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Greenprint Autumn 2010 (Online) News from the Scottish Green Party • Autumn 2010 20 Graham Street, Edinburgh EH6 5QR • 08700 772 207 [email protected] • www.scottishgreens.org.uk ISSN 2044-7949 (Print) • ISSN 2044-7957 (Online) 100% Renewable In Brief... Holyrood 2011 Elaine 2 Morrison asks 100% Doable what’s not to like about the Green platform, and Recent debates on Scotland’s energy future show 00% renewable, perhaps even before 2020. our first round of 1960s thinking blocking massive benefits we could be All the additional power we generate beyond announcements experiencing right now. our own needs could then be exported to our of candidates for In September Holyrood held a debate on energy neighbours in the UK and beyond. That’s the 2011. future. As we expected, this showed up a vision we need for a low-carbon economy, not straightforward divide between those who want the SNP’s tinkering at the edges.” News action and those who simply want to talk around But on the day, in practice, the Labour MSPs the issue while pursuing “damage as usual”. backed a Conservative amendment supporting An active Almost ten years ago, Scottish Ministers new nuclear power, a move which would be 4 century of Leslie Spoor; global published a report showing Scotland’s capacity costly, dangerous, unsustainable and unpopular, campaign news. for renewables was at least 59·GW, almost six but this amendment was rejected. MSPs rejected times the country’s electricity usage, and more a Green amendment which set out several basic recent figures suggest the potential is far higher, policy changes essential if we are to move to a Roots & Branches perhaps up to 60GW of offshore wind alone. low carbon economy. What Greens I wrote in advance of the debate: These votes are a clear guide to the various 5 are up to “There’s much more to the idea of a low parties’ attitudes to energy, climate change and round the country. carbon economy than simply switching to the economy. Fortunately most Scots will see renewables, vital as that is. Every aspect of their unprincipled role in office, past or present, the economy must be truly sustainable, from for what it is. Views & Reviews transport and housing to manufacturing and Nuclear power is dead in the water in Community banking. Scotland has for too long relied on the Scotland, and the public are dead set against 6 Regeneration, declining oil and gas industry and on the whims it too. The more worrying outcome today was the Piper project of international inward investment. It’s time the decision by every other party to reject our and the carbon Ministers started properly supporting Scottish proposals to move towards a comprehensively footprint of innovation and the kind of local businesses that low carbon economy. They voted for more road bananas (and more won’t just move abroad when the exchange rate capacity and yet more growth in aviation, for or less anything changes. It’s also time they abandoned their new coal and against additional investment in else). transport and industrial policies, ideas which renewables, and they failed to back our call for would have been outdated in the 960s. investment in local low carbon economies. “Clean energy will be crucial, but Scottish Holyrood has a consensus on the science and UK Governments have spent too long – most Tories don’t even claim climate change talking about that potential instead of making isn’t real anymore. But the other parties have it a reality. It’s time to change the approach also agreed on inaction and drift. They seem to altogether and set a date for turning Scotland think that talk is enough. Greens will continue to reject that apathetic consensus. Scotland deserves better. Patrick Harvie Holyrood 2011 A Socially and Ecologically Just Vision for Scotland A personal perspective from Elaine Morrison of the Argyll and Bute Greens. As the Holyrood election peeks at us and economic security, not a life based from around the corner we are facing upon never ending consumption as a the prospect of yet another electoral means of lifting us out of recession. squeeze. How do we ensure that the We say that it’s okay to turn on your Scottish Green Party maintains its heating or go on holiday abroad but presence, builds upon it and delivers it should be done within the limits of more representation than ever before a personal carbon budget. How you at next year’s elections? I would argue use your allowance is up to you, but that a clear positioning there are only so many carbon of our social and We are the emissions to go round. No more environmental justice party of choice overdrafts for this planet. agenda should be for all those We say that core public at the heart of our who care about services should be controlled organic and affordable. Local, organic campaign and our equality and by the public, not delivered for food promotes health, supports local subsequent actions. sustainability. profit. We want to re-nationalise business, creates jobs, cuts carbon The following is a the railways, provide affordable emissions and is really tasty. What’s snapshot of where our strengths lie housing through the public sector not to like? and how we can ensure that we are and cooperatives, keep the post And that is just it – what’s not to the party of choice for all those who office in public hands and invest in like? We have to think about how we care about equality and sustainability. social enterprise. I would go further can make living within our means an There is no getting away from the and suggest energy companies but attractive option and one that only a fact that we need to live within our that (note to self) is for a conference vote for the Scottish Green Party will means – ecologically and financially motion sometime. deliver. We must play to our strengths – to ensure that there is enough to go We push for localisation of food but also be savvy enough to know round. This can be a positive message, production and for redirecting that the other parties one that offers an alternative to agricultural subsidies towards We offer an will try to steal our blaming individuals for their personal organic farming. We support alternative clothes. We must stay debt, for climate change and for losing penalising the supermarkets for to blaming ahead of the game to their jobs. waste production, encouraging individuals for deliver a vision and We are different from other parties allotments to make local food their personal actions for a socially because we promote a steady state available in urban and more debt, for climate and ecologically just economy with an emphasis on quality marginalised communities, and change and for Scotland. More focus, of life, in the form of health, happiness, changing procurement rules so losing their jobs. more positivity, more community, environmental quality that school dinners can be local, votes! Editorial Hello and welcome to We also have Gavin the Autumn 200 issue of Corbett on Leslie Spoor’s Greenprint. As we all gear hundredth birthday and up for next year’s elections Fabio Villani on land this issue is full of the reform, along with lots of campaigns our members news from Greens around are working on and some the world and around the great Green ideas. country. Patrick Harvie This is my first issue as The Scottish Greens’ National Council met in Stirling in September. introduces our Holyrood editor and I owe a debt of candidates while Elaine gratitude to Rosemary and Correction Morrison looks at the Niall for building up such strength of our core a vital publication. I hope In the Summer issue of Greenprint we said that Ian policies and asks, what’s I can continue supporting Baxter, our candidate for Midlothian, received 0·9% not to like? I couldn’t members in turning of the vote in the Westminster elections. Ian in fact agree more. Scotland a vibrant Green. received ·5% of the vote. Varihi Scott 2 Holyrood Candidates “It’s clear what a difference just “Scotland has for too long In early September we announced two Green MSPs have made relied on the declining oil our party’s top candidates, to Scotland, from securing and gas industry and on across six of the eight regions, for Climate Challenge Fund the whims of international next May’s Holyrood elections. money for 261 community- inward investment. It’s time Patrick Harvie MSP is here with the led projects across Scotland Ministers started properly introductions: to clamping down on hate supporting Scottish I am proud to stand alongside crimes and helping abolish innovation and the kind of tuition fees. I would love the local businesses that won’t an excellent crop of Green opportunity to help with this just move abroad when the candidates across Scotland work as Central Scotland’s first exchange rate changes.” – candidates with experience in Green MSP.” Patrick Harvie Parliament, in local government Kirsten Robb and as community activists on a a wide range of issues. The 2011 election will be an important moment, where Scots can vote for a positive agenda of social justice and safeguarding the environment instead of the failed centre-right agenda of the rest. Every other political party at Holyrood supported that agenda – growth obsessed, free market dominated and environmentally reckless – while the Greens predicted their failure. Now a vicious programme of public service cuts is proposed as b the solution. The alternative is to cut the vanity projects and protect the vital services; to realise the opportunities of a low-waste, low- energy, low-carbon economy; and to put quality of life ahead of the “Across the region the recession is biting and selfish values of the right which have dominated our politics for far the cost of living is rising.
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