Governor Goes Green

Action movie legend and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (only in America) is nearing a disappointing end of his time in office. An approval rating around 20%, a state budget shortfall at £16bn, and unemployment at nearly 13% will leave people remembering him with little fondness. But what is next for the “Governator”?

Something quite extraordinary for a Republican. In what is likely his last performance on a world stage as governor, Schwarzenegger recently launched the R20 climate network, an alliance of regional leaders who have pledged to work together to fight climate change. Schwarzenegger is the founder of the new group, and appears now as a self appointed global champion in the war against climate change.

“I always was a big believer in doing things on a global level. Everything I have ever done, I always was interested in doing it globally, if it was the fitness, if it was the bodybuilding, if it was entertainment and acting and show-business.” Claims Schwarzenegger.

But he doesn’t want to be another Al Gore, he claims. He wants to use his “talent of speaking to people” to motovate people differently and more effectively than Gore ever did. He claims he wants to stay away from phrases like climate change and global warming, that he believes might scare people off. “People get stuck and fall in love with their slogans and with their little agendas. You’ve got to make it hip. You’ve got to make it sexy to be part of this movement. People get stuck in this political crap when in fact you don’t need to. Let’s just leave politics out and find out what we can do together.”

Strangely wise words there Mr Schwarzenegger. His R20 group is devoted to putting together clean energy projects in developing countries by recruiting finance from industrialised countries. The first wave of projects is likely to involve the installation of white roofs, which reflect the sun and keep houses cool. Good luck to you sir.

More Hideous Government Spending on Furniture

I have mentioned many times before, that my main dislike of the Labour party (and politics in general) is gross wasteful spending of tax payers money. Whether it’s half a billion on Helicopters that are desperately needed by our armed forces, but that are still incomplete and stuck in a warehouse thousands of miles away from where they are needed, or it’s an MP claiming her husbands pornography on her expenses.

But there is one thing that is consistent in Whitehall spending, it is the obscene amounts they insist on wasting on furniture. A few years news got out that when the Ministry of Defence moved buildings, they also got new office furniture, including office chairs costing £3000 EACH. At the time no one really batted an eye lid, we were a growing economy that showed no sign of meltdown. Roll on 2008.

Now that the world is in economic collapse and our governments are spending Billions (if not Trillions) bailing out our banks so society doesn’t fall apart, we started to pay a bit more attention to where our money was going. Last year the expenses scandal revealed to us all just how greedy, ignorant, unfair and downright stupid politicians could be, with claims for items such as Duck houses, Moat cleaners and toilet seats.

But if you think that because we are now in a recession that the wasteful spending has ended then think again. A new investigation from the new Coalition Government into Whitehall spending has found that Labour ministers authorised officials at the Department for Communities and Local Government to to buy 28 of the sofas at a cost of £4,120 EACH. That’s a total of £134,503.

If you think that is bad then wait until you hear how they (tried to) justify it. The luxury sofas were intended to create a “peaceful oasis” in the workplace in part of a an efficiency initiative called “SpaceFlex” to make the department “more practical” and save money. A source at the department said the red sofas made the office seem like a “Parisian boudoir” and pointed out that council tax bills had more than doubled under Labour. Anyone that thinks spending £4,120 on a sofa will help saving money needs to get there head examined and banned from working anywhere near the government!

Everyone involved with this decision has failed people they serve (us) massively whilst working in the public sector and should be out of a job. Spending on luxury items anywhere in the government should not exist until the deficit is paid off, we have perfect healthcare, a policing and criminal justice system that works, political reform, modern transport and decent education for everybody.

After all this, we now have to pay off a debt of over £900 Billion. A debt that we will all contribute to in one way or another in painful cuts over the coming years and months. Well government, they better start on your doorstep. If not we will be there banging down the door.

BP Makes a Mess

I don’t usually post funny videos on here but today I’m going to make an exception. You will all have seen the mass coverage of the BP oil disaster in the gulf of Mexico, and you still haven’t seen it be solved. BP are directly responsible for those who lost their lives when the rig exploded and for the Environmental impact the oil leak has already and continues to cause in the area.

Their efforts to solve the problem have been as ridiculous as the methods in this video to clean up spilt coffee.

China & India “Victims” of Climate Change

China has backed India’s stand on climate change, claiming that developing nations are not obligated to meet emission reductions . A spokesman said that China are ready to enhance “cooperation and coordination” between themselves and India, claiming both to be “Victims” of climate change.

“We understand the current situation in India. We should take adaptation and mitigation measures based on our national conditions and capacity. China and India are both developing countries and victims of climate change.  The two countries do not have the obligation to binding emission reduction targets on climate change.”

India has refused to accept binding emission cuts that it says could slow its economic growth and has instead harped on voluntary actions to stem emissions.

“Voluntary actions of developing nations will be subject to international monitoring, report and verification (MRV) as per agreed procedures to the extent that these actions receive international support” Claims Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.

The State of Things – UK Government

Those of us in the UK today woke up to a new country. A country with a new government that only one day, or one week ago, no one could have predicted. A government lead by a man that only 34,000 people voted for.

Yesterday, in the wake of a breakdown of talks between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, Primeminister Gordon Brown stepped down from his role, opening the door for Conservative leader David Cameron to essentially take control of the country. After Brown yesterday announced that he was to step down as Labour leader, all expected to see a Labour – Lib Dem Coalition to take control of parliament. But before it became apparent that talks between the two parties had failed, Brown announced that he was conceding leadership and was off to see the queen. Less than 2 hours later and we have a new Primeminister in David Cameron. Less than another 2 hours later and we have a new cabinet. That’s British Politics.

So we now have a Commander in Chief that only 34,000 people voted for. That is the 34,000 people in his constituency of Witney. No one else voted for him. Only 36% of the country voted for his party. And this is supposed to be democracy. The country voted for no single party, so that means the people we did not vote into power get to make up their own mind about who runs the country. It’s the system that is broken, not the country.

I am however glad to see Nick Clegg taking an important role as the Deputy Primeminister. I am also glad to see him apparently getting on with Cameron, dispute my personal opinions of him. No body wants to see a dysfunctional government. I am glad to see what is hopefully the end of Peter Mandleson. William Hague as foreign secretary? Is that really the impression you want to give to the world? New Equality Minister Theresa May voted against the repeal of section 28.  And Osborne for chancellor? No thanks. If you are actually serious about combating the deficit, then why are you going to spend £100 billion on replacing the ageing Trident Nuclear missiles? I WILL NOT continue to live in a country that would rather spend that much money on something that can only be used to kill thousands of people, than on health-care or schooling or public services. We do not need nuclear weapons. Period.

The one good thing that could come from this is a compromise of the all the voiced of the British people might be achieved. But it’s early days, and it has never worked before and is unlikely to now. In the run up to the election, the Tories had almost opposite views to the Lib Dems. Are we supposed to believe that they can now run a country in harmony? We can only hope.

We don’t need electoral reform. We need social political reform. Will we get it? No. Because that’s not what politicians do and that is certainly not what Conservatism is about.

Conservative: “Disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.”

A vote for change my arse. Enjoy the furniture in No.10 Cameron. Who knows how long you will sit there. Cold War Kids – Hospital Beds