Which Politician is Greenest?
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06. 6.07
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the greenest (politician) of them all? David Cameron, the head of the Conservatives started the race with his eco-house, complete with wind turbine (although he had to take it down since he didn’t have planning permission), biodegradable diapers (for his child), solar panels and ground tank to store rainwater. The Conservatives may have pushed the green agenda but their record isn’t sterling; having led objections to a recycling plant, tried to block wind farms and backed road expansion schemes. But it seems that Gordon Brown, Prime Minister in waiting, is pulling up quickly. He has solar panels on his roof and a compost heap. He has spent the last three summer holidays in Scotland, keeps the heat down and uses low energy light bulbs. The Labour party has introduced a tax on landfill, and put money into home insulation schemes, as well as trying to build international consensus on climate change. However Labour has backed nuclear power and brought in genetically modified crops. The Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, is not a natural eco-warrier even though his party had a comprehensive programme to protect the environment long before it was fashionable. They want to cut emissions without nuclear and want reform of air travel and higher taxes on polluting cars. Their leader has loaned his Jaguar car to a museum and uses a car which is being converted to run on liquid petroleum gas. He too took holidays in Scotland, takes the train and drinks Fairtrade coffee. And the winner is? :: The Independent on Sunday
britain is a great place to live in if you are rich (the major part of the land is owned by aristocrats - check it out) but pretty grim if you are poor. - especially now that blair's misguided adventures with the 'war on terror' has had the result that the freedom of the individual has greatly been curtailed, ancient laws overturned, the police given unprecedented powers, and the rabble kept in place by alcohol and a surveillance system that would be the envy of the third reich. (a recent bbc world debate defeated by only a narrow margin the motion that torture be introduced as an anti.terror measure). the british don't seem to realise that they could learn a lot from other more enlightened countries. and regarding 'freedom of speech' the worst thing you can do is to use 'bad language'. (scream quietly or the neighnours will hear). but i digress.
environwise the trouble with britain is that an american style infrastructure has been imposed upon a medieval housing and road system. housing is generally badly insulated and often crumbling. roads are narrow and choked with cars. there are almost no cycle paths and parents dare not allow their children on the roads. the development of out of town shopping malls, that can only be reached by cars, has destroyed town centres and the sense of local community, in turn producing apathy and crime. aiding and abetting this decline, the media has become almost entirely commercial, pumping out competitions and game shows (the old 'bread and circuses' ploy), and complementing the governments recent enthusiasm for 24 hour gambling.
the current media buzzword is 'carbon footprint' but generally changes are cosmetic. the road lobby still rules. and while smoking indoors is being banned, standing outdoors in the middle of oxford is said to be equivalent to smoking 2 packs of 'coffin nails'.
considering that the only things that britain seems to export nowadays are weapons (all other industries having been run down), it is difficult to see how the country can for long subsist on banking services. if britains economy does decline in the near future then any government would find it difficult to mount large scale changes. of the 3 main parties the libdems would be the best bet for green issues - but they'll never get elected because of the undemocratic 'first past the post' system (echoed in the country's obsession with gambling).
on the other hand the british are famous for 'muddling through'. while roads are too dangerous for ordinary cyclists the suggestion that private automobiles be replaced with pedal cars is not entirely ridiculous and actually in keeping with the country-wide museum in which future britons will reside.