Greens Emission Package "Needs Reality Check" - Mild Greens

Christchurch's Mild Greens say that the Green Party's package to tackle nasty vehicle emissions contains positive steps, but is strangely lacking initiative to counter the problem at its source - the multi-billion dollar plundering of non-renewable fossil fuels.

Blair Anderson and Kevin O'Connell said that it was a pity there was no apparent component on research and development of alternative fuels - and expressed dismay too at the Government response which "was just plain stupid".

"If we are to get serious about cleaning up the air in our cities, reversing ecological damage and relieving the economic burden of oil imports, we need a serious reality check on the fuel source. One might have reasonably expected the Green party to have something to say about clean green alternatives such as ethanol, GROWN FROM SUNLIGHT."

Popular Mechanics, December 1941 records that Henry Ford built a car out of hemp, fueled by hemp-methanol extracted with pyrolytic conversion. And Ford himself is credited with the ironic industrial quote of the century that "everything that can be made from hydrocarbons, can be made from carbohydrates."

Mr Anderson said that the problem was not availability of the technology, but that there were political and economic "impediments" to its application. While fast-growing cannabis-hemp was a logical choice for production of biomass fuels, the United States was spending mega-millions trying to find "anything but cannabis" to do it with, he said.

"Geothermal steam extraction (STEX) as a fibre technology changes the model to New Zealand's competitive advantage -- but the Greens and Government have neglected the 'holistic' potential of plants as a fuel resource," said Mr Anderson.

"Show me a farmer who wouldn't like his income pegged to the price of fuel", he said.

The Mild Greens, who are a faction of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, said that it was good that the Greens were advocating the mutual community respect of choosing public transport, and even better, promoting cycling. However, that it appeared their package gave tacit approval to fossil fuel depletion, was therefore fundamentally inappropriate.

Kevin O'Connell said that it seemed there was an "evil force" of political correctness preventing even the Green party from openly attacking the global economic domination of the petroleum industry.

"Despite their pro-hemp advocacy, it appears that the Greens are afraid of being laughed off the planet if they 'go there' in relation to vehicle emissions", said Mr O'Connell.

The Mild Greens say that in general they are flabbergasted at the lack of illumination: There also appeared to be little hint of a carbon-tax as a fossil fuel disincentive which could then fund a pro-active "clean-up" strategy.

Meanwhile the Minister of Energy's main priority seemed to be milking the research and development industry approval of "exhaust checking infrastructure."

As an ALCP candidate for public office last November, Mr O'Connell pledged to contribute half his salary to scholarships for the specific purpose of developing genuinely "green" energy. Regrettably however, Labour's Clayton Cosgrove was the successful Waimakariri MP, while the Green Party swooped in and harvested the legalisation vote cultivated by the Cannabis Party.

Mr O'Connell said that the logical solution to rising fuel costs, polluting emissions and greenhouse gases was singularly ending the War on Cannabis.

"With the excess GST collected on petrol price increases alone, Government could easily phase in a genuine transition, beyond petroleum", he said.

Nevertheless, it was expected that there would be "political" pressure on the Ministers of Energy and Economic Development not to implement a comprehensive science strategy on options for domestic development of ecologically appropriate energy sources.

"We expect the Labour-led government to approach the real problems underlying problematic exhaust emissions, with the same absence of discipline applied to fixing inequitable marijuana controls", say the Mild Greens.

The Mild Greens believed it had become an indictment of New Zealand's leadership that the promised cannabis law inquiry had yet to enter the realm of the here and now... "Sadly, government appears unable to grasp the fact that prohibition creates the link between drugs and crime, and between poverty and economic exploitation."

In response to Minister of Science Pete Hodgeson's suggestion that a science strategy on policy options for cannabis law reform be applied, the Mild Greens advised that the government should enable their energy programme... and fast track their reconsideration of the legal status.

Kevin, Blair (03) 389 4065 http://www.alcp.org.nz

Blair Anderson mailto:blair@technologist.com

Blairs Brain on Cannabis http://brainserver.thebrain.com/get.asp?i=59f98 http://www.alcp.org.nz/candidates/blair

Media Center

phone ++64 3 389-4065 Web site http://www.alcp.org.nz

It is time within drug policy, to set aside moral cowardice, and adopt harm minimisation; it is the stuff of social capital.

© Scoop Media