acrobatically turned the effort over. The home side increased their lead, when Issa Diop stooped to head home a corner from Aaron Cresswell. Further efforts from McGoldrick and Lingard were foiled before in the 96th minute, substitute Said Benrahama expertly worked some space in the penalty area to lay the ball off for fellow substitute Ryan Fredericks to sweetly sweep home. West Ham manager David Moyes felt his players did “a great professional job.” The manager was well pleased that his tactical switch that saw Jarrod Bowen playing at the front, supported by Lingard, Lanzini and Benrahma, in the absence of injured striker Michail Antonio, worked so well. “It gives us another option,” said Moyes, who referring to Antonio, said it has worked very well his going from being a winger to a centre forward, “maybe the same will happen with Jarrod.” Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder felt his side gave away two goals, then there was no coming back. “The timing of the goals and manner of the goals were terrible,” said Wilder, who was also concerned to see John Egan stretchered off towards the end of the game.

Modern day Britain stands on the shoulders of the slave trade, so what is being done to put things right?

How many buildings and institutions in the UK have their roots in the slave trade and what is being done about it? The question came to mind, after attending a fascinating talk by historian and City of London tour guide Chris O’Donnell on St Marys Church in Wanstead. Chris told how some of the revered figures in the church, such as Sir Josiah and his son Richard Child and Jerome and John Heydon (governor of Bermuda – 1679 to 1683) were major operators in the slave trade. Sir Josiah was a leading member of the East India Company, as well as the Royal African Company – which was a leading player in the slave trade. A colleague of Sir Josiah at the Royal African Company was Sir Edward Colston – whose statue finished up in the dock at Bristol last summer, after his slave trading links were revealed. On the other side of the argument, the life of abolitionist and former Bishop of London, Beilby Porteus, is honoured at the back of the church. Another hero is Vice Admiral Robert Plampin, who as a Navy commander took an active part in the war against the slave trade mounted by the Royal Navy following the abolition of the trade in 1807. The Vice Admiral was involved in a number of acts of liberation, including the freeing of 368 slaves, who were released upon arrival at Sierra Leone. So, St Marys Church offers a fantastic insight into the slave trade from all angles, with commemorations and graves around the church and graveyard. Chris O’Donnell’s talk, provided a very valuable insight into this appalling trade. He recalled how in the mid-1830s, the British government agreed to compensate slave owners for their losses. This meant raising a £20 million loan (£17 billion in todays equivalent). The final payments on this 180-year long loan were made in 2015, so as Chris pointed out, anyone paying income tax up to that date help compensate slave owners. The case for a real reckoning on the slave trade and move to pay reparations has gathered pace with the Black Lives Matter movement. What though does not seem to have been got over to the greater populace is just how huge the slave trade was and how its proceeds enabled Britain to extend its empire all over the world. The East India Company ofcourse was a major vehicle in this enterprise. There were many people in Britain, who had grown immensely wealth on the slave trade, who had money to invest in all sorts of enterprises over the Georgian and Victorian eras. So much of Britain today stands on the shoulders of slaves. Moving forward, there really does need to be a reckoning with the past – a recognition of what actually happened. Then some actions to put things right – this could include the removal of some statues, though qualification of what stands where and why could also play a part. The country should not be celebrating slavery, with physical memorials to these individuals, but nor should it airbrush them from existence for their heinous acts. Reperations certainly need to be paid – something that is being looked into at a number of levels at present. Finally, ofcourse, there is the need to address the ongoing racism, the continued operation of institutional racism in all its forms across society. And there needs to be real action, not pledges and motions, that are then put in the drawer, as some sort of symbolic gesture. There must be real change, which means some in society giving up power to others.

The pandemic may have provided some respite in addressing climate change but the clock is still ticking down from 12

One of the few pluses to come out of the Covid pandemic has been a worldwide reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Due to the reduction in emitting activities, there was a 6.4% reduction (2.3 billion tonnes) in emissions worldwide. Emissions caused by aviation dropped by 48% on the preceding year. The US saw the greatest drop of 13%. The UN Environment Program estimates that a cut of 7.6% will be needed each year for the next decade if global warming is to stay below the 1.5 degrees level required to stop devastating effects. In 2018, the Inter-governmental panel on Climate Change report warned that there were 12 years left to effectively save the world and stop run away damage. Time is of the essence, with the world making very slow progress. The reduction of the past year provides a temporary respite, the problem being that when the world economy gets back to normal, the emissions level will return to the previous damaging levels. Indeed, it could even be worse as things go into overdrive to make up for lost time as it were over the period of the pandemic. What is required is fundamental change in the way that the world economy operates, so the processes will see those CO2 reductions occur. This was the type of thinking that was prevalent at the Paris Climate Agreement negotiation in 2015. The re-joining to that agreement of the US under President Joe Biden’s administration is another welcome development of the year thus far. But much much more needs to be done. In this country, following the financial crash of 2008, the Labour government heavily backed the renewables sector. The fledgling sector really grew on the back of a feed in tariff scheme, that encouraged people to become their own micro-generators. Unfortunately, this industry did not receive the same support under successive government since 2010. The present government makes green noises but as with everything the proof comes on the ground. What is needed is to really invest in the green economy to get things going. It is the right and practical thing to do. The UK economy is incredibly service sector based, which means it will be one of the slowest to recover. Why not really back the green/renewable sector, making it a bedrock of our economy going forward. At local level, Redbridge Council passed the climate emergency motion that myself and Jo Blackman brought forward in June 2019. A corporate panel was established to look into how that declaration could be made a reality. The panel recently reported, with councillors now waiting to see a plan for practical implementation. Jo was recently appointed cabinet member for Civic Pride and the Environment, so will be responsible for much of this work – something else that has to be good news. Transport was found to be one of the major areas for emissions creation in the borough, needing to be addressed. Plans to implement Low Emission Neighbourhoods in Wanstead and South Woodford, as well as the School Streets schemes across the borough are the sort of measures that will help bring emissions and pollution levels down. There is also the London Mayor’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) due to come into effect later in the year. The Quieter Streets trial in Ilford unfortunately didn’t work, due mainly to problems over consultation and a very narrow timetable imposed by government for implementation. The motivations behind the schemes though was good. There are also moves in Redbridge to address the biodiversity crisis that is seeing habitats and species wiped out across the world. The success of things like Grow Zones, where areas are allowed to run wild, particularly around Wanstead, point another way forward. Hopefully, there will be a default position in future that sees more of the borough being allowed to develop in a biodiversely positive way. So things are beginning to happen, if slowly. Hopefully, as the pandemic reduces, so the work to make Redbridge and beyond cleaner, greener places to live will continue apace. What though we all need to remember is that 12 year deadline to save the world

Need a properly funded police service to help counter crime

There are regular concerns raised in the local community about crime. Crime has always been with us. The difference today is that every incident is amplified a hundred fold on social media to often misrepresent the overall situation.A mood of hysteria can develop, which exaggerates the real threat. There seems to be a tendency to leap to criticise the police whenever a crime is committed, which is difficult to understand. I have great sympathy for the police, they have had resources quite deliberately cut by successive governments over the past decade. This is in a period of growing demands from cyber crime to the present calls to enforce Covid laws. Yet, they are also expected by the public to do this and more, stopping all the more traditional crimes as well, with less resources. Police are not the answer to crime, their role is essentially that of social refuse collectors. They deal with the effects, not the causes of crime. The grotesque inequalities in our society, with growing numbers of have nots, is no doubt helping to fuel more crime - it is a political, not policing issue. The rhetoric about crime when joined together with a lack of resourcing for the police creates a perfect storm for private security companies to cash in. They offer their services, which worried people buy into. These companies have no more powers to act than a private citizen. If they come across a crime they have to call the police. Yet they charge for their presence. Yes, that presence may help deter criminals for those who are able to pay but it is not a substitute for an accountable fully resourced police service for all. The growth of private security operations is ofcourse something those who cut resourcing for the police force, no doubt had in mind in the first instance. If this path continues we will end up with a system of policing prefaced on ability to pay. If you cannot pay you will get the basic minimum, which will be an ever more under resourced police service. If you can pay then a security company will be able to keep your area under constant surveillance. There will be more gated communities, restricting freedom of movement - not an attractive prospect. The world of haves and have nots writ big. What is needed is better resourcing of the police. Yes the community should have more say in the way their area is policed. There are ways to get involved in that process, such as ward panels, which bring together citizens, with the police and local councillors to discuss priorities. There is the Street Watch scheme, whereby local people can work together with the police and council to help ensure the safety of the area. A greater police presence would no doubt help restore the link between community and police. The shutting of local police stations in Wanstead and most recently in South Woodford does not help but again resources and the lack of an active voice from the people allows this to happen. So moving forward let us come together to counter crime, Oppose the cuts to policing, come forward to take part in the community policing process and look out for each other.

Liverpool out think West Ham in closely fought game at London Stadium

West Ham 1-3 Liverpool West Ham's winning run was brought to an abrupt end by an impressive Liverpool side at the London stadium. The home side had won their preceding five games but six proved a game too far up against the champions. West Ham manager David Moyes was left deflated by a game, where he felt his team got into useful positions but failed to capitalise. "We didn't get the ball down and play, we gave it away," said Moyes. "We didn't do it in the moments when we had it." Moyes felt it was Liverpools'pressure that stopped West Ham settling into their usual game. The visitors certainly pressed West Ham high up the pitch, not allowing them the time to play their usual passing game, working the ball out down the flanks and getting crosses over. The two teams pretty much cancelled each other out in the first half. After the interval, Michail Antonio turned in the area and blasted wide. The arrival of Curtis Jones, replacing James Milner, proved the crucial final piece in the Liverpool jigsaw. Jones found Mohamed Salah in the area after being fed by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Saleh, then, expertly bent the ball into the far corner. Liverpool's second came from a West Ham corner, the ball being collected by Arnold, whose cross field ball found Xherdan Shaqiri racing down the left. His expertly weighted cross was controlled instantly by Saleh who then flicked the ball past home keeper Lukasz Fabianaki with his other foot. A third followed, with an intricate passing movement that saw substitute Roberto Firmino exchange passes with Jones before laying the ball on for Georginio Wijnaldum to side foot home. West Ham got a consolation goal when Craig Dawson finished off a corner. But it was too little too late. The most concerning news for West Ham fans was that Moyes does not expect to do any more business before the transfer window shuts on Monday. So no new striker to replace Sebastien Haller, leaving Antonio as the only recognised striker in the squad.