One of the things Nick Clegg mentioned during the leadership election was the challenge every ‘green’ politician has with making envrionmental sustainable policies that everyone of which everyone can be part.

The Liberal Democrats are committed to tackling the dangers of the Changing Climate.  We realise that its not just a concern for the ‘Chattering Classes.’ Global Warming is going to hit everyone, rich or poor, ‘Western’ or from the ‘Developing World.

Some would argue that we need to stop the world economy from ‘Growing.’  But that is NOT going to happen folks…. No government is going to vote for permanent Recession.  And where is the justice in denying a Child in Africa the same chances that a child in Europe or America has?  Its not ethical to restrict Growth and it  won’t happen….

We have to ’save the planet’ (well save our civilisation anyway) some other way.  We have to make sure that emerging superpowers like India and China (and Russia maybe?) are fully engaged in the development of ‘Clean Technology’… We need a ‘Green Collar’ economy.  There is serious money to be made in Renewables and Energy efficiency industries.   Use the incredible powers of human ingenuitity and stop pretending we should ’regress’ back to the stone age. 

In this country there is higher levels of poverty and lower social mobility now than in 1997.  Thats an issue just as important as ‘Climate Change’.  I would argue that the whole social justice and environmental reform agenda have to be linked together.  There are considerable numbers of people in my home town who shop at the discount stores and not at posh ’alternative’ shops or ’Marks and Sparks’ type supermarkets. 

Can they, as things stand, afford to go ‘green?’