Group photo

After breakfast people gave presentations about their approaches to urban issues, such as air quality, waste management and ecological street lighting. LEDs have certainly brightened the night and slashed the electricity bills in some towns. The networks for regulating the lights can be used for other purposes, such as monitoring the atmosphere. Emissions levels are still very high in some places and people are doing what they can to make breathing safer. There was a very positive atmosphere here and it was great to see people keen to cooperate and share their experience and successes. Robert Biedron, who was chairman, is the fabled president of Slupsk and centre of much media attention. He smilingly dealt with the later meeting which was in the public library. It was sabotaged and disrupted by a determined agitator and his vampire-like assistant to the delight of a local MP. I could post a shot of the disruption, but why bother? We retreated peacefully and changed venue for more relevant and constructive discussions on the deckchairs outside the fantastic hotel - an enormous converted mill. Later we all attended an outdoor Klesmer concert (traditional Jewish music) in the town centre. We hope there will be a similar meeting in Sejny in the not too distant future. I'm looking forward to meeting all these positive, forward thinking people again. There is hope!