Unfortunately, the Greens won’t like the answer to the “How do you protect marine turbines?” question, because the most practical solution is thermoplastics and/or rubber. Sadly (for them), both are products of….. the petrochemical industry, and therefore, not sustainable/eco-friendly/renewable.

It was also my understanding that marine turbines were incredibly damaging to the surrounding marine eco-system, so how does that fit?

In fact president clinton stated on Letterman that if renewable industry had of become an industry from the beginning of the decade, The US wouldn’t be going through the present turmoil.

That’s just plain sobering.

Don’t buy into this for one second. Renewable industry has absolutely NOTHING to do with the US economic turmoil, unless Clinton is now defining “renewable industry” as the mortgage and finance industry, banking, and government lending institutions.

Ari – by saying you are a pragmatist and then saying “being able to work with a CENTRIST party like Labour” goes a long long way to defining how left the Green Party really is. Calling Labour centrist is like calling Barack Obama the twin brother of Dick Cheaney.

I am definitely wondering if there is more than an ounce of wisdom in prohibiting fossil fuels.

Oh no. You’re not advocating the bankrupt ideology of “peak oil”? How much is a barrel of oil these days?

Renewable energy is an expensive luxury we can’t afford in these difficult economic times.

Have the supporters of the Greens come up with something like banning sex yet?

The Greens would only support a ban on heterosexual sex. It would be one of their “bottom” lines. Labour would support this Green initiative because it’s “right up their alley”.

What Green voter would serriously support that sort of authoritarian State?

wikiri, I understand lefty volunteers are stripped naked then strapped onto the blades to protect them with their own biodegradable bodies. Apparently they have to be replaced quite often, but there’s no shortage of volunteers wishing to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of saving the planet.

Of course I understand you may find this unbelievable and it is of course quite a silly thing to do, but the naivity of your average lefty vis-a-vis the practical vs idealistic approach toward conservation apparently makes most of them quite keen. I understand there’s even a waiting list.

Let me know if you need more info. I have lots of links and other material.

Every Green Party voter ought to consider whether your Party’s authoritative philosophy sits comfortably with what ought to be your liberal views. I hope that they do not. And that you vote elsewhere.

But,,

I am definitely wondering if there is more than an ounce of wisdom in prohibiting fossil fuels.

If the world goes into depression, we may have to face the new facts of life.

Renewable energy is definitly going to have to be an industry (marine turbines esp)

keeping the status quo is surely lookin prohibitive. It sounds alarmist, but the stock market plummets are alarmist.

In fact president clinton stated on Letterman that if renewable industry had of become an industry from the beginning of the decade, The US wouldn’t be going through the present turmoil.

That’s just plain sobering.

Such a plain and easy solution based on a simplisitic industry.

As for going into a second recession next year, we gotta get out of this one and I can’t see it healing before next year.

btw,,

Anyone know what keeps the marine turbines protected in salt water??

Getstaffed:

Ari, If the Greens legislate for protection of sows and chickens but fail to do so for cats… does make felinicide ok? (it would, at least, make the young Helen Clark happy…)

Let’s not stop with the aforementioned animals. Flys in my home experience terrible inconvenience at best, and brutal assault at worst yet the Green propose no legislative protection. Heartless bastards!

We already have a broad law for animal cruelty, but it doesn’t seem to be enforced for industrial farming. Specifically clarifying that these purposes are animal cruelty seems like a good idea given that we’re not prosecuting them, right?

I hardly see the freedom to mistreat animals as a good one that necessitates calling some clarification to existing legislation a “ban” among a list of other things you apparently object to

Shunda:

More patronising crap from green smarty pants Ari,…. oh, if only we were smart enough to understand.
People understand perfectly well when they see a group of people so blinded by their ideology that they would happily destroy the country to prove a point.

I don’t think I’m smarter than you or David or anyone else. People are good at what they’re good at, and have experience with what they have experience with. I’m more experienced with green policy than most of you, (although certainly not as much as Toad) and I think that lets me make a call as to when David is misinterpreting it rather badly. If you want to have a look, it’s all up on the Green website in great detail: http://www.greens.org.nz/policy

As for being ideologically blinded: That’s funny, we always commited ourselves to being pragmatists who could compromise to get things done. How else do you think we’ve been able to work with a centrist party like Labour?

Man you lefties really are a bunch of fuckheads. Don’t you understand that the vast vast vast majority of people respect and care for the earth and all that’s in it far far far far far more than any of you lefty banning idealists?

We understand that most people respect and care for the earth, that’s why we think that in the long-term even the parties on the right will come around to our way of thinking on the environment, if not necessarily on society. Calling us “fuckheads” really helps drive your point home, by the way.

We really don’t want to ban things. Most of our policies try to guide things more gently, to make society a place where it’s easier for people like you and me who respect the planet and the environment to do our bit to help it. But some things do go too far, and we’ve put a lot of pressures on the planet already, so sometimes we find things that do merit a ban or a moratorium- and we’re careful of consequences when we take that course of action.

..so they must have some redeeming features/qualities..

..eh..?

..phil(whoar.co.nz)

Never mind, I prefer DPF’s version, then I can be braindead about my politics like most of the rest on this blag.

That’s not very fucking green then is it?

What a bunch of unrealistic, self-important, dictatorial wankers the greens are. Fuck off and occupy a derelict oil rig for a few months or something equally productive.

I must go check how my Fletcher Building and electric windmill shares are doing..