People, Food and Land

The connections between people, food, land and power form the basis of good green philosophy. Climate change is having disasterous effects around the globe, with a phenomenally high number of extreme weather events, none of which in isolation could be blamed on climate change but taken as a whole and in the knowledge that 2010 is the hottest year ever so far, the blame for these events can be laid firmly at the door of climate change. Johann Hari's excellent expose of denialist thinking last month spells this out more clearly than I could possibly do.

Food is one area where climate change will hit. Common Dreams has a useful take on Mozambique and its food riots, from the perspetive of global commodity markets and their impact on hunger for the poorest people:

But to see how climate change will play out in the 21st century, you needn't look to the Met Office. Look, instead, to the deaths and burning tyres in Mozambique's "food riots" to see what happens when extreme natural phenomena interact with our unjust economic systems. The immediate causes of the protests in Mozambique's capital, Maputo, and Chimoio about 500 miles north, are a 30% price increase for bread, compounding a recent double-digit increase for water and energy. When nearly three-quarters of the household budget is spent on food, that's a hike few Mozambicans can afford. Deeper reasons for Mozambique's price hike can be found a continent away. Wheat prices have soared on global markets over the summer in large part because Russia, the world's third largest exporter, has suffered catastrophic fires in its main production areas.

Understanding the relationship between people and their environment is essential in green thinking, but we need to look beyond the immediate environment and consider the wider impacts of politics and economics. Global markets are driving the price of food beyond the reach of the poor while the rich get fatter.

Maidstone to be hit hard by job losses

In the past few days two major employers in Maidstone have announced that they will be making drastic job cuts spelling misery for hundreds, if not thousands of Maidstone families.

Kent Police have announced 1500 jobs are to go, with around 1000 of these being administrative. The HQ for Kent Police is in Maidstone. Particularly galling is the reponse of the Tory MP for Rochester and Strood, Mark Reckless: "In the past few years many of my constituents have lost their jobs, many have had pay freezes or pay cuts. I do think savings need to be made. One element of that is numbers and the other is pay and pensions." I find it nauseating when uncaring politicians think it reasonable to dump on people like this. Perhaps the police should sack people for being drunk at work?

Also last week, it was announced that the Royal Mail sorting office in Maidstone is to close with an assumed loss of around 100 jobs. A new super sorting office covering much of West Kent is to open in Strood increasing the level of traffic and transport required to deliver and collect mail. I'm sure that people in Strood are not looking forward to the extra traffic!

The impacts that are not being reported are the effect on the families who suffer with wage earners being made redundant and the impact on people (especially older people and those without cars) who collect parcels from the sorting office in Maidstone.

In both cases, and with earlier KCC announcements, it will be front line services, the public and lower wage earners who take the brunt of the cuts.

Royal Mail to leave Maidstone

So the rumours were right about the sorting office in Maidstone. It looks likely that four sorting offices across West Kent will close and we are set to lose our here in Maidstone. 400 jobs to be shed, adding to the horrendously high numbers of unemployed people in Kent. Adding to the misery of families that suffer at the hands of the cuts.

This is the comment from the CWU:

Sian Jones, a spokesman for the Communications Workers Union which represents many of the postal workers in Maidstone, said: "We will be looking to see there is no loss of jobs, that workers have sufficient choice and that there is compensation for any increased travel costs they may incur in moving to Medway. 

"We will also want to be convinced there will be no adverse impact on postal services locally."

Well the Royal Mail have already said that 10% of the workforce will be lost and how will the elderly and those without cars collect parcels from Medway? I hope the CWU opposes this - I know where I stand!

Economic growth explained

An experienced economist and a novice economist are walking down the road. They come across some dog shit lying on the pavement.

The experienced economist says, "If you eat that dog shit, I'll give you $20,000!"

The novice economist runs his optimization program and figures out he's better off eating it, so he does and collects the money.

Continuing along the same road they almost step into another pile of dog shit. The novice economist says, "Now, if you eat this shit I'll give you $20,000."

After evaluating the proposal, the experienced economist eats the shit and collects the money.

They go on. The novice economist wonders, "Listen, we both have the same amount of money we had before, but we both ate shit. I don't see us being better off."

The experienced economist retorts, "Not so! We've created $40,000 of trade!"

More on youth unemployment in Kent

The dramatic increase in Kent and Medway's youth unemployment in the last year is to be worsened by the lack of university places for qualified applicants. Stuart Jeffery, Campaigns Officer of Kent Green Party, comments: 

"Kent and Medway have had massive increases in youth unemployment in the last year. Kent's 79% increase is dwarfed by a depressing 158% increase in Medway(1). Medway's youth unemployment rate increase(2) is the worst in the UK, in the year up to June 2010.

"These shameful increases are now to be made worse as qualified young people are denied University places, and the many graduates from this year are still looking for work. Coalition cuts and a flat-lining economy have radically reduced employment opportunities for our young people. Major employers in Kent are planning job cuts: the County Council is threatening to cut 1500 jobs(3); all local councils in Kent are likely to make cuts in employment; the Police being cut back; universities and colleges in Kent and Medway face serious employment cuts. These cuts in public sector jobs will cut spending in local businesses, leading to jobs losses in the private sector such as in retail, home improvement-related construction jobs, restaurant and other leisure spending.

"And we need more trained people in Kent. The Kent Economic Board has indicated that the proportion of the Kent and Medway workforce with degree level or equivalent qualifications is behind both national and regional averages(4).

"Our Government appears to be unwilling to tax fairly, collect tax that is due promptly or to close tax havens(5). The aspirations of our young people are being crushed by this catalogue of failures."


Notes:
1.      Medway and Kent figures: MEDWAY: June 2009 310 June 2010 490, increase of 158.1%; KENT: June 2009 1130 June 2010 2025, increase of 79.2%. Source: www.nomisweb.co.uk
2.      Youth unemployment refers to unemployment of 18-24 year olds.
3.      See, for example: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/kent/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8537000/8537064.stm
4.      SEE: http://www.kenteconomicboard.co.uk/keb-files/Kent_Medway_Economy_26_07_10.pdf page 7.
5.      More taxes can be collected. See for example: http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/the-great-tax-parachute

Medway councillor resigns after 2 weeks

While we didn't get a massive numbers of votes in the recent local by-election in Medway, at least we did better than the candidate who won. He has resigned after 2 weeks having realised that he can't continue to work as a special constable and be a councillor. Interstingly he is also a head teacher at a local private school - if it had been a state school he would have had to give that up too.

I hope that we stand again in the next by-election. Getting out there on the ballot paper is always the right thing to do.

Top 25 Green Blogs

I'm in the top 25 Green Bloggers again, but have slipped from 10th to 18th. Congrats to my fellow bloggers who clearly bribed more people than me. Next year I'll have a campaign manager, corporate funding and a smear campaign.


Today, Total Politics is proud to announce the results of the 2010-2011 blog poll.
Kicking off the awards, here is a list of the Top 25 Green Blogs:

1 (1) The Daily (Maybe)
2 Bright Green Scotland
3 (2) Two Doctors
4 (5) Barkingside 21
5 (4) Another Green World
6 Gaian Economics
7 (21) George Monbiot
8 (8) Rupert's Read
9 (11) Mabinogogiblog
10 (9) Ruscombe Green
11 (19) Weggis
12 Jane's Political Ramblings
13 Suitably Despairing
14 Flesh is Grass
15 (10) Green Reading
16 Greens Engage
17 (15) Caroline Lucas MEP
18 Stuart Jeffery
19 (3) Peter Cranie
20 (14) Bloggy Blanc
21 Scottish Greens
22 Greening Kirklees
23 Greener Leith
24 Chadwell and Seven Kings Greens
25 A Week Is a Long Time