I call myself and hope to act as ‘an environmentalist’ – out of the fact that I want to be able to live on this planet in 30 years’ time. Through Green Spaces I want to share with you my passion for all the ‘green’ and environmental things going on around Cambridge, whether that be 'town', 'gown', or both. I want to show you that there’s more to be done than recycling your yoghurt pot and switching off lights; environmentalism is highly political – and it needs to be!

This week we’ll take a look at today's Cambridge City Council elections, some of the ways of raising green issues on the agenda of local politics, and the supportive activities of the Cambridge Young Greens, a local branch of the Green Party.

I have always been curious about patterns of human behaviour in the past and the present – both in personal life and as part of my degree in HSPS. I’m the Environmental Officer for the Cambridge HUB (which was part of my motivation to write this column) and I’m an environmentalist who cares because I believe that God created the earth and us, so that we may care for the earth and each other.

I have just come back from canvassing City Councillor campaign leaflets for the Green Party. Today there are elections for 14 of the 42 councillors on the Cambridge City Council, and most wards have a competitive number of candidates standing. There is a Green Party candidate standing in each ward, in the hope of joining Oscar Gillespie, the Green Councillor for Market Ward. So why do I think we need a Greener council?

Currently Cambridge City Council hold a Labour majority, whilst Daniel Zeichner is the Labour MP of Cambridge itself. Fortunately, many of the Labour councillors see “tackling climate change and making Cambridge cleaner and greener” as one of their priorities, and Zeichner even spoke at the Divestment protest march on Saturday.

So far, so good. The City Council has produced a draft Five-Year strategy to reduce greenhouse gases, and in October the City Council committed itself to divest funds from fossil fuels, also pushing Cambridgeshire County Council to do the same. But a draft plan is not enough and this is where Green Party voices are strong, calling parties to unite and commit to making Cambridge truly sustainable. We need to tackle issues from consumption of goods, to waste, from transport to green spaces, from education on climate change to energy efficient engineering, solar power and electric car charging points. This is what’s needed for a Fossil-Free Cambridge, and it needs to be a priority for the Council. Of course issues such as affordable housing and community spaces are also essential for a sustainable Cambridge, so they need to be integrated in any long-term strategy.

This issue cannot be ignored. With Westminster taking backward steps and scrapping green policies, local government and all the residents (including students) can raise their voice and try to make a change. One way to do this is through the Cambridge Young Greens, who are active in organising policy discussions, meeting politicians and participating in demonstrations, like the one in London against Trident in February 2016. Another way to do this is to engage with your local councillor (many hold regular surgeries) and put your ideas forward in this way.

If you care about your city (and as a student here, your city is currently Cambridge) first of all I urge you to VOTE. Consider that having more Green councillors at meetings and lobbying sustainable policies, be they about energy efficiency or the living wage, will bring Cambridge closer to a Zero Carbon future. But check out the candidates from all parties on the council website, and make your own informed decision. And lastly: the elections are one day, but politics happens daily. If you want to see a change, speak to people with the same agenda or those who represent you. The Young Greens are just one of the many organisations and societies that I will be introducing in the coming weeks.