A spiritual journey on River Thames -- Battersea Power Station and the revelation

The riverside walk came to a halt at Battersea Power Station.
The Power Station itself is a bleak scene.
However, it brings another revelation :-)

I found out some of the riverside walks I have walked through belong to the jurisdiction of Wandsworth.
Wandsworth?
sounds familiar.

Then I checked it in my files after back home, and BINGO! It is one of the venues that PLATFORM had carried out their project of "Still Waters"! That means it is possible for me to find out the exact sites and visit them by walking. I was like a sailor lost in the sea and suddenly see the beaming light from a lighthouse.

The first visit was paying to the river Wandle, particularly the micro-hydro turbine and a church bell at Bell Lane Creek. I still wonder, is it the installaton of the church bell that makes the name of Bell Lane Creek or the Bell Lane Creek that inspired PLATFORM to put a church bell there?
No idea.



Google map again,

without printer, I drew the map on my notebook with Battersea Power Station as a reference spot in my mind, up I went.

A spiritual journey on River Thames -- the frustration of riverside walk

The riverside walk in London is not always as pleasant as in Bristol or Totnes, sometimes could be very frustrating.

The Thames is a big and long river. It has many riverside walks. However, they don't connect well.

So many constructions are going on along the south bank of the river, you have to walk in and out, sometimes join the traffic flow next to the river and breathe all the conbustion waste from the cars. It's ridiculous.

I don't know about the property laws in UK. It seems the riverside belongs to private hands and thus deprives the public of enjoying it. Although the more recent idea of open space for new constructions might give opportunities for visitors to walk throuth the ground, but so many new unban development projects are boosted, the construction sites spread all over the river bank and set up blockages like the decorative diamonds on a waist band, making my experience of walking there horrendous.

The commercial billboards try to paint an ideal (although this is in doubt) picture of life on the riverside, again they all deliver a hypothetical, monotonous capitalist dream which probably promotes more vanity and greed then need.

Those towering buildings having been completed are either residential or for office use. From the windows facing to the river, I can see office workers staffing in there, each sitting in front of a computer. I don't know what's the value of yielding the riverside land use to these office buildings instead of public use for citizens or the river with its own virtue?

River has many functions benefitting people, not just being a scenic view like a landscape painting on the wall. However, modern unban planners have only treated it as an added value of their commodity and sometimes even regarded it as a source of problem with flood which stifled the many voices of the river. This reminds me of the talk a week ago in Bristol with PLATFORM artist James. One of their earlier works is dealing with a buried river in London - the Walbrook, amongst the main branches of Thames in London -- with a clinical psychologist.

James told me that in psychiatry, there is a term "dysphasia" describing the loss of ability to speech because of trauma. Applying the metaphor from psychiatry to the present damages on urban water systems, while the psychologist deals with children or adults who developed dysphasia after trauma, PLATFORM dealt with the buried Walbrook as it is dysphasic.

A spiritual journey on River Thames -- Prelude

Today is my big breakthrough. I suddenly realized what's my purpose in London. That didn't mean I don't have a plan to come here, but the plan had been thwarted due to my intervewees all moved to Bristol for the Cop 15. Fortunately the water taught me a lot, and it is the river Thames that enlightens me in big ways.

For almost two weeks in London (except the weekend to Bristol), I was puzzled and confused, trying to find out what to do in this big city. The situation is like I was dropped in the midst of sea, lost my senses of direction. Many people provided many information to help, but somehow I felt it would exhaust all my energy and focus if I just run around after these events. I was trapped in the house, not going anywhere for quite a while except necessary excurtions and meeting friends.

On Sunday afternoon when Bernie took Eva and me to Texco extra, I asked him where to go for the nearest waterside. He told me the locations and I decided to give a try.

I missed the days when I can walk along the waterside either in Bristol or Totnes, even in Exeter. Now I yearn to take a walk along the Thames, the main river that flowing through the city. In fact it is a salvational decision.

The first day I tried taking buses to Canary Wharf and failed the section between Cunning Town and Canary Wharf. But never mind. I walked along the water, made a big circle, came back disappointed, because I didn't get to the riverside of the Thames. All I walked about is the wharfs of the dockland. Next day I came up with another resolve, taking Westminster as the starting point.

Out from the underground, the big crowd of tourists surprised me. Even in this chilly weather, flocks of people from everywhere of Europe come to visit the city. London Eye is one of their favorites, full of parents and kids and youngsters. I avoided the crowd, taking a route on the south bank and walking towards west. This proves to be fruitful.

false finger

I probably put a false finger on Newham's mayor and council.
Sunday afternoon Bernie took me and Eva to Texco extra for shopping.
We talked about recycling and growing your own food on the way. He says his compost bins in his back garden were subsidized by the council; and people do have allotments from the council to grow small amounts of food in there. Each autumn they have competition of growing the best food. Some even get obssessed to sleep beside the plants in case other rivals may destroy the crops to assure the winner status in the game. We did passed by a place seeing many people working on slots of land and small shelters scattered in it.

But the effort still seems meager. Well intended doesn't necessarily mean satisfied results. There's a process needed. How to do the process with propriety? I guess that is a BIG question, to Newham council, and to everyone else.

Carbon Generation 碳世代

Carbon must be the hit word now.
Caron emission, carbon footprint, carbon capture and sequestration or storage, carbon cycle, carbon generation ... all are in a carbon era.

Carbon Generation is a performance done by London artist-activist group Platform. They currently have a big exhibition at Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol with a series of program on discussion, performance and workshops. The exhibition is entitled "C Words: carbon, climeate, capital, culture, How did you get here and where are we going?"

I went to see the exhibition all the way from London, taking two days over there, and attending the discussion on "Isn't this all just Green Imperialism?" For someone who comes from a different culture and different society like me, this topic seems more attractive. I'm really glad to know that Platform always examine and self-reflect on the related issues without self-rightousness even though they believe in activism. The discussion was broad, somehow difficult to pin down certain answers people usually like to have, but open up an expansive ground to think about which isn't too bad at all.

Platform's works are quite complex indeed, involving aspects of environmental, socio-economical, political and cultural. They're all intertwined and difficult to analyze by just cutting through. The same applys to their performance.

When Jane recommended me to stay and see the "Carbon Generation", I was a little bit reluctant. I thought the performance would be some kind of body movement and the title gives me an impression of some sort of chemical engineering, a bit dull and lackluster. But Janey wanted to stay and watch it for a while before she had to catch the train, so I stayed along.

It turned out to be the three performers (Tim Fairs, James Marriott, Benjamin D) made a beautifully scripted act by telling their family histories juxtaposed with the hard facts of cheap oil depletion or the so called peak oil. The method which required someone to look back 3 generations and 3 forward as well particularly invoked a yearning in me to do the same thing and similar application. The individual and personal approach seems to be working successfully on me.

I talked to James next morning and learned that their works obviously weren't just confined in the art gallery. They used to do it on street or workshops, involving corporate workers and city officials. Arnolfini is the first time they have it in an art gallery, and it's a test on a new turf to exert their ideas on art and works. Although some audience might question "Is this art?" James says he doesn't care a bit of it. I greatly admire their focus and passion which, as David Haley put it, never got lost in the diffent phases of their art and activist practicing.

how can Newham make itself sustainable?

Today I walked all the way to the town center of Eastham., through the street of westhem.
Not many people on the road. I found out here people either drive or take a bus.

The walk wasn't pleasant either. Too much combustion waste. Some garbage and quite a few broken glasses on the road. Pedestrians try to avoid eye contact or friendly encounter.

This morning I just found out a paper by Newham council explaining why it didn't get enough funding to do the development and to "provide high quality services for the population and open up the economic opportunities on the doorstep." It mentioned about more teachers and assistants, more social services staff, and roads maintenance are urgently needed. Howevr, they didn't put anything that related to ecological or sustainable.

I wonder if there are more green land along the way, and reducing the frequent and convinent buses, would people like to walk more or cycle more? If residents keep their yard and garden clean and tidy, would it be more pleasant to walk and see? And the ones who have put efforts to their gardens and yards will be more sensitive to the environmet and building up a sence of community and belonging?

All these are about raising awareness and building up a sense of honor for the community.


(cont. on Mon. Oct. 12)

Last night talked to a roommate Lotus, she felt the same way as Newhem wasn't so ready for the idea and implementation of sustainability. She suggested maybe it's because the area was expanding too fast to contain the big rush of immigrants that everything else was lagging behind. She is probably right indeed.



This photo was taken yesterday afternoon when I came back from Bristol and walked out the Plaistow underground station. It says "Your Mayor and councillors Investing in your area for a cleaner, greener and safer Newham." But I just wonder, they didn't say "HOW?" Only "street improvement" is far away enough to achieve all that.

Sources:
about Newhem: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Borough_of_Newham
Also see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newham_parks_and_open_spaces

news: Some 500 farmers from Changhwa County cast huge quantities of oyster shells and rice hulls on the ground in front of EPA

500 Changhwa farmers rally against polluting industries CHANGHUA, Taiwan --

Around 500 farmers and fishermen from the coastal village of Wanggong, Erlin Township, in the central Taiwan county of Changhua, rallied in front of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters yesterday, voicing strong opposition to the EPA's likely passage of an environmental impact evaluation report concerning the development of the fourth-stage site of the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP).

The protesters unfurled white protest banners and chanted that they don't want Changhua County to be polluted.

They further cast oyster shells and rice hulls to the ground in front the EPA, stating categorically that they objected to locating highly polluting manufacturing enterprises in the planned fourth-stage site of the CTSP, located near Wanggong village.

They were referring to Chunghwa Picture Tubes Co. (CPT), Ltd. and Au Optronics Corp. (AUO), both of whose plants in Xiangshan Township, Hsinchu County, northern Taiwan, had generated serious water pollution. The two firms have applied to locate to the fourth-stage site of the CTSP after development of the site is completed.

Lin Lian-zong, spokesman of the Wanggong Self-Relief Association, said the protest came in response to recent remarks made by Secretary General Lin Zhong-sen of the Cabinet that the environmental impact evaluation report concerning the development of the fourth-phase site of the CTSP would be passed in October and that the development project would kick off in November. The remarks, the spokesman claimed, implied the government has already received the evaluation report passed by the Environmental Impact Evaluation Committee of the EPA.
He continued that the nation's existing environmental protection law is short of regulations governing polluting emissions by high-tech industries, leading to a spate of pollution cases involving high-tech manufacturing operations.

“As the government has shown little regard for the development of local farming and fishing industries and the livelihood of farmers and fishermen, we have no other choice but to stage a protest, hoping the EPA will not pass the environmental impact evaluation report on the fourth-stage development project of the CTSP,” Lin said.

Meanwhile, Shih Yueh-ying, chief executive of the Changhua County Environmental Protection Alliance, suspected that the CTSP has yet to inspect the water pollution situations of the aforementioned two high-tech manufacturing enterprises, CPT and AUO. “We cannot leave our next generation live in a polluted environment,” Shih stressed.

She called for members of the environmental impact evaluation committee to say “no” to the fourth-development project of the CTSP until after pollution cases occurring at all the industrial zones around the island are settled.

“The CTSP Administration had better withdraw its fourth-stage development project, lest residents suffer nightmares,” Shih said.

In response, a spokesman with the EPA said that the EPA won't interfere in the independent operations of the environmental impact evaluation committee, and will fully respect the final decisions made by the committee concerning any major development projects.
The spokesman stressed that the EPA will not sacrifice environmental protection for economic benefits.


Sources from: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/life/environment/2009/10/06/227415/500-Changhwa.htm

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/photos/default.asp?ID=227415&GRP=Q

http://taiwansousa.blogspot.com/2009/10/stop-ctsp-erlin-science-park-protect.html

a few more words about plaistow

A few more words about Plaistow before I turn to Knowle West.

This evening Burnie took me and the other 3 lodgers to Tesco shopping.
He drove towards Eastham and said Eastham is more vibrant with a lot of Indian, Pakistani and Asian shops. There is also an open market - the Queens Market. While Stratford has more black and Caribbean population. Good that explains my speculation of Plaistow situating in between and showing both influences. Will the host of Olympic 2010 in Stratford help easing the tention and bringing prosperity to East End?

I just read news that a British economist Stefan Szymanski writes on Washington Post and pointed out the 5 myths about landing the Olympics. Sounds very pessimistic. I would put faith on the host like others and the officials of the hosting city, providing certain conditions such as well-thought renewed city planning and urban design, as well as better-improved community and social work. The former refers to what Alan Boldon has in mind for an eco-city, and the latter the example of Knowle West.

I'll come to Knowle West first.

Plaistow

Staying in Plaistow, East End of London makes me think harder.

Bernie came to Forest Hill to collect me. He drove from south to east, crossed the river Thames through the underwater tunnel, and talked about the area we were reaching. He said this is one of the roughest area in London, and people here are most pressured. Indeed I felt it when I walked out at night trying to fetch some food to fill my empty stomach. And I walked in a way as wary as everyone else!

Thought about Knowle West in Bristol. Are they different?
I think yes.

From the statistics of 2001, Knowle West has a population around 10881. This number may vary now. And the population consists of ethnic groups with white as the main group (94.3%); the mixed (including Asian, Black, Chinese or other) only composed with 5.7% of it. That's also the impression I got when I visited the community.

However,
For Plaistow, there isn't a number of its population on Wikipedia yet. But I searched for the London Borough it belongs to, which is Newham, for its 2008 estimation, the whole population in the borough is 249500, and the density is 6,890 /km2 (17,845 /sq mi). As for the composition of the ethnicities, the 2005 estimation shows white British is 32.6%; White Irish is 1.1%, and other White is 5.4%. Then they have mixed blood and Asians and Blacks. Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi are the biggest ethnic groups, with a population distribution of 12.1%, 8.7%, 9.0% respectively. Black African has a prominent appearance too: 12.7%. Other Black is 1.1%. Chinese and other as well as the mixed blood are relatively few, 1.4%, 2.4% and 3.7% respectively.

What does that mean?
Here you saw more Indian, Pakistani and Bangladishi as well as Black people rather than white British, contrast to the sterotype impression of Britain.

In Knowle West, social problems seemed come from labor class suffering the deprivation under economic depression and insufficient social welfare support. While in Plaistow (or Newham), the problems may rise from similar deprivation but aggravated by the prejudice towards colored people.

In such a community with big migrant population, I wonder, sometimes the migrants are the vitims instead of the trouble-makers in the society as many people thought about. They are the easy target for blaming on all kinds of crimes and the smaller incidents will be exposed with a manifiying glass. In turn, the notoriety brings even more difficulties to earn better social support in such conditions. If possible, comparing the types of crime from these two areas might show some interesting discoveries and diferent patterns too.

What can be done to help a community becoming sustainable in terms of the ecological concerns prescribed in the objectives of my research in this trip?

According to the report on Nov. 22, 2005 in Times cited by Wikipedia,
Newham is a challenging borough in a number of ways and currently has the second lowest recycling rate in the United Kingdom, which I strongly agreed with my own experience.

Maybe Knowle West is a good example to look at.



(will cont. on next)


sources from:
Knowle West: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowle_West,_Bristol
London Borough of Newham: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Borough_of_Newham#cite_note-3

keep an eye on this: world challenge 2009

Keep an eye on this,

World Challenge: Innovation and enterprise at grass roots level

(news from BBC)