Green party

Lazairus

Has the curtian closed yet ?

is there reputation in tatters yet?

i think eamon R is doing great

i think j g is >>>/_ bad
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Macha

I think Gormley is coming across worse because he's head of the party and basically has to defend Fianna Fail's decisions. I'm in his constituency and put him top of the ticket last May but I've just sent him an email over the HPV vaccination turn-around: for me, it's getting close to the last straw.

They need to pull out before their reputation is irrevocably tarnished (if it hasn't already happened)

Judgement Day

I have to agree with second poster - this Government is a disaster and they are going to take the Greens down with them. I have always voted Green since it became an option and would vote for a lampost if it were a Green candidate - in fact I voted for a 'plank' in the last general election but unsurprisingly he didn't get elected. I almost joined the party after the present goverment was formed but since then I had some dealings with Messers. Ryan and Gormley and I am glad I didn't! Patricia McKenna was right and the Greens should have stuck to their principles. :(

Keith186

Greens rep is in tatters I definitely won't vote for them in the near future.

They've sold their soul for a bit of rock n roll.

SeanW

Despite grave reservations about their counter-productive view on nuclear electricity, and their (back then) determination to kill all road projects, I gave the local green candidate a 2nd pref last election.

I do not intend to repeat that mistake.

Judgement Day

SeanW wrote: »

Despite grave reservations about their counter-productive view on nuclear electricity, and their (back then) determination to kill all road projects, I gave the local green candidate a 2nd pref last election.

I do not intend to repeat that mistake.

Don't worry I'm sure the Greens will change their anti-nuclear policy soon and when they do I hope they build a nuclear power plant on the site of the old army barracks in Longford - will that be close enough for you?

todolist

The greens are a joke.They've no credibility.They helped screw up the car industry and now they want to ban certain light bulbs.Heard Kieron Cuff say the Czech President was a "global warming denier".These guys would be laughable if they were'nt so dangerous.

CJhaughey

I would have voted green last election if i had been in the country, but based on the witless behaviour of the green party since in office, no chance next time.
What have they done?

Trying to ban incandescent lightbulbs.
Fiddled with car tax.
Built a cycle lane in a ministers constituency.

anything else I missed?

oscarBravo

Judgement Day wrote: »

Patricia McKenna was right...

There's a phrase I don't expect to see too often.

Cookie_Monster

I am dissapointed with the Greens in government. They have implemented very little in the way of relistic green policies. The VRT change makes no difference and probably even encouraged more car buying = not green.

The few pitiful attempts they have made are all stick and no carrot.

Up petrol tax but no improvements in public transport to encourage alternatives

Little/no encouragement or renewable energy, still subject to tedious planning and crazy connection fees for small scale developments (turbines etc)

Etc etc etc...

Morlar

Several years ago there were lots of people talking about giving them a chance but thesedays I have not come across a single person recently who is shifting in their direction. Only a lot of people moving away from them for a multitude of reasons. Some economical but some due to their govt support. I don't think they will go the way of the PD's anytime soon but I think they will significantly decrease their take in the next election ... .. but falter on.

ChocolateSauce

I think the greens are doing fine. Their time in government has only improved them! Before, there was a genuine concern that they were just a bunch of irrational tree hugging hippies (indeed, I was ready to protest against them), but their time in government has proved they have what it takes to be a serious political force, and they have earned my respect.

Furthermore, one shouldn't blame them for not implementing all their policies. They are over-represented at the ministerial level and are punching far above their weight. Don't forget that Cowen commands around 12-15 times as many seats as Gormley. If they cannot enact their policies, blame the voters who gave Fianna Fail their votes instead of the Greens, not the little party that could.

Don't forget, if the Greens are out of government, they loose all their influence.

Judgement Day

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

I think the greens are doing fine. Their time in government has only improved them! Before, there was a genuine concern that they were just a bunch of irrational tree hugging hippies (indeed, I was ready to protest against them), but their time in government has proved they have what it takes to be a serious political force, and they have earned my respect.

Furthermore, one shouldn't blame them for not implementing all their policies. They are over-represented at the ministerial level and are punching far above their weight. Don't forget that Cowen commands around 12-15 times as many seats as Gormley. If they cannot enact their policies, blame the voters who gave Fianna Fail their votes instead of the Greens, not the little party that could.

Don't forget, if the Greens are out of government, they loose all their influence.

What influence do you refer to? As far as I can see the Green ministers are indistinguishable from their FF counterparts. Any day now I expect to see them ditch their anti-nuclear policy and then they really can wind the party up altogether!! :(

badolepuddytat

i have to agree with Choclate sauce.

VRT changes meant a significant shift to diesels which get 25%- 35% better fuel economy and significantly better co2 emmissions.

light bulbs.... we will lead the rest of the world on this. I am truly amazed when people come out against this.... CFL's in home base for 60c last month. it's a no brainer!!

• 14c feed in tarrif for biomass chp.
• 14c feed in for offshore wind energy
• significant grants for biomass chp.
• home insulation grants which are much more co2 & cost effective than solar panels.
• ESB carbon neutral by 2030..... that wouldn't have been even discussed under FF.
• no more building on flood plains
• bioenergy supports
• building contol act (after 10 years of FF allowing Builders do what they wanted!)
• anyone heard of the new building regs??
• Science foundation ireland - sustainable energy research funding.

public transport is in the hands of the minister for transport..... so why precisely is it the greens fault???

If they were outside of government FF would still be debating if global warming is real!!

I work in the industry, and a 2 years ago it was nigh on impossible to get the government to listen nevermind do anything. now it's a hard job keeping up with them!

nay sayers above.... all i say is that we have come along way in terms of legislation and supports in 18 months.... more to further sustainable energy than in the previous 18 years!

sure they have had to deal with alot of FF crap, but why don't you direct this at them, not the party trying really hard to do something in their portfolios!

I am not a green party member.

ChocolateSauce

badolepuddytat wrote: »

I am not a green party member.

Nor am I, I vote labour.

Pgibson

badolepuddytat wrote: »

light bulbs.... we will lead the rest of the world on this. I am truly amazed when people come out against this.... CFL's in home base for 60c last month. it's a no brainer!!.

If you remove Ten 100 watt incandescent light bulbs from your home you remove 950 watts of heat energy.

That is a REAL heat deficit in winter..almost a Kilowatt of heat energy removed from your home.

(You can think of a 100 watt incandescent bulb as a white hot piece of coal suspended over your head. Don't try touching it!)

"Chilly in here" you will say and you will tweak up the central heating thermostat, thereby nulling the CFL advantage.

When seen as a HEAT-and-LIGHT device the old incandescent beats CFL hands down for energy efficiency.

.

maniac101

Pgibson wrote: »

If you remove Ten 100 watt incandescent light bulbs from your home you remove 950 watts of heat energy.

That is a REAL heat deficit in winter..almost a Kilowatt of heat energy removed from your home.

And in Summer?

(You can think of a 100 watt incandescent bulb as a white hot piece of coal suspended over your head. Don't try touching it!)

"Chilly in here" you will say and you will tweak up the central heating thermostat, thereby nulling the CFL advantage.

When seen as a HEAT-and-LIGHT device the old incandescent beats CFL hands down for energy efficiency.

.

The purpose of a lightbulb is to provide illumination only. Therefore its efficiency is measured only in terms of its useful light output. The view that an incandescent light is an energy-efficient means of providing heat is an very ill-informed one, to say the least. In fact, it's the least energy-efficient means imaginable. Firstly you're using expensive and inefficiently-generated electricity; secondly, you have no control over heat output; and thirdly your heat source is in the wrong place. There's a reason why we don't hang radiators from the ceiling, you know!

djpbarry

maniac101 wrote: »

There's a reason why we don't hang radiators from the ceiling, you know!

Because they'll block the light from my hybrid light-heater?

I was iffy for a while but they really began to lose my support when they discouraged people to hold onto older cars - specifically older diesels.

Final nail in the coffin was their replies to my emails about the matter.

It was too hard for them to encourage research and production of aftermarket hybrid systems and DPFs for cars and trucks - the filters should be an NCT requirement in my opinion - the health savings would be worth it.

It was too easy to screw the owners of older cars who cant afford a newer car...... exact same thing as all the cut backs hit the less well off or provide help for the richer

SeanW

I changed my bedroom light from 100W incandescent to 11W CFL about a year ago and have noticed no reduction in ambient temperature as a result.
In fact the only time I ever noticed the room being warmer than the rest of the house would be if the light was on for more than 10 hours with the door closed. Which didn't happen often.

SeanW

SeanW wrote: »

I changed my bedroom light from 100W incandescent to 11W CFL about a year ago and have noticed no reduction in ambient temperature as a result.
In fact the only time I ever noticed the room being warmer than the rest of the house would be if the light was on for more than 10 hours with the door closed. Which didn't happen often.

Im all for CFL bulbs, I changed ALL the bulbs in my house a few years ago but just last week one bulb broke, physically - it was in a table lamp that fell.
The only bulb spare was a 100W incandescent. With the door closed in what is a small room it takes the nip out of the air definitely.
I dont really see this as a reason for holding onto them though. Insulation is what we need!

Didnt people have small cupboards with 150W bulbs in them to dry clothes?

I also heard one trick to prevent your pipes freezing in the attic back in 1981 was to have a 150W bulb on permanently up there! Again the problem i reckons is insulation

Húrin

I don't have the energy to rant about the Greens' countless policy failures, but I expected them to at least educate the Irish public into treating climate change as a serious economic issue, rather than as a source of "carbon footprint" jokes.

djpbarry

Húrin wrote: »

I don't have the energy to rant about the Greens' countless policy failures, but I expected them to at least educate the Irish public into treating climate change as a serious economic issue...

You can't teach people when they don't want to learn.

Húrin

djpbarry wrote: »

You can't teach people when they don't want to learn.

Really? Then why, in my experience, is discussion of climate change still treated as "green interest" - a sort of hobby topic that is not of interest to the general population? Why do we come out onto the streets in significant numbers when our education system, for instance, is under threat but not over the far more significant effects of climate chaos?

It's because relatively few people have actually recognised the link between the climate and their wallets. They still imagine "green living/politics" as a voluntary altruism that is virtuous but not necessary to the continuing functioning of society.