GreenerPolitics

Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, there will not be a GP Radio show this week.

Trust me though. This one would have been historical.

For those of you who haven’t heard the show, have a listen and then come back to this post and read the reasons why I think GP Radio is important.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Ahem. With the advent of the internet and new, easy to use technology, greens the world over are now able to have conversations with each other about the problems and opportunities that face us the world over. Thus far, we’ve connected people thousands of miles apart to talk about carbon tax, elections, music, leadership and principles. We have talked with people from California, New York, Toronto, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria.

This latest broadcast of GP Radio would have been a first: we would bring together Edwin Datchefski, the founder of Green Drinks, — a loose monthly meeting of greens that started in 1985 and Bridget O’Connor, starting off her first ‘Green Drinks’ meeting in Calgary, Alberta. Calgary would be the 241st city to start a ‘Green Drinks meeting since 1985.

Imagine, a bright eyed energetic green meeting the man who started it all.

It was a fascinating interview. We needed to hold the interview on a Sunday. 6:00 pm in London, England and 11:00 am in Calgary, Alberta. Two people who are very concerned about the environment working to engage people in their respective communities.

In talking with Edwin, I was amazed at how technology enables us to interact in new ways. When Green Drinks was first started in 1985, people were reminded of the monthy meetings by telephone. Then through the sending of faxes. Then came this new-fangled thing called e-mail. Now they have a website: www.greendrinks.org
Now, through internet technology, not only can ‘Green Drinks’ happen all over the world in 29 countries, they can now talk with each other and discuss important ideas on GP Radio.

Once we can talk with one another, I believe that the next step will be concentrated action. So if you’re part of a green drinks meet up in your city, and there are ideas you want to talk about, let me know and I will make it happen.

The creation of GreenerPolitics and GP Radio is an act of faith. I believe that if we take the time to talk with one another, share our stories and work together, we can make a difference. Please, do what you can to support this site with your contributions of stories and take the time to listen.

Thank-you.

Mark MacGillivray