Three conferences in three weeks is hard work! Although I am fond of Blackpool, the toll of endless meetings and snatched conversations takes it toll after a while. I am writing this from a web café with a much needed cup of tea before going to talk to the Social Market Foundation about transport policy.
The talk on the green fringes here as been whether Cameron has deserted the environment as a cause. Is he still going to push the government on their environmental record? When Cameron was at his most powerful he ran an entire local election campaign on the slogan: "Vote blue, go green". Today, the party is behind in the polls and fighting off the threat of a general election.
That explains why Dave has been throwing red meat to the right wing press: yesterday's announcement on inheritance tax is a perfect example. It is also explains his refusal to endorse proposals from the Quality of Life Group on aviation (although as I said yesterday, he has left himself wiggle room on that).
It may or may not be enough to stave off an election. That probably depends on how people react to Brown's announcement on troop withdrawals from Iraq today. Will they welcome it or see it as just cynical pre-election politics?
The real question for Cameron is whether his retreat to policies that appeal to the core vote have fundamentally damaged his image as a modern green politician. He clearly needs to be on the centre ground if he is going to win an election, whenever it is called.
Elsewhere, we have had some lively debates. Nick Hurd MP joined the Greenpeace fringe event on aviation in the Climate Clinic and was very clear that aviation growth needed to be curbed if we were to fight climate change.
Sitting having coffee, I met an old friend who works for the BBC. We had a fascinating conversation about their view on the environment and their decision to pull out of plans for a day of debate on the climate. A pretty shameful decision, if you ask me. The role of the media is critical if we are to get the public behind the issue of climate change and the changes we need to make if we are to meet the challenge of over-consumption and the depletion of our planet's resources.
Off to a debate on 'Ditch the car, save the planet' now.... I think I'll take the tram!
