Tuesday 17 July 2012

To the Supporters of the London Tideway Tunnel

Message sent a few minutes ago to webteam@cbi.org.uk, jeanlambert@greenmeps.org.uk, Deb.leach@thames21.org.uk, lc@londonchamber.co.uk, tep@thamesweb.com, info@thames-explorer.org.uk, gsmith@espgb.co.uk, rwoodhouse@espgb.co.uk, enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk, erecrya@talktalk.net, staff@london-first.co.uk, Chairman@riverthamessociety.org.uk, mayor@london.gov.uk, although I have received automatic responses indicating that the message has not been delivered to staff@london-first.co.uk and Chairman@riverthamessociety.org.uk.

'Dear Supporters of the London Tideway Tunnel

I have decided to write to all of you in relation to your reported support to the Thames Water's project called the 'super sewer' or London Tideway Tunnel. I have found out about your support through Thames Water web site (http://www.thameswater.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/corp/hs.xsl/8981.htm), and then later I have found your different contact details by searching the web. Some of the emails used may not lead directly to the names listed on that webpage, so I would appreciate if they could be forwarded to the relevant people, as I think they may find the content of this message interesting, or at least I hope so.

This is something that I have been thinking of doing for a very long time but, at the same time, always thought it would be a waste of time and effort from my part. However, yesterday I had the chance of watching a very interesting documentary in the BBC called 'The Toilet: An Unspoken History', and would recommend that you all watch it (it's still on the BBC iPlayer on http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01kxyhd/The_Toilet_An_Unspoken_History/). In particular, I would like to point out to the part that I consider is more relevant to the situation that is currently affecting London and the river Thames that, as all of you already know, is being polluted by raw sewage. By the end of the documentary, you will hear to Frank Rijsberman (from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) talking about the need to change the source of the problem, to the urgent need to re-invent the toilet. Their aim is to get to this goal within four or five years. You can find out more about it in the Foundation's web page (http://www.gatesfoundation.org/speeches-commentary/pages/frank-rijsberman-2011-water-and-health-conference.aspx).

If after watching the documentary and reading about the Foundation's project you still consider that building the Thames Super Sewer, something that will cost billions that we all will have to pay, that will take far more than a decade to complete, that would create lots of chaos and disruption in London, that will most likely not stop completely the discharge of raw sewage into the river, that will continue to allow the wasteful use of potable water to throw away material that could be recycled into fertilizers or used for the production of energy, and that, in the end, the only ones that would really benefit from it would be the company that is promoting the project (Thames Water), if you still really think that this super sewer is the best thing for the common good (not only for your particular interests), then please forgive me for molesting you with my preoccupations and ignore this message.

If on the other hand you think that the ideas mentioned above deserve further consideration, please stop then your support to the tunnel by asking Thames Water to remove your name from that list, and change you support instead to the project already initiated by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. And thanks for taking your time if you have read this far.

Regards'

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