A Green Chemist
The West Yorkshire branch of the British Humanist Association heard Paul Grayshan, a practicing industrial chemist, give an entertaining and thought-provoking analysis of being green in the UK. His overall approach was about the need to use a scientific approach to the problems of the environment.
The issues weren't always clear-cut. The use of polyester derived from oil uses less energy to make than clothes derived from wool. The main concerns about greenness derives from middle class concerns. They were about lifestyle choices. These choices were often not available to the poor who are almost forced to use larger supermarkets.
One listener thought it was important that the GM trials were run to their end without sabotage in order that a proper scientific analysis could be made. However the speaker and the meeting felt that it wasn't possible to leave the environment to the tender forces of the market and that some kind of socialist approach was needed.
The meeting also marked a reunion between Paul and Garth Frankland some 40 years after they studied chemistry at the University of Bradford.
Potternewton Primary School
Charles Kennedy's removal of left-leaning MPs from his shadow cabinet, in a deliberate swing to the right to go after Tory voters, has been reflected in Leeds.
Mark Harris, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Leeds City Council, has opposed the keeping open of Potternewton Primary School. The Leeds New Labour Group decided to reprieve the school after initial recommendations for its closure. Their decision was made after a vigorous campaign by staff and parents. The campaign was fully supported by the Chapel Allerton branch of the Alliance for Green Socialism.
Harris claimed the decision was political and that keeping the school open would cost £100,000 a year. This shows he has completely accepted the unscientific rubbish purveyed by Education Leeds and its discredited Chair Ridsdale over there being a surplus place problem in Leeds schools. The campaign partly led by Garth Frankland to save Leopold Primary School completely and utterly disproved this argument.
Why has Mark Harris put forward these right-wing arguments?
There are several possible reasons as follows:
- He is intellectually lazy and he has not independently checked the figures given to him by Education Leeds
- He is reflecting the rightwards shift in his party nationally
- His is miffed because some schools in Liberal Democrat wards are being closed.
Unlike New Labour in Chapel Allerton he has not yet felt the electoral pressure of the Alliance for Green Socialism sniffing down his neck. After the Alliance's campaign for Moortown and Roundhay next year he might be singing a different tune.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Leeds was honored by a visit from Iccho Itoh, Mayor of Nagasaki, and Tadatoshi Akiba, Mayor of Hiroshima. They planted a peace tree in Park Square. They then went on to Leeds Civic Hall where they both addressed a meeting of peace movement representatives. Their thoughtful and moving speeches affected the whole audience.
The Mayor of Hiroshima sang a famous Japanese song in memory of the Nagasaki bombing as a present to Leeds.
Councillor Mike McGowan compered the event backed by a good welcome from Councillor Alison Lowe, Deputy Lord Mayor, standing in for the Lord Mayor Neil Taggart who was on a jolly in China.
Others present included Councillors Claire Nash and Geoff Driver. There were no MPs present at this important Sunday morning event. Despite being invited, they all preferred to sleep in.
Catalysis for change
Over 50 people from across the North of England but mainly from Leeds gathered at Leeds Civic Hall to try to breathe life into the Labour Party. This organisation lost well over 20,000 members last year and will lose considerably more after the Iraq invasion seems past its sell by date. The meeting was entitled "Forward Left? Ways ahead for the Labour movement".
The meeting was organised by Catalyst, an independent think-tank, which tries to act as a critical friend of the New Labour Project. It is mainly funded by the trade unions and has attracted a layer of academics, mainly in the social policy field.
Alan Simpson, Secretary of the Socialist Campaign group of Labour MPs, gave a typical upbeat tub-thumping message. Socialism could now be possible because of the switch to the left inside the trade unions. Others seemed to be putting their faith in Gordon Brown. A faith not shared by any of the key members of the Socialist Campaign group who actually have to work with Brown, as Simpson kindly explained.
Among the activists present there was expressions of disbelief over the continuing swing to the right under Blair. Some said that they thought New Labour would swing to the left after winning the election. They didn't seem to have recently acquired hearing aids.
Some of the more persistent left-wingers left inside the New Labour project who have formed various groups such as the Campaign for the Labour Party are now putting their faith in the Trade Union based Labour Representation Committee. The word on the street is that my old mate Mick Rix will head this up after his tenure at ASLEF expires.
When one former member of Chapel Allerton Labour Party tried to explain the limitations of this approach he was attacked for leaving the Party. Of course as the well-informed readers on this column know it wasn't so easy to stay in the Labour Party in Chapel Allerton. It was closed for three years. Former old members are still specially vetted at a national level and are usually kept out.
Menwith Hill
Saturday 11th October saw the beginning of the International Week of Protest called for by Global Network Against Nuclear Weapons and Power in Space. Below Anni Rainbow and Lindis Percy (Joint Co-ordinators of the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases, CAAB) report on the event at Menwith Hill. Centimetre by centimetre these two unstoppable campaigners are racking up the pressure to close the US spybase. Their campaign is having a serious effect on the running of the base. Some of the fallout from this has even reached as far as the Yemen.
This was the fourth year running that CAAB, and this year in conjunction with Yorkshire CND, had organised the protest at Menwith Hill for 'Keep Space for Peace' week. Menwith Hill is a US spy satellite base - crucial with Fylingdales to the American Missile Defense (AMD) System.
It was a beautiful warm autumn day. The Yorkshire Dales looked stunning - But rudely interrupted by the perimeter fence, coils of barbed wire, CTTV cameras, radomes and an excess of police and police horses. Welcome to Menwith Hill - the reality of the US militarism of the Dales.
People of all ages came dressed in wonderful costumes on the theme of a 'celestial body'. Sheffield Samba Band arrived with energy, colour and fantastic rhythms. People who had not been to Menwith Hill before came - a children's space was set up with wonderful paintings which were hung on the fence.
It was a moving moment at the start of the demonstration when Christine Dean (Treasurer of CAAB) invited us to turn our backs on the base for a minute's silence - remembering all those killed and injured because of the continuing violence in Iraq.
Chris introduced Dave Webb (Convenor of GN) and Chris Davies (North West England MEP) who spoke about the weaponisation of space and the fact that the UK gave away sovereignty to the US authorities many years ago.
Steve Hill held a brilliant drumming workshop. Veggies of Nottingham provided the yummy food.
Lindis Percy (Joint Co-ordinator of CAAB) and Dave Webb (GN Convenor) took people on a guided walk round the base. This time we actually managed to get round the whole base (over-policing prevented the walk on 4 July).
We stopped at various points round the base to give information about it and what it does. The two Space Based Infra Red System radomes which will be crucial to AMD were pointed out. There was a heavy police presence blocking access all round the base.
Thank you to everyone who came and made the day so good.
We are even more determined than ever to stop the American Missile Defense System from becoming a reality.
In Peace -- Anni Rainbow and Lindis Percy
Website: http://www.caab.org.uk
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed it's the only thing that ever does." (Margaret Mead)
-- Half-Celestial Khan
