Green Party campaigner in Kent. Also a nurse, academic, former manager, writer, Druid, husband and father...
Molly Scott Cato spoke at Kent Green Party's AGM yesterday and plugged her new book, Green Economics, which I have just bought and started to read. Sadly I missed the book launch with guest James Roberston.
Tony Juniper selected as Green Party General Election candidate for Cambridge
Radiohead star Thom Yorke backs Juniper to be "a great Green Party MP"
The Green Party today announces that Tony Juniper, recent Director of Friends of the Earth, has been selected as General Election candidate for Cambridge. There will be a press launch at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, starting at 11.30am Wednesday 21st January (please see below for further details).
Tony Juniper has lived in the city for 20 years and has campaigned on green issues for more than 25 years. As Campaigns Director and later Director of Friends of the Earth he led many successful initiatives on a wide range of issues from wildlife protection to organic food and from recycling to fuel poverty. He stepped down from leading Friends of the Earth in July 2008 following the success of the Big Ask campaign which led to the world’s first national legislation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions - the 2008 Climate Change Act.
Tony Juniper said
“More and more people can see that if we want a sound economy, a fair society and a secure environment, then we need to make important changes. The Green Party is alone in having a manifesto which shows how these changes can be made through due democratic process while at the same time reducing global inequality. The current economic downturn offers great opportunities to put forward the Green agenda.
I have spent many years influencing politics through campaigning and realise the crucial importance of entering the parliamentary arena. Not only have I seen at first-hand what needs to be done, but I have already spearheaded initiatives that changed legislation through enlisting the support of tens of thousands of citizens.
The incredible research and technology capacity we already have here in Cambridge can be used to help build a truly green economy. This is already beginning to happen in other countries and we are lagging behind. I want to ensure that Cambridge is at the forefront of this new global green revolution. By electing one of the UK’s first Green MPs, Cambridge can be certain of playing its part.”
Juniper’s selection has been welcomed by Thom Yorke, the lead singer of Radiohead, who worked with him from 2005 to secure the world’s first national law on climate change.
Thom Yorke said
"Tony Juniper has amazing energy and enthusiasm which inspires those around him, including me. He speaks a language that even I can understand when it comes to green issues and I have spent many evenings learning more from him than I can ever learn from books. Most importantly he has a keen understanding of how to change our political future from the inside without compromise, and has accumulated the most breathtaking amount of experience as head of Friends of the Earth UK. He would make a great Green Party MP, our country need people like him as the environment becomes central to UK politics."
Cambridge's Green Party City Councillor, Margaret Wright said,
“ I am delighted that Tony Juniper has been selected. He has all the qualities needed to make an excellent MP for the city.”
Dr. Rupert Read, Lead Green Party European Election Candidate in Eastern Region added
"With Margaret's election in 2008, Cambridge gained its first Green Councillor and the city now looks set for further growth of the Green Party. I am delighted to welcome Tony Juniper to our candidate list, here in East Anglia, and I am hugely encouraged by the prospect of voters in Cambridge being able to vote for Tony to be their representative in Westminster, where his abilities and great experience so clearly belong."
ENDS
Press Launch: Wednesday 21st January, 11:30am-12.30pm.
The King's Room, Cambridge Corn Exchange
Wheeler Street,
Cambridge,
CB2 3QB.
Additional photo opportunities:
10am Riverside Cycle Bridge, Riverside, Cambridge. Meet outside Riverside entrance to Museum of Technology.
City centre by arrangement after 12:30pm.
For further information please contact:
Cllr Margaret Wright 01223 362128 07828 912838
Eastern Region Press Office 01376 584576 07951 923073
For more information on Tony Juniper see www.tonyjuniper.com.
For more information on the Green Party see www.cambridgegreens.org.uk or www.greenparty.org.uk
Almost three weeks into "Operation Cast Lead," we call once more on Jews and others to speak out for a cease fire and against the siege of Gaza.
At Jewish Voice for Peace, we echo the report issued on January 14 by 9 Israeli human rights organizations: Israel's military operations in Gaza pose a "clear and present danger to the lives and well-being of tens of thousands of civilians." In Gaza, "the level of harm to the civilian population is unprecedented" while "military forces are making wanton use of lethal force."
We condemn Israel's assault on Gaza. As of today , more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli assault, including at least 335 children and many more civilians. Nearly 5,000 have been wounded, many paralyzed for life.
Jewish Voice for Peace:
* Calls on all Americans to support Rep. Dennis Kucinich's resolution calling for an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" and "unrestricted humanitarian access" to Gaza. Call your congressperson or write them today.
* Joins the call from Human Rights Watch (and others) for Israel to stop using white phosphorous, an incendiary tool permissable in the laws of war as an "obscurant" - but when used in densely populated Gaza, causes widespread, horrific burning of the skin.
* Demands an end to the vicious siege on Gaza, which brought the population to the brink of humanitarian disaster with extreme shortages of food, water, fuel and medical supplies.
* Calls for an end to the 41 years of occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, including an immediate end to the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Only when Palestinians and Israelis are both equally free to decide their own sovereignty will there be peace.
One bright spot in the midst of this terrible darkness is the explosion of dissent in all corners of the globe. We are especially moved by the Israelis who refuse to fall in line with the drumbeat of war: those like Nomika Zion in southern Gaza who, despite living terrified under rocket fire, stand up to say "Not in my name...The bloodbath in Gaza is not in my name nor for my security." or the group "Other Voice", made up of Israelis living under the threat of qassams, who call for Israel to end the attack and strike a truce with Hamas.
We are inspired by those Israeli soldiers who refuse to fight this civilian population, some of whom are already in jail for their refusal; those Israelis who gather every week to demand their country halt its assault and end the siege, or protest everyday at countless intersections throughout the country; and especially those Israelis who stand outside Sde Dov airforce base in Tel Aviv every morning to remind the pilots that every day they drop their bombs, they drop them on civilians.
In North America, we are inspired by the thousands of people who have gone into the streets for protests, in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and elsewhere, and especially the Jewish women who held a sit-in the Israeli consulate in Toronto, telling the Israeli authorities that "we'll end our occupation when you end yours."
And we are motivated by the tens of thousands who have signed petitions and sent letters calling for Congress to work for an immediate ceasefire and end the siege, and by the tens of thousands who have signed up on JVP's email list and sent thank-you letters to Jon Stewart (www.thankyoujonstewart.com). We are hopeful that more journalists and op-ed page editors will tell the truth about Gaza and Israel (here are examples from the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.)
And we are grateful to our friends at Jewish Peace News for bringing us insightful analysis and timely reports on dissent against the war.
SCOTTISH GREENS WIN SIGNIFICANT BUDGET COMMITMENTS ON INSULATION
In October 2008 the Scottish Green Party launched a campaign for an
additional £100m per annum to be spent to insulate Scotland's homes. (1) The
party is calling for a free loft and cavity wall insulation programme,
delivered area-by-area and door-to-door across the country, in line with the
successful scheme delivered by Green Councillors in Kirklees. (2) Greens
also want Scottish Ministers to adopt the so-called RE:Charge scheme, again
as demonstrated in Kirklees, to fund appropriate domestic renewables and
more substantial insulation measures through loans which are only repaid
when the property is sold.
In today's debate on the Scottish Government's Budget, the Finance Secretary
John Swinney committed to implementation of a properly-funded area-based
scheme of this sort, delivering insulation measures across the whole of
Scotland over an "ambitious timescale".
Patrick Harvie MSP said:
"Our proposals to insulate all of Scotland's homes have been warmly welcomed
by business groups, environmental charities, fuel poverty activists and many
others. Energy efficiency is widely accepted as one of the most
cost-effective ways to tackle climate change and fuel poverty, and the Green
proposals are also designed to give a much-needed boost to jobs in to the
building sector and put money back into the pockets of every household in
Scotland.
"John Swinney's announcements today show a willingness by the Scottish
Government to deliver this kind of nation-wide transformation on energy
efficiency. We have as a result voted with the SNP today, but there is still
much more work to be done on the implementation of our proposals ahead of
the final vote in two weeks' time."
Notes
1. See: http://warmscotland.org
2. See:
http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/environment/energyconservation/warmzone
/warmzonefaq.shtml
The debate surrounding the extent to which the burning of fossil fuels leads to climate change misses a more fundamental point. That is, fossil fuels are an inherently finite resource. This resource is dwindling at an accelerating rate as economies such as those of China and India expand rapidly. Fossil fuels will run out. Maybe not in the next 10, 20 or 30 years but they will run out. As the scarcity of fossil fuels grows there will be increasing conflict between nations to secure their supplies in an effort to maintain their carbon-dependent economies. At the same time, there is an inexorably growing human population, destruction of rainforests, depletion of natural resources and plummeting biodiversity. Clearly, this situation cannot be sustained in the longer-term.
Yet our capitalist system is based on the principle of economic growth - growth that is heavily dependent on fossil fuels and unsustainable practices. Just look at recent events; governments are terrified by anything that threatens economic growth – pouring billions of public money into failing financial systems. In addition, many economists see growth not only as desirable but as essential. They claim it lifts the poor out of poverty, feeding the world’s growing population, supporting the costs of rising public spending and stimulating investment and technological development.
The dilemma is how can we square Earth’s finite resources with the fact that as the economy grows, the amount of natural resources needed to sustain that activity must grow too. I am clear in my conviction that economic growth in its current form is unsustainable. We need a new paradigm that limits (or reduces) the global population, a meaningful shift away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency and the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles. This will require courageous, co-ordinated and global government policies that ensure we don’t use up resources faster than the world can replace them.
Many will dismiss this as a utopian ideology. But isn’t it a utopian ideology to carry on blithely down a path that will ultimately lead to catastrophe? Yes, it will require a new world-view and radical changes but I think we have several grounds for optimism. Firstly, sustainable economies are more stable – whilst growth may be lower than in traditional economies it will be more durable in the longer-term and less volatile. Secondly, the shift towards a sustainable economy would create new opportunities, jobs and greater stability. Thirdly, the potential for conflict between nations is reduced as our dependency on fossil fuels reduces over time. Finally, there is a growing recognition (albeit begrudgingly) amongst governments that the current situation is unsustainable and the mood seems to be shifting from one of cynicism and self-interest to one of genuine commitment to tackling the problem.
The prospect of a truly sustainable global economy, fuelled by renewable energy sources coupled with a stabilised human population and harmonised with biodiversity is an ambitious yet achievable goal. But it’s a goal that requires a re-appraisal of the current meaning of economic growth.
SATURDAY 17th JANUARY
11am-12 noon
PEACE VIGIL
for
Week St at Earl St/Fremlin Walk
