A Wind Of Change

Since 18 December 2010 there have been a wave of revolutions:
Jasmine in Tunisia with President Ben Ali going into exile after 24 years in charge,
and Egypt with President Mubarak on trial after 30 years;
a civil war in Libya resulting in the fall of the regime there after 42 years;
civil uprisings in Bahrain pearl revolution,
Syria ending its 47 years of emergency rule,
and Yemen after a 30 year rule from President Saleh.

I cant recall a wave of change like this since 1989 when Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Romania left Soviet influence.

Clashes at many other areas including the borders of Israel show the Arab Spring is not over yet.

Some have predicted 2012 is the year of great changes, its easy to scoff but no-one predicted what has happened in 2011. Or that the world financial crisis would happen in 2008. I'm not sure Boris getting to run the London Olympics is quite the disaster that was predicted.

A more sustainable world is what is needed, and that means planning for future generations, not using all our scarce resources on ourselves. Climate change and peak oil are coming soon, the effects are being felt now. That means extreme weather and rising fuel prices. I expect the poorest will go hungry and those on marginal land, low lying or at the edge of deserts will have problems.

The Tories promised us the greenest government ever, but have not delivered. Some Tory MPs are saying climate change is not happening, only two seem to be making any sense. Local MP John Redwood looks out the window and sees a cold summer, ignoring the 'warmest British spring in 100 years followed one of the coldest UK winters in 300 years.'

Action is needed now, not excuses or red herrings. Let the wind of change blow across UK politics.