The Greens: A Thank You

I started this blog back in 2007 because I was a frustrated man.

Frustrated because no one else in Scotland seemed to see the world the way I did. All the big environmental blogs were American, all the big environmental charities didn't seem to be looking too close to home.

Sure, there was the Scottish Greens, but that was just about politics. My way of looking at the world had the environment front and centre in almost every aspect of life (and death!).

Then a funny thing happened. People read my blog and contacted me. I discovered other bloggers with the same attitudes, with the same way of looking at the planet. I realised I wasn't alone in my thoughts.

I got an email one day from a blogger who turned out to be from the Scottish Greens. He sounded like a very polite young man, and the more of his stuff I read, the more I realised that the political party I voted for actually contained people who thought like me.

Photo by Callum McLellan Photography

I know that sounds strange, but it was a revelation that there were all these people right on my doorstep, if only I had actually looked.

I joined the party, I started to get involved and I got to know them better. Which led me to this past weekend, my first party conference. An entire hall full of people who all saw the world the same way I did, who were all, ahem, despairing at the lack of progress in saving the planet, but who all believe that their party can make a difference.

Patrick Harvie by Callum McLellan Photography

There were a few highlights of the weekend for me.

I've heard Patrick Harvie speak in public before, but I'm continually amazed that he can riff knowledgeably on a topic for ten minutes without notes, as he did in two fringe meetings I attended.

Andy Wightman spoke about land reform and ownership with such energy and passion that it was clear to everyone that he loved the subject.

And then of course there was Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party in England & Wales and the first ever Green MP. She thoroughly deserved her standing ovation, and you can read her speech here. But there was one line which has been quoted continually since on twitter:

"If the planet were a bank it would have been saved years ago"

Caroline Lucas by Callum McLellan Photography

Normal service will be resumed tomorrow, but I'm going to use & abuse this blog to say thank you.

Thanks to those that I met for the first time and were welcoming. Thanks to those that I was meeting again and who didn't question the grey/ginger thing growing on my chin. Thanks to all the twitterers who brought a whole other dimension to the conference. And thanks to that blogger who reached out to me a couple of years ago and who showed me that there was a party for me.

So now I'm doing the same to you. If you see the world through a green tint, if you think the environment should be considered in everything we say and do, if you think politics should be progressive instead of regressive, then join the Scottish Greens or the English & Welsh Greens.