This is the press release that Mark sent out on 15th July. I have left it as is for you to read:
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Mark has resigned as the chair of the Jersey Climate Action Network to stand in the election. He will be arguing for urgent action on four policy areas.
He is calling for a credible enumerated plan of action to meet our Climate Change targets. Raising public awareness alone will not get us an 80% reduction on 1990 emission levels by 2050. The States consistently failed to meet even the simplest of obligations they undertook - a report back within 6 months of the outcomes of the Copenhagen Conference in 2009.
Additionally, he wants us to have a detailed programme to reduce our oil dependency and build resilience into our economy in the face of increasing energy prices. Again the commitments made in P52.2009 to produce an annual report on the impacts of Climate Change and Peak Oil have repeatedly not been met.
Food security must be given much higher priority. The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing "when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life". With GST increases, and commodity prices in foodstuffs rising rapidly, and future production falling behind demand, we must be prepared.
As a member of the Jersey Care Leaver's Association I am angry that the questions so many survivors and care leavers ask have been neglected and ignored by our States. What went so wrong over a period of forty years that recent court proven abuse went unchecked, un-actioned, unreported, un-prosecuted? Why were the child victims' voices not listened to then (or now, still)? Who knew, who turned a blind eye, who perhaps went further and actively colluded, or possibly covered up, and what was their relationship to those who should have listened, reported, prevented, and prosecuted? We must have answers.
Good to hear that he is standing - but there is still time to present an alliance of candidates before the electorate.
ReplyDeleteOK it does not have to be a party but at least give the public some hope that a group of people are trying for election with some shared and declared common aims and objectives.
Let the "you can't do anything on your own" excuse be buried at this - Jersey's very first " GENERAL ELECTION.
The government can be changed in October but not just to be replaced by yet another bunch of unco-ordinated and inconsistent "INDEPENDENTS".
Show some leadership NOW please.
Tom Gruchy pleads
After all that's emerged with "Climategate" and associated scandals related to the AWG community, I will certainly NOT be voting for anyone who continues to put the onus on the average man to "re-change" the climate.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I would probably make a deliberate point of voting against them.
I am pleased to see Mark is standing. I assume it will be for the position of Senator.
ReplyDeleteAs Tom Gruchy suggests there should be some kind of Green-Red-Yellow political slate. Those candidates who are standing on an ego trip will not succeed. The electorate will see straight through any insincerity. What the working people of the island demand is capable leadership and principled policies that reflect their social and economic interests. If only there were more who realised this, the 75% voter abstention would turn into thousands and thousands of votes.
I cannot reply to comments individually, so here's a collective one.
ReplyDeleteYes Nick, I am standing for Senator, that was in the headline of the original press release.
Climategate changed nothing. The science of C02 in the atmosphere warming the planet has been known since Arrhenius in 1898. 1000's of stolen e-mail trawled for a few twistable points and misunderstood scientific short hand (eg 'tricks') The claims were investigated 5 times and found to have not had any material effect on the research finding from East Anglia. In any event it could only have affected some modelling, not the hard evidence of ice cores, ocean sediments, seal level records, species migration, coral die back etc etc.
The commenter won't vote for anyone who puts the onus on ordinary people to deal with the climate. Quite right - it needs government, business and people to all play their part. One obvious example - people can only use efficient public transport if society provides that opportunity- that is a government responsibility.
As to the comment re a Jersey man. As best as I can recall I came here when I was 4. Like quite a few who have been through the care system my background is complex and that is not the name I was born with. I have never traced my natural parents, and know nothing of my background other than I was born in England.
Yes Tom I am on record as being in favour of a party based system. It is the mechanics that are difficult. I am a liberal ecologist, and I doubt there are enough of us in the island to form a party, so it would have to be am alliance or coalition with other organised groups. I can see no other way to offer a coherent programme of government to the people in the elections.
Mark
The point about an alliance is that it allows for divergencies and specialist pursuits but has a core of shared policies.
ReplyDeleteSurely it is possible to agree on 6 or so important issues that might realistically be pursued within the next 4 years States programme.
If a group of "progressives" cannot agree on such a programme outside of the States then there really is no point in getting elected because they cannot, as individuals, commit themselves to achieve anything from within.
C'mon - for heavens sake - break the mould. This is Jersey's first ever GENERAL ELECTION in October. Have some respect for all those people who have, by their efforts, brought this about!
Give the electorate something certain to believe in and put some credibility back into Jersey politics.
Time is running out - Tom Gruchy says
After all that's emerged with "Climategate" and associated scandals related to the AWG community, I will certainly NOT be voting for anyone who continues to put the onus on the average man to "re-change" the climate.
ReplyDeleteAnon. You're very confident with your assertions but all you actually demonstrate is that you have been fooled by the people - I use the term loosely - who spread deliberately misleading propaganda; not to mention your poor judgement at assessing the credibility of your sources.
Consider that if your conclusions, that are based upon a LOT of disinformation, are plain wrong what would happen if too many people listen to you, causing the world to do too little to stave off the immense forthcoming problems. Maybe you could handle a lot of people telling you that they "told you so" - assuming they could be bothered while they watched human civilisation crumble and fall. Embarrassing, huh?
On the other hand, if the many thousands of man-years of cross referenced peer reviewed science proves to be wrong but people had already listened to them and taken action to reduce their use of fossil fuels, then there would be a lot of egg on scientists' faces but we would happily have moved a long way towards dealing with the peaking and subsequent decline of fossil fuel supplies which is the other reason to stop burning fossil carbon for the sake of our futures.
I cannot see Ted Vibert being part of any alliance. His latest posting on his blog re senator elections
ReplyDelete"Ted Vibert said...
Well as yet we don't know who all the candidates are and won't until the nomination meeting on 6th September. My fundamental advice is to make sure that anyone who is an Ozouf fan should be ignored- of those who have so far nominated. Philip Bailhache is a complete Ozouf supporter as is Gorst. Only myself and Francis Le Gresley will make any difference and I am advising all my supporters not to vote for 4 people but just vote for me. You don't have to use all four votes."
If Ted will sign up to a 6 point promise then he could be part of an Alliance. I can't see the problem. He or others can promise whatever else they want provided they commit to the 6 (or however many) points.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that many Ozouf supporters would sign up but you never know. The aim is primarily to benefit the electorate rather than candidates by offering reforms that can be achieved over the next 4 years. Not just the usual 53 dream lists that are never realised.
It won't change the world but might help. I would hope that people such as Le Gresley and Forskitt would be interested and thereby committed to specific reforms. Time is of course very short before nominations close.
Tom Gruchy says