Published: Wednesday, 28th July, 2010 2:30pm

Sense of community

SO BP has finally put a cap on the oil spill it caused in America after three months.

It is at times like this that you wonder what impact dragging your bottles down to the recycling plants is actually having.

I have always been a bit cynical that my desperate attempts to save the environment by recycling as much as possible, mean nothing while we continue to rage war across the globe.

But protecting our environment is not just about the big picture, it is also about taking responsibility for our community.

Someone recently complained to me that when they are fishing they often come across groups of people over-fishing with four and five rods being used by one person, and that sometimes their care of the hills around us is less than considerate.

You can understand people's frustration.

We live in a world that currently seems to care more about fish than it does people.

It is understandable that people begin to disregard the importance of protecting the environment.

If a huge company like BP can do it, then what does it matter that our hills are littered with rubbish and our children will not be able to take part in activities, like fishing, that we can enjoy?

It may be our right, but it is also theirs.

Plus let's face it, it is the powers that be that have attempted to steal our sense of community.

It was Thatcher who said that individuals must look after themselves first and that there is no such thing as society, (mind you she also said she owed the women's lib nothing — balderdash), which kind of flies in the face of the Condem Government's attempts to bring the most vulnerable into the fold to help out with the banks' mess.

Cameron wants people to embrace working for their benefits, despite the fact that many people have been working and contributing tax and are only claiming what they are entitled to.

Young people being sent off to compulsory Summer camps and people being forced to volunteer are just some their ideas.

Ignoring the fact that many people already volunteer, either formally or informally, forcing people to volunteer helps no-one.

People in communities need to be inspired to volunteer.

They need to feel a pride, some ownership and confidence that they have something to contribute.

Not to mention, they need projects to volunteer in, which the current assault on services does not help.

The Tories and now the Condems have consistently stripped these feelings away, and Labour did not help when it was in power. It is no accident that communities like West Dunbartonshire have ever increasing mental health problems, addiction problems and falling life expectancy.

Despite all of this, people do drag their bottles down to the recycling plant, volunteer to befriend vulnerable young people, support their family and neighbours who are experiencing illness and look after their environment.

By neglecting these we let the politicians win. We are bigger than them, after all they are only there because we vote them in. Oh dear, let's not go there again.