Politicians "in state of cognitive dissonance" over climate, says UK

Sir Jonathan Porritt, chairman of the UK's Sustainable Development Commission - the most influential Green in Britain - told journalists today that British politicians were "in a state of cognitive dissonance" over the ecological crisis.

Cognitive dissonance is the psychologists' term for an inability to make rational decisions despite being able to clearly see the evidence.

The Green Party, on the other hand, has been right all along, Sir Jonathan continued.

Speaking in Bristol at the launch of the South West Green Party campaign for the European Parliament elections, Sir Jonathan said that he fully supported the Green Party and had been a member continuously since its founding.

Sir Jonathan, who was director of Friends of the Earth before taking the top UK sustainable development job, told his audience about a recent analysis he had carried out on the 1979 election manifesto of the Ecology Party, the former name of the Green Party. It showed that 65% of the policies which were included have now been adopted by the three "mainstream" parties. "We were right all along," he said. But he warned that the big three parties still haven't got it right:

"Every single one of the issues that the Green Party has been campaigning on for the last 35 years is getting worse and worse, which means that people should no longer put off the day when they accept that the future is either Green or not at all."

Jonathan Porritt drew attention to the recent negotiations in Copenhagen and his amazement at the level of shock on the part of normally sober scientists when confronted with increasing evidence of runaway climate change.

He said he has been unable to make clear his political allegiances while working as a government adviser but this time around he is prepared to pin his Green colours to the mast. Joking that he only had four months left at the Sustainable Development Commission so he was unlikely to be sacked, he gave a ringing endorsement to the Green Euro-candidates.

A party spokesperson commented: "Now we need all those scientists who are fed up of governments dragging their heels over climate change to point out which party has the right policies. Alternatively, scientists can stand on the a-political sidelines and watch the holocaust that they've predicted actually happen."

EVENT NOTICE: Security and surveillance: London Euro MP speaks out at a public debate.

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, will speak alongside leading civil liberties campaigners at a public meeting this weekend which will bring together Green Party activists and campaigners from across Britain and Ireland.

The Green Islands Network will join the London Federation of Green Parties for an afternoon conference, Surveillance and Security in Europe, in central London (Dragon Hall, Stukeley St. London WC1 1.30-4.30pm) on Saturday March 14.

Jean Lambert MEP will speak at both sessions of the conference. She will join Tony Bunyan, director of Statewatch, and Guy Herbert, director of NO2ID, for the opening discussion on surveillance in Europe.

Jean, a longstanding campaigner for civil liberties, said:

"The British Government has spent the past decade carrying out a wholesale assault on our rights and freedoms, from ID cards and the DNA database to detention without trial and infringements on free speech. We are often reminded that the terror threat we face is international - we must think beyond our borders when forming our approach and response to questions of security, and the impact on our liberties, too, and Europe has an important
role to play in this.

As Greens, we have a strong and proud tradition of direct action and peaceful protest. This week commendable work by The Guardian newspaper revealed the extent of police surveillance not just of those who join marches and demos, but the journalists who act as the eyes and ears of the
public[3]. It was another example of the attack on all our liberties, and it makes this conference even more timely and important. I am looking forward to exchanging experiences and perspectives with Green campaigners from across these islands."

Later in the afternoon, Jean will speak with Steven Agnew, Northern Ireland Green spokesperson on Animal Welfare and Young People, in a session called The Security State - Northern Ireland Today.

Jean said:

"It has been very distressing to see the return of bloodshed to Northern Ireland, and I would like to echo the call for unity made by Brian Wilson MLA on behalf of the Green Party of Northern Ireland. For decades, security has governed the daily lives of all citizens in the six counties; the terrible murders of the two soldiers in Co Antrim on Saturday, and the police officer in Co Armagh on Monday, remind us of that. The insight that Greens from Northern Ireland can bring to this issue will be invaluable as we consider how we should balance public safety in the face of any terrorist threat, with the rights and freedoms which we must all be allowed to enjoy."

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Sri Lanka: MEPs call for immediate ceasefire so civilians can leave combat zone

The European Parliament today adopted a resolution on the situation in Sri Lanka calling for an immediate ceasefire by the Sri Lankan army and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Ealam (LTTE) in order to allow the civilian population to leave the combat zone.

It is estimated that 170,000 civilians are trapped in the battle zone
between the Sri Lankan army and the forces of the LTTE without access to the most basic aid.

Jean Lambert, London Green Party MEP and Member of the Human Rights Sub-Committee in the European Parliament, said: "The Parliament has today sent a strong message to both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government that it condemns the attacks on civilians. MEPs are very concerned about reports of serious overcrowding and poor conditions in the
refugee camps and we have called on both sides to respect international humanitarian law.

"The civilian population urgently needs protection and assistance and humanitarian organisations must be granted full access to the area. We call on the Sri Lankan Government to cooperate with countries and aid organisations to evacuate those civilians in need of medical assistance or
who wish to leave, and provide aid and support to those who stay."

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Green conference to consider radical policies for women in business

At the Green Party's spring conference in Blackpool, party leader Dr Caroline Lucas MEP will propose a motion on workplace equality.

The motion will note that women working fulltime in the UK are paid 17% less than men. And according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's "Sex and Power 2008" survey, the percentage of female directors has stalled at 11%, and fallen in a number of categories.

To help tackle this, the new Green policy would require:

* Medium and large companies to undertake equal pay audits that compare the earnings of their employees, and to take action to redress inequalities.
* Legal changes to make it much easier for women to take equal pay cases to court, and to allow women to take such cases as a group, with the support of their unions.
* Significant funding to be put into encouraging girls and women to consider a broader range of careers.
* The law to follow Norway's in requiring that companies listed on the Stock Exchange have 40% of their board members being female within five years of the date of the passing of the legislation.

A separate motion intended to improve women's rights in the UK would ensure major improvements in NHS pre- and post-natal care, including a full range of birth options and the right to a single midwide throughout.

Other motions on women's issues will include:

* A motion to help combat domestic abuse, starting with "respect" training in schools.
* A motion to extend the right to asylum for women and girls, to include asylum for those who would be forced to undergo forced marriage or genital mutilation were they denied asylum.

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Green MEP 'disappointed' by Euro-Parliament vote to 'let polluting industries off the hook' on air qualiti

The European Parliament today voted to revise EU legislation on industrial emissions - Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive. After the vote, Green MEP Caroline Lucas commented:

"While the outcome of today's vote on industrial pollution could have been even worse, sadly MEPs have voted to let some of the most polluting industries off the hook. Lobbying from oil, steel and chemical industry laggards unfortunately succeeded in duping a narrow majority of MEPs to support a last minute amendment.

"As a result, the EP has voted to exclude most of the manufacturing industry from the air quality limit values set out in the legislation for large combustion plants (1). This last minute amendment is blatantly against the aims and objectives of the directive, goes against a recent European Court of Justice ruling (2), and therefore I urge the Council and the Commission to ignore it.

South East MEP Dr Lucas continued: "However, while some of the provisions of the proposed directive have been weakened, the compromise agreed between groups contains a number of improvements, notably the establishment of a procedure to set EU-level limit values for specific sectors in addition to the ones already set in the Directive. Monitoring and inspection requirements have been improved. This sends a clear message that environmental dumping between Member States should not be tolerated and installations with clean track records should be rewarded.

"Thankfully, EPP amendments seeking to delete soil and groundwater monitoring and reporting requirements - as well as obligations for site restoration after closure - were rejected. Removing minimum requirements on these areas would have been irresponsible and would have encouraged a race to the bottom in national/local implementation.

"But regrettably, MEPs have agreed to constrain their own right of amendment on so-called recast proposals. Today this resulted in the President of the Parliament denying MEPs the possibility to vote for setting CO2 emission performance standards for large combustion plants, despite the fact that such measures are sorely needed to guard against investments into fossil combustion infrastructure which are incompatible with EU climate policy."

Questions hang over legality of UK plans on air quality

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, has this week called on the European Commission to reject any plan on air quality from the UK Government that would endanger the lives of UK citizens.

The Government's consultation on their application to delay compliance with EU air quality laws ends today, 10 March. To be approved by the Commission it must clearly demonstrate how the Government will comply with the rules by 2010.

However, a recent assessment by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has revealed that the UK is unlikely to be able to meet the requirements on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions.

Jean Lambert MEP said:

"Hundreds of local authority areas across the UK are currently exceeding EU standards for nitrogen dioxide (N02), a dangerous air pollutant which can cause and irritate breathing problems. In over 100 cities and in almost all of the recorded zones across the UK, traffic fumes are breaching safety levels on some roads.

"For ten years, the Government has failed to significantly improve air quality and even Defra has reported that it is unlikely to meet future targets. I have called on the Commission to confirm whether the UK's plans on air quality fully comply with all of the legal requirements, before they submit their plea to further delay compliance with the law."

The Government's public consultation on their application to the European Commission to delay compliance with EU air quality laws can be found here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/air-quality/index.htm It closes on 10 March 2009.

GREEN MEP CALLS FOR SOLIDARITY IN THE STRUGGLE FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Jean Lambert, the Green Party MEP for London, spoke today at a public meeting at the University of London Union to celebrate International Women's Day and highlight the situation of women around the world.

The meeting, arranged by the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq, explored the difficulties women face on daily basis; from those fighting for their basic human rights in wartorn countries like Iraq and Afghanistan to those badly effected by the economic recession around the world.

Jean Lambert MEP, said:

"It is important to remember that the struggle for equality is very real for millions of women around the world and in some countries even basic human rights are frequently abused."

"In the UK, equality at work has still not been reached and a stubborn gender pay gap exists, as wide as 36 per cent for part-time work. Women are finding themselves even more vulnerable in this economic downturn, as the redundancy rate for women is rising twice as fast as it is for men."

"Disturbingly, it's also been found that women are at greater risk of domestic violence and abuse during times of recession. We need to understand these wider consequences of economic stress and ensure that support services are adequately funded, prepared and able to cope with these problems."

The Green New Deal: how not to do it.

Today's government announcement of 400,000 "green jobs" misses the point of the Green New Deal, the Green Party said today.

Professor John Whitelegg, a leading academic and consultant (1) and Green Party spokesperson on sustainable development, said this morning:

"The Brown New Deal is not a Green New Deal. It relies on nuclear power, which is not remotely green and which sustains the fewest jobs per megawatt of any form of electiricty generation. Replace nuclear with renewable energy and you will get the same amount of energy with far more jobs, and ultimately at a lower cost.

"And carbon capture is neither zero-carbon nor jobs-rich. The government recently trailed a claim of only 50,000 jobs in so-called 'clean coal' by 2030. But figures soon to be released by the Green Party will show how wind energy could create four times as many jobs ten years sooner."

Professor Whitelegg concluded:

"We know how to achieve a zero-carbon economy through jobs-rich green energy policies, so why on earth should we tinker with jobs-poor unproven technology that keeps us dependent on fossil fuels?"

Isle of Wight's Green MEP In Ryde To Raise Awareness of Link Between Women's Health And Environment - International Women's Day, 8 March 2009

The Green Euro-MP and Party Leader is to speak at a free International Women's Day event hosted by Isle of Wight Soroptimists. Women's health must be better protected from environmental factors such as chemicals and pesticides, Euro-MP and Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas will tell guests at an event at Ryde Castle this Sunday (March 8) organised by the Isle of Wight Soroptimists to celebrate International Women's Day.

Following her speech at 2pm, Caroline will take questions from the audience at the Ryde Castle Hotel on the Esplanade at Ryde, before being joined on the platform by Community Liaison Officer at Island Waste Services, Lynn Clarke, who will explore local issues affecting women and the environment. The Green MEP, who sits on the European Parliament's Environment, Public
Health and Food Safety Committee, said:

"I am delighted to be joining the Isle of Wight Soroptimists for International Women's Day to talk about the crucial link between the potentially toxic elements in our environment and human health – and how we can better regulate the chemicals that we come into contact with all the
time.

"According to a Greenpeace study, when you strip away factors like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, together with hereditary factors, the environment still appears to be the single biggest cause of the massive increase in virtually all cancers seen over the past few decades.

"On a daily basis, we are exposed to many hazardous chemicals without being fully aware of the potential dangers to our health. Even in our homes, these chemicals are all around us – in toys, food and drink containers, clothes, furniture, and cleaning agents. Our favourite cosmetics, like shampoos, soaps, moisturisers, and toothpaste often contain parabens, which are 'endocrine disrupters' – and can seriously disrupt hormones in humans and animals.

"We already know that more than 500 manufactured chemicals found in our environment mimic and disrupt hormones, thus having the potential to contribute to the onset and progression of hormone-dependent cancers like breast cancer, the UK's most common cancer which kills more than 1000 women every single month.

"Evidence has shown that pesticides can also have an adverse effect on our health, with many powerful chemicals from crop spraying leaking into soil and water supplies, and many food items containing pesticide residues even after they've reached the supermarket. Believe it or not, a Cox's apple can typically be sprayed 18 times with various different pesticides."

She concluded: "Some of the most important decisions on regulating our exposure to potentially dangerous substances are made at the European level – and that's where my work as an MEP can make a real difference. We urgently need to explore environmental risk factors at both national and European level, and prevent the powerful chemicals and pesticides lobby from
weakening key EU laws designed to protect human health."

The Isle of Wight Soroptimists event will be supported by various groups
with information stalls on issues particular to women and the environment.
An optional light lunch costing £6 will be available, before Caroline Lucas
speaks at 2 pm.

Green MEP Calls For Urgent Political Solution To Conflict On Return From Euro-Parliament Visit To Gaza

Caroline Lucas MEP demands recognition for Palestinian unity government and an end to the blockade, as illegal Israeli settlement building continues.

Following a four-day visit to Gaza and the West Bank with a European Parliament delegation, Green Party MEP for the South East Caroline Lucas has warned that the Middle East peace process will fail unless political leaders recognise a Palestinian unity government – and insist on an immediate end to the blockade of Gaza.

Speaking about her trip to the region, Dr Lucas, who is also Green Party Leader, said: "The UK's Secretary of State for International Development has today said it's crucial that Palestinians come together for reconciliation –and I would certainly agree with him. Yet the EU's refusal to recognise the previous unity government because it contained elements from Hamas – though democratically elected – was instrumental in dividing Palestinians and exacerbating tensions.

"If the Palestinians can put together a government of genuine unity, based on tolerance, pluralism, and a commitment to previous peace process agreements that include the recognition of Israel, then it is the responsibility of the international community to accept it – regardless of
whether or not it contains members of Hamas.

"And indeed, a process of dialogue and reconciliation between the different Palestinian factions is already emerging. The political leaders gathering in Sharm-el-Sheikh this week for a conference on aid and the reconstruction of Gaza must recognise the need to support this political process and work towards bringing the West Bank and Gaza under unity control. More aid may provide short-term relief for the humanitarian crisis, but it is merely a sticking plaster on what is essentially a political struggle.

"There are already tonnes of aid piled up at the border into Gaza, but the continuing Israeli siege is preventing it from reaching the people who need it most. When I met with UN officials in Gaza this week, I was told that around 750 trucks a day are needed to maintain essential supplies.
Currently, Gazans are lucky to see around 30.

"So, the international community must demand an urgent lifting of the siege on Gaza, and ensure the free movement of people, as well as goods, for the whole of the West Bank and Gaza Strip – in other words, the first steps towards ending the occupation, so that the Palestinian people can be allowed to start rebuilding their economies and communities.

Dr Lucas concluded: "Unfortunately, the main threat now to a two-state solution is the Israeli authorities' continuing aggressive expansion of the settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the further extension of the apartheid wall. Israel must be brought to account for this continued flouting of its commitments under both the Oslo Accords and recent peace
agreements."

Greens Condemn Mass-Medication decision

The Green Party today called South Central SHA's decision to fluoridate Southampton's tap water "dangerous, undemocratic and potentially illegal."

Stuart Jeffery, the party's health spokesperson, described fluoridation as a "sticking plaster with side effects solution."

The Greens further criticised the Southampton Primary Care Trust for "failing to provide adequate NHS dentistry for its residents."

A recent Freedom of Information request (1) revealed that 76% of Southampton's NHS dentists are not taking new patients.

And the controversial Southampton decision came on the very day that new dentistry data was released, which showed that less than half of adults are using NHS dentists and the proportion of children accessing NHS dentistry in Southampton has fallen by 2.4% over the past two years (2).

Stuart Jeffery continued "Trying to fix NHS dentistry problems by unethical and potentially illegal mass medication is simply wrong. Southampton needs to fix its access to dentistry.

"Having less than a quarter of its dental practices taking on new patients means that many poorer people are forced to go without dental care. The new statistics have also shown the proportion of children accessing NHS dental care is falling.

"The Green Party wants a proper dental health strategy founded on education, good diet and access to free dental health care. Southampton has failed to provide this, and is now resorting to a technofix that won't solve the problem but will breach everyone's universally-acknowledged human right not to be medicated without their consent."

Mr Jeffery, a health service manager, explained: "The European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine distinctly states that individuals have the right not to be medicated without their consent. Fluoride has well documented and dangerous side effects, and it is clearly wrong to expose people to these against their will.

"This appalling decision also seems to have been taken without any regard for the voice of local people, the majority of whom were opposed to mass medication with fluoride."

Notes:

1. FOI response to the Green Party dated 3rd Feb 2009 showed that of
Southampton PCT's 25 NHS dental practices only 6 were accepting new
patients in December 2008.

2. See [http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-quarter-2:-30-september-2008][1].

[1]: http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-quarter-2:-30-september-2008

URL: http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2009-02-27-fluoridation.html

Published and promoted by Tracy Dighton-Brown for the Green Party of England & Wales, both at 1a Waterlow Road, London N19 5NJ.