The announcement of the four areas to be the nascent Eco-Towns is, for may people, too little, too late and in the wrong place. The upheaval, maladministration and bureaucracy involved makes the whole prospect quite unlikely to reap benefits for an appreciable period. Then the results will be analysed, mulled over, reported upon, have money wasted in stated the bleeding obvious about, then reappraised with some potential further action along simlar lines, perhaps, maybe, sometime later.
These eco-towns are, for the most part, away from major centres of population and industry. On most levels, it would never be noticeable if they were a success as they are effectively being measured in a void. Unless fully sustainable, the additional impact of transport and provision of services, utilities and goods may well wipe out any benefits accrued.
Why not start nearer to home, if not at home itself? Most people live in cities; the most populous in the UK being London; the same will apply to all conurbations. Why not change food miles to food feet by growing your own food. Your garden would be a starting point; failing that, an allotment. With the scarcity of municipal land available, why not volunteer to use some council, church or state-owned space that has gone to wrack and ruin? The LandShare scheme started after GardenLend approached Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to help promote our garden-sharing and home-grown food and flowers message. The best systems seem to be ones organised on a face-to-face basis, on a local level – how local do you want? Miles from anywhere?
Have a scout along the road where you live – has someone got a garden that really could do with a make-over? Offer to help out; it will brighten up the area and help someone else, as well as providing a healthy outlet for pent-up energy – much more fruitful and cheaper than a session at the Gym. The owner could guide you as to what their dream garden might be, or perhaps you could volunteer a few ideas of your own. The social benefits, along with the more obvious health and environmental ones, are potentially enormous. Why not help your neighbour? Just be prepared to lend a hand.
