A Pledge for Scientists and Technologists?? August 29, 2009
Posted by CamdenKiwi in : Politics , add a commentI seem to be following The Daily (Maybe) rather a lot lately, but he the UK’s top Green Blogger! His poll about one of our policies makes interesting reading.
This rather unfortunate policy says:
ST252 A pledge will be introduced by which all scientists and technologists will promise to respect the Earth and life upon it
It’s the only such pledge in the manifesto. At no point do we ever say that politicians, civil servants, lawyers or financiers should have this sort of pledge.
As a technologist, with a science degree, I’m happy to be bound by the code of conduct of my professional society, the British Computer Society, but I would seriously object to a future Green government forcing this on me. I certainly don’t object to the the words themselves, but by singling out scientists and technologists, the Green Party is saying something about how it sees people in those fields.
It’s an attitude we need to overcome if the Greens are to move forward as a viable alternative to other parties. I know it loses us votes, and makes it very hard to combat the accusation that we are anti-science.
We could argue that it is technology which has got us into this position, and there’s some truth in that. That’s a naive analysis though, which ignores the choices society has made, and the influence of our political and economic systems since the start of the industrial revolution.
If we are to create a society that is just, sustainable and community based, and meet the challenges posed by climate change, we need to respect and make use of science and technology. It is science which shows us how climate change is happening, and technology will have a huge role to play in overcoming, or at least adapting to it.
This is a policy which needs to be removed.
Climate Camp this Week August 24, 2009
Posted by CamdenKiwi in : Politics , add a commentI saw this fabulous response by the Climate Campers to the Metropolitan Police’s request to know where they’re doing the camp this week on the Daily Maybe.
If you, like me, are busy at work on Wednesday, not really into camping and perhaps a little nervous, then send them a donation to help all the costs that come with being the most successful climate change protest group around. Think of it as a carbon offset programme!
My Favourite Tories August 10, 2009
Posted by CamdenKiwi in : Politics , 3 commentsWe have a new meme – Greens blogging their favourite Tories – so, inspired by the Daily Maybe, here’s my go.
I grew up 12000 miles away, untraumatised by the Thatcher era in the way of many British lefties. I saw the miner’s strike and the Falklands War on telly, but I was fifteen, and lived in a warmer ocean. Tories are something of a mystery to me.
First, it has to be Ann Widdecombe. She stands up for what she believes in. She’s strong, no-nonsense, and full of integrity. In a blunt, and sometimes harsh way, she cares. We wouldn’t see eye to eye on many things, but I respect her.
I was impressed by Dominic Grieve at the Convention on Modern Liberty. He made good points about the plans for id cards, and anti-terrorist legislation. He seems fairly consistent on that at least.
Phillip Blond might be interesting to watch. Red Toryism could be a radical alternative to free-market, big state Labour. The localism he advocates sounds almost Green, but within an Anglican, rather than socialist/ liberal context, so potentially difficult for minorities and women. He’s food for thought, though perhaps not for fully digesting.
This is getting tricky. Cameron, Osbourne et al really do not do it for me and the muppet mayor is just a classical irritant.
Did you know Nancy Astor was a Tory? Me either, but as the first woman to sit in the House of Commons, she gets my vote.
And for my fifth and final favourite, I give you Sir Peter Viggers, without whose duck house, the general hilarity of the nation would have been far less this summer.
