The UK’s own environmental scene hasn’t come about with as obvious a drive as it does in the media at the moment. For many of us, it was more likely something that we’ve seen in the past times or habits of those around us rather than as a serious political cause.
Indeed, the green movement has struggled to make any impact in the UK for as many decades as it’s been active. In part this is due to radical elements that have been less concerned about human welfare than about getting their point across in idiosyncratic ways.
A combination of a feelgood moment and popular mantras had drawn in too many disaffected political ideologues. It was found that they were not compatible with the feelings and principles of those that wrote up doctrines that in time have become the main ideas.
The strongholds of concern about the environment and the impact of human activity are a far cry from the festivals and parades of well-meaning activist days out. These places are usually meeting orientated and focused on subversive active defiance against particular insults to how they see the world.
A healthy boost
Even if popular outcries have appeared to be impassioned, they still fall far short of how these people operate. It’s not a case of a flippant exercise in sacrifice, but a long, drawn out battle that takes guts and stamina. In other words, if they really want to take the fight to Parliament, they’ll do it with more sincerity than we’re used to.
The surge in popular activity for the Green Party is a waking moment for some elements of this. While it’s looked at with suspicion still in the majority of communities, it’s got a niche in local democracy. It can win and candidates have shown an ability to represent effectively. But it’s not managed to fold out into a mainstream party.
Zack Polanski, its new leader, is a figure who has promised to take it into the core of Parliament to make its politics a deciding factor in how laws are made. He believes that the Green Party has more at heart than it’s given credit for. He sees an opportunity for long-held beliefs in his movement to bring justice to bear on UK policy.
While some of his points have fallen flat, such as legalising harmful substances, he has a point about restoring a holistic agenda in the policy-making forums that influence our judgements as a nation. His concern about people’s welfare is important if our law is going to be fair and balanced.
The natural format of concern about the planet is that it’s spread out and then it comes together only a particular moments. If Polanski can bring an agenda that structures people’s thoughts and feelings, he may be able to harness some of this activity for good. It may even lead to changes of law, something long overdue for activists.
