Green politicians, just as they have always led on recycling, on Zero Waste, etc., need to take a lead in weaning the media, the political class and the electorate off the drug of purely quantitative ‘rising recycling rates’.
George Irvin, retired professor of economics and currently (honorary) Professorial Research Fellow in Development Studies at SOAS, looks at the economic impact of the Japanese earthquake/tsunami on Japan and the world.
Despite some fantastic coverage in last Sunday’s Observer, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne this week launched the Carbon Plan to very little media response, reports Eleanor Besley.
The Cameron administration has had firm aspirations to be the ‘greenest government ever’, but the reality is turning out to be quite different. Alongside having a transport secretary who advocates gas-guzzling changes to public policy and continuing to encourage road-building in a time of austerity, they have announced that the person almost certain to head up the coalition’s environemt and energy policy is a former BP policy advisor.
There has been yet another coalition u-turn – this time over the per-flight tax pledge, reports the Fabian Society’s Natan Doron.
For all the legitimate concerns with High Speed Rail, it’s still worth pressing ahead with, writes Richard George, roads and climate campaigner at the Campaign for Better Transport.
Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh outlines the government’s failures in their bid to become the “greenest government ever” – especially on sustainable development.
It’s a telling sign of our dependence on foreign oil that all eyes turn to the price of a barrel of crude as events in the Middle East, which ought to give us cause for hope, are causing despair in the UK with petrol hitting the £1.40 a litre level.
There’s scant evidence to suggest longer franchise periodsthat on its own this will result in improved performance or a better deal for rail passengers.
Seph Brown discusses the Fabian Society Nexy Left conference debate on the environment, titled: “Green Gloom: How do we win the argument for the planet?”
