Report to the People
Think Local, Act Global
Suppose you’re watching the evening news and an item begins with something along the lines of, "The average temperature of the earth could rise by 1 degree over the next 20 years, scientists have warned."
How many of you sit up and listen with interest to the rest of the report? And how many, by the end of the first sentence, are already in the kitchen putting the kettle on?
For too many of us, "the environment" seems a remote, marginal issue. What busy working family has time to think about how far sea levels will have risen in 20 years time? What unemployed worker is more worried about the ozone layer than how he will pay his gas bill? What is a parent’s priority: a street safe for her daughter or a sea safe for dolphins?
But, as the First Minister and the Greenock Telegraph made clear last week, the environment is not the preserve of the do-gooders who are not directly affected by what we would call the bread and butter issues. We all have our own living environments and everyone, including those of us in urban areas, has an equal right for it to be clean, safe and pleasant.
Local environmentalism is about turning round the dismal living environments in which some members of our community find themselves. It’s about keeping walls free from graffiti; pavements free from litter; and streets free from abandoned cars. It’s about giving children safe open spaces, free from exhaust fumes and other pollution, in which to play.
I have been in a number of neighbourhoods in Greenock and Inverclyde where a little effort from the residents has gone a long way in restoring pride in their area. But they should not be left to fight back alone. If a small minority of anti-social residents simply refuse to get involved and persist with selfish, lazy behaviour, the hardworking, decent residents should have the law on their side.
Last week, therefore, I wrote to Justice Minister, Jim Wallace, and tabled a series of Questions in Parliament, asking what can be done to make it quicker and easier to prevent a few people’s unacceptable behaviour dragging a whole area down.
This may be seen by some as the fringe of the environmental debate. And of course it is also important to reduce emissions, conserve natural resources and protect our natural heritage. But by focussing first on the local environment, we can help people make a real, lasting difference to their daily lives.
Back to Current Reports to the People
[ HOME ] [ News ] [ Articles ] [ Calendar ] [ Contacts ] [ Links ] [ E-Mail ]
[ Copyright ] [ UK Online ] [ Scottish Parliament ]