open Democracy News Analysis - If we really want to see change, it is time people started voting Green, - Comments

Richard Lawson on "If we really want to see change, it is time people started voting Green"

Richard Lawson — Wed, 04 May 2005 13:18:34 +0000

Greens should have no policies except those that are eco-friendly, since the environment is the ground on which we stand - philosophically and literally. Ecology and economics are sister disciplines. To destroy the environment is to saw off the branch on which you are sitting. We do though have policies on everything, because ecology is by definition the relation of an organism with everything else. http://www.greenhealth.org.uk/GreenEconom.htm

Joe.Bloggs on "If we really want to see change, it is time people started voting Green"

Joe.Bloggs — Wed, 27 Apr 2005 22:45:46 +0000

I think it really depends on where you are. Yes, they call themselves greens, and they have some interesting ideas. But so far, in Australia anyway, they haven't done anything apart from whine and backflip. One minute they are all for something and then when it falls apart they condemn the coalition for taking such a stupid course of action Other parties besides the greens have excellent ideas and policies, and although we haven't signed anything to say, hard and fast, that we will change our level of emissions or anything else along those lines to support our ecosystem, we have still made green decisions regarding our country (like having four-way meetings between state and federal governments about water usage and the Murray River) and how we need to manage what resources we have so that we can continue to sustain ourselves. It's not easy being green, but make sure you really know what you are getting yourself into. Do they have any policies other than those that are eco friendly?

asthmatic_sloth on "If we really want to see change, it is time people started voting Green"

asthmatic_sloth — Sun, 24 Apr 2005 17:11:17 +0000

I find it hard to understand why people shy away from party politics so much. If we are going to save this planet, then we need pragmatic politicians who understand that there are limits to growth. That means the Green Party. It is important to have campaigners and NGO's lobbying in civil society, but real change will not come until the lobbyists get inside parliament, and start running the country. People say that you don't have a right to complain about politicians unless you vote. I say that you don't have a right to complain about politicians unless you have activly been campaigning to put someone better in their place. That means going to their web site (www.greenparty.org.uk or www.scottishgreens.org),joining the party, and working every spare minute you have to get Greens (including yourself) into power. We have a planet to save, and we are not going to do it by complaining that there is no such thing as an honest politician.

If we really want to see change, it is time people started voting Green,

jessicasymons — Fri, 22 Apr 2005 09:29:11 +0000

Forget these half measure parties that put forward policies and strategies and then ignore them. If we want to see real change we need to put our vote where our mouths are.. From the Green Party manifesto: All human economic activity and social and cultural wellbeing are dependent upon the integrity of self-sustaining, self-managing natural systems. Continually increasing resource extraction, industrial throughput and waste production is entirely incompatible with ecological sustainability. Green economic policy must therefore promote the emergence of an economic system which recognises the limits of, and is compatible with, both the natural systems of the planet and the aspirations of the whole of humanity. http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/mfss/economy.html