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