Own the Vocabulary

How Doublespeak Is Ruining Our Environment is a great article from the Huffington Post.

Something I think we should address more. We must use plain, honest language  and not fall into using the double-speak of those who would have us believe the Climate Change is either not happening, or nothing to worry about.

These are some of my preferred phrases and vocabulary, and I encourage other people to use them all the time.

not Global Warming or Climate Change - Climate Chaos

Dirty Fuels -in place of  Fossil Fuels  The Dirty Fuels Industry. Or perhaps that should be the Dirty Fools Industry

In NSW, not Planning Reform, rather Planning Abdication

What are your ideas for the vovabulary we should be using ?

Anguishing over how to contribute

[Note: This is my personal blog, expressing my personal opinions, often working out my frustrations. If you don't want to know my personal opinions and my frustrations, then don't read it. And certainly do not ask me to censor my personal blog because my opinions don't match yours. If you disagree, or if I have any facts wrong, I encourage you to Comment, or to contact me. Please respect my openness, and share your opinions and response with me at least, with all if you can. But please, no behind my back whispering]
"Anguishing over how to contribute"
hardly an inspiring topic, I know.

But, I just want to share some of the problems of wanting to be an "Active Citizen" out in the suburbs (Hornsby), but not seeming to be able to connect with other people in my area wanting to be positive in the same way I do.

Disappointment after loss at council election

I felt really good about running for Hornsby council, really looking forward to being able to positively engage with the community, work hard for a better community. But I was running as a Greens candidate, and the Greens popularity dipped at the time of the council elections, and we lost both our council seats. The Liberals stood as a party for the first time in Hornsby council elections, and swept all before them. The only "seat" that didn't go Liberal, or "Liberal Independent" was the third and final seat in my ward. It was a close fight between myself and two former councillors (Independent and Independent Liberal), with Mick Gallagher, independent and former mayor winning out. Now a lone dissenting voice on council, I think he might almost be regretting being there. He really only wanted to try to stop either of the appalling Liberal candidates being elected as mayor. So now the progressive part of the community in Hornsby has no voice on council, as council comes totally under the sway of the state Liberal party pushing its agenda to slash planning and environmental controls. Very depressing.

Since losing there I've been wondering how to contribute now. And starting a new and interesting job has distracted me. But now it's time to do something.

But what to do. There's a lot of areas that need community work that I am interested in. But trying to find local positive thinking people to work with seems to be areal problem.

Local Greens

The local greens group seems almost moribund to me. Whilst  a few people are keen and active, we seem to be weighed down by

• people who want to limit "activity" to a once a month 2 hour meeting. [PS: Now down to 1.5 hrs a month, as people must get home to watch Q&A !!!]
• Want to deal with the minutiae of procedure and process at local and NSW level.
• some who are passionate, but seem to be unaware of how their emotionality about issues deters me and others. No sense of trying to get the message across to the uncommitted.
• Almost a split between Pragmatics (We need to get elected to get things done) and the Idealists (we cannot compromise our ideals at all). 

My desire to be active putting out a positive Vote for Us message, convincing swinging voters, just seems to be constantly hitting a dampener.

Local "Citizens" campaigns

There are some local groups that are moderately active as Citizens. Berowra District CA, Community Voice, NOHRAG. But either they are too localised to be relevant to me, or too wishy washy. Can I fit in and add some passion and action, or will I be judged as too passionate, too blunt, too undiplomatic?

There really is a desperate need for a well organised group to pool resources to come up with progressive ideas for Hornsby, not just turning it over to the developers, leaving local Residents Action Groups to protest, and individuals fuming but ineffective. We need to develop some positive forward thinking for Hornsby.

What happened to GetUp! - I used to get info from them, they had at least one local Get Together.
[Postscript: I managed to host a GetTogether earlier this year. Maxed out at 20 people really quickly., There is interest out there to be tapped into]

Climate Action

I'm "in" Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE), Parramatta Climate Action Network (ParraCAN), and in touch with 100% Renewables and AYCC. But there doesn't seem to be any activity locally.

IT/Social Media Contribution

I could make an effort to contribute more to groups in  the IT & Social Media area. But which to concentrate on ? NSW Greens is crying out for improvements, but no chance of getting into the clique. Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Greens struggles to get anything off the ground. Maybe work with www.energy-without-carbon.org 

But what is it with local Greens who refuse to use Facebook?  Serious problem of being too old technophobic I think!

So, which way forward ?

Currently my thinking is

• 2013 - In local Greens, concentrate on the local Campaign for Sept Federal election.
  Just do our own thing, even my own thing, and ignore the non-suburban messages that come of NSW Greens. Build an enthusiastic, positive team. [Postscript: Wishful thinking indeed. See posts from Aug and Sep 2013]
• Late 2014, early 2015 - Greens campaign for NSW 2015 election
• Jan - Sep 2016 - stand for council as a "Local Independent Progressive". Fully in line with Green principles, but clearly a local equal with being a "Greens". Get support of the local organisations that want a progressive voice on Council.
• Between times ?
• Work toward developing a "Hornsby Active Citizens Network" (A Positive Agenda for Hornsby, Synergy, Progressive, Alliance*, "Grass Roots Democracy"). More than just Community Voice.
• Develop progressive plans for Old Mans Valley, Waitara Oval, Asquith shops, Heritage etc.
• Make Hornsby Council accountable for money, sustainability
• Bring in valuable individuals who want to contribute to their community
• Work with active Climate Action groups. Don't worry about setting up my own branch for Hornsby.
• Make contact with groups that could be a source for "Hornsby Active Citizens Network", Climate Action, 
• Churches
• Lions, Rotary
• Resident Action Groups
• Businesses
• Maybe link up with a more active Greens group, such as Northern Beaches or Ryde Epping, to maintain my spirits and enthusiasm.
• Incidentally work with and support Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Greens, until such time as the group changes to being positive, progressive, active.

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* Alliance - maybe like Sydney Alliance.
[Note: This is my personal blog, expressing my personal opinions, often working out my frustrations. If you don't want to know my personal opinions and my frustrations, then don't read it. And certainly do not ask me to censor my personal blog because my opinions don't match yours. If you disagree, or if I have any facts wrong, I encourage you to Comment, or to contact me. Please respect my openness, and share your opinions and response with me at least, with all if you can. But please, no behind my back whispering]