Blair advisor's plane commuting wakes me

I hope all Blog readers have had a good Christmas - I had planned a few days of quiet after the wonderfulnessness of family and friends but was awoken yesterday from the land of mince pies, crackers, wrapping paper and fairy lights by the Western Daily Press...well it was after 11.00 in the morning...

Photo: Standish Woods on Christmas Eve

The paper were after a comment on Blair's Sustainability advisor who commutes from Winchcombe near Cheltenham to Scotland every week by plane....you can read my comment here. There was part of me that cursed this advisor for leading to this phone call that woke me from my Christmas relaxations - but it was also good that the paper is asking for Green party comments on such matters - after all the polls show our support is growing - and there seems to be among many a recognition we need some radical changes if we are to really tackle climate change...the other parties are still not coming up with the policies that the scientists say we need.

Anyhow that aside this Sustainability advisor, Richard Wakeford, is asking for trouble commuting to Scotland and at the same time putting his name to reports that call on the rest of us to 'take responsibility for promoting sustainability in our own lives' - this is just the sort of thing that gets up people's noses. He argues family reasons keep him in Cheltenham but then why take the job - surely there are people capable in Scotland - indeed I know a few myself who would happily give Mr Blair advice!

Mr Wakeford may well be doing everything possible in the rest of his life to offset the plane emissions - solar on his house, shopping local etc etc - but that really is not the point - even travelling by train would mean 17 times less emissions - the Government must lead on this and it can't have it's top bods preaching to us then not following their advice - it makes a complete mockery and does nothing to encourage the rest of us to take action.

Mr Wakeford is further evidence of the need for urgent action by the Government - if he can't tackle his emissions then it should be clear to all that we need the Government to lead. Anyhow read the Western Daily story here - apparently front page - wish I'de been more awake as can think of allsorts more I would have liked to say!