| Join the Green Party and you'll receive our local quarterly newsletter, as well as invitations to Green Events. You'll be invited to attend meetings, join our discussion list, vote on issues, and contribute to our campaigns and policies for North Devon. |
The Bradworthy Wind Turbines
Summer '05 News |
return to current news |
Americans start to tackle Climate Change - without Bush |
Greens contest District by-election with an agenda of "Sustainable Tourism" |
Americans start to tackle Climate Change - without Bush
A groundswell of concern about Climate Change has lead America's North-Eastern states to delare their own plans the to reduce emissions and tackle Global Warming. In doing so, they're rejecting Bush's sceptical stance on Climate Change, and dismissing his argument about emissions reduction harming the US economy. The plans involve reducing greenhouse gas emissions from large power stations by 10% by 2020.
Earlier this year mayors of over 130 cities pledged to reduce emissions in line with the Kyoto protocol, a move again independent of Bush's administration.
Second Home ownership set to increase
With UK temperatures predicted to rise, wealthy people are predicted to buy more second homes in the UK rather than abroad. While this will, ironically, help to tackle Climate Change by reducing emissions caused by flights abroad, it spells disaster to areas such as North Devon which are already overloaded with second homes.
North Devon's tourism industry is near to saturation, and with overcrowded beaches, car parks and roads, a further increase in summer holidaymakers will only make life more unpleasant for permanent residents and visitors alike.
The main impact of second homes is to squeeze the life out of communities, by inflating house prices, forcing out the next generation of young first-time buyers, and creating winter "ghost villages" of empty homes.
The North Devon Green Party would like to halt and reverse the spread of second homes across the region, by cancelling existing council tax subsidies and ensuring all new holiday homes and second homes have to be considered under a 'change of use' planning application. Further, we would use frameworks already pinoneered elsewhere in the country to ensure the majority of new homes are built to be affordable, eco-friendly to reduce utility bills, and can be sold and resold only to local people.
The typical second-home buyer has an income of at least £75,000 and has a first property worth over £400,000, whereas the average income in North Devon is only £17,000. In some areas of Devon up to three quarters of housing has already become second homes.
Wind, Wave or What?
Green Party members and Councillors recently attended Devon County Council's conference on the future of alternative energy. There were presentations from EnVision, DARE, SWW, CPRE, DUST, Peninsula Power, the DCC Climate Change Officer Ian Bateman and others.
Wind Wave or What - conference report by Cllr Ricky Knight (.doc 665Kb)
Greens
continue to build on election results
Green candidate Mike Harrison received 13.7% of the votes in the Georgeham & Mortehoe District Council by-election. Compared with his result in the recent County Council elections, this represents an increase in green votes of over 40%.
The by-election was fiercely contested by the Lib-Dems and the Conservatives, who relentlessly delivered leaflet after leaflet to residents in the area, as well as conducting door-knocking campaigns. After a recount, the final result saw long-standing Lib-Dem candidate Derrick Spear elected with a majority of only SIX votes over new conservative candidate Doug Green!! Mr Spear said afterwards in his election speech that he would be working extra hard for the area because of the close result.
The full results can be seen on the North Devon District Council website.
Greens contest District by-election with an agenda of "Sustainable Tourism"
Mike Harrison, Croyde resident, part-time lecturer and cycle campaigner is the Green Party's candidate for the Georgeham & Mortehoe District Council seat following the resignation of the Conservative Councillor Ernest Evans.
Mike is the only candidate standing who actually lives within the Georgeham & Mortehoe Electoral Division.
Mike said “My family has been part of Croyde since 1885 and I have lived here fully for four years, in the house my great-grandmother bought in 1901. Where possible, I have tried to keep this part of the village true to its history.”
The Green Party is already respresented on Croyde Parish Council by Green Councillor Rosemary Brian, who has helped to draw up the "GREEN AGENDA" of policies for North Devon's coastal area, focussing on "Sustainable Tourism". Mike Harrison is standing for this election so that Sustainable Tourism and other Green initiatives can be tackled at a District level.
Mike hopes to build on previous election results; he stood in the recent County Council elections, receiving 9.6% of the votes, and also in last year's by-election for Braunton Parish Council, where he received 27% of the votes.
Mike is becoming a well-known and energetic campaigner, and has already secured results for the region's rail users and cyclists.
Mike said “One of my current campaigns is to persuade Devon County Council to preserve Croyde’s tracks and paths and I have drawn on family archives and other research. The Council plans to change our lanes, however steep or narrow, to Byways Open to All Traffic. Our peace is threatened and building developments could follow as 4x4s and Trail Bikes reach deep into the countryside.”
“Another ongoing campaign is to persuade the Council to provide proper cycle paths and footways in their plans for the Barnstaple Western Bypass. Other actions have sought to reduce traffic speeds in the centre of our villages and remove power lines from inappropriate places.”
If you have any questions or you would like to help support Mike's election campaign, you can contact the North Devon Green Party on 01271 371732 or , or you can contact Mike directly on 01271 891160 or .
Mike
has produced a map showing the projected impact on North Devon of a 2.5m
rise in sea-level due to Climate Change.
The full map is available on Mike's website, Croyde Cycle.
New Campaign for Climate Change Law
Friends of the Earth are calling for thousands of people across the country to take part in The Big Ask, a new national climate change campaign to make the Government legally responsible for reducing the UK's impact on global warming.
It comes as a NOP survey shows that nearly three quarters of the public believes the Government is not doing enough to tackle climate change.
The law would force the Government to take responsibility for the UK's contribution to global warming by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by three per cent every year.
You can do your bit by visiting The Big Ask, signing the online petition, and sending the pre-written email to your MP, asking them to sign the Early Day Motion supporting the Climate Change Bill. Click here to see who's already signed the Early Day Motion.
The Independent's "Campaign for democracy"
The Independent is asking its readers to sign up to its Campaign for Democracy, which aims to persuade the Government to reform our unfair electoral system. A survey by NOP for The Independent found that 62 per cent of people agree that Britain should bring in proportional representation (PR) so that the number of MPs each party secures matches its votes more closely.
Website designed by Jon Hooper
Published and promoted by Jon Hooper, 3 Elizabeth Court, Well Street, Torrington EX38 8EP on behalf of the North Devon Green Party, 1 Taw View Terrace, Bishops Tawton, EX32 0AW
PLEASE NOTE: Not all of the material presented on this site is necessarily Green Party Policy or endorsed by The Green Party.