Campaigns

When Forum for the Future was set up in 1996, we agreed we would not campaign against anything, and that all our advocacy work would be focused on making things happen, rather than stopping things happening. That is still the case today. But since the demise of the Sustainable Development Commission in 2010, I’ve become involved in a number of campaigning initiatives, over and above what I do for the Forum. Most of them are focused on aspects of the Coalition Government’s current policies, which I believe to be wholly detrimental to establishing a more sustainable society here in the UK.

The five main areas are:

1. Forestry
I’m part of a new initiative ‘Our Forests’ to maintain pressure on the Coalition Government to ensure that it does not bring back its disastrous proposal to sell off the whole of the Public Forest Estate in England.

 2. ‘Greenest Government Ever’
In 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron was quick to pledge that his would be ‘the greenest government ever’. I was skeptical then. Now I just find the claim completely laughable.

 3. Nuclear
I’ve always felt that there was no role for nuclear power in the UK’s energy mix. I’m now involved in a number of initiatives to demonstrate why that is still the case.  Check out our latest campaign - in the name of four former Directors of Friends of the Earth - trying to get the Prime Minister to see reason about nuclear power. See links to the press release, cover letter and Note to the Prime Minister.

   4. Civil Liberties
This has been a concern of mine for many years, and I’m currently working on a joint report, ‘Green Liberties’ which will be published in July 2011.

 5. Population
I’m proud to be a Patron of Population Matters, and devote what time I can to encouraging people to focus much, much more on the need to reduce global population as fast as can compassionately be done. Many people don’t like the kind of straight talking this demands. But, by the same token, I don’t much like their crooked thinking!  See my blogs on this subject for more information.