In a surprise move today, Andy Atkins, Executive Director of Friends Of The Earth UK, announced that the former environmental pressure group are to become an agency of the UK Government, working within the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Although not explicitly giving details of the move, Atkins (47) speaking to The Guardian newspaper stated:
“You could argue about where it starts - people taking action or government taking action,” he said. “You need both. Friends of the Earth is putting its weight behind government taking the right action that then makes it easier for people to do the right thing.”
The merger with DEFRA was hinted at in a press release put out on the announcement of Atkins’ appointment at Executive Director,
"Under Andy’s leadership, Friends of the Earth will continue to push for political action to tackle global environmental challenges."
although no one outside of the charity’s leadership could have predicted such a radical change in structure.
This acceptance of the need for independent environmental charities to work in government in order to create policies that drive public activity makes a mockery of the ideas of more hard-core environmental campaigners, including existing members of FoE, that say governments ultimately work for the benefit of the economy and their corporate masters. With this single action, Friends Of The Earth have made it clear that the future should be defined by government policies rather than individual or community action that may, unfortunately, fall foul of the laws that have been put in place to protect the [economy] environment.
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not surprised!
22.10.2008 12:55
Doesn't surprise then, to hear of them joining forces with one of the most incompetent government ministries, which likes to kill!
a real friend
So FoE = foe
22.10.2008 13:12
FoE hitches its wagon to economic growth -which every government depends on- when that's what we need like a hole in the head and the planet can't take any more. Just when we look like getting a holiday from economic growth (1 years? 2 years?) are FoE likely to be pressing to make it a permanent retirement? Are they fuck!
The main thing wrong with the holiday is who's paying the bill. We talk about "just transition" from industrialism and fossil fuels. The first stage of that should be a JUST RECESSION, but FoE won't be up front in that campaign. They always were hopping along on one leg, unable to get their heads round the critical necessity for social justice, without which there's no hope. Their housing policy is an example. Class? Class? Who said that? Leave the room at once!
No longer hanging by the gate, then, they've now warming their toes round the fire of the technofix fakirs who pretend there's some magic way to have economic growth without climate chaos. Levitation...base metal into gold...blah, blah, blah.
Stroppyoldgit
The above article is a joke....
22.10.2008 13:27
Jim
That's a malicious wind-up
22.10.2008 13:37
For the more credulous posters, like one of the above, it's worth noting that this is obviously not true.
The FoE is not becoming part of Defra. And Andy Atkins hasn't suggested it either. It's something that would clearly never happen (the government would find it impossible to justify, for a start).
The quote from Andy's interview with The Guardian which appears to have wound Pylon up was this:
"You could argue about where it starts - people taking action or government taking action. You need both. Friends of the Earth is putting its weight behind government taking the right action that then makes it easier for people to do the right thing. But it's also well worthwhile people doing the right thing, as they can then say, 'We're doing the right thing, why don't you?'"
Pylon may not like that. But that seems perfectly sensible and realistic. When the government does what a campaigning group wants,then it's not surprising if the campaign group wants to support it for doing "the right thing". But that's not giving it blanket support for everything else. And he's not suggesting Friends of the Earth wouldn't criticise it for doing the wrong thing. (I mean, if the Government shut Huntingdon tomorrow, would SHAC oppose that and put out a statement saying "They've done the wrong thing - open it again!" Of course not.)
There's also a sensible point to be made: like it or not there are many things the Government could do to improve the environment that would be far bigger than FoE could on its own. The oil companies have immense power because they lobby ministers - environmentalists need to lobby ministers too.
Norville B
But still...
22.10.2008 13:45
Clary
Well..
22.10.2008 14:08
FoE have to do some serious changing (as do WWF - possibly a lost cause - and Greenpeace) if they are to regain their former integrity as an environmental *pressure* group.
Pylon
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And-Atk and DECC
22.10.2008 14:31
DECC is probably a concession to Hilary Benn and David Miliband and maybe Alistair Darling also.
Onlyme
WWF were started by hunt scum - they have never been an "environmental" group
22.10.2008 14:54
The World Wildlife Fund was started by hunt scum worried that there would be no animals left for them to kill, so they have never been a credible environmental group.
The joke is that they chose the panda as their logo because it was the only animal that their patron Prince Philip had never blasted to death!
anon
Friends of the Earth
22.10.2008 15:34
There is no Friends Of The Earth UK. Anyone with even a small amount of knowledge about Friends of the Earth would know that. Given that "Python" is ignorant of the most basic facts the rest of his/her posting can be treated with derision it deserves.
There is a Friends of the Earth England, Wales & Northern Ireland (they often don't bother with the last bit)
There is a Friends of the Earth Scotland
There is a Friends of the Earth Europe
There is a Friends of the Earth International
The last two are organisations of organisations.
There is no Friends of the Earth UK.
Back under your bridge Troll.
A N Other
Thanks
22.10.2008 17:21
Feel free to make a decent defence, rather than slagging off the nature of the message - that's the trick that the AGW deniers use, isn't it?
Pylon
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Point still stands
23.10.2008 07:47
Blame spelling your name wrongly on the poor design of Indymedia, which blanks out the postings people are replying to, unless the reply is opened in another window.
You did not suffer from this difficulty, yet still made a fundamental mistake. I made a minor mistake.
Better luck next time Troll.
A N Other
Please clarify
23.10.2008 10:02
*My* point still stands: FoE are hypocrites because they support the capitalist economic system, which is the cause of the vast majority of environmental destruction, and because they are working too closely with government for comfort. This will inevitably lead to a watering down of their (already weak) principles.
P.S. Do you know what a "troll" is...
"An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial and irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion." (Wikipedia)
So, who's being irrelevant and off-topic? I'm proud to be controversial, though :-D
Pylon
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feel abit left out in the cold, what's up?
27.10.2008 00:55
oi yoi