Dear Editor,

I am disgusted that not more is being done to restrict businesses from polluting our streams, canals and rivers.

We, as general public can only do so much: we call the environment agency, we call the councils to retrieve fly tipping by our waterways.

But we need fundamental societal changes that starts at a young age.

Photo: Canons Brook in 2019

I am from a generation of kids where ‘cleaning up’ was used as a punishment and not a mark of respect for yourself and your community.

We need to assess the values we instil in our children from infancy to create a generation that values our environment, both in the countryside and cities. Caring about the environment should not label you an eco warrior or a hippy. It should be a national concern. This needs to start from the top down AND the bottom up.

Canons Brook frequently has plumes of suspicious coloured liquid pouring into it from drains that are flowing into it.

I’ve lived here for eight years now and have seen a real decline in bird life in Canons Brook and an upsetting increase in dumping into it at Jean McAlpine park.

Canons Brook used to be a nice place to paddle on warm days but after seeing what gets dumped in there i’m not sure thats a good idea.

We need nationwide policies to provide benefits to companies that don’t pollute our waterways. Tax breaks for companies that really are doing what is best for the planet and tax hikes for those who are not.

It’s clear the only thing companies and our nations only care is profits so we have to speak their language.

Yours sincerely,

Billie Achilleos

Film from 2019.