Facing up to new challenges

Each year brings new challenges – and one which we all face in 2008 is to recycle more of our household waste.
New Year is the time that many of us are throwing out Christmas tree and cards – and I want to urge everybody to make sure they dispose of them in the proper way.
More than 15,000 real Christmas trees were put up in Hull this year - and each one can be shredded and turned into compost if taken to any of the household waste recycling centres, at Burma Drive, Wilmington or Wiltshire Road.
I'm also told that more than a million Christmas cards will have been sent in Hull. They can also be taken to the recycling centres or to various city centre shops (for more information see page 15).
It's worth making the effort.
Because Hull needs to double its recycling rate to 45 per cent by the year 2010 – and if we fail, the city could face serious financial penalties from the Government.
What's more - it's about protecting the environment for future generations.
We cannot rely for much longer on landfill sites to dispose of our waste, not least because the decomposing waste gives off methane gas which leads to global warming.
On pages 12 and 13 you can read about the final report into the floods by the independent body of experts, and learn about how the council is working to meet the recommendations made in the report.
One of the positive findings within it was the "incredible resilience" of Hull residents and the extraordinary willingness to help neighbours in times of need.
Those are the qualities which make Hull great.

Cllr Carl Minns
Leader, Hull City Council