Camden Council s very own eco champion, Alexis Rowell, did the right thing by hitting out at the green credentials of his council colleagues a few weeks ago. Not all of them can be expected to be as zealous as Cllr Rowell, who spent several nights in dism

Camden Council's very own eco champion, Alexis Rowell, did the right thing by hitting out at the green credentials of his council colleagues a few weeks ago. Not all of them can be expected to be as zealous as Cllr Rowell, who spent several nights in dismal conditions at the Heathrow Climate Change camp while other councillors were tucked up snugly in their beds. But they can be expected to pay more than lip service to the green agenda.

For reasons of political correctness, governments, local councils and the big businesses with their red-hot PR teams, are now finding ways of presenting themselves as environmentally friendly, without ever taking the really hard decisions. Even the airlines are at it.

Cllr Rowell's outburst was unusual, in that he was prepared to criticise his own party as well as his political opponents, but he obviously feels that this issue is too important to be subsumed by party politics. While some of the messages of support he has received have bordered on the patronising, he has clearly succeeded in pushing green issues to the top of the agenda. That is exactly what he is for.

Whatever our thoughts about climate change and global warming, it is a good thing that Camden Council has within its ranks a committed and capable individual, fighting for the environment in so determined a manner, and knowledgeable enough about these affairs to know when he is being sidelined by flannel and spin.