On a Local Green Party response to the IPCC Report

Thanks for that very interesting analysis on the IPCC Report Tony. Extremely relevant especially the comparisons between the Green Party and IPCC interpretations of the crisis and planning for net zero by 2030.

Tony, as a very unscientific person, it seems to me we are suffering an accelerator effect, and every day new factors emerge which we could not have predicted (eg releases of Methane from ‘sinks’ in Siberia and the possibility of bubbles or bombs of the gas; the effects on sea acidity and ice melts on currents etc etc) – to what extent are the ‘unknown unknowns’ taken into account?

Apocalypse Now?

I am also alarmed by the effects of only 1.1 or 1.2 degrees of heating above pre-industrial levels we are suffering at the moment. Sometimes it feels apocalyptic now. And we are cheerfully welcoming the possibility of holding the increase to 1.5 and optimistically assuming we can get it down in 20 ish years? Whatever, the next 20 years look very frightening indeed.

The above probably summarises some of the feelings and worries of so many unscientific relatively informed people.

Shall Troy Fall?

So as the Green Party we are no longer Cassandra. The guards on the walls of Troy have seen the Greeks emerge from the belly of the wooden horse and now begin to believe us. All we slightly disagree on is how long Troy will take to fall.

But how to mobilise the population to fight them?
Without panicking them?

PR and the Progressive Alliance

Time to lay down ancestral enmities between the tribes? Unite and fight? We have had fun pointing out the hypocrisy of the Tories. Trumpeting their targets and allowing licences to be granted for North Sea oil and coal mines. Cancelling their green homes initiative. Frightened of annoying  their fossil fuel party donors or financiers. Watch as more conflicts emerge between Alok Sharma, Boris and Rishi. Too many conflicting agendas.

We’ve had fun, too at pointing out Labour’s wishy-washiness on Climate Change, recently Keir Starmer has managed to stand up and shout out as best he can. Well it’s an improvement but we know well that Labour is a bunch of cats fighting in a bag.

The LibDems? They’d support Paddington Bear if they thought he’d get them votes.

So is the Progressive Alliance becoming as urgent as Climate Change itself? Realistically we will not see PR in the next few (many?) years. Before WW2 the parties realised that unity was essential in the Face of an evil existential threat. But do we. 

Who we are and WHY

Meanwhile! We are the Party that understands what I used to call ‘f&f’ to my pupils. Facts & figures. (Well, at least Tony & co do). We need to present ourselves as: (repeating what you know already)

The Party that knows and understands Climate Change like no other. No point crowing ‘We Told You So!’ People know that; the Party which contains people who would make superb councillors, checking and balancing the Council’s actions on Climate; The Party that understands and engages with local issues; The Party that eschews hypocrisy but nevertheless contains real people with human flaws. A calm determined voice in a sea of troubles. Reassuring, informed, practical.

Calm….Troy shall not fall. This time.