Polly Higgins and Charlie McConnell (BTT member and ex-director of Schumacher College) field questions
On Wednesday, January 30 members of Buck the Trend (Buckfastleigh’s environmental group) and Buckfastleigh Community Forum were excited to be joined by Polly Higgins, the world famous lawyer who is campaigning to get the crime of Ecocide on the international statute books.
Polly, who was visiting nearby Schumacher College in Dartington to teach on a course, went along to support and advise Buckfastleigh residents in their campaign to uphold Devon County Council’s decision to refuse planning permission to turn a disused quarry into a processing and storage facility for waste from the proposed incinerator at Plymouth Devonport. This decision is coming up for appeal in June.
Polly’s message was that environmental disaster can occur on any scale, and that both government and corporations need to be held to account by those with a real interest in their local environment – the people who live there.
Andy Stokes, chair of Buck The Trend, said: “It is really great to have Polly’s support and notice that this campaign is not just about Nimbyism, but part of a bigger picture – keeping our environment in good shape for us and our children.
“At Buck the Trend we are opposed to investment in waste incineration – in countries like Sweden they are having to import waste to keep their incinerators going as their recycling rate has improved. Here in Teignbridge we have one of the highest rates of recycling in the country and we want to keep improving it. We believe this proposed incinerator would be an investment in the past not in our future.”
Buck the Trend, Buckfastleigh is a local community group of environmentally conscious people who volunteer our time to help spread information and develop projects toward improving the environment and transforming our community for a better future. If you want to find out more or join in, check out www.buckthetrend.info
