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Help us help you - organ and blood donation legislation.

An article in last week's Belfast Telegraph reported that less than 5000 people from NI have joined the NHS Donor Register since the beginning of this year, a paltry number when placed in context of the reduced number of donors from traditional groups such as road traffic victims and brain haemorrhage patients, who thanks to road safety and medical improvements are more likely to survive their ordeals.

So what influences the decision not to sign up to the register? For some there are personal reasons regarding post mortem organ ownership, however, for others it is the same old story (and one we're probably all guilty of in some aspects of our lives), we simply haven't gotten around to it / never thought about it / can't be bothered [delete as appropriate]. There will also be a fair few people who carry a card, but haven't signed up to the register and haven't expressed their wishes clearly to their family.

I've also heard a few people dismissively state that their organs wouldn't be worth anything due to the fact that they are smokers or drinkers. What few people realise is that in the case of a plentiful register, less than perfect organs still have their use. They can be used for research, or in some cases given to people who's transplants are not life saving but might allow them to undergo treatment for other illnesses. Under normal circumstances they would be excluded from transplant programs or be repeatedly overlooked.

So what of the op out system of donation? Will the future of a successful organ donation society rely on this or at least a comprehensive debate into it? When a person comes of age, should they be automatically added to the register, whereby it is up to them to remove themselves from it if they feel the need? The choice is still there afterall, no one is forcing anyone to donate, and you should be helped in any way possible by your local health adviser (GP, School Nurse etc) to make an educated and informed decision, along with the option to donate to medical research if you so wish.

The British Medical Association (BMA), many transplant surgeons, and some patients' groups and politicians are keen to see Britain adopt a system of "presumed consent", where it is assumed that an individual wishes to be a donor unless he or she has "opted out" by registering their objection to donation after their death. http://www.uktransplant.org.uk

So it appears the idea has some level of support, but what stands in the way? When opt out has been on the agenda before there have been concerns regarding personal choice, but also the practicalities. For example, seeking the consent of family members could reveal some important family medical history, perhaps not known to the donor, and for this reason many countries that have a 'presumed consent' policy still try to contact families before taking organs.

But it seems that at the moment UK legislation is putting the responsibility to sign up on the would be donor. To me this seems to be making the process of doing a good thing like donation that little bit harder. And that is before we even get to the quite frankly ridiculous limitations currently being imposed on gay men who wish to donate blood.

As if rubbing salt in the wounds of those want to help and adhere to the 'no excuses' advertising jargon, limitations on men with same sex partners were addressed recently, with the ban on giving blood apparently 'lifted'. Read the small print however and you'll find that there is a 10 year no sex clause (read Neue Politik and Stephen's Liberal Blog for responses to this insulting compromise).

Health care is on the election agenda this week in Northern Ireland. I've just outlined two examples that can easily be addressed to your local candidate if this is something that is important to you (it was certainly important to one dialysis patient I spoke to in the Village when canvassing this weekend). The time is here to tell our legislators, help us help.

http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ukt/default.jsp
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/allow-gay-people-to-be-blood-donors-uk/

Demand for wind power on the rise

As the debtae about Nuclear Power continues, guest blogger Kristina Zelisko working with Redstone College (which offers a wind turbine training program), writes about the rise of a mighty wind...

As we all sit back and watch in horror as tragic events continue to unfold in Japan, quiet conversations are taking place all over the world about the future of nuclear power. The situation in Japan, the most earthquake prepared nation in the world, reminds us that when things go wrong in the world of nuclear power, they don’t just go a little wrong.

Alternate energies such as solar or wind turbine have been steadily gaining positive momentum through the years and a disaster such as a nuclear meltdown within a densely populated area only serves to put a spotlight on why. If one had to find a silver lining in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, it would be the heightened interest and new sense of urgency to implement these alternative methods of generating our power.

Businesses of all sizes that deal with alternative energy sources are suddenly becoming very popular around the world and this is excellent news for anyone currently taking training such as a wind energy technology program, solar energy or any of the other many green energies. As popularity increases, jobs and new careers are beginning to open up as are educational options. 

Reputable universities and colleges across the country are adding entire curriculum and degree programs based on wind energy training, water based technology, solar energy and many other natural methods for creating or capturing the energy that we need. Students that are getting on board early will find themselves in the fortunate position of near endless career opportunities. The emerging industries will very quickly need well trained professionals to service the growing demand.

Like any profession or business that experiences global demand, new education and programs like wind turbine training will begin to supply the industry with the new people that it will require to meet that demand.

Whether a tragedy like in Japan or an ever dwindling supply of the fuel and energy that we are currently using, the market is being forced to consider alternatives. Those alternatives mean a wealth of opportunity for us all, and also for the planet.

Kristina Zelisko // Web Promoter // W 1-888-818-4917 // kristina@buzzpromote.net // www.buzzpromote.net

Campaign Blog

Well the election period is well and truly under way, so I thought I'd blog a campaign trail diary about my experiences. I'm running for council in Castlereagh South for the Green Party and I'm an active part of the South Belfast Green's Vote Clare Bailey on the 5th May team, in support of our MLA candidate.

I took a childcare break just over two years ago to have the Shugmeister and while I've been keeping myself busy with writing, blogging and bits and pieces in addition to motherhood, these past few months have really seen my involvement with the Green Party in Northern Ireland step up a pace. The whole thing is proving to be a complicated, interesting, difficult, yet amazingly fulfilling process. I hope that what I write is of interest to those politicos out there, but also to other parents who are looking to share experiences with trying to manage childcare and other commitments.

Mummy Management


Thursday 24th March 2011


I've had to invest in a hand bag. After years of being able to fit everything into well organised pockets, the work load is now too much. So after picking one up and realising my life could have been much simpler had I decided to do this earlier (nappy bag doesn't count as it filled to the brim with baby stuff), I'm off to meet the representative for the Big Lunch. I will be holding a pool on just how long it takes me to loose the new bag as I'm not used to carrying something around with me.

The meeting is very informative, such a great idea and due to it's change of date (from July to June) can now be enjoyed by more people in N. Ireland. The idea that communities can come together for a lunch, dinner or picnic is a great one, and the Green Party are throwing their full support behind it. The South Belfast Greens are holding an event in the Ormeau Rd area and we've two more planned in East Belfast and Castlereagh.

The evening is spent meeting up with the SB Greens and doing some door to door in The Kimberly & Walden Street areas off the Ormeau. It's a good night, people seem genuinely interested in hearing the alternatives on offer - a combination of being fed up with the status quo here and very much to counter balance the actions of the ConDems across the water.

Clare Bailey and I chat afterwards about the getting the balance right between the increased workload of campaign season and our respective families. Clare has two older children and a job to contend with - I have a toddler but no job, so we've been comparing war stories. We both acknowledge that the next few weeks will require us to be a little more selfish; certainly from my point of view I know I've been relying on childcare coverage from my husband and sister more than usual. I have a funny feeling that post May 5th, I'll be the nominated baby sitter for all subsequent big events.

Friday 25th March

Preparing press releases for the bulk of the morning and checking in with our social media accounts. Far too tired to stay awake for Question Time last night, so checking up on the tweets for that. The tweets are probably more insightful and definitely more amusing than the show itself, but hopefully I'll get it watched on i-player at some point.

The wee man's on good form, though is conscious of my absence for most of yesterday and is being clingy. I make him breakfast and sit playing blocks with him until he gets sick of the sight of me and danders off to partake in his favourite past time - pouring juice from his cup into all manner of other containers, and making a bloody mess.

In the afternoon I'm off to Queen's to launch the Green Party's Big Lunch with Mark Simpson and Clare Bailey, which you can read more about here. We're promoting the local produce aspect and Clare's raffle of 20 bags of horse manure for grow your own purposes. As a result I have to carry a shovel on the bus with me. Do I look like a keen gardener or a serial killer? I'm in my suit, so I'm going to opt for serial killer.

The photos are being taken at the same time as QUB and the residents of the Holylands are launching their lunch. We don't intrude as they don't want to politicise the event too much. However, the cameras attract the attention of a candidate from another party who is in the area putting up posters. He danders over, clearly not knowing what the event is about and muscles in on a few photos. He then has the audacity to ask the organisers how long this is going to take, as he's very busy. He attempts to sit down with the students and residents and enjoy a free meal, but is promptly told to skoot.

Afterwards I re-group with Clare and go over our respective schedules for the next few weeks. It's clear that my sister is going to own me before long, perhaps I'll offer her a kidney in exchange for all the help I'm getting from her.

Saturday 26th March

Big day. Canvassing in the Pottinger Ward on behalf of council candidate Dave Newman and Clare. It's a gorgeous day and we get a good few responses. I talk to one retired gentleman in who is sitting in his garden surrounded by pots and plants - he's a grow your own man himself and I realise that I have really failed to get my own garden in gear this year. Might have to just concentrate on a herb garden.

Then off to the city centre with the rest of the NI Greens to march in the anti-cuts rally. NI is one of the most public sector reliant areas in the UK, and the people over here have been campaigning long and hard to bring their pay in line with the rest of the country. Cuts in this area will be devastating for far too many reasons to go into fully here, but there simply isn't the investment in private industry to pick up the slack when people find themselves out of work. The Green New Deal would be a perfect way to redress the balance if only more politicians would take the matter seriously; instead it's a convenient means of greening out their portfolio in the run up to elections. It would make NI more self sustaining, unlike the cut in corporation tax which will only ensure private enterprise loyalty providing no one else makes them a better offer.

It's a good afternoon, peaceful, and I'd say almost double the turn out compared to the same rally in November (the weather probably didn't hurt the cause either). The only thing that soured it slightly was this overheard conversation between a spectating mother and her child:

Mother: "That's a parade, but not a good one"
Child: "What they marching for?"
Mother: "I dunno."

After that I meet up with D and the Shugmeister for a picnic in the grounds of City Hall, then home for a relaxing low tech Earth Hour evening.

Sleazy come, sleazy go.

The real sleaze behind Iris Robinson's downfall is not the tabloid titillation, but the non disclosure of business and personal interest. But can we really expect transparency from a politician whose party opposes the notion at every turn?

Lost among the endless column inches dedicated to the exposure of Iris Robinson's affair with Kirk McCambley was the initial fact that Mrs Robinson helped raise some £50,000 in investment funds on McCambley's behalf which she did not declare to either Westminster or Stormont, and failed to disclose her personal interest when Castlereagh Council awarded him a cafe lease. It's perhaps not that surprising really, Mrs Robinson outspoken comments on morality issues, in particular her opinions on homosexuality meant that her extra martial activities were seized upon. But following the Public Prosecution Services decision last week not to bring charges against her, one would be forgiven for thinking that the real political issue has been swept aside amidst the personal life gossip and speculation.

The PPS does not go into detail as to why charges are not being brought and there is still an Assembly Standards investigation outstanding, but whatever the legal outcome there remains the issue of a serious breach of trust between Mrs Robinson and the constituents of Castlereagh who expect their council representatives to declare invested interests in the awarding of licences, tenders and leases. At the time the Council itself saw criticism levelled at it for its slow and limited online publication of council minutes - had anyone known of the existing relationship between Robinson and McCombley, could they have raised objections to the award if details of council meetings been more readily available? For a couple of weeks, clarity and scrutiny in local authority dealings became topic de jour, unfortunately this was mostly in the independent and freelance writing sphere, from online bloggers and in political forums, as much more attention was paid by newspapers and mainstream media to the 'sex scandal' aspect.

But is the now resigned Mrs Robinson's behaviour merely a symptom of a culture of non disclosure that has infected certain areas of NI politics? Though no longer a member of the DUP, while in office Iris Robinson was arguably the poster girl for the party; a long standing councillor before becoming MLA and MP, married to the First Minister and mother of party member. The criticism she and her husband faced during the expenses scandal admittedly damaged this reputation somewhat and later her non disclosure of funds and interest would most certainly have been condemned, but her affair made a far more convenient objection, deflecting from the obvious question of how do you protest against one woman's failure to volunteer personal interest, if she represents a party that refuses to publish it's own party donations, and therein, its own vested interests.

In January this year the DUP, along with the SDLP and UUP, openly moved to preserve for a further two years, the current legislation that conceals the public identity of party donors and lenders. Transparency it seems is not something that should be led by example. While we cannot cast any aspersions as to donors and subsequent decision making by party representatives, we cannot have open, clean politics until donations are declared. There is even a substantial argument that you cannot have impartiality until business donations are taken out of the equation all together. In the meantime though, I'd just be happy to see the books opened and let the public decide whether the decision making process for tenders is as fair and honest as it should be. One woman's marriage indiscretions simply won't provide a long term smokescreen on this issue...

Wacko Nuts and Cyclepaths

Just days after writing about some inspirational women in environmental politics, I read about the current law case being brought against the city of New York by a group of residents opposed to a bicycle lane in a wealthy area of Brooklyn. The case raises objections to the creation of a segregated two way cycle lane in the area in 2010, and claims that the city mislead residents about the benefits of the lane and safety statistics, while working with bicycle activists to silence local opposition. That the path reduces resident parking, restricts views of the park and could adversely affect property prices I imagine is on people's minds, if not their court documents. 


But what struck me about the subsequent reporting was not the environmental issue, or even the social aspect (the practice of taking road space from motorists to give to cyclists and pedestrians has been labelled a 'Robin Hood' practice), no, what is noticeable is the particular focus on Janette Sadik Khan, NYC Transport Commissioner, and the women responsible for the recent cycling initiatives in New York that have previously been lauded for improving cyclist and pedestrian safety, time efficiency and adding to the general worker mobility of money areas such as Wall Street. 


As others have highlighted, the action against the city has started to take a very personal tone. While the case in question calls for the removal of a single cycle lane, reporters and opposition groups have been quick to jump on the idea that this is a long over due backlash against Khan. Reporting, in particular from the New York Times, has focussed on her personality and management style, speculating about her 'brusque, I-know-best style and a reluctance to compromise' as well her aggressive attitude. One wonders if these aspects of character would have been so freely commented upon if Khan had been a man, and even then, would that have been seen as entirely negative. And that's before we even get to the undignified comments of gossip columnist Cindy Adams which refer to Khan as a 'wacko nutso'.


But this is hardly the first time that a women in high public office has seen objections about her politics turn personal, and in some cases overtly sexist in tone. Sarah Palin faced high levels of criticism during the 2008 election, much of it turned personal (yeah, that's politics for you, regardless of gender, I'm not that naive), but some of it turned sexist and sexual. Huffington Post contributor and screen writer Michael Steitzman in his insightful 'Sarah Palin Naked' article stated 'She's really is kinda hot. Basically, I want to have sex with her on my Barack Obama sheets while my wife reads aloud from the Constitution.' C'mon people, Palin's politics alone should be enough to ridicule her, there's no need for that, or the photoshopped bikini pictures, or the Palin porno for that matter.


At the moment Khan's critics have focussed on attitude rather than sexuality, yet the fact that the argument has shifted away from the issue and onto the public servant either speaks volumes for the weight of the original argument or reveals more about the growing resentment towards Khan. Is it personal? It is certainly starting to look that way. Is it gender related? Perhaps not across the board, but some inherent attitudes seem incapable of distinguishing between the woman and the job she holds.



Image: Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

International Women's Day: Women in the Business

In honour of International Women's Day, today's post focusses on women in environmental politics and social campaigning. Of course they're working hard every day, but it doesn't hurt to take a few moments today to give them some much deserved kudos.


When I was studying politics some years ago I came across a worrying statistic that showed that women in Ireland were proportionally less represented in elected politicians than The Sudan. Yep, you read that right, The Sudan. That was some years ago and from what I can remember represented only the ROI, but it was still a shocking figure. Have things improved much? Last months ROI elections saw 24 women elected to the Dail, two more than 2007, but that is out of a possible 166 seats. Ireland still trail behind The Sudan, Kazakhstan and Iraq in world league tables. Here in N.Ireland representation isn't much better, with 18 female MLAs elected to Stormont in 2007, a paltry 16% of the total seats.

Of course there are some great female politicians and candidates, victories in 2010 Westminster elections for the likes of the Alliance Party's Naomi Long, against First Minister Peter Robinson no less, and Sinn Fein's Michelle Gildernew in the tightly contested Fermanagh seat, prove that female politicians can do the business come voting time, and it may be simply a case of ensuring that more women are encouraged to stand. In this year's Local Assembly Election's I'm extra pleased that the environmental option in South Belfast lies with the Green Party's Clare Bailey (pictured). I'll set my impartiality aside for a moment and state that I've been canvassing with Clare in recent months and I can safely say that my vote has never been in better hands.


Of course a great deal of political involvement starts at school or university, and I'm also please to say that the QUB Feminist Society is now up and running as an active society for students in Belfast. Recognition should go to co-chairs Ashleigh Simpson and Judith McGimpsey for making such head way in recent months.


Finally I'd just like to highlight three inspirational women who have influenced me in their politics, dedication and commitment to eco and female issues:

Caroline Lucas: The first English Green Party MP on her election last May, Caroline Lucas's leadership of the party over the past three years, and eleven year stint in the European Parliament, have seen the profile and image of eco concious politics in the UK raised significantly. She's also done more than her fair share for women, campaigning on issues of domestic violence, breast cancer, sexual health and maternal care.

http://www.carolinelucas.com/cl.html

Petra Kelly: Instrumental in the creation and development of  Die Grünen, her tragic murder in 1992 may have meant that she never fulfilled her full potential, but what she did manage in her life was extraordinary and she is truly as inspiration and role model to environmentalists across the globe, male and female alike. 

Harriet Lamb: As Executive Director of the UK Fairtrade Foundation, I guess Ms Lamb is having a busy time of at at the minute as we're right in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight (check out Fairtrade Pancake recipe of Greensheen Kitchen). She is also the author of Fighting the Banana Wars and Other Fairtrade Battles, which is available via Amazon.

We and They...

 ... or how Cameron's empty rhetoric demonstrates just why choice of language and substance behind it, is something we must judge and hold our politicians accountable by. 


Yes everyone's least favourite Moomin David Cameron made a speech this weekend at the 47th annual Munich Security Conference, that has sparked quite an uproar. The issues, about the threat of terrorism and extremist behaviour, are as you can imagine, quite sensitive topics and were handled with all the grace and gentility of a hand gliding hippo. And just for good measure, the timing turned out to be such a magnificent balls up that it could have been a scene right out of The Thick of It, coming just hours before the EDL marched on Luton in an anti Islamic Extremist demonstration.

The speech was of course picked apart by the press and Cameron critics to reveal it's weaker, more contentious aspects. Do not image that the entirety actually involved Oswald Mosley style black shirting, with fatwa baiting, jihad taunting slurs, arms flapping, foaming at the mouth and much gnashing of teeth. It did not. Yet from what I've just written, I bet you were picturing what such a scenario would be like, even just for a second. You see that's the power of language, it inspires and creates, and can be used to great effect, both in the positive and the negative. So when Mr Cameron, the leader of the coalition, stands in front of the world and spouts, we pay attention to the language, terminologies and analogies he employs, both as a means of revealing his own agenda, but also to see what message he is sending to the rest of the world as a representative of this country.

And it really doesn't read well. I'm afraid to say that this man, who couldn't even get a country united enough against one of the most unpopular Prime Ministers in recent years, to vote him and his party into unshared government, is now lecturing on the need for a national unity in the face of 'failed multiculturalism'. And how does he go about this? A small excerpt;

"We have failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong. We have even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run counter to our values."

In one sentence Mr Cameron has made harmful and counterproductive distinctions between segregated communities or 'they' as he so tactfully puts it, and 'we', what he later goes on to describe as the mainstream, and 'our values'. The language is alienating to say the least, talking as if the dreaded 'they' will not hear such utterances and assuming the like-mindedness of his audience.

But it goes so much deeper than this ham fisted language, which given it's tone was not surprisingly taken up that day by many EDL marchers as a sign of unity. There are startling failures in the speech in terms of content. At one point he speaks of the 'passive tolerance' of recent years. I can only assume he means the passive tolerance of New Labour, that saw some of the most regressive attacks on civil rights and freedoms in modern times all in the name of fighting extremism, and legislations which were opposed at the time by members of this coalition no less, on the grounds of civil liberties violations. Are we now to understand that these were too soft?

Then there's the sweeping assumptions that segregation leads to extremism and that extremism and forced marriage are intrinsically linked - to me Cameron's isolated and misplaced sentence on the issue of forced marriage in the midst of a speech on security, ignores the complexities of the issue and seems more like moral point scoring. Add to that the notion that there is such a thing as 'British values', that the mainstream is identifiable and attainable, all the while maintaining that there are problems with state sponsored multiculturalism and powerful segregation groups, but without going into any real specifics, and you have a speech that is holier than a nun at Easter.

Yet more importantly Cameron lacks real resolution; ensuring language attainment and National Citizen Service may sound nice, but this presumes that extremism is solely the responsibility of so called segregated community and reeks of assimilation rather than integration. In amongst the misrepresenting, the 'us and them' suggestiveness, are there solid plans to tackle poverty rates or immigration geography trends that one would assume lead to segregation (if of course this is even what causes extremism)? Not really, not unless you consider getting everyone in the country to hold hands at the proms to the chorus of Rule Britannia a plan, though even that might also be a slight issue Mr Cameron - as before you start on your venture into the Islamic community, you may well be wise to venture to Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, hell, even half the north of England, where I think you'll find very different versions of national identity and 'our' values.

I ♥ my Library

Guest blogger Sarah writes about why she still loves the public library and thinks it should be retained as an important resource.

I was never a good student, in fact I was a very bad reader when I was little. My mam didn't have time to help us read and I remember struggling at school. But I always loved going to the library, mostly with my school. There was always something really exciting about seeing so many books in one place. I would always make a bee line for the collection of children's annuals, my favourites were the ones about kids TV programmes such as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles and Captain Planet. They were a bit ragged, some had scribbles in them, but it was better than nothing, which was what we had at home.

My dad left my mam when I was 6 years old. We hardly saw him after that. When I was 10 my mam met a man who moved in with us. He was ok at first, but became very violent and abusive, to her and to us kids. It wasn't a happy home life for me and my sisters. My older sisters would spend more time at their friends and boyfriends but I didn't really have anywhere other than my gran's, but she didn't live close, so instead I'd walk to our town centre after school and at weekends and go to the library.

I remember just loving how quiet it was. I didn't have to fight for the TV remote, or make myself heard over all the voices at home. It was also a safe place to be, for a few hours at least. This continued well into my teens, even when other activities such as boys and drinking started to take over and even after my mam's boyfriend had left, which he did when I was 14. I'd go after school, even though my school had a library of it's own (I hated school and couldn't wait to get out of there at half three) and started to become a big reader. I'd even do some homework when I could be bothered and was the only one of my siblings to get enough GCSE passes to go to college and do an NVQ.

I'm now 26 and still read loads, at least a book a week. It may not be what most people call classic literature - I love Catherine Cookson, Robert Rankin and anything by Stephen King and I love the fact that I now live in a house where there are plenty of books. But I still visit the library. I have two children of my own and they go to Story Times, percussion groups and mother and baby groups, all in the library and even though they can't read yet, they love looking at the picture books.

It would be a real shame if other people were to miss out on libraries in the future. I know it helped me a lot and it is already helping my kids. 


Not only a social or cultural amenity, libraries are of course a means of reducing paper usage, as sharing resources is part of the practice. More than 450 libraries across the UK are currently threatened with closure and today is Save Our Libraries Day, with campaigns and events being held all over the country. If you haven't visited your local library for some time, why not pop in today and make use of the facilities, perhaps while you still can.

Check out the following sites for more information.

http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk/wordpress/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12367392

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/culture-cuts-blog/2011/feb/05/save-our-libraries-day-live-coverage


Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Watermelon Slur: Why it says more about the accuser than the accused

If you haven't heard the term already, a Watermelon in this context, is someone who is apparently 'Green on the outside, Socialist (and therefore red) on the inside'. It's a lazy and ineffective attack for a number of reasons. Firstly, those who throw the term about probably think they are being oh so clever, when it is in fact nothing more than a bastardization of another tasteless term, the 'Coconut', used to question the essential 'blackness' of some people (in pop culture terms, the likes of Tom from The Boondocks and Carlton Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air were often accused of a 'black on the outside, white on the inside' characteristics).

Secondly, while the 'Coconut'  is rightly offensive, its lame cousin the Watermelon is rather more of a venomless snake, given that for most Greens the concept is neither new, surprising or by any means an insult. The English Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, when questioned about her Watermelon credentials on last weeks BBC Politics Show, simply replied 'well I don't have a problem with that' and I doubt many others would argue.

Being Green is about so much more than treehugging, it's about concern for our social environment too. This does not make us afraid of progress or change, but it does make us concerned that when this change comes about that it not done at the cost of the vulnerable. Want to cut our over reliance on the public sector Mr Wilson and Cameron? Go ahead, I'm sure we'd all welcome alternatives, but who exactly will pick up the slack? Private industry? What private industry? Only an idiot cuts the rope before the safety net has arrived. As a member of the Green Party I support the Green New Deal and I feel that investment in this area is one of the only workable alternative economic solutions. Once in place, then, and only then, can we be confident that our workforce has alternatives. Is this socialist? Perhaps, and I don't have a problem with that.

Finally, the idea that one should be embarrassed, ashamed or in any way hide one's socialist or leftist tendencies, reveals far more about the accuser them than it does us. Clearly, like the Tea Party protesters in the US, these people still live in their own bubble where they see a social outlook and concern akin to to the loopy left, communism or erm, Nazism. This is certainly not the case. If you can't admit to any social concern, and that is concern for the weakest and poorest people in your country and the world over, then you have no business in politics... well you do, just join the Condems, DUP or the Republican Party.

I was out protesting on Saturday in Belfast against the EMA cuts and compared to previous efforts the turn out wasn't great, especially given that the university fees issue in Northern Ireland is still very much up for debate. I imagine that in part this was due to the mass student exodus that takes place at weekends in Belfast, but also the unfortunate reputation that these protests have gained following violence in England. However, another protester from People Before Profit, summarized that in the protest movement is in danger of forever being labelled as a socialist niche and that success will only come when the notion that people can change their society for the better by speaking out against the unwise decisions of their officials, appeals to a broader range of people. As a socialist himself, he understood the need for support from more middle/central political groups, who have voiced disapproval of current government actions, but refuse to get their hands dirty. I think there's a lot to be said for this, as it seems in the face of flying Watermelons, that some people are still very much afraid of reds under the beds.

Extreme Weather Contingency Plans

In the past ten years Northern Ireland has seen a mixture of extreme weather conditions, from localised summer flooding to recent examples of record cold winters. If the past five years are anything to go by, we're far more likely to experience our 'summer' months in May and early June, rather than July and August, where cloudy, wetter conditions have made these traditional holiday periods a bit of a wash out.

There have been calls recently, most notably from Cadogan Enright of the South Down Greens for a cold weather contingency plan, to ensure that public services are better equip to deal with the problems associated with heavy snowfall and ice, and that local enterprises, particularly those in retail and hospitality, are protected from the adverse affects. Stating with regards to the recent impact of the snow on the streets of South Down, Mr Enright comments:

"The deplorable response of our Down Council and the Road Service to the fortnight’s snow was only one piece of a general failure of top civil servants and Ministers to create a “Weather Emergency Plan” 

As someone who experienced issues with delayed and missed domestic refuse collection here in Castlereagh in December, I whole heartily agree with this and Mr Enright was protesting almost prophetically just a few weeks before things went tits up at NI Water (I was among the lucky few whose water supply was not affected after Christmas but know plenty unfortunate people who were). But I do think it is important that we extend this 'back -up' to all times of year.

As the recent bout of snow has barely left us, it is only natural that it is high on the agenda. However let us not forget the problems we experience in the summer months too, such as our 'rainy season' when flooding has damaged homes, roadways and our local parks (the Ormeau Park in particular looks like a Cajun bayou after heavy rainfall and some grassy areas are rendered unusable for days, even weeks afterwards). There needs to be well thought out plans in place to ensure that all aspects of extreme weather are catered for, from help and support if you have been affected by storms and high winds, to post flooding clean up, which in residential and shared areas, should be quick and efficient.

I think it goes without saying that an improvement in communication between authorities and the public needs to be part of any plans formed. If you were one of the many people frustrated by the crashing of the of NI Water website, or simply unable to get an response/straight answer to your wheelie bin pick up question from your local council, I probably don't need to tell you the value of informed and helpful telephone staff, who themselves are supported by their superiors in times of heavy communication. And even if you local authority is not directly responsible for the issues you face, we need to ensure that they are able t provide help and advice in order to point you in the right direction.

Of course many plans to prevent flooding and ensure water supply are long term development issues that aren't going to be as easy to organise as short term solutions like grit supply and road maintenance, but it would be re-assuring to know that government departments, councils and public services are prepared for the fallout in the meantime, perhaps forming emergency management group during periods of snow, flooding or drought. Surely it's better to have a plan and not need it, than to need a plan and not have one?


Photo Credit: Atif Farooq Photography, Belfast