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Meeting hears calls to fight incineration
 A
public meeting organised by Oxford FoE on 8 November heard impassioned
pleas to fight any plans for incinerating domestic rubbish in
Oxfordshire. Georgina Bloomfield, waste campaigner at Friends of the
Earth, explained how Friends of the Earth's policy supports the Oxfordshire Waste Charter in aspiring towards
a "zero waste" strategy, as a number of other local authorities
already do. Much higher recycling rates are possible: 27 - 36% could be
achieved now, rising to 60 - 70% with certain policy changes, some of
which are currently being considered by the government. Flexible
strategies are needed as both legislation and technology are likely to
change rapidly. FoE policy is to rule out incineration because it
undermines recycling, has worse climate change impacts than
alternatives, and produces pollution.
 The meeting also
heard from Alan and Elizabeth Finnis of the Guildford Anti-Incineration
Network (GAIN), who told us the inspiring story of their campign
against three planned incinerators in Surrey. Since it was formed
shortly after Surrey County Council announced its incineration plans in
September 2000, GAIN rapidly won huge public support, through rallies
and imaginative actions such as marking the size of the incinerator on
the ground with balloons. As important were the lobbying of the council
and MPs and the preparation of the technical case against the
incinerators on planning grounds. Two of the three planned incinerators
were eventuallyu refused planning permission, but the case of the third
has gone to the High Court, so the campaign still continues. In
Oxfordshire, we are in a more fortunate position as the County's
waste strategy is yet to be decided. Alan encouraged us to vigorously
fight incineration now, before any plans are allowed to become concrete.
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