What others think
When Pat Regan asked me to write the Foreward for his new book, Dirty Politics, I agreed without hesitation. Pat and Cath Regan joined our national campaign in 2007 and we have kept in touch since that time. The issues surrounding fortnightly rubbish collections in their borough echoed the experiences of countless other residents throughout the UK. This book exposes much of the hypocrisy surrounding "green" policies. It is clear more and more people are starting to question the assurances they are given and whether, in fact, we really are "saving the planet". This is a hard-hitting book which shows great insight into topical matters such as climate change, global warming and habitat destruction. The author quite rightly questions claims made by some scientists and provides counter-responses by experts. One major criticism most local authorities, and even national Government, use to attack anyone who should challenge the quality of waste collection services is "You don't care about the environment." As Pat so eloquently describes the campaigns he has been involved in over a number of years, that accusation can certainly NOT be levelled at him. I share his genuine concerns that our local environments are being adversely affected by the loss of weekly refuse collections. Fly tipping is increasing and the brown rat population is booming in areas where fortnightly rubbish collections have been introduced. From his local perspective Southport is under the spotlight yet he covers experiences across the country and highlights the inconsistencies from one borough to another. One thing is certain - many thousands of people are telling the Councillors elected to serve them that rubbish needs to be collected once a week. Some have listened and restored this service - others continue to deny the very real problems.
Doretta Cocks
Campaign for Weekly Waste Collection