I mentioned the human super-power of imagination last time, and how it can be used positively to create solutions as well as motivate us to take action and implement them.
Sadly there was precious little imagination in the Government’s response to the Climate & Nature (CAN) Bill which was debated in Parliament on 24th January.
Spooked by the prospect of legally binding targets, and the involvement of a Citizens Assembly in setting those targets, the Government pushed through a motion to end the debate before it could be put to a vote. The Bill has been rescheduled for 11th July, when there will probably not be enough time for it to actually be debated. And so the CAN has been kicked down the road, yet again, in spite of the obvious fact that the climate is already changing rapidly for the worse and our wildlife continues to decline.
That so few MPs turned up for the debate speaks volumes about the lack of urgency among our elected representatives in respect of the two most important issues of our time, climate change and the environment. Greater awareness was at least shown by those MPs who did attend, including the cross-party group of 12 MPs co-sponsoring the Bill. One was our North Dorset MP Simon Hoare, who spoke eloquently about the need for the Bill.
Regarding the Government’s aversion to Citizens Assemblies being used to guide policy making, the Tory frontbench spokesman joined in to declare that “it’s not how decisions should made in this country”. They would do well to reflect on how badly the present way we make decisions is failing us, driving a marked decline in public trust and confidence in our parliamentary system, particularly among our younger citizens, who increasingly rely on social media, where they are fed information and motivation that threatens the future of democracy.
In one recent poll of those aged between 15 and 30 (the so-called Generation Z) more than half (52%) thought we should have a strong leader “who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”. We know only too well where that path leads.
Ken Huggins
North Dorset Green Party
