Time is running out

John Clark writes…

First published: December 2005 – Gazette & Herald

Mr Mainwaring! It is time to panic! I’m not looking forward to 2006. Time is running out and I need as much of 2005 as possible before we start squandering 2006.

In 2005 we have had a tornado destroying parts of Birmingham, Katrina and the incompetence of the Bush administration combined to make life intolerable for the people of New Orleans. The Gulf Stream has slowed down by over 30% in 12 years and climate change hits Ryedale in the form of severe flooding in Helmsley and surrounding villages.

The General Election saw the major political parties trying to become elected by being in favour of choice, globalisation, more consumerism and Free Trade. The result was the election of ‘Tories’ for yet another 5 years. Environmental issues were hardly mentioned throughout the General Election. The present government is in favour of ever expanding air travel, traffic on the roads and ever increasing economic growth. At the very least, Climate Change will create food shortages, destruction of property and loss of millions of human lives. At worst it could make our blue planet uninhabitable. The government solution is to hasten destruction by encouraging choice and the Free Market.

My depression is heightened by the following problem:

As Councillor Trevelyan and I on Ryedale Distract Council oppose the environmental philistines in Ryedale we are accused of being negative or following ‘our hobby’. We are accused of opposing things for the sake of opposition. If we oppose the Business Site Development in Pickering we are standing in the way of ‘progress’. All we are saying is:

• What is the environmental cost?
• How much extra traffic?
• Will it produce a reduction in Greenhouse Gases?
• Where is the ‘progress’ taking us?

If the answers are not satisfactory we will oppose. We see saving the planet as a positive.

We cannot turn round RDC on our own let alone the whole of Ryedale. We need help. Others are needed to try and stop this obsession with Growth, Development, increased Traffic and increased Greenhouse Gas emissions. Any Gazette and Herald readers who would like to support our endeavours please contact us. The modern scientific belief is that there needs to be a massive reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions not by 2050 as originally thought. The systems need to be in place within 10 years. There are positive solutions. Please help us to deliver these ideas so that they are seen as a positive way forward.

The amount of household waste is increasing by 3% per year. Traffic levels increase endlessly. Vapour trails of aircraft have increased from a few to masses. How do we reverse these trends? Ideas? Help? It will be so much easier to achieve if ‘people’ are together. As a Liberal I want to avoid compulsion and would prefer to work together. As an environmentalist I believe compulsion may become necessary. Merry Christmas.