Sackville Gardens springing into bloom

Sackville Gardens is one of too few oases in Manchester city centre, and for a couple of weeks each year its trees can parade themselves, almost peacock style, in wonderful pink and white blossom. The city desperately needs more trees and more green space. Other highlights of Sackville Gardens are the Beacon of Hope and the Alan Turing statue.

Blossom is a rare source of brightness this week as the region has been shrouded in polluted mist- a toxic, pale, almost yellow, low cloud that is choking us all and leading to long term health problems I dare say. But do people drive less, consume less, reduce and repair more as a result? It's up to individuals to act and also for all governments to impose bans on cars on certain days (as in Paris), and a huge "use less" campaign needs to be in place. Walk, don't drive, stop buying gadgets you don't need, live a simpler, greener, (and probably more fulfilling) life... and the IPCC report on climate change was published this week too!

GreaterManchester Tuc (Trades Union Congress) sums it up nicely:

"Contrasting responses to smog alert and rising air pollution levels:

London: Millions advised to stay in doors.
Paris: Restrictions on car usage introduced.
Brussels: Offers free public transport.

Britain is also facing fines of up to £300m a year and embarrassing court appearances after the European commission launched legal proceedings against it for failing to reduce "excessive" levels of nitrogen dioxide air pollution from traffic, despite 15 years of warnings and several extensions and postponements granted to the government.

According to the World Health Organisation, air pollution has become the world's single biggest environmental health risk, linked to about 7 million deaths a year – or nearly one in eight deaths in 2012."