Zac versus Redwood: Tories at War

this is a guest blog from Adrian from Green Reading blog to give you a taste of other Green party blogs....I have blogged on the Goldsmiths on comment is free


www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/09/28/david-cameron-and-greenery-2 has some interesting stuff, I thought it was a good example of the failure of the tories green policies. Ive blogged about it, see below, or at www.greenreading.blogspot.com

On the subject of Cameron going green, www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/09/28/david-cameron-and-greenery-2/ he seems to think there’s been a u turn. ‘Radical’ ideas like paying to park at the supermarket are out. John says ‘we would be living in fear of delays at the checkout as our car park ticket ran out. It would be shopping under more pressure, worrying lest our car had been clamped because the shopper in front of us had more in the trolley than we reckoned, or the check out employee changed over before taking our cash.’ Has he ever been to a pay car park? For most drivers that’s a normal part of life, not the stuff of nightmares. Johns Green ideas (with my comments in brackets): 1. Good recycling services that are easy to use (First reduce waste, then reuse, then recycle. He puts the last option first) 2. More fuel efficient vehicles (About time, but also improve public transport, cycle and pedestrian facilities to reduce traffic) 3. Better home insulation and more efficient boilers (About time, shame the Tories have done so little on this so far) 4. More fuel efficient lighting (as above) 5. Better public transport so that it is more of an option for more of our journeys(see item 2) 6. Fewer new migrants coming to the UK putting pressure on greenfields and transport facilities (right wing people love to blame migrants for everything, see UKIP or the BNP for more of this. The poorest households in Britain consume the least energy and natural resources) 7. Better protection of local green gaps between settlements and beautiful countryside from developers (and the rest) 8. Better managed roads so there are fewer traffic jams causing pollution (but no details to explain how. Why not stop building roads and airports?) He also says ‘We do already have massive taxes on some polluting activities, especially motoring’ despite evidence that cars are cheaper to run than ever before. According to the DfT the cost of travelling by private car has fallen in real terms by 10% since 1997, while the cost of travelling by bus has risen by 13% and by train has risen by 6%. www.bettertransport.org.uk/bus_blog/public_transport_costs_rise_car_costs_fall Adrian