Sunday 3 May 2009

How Green Is Green?

Green activist Adrian Windisch has launched a broadside against local PR consultancy Green Issues, which handles the communication strategy for a range of projects, including the Pincent's Hill development.

The Green Party candidate comes out against the urban regeneration projects they are involved with as he argues they are "anything but green". He says the company should instead be named 'Grey Party leftovers' due to their employment of specialists in political communication, which includes some politicians (or maybe he's just miffed that they won't employ him to use his skills...).

Meanwhile Matt Blackall writes in a similar vein, pointing out how the urge for popularity leads "many companies and politicians... to jump on the populist bandwagon". He draws our attention to leading wind energy generator Vestas, which Alex Race reports recently slashed employment due to declining government investment in renewable energy projects.

As Clare Buxton asks: did the government do enough for renewables in the budget?

Just as a 'green new deal' is widely considered [Gordon Brown PM, United Nations, Conservatives, LibDems, Green Party] to hold many answers to the current economic difficulties Matt says, "if now was not a perfect time to create jobs, expand what should be a thriving energy industry and fight climate change then I do not know when is," but adds that we may actually be "being betrayed by those pretending to be ‘green’," due to different interpretations of what this means.

A national lobbying group has been set up to push the idea of investment in the low-carbon economy, as it is claimed only 0.6% of the recent government stimulus package is aimed in this area. While this may be seen as negligible by some, others say proposed environmentally-friendly measures are not sustainable.

Check out The Independent's 'Green List', with which it compiled from a desire "to provoke a debate about what makes a good environmentalist" [1].

Oranjepan asks:
What exactly does is mean to be green?

14 comments:

  1. Adrian Windisch is green behind the ears if you ask me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AW should look in the mirror, his hair's all grey.

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  3. What's wrong with being grey? Old people should be respected.

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  4. Yes, look at Vince Cable. VC would make a great chancellor. Best of the lot.

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  5. I'm pleased you are all reading my blog. A pity some of your readers seem more interested in my hair than what I have to say.

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  6. Blue Living's own company, Beyond Green are doing the communications for Pincent's Hill not Green Issues.

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  7. Thanks anon, my bad.

    I think I got confused by the this report of the withdrawl from the recent vote over Pincent's hill by Conservative Birch Copse Cllr Webster due to a conflict of interest because she works for Green Issues.

    Apologies for misconstruing this.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Adrian, thanks for responding.

    I don't condone any personal abuse, however I think there is a point in the anonymous comments about your use of the adjective 'grey'.

    It's also a bit harsh to ascribe judge people for the jobs they do when you don't even describe their work in detail.

    PR people are like solicitors in that they are paid to represent their clients.

    As a prospective politician I can't quite believe you are ready to argue against the right to fair representation, are you? Surely you should be making representations to the people doing the consultation.

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  9. Funny you mention the report about one of the Birch Copse ward's councillors not voting because of a conflict of interests; as i live within the Birch Copse ward, i regulary get leaflets through the door describing West Berkshire Conservatives as being opposed to the Pincent's Hill development, in fact i remember this picture of the councillors and Alok Sharma: http://www.clydeandforthmedia.co.uk/crop/280/210/images/54/1241090763.jpg out of those three councillors, one was away during the vote, one abstained and one voted in favour of the development being put towards planning... the words 'liars' and 'traitors' come to mind...

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  10. Not quite sure what you meant by 'It's also a bit harsh to ascribe judge people for the jobs they do when you don't even describe their work in detail.'

    I find it odd for the 3 parties to be working together like this, and I'm not that keen on the expanding use of PR. I'm more interested in the views of residents.

    I don't need to describe their work in detail, you can read what they do on their own website.

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  11. To answer your question - 'green' means to live in harmony with the environment.

    I'm not sure what the Green party stands for - they are the younger, less sensible and less realistic sibling of the LibDems. There just trapped in that awkward teenage rebellious stage.

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  12. The Green Party started in the 1985.
    The Lib Dems in 1988, so we are older.

    The Liberals have been going for centuries as have the Tories.

    Read about our policies on our website; www.greenparty.org.uk

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  13. green equals more taxation----thinks G.B.

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  14. One more reason to disagree with the PM.

    ReplyDelete




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