Keep to community, environment issues
When the local Green party gets involved with serious issues concerning the environment, natural resources, community and the extremes of poverty and prosperity, they seem to gain popular support. Whenever a party spokesman blabbers on about politics, they just become “one of the same”, boring people out of their wits.
Considering that we are half-way through the present parliament and with Euro MPs and local administration to be elected in the next two years, the Greens should focus more on issues that concern our daily lives, gaining them popularity at all levels, especially as the other traditional parties are spending little if any effort on environmental and community issues.
But this doesn’t mean they should exclude politics from their agendas altogether. Politics seem to find their way back into anything we do in Cyprus – education, business, industry, tourism, services, health, sports – and the Greens should have a say in all these issues. But when a platform is handed to them on a silver plate, so to speak, they should not throw it away on the sole premise of wanting to have something to say on the national issue.
The Greens have rightly campaigned to regulate water supplies to golf courses and holiday resorts, but have done little to offer alternative solutions to these crises. As members of the previous administration that failed miserably on the water issue, this party probably feels ashamed to accept a share of the blame.
On the other hand, new issues such as photovoltaic and wind parks could not be handled any better than the Greens, who rightly came out in support of the giant wind blades that could produce alternative energy and have wisely insisted that the government invest in 5,000 PV panels for low-income homes, effectively reducing the energy bills of poor households.
But the Greens could take it a step further and argue with hard facts. They should come out harshly criticising the government’s inexplicable hesitation to support solar power, at a time when the energy “experts” seem to have a fixation on natural gas and what form it should take or where it should be stored, ignoring all prospects of alternative sources of energy. And what about investing in mandatory solar street lamps, that could drastically reduce the demand on the state electricity grid?
The party should realize that society has moved on from supporting the rebellious campaigners wearing white overalls and being chained to gates, and that what is needed now is reliable information. Citing the example in Greece that a major solar park developed in a private-public venture will produce nearly one megawatt in energy, the Greens have already dismissed the hawks who claim that “solar energy is not feasible”.
Scientific research needs to be explained to the general public in lay terms, clearly stating how an increase in the state subsidy for home or industrial solar energy from 38c per kwh to 60c could make a difference.
More publicity is required over new the solar energy breakthrough claimed by researchers at MIT, while R&D money should be invested in energy programmes at Cyprus universities and colleges. The Greens could also partner with the employer organisations to help companies and industries plan better for a greener future. After all, a better environment is good for business.
