"First chance for aspiring leadership candidates to capture green hearts and minds of the Party", says Lib Dem Environmental Think Tank

Wednesday 20^th May

Leadership out of Pandemic to combat climate change...?

"From the Green Liberal Democrat perspective, the recently announced leadership election for the new Leader of the Liberal Democrats, could not have come at a better timeF", says Keith Melton, chair of the Green Liberal Democrats.

Just under 30,000 people are at serious risk of dying from toxic air quality across the Midlands over the next decade. We can no longer ignore the reality here, we must tackle pollution not only to save our environment but to save lives!

The British Heart Foundation has warned the increase in the likelihood of strokes and related heart disease could lead to untimely deaths across the region. With the worst affected area being Lincolnshire.

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"Fossil Fuel based industries, such as airlines, should bear the brunt of emerging from Covid-19 pandemic", says Lib Dem Environmental Think Tank

"The Government must prioritise lower carbon footprint industries as we emerge from the Coronavirus Pandemic" urged former North West Lib Dem MEP, Jane Brophy, a leading light of the Green Liberal Democrats, the Party`s environmental `think tank".

Lib Dems say Manchester Airport money must come with green conditions

Following reports that Oldham Council is set to borrow in the region of £13 million to contribute to a Greater Manchester scheme to support Manchester Airport, Lib Dem Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani called on the scheme to be balanced by a requirement for the airport to introduce improved green targets.

The Lib Dem Group on Surrey County Council has called for the Council to reopen its Community Recycling Centres with social distancing measures to avoid fly tipping.

This follows the latest advice from the Government that stated that Household Waste Recycling Centres can be open, but should have social distancing measures in place.

Lib Dem Councillors are concerned the closure of local tips has started to result in a spate of very unwelcome fly tipping.

Local authorities are focusing on household rubbish and food waste and regard the collection of garden waste and recycling as less of a priority. This coupled with Community Recycling Centres being closed and people being at home, so having time for gardening and housework, has resulted in an increase in fly tipping.

Lib Dem Group Leader at County Hall, Councillor Chris Botten, said:

"I am calling on Surrey County Council to reopen our Community Recycling Centres in a limited and safe manner to enable gardeners to dispose of their plant material and also for householders, who may be using the time at home to catch up with domestic jobs, to safely dispose of waste."

"The County Council has been listening to concerns so far and I hope for a partial reopening of our community tips in the near future."

The current Covid-19 Pandemic has been a tragedy for many, both here in the UK and around the world. Hundreds of thousands have died and, unless we find and distribute an effective vaccine, even more will die in the future.

However, there have been some unlooked for environmental gains from the Pandemic which we need to see how we can make part of the post-Pandemic world.

The climate and ecological emergency have had to compete with concerns about immigration, the Brexit negotiations and public spending on the NHS and schools.

The desire to stop a damaging Brexit has even led staunch environmentalist Liberal Democrats to take their eye off the political ball. Just when climate change and the environment had finally risen up the political agenda in the UK and beyond, the coronavirus outbreak has forced it back down the list of government priorities.

Rebalancing Society - reviewing the economic costs

We need a major economic shift as we emerge from the pandemic lockdown, which was put in place for health reasons but has inevitably had huge financial and economic repercussions. This is going to need more fundamental change than most current politicians seem ready to contemplate. It is certainly going to require change on a scale a Boris Johnson Government will not readily embrace. But then I wonder whether, or for how long, Johnson can stay in charge - as it would seem the long knives are already out of the drawer and being sharpened.

We've always had buzzards up in the Chilterns where we live. But as when larger, elegant kites arrived, our plumper friends, the buzzards, seemed to gradually get fewer in numbers.

Then, after 10 years or so, just as gradually, we seemed to be noticing them more frequently - sometimes catching a glimpse of one sitting on a branch, or hearing their mewing calls in the woods.