climate change

Letter to Hampshire Chronicle, published 30 September 2010.

Now that the City Council’s Planning Committee has signalled a positive attitude towards wind energy with the approval of turbines at Kirton Farm (front page, 23 September 2010), Winchester Green Party urges all public sector organisations in Hampshire to get on with a transfer to renewable energy. After an initial investment, massive savings could be made in heating and lighting costs, and Hampshire’s overall carbon emissions would be substantially cut. 

We are dismayed that the transport secretary, Geoff Hoon, gave the go-ahead to a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow airport recently.

This is very obviously unwise short termism winning over the needs of the environment, our communities and our lives. The threat from climate change is so immediate and serious that giving the go-ahead to expand Heathrow is dangerous and shows the government's lack of understanding and responsibility.

Not only is this acting in contempt of our threatened planet, but this is not in the long-term interest of the British economy. Many commentators now set the estimate of the peak in oil production considerably ahead of 2030 and as we approach this peak the cost of liquid fuels is expected to soar, with profound consequences for us all, not least the airline industry.

Hoon and Brown’s vision for Heathrow will be cause climate harm and become an expensive white elephant – we will use all our might to stop it and the hypocrisy it represents. We at Winchester Green Party will be fighting this decision with everything we have.

(Letter by local Green Hazel Agombar published in the Hampshire Chronical)

Sir,

I was appalled to read the comments from the chair of New Alresford Town Council - Ken Yeldham, in last week's Hampshire Chronicle (9th October) about the Alresford Greening Campaign. I would like to challenge Mr Yeldham's criticism that the group is 'spitting in the wind'. Firstly Alresford is far from alone. They are one of many, many grassroots group across the UK which are being established to address the issue of climate change. The combined efforts of this are enormous and help to put pressure on the UK government to pass a strong Climate Change Bill. Here just in Winchester we have groups such as Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC) and Friends of the Earth who are working to the same aims.

Secondly, Mr Yeldham trots out the tired arguments about the pollution created by China and India's industrialistion which are used as an excuse for the UK to do nothing. I'm afraid that Mr Yeldham has failed to grasp how interdependent the world is. It is the wealthy countries - mainly Europe and North America - that have caused the problems of global warming, and therefore have the responsibility to take the lead in finding a sustainable way forward. China and India need to develop - we should be promoting the techonologies that enable them to do so without destroying our shared life support systems. Indeed, it will be great for our economy to be at the forefront of developing low carbon technologies.