Unison working with Green Alliance

Really excited about the fact that Unison and TUC have taken the step of working together with Green Alliance on a new booklet about trade unions and climate change Called "Working on Change" which can be downloaded from the Green Alliance website!

What is key from the union perspective and I believe to be key for moving forward is that I quote "It is essential to focus on creating the industries and jobs that will succeed in the low carbon economy" this is vital if we are to address the public sector in a rational way. What is clear is that the UK needs to be proactive. We can not allow jobs and work to slip away in its current guise in the name of climate change to be done by other countries implementing Green jobs to meet the market or demand sited in the heading "ensuring a just transition"

However I find it hard to agree with Paul Noon from the Union Prospect on the issues of Nuclear. I agree that nuclear generation should not be considered as an alternative to renewables but to go on and advocate that the UK throw its self willingly in to building more stations is not an answer to climate change it is creating a ticking time bomb for climate destruction and toxic waste management for the future! Nuclear is not an answer it is a loaded gun waiting to go off. It is no surpise that the Nuclear companies operating in the UK have forced the government to shelf wind farm production

"This bare conflict between nuclear and renewables, facilitated by the government, but perpetuated by companies like EDF and EON, is now becoming ever more apparent. For example, nuclear utility EDF has been campaigning for the UK to reduce its renewable energy target, which the company claims will constrain nuclear development." - Stop climate chaos

I hope the Government and the Union Prospect will re-think this area and work for a future with out Nuclear.

What is needed is for all public sectors and private sectors to take ownership of the responsibility of green investment for the future. Laws are coming in that will nudge but may not bite, and while it is important that they are enforced willing participation is the key to change for climates sake.