SIR,

Over the past 40 years, the world has seen more than half its forests destroyed, half its wetlands drained or filled, species vanishing at a rate not seen in 65 million years, human population doubled (3.8 billion to seven billion), a vanishing Arctic ice-cap, 45 per cent of agricultural land degraded, seas ravaged by pollution and industrial fishing and rising greenhouse gas emissions - to name a few, and most of these critical problems are not just continuing but accelerating – as we know.

Massively funded vested interests have successfully downgraded the ecological imperative among policy makers and the public.

A once promising agenda for effective global action against climate change has stalled. The atmospheric level of CO2 has hit 400ppm – the highest in human history (the highest in 3.6 millions years) with barely a murmur of concern from mainstream politicians.

Sad as it is to admit, the green movement is failing; failing in a battle which, ironically, no-one can afford to lose, because to lose means losing everything.

To continue along our present trajectory is clearly not enough. We must turn the tide within the next 10 years and achieve what we've failed to do in the last 40.

So, what is to be done?

Where are we going wrong? What can we do to help mobilise the enormous, but fragmented, green movement into a truly effective force for change?

How can we awaken the public, and even our opponents, to the inevitable calamities impending from current practices, and most importantly, convince them that a sustainable green alternative, that offers a decent quality of life for all, is absolutely possible?

At the Green Party's 40th anniversary conference a new group, 40 Forward, was set up to seek answers to these questions and to ask what more could be done to increase green political leverage, and what the Green Party could do to facilitate this.

We welcome comments, ideas and participation from any interested parties (which should be every person on planet Earth, and visiting aliens).

To that end, Gwent Green Party is extending an open invitation to everyone, regardless of political persuasion, to an informal gathering at the Coach and Horses in Chepstow on 27th June from around 7pm to 9.30pm.

We look forward to meeting with you. For more information phone 07981717757 or email [email protected]">[email protected]

Ann Were

(Monmouth)