Back in Blogland

I have now returned from a short stay in the Scarborough (where incidentally we recently saw an excellent Green representative, Jonathan Dixon, elected as the first Green on the Council) Before I went I was alerted to the new blog of my friend Bernie from the Urban 75 boards - Fundamentalist Druid - which I have linked in my blogroll. Bernie has been a valuable source of information on global warming and other environmental and sustainability issues. One site that Bernie often links to is the wonderful Irish based, but now international, FEASTA - (Foundation For The Economics of Sustainability) which I have added to my list of useful 'Research and Resources' sites.

So, what has been happening whilst I have been away sampling the clear, cold, clean air of the North Yorks Moors? Well, in British popular culture, the fuss has been the new series of Celebrity Big Brother, which has seen not only the return of the famous-for-longer-than-15-minutes Jade Goody, but also the arrival of once controversial, octogenarian film director Ken Russell, as commented on here by Mark Lawson in the Guardian. Earlier in the week, TV returned to the lives of the fictional, now thirty-something, ex-yuppies of This Life in a one-off drama, This Life +10, reviewed here by Ed at International Rooksbyism.

On a more serious note there is still the chance to vote in the BBC Politics Show poll to prevent evil old 'leaderene' Thatcher being voted top political hero. The choice is basically her or Tony Benn - whatever we may think of Tony, the choice for anyone not under the mind-rotting control of the Hayekian-free-market-Borg is a real no-brainer!

On the Green Political front, our new Male Principal Speaker for England and Wales, Derek Wall, was interviewed by the BBC. Derek and the Green Party Trade Union Group have been spreading the word about the RMT campaign in support of rail cleaners and the demonstration/lobby in London on this issue on Monday 8th January.

The biggest green story of the week has been the row over airline emissions initiated by the comments of "Climate Change Minister" Ian Pearson. Stephen Joseph of Transport 2000 comments on the Comment is Free blogs pages here.
Caroline Lucas MEP put the Green Party view, which is increasingly sought out by the media in this age of "greenwash" from the big three parties.

Internationally the situation in Somalia remained grave, with various interested parties overseas frantically pulling barely concealed strings to effect the most desirable outcome to suit their interests.


Closer to home, prominent London Green Noel Lynch has started a blog called the Green Room, that I have added to my blogroll along with two other London Greens that he links to - Greenpeace worker and former Australian Labour Party candidate Joseph O'Reilly and the marvellously flamboyant Dickon Edwards.