Labour Conference

Peter Mandelson claims that there was an ideological "chasm" between Labour and the Tories. Gordon Brown spent a large part of his speech attacking the Tories, clearly the current economic problems are all their fault???

It is all part of the strategy for this Labour conference to convince the electorate that it has a choice between parties - pretending that there isn't a choice whether or not to kick out Gordon Brown.

Strangely enough the LibDem conference was much the same, they attacked the Tories, and ignored Labour. Why not blame UKIP for us joining the EU while they are at it? Its because they both see the Tories as the opposition, the ones they have want to compete with. And they are both thinking about a coalition if there is a hung parliament.

But the electorate must be thinking; 'Where have these people been for the last 12 years?' Labour have had a series of disasters, but have spun/rewritten history. They think voters have short memories. I think most voters are far more sophisticated than this.

Who can forget Gordon Browns, “there will be no return to Tory Boom and Bust”. Or the money he wasted on; ID cards, trident replacement, motorway widening, Iraq, Afghanisthan, data protection, education, crime, transport, MP expenses ...


Being a Green what annoys me most about Labour is that despite some fine speeches on the environment, emissions have continued to rise with Labour. They haven't had the gumption or courage to do anything much on this issue. Will the Tories be any different? Probably much the same, Cameron said 'There's barely a cigarette paper between us in all these areas' regarding the Lib Dems and the Tories, he must be thinking about a different coalition. All three big parties have been competing with each other on who can cut spending the most. And all have avoided a referendum on Europe. So much for differences.


Twelve years on, the poor have got poorer, social mobility has stalled and quality of life has gone down. But just because the Labour dream is over, that doesn't mean the dreams of those who supported them have died. So where can those people turn to now? Its time for the Greens.

UN Climate Change Summit; Time For Action

Although some 100 world leaders met last week for a U.N. climate summit, most of the attention was on just two — President Barack Obama and China's Hu Jintao. Both vowed to take the threat of rising seas, drought and deforestation seriously.

China and the U.S. each account for about 20 percent of all the world's greenhouse gas pollution created when coal, natural gas or oil are burned. The European Union is next, generating 14 percent, followed by Russia and India, which each account for 5 percent.

Chinese President Hu Jintao's speech at the UN climate change summit Tuesday on China's efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions has been applauded by world leaders, officials and experts.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed appreciation to China's new proposal. "I think that anyone who still doubts their sincerity on climate change needs to take another look. China realizes the impact that climate change has and that they must act," Ban said.

In his address, Hu said China will intensify effort to conserve energy and improve energy efficiency, and endeavor to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by a "notable margin" by 2020 from the 2005 level.

Former U.S. vice president and 'environmental activist' Al Gore praised on Tuesday China's efforts the country has devoted to tackle climate change. "It's not widely known in the rest of the world but China in each of the last two years has planted two and half times more trees than the entire rest of the world put together," he noted. He believed Hu's remarks could point to more actions.

The Chinese president said at the summit that China will adopt to further integrate actions on climate change into its economic and social development plan.

Andrew Deutz of the Washington-based Nature Conservancy said China's announcement was "a step in the right direction." "China is creating expectations for Copenhagen, even if it has not delivered yet," he said.

Greenpeace China climate change campaign manager Yang Ailun said Hu's speech was a positive sign that China was serious about fighting climate change, as it "has publicly confirmed that China would have a carbon emissions reduction target."

Oxfam Hong Kong campaign coordinator Stanley So also praised Hu for showing "willingness" to take on responsibility for reducing emissions.

India, too, may draw away some of the spotlight for laying out plans for the fifth-biggest contributor of global warming gases to bump up fuel efficiency, burn coal more cleanly, preserve forests and grow more organic crops. "The crisis today on climate change is the inability of the United States to put on the table credible emissions reduction targets for 2020," said Jairam Ramesh, India's environment minister.

The United States, under former President George W. Bush's administration, long cited inaction by China and India as the reason for rejecting mandatory cuts in greenhouse gases.
Sounds like a childish game to me; did the strategy "I won't do it because he won't" ever get anyone anywhere? Enough with the excuses; lets see the action.

"We don't have much time left to make it," Obama told the highest-level conference yet on climate change. "We understand the gravity of the climate threat. We are determined to act. And we will meet our responsibility to future generations." Obama said his administration has made the "largest-ever" American investment in renewable energy: doubling the generating capacity from wind and other renewable resources in three years, launching offshore wind energy projects and spending billions to capture carbon pollution from coal plants. Obama has announced a target of returning to 1990 levels of greenhouse emissions by 2020. Todd Stern, the top U.S. climate envoy, said the Obama administration is moving "full speed ahead" toward helping craft a global climate deal.

Tuesday's meeting is intended to rally momentum for crafting a new global climate pact at Copenhagen, Denmark, in December. Bush rejected the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for cutting global emissions of warming gases, which expires at the end of 2012, based on its impact on the U.S. economy and exclusion of major developing nations like China and India, both major polluters.
But neither China nor India say they will agree to binding greenhouse-gas cuts like those envisioned in a new climate pact to start in 2013. They question why they should, when not even the U.S. will agree to join rich nations in scaling back their pollution.



The EU is urging other rich countries to match its pledge to cut emissions by 20 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, and has said it would cut up to 30 percent if other rich countries follow suit.

Activists on Tuesday criticized Obama's speech for lacking specifics. "While other countries announced specific targets and timetables, including China, Japan and the Maldives, President Obama did not address these critical elements," said Keya Chatterjee, head of the World Wildlife Fund's climate program.

"Someone must have switched the coffee to decaf at today's U.N. climate summit," Oxfam International spokesman David Waskow said. "Heads of state did not seem to have the necessary energy to deliver the drive we need heading into Copenhagen. We must not let poetic words cover up inadequate action." "President Obama did not go far enough today and he really needs to throw himself in the game," Waskow said. "Other countries, however, did step up: China expressed readiness to set a carbon intensity target and Japan announced to the world its intention to achieve substantial emissions cuts by 2020."

The United States hasn't passed any mandatory curbs on greenhouse gases; come on Obama, you said it was time to change, now its time to get a move on.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/23/content_12103241.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32965467/ns/us_news-environment/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090922/ap_on_re_as/un_un_climate_talks
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/22/un-climate-summit-puts-ch_n_294409.html

The Global Climate Wake-Up Call

This is an excellent video from Mondays action tcktcktck - The Global Climate Wake-Up Call

Well done Avaaz and all who took part.

Green Construction Blogs

I started writing a blog on Green Construction in February this year because I had some thoughts on the subject, and there didn't seem so be many others. It was a chance to post pictures and information on some eco houses, as well as the priciples behing green building.

I haven't put that much effort into it since then, but occasionally will blog about something of interest. So it was with some surprise that I was told I had become No. 27 of the top 50 Construction Blogs .

Thats 7th of 10 in Green Construction! I had a look at the others, most are in the USA and written by professional journalists!


Check out eartharchitecture its great. Particularly the pre electric persian refrigerators.

Pray The Devil Back To Hell

More 4 have just shown the award winning film about the Womens peace movement in Liberia; 'Pray The Devil Back To Hell'.

Directed by Academy Award-nominated, Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Gini Reticker, 'Pray the Devil Back to Hell' was produced by Abigail Disney, who is also the co-founder and co-president of the Daphne Foundation.

The documentary tells the story of how women in Liberia joined together to end the civil war. The helped guide the transitional government though the process of demilitarization, worked with ex-child soldiers, oversaw democratic elections, and celebrated the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first female president of an African nation, as the new president of Liberia.

Last year the film opened to rave reviews in more than 80 cities and at film festivals around the world. It has also served as a focal point of events for war survivors and policymakers in conflict zones around the world. 

"When Abby Disney first approached me to direct 'Pray the Devil Back to Hell', I had some trepidation," noted director Reticker. "All the stories coming out of Liberia had been so bleak, the violence against women appalling, the forced conscription of child soldiers heart-wrenching. I wondered if I could immerse myself in that material for the length of time it takes to make a documentary."

"And then, we met Leymah Gbowee, one of the main characters portrayed in the film. All of my trepidation turned instantly into unfettered enthusiasm. I couldn't believe how fortunate I was to be able to tell the extraordinary story of these women who had joined together to bring peace to their devastated country. Their remarkable accomplishment had been virtually ignored by the press and was on its way to being forgotten. Being part of ensuring that their story shines has been an absolute privilege."

imdb
praythedevilbacktohell

Flashmob In Reading; calling Gordon (Or a Milband/Mandleson)

As per my blog the other day, Reading today saw a flashbob. A group of people from various backgrounds held a "wake-up call" pressing our leaders to take urgent action on climate change.


Rob White and me


Rob calling Gordon Brown

http://www.avaaz.org/en/sept21_hub/ has phone numbers to call:
Here are the numbers to call in your country (Please start calling after 12.18pm Monday local time):

Prime Minister Gordon Brown
(+44) 020 8144 7459 / 0300 060 4000

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband
(+44) (0)207 979 7777 / 0300 060 4000

Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs David Miliband
(+44) (0)20 7008 1500

First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills Peter Mandelson
(+44) (0)20 7215 5000 or (0)20 7215 6740 (Minicom)

Please make at least one call, and if you don’t get through, it’s probably because we’re jamming the phone-lines and it’s working — so just keep trying throughout the day, or switch to another number!

We suggest you say you’re calling as part of an international action called the Global Wake-Up call, asking leaders to commit to go to the Copenhagen climate meeting in December and agree on a global climate deal that is FAIR, AMBITIOUS and BINDING (“FAB”), and ask them to register your call and convey the message to the decision-maker.

Vince Cable Admits He Flip Flops On Policy

Since the crash, Vince Cable has held a position in the media as a seer who predicted the financial cricis. I dont recall any such prediction from him, but then I don't spend much of my time listening to Cable.

At last a journalist questions this, step forward Andrew Neil on Straight Talk gives him a proper seeing to. It turns out he flipped flopped on his predictions and his policies. He admits it on the programme. For example Cable also says that he was wrong to support the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS last year. As he puts it: "My first reaction was not the right one".

Oddly it turns out that Cable used to be Neils economics tutor at Glasgow!

Guido
spectator

the tcktcktck pre-Copenhagen campaign

On Monday September 21st, thousands of us are getting together in public places across the world to hold "wake-up call" events pressing our leaders to take urgent action on climate.

Global leaders have only three months to get their act together and sign a strong Climate Treaty in Copenhagen. With all kinds of events in 5 continents organised by Avaaz and our partners in the campaign, we will show our leaders that our movement is massive and unstoppable.

Click on www.avaaz.org to find the one nearest you

The Red Rubber Band Mystery

Theyworkforyou have asked the question that many people have been asking; why are so many red rubber bands on the pavement?

See this


At least we now know that 'The rubber bands we use are specifically designed to be more biodegradable than the normal brown rubber bands and this is intended to lessen the
environmental impact.'

Freecycle Freegle Split

Along with many others, my local Freecycle Group has split with the founders of the movement, and become Freegle.

Why the change? The main reason for the move is simple. While Freecycle is a GREAT idea, all our UK groups were working under a system devised in and for the United States. Leaders of Freecycle in the UK spent more than two years talking with the main Freecycle Network trying to get the freedom to run things in a way more suited to our own country and our own laws. Nothing
changed.

In July four leading members of our National UK Freecycle team resigned. Moderators around the country then formed an Independent Association of Freecycle Moderators and again tried talks with The Freecycle Network. But again to no avail.

Since then an increasing number of Group Owners and Moderators have been summarily dismissed from Freecycle including the former UK Director of Freecycle UK and a member of our own moderation team here in Reading.

So what's Freegle? Freegle is the name chosen by the new UK ex-Freecycle team and will be a
much more loosely-knit umbrella organisation to assist in our original goals - not having to chuck stuff on the landfill. Local groups will have the freedom to essentially do as they wish in terms of rule changes, what we put on our front pages etc etc. We hope this is going
to be a positive step towards more democracy.

FreeGLE stands for "Freely Giving, Locally, Easily." Or something..

They say the reason is that 'Progressively since its beginnings it became evident that Freecycle changed radically under our feet while we were working to continue its success. This created an untenable situation for hundreds of volunteers in the UK. After patient negotiations with the founder of The Freecycle Network failed, Freegle was formed.'

They continue in keeping usable items out of landfill. All groups within Freegle belong to a truly grassroots movement that values and respects its members and volunteers.

Don't throw it away give it away!

You might not need your old sofa or wheelbarrow any more but there might be someone just round the corner who does. Or if there's something you'd like, someone nearby might have one that they might just throw away if they don't know what else to do with it.

Freegle groups make this happen online. Sign up, post an OFFER of something you want to get rid of, or a WANTED for something you need.

They are a national grassroots organisation of people who are giving and receiving free unwanted items in their immediate communities. Local charities, non-profit groups and communities are encouraged to join.

All groups within this organisation operate with a basic principle all offers and requests must be free and legal.

Our aim is to keep anything reusable out of our landfill sites. Plus meeting new people helps to develop local community networks and friendships in the process.

They apologise that they could not have informed members before the move. There was significant concern that Freecycle would take trademark-related actions against the group if they voiced their intentions.

Freecycle users
=================

NOTE unfortunately you are now a member of both "myfreecycle.org" AND ReadingFreegleUK. It's up to you which you choose to stay with but it's worth noting that ReadingFreegleUK has all 15800+ original members and the myfreecycle.org site has about a hundred people.. Unfortunately we can no longer assist you with myfreecycle as our moderation privs were removed.

Cafe Group
==========

Has not changed address and you can still talk about all things freegle or freecycle or whatever over there. :)

LINKS
=====

Freegle:
Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReadingFreegleUK
Email: ReadingFreegleUK@yahoogroups.com
Moderators: ReadingFreegleUK-owner@yahoogroup

Cafe:
Web: http://groups.yahoo.co.uk/group/Reading_And_Woodley_Cafe
Email: Reading_And_Woodley_Cafe@yahoogroups.co.uk

Freecycle remain at http://www.uk.freecycle.org/
It now has only 221 Members

Jeremy Clarkson And A Steaming Pile Of Dung

In 2005 the threw pies at him, but did this make Jeremy Clarkson more aware of climate change?

Dressed in tight jeans and frizzy wigs to ape the presenter's distinctive look, the protesters presented Clarkson with their own - more appropriate - award. Thousands of people have signed a petition apposing the award of a degree to the Top Gear presenter by Oxford Brookes. Clarkson is famous for bigotry, ignorance and denying the seriousness of climate change.

He wrote at the time: "Of course, there is no doubt that the world is warming up but let's just stop and think for a moment what the consequences might be. Switzerland loses its skiing resorts? The beach in Miami is washed away? North Carolina gets knocked over by a hurricane? Anything bothering you yet? ...It isn't even worthy of a shrug." (Sunday Times, 16 Jan 2005).

In 2008 he said: "...everything we’ve been told for the past five years by the Government, Al Gore, Channel Four News and hippies everywhere is a big bucket of nonsense"

So yesterday Climate change protesters have dumped a pile of horse manure at the home Jeremy Clarkson in a protest about vehicle emissions.



Six women stood by the dung in the drive of his home in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, with a sign that read: "This is what you're landing us in."

The protesters from direct action group Climate Rush said they were being as "blasé as him" about emissions. Clarkson made no comment and Thames Valley Police said no-one was arrested.

Brown Applogies For Alan Turning; But Not The Rest

Gordon Brown is responsible for much that is wrong with Britain today. The list is too long to repeat here but 'highlights' include; the economy, MG Rover, Sir Fred the shred, almost no action on climate change, almost no action on poverty reduction, growing disparity between the rich (who have gotten much richer) and the poor, Iraq, Afghanishan, Trident replacement, Heathrow 3rd runway, Ghurkas, MPs expenses, Martin the Speaker... etc.

At least the Prime Minister's apology for the homophobic persecution of war-time code breaker and computer genius Alan Turing is commendable; governments rarely apologise for anything.

'A similar apology is due to the estimated 100,000 British men who were also convicted of consenting, victimless same-sex relationships during the twentieth century'

said Peter Tatchell.

Alan Turing helped break the code which allowed the Navy to defeat his U-boats and win the Battle of the Atlantic.

Turing's old colleague at Bletchley Park, Professor Jack Good, who died this year at the age of 92, commented drily that it 'was a good thing the authorities hadn't known Turing was a homosexual during the war, because if they had, they would have fired him - and we would have lost'.

In 1952 Turing was arrested and tried for homosexuality, then a criminal offence. To avoid prison, he accepted injections of oestrogen for a year, which were intended to neutralise his libido. In that era, homosexuals were considered a security risk as they were open to blackmail. Turing's security clearance was withdrawn, meaning he could no longer work for GCHQ, the post-war successor to Bletchley Park. He committed suicide on 7 June 1954.

Though most famous for his codebreaking, Turing also made significant contributions to the emerging field of artificial intelligence and computing, and is often considered to be the father of modern computer science. After the war he worked at many institutions, including the University of Manchester, where he worked on the Manchester mark 1, one of the first recognisable modern computers. In 1999 Time Magazine named him as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.

Organic Food Festival 12 - 13 Sept 2009 Bristol

The Organic Food Festival is Europe’s largest showcase of all things organic. Now in its ninth year, the Festival demonstrates the growth of the organic movement and the increased recognition of the role organic production can play in creating a sustainable future.

Whether you are in search of delicious organic food and drink, gorgeous skin care, fabulous fashion, organic textiles, home design, tips on organic gardening or you are looking for an entertaining family-friendly outing, this much loved festival is just what you are looking for.

The Organic Food Festival provides the chance to meet producers face to face, watch recession-busting cooking demonstrations, sample street food from Bristol’s top chefs and introduce your kids to special taste workshops designed just for them.

http://www.theorganicfoodfestival.co.uk/2009/

There was a debate about the nutritional value of organic food recently, that missed the main reasons people like it. Conventional farming isn't sustainable, it kills off the soil, requires vast amounts of fossil fuel and has a poor standard of animal welfare.


Maria Rodale

chemical pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and the GMO's used in chemically based food production, are implicated in, if not causing, the following health problems: diabetes, obesity, cancer, autism, Parkinson's disease, male sterility, genital deformities, female infertility, miscarriage, infant deformities, ADHD, hormonally caused gender confusion, asthma, allergies, accelerated aging, and smaller penises in boys, amphibians, and other wildlife.

Leo Hickman

I'm not aware of anyone who eats organic food who does so on the sole premise that they believe it is nutritionally superior. The reason why the vast majority of people who buy organic food – including myself – are prepared to pay a premium (and, by all means, let's discuss why supermarkets still continue to cynically mark up their organic food) is for a host of other far more compelling reasons.

Guy Dauncey

A report by Britain’s Soil Association shows that wildlife is substantially richer and more varied on organic than on conventional farms. A typical organic field has five times as many wild plants, 57% more species, and 44% more birds in cultivated areas than a regular farm1.

GardenMandy gives 33 Reasons Why Organic Food Is Better For Us All

Cut carbon emissions by 10% in 2010

There is a campaign called 10:10 to cut Britain?s carbon emissions by 10% in 2010. Climate destruction is the single greatest threat to the survival of humanity. It is more dangerous than terrorism and war.

Peter Tatchell helped launch the 10:10 campaign at the Tate Modern in London last week, together with Sarah Waters, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Sara Cox, Antony Gormley, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Andrew Motion, Ken Livingstone and Shami Chakrabarti.

"Together, we can help stop global warming and, by our personal example, pressure government and business to do the same" said Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner and Green Party parliamentary candidate for Oxford East.

You can sign up to support the 10:10 campaign here:

http://www.1010uk.org


It seems Labour and Lib Dems are also joining, which is good news; its about time they did something. Labour have ensured emissions will increase by expanding Heathrow and Motorways, the money should have gone on buses and trains. The LD have done much the same with Motorways in Scotland and Airports in the SW. The big three parties have together stopped many renewable energy projects, we have a great resource with wind power but most of our elected politicians are too scared and ignorant.

Because of this; except for the present recession, emissions from industrialised nations have risen year on year since the 1992 Earth Summit. According to a recent government report, current UK lifestyles now have 18% higher emissions than they did in 1990. So despite climate change dominating much of the media and political debates, the reality is that we have failed to make a meaningful transition to low-carbon living – worse still, our emissions are rising.

Object To The Destruction Of The Bath Road Reservoir

Write To:
Justin Turvey, Planning Department, Reading Borough Council , Civic Centre Reading


Ref: 09/01360/OUT and 09/01359/LBC

Dear Justin Turvey

I object to the proposed redevelopment at the Bath Rd Reservoir site on the following grounds:

Elimination of one of the last sizeable green ‘lungs’ and open space in central Reading

Irreparable damage to vital ecology and wildlife

Increase in traffic in an already congested area

Exacerbation of the already severe parking issues that this area experiences

Damage to the character and heritage of the local area/damage to community cohesion

Unsympathetic design of proposed development leading to issues of overbearing, overshadowing and overlooking

Further damage to air quality in an existing Air Quality Management Area (Castle Hill/Tilehurst Road)

Loss of amenity - noise, dust, scale of proposed development, loss of trees

Overburdening of local resources and services (local health, education, sustainability and community safety)

Disregard and disrespect for original Planning Brief, which Thames Water constantly misrepresent in their press statements


Thanks to Mel from http://www.savethebathroadreservoir.co.uk/help.html for doing this.

Holiday In Italy; Bologna and Tuscany

For the last couple of weeks I've been in Italy (though not by flying); here are some highlights.

The residents of Bologna take their food seriously and expect only the best at their markets. The colors, freshness of the produce and smells wafting from various shops will affect you. I went WOOFing there a few years ago, and was eager to return.



Then there was the historic Tuscan Town San Gimignano where the Historic Centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was an Etruscan village in (200-300 BC) but flourished as a medieval town.



San Gimignano was full of tall towers built by competitive and quarrelsome Tuscan families. Warring, the Black Death and the aggression of nearby Florence put a halt to the town's progress, and it remained a memorial to its 11th-13th century prosperity. There were once an incredible 72 towers rising above the town's rooftops. There are fewer towers nowadays, but the fourteen remaining are still impressive in the misty distance.




People can get married there in a room used by the Dante Alighieri in 1300; he came to San Gimignano as the Ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany. The walls are covered in frescos (Lippo Memmi 1317) So you can't use flash photography; the furniture is too ancient to sit on so you have to stand. But the ceremony is conducted by the Mayor!


Slow Food Bologna Market
www.deliciousitaly.com
San Gimignano
San Gimignano history
Wedding Italy

Peak District National Park at risk

peak_district_park_scape_crop, originally uploaded by adrianwindisch.

A legal victory was won earlier this year to stop quarrying at Peak District National Park, thanks to six years of campaigning by a coalition of organisations including Friends of the Earth.

But there are strong fears that operators will use planning loopholes to continue destroying the Park.

Longstone Edge Coalition was formed to save this area of the Peak District from being ruined by quarrying. In March this year the Court of Appeal ordered that excessive quarrying must stop. But the company continued to remove limestone from the ground.

The operator has since withdrawn from the site. But quarrying could start again at any time as the planning permission is still valid.

The Coalition is asking Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, to bring a permanent solution to the threat of quarrying.

We urge the Government, on behalf of all that care about protecting our national parks, to finish the job. We must win the war as well as the battle by buying Backdale out from the quarry operators.

This can be achieved by a 'buy out' package where the Government buys up the land and minerals rights. Through this the old planning permission will be withdrawn.

This year is the 60th anniversary of the National Parks Act

Act now to save the park. Write to Hilary Benn on behalf of the coalition asking him to bring a permanent solution to the quarrying that is destroying Longstone Edge. This would be a perfect way to mark the 60th anniversay of the National Parks Act. Act now to save Peak District National Park from quarry devastation.

Green Party Conference Coverage Last Week

This is the first conference I've missed in 4 years, so its nice to see it got some good coverage. Thinking that there might not be an election coordinator on the Green Party national executive I agreed to stand as a job share, but I didn't win. So Good luck Judy Maciejowska (who won) and to all the new GPEx members.

Conference Links:
http://www.greenparty.org.uk/mediacentre/releases/07-09-2009-link-gender-and-crime.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/sep/04/green-party-environment-elections

The Guardian (comment is free): Caroline Lucas MEP: "Painting Westminster Green" - Caroline writes a piece on our prospects and hopes for our electoral success next year and about the conference itself

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/sep/04/labour-climate-change-political-crime-greens

The Guardian - "Labour failure on climate change ‘a political crime’ " - an article on Caroline Lucas MEP’s speech to conference, outlining the main points that she put across

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/sep/04/greens-pfi-hospitals

The Guardian - "Government should buy back PFI Hospitals, say Greens" - article based on NHS/PFI proposals in Adrian Ramsays’s speech

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/04/green-party-brighton-election

The Guardian - Michael White - "Greens swap hair shirts for card votes" - analysis of Green Party policies and comment on hopes for the General Election

==

http://www.epolitix.com/latestnews/article-detail/newsarticle/greens-look-ahead-to-election-push/?no_cache=1

epolitix.com - "Greens look ahead to election push" - very positive article, praising the greens for the ‘altruistic’ nature of their conference.

http://www.epolitix.com/latestnews/article-detail/newsarticle/lucas-eyes-commons-seat/?no_cache=1

epolitix.com - "Lucas eyes commons seat" - another very positive article, this time focussing on Caroline Lucas MEP’s speech to conference.


BBC Online - "Greens Attack Climate Inaction" - overview of Caroline’s speech, again focusing on the political crime of not doing enough on climate change

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8237887.stm


http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2009/09/green-party-citizens-rights

The New Statesman - "Citizens or subjects?" - a report from the plenary panel with Liberty, Amnesty, Reprieve and Caroline



http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/have-greens-finally-found-right-conditions-in-which-to-grow-1781471.html

The Independent - "Have Greens finally found the right conditions in which to grow?" - portrays Greens as a mature political party that is preparing to gain prominence in British politics


http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/britain/Greens-stand-for-more-than-climate
The Morning Star: "Greens stand for more than just climate" - a very positive article outlining GP hopes for electoral success next year.

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/britain/Leader-calls-for-rethink-on-sex-work
The Morning Star: "Greens Leader calls for rethink on sex work"

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/britain/We-must-fight-for-working-class-vote
The Morning Star: "Greens say we must fight for working class votes"

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/britain/Delegates-vote-for-military-exit
The Morning Star: Green delegates for exit from Afghanistan

http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2249007/green-party-blasts-government
businessgreen.com, "Green Party blasts government for not supporting renewables"


Brighton Argus -- letter on conference ‘rape hotline’: http://www.theargus.co.uk/search/4580283.Report_rapes/


G-Scene on policing panel at conference:
http://www.gscene.com/local/Greens_to_debate_policing_today.shtml


Norwich Evening News: Greens Call for an End to N&N PFI Deal Outlines the Green Party’s objections to Private Financing of hospitals and schools, focuses on Adriam Ramsay as local candidate and deputy leader

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED04%20Sep%202009%2016:37:15:660


Broadcast media

BBC Online - Video of Caroline Lucas MEP’s speech highlights
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8237960.stm

- BBC South (morning news regional package, twice an hour, the morning of the 3rd September)

- 5 Live Breakfast, 4th September (Caroline Lucas MEP),
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00mf35p/5_live_Breakfast_04_09_2009/
0.46

- 5 Live Drive, 4th September (Adrian Ramsay),
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00mf3b6/5_live_Drive_04_09_2009/
1:50





http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/07/politics-small-parties