<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for What will London’s new mayor, Boris Johnson, do for the environment?]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by LGT http://www.grist.org/article/brits-eye-view-blond-ambition/ Thu, 08 May 2008 00:08:00 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/brits-eye-view-blond-ambition/1 Michael D Brown of London?

This Boris guy has a lot in common with Michael D Brown (the infamous Undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the DHS [sic] otherwise know as the director of FEMA.

We'll no doubt see him in action (or not) pretty soon when London gets really wet!

What is that invisible force in Europe that can transforms unknown critters into public figures overnight?

First Tony Blair, then the Hungarian French President and now Boris.

]]> Michael D Brown of London?

This Boris guy has a lot in common with Michael D Brown (the infamous Undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the DHS [sic] otherwise know as the director of FEMA.

We'll no doubt see him in action (or not) pretty soon when London gets really wet!

What is that invisible force in Europe that can transforms unknown critters into public figures overnight?

First Tony Blair, then the Hungarian French President and now Boris.

]]> Comment #2 by Blueplanet http://www.grist.org/article/brits-eye-view-blond-ambition/ Thu, 08 May 2008 00:27:50 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/brits-eye-view-blond-ambition/2 Boris

Boris is very well known in Britain. He is a member of parliament for Henley, has written books, was the editor of the Spectator magazine and has hosted satirical TV programmes.

He is much more intelligent than he acts (he has the air of a scatterbrained scientist) but is very prone to gaffes. He once famously said that the city of Liverpool was 'wallowing' in self pity after Iraq hostage and Liverpudlian Kenneth Bigley was decapitated by extremists, and was forced by his political party to go to Liverpool to apologise.

Personally I think he will make a good mayor but he may not push the radical green issues Ken Livingstone was famous for.

]]> Boris

Boris is very well known in Britain. He is a member of parliament for Henley, has written books, was the editor of the Spectator magazine and has hosted satirical TV programmes.

He is much more intelligent than he acts (he has the air of a scatterbrained scientist) but is very prone to gaffes. He once famously said that the city of Liverpool was 'wallowing' in self pity after Iraq hostage and Liverpudlian Kenneth Bigley was decapitated by extremists, and was forced by his political party to go to Liverpool to apologise.

Personally I think he will make a good mayor but he may not push the radical green issues Ken Livingstone was famous for.

]]> Comment #3 by Payton Chung http://www.grist.org/article/brits-eye-view-blond-ambition/ Thu, 08 May 2008 08:08:06 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/brits-eye-view-blond-ambition/3 Right tax, wrong reason

Personally, I don't know whether I'd support the additional SUV charge -- it confuses policy priorities. The congestion charge should perhaps levy an additional charge on large vehicles (like SUVs) that consume more road space and contribute more to congestion, but carbon emissions should be taxed elsewhere (fuel, annual registrations). Then again, I'm a bit of a stickler with regard to "nexus" issues.

And, for what it's worth, Singapore had a congestion charge way back in 1975.

]]> Right tax, wrong reason

Personally, I don't know whether I'd support the additional SUV charge -- it confuses policy priorities. The congestion charge should perhaps levy an additional charge on large vehicles (like SUVs) that consume more road space and contribute more to congestion, but carbon emissions should be taxed elsewhere (fuel, annual registrations). Then again, I'm a bit of a stickler with regard to "nexus" issues.

And, for what it's worth, Singapore had a congestion charge way back in 1975.

]]> Comment #4 by Dragon http://www.grist.org/article/brits-eye-view-blond-ambition/ Thu, 08 May 2008 08:38:40 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/brits-eye-view-blond-ambition/4 Nothing

]]> Nothing

]]> Comment #5 by LGT http://www.grist.org/article/brits-eye-view-blond-ambition/ Thu, 08 May 2008 10:23:01 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/brits-eye-view-blond-ambition/5 Boris?

Blue planet,

One knows of a few politicians, former mayors, TV personalities ... in the old country:

Dick Whittington, for example, TV personalities like David and Dick Attenborough, Chris Tarrant ... and the original pirate of Penzance, Dame [15-pence cemeteries]Shirley Porter.

Even shadowy, godfather-like characters such as Greville Janner, who probably wields more power/influence than lame duck Brown and his entire cabinet!  

Boris? Sorry NO Boris, even though he was born our side of the pond!

]]> Boris?

Blue planet,

One knows of a few politicians, former mayors, TV personalities ... in the old country:

Dick Whittington, for example, TV personalities like David and Dick Attenborough, Chris Tarrant ... and the original pirate of Penzance, Dame [15-pence cemeteries]Shirley Porter.

Even shadowy, godfather-like characters such as Greville Janner, who probably wields more power/influence than lame duck Brown and his entire cabinet!  

Boris? Sorry NO Boris, even though he was born our side of the pond!

]]>