If you would like to add an article that you think would be interesting and useful please e-mail Kate Bell or telephone 01522 873311.

ECO-HOTEL BY BRAYFORD POOL?

A plan for a 6-storey hotel on the north bank of Brayford Pool is being considered by Lincoln City Council.  Nic Lance has suggested that the hotel should produce renewable energy to meet some of its energy needs. “It would be a wonderful gesture as the hotel would be built on the site of the former Electricity Works – effectively a power station.  At the beginning of the 20th century, coal-fired engines produced the first electricity for Lincoln here. So why not look towards solar panels and micro wind turbines to produce a new generation of clean, green electricity at the start of the 21st century?.  Fossil fuels won’t last forever and recently, energy costs have shot up, so it’s a good incentive to produce renewable energy and Lincoln’s first eco-hotel.”    view article in full >>

On 5 April, Chris Chidlow - a permaculture tutor from York – came to Lincoln to give an introduction to Permaculture gardening.  He gave a mixture of theory and practical advice together with some DVDs of inspiring Permaculture projects around the world.                                                                        view article in full>>

It was a cold wintry day, the temperature just above zero. In fact there had been a flurry of sleet, but many shops in Lincoln kept their front doors wide open.  Between the Stonebow and the Strait, 40% of shops had open doors.  These included Poundland, Intersport, French Collection, Jean Station, Blacks, British Red Cross and The Works.   Further down the High Street, one of the worst culprits was Fresh to Go which had so many doors open, it was virtually open air.

Rain like a car wash!

Fast-flowing rivers

Water lapping the sluice gates.

The Lud in Louth

Has burst its banks.

The Beck in Nettleham

Is all about.

Car parks and cricket pitches

Now submerged.

Games suspended,

Forecast pending.

Skies are dull

And dykes are full.

Something weird is going on!

In the 1960s there was a scheme to fill in Brayford Pool and turn it into a monster car park.  Fortunately, that madcap venture was put off.

Now, in September 2006, Lincoln Council has approved a plan by developer, Dawkins & Co, to turn a waterside car park by the Shed pub, into what has been dubbed "Benidorm on Brayford".  The apartment block will rise in jagged steps from the Brayford flyover, making it probably the tallest new building in central Lincoln.  The neighbouring Old Station Nursery and Lincoln University buildings will be dwarfed!

THE ORANG-UTAN RAINFOREST IN YOUR MARG

Glance at the labels on comfort foods such as biscuits, cereal bars, crisps and ice creams.  Sometimes you will find palm oil listed among the ingredients but, often it is hidden under the general term "vegetable oil".  Palm oil is also found in margarine, bread, lipstick, shampoo and soap.  Palm oil is now the cheapest and best-selling vegetable oil.  It's cheap but not cheerful.  Here's why.

LINCOLN IN THE FALL

Simon Aslett a citizen of Lincoln and a member of Ecolincs has raised concerns about the amount of litter to be found in our city. He has now taken to photographing the litter and turning it into art, which is to be displayed in our colleges and schools in order to raise awareness of the situation. He received a grant from the City of Lincoln Council Local Agenda 21 group to commission this work as a project for Ecolincs.

THE LINCOLNSHIRE REAL NAPPY CAMPAIGN

The Lincolnshire Real Nappy Campaign is funded by local authorities in Lincolnshire and WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme).  The campaign partners are working with local healthcare professionals, social and community groups, local businesses, and nappy suppliers to build a real nappy network in the county. 

The campaign also aims to raise awareness and provide information about cloth nappies to enable parents to make an informed choice.

The Lincolnshire Real Nappy Campaign includes an incentive scheme offering £30 cashback off your purchase of real nappies. 

To find out more about the campaign and how to claim your cashback please contact our freephone hotline on 0800 195 8776 or visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/nappies

THE GOOD LIFE IN THE 21ST CENTURY - HOCKERTON ECO-HOUSES

Nic Lance visits the project with Lincoln's Green Steps group and Kate Bell, Lincoln City's Community Environment Co-ordinator

The Hockerton Housing Project is an ecological community living in five earth-sheltered houses, near Southwell, Nottinghamshire.For Nick White, the "experiment" in sustainable living all started when he was browsing through 'The Smallholder' magazine.A small ad caught his attention: "Ecologically sound project on a 25 acre organic site in Nottinghamshire".He had been considering other alternatives, such as an oyster farm in Scotland but, a weekend spent with the Hockerton group and the architects, Brenda and Robert Vale, convinced him that this was a project he could put his heart into.

HIGH TIDE BY MARK LYNAS

Reviewed by Stan Ellis

The book is published in paperback by Harper Perenial, price £7.99, I.S.B.N 0 00 713940 3 published in 2005

Is there one book everyone should read to help save the planet from Global Warming? If there is one this is it.  However as a companion Hilman Meyer’s book ‘How we can save the planet’ is a close second.

FROM REFUSE TO REUSE

Ed Jones, Adminstrator, Lincoln Freecyclers

Lincoln Freecyclers is open to every individual and non-profit
organisation in Lincoln and the surrounding area and provides an
internet based 'notice board' where anyone can recycle or rehome surplus or unwanted items they don't want anymore, for others to use. With separate Offer and Wanted sections, and categories for many common types of items, everything is easy to find.

Everything offered is *free*. Anyone over the age of 16 can join and
membership is also free.

The ultimate aim is to reduce the amount of rubbish we dump, simply for lack of someone who might be able to use it. By recycling what others already have and no longer have use for, we reduce waste, spend less, save energy, and preserve the earth's finite resources.

Visitors can register to use the notice board and find more information
at www.lincolnfreecyclers.org.uk