Colour of political success: Green

Mon, May 12 12:35 AM

High oil prices have made us all miserable. Optimists expect them to fuel alternative lifestyles, especially in oil-dependent United States.

The New York Times just reported an increase in use of mass transit systems, for example. Currently, two of the three US presidential candidates suggest a three-month holiday from gas taxes for the summer.

The US government taxes petrol and diesel, the money going into projects, including road and bridge repairs. McCain and Clinton support a tax break because they believe it will allow middle-class America to tide the summer.

Barack Obama claims, "This isn't an idea designed to get you through the summer, it's an idea designed to get them through an election." His point is that if you have a tax break, the savings per capita are small, but there will be less money for construction and development projects, impacting jobs.

Obama just scored here. The Friends of the Earth Action, an American environmental group, formally announced its support to Obama, claiming that the gas tax debate was a defining moment in the presidential race.

The FOE President Brent Blackwelder praised Obama for refusing to play 'the Washington Game' and for showing 'courage and candor'. This is not the only reason-Obama has a good green record too.

He is likely to benefit from active campaigning by FOE now. We don't yet know the impact of this on other constituencies, including industries that are targeted for eco-crimes.

How Obama binds diverse supporters is anybody's guess. Act now, Chavez Stories from the ground tell us more about governments and governance than formal reports.

The unfortunate experiences of a community of wastepickers in the Venezuelan state of Merida is a case in point. It all began with a waste handling company, SINCREBA, brought in to find an alternative to landfilling in 2001.

Two years ago, in 2006, when the operations finally started, over 400 wastepickers found work here. They didn't receive social security or minimum wages.

They were forced to join a cooperative, which was influenced by the company. A stand-off later, the workers took over the factory for a fortnight, although it was finally taken over by the police.

That was last year. Since then, the wastepickers-turned-workers have discovered that their President's socialism floats on the surface.

They've petitioned to be allowed to recycle the waste using their proven skills, and provide the region with essential green services and feed their families. Till now, there is no action on the ground, and the wastepickers live off insecure earnings.

The future ahead may resolve this problem, but for the poor, justice delayed is justice denied.

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