One has to wonder what councillor Paul Carter's objection is to the proposed 
nuclear waste site on Romney Marsh when it is his party that are championing 
nuclear power in the first place.  This seems to be a classic case of NIMBYism 
in it's worst form: Not In My Back Yard but fine in someone else's!

Nuclear power is dangerous, polluting and economically unviable.  A Green New 
Deal would create 1 million new jobs while at the same time weening us off of 
oil and rendering stupid ideas like nuclear power irrelevant.  Not everyone's a 
fan of wind farms (excuse pun) but they're certainly prettier than nuclear power 
stations or cancer from radiation.  When a wind turbine goes wrong it takes a 
while to fix it, but I would remind everyone that the Fukushima Nuclear Power 
plant is still burning, and radiation in the Pacific Ocean and west coast of 
America is rising

I urge people, until we have a sensible, truly Green government that doesn't 
have a vested interest in the destruction of our country, find electricity 
suppliers that do not use dangerous and polluting methods of production. 


Steven Campkin
Ashford Green Party

ASHFORD GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE STEVE CAMPKIN IS SUPPORTING A CAMPAIGN TO GET
NIRVANA'S SONG, "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT" TO NO.1 FOR CHRISTMAS. The campaign is to raise awareness of the music charity Rhythmix (1), based in Tunbridge Wells, which uses music to help vulnerable children. Simco (a company owned in large part by Simon Cowell) have applied to trademark the name “Rhythmix” whilst fully aware that “Rhythmix” was an existing trademarked name of a music charity that works with vulnerable young people, to grant them the exclusive right to record, create promotional items and even use the word in printed media.(2)

Steven said:"The music industry is now dominated by big companies churning out insipid rubbish, while genuine musicians are overlooked and local music scenes are dying, or being forced to conform to the industry's idea of music. The X-Factor is almost guaranteed a Christmas No.1, making millions for Simon Cowell and songwriter Gary Barlow, regardless of who wins. This campaign will be a massive effort to tell Simon and the industry in general that there are still people out here who know what real music is!!"

Steven also plays drums for Slam Cartel, who are currently promoting their debut album 'Handful of Dreams', without signing to any record labels. They can be seen playing live, (ie: NOT to a backing track!) at Ashford's Club Q on 12th November and London's Rhythm Factory on 18th November.

notes:
(1) Rhythmix is a Charity registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales, registration no: 1125646. Rhythmix is a not-for-profit Company Limited by Guarantee, registration no:
6050730.
(2) http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/x-factor/rhythmix-the-charity-not-the-band-ask-
for-your-support-in-their-x-factor-legal-battle/

http://www.greenparty.org.uk
http://www.kentgreenparty.org
http://www.ashfordgreens.org.uk
http://www.slamcartel.com
http://www.facebook.com/steve.campkin
http://www.stevencampkin.blogspot.com ...Thinking Allowed?

Woodland Trussed

Currently the government owns the land which means we own the land, as everything the government owns is paid for out of our taxes. In other words they are selling off something you own without consulting you, and those of us who are saying 'no' are being ignored.

The private owners can then fence off land to stop public access to it, land that we and our ancestors have had access to for thousands of years. The Crow Law means that we can 'gain access' to this land and they cannot do us for trespass, but they can make it as difficult as possible and can prosecute you for damage to their property if you damage the fence while climbing over it.

Eventually the owners will want some kind of recompense for their investment, which means gaining planning permission then selling it to developers for a profit. if they did that tomorrow their would be national outrage (one hopes!) but if they do it in ten years time, for just a small part of that land, then again ten years after, for another small part...

This of course, doesn't take into account what hippies like myself call 'inherent value', which basically means the land exists for itself, as do we all, whatever species, not for our usefulness to others or the capitalist machine. If the land belongs to the government it belongs to everyone, thus it belongs to no-one, it belongs to itself, and that is as it should be.

The Woodland Trust has already stated that it cannot afford to buy enough woodland to make any difference, so the National Trust are probably in the same position. Also, the woodland will be sold in auction, so well meaning trusts and individuals will be priced out by rich developers. Even if we had the cash we could still be out-bid.

"The timeless giver of all life,

Offered as a sacrifice,

The priceless finds it's price,

In the greed of man"

Martin Walkyier

Kid's Army

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas MP today urged the government to raise the recruitment age for Britain’s armed forces to 18.

The Early Day Motion, EDM 781, reads: "That this House notes that sixteen to eighteen year olds currently entering the armed forces commit themselves to a period of four years beyond their eighteenth birthday; notes that after a period of six months they are unable to leave as of right; notes that no other country in mainland Europe recruits at the age of sixteen; welcomes the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Human Rights in its report on children's rights that the UK adopt a plan of action for implementing the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention on the rights of the child; and urges the UK Government to implement the Joint Committee's recommendations and raise the age of recruitment to eighteen."

It occurs to me that, having left school, 16 year olds are faced with a crap job on minimum wage, unemployment (with the government now proposing to scrap certain benefits) or a so-called 'career' in the armed forces. Faced with this decision, and with the right to vote, many 16 year olds would surely vote for a party that would raise the NMW to a living wage, scrap tuition fees and introduce a citizen's income. Of course, they can't do this, as they are not trusted with a ballot paper and pencil till they are 18, but they can be trusted, it seems, with a gun. They can also be trusted with the task of creating and raising a child.

After two years in the armed forces they are 'brainwashed', in my opinion, to think that what they are doing is right and good, 'Dolce et Decorum', as it were. They're now not going to vote for a bunch of pansy pacifist politicians who are trying to get us off of oil like it's some kind of addiction.

16 = no job, no benefits, no cash for further education, no chance to vote for someone who offers you all this, a career in the Army.

18 = Indoctrination, a child to worry about, terrorists left, right and centre, a gun in your hand, the right to vote, three parties that 'Support the Troops', a bunch of hippies talking about climate change and human rights, or something.

One could even believe this has been arranged on purpose.

Stone of Praise.

Article in the Daily Fail: Stones of Praise

My response:

Every religion has it's misinterpretations, dark sides and extremists. Druidry was outlawed by the romans, persecuted by the Christians, revived by Phillip Ross-Nichols and now takes it's place alongside, not opposed to, all the other religions now practiced in it's homeland of Britain.

Druidry, as a recognised religion, can no longer be ridiculed (though I hope Frankie Boyle ignores this!), nor do we need an anti-Christian backlash to this terrible article by Ms. Philips.

What every religion has in common, including Atheism and Agnosticism, is the core message of compassion and wisdom. It's the 21st century, the Age of Aquarius, an age for spirituality and science to work together again, an age for us to respect our differences, celebrate our similarities and all work together through these difficult times.

Om, Shalom, Awen, Amen!

Religion and Politics

On the telly this morning was the question 'Should religion be kept out of politics?'

I would argue that this is indeed impossible. Ed Milliband and Nick Clegg are Atheists, this is going to affect their decisions whether they are conscious of it or not. Tony Blair was openly Christian, as is George Bush. Did this affect their decision to go to war? Was the claim of bringing stability to the middle east a smokescreen for a holy crusade against the infidels?

Every issue I take on is guided by my beliefs about morality, reality and the truths about the universe, and it was these beliefs that guided me to my chosen political affiliation. Hence the blank stares when I argue that, despite Ashford needing more houses (a view I'm not convinced of anyway) the land doesn't want to be built on, the trees don't want to be chopped down, they should be left alone for their own sake.

My belief is that all things have inherent value, and cannot and should not be judged only on their usefulness to humankind.

The point is that this is my belief and will guide my every move, word and thought so, as a representative of Ashford Green Party and 1014 voters I have a duty to be open about where my decisions and actions come from.

To 'take religion out of politics' would only cause politicians to hide what they believe, with a danger that Atheists would take over, effectively creating a theocracy that those of us with different beliefs will not be able to challenge. No faith should have total control, all should be considered and our representatives have a duty to be open about their beliefs, so we at least know where their moral compass is pointing.

Awen!

The Web of Life

We share the Earth with innumerable other forms of life. Only now are we beginning to understand how each species, each sub-species and indeed every individual creature, from the largest to the microscopic, plays it’s role in the ongoing evolution of this living planet we call home. Only now are we hearing, understanding and using words like ‘eco-system’, and ‘biosyncracy’.

The old ideas of anthropocentricity, from “dominion over the Earth” to “survival of the fittest”, are falling away now their error is revealed. In fact Charles Darwins final theory was ‘co-operation, not competition’. As single cell life forms became multi-cellular organisms, and multi cellular organisms became societal species, and mutually beneficial relationships between species and even between plants and animals, even between humans and bacteria, developed, so did this planet evolve, and every form of life with it.

The seperateness we humans have believed in, even celebrated, is an illusion. And it is a cruel, self inflicted and dangerous illusion. Just as we are learning from ancient scripture and cutting edge science that everything is interconnected, so we are beginning to see that the effects of this illusion of exclusion are not exclusive! It is our folly, but all creatures suffer because of it.

The only way forward for humankind now must acknowledge this fundamental truth, or there is no way forward. And this realisation is part of our evolution, that is why the greatness of a nation can be judged on it. From the Celtic web of life, through the Buddhas dependent arising, to Lovelocks Gaia hypothesis, it is now obvious that speciesism is just as ignorant as racism, sexism or any other prejudice.

It is now time to recognise all other creatures as our fellow Earthlings, on the journey through evolution with us, we are they and they are us.