Happy John Muir Day - Our Environmental Pledges.
HAPPY JOHN MUIR DAY!
To celebrate the birth of the Scottish Environmentalist John Muir, we are offering you a manifesto special for our environmental pledges. The world-famous conservationist and founder of the National Parks movement will long be remembered for his inspirational writing and love for Scottish wilderness, a heritage we must preserve for the next generation.
While we welcome the recent Moratorium in Fracking that was the result of activists and MSP Alison Johnstone extreme dedication, Green MPs in Westminster would call for a complete ban on fracking or unconventional gas extraction throughout the UK. Alison reminded us that the Greens are the only party to bring environmental issues to the forefront in their manifesto: "Returning more Green MPs would send a strong message that the UK is serious about showing leadership on climate change, pursuing sustainable jobs and protecting the environment that our economy relies on. All too often we see UK Governments ignoring their responsibility to protect our seas, our wildlife and our food chains. And we need stronger voices on fossil fuel decommissioning and divestment."
In order to achieve this vision of preserving the planet for a future generation, Green MPs would, among other things, call for:
-Support for local councils to create local energy companies to build publicly-owned renewables.
-A global deal to reduce carbon emissions and deliver climate justice for communities in the global south.
-A transition to a jobs-rich economy which respects the environment.
-Investment of millions of pounds in Green industrialisation.
-Sustainable expansion in industries such as quality food production, clean chemical sciences, digital and creative industries, medical and life sciences.
-Protection of Scotland's landscapes, seascapes and wildlife to preserve biodiversity and retain value for tourism.
-Acknowledgement of the need to keep most of the world’s fossil fuel reserves in the ground to meet climate change responsibilities.
-Promote Scotland as the world centre of decommissioning the fossil fuel industry.
-Investment in marine renewables.
-European funding for agriculture and fishing to be directed towards sustainable land management and long-term fish stock recovery.
Jason Rose, Scottish Green MP candidate for East Lothian, added: "John Muir is rightly celebrated for the environmental protections he achieved in the States, and in East Lothian we've long been proud of his legacy. Given the huge threat faced by humans and wildlife from climate change it's never been more important to have sustainability at the heart of political policies." That is why we are asking you to Vote Green on May 7th, in the hope of showing establishment parties that the public do care about the environment and want to see greater commitment to it in Politics.
For more information on our candidates and to read our manifesto, please follow the link here.