There was a time when it represented progress. It meant making something once instead of cutting down another tree. It meant building products that lasted instead of replacing them every few months. That intention wasn't wrong. What changed was us. Somewhere along the way, we stopped seeing plastic as something worth keeping and it became something to throw away. That's a very different idea, which is why I don't think the answer is to clear the house of everything made from plastic. If you've got a bucket that's been in the shed for twenty years, it's doing exactly what it was designed to do. The bucket isn't the problem. Throwaway thinking is. That's one of the reasons I like the idea behind Plastic-Free July. Not because anyone needs to be perfect for a month, but because it creates a pause. A chance to notice how often convenience quietly wins, or how quickly we replace something that's still perfectly useful simply because replacing it has become normal. Once you notice those moments, they have a habit of staying with you. The next decision feels a little different, not because someone told you what to do, but because you've started seeing the choice in front of you. I believe most lasting change begins with that.

We are rested after our last election round and now we start the work for the next one. I am pushing for our focus to be on how we would, if elected, work to reorganise our local government in preparation for the coming emergencies. The National Emergency Briefing made it clear that local communities need to be strengthened to handle the disruptions that will accompany extreme weather and food shocks. It feels strange to talk about this when the world around us goes on as if everything will remain normal, even as we are experiencing record-breaking temperatures in the UK. One sentence from the briefing says, "We are living in the least extreme climate that we will experience in our lifetimes" - in other words, it only gets worse from here. So if that is the case, the tasks of local government need to have an added layer. How does it provide all the services it is responsible for and prepare for flooding, forest fires, food shortages and potentially civil unrest? The current crop is all vying for positions of power - that is their goal, not addressing the crisis before us. My plan is to identify the needs and start putting forward proposals for what we could be doing now that, if in place, we will be grateful for later. One colleague who deals with the aftermath of hurricanes and severe weather in the Gulf of Mexico is saying that if we want to know what our future looks like, visit Tahiti. Note: the link to the video is just one of 10 in a playlist.

People are organising the showing of this film in community centres all over the UK. In November last year, a group of experts delivered speeches about the state of the world as it relates to climate and especially the effects it will have on the people living in the UK. I have watched the original speeches - they can be found here. What will be different this time is watching it with about 200 other people, some of whom will be hearing the news for the first time. Others may know a lot, but the unvarnished truth will hit hard. I am fascinated to see how people react. The truth is dark - it is hard-hitting - it makes the need for real climate action clear and the urgency real. There is only so long that we can keep ignoring it. If we are willing to hear this and act on it we can still mitigate the worst effects. Another aspect will be the debate after it. Our representative (MP) will be in a debate with two others. He has always paid lip service to the issue. If you can, try to get to see it.

I have been out delivering promotional flyers for the Green Party. We stand a good chance of getting a Green County Councillor elected. But for that to happen, people need to know there is a candidate and understand what he stands for. So - to the streets! 28,000 steps later. Back pain Delivering leaflets through letter boxes in the UK means managing the aggressive letter boxes that seem to have been designed to rip apart any item of post that is inserted through it, including the hand that delivered it. And also torture the deliverer by placing the slot low enough to have to twist and bend double to get to the letterbox. So you come away with cuts on your hands and a sore back. So with the aim of continuing the campaign, here is a handy guide on why back pain is an issue and how you can avoid it. 👉 Leafletters Back

Interesting to see this post today about a new electric airport fire appliance.