Update – Keith, a Green Liberal Democrat

Just a short post today – I thought it was about time I updated my status on the Blog. Although I happen to be in Brazil as I am writing this I am no longer really an “expat” in Brazil since I moved back to the UK back in 2015 (see what I mean by `updating` !!)

So I have headed the Blog as “Keith Melton – Green Liberal Democrat” instead of “Expat in Brazil”, since I now spend an awful lot of my time on trying to change the world (at least the UK!) to take proper account of the pressing environmental issues we face.

I guess most of you reading this will already know that I rejoined the Liberal Democrats last year before the General Election and I also rejoined the Green Liberal Democrats at the same time. If you want to know what set me off on the “Green path” it was almost entirely serendipitous. I think I have written of it before but not quite sure when, so let me regale you with the story again if you`ll bear with me. If you know the answer just glide over the next couple of paragraphs!

Serendipity

I had gone back to UMIST for my Master`s and rejoined the Union of Liberal Students. One of the officers asked me, “since you have done it before, would you like to speak in a debate for us?” “Sure”, I said, “what`s the debate about?”

“Free Public Transport”, he said. “Which side of the debate do you want me to speak on?” I said, since you should be able to know the subject well enough to debate either side of the argument! Hesitation on part of said officer, temporarily non-plussed – “You choose!” So I said after a moment,”I will speak FOR Free Public Transport” … and that decided the direction of the rest of my life! So, do have a care when you speak, you never quite know what long-term effect it may have.

I have, for the most part, thoroughly enjoyed my Environmental activism, although it has occasionally (perhaps quite often if truth be told!) been rather frustrating when the “world” has not been listening, or, if listening, not taking notice! But it is now providing me with lots of new opportunities in my “retired” state and brought me back in touch with many old friends as well as bringing new friends into my purview, for which I am delighted.

So, here we are, with a newly updated status for my Blog, new title, new picture, new central focus. If you think you will like the concentration on Green Issues and want to keep in touch, then please sign up to “Follow” the blog and then you will receive a nudge every time I write a new post. Let us see if between us we can actually change the world into a greener better place – and actually survive intact, without destroying the planet.

Talking of which – destruction – those long-time Liberals amongst you might enjoy the song I wrote earlier this year, which updates the old Liberal standard “The Land”, sung to the tune “Marching through Georgia”. It has appeared in my blog before, but here it is again…

The Earth

Adapted from “The Land” to the tune of “Marching through Georgia”

Chorus

The Earth, the Earth

This is our Planet Earth

The Earth, the Earth

The land that gave us birth

How can we destroy it

Now we know what it is worth

Save the earth from the people

Animals are crying out to save their only home

The birds are also screeching to leave their home alone

Fish and whales are joining in amongst the crashing foam

Save the earth from the people.

Chorus

Climate change is killing us from too much C-O-2

Plastic waste is everywhere in oceans grey and blue

Poison gases choking us which cars and engines spew

Save the earth from the people

Chorus

Politicians we can`t trust to save our planet now

Corbyn, May and Donald Trump are names we`ll disavow

Perhaps we`ll find a way to save it, please just ask us how

To save the earth from the people

Final chorus

 

 

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