Green Government?
Thu., October 23, 2008. 16:40.
Greens offer tips for Scottish Ministers on how they too can "go green".
Today saw the launch by the Scottish Government of another campaign to encourage Scots to go green in their everyday lives. (1) The Scottish Greens believe lists of top tips like this can be very useful, especially for those who could do so much better, like the Scottish Government themselves.
Patrick Harvie MSP said:
"People across Scotland are having to tighten their belts, and the Scottish Government should be making sure every pound of taxpayers' money is well spent too. Fortunately, there are plenty of good ways they can help save the planet and help Scots cut their bills at the same time.
"Here are some handy hints to get them started. Every pound they spend tackling climate change will bring in five pounds' worth of savings, as the Stern Report showed. The easiest way to cut everyone's bills and bring down Scotland's emissions would be insulation for all and some real steps towards energy independence through renewables. We think there's a good chance Ministers will listen on this one.
"Next, going by public transport is still far too expensive, whether it's by bus, by train, or on the ferries, and cutting those costs would go down really well. Many people don't have a car, for one thing, but many more would leave theirs at home more often if services were improved, especially early in the morning and late at night.
"SNP Ministers also need to look again at some of the roads they dreamt up when oil prices were more stable and before the boom turned to bust. They could save us all over £5 billion by dropping these big ticket items, particularly their daft idea to blow enough cash on a second Forth Road Bridge to buy another small bank should we need to. Responsible Ministers would be fixing the existing bridge instead, which could be done for about £4 billion pounds less.
"We all need to do more, and that includes Ministers as well as ordinary Scots. There's no excuse for them to be urging us all to go green while they're maxing out the national credit card without a thought for tomorrow."
Notes
1. See http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/10/17114421
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.