The new year has brought grim tidings of acacceleratcelerating climate change. The Green Party can take no satisfaction in the fact that we have been warning of the consequences of climate change for thirty years and these consequences are coming to pass. We have also proposed an alternative path of development throughout the last thirty years. As this edition of Green World was being prepared, first Marks and Spencer and then Tesco announced their plans to become more sustainable organisations, picking up ideas that were first proposed decades ago by the green movement and in political detail by the Green Party - green energy, local production, less packaging and recycling.
Then we had the worst storm in seventeen years causing loss of life and a billion pounds of damage in the UK. The insurance companies have predicted that the increasing losses due to climate change will exceed the annual growth of world GDP by around 2020, and so the world will grow poorer at an increasing rate. As M&S Chief Executive, Stuart Rose, said: “Employees and shareholders now expect us to take bold steps and do business differently and responsibly. We believe a responsible business can be a profitable business. We are calling this ‘Plan A’ because there is no ‘plan B’.”
Responsible business may be able to take us part of the way to a sustainable destination and we should applaud and encourage real changes in that direction. But we need to go further and faster and for that we need more green politicians, politicians who are not fooled by green-wash and who have a deep understanding of the measures our society must take.
Richard Scrase - GW editor
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Caroline Lucas was arrested for blockading the Trident base at Faslane in January, 2007. This was the second time Caroline has been arrested there. Caroline, Jean Lambert and several MSPs were amongst a group of green parliamentarians taking part in the demonstration.
Links
http://www.faslane365.org/
http://www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk/
IN BRIEF
Leisure Centre Saved
Ladywell swimming pool and leisure centre in Lewisham has been saved from demolition. Darren Johnson, and the new Green councillors Romayne Phoenix, Mike Keogh, Susan Luxton, Ute Michel and Dean Walton who were elected for the first time last year, had promised that they would seek to reverse the decision to close down the leisure centre if Labour lost overall control on the Council. That promise has been delivered and led to Labour’s first defeat at a council meeting in Lewisham for 35 years.
Links
http://www.greenparty.org.uk/individual/83
http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/members/johnsond.jsp
Mass Lone Demonstrations
Councillor Romayne Phoenix has organised a number of ‘Mass Lone Demonstrations’. This initiative was orchestrated by comedian Mark Thomas and has seen a huge number of individuals seek permission to demonstrate opposite Westminster in opposition to the restriction on demonstrations within one mile of the Houses of Parliament.
Helicopter Noise Recommendations
The helicopter noise recommendations produced by the London Assembly investigation chaired by Darren Johnson constituted the basis of a debate in Parliament about helicopter flights over London.
Observer Ethical Awards
The Observer newspaper is running an ethical awards competition for the second year running - including an award for ethical politician. Those shortlisted will be judged in April by a panel including female Principal Speaker Sian Berry. The award for the ethical politician of the year will be decided by readers’ votes alone - so why not visit the competition web-site and consider voting for Caroline Lucas before the closing date of March 2nd.
Enter your nomination
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/ethicalawards
Czech Greens in Government
The Greens have entered the government in the Czech Republic. Greens are now in power in coalition governments in both Italy and the Czech Republic.
Links
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4010101.stm
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/77296
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STOP THE WAR
The Stop the War Coalition and CND have called a demonstration calling for Troops out of Iraq and No Trident for Saturday 24th February, assembling in central London at noon.
The Corner House and Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) have begun a legal challenge to the decision to drop the investigation into bribery allegations involving BAE Systems Plc in Saudi Arabia.
Two reports from Scientists for Global Responsibility show opting for nuclear weapons and Trident could have a significant and detrimental impact on the supply of science and technology staff to the civilian sector.
Download the reports
http://www.sgr.org.uk/arms.html
Links
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
http://www.caat.org.uk/
http://www.sgr.org.uk/
ENVIRONMENT
Largest ice shelf break in 25 years
Scientists have discovered that an enormous ice shelf broke off an island in the Canadian Arctic last year, in what could be a sign of global warming. It is said to be the largest break in 25 years, casting an ice flow with an area of 66 sq km (25 square miles). The chunk of ice bigger than Manhattan could wreak havoc if it moves into oil drilling regions and shipping lanes next summer, scientists warned. Source: BBC
Carbon audits call
TRANSPORT 2000 estimates that the closure of the last (HSBC) bank in Shepshed, Leicestershire will add an annual 1.4 million extra miles to people’s travel, increasing congestion on already crowded local roads and buses, resulting in an estimated increase in carbon emissions of more than 500 tonnes per year and creating social exclusion for the community’s poor and elderly residents. Transport 2000 is calling for carbon audits of such decisions and a trial of “shared banking” as a way of keeping local banking services available.
Nuclear waste threat
Current plans for disposal of some of the most dangerous material generated in nuclear power plants, such as radioactive elements extracted from spent fuel rods, have been called into question as canned nuclear waste cooks its container, seriously weakening the ceramic structure. This is a particular problem for the storage of compounds like Plutonium-239 which has a half-life of 24,000 years.
Source: www.nature.com
Female mice exposed to a common chemical found in plastics while in the womb develop abnormal eggs. The chemical, bisphenol A, might increase the risk of spontaneous abortion and genetic disorders in humans, such as Down’s syndrome. Bisphenol A, or BPA, is commonly found in hard plastics and the lining of tin cans. The chemical has come under scrutiny before because it can mimic the hormone oestrogen. Source: New Scientist
Polar bears endangered
The US Department of the Interior has decided polar bears are endangered. The decision potentially has huge implications that go beyond the survival of the polar bear. The ESA (act) of 1973 not only requires the government to come up with a recovery plan for the bears but also prevents it from “ enacting, funding, or authorising [actions which] adversely modify the animal’s critical habitats”. This opens the way for widespread legal action to force the Bush administration to limit emission of carbon dioxide and other warming gases.
