http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/scotland-misses-climate-targets-for-fourth-year-1-3797298
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Holyrood2016 (via Paris)
(82 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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Statement on Climate Change Action this afternoon in Parliament. See this thread.
Posted 8 years ago # -
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Colin Howden, Director of Transform Scotland, said: “Our core aim is to see increased long term investment in active travel with a call for 10% of local and national transport budgets to be allocated to walking and cycling. While we recognise and welcome recent additional investment announcements by the Transport Minister, Derek Mackay, active travel investment remains at only 1-2% of the Scottish Government’s transport budget.”...
John Lauder, Director of Sustrans Scotland, said: “Enabling and promoting active travel needs to be put firmly on the party manifesto agenda for 2016. Now is the right time for the parties to commit to specific policies to increase levels of walking and cycling, as we believe this could be the game changer not only for Scotland’s health but also for our economy and environment. We hope that the 2016 Scottish elections will be an exciting time for those of us who would like to see walking and cycling become the normal modes of transport for everyday shorter journeys.”
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http://www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2015/06/improving-scotlands-health-with-active-travel
Posted 8 years ago # -
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“The economic powers shall continue to justify the current world system, in which speculation and and the aim for financial returns to prevail that tend to ignore each context and the effects on the environment and on human dignity. So clearly it reveals that environmental, human and ethical degradation are intimately connected,” he wrote.
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Posted 8 years ago # -
I think experience around the world (and close to home) shows that we need committed individuals in positions of power to drive bicycling infrastructure through.
Highly autonomous city local government and powerful mayors in the US has enabled several American cities to leap ahead in the infrastructure stakes because they have become convinced and driving it through. Closer to home, our own Lesley Hinds has spearheaded the ground-breaking (for the UK) committed escalating percentage cycling budget in Edinburgh. And Boris has been forced to walk his talk in London, but he needed to be talking it first.
Just need to get the right people in the right positions - a Green surge would help, no doubt.
Posted 8 years ago # -
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/poll-snp-course-landslide-victory-6061943
Seems increasingly likely.
All the more important that SNP has better ActiveTravel and 'preventative' health policies etc.
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Survation poll seat prediction:
SNP 71
Lab 24
Con 14
Green 12
LDem 7
UKIP 1
#SP16http://pic.twitter.com/KK3XXU7fHL
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My previous prediction -
SNP (69) 67
Lab (37) 28
Tory (15) 22
Ld (5) 5
Gr (2) 7
Oth (1) 0
Tot (129) 129
Posted 8 years ago # -
If these numbers are anything like the end result then we could really miss a second chamber at Holyrood. Just how effectively will a committees' scrutiny be when it is made up of those in power?
(This isn't a dig at the SNP but the Holyrood set up)
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Stickman
Surely a functioning opposition party and a fair electoral system are even more desirable than a second chamber?
The hybrid FPTP/d'Hontd is unfair and opaque, and let's not even start on the current merits of the conservative parties.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"The hybrid FPTP/d'Hontd is unfair"
So is first-past-the-post and presumably all the other systems that those who devised the present system for the SP looked at. The irony here of course is that the current Holyrood election method - with the List top-up - was 'designed' to make sure that no party had an overall majority. The current position where one party is unusually (in a 'British' context) popular (partly because the others are not popular) was not foreseen.
This electoral system produced a parliament with a wide spectrum of parties and MSPs, but that didn't last. The 'electorate' 'decided' that they didn't like this. (Obviously the internal problems of the SSP didn't help - but that wasn't really foreseeable either.)
I think it's perfectly reasonable to re-visit the electoral system, but there is a danger of starting with the point of view that it's "unfair" because it doesn't produce the result(s) that one (or more) party/Party doesn't like - aka 'the voters don't do the right thing - or are just too stupid'.
"and opaque" - don't know what you mean there. Certainly it's impossible to 'know' an outcome in advance (in absolute detail) of the various permutations of using the two votes.
Some people vote twice for the same Party knowing (or not) that one vote is probably 'wasted'. This 'opacity' is probably a problem for Parties trying to manipulate the 'offer' to get their 'preferred' candidates into the SP via the two votes. The voters decide the outcome via a system that was intended to reflect the desires of the electorate in a 'balanced' way.
It's possible/likely that 'the people' are happier with the outcome than the politicians/Parties.
Some people vote for parties irrespective of the candidate(s) others vote for candidates irrespective of party (or no Party in the case of people like Margo.)
I don't think things are 'fine the way they are' and certainly not that 'there is (or isn't) obviously a better system'.
Perhaps most people want 'the best' MSPs. There has always been the issue of Parties sending their 'best' people (or not...) to Westminster. Clearly that refers more to the Labour Party - and it's not 'ended' well! And might see some sort of reversal next year.
There are crises of 'politics' and clearly of individual parties. Neither can really be blamed on the electoral system - or solved by changing it.
A bigger problems is that most politicians/Parties/people want more of the same - prosperity (however defined), growth (putting the word "sustainable" in front is another form of "opaque"!). All of which is the reason for the title of this thread.
What are the chances of "Paris" having any effect on "Holyrood"?
Posted 8 years ago # -
That article isn't really about a 'one party state'.
Bill J is a well known journalist and businessman with a viewpoint that is well to the right of the UK Conservative Party and he doesn't want Independence for Scotland.
Consequently he doesn't like the SNP or the fact that the Greens (also pro Independence) might get more seats than at present.
All well and fine, he's entitled to his views and he has easy access to a platform for putting them forward.
He will be well aware that if Holyrood had the same electoral system as Westminster, the SNP would be on course for most of the 129 seats.
THAT would make Scotland seem like a one-party state.
It's possible he is of the view I speculated about in my last post -
" 'the voters don't do the right thing - or are just too stupid' "
His last paragraph appears to offer the suggestion that he (and people like him) will leave Scotland if the SNP get back in. I'm sure this won't make too many people hesitate next year when faced with ballot paper.
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This, together with higher taxes, may come to pose deeply uncomfortable questions for those not “on board” with a party given the most extensive power over Scottish life and an effective carte blanche at Holyrood. They may come to feel that this is a Scotland where they have no place and no voice. Who would blame them if on such an outcome they should come to feel that the only vote that protected them in an effectively one-party Scotland was a vote with their feet?
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At least he has the resources to do this if he chooses to. There must be plenty of people in England with similar feelings.
No electoral system is perfect. People in Scotland seem to want to use the one here to get what they (think) they want. Obviously we need a proper one-party-state to put an end to 'democracy'.
Posted 8 years ago # -
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GDP figures released today for Scotland show us that the Scottish economy grew by 0.6% during the first quarter of 2015. GDP is the most widely reported metric and to increase GDP is a central aim of many governments, including the Scottish Government. However, GDP is very limited in what it measures – essentially measuring how busy our economy has been, with no regard to the social or environmental impact of that economic activity.
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http://www.scotlink.org/link-thinks/does-gdp-measure-what-really-matters
Posted 8 years ago # -
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Francois Hollande says 80% of known fossil fuels will need to stay in the ground for the world to achieve a “viable” global climate deal later this year in Paris.
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http://www.rtcc.org/2015/07/24/hollande-80-of-fossil-fuels-must-stay-in-the-ground
Posted 8 years ago # -
Have you emailed your MSP lately??
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/sturgeon-tells-pm-reinstate-msps-on-no-spy-list-1-3840800
Posted 8 years ago # -
Posted 8 years ago #
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Expanding the search for oil is necessary to pay for the damage caused by climate change, the Governor of Alaska has told the BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34501867
Unbelievable!
Posted 8 years ago # -
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ScotlandVotes (@scotlandvotes)
15/10/2015, 16:07
ICYMI: @YouGov #Times poll @theSNP 70 seats, @scottishlabour + @ScotTories tied on 25, @scotlibdems 4, @scotgp 5 pic."
Posted 8 years ago # -
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MINISTERS were attacked for a “deeply disappointing” record on tackling climate change after figures showed the Scottish government had missed its target for reducing harmful emissions for the fourth year in a row.
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Posted 8 years ago # -
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Speaking before Paris summit, expert says Europe must take urgent steps such as ending fossil fuel subsidies and encouraging electric cars
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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/08/sterns-warning-on-climate-change-battle
Posted 8 years ago # -
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12:54 Thursday 12 November 2015
TNS poll puts SNP at 58%, Labour 24%, Conservatives 12% and Liberal Democrats on 4% for constituency vote
Regional vote intentions put SNP at 52%, Labour 25%, 11% Conservatives, 5% Liberal Democrats and 5% Greens
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Posted 8 years ago #
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