'People have the right to be stupid. Some people abuse that privilege.' – Pierre Paperon

'I like driving. I've got nothing to be ashamed of. I like driving.' -- Councillor Peter Crerar

'We are already doing quite a lot ... we plan solutions that go beyond 2010. These measures include setting up a cross-party group to look into climate change.' -- Councillor Peter Moyle, leader of Rotten Borough of Rushmoor

Living up to its name, only four days before the COP15 Copenhagen talks on Climate Change got started, the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor refused to support a reduction of 10% of CO2 by 2010. According to the leader of the council, the borough was already doing enough.

If the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor has a green agenda, then that is news to its local residents, and if they had then surely they would be wishing to exceed a 10% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2010?

Exactly what is this Rushmoor green agenda? Um, they plan to set up a cross-party committee to look into climate change! It begs the question what expertise they will bring to the table.

This is a council where the head of planning fell over backwards to try and force through a doubling of flights at Farnborough Airport, an airport that caters exclusively for business aviation with 2-3 passengers per flight. Fortunately councillors for once listened to local residents, looked at the overwhelming evidence against expansion and said no.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/11/441621.html?c=on

This is council that has helped a developer trash Farnborough town centre. For what? A Sainsbury's superstore!

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/11/441835.html

This is a council with an abysmal record on recycling.

Councillor John Marsh displayed his usual level of ignorance and talked of nuclear power being a clean source of energy. But then he did use to work for BAE Systems. If asked he would probably claim the arms trade was an ethical industry!

Councillor Peter Crerar bragged of how he liked driving.

Supporter of reducing greenhouse gas emissions Councillor Charlie Frazer-Flemming displayed brazen hypocrisy. Only weeks before, he had been the only councillor to support a doubling of flights at Farnborough Airport, ie a doubling of CO2 emissions!

Support for 10:10 was rejected by 22 votes to 11.

The 10:10 campaign has become involved in controversy with its links with if not outright support for the arms trade, and it is seen by many as little more than greenwash, whilst all this may be true, we should still support the objective of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2010. And this controversy was not the reason Rushmoor refused to support the campaign.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/11/442273.html?c=on

The Arctic sea levels are rising, Arctic Ice Sheets are melting, glaciers are retreating. We are close to a tipping point of runaway climate change and global warming. If we are to keep temperature rises to below 2 degrees and carbon levels in the atmosphere to below 350 ppm, then we have to reduce our carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, and we do that by making a start now with a cut of 10% by 2010.

To limit global temperature rises to below 1.5 degrees, our carbon emissions need to have peaked this month. The longer we put off cutting our emissions, the deeper the cuts will have to be. If the temperature rise is not held below 1.5 degrees, then the Maldives will be wiped off the face of the planet, as will many other island states. For the Maldives, 1.5 to stay alive, is more than a sound bite or catchy slogan, it is the difference between life and death. It is also the difference between life and death for many African countries.

But back in the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor, it was business as usual and two fingers to the rest of the world.

COP15

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/12/443388.html?c=on#comments
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/12/443159.html?c=on#comments

web

 http://350.org/
 http://www.1010uk.org/
 http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/
 http://www.climatenetwork.org/
 http://www.climate-justice-action.org/

350 and 10:10 action in Sheffield, Indymedia UK, 24 October 2009
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/10/440518.html

Karr Bone, 10:10 campaign lunacy promotes arms trade, Indymedia UK, 26 November 2009
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/11/442273.html?c=on

Councillors reject motion backing green campaign, Farnborough News & Mail, 11 December 2009

Kate Evans, Funny Weather, Myriad Editions, 2006
 http://www.heureka.clara.net/books/funny-weather.htm

Mark Lynas, The Copenhagen conference means life or death for the Maldives, The Guardian, 14 December 2009
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2009/dec/14/copenhagen-climate-change-maldives

David MacKay, Sustainable Energy, UIT Cambridge, 2008
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/415544.html?c=on

Keith Parkins, Soft Energy Paths, www.heureka.clara.net, May 2001
 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/energy.htm

Keith Parkins, Energy saving nonsense, Indymedia UK, 7 August 2009
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/08/435795.html?c=on

Keith Parkins, Wind turbines on buildings, Indymedia UK, 31 October 2009
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/10/440949.html

Keith Parkins, Expansion of Farnborough Airport rejected!, Indymedia UK, 12 November 2009
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/11/441621.html?c=on

Keith Parkins, Destruction of Farnborough town centre enters final phase, Indymedia UK, 16 November 2009
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/11/441835.html

Allegra Stratton, Edinburgh becomes 100th 10:10 council, The Guardian, 9 December 2009
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/09/edinburgh-council-1010-campaign