The following is a letter to the Press, published by Dover Express (16th Dec 2020):
All honest people can see that multiple crises beset us in England and in Dover District. Does the triple whammy of impoverishment caused by Covid, the economic / logistics hit to Britain and Kent of Jan 2021 and the climate and ecological crises mean we must choose which one of the three to work on? No.
Hardworking experts, scientists and planners at local, national and international level show us how we can build back better, how the best solution to the impoverishment, can also be the solution to the climate and eco crises.
We need to make living conditions healthier for us and for future generations. We need to do this by creating warm, cheap-to-heat homes in the existing streets of villages and towns needing regeneration, creating at the same time secure, clean jobs for a new generation of trained skilled trades people. More solutions and jobs need to be created in agro-forestry.
This is the inspiring advice of many think-tanks from United Nations groups and officers of Kent County Council, to town planning professionals, small business organizations and trades unions.
This is something we citizens can work for, together, in Dover District, with greater community involvement and genuine local democracy, (and a few regulations, because problems aren’t solved by pretence or slick PR spin).
On Sat 6th and Sun 7th February, a public meeting, open to all local campaigners for climate justice and democratic planning, will be hosted by Dover and Deal Green Party. It will be an on-line zoom meeting, (and hopefully also at a parish hall if it’s safe).
Sarah Gleave and Mike Eddy,
Dover and Deal Green Party
