The text below is in a public  email from Avaaz sent on 21/6/11:

Tar sands fuel is nasty stuff. Oil companies destroy and degrade millions of acres of pristine Canadian forest and displace indigenous communities just to reach the unrefined bitumen. Refining it spreads cancerous heavy metals and sulphur through the air and leaves a barren, toxic landscape. The US Environmental Protection Agency says refining tar sands causes at least 82% more carbon pollution than refining conventional oil. But for Canada and the oil companies, the returns are lucrative -- oil giants recently announced a $379 billion investment in them.

The EU wants to help stop this catastrophe, but the UK is standing in the way. The EU’s proposed Fuel Quality Directive would set a binding 6% climate pollution reduction target for Europe’s transport fuels by 2020. We need to make sure that our government - which likes to parade green credentials - doesn’t cave to tar sands oil interests.

Our political leaders should be securing a cleaner energy future for us and our children, not caving in to polluters that bring oil spills and climate change. Time is short -- we need to convince the transport minister by June 23rd. Let’s tell the UK government to keep dirty fuels out of the EU. Sign the petition now

I'm a representative of a residents group being formed to challenge a proposed development of an Energy from Waste incinerator in the village of Curridge, just outside Newbury. The group, called West Berkshire Against Grundon Incinerator, held an open meeting at the Curridge WI Hall last Wednesday (26th) in order to help raise awareness. We believe the facility is not required in West Berkshire as we already have a long term contract for municipal waste. We also believe it will affect villages across a wide geographical area and negatively impact the North Wessex Downs, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We are looking to build relationships with other local village groups so that we can effectively reach a wide cross section of local residents. Essentially we want village representatives who could act as a point of contact for us within the local community. Would the Thatcham Good Life be willing to support us in our efforts and is there a contact, or contacts, who we could use to pass on information and communications to? Thanks for your help.