Liberal Democrat’s win edie election, and GW Bush produces one of the biggest landslides in history

However, 49% of respondents believed that the Green party had the best environmental policies, with 35% believing that that accolade should go to the Lib Dems, 5% believing it should go to Labour, 4% to the Conservatives, and 6% believing that neither Greens nor any of the three main parties had the best policies.

George W Bush, one of the candidates in the ‘most destructive world leader’ category, won by a landslide 77% of the votes, requiring no recounts and with no blame being laid on dimpled chads. In second place was Ronald McDonald with 7% of the vote, followed by Saddam Hussein 6%, Vladimir Putin 3%, and Tony Blair 2%. Homer Simpson – the most humble member of the line-up – received 2% of the vote, and Jacques Chirac received 1%. Of those who did not vote for one of the named candidates, a number suggested that free market economics, the World Trade Organisation, and society as a whole were all to blame for environmental degradation, with one respondent suggesting that the “glorified nimbies” at Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth were to blame.

The most important environmental issue facing the new Labour government is the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, according to 24% of the edie voters, closely followed by the mitigation of the effects of climate change (17%), and the promotion of renewable energy (16%). Nine percent of respondents believe that the implementation of economic instruments and green taxation are the most important issue, with 7% concerned about meeting recycling targets, 4% controlling environmental risks from agriculture, and 2% on the regulation of GMOs. Other important issues concerning edie readers include increasing awareness of environmental issues, reducing waste, implementing a suitable land use planning strategy, and transport. One voter felt that the new government should be most concerned with “trashing the sham Kyoto treaty”.

Regarding the question of which individual or organisation had done the most to promote corporate environmental stewardship, Friends of the Earth came out top with 25% of the votes, The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) received 23%, the Environment Agency 19%, Greenpeace 10%, Forum for the Future 8%, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 4%, and the Natural Step 2%. Others which were commended include Envirowise, the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, the Forestry Stewardship Council, Groundwork, European Environment Minister Margot Wallström, and the Body Shop. A number of respondents felt that no one organisation or individual should be named, but that progress had been made through work by a range of NGOs, public bodies and trade associations.

For the full results of the edie election click here.