Campaigning Success!

There are a number of situations in the world that I take very much to heart and try to do something about. Changing the world isn't easy, but organisations like Tearfund, Christian Aid, and Oxfam provide plenty of good resources to help us badger big businesses, and make our views known to our MPs.

Sometimes this feels futile. If lucky you get a standard letter or email back to your campaigning message and, though we see some token gestures to some of the issues that we raise, it's rare that the things that we ask for are actually implemented in full.

There's been a lot of campaigning going on lately regarding a piece of legislation called the climate change bill. This is going to commit our country to major reductions in carbon emissions. I've written to several members of parliament and sent postcards and emails about this issue because I really believe that it's something we need to do - and sooner rather than later.

So I was heartened today to read this Guardian article about how, not only has the government included the full emissions reductions in the bill, but it's decided to incorporate shipping and aviation emissions as well. This is exactly what I and many other people have been campaigning for.

I particularly like Thom Yorke's encouragement that "it came about simply because hundreds of thousands of people on the ground hassled their MP, who in turn hassled the government. Amazing."

So, if you care about something, find an organisation that can help you campaign about it, and get writing. Sometimes it really does work!

Local Elections

I'm a bit of a political animal. Not very much but a bit. I think politics is important and I think we should all be involved in the political process so I try to do my bit by taking an interest, writing to my MP about issues that concern me and...very importantly...voting!

Today is local election day in our little neck of the woods. I did go and vote - I won't say for whom, but I WILL say that I was VERY close to spoiling my paper. Why?

The run up to our election has seen a little paper battle going on. First, a very good leaflet from the Tory guy. A positive leaflet outlining what he do and with very little mocking of his Labour opponent.

In reply came a Labour leaflet that contained nothing positive at all, just 10 reasons not to vote for the Tory guy. Frankly this made the Labour guy look like an arse. In reply to that came another positive Tory leaflet which made a point of the fact that it was positive and not belittling of the Labour guy.

Ironically, both the Tory and the Labour candidates seem to want the same things, not many of which I think are particularly important. We had no publicity from any of the other three candidates.

So who to vote for. On the face of it, the Tory guy wins my vote for presenting a positive agenda, but I don't like Tory values. The Labour guy lost my vote with his first leaflet. The Lib Dem guys lives miles away from the area. UKIP...need I say more. Oh and there was a random independent candidate who could have been anyone.

My choice remains secret. My dissatisfaction with the political process does not.