It doesn't get any easier campaigning on fluoride. There was a time when friends of the earth could call up a local paper or radio station, outline a pollution issue or a new campaign and in no time at all there was an article in the paper or you were on the phone doing a down the line interview or even doing it live. Now there are fewer and fewer investigative journalists and those who still remain have more than enough to do.
BBC Local radio stations were once a vital component of any Friends of the Earth campaigners strategy and more than willing to involve themselves or invite you into the studio as an expert witness. Since Jonathan Ross and his cohorts did so much damage to the BBC with their ill advised and childishly obscene prank phone calls, ordinary presenters are no longer trusted. Consequently, what was once a virtually free or at least very low cost hours programming now has to have a couple of trusted producers and costs a couple of thousand quid. Sad Sad Sad.
Even Friends of the Earth have not always helped. Since the loss of people like Andrew Lees and his team in London, FoE have increasingly become a centralised organisation. Formerly local groups campaigned mostly on local issues some of which grew organically and even became national or even international campaigns with wide networks. Now with Underwood Streets apparent fixation with Carbon Emissions, lots of local campaiging groups find getting their message out increasingly difficult.
I would be the last person to say that human created carbon emissions are not important, but so are a lot of other pollution issues which dont seem to even get a look int any more. Chlorine is used with gay abandon, petrol engines are replaced with small diesel engines, which were wrongly believed to be less polluting as they didnt emit benzine but meanwhile Nox and Sox go through the roof in many areas, and even here in Pendle.
Amidst all this gloom there are at least SOME blessings. The internet and its communications media such as Messenger and Skype do afford the opportunity to reach many people quickly and cheaply and facilitate sharing of information, documents, and audio/video media. Mobile phones text messaging have evolved into a plague of Twitterers and no one is anyone who hasnt got a Facebook account (and probably lots of spam Junk Mail and computer viruses. Personally i preferring blogging which at least gives enough space to cover all the angles without interference or the constant need to add "friends" and other detritus to an already crowded schedule. ........................ TBC.
