| As soon as the verdict was announced on Friday morning, and with Louise Evans out of the country, I had a deluge of requests for response interviews from local TV and radio.The BBC and ITV TV interviews ended up as quick sound bites (not available as yet in iPlayer), but I was pleased with the two in depth interviews broadcast on Radio Wales.
The first was broadcast on the lunchtime news bulletin: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01kdrq2/The_Radio_Wales_PhoneIn_06_07_2012/ from 1:01:12 to 1:04:04 I was then called to the Llandaff studios for an interview on Good Evening Wales to respond directly to an interview they had recorded earlier in the day with Gerwyn Williams. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01kdrq6/Good_Evening_Wales_06_07_2012/ Gerwyn’s segment can be found between 32:15 and 38:52, but unfortunately, the second half of the programme is not playing at the moment. When you listen to Gerwyn’ segment, most of you will be able to predict my response I would imagine. This battle may be lost, but my resolve to win the war is strengthened! Andy |
Bridgend Local Hero Awards – any Green nominations?
| Nominations close on 15th July. Any suggestions for nominations for The GREEN AWARD, in particular?
More info: http://www.bridge.fm/?do=hero |
Green Party Leadership Hustings in Cardiff next Saturday
| All party members are invited to a hustings event for all the national Party Leadership candidates. Come and meet the person who will try to fill Caroline Lucas’ boots as our Party Leader. This is a great opportunity to properly inform you vote in the ballot. Ask the candidates the questions you want answered about the future direction of the Party and evaluate who is best equipped to cope under the spotlight that being Party Leader inevitably brings. All 4 candidates for Leader are expected to attend. EVENT DETAILS Cost? No charge – although a collection will be taken towards meeting candidates expenses. It will be the end of a long and tiring day for the candidates; they have similar events in Reading on that morning, and Bristol that afternoon. If anyone is unable to attend, but has a particular question they want answered by the candidates, then please forward it to me and I will do my best to get it answered for you. Andy |
Llandow Appeal Decision
| THIS IS THE TEXT OF THE INSPECTOR’S PUBLISHED DECISION. COMMENT AND REACTION WILL FOLLOW Appeal Decision Inquiry held on 22&23/05/12 By Emyr Jones BSc(Hons) CEng MICE Appeal Ref: APP/Z6950/A/11/2167112 The Welsh Ministers have transferred the authority to decide this appeal to me as the . . . . Decision 1. www.planningportal.gov.uk/planninginspectorate Appeal Decision APP/Z6950/A/11/2167112 To minimise the risk of the loss of drilling fluid to ground water resources during 6) I) Ii) Iii) Iv) V) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) www.planningportal.gov.uk/planninginspectorate 2 Appeal Decision APP/Z6950/A/11/2167112 Application for costs 2. 3. 4. 3 Appeal Decision APP/Z6950/A/11/2167112 9. Groundwater 10. The application was refused planning permission on the basis of Dwr Cymru/Welsh 4 Appeal Decision APP/Z6950/A/11/2167112 14. The anticipated drilling fluid is a proprietary product known as Pure-Bore. Noise and vibration 20. The application proposes 24 hour working during the drilling, testing and restoration 5 Appeal Decision APP/Z6950/A/11/2167112 260m away is 20 dB(A)L90. This is well below the level at which it would be 22. However, the Noise Assessment only considers the drilling rig whilst the operation 6 Appeal Decision APP/Z6950/A/11/2167112 glacial till which would absorb surface vibrations, I have no reason to believe that Protected species 27. The Countryside Council for Wales notes that the site is within 800m of a known lesser 31. Interested persons are concerned as to the volume of traffic that would be generated. 7 Appeal Decision APP/Z6950/A/11/2167112 Conditions 33. The Statement of Common Ground includes a list of conditions with reasons agreed 8 Appeal Decision APP/Z6950/A/11/2167112 Overall conclusion 40. For the reasons given above, I conclude that the proposal does not conflict with UDP Inspector www.planningportal.gov.uk/planninginspectorate 9 Appeal Decision APP/Z6950/A/11/2167112 APPEARANCES FOR THE LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITY: Mr G Davies, Solicitor The Vale of Glamorgan Council www.planningportal.gov.uk/planninginspectorate 10 Appeal Decision APP/Z6950/A/11/2167112 DOCUMENTS 1 Councils notification of Inquiry and list of those notified Documents 4 to 9 and 18a-c were submitted by the appellants www.planningportal.gov.uk/planninginspectorate 11 |
Is anti-science dogma damaging the Green Party? (asks Andy Chyba)
| Alongside my involvement in the Green Party, I am also an active member of the British Humanist Association (BHA) http://www.humanism.org.uk/home and The Rationalist Association (RA) http://newhumanist.org.uk/ra/ .
Tha RA publishes a journal called NEW HUMANIST, to which I subscribe, and its most recent edition contains an comment piece by freelance writer, James Gray, that states that anti-science dogma is damaging the Greens. It is well worth a read. It appears to have been prompted by Green Party London AM, Jenny Jones, endorsing the recent anti-GM protests in Hertfordshire. He quotes criticism of this by Nick Cohen, in The Spectator, who labelled the protest organisers a “quasi-religious movement”, and adherents of the “green faith”, harbouring “an almost pagan delusion that nature is pure and must be saved”. I am not sure that he intended the patent irony of such over-the-top dogmatic language, but I understand what he is getting at, don’t you? Gray goes on to point us towards Mark Lynas’ The God Species, which opines that “There’s a sense that a substantial proportion of conventional eco-philosophy is not based on rational empirical evidence…… They claim to be comfortable with science on climate change, but show the reverse inclination when it comes to issues like GM and nuclear power.” Gray further makes the point by highlighting some of the distinctly mystical language used (albeit occasionally only) in the seminal A Blueprint for Survival (1972) and Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful (1973). It is up to all of us within the Green Party today to reflect on these perceptions of our movement. I have spent enough time in the party now, and grown to know a wide cross-section of members from across the country, to recognise that these perceptions are a perfectly valid description of some elements within the party. But it is also my feeling that these elements are very much in a minority, although some are quite influential. We need to challenge them and, if they prove dogmatically intransigent, drive them away – as they do nothing but undermine our credibility. Thankfully, Gray recognises that these elements within the Party are indeed being challenged by a new generation of resolutely pro-science activists. He quotes Bex Holmes, environmental scientist and Scottish Green Party activist: “If you’ve not been trained to use an evidence based approach to form your opinions then you will be likely swayed by emotional campaigns”. She urges rationalists within the party to get actively involved and insist on evidence-based policies. I could not agree more. The key issue here is recognising and acknowledging good science and being able to discern bad science. Bex Holmes rightly stresses that this takes training – training that all-too-many would be politicians (in all parties) simply do not have. If we are to win the arguments and, even more importantly, present workable solutions in our policies, we have to guard against dogmatic knee-jerk reactions and build our manifesto on good science and rational thinking – even when it is not part of our utopian visions. We must not fall into the trap that always mires the other main parties, and pretend we know all the answers. Healthy scepticism while the jury is out is fine. The ‘precautionary approach’ is what we often call it these days. But we must not close our minds to sound evidence before us, or else those ‘quasi-religious’ jibes will have substance. |
Withdraw Barclays’ Banking Licence – HM Govt e-petition
| Within a capitalist economy banks perform a vital function in facilitating the production and exchange of goods and services. In return for fulfilling this role responsibly they are allowed to hold a banking licences, which brings them great benefits in terms of the ability to create money through making loans. The systematic manipulation of the LIBOR value to serve its business interests makes clear that Barclays is not a fit company to hold a banking licence. We call upon the government to withdraw Barclays banking licence.
This e-petition has been created by a Green Economist that I hold in great esteem – Molly Scott Cato. More than this though, it aims to bring down an institution that I have personally loathed for more than 30 years (see: http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Barclays#Controversies ) . Do the whole world a favour and sign it – please! (Andy) |
Leadership Election candidates update – Bridgend Chair pins his colours to the mast and invites debate
| The full list of candidates for the Party Leadership ballot has just been confirmed as follows.
Leader: Deputy Leader: All members will be balloted in due course. Bridgend Chair, Andy Chyba’s view The joint ticket of Romayne and Will represents a Green Left dream ticket as far as I am concerned and gets my full support. It is my firm conviction that the Green Party has to position itself unashamedly to the left and pronounce itself as the radical, progressive, ecosocialist and anti-capitalist party. Romayne has proven credentials in promoting these values. Romayne is perhaps currently best known for her work as the Chair of the Coalition of Resistance. COR is a broad movement of active resistance to the Con-Dem government’s budget intentions. Affiliates include MPs, trade unionists, economists and many others. Romayne was recently part of a delegation that visited Greece, meeting, amongst others, with Alexis Tsipras, leader of the Syriza Party that that came a close second in elections there recently. During her time as a Councillor in Lewisham, Romayne was one of the group of six Green Councillors that succeeded in securing the London Living Wage for Lewisham employees. We also have to be avowedly internationalist and outward looking as the challenges humanity faces are global challenges. This message is especially important to us here in Wales as we have to contend with, and differentiate ourselves from, the inwardly focussed environmentally aware left wingers in Plaid Cymru. Nationalism is the inevitable fatal flaw in the Plaid Cymru manifesto. As no lesser mind than Albert Einstein said: “Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.” Romayne and Will understand the need for collaboration, support and coordination with groups who support our aims across the world. With Derek Wall elected to the GPEx post of International Co-ordinator alongside them, with your help, we will have the strongest possible team to manage this crucial area of policy and practice. I therefore urge all members, first and foremost, to do their own due diligence, as I have done, and come to their own conclusions. If any Bridgend member would like to share their views and promote any candidate on this blog, again as I have done right here, then I will happily publish this here for you. Just forward it via email as usual. Anyone, of course (member or not), can also use the Comments facility to continue the debate. But for those interested in my advice, that advice is clear enough: VOTE FOR ROMAYNE & WILL FOR THE GREEN PARTY LEADERSHIP. |
POSITIVE MONEY Public Meeting
Tuesday, July 3, 2012, 7:30pm
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Bridgend Green Party Meeting 28th June
| Apologies for the late issuing of the agenda and the absence of minutes from the last meeting.
Hopefully, normal service will be resumed this month! In light of mixed feedback about the 7pm start time last month, we are going to try the compromise of 7.30pm to see if this suits more people. Bridgend Green Party Meeting ALL WELCOME AGENDA:
NOTE – Venue is 2 minutes walk from both the Bus and Train stations in Bridgend. |
New GREEN LEFT website launched
| New website: http://www.thegreenleft.org/index.html
ABOUT GREEN LEFT Green Left was launched in 2006 as a network for socialists and other radicals in the Green Party of England and Wales. It acts as an outreach body that communicates the partys radical policies to socialists and other anti-capitalists outside the party. Green Left (GL) is based on the assumption that capitalism is a system that wrecks the planet and promotes war. A green society must be based on economic, political and social justice. GL in short works to promote ecosocialism as a solution to our planetary ills. GL supports the democratic structures in the party and encourages transparency, accountability and engagement in all organs of the party. We also see the Green Party as a bottom up political organisation where the principles of the membership are paramount and not a top down one where a self-designated political elite decide on policies and principles. GL aims to increase and improve the international links of the Green Party, building links with radical greens and ecosocialists across the planet. It will work closely with members of other European Green Parties to reform the workings of the European Green Party structures that must be democratised. Green politics must realise the slogan think globally, act locally by linking practical local campaigns to global issues of ecology, democracy, justice and liberation. GL aims to act within the Green Party so as to raise Green Party politics to meet the demands of its radical policies. Green politics needs to be based on dynamic campaigning and hard intellectual groundwork to create workable alternatives. GL aims to build regional campaigns and contribute to coalition-building through coherent alignments and open discussion with progressive anti-capitalists. The movement that is required to address the issues across Britain, Europe and the world will not be the sole preserve of one party. The movement requires the development of united action by progressive forces including organisations formed by working people to defend their interests in the workplace. Within this diverse movement GL will stand firmly in favour of the libertarian and democratic traditions of ecosocialism. It is vitally important that the Green Party works to develop the continuing peace, environmental and social movements. An orientation to organised working people through the Green Party Trade Union Group (GPTU) also requires maximum support from GL, with the emphasis on supporting radical and rank and file currents in the unions. Likewise, GL should seek to promote organisation and solidarity amongst currently unorganised and marginalised groups. GL will work to enhance Green Party contributions to demonstrations, marches and other solidarity events. Greens must be active on issues that affect ordinary working people in their everyday lives and aim to be known as amongst their strongest defenders. While GL is keen to build links with members of faith communities, and to fight alongside them against intolerance and discrimination, it will not compromise on human rights including issues concerning women, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, and people with disabilities. Since the activism of William Morris in the Social Democratic Federation and Socialist League in the late nineteenth century, there has been an ecosocialist tradition in Britain. Green Left believes that ecosocialism provides an alternative to a society based on alienation, economic exploitation, corporate rule, ecological destruction and wars. Our analysis demands that in the best tradition of the historic left we agitate, educate and organise to build such an alternative. The time has come for drawing together forces that can present a serious challenge to the disastrous neo-liberal project. We believe that another world is possible, based on ecological and socialist values. In conclusion, Green Left would work to enable you to live in a society based on peace, ecological balance, economic equality and inclusion. Come and join us! |

