Copy of my letter below (published in today's Bristol Evening Post), as sent recently, urging voters to reject tired old politics and vote Green. Its a very big day for the Green Party with voting taking place across the country tomorrow (see http://votegreenparty.org.uk/ and http://sianformayor.org.uk/). Greens are on the up - with over 700 candidates standing, a major national newspaper (The Observer) calling for voters to support Sian Berry for London Mayor, and high hopes for continued and even stronger performance in places like Stroud, London, Norwich and elsewhere - so watch this space later this week for comments on results.
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It should be no surpise that food prices are rising, causing many problems here and around the globe, especially for those already extremely poor of course. The problem is that in practice countries have done nothing to create economies that can be sustainable, economically and environmentally. World population has more than doubled since 1950, stimulating demand.
Consumption in countries like the UK and USA is sky high, whilst consumption is very rapidly rising in places like China, India and elsewhere, resulting in fuel use which has more than quadrupled since 1950. More demand for fuel means higher prices.
We have speculation in the wheat market by 'investors' (gamblers). Growing world meat consumption and the use of land to grow plants for biofuels and bioplastics instead of food, in the deeply mistaken belief that it is a green action, has pushed food prices up by stimulating demand.
More people, more fuel use, more resource consumption, more land taken for farming, emissions and efficiencies due to rising meat consumption and the rise in transport intensive lifestyles has resulted in climate change. In turn droughts and floods from climate change have lowered food supplies in key places, putting upward pressure on food prices.
Yet despite what seems to me to be a viscious circle the big political parties continue to promote the same old economic expansionism, high and growing consumption and increasing global trade. In contrast it is economic localisation that we need here and around the world. A stable, secure and affordable economy would result from this approach, creating a conserver society. Our health and general wellbeing and that of our environment would also be much better in such a society and it could be sustained on into the future and around the globe. Voters should thus reject the same old politics, advocating the same old economics from the same people and parties.
More on economic localisation here.
