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WIND OF CHANGE
The Green Party launched their manifesto hoping to convince the electorate a vote for them is a vote for sustainability
Tax rises, fuel duties and millions of new wind farms – just some of the up-front promises from the Green Party who have launched their election manifesto, claiming climate change was a bigger threat than terrorism.
The Greens accused the three main parties of pushing agendas designed to 'privatise and pollute' and promised to put social justice and sustainability at the heart of their campaign.
Among their pledges:
The Party has set its sights on five key target constituencies and is fielding candidates in 200 seats in the forthcoming General Election.
The party's leading spokesman today urged the public to back them, insisting a vote for them would not be wasted.
Darren Johnson, a London Assembly member for the Green Party, told Channel 4 News: "The only level of government we aren’t represented at is Westminster and I think people will agree that while they may not wish to see a Green majority they would at least like to see a Green voice in there."
Jane Dodge has been following one project that represents the Greens' ideals:
West Beacon Farm in Loughborough is a project the Green Party would be proud of, it may look ordinary enough but there’s not a gas ring or a lump of coal in sight. It’s the wind sun, and water that provide the power here.
Rupert Gammon of Bryte Energy told Channel 4 News: "This project shows on a very small scale what could happen on a national scale, in other words it’s a system where all the sources of energy are renewable and they give off no emissions so they’re good for the environment and sustainable."
Sustainability is the catchword in the manifesto, the Green Party wants projects like West Beacon to become the norm.
They have set themselves a series of ambitious targets including a 20 per cent reduction in Carbon Dioxide emissions in the next five years, 40 per cent of energy produced by renewable sources by 2020 and two million small scale wind systems in place by 2010.
Wind turbines may be popular with the Green Party but are they really a vote winner?
The larger wind farms have proved highly controversial, criticised as highly noisy and unsightly and there have even been attempts to get rid of the two turbines in Loughborough.
Many of the Greens’ proposed two million wind systems would be gadgets attached to the top of homes.
Professor David Infield of Loughborough University told Channel 4 News: "Wind turbines of whatever size make some noise and generate some vibration. Traditionally the trend has been to locate them away from habitation but to attach them to people’s home is raising all kinds of issues."
The Greens are also proposing a series of taxes including a tax on Aviation fuel. They accept that will lead to a rise in the cost of air travel but believe it’s a price worth paying.
While many will agree with their principles, the nub of the problem is convincing voters that the Green Party are more than just an environmental pressure group if they are to have a real chance of capturing their first Commons seat on May 5.
Tax rises, fuel duties and millions of new wind farms – just some of the up-front promises from the Green Party who have launched their election manifesto, claiming climate change was a bigger threat than terrorism.
The Greens accused the three main parties of pushing agendas designed to 'privatise and pollute' and promised to put social justice and sustainability at the heart of their campaign.
Among their pledges:
- Replacing VAT with new Eco taxes to invest in renewable energy
- Scrapping ID cards - which they say would save 3 billion pounds to spend on community policing
- Increase NHS investment to £90 billion by 2008
The Party has set its sights on five key target constituencies and is fielding candidates in 200 seats in the forthcoming General Election.
The party's leading spokesman today urged the public to back them, insisting a vote for them would not be wasted.
Darren Johnson, a London Assembly member for the Green Party, told Channel 4 News: "The only level of government we aren’t represented at is Westminster and I think people will agree that while they may not wish to see a Green majority they would at least like to see a Green voice in there."
Jane Dodge has been following one project that represents the Greens' ideals:
West Beacon Farm in Loughborough is a project the Green Party would be proud of, it may look ordinary enough but there’s not a gas ring or a lump of coal in sight. It’s the wind sun, and water that provide the power here.
Rupert Gammon of Bryte Energy told Channel 4 News: "This project shows on a very small scale what could happen on a national scale, in other words it’s a system where all the sources of energy are renewable and they give off no emissions so they’re good for the environment and sustainable."
Sustainability is the catchword in the manifesto, the Green Party wants projects like West Beacon to become the norm.
They have set themselves a series of ambitious targets including a 20 per cent reduction in Carbon Dioxide emissions in the next five years, 40 per cent of energy produced by renewable sources by 2020 and two million small scale wind systems in place by 2010.
Wind turbines may be popular with the Green Party but are they really a vote winner?
The larger wind farms have proved highly controversial, criticised as highly noisy and unsightly and there have even been attempts to get rid of the two turbines in Loughborough.
Many of the Greens’ proposed two million wind systems would be gadgets attached to the top of homes.
Professor David Infield of Loughborough University told Channel 4 News: "Wind turbines of whatever size make some noise and generate some vibration. Traditionally the trend has been to locate them away from habitation but to attach them to people’s home is raising all kinds of issues."
The Greens are also proposing a series of taxes including a tax on Aviation fuel. They accept that will lead to a rise in the cost of air travel but believe it’s a price worth paying.
While many will agree with their principles, the nub of the problem is convincing voters that the Green Party are more than just an environmental pressure group if they are to have a real chance of capturing their first Commons seat on May 5.
