Litter pick

This morning I joined with a few neighbours to do a local litter pick. We managed to tidy up Glencoe Road, Stafford Road, Stafford Street (where there was unfortunately some fly tipping that I am reporting to the Council to sort out) and Fitzwalter Road. This happens at 10am on the first Saturday of every month, and we then join the coffee morning at Victoria Methodist. It would be great to see more people next month! The major culprits it has to be said, are the cigarette smokers! Why can't they take their rubbish home?

Another major problem is dog mess. I have recently followed 2 unaccompanied dogs home and talked to the owners about the mess they make. If I see the same dogs out unaccompanied again I will be informing the authorities.

If you know of areas where there has been fly tipping please report it.

If the land belongs to the Council or if you do not know who owns the land, phone Environmental Services on telephone number (0114) 203 7410 or (0114) 203 7411. If the land is privately owned Environmental Services will contact the owner and take legal steps to get the rubbish removed, this can take longer to arrange than removal from Council owned land.

Some of the litter pickers are interested in the idea of forming a local group to improve our environment. If you are interested in this idea, please get in touch with me.

How would the flooding have affected us if we lived in Asia or Africa?

Dear editor

Many people in South Yorkshire recently faced the traumatic experience
of having to leave their homes, either because of actual flooding or
the threat of Ulley dam breaking. Our thoughts are very much with the
people who still can't return to their homes and have lost most of
their possessions.

Imagine for a moment how worse the situation would have been if we
didn't have our excellent emergency services and there had been no
engineers to save the dam or firemen to pump the water away from
flooded streets.Imagine if our houses were not made of brick, but
of sticks and mud,so easily washed away by the torrents. Imagine how
the floods would have affected us if we lived in an Asian or African
village.

As climate change brings more and more extreme weather we will all
suffer from the consequences.In South Yorkshire those that are
suffering most are the people that couldn't afford insurance.In future those
that suffer most from climate change will be the poorest people in the
poorest countries, but no one will be immune to the severe weather
that we can expect. There will be more and more environmental refugees
fleeing homelands that have been flooded or ruined by drought.

I am really pleased that Sheffield is to become a "City of
Sanctuary"-this means that the City Council is publicly committed to
working  to promote a welcoming city for asylum-seekers and refugees. I think the
people of South Yorkshire will now be even more understanding to these
folk that have such traumatic stories-after all, many now understand
from personal experience a little of what it is like to be a refugee.

Graham Wroe
Sheffield Green Party