A Welsh Food Revolution?

There are many good reasons to change the way we source our food. The price of food is on the increase, we don't fully understand the effects of additives in processed food, climate change is turning parts of the world into desert and biofuels have replaced food crops resulting in food shortages. It is estimated that world food supplies would have to double in the next 40 years to feed a population of nine billion, while at the same time, farmers must cope with climate change, oil price rises and new plant and animal diseases.

A report from MPs out last week said "Only 10% of the fruit consumed in the UK by value is grown here. Apple orchards have reduced by nearly 33% in just 10 years and less than a third of the apples eaten here are grown here", while in 2005 Britain imported 1,500 tonnes of potatoes and exported exactly the same amount.

According to Sustain

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has calculated that, globally, agriculture generates 30% of total man-made emissions of greenhouse gases, including half of methane emissions and more than half of the emissions of nitrous oxide.
In the EU, over 30% of the greenhouse gases from consumer purchases come from the food and drink sector.
Latest conservative estimates from the Food Climate Research Network in the UK suggest that almost one-fifth of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions are associated with our food and drink.

We have to change the way we source our food and the single greatest contribution we can all make in reducing our individual carbon emissions is to eat as much of our own-grown food as possible.

Growing-your-own provides good exercise and has obvious other health and financial benefits. It can also help to bring people together. On my allotment, young and older people work together sharing plants and tips in a spirit of communalism. We all rely on each other - a plant disease on one plot can affect us all.

Demand for allotments is growing. At the beginning of the year I did some research which showed that there are 2,500 people on waiting lists for an allotment in Wales and that some people will have to wait up to nine years! The 1908 Small Holdings and Allotment Act says the council has a duty to provide land if they are satisfied there is demand and if six electors petition that council, their representations have to be taken into consideration. Since then I have found plenty of examples of groups of people who have petitioned their council only to be told that the council has considered their request, but there is no land available.

I've visited community owned urban food production gardens in Cuba and I'm keen to see if we can do something similar here in Wales. Tomorrow, I am hosting a "summit" of all the contacts I have made while working on allotments and I am hoping that the meeting will generate ideas for making more land available for those who want to grow their own.

Electrifying success

The electrification of the rail line from London to Swansea is good news. So good that sometimes it's easy to forget that not that long ago Network Rail were publishing plans that showed the electric line not coming to Wales.

What made the difference and made sure that Wales got an electrified line? Well the work of the Plaid's Ieuan Wyn Jones AM was an important part of it. His hard behind-the-scenes lobbying as Deputy First Minister has helped to secure this project.

The benefits of electrification have been demonstrated in other countries - that's why Plaid has been campaigning for this since as far back as 1977. And we'll continue to campaign to ensure that the rest of Wales is well connected to Europe ’s major networks - electrification of the London to Swansea line is a major step in the right direction.

This news comes on top of the boost to public transport recently announced by Ieuan in the National Transport Plan. Amongst a host of measures announced, in the region I represent, there are plans to increase the capacity, quality and performance of the Valleys Lines network by creating additional platforms at Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Barry. There are also plans to introduce additional services on the lines from Pontypridd and Caerphilly to Cardiff and for additional half-hourly services on the Vale of Glamorgan line.

Save Cardiff University's Lifelong Learning

Cardiff University has announced a proposal to close most of the subject areas in one of its oldest and most respected departments. Cardiff Centre for Life Long Learning provides the opportunity for students of all ages and backgrounds to access higher education irrespective of any previous qualifications. The centre currently runs hundreds of evening and weekend classes in a variety of subjects in both Cardiff and across the whole of South East Wales; from Brecon in the north, Porthcawl in the west and as far as Caldicot and Monmouth in the east. If the proposal is implemented then this will radically reduce the Centre, scrapping its entire humanities provision, this includes literature, history, archaeology, music, creative writing, philosophy, art history, religion, photography and Welsh.

A campaign group has been set up and a protest has been organised for the 27th July, the day the University Council meets to decide whether or not to go ahead with the cuts. I spoke at a campaign meeting this week and agreed to support their alternative plan which involves a stay of execution for a year. They have a compelling case - demand for their courses is expected to increase during the recession. A facebook group has been set up, giving information about things people can do to help with the campaign.

Green groups endorse M4 relief road decision

Environmental groups have endorsed Plaid's decision to focus investment on public transport and to scrap plans for an M4 relief road:

GREEN GROUP WELCOMES SCRAPPING OF GWENT LEVELS
MOTORWAY

Friends of the Earth Cymru today congratulated Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones on scrapping the Gwent Levels motorway scheme.

The six lane toll road would have cost £1 billion, cut a
swathe through the protected Gwent Levels and led to an increase in traffic and
carbon emissions.

Friends of the Earth Cymru, a leading member of CALM, has campaigned against the Gwent Levels motorway, and proposed cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternatives, since the scheme was first proposed over 10 years ago.

Ditching the scheme is an opportunity to resolve the existing road's safety and maintenance problems by lower cost measures along the M4 and other local routes.

Neil Crumpton, Friends of the Earth Cymru campaigner said:

"The scrapping of the unaffordable and traffic-generating Gwent Levels motorway is vital to tackle climate change and cut Wales’ carbon emissions.

“It also provides a huge opportunity for the Assembly Government to resolve the M4's increasing safety and maintenance problems by investing in much more
cost-effective and less damaging measures along the M4 and other local
routes.

“The £1 billion road scheme is a victim of its own price tag in a credit crunch which was partly sparked by rising oil prices. To create a strong and resilient economy Wales must anticipate the global realities of rising fuel and carbon costs in its future transport and economic development plans.

“Ieuan Wyn Jones is to be congratulated for taking this bold decision in the face of a growing climate crisis.”

AM says leave Afghanistan

From yesterday's Wales on Sunday

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Foreign Minister David Miliband have reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to keeping troops in Afghanistan. But in the face of one of the bloodiest weeks for our Armed Forces in recent memory, LEANNE WOOD AM argues it’s now time to pull out of the war-torn country...

I THINK we need to rewind a bit and remember the reasons we were given for going in to Afghanistan in the first place. People will remember that it was about Osama Bin Laden, who was supposed to be hiding there. At some point, the reasons changed. It became an issue about regime change. It was the same for the case given for the invasion of Iraq. It was originally about weapons of mass destruction, and the threat of Saddam bombing “British interests” in 45 minutes. The reason then switched to regime change. Saddam Hussein had to go, and we hear the same about Taliban. Both were terrible regimes but is it really our government’s place to decide what regimes people in other countries should live under?

I heard a top military officer on the radio recently saying they had reached a stalemate in Afghanistan, so will putting more troops in take them beyond stalemate? What is progress? How is success going to be defined in Afghanistan? How many more people have to lose their lives before the “coalition” concedes that enough is enough? Are UK troops going to be in Afghanistan for years?

I joined the anti-war movement at an early stage and, while Afghanistan was always part of the debate, Iraq was the main focus. But now, of course, Afghanistan is where the blood is being shed.

I understand that more heroin has been coming out of Afghanistan since the conflict began and that is a serious problem. Efforts have gone into controlling that in recent years but how can occupying forces and war help? With the economy in ruins, people will be desperate to make money, and if opium farmers can make more money growing poppies than by other means, they’ll inevitably opt for poppy growing.

Meanwhile, the number of soldiers getting killed there now is increasing. Is this going to turn into another Vietnam scenario? As well as the lives lost, there are many other casualties. I know of families, in the Valleys for example, where young people have come back from Afghanistan with post traumatic stress disorder. We need to be talking about making sure that our young people are properly cared for. Apart from the deaths, which leave unimaginable pain for the families, there are also other consequences of war which are less talked about, particularly on the mental health side, but also physical injuries.

The Westminster government should now accept the situation is unlikely to move beyond stalemate. They should cut their losses and pull all of the troops out of there. They should instead be putting their resources into making sure troops who have fought are properly looked after on their return. There are questions to be asked about compensation for injured troops, about what benefits they are entitled to, whether they can get work, what their pensions are worth. I’m sure many people would be shocked to hear the answers to some of those questions.

A common response for anyone unable to get help while suffering from post traumatic stress disorder or other mental health problems is to self-medicate by taking illegal drugs. That can all too easily lead to a cycle of shoplifting, for example, to get enough money for more drugs, and of course it isn’t long before someone who should have been helped has ended up in the prison system.

If we really cared about people and their welfare, then shouldn’t we be putting the vast resources being spent on keeping troops and arms in Afghanistan into the welfare of the people the Government of the UK has responsibility for?

"Go back to Libya"

The BBC reported the latest outburst from the leader of the British Nazis. Unite Against Fascism give their take on it here.

Newly elected BNP MEP Nick Griffin last week said

"But the only measure, sooner or later, which is going to stop immigration and stop large numbers of sub-Saharan Africans dying on the way to get over here is to get very tough with those coming over. Frankly, they need to sink several of those boats."

Climate change is turning productive land into desert in sub-Saharan Africa. Large numbers of people are already being displaced and forecasts expect the situation to get much worse. And the British Nazi's solution is to sink their boats. Apparently though, this doesn't mean murder.

"I didn't say anyone should be murdered at sea - I say boats should be sunk, they can throw them a life raft and they can go back to Libya. But Europe has sooner or later to close its borders or its simply going to be swamped by the Third World."

Well, that's alright then!

(thanks to Lancaster UAF for photo)

Calls grow for powers over crime to be devolved

On Thursday, the Howard League for Penal Reform joined the numerous bodies that are supporting the devolution of criminal justice to the National Assembly:

"A leading prison reform charity has called for criminal justice policy to be devolved to Wales. And a report by the Howard League for Penal Reform also says there should be greater use of community sentences. The group says public confidence in criminal justice would be boosted by greater control at local level." Their view backs up my criminal justice report's conclusions. If you haven't seen it already, then click here for a copy.

Welsh Minister calls for a Republic

Is there growing support for a Welsh Republic? Following hot on the heels of 50 MSPs not attending the Queen's address to the Scots Parliament, Labour's John Griffiths AM, has joined Bethan Jenkins and I to welcome the launch of Republic Wales:

"Republic is set to launch a Welsh campaign following an increase of interest sparked by the 40th anniversary of the investiture of the Prince of Wales.

Republic Wales will be launched with a series of meetings and a planned reception in the Welsh Senedd.

Republic's Graham Smith said today:

"The people of Wales have a long history of supporting democratic reform and republicanism. We are very pleased to announce the Republic Wales project. Many people in Wales see the imposition of a "Prince of Wales" as an added insult to their democratic ideals."

Republic is supported publicly by three prominent Assembly Members...

...John Griffiths AM, Deputy Minister with responsibility for older people
added his voice to the campaign:

"I strongly believe in a republic - in citizens not subjects, getting away from deference, curtsying and bowing, it's about equality and empowerment; I believe in election not accident of birth and in leadership based on achievement and the will of the people."

"The class system continues to hold back too many of our people and communities, with the Monarchy embodying its regressive nature. In the new millenium it is high time we moved to a new egalitarian and democratic settlement, including a written constitution and elected head of state."

Abandoning Trident

In recent days we have heard more questions raised about the wisdom of spending billions on replacing Trident nuclear weapons. This is what one leading think-tank, the IPPR, have been saying:

"Government should consider scrapping £24bn of weapons programmes including Trident, says IPPR.

The UK cannot sustain current defence spending and should consider abandoning plans to renew the Trident nuclear missile system, a think-tank report has warned.

The report by the centre-left Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said that at least £24bn of weapons programmes should be reviewed “with a view to making cuts”.

“Fundamental choices are necessary. The attempt to maintain the full spectrum of conventional combat capabilities at the current scale has produced acute strains on resources and, increasingly, on operational effectiveness,” it said."