LONDON GREENEST BOROUGHS - TimeOut

Hi All,

following the weeks of Extinction Rebellion protests in the UK capital, Time Out has publiced a map of the London Greener Boroughs.

Interesting to notice how the center of the city seems to be greener than the outskirt.

We are defenetly moving towards he right direction, and step by step we'll be able to have cleaner air surronding us. 

Glad to hear good news 😊

HUGE GLOBAL PROTESTS DEMAND CLIMATE ACTION

Hi everyone!!

There have been several actions this Friday all over the world in regards to climate change, from Sydney to London and also in Berlin and LA.

It is fantastic to see how everyone is so motivated to take part in this pacific protests.

To my eyes this is the best way to be heard and push the various government to action on some legislation and protect our health and our world.

In this last month, I was reading a lot about climate change, the negative effect of the deforestation of the Amazon and all the fires that are lighted by farmers. My understanding is that most of the time local authorities play a blind eye and pretend to not have seen or not knowing as long as economy interest (at time even private) is satisfied.

Among the material I have found online the below link is particularly interesting. I would like you to look at it share your thoughts: it shows how the temperatures in our planet have changed since 1884: shocking!!


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-49753710


London

Berlin

Cape Town

Copenhagen

Guwahati

Istanbul

Tokyo

Uganda

Wakiso

WOODBERRY WETLAND

HI ALL!!

This week I have cycled to East London and visited this nature and wildlife reserve: Woodberry Wetland.It is the perfect place to step out from the busy city life and immerse yourself in some nature. There is a short path that can be taken and you will walk all the way around the lake. I enjoyed discovering this green area.                     Further information about Woodberry Wetland at: http://www.woodberrywetlands.org.uk/                                                                              

SKY OCEAN RESCUE

Hello All!!

This post is a bit different from my usual green-tree oriented posts, this time I talk blue, blue as Sky Ocean Rescue

Sky Ocean Rescue will be two years old this January 2019 and I would like to price the hard work that has been done so far in order to promote the collection of the plastics from the oceans.

All description of this fantastic project is explained in this link, here below:

https://skyoceanrescue.com/about-sky-ocean-rescue/about-the-campaign/

This hard work in paying off and we are all getting more aware of the importance to reduce the use of plastics. Just to mention one amazing step: in London in any bars or restaurant you cannot find plastic straws any longer!! 

 😊 😊

Very well done I am so proud of this stepping stone !!

Further information can be found in the below links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-plan-to-ban-plastic-straws-cotton-buds-and-stirrers

https://skyoceanrescue.com/about-sky-ocean-rescue/about-the-campaign/
https://skyoceanrescue.com/about-sky-ocean-rescue/

From the Evening Standard of Sunday 29th April 2018

Hello All,

please read the below article from Sunday edition of the Evening Standard a friend of mine submitted to my attention.

It is outrageous that information like these are kept undercover, a very shame!!

Please let me know your thoughts.

"Millions of trees at risk in secretive Network Rail felling programme way and work with environmental organisations to help us get it right when we do have to take action. Millions of trees are at risk in a secretive nationwide felling operation launched by Network Rail to end the nuisance of leaves and branches falling on the line. Thousands of poplars, sycamores, limes, ash trees and horse chestnuts have already been chopped down across the country from Yorkshire to Dorset, and the scale of the potential destruction outlined in a Network Rail blueprint involves 10m trees growing within 60 metres of track. The company has used drones to create an aerial map of its 40,000 hectares of railway and identified “hotspots” where mature trees might cause a problem at an unspecified time in the future. Engineers are operating in a targeted felling programme that dwarfs the operation by Sheffield city council that was halted in the face of huge public protest and condemnation from the environment secretary, Michael Gove. Over the last fortnight, people around the country have woken to the sound of chainsaws and expressed concern at the lack of consultation and the scale of the destruction. In one incident, police in Bournemouth were called by residents to complain that engineers were operating illegally as the felling is taking place during the nesting season. At one west London station this week, an engineer felling five mature trees said they were carrying out a “pre-emptive strike” in case branches or leaves fell on the line in future. Ray Walton witnessed hundreds of trees being chopped down along the length of track between Christchurch and Bournemouth. “It was total mass destruction, they obliterated every tree,” he said. “These trees were mature 30-foot-high trees which have been there for 50 years in some cases and never caused a problem. “This went far beyond reasonable management of the trees. They took them all out, and destroyed the habitat for wildlife.” Network Rail boasts of the green corridor along its tracks as a haven for wildlife, but in London, Dorset, the Midlands and Yorkshire thousands of trees and the vegetation beneath them are being cleared, leaving habitats devastated. James Graham, from Manchester, said he saw thousands of trees being felled last week along a 10-mile section of the trans-Pennine route from Manchester to Leeds. “I know they have to manage the trees, but this was excessive,” he said. “It looked like some kind of logging operation. I was sitting in the train and looking out at the countryside and all you could see was mile after mile of tree stumps and sawdust. They had felled trees which were a long way from the track. It was extreme.” In Sutton Coldfield, teams working for Network Rail have been felling hundreds of trackside trees. Elsewhere in the country, tree surgeons working for the rail firm are engaged in mass felling. Network Rail admits the vast majority of the trees are healthy. It defended the felling, saying its new tree database of hotspot problem trees has “revolutionised” its approach to “vegetation management” to cut delays and risks to passengers from tree branches. The company said the average tree had between 10 and 50,000 leaves, any or all of which could fall on the line. The timing has caused increased outrage because it is taking place during nesting season – between March and August – despite promises by Network Rail that no felling would take place when birds are nesting.Caroline Lucas, the co-leader of the Green party, said the scale of the operation was shocking and an act of environmental vandalism. “While some tree work is required on safety grounds,” she said, “Network Rail’s approach tends to be one of slash and burn. To be taking action in the nesting season is even more reckless.” An RSPB spokesperson said: “The worry is that much of this work is ... non-urgent work that is simply being carried out with little regard to the presence of birds and other animals. “If such ... work is being done without reference to the Wildlife and Countryside Act, which offers basic protection to nesting birds, it may well be in breach of the law.” Network Rail refused to provide the Guardian with its database of trees or reveal how many of the 10m trees identified alongside the tracks have been earmarked for felling. Paul de Zylva, nature campaigner for Friends of the Earth, criticised the insensitive clearance of habitats. “Rail corridors are sanctuaries for wildlife and trees can be important screening for communities,” he said. “Network Rail should be improving how it manages its land for wildlife as trees and plants are likely to be habitats for a variety of British wildlife, including nesting birds.” Network Rail said: “Network Rail is a big, responsible, public company that takes its environmental obligations seriously. We manage our lineside to provide healthy biodiversity advised by experts in the field. We do remove tress that are, or could be dangerous, or impact on the reliability of services that serve over 4.5m people everyday. “We make our policies in this area public, in an open and transparent. On its website, it said the tree felling was part of its Orbis (Offering Rail Better Information Service) programme and was saving the taxpayer thousands of pounds in repair and clean-up costs and reducing the likelihood of a train colliding with a fallen tree or branch."

The full please visit: 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/29/millions-of-trees-at-risk-in-secretive-network-rail-felling-programme?CMP=

...AND LONDON LOSES A PIECE OF HISTORY...

Hello all,

following the recent news about Chestnut Avenue in Tooting Common I have found a picture of the area dated 1818: I just loved it!

There has been lots of rumors recently in South London about Chestnut Avenue trees cutting.
Wandsworth council decided to eradicate secular trees in Tooting Common area because some of them were sick and fungus damaged their trunks. For instance, last winter, due to the strong winds, one tree has fallen and due to this episode the council started to consider the health and safety of the residents. When experts have been called for an opinion they suggested to replace the whole avenue in order to prevent any further accidents.

Local residents strongly opposed to the council decision and started a petition in order to stop this massacre from happening; they even wrote to the major of London, mr Sadiq Khan to have this decision overturned but in vain.







There are also economic controversity behind this issue.
From one side, such huge trees need high maintanance like pruning and pollarding and these treatments are expensive. On the other side, it is still costy to remove them and plant new trees. In any case, these funds come from the taxes of the residents and some citizens felt it was unfair not being involved in the problem.

It is interesting to mention that a software called 'I-tree' calculated the yearly values of street trees in term of ecosystem services. Among the benefits there are flood alleviation, cooling, pollutant removal and carbon dioxite reduction for an equivalent of £133m of benefits each year provided only by London’s trees. This software highlight also the not monetary benefits that green spaces bring to residents such as improved mental health of locals and ecological diversity.  

The 12th of September 2017 the trees cutting along Chestnut Avenue started. It has been removed a total of 51 old horse chestnuts, assessed by experts as "in decline and approaching the end of their natural file span". They have been replaced with 64 semi-mature small leafed lime trees. The experts affirmed: "These trees are already nearly 20 feet tall and will ensure a healthy and flourishing tree-lined avenue".<https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/11/price-urban-trees-chainsaw-chestnuts-london-elm-sheffield>

I am a trees lover and I usually support the conservation but this time I have looked at the problem objectively and I have to say that if it is proved a tree is not in good health any longer and could create harm to the people around it, the right decision is to remove it and replace with a new plant. This is the circle of life, and the old generations need to allow the new ones to grown.





Please find the full articles in the following links:

https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/11/price-urban-trees-chainsaw-chestnuts-london-elm-sheffield

http://becandbalhamlabour.org/category/tooting-bec-and-balham/

http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/15515649.Council_s_plans_to_axe_150_year_old_trees_over_next_six_months_sparks_massive_backlash/

http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/14166/new_avenue_of_trees_being_planted_on_tooting_common

MY NATIONAL TREE WEEK 2017

Hello all,

here below some pictures of the National Tree Week event I organised for the Wandsworth Council and which took place the 1st December 2017.

It was a very cold day but we had a good fun!!

The kids had a great time and their presentations showed how much they care about trees and nature. 

It was a very inspiring day and I wish the children will remember once they grown up!!

SHADES OF AUTUMN

COLORFUL HYDE PARK

 

RELAXING RICHMON

NATIONAL TREE WEEK 2017

Hello All,

I organizing the "National tree week 2017" event for Wandsworth council and here below you can see the leaflet I have created.






































I am so excited about this event as I have put so much passion into this project I hope it will have a nice outcome.

Anyone is invited and please bring along friends and family!

THE GARDEN BRIDGE IS DEAD

Since the announcement of the realization of a Garden Bridge there have been very controversial opinions about its use, utility and purpose.

The supporters loved the idea of a garden in the middle of the Thames free from traffic while the antagonists were against the extremely high costs for building it and the inutility of it. In fact the Temple area, where the Garden Bridge supposed to be built, there are already Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge.

There has been months, if not years, of long and troubles discussion about the utility of this bridge and the resources involved in it for its realization.
When in the 2013 the project was originally presented for approval the social-political-economic situation of the country was different. Since then, the London environment changed and now the government is facing cuts throughout the different departments and it also has to consider the Brexit and the limited support that it will received from European Countries in the future. 

The Garden Bridge Trust, the charity which aimed to raise money in order to fund this expensive project, in last August 2016, lost two of the major supporters of the plan and with them millions of pounds, for this reason public money will be needed in order to complete the project.
At the same time, the country is facing delicate financial and political situation and, the London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, refrained to enlarge further funds for this project and therefore Garden Bridge project came to an end.
On the other side, The Garden Bridge Trust is still supporting this project and they are willing to make it happen.

I am sure this plan will be discussed further more in the next months and years and from the bottom of my heart I really hope that Garden Bridge will happen, if not now in a prompt future.I was delighted by the idea of flowers perfume, green trees, birds singing in the middle of the peaceful Thames.




https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/apr/28/garden-bridge-dead-38m-public-money-repaid-boris-johnson

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/the-garden-bridge-is-like-a-student-project-%E2%80%93-good-on-paper-but-impossible-to-realise/5087188.article

https://www.gardenbridge.london/about-the-project

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/pull-the-plug-on-garden-bridge-says-hodge-review/5087152.article

GARDENS OF THE BAY & VERTICAL FORESTS

Gardens of the bay & vertical forests are two amazing projects that aim to recreate green spaces in urban areas. The first opera is created in Singapore, Asia and the second one in Italy, more precisely in Milan.

SINGAPORE: GARDENS OF BAY

What characterizes Singapore the most is its hot and humid climate. In fact, it is located close of the equator and its climate is tropical/equatorial.This is the reason why the weather is warm and humid all year round and rainfalls occur everyday. The idea behind this plan was to give the opportunity to the citizen to enjoy the outdoor activities a little bit more.

The opera, created by the architect Gustafson Porter, is considered the largest green urban sanctuary. Gardens of the Bay includes an area of 101 hectares situate in the Marina One area. In here, several towers surround the area and visitors can walk through them using Super Groves bridges. In each floor of these towers it is possible to find a variety of waterfalls, pools, ponds, bushes, trees and flowers. Moreover, guests have access to the business area which includes restaurants, cafes, gyms and shops. Among the attractions of the bay there are the flower dome and the cloud forest conservatory.

This project is defined environmentally friendly because it utilizes solar power, sun shading and energy-efficiency ventilation and, most important of all, the rainwater is used for irrigation.

Gardens of the Bay project started in 2012 and it should be completed by late 2016/early 2017.

MILAN: VERTICAL FOREST

Vertical Forest is an idea created by the architect Stefano Boeri intended to change old residential towers of Milan into green towers.

Likewise Gardens of Bay, the Vertical Forest model aims to reforest the urban area of the city ehnancing the quality of life of the citizens. In fact, it is assumed that this green area is able to recreate a micro-climate in which humidity is produced, CO2 absorbed and oxygen produced.

This project transformed two residential towers into forests. In fact in the twin buildings there are planted 900 different trees and over 2000 different plants, it is calculated that it corresponds to 7000 square meters of forest in which birds and insects can find their habitat.

I believe these two projects are fantastic and I hope each city of the world will be inspired and improve its urban landscapes with something similar to this.
At the same time I look forward to visit personally Singapore and Milan to admire this creation first hand.

Anyone going on holiday in one of those destinations, please send me some pictures.

FINAL TIP

LONDON: SKY GARDENS

If you have a chance to pass by London, go and visit the Sky Gardens. This indoor recreation of gardens and rain forest sits right in the heart of the city and it is very exciting.

Please visit the below websites for further and detailed information:

https://www.guidemesingapore.com/relocation/introduction/climate-in-singapore

http://uk.businessinsider.com/singapores-cloud-forest-revolutionizes-green-spaces-2015-11?r=US&IR=T

http://www.leisuremanagement.co.uk/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&codeID=325384

http://www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/en/portfolios/bosco-verticale/

https://skygarden.london/